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GOLF Magazine's Top 100 Courses in the U.S. and the Top 100 in the World lists are out, so now it's time for the debate to begin. Tell us what you think in the comments section below.
More Top 100: New courses in the Top 100 | 10 courses to watch | Top 100 Courses Home
If you want to ask Travelin' Joe a question, e-mail him at askjoe@golf.com.
Dear Joe,
We're taking our annual buddies trip to Palm Desert, California this year. We're open to all types of courses and price ranges, but we like to play the best courses in the area when we travel. Any recommendations?
-- Martin Tardif, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
You definitely won't suffer a drought of quality courses in this desert. Start with PGA West's Stadium course ($99-$159; 760-564-5729, pgawest.com), a brute that will give you bragging rights back home.
La Quinta Resort's Mountain course ($89-$139; 760-564-5729, laquintaresort.com) is another Pete Dye test worth seeing.
Desert Willow's Firecliff ($110-$145; 760-346-7060, desertwillow.com) is a great upscale muni.
Finally, check out Indian Wells Resort's Celebrity course ($120-$155; 760-346-4653, indianwellsresort.com).
Hey Joe,
I'm going with the family to High Point, NC for a couple of days. What are the best courses within about 20 miles? The budget will be about $200 for both rounds.
-- Jesse Whitmire, via e-mail
Play Tanglewood Park's Championship course ($28-$48; 336-778-6300) in nearby Clemmons. This tough, 7,000-yard Trent Jones Sr. effort hosted the 1974 PGA Championship, when Lee Trevino edged Jack Nicklaus to win. Its sibling, the Reynolds, is shorter, tighter and even cheaper — pocket the savings!
Save $230
Barton Creek Resort & Spa
Austin, Texas
Texas-style buddy trips don't come much better than the Guys Golf Getaway. Included are lodging, breakfast, a welcome bucket of beer, chips and salsa, and unlimited golf on Tom Fazio, Arnold Palmer and Coore/Crenshaw courses. Rates start at $191 per person, per night, double occupancy, with an eight-person (two-foursome) minimum and a three-night required stay. Upgrades and add-ons available. 866-572-7369, bartoncreek.com
Save $240
Pinehurst Resort
Pinehurst, N.C.
Pinehurst's "$222 on No. 2" will be offered Nov. 8 through March 6 and includes accommodations, Pinehurst Resort's popular buffet breakfast and a round of golf on famed No. 2 –- site of the 2014 U.S. Open and U.S. Women's Open. 800-487-4653, pinehurst.com
Save $250
Verdura Golf & Spa Resort
Sicily, Italy
Getting to Sicily isn't cheap, but once you're there, your euro will have legs with the Introductory Package at this new Rocco Forte resort. Included is unlimited play on 45 holes of Kyle Phillips-designed seaside golf, complimentary breakfasts and dinners and a free spa treatment per room for each three-night stay. Prices start at $590 per room, per night, double occupancy. 888-667-9477, roccofortecollection.com
Save $135
Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort
Hilton Head Island, S.C.
You can't beat Island living in the autumn, especially when you're in town for the Fall Unlimited Golf Package, which offers villa accommodations and golf on Robert Trent Jones Sr., George Fazio and Arthur Hills courses, range use and one golf clinic. Rates start at $119 per person, based on four-person occupancy in a two-bedroom villa, and a three-night minimum. 800-827-3006, palmettodunes.com
If you want to ask Travelin' Joe a question, e-mail him at askjoe@golf.com.
Hi Joe,
We've played part of the RTJ Golf Trail in Alabama, and loved it. Which courses would you recommend from the Audubon Golf Trail in Louisiana?
Mark Skipper,
Cedar Park, Texas
Make Gray Plantation ($50-$65; 337-562-1663, graywoodllc.com) in Lake Charles your first stop. The Rocky Roquemore layout is a top value, especially during the week, when you can play this well-bunkered test that skirts the Calcasieu River for $50.
Near the heart of the city is the short but affordable Audubon Park Golf Course ($30-$40; 504-861-2537, auduboninstitute.org), a par-62 track.
Fifteen minutes from downtown is the TPC Louisiana ($110-$169; 866-NOLA-TPC, tpc.com/louisiana), a flat, 7,500-yard Pete Dye design that hosts a PGA Tour event, but at twilight can be played for less than $100.
Dear Joe,
I'm going to Vegas next month and would like to play an affordable course within a short cab drive of the Strip. What do you think is the best bargain in Sin City?
Chad Hartman,
via e-mail
Thanks to the stagnant economy and a dearth of giddy gamblers, Las Vegas is awash with ever-changing golf deals right now. (See, the recession isn't all bad!) Of the fistful of solid second-tier courses, I think The Legacy Golf Club ($75-$119; 702-897-2187, thelegacygc.com) in Henderson meets your criteria. This burly but playable 7,233-yard, par-72 Arthur Hills design is lined with houses, but mountain and desert vistas, quality service and facilities and a memorable stretch of holes (Nos. 10-13) are highlights. Plus, it's only a 15- to 25-minute ride from the Strip, and even closer to the airport.
In Monterey, land of overpriced and inaccessible golf, I've found a cool stay-and-play deal for two killer courses. You can play the renovated Blackhorse and Bayonet layouts, and stay at Inns by the Sea, from $249, golf included.
That would get you nine holes and a handshake at Pebble Beach.
For more information visit Inn by the Sea's web site or call 800-433-4732 and ask for the Bayonet/Blackhourse package.
If you head to Atlantic City, you're probably going for gambling and the myriad other vices the city offers, but you should take a break from the tables and check out Seaview, located less than 20 minutes from the casinos.
The resort offers two courses, Bay and Pines, with impressive pedigrees. The Bay Course is a Donald Ross layout that was rerouted in 2006 and used to host an LPGA stop; the Pines Course is a Toomey & Flynn design that dates to 1929. On an early Saturday morning recently, I found that the Pines provided a soothing respite after a long losing night in the casinos.
For more information, go to seaviewgolf.com.
If you want to ask Travelin' Joe a question, e-mail him at askjoe@golf.com.
Hey Joe,
A group of 8 of us are going to Chicago on the September 19 weekend. We were looking into a golf course to play that Saturday morning but haven't made up our minds yet. I was wondering if you could give me some suggestions as to where we should try. My criteria would be: public, $100 or less, relatively close proximity to Chicago because we won't have our own vehicles. Our handicaps range from 2 to 20. We want to play something quality and memorable.
Jordan Lund
Canada
Jordan, it would take Solomon's wisdom to find a perfect answer here, but you're stuck with Travelin' Joe, so we'll forge ahead with compromises. The Glen Club (847-724-7272, theglenclub.com) almost fits your bill. It's only 15 miles north of O'Hare, it serves up a handsome, tournament-tested Tom Fazio design and it's got all the service bells and whistles you could ask for. Unfortunately, they're asking $175 to play on a September Saturday.
Continue reading "Ask Travelin' Joe: Chicago, Washington D.C. and Las Vegas" »
Since 1883, the Sagamore Resort has drawn families from all over the New York area and beyond for its beautiful views of the Adirondack Mountains and Lake George, an abundance of outdoor activities and a Donald Ross golf course.
Now there are even more reasons to come back. The historic hotel has undergone several renovations that bring it up to date, while keeping that old-time charm.
Thirty six new rooms are open in the executive wing of the hotel, with several modern touches like flat-screen televisions and glass-enclosed showers.
The dining room has been renamed La Bella Vita Ristorante and is not to be missed, especially around sunset, since the elegant atmosphere and unobstructed views of the lake make for a memorable dinner.
Continue reading "Sagamore Resort in New York keeps getting better with age" »
I played the Yellowstone Club yesterday in southwest Montana. It's a mountainous Weiskopf design at like 7,000 feet elevation -- ball rolls out about 200 yards in some cases. I loved the spit-fairwayed, driveable-par-4 17th hole.
Saw a moose on the course, a bear afterward. Carts come with bear spray.
I took a trip to Myrtle Beach recently, to play the very tasty Dye course at Barefoot resort. The recession is showing: Tee sheet largely blank. But the course remains in primo condition.
On the flight out of Myrtle, I sat next to a guy who'd played the Love course at Barefoot, where I'd also played. His round was interrupted when he got bit on the left leg by a rattlesnake on the par-5 eighth. He killed the snake with his five iron, decapitated it, and brought it to the hospital with him. He said the swing that killed the snake was one of his best of the week.
Save $185
Foxwoods Resort/Lake of Isles
North Stonington, Connecticut
The Foxwoods Golf Packages include lodging at one of four hotels, 18 holes on Lake of Isles North, one of Golf Magazine's Top 100 You Can Play, a sleeve of Callaways and a logo golf towel, a food and beverage voucher, and a complimentary drink at Shrine or Scorpion Bar. Rates start at $209 per person, per night, double occupancy, through October 31.
888-475-3746, lakeofisles.com
Save $110
The Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort
Shawnee on Delaware, Pennsylvania
History fans will warm to the Shawnee, where Paul Runyan smoked Sam Snead, 8 and 7, to win the 1938 PGA Championship. Today, you can make your own history on its 27 holes via the All-Inclusive Golf Package, which includes 18 holes with cart, lodging, and breakfast in the River Room. October rates start at $196 per person, per room, per night.
800-SHAWNEE, shawneeinn.com
Save $115
Wintergreen Resort
Wintergreen, Virginia
The Mountain Masters package features 18 holes on either the Devils Knob or Stoney Creek courses, lodging, breakfast in the Copper Mine restaurant, a daily one-hour clinic, discounted second rounds, and an engraved pewter luggage tag. Rates start at $157 per person, per night, double occupancy.
800-266-2444, wintergreenresort.com
Save $135
Samoset Resort
Rockport, Maine
Early fall in southern Maine calls for lobster rolls, blueberry pie and golf along the Atlantic and Penobscot Bay. The Unlimited Golf Package dishes out unlimited golf and cart, two nights' lodging, breakfast for two each morning and a special pro shop gift. Rates from $298 per night, double occupancy; two-night minimum, through October 31, 2009.
800-341-1650, samosetresort.com
(Photo: Foxwoods Resort Casino)
