Friday was opening day for the Greg Norman designed TPC San Antonio Oaks course, which will host its first Valero Texas Open in May, but local Tour player Cameron Beckman had a quick review after he got in a few pre-opening preview rounds. "It's tough, very tough. Be sure and bring lots of ammo."

It wasn't clear if he was talking to his fellow Tour players, who will be playing May 14-17 at the Tour's fourth-oldest tournament, or the resort guests of the adjacent J.W. Marriott Resort and club members, who will take to the links the other 51 weeks of the year.

The course can play 7,435 yards from the back tees, and Norman (with Tour design consultant Sergio Garcia) designed 54 bunkers, which covers 140,000 square feet of sand. That means pint-sized Tim Clark could disappear entirely inside the massive sand sculptures, and a resort guest could spend much of their three-day weekend digging themselves out of trouble.

Starting in March, green fees for resort guests are $175, with most local memberships going for $50,000. The price of pain and Tour pleasure in the Alamo City. Beckman holds the current course record at 70. The first amateur score (from a Missouri visitor with a single-digit handicap) was 82, and the ball-loss count was a half dozen from the first writer to play the course.

Smile, you're in Thailand.

That's not a suggestion here, it's practically a requirement. Thai people begin every interaction with a smile: Go into a store, smile; pass someone on the street, smile; order a fried curry with squid and a Singha beer, smile. All this smiling becomes contagious. The friendly people, inexpensive massages, delicious food and tropical weather don't hurt either.

I was lucky enough to spend this past New Year's Eve in Koh Samui, a tropical island in the Gulf of Thailand. I had just gotten married in Bangkok (my wife's father lives there), and after the reception the wedding party (all 14 of us) flew to Samui to celebrate New Year's, relax on the beach and of course play golf.

"Men only organize two things: how they're getting beer and where they're playing golf," my wife said when I told her about my morning tee time at Santiburi Samui Golf Club. Our foursome (me, my father, my brother and my brother-in-law) took a 30-minute cab ride (about $15 U.S.) from our resort to the course. The course is less than 10 years old and the clubhouse has decent rental sets and all the tees, gloves and balls you forgot to pack, plus an outdoor restaurant overlooking the coconut jungles and white-sand beaches of Samui for your lunch or post-round drinks.

The course is carved into the island mountain and the elevation changes make it virtually unwalkable. Instead each player has a cart and a caddie. The caddie experience is what makes golf in Thailand so remarkable. In Asia, the caddies are almost all women, as is often reported with an unseemly wink. It's not like that at all. First, the caddies are completely covered to protect themselves from the sun, so they look about as provocative as Scarlett Johansson in a beekeeper's suit. (OK, bad example.) Second, the caddies are all about the golf: they give yardages, select clubs and read putts like any chain-smoking Scotsman, they're just a lot sweeter. And just like at those Scottish courses, your caddies get into your round. If you're playing well, you'll hear a lot of "good shot" and soft applause. My father was the biggest hit with the caddies at Santiburi, who took to calling him "Papa" and cheered loudly when his tee shots split the fairway.

The Santiburi Samui course is a challenging resort track: generous fairways and large greens, but enough doglegs, tricky greens, ravines and bunkers to make you think. The views are the real treat though. The downhill par-3 sixth plays into a natural waterfall, and on the par-4 16th [see photo above] you play toward the ocean and nearby Phangan island, site of Samui's legendary full-moon parties.

And the best part is that once your round is over, you're still in Samui. After we finished our round and settled our bets over a beer, we headed back to Chaweng Beach, which hosted a New Year's Eve celebration the likes of which I've never seen before. Take a look.

Santiburi Samui Golf Club
Koh Samui, Thailand
6,930 yards, par 72
Fees: Green Fee 3600 baht ($110); Caddie fee 250 baht ($8); Caddie tip: about 300 baht ($9); Cart: 600 baht ($18); Clubs: 1000 baht ($30)

For more information on golf trips to Thailand, visit golfasian.com.

(Photo courtesy of Santiburi Samui Golf Club)

If you want to ask Travelin' Joe a question, e-mail him at askjoe@golf.com.

Dear Joe,
My wife and I are 20 to 25 handicap golfers and enjoy all kinds of courses. This winter we are going to spend February and March in Brandon, Florida, near Tampa. What would you recommend in that area that would be good courses and not too expensive.
Al Campbell
North Bay, Ontario, Canada

Put it this way: Brandon is no Bandon — but you'll find some quality golf values just the same. The top player-friendly bargain course in the region is Fox Hollow in New Port Richey (727-376-6333, golfthefox.com/hollow; $40-$90). This late vintage Robert Trent Jones Sr. course actually plays plenty tough, with the master's usual assortment of lakes and bunkers, plus forests, creeks and wetlands, but five sets of tees make it playable for most, including the Gold tees, which measure a comfortable 6,018 yards, with a rating of 69. Best of all, it's only $40 after 2 pm, Monday through Thursday, through March 31.

I also like the Bardmoor Golf & Tennis Club (727-392-1234, bardmoorgolf.com; $40-$90) in Largo. Formerly host to the PGA/LPGA Mixed Team Classic (in order words, Arnold Palmer and Nancy Lopez played here), Bardmoor offers a set of Silver tees that run 5,782 yards, with a slope of 117. Play from noon to 1:30 and it's $75; wait until 1:30 and it's $40.

Hello Joe,
My buddy Mike and I are planning to head to Scottsdale the first week in February. We are going to stay at the Marriott on site at the TPC courses. We plan on the Stadium course for our "expensive" round. Any suggestions on courses that are reasonably priced but still worth going to? Also, we would like to try and double loop a day or two…what time does the sun set in the desert in February?
Jason Devore
Via email

Step out of your hotel room door and you'll stub your toe on the TPC Scottsdale's Champions course (480-585-4334, tpc.com/Scottsdale), a sturdy, variety-filled Tom Weiskopf/Jay Morrish desert course that benefited from a terrific Randy Heckenkemper overhaul in 2007. The course played host to the 2009 Champions Tour Q-School. Green fees are $135.50, with a miniscule replay rate of $41. Give it a go — the first week in February, the sun rises between 7:20 and 7:25 and sets between 6 pm and 6:05.

For another dose of affordable Randy Heckenkemper design work, check out Sanctuary Golf Course at WestWorld (480-502-8200, sanctuarygolf.com; $109-$129), a 10-minute drive from your hotel. This Audubon-certified layout is cramped in spots, but if you came to the desert to play desert golf with mountain views, you'll find it here. Between 11 am and 2 pm, it'll set you back $109.

A half-hour drive is Longbow Golf Club (480-807-5400, longbowgolf.com; $135-$155) in Mesa, a boldly bunkered Ken Kavanaugh design that is annual host of the AJGA Heather Farr event. Paula Creamer won here in 2004, followed in '05 by Inbee Park, who would win the 2008 U.S. Women's Open. Book online and you'll pay $99.

Dear Joe,
I will be traveling with my wife in the Fort Lauderdale area in January. Can you give us a few recommendations for decent courses in the area that will not break the bank.
B. Mihal
Danbury, CT

Start with Jacaranda Golf Club (954-472-5836, golfjacaranda.com; $79-$124) in Plantation. Its East and West courses are both classic layouts with mature trees, but a recent sprucing on both from architect Bobby Weed has added flavor in the form of strategy and challenge. East is the longer, tougher of the two, but both are worth the freight, especially after 1 pm, when the fee is $79.

Pembroke Lakes Golf Club (954-431-4144, pembrokelakesgolf.com; $55-$70) is a muni owned by the town of Pembroke Pines, but sports enough upscale trappings to make you feel you're at a pricey resort course. It's $55 to play during the week and after 11:30 am on weekends. John Sanford reworked the layout in 2007, and today its coquina shell waste bunkers, paspalum greens and affordable rates puts this one on your must-play list.

If you want to ask Travelin' Joe a question, e-mail him at askjoe@golf.com.

Dear Joe,
We live in rainy Northern California. Do you have any ideas for the following criteria: 4- to 5-hour drive from the Bay Area, pet-friendly accommodations, warm weather, good practice facility, reasonable pricing? We want to jump in the car with the dog, drive a few hours, practice for two to three days and drive home.
V. Shellenberg
Via email

Cruise down the 101 to the town of Nipomo, just south of San Luis Obispo, where you'll find Monarch Dunes (805-343-9459, monarchdunes.com; $30-$78). Part links in the dunes, part parkland in the Eucalyptus trees, this collaboration from architect Damian Pascuzzo and six-time PGA Tour winner Steve Pate aces the scenery, variety and playability tests from start to finish. With Kemper Sports in charge of management and course conditions, a fine practice range and a new 12-hole Challenge Course that features par-3s ranging from 82 to 242 yards, Monarch Dunes should deliver just what you're looking for.

Rover can join you at the Best Western Royal Oak Hotel (royaloakhotel.com, 805-544-4410), 26 miles back the way you came in San Luis Obispo. Best of all, the forecast from January 7 through the 15th touts sunny skies and daytime highs ranging from 65 to 71 degrees.

Hi Traveling Joe,
I am going to San Juan, Puerto Rico and need to find a couple of golf courses on the island. What do you recommend?
Bob Barth
Via email

If you like bells and whistles, you'll get fired — up — for Trump International Golf Club Puerto Rico (787-657-2000, trumpgolfclubpuertorico.com; $140-$180). The closest championship golf to San Juan (14 miles east), the 36 holes here still lack some maturity, but as a PGA Tour stop the past two years, they boast plenty of eye candy and challenge.

Among the better bargains on the island is Dorado del Mar at the Embassy Suites (787-796-6125, embassysuitesdorado.com/golf; $55-$120), a hilly 1998 Chi Chi Rodriguez design 45 minutes west of San Juan that features iguanas, swaying palms and a terrific 10th hole, a 525-yard par-5 that overlooks the Caribbean Sea.

Hi Joe,
I'm heading to the Palm Springs area in late January with some buddies to play as much golf as possible. If you had to choose between the two courses at Desert Willow or the two at Indian Wells, which would you recommend?
Alan Z.
Via email

Sorry to straddle the fence on this one, Alan, but it's nearly impossible to choose between Desert Willow (760-346-7060, desertwillow.com; $95-$185) and Indian Wells (760-346-4653, indianwellsgolfresort.com, $130-$155). Both are similarly priced, impeccably groomed, offer terrific facilities and boast staggering mountain views. I'll pick Desert Willow's Firecliff course over its sibling Mountain View and call Indian Wells' Celebrity and Players a toss-up.

Firecliff offers bunkering that's so dramatic, it once made the cover of Smithsonian magazine, while Mountain View is the most forgiving of the four, if that's important to your group. Celebrity is a tad too tight in spots, but the shaping and landscaping is off-the-charts, while the aptly named Players, a John Fought re-design, offers the best test of shotmaking of the four. Pick any one — you cannot go wrong.

If you want to ask Travelin' Joe a question, e-mail him at askjoe@golf.com.

Hi Joe,
My husband and I are looking for a three- or four-day getaway that includes an introduction to golf. We're flying out of Toronto, and we're thinking Florida or Georgia. We don't want an isolated location, but one where we might find other activities nearby.
— Lisa and Malcolm, via e-mail

Dip your toes into the game at Orange Lake Golf Resort (407-239-1050, orangelake.com) in Kissimmee, Fla. In addition to two 18-hole courses, Orange Lake has a pair of beginner-friendly nines, superb practice facilities (the McCord Golf Academy is here) and easy access to Orlando attractions.

Dear Joe,
I live in Delray Beach, Fla. and my buddy lives in Greenville, S.C. We're trying to set up a golf vacation at a nice, affordable place somewhere between the two towns. Do you have any recommendations on places that offer golf packages?
— Stuart Feder, Delray Beach, Fla.

Just split the difference — it'll be about 350 miles for each of you — and hit I-95 to Brunswick, Georgia. There are plenty of options here, both high-end and bargain-barrel, but I think the best mid-priced destination is the oceanfront King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort (800-342-0212, kingandprince.com) on St. Simons Island. The recently renovated course (formerly known as the Hampton Club) features four holes that are almost islands in the salt marshes. In February, the Royal Golf Package starts at $284 per person per night.