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

Hey Joe,
A friend and I are planning a trip to the Orlando area in late February, and we’re considering the Orange County Golf Resort. We’re looking for a moderately priced deal for three to four days of golf. Should we consider a local hotel and play individual courses or go with a package deal at one of the resorts?
Sam Coppola
Via email

I’ll leave the Disney-flavored puns out of this answer—much as it pains me—because if you’re considering Orange County National, you’re likely a no-nonsense golfer who wants straightforward info.

Orlando boasts so many terrific golf properties that it’s hard to choose just one. Bay Hill has its Arnie aura, Disney has its PGA Tour pedigree, the Waldorf-Astoria has tranquility, Reunion has variety, and the Ritz-Carlton Grande Lakes has those greens—well, you get the point.

However, if you’re into golf—and value—book a package at Orange County National Golf Center and Lodge. Its unwieldy name manages to say it all. Its two championship courses, Crooked Cat and Panther Lake, both have served as PGA Tour Qualifying School tests and comprise two of the best bargains in the area.

If you book an Orange County National package, you’ll have access to both courses, plus free golf (cart fee extra) at Tooth, their nine-hole executive course, pre-round range balls, locker, club storage, bag tag, and discounted extra rounds. (February rates from $302 per person, based on double occupancy and a two-night minimum; 407-656-2626, ocngolf.com.)

Toss in one of the three best public-access practice ranges and short-game areas in the country and superior instruction, and you’ve got a winner. If there’s a drawback to OCN, is that it’s a tad remote, away from Orlando’s plethora of attractions and restaurants. Still, to some, that’s a plus.

Dear Joe,
I read your suggestions about places to play in Tucson. Can you recommend any condo-type accommodations similar to what I find in the Myrtle Beach area? We’re looking for a one-stop place where the group has a roof over their heads and a bunch of tee times.
Ken Gardiner
Philadelphia, PA

If Phoenix/Scottsdale were your destination, Zona Resort Suites (888-222-1059, zonascottsdale.com) would be exactly what you’re looking for. Tucson’s a different animal. It offers neither the quantity nor variety of prices available in the Valley of the Sun, and it cannot touch Myrtle Beach for maximum options—but then, no destination can.

I’ve got two solid outfits to recommend in the Old Pueblo, as Tucson is often called. First is Sonoran Suites (888-786-7848, sonoransuites.com). Though based in Phoenix, they have covered Tucson since 1997 and operate in every desert destination. February packages start at $129 per person per night, but they offer an array of options that include 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom units as well as choices ranging from value courses such as Del Lago, El Conquistador and Canoa Hills, to ultra-premiums like Ventana Canyon, Omni Tucson Nation and La Paloma.

My other pick in Tucson is the Golf Villas at Oro Valley (888-904-9158, thegolfvillas.com). This is pure, perfect desert, in one of Tucson’s most desirable locales, right around the corner from top tracks such as Arizona National, Vistoso and Ventana Canyon. You’re surrounded by excellent restaurants, nightlife and the towering mountains and cactus-covered slopes that brought you to the desert in the first place. February rates for two-bedroom villas start at $239.

Riviera Country Club: the Best Hole and the Worst Hole
When the PGA Tour pros renew their love affair with Riviera Country Club this week in suburban Los Angeles, they will encounter the design skills of George Thomas, a golden age architect who deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as Donald Ross, Alister MacKenzie and A.W. Tillinghast. As proof of Thomas’s magical skills, check out Riviera’s 10th hole. For years, I considered Augusta National’s par-5 13th to be the ultimate risk/reward hole that the pros see every year, but these days, that honor goes to the 315-yard, slight dogleg-to-the-right 10th at “the Riv.”

Any self-respecting pro can drive the green, but the penalties for missing are so severe, thanks to the ingenious positioning of both bunkers and putting surface, that 5s and 6s are much more common than 2s.

Jack Nicklaus has stated that the 10th presents more options than any other short hole in the world. Few have the discipline to approach the green from the proper angle, which calls for a lay-up drive to the far left side of the fairway—especially when the hole location is back-right on this shallow, diagonal green corseted by bunkers. When the pin is on the left, unprotected by a fronting bunker, the temptation is to go straight at it—even if you fall short. However, that open portion of the green slopes away to the back, making a straight-on approach that much exquisitely tougher. No matter where you approach from, the shot is an extreme test of nerve. That’s what makes it a superior short hole. There’s no water to set the pulse racing or chasm to carry, just the knowledge that you’ve got to hit two perfect shots on such a tiny hole.

The worst hole at Riviera? Some might argue that the second is suspect because it’s a par 5 converted to a par 4, with a green complex much more receptive to a short approach than a long one. Others point to the shot values lacking at the par-5 first. With its exhilarating hill-top tee box, the short par 5 really plays like a par 4. For one great player, however, the dubious distinction belongs to the 236-yard, par-3 fourth. That player is not Ben Hogan, who labeled it “the greatest par 3 in America.” No, the dissenter is another supreme shotmaker, Lee Trevino, who stated in 1985, “One famous (course) with a flaw is Riviera. You could go to Communist China and say ‘Riviera Country Club’ and some guy would say ‘It’s in Los Angeles, California.’ It’s known worldwide, but Riviera is a 17-hole golf course.

“The clinker is No. 4, the par 3. A monkey’s as good as a man playing it. It slopes away from you. It plays against the prevailing wind because the play is toward Santa Monica and the ocean, and the hole plays about 240 yards against the wind. Hell, you have to hit a driver on it. They should plow that damn hole up and start building a legitimate par 3.”

No small wonder that the Merry Mex never won at Riviera, or even finished runner-up.

(Photo: Orange County National)

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

Dear Joe, Where are the best deals in Miami for the month of February? We are all decent golfers, so we would like to play some nice courses. Thanks!
John C.
Babylon, N.Y.

As most of you know, I’m partial to the offerings at Doral, pictured, (305-592-2000, doralresort.com) and Turnberry Isle (305-932-6200, turnberryislemiami.com), but I acknowledge that both are pretty pricey. That said, both properties qualify in the “you get what you pay for” department. There is a wide variety of second-tier courses and lodging options in and around Miami, but they’re all over the map where it comes to packages that jump out.

Perhaps the best place to start is with an outfit called GOLFPAC Travel (888-848-8941, golfpactravel.com), which has been providing package information on Florida properties (and elsewhere) for 35 years. In Miami, they have Doral and Turnberry deals available, as well as Don Shula’s and Hotel Indigo Miami Lakes, two bargain properties that will fit many budgets.

A final option I recommend is The Biltmore (877-311-6903, biltmorehotel.com) in Coral Gables. Awash with classy, Old World elegance, it’s not necessarily prime real estate for buddies trips, but for couples and families, it’s perfect, thanks to its vintage, playable Donald Ross course (restored/renovated by Brian Silva in 2007), its fabled swimming pool and its terrific restaurants.

Still, if you and your pals wind up here, the resort’s Hole-in-One package goes above and beyond, not only offering unlimited golf, range balls and discounted instruction, but also tee time access to Doral and at Crandon Park, the scenic Key Biscayne muni (and former Champions Tour venue) that plays along the water amid vistas of Miami’s high-rises.

Hey, Joe, I’m planning on going to Atlanta soon, so is there any way I can play at Augusta National. Thanks very much.
Ryan O.
Via email

No.

Take it From Joe
Spyglass Hill: America’s Most Underrated Course
The PGA Tour’s AT&T Pebble Beach event takes place this week, renewing everybody’s love affair with one of earth’s most visually compelling championship tests, Pebble Beach. Nothing wrong with Pebble—but those blimp aerials, and Saturday’s celebrity showcase, inevitably overshadow one of the tournament’s co-hosts, Spyglass Hill, which is a shame, because America deserves to see more of Spyglass.

A few years back, I asked the question, “How can a course that invariably gets ranked in the U.S. Top 50 be labeled underrated?” Simple. It’s rarely seen on television and it’s stuck next to Pebble—and next to Cypress Point, for that matter. Critics harp on the schizophrenic nature of the layout and natter on that once you leave the sixth tee, you’re done with the ocean. That may be true—but this is still one great golf course.

Spyglass’ virtues start with one of the scariest opening tee shots in golf. Fog-enshrouded and library quiet, the silence on the first tee is disturbed only by golf balls echoing off the enormous pines that pinch the fairway. Next on this 595-yard, par-5 that veers sharply to the left is a jaw-dropping ocean view from the fairway crest. A short, straight drive won’t work, as the timber will block your second. Even a healthy drive down the middle will leave you an awkward downhill, sidehill lie.

Holes 2 through 5 romp through massive dunes and would be standouts anywhere. Six through 18 are thickly forested and mostly play uphill, making it a grind to walk and tough to score on, but the par 3s are gorgeous and two of the par4s are among the most challenging in golf, the reverse cambered 8th that slopes to the right but doglegs left and the brutal 16th, where merely hitting the green in two is an achievement.

Sure, Spyglass yielded 62s to Phil Mickelson in 2005 and Luke Donald in 2006, but for most of us, it’s just a beautiful brute—and it was flat-out nasty when it opened, back in 1966. It made its PGA Tour debut in the 1967 Bing Crosby Pro-Am, when the host himself crooned an offer to Jack Nicklaus: “I’ll bet you five you can’t shoot under par from the back tees in your first round at Spyglass.” It was unclear whether Bing meant $5.00 or $5,000, but Nicklaus notched a 2-under-par 70 in his practice round and Bing forked over $500 to charity. The Golden Bear stumbled to a 74 when it counted, yet still won the event by five.

In 2012, as always, the AT&T winner will have to conquer Pebble Beach’s closing stretch along the Pacific, but he’ll also have to survive Spyglass before that to capture the crystal.

(Photo: Doral Golf Resort)

Black Horse Golf Course
Seaside, Calif.
7,024 yards, par 72
Green fees: $60-$145
831-899-7271
Bayonetblackhorse.com

Sibling rivalries stretch from Cain and Abel to Edoardo and Francesco (Molinari), and golf courses aren't exempt. The legacy of one course overshadowing its blood relative dates to 1895, when the New joined the Old at St. Andrews.

Similarly, Black Horse is the less celebrated of the two former Fort Ord Army base layouts overlooking Monterey Bay, 20 minutes north of Pebble Beach. Its elder, Bayonet, has long grabbed the glory here, having hosted multiple Nationwide and PGA Tour Q-School events as well as Hall-of-Famers such as Jack Nicklaus, Johnny Miller and Tom Watson.

So hard and handsome is the 58-year-old Bayonet that locals dub it "the poor man's Spyglass." In most cases, the younger (by 10 years) Black Horse was an afterthought.

Not anymore.

In 2008, architect Gene Bates engineered a renovation on both courses that elevated Black Horse to near-equal status with its revered sibing. He cleared trees, in the process opening up Pacific Ocean views; he regraded fairways and greens and improved overall irrigation; and he redesigned bunkers, giving them distinctive, serrated edges.

Most striking is the brand-new, 224-yard par-3 15th. From the elevated tee the hole yields a stirring view of Monterey Bay, and if those brisk ocean breezes grab hold of your ball, five ravenous right-front bunkers await at the green. With a level of challenge that's equal to the tips at Bayonet, and more room to play than its tree-choked relative, it's well worth saddling up to Black Horse.

(Photo: Joann Dost)

Dear Joe,
My wife and I are taking a two-week trip to the Hawaiian Islands in early January to celebrate our 25th anniversary. We both want to play a few rounds over the two weeks. This is our first time in Hawaii, so any recommendations are appreciated.
—Sunil Kochhar, Savigny, Switzerland

You're traveling a long way, so do it right with a "special occasion" itinerary. My first choice, Kapalua's Plantation on Maui, is likely off-limits, as the PGA Tour pros open their season there the first week of the new year, so stick with the Kohala Coast on the Big Island of Hawaii, which offers the most reliable early January weather.

Don't miss Mauna Kea ($155-$250; 808-882-5400, princeresortshawaii.com/mauna-kea-golf-course) on the Big Island, home to Hawaii's most spectacular hole, the 272-yard, over-the-ocean, par-3 3rd. However, Mauna Kea is rugged golf.

If you want softer but still scenic seaside play, opt for the Jack Nicklaus-designed Hualalai ($250; 808-325-8000, fourseasons.com/hualalai), though you'll have to stay at the pricey but superb Four Seasons Hualalai to tee it up.

Framed by stark lava rocks, the South Course at Mauna Lani ($165-$265; 808-885-6655, maunalani.com) is another friendly layout option. Maui, Oahu, Kauai and Lana'i also boast dozens of other can't-go-wrong choices—golf and otherwise—but at that time of year, go Big (Island) or go home.

Hey Joe,
My wife and I will be traveling to Scottsdale this December with our 13-year-old daughter. We're all on the north side of 18 handicaps. We'd like to experience desert golf that's fun but not too tough. Any suggestions?
—David Danielson, Cleveland, Ohio

Here are my top three courses in the Greater Phoenix area for playability, scenery and architectural interest. The North Course at Talking Stick ($40-$175, with a 1 p.m. and later December rate of $80; 480-860-2221, talkingstickgolfclub.com) is a flat Bill Coore/Ben Crenshaw design with no homes or roads affecting play and occasional wild horse sightings.

The Phoenician ($60-$189, with a Family Tees program available; 480-423-2450, thephoenician.com) sports more forced carries over water and desert, but the short and in-your-face mountain encounters make it sporty for all.

Finally, there's Longbow ($58-$155, with special rates for juniors; 480-807-5400, longbowgolf.com) in Mesa. Bold bunkering, mountain vistas, terrific variety and value define this 1997 Ken Kavanaugh design.

Dear Joe,
My family is headed to Palm Desert, Calif., over Christmas. My brothers and I, ages 26-32, are average weekend golfers who would like to play two or three rounds. Our price range is $60-$150. Any suggestions on courses with good views that will leave us with a few bucks for a beer at the 19th hole?
—Patrick Read, Baltimore, Md.

Ah, yes—the golf-beer balance is a delicate one, indeed. I hope you like PBR, because you'll only have a buck or two left after your Saturday round at La Quinta Resort & Club's Mountain course ($139-$189 in December; 760-564-7610, laquintaresort.com). But it will taste great after you duel with a back nine that boasts the reachable par-5 15th—its green curled into a mountain cove—and the downhill par-3 16th, a forced carry to a sliver of green hemmed in by rocky desert scrub.

To save enough cash for the imported stuff, try the region's best bargain, Escena Golf Club ($60-$105; 760-778-2737, escenagolf.com), a six-year-old Nicklaus Design effort near the Palm Springs Airport. There are wide fairways and bunkers that a 15-handicapper can escape, with just enough water to keep things interesting.

The middle-ground pricewise is Marriott's Desert Springs ($135 in December, $79 after 2 pm; 760-341-2211, desertspringsresort.com), whose Palm and Valley courses won't wow you with design innovation but will knock you over with scenery, from waterscapes to towering palms to mountain views.

Hello Joe,
I'm going to spend a week in the Ft. Myers, Fla., area. What courses would you recommend in the $100-$150 range?
—Herman Schnieders, via e-mail

Bargains in southwest Florida are pretty rare, but there are still a few options. Start with Old Corkscrew ($85-$125; 239-949-4700, oldcorkscrew.com), a vintage Jack Nicklaus creation 25 miles south of Ft. Myers in Estero that's a playful blend of sand, water and wetlands, and whose back tees stretch to 7,393 yards.

Riverwood ($65 in December; 941-764-6661, riverwoodgc.com) is worth the hour's trek north to Port Charlotte. The 7,004-yard Gene Bates design zigzags through woods on the front nine and salt marshes on the back.

Closer to Ft. Myers, your best values are the watery but spacious Stoneybrook ($67.50-$105; 239-948-3933, stoneybrookgolfestero.com) in Estero, and Eastwood ($40-$60; 239-321-7487, cityftmyers.com/eastwood), a tight, heavily bunkered 34-year-old Devlin/Von Hagge effort.

(Photo: Larry Lambrecht)

Hi Joe,
I'm planning a trip to the UK with my wife, who grew up in England. After a lot of pleading on my part, she's agreed to head up to Scotland for a few days. Outside of the British Open courses, I'm lost. Any recommendations on two, maybe three rounds of golf on this once-in-a-lifetime trip?
—Jess D. Brown, via e-mail

Hold your head high, fella—you're going to St. Andrews! Now, I still say the region's two Open sites are mandatory. If you can't snare a tee time on the Old Course, at least soak up the experience by walking much of the course, or all of it on Sundays when it is closed to play. Carnoustie (£135/$220; 01144-1241-802270, carnoustiegolflinks.co.uk), the seven-time Open venue 45 minutes up the coast, is your must-play blast of brutish links golf.

Closer to town, Kingsbarns (£185/$302; 01144-1334-460860, kingsbarns.com) offers an arresting blend of old-fashioned, contour-heavy holes and modern spectacular seaside tests, such as the par-5 12th and the all-or-nothing, practically in-the-sea par-3 15th.

A dozen other enticing options await in the area, including the 116-year-old "New" course at St. Andrews (£35-£70/$57-$114; 01144-1334-466666, standrews.org.uk). For a taste of pure quirky charm, I'm partial to Crail's Balcomie Links (£57-£72/$93-$118; 01144-1333-450686, crailgolfingsociety.co.uk), which amuses with blind shots, holes that cross each other and Firth of Forth panoramas at every turn.

Dear Joe,
I'm heading to Columbus, Ohio for a wedding. A buddy of mine is getting married to a member at Muirfield Village, so we get to play there one day. Any other courses you'd recommend?
—Matt Garretson, via e-mail

Pfffffft. That's the air seeping out of your bubble, because any public course in the region will be a colossal letdown after teeing it up at Jack's Place. The only track that comes close is Longaberger ($64-$99; 740-763-1100, longabergergolfclub.com) in Nashport, a 45-mile drive east that's worth the journey. At 7,243 yards, with Tour-level (if not Muirfield-level) conditioning, this Arthur Hills design succeeds on every level, from price to shot values. Most memorable are the 563-yard, par-5 4th that plummets 15 stories from tee to green, and the watery 444-yard, par-4 8th.

Columbus's second-tier publics are pretty strong, but I'm partial to the Donald Ross-designed Granville ($28-$55; 740-587-4653, granvillegolf.com), a layout that comes with both Old World charm and bargain basement prices.

Dear Joe,
I'll be traveling to London this summer. I'm looking to play a seaside links course at a reasonable price that's also within reasonable driving distance. I've looked into Prince's Golf Club in Sandwich and it seems to be a good course at a good price. Do you agree with that? What other courses would you suggest?
—Sam Dostaler, Plainville, Conn.

At $122 midweek, a price that includes coffee, a bacon roll and a gift bag, Prince's (£75-£85/$122-$139; 01144-1304-611118, princesgolfclub.co.uk) is certainly worth the 100-mile drive from London's Gatwick Airport. However, I'm not going to crown Prince's as the value king of England's southeast coast just yet. This 27-holer is a sturdy test and dishes out memorable views of Pegwell Bay, but it's not the same layout that witnessed Gene Sarazen's 1932 British Open win. That course was obliterated in World War II. While Prince's is separated only by a boundary fence from 2011 Open venue Royal St. George's, it's a low-profile, flattish layout without the giant sand hills and memorable holes of its neighbor.

If you can't swing Royal St. George's $245 green fee, then consider Royal Cinque Ports (£125-£150/$204-$245; 01144-1304-374007, royalcinqueports.com), 15 minutes south, in Deal. This two-time Open venue (1909 and 1920) serves up links delights in abundance, with topsy-turvy terrain, plateau and punchbowl greens and an ancient Roman road that parallels the par-4 12th.

Dear Joe,
I have a friend who lives in San Francisco, and I'm in San Diego. We're thinking of planning a three-day, five-round weekend golf trip somewhere in the middle. Do you have any suggestions on courses between San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara? We're looking for value on all parts of the trip.
—Michael Lilien, San Diego, Calif.

Anchor your trip around Monarch Dunes in Nipomo ($35-$95; 805-343-9459, monarchdunes.com), 70 miles north of Santa Barbara. Sandy soil, coastal dunes, artfully positioned bunkers and eucalyptus trees that swat away stray shots spice the proceedings. Don't neglect the resort's par-3 course ($19-$30), a 12-hole layout with superb one-shotters and a set of wild greens.

Also check out La Purisima ($40-$110; 805-735-8395, lapurisimagolf.com) in Lompoc, a brute (75.6/143) from the 7,105-yard tips that can be walked for $40 after 2 p.m.; and the River Course at Alisal ($45-$72; 805-688-6042, rivercourse.com), where Miles and Jack from the wine-buddy movie Sideways struck their crooked shots and cursed Merlots.

How do you define luxury? Start with no fewer than 32 chairs downstairs alone in my villa unit at The Grand Del Mar. That’s not including a sofa and love seat. There are additional places to park your back side upstairs and on the outdoor patio. There was also an elevator in our villa -- No. 5322 -- in case you’re too tired to climb or descend the marble spiral staircase.

What was missing during my stay at The Grand Del Mar? A few extra days. Travelin’ Joe has been lucky enough to rest his head in some amazing places throughout a lifetime of golf travel. In terms of amenities and accommodations, however, The Grand Del Mar was the pinnacle.

Understand that I’ve enjoyed plenty of modest digs in my time. For special occasions, however, you may as well do it right. Start with The Grand Del Mar’s stellar location. It’s an easy 20-minute drive north from the San Diego airport and set into ridges and canyons a mile or so inland from the Pacific Ocean. Horrors -- it’s not on the ocean? No -- this location is better, because it’s away from the coastal fog and mist and wind, but not so far inland that it gets too hot. Perfect climate has become a big deal to me. I’ve found it’s worth paying a little extra when you get a near-guarantee of great weather. August and September are perfect in this part of northern San Diego.

The Villas at The Grand Del Mar are available for purchase and can run up to $4,500 per night to rent. For that, you get the chairs; the elevator; a full bar with barstools; a media room with overstuffed leather recliners; a patio Jacuzzi and fire pit; every conceivable appliance, including an outdoor gas barbecue grill; an office with computer; and a two-and-a-half-car garage and three upstairs bedrooms. The master bedroom has his-and-her bathrooms, walk-through showers, two walk-in closets, a sitting room and two balconies. Single-digit handicapper Justin Timberlake enjoyed one of these villas last summer with then-girlfriend Jessica Biel. So this is how the other half lives when they go on vacation.

Get real, you say? OK, fair enough. The regular hotel rooms at the Grand Del Mar are among the best in the business, and they’re priced reasonably. Package rates start from $366 per night. If you don’t get 32 chairs downstairs, what do you get? Start with the only Tom Fazio design in San Diego. Formerly known as Del Mar National and Meadows Del Mar, The Grand Golf Club finally got it right, name included. Since the course does not accept outside play, tee times are plentiful and play moves along briskly. Fazio let the ridges and canyons take center stage here, so bunkering and green design are subtle. Wide, saddle-shaped fairways help funnel shots back into play and greens are mostly open in front.

Still, there’s plenty of spice to keep things interesting, even for frequent visitor Phil Mickelson. The 480-yard, par-4 fourth is a ridge-top stunner, its green set on the edge of a canyon. It usually plays into the breeze and sports a handsome view of the resort below. Mickelson once handled the 360-yard, par-4 14th by smashing driver to a foot from the cup, but it’s the ravine carry at the 15th and the scary, water-menaced 242-yard, par-3 17th that will linger longest in memory.

Equally compelling to the championship course is the resort’s instruction facility. Spearheaded by personable director of golf Shawn Cox, and co-designed by Mickelson, this is one of the finest resort practice facilities in the game, from the on-site Titleist Performance Institute to the golf-oriented jungle gym for kids. If you’re ambitious about your game, you could spend all day here. Cox has some terrific and innovative short-game theories, some that he credits to Jim Sieckmann, who has worked with Nick Watney. Cox improved my chipping in five minutes, if not to Watney levels.

When you’re not on the golf course, check out the new and wildly popular equestrian center, a state-of-the-art spa (where service is off the charts, as it is with the rest of the resort), a classic, Old Hollywood-style swimming pool, shaded by tall palms (with a separate adults-only pool nearby) and Southern California’s only Five-Star, Five-Diamond restaurant, Addison. The setting at Addison is so exquisite, you’d be perfectly content scarfing down grilled cheese sandwiches and a glazed doughnut. However, what’s on the menu is a tad more ambitious -- and almost incomprehensibly good. I’m still making payments on that meal, but after all, it was my wife’s birthday.

I understand that for a stay at The Grand Del Mar, we’re talking healthy tariffs for most folks. So, too, there are people who might not agree with the conservative politics of resort owner Doug Manchester. I can say this unequivocally, however: If you crave a secure, secluded getaway amid perfect weather, with a playable, beautiful and low-key Tom Fazio design, The Grand Del Mar is worth the splurge.

It's no coincidence that renowned mental-game consultant Dr. Joseph Parent decided to establish his headquarters at the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa, nestled in the foothills 90 minutes north of Los Angeles — there is perhaps no better location to teach the art of zen golf.

A Silver Medal honoree in Golf Magazine's 2010 Premier Resorts, Ojai has it all: a golf course that's brimming with history, sumptuously appointed rooms and suites, a spa, and a 220-acre location with sprawling Spanish Colonial–style architecture. At 6,292 yards, the on-site Ojai Country Club course won't break you with length, but the quirky track does require strategic shot selections. Given its manageable yardage, the course is exceptionally playable from any set of tees, but the standout hole is a real brute — the visually intimidating 203-yard 16th, which requires a full carry over several daunting bunkers.

After your round, Jimmy's Pub serves excellent casual fare (don't miss the guacamole), but if you're in the mood for a more refined experience, you can't go wrong at Maravilla. Just make sure to pair your meal with a glass of the Ojai Vineyard Syrah — you won't be disappointed.

October green fees are $180 and room rates start at $300 per room.
888-697-8780, ojairesort.com

(Photo: Aidan Bradley)

Arnie has Bay Hill. Jack has Muirfield Village. And now Johnny has Silverado.

Johnny Miller, part of an investment group that purchased the 36-hole resort in Napa, Calif., last year, unveiled his redesign of the North Course there earlier this year.

“I can’t say I dreamed of owning it because the thought never entered my mind,” said the two-time major winner, who once lived in a home on the 11th hole. “But I sure thought about redesigning these courses about 4,000 times, probably as far back as the early 1970s. I said we could do one course and show the world and the membership what the potential of these courses are, and breathe a little life into this iconic property.”

He’s done just that, and magnificently. The revamped North Course received new grasses, new bunkering (complete with blinding, white Idaho sand) and realigned fairways, not to mention significant tree removal.

“It has a clean, open look now where it used to be a little bit shabby,” says Miller, who won a PGA Tour event here (the Kaiser International Open Invitational) in 1974 and 1975.

Perhaps the biggest improvement is a higher level of conditioning on the now lightning-fast greens.

“If you had Tour pros play here from the back tees and no rough, with the greens running fast, I’d be surprised if anyone shot 12 or 13 under par for an event, which is strong for no rough,” says Miller. “This is a tough golf course. These greens are as tough as Augusta at high speeds. I would probably have five three putts a round.”

Miller applied a less-is-more philosophy when it came to bunkers.

“I’m a big believer in not having too many bunkers,” he said. “I took out 15-20 bunkers here. My bunkers are there 95 percent of the time for a real good reason. They change the hole and make you think. They are not decorative bunkers. A lot are not even in play for most players, but they are for the Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroys of the world.”

Will those two ever tee it up here? Probably not. But Miller is enthusiastic about bringing local, state, USGA and professional events to Silverado.

“We’ve had inquiries from every one of those entities, but we want to wait until we have all our ducks in a row before moving forward with any of them,” he said.

For previous course design projects, Miller estimated he would normally visit the site 10-12 times -- at Silverado that number increased to approximately 40.

“I made every decision on the course for the first time in my life,” he said. “For once I could say if you hate it, it’s my fault. If you like it, it’s my fault. It’s one thing to do a job for an owner who selects you from 10 guys and you want to do a good job for them. It’s a whole different deal if you are one of the owners. That gets your attention. I was determined to do the best dang job I could. I’m not the world’s greatest course designer, but I do know this property, and with the budget we had, I knew I could do a better job than anybody because I knew every inch of this place.”

Future plans call for renovating the South Course, building a world-class driving range, and establishing a golf academy. Dolce Hotels was brought in to handle the unique accommodation situation (435 member-owned cottages that will likely undergo upgrades pending owner approval), while Troon Golf is now handling course operations.

“You can have a Fazio and spend maybe $10 million, or a Nicklaus come in for $8 million, but we didn’t spend too much,” said Miller. “If the market was better, and golf wasn’t down, we could have gone with more lakes, waterfalls, or re-circulated streams. That’s what those guys do. What we did was for playability and not a lot of extra frosting. This is a good first step.”

And the first one in what Miller hopes will be a long relationship.

“One thing I learned from Greg Norman, who was way more aggressive than I am, is that I wanted to create something that was a family legacy, create a brand or have an iconic property like this where people in the family could work, or something that just goes on -- that’s what a family business does, goes on for generations," Miller said. "That’s what we can do with this property. It’s sort of sacred for me. I fell in love with it the first time I saw it. There’s just something about Napa Valley and Silverado. At my stage in life, maybe my announcing doesn’t bring that much joy to the players, but I’m hoping people get a kick out of coming here. That’s our goal.”

(Photo: Joann Dost)

Photo: John Mummert/USGA

When I first played Pebble Beach in 1980, I paid $50. I could make a tee time three months out, even though I was staying at a Best Western in Salinas, not the Lodge at Pebble Beach.

Today, you'll fork over a minimum of $495 for 18 holes, and if you're not holed up at a Pebble Beach Resorts property, you'll have to get lucky to play, with all-too-rare tee times available only one day in advance.

Yes, the Pebble experience is crazy expensive, but if you're a serious golfer, you've got to do it once in your life. The Summer Getaway Package will help. It includes two nights at the Inn at Spanish Bay—one of my favorite golf hotels—plus a round at Pebble and another at either Spyglass Hill or Spanish Bay. No frills—just a guarantee that you'll get to play Pebble.

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Sebonack Golf Club, Southampton, N.Y. Photo: Larry Lambrecht.

Atlanta Athletic Club, site of the 2011 PGA Championship, is a strong test of golf, but does anybody really enjoy the PGA's choices of rough-choked layouts in hot August temperatures? Here are my 10 picks — some realistic, some fantasy — for where I'd like to see the PGA played next.

1. Los Angeles Country Club (North)
Los Angeles, Calif.

This famously exclusive club that abuts Hugh Hefner's mansion will finally open its doors to the outside world when it hosts the 2017 Walker Cup, the better to show off its stunning 2010 Gil Hanse restoration. Tree removal has opened up long-hidden vistas, bunkers now resemble their 1920s George Thomas originals, and a succession of meaty par-4s would test even the best.

2. Trump National Bedminster (Old)
Bedminster, N.J.

Tom Fazio designed this modern masterpiece in 2004, not far from USGA headquarters. Together with its younger sibling the New, the course would make a worthy challenge for the pros, with plenty of gallery space as well. Say what you want about its owner—and this course—but the publicity build-up would be off the charts.

3. Sebonack Golf Club
Southampton, N.Y.

The PGA enjoys going to new places from time to time, so why not Sebonack, the 2006 Jack Nicklaus/Tom Doak collaboration right next to the National Golf Links of America and overlooking Peconic Bay? The U.S. Women's Open visits here in 2013, but I wouldn't mind spending part of my August in the Hamptons, watching the Bubbas and Rorys battle the breezes.

4. Sand Ridge Golf Club
Chardon, Ohio

One of the more tranquil golf experiences I've enjoyed took place at this private 1998 Tom Fazio creation built for the folks at Best Sand, whose adjacent quarry supplies bunker sand to many other courses. I'll admit that August in suburban Cleveland can be toasty, but the city's rabid sports fans would turn out in droves—and hey, Cleveland could use a break.

5. Spyglass Hill
Pebble Beach, Calif.

Every year at the AT&T, Spyglass is dumbed down to get amateurs around in under seven hours. I'd love to see the pros cope with this course set up in full fury. Plus, August on the Monterey Peninsula is pleasant duty indeed.

6. Muirfield Village
Dublin, Ohio

Sure, this course already enjoys tons of exposure from Jack's annual PGA Tour shindig. But it would be nice to see the PGA show a little additional love by tossing a bone to the five-time winner of its premier championship, whose hometown course is easily deserving of a Major.

7. Pine Valley Golf Club
Pine Valley, N.J.

One of my fantasy picks hosted the 1985 Walker Cup and is home to the annual Crump Cup, an invitational event that no top amateur turns down. Alas, Pine Valley has too much sand and scrub to allow for efficient gallery flow, but wouldn't it be awesome to see the game's best tackle the best course in the game?

8. Pronghorn (Nicklaus)
Bend, Ore.

Formerly a private real estate development spread, Pronghorn now offers limited public play, although few will take on the 7,379-yard tips, with a 75.2 rating and 151 slope. I'd relish watching the pros try it, especially amid Bend's dry, perfect August climate, at 3,200 feet in the shadows of Mt. Bachelor.

9. Nantucket Golf Club
Siasconset, Mass.

This exclusive, low-profile Rees Jones design ripples with moguls and is long enough when the wind blows to challenge the play-for-pay crowd. And any excuse to spend a portion of August on the island of Nantucket justifies its inclusion on this list.

10. Crystal Downs
Frankfort, Mich.

Perched upon a bluff between Lake Michigan and Crystal Lake, this Alister MacKenzie/Perry Maxwell collaboration is a bit too remote and lacks sufficient length to bother today's stars, but toss in gusts off the lake, dense native roughs and enough classic holes to fill a design textbook, and it would provide a memorable PGA site regardless of scores.

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