Call it the Panhandle. Emerald Coast works, too. But let's never again refer to northwest Florida as the Redneck Riviera.

The region's Sandestin Resort is so good, it would fit right in on the French Riviera — only with more T-shirts and fewer tuxes. And that's fine by me, because I'm a huge fan of the marriage of flip-flops ambience and four-star golf, dining and lodging.

Folks who drop by this spring get a bonus. The resort typically punches the greens in late April, but because Sandestin is hosting the NCAA Division III National Championship in May, conditions will remain ideal for another month.

To take advantage, book Sandestin's Swing into Spring Package. Included are three nights at a 2-bedroom unit at the Village of Baytowne Wharf or a 3-bedroom at Bayside, three rounds of golf at the Links, Baytowne and the Raven (a Robert Trent Jones Jr. design and former Champions Tour venue), cart, $20 beverage credit and a Nike wedge.

Sandestin's beaches are brilliantly white, and the bunkers aren't bad, either. May rates start at $172 per player, per night, based on quadruple occupancy. 888-801-4388, sandestin.com.

(Photo: Courtesy of Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort)

Ernie Els suffered a crushing defeat last March at the PGA Tour's Transitions (Tampa Bay) Championship when his putter failed him late in the tournament. It had to be doubly agonizing for the Big Easy, given his fondness for the host venue, Innisbrook Golf & Spa Resort's Copperhead course.

"This is probably Florida's best golf resort," gushed Els in 2006, adding, "and I personally think the Copperhead layout is the best golf course that the PGA Tour visits in Florida. It has a lot of character, some nice design features and, unlike a lot of courses in the area, it has some significant changes in elevation."

The good news for traveling golfers is that you don't need a Tour card to play Copperhead - at least for the other 51 weeks in the year. Conquering Copperhead is another matter. It helps to have Els-like tempo - and his length off the tee - to cope with the thick rough, glassy greens and splatter pattern of bunkers.

The resort is situated in Palm Harbor on the west coast of Florida, not far from the sponge divers and Greek restaurants of Tarpon Springs and just north of St. Petersburg and Clearwater. Tampa International Airport is roughly 20 miles southeast of the resort. But the topography of Innisbrook seems worlds away.

Innisbrook resembles Carolina mountain golf, yet is blessed with Florida weather, making for a rare and wonderful combination. At times, the acreage is flattish, but on multiple occasions, startling climbs and plunges in elevation occur. This is especially true on Innisbrook's signature course, Copperhead. While Innisbrook boasts four 18-hole tracks, including the Island, where a promising southpaw from Arizona State named Phil Mickelson won the 1990 NCAA Individual title, it's Copperhead that remains the must-play for serious sticks.

Copperhead can spit bogeys back at you with the kind of venom usually reserved for its namesake reptile, thanks to its rolling, pine-framed fairways and a collection of elevated greens that are inevitably fortified by sprawling bunkers. Copperhead is fiercely trapped, but it is never repetitive. Toss in a fistful of handsome, if intimidating, water hazards and you have a course dialed in for ballstrikers. If you're the type of golfer who has trouble getting 5-irons up in the air, find somewhere else to play. Its rigors don't exactly play to the strengths of my game, but that doesn't mean I don't have fun trying. Pars definitely mean something here.

For those who are up to the challenge, take advantage of Innisbrook's Tampa Bay Championship package, where guests have the opportunity to tackle the Copperhead course on the Monday after the tournament ends. You'll literally be following in the footsteps of past champions such as Luke Donald, Vijay Singh, Jim Furyk and Retief Goosen. If you want even more golf, on all nine of Salamander Hotels & Resorts' courses at Innisbrook, Reunion Resort in Orlando and Hammock Beach Resort in Palm Coast, check out its Grand Golf Resorts of Florida Legends of Golf Trail package.

All nine of the courses on the Grand Golf Resorts of Florida roster are standouts. Still, I have to leave 100-year-old Larry Packard with the last word on which one is best. Packard is the architect who sculpted Copperhead back in 1972 and remains a champion of its virtues. When I asked him recently about Ernie Els' flattering portrayal of Copperhead, Packard responded, "I think he's right." Are Ernie and Larry correct in their assessment? Try out Copperhead for yourself and weigh in.

(Photo: Courtesy of Innisbrook Resort)

Sometimes the best golf trip isn't new and creative -- it's an old standby.

With that in mind, I flew to St. Augustine, Fla., in early October and met up with six golf-crazed buddies for our fourth annual "Man Weekend" golf trip, and third at Florida's "Ancient City." St. Augustine, of course, is home to the World Golf Hall of Fame, and even if there weren't so many great courses in the area, the Hall alone would be worth the trip.

Before our first tee time, we scoped out the exhibit that honors the Hall's newest high-profile member, Phil Mickelson, who headlined the class of 2012. Among the relics displayed from his storied career are trophies, photos and a couple of miniature clubs -- Mickelson's first sticks. (Appropriately enough, they're both tiny and wooden.)

A highlight of any trip to the Hall is the closing exhibit, the mock "locker room" where members adorn their own locker with any memorabilia they see fit. We all know Phil loves playing team golf, but it turns out those team-room Ping-Pong matches really do mean a lot to Mickelson, as evidenced by the top shelf of his locker [right]. That's where you'll find a Ping-Pong paddle he used to slay his teammates at the 2011 Presidents Cup. And tucked into the top corner of the locker is a photo of Phil hitting a powerful spike against a flailing Zach Johnson. It's a nice touch.

Our weekend's first round kicked off at the Slammer & Squire, one of two courses located on the property at the Hall of Fame. This was our third round at the sturdy, Snead-and-Sarazen-designed track, and every time I play it, I find myself coming away with a new favorite hole. This year I particularly enjoyed the 522-yard par-5 fourth, which has a stream flowing along the right and thick forest left. But if you're a righty who generally tries to play a power-fade (cough, cough), the tee shot sets up perfectly, and if you can keep it on the right side without watering the tee shot, you'll have a great angle to the green with your second. It's a hole that's scenic, makes you think a little and rewards good shots, which is the Slammer in a nutshell.

Of course, with this group of guys, there were many memories (and previous horrible shots) that had to be re-lived. For example, my buddy Brian, the fearless leader of our group, has been known to occasionally struggle with his tee shots. Last year at this event he tried to straighten his tee shots by stuffing his golf bag with "Brush-Ts," for which he was mercilessly ridiculed. In a separate meltdown, he once stormed off the course and spent a few holes sleeping in the group's rental van. These events spawned his Man Weekend nickname, "Brushtee VanNap," which is, as you might expect, a great moniker to leave for restaurant reservations and hotel concierges.

Anyway, this year Brian left the Brush-Ts at home, and we whipped out our iPhones as he nervously tried to beat back the demons late in our round at the Slammer. The results were ... mixed. (Warning: Video contains a quick, mostly incoherent burst of PG-13 language.)

The next day we played our final round of the trip at The Palencia Club, a posh, but not audacious, spot in the heart of St. Augustine. The course is a members-only, Arthur Hills-designed track that opened in 2002, and it meanders seamlessly through trees, marshes and rivers while offering some unique shot-making decisions that no doubt keep members coming back for more.

My favorite hole was the 172-yard, par-3 third, which has a tall live oak slumped over the fairway right smack in front of the green. Turns out the tree was discovered by Hills on one of his site inspections, and he liked the look of the tree so much, he decided to preserve it. Today a small steel pole supports it in case of a storm, but the tree is alive and well, and it creates quite a visual from the tee box. It's not every day you have to hit over a tree on a par 3, you know? Here's a photo, courtesy of the club:

Initiation at Palencia runs $18,000, and dues for folks age 40-72 are $442 per month. Need some bang for those bucks? In addition to exclusive access to the course, Palencia has expansive practice facilities, four restaurants, a wine club, a shoe club, a book club ... you get the idea. It was a fun afternoon, and as someone who does not currently belong to a wine, shoe or book club, it was fun to take in the Palencia experience.

As an added bonus, there was a classic car show right outside the club on the day of our visit. What's more manly than 18 holes of golf followed by an up-close look at some hot rods? (Insert your own book club joke here.) It was a fitting way to close out the trip.

Can't wait to do it again next year.

Stuart Johnson, Mark Phillips, Luke Simpson, Brian Hutcherson, Jose Alea, Kevin Bray, Jeff Ritter

Hey, Phil phanatics. The 40-time Tour winner is being inducted into the Hall of Fame this May, so here's your chance to see Phil Mickelson immortalized—and to play quality courses, to boot.

Florida's First Coast of Golf (florida-golf.org) is a marketing company that represents many Sunshine State properties, such as the Sawgrass Marriott and the World Golf Village. Among its spring offerings is the Hall of Fame Induction Golf & Gala package, which includes one round on the underrated Slammer & Squire course (designed by Bobby Weed to honor Sam Snead and Gene Sarazen), three nights' lodging, VIP seating at the May 7 Hall of Fame Induction ceremony at the St. Johns County Convention Center, access to the post-ceremony Gala (Lefty and other Hall of Famers will be there), and admission to the Hall of Fame Museum.

Rates start at $660.50 per person. 888-424-8222, worldgolfvillage.com

For more exclusive travel deals and packages, go to iTunes and download Golf Magazine's Front9 app, available for use on the iPad and iPhone.

(Credit: Lawrence Michael Clemmer)

Dear Joe,
I’m going to Gulf Shores, Alabama, playing six days, in early April. I’m staying at Kiva Dunes and playing there and Peninsula. What other courses in that area would you recommend?
Terry Holleman
Champaign, Ill.

You wouldn’t suffer with multiple plays at Kiva Dunes, a linksy Jerry Pate design draped over a sandy plot between the Mobile Bay and the Gulf of Mexico—and Peninsula (pictured) stacks up as second best in the region.

However, if you’re a course collector like me, here are three more to try. Best of the trio is Rock Creek ($55-$69; 251-928-4223, rockcreekgolf.com), which rolls through handsome pines, hardwoods and wetlands and is replete with strong par-4s and several risk/reward par-5s.

Next up is TimberCreek ($49-$59; 251-621-9900, golftimbercreek.com), a hilly, forested, 27-holer on the eastern shore of Mobile Bay, where the Dogwood/Magnolia combo offers the sternest challenge.

Cotton Creek at Craft Farms ($69-$89; 251-968-7500, craftfarms.com) is one of two Arnold Palmer designs on site. You won’t confuse either one with Bay Hill, but Cotton Creek in particular will entertain with its undulating fairways and numerous bunkers and water hazards.

Dear Joe,
I need your expertise and recommendations for an upcoming golf trip to Orlando. I previously read your Orlando review from March 2009 on Golf.com, but I’m curious if the last several years have altered your must-play list.
Greg Moore
Alexandria, Va.

Hindsight is always 20-20, but fortunately, there’s no need to renew my prescription. Things stand pretty much as they were in 2009. Bay Hill remains king, thanks to the double-barreled aura of Arnie and Tiger, though you still have to stay there to play there.

Grand Cypress continues to impress, with its remarkable variety of golf offerings, from its now vintage Nicklaus “moundy” (80’s-style) original course, to its St. Andrews replica New course to the superior instruction facilities.

I’ll amplify on two surprises: First is Reunion Resort, which has dropped the Ginn name, but is bursting with new vitality, thanks to some TLC (and cash) infused from new owner Salamander Resorts, the same folks who have Innisbrook.

I have to admit I’m a huge fan of the Watson course, formerly known as the Independence, which inspires with intriguing angles and interesting greens, but which is the least dramatic of the three. I’ve picked on Reunion’s Jack Nicklaus design (formerly the Tradition course) for slapping mid- and high-handicappers with too much trouble, but unquestionably, if you’re a good stick, you’ll warm to it.

Finally, Rees Jones’ Waldorf-Astoria layout is a treat. Tranquil, with fewer bells and whistles than many modern designs, it’s simply a wonderful, playable spread graced with massive bunkers and multiple lakes throughout the back nine that offers plenty of golf when the breeze is up. The Waldorf service, conditions and facilities live up to the famous name.

Dear Joe,
I’m going to be in the Phoenix/Mesa area for business and am going to squeeze in one round. I much prefer to walk so I was wondering if there are any nice courses (up to $125 green fee) that allow walking?
Chris Manning
Via email

Right on the money is Longbow ($60-$135; 480-807-5400, longbowgolf.com) in Mesa, a 1997 Ken Kavanaugh design that’s free of housing, but chock full of strategically placed bunkers. A small, if ripple-filled parcel makes for pleasurable walking—just ask Hunter Mahan and Paula Creamer, who have strolled to victories here in the AJGA Heather Farr Classic. It’s $125 to play Monday through Thursday through March, and $90 all week starting April 2.

The PGA Tour heads to Florida four times this month, so why don’t you? The Turnberry Isle Miami resort is offering two new golf schools with an exclusive bonus round rate of $55 (green fee, cart and forecaddie) for Golf Magazine readers who participate.

From March 5-10, a three-day school featuring the Kinetic Performance System’s (KPC) evaluation process will include a comprehensive 90-minute evaluation; green reading/putting and individual follow-up consultations; on-course sessions; wedge play technique; two lunches and more. The school costs $999 per person. For more details contact KPC at 847-532-4234 or email contact@kpcgolf.com.

On March 18, Marius Filmalter, short game instructor to PGA Tour golfers, including Ernie Els, Mike Weir and Chad Campbell, will conduct a half-day putting or short-game program ($399 each), and an all-encompassing full-day school ($798). The programs are not limited to, but include a variation of the following: fundamentals of the game; club fitting; measurement and analysis of putting strokes; drills and exercise; adjusting to different types of grass; grain and speeds of greens; and green reading and pre-shot routine. For more details email Johny Jones at jjones@jjones.com.

Accommodations—with room rates starting at $299 per night for golfers participating in the schools—are provided at Turnberry Isle Miami (turnberryislemiami.com; 786-279-6741), a Golf Magazine Premier Resort Silver Medal winner. The resort features two golf courses, an award-winning Spa & Fitness Center, Celebrity Chef Michael Mina’s Bourbon Steak restaurant, a lagoon-style pool with a waterslide and lazy river, and a private Beach Club.

(Photo: Turnberry Isle Resort)

Hi Joe,
A group of friends and I will be in Ft. Lauderdale and we would like to catch a good round of golf at a PGA-level course, or something similar you recommend.
Sergio Torres
Atlanta, Ga.

There are no “must-plays” in Ft. Lauderdale, but there are definitely a fistful of solid choices that fit your description. Start with the Club at Emerald Hills ($45-$125; 954-961-4000, theclubatemeraldhills.com), in nearby Hollywood, a water-loaded, 1970 Devlin/Von Hagge creation that boasts surprising elevation changes for South Florida and is fearsome challenge as well, as evidenced by the 76.1 rating and 145 slope from its 7,368-yard tips. In February and March, you can play it after noon during the week for $90.

An option with a serious tournament pedigree is Inverrary Country Club’s East course ($35-$70;954-733-7550, inverrarygolf.com) in Lauderhill. Host to the PGA Tour’s Jackie Gleason event from 1972 through 1983, forerunner to the current Honda Classic, this 42-year-old Robert Trent Jones Sr. design witnessed winners such as Lee Trevino, Johnny Miller and Jack Nicklaus during its run. Nicklaus’s 1978 victory featured birdies on the final five holes, one of the Golden Bear’s most dramatic regular tour wins.

Finally, if you love sand, you’ll warm to Heron Bay ($85-$105; 954-796-2000, heronbaygolfclub.net) in Coral Springs, which played host to the PGA Tour’s Honda event from 1997 through 2002, back when the course fell under the TPC umbrella. Vijay Singh, Matt Kuchar and Mark Calcavecchia were among the men who won titles here. The conditioning, service and facilities are top-notch, but if you’re allergic to bunker play, find somewhere else.

Hi, Joe
I am headed to Hilton Head in March and was hoping you could give me the best course or two to play there. Thanks.
Grant Ainsley
Alberta, Canada

How much do I love Harbour Town? Let me count the ways. Don’t tell me there’s no strategy because the fairways are flat and narrow. Don’t tell me the greens are too small and plain. I don’t want to hear that it takes too long in the round to encounter the Calibogue Sound. And spare me the withering snipes about its conditioning woes. I just played there again in November and the renewed emphasis on course maintenance has me sold.

A PGA Tour staple since 1969 and a fixture on GOLF Magazine’s Top 100 Courses in the World, Harbour Town ($139-$259; 866-561-8802, seapines.com) is technically part of Sea Pines Plantation, but as a destination, it’s completely on its own. The Pete Dye/Jack Nicklaus collaboration set design on its ear when it debuted more than 40 years ago, and today, it remains an absolute treat.

It’s so refreshing to play a course that calls for supreme thought and precision with every shot. It’s a joy to duel with a layout that demands the ability to work the ball, to show restraint on many occasions, but courage on many others, especially on the glorious quartet of par 3s. This isn’t firm and fast linksy stuff, with gigantic undulating greens, nor is it swing-from-the-heels, 7,800-yard bomb-and-gouge stuff. It’s old-fashioned shotmaking, which can occasionally frustrate the modern driver—and I love it.

A second choice might be Harbour Town’s underrated sibling, Heron Point by Pete Dye ($55-$139; 866-561-8802, seapines.com). I still think it’s hamstrung by some old routing issues, resulting in a few funky holes, but as a test of golf that moves the needle on challenge and aesthetics, it’s a winner.

For a more graceful, even prettier course, try May River at Palmetto Bluff ($175-$260; 866-706-6565, palmettobluffresort.com). Ostensibly it’s private or resort guests-only, but call ahead and you’ll have a fighting chance to climb aboard. It’s just a gorgeous walk, with beautiful splashes of sand and a couple of holes that edge the May River. It’s easily one of my favorite Jack Nicklaus designs.

Geoff Ogilvy on What Makes a Great Match Play Course
Not long ago, I asked Geoff Ogilvy as to whether there was such a thing as a good match-play course—and if so, what elements go into making a good match play course? Ogilvy, a two-time champion of the WGC-Accenture Match Play event and once a runner-up, is also an astute golf course critic. Here were his typically insightful thoughts.

“I guess there are probably good courses for match play,” said Ogilvy. “Four par 5s that people can get to is a good start. If there are holes that people have to make decisions, it’s going to be a good match play course because there might be a guy who wants to lay it up on a par 5, and if his opponent has pulled a 3-wood and hits it on the green, then he has to go for the green. I mean that sort of stuff—it’s interesting—whereas if it’s just an obvious play, where everybody lays it up and where everybody hits the same shots all day, then it’s not going to create the excitement and the decisions.”

Clearly warming to the topic, Ogilvy continued. “The funnest part of golf is watching us struggle with the decision whether to go over the water or not go over the water—should I go for it or not go for it—then go for it. That’s the funnest part of watching golf, isn’t it? If you’ve got four par 5s that you can reach and two par 4s that you can drive it on, then you’ve got decisions. It’s nice to have a few holes like that. Whenever you have golfers making decisions they don’t want to make, golf is a better game to watch.”

(Photo: Heron Point)

Hammock Beach Resort (Ocean)
Palm Coast, Florida
7,201 yards, par 72
Green fee: $159-$189
386-447-4611
hammockbeach.com

Worthwhile, accessible golf on the ocean in Florida? Not as easy to find as you'd think. The best option is the Hammock Beach Resort, where you will see, feel and hear the Atlantic, especially on each nine's closing hole.

Located in Northeast Florida, about an hour from both Jacksonville and Orlando, the Ocean course at Hammock Beach ranks No. 78 on Golf Magazine's Top 100 You Can Play.

The Jack Nicklaus design hosted a Champions Tour event in 2007 and '08, and the seniors loved it, both for the friendly layout and the short walk from the nearby hotel, which features three restaurants and an ultra-luxe cigar bar.

Wind can place a high premium on accurate driving, while sharply sloping greens demand deft chipping skills. A pair of oceanside greens—the 185-yard 8th and 174-yard 17th—highlight a fine quartet of par 3s.

(Photo: Hammock Beach Resort)

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)