Ask Travelin Joe: Louisiana's Audubon Golf Trail and Las Vegas

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.

Ask Travelin' Joe: Chicago, Washington D.C. and Las Vegas

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.

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Ask Joe: Las Vegas, Orlando and Portugal

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

Dear Joe,
I’m going to Las Vegas in January and wanted to get a round in. I live in Tennessee but really like desert courses. Wolf Creek in Mesquite seems like a good alternative, but it seems like a hike from Vegas. I know you’ve been asked a million times, but let me know your thoughts.
Brock Sturdivant
Tennessee

You’re right — I get asked this a lot — and for golf in the raw desert, I’ve been recommending Badlands ($70-$150; 702-363-0754, badlandsgc.com), a 27-hole Johnny Miller target course that merges the spectacular with the unplayable and Rio Secco ($115-$225; 702-889-2400, riosecco.net), a Rees Jones design with holes that plunge through scrub-filled canyons. Also, watch for glimpses of Natalie Gulbis on the lesson tee with Butch Harmon.

Two other worthy choices are any of the three Pete Dye courses at Las Vegas Paiute Resort ($79-$159; lvpaiutegolf.com, 800-711-2833) and The Chase at PGA Golf Club Coyote Springs ($140; coyotesprings.com, 877-PGA-VILL). Both require 45- to 55-minute drives from the Strip through barren desert. I like the Wolf course at Paiute, though I don’t know that it’s $30 better than its siblings. The good news is that each is under $100 after 12 noon. The Chase is a superb new Jack Nicklaus track that earned a No. 4 ranking in our 2008 Top 10 New Courses You Can Play. It’s worth the drive.

Hi Joe,
I’m looking for a couple of easy courses in the Orlando, Florida area. I don’t want to pay good money and have a bad score. My handicap is 18.
Steve Smith
Via email

Since most of us equate “easy” with “boring,” what I’m guessing you’re looking for are some fun, interesting layouts that won’t beat the stuffing out of you.

Two that I have in mind are MetroWest Golf Club ($80-$129; metrowestgolf.com, 407-299-1099) and Hawk’s Landing Golf Club ($169; golfhawkslanding.com, 800-567-2623). From the tips, MetroWest actually is far from easy, but this 1987 Robert Trent Jones Sr. creation is traditional golf, with no gimmicks. There are elevated greens and bunkers galore, yet plenty of fairway room and only a handful of lakes make it playable for all. The 6,104-yard middle tees (the tips go 7,051 yards) check in at a comfortable 68.8 rating and 123 slope.

Hawk’s Landing is a Bob Cupp redesign of a mid-‘80s Joe Lee course that stretches only 6,600 yards, with a slope of 131, and features shorter tees of 6,165/5,601/4,746 yards. It’s pricey, but couldn’t be more centrally located, right at the Orlando World Center Marriott Resort.

Dear Joe,
I’ll be in Lisbon, Portugal and I’m looking for courses to play. I have two days set aside for golf. Would you have any suggestions and contact numbers?
Dave Oravets
Via email

Absolutely worth the splurge is Oitavos Dunes (60-150 Euros--$75-$195; quintadamarinha-oitavosgolfe.pt, 011-351-214860600), 20 minutes from Lisbon in Cascais, on the Estoril Coast. With holes edged by umbrella pines and scrub-covered dunes, this Arthur Hills-designed seaside layout is annual host to the European Tour’s Portuguese Open.

A shorter, hillier, more traditional parkland test is Golf do Estoril (65-71 Euros--$85-$95; palacioestorilhotel.com, 011-351-289300680), one of Portugal’s oldest courses, a semi-private club that’s affiliated with the Palacio Estoril Hotel.    

Ask Travelin' Joe: Las Vegas, Alabama and Scottsdale

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

Travelin' Joe,
I'm headed to Vegas with friends for a quick weekend golf trip in December. We're scheduled to play at Revere and Badlands. We'll try to get in 36 in a day. Any thoughts on these courses?
Thomas Jones, Esq.
Washington, D.C.

Counselor, I'm advising that you sample those two venues on different days. Sunrise in Las Vegas on say, December 10, is 6:41 a.m., sunset at 4:26 p.m. and the two courses are a good half-hour apart, so it's not going to be easy doubling up. If you stay at the same property, different story. The Revere Golf Club has two Billy Casper/Greg Nash courses, the Lexington and the Concord, the latter the newer and less expensive of the two. Lexington is the slightly stronger product, but they're both good plays. I wrote about Badlands ($70-$150; 702-363-0754, badlandsgc.com) in this spot a couple of weeks back, calling it "a 27-hole Johnny Miller desert target design that has plenty of quirky touches and a nice 'wow' factor." I haven't changed my mind.

Dear Joe,
I'm looking at property at Kiva Dunes, Alabama. I found a great value down there. I'm attracted because of its location and its challenging golf course. Can you tell me where does Kiva Dunes Golf Club rank in 2008?
Michelle Murray
Atlanta, Ga.

Kiva Dunes Golf Club ($72-$92; 251-540-7000, kivadunes.com) is a 1995 Jerry Pate design in Gulf Shores, 45 miles west of Pensacola that darts through wind-sculpted dunes along the Gulf of Mexico. It rates among the best in the state from every publication that ranks courses. At GOLF Magazine, it charted as the third-best public course in Alabama in our 2008 rankings that were published in September. Best reason to buy? Property owners pay only $50-$55 to play.

Hey Joe,
My family is taking a trip to see friends in Scottsdale over Christmas. I am planning on playing a couple of times. I'm looking for a couple of somewhat affordable courses and one high-end course. Are there some lower priced courses that you would recommend in the general vicinity, and if you could pick only one course to play out there, what would it be? Thanks for the info.
Matt Moore
Stillwater, N.Y.

Scottsdale is a legitimate golf mecca, but not for bargain hunters. Remember, too, that rates rise after the first of the year at many area courses, so try to tee off before the calendar changes.

That said, since you've come from New York, you should get a taste of desert golf. Start at Mountain Shadows Golf Club ($25-$49; mountainshadowsgolfclub.com, 480-905-8999), a lush, tight, par-56 executive track that's under $30 to ride most afternoons and features in-your-face views of Camelback Mountain.

Head next to the Sanctuary Golf Course at WestWorld ($71-$99; sanctuarygolf.com, 480-502-8200), an Audubon-certified desert target design from Randy Heckenkemper that juniors can walk for $31. You can ride after 2 p.m. for $45 and can walk during the week for $71.

Finally, splurge at We-Ko-Pa's Saguaro course ($145-$180; wekopa.com, 480-836-9000), a very walkable Bill Coore/Ben Crenshaw creation just east of Scottsdale that has no homes or roads — just wide fairways, strategic bunkering, cleverly contoured greens and unobstructed cactus and mountain vistas everywhere you look.

Ask Travelin' Joe: Las Vegas, Phoenix and Orlando's best

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

Hi Joe,
I'm heading to Las Vegas in November and I'd like to know what you recommend for a true "desert golf" experience. I want to play a type of course I can't get here in Georgia. I'm even willing to drive up to Mesquite while I'm there.
Paul Allmon
Atlanta, Ga.

Hey, this is Vegas-you can get anything your heart (or wallet) desires here. If you're willing to splurge, you'll be captivated by the back nine at Butch Harmon's haunt, Rio Secco ($115-$225; 702-889-2400, riosecco.net), where the holes dip into and out of scrub-filled canyons. A worthy alternative is the Badlands ($70-$150); 702-363-0754, badlandsgc.com), a 27-hole Johnny Miller desert target design that has plenty of quirky touches and a nice "wow" factor.

Hey Joe,
I'm headed to Phoenix with my wife in December and want to play somewhere scenic, but one that won't beat us up, if you know what I mean.
George Kent
Richmond, Va.

Say "Hi" if you see me strolling the fairways of my hometown! Try any of the three nines at The Phoenician ($115-$175; 480-423-2449, thephoenician.com) The Oasis loop offers a touch of Florida thanks to the landscaping and lakes, while the Desert and Canyon nines embrace cactus and mountain themes. All three nines are pretty short but eye-catching.

Hi Joe,
I'm a Spanish pro and going to Orlando next winter. Which are, in your opinion, the top 10 golf courses to play in Orlando?
Mario Fernandez Cobo
Spain

Travelin' Joe hasn't played them all, but taking in the feedback I've received, plus my own subjective whims, here's your Orlando area Top 10.

1. Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill Club, Orlando (private-resort)
2. Sugarloaf Mountain Golf & Town Club, Clermont (private-resort)
3. Southern Dunes, Haines City (public)
4. Lake Nona Golf & Country Club, Orlando (private)
5. Isleworth Country Club, Windermere (private)
6. Ginn Reunion Resort (Independence), Orlando (private-resort)
7. Grand Cypress Golf Club (New), Orlando (public-resort)
8. Walt Disney World (Osprey Ridge), Lake Buena Vista (public-resort)
9. Orange County National (Panther Lake), Winter Garden (public-resort)
10. Orange County National (Crooked Cat), Winter Garden (public-resort)

Many private courses are receptive to allowing play from visiting professionals, on a space-available basis, so call or write ahead of time. If that doesn't work, mention Sergio's name.