10 Spectacular Golf and Tennis Vacation Resorts in the US!
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
I have several students who either play golf and tennis, or the one spouse loves to golf and the other tennis. So, where do you go on vacation to satisfy both passions? Golf Vacation Insider has made this pretty simple. Listed below are 5 of the top 10 golf and tennis resorts in the US, and a link is provided to see the rest of this inviting list. So don’t bother with the research. Pick one of these, and off you go!
Carmel Valley Ranch’s amenities include a Pete Dye-designed golf course and a terrific tennis facility. (Carmel Valley Ranch)
Most of our tips tend to revolve around encouraging you to go on vacations that are more or less all golf, all the time.
This is not one of those tips.
I know how many of you feel: golf should be a huge part of any vacation. But should it be the only leisure activity?
No way!
One favorite non-golf activity among golfers is tennis. With its slightly more intense brand of exercise and similar embrace of pairs or foursomes, tennis is a natural companion activity to any golf vacation.
And since tennis fans are fixated on the U.S. Open from New York for the next week or so, here are ten (plus a surprising eleventh, soon to debut) golf and tennis resorts where you can have fun both on the course and on the court:
The Boulders – Carefree, Ariz.
Boulders
The North and South Courses at The Boulders are renowned for their spectacular desert golfing charms, but that’s far from all there is to do at one of Arizona’s great resorts. The eight tennis course at The Boulders includes three different surfaces: four premier hard courts, three cushioned courts and one traditional clay court. This facility regularly features in Tennis Magazine’s “Top 50 Tennis Resorts in America” list.
The Broadmoor – Colorado Springs, Colo.
Long rated one of the top resorts for tennis in America by Tennis Magazine, The Broadmoor’s six tennis courts include two cushioned hard courts and two Har-Tru surfaces. Tennis is a year-round activity at The Broadmoor, as two of the courts sit inside an illuminated and heated bubble for all-weather play. In the summer, the tennis staff organizes round-robin tournaments that encourage camaraderie between all tennis-loving resort guests.
Carmel Valley Ranch – Carmel, Calif.
Carmel Valley Ranch’s golfing charms—a Pete Dye-designed course that sees well over 300 days of sunshine and mild temperatures per year—are well known to California golf travelers. But the resort’s tennis facility is not to be overlooked, either. With seven hard courts and two Har-Tru courts, there is plenty of space (and the aforementioned sunshine) to accommodate a bustling tennis scene.
The Greenbrier – White Sulphur Springs, W.V.
As one of America’s premier all-around resorts—never mind the terrific golf offerings—it is no surprise that The Greenbrier is a haven for tennis lovers. Just as Lee Trevino is the Greenbrier’s “golf pro emeritus,” the legendary Pete Sampras holds that title on the tennis side. In addition, the resort hosts the annual Greenbrier Champions Tennis Classic each autumn. Later this month, John McEnroe, James Blake and Jim Courier will join Sampras for the two-day exhibition.
Kapalua Resort – Maui, Hawaii
Kapalua is most famous for its Plantation Course, which hosts the PGA Tour’s annual Hyundai Tournament of Champions. Its Bay Course is worth playing, too. And for tennis lovers, there’s the Kapalua Tennis Garden. Located at the Bay Course clubhouse the Garden has ten “plexi-pave” courts, all of which have lights for nighttime play. A full tennis pro shop and a staff of instructors complete the offerings.
16 PGA Championship courses to add to your bucket list!
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
The PGA Championship is always played on spectacular golf courses chosen by the PGA of America to provide the best test for the top players in the world. But you can also experience these great courses. Tim Gavrich of golfvacationinsider gives you a list of all the golf courses used by the PGA to conduct their Championship that is accessible to you, the everyday golfer!
Wannamaker Trophy
There are plenty of PGA Championship courses you can play on golf vacations.
This year’s PGA Championship at Baltusrol Golf Club in New Jersey is off to a great start.
I’m particularly fascinated by the course’s routing – how strange it must be for the pros not to encounter a par five until the 649-yard 17th, and then finish on another (more reachable) three-shotter.
That should make for quite the finish come Sunday afternoon.
One slight bummer about Baltusrol, though, is that unlike last year’s PGA venue – Whistling Straits – very few of us will have the opportunity to play the course, given the private nature of the club.
That said, there are a number of past and future PGA Championship venues that you and I can (and should) visit and play.
And guess what? There are more of these courses than you might think…and you probably live or will soon travel near one of them.
Check out the list here:
As you can see, the PGA Championship has been (and will continue to be) played on plenty of public courses in some of the best golf vacation destinations in America, making it easy to add a major championship to your own personal record book.
California
Course: Pebble Beach Golf Links
Location: Pebble Beach, CA
Hosted the PGA Championship in: 1977
Architect: Jack Neville and Douglas Grant
Green Fee: $495
Course: TPC Harding Park
Location: San Francisco, CA
Will Host the PGA Championship in: 2020
Architect: Willie Watson and Sam Whiting
Green Fee: $177
Florida
Course: PGA National Resort & Spa (The Champion Course)
Location: Palm Beach Gardens, FL
Hosted the PGA Championship in: 1987
Architect: Jack Nicklaus
Green Fee: $347
Indiana
Course: French Lick Resort (Donald Ross Course)
Location: French Lick, IN
Hosted the PGA Championship in: 1924
Architect: Donald Ross
Green Fee: $120
Minnesota
Keller Course.
Course: Keller Golf Course
Location: Maplewood, MN
Hosted the PGA Championship in: 1932 and 1954
Architect: Paul Coates; renovation by Richard Mandell
Green Fee: $43
Do you want to play in the Biggest Amateur Tournament Ever?
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, is the golf capital of the world! So, to get an opportunity to visit is always fun. But to compete in the biggest worldwide tournament and actually have a chance to win is an absolute must!
They’re having the time of their lives at what I believe to be one of the “most fun” and “best value” golf experiences on the planet.
I’m talking about the Myrtle Beach World Amateur, coming up from August 29 through September 2.
A Golf Tournament?!
Yes, a golf tournament.
But not just any golf tournament.
Now in its 33rd year, the Myrtle Beach World Amateur is the largest amateur golf tournament in the world.
Last year, more than 3,400 players descended on “Golftown, U.S.A.” for a week full of golf, camaraderie…and a whole lotta fun.
In fact, it’s more like a 4-round golf vacation with a little friendly competition thrown in.
And as a Golf Vacation Insider reader, you can get a sweet discount on what is already a super rate to play in this amazing, bucket-list event.
More on that in a minute.
First, let me explain why the “World Am” is so insanely popular.
A Fun Event You Might Actually Win…
We all know winning isn’t everything, but boy is it nice to have a real shot at it once in a while.
Well, the World Am is a handicapped event, so no matter your skill level, you will play in one of more than 60 flights (groups) against players of similar skill.
How similar?
Well, last year, there was an entire flight (48 golfers) made up entirely of those with handicap indexes of 12.4 to 12.6.
And if you’re concerned about sandbaggers ruining your chances to win fair and square…don’t be.
The World Am’s tournament staff has decades of experience ferreting out cheaters and they are not shy about disqualifying anyone trying to game the system.
Bottom line, you’ll be competing against players of similar skill and age…
The tournament divides flights into 49-and-under, 50-to-59, 60-to-69 and 70-and-over for men. There are multiple women’s flights, too.
By the way, the World Am has a Gross Division for more experienced players who want to compete “straight-up” against their peers.
I played in the gross division in 2014, and it was an absolute blast.
Play on Some of Myrtle Beach’s Best Golf Courses…in their Best Condition All Year
Because of the sheer size of the World Am, the tournament uses more than 60 of the Myrtle Beach area’s wonderful golf courses.
These have included some Golfweek-ranked beauties…
Barefoot Resort, Dye (ranked 13th)
Caledonia (ranked 5th)
Grande Dunes – Resort Club (ranked 15th)
Heritage (ranked 14th)
Legends, Moorland (ranked 12th)
Tidewater (ranked 7th)
TPC Myrtle Beach (ranked 11th)
True Blue Golf Plantation (ranked 6th)
You’ll play a different course each day, giving you a true feel for the awesomeness of Myrtle Beach as a golf destination.
And, in an effort to “show off” for tournament participants, the greenkeepers at all the courses strive to get them in absolute peak summer condition, giving every round a real “tournament feel.”
But don’t worry — tees are set up at appropriate distances for all, and plenty of gross and net birdies and eagles are made during the week.
Play Golf and Watch Baseball – 27 places to do just that!
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
Playing golf during the day and afterward heading to a nearby Major League baseball game would appeal to all those who love both golf and baseball.
Here is a great guide from Golf Vacation Insider to help you plan a trip to play golf and watch baseball at a Major League Park, all on the same day!
Being a baseball fan (let’s go Mets!), one trip that I’m dying to take one of these summers is a road trip across the United States. To combine great golf with baseball games in as many Major League stadiums as possible.
I know I’m not alone in my baseball/golf hybrid fandom. So if you’re thinking of hitting the road, hitting the links and hitting up some of the great ballparks this summer or in the near future. Here are some more under-the-radar suggestions for where you should tee it up near the Major Leagues’ most iconic parks. From East to West.
Boston Red Sox – Fenway Park.
One of the positive outcomes of Boston’s protracted “Big Dig” was Granite Links, which is one of the area’s best public facilities.
Boston is home to some of the most stunning recent improvements to the American municipal golf scene, with both George Wright Golf Course and the #1 course at Ponkapoag Golf Course being restored to their Donald Ross roots. On the higher-end side, we recommend Granite Links for its commanding views of the Beantown skyline.
New York Yankees/New York Mets – Yankee Stadium/Citi Field.
Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point is a Jack Nicklaus designed course conceived as a linksy oasis in the middle of New York City. (Courtesy of the Trump Organization)
The greater New York City area is home to dozens of phenomenal private clubs. As well as a number of excellent playable courses. For the Bronx bombers, we suggest either Pelham Bay and Split Rock or Trump National Golf Links, Ferry Point. Pelham and Split Rock are two classic, municipal courses that are a lot of fun to play. The latter is a Wayne Stiles/John Van Kleek classic with an excellent, fun set of greens. Trump Ferry Point is a Jack Nicklaus/John Sanford layout we’ve mentioned before, and recommend as a higher-end option.
Closer to Queens and Citi Field, pickings are a little slimmer, or at least tougher to get to, with one glaring exception: Bethpage State Park. Home to the famous (or infamous, perhaps) Black Course. But the Black is hardly Bethpage’s only attraction. In fact, many regulars believe the A.W. Tillinghast-designed Red Course to be the best “everyday” layout on property. If you don’t mind a bit of a drive, Montauk Downs State Park out past the Hamptons is a Robert Trent Jones, Sr. original that son Rees has updated in recent years.
Play Golf and Watch Baseball – 27 places to do just that!
Pittsburgh Pirates – PNC Park.
Cranberry Highlands is an open, modern and well-kept Pittsburgh public gem.
Ranked by many outlets as the best Major League ballpark. PNC is not to be missed. Between its scenic setting where the Monongahela and Allegheny Rivers converge in the center of the Steel City, and the intimate layout of the crisp, clean stadium, it is a can’t-miss proposition for any baseball fan. Can’t-miss golf experiences in the area include Nemacolin Woodlands Resort, whose Pete Dye-designed Mystic Rock Course is scenic, challenging and a lot of fun. It’s about 90 minutes from town, though, so if you want something a little closer in, Cranberry Highlands Golf Course, at less than half the distance from PNC Park on the other side of town, gets our high recommendation. It is a municipal course that can play more like a private club with its high standard of conditioning and engaging layout.
Atlanta Braves – Turner Field/SunTrust Park.
The Oconee save the best for last: a stunning par four along the lake. (Reynolds Lake Okonee.)
2016 is Turner Field’s farewell season. The team moves into its new digs farther out of town in 2017. And if you’re in town to play golf and see the Braves, Reynolds Lake Oconee is the premier large-resort choice. Though it is a little over an hour away, you will have your pick of five excellent courses, highlighted by the Jack Nicklaus-designed Great Waters and the Rees Jones-designed Oconee layout.
Closer in, private layouts like Peachtree and Atlanta Athletic Club tend to overshadow the public offerings, but if you like the courses of Jack Nicklaus, you can get a taste of his greatest hits at Bear’s Best Atlanta in Suwanee. The move to a new stadium benefits fans of Cobblestone Golf Course in the nearby suburb of Acworth.
Chicago Cubs/Chicago White Sox – Wrigley Field/US Cellular Field.
The Gle3n Club is a Tom Fazio design in a peaceful suburban Chicago setting. (Kemper Sports)
Cubs fans are more hopeful than usual about their team’s World Series prospects. With half the city willing the 108-year World Series drought will finally be broken. As for golf on the North Side, you have a couple options. On the high end, The Glen Club, about 45 minutes away from Wrigley, is an excellent Tom Fazio course that is open to guests of the adjacent hotel. Standalone green fees top out at $160, but the club is currently running a weekday offer for two days of unlimited golf with cart and one night in the hotel for $300, through June 16.
If you’re seeking more convenience and a less fussy golf experience, you might enjoy a romp around Robert A. Black Golf Course, a nine-holer that dates back to 1910 and is part of the Chicago Park District’s system of courses. Walking rates top out at $18 for nine holes, and you can cruise around the course on a GolfBoard if you prefer.
The South Side ball club’s positive start to the 2016 season has been overshadowed by the Cubs’ strong start. Take in a game (or two) at US Cellular and play your golf at Harborside International Golf Center. Which has two expansive courses where wind, rather than trees, plays a primary factor. You can also take your own version of batting practice at Harborside’s massive, 57-acre practice facility.
The not-so “Who’s Who” of Golf Course Architecture!
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
There are a lot of golf course architects whose names we are not familiar with.
A lot of these golf course designers deserve more recognition. Tim Gavrich of Golf Vacation Insider has decided to share some of the names behind some great designs that scatter the American Golf Course landscape!
Donald Ross. A.W. Tillinghast. C.B. Macdonald. Seth Raynor.
Robert Trent Jones. Pete Dye. Tom Fazio. Arnold Palmer. Jack Nicklaus. Tom Doak. Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw. Gil Hanse.
These are the luminaries of golf course architecture. If you keep a list of your favorite golf courses, chances are most of them will have been designed by one of the names above.
But if you truly care about getting an education in golf course architecture, these are far from the only names you need to be aware of.
Given the cachet associated with the biggest names, it can be easy to overlook certain courses by architects whom you’ve never heard of, but in many cases, this would be a mistake.
Those name-brand architects are often active across the country, while the work of the ones you may not have heard of tends to stay mostly in one region. This is not universally the case, as you’ll see with our list, but if you are planning a trip to a new-to-you destination and balk at certain course designer names, you may end up missing out on some great courses.
So, here are some names whose work you should seek out in addition to the “big boys.”
Mike Strantz
Sadly, Strantz only enjoyed about a decade-long career, from his first solo design, Caledonia Golf & Fish Club in Pawleys Island, S.C., in 1994, to his death in 2005. But his output was of amazing quality, and every single one of his courses is memorable. His Tobacco Road Golf Club, near Pinehurst, truly must be seen to be believed.
Other notable work: Tot Hill Farm – Asheboro, N.C.; True Blue Golf Club – Pawleys Island, S.C.; Royal New Kent Golf Club – Providence Forge (near Williamsburg), Va.; Shore Course at Monterey Peninsula Country Club (private; renovation) – Pebble Beach, Calif.
Todd Eckenrode
With Tom Doak, Coore and Crenshaw and Gil Hanse earning recent acclaim for their minimalistic and rustic aesthetics, Eckenrode and his Origins Golf Design firm may be the next to join that pantheon. His highest-ranked course to date is the terrific Barona Creek Golf Club east of San Diego, and his Country Club of the Golden Nugget in Lake Charles, Louisiana, which opened last year, has received rave reviews as well.
Other notable work: Links at Terranea (9-hole par-3 course) – Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.; Quail Lodge Golf Club (renovation) – Carmel, Calif.
Paul Albanese & Chris Lutzke
Albanese & Lutzke have been most active in the Midwest, gaining recent notoriety for their designs at a couple of that region’s casino resorts: Sweetgrass Golf Club in Harris, Michigan; and Tatanka Golf Club in Niobrara, Nebraska.
Other notable work: Mill Creek Golf Club – Rochester, N.Y.; Eagle Eye Golf Club – Lansing, Mich.; Timberstone Golf Course – Iron Mountain, Mich.
7 Things to know when playing with a scratch golfer!
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
Like the writer of this article, Tim Gavrich, editor of Golf Vacation Insider, I moved between a +2 and a 2 handicap over the past 50 years. I have played with hundreds of high handicap players and have enjoyed almost all of them. I say almost because there has been the rare exception where the player is painfully slow, and as a golf professional, I am very aware of keeping up with the group in front. What generally ends up happening is I speed up my play to compensate, and that is not enjoyable for me.
But as I said, those are rare, and I know as a scratch golfer I will always be playing with golfers who have a higher handicap than me. I am often thrilled when a higher handicap asks me to play. So go ahead, don’t be shy. I bet you’ll really enjoy the round. Oh, and another thing, your golf game will improve if you regularly play with golfers who are better than you!
The PGA Tour is holding the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am this week.
Not only will pros be competing against each other, they’ll be alongside some rank amateurs. Needless to say, there may be some nerves on the part of the higher-handicappers, who will be playing with some incredible golfers…in front of crowds. Believe it or not, this could affect your next golf vacation. Have you gone on a golf vacation as part of a twosome or threesome?
I have a number of times, and that has meant I’ve been paired up with an incredible range of characters over the years, from all across the spectrums of age, golf-seriousness and handicap. My current handicap index is exactly 0.0. I could not possibly be more of a scratch golfer than I am right now. And I’ve been one for a while – my handicap has hovered between 1 and +1 for a number of years.
This is not to brag, but rather to say that I’ve been a low-handicap golfer for long enough to make some observations about how higher-handicap players tend to perceive me and others of my approximate skill level. I’ve joined groups that ranged from threesomes of fellow competitive amateur players to triads of ladies who all shot 100 or higher, and every permutation in between. I’ve gathered a lot of intel over my years of playing golf. So, here are 7 “confessions” from a scratch golfer that might surprise you:
You can benefit from playing with someone with a good swing!
8 Golf Courses to Boost your Ego – Of course I love #8!
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
It is always nice to play a golf course that is easy to score well on.
You need courses to boost your ego occasionally, particularly when your game is in a slump. It is definitely an uplifting experience. Golf Vacation Insider has listed 8 courses that will fit this bill! Unfortunately, there are few in my area of Myrtle Beach that fit this bill as well. Wachesaw Plantation East and The Wizard are two that will make you feel good at the end of the day! Which courses in your area do you feel are easy to score on? Please share this with the rest of us!
If you’ve been watching the PGA Tour the last couple weeks, you’ve probably noticed that they’ve been putting up some incredibly low scores. Jordan Spieth shot 30-under par at Kapalua and Fabian Gomes shot 20-under par to win the Sony Open this past weekend.
And you can bet this week’s CareerBuilder Challenge winner will put up some low scores as well.
So which do you think the pros prefer week in and week out: making birdies or struggling for pars?
Exactly – they love birdies. Can’t get enough of ’em.
Whether they’re playing from too long a set of tees or just selecting an absolute murderers’ row of layouts for their itinerary, a lot of golf vacations come and go with too many double-bogeys and not enough birdies.
Now, there’s nothing wrong with testing your game – we at Golf Vacation Insider love layouts like Kiawah’s Ocean Course, for example – but there’s also a lot to be said for shooting some low scores while on vacation, either. After all, it’s supposed to be relaxing, right?
Check out our nominations, and don’t forget to share your own in the comments below:
Gamble Sands – Brewster, Washington
Big fairways, spacious greens, and low scores are Gamble Sands’ specialty.
8 Golf Courses to Boost your Ego – Of course I love #8!
Big fairways, spacious greens and low scores are Gamble Sands’ specialty. (Gamble Sands)
By his own admission, architect David McLay Kidd went a bit off the reservation after the success of his original Bandon Dunes course. Both his Castle Course at St. Andrews and his course at Tetherow in Bend, Oregon needed to be softened from their original forms because not only were they exceedingly difficult, they were decried as downright unfair in places. Kidd seemed to have an epiphany of sorts, because his Gamble Sands course in central Washington has been lauded as a terrific mix of intrigue, fun and playability, with all grass cut at either green or fairway height. With a Rating of 69.7 and a Slope of 118 from the 6,200-yard middle set of tees, it might just let you shoot your career round. That philosophical pivot landed Kidd the privilege of designing the forthcoming second course at Mike Keiser’s in-development Sand Valley project in Wisconsin. You can bet it will be more like Gamble Sands than the Castle Course.
Mid Pines – Southern Pines, North Carolina
Kyle Frantz’s restoration of Mid Pines preserved its golfer-friendly layout while reclaiming considerable rustic charm. (Mid Pines)
The across-the-street neighbor of Pine Needles had always been regarded as the gentler of the two tests, even before its renovation by Kyle Frantz. Now, pesky Bermuda rough having been replaced by sandy waste areas, the course is both more eye-catching and a little easier to navigate after off-center tee shots. When one compares Mid Pines and nearby Southern Pines with the more burly Pine Needles and Pinehurst No. 2, it is easy to respect architect Donald Ross for his ability to build courses for the full range of golfers.
Old Macdonald – Bandon, Oregon
Old Macdonald’s tremendous width enables it to deliver a manageable challenge to all visitors. (Bandon Dunes Golf Resort)
Bandon Dunes is regarded by many as the ultimate golf resort for lots of reasons, not the least of which is the fact that its courses are playable for high- and low-handicap golfers alike. And Old Macdonald, which Tom Doak and a host of others crafted as an homage to Golden Age architect Charles Blair Macdonald, sports massive putting surfaces and spacious fairways. If you catch it on a calm day and have a good lag-putting round, expect a pretty low number to appear on your scorecard when all’s said and done.
Can the restoration of Muni Courses Help Grow the Game?
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
I played my first round of golf on a muni course outside Johannesburg, South Africa when I was 16 years old.
The course, Huddle Park Golf Club, is still going strong and now has 3 courses. I still remember a par 3 hole on the back 9 where I had the first birdie of my life—a chip-in from just off the green. To have a “2” on my scorecard was something I have never forgotten! Access to municipal golf courses plays such a critical role in the game’s development because it allows people of all income levels to play the game. In addition, the absence of a country club atmosphere and the fact that many players have higher handicaps makes it stress-free for the average local. Thanks to Golf Vacation Insider. for bringing this important subject to our attention!
Huddle Park “Blue” Municipal Golf Course, Johannesburg, South Africa.
This week is the annual PGA Merchandise Show, when a huge portion of the golf industry descends on Orlando, Florida for its annual trade exposition. And ever since the mid-2000s American real-estate crisis and subsequent economic downturn that sent hundreds of golf courses out of existence and ground new course construction practically to a halt, one question has dominated the Show on the floor and in the nearby bars and restaurants: How can we get golf back on its feet?
How can we get more people to play more rounds and fill up tee sheets?
Twelve-hole courses have been proposed. So have basketball hoop-sized holes. FootGolf, where players kick a soccer ball towards a bucket-sized target, has sprouted up in some places. Companies have come out with alternatives to golf carts in order to make golf seem more “hip” and “cool.” TopGolf, which blends driving range practice with Skee-Ball and adds food and alcohol to the mix, has been heralded by some as savior for the game.
Everyone seemingly has an “innovative” idea to get golf back on its feet. But I think we already have the ideal feeder system: It’s municipal golf courses. Municipal golf courses are a vital part of the game, and have a key role to play in its future. Sure, many golfers grew up playing private country clubs, but it’s likely most — even pros from Rickie Fowler and Billy Horschel to Phil Mickelson and Nancy Lopez — got their start at humble muni layouts. Overseas, publicly-owned courses are the lifeblood of the game.
You’ve probably heard of The Old Course at St. Andrews. It’s publicly-owned. Not only do locals account for thousands of the rounds played over the world’s foremost ancient links, but they pay what amounts to a fraction of what visiting golf pilgrims lay out for the privilege. Municipal courses serve as proof that wealth is not required to take to the game of golf from an early age.
If the quality of muni golf, meaning not just condition but design, rises while remaining affordable, golfers will be more likely to want to play more.
And for beginners, sparks will fly that much faster. Numerous towns, cities and counties have reached that exact conclusion. In fact, something of a municipal golf revolution is underway. Across the United States, long-neglected city- or county-owned and -run courses – many with surprising architectural pedigrees – have received loving renovation and restoration work that has restored and enhanced their playability and fun for beginners and accomplished players alike.
In Dallas, which boasts a huge number of avid golfers, architect John Colligan led a comprehensive renovation effort that breathed new life into the run-down Stevens Park Golf Course. Set on a mere 112 acres, the course measures 6,300 yards from the back tees but provides enough challenge for lower-handicappers while still keeping beginners from getting discouraged. It’s also highly walkable, making for a great source of exercise as well as golfing challenge.
What was something of an embarrassment to Dallas is now a charming, extremely popular course where tee times can sometimes be nearly impossible to come by. John Fought has brought the Donald Ross-designed Wilmington Municipal Golf Course back to its glory days. (City of Wilmington, N.C.)
This years Top 10 Vacation Tips – #9 was my favorite!
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
I love reading Golf Vacation Insider! Even if I don’t get the opportunity to go to some of the beautiful places they suggest, I still like to imagine being there! Also, their latest Top 10 Vacation Tips make for some interesting reading. I would highly recommend subscribing to the newsletter as I do. You’ll enjoy tons of money-saving travel ideas!
I love watching those year-in-review shows on TV this time of year.
In minutes, you get a recap of the year’s most important happenings, and I’m always amazed there are a few stories I totally missed.
To that end, here is a list of — and links to — the 10 most popular tips we published in 2015.
Feel free to keep commenting (yes, we read all of them) or use the “Search” box at the top right of this site to find advice on other topics of interest.
The courses near famous courses are an even better deal!
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
When you play famous courses, you also pay top dollar to play there! Why do that when you can pay almost 1/2 price to play some nearby, excellent tracks? I have played Gullane, Heritage Club, and Western Gailes, and I can promise you, they are challenging and enjoyable courses. Thanks to golfvacationinsider.com for this really great list to help you plan future golf trips!
There are many “bucket list”-quality golf courses out there, just waiting for you to step onto the first tee.
But in pursuing those amazing golf experiences, some traveling golfers can tend to overlook nearby courses that, in my opinion, are extremely worthy of playing as well. In fact, you may end up kicking yourself later for missing them.
Here are 10 lesser-known greats you need to pair with their better-known neighbors:
When you played… Muirfield
You may have missed… Gullane Golf Club
You may have heard about Gullane this past summer, when a composite of its No. 1 and No. 2 courses held the Scottish Open for the first time. And you may be kicking yourself for not playing it when you swung through Edinburgh to play Muirfield. Don’t make the same mistake twice – all three of Gullane’s courses are worth a play.
When you played… Bethpage Black
You may have missed… Bethpage Red
Many people take such great pains (like sleeping in their cars) to play the two-time U.S. Open host Black Course that they neglect the presence of the Red Course, which is a tough-but-not-monstrous Tillinghast course. If we lived nearby, we’d actually pick the Red as our “everyday” course at Bethpage. It’s that good. Don’t miss it.
When you played… Caledonia Golf and Fish Club and/or True Blue Golf Club
You may have missed… Heritage Club
Caledonia and True Blue comprise one of the best 36-hole golf days you can enjoy, and many golfers make the pilgrimage to these Mike Strantz designs when they visit the Myrtle Beach area. But they miss out on another course that Strantz worked on – Heritage – which has even more rambunctious greens than True Blue and even woolier bunkering than Caledonia. Plus, green fees are usually half of what they are at Heritage’s better-known counterparts.
When you played… Silverado Resort
You may have missed… Aetna Springs Golf Course
You’d be forgiven for vacationing in California’s Wine Country and leaving without even hearing about Aetna Springs, an incredibly quiet and charming nine-hole in the town of Pope Valley. Tom Doak redesigned the course a number of years ago. Take note – Aetna Springs is only open Wednesdays through Saturdays.
When you played… Royal Troon and/or Prestwick
You may have missed… Western Gailes
Prestwick, which hosted the first Open Championships, and Troon, which hosts 2016’s edition, are famous enough in their own right, and worth playing. But so too is the charming Western Gailes, situated just 15 minutes north of Prestwick. In fact, some of our fellow golf travel experts deem it their favorite of all the courses in the area.
If you’ve been watching the PGA Tour the last couple weeks, you’ve probably noticed that they’ve been putting up some incredibly low scores. Jordan Spieth shot 30-under par at Kapalua and Fabian Gomes shot 20-under par to win the Sony Open this past weekend.
