Golf Travel
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Top-ranked golf courses join TeeTimes family
As TeeTimes.net continues to grow, we wanted to take a moment to point out some of the fantastic golf courses and destinations recently added to our list of partners.
First up is Myrtle Beach, S.C., America’s undisputed king of vacation golf. Among the Grand Strand courses available for discount booking are longtime favorite Indigo Creek GC and Wicked Stick, John Daly’s first-ever design effort.
If you’ve ever wondered why so many folks rave about Chicago’s golf charms, now’s the time to find out. We feature more than 20 Windy City tracks, including highly rated George Dunne National.
Speaking of top-ranked courses, you can now book Ohio’s finest public course, Longaberger GC, right here at TeeTimes.net. Architect Arthur Hills outdid himself at Longaberger — owned and operated by the company that makes those famous, hand-crafted baskets – and the golf world took notice. Golfweek ranks Longaberger No. 1 in Ohio while Golf Digest places it No. 56 among America’s greatest public tracks.
We’ve also got the best of North Dakota’s best according to Digest, Hawktree GC (left). James Engh’s thrilling, linksy design incorporates just 80 acres of irrigated turf as it tumbles through the Burnt Creek valley.
Swinging down to New Mexico, we’ve proudly added the Golf Club at Rainmakers, Golf Digest’s fourth-rated course in this underrated golf state. It’s one of Robert Trent Jones II’s most scenic efforts.
If it’s scenery you’re after, few places can match the Bay Area. San Francisco’s Presidio GC occupies prime real estate just south of the Golden Gate Bridge. The classic, 113-year-old course was once open only to military personnel and honored guests – fellows like Presidents Teddy Roosevelt and Dwight Eisenhower.
That’s but a brief sampling of our newcomers, and we’re adding more all the time – so visit TeeTimes.net often to find great deals near you.
Stay and play golf vacation locales
There’s no vacation like a golf vacation.
Sure, traveling with a golf bag is a hassle. But consider the upside of an extended stay in a spot designed to please visiting golfers and, often, their spouses and kids.
- Stay-and-play packages offering deep discounts on rooms and greens fees
- Top-flight accommodations with amenities galore
- Tons of fun and/or relaxing activities for non-golfers in the group
- A plethora of restaurants, bars and clubs that inevitably spring up near popular destinations
The vacationing golfer can’t go wrong in Orlando, Fla., or Scottsdale, Ariz., which we profile here.
Orlando Means Magic for Golfers, Too
There’s no better place for a golf vacation than the city that Mickey built, especially if the whole family’s involved. For starters, Orlando is studded with first-rate courses by big-name architects. Many of these feature teaching academies where a vacationing golfer can hone the swing in the hands of a professional.
Off the course, well, Orlando’s theme parks have something for most everyone.
Gorge on golf: Home to some 75 courses, Orlando’s can’t-miss list includes Orange County National (with two fantastic 18s and a mammoth circular driving range); ChampionsGate (featuring a fine pair of Greg Norman layouts); Mystic Dunes (classic Florida golf with a hint of Great Britain); and Shingle Creek Golf Club (a golfer’s paradise near the airport and major parks).
Stay & play: Grand Cypress Golf Resort – 45 holes of Jack Nicklaus’ most provocative work envelop luxury accommodations. Amenities include in-room spa service, seven restaurants, five lounges and a 21-acre lake.
Après golf: Downtown Orlando features lots of late-night hot spots but draws a younger crowd – not that there’s anything wrong with that. Of course, there’s Disney World, Universal Studios, SeaWorld and a gazillion other family-oriented attractions.
Scottsdale Takes Lux to a New Level
This Phoenix suburb’s mix of high-end golf courses, spas, restaurants and nightlife draws visitors the world over. Like Orlando, the area is home to many tour pros thanks to the weather, quality courses, stellar practice facilities and top teachers.
Gorge on golf: The Phoenix metro area boasts a staggering 185 courses, with many of the best clustered around Scottsdale. Picking favorites is tough, but here goes: Troon North (the pinnacle of public golf); TPC Scottsdale (Stadium Course is a blast even without the rowdy crowds); Wildfire Golf Club (Arnold Palmer and Nick Faldo carved 36 sterling holes from the desert); Desert Canyon Golf Club (mountain views and risk-reward aplenty).
Stay & play: Arizona Biltmore – A genuine landmark that has hosted presidents and celebrities for eight decades, the Biltmore offers two unique golf courses along with 740 guest rooms, spa, and the pool Marilyn Monroe called her favorite.
Après golf: Scottsdale’s surging culinary scene features just about every cuisine imaginable. If your plans include a day off from golf, spellbinding Sedona is an easy drive north while the Grand Canyon beckons a bit further up the road.
Top spots for U.S golf holidays
Some golf holidays are weeklong, 36-holes-a-day marathons. Others are quick weekend getaways arranged around two or three tee times.
The necessities for each are the same: lodging on or near the fairways and multiple golf courses to choose from in close proximity. Destinations with lively nightlife, shopping, sightseeing, spas and other off-course activities earn bonus points.
Here are three of America’s best addresses for a short, medium or long golf holiday.
Ideal climate, world-class scenery, boatloads of non-golf diversions… Is it any wonder San Diego is one of America’s favorite golf vacation spots? There’s no bad time to visit, and greens fees are reasonable compared to high-season rates in Scottsdale and Las Vegas.
Golf galore: The area boasts 90-plus courses, including several nationally ranked gems that are open to the public.
Play here: Barona Creek Golf Club (sumptuous bunkering alone is worth the price of admission); La Costa Resort (36 holes and top-notch amenities make it a family fave); Sycuan Resort (a pair of 18-holers routinely rated the area’s finest); The Crossings at Carslbad (inspiring visuals highlight spectacular new track)
Beyond golf: San Diego has miles of Pacific beaches, thriving food and art scenes, and historic sites aplenty. If you somehow get bored, Tijuana, Mexico is just a short drive south.
At best, golf ranks a distant second in drawing visitors to Las Vegas. But that’s no reflection on the quality of Sin City’s courses, which offer an amazing variety of settings and challenges. This being Vegas, facilities tend to pile on crowd-pleasing bells and whistles like manmade forests and waterfalls inside clubhouses.
Golf galore: Once home to relatively few courses, Vegas now counts 55 or so golf options.
Play here: Cascata (a roller-coaster of canyon-carving golf); Rio Secco Golf Club (variety of holes, scenery place it near the top); Bear’s Best (cool collection of Jack Nicklaus’ finest designs); Las Vegas Paiute Resort (featuring a trio of Pete Dye classics); Primm Valley Resort (36 sublime holes and welcome distance from the Strip)
Beyond golf: Gambling is legal in Nevada, and a few casinos have sprouted in and around this dusty desert outpost. Kidding aside, other activities include visiting Hoover Dam and… Yeah, you’re heading for the blackjack table.
Winter is a no-go here, unless you’re into snow skiing, but there’s no better place for summertime golf. Remarkably, 900-plus courses are planted across Michigan, with many of the best concentrated in the state’s forested, lake-strewn upper half.
Golf galore: Choose from more than 100 public-access courses in Northern Michigan.
Play here: Treetops Resort (a true golf feast with 81 holes); Boyne Highlands Resort (tough to top for beauty and layout quality); Bay Harbor Golf Club (Lake Michigan backdrop reminiscent of Ireland); Crystal Mountain Resort (parkland golf at its finest)
Beyond golf: The area’s fertile soils and teeming waterways are a wonderland of orchards, vineyards and fishing excursions.