Golf Communities

GolfHubs.com, simply put, is a search engine for golf courses.

I can itemize all the bells & whistles for you, but one of their goals in building the site was to make it as self-explanatory as possible.

In other words, go here: http://www.golfhubs.com, and if you don’t get the idea within a few seconds, well, then … they tried to make it idiot-proof, but aren’t quite there yet

Another goal was avoid looking like some amateur designer threw some crap on a page and said that’s good enough … like A LOT of golf-related websites.

The creative genius behind the site received “top portfolio” of his graduating class, then went on to do concept design for Fossil for a year-and-a-half, amid various freelance projects for a variety of industries before being brought on as the creative lead for GolfHubs.com.

You can see a generous sample of Carter’s work at http://www.cmartindesign.com.

It’s as fine a portfolio as you’ll find. Very impressive, very creative, very professional.

Maybe you need a new design for your golf-related website. If so, holler at Carter and tell him Mike sent you.

The lead developer, Stephen, has been building websites for a variety of industries for over the past seven years, including Real Estate, Entertainment, Resorts, Ski & Snowboard, Parks & Attractions, Churches, Finance, and Insurance.

What makes GolfHubs.com different … and better ?

• It’s sleek – Most golf sites are really a strewn-together collection of disconnected text & ads that overwhelm and clutter. GolfHubs.com is simple and intuitive. And no ads.

• It’s advanced – Why don’t other golf sites have a “smart” search bar like Google that can parse whatever you type and figure out what you want, instead of requiring you to fill out a small tax-return-like form to narrow your results ?

• It’s dynamic – Most every bit of content on the site (articles, reviews, photos, green fees, map locations, etc.) is user-updateable, meaning once you log in (registration is free, of course) you can start changing things as you see fit. They seem to be hoping to borrow from Wikipedia’s successful model and have the course updating become a well-oiled machine.

• It’s fast (WARNING: NERDY TALK AHEAD) – GolfHubs.com runs on a tier-1-hosted dedicated server, is XHTML compliant, and has optimized database indexes and query structures. Feel smarter yet ?

All that really means is that even searches that return hundreds of courses take place in under half a second, on average … unless you’re still bangin’ on a 486, in which case this doesn’t apply, your search will still take half an hour.

• It’s comprehensive – GolfHubs.com has over 16,000 courses and 20,000 photos already catalogued.

So quit stallin’ and head over to join and add your own reviews of your favorite courses !

Just in time holiday golfing, gifting and relaxation comes news of a luxury golf package, a fabulous spa and a winemaker/golf packager.

This has to be the best combination of elements to come together in the name of golf since Jones and Augusta.

I can hardly find a way to tie together all the elements, but if you’ve got the time and inclination, they have a fabulous package waiting for you on a golf course that hosted the 2005 Charles Schwab Cup Championship.

Heard a golf course say this lately :

” Playing just over 7,100 yards from the championship tees, this classic layout offers strategic choices and challenges that excite golfers swinging graphite and titanium just as it did when they were carrying hickory and persimmon. “

And for those of you who don’t know who Kris Moe is :

” One unique aspect of the Kris Moe Golf Schools is Kris Moe himself. He is qualified for this “Luxury Golf Experience” by the fact that he is at once a seasoned golfer, a winemaker, and a cook. Moe goes beyond the usual PGA certification status of other golf pros. He brings to his teaching the added value of actual PGA tour experience garnered on the U.S. PGA Tour and European PGA Tour. His professional career highlights include a 25th place finish in the 1985 British Open, a 3rd place finish in the Australian PGA, and winner of the 2003 Northern California PGA Stroke and Match-Play championships, and the Hawaii State Open. He has played three times in the ATT Pro-Am at Pebble Beach. Some notable students who have enhanced their game with Kris Moe include actor Samuel L. Jackson, Tommy Smothers, numerous corporate CEOs and current Japanese PGA Tour star Shingo Katayama. “

Now, we all can’t afford this getaway, but we would if we could, so the next best thing is to click thru to all the links I gave you and enjoy reading about what you’d do IF you had that much $$$ to spend on a golf getaway.

Here’s another golf community that looks like the place to be in 2006.

The Spirited Side of the Sierra’s is how they bill themselves and by looking thru their website at some of the fantastic views and scenery, I’d say they did an apt job of describing the feeling you’ll get from playing there.

Here’s a little snippet from their website to entice you into clicking thru :

” Designed by Bob Cupp, the family- friendly, 18- hole course at Grizzly Ranch is an exceptional par 72 where golfers of all ages and abilities will find equal levels of challenge and enjoyment. Enhancing the game beyond measure, the private golf membership philosophy at Grizzly Ranch ensures walk- on convenience and the opportunity to cultivate friendships that will last a lifetime.

Quiet, unhurried, peaceful: this is mountain golf as it should be. To hone your game further, the practice park awaits, complete with driving range and putting and chipping greens. Near the Lodge, the Golf- Sports Shop offers all the latest sporting attire and equipment— not to mention drop- dead views of the course and surrounding mountains through its 18- foot- high windows.

As if to confirm you’re in golfer’s heaven, even the climate is ideal. Thanks to an elevation of only 5,200 feet, year- round temperatures are noticeably warmer than in Lake Tahoe, which moderates the winters and extends the golf season. “

And if that isn’t enough, here’s a shot of some of the stunning scenery :

Now go check out the Grizzly Ranch site and if you get there before me, drop us a line and let me know how it plays !

I was just reading a post on Golf Home Connect about Heron Creek and decided to do a little research.

They have three different 9 hole courses designed by Arthur Hills and you guys know I love courses designed by Mr. Hills. The Heron Creek Golf Course looks like it will be a very good track for all skill levels, which seems to me to be a trait of all the Hills designed golf courses I’ve played.

From their website :

” The moment you step onto the first tee at Heron Creek, you’ll experience the exhilaration of playing the brilliantly designed and meticulously maintained championship course. The challenging, but not intimidating, course design includes elevation changes unique to Southwest Florida, sparkling water features, and all the natural beauty of Heron Creek. With the variety and challenges offered by the Oaks, Marsh and Creek Nine layouts, playing golf at Heron Creek is an experience you’ll want to repeat over and over again. “

I’ve noticed that layouts with three differnet 9’s have a tendency to be better maintained, since they can take one out of play every day and give it some TLC. I’m betting Heron Creek will be no different.

Their website is well done, informative and is visually appealing.

Go by and give ‘em a view and if you’re near North Port, Florida, take a tour and let us know what you find.

Tell ‘em Mike sent you !

It was just brought to my attention that there’s a fairly new website that helps golfer’s find homes on golf courses.

It’s called Golf Home Connect and when you get there you’ll find golf community profiles, news and articles about golf course living, comparison reports and neighborhood information.

The site’s creator, Robert Flournoy say’s :

” I created the site because I myself was looking for golf community info online and couldn’t find a site that organized the information in a manner that facilitated thorough research. Ultimately I came up well short driving aimlessly up and down the Mid-Atlantic until I found a golf course home in Virginia by sheer luck. My objective is to create an online golf course living community guide so that other golf fanatics don’t run into the same problem I did. “

Go by and visit Robert and let him know Mike sent you.

If you buy a house on a golf course after looking thru the info at his site, an invite to play 18 will be nice

A friend of mine recently became the co-owner of a condo near Naples, Florida. He married it.

While looking around for golf courses near Naples, I found this development, Fiddler’s Creek.

Here’s a quote from their website:

Golf in the
Time-Honored
Tradition of the Game

At completion, residents of Fiddler’s Creek will be surrounded by 72 holes of championship golf, 36 holes of which will be available to members of The Golf Club at Fiddler’s Creek. The first course, a masterpiece of design by acclaimed golf course architect Arthur Hills, is The Creek Course at Fiddler’s Creek. It is now open for play and provides a superb golfing experience for all skill levels.

Having fallen in love with another Arthur Hills course, River Islands, I really want to get down to Naples someday and play this course.

In fact, I think I’ll make the next few post about all the Arthur Hills designed golf courses I can find.

They’ll be worth playing and reading about, so check back daily or subscribe to my RSS feed.

Here’s a link to a Golf Digest article about the new rankings for Metro areas in the United States.

Based on their criteria , Alabama’s twin cities of Auburn and Opelika (a place more well known for college football than golf,) was selected as the top American metropolitan area for a golfer to live.

I’d say it had a lot to do with the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail than anything else. The courses there are fantastic.

Rounding out the top ten are:

No. 2. Johnson City-Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA

I used to go to Tri-Cities Golf Club a few times every year with General Shale Brick Co.
This is a great area for golf, food and family.

No. 3. Punta Gorda, FL - I’ll agree with this one.

No. 4. Youngstown-Warren, OH - Who would have thunk it ?

No. 5. Bloomington-Normal, IL - I have no idea why.

No. 6. Iowa City - I lived in Webster City, Iowa for about 6 months. I have no desire to check this one out.

No. 7. Utica-Rome, NY - Hmmmm.

No. 8. Wilmington, NC - I’d go here in a North Carolina minute !

No. 9. Gadsden, AL - No thanks.

No. 10. Johnstown, PA. - not really my kind of area, but I’ll go if I’m invited. I might learn something.

Go read the entire article and come back and leave me a comment.

Located an hour northeast of Atlanta and 80 miles southwest of Greenville, SC, The Orchard Golf & Country Club is nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. If the photos on their website are any indication of just how gorgeous this land is, there cannot be a more beautiful place within 100 miles. The 1,100-acre property is connected to the Chattahoochee National Forest and has an endless variety of colorful trees, meandering streams and sparkling lakes stocked for fishing.

They say a remarkably beautiful 18-hole championship golf course winds through the community, providing breathtaking vistas for golfers and for the homes overlooking its emerald fairways. I hope somebody who has seen this place gives us more info, since I won’t be in Georgia for some time to come.

If you go, tell ‘em Mike sent you.

Would you like to golf at one of the finest places to live on the face of the earth ?

If so, drive or fly down to a spot in Monroe County that’s close to Macon, McDonough and Forsyth, Georgia and head out to Johnstonville Road.

Located along the Little Towaliga River, it has to be one of the most special places in the US of A.

“The Club at River Forest” features an eighteen-hole golf course designed by Rocky Roquemore, architect of many nationally and internationally acclaimed courses.

If you find yourself about 45 minutes south of Atlanta, go by and see them.

If you can’t get there, you can click HERE.

Tell ‘em Mike sent you.