Cape Fear National in Wilmington, N.C., will open its doors to the public on Monday, April 19, 2010.

The highly-anticipated 18-hole premium golf club is managed by Northbrook, Ill.-based KemperSports and will serve as the centerpiece of the Brunswick Forest master-planned community.

Grand opening events will take place on April 19 and include remarks from golf course designer Tim Cate, an interactive demo day with Callaway, Ping, Nike and Titleist club testing, a $1 million charity hole-in-one opportunity for five local television personalities and local charity representatives. The day’s events will be highlighted by a driving range demonstration and clinic by former PGA TOUR winner and TV golf analyst Bobby Clampett. Festivities start at 9:30 a.m. and the entire day is open to the public.

“Cape Fear National will serve as a source of pride for the local community and we look forward to bringing exceptional golf to the coastal Carolina area,” said Cape Fear National Director of Sales and Marketing Brad Walker.

In addition to Monday’s grand opening festivities, golfers are encouraged to join in the week-long celebration with daily shotgun-start outings taking place April 20 – April 23, with daily 10 a.m. tee times.
Golfers can make history by being one of the first players to experience all 18 holes at Cape Fear National by calling 910.383.3283.

Cape Fear National is an 18-hole, Tim Cate-designed course that opened for preview play in November 2009. The course layout features a rippling landscape mixed with cypress, pine, maple, oak and magnolia trees. Multiple holes are intertwined throughout with preserved wetlands and scenic lakes to make for a natural and enjoyable walk through the course. Additional property amenities for guests include a golf shop,
spacious banquet and meeting rooms and bar and grill.

Post from: Travelling Golfer

Cape Fear National Launches Grand Opening Celebration on April 19

Related posts:

1. Chance to win 2010 Jeep Patriot, $10,000 and more on Saturday, April 10, 2010! Eagle Ridge Resort & Spa kicks off the start to...
2. Grand Slam of Golf Phil Mickelson joins Tiger Woods, winner of The Masters &...
3. Have You Visited The 19th Hole Lately ? Just in case you’re one of those who like to...

I sometimes wish I still lived in Florida.

Like when a friend of mine reminds me that he lives in Piper’s Landing, which happens to be the finest gated golf community in Palm City and the rest of Florida, as well.

Their clubhouse is capable of hosting any function imaginable, they have a newly re-designed Gene Bates golf course, tennis programs that include new lighted facilities considered to be the best in Martin County and a marina recognized as one of the safest and most accessible on Florida’s east coast.

Their Head Golf Pro is Debbie O’Connell. She didn’t take up golf until her senior year at Western Kentucky University, my alma mater, or would have been if I’d have had more money and could have stayed thru to graduation.

She was also a scholarship player on the 1986 NCAA Women’s Final Four championship basketball team.

I’m hoping to get down there later this year and try to finagle a free lesson or two and a coupla free rounds. Go Toppers!

Did I mention that the golf course is beautiful, challenging and fun to play?

Did I mention that the marina has yachts to yearn for?

Did I mention that …

Oh, never mind, just click thru to their gorgeous website and see for yourself.

And if you drop by to meet ‘em, tell ‘em Mike said Hello !

For further reading, check out the Florida Travel Guide

Post from: Travelling Golfer

Piper’s Landing Yacht and Country Club

Related posts:

1. Heron Creek Golf & Country Club I was just reading a post on Golf Home Connect...
2. Indian Hills Country Club I recently had the opportunity to play Indian Hills Country...
3. Guavaberry Golf and Country Club Anybody headed to the Dominican Republic for a golf vacation...

The Competitive Golf Association Provides Empowerment to Competitive Golfers

I just found a new golf-related site that you should check out. It’s called the Competitive Golf Association. They even have a blog along with the site.

My new golf friend John say’sthat whether you’re a seasoned player or an avid novice, the chances are good that you’ve always wanted to play golf in a real, live golf tournament.

Most of us like watch professional golf on television, but there’s nothing more satisfying than entering and playing in golf competitions yourself.

Unfortunately, while golf events are routinely held at private courses and country clubs, most golfers who play on public courses don’t get the opportunity to participate. Even if they do, they don’t have the chance to compete against golfers from around the nation.

So it shouldn’t come as a surprise, then, that the Internet is filling the gap and making it possible for golfers of all ability levels to compete on a national level. After all, community building has become a cornerstone of Web 2.0 in arenas as diverse as politics, music, and gardening – why not golf?

John says the latest trend in the world of golf is membership in an online competitive golf association. The concept’s beauty lies both in its simplicity and its utter inclusiveness. Unlike traditional men’s and women’s golf tournaments, which require organization, registration, and travel, online competitive golf enables golfers to play on any United States Golf Association public rated golf course. Best of all, you can play anytime and with anyone – whether or not they are members of the association.

Typically, an online association will hold monthly events, with each event consisting of four rounds. This doesn’t mean that you necessarily have to play four rounds of golf during a single month; instead, you can post your score once you’ve completed four rounds of play. Your score will count for the month it’s entered online, not the month it’s played.

Usually, there are seven different types of tournaments held. First, there are the Men’s Individual and Women’s Individual tournaments, in which only the total strokes are counted. Next, there are the Men’s Individual with Handicap and Women’s Individual with Handicap, which consists of the total number of strokes minus the golfer’s handicap. Then, there are the Two-Person Best Ball and Coed Best Ball tournaments, in which each player plays his or her own ball, but for each hole the lowest score of the team counts toward the total. If, for example, the first player gets five strokes on a hole and the second player gets four strokes on a hole, the second player’s strokes count for that hole. Finally, to build on the enthusiasm that many families feel for golf, online associations often include a Parent with Son/Daughter Best Ball tournament.

The competition gets fierce because golfers’ scores are posted online to the electronic scoreboard. Typically, the winners of each month’s qualifier and the best players in each tournament are invited to compete at a championship to benefit a charitable organization.

While some might ask what would prevent a member from posting fake scores, golfers know that the game is based on principles of integrity and civility. Honest play and good sportsmanship are the bedrock of the game of golf, so members are trusted to post accurate scores.

Most of all, though, those who play golf are embracing the opportunity to compete in national golf tournaments and clambering to see their names at the top of the leaderboard!

They offer a flexible and fun format and their golfers may compete in up to six golf tournaments monthly on their own schedule.

Golf tournaments include: Men’s Indiviudal, Women’s Individual, Men’s with
Handicap, Women’s with Handicap, Couples Best Ball, Two Person Best Ball,
Parent/Son or Daugher and Virtual. Once the player completes an event,
they are encouraged to enter their results on our website and scores will be
posted on our leaderboard.

CGA is a member-driven association providing competitive events, supporting charities, supporting junior golf programs and promoting the game of golf.

Post from: Travelling Golfer

Providing Empowerment To The Competitive Golfer

Related posts:

1. NetHandicap – A Review I’ve been using NetHandicap for several months now and wanted...
2. Kenny G – Best Golfer On Music Row As of now, saxophonist Kenny G has more to brag...
3. Pub Links Golfer Magazine Online Here’s a site I just ran across, Pub Links Golfer...

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 !

Post from: Travelling Golfer

What Is GolfHubs.com ?

Related posts:

1. The Golf Channel’s Website Sucks For Search Trying to do some research for an article, I used...
2. Privacy Privacy Policy for Travelling Golfer.com The privacy of our visitors...
3. Found: Circling Raven Golf Club Just when you think you’ve found all the visually appealing...

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.

Post from: Travelling Golfer

Luxury Golf, Wine & One Great Golf Course

Related posts:

1. Interested In Golf And Wine ? In response to upscale travelers’ desires for more experiential and...
2. A Great Place For A Nevada Golf Vacation Genoa Lakes Golf Club is obviously a great place to...
3. Disney Plans Another Luxury Golf Resort   From the St. Pete Times, we find out that...

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 !

Post from: Travelling Golfer

Grizzly Ranch Golf Community

Related posts:

1. Links To Golf Packages And Vacations Just got back from a smooth and lucky 67 on...
2. Phil Bundy’s Quest To Play On The PGA Tour I just added a new entry to my golf blog...
3. Gold Canyon Golf Resort Here’s another high desert golf course I played the last...

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 !

Post from: Travelling Golfer

Heron Creek Golf & Country Club

Related posts:

1. Heron Creek Course Review This review was provided by my new golf buddy Rich...
2. The Golf Club at Fiddler’s Creek A friend of mine recently became the co-owner of a...
3. Eagle Creek Golf Club – Orlando, FL As a former resident of the state of Florida, I...

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

Post from: Travelling Golfer

Looking For A Home On A Golf Course ?

Related posts:

1. Golf In California I’ve been surfing around the site of InTheLoopGolf.com. They are...
2. Treetops Resort – Great Fall Golf Have you ever watched the Par 3 Shootout on ESPN...
3. I’m going To Use NetHandicap In 2006 In 2006 I’m going to try the services of NetHandicap....

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.

Post from: Travelling Golfer

The Golf Club at Fiddler’s Creek

Related posts:

1. Heron Creek Golf & Country Club I was just reading a post on Golf Home Connect...
2. Cross Creek Golf Club – Temecula, CA Today’s version of ” Let’s Look At An Arthur Hills...
3. The Ivanhoe Club – Renovation Chicago’s golf scene has been blessed with some Arthur Hills...

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.

Post from: Travelling Golfer

Metro Golf Rankings

Related posts:

1. Megan’s Golfing Journeys I recently found a new golf blog, thru a comment...
2. Titleist Launches A Tour Blog Thru my good golf blog buddy Mediaguru ( Tony Korologos...
3. Bobby Jones Golf And Jesse Ortiz Has anybody tried any of the hybrids or other clubs...