Golf Packages

Hershey Resorts is offering golfers a chance to play 100 holes a day at Hershey Country Club as part of its Centennial Golf Package, which was created in honor of the “100 Years of Happy” celebration at Hersheypark.

Though playing 100 holes in one day may be a stretch, the Centennial Golf Package includes unlimited golf on the date of stay, which makes it inviting to play from dawn to dusk or turn a day trip into a multi-day, 100-hole visit.

The package, which is valid from April 6 through December 31, includes:
• Deluxe accommodations at The Hotel Hershey or Hershey Lodge • Same-day unlimited greens fees at Hershey Country Club on the East or West courses • Same-day unlimited golf cart • Commemorative 100th anniversary of Hersheypark putter cover • Unlimited practice range balls • Complimentary admission to Hershey Gardens and Hershey Museum At Hershey Lodge, prices start from $200* for weekend stays (Friday - Saturday) and $179* for midweek stays (Sunday - Thursday). Prices at The Hotel Hershey start from $229* for midweek and from $249 for weekends. At The Hotel Hershey and Hershey Lodge, children ages nine to 18 can stay for a rate starting from $99.

Hershey Resorts are the official resorts of the “100 Years of Happy”
celebration and provide guests with a variety of special ways to share in the celebration, including exciting entertainment, one-of-a-kind commemorative gifts, and special food and beverage offerings.

The highlight in Hershey this year will be the unveiling of the biggest attraction Hersheypark has ever opened, The Boardwalk At Hersheypark. A grand tribute to the legendary boardwalks of the Northeast, The Boardwalk At Hersheypark will captivate guests with more than 100 fun-in-the-sun experiences, including the flavors, sounds and activities of an old-fashioned boardwalk, as well as the world’s largest water-play structure. The Boardwalk is scheduled to open on Memorial Day weekend.

In addition to the centennial of Hersheypark, 2007 marks the 100th anniversary of one of Milton Hershey’s most beloved creations, the Hershey’s Kiss, and the 150th anniversary of the birth of Milton Hershey himself. It was Mr. Hershey whose passion for golf brought the sport to his town. In fact, the fifth hole of the West Course of Hershey Country Club is right on the front lawn of his mansion.

Consistently ranked among the top resorts in the United States, Hershey Resorts’ guests have extended playing privileges at Hershey Country Club, which features two spectacular and distinctive 18-hole private courses. The West Course is a classic par-72 layout that winds its way through tree-lined fairways and challenging hazards. The signature hole of the West Course is the par-3 fifth hole with High Point Mansion, Milton Hershey’s former home, as a spectacular backdrop. On the East Course, a par-71, designer George Fazio captured the natural beauty of Central Pennsylvania’s countryside with spectacular views that golfers can appreciate on every hole. The 7,061-yard course boasts numerous natural hazards, rolling fairways and difficult greens. The East Course hosted a Nationwide Tour event for eight years.

Hershey, Pennsylvania, is known the world over as The Sweetest Place On Earth. The destination’s wide array of attractions include Hersheypark, ZooAmerica, The Hotel Hershey, Hershey Lodge, Hershey Highmeadow Campground, Hershey Country Club, Hersheypark Stadium, Hersheypark Arena, Hershey Bears professional hockey team and Giant Center. Hershey is located in Central Pennsylvania, three hours from New York City, two hours from Philadelphia, and 90 minutes from the Washington/Baltimore metro area.

For information call 1-800-HERSHEY or visit the destination’s website.

In response to upscale travelers’ desires for more experiential and specialized travel, boutique travel provider CORK & TEE has launched its one-of-a-kind offering that blends the best of golf with behind-the-scenes wine and interactive culinary adventures.

The company offers personalized independent itineraries to destinations worldwide for groups of two to 20 and will launch high-end packaged tours later in 2007.

“Both golf and epicurean activities are in high demand by a majority of luxury travel buyers,” said Bruce Tepper, vice-president of Joselyn, Tepper & Associates and a frequent industry speaker on luxury and incentive travel matters.

“Combining golf with wine-focused culinary experiences for upscale travelers is a very attractive marriage of concept and marketplace. I can see applications for such a high-end product in both the leisure and corporate group segments.”

CORK & TEE’s golf venues range from legendary courses including Pebble Beach and St. Andrews to hidden gems such as the Course at Wente Vineyards in Livermore, California and Sandpines on the Oregon Coast. Additionally, the company has designed a broad range of experiential epicurean adventures.

Examples range from private tastings at future cult wineries and food-wine pairing instruction to memorable winemaker dinners, as well as personalized cooking instruction.

“Our boutique model delivers the utmost in personalized service so our clients may immerse themselves in their destinations and fully pursue their passions,” said Gene Holland, a former PGA professional and co-founder of CORK & TEE.

“We have inspected all the facets of our destinations including golf venues and accommodations and are equipped to handcraft unique destination-specific epicurean experiences to suit client needs. Our model already is proving attractive to both couples groups and incentive travel groups.”

Initial destinations in the CORK & TEE portfolio include California, Oregon, Scotland and Ireland. Future destinations, the first to be announced later in 2007, will include Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina and South Africa.

CORK & TEE is affiliated with The Travel Society, a Colorado-based enterprise that offers extensive support services and systems to elite travel companies nationwide. This strategic alliance links CORK & TEE to Virtuoso, a by-invitation-only global consortium of several hundred travel providers focused on delivering premium experiences to luxury travelers.

From the St. Pete Times, we find out that Disney plans another world-class golf resort.

How much land is there left in Orlando and how can they possibly need another world-class golf resort ?

” Walt Disney World unveiled plans Thursday to develop 1,350 acres of its vast property, including a massive luxury resort in a partnership with Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts.

Disney also plans to build up to 5,000 value-priced hotel rooms on 450 acres around the first formal western gateway to the park, built to serve new highway access there. “

I’m thinkin’ there’s more than enough golf courses and homes in Orlando to last for eons, but they’ve gotta do something with all those profits, don’t they ?

Click thru and read the whole story, or if you don’t want to then click the link below to go look at a way to get some tickets to The Masters.

” The green is surrounded by sand, but the real hazards here are the trees. They will reject any off-line shot and make a successful recovery very tricky. The green is narrow but deep, and pin placement can affect club selection. “

Number 7 at Harbour Town Golf Links looks like it would be an easy 3 for your scorecard … but it’s not.

The other 17 holes aren’t that easy either, but you don’t go to Harbour Town to post a good score. You go to play where the Pro’s play, to see the lighthouse and to get a polo shirt with their logo to take back and stick in your golfing buddies faces !

Yes, if you go I’d like one.

Yes, I look good in red.

Yes, I do wear XXL.

Yes, you can click the photo to go to their store.

Click thru to their store and to the other parts of their website and book a golf vacation today.

Their golf packages are second to none … and you need to send ol’ Mike that shirt !

Click on this photo for a small taste of we enjoy here in Kentucky when we play our State Park Golf Trail.

Thru a great blog that showcases photos taken in Kentucky, I found this news item alerting me to the great rates and what’s happening, golf-wise, in Kentucky.

I’ve done many, many reviews of the State Park courses and they have always exceeded my expectations.

From great rates, to fantastic scenery … from Paducah to Pikeville and lexington to London, there’s a great golf adventure nearby.

If you’ve never hiked, golfed, swam and ate catfish in the same day, well, come on down and we’ll get together for some golf that will make memories that will last a lifetime.

If you’re even slightly considering going west ( or east ) to San Francisco for a golf vacation at a world-class golf resort and spa, you really need to click thru and check out today’s offering from my friends over at Perfect escapes.

Today they’ve come up with a golf and hotel package to the Westin St. Francis that will rejuvenate your body and mind.

Via their website:

It’s a great time to visit San Francisco: The crowds are few, the theater season’s in full swing, and the boutiques sparkle with treasures. Make your San Francisco trip even more memorable when you stay at the landmark Westin St. Francis, right in the heart of Union Square.

And right now, when you book two consecutive nights at The Westin St. Francis, your third night is free! Simply arrive on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday for a 3-night stay and your last night is on the house.

Rates vary seasonally, but standard rooms start at just $149 per night over many winter and early-spring weekends. Better still, this special Third Night Free offer is available for other popular room categories — Traditional, Deluxe and Grandview — and is valid for stays through the end of 2007.

Why wait? Plan your San Francisco escape with The Westin St. Francis today.

You’d better hurry, as this deal is only available thru February 28th, 2007 !

Did you happen to watch the Mercededs-Benz Championship from Kapalua on The Golf Channel ? I did and saw a commercial from GoHawaii.com that led me to this great resource, in case I’m ever fortunate enough to play golf in Hawaii.

Bookmark their site and buy lottery tickets is my new motto !

From their website :

” Seventy million years ago, Nature created Hawaii – a paradise of green-carpet valleys, emerald mountains draped in mist, and an ocean as blue and deep as the sky. It is a setting so perfectly sculpted, it’s clear that golf was part of Nature’s master plan. Our fairways are lush and bordered by rainforests and wild seascapes…and our hazards are a natural part of the landscape.

From lush hillside courses with views of neighboring islands and whales breaching offshore, to black lava layouts dotted with white sand bunkers, Hawaii offers you all the challenges and all of the pleasures of golf on more than eighty courses, spread over six uniquely different islands. So it isn’t surprising that eight Hawaii courses can be found in Golf Magazine’s list of Top 25 U.S. Golf Resorts (no other state has more than two). “

Click thru and enjoy !

PS - And Congratulations to Vijay Singh for winning the first event of 2007 ! Note to Tiger and Phil, you can’t win if you don’t play.

After having recently unveiled the “new look” Blue Monster, Doral Golf Resort & Spa, A Marriott Resort, one of the world’s premier golf destinations, today announced two new golf packages for the 2006-2007 fall and winter seasons. These new packages are designed to highlight the recently renovated Great White Golf Course, and the famed Blue Monster Golf Course, home of the 2007 CA World Golf Championship.

The new Blue Monster Golf Package includes two nights of luxury accommodations in a beautifully appointed garden view room, 18-holes of golf on the Blue Monster Course, and 18-holes on the Great White Course, cart included. Also included in this package is a $25 gift card per night per player, unlimited driving range usage, golf bag storage, one day introductory golf clinic, and advance tee-times. Rates start from $309 per person, per night, based on double occupancy, and must be booked at least 60 days in advance. This package is also available in a 3-night stay, which includes three nights of accommodations, one round on the Blue, one round on the White and one round on the Red, Gold, or Silver Courses. Rates start from $289 per person, per night, based on double occupancy, and must be booked at least 60 days in advance.

Also available at Doral is the Championship Golf Package, which includes one night of luxurious accommodations in a beautifully appointed garden view room and 18-holes of golf on one of Doral’s Championship courses, cart included. Included in this package is a $25 gift card per night per player, unlimited driving range usage, golf bag storage, one day introductory golf clinic, and advance tee-times. Rates start from $219 per person, per night based on double occupancy, and must be booked at least 60 days in advance.

The 693-room Doral Resort, which is managed by Marriott International and is officially named the Doral Golf Resort & Spa, A Marriott Resort, joined Marriott’s first-class portfolio of 60 resorts worldwide in August of 2004. In managing the golf business operations at Doral, Marriott International enlisted its in-house golf management arm, Marriott Golf, the world’s largest resort golf management company, and the first in-house golf management team ever established by a lodging company. Currently, Marriott Golf oversees more than 150,000 rounds of golf per year on Doral’s five championship golf courses, managing more than 500 corporate and group outings per year.

” For reservations call (800) 713-6725 or visit www.marriott.com, and enter GOF for promotional code. “

There’s no better time than now to tour the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in Alabama. Golf and Alabama go together this time of year like football and Alabama.

The Trail’s offering in Greenville, Alabama, Cambrian Ridge, is one of my favorites. My buudy Rob Condo, from Louisville, drove down to play it with me a while back and we both were completely amazed at the weather, the great condition of the courses and the friendliness of the people.

The Loblolly nine has gently rolling fairways, majestic pine trees and enough water to make you think about it, but not enough to be offensive.

The Canyon nine, which used to be an old hunting grounds, has some dramatic drops in elevation and it’s more of a target style of golf than the other nines.

The Sherling nine, which was my favorite, could be the best nine holes on the entire Trail. No kidding, it’s that good.

The double green at the ninth, shared with the ninth on the Canyon, is the finish of a wonderful test that leaves you feeling good, rather than beat up.

Run down to Greenville, Alabama as soon as you can and enjoy the best fall golf I’ve ever found.

I just found out that I can easily set up a reservation on any of the courses on my favorite golf architects namesake golf trail.

The 11 courses that make up the Arthur Hills Michigan Golf Trail have further enhanced their customer appreciation by offering toll-free, centralized reservation services at 877-TRAILAH (877-872-4524).

Tee times at all 11 courses along the Trail can be arranged by calling this toll-free number. The Arthur Hills Michigan Golf Trail includes several of the country’s top resort venues. Lodging accommodations can be gotten there, too.

To mark nearly 40 years of golfing collaboration, Arthur Hills/Steve Forrest and Associates partnered in 2004 with 11 upscale public-access courses in Michigan to create the Arthur Hills Michigan Golf Trail. Call it golf heaven. Call it an 11-day, golf dream itinerary.

Whatever you call it, the Arthur Hills Trail is clearly one of the country’s finest, most diverse golf trail experiences.

The Trail includes:

o Bay Harbor Golf Club in Petoskey

o The Arthur Hills Course at Boyne Highlands in Boyne Falls

o Fieldstone Golf Club in Auburn Hills

o Forest Akers Golf Club in East Lansing

o HawksHead in South Haven

o Lakes of Taylor Golf Course in Taylor

o Lyon Oaks Golf Club in Wixom

o Pheasant Run Golf Club in Canton

o Red Hawk Golf Club in East Tawas

o Taylor Meadows Golf Course in Taylor

o Thoroughbred Golf Club at the Double JJ Ranch in Rothbury

Two of the venues were recently named to Golf Digest’s list of “100 Greatest Public Courses”- #35, Bay Harbor GC (Links/Quarry), #66, Red Hawk GC (May 2005 issue).

All 11 Arthur Hills Michigan Golf Trail courses are rated three and half stars or better (out of five) according to Golf Digest’s Places to Play ranking.

For more information on the Arthur Hills Michigan Golf Trail, visit their website or call 1-877- TRAILAH.