Name dropper isn’t something I’m usually called, but after this post, I’m sure the name’s gonna fit like a fresh, new golf glove.

Rancho Manana. Eagle Mountain. Gold Canyon – Dinosaur Mountain. Estrella. Las Sendas. The Raven. Superstition.

By the way, The Raven Golf Club at South Mountain may be my favorite Phoenix golf course.

Las Sendas kicked my butt on a 118 degree day back in 2002. Tough, tough track, but beautiful scenery and very fair if you can hit it where you’re looking, which I couldn’t do the one time I was there. <sigh>

I could go on and on, but you get the picture. I’ve played some great golf courses in Arizona and I’ve played some good golf in Arizona

The Arizona golf courses I’ve played have always been in fantastic condition. Above and beyond is an easy way to describe the lengths they go to with regard to manicuring their golf courses in Arizona.

The facilities have always been superb as well. Never before had I witnessed Men’s locker rooms that were bigger and nicer than most apartments I rented when I was young.

The people you meet are always dang friendly. Willing to pair up and willing to take you along for the ride.

The food in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tucson, Tempe and all the towns in between is out of this world good.

And while I’m thinking about it, if you’re going to play any of the Tucson golf courses, make sure the words Starr Pass or Saddlebrooke is in the name and if it is, you can’t go wrong.

Make sure you play early. Get done before noon and then enjoy a great lunch.

If you like great rates, go back and get a speedy 18 in just before dark and soak in the beauty and serenity of the desert right at sundown.

Then go soak in a pool til dinner time!

Trust ol’ Mike and head out to Arizona for some golf, some scenery, some food and some memories!

Tell ‘em I sent you. They remember me too

Post from: Travelling Golfer

Great Golf = Arizona Golf = Great Golf

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“I’m sittin’ on the dock of the bay, watchin’ time fade away…”

Well, I would be, if Otis Redding were here and helping me sing. I’m not much of a singer, but I’d still beat him if I gave him 3 per side.

Whilst I’m sittin’ here thinkin’ about golf vacations, now that fall has started to cool our air, I find myself wanting to play golf somewhere warm, where the food is as spicy as the people are.

When you look at the pro’s on tour and watch the Food Network, like I do, I see a great combo in Sergio Garcia and the spicy, hearty dishes of Spain.

My man Sergio is certainly spicy, or at least fiery. Although we quelled those fires a bit here in Kentucky when the American’s beat the Euro’s for the Ryder Cup.

And the food in Spain is certainly fiery, spicy and hearty.

While doing my research, I came across a Robert Trent Jones course called El Bosque, which sounds like quite a success story.

It’s a hilly course and you’re often faced with a sloping lie, sidehill lies, so you’ll have to bring your A-Game.

Even though the hazards are visible, they’re very dangerous and should be avoided. You’ll also have to play blind approach shots to greens.

The holes blend in well with the landscape, and the design and difficulties vary considerably. In particular there are four beautiful dog-legs and the par 3′s are of a particularly high quality.

Although the course is surrounded by homes, it’s American styling ensures that the course and the properties blend together well and players aren’t disturbed or distracted by the houses on the course boundary

I love Robert Trent Jones courses and I love food prepared in the Spanish style, so this sounds like the perfect Spanish golf holiday to me.

All I need now is a great golf package and for somebody to hook me up with a golf hotel in Spain?

Post from: Travelling Golfer

Time For A Spanish Golf Vacation!

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Every day I get 3-5 emails from some agency that’s promoting a golf resort.

Every day I get 3-5 emails from the marketing staff at a golf resort.

Every day I get 3-5 emails from someone promoting a golf package.

Every. Single. Day.

Never do I get an invitation to come visit, play their course, sample their food and blog about it, continuously, while I’m there.

Not. One. Time.

Do you want to really get some buzz about your golf package?

Do you really want to get some buzz about your golf resort?

Invite 4 golf bloggers to come and visit, play golf, eat and sleep on your dollar.

Let us blog about it, take pictures, podcast and video it.

That’ll get you a helluva lot more play than sending us all the same email and asking us to write about your product or service, which is damn hard to do without visiting !

Post from: Travelling Golfer

If You Own A Golf Resort …

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Had a nice BBQ lunch today with one friend who’s been to The Masters and one who wants to go.

That reminded me that one of my sponsors here on this site sells tickets, so I thought I’d point that out a little more clearly.

I make nothing for the click, nor if you purchase, I just want to help them and you, so if you need tickets to a Masters practice round or the actual Masters tickets, feel free to click thru and at least check the cost.

It’s actually a lot more reasonable than I expected it would be.

BTW, the friend who’d been there had a friend who used to rent his house to Greg Norman. Wouldn’t you love to be able to do that?

Yeah, me too.

Post from: Travelling Golfer

Got Masters Tickets?

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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.

Post from: Travelling Golfer

Golf and Chocolate Go Well Together

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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.

Speaking of luxury travel and fine wine, some of the best wine on the planet come from Spain. While you’re there on your golf vacation, sampling some fine Spanish red, be sure to stay in several of the finest Barcelona Hotels.

Post from: Travelling Golfer

Interested In Golf And Wine ?

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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.

Post from: Travelling Golfer

Disney Plans Another Luxury Golf Resort

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” 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 !

Post from: Travelling Golfer

Harbour Town’s Hole 14 Is A Great Par 3

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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.

Post from: Travelling Golfer

Kentucky State Park Golf Trail

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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 !

Post from: Travelling Golfer

Thinking Of Heading To San Francisco For A Golf Vacation?

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