Golf Resorts

From their website:

” The Lodge & Spa at Cordillera features access to six championship golf courses, designed by several of the greatest names in golf – Jack Nicklaus, Hale Irwin, Tom Fazio, Dave Pelz, and Greg Norman. Combining challenging courses, breathtaking scenery, and topnotch facilities, The Lodge & Spa at Cordillera is an ideal golf getaway. Play in the Vail Valley and experience a golf adventure you’ll never forget. “

Listed this year as #22 of The 75 Best Golf Resorts, the Vail Valley, Colorado golf resort is one of the most visually appealing places on planet earth.

With golf courses designed by:

Jack Nicklaus - The Summit Course

Hale Irwin - The Mountain Course

Tom Fazio - The Valley Course

Dave Pelz - The Short Course

Over at The Red Sky golf Club, about 15 minutes away, there’s also 2 more courses:

The Greg Norman Course

The Tom Fazio Course

Click thru and explore these western beauties. First-class Colorado golf resorts are waiting for you at the end of the click. What are you waiting for ?

I just found an interesting article about golf in the state of Mississippi on the TravelVideo website.

In their article, they report that ” in addition to being annually acclaimed for its great golf courses and other tourism attractions, Mississippi has collected a slew of distinctions recently.

For instance, Golf Digest, Golfweek and Golf magazines have previously rated Magnolia Golf Trail courses as some of the best in the South.

A collection of 14 premier, critically-acclaimed golf courses designed by many of the game’s top architects and launched in 2002, the Magnolia Golf Trail is rapidly gaining recognition as one of the nation’s finest and most value-laden golf trails. It conveniently helps visitors book stay-and-play packages. For more information about the trail, visit www.MagnoliaGolfTrail.com . ”

Why travel to Mississippi to play golf ? Glad you asked -

- Great year-round weather and direct flights from major carriers

- More than 150 courses offering all price points and design varieties in five distinct regions

- New and existing courses designed by top golf course architects that garner national recognition

- World-famous cuisine, blues music and luxurious casino resorts offering big-name entertainment

- Family-themed attractions of all types

- Widespread acclaim from the annual PGA Tour golf tournament held in Jackson

- History, heritage and architecture, including Antebellum Era mansions turned award-winning B&B venues.

The state of Mississippi offers five diverse topographical and cultural regions -

- The Delta - birthplace of the Blues and comprised of Northwestern flatlands

- The Hills - home of gently rolling, Northeastern landscapes

- The Pines - located in the Central-East part of the state and blanketed with quiet forests

- The Capital/River - with its winding waterways and rich history in the state’s Central-Southwest

- The Coastal - located in the South and featuring the Gulf of Mexico’s sparkling water and beaches

Highly regarded golf-course architects are also well-represented in Mississippi, including Tom Fazio, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Davis Love III, Jerry Pate, Bob Cupp, Arthur Hills, Hale Irwin and others.

There are numerous award-winning golf courses in Mississippi and most notably -

Old Waverly Golf Club in West Point, which will host the U.S.G.A.’s 2006 Women’s Mid-Amateur, was the host site of the 1999 U.S. Women’s Open won by Julie Inkster and was recently named No. 96 in Golf Digest magazine’s “America’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses”.

Dancing Rabbit at Pearl River Resort and Casino in Philadelphia, which boasts two 18-hole championship courses jointly designed by Tom Fazio and Jerry Pate - Azaleas and Oaks - with the Azaleas course being named No. 70 in Golf Digest’s “America’s 100 Greatest Public Golf Courses”.

There are several new golf courses currently being developed and opening in the near future, including Fallen Oak by Tom Fazio, a stunning track which is owned by the Beau Rivage Casino Resort, and offerings from Arnold Palmer, Jerry Pate and others.

Saddle Creek Resort, 900-acre Castle & Cooke community in the scenic California Foothills, has been named to the ZAGAT Survey listing of “America’s Top Golf Courses” for the fourth straight years.

In addition to being named to this prestigious listing, Saddle Creek was also honored by the ZAGAT Survey as “Best of” in the “Bunkering” and “Environmentally Friendly Courses” categories.

Being named to the ZAGAT list is the latest in a long line of distinctions and accolades Saddle Creek has received. For two straight years, the course ranked among the Top-10 courses in California in Golfweek’s “America’s Best Courses 2005” ratings, appearing at No. 8 on the prestigious list and moving past the famed South Course at Torrey Pines - site of the 2008 U.S. Open Championship.

Saddle Creek was also recently included on Golfweek magazine’s Top-100 listing of “America’s Best Residential Golf Courses.” The resort placed No. 39, ahead of esteemed residential courses Reynolds Plantation, PGA West, Isleworth, Hammock Dunes, Colleton River and others.

Saddle Creek, designed by Carter Moorish, is framed by the Sierra Mountains and challenges players of all levels with five sets of tees, more than 100 crystal white sand bunkers and several shimmering lakes.

To create an atmosphere of tranquility and isolation, Morrish devised a routing in which no two holes run parallel to each other. Saddle Creek’s thoughtful design and sublime conditioning have led to numerous national accolades, such as being rated one of the top four semi-private courses in Northern California by Golf Today.

Residents and guests of Saddle Creek can also enjoy the beauty of the Quail trail with miles of hiking trails and mountain biking and nearby skiing, snowmobiling, and the nearby Lake Tulloch.

Also of interest are the sports club, featuring a 3,000-square-foot facility offering yoga and aerobic classes, a large pool, kids’ wading pool and a Jacuzzi spa.

The Saddle Creek Lodge features a fully-stocked bar and an extensive wine list, stunning vistas and the food of Executive Chef Richard Whipple at the acclaimed Copper Grille.

Saddle Creek Resort, as well as Coyote Creek Golf Club outside of San Jose, is owned and operated by Castle & Cooke, Inc. that, along with its affiliated companies, has operations in over 24 states. The company’s diversified businesses include the development and ownership of real estate, leasing of transportation equipment, manufacture of brick and ownership of public warehouses. The company’s real estate developments include master planned communities such as Mililani Town on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, Lake Sherwood in Thousand Oaks, California, and Seven Oaks in Bakersfield, California. The company also owns two of the world’s highest-rated resorts on the 98% owned island of Lana’i in Hawaii.

Megan’s brought us a great read from Switzerland while she lives the life of a real travelling golfer and spends 3 weeks or so in Europe. This post is straight from Losone and gives us some insight into places I’d never be able to take you. For that, we owe Megan a debt of gratitude and let’s get right into the post.

So two days before my trip to Europe, I get a stomach virus that did not let up no matter what medicine I took. Finally Thursday rolls around, I get on my 11-hour Air France flight to Paris, to connect to my 2-hour Zurich flight, then my 2-hour Lugano flight, then my 1-hour train ride to Losone, then my 20 minute cab ride to the hotel.

Needless to say that whatever rest I got on the Paris flight got burnt up by these connections. The good thing about it is that my new tunes selection on my iPod helped me pass time and my stomach virus went away by the time I checked in and hit the sack at 11pm on Friday - who says the life of a Tour Pro is glamorous…

After a night of deep sleep in these Euro-style miniature-size beds at the Albergo Losone, the official Players Hotel of the Deutsche Ladies Swiss Open, the local Avis manager brought me my car for the duration of the Tournament. I had requested a Ford Mustang for that little home feeling, but they didn’t have any. He tells me he brought me a Renault Megane… Wow ! It’s got my name on it ! And the key chain also has my name on it. Kewl ! Thank god I learned to drive a manual stick shift when I was a kid because that’s all they have here.

I decided to take a drive around to get a feeling of this quaint little city of Losone in this “Italian” part of Switzerland. I had printed the Mapquest directions from the hotel to the golf course when I was in L.A. but they were completely backwards - the hotel concierge was much better than the computerized Mapquest directions.

What a beautiful little European town with a town square, small shops and cafes. Despite the thunderstorms and rain, people were still out going about their business - unlike L.A. were rain stops everything. I stopped to check out a few fashion stores - wooooweeee hot prices !!! Compounded with the lousy dollar to Euro exchange rate. I get a better rate through my Amex, but still things are expensive in Switzerland. I also noticed that in athletic stores PUMA is much bigger than Nike over here. Now I understand why they wanted to get affiliated with me, since I play the U.S. and European Tours. If you decide to visit this region, brush up on your Italian or bring an English-to-Italian dictionary.

My jet lag was starting to get to me, so I headed back to the hotel, went for a nice 2-mile hike in Switzerland’s biggest Palm Park behind the hotel called Mte Vierte, got a light salad for dinner and in a few minutes I am going to leave the hotel’s business center to head to my room. I am exhausted.

Tomorrow, surveying the golf course.

No sticks.

Just a pen, a yardage book, a greens schematic, and my local caddie.

Ciao (Bye in Italian),

Megan Heckeroth

For a complete bio, stats, schedule or to find out who Megan is and why she’s sending us updates from all over Europe, visit her Official Site and her blog, Club Megan.

The Hualalai Resort golf courses are THE place to be for Hawaiian golf vacations.

The Jack Nicklaus Signature Course is the first Nicklaus design in Hawaii and is home to the prestigious MasterCard Championship at Hualalai, a PGA TOUR Champions Tour event. It’s available for play by the Hualalai Club members, their guests, and the guests of the Four Seasons Resort.

In the spiritual and elegant lava fields of Ka‘upulehu, the new Weiskopf Course is open for Hualalai Club Premeir members and their guests. A private clubhouse is currently under construcion and scheduled to open in 2006.

Drop by their site and check out the golf, spa, dining, boating and relaxation opportunities avavilable to you, if you choose to pamper yourself and head to The Hualalai Resort.

Do you recognize that Lighthouse ?

I knew immediately where that was located. I’ve never been to Hilton Head, but if I do get near there, you can bet I’ll be going to The Sea Pines Resort.

” The Sea Pines Resort, located on Hilton Head Island in South Carolina offers guests inviting rental homes, villas and condos as well as the AAA Four Diamond Inn at Harbour Town. Guests have access to 5 miles of pristine beach, 54 holes of championship golf, world-class tennis and so much more. “

Their website offers many, many ways to save money while enjoying a fine golf vacation at one of the nicest golf resorts on the east coast.

Drop by and give ‘em a look.

This week the Champions Tour was playing at the Turtle Bay Resort in Hawaii. I’ve been watching the coverage on The Golf Channel.

Via their website :

” Among the finest in all of Hawaii, the two championship courses at Turtle Bay Resort, the Arnold Palmer and George Fazio Courses, have achieved legendary status. Such is the quality of the golfing experience that the PGA and LPGA have selected the site for prestigious tournaments. The PGA Champion’s Tour, Turtle Bay Championship will take place on the Arnold Palmer Course through 2008. “

” The natural topography of the resort’s 880 acres creates a breathtaking variety of vistas for each course. From fairways in dense ironwood forests to greens on the edge of the ocean, golf achieves its purest expression at Turtle Bay Resort. “

There’s way too much available to you at Turtle Bay for me to try and describe it here.

From fine dining, to immaculate accomodations, to world class spas, to….well, it could go on forever.

Click thru to their website and if you go, send me a towel !

Okay. I’ll admit it. This picture is one of the greatest advertisements for a golf course, a spa, a resort, a hide-a-way, whatever, that I’ve ever seen.

That, my friends, is courtesy of their website, which is one of the best I’ve ever seen, visually speaking.

If that doesn’t do it for you, how about this one. Can you imagine a beautiful, windless, 72 degree evening, you just shot a 79 and your wife won $1000 at Bingo and is paying for dinner ? Me neither, but a man can dream can’t he !

That’s about all I can do to try to get you to book a golf vacation at Troon North and invite me along. So go ahead and git-er-done !

Tell ‘em Mike sent you !

Dale Hollow State Resort Park has long been a destination of distinction for residents of Kentucky and Tennessee, along with a few other southern states.

From their website :

” Located in South Central Kentucky near Burkesville at Dale Hollow Lake State Resort Park. The longest of the new courses, the Dale Hollow Lake State Resort Park Golf Course, a $7.8 million investment, plays along hilly terrain. The No. 8 par 5 hole measures 539 yards; its green is framed by a waterfall and small caves. The No. 15 hole is a par 3 and plays over a gorge. The banks to the 61 bunkers are unusually steep. Hole 11 features a large bunker encompassing 3/4 of an acre. “

The park is one of many in the state that attract visitors from all over the United States. The Kentucky State park system is well known and respected for their cleanliness, beauty and affordability.

Go by and check out their website and then make a date to enjoy some of the finest golf and scenery in the Southeast U.S.

Tell ‘em Mike sent you !

Here’s another great bit of news for golfers in the state of Kentucky.

Over around Louisa, is Yatesville Lake State Park and a fine golf course, called Eagle Ridge Golf Course.

” Located at Yatesville Lake State Park in Eastern Kentucky, this course is built on mountainous terrain and features dramatic views. Some holes play downhill with 100 to 200 foot changes in elevation. The par 5, No. 4 hole plays from an elevated tee and is flanked by a creek along the fairway. Hole No. 13, a par 4, plays from a 200-foot elevation to the green surrounded by a rock outcropping and a creek. ”

For those of you who aren’t very familiar with them, the parks that make up the State Park system for Kentucky are among the finest in the nation and always have been.

Here’s the best parts of a press release from the State of Kentucky :

” Golf Digest magazine has named Eagle Ridge Golf Course at Yatesville Lake State Park in Louisa, Ky., as one of the nation’s “Best New Affordable Public Golf Courses” in 2005.

The 6,630-yard, par 71-course, which is carved out of the Eastern Kentucky mountains, ranked third on the magazine’s annual list. A nationwide panel of more than 800 golfers selected the winners based on shot values, design variety, resistance to scoring, memorability and aesthetics.

“ It’s terrific to receive this kind of recognition and we’re hopeful golfers from all over the state — as well as surrounding states — will want to see why this course is so highly regarded,” said Deputy Parks Director John Kington. “ We offer a package called ‘ Tee’s and Zzz’s ’ that makes it easy for anyone who wants to play Eagle Ridge to couple it with an overnight stay at Jenny Wiley State Resort Park. ”

Eagle Ridge is the fourth golf course operated by the Kentucky State Parks to receive accolades from Golf Digest.

Hidden Cove at Grayson Lake State Park and Dale Hollow Lake State Resort Park course were both ranked among the nation’s best new affordable public courses in 2004, at fourth and six respectively. Wasioto Winds at Pine Mountain State Resort Park was ranked fourth in the same category in 2002.

“ To receive this recognition from such a well known and respected golf publication really validates our courses,” said Dan Strohmeier, the park system’s PGA director of golf. “ With this recent announcement, four of the six courses on our ‘Signature Series’ can now boast of having received Golf Digest awards.”

I’ll be doing a post about all the other golf courses in the State Park system over the next week or two.

I’ve played most of them and always enjoy an overnite stay in one of the Resorts that have cabins or cottages.

The parks have great lodges and the rooms are clean and well done, but a family of 5 does better with more room.