TravelGolf:
Best of 2003
Arizona
2003
Best of Arizona Golf
has something for everyone
Associate editor Rebecca Larsen tackles the tough task of naming the best of 2003 in Arizona. With so much to like, and so many courses, this is no easy chore. Check out her comments and rankings to see where places like The Duke at Rancho Eldorado, the Boulders Resort in Carefree, The Stadium Course at the Tournament Players Club, We-Ko-Pa, Arizona National, Talking Stick, and many others finished.
Read More >> | More Arizona Golf
Las Vegas
Best
of Las Vegas 2003
filled with great courses
For years, Las Vegas has proved to be an outstanding destination spot for golfers as the area rolled out one new course after another. The golfing boom has led to predictions that Vegas soon could top other golfing meccas like Scottsdale or Palm Springs in quantity and quality. Here's a roundup of some of the top venues in the area.
Read More >> | More Las Vegas Golf
Myrtle Beach
Course
remodels dominate
scene, still there's plenty to
crow about in Grand Strand
Who will win this year's awards? With the Tradition Golf Club in Pawleys Island, the Dunes Club, Glen Dornoch, and many others, the competition is stiff. But managing editor Shane Sharp separates the wheat from the chaff and hands out the honors for the best in the Grand Strand from 2003.
Read More >> | More Myrtle Beach Golf
Michigan
2003
golf season in
Michigan filled with change
The past year was filled with plenty of lowlights at several courses. The area seems to have reached its saturation point, but that doesn't necessarily mean all is lost. With Rick Smith, Treetops' upgrades and the Ryder Cup, there's still plenty to like about Michigan golf. Despite some rough patches in 2003, 2004 figures to be a special time.
Read
More >> | More
Michigan Golf
Also: The best of Michigan loaded with quality
Carolina
Tar
Heel and Sandlapper states
raise toast to a good golf year
There are more than 1,200 courses between North and South Carolina - a redoubtable figure that no longer grows like rye grass after a spring shower. Now it's time to pick the best of the lot. Looking back at 2003, here is one publication's list of where the traveling golfer's time and money was well-spent. From the best new public course (Rock Barn Country Club in Hickory) to the best remodeling project (Pinehurst No. 7), these layouts earned our highest praise this year.
Read More >> | More Carolina Golf
Florida
Florida golf scene
continues to evolve
More and more new, and good, golf courses are coming online, which immediately raises the bar for golf in Florida. Derek Duncan notes that 12 of the current top-30 courses have been built within the past 10 years, seven of those in the past five. He says that might be interpreted as an indictment of Florida's lack of tradition, but it's also a compliment to the flexibility and freshness it provides. In his "Best of 2003" compilation, the Florida-based writer takes you through the top options in the Sunshine State.
Read More >> | More Florida Golf
California
Best public places
to play
in California
filled with quality
With more than 1,000 golf courses in the state, ranking them requires breaking it down to Northern California and Southern California, and even then, there are still plenty of good courses that get left out. Associate editor Rebecca Larsen tries to whittle it down for you with her blueprint to quality public tracks you might consider for the new year. In addition to all-time classics, she'll tell you her must plays, the best resorts and point out some gems that deserve more attention.
Read More >> | More California Golf
Illinois
The Glen Club
takes
Illinois'
top honor for 2003
In the Land of Lincoln, there's much debate about everything, and golf is not different than the lines drawn between Cubs' fans and Sox fans. Associate editor Dave Berner tries to sort it all out, and he weighs in with his opinion on everything from the best resort in the state to the best hot dog. Feel free to disagree if you must, but there's no debate about this: no ketchup on the dogs.
Read More >> | More Illinois Golf
Ohio
Best of Ohio
full of can't-miss spots
StoneWater pulls in top honors, but there are plenty of other awards to go around. Genius events (Playboy bunnies at Thunder Hill) and genius locations (Longaberger) also rate well in this year-end tradition. Staff writer Jason Stahl takes you around the state and not only give you the best place to hold a tournament, but he'll also tell you where you can break a car window with a golf ball and not get in trouble for it. There's something for everyone in this year's Best of Ohio.
Hawaii
Hawaii's best has
more luster in 2003
The quality of courses on the islands of Hawaii has turned it it into one of the world's great golf destinations. If you haven't ever had the pleasure of enjoying the Hawaii experience, it's time to say "aloha," sniff the fresh flower leis, and get out the clubs. "Like the islands, Hawaii golf continues to grow and mature," writes Don Chapman. In fact, the islands have so much great golf in exotic settings that it might just be crazy to go anywhere else.
Read More >> | Hawaii course guide
Caribbean
Visions of Caribbean's
best excites our cold bones
As we wade through a cold winter, thoughts of sunny places and sandy beaches fill our heads, not to mention green fairways and ocean views from the tee box. The Caribbean, though ever-changing, has plenty of classic courses that make looking back at 2003 special. You can't miss with the island golf found in Puerto Rico (Cayo Largo), the Dominican Republic (Guava berry), and Jamaica (Half Moon Resort).
Read More >> | Caribbean golf courses
Mid-Atlantic
Best of the Mid-Atlantic
starts in Colonial Williamsburg
Every year brings new courses and the restoration of old favorites. It's an ongoing, metaphoric sharpening and clashing of swords as courses compete for your dollars and your loyalty. Isn't it nice to be fought over? Even nicer is the thought that the courses you play know they have to be sharp to draw and keep your business. Competition is stout in the Mid-Atlantic, but Dale Leatherman wades through and ranks the best of the best.
Read More >> | Mid Atlantic golf courses
Texas
It's a five-star year
for Texas golf scene
Whether you're looking for the Best Golf-Fish Road Trip Destination (Lake Fork) or the Most Difficult Course (The Cliffs at Possum Kingdom), you'll find it in Jason Stone's look back at the year in Texas golf. Instead of creating a traditional "best of" list, Stone created his own unique categories in order to properly review the expansive golf scene, which covers 430 golf towns, 1,000 some-odd golf courses, and eight massive, geographically diverse regions.
Read More >> | Texas golf courses
Europe
Throughout Europe,
there's
plenty to boast about in '03
The Grove in London -- the Kyle Phillips-designed course that is racking up the accolades -- and the eagerly awaited Santana Golf & Country Club have everyone in Europe talking about these two brand spanking new courses. There's plenty to like about all of the old courses as well, and associate editor Dave Bowers sorts it all out for you with his Best of Europe in 2003.
