TravelGolf.com: Talkin' Baseball and Great Arizona Golf
By Douglas Carey,
Contributor
Like clockwork, January signals the start of my spring training plans. Next week begins an
annual routine filled with checking airfares, Cactus League schedules and hotel listings.
Most importantly, I need to decide which courses to play during my stay in the Valley
of the Sun. After reading staff writer Rebecca Larsen's review of the Wigwam Resort,
I know where to begin my week-long stay. Sitting on 75 acres with three golf courses,
nine tennis courts, two swimming pools and a health club, Wigwam features plenty of history
and some of the biggest trees you'll ever see in the Arizona desert.
TravelGolf.com: Swinging into Action
Senior Writer Kiel Christianson called us one night after watching an infomercial for the
new Swing Jacket,
and two thoughts immediately came to mind: 1) Kiel really needs to get out more often, and 2) Does it
actually work? We're still waiting for his comments on the first point, but he did offer some
valuable feedback on the product's effectiveness. "Don't let the looks fool you," he writes.
"The Swing Jacket can really improve most golfers' swings, if you use it the right way."
For a complete listing of our
product reviews, be sure to visit our TravelGolf.com index.
OldDominionGolf.com: Not Just Another Tin Statue!
For his year-end wrap at OldDominionGolf.com, senior writer Jeffrey A. Rendall decided
not to do a top-10 list. Instead, he's named his
ODG.com award winners in a variety of unique categories, including
the Most Articulate Head Golf Professional (Carey Hodsden at Bay Creek).
He also honors the Best Foreign Course (for those not in Virginia) as Maryland's
Bulle Rock (pictured), a Pete Dye layout that gives you
all the fight you’d expect from a course named after a thoroughbred.
LasVegasGolf.com: Peaceful Escape From Glitter
For more of Rendall's work, be sure to check out his review of the
Las Vegas Paiute Resort’s Snow Mountain Course,
which he visited on a recent vacation. Located about a half hour from downtown Las Vegas,
the resort boasts three championship golf courses -all designed by Pete Dye- and it’s literally an oasis of
grass and water amongst desert scrub. While you'll still see some Dye trademarks, the layout
is fairly kind to the average golfer. "You’ll enjoy the Snow Mountain course for its
traditional golf challenge, scenic beauty and ‘off the beaten path’ feeling," says Rendall,
who adds that you’ll lose fewer golf balls on this course than at any Dye signature course.
GolfCarolina.com: Still One of Pinehurst's Best
Looking for a course known for provoking strong emotions, senior writer Shane Sharp
traveled to Pinehurst this week for a review of
The Pit Golf Course, which is routed through, over and around an old
sand quarry that closed back in 1935. When course architect Dan Maples
opened the course in 1985, he left the old sand mounds intact throughout the entire course
and created one of the truly unique golfing experiences in North Carolina.
"The term 'Must-Play' is overused in the golf course industry," Sharp writes, "but
if you’re planning a golf trip to Pinehurst...the Pit should be on your list."
From the 19th Hole: Quick Shots from Florida and More
At GolfFlorida.com, check out Joe Bruno's review of the
Myakka Pines Golf Club, located on the white sandy shores of the Gulf of Mexico and
Lemon Bay...At TravelGolf.com, we offer a comprehensive look at
Bermuda golf, another installment of our popular exotic destinations series...
At HiltonHeadGolf.com, Jeffrey A. Rendall checks in from Blufton (S.C.) with a review of the
Eagle's Pointe Golf Club (at right), known for its challenging greens and superb service...
Finally, visit GolfArizona.com for our seven-part look at
Scottsdale, where we examine everything from golf courses
to spas.
From the Rough: Casting our Vote for Colorado's Best
In case you missed last week's issue, be sure to catch senior writer David R. Holland's
list of the
Colorado's top 10 municipals, daily-fee and resort golf courses. The list features
courses from Colorado Springs to Grand Junction, home of
The Golf Club at Redlands Mesa, which Holland calls "the best new course to open
in Colorado this century." Other highlights include the Breckenridge Golf Course,
Riverdale Dunes, and The Valley Course at Cordillera, a challenging upscale
layout that blends perfectly with the surrounding area.
As always, if you disagree with our reviewers on a certain course, be
sure to visit the GolfBoards.com
website, a series of message boards where visitors can write about
everything from the Myrtle Beach golf scene to new equipment. There's
also a free classifieds section where golfers can advertise that
old set of clubs they've been meaning to sell for years. And if
you haven't checked it out already, be sure to visit the TravelGolf.com
Pro Shop, a joint venture with The Golf Warehouse.
With all of this at the award-winning
TravelGolf.com, there's no need to go anywhere else on
the Web.
Until next week...God bless America.
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