TravelGolf.com: Get the Party Started at the Phoenix Open
By Douglas Carey,
Contributor
If you're headed to the Phoenix Open this week, be sure to check out GolfArizona.com before
joining the crowds (the event draws the most spectators of any golfing event in
the world). Our tournament coverage begins with Michael Hegarty's review of the host course,
TPC of Scottsdale,
and continues with a comprehensive
Scottsdale package, featuring information on everything from spas to golf schools.
And once the tournament tees off, look for on-site reports from Rebecca Larsen,
who begins her coverage with a look at 10 Phoenix-area
courses under $100, including
Sanctuary Golf Course in Scottsdale.
TravelGolf.com: Discovering the Holy Grail
In our product review spotlight, senior writer Derek Duncan becomes a believer
in the
Alpha Reaction 300/400 Driver after testing it over 36 challenging holes.
Manufactured by Kent Sports, the Alpha Reaction is classic in shape and well
proportioned. "I never thought I would use an oversized driver, but this one
felt so light and balanced in my grip that I ceased to notice its disproportion," writes
Duncan. For a complete listing of our
product reviews, be sure to visit our TravelGolf.com index.
GolfCalifornia.com: Where the Playground Never Closes
Minutes after watching Phil Mickelson emerge victorious at the Bob Hope Classic in La Quinta,
I made a point to read senior writer Shane Sharp's overview of the
Palm Springs golf scene, which continues to attract a wide range of golfers every year.
More than 100 golf courses stretch across the Coachella Valley,
and most of them are of the Jack Nicklaus, Pete Dye, Arnold Palmer, Robert Trent Jones II
variety. The golf courses are plentiful and second to none in quality and conditioning,
and the weather is picture perfect. With all this (and more) to attract golfers,
it's no wonder this desert oasis remains as popular as ever.
GolfFlorida.com: A True Challenge in Bradenton
Designed by Ted McAnlis,
The Preserve Golf Club at Tara has been open to the public
since February 2001, and is already one of the most popular golf courses in the Bradenton
area. With that in mind, we asked senior writer Joe Bruno to see if the course lives up to
the hype. After reading Bruno's review, it's easy to see why the course is getting such high
praise. If you decide to visit, be sure to bring your "A" game. This challenging layout
is not for the meek. "For those playing The Preserve Golf Club at Tara for the first time, bring a lot of
balls," Bruno writes. "Maybe a dozen or so will do. Since there are protected wetlands on
almost every hole, ball hawking is definitely not allowed."
MyrtleBeachGolf.com: Lord of the Greens
After a three-hour flight from Michigan or New York, and hundreds of dollars spent
on a golf package, golfers visiting the Grand Strand have a right to except some
excellent putting surfaces. So we sent Shane Sharp in search of the
10
best greens in Myrtle Beach, and he came back with eleven, including
the Tradition Golf Club in Pawleys Island. For the most part, you can't go too far wrong
in Myrtle Beach, but Sharp does make a suggestion before deciding on a course.
"If you are a green aficionado," he writes, "make sure you call ahead to
the courses you wish to play and inquire about the type of grass used on the greens."
From the 19th Hole: Quick Shots from Hilton Head and More
At HiltonHeadGolf.com, check out Jeffrey A. Rendall's
Hilton Head travel guide, which includes tips on lodging, entertainment and dining
...At TravelGolf.com, we offer a comprehensive look at
Bermuda golf, another installment of our popular exotic destinations series...
Finally, visit MyrtleBeachGolf.com for a restaurant review of the
Grapevine Restaurant
and Lounge in Calabash, where the menu is two parts Italian,
one part American, and a dash of grilled seafood.
From the Rough: Spotlight on Las Vegas
In case you missed last week's issue, be sure to catch senior writer Jeffrey A. Rendall's review of the
Las Vegas Paiute Resort’s Snow Mountain Course,
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.
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. And be sure to check out
the Bad Golfers Forum,
where you can tell everyone why you should be our "Bad Golfer of the Month."
Lastly, 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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