TravelGolf.com: A Slice of Heaven in Scotland
By Douglas Carey,
Contributor
Senior writer David R. Holland tees off this week's coverage with a classic quote from
Lee Trevino: "If Heaven is as good as this, I sure hope they have some tee times left."
Trevino was talking about Scotland's
Gleneagles complex, which has won more than 30 major awards in the travel, leisure and
catering industries since 1982. "Some have played the golf
courses of Gleneagles and agreed it is the finest moorland golf setting in the world," said Holland,
who recently returned from a whirlwind international tour. Be sure to catch his other reports
from Scotland, including his review of the beautiful
Westin Turnberry Resort and another installment
of his popular On the Road series.
OrlandoGolf.com: Geared toward the Local Crowd
As senior writer Derek Duncan reports, the opening of
Legends Golf Club near Clermont
adds another top flight daily fee golf course to the already rich Orlando area,
and it further accentuates how the topography found throughout Lake County is ideally
suited for golf. "Visually the course soars," Duncan writes. "At its highest points it
affords full-fledged panoramic views of the surrounding hills and vales and citrus groves."
Duncan doesn't call Legends a particularly difficult or even spectacular golf course, but he
does term it a success for what it is: a modest test of golf, difficult if approached too
casually but eminently playable even from the championship tees at 6,911
yards.
MyrtleBeachGolf.com: A Distinctly Fazio Design
It’s only been open for just over two years, but the
TPC of Myrtle Beach is often mentioned as one of Grand Strand’s top golf courses. As senior editor
Shane Sharp explains, the course deserves its high praise. "A
number of the holes, like the par-4 third, the par-3 17th and the par-5 14th,
are etched in your mind after playing them just once – one mark of a darn
good golf course," Sharp writes. Home to the Senior Tour Championship in 2000, the course
is one of the toughest tracks in the South Strand. Designer Tom Fazio’s designs are not
particularly difficult, but the TPC of Myrtle Beach has plenty of forced carries and approach
shots into elevated greens.
GolfIllinois.com: Three Solid Midwestern Tests
Staff writer Brendan O'Brien checks in this week with three new course reviews, starting with
the
White Deer Run Golf Club (pictured) in Vernon Hills. Located an hour
northwest of the city, White Deer Run bills itself as premier public golf on the
North Shore. O'Brien agrees, calling the course a fine place for the
novice to the professional player. He also reviews the breathtaking
Mistwood Golf Course in the Chicagoland area before wrapping up the week with a look
at the challenging
Whisper Creek Golf Course, which was designed and built by Hall of Famer Billy
Casper and architect Greg Nash.
LasVegasGolf.com: Rolling the Dice on a Par 3
They are the jaw dropping, knee knocking par 3’s with a country mile
of carry that require a couple gallons of courage just to negotiate and not come
away with a big number. They're also just the type of holes that senior editor Shane
Sharp put under the microscope this week in his feature story on the
best par-3 holes in Las Vegas. Among his selections: The 196-yard second hole
at the TPC at the Canyons, which may be the most dramatic one-shot hole in all of
Sin City.
From the 19th Hole: Quick Shots from Maryland and More
At OldDominionGolf.com, Jeffrey A. Rendall travels to Maryland for a review of
Bulle Rock (pictured), a Pete Dye layout that's both strong and graceful at the
same time...At GolfCalifornia.com, Jeffrey Weidel offers a
review of Sacramento's
Bartley Cavanaugh Golf Course, where accuracy is the key...
Finally, check out our two newest product reviews, starting with David R. Holland's look
at the
Dexter Players Series line of golf shoes, which not only look great, but also feature
new technology for extra traction...And Kiel Christianson wraps up the week with a quick review
of
Golfwash, which he says will go a long way toward keeping your equipment in shape.
From the Rough: Spotlight on Virginia
In case you missed last week's report, be sure to check out senior writer
Jeffrey A. Rendall's three-part series on the Ford's Colony in
Williamsburg, Virginia. The package begins with a look at the original eighteen,
Marsh Hawk, which is probably the most famous of Ford's Colony three courses, having hosted a
number of notable tournaments in its history. If you're looking for a taste of Pinehurst,
be sure to check out Rendall's look at the
Blue Heron course, a Dan Maples design (in fact, all 54 holes here were designed by Maples).
Finally, wrap up your Ford's Colony tour with
a visit to the Blackheath Course,
which features plenty of water and a tremendous closing set of par fours.
As always, if you disagree with our reviewers on a certain course
or just want to sound off about the latest from the PGA Tour, 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 TravelGolf.com, there's no need to go anywhere else on
the Web.
Finally, special thanks to senior writer David R. Holland for this week's final
photograph, a patriotic moment in time at Kiva Dunes in Gulf Shores, Ala.
Until next week...God bless America.
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