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TravelGolf.com:
Dreaming of Pinehurst for Christmas

By Douglas Carey,
Contributor

Just when I thought my Christmas wish list was complete, I had to start over after reading senior writer Shane Sharp's overview of Pinehurst this week. Now all I want for Christmas is a few days at this American institution in the heart of North Carolina. "Pinehurst is golf first, everything else second," Sharp writes. "Unlike Myrtle Beach, which offers up myriad of other entertainment opportunities, Pinehurst and the Sandhills exist for the sole purpose of promoting and sustaining the game of golf." Sharp's overview includes a rundown of all the top courses in the area, starting with Pinehurst No. 2 at the beautiful Pinehurst Resort. "Just driving into and around Pinehurst is a surreal undertaking in itself -- one that every serious golfer must experience at least once in their life," Sharp writes.

TravelGolf.com: A Rock Solid Foundation

Related Links • Discuss this story at GolfBoards.com • This Week at TravelGolf.com (Dec. 3-9) • Archives: This Week at TravelGolf.com

Sharp also checks in this week with another installment of his series on America's top 100 golf instructors. In his visit with Charlotte's Dana Rader, we learn about her teaching philosophy and her favorite courses. Located at the Ballantyne Resort, her Dana Rader Golf School include a video room and hitting bays for inclement weather. In her upcoming book, "A Rock Solid Foundation," Rader begins by shedding some light on the common misconceptions surrounding the golf swing, and then sets forth a foundation for building a golf game for a lifetime.

OldDominionGolf.com: Not All Dirt Is Created Equal

Senior writer Jeffrey A. Rendall heads to Maryland this week for a look at the challenging Atlantic Golf at South River layout. Rendall says the course features plenty of beauty and character, along with excellent playing conditions. "It’s an extremely challenging layout with numerous forced carries, more wetlands than many a swamp, and some significant elevation changes thrown in, just to make it interesting." Carefully working around many environmental regulations, course architect Brian Ault has made South River one of the toughest courses in the Middle Atlantic.

GolfFlorida.com: Clyde Johnston Does it Again

All of a sudden, the 25-mile stretch of I-95 between Jacksonville and St. Augustine has become a golfer's paradise. There are seven public courses along the corridor, including the new St. Johns Golf and Country Club, designed by famed architect Clyde Johnston. Duncan says the course clearly stands out in the golf-rich area: "Johnston has imbued St. Johns with just enough of his own touches that it makes a noteworthy statement."

LasVegasGolf.com: The Affordable Alternative

Black Mountain Golf and Country Club is an old golf course - the third oldest in Las Vegas - but you’d never know it. As Shane Sharp explains, the course conditions approach those of the higher end courses, and the service is accommodating without being overwhelming. "Older, venerable golf courses like Black Mountain that sport interesting layouts, excellent conditions and friendly service have a way of defying time and the marketplace," Sharp writes. What's more, the course offers some of the most affordable green fees in the area, including fantastic twilight rates.

From the 19th Hole: Quick Shots from Arizona and More

At GolfArizona.com, Ray Bangs visits the spectacularly scenic Dove Valley Ranch Golf Club (at right), located just north of Phoenix... Senior writer Joe Bruno checks in from Florida with a review of the attractive Apollo Beach Golf Club near Tampa Bay... And if you're planning an upcoming golf vacation, here's why choosing to use a Independent Golf Packager is the best way to book your trip... Finally, be sure to check out Shane Sharp's ranking of the Top Ten Desert Courses, including the Pinnacle Course at the Troon North Golf Club in Arizona.

From the Rough: Spotlight on Texas

In case you missed last week's report, be sure to check out David R. Holland's review of the the world’s first NFL-themed golf course. Located just below Grapevine Dam, Cowboys Golf Club opened in June 2001 to rave reviews. As part of his visit, Holland also sat down with course architect Jeff Brauer, whose Golf Scapes firm has designed 40 golf courses and remodeled 80 throughout the country.

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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