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TravelGolf.com:
Golf's Dot-Com Scorecard

Related Links • This Week at TravelGolf.com (Jan. 8-14) • Past articles by Douglas Carey

Contrary to popular belief, the world is not falling in the land of golf dot-coms. For proof, we sent TravelGolf.com senior writer Shane Sharp on a search for signs of promising life. In his feature story on the state of the industry, he offers evidence of two thriving companies. "It is not all gloom and doom in the golf dot-com world," Sharp writes. "While online tee-time booking companies like Greens.com and TheGolfer.com didn't make it out of the cyber shoot and folded after limited or no success, at least two companies are succeeding in the online tee-time market place." Be sure to also read Sharp's companion article on the demise of TheGolfer.com, a San Diego-based company that was in the business of providing golfers with online tee-times.

	Bluebonnet Hill

GolfTexas.com:
City Golf with Historic Backdrop

Fresh from a holiday season filled with family and food, GolfTexas.com staff writer Kyle Dalton began the new year with a look at two challenging courses near his home base in Austin. Tucked away in a wooded area just southeast of downtown Austin and south of the Colorado River, Riverside Golf Course is a course with a storied history. As far as courses in Austin are concerned, Riverside's history could be based simply on its age. Designed in 1950 by renowned architects J. Press and Perry Maxwell, Riverside is far and away one of Austin's longest operating courses.

In Dalton's other new review, he takes a look at the Bluebonnet Hill Golf Club, set out in the countryside east of Austin. "Surrounded by private property, most of which is ranchland, Bluebonnet Hill allows you to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city and truly enjoy some quiet time on the golf course," writes Dalton, who calls the course one of the most unique layouts in the region.

GolfFlorida.com:
A Great Deal in Central Florida

Sometimes you just want to go back in time. Fortunately, there are still a few courses across the country where the modern touch hasn't consumed the layout. GolfFlorida.com staff writer Derek Duncan discovered one such course this week in Orlando at the MetroWest Country Club, which measures 7,051 yards from the back tees. "This is where you go to regain the old feel for golf that is often lost in the adventures of contemporary design, especially in Florida," writes Bruno, who adds, "There is a serene and almost historic quality to it that calls forth the feeling of playing pre-1950 designed layouts with views of busy metropolitan skylines."

MyrtlebeachGolf.com:
No Slowing Down for Clyde Johnston

When golf course developers in the southeastern United States are after a no-nonsense track at an affordable price, Clyde Johnston Designs, Inc. is where they look. In this week's architect profile, MyrtlebeachGolf.com senior writer Shane Sharp takes a special look at the consummate southern businessman, Clyde Johnston. Raised in High Point, N.C., Johnston has built a reputation among course owners and superintendents for being easy to work with, and he's known for his appreciation of what it takes to build and properly maintain a sensible golf course. "Johnston has made a redoubtable mark on the Grand Strand, and his courses dot the Myrtle Beach area like freckles on the face of a red head," writes Sharp.

From the Rough

	Calusa Lakes

In case you missed last week's report, be sure to catch GolfFlorida.com staff writer Joe Bruno's list of the top five courses in the Sarasota/Bradenton area. With more than 60 public golf courses to consider, there were plenty of top contenders. How did he arrive on his favorites? "Five criteria were used," Bruno said. "Aesthetic beauty, upkeep of the course, challenging play, the friendliness and helpfulness of the staff, and just as important -- the cost of a round of golf." We don't want to give away too much here, but the picture accompanying this week's newsletter offers a pretty good hint about the top course. Bruno says the Foxfire Golf Club receives high marks for its three glorious nine-hole courses and a top-notch pro shop.

While you're dreaming of Florida beaches and beautiful sunsets, be sure to check out Bruno's review of the Capri Isles Golf Club in Venice, a small city within Sarasota County. While Capri Isles didn't make our reviewer's top five list, the course is not without its charming attributes.

As always, if you disagree with our reviewers on a certain course or just want to sound off about Tiger's views on the PGA Tour, be sure to visit GolfBoards.com, 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 new 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.

Until next week...happy golfing!

OntarioGolf.com
Read more about what must be the longest course name in the world: Mnidoo Valley Assiginack Wikwemikong Golf Club.

BadGolfMonthly.com
The Hall of Shame honors bad golfers worldwide by presenting the worst scores attained by hackers from across the globe.

Golf
California.com
Situated in the rolling hills with stately oaks, panoramic views and natural beauty, Saddle Creek Golf Club provides quite the setting.

Old
DominionGolf.com
The Virginia National Golf Club has it all - incredible mountain scenery, wildlife, the river, and a pretty nice golf course.

AustraliaGolf.com
Join George Begg for a visit to the Murray Downs Resort, one of Australia’s best country golf courses.