Fox Den Country Club

Sharp has also taken time to check his always crowded email in-box, and he's provided plenty of answers in this month's column. Among the topics covered, Sharp lists his top 10 courses you should play on your Myrtle Beach golf trip (hint: don't miss Dunes Club, Tidewater, Caledonia). In addition to his suggestions about changing the Myrtle Beach golf scene, Sharp also throws in some welcome coaching advice to Bob Stoops and Rick Pitino.

TravelGolf.com:
A Pleasant 'Secret' for Golf Enthusiasts

Related Links • This Week at TravelGolf.com (Jan. 15-21) • Past articles by Douglas Carey

If the weather is keeping you from picking up the clubs, it may be time to reach for a new book. Fortunately, TravelGolf.com staff writer Kiel Christianson has discovered an interesting read in author Bob Thomas' newest book, "Ben Hogan's Secret," which throws a soft, warm light on the life and psyche of golf's greatest technician and competitor. "Even though (the book) is fiction, it's fair to say that the insightful pen of this skilled novelist gives us as credible a version of the actual secret as we'll likely ever have," writes Christianson.

GolfArizona.com:
Tucson Open Recap

	The Gallery

As GolfArizona.com senior writer Scott Behmer writes, the Tucson Open didn't disappoint anyone: "With a stellar field, two great courses, and plenty of exciting play, you couldn't have picked a better way to kick-off the new millennium" PGA Tour rookie Garret Willis was lifted by his deadly short iron play and secured the victory, but there were plenty of other victories during the first full-field tournament of the year. In his tournament recap, Behmer does an excellent job covering everything from the pre-tournament events to the Tucson Conquistadors, who have hosted the Tucson Open since 1962.

Also, be sure to check GolfArizona.com all week for coverage of the Phoenix Open at the TPC of Scottsdale. With Tiger Woods officially entered, fans may see the strongest field in the tournament's history.

GolfFlorida.com:
All the Makings for a Steady Ascent

Most experts agree that Tom Fazio stands apart when it comes to the topic of top golf course architects. After reading GolfFlorida.com staff writer Derek Duncan's review of the Legacy Club at Alaqua Lakes, you'll understand the impact Fazio can have on a course and an entire community. As Duncan writes, "If you purchase a premier piece of property in a setting already studded with wealth and natural richness, and build on it high-end homes and a Tom Fazio golf course, people will flock to it." Opened in September of 1998, many people are already calling the Legacy Club at Alaqua Lakes among the best golf courses in Central Florida. Located in Longwood, an affluent suburb several miles north of Orlando, Duncan says the course is "a superb blending of nature and man, a stunning, brilliantly beautiful golf course that runs amongst an ecological cornucopia of wildlife and diversified flora."

StAndrewsGolf.com:
Elgin Golf Club Has Come A Long Way

In the north of Scotland, the names of Dornoch, Lossiemouth and Nairn resonate amongst the world's golfers. Accordingly, other less famous tracks in the region fail to get the attention they deserve. Such is the case with the Elgin Golf Club, an enjoyable, well-maintained inland course. StAndrewsGolf.com staff writer Andrew Jessop says the course is one of the most demanding in the region, so be sure to bring your best game. But if you're looking for a refreshing change from links golf, the Elgin Golf Club may be the ideal solution. "While not in the same league as Dornoch, Nairn, or Lossiemouth," writes Jessop, "Elgin has come a long way since its inauspicious opening as a nine hole layout designed by an Inverness policeman in 1907."

From the Rough

	Alcaidesa

In case you missed last week's report, be sure to catch a special two-part package from Spain, courtesy of staff writer Carla Harvey. In her first story, Playing the Game in Southern Spain, Harvey offers evidence that southern Spain has created enough quality courses to merit comparison with the USA in terms of golf. The choice of Valderrama as host to the 1997 Ryder Cup is just the start of the story. In Harvey's second feature, she takes a look at the Montecastillo Hotel and Golf Resort, an ideal vacation spot for those who love a good game, fine Spanish wines and delicious food. She gives extra credit for recent improvements: "At present, it is one of the best facilities in Spain, providing a championship course geared to both professionals and fair to middling players, and a resort that caters to golfers and non-players alike with quiet excellence.

As always, if you disagree with our reviewers on a certain course or just want to sound off About this week's Phoenix Open, 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.