This Week at TravelGolf.com: July 9, 2009

Get a feel for the British Open, at Royal Links, The Tribute, and World Tour

Next week, the third major of 2009 will be played on the Ailsa Course at Turnberry in Scotland. It's a different brand of golf over there, which makes the British one of, if not the most, interesting major championship of the year.

Three decades ago - before I became the dashing, sophisticated golf writer I am now - I didn't hold the Open in high regard. After all, the courses looked drab on TV, as did the weather. Plus the camera work was always shoddy, which meant the only time you saw the ball was during putts.

Now, after having played over there a few times, I know better. And if you only played American target golf, you're really missing out.

There are some courses in the United States that I like to call "links style," meaning you can bump and run shots, wind is almost always a factor, and there are a lot of natural looking mounds and ground features that bring out you creativity in shot making.

There are also courses here that do a pretty nice job of replicating the great holes of Great Britain and Ireland.

One is Royal Links Golf Club in Las Vegas. And while you won't confuse Nevada's weather with the cold, sideways rain that often prevails in Scotland, the course does offer plenty of great holes that pay homage to the British Open rotation.

Royal Links features two holes from Turnberry - the fifth and the 15th. The fifth at Turnberry is a 470-yard par 4 with eight bunkers. The 15th is a 200-yard par 3 with three bunkers left of the green and a severe runoff to the right.

Another really good "tribute" course is The Tribute, north of Dallas. The Tribute is exclusively Scottish, where you'll not only find holes from Turnberry, but the Old Course at St. Andrews and a host of other great Scottish golf courses as well.

And in Myrtle Beach, S.C., you can play the 27-hole World Golf Tour Golf Links, which features a mix of U.S. and international holes. No holes from Turnberry, but there are few from some other links courses, which is just enough to give you a good feel for the British Open when you watch it on TV.

As always, TravelGolf.com welcomes your comments.

La Paz: A new, different Mexico golf spot in the shadow of Cabo San Lucas

Until a few months ago, there was no golf in La Paz, Mexico. But thanks in part to desalinization, a less water-hungry paspalum turf for warm weather courses and some developers' persistence, there is golf in La Paz now, at the Paraiso Del Mar resort, and more on the way, Brandon Tucker writes in his latest "Planet Putter" column.

Also: Plan your golf vacation to Mexico

LasVegasGolf.com WGN network to showcase the World Series of Golf

It's showtime for the 2009 version of the World Series of Golf. And unlike other years, this one comes with a twist. You'll get the chance to turn in for 13 straight weeks on cable TV giant WGN and follow the action from start to finish.

Also: World Series keeps on growing

Arizona's Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort and Whirlwind G.C. go "Native"

The Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa and its Whirlwind Golf Club in Phoenix/Scottsdale are living, functional monuments to the Pima and Maricopa peoples: Every detail is imbued with some sort of symbolism, with some traditional meaning. For this reason, guests - especially the observant and curious ones - will find this to be a unique, fascinating golf resort in the Valley of the Sun.

Also: Arizona golf vacation options

Old South Golf Links in Bluffton, South Carolina: A little bit of everything

Old South Golf Links in Bluffton will appeal to those with little patience for repetition. Few holes are alike, well, except for the marsh holes. Those tend to blend together, but in a good way. They are all picturesque and scenic, but similar. Old South is convenient and worth the short trip if you're on Hilton Head Island.

Photo gallery: Old South Golf Links