This Week at TravelGolf.com: July 16, 2009

On your Scotland golf trip, don't just stick to British Open golf courses

We all want to play a major championship venue, and Great Britain does it better than the more exclusive United States, that's for sure. You can play every single golf course on the Open Championship rotation, from Turnberry to the Old Course in St. Andrews without brown-nosing a member acquaintance (yes, even Muirfield has public tee times twice a week, even if their members preferred you didn't know about it).

But visiting the British Isles and sticking to the Open Championship venues makes for a very one-sided golf trip.

The Open Championship links aren't necessarily the best courses for the mid-handicapping, traveling golfer's links experience. They usually just have good infrastructure for trafficking 40,000 spectators and enough room to build a back set of tees over 7,000 yards.

But most of these clubs won't let you go off the "Tiger tees" like they usually allow in America. You're stuck on the yellows with all the members at around 6,300 yards.

From the member tees, you can play Open qualifier courses that are just as challenging, easier to get a tee time and usually just as good of a golf course as an Open Championship links from the daily member tees.

In fact, in many ways they can be better, because they're on property that is too quirky, too environmentally protected or too tightly squeezed to lengthen. This is usually a good thing, like at unbelievable North Berwick.

It would be an absolute shame to miss out on golf courses like Western Gailes, Gullane No. 1 or Dunbar just because they've never been on TV back home.

So we don't blame you when you book a round or two on an Open Championship course during your Scotland golf vacation. But if there's anything better than teeing it up at an Open Championship venue, it's telling your buddies about that great links course they missed on their trip - and Scotland has scores of them.

As always, TravelGolf.com welcomes your comments.

Castles, history and sights: Stay busy off course in East Lothian, Scotland

East Lothian, Scotland, just east of Edinburgh, is small but it packs quite a punch with not only golf but plenty of off-course activities as well. Here are a few ideas for a rainy day on your next trip to Scotland, including checking out Bass Rock, touring the Belhaven Brewery, and chatting with local legend Archie Baird at the Heritage of Golf Museum.

Podcast: Spotlight on Turnberry, more

Ladies Locker Room: The cold, hard truth about granite tee markers

The other day, our weekly foursome noticed something new on the first tee: a polished tombstone-like slab of granite planted near the ball washer, and nearby was a granite bench to match. They're ugly as hell, and the benches are uncomfortable to boot, we all agreed. "They'll last forever!" beamed the proud president of the club's men's group.

Also: What if women made the rules?

With warmer temperatures coming on, it's time to check out Las Vegas' top golf courses at cool prices

If you're coming to Las Vegas in the near future, make sure to pack your sticks. With the warmer temperatures racing through the Southwest, cool golf deals with many of Vegas' courses check in at well under $100 per round. So pick a direction once your plane touches down, and you're just minutes from teeing it up at a great Vegas golf course.

Also: Stay and play in Las Vegas

Raven at Three Peaks: One of the top golf experiences in the Rocky Mountains

Born as Eagle's Nest Golf Club in 1986, the Raven Golf Club at Three Peaks was completely rebuilt by Michael Hurdzan and Dana Fry in 2000 with consultation from Tom Lehman. Bulldozers made sure the old course was dead and buried. The new design will push you to the max, David R. Holland writes. Whatever moves you on a golf course, The Raven Golf Club at Three Peaks has it.

Also: Get help planning your Colorado golf trip