RR Donnelley Founders Cup Wildfire at Desert Ridge

In 1950  13 women joined together to form the LPGA.  The Founders cup honors these 13 women and what a place to do it, on the first LPGA event of the season in the U.S. This is the 4th 2012 tour stop for the LPGA but the first in the U.S.  There are only 29 stops on the tour total and only 16 are in the U.S.  I guess things have changed for the LPGA.

This field and the entire LPGA field is quite international. Of the 144 players here  just under 1/2 are from the U.S.  I don’t know how many in this tournament are from South Korea but there are 42 players on the entire tour from there.  I would guess that number is growing.

There are 2 golf courses here at Wildfire and this tournament is being played on a combination of these courses.  The back 9 is part of the by Nick Faldo designed course and the  front 9 is part of the Arnold Palmer designed course.  These two 9s couldn’t be more different from each other.

The leaders today are Yani Tseng who is also the number one female player in the world, and I.K. KIm who was raised playing golf on a windy golf course- so todays wind is almost welcome to her  “it makes me think of my home town”

At this LPGA tournament, Volvik is  hosting  10 minute lessons at one end of the range.

People of all levels were lined up for their lessons.  I watched one and its amazing how much can be accomplished in 10 minutes.  The lesson I watched  was being taught by Paula Hicks from Sedona AZ.  She pointed out that the student was addressing the ball on the toe of the club, after that adjustment was made the student was hitting much more solid shots.  That was followed by a drill that had the club finishing lower than before.  The swing became more fluid and the iron shots were travelling farther.  Thats quite a productive free 10 minute lesson.

Yani Tseng won it on a nasty windy,rainy, chilly, Sunday afternoon by 1 shot.

One Last Shot at Riverview Golf Club

June 2006 I had a bicycle accident and was in the hospital for 2 months.  The road to recovery was slow and I doubted I would ever play golf again.  But slowly I recovered.

From the golf point of view  it was-- putting green, then chipping and putting then the driving range and finally after a few months I felt it was worth a try to go play a round of golf.  But I didn’t feel I had the stamina to play 18 holes.  

A friend turned me on to Riverview Golf Club in Mesa, about 10 miles from our Fountain Hills home, and I went and tried it. 9 holes, 3200 yards of gently rolling terrain, par 36 designed by Gary Panks, one of the leading golf course architects of AZ.  

This may be one of the best 9 hole  courses I have ever played and one of the few golf courses in the Phoenix area that allows walking. As a guy who has played the Top 100 golf courses in the U.S. I think I qualify as someone who knows a good golf course when he sees it.  It was $17 to walk and a couple more dollars for a pull cart.  One of the best bargains in the valley. 

I have returned there many times-- bringing friends to show off this “gem of the valley” where I would go on those days I wanted to play golf but didn’t have a whole day to play 18 holes.

The Chicago Cubs, who train in Mesa, needed a new training facility.  The city of Mesa did not want to loose them to another community, so they agreed to build the Cubs a new facility.  This park and this golf course will be the new space for the Cubs.

This is a sad day for golf in Phoenix..Oh how I hate to see the bulldozers tear this place up.  It has served Mesa since 1987 and hosted 1.6 million rounds of golf in the past 25 years

I am playing it for the final time, today, Thurs March 15, 2012. The final round will be played this Sunday.  This weekend as a tribute to all those it has served, they are rolling back prices to 1987’s opening day  $10.50.  I would tell you to call for a tee time, but I don’t think there is one to be had.

Today is like a funeral service for this lovely golf course and I will cherish every shot of every hole today.

Toddling the fairways at Tatum Ranch Golf Club in Phoenix

Tatum Ranch Golf Club is a private club located conveniently 5 miles north of Loop 101 on Tatum Blvd.  The management was recently taken over by OB Sports, one of the leading golf club management facilities in the Phoenix area and if you are an OB sports card holder, you can play here for $80 in high season. They have 275 members and like most other golf clubs and looking for more.

Tatum Ranch opened in 1987 and was designed by one of the Valleys leading golf architects, Robert Cupp. This 6,856-yard, par 72 layout challenges players with a unique desert landscape and a variety of shotmaking opportunities.

It is in a housing development and in some spots, feels tightly fit into the surrounding homes. But with the vegetation restricting some tee box views of the fairways, it is more of a visual illusion than anything because once you are out there, it seems more open than it does from the tee boxes.  

The greens were in excellent shape, as were the bunkers. There is a large variety of green sizes and undulations, bringing short game and pin positions in as a big factor.

Tatum Ranch Golf Club is generally level but not flat. With greens and tees close together, it is a course made for golf at its purest--on foot. And many people were walking today.

The greens were in excellent shape, as were the bunkers. There is a large variety of green sizes and some serious undulations, bringing short game and pin positions in as a big factor. They run smooth, true and speedy without being too slick. Get above the hole, and you're definitely on the defensive.

Only approach shots that come in high and soft will gain much purchase on Tatum Ranch's firm greens. A few are guarded by front bunkers, but the vast majority are open for run ups, and that is sometimes the shot of choice. And a good thing it is--a course ought to demand something more than dart throwing. 

Two of Tatum Ranch's excellent par threes (three and eleven) and the par-five 14th have shallow greens that demand precise distance control. Green depth on the other holes starts at about 30 yards, with several reaching 40 or more. On those larger greens you could have some cross-country putts.  

 If Tatum Ranch has a signature hole, it is probably #7 a short par 4 dogleg right over a pond, with a beautiful fountain that unfortunately is out of order today (the only water hazard on the course). Its not very long but its a devilish approach shot over the pond. All I can say is “on this shot, know your distance”

  At the end of the round you will think, That was fun! In its quiet way, Tatum Ranch does a good job of doing what a course ought to do: rewarding good golf and (not too harshly) punishing bad. The course ratings are fairly high, ranging from 70.9 at 6344 yards to 72.7 at 6856 yards. But choose the right tee, and it is much more enjoyable than it is penal.

If you go:

Tatum Ranch Golf Club

29888 N Tatum Ranch Dr

Cave Creek, Arizona 85331 

Phone(s): (480) 585-4909 

Fax: (480) 585-3197

Website: tatumranchgc.com

$80 with an OB Sports Card  (high season or $125 recripocal from other clubs

full golf membership  $2,000 initiation and $483 per month

Waste Management Open: A Party or a Golf Tournament

Waste Management Open

A Party or a Golf Tournament

or

Getting Wasted at the Waste Management Open

It used to be the Phoenix Open, then FBR and now the Waste Management Open

but is it a party with a golf tournament  or is it a golf tournament with a party. It has been known as “The greatest show on Grass”  and now Waste Management is trying to call it “The greenest show on grass.

Read this and you decide!!!

First of all this tournament has, by far, a larger attendance than any golf tournament in the World.  This year, 2012, the attendance was over 518,000-- that is over 10 % of the population of the greater Phoenix area.  Saturday alone the crowd estimate was 175,000.  Some golf tournaments don’t get that for the entire tournament. I don’t know what is second largest, but it does not even come close. It could even be twice as large as the next largest tour stop.

It  probably has the largest attendance of any sporting event ever in the US  and World Cup Soccer, and the Olympics may be the only ones  in the world that are larger.

 When the sun goes down, the party continues in the birds nest with somewhere between 10,000 and 15,000 people partying each night. And with all this partyin’ and beautiful women  its probably no surprise that this stop on the tour has the highest attendance of tour player wives..!!  I’m guessin’ they are there to protect their interests.

The  core of the party is at #16-- where they have built stands around the entire hole, to pack in  20,000 plus.  That is more than a sell out at an NBA game and nearly half of the attendance at NFL games.  One writer called the 16th hole Thunderdome. The fans have been drinking  (and that puts it politely)  and with the cheering good shots and the booing bad shots, you would think they were at a hockey game  or even a English soccer match.  Maybe the days of hushed pious tones at a golf tournament are changing.

 I thought it was limited to Mardi Gras where they encouraged women to chug their beers and drop their tops.   But it happens at 16 as well. ( I never saw anyone drop their top but I certainly heard  my share of encouraging chants. There are probably more decked out women here than on the best Saturday night on Hollywood’s Sunset Strip.  One young girl was overheard to say  “If you didn’t wear your stilettos, don’t bother showing up”.  And  yes its true, thousand of the fans spend the day here and never see even one golf shot.

They sold nearly 10,000 hamburgers, over 20,000 hot dogs and over 100,000 beers.

Now these people know how to party!!

They have raised over $70 million for charities  $43 million in the past 10 years, thats an average of over $6 million a year.

There was not a trash container on the course--just compost and recycle bins and 500  recycle ambassadors to help you put your waste in the correct bin.  The goal is to have  zero waste and they report that they accomplished over90% of that goal.  They even had recycle kiosks: put something in, and get a discount coupon for something- now thats not just leadership, that may be the most involved and successful title sponsorship  going.  And if recycleables is not enough the tournament used 125,000 KW of green energy credits to power everything at the tournament.  “By powering the Waste Management Phoenix Open with green renewable energy we move even closer to becoming the greenest show on grass” Alex Baker, this years tournament chairman said’ They strive to become the greenest sporting event in the world.

Did I mention sky boxes? Mr. Baker, told me that “This year they sold 210.  That’s 44 more than last year” and probably substantially more than the next largest tournament

 Is this the largest annual event in AZ?  If its not I don’t know what is.

 By the way Kyle Stanley won, after Spencer Levin lost a 6 shot lead on Sunday, which is almost what happened to Kyle the prior week at Torrey Pines when he lost a seven shot lead only to get beat in a playoff---- did you know that? Do you even care?  Or did you just come here to party?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wUUEA0yPCg&feature=player_embedded#

Criteria for the Top 100

Ratings of golf clubs have reached an almost insane level.  It seems like every golf publication  is getting in the game  with ratings based on all sorts of criteria.  

The grandparents in the rating game are  Golf Digest with its  Top 100 Golf courses in the U.S.  and Golf Magazine with its Top 100 in the world.

But of course there is now  Top 100 modern courses, Top 100 classic courses, top 100 clubhouses Top 100 locker rooms. The list goes on.

As a guy who has played the Golf Digest Top 100 in the U.S. I am often asked  “what are your favorite courses? and why?

The why part is the tough question.  For me the number one criteria  is the aesthetics or physical beauty of the course.  That is why places like Pebble Beach  and Cypress Point are so special with the Pacific Ocean pounding  on their shores.  But  many courses in the mountains are breathtaking as well.

Courses with lots of history  capture my attention as well.  Merion is one of my favorites where Bobby Jones closed out his grand slam and Ben Hogan  came back on bandaged and badly injured legs, caused by a near fatal car accident, to win the 1950 US Open.

A great locker room is hard to beat.  There are certainly the shiny new expensive ones with marble counters and showers and exotic woods in the lockers,  but locker rooms like the very old one with metal lockers at Winged Foot, carry you in the door and share with you the history of the major tournaments  of the club, almost like walking into a museum  or the old grand showers  with old ceramic tiles and huge rain like shower heads.

Don’t forget the food.  Things like the signature beef jerky at Mirabell in Scottsdale  is hard to forget.

But in the end, especially if you are joining, its the service and the membership.  Courses and club houses certainly catch your attention but there are plenty of those to choose from, but its the relationships that bring a club alive.

In Utah I learned that there are less than 20 private golf clubs in the entire state, 1/3 of them are real estate developments in Park City.  Yet there are many wonderful golf courses in the state and  plenty of golfers.  Several head pros told me  “people join golf courses for many reasons, the greatest being the social fabric of the club. The bulk of their social fabric revolves around the club”  In Utah, the Mormon church fills that function, leaving a lower demand for golf clubs”

Hiking to the Bottom of the Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon is one of the seven natural wonders of the world

The date is 11/1/11.   There are 4 dates this year that have all the same digits and this is an unusual phenomena.     We have just arrived at the South rim of the Grand Canyon.  If you think that Arizona is all just one big hot desert, think again.  The overnight low in Grand Canyon Village, tonight, is 30 degrees and they are predicting snow showers in two days.  But we are planning to leave tomorrow morning to hike 7 miles to the bottom of the Grand Canyon.   We will be descending almost a mile in elevation, through 5 different climate zones to stay at Phantom Ranch on the banks of the Colorado River.

There are several places to stay here in Grand Canyon Village; we are staying in Maswick Lodge, just a couple hundred yards from the rim of the Canyon.  The accommodations are rustic but all we need.  Very clean, plenty of heat--  newly remodeled and just right....  

The next morning

We descended the Kaibab trail where we are passing through a goelogic timetable of almost 2 billion years (the bottom layers of the canyon are almost 2 billion years old and the top layers are a mere 270 million years old).  Every step up or down the trail, we are stepping through 60,000 years of geologic history. Imagine that!   Every turn of the trail and every hour of the day--the view keeps changing, the beauty more awsome, until in the last hour we finally see the Colorado River.

We arrived at Phantom Ranch around 3:00, to find bunk houses (male and female)   with showers and ranger talks and even a few cabins that sleep 4 on bunk beds.  There are 2 dinner seatings, ours is at 5:00 with a very welcome family style steak dinner.  “You can eat as much as you want except only 1 steak per person,” the head cook informs us.

 The hike in and out of the canyon is very challenging and I wondered weather this is a good family activity. But if you are an active family, this could be for you.  We met the Chapman family, from Minnesota;  3 generations, from 10 years old and up, who were there hiking on Grandpas 80th birthday.  This was grandpas 15th hike to the bottom

.

We also met a family from San Diego. Every year their kids have to take a hike: 1 mile for every year, their 10 year old had done a 10 mile hike this year.

 The next day is was a hike up Bright Angel trail. 9 miles, less steep, both beautiful and exhausting-especially as the top which is the steepest part and we are at over 6000 feet of elevation.  Rain was predicted on the day of the hike out--  that made me nervous.  But we got lucky-- we arrived at the Rim at 2:00 in the afternoon.  It started raining at 5:00 and the next morning there was 3” of snow on the ground!!  whew!!!

 If this all sounds too exhausting you can ride to Phantom Ranch on a mule.

The demand for lodging at Phantom Ranch is very high--  they open reservations on the first of the month for 13 months later.  Call them for more information.

Even if hiking down to the bottom isn’t your thing the Grand Canyon may be, because of all the visitors that visit the Grand Canyon every year only 1% stay overnight in the canyon.  The rest stay at the rim.  There are plenty of rim hikes, day hikes into and around the canyon ranger programs. For example there is Trail of Time, a 1.3 mile stroll that shows you how the canyon was formed.

There is also the Hopi house, where you learn about the lifestyle of the Hopi Indians who inhabited parts of the canyon in the 1500s.

Most people think the Grand Canyon is named for its grand size, but The Colorado River was originally called the Grand River, till the state of Colorado came along and changed its name to plenty of opposition.    However prevailing wisdom says the Grand CAnyon was named by John Wesley Powell, the man who discovered it.

You can drive to the Grand Canyon or take the Grand Canyon Express train from Williams.

http://www.nps.gov/grca

Grand Golf in Grand Junction CO

Golf in Colorado can be wonderful. Of course, golf anywhere can be wonderful, but it’s hard for other places to compete with Colorado at its best. When you combine golf with the state’s spectacular geography, such as the Colorado National Monument, there’s a thrill that you just can’t get anywhere else. A visit to the National Monument in far western Colorado can be almost as spectacular as a visit to the Grand Canyon, and playing golf along its base is simply breathtaking. That’s the irresistible appeal of golf in and around Grand Junction, a city of 59,000 that nestles right up to the National Monument.  

Tiara Rado Golf Course

Grand Junction’s Tiara Rado Golf Course sits at the foot of the red cliffs of the Colorado National Monument. The locals translate Tiara Rado as Red Crown. Framed by the red rock cliffs of the National Monument, Tiara Rado has an awesome location. It began in 1971 as a six- hole course, and is now a full 18 owned and operated by the city of Grand Junction. It plays 6400 yards and is a real “walk in the park” as you enjoy the surrounding red bookcliffs and experience the wide variety of bird species as this course  is certified in the Audubon cooperative sanctuary program. We even had an encounter with the resident kitty, who greeted us on the third hole by batting my ball across the green and then bumping up against my leg and putter. After we moved on, he gave the foursome behind us the same treatment.

This course is in wonderful condition.  The homes on the front 9 are pretty average homes, and this section of the course is a non threatening way to open your round.  The course changes dramatically on the back where there is water on several holes  much more elevation change and more contemporary homes lining the course.  The views of Grand Mesa,the worlds largest flat top mountain, are spectacular.

The sign over the desk in the pro shop says  “No work boots and no cowboy boots,” which tells you all you need to know about the neighborhood.

Green fee: $43.75 weekdays and $50.75 weekends, including cart. Tiara Rado is open ten months a year. Phone: 970-254-3830

Golf Club at Redlands Mesa

"Positioned beneath the slopes of jagged buttes south of Grand Junction, Colorado, in the shadow of the towering pink and red sandstone face of the Colorado National Monument, Redlands Mesa is like playing golf along the bottom of the Grand Canyon, with a couple of sojourns to the Garden of the Gods thrown in." –Golf Digest 

Redlands Mesa, a few miles down the road from Tiara Rado, also sits at the base of the Colorado National Monument. This mountain masterpiece by architect Jim Engh has won many accolades, including Top 30 Public from Golf Digest five years running. It was also voted #1 Best New Affordable Public Golf Course in America. It deserves all this and more. 

Engh, who has three courses on the Top 100 list, may be the king of mountain golf course architects. He has an incredible ability to take dramatic mountain terrain and place golf holes on it that look like they belong there. When I asked Engh about his design philosophy, he said, “I am in the entertainment business. I want to delight, entertain, fully engage and inspire golfers who play my courses. I hope they have gone on an emotional ride from frustration to complete intrigue when they play Redlands Mesa.”

The mounding on Redlands Mesa echoes the surrounding mountain terrain, and hidden among those mounds are some bunkers—a modest 41 in all—that you just don’t want to get in. In this mountainous environment, almost every hole plays down hill, some dramatically, as in tee boxes that are 100-150 feet above the fairway. It’s just a spectacular golf course. I did learn from Engh that, as much as golfers love down hill tee shots, they are more likely to drift off line than uphill tee shots because of the extended time the ball is in the air. That may be the one respect in which uphill tee shots are easier.

The views are dramatic enough that you may forget you came here to play golf. The greens have more movement in them than a bowl of jelly and are almost all uniquely shaped. The good news is many of them are actually bowls, so if you hit around the edges, you will probably get a favorable roll. But miss the edges by a few yards and you have a very challenging chip shot, down hill from a down hill lie, one of the toughest shots in golf. “Golf is a gathering game,” said Engh, “The question is, ‘Is your ball gathered onto the quadrant of the green where the pin is placed that day?’” 

Here are a few examples of the kinds of holes that will launch you on the “emotional ride” Jim Engh wants you to take at Redlands Mesa. Number 2 has a breathtaking tee shot as you look out at the Grand Mesa, Number 8 is a spectacular par 3 across a lake that will certainly test your nerves. Number 17 may be the most memorable tee shot on the course—218 yards from the back tees with a 150-foot plus drop from tee to green which is framed by a rock amphitheatre. Water, rock outcroppings, and endless views make this a wonderful day

Redlands Mesa is a par 72 playing from tees ranging from 4890 to 7007 yards. At 6000 feet of elevation these yardages will play shorter. This example of wonderful golf is easily the centerpiece of a golf trip to Grand Junction. 

Green fee: $89.00

www.redlandsmesa.com

Devil’s Thumb Golf Course 

Devil’s Thumb is 40 miles down the road in Delta, Colorado, and it’s another must-play on your Grand Junction golf trip. The course is surrounded by foothills which are basically volcanic mud.  Rick Phelps, the course designer, describes it as a Prairie style course. This landscape has an almost lunar look and in some cases comes right down next to the fairways. Grand Mesa, the largest mesa in the U.S., looms large in the background. There are five holes, all featuring dramatic downhill elevation changes, which could serve as signature holes at Devil’s Thumb: 3, 4, 5, 13 and 14.  One is a drivable par 4  with a split fairway, the second fairway going around the rock cliff is by far the safer way to go. A few of the holes on the back nine even have streams and ponds running through them. This is a very good golf course in a stunning setting and I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Green fee: $25 weekdays and $31 weekends, plus cart.

http://devilsthumbgolfclub.com

Cedaredge Lodge

Forty miles east of Grand Junction and just below the Grand Mesa, Cedaredge Lodge is an old 1950s style motel that proprietors Donna and Gary have turned into a small piece of heaven. It has quaint little rooms, all with tiny kitchenettes, and sits by a stream—open the window and let the rushing water lull you to sleep. There’s more—a clever little game room, putt-putt course, hot tub, fire pit and outdoor barbecue.  Donna, in her prior life, was a massage therapist at a body building gym. She offers fantastic bodywork. This unusual motel is completely worth the stay. There is not a restaurant on the property, but Donna and Gary will gladly barbeque dinner for their guests. It is very convient to Devils Thumb but could be a good central point for most of the golf courses in the area.

www.thecedaredgelodge.com

The Links at Cobble Creek

A river (more a stream, perhaps) runs through almost every hole of The Links at Cobble Creek in Montrose, Colorado. We are half way between Telluride and Grand Junction in the western part of the state. Cobble Creek actually runs through 15 of the 18 holes, developing into ponds and ten different lakes along the way and bringing beauty and intrigue to this wonderful layout. The course, which runs through an attractive housing development, has four sets of tees ranging from 6970 yards down to 5177. There’s a game for every player.  

The front nine is three par threes, three par fours, and three par fives. Par fives and par threes are usually the most interesting holes in golf architecture, and that certainly is the case here. The opening par five is a sweeping dog leg right followed two holes later by another par five that sweeps left. The third par five on the front is relatively straight. Numbers two and four bring you straight on to the breathtaking views of Mt. Sneffels, one of Colorado’s towering 14,000 foot peaks  You get the same view from the seventh tee, if you turn around (maybe this hole should play the other direction).  There are two wonderful, short (some would say drivable) par fours that are superbly designed with plenty of trouble.  ANYTHING TO SAY ABOUT THE BACK?

This is an almost level golf course, which is unusual in a mountain setting. It has half private play and half public play, and is beautifully maintained. What I found most intriguing about Cobble Creek is that it was designed by Craig Cherry. He got the job because his father-in-law was the property developer. This was the first, last and only golf course he ever designed. Creating a golf course requires skill and art, and for someone to create one this good with no training is remarkable.

Green fee: $38.00 on weekdays and $41.00 on weekends. Carts are an additional $13.00 per player. 

www.cobblecreek.com  

The Bridges Golf Club  

The Bridges, in Montrose, Colorado, is a wonderful Nicklaus design that was included in the Top 10 new courses by Golf Magazine in 2005. The Bent grass fairways are generous and in terrific condition. There are too many wetlands, streams, and ponds to count, crossed by many bridges (guess how it got its name).

Number three boasts a challenging double fairway. Number five brings the San Juan Mountains into view, including Mount Buckhorn.  Number six is a double dogleg, so hit your tee shot carefully. Number 13 is a devilishly designed drivable par four. Number 15 is a long par five with two different greens, which make the hole dramatically different from day to day.  Number 16 is a mid-iron par three with a very shallow, well protected green. Club selection is key here. The greens have lots of undulation, making the putting very challenging.  

The Bridges is private, but nearly two-thirds of its play is public and you will be warmly welcomed and feel like a member for a day. The clubhouse is 23,000 square feet, but more importantly there are four sleeping rooms (suites) upstairs that are wonderfully appointed. The rates vary from $125 per night to $175 per night. If you are headed this way, this would make a wonderful base for playing and touring. 

Green fee: $72.00 plus $13.00 cart.

www.montrosebridges.com

Black Canyon National Park

Black Canyon is just a few minutes drive from the Bridges and has some views that are as spectacular as the Grand Canyon. No other canyon in North America combines the narrow opening, sheer walls, and startling depths offered by the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. Views from Painted Wall, Chasm Point and Sunset View are as good as it gets. If you are in the area, don’t miss this.

www.nps.gov/blca/index.htm 

The Colorado National Monument is also well worth a few hours to visit.  The redrocks are spectacualar, especially near sunrise or sunset.  It has towering monoliths and  extensive plateau and canyon panoramas.  As your eyes drink in all this spectacular scenery, don’t forget to keep an eye out for soaring eagles and Big horn sheep who call the area home.  You can hike it some or all of it-- or just gather it all in from the comfort of your car on the 23 mile Rim-Rock Drive

www.nps.gov/colm 

Golf in Glorious St George Utah

St. George, Utah is about two hours from Las Vegas and less than an hour from Zion National Park. But St. George holds its own with these two overwhelming attractions by occupying a special niche--great golf at reasonable prices. And there’s no extra charge for the great weather. St. George has its own micro weather system and is usually a warm, dry, wonderful place to play golf.



The Golf Course at Sand Hollow Resort

At Sand Hollow Resort, think green, as in more grass than you’ve ever seen on a desert course. Designer John Fought clearly wants you to hit his fairways and greens. He does get a little cross, though, with those who don’t take advantage of his generosity. That’s why you also better think red, as in the deep orange red of the sand in the 90 or so vast and very deep bunkers that await shots that somehow stray from fairways and greens that are almost too big to miss. There’s also the red of the desert and the surrounding rocks, but at Sand Hollow there are no white out-of-bounds stakes. If you can find it, you can hit it.

The combination of red and green is not only stunningly beautiful--it makes a trip around Sand Hollow challenging, rewarding and, above all, enjoyable. My overall impression of the course is of bright waves of fairway, punctuated by bunkers, sweeping up and down the desert slopes to greens that are huge but not too severe. Every shot you hit rises against the mountains in the distance, or the massive red rocks and cliffs that dot the course, or simply the blue desert sky. A good example is number six, rated the number one handicap hole on the course. A dogleg left, the point where the sixth fairway turns is marked by a beautiful red boulder. Cut the corner by flying it if you can, or play right and look down from a hill top to a green guarded by bunkers on both sides. The flight of a well-struck second shot will be so enchanting that you’ll want to hit it again.

The front nine will make you smile, but eleven through fifteen on the back turn your smile into a thrill. Here is where red rock cliffs, falling 200 feet to the Virgin River valley below, will make you stop and just breathe in the scenery. At the beginning of the round, the starter said, “Pace of play is approximately 4:40--faster on the front nine, slower on the back, giving you extra time to drink in the scenery.” Numbers 12, 13 and 14 play along the cliff, uphill and then back down, bringing visual drama into every shot. But the real payoff is number 15, a breathtaking 160-yard downhill par three that inspires awe as your ball seems to hang in the air forever before falling onto the emerald green.

You may think that no out of bounds, not a single tree, wide fairways--and no water--would make Sand Hollow a bit of pushover. Guess again. The cunningly placed bunkers will take care of that notion, but it’s a challenge of the most enjoyable kind. And if you haven’t had enough fun after 18, Sand Hollow also offers an attractive, walkable nine-hole links style course and an 18-hole putting course called the Himalaya (yes, it’s that steep). The putting course alone may be worth the trip.

The Sand Hollow Resort golf course is a real bargain during the off season (mid-May through September 30)--only $50 including cart and range balls. Twilight fees are even less. The green fee doubles during peak season. Annual passes are available.

If you go:
www.sandhollowresort.com
435-656- golf (4653)

Coral Canyon Golf Club

Coral Canyon Golf Club, located in Washington UT, is just a few miles up the road from St. George. We are in a low lying desert and the design
of this golf course truly reflects its environment. Coral Canyon has its share of drama--both the front and back nines begin on tees 75 to 100 feet above the fairway. These tee shots have hang time that would make an NFL punter proud. But the real strength of this course is its connection to its desert setting.

The challenge here is not only to keep your ball out of the desert that lines the fairways, but also to keep it out of the desert washes that cross the fairways. These washes are strategically placed to challenge your courage to carry them, especially if you haven’t hit your best tee shot. Don’t take these washes lightly. Not just sandy stream beds, they are filled with golfball-eating vegetation. On two of the par fives--two and fourteen--a weak drive will cause you to think long and hard about trying to carry the wash on your second shot. Hoping to avoid this dilemma, you may feel a little added pressure on the tees of these holes. But the most interesting use of these cross-fairway washes is on the 15th, an intimidating par four that requires you to carry washes on the drive and second shot. The hole is flat, so bushes may even interfere with your view of the green. Par is a really good score here.

Coral Canyon’s back nine is particularly interesting because it has 3 par threes, 3 par fours and 3 par fives. This may make things more enjoyable for the average golfer, since par threes and par fives are usually easier to play. Plus, they are usually the most interesting hole designs as well.

The service here is wonderful. Be sure to greet Jan, the outside services person, with a big smile when you arrive. They don’t get much friendlier or more helpful than Jan.

If you go:
Rates range from $48-$105 plus tax and range balls, depending on the season. You may reserve up to 60 days in advance

www.coralcanyongolf.com
435-688-1700
www.golfmesquite.com

Accommodations: Mesquite, only 30 miles from St. George, has a couple casino hotels. We found a very nice two-bedroom condo in St George in Sports Village. The condo was clean and well equipped. The complex has a clubhouse, workout room, 3 swimming pools, hot tubs, racquetball, volleyball, tennis and other amenities. The rates are $120 per night in the high season, and $100 per night low season.Talk to the folks at www.fununderthesun.net about the four condos they have available in the complex.

There are many things to do in the St. George Area. You are 30 minutes from Nevada casinos and less than an hour from Zion National Park. In St. George you can visit the oldest Mormon Temple in the world and the winter home of Brigham Young, as well as St. George Dinosaur Discovery, where there are some of the best fossil footprints from the Jurassic period to be seen anywhere.

Golf and Dude Ranches of Granby Colorado

Home James met us at the Denver Airport heading 65 miles west of Denver and in less than two hours we had climbed nearly 3000 feet in elevation to our snuggly condo in Granby Ranch. Although we are in the heart of ski country, this area may get more tourists in the summer. We are a few miles from Rocky Mountain National Park, There are numerous dude ranches and several golf courses in the area and we are close to the banks of the Colorado River. There is also plenty of wildlife roaming the neighborhood including Elk, Black Bear, Antelope, Coyote and Mountain Lions.




Grand Lake Golf Course

Today, Sept 2, I arrived at Grand Lake Golf Course to find there was a 45 minute frost delay. WOW!! That’s early!! This course may have one of the shortest seasons in golf--they are basically open from mid-May to early Oct.Thats short, but for those few months this is open, it’s well worth the trip.
This is a true mountain course, with elevation changes and vistas galore. Sitting a few miles from the southern boarder of Rocky Mountain National Park, Grand Lake is par 72 playing 6650 yards. However, at 8400 feet of elevation it plays more like 6200 yards, and like many mountain courses, the challenge of the golf can be matched by the challenge of the distracting views.

When it was originally designed, all the fairways were tightly tree-lined but several years ago there was a Bark Beatle infestation and they lost 200,000 trees. Now it looks very links style with sweeping views of not only adjacent holes but miles of mountain views as well. I like it like this.

As you look out over the panoramas of the majestic Rocky Mountains that surround you, you’ll see acres and acres of brown dead trees peppered in contrast to some green areas of new growth. It reminds you of the infestation but stuns you nonetheless.
The carts all have graphic GPS so distances to everything are very clear, but be careful of club selection, 8400 feet of elevation can fool you if you don’t pay attention.
Many of the greens are postage stamp in size but they were in terrific shape and putted very well. Several of the holes on the back nine could be signature holes, particularly number 10 a sweeping downhill dogleg left and number 11,a 180 yard par three from an elevated tee, to an elevated green over a pond.

As we made the turn about, just after noon, the wind showed up and changed everything. Apparently, this is common in the mountains.

I played with two wonderful partners, who I met on the first tee, Art and Rich. Art was from New York, but Rich went to Bloomington High School, one suburb over from me in Minneapolis. Small World!



Grand Lake Golf Course- www.GrandLakeGolf.com. 970-627-8008
Rates are $64 in high season and $44 in low season plus cart

Home James airport shuttle: www.ridehj.com 800-359-7536 shuttles to Granby from DIA $75.00 one way
Alpine Resort Properties: www.AlpineResortProperties.com 800-551-9943 Two bedroom condo at Granby Ranch was $149 per night.

Pole Creek Golf Club is located just outside of Winter Park CO 70 miles west of Denver. It is a magnificent 27 hole facility and today I played 18 holes (Ridge and Meadow). We played it from 6600 yards but there are 4 sets of tees so you can play any distance you are comfortable with. Remember 6600 at this elevation plays more like 6200 at sea level.

The Ridge nine is fascinating with elevation changes and undulations galore. It starts with a dogleg left, uphill par 4 and then travels up and down along the ridge from there. The par threes are wonderful and the par-five, ninth is spectacular. You can see for miles from the tee box even to many of the ski runs of Winter Park. This 532 yard hole tumbles down the hill, like a water fall and even I was able to get within 40 yards of the green in two. The contrast of the vast blue skies against the shimmering emerald fairways is surreal in its own way.

The Meadow is laid out on a more level portion of the property. Just after 1:00 the notorious afternoon winds showed up and changed everything.

Number 5 is a split fairway, I chose the right fairway, but having played it once I would play the left fairway which gives you a much clearer view of the green. Number seven is an almost horseshoe shaped hole where at first glance it appears you could go straight for the green, but even the longest of hitters can’t really reach it. It took someone with quite a vision to design this hole. So the conventional way is straight over a fairway bunker, then almost 90 degrees dogleg left over a pond and back up hill and further left to an elevated green. I would love to play this hole a couple more times, It is such an interesting and unique design.
There are some spectacular homes dotting these fairways and there are many spots that make you feel like you are looking at the best Golf coffee table book in existence.

Pole Creek Golf Club www.PoleCreekGolf.com 970-887-9195
Rates $83-$89 regular season plus cart


Dude Ranches of Colorado
This is my first visit to a Dude Ranch and I can’t help but think about the movie “City Slickers.” Maybe I’ll meet Curley, but I am more hoping to meet Norman, the cow that Billy Crystal helped birth and effectively adopted.

There is something about the outside of a horse: that is good
for the inside of a cowboy” - anon

If you have dreamed of trying out the cowboy life, and a week away from cell phones, TV and your Blackberry sounds enticing, then Dude ranches may be the place for you.




Drowsy Water Ranch is a dude ranch located near Granby, CO about 90 miles west of Denver and 3000 feet higher in elevation. This has been a working ranch for many years and was bought by the Fosha Family in 1977. This ranch is a family affair in many ways. One couple who is here this week from Indiana has been coming for 28 years. They have brought the kids and now bring the grandkids as well. He said, “I was here the year the Foshas had their first kid and I have seen their entire family grow up. They are like family to me”
Guests are not the only family members; there are the 120 horses with their varying temperaments and personalities who seem to be separate but equal family members. Ken told us the story of two of the horses, Gus and Navajo who hang out together all the time in the pasture and seem to be inseparable. Then there are the friendships that get built here as people bond during their weeks and arrange to come back the following year or years at the same time.

It’s also a family affair in that 75% of the visitors here are families. They have 3 adult weeks after Labor Day and thats it. This week is “art week” where people interested in painting come to paint in the morning and ride in the afternoon.
So what do you do at a Dude Ranch? Well, of course there is horseback riding, but there is also mountain biking, trout fishing, guided hikes, river rafting, yoga, horseshoes, steak frys, songfests and campfires, country dancing, hay rides and more. I forgot to mention the family style meals in the dining room for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

This morning started with a full breakfast from the menu and our introduction to trail riding. We walked down to the stable to meet our horse (mine is Gus, the lovebird I mentioned earlier). We got about 1/2 hour of training (how to ride, trot, command them etc)--this was followed by a 1 hour trail ride. The instruction was thorough and outstanding.
The staff here is as friendly and helpful as can be. After a delicious spaghetti dinner it was off to the Teepee for an evening of line dancing and square dancing (with plenty of instruction to help us novices) It was more fun than I would have at first imagined.
Come for a week and you will soon be familiar with words like “Howdy!!” “Come and Get it!” and the sound of the dinner bell.
I can see why people come back here year after year.
Drowsy Water Ranch www.drowsywater.com 800-845-2292. rates are $1820 to $1890 per week





Bar Lazy J Guest Ranch is the oldest continuous dude ranch in Colorado, and in 2012 they will celebrate their 100th anniversary. They are located 105 miles west of Denver on the bank of the Colorado River (the river source is 20 miles upriver) at an altitude of 7500 feet. We are just a few miles down the road from Drowsy Water Ranch. Drowsy Water Ranch and Bar Lazy J seem similar at first (especially when you review their daily activities list) but the similarities stop there. The capacity here is approx 45.

My cabin is called Gingerquill and the Colorado River is right out my front door. It’s raining today, but that does not really seem to matter. It’s so tranquil to just look out the window at the running river. Or just curl up with a book in the living room of the ranch house in front of the fireplace and pretty soon its lunchtime.

There is plenty to do, even if you don’t like riding horses, such as: fishing, white water rafting, high country rides, hiking, steak, shrimp and, BBQ rib cookouts and even a cattle drive (Billy Crystal, watch out). These are for everyone.
Then especially for the kids, there are programs for swimming, arts and crafts, treasure hunts, feeding baby animals and nature walks and more. They have a kids Pow Wow and on Friday nights they have staff skits followed by a kids skit--which the kids get totally immersed in.

There are specific multigenerational family activities as well, like the Wed morning breakfast ride and “GymKahna,” relay races on horses that involve family teams.

The guest books in the rooms are a perfect way to wile away a couple hours on a rainy morning. The stories and appreciation are awe inspiring. Here are three examples
“To the guest who come after us, If this is your first visit, get
ready for the single most magical experience of your life.
This is our third visit”
“Our family came half way round the world from France for
this fantastic week. We plan to return”
“I know I am one of many, but I so feel like family.. This place
is like nowhere else, a place to forget reality for a while and
simply enjoy life”

But the most telling story I heard this week was about a very successful lawyer from New York City who was here with his family. His firm had managed to reach him by phone at the ranch and told him to return to New York for a very important deposition. The senior partner of the firm had asked “can we land a helicopter on the ranch to pick you up and take you to a private jet?” He thought it over for about a minute and said, “Let someone else handle that deposition, I am stayin here with my family”
After he hung up the phone he recounted the conversation to the Ranch owners. “This is the first time I ever said NO to my work colleages.”

One more story is about a family from Arkansas. The kids had never been out of Arkansas before and came to Bar Lazy J. For weeks after the visit the kids begged, “Lets move to Colorado, buy 40 acres and three horses”
Several months later the family pulled up stakes and made the move.



75-80 percent of their guests are repeat guests. Personally I am surprised that there is ever room for new guests.
There is one small 8x8 room remotely located on the ranch property called “Internet Jailhouse” in case you just have to get on line.

Bar Lazy J Guest Ranch: www.barlazyj.com 800-369-6279 Weekly Rates: $1825 (adults) $1295 (7-12 yr old) $1095 (3-6 yr old) They are sold out for 2012 except for 2 weeks in Sept

Happy Trails!!

To get to my next destination, Salt Lake City, I decided to take the train from Granby, CO to Salt Lake City. Its about 10 or 11 hours. But it is the most relaxing scenic day you may ever spend, as the train winds through the canyons along side the mighty Colorado River.-- What a way to travel!

A Wales of a Golf Trip

A WALES OF A GOLF TRIP

When I used to think of golf in the British Isles, I thought of Scotland or Ireland. Golf in Wales was not on my bucket list. But, after a recent golf trip to the south of Wales, I think you may want to put it on yours. Wales was good enough for the 2010 Ryder Cup, and it was plenty good enough for me.

There are more than 200 golf courses packed into this land of unpronounceable counties and villages, many of which cluster along the Heritage Coastline on the Bay of Bristol. You will find 800 miles of quaint townships such as Cwmyllynfell and Dolyddelan, but don’t bother traveling to Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoc, a landlocked city that has 56 letters in its name but not a single golf course.

From the U.S., we flew to London Heathrow and then took a two-hour train ride to Cardiff. From Cardiff, travel by car southwest, through winding roadways along the craggy shoreline. Here in Wales, you’ll find true links golf—fast firm fairways, steep walled bunkers, plenty of gorse to eat up errant shots, sea views with crashing waves, grassy dunes with bleating sheep, and, naturally, the whims of Mother Nature. Expect wind to move your ball around all day. And expect to walk these courses. There are almost no carts available and no one uses them anyway.
www.golfasitshouldbe.com

Royal Porthcawl.com

Royal Porthcawl is now rated number 94 in the Golf Magazine “Top 100 Golf Courses in the World.”
On the first tee box of Royal Porthcawl, the most inspiring comment your golf partner can make is not “Good shot!” but rather, “I can still see your ball!” That’s because, the moment you launch your ball into the costal air, it seems to disappear into reflections of sea and sky.
This Welsh links course, founded in 1888, is both private and public and boasts expansive views of the ocean from almost every tee and fairway. The fairways run at lightning speed, giving you up to 90 yards of roll off the tee! Unless, of course, you veer into the gorse and broom, which makes up most of the rough. This dense stuff will steal your ball and rack up your scorecard.

Judging distance is a constant challenge at Royal Porthcawl G.C. since there aren’t any trees or buildings to use as a reference. One scrub brush looks the same as all the others! And the local heather seems to run seamlessly along every hole. If you manage to keep your ball in the relatively narrow fairways, you can run it onto most of the greens. Tiger Woods played his final event as an amateur here in 1995, losing in match play, with a few detours off the fairways. So, take care to control the roll!

The wind and rain are constant variables and tease your stroke-count. And finding your way to the12th and 17th tees might frustrate the first-timer, since there is little signage and some crossover fairways to negotiate. Often, one must scurry to find the tee and keep ahead of the well seasoned, fast-walking members! We played the final three holes withTwo Welshmen, both named Robert, guided us back to the cottage-like clubhouse with smiles and Welsh hospitality.

The “Royal” status of Royal Porthcawl G.C. was bestowed on the club by King Edward VII. How does a golf course get “Royal” status? Easy. If a member of the royal family plays it and likes it, they can dub it royal. There are just over 60 commonwealth golf clubs that carry this moniker.

Greens fees range from 55 GBP to 125 GBP depending on the day and season and package rates are also available.
www.royalprothcawl.com


Pyle and Kenfig Golf Club

This much younger course is almost next door to Royal Porthcawl. Nine holes were opened in 1922 and the back nine, which plays like a new golf course, opened in 1942. We were lucky these past two days with no wind and no rain—wind is usually your companion here by the sea. The greens here are in outstanding shape, better today than at neighboring Royal Porthcawl.

The front nine is inland and the rough on the front nine is light and it’s easy to find a shot that misses the fairway.

The back nine is like a different golf course altogether, as you cross the road and get closer to the sea It offers more elevation changes and twisted doglegs all nestled along the coast. Number twelve, for example, is a severe dogleg right and the instructions were “tee off toward the bouy out in the sea.” It is much more challenging and more likely to cost you a sleeve or two of balls. The course also has a yardage book, which helps find your way around.

Green fees are 50 GBP weekdays and 75 GPB on weekends.
www.pandkgolfclub.co.uk


Pennard Golf Club

The fabled “links in the sky” sits 200 feet above Three Cliffs Bay on the Gower Peninsula, was founded in 1886. The seventh hole alone may be worthy of a trip half way round the world. The seventh fairway is framed by a ruined church on one side and the ruins of Pennard Castle on the other. The green hangs on a ledge overlooking the bay. If that’s not enough, then the par-5 16th hole has bay views that may stop your golf game for a while.

Holes 1-5 are a welcoming start to your golf day, then 6-10 play over much harsher undulating land and 11-18 provide the grand finish.
Authentic links is the sandy soil that is the buffer between land and sea. What is unusual here at Pennard, is that this soil has been blown onto the bluffs up to 200 feet about sea level. Many would say playing Pennard is a bit like playing on the moon. It certainly is dramatic. We were fortunate that Jeff Joseph, a former captain of the club, joined us on the front nine and helped us find our way around this course. We did have a yardage book and there are aim posts on many of the holes, but there are plenty of blind shots here and several holes, like seven and eight, that move like a rollercoaster, or maybe more like a pinball machine. The fairways undulate and tumble through hillocks, hummocks and dunes. I rarely had a flat lie, but that may be one of the charms of Pennard. The greens were in terrific shape and the sand (I was in one too many bunkers) was quite playable.

One interesting aspect of Pennard is the land has what they call “commoner rights”. That allows for hikers, horseback riders and even some cows to roam the course. There are short fences around the greens to keep the cattle from grazing. You will rarely find a course like this, and if you are anywhere near here, you gotta come experience it. But be prepared for a challenging walk. I would love to come back and take this on after having seen it once.

Pennard, like many clubs in the UK, is private but welcomes guests and the public to play.
40 GBP on weekdays and 60 GBP on weekends.
www.pennardgolfclub.com

Park Plaza Hotel Cardiff
This was a wonderful welcome to Wales, right in the heart of the city. It is a contemporary, boutique hotel with all modern amenities, including a fitness center, swimming pool, steam bath and whirlpool, delicious restaurant, and a very helpful staff.

www/parkplazacardiff.com

Coed-y-Mwstwr Hotel in Coychurch
This is a quaint 35-room European hotel of distinction and a golfers’ favorite. Located outside of Coychurch, it is an old manor house built in 1888 for the Arthur John Williams family. If you want a quiet countryside retreat, this has all the charm, comfort and tradition you can ask for. The stained glass windows and floral fabrics help make it a cozy, peaceful respite on the hillside.

Enjoy menu selections of Welsh Lamb Rump, Loin of Breconshire Venison, or hearty Cottage Pie with Creamy Mash after a long walk on the links, or bathe in the steam and sauna before retiring. Just ask our stuffed animal—a dog named Cayuga whose collar reads, “Put me outside of your room if you do not wish to be disturbed, and let sleeping dogs lay.”

www.coed-y-mwstwr.com

Cafe Valance in Mumbles
This was, by far, the best accommodation we had on this trip. We just loved it. It is in Mumbles, just down the road from Swansea, a very quaint beach town with wonderful shopping and great activities. Cafe Valance is a coffee shop, restaurant, and four-room hotel. The rooms have all been remodeled and the service is wonderful. So wonderful that when we asked for directions to the gas station, Andy, the proprietor, said, “I will get in the car with you and show you the way.” Now that’s service!! The dinner was wonderful too.

How did a town like Mumbles get its name? There are two islands off the coast that look like breasts and when the Romans landed here centuries ago they named it using the Latin word for breasts, which now translates to Mumbles. The tide in the channel here has nearly 35 feet of tidal change, one of the largest in the world. When the tide is high, the coast line is especially beautiful.

www.cafevalance.com

Golf in Wales is a treat. It may be as good as Ireland or Scotland at a fraction of the cost and much closer proximity to London.

Golf in Mississippi or is Mississippi burning up?

“To understand the world you must first understand a place like Mississippi”—William Faulkner


When I say burning up, I mean temperature. The state of Mississippi has changed dramatically from what was depicted in the film Mississippi Burning, but it’s still stifling in summer. It’s the middle of July and it’s just plain hot and humid—not too steamy, though, to play a few of Mississippi’s wonderful golf courses.

If you like our blues, you will love our greens
Spring and fall are the prime seasons here, but whenever you come, you’ll find lots to do between rounds. Some of the major artists of the 20th century were from Mississippi: Elvis Presley, born in Tupelo; Tennessee Williams, born in Columbus; William Faulkner, born in Oxford; and B. B. King, who first saw light in Indianola. There are fascinating museums at each of these birthplaces. Having promoted many concert dates with BB King, and getting to know him as well as I did, I especially wish I had had time to visit his museum, which gives a taste of the social history of the Mississippi Delta and a firsthand account of Riley B. King’s life on the farm as a sharecropper and all the way through to his worldwide fame as a musician.

People have referred to Mississippi as the birthplace of American music, The fact that it is home to to such music greats as Tammy Wynette, Faith HIll, Jimmy Rogers, Bo Didley and Willie Dixon may be evidence enough of that.

But back to business. Where should you be making tee times in Mississippi? There are some great choices.

Old Waverly Golf Club

Old Waverly in West Point, just two hours south of the Memphis airport, hosted the 1999 U.S. Women’s Open and has been rated in Golf Digest’s top 100—and you can play it. Old Waverly gets nearly half of its revenue from guest play, mostly thru stay and play packages at the club’s own lodgings—townhomes, cabins, and cottages that can accommodate over 100 people. Given the reasonable prices and the wonderful course designed by Jerry Pate and Bob Cupp, Old Waverly is a real deal.

Lake Waverly, a forty-acre lake is the centerpiece of this development with holes 10,11,12,17 and 18 playing along its shores. There are several other small lakes on the property, so water is in play on many holes. Greens are very firm and very fast, even after a downpour of rain, we went back out and they remained firm and fast. The fairways are generous and play well, most of the holes are tree lined and the sand is extremely well maintained.

The clubhouse at Old Waverly was built when the course opened but as you wander through, it looks and feels like an old southern Antebellum home, a bit like walking onto the set of Gone with the Wind. Even the dining room is built with such an intimate look, it feels as though you are eating in someone’s home.

In the proshop,there is a framed display of 4 signed golf gloves. The plaque reads: The only 4 men to ever win all 4 major championships Gene Sarazan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan. Conspicuously missing , is Tiger Woods. I assume this went up before Tiger accomplished this ,and when he was in Mississippi for rehab, he just didn’t have time to get over to Old Waverly to sign a glove.


If you go: www.oldwaverly.com
662-494-6463
Unaccompanied guest fees $165.00, but check out their stay and play packages.



Dancing Rabbit Golf Club at Pearl River Resort, Choctaw MS

Dancing Rabbit sits on ancestral lands of the Mississippi band of Choctaw Indians, and was named for its location along the banks of the Big and Little Dancing Rabbit Creeks. Many casinos now come with golf courses, but few have two courses of such high caliber—The Azaleas and The Oaks, both designed by acclaimed golf course designer Tom Fazio and PGA great Jerry Pate. They both play from about 7100 yards down to 5000 yards so there is plenty of challenge for all levels of players.

Towering pines and stunning Oaks frame both of these courses, and today I am thankful for that, because it 95 degrees with over 90% humidity and the shade on the cart paths is a lifesaver.

The courses are very different. For starters, the Oaks fairways are Zoysia grass with bermuda greens. Azaleas, on the other hand, has bermuda fairways and bent grass greens. These two types of grasses play very differently. Bent grass is difficult to grow in extreme heat, so its an uncommon grass in this climate.
Every hole at Dancing Rabbit is a work of art laid upon land that is wrapped in over 5 miles of meandering spring-fed streams. Most of these beauties will leave an indelible mark on your memory.

The Oaks meanders through many elevation changes with some outstanding views. As you stand on most of the tee boxes the holes lay out clearly in front of you. The Par threes are all down hill to stunning framed greens. And Tom Fazio sure knows how to bring excitement to drivable short par fours.
Azelias is rated as more difficult and it is. The fairways are tighter and with the bermuda fairways and bentgrass greens almost every approach is likely to take one more club than would be the case on The Oaks.

There are 8 sleeping rooms in the clubhouse, and it’s a very charming place to stay. Having experienced this I will take staying in a clubhouse like this over a hotel any day. There is also one 3 bedroom house on property which is a nice way to go as well. You can always stay at the Casino hotel, which is nice, but you can find accommodations like that anywhere. If you go, stay in the clubhouse!! You won’t regret it.

Restaurants-- There are several here to choose from, in the clubhouse and in the casino offering a large variety of food choices. But Miko Steakhouse, their upscale steakhouse is fabulous. The ribeye steak accompanied by a sweetcorn soufle may be worth the visit all by itself.

If you love gambling, then you have come to the right place. They not only have plenty of slot machines but all the table games as well.
www.dancingrabbitgolf.com
601-663-0011



Annandale Golf Club
Annandale Golf Club, just outside of Jackson, is an early Jack Nicklaus design. The Viking Classic is being played there this week and several golf travel writers on this trip are playing in the pro-am. Our team teed off at 8:30 am with Chris Riley. His regular caddie was off this week, so his wife Michelle was on his bag. She was a great competitive golfer in her day, playing not only on her college team but on an LPGA mini tour as well. It was interesting to watch her gather the yardage and map pin positions and green slope information that Chris would need later that week for the competition.

This is the first Pro-am I have ever played in and I have to say it is a real treat. The gifts alone are worth it, but the best part is playing with a pro. There is no other sport where you can play alongside a pro and once you do stand there, you really appreciate the vast difference between their skill level and the skill level of us average Joe golfers.

The southern hospitality really shone through in this event as well. The volunteers did not have signs that read “Quiet.” Instead they read “Hush Y’all.” The service was fabulous, the food was non stop and we truly felt welcome at every turn.

Southern hospitality was king, not only at the Viking Classic, but throughout Mississippi. It is a much more interesting state than I had imagined. Just do your best to avoid the heat of the summer, unless you are headed to the gulf coast.

www.VisitMississippi.org



Larry Berle is a travel writer who writes on many travel topics but specializes in golf travel.  He is author of A GOLFERS DREAM: HOW A REGULAR GUY CONQUERED THE GOLF DIGEST LIST OF AMERICAS TOP 100 GOLF COURSES.   Learn more about his book at www.GolfersDreamBook.com and from there you can also access his travel blog.

Park City Utah golf part 2

Park City Golf Club (formerly Park City municipal)

Park City Golf Club is located right in the middle of Park City, snuggled up close to the base of Park City Ski resort. In fact, part of the course is used as for cross country skiing in the winter.
First of all, this is a very walkable course, with some elevation changes, but not so much as to make it unwalkable. There is water on many holes here. The streams today are rushing very quickly as the snow melt from the winter tumbles down from the mountains. There is so much snow melt, that one fairway is partly underwater (not enough to make the hole unplayable and a couple spots where they had to do some light sandbagging to keep the tee box from flooding.)
It plays from 6622 yards to 5558 yards, a good challenge for most players (possible exception the longest of hitters).

The front nine is enjoyable but the back nine is in better condition and the holes are more interesting. More elevation change, playing along the back of the hotel and condos and just a prettier stroll in the park. It is certainly not the least expensive public course in the valley but still a good value at
$43 to walk plus $14 per person for a cart. Rates go down by $11.00 after 3:00 PM.


Promontory
Promontory, just outside of Park City UT, is a 10 square mile development. It is designed to appeal to golfers and non-golfers alike and it certainly does that. If they build a grocery store in here--you may never have to leave.
There are currently two golf courses, one designed by Pete Dye which opened in 2002 and the other designed by Jack Nicklaus opened in 2007.
They plan 3 more, the next one will be designed by Tom Weiskopf.

Promontory is private, with an initiation fee just over $100,000 and monthly dues of $650 but the Dye course takes 8 public tee times per day (32 players) at $200.00 a round. There are currently 400 members and the membership is growing, even in this flat economy. Custom homes start in the $900,000 range and home sites start at $300,000. The master plan calls for 1900 homes. AS of Jan 2011 783 have been sold

The two courses couldn’t be any more different. First of all the views from all over the property are expansive and breathtaking. I am sure there are spots where you can see for 30 or 40 miles. Every tee box is a picture postcard, and most of the holes are downhill, so you can see clearly the hole as it lays out in front of you.
The Dye course takes you on an elevation rolller-coaster ride through a desert meadow on the front 9, with the back 9 taking you through sage covered mountain valleys. There is plenty of elevation change and rarely a flat lie.
The Nicklaus course, in contrast has generous flat fairways, (that Jack makes look narrow from the tee) half as many bunkers but 15 holes where water comes into play. The water brings an entire new level of beauty to this course. The true challenge is the green complexes. It has been rated as the toughest course in Utah.In 2009 it was awarded #3 Best New Private Course by Golf Digest.
This is only the second course I have been to that is over 8000 yards from the tips (8098) but remember the ball flys 10% further at this altitude and there are many sets of tees to make this playable for all levels.


If you visit www.promontoryclub.com and click come for a weekend getaway, two people can stay here for three nights in a luxury 3 bedroom cabin, golf for two and complete access to the clubs amenities for $499. When you consider the golf is $200.00 a round then you are getting this luxury home for $50.00 a night and full access to all the other club activities.

Golf is only one thing here--Here are some of the others. A world class fitness center with a ski trainer like I have never seen before, A kids cabin with more kids activities than you can shake a stick at. An Equestrian center. On July 4 they announced the building of “the shed” it will have basketball, bowling, movie theatre, sports bar, arts studio and more.
Do I even have to mention the world class spa? There is Tennis, snow shoeing, sledding and tubing, mountain biking ice skating and guided hiking (over 50 miles of private trails), fly fishing with a guide all right on property.

World class skiing is 20 minutes away in Park City and the Salt Lake City airport is less than 30 minutes away
If your social life revolves around your house and you dont like a day full of activities, this is not the place for you.

They had a very clever event here last week. On June 21, the longest day of the year, they set the Nicklaus course up to play as the longest course in the world at approx 8400 yards (the very back of every back tee). Now that is a solstice celebration, if I ever saw one.

www.promontoryclub.com
435-333-4022

Park City Utah golf part 3

Victory Ranch Club
There is a reason that Rees Jones has been called “The Open Doctor” and that the USGA uses him to redesign many of the U.S. Open venues. Simply put, Rees has quite a vision and that is why Victory Ranch hired him to design this golf course. Lets start with Rees Jones design philosophy. He says “Primarily, the style of a course is dictated by the contours of the land. The importance of the visual impact of a golf hole from the tee should never be underestimated.”
This mountain course definitely accomplishes both of these philosophical statements.
Victory Ranch is in Kamas UT (but to most golfers is in the Park City cluster of golf courses), sits 12 miles from the center of Park City. It opened as a private club, which it still is, in fall of 2009. The entire Victory Ranch development is 5600 acres, over half of which is and will remain protected land. It offers magnificent sweeping views of the surrounding mountains for at least 20 miles at some points.

Almost every hole plays somewhat down hill so you can see exactly what lays in front of you. Number 12 was the only hole where I stood on the tee box and was not sure if it was a dog leg right or left. All the holes are wonderful, but as is often the case the par fives and especially the par threes are spectacular.
As you stand on the picture postcard Number six tee box, a par three ranging from 104-235 yards across a cavernous gorge, you have to wonder “just how did a course architect stand here and envision a golf hole?” And this hole has 9 different tee boxes for different wind conditions. This is only one of three par threes that play over a gorge or old stone quarry.

The lack of trees and buildings makes everything appear farther than it is. A couple par five greens appear to be over a mile away from their tee boxes--but they are not. The course plays 7599 yards down to 5422 I played 6726) which is long for me but keep in mind that at almost 7,000 feet of elevation the ball travels over 5% further.
You would be hard pressed to find a stretch of holes as impressive as Victory Ranches three closing holes.Number sixteen, an uphill 520 yard par five, seems to hang on a cliff on one side and is framed by a canyon wall on the other. climbing its way to a narrow steep green. Choose one of eleven tee boxes on the par three number seventeen from 242 yards or less while you stand on the highest spot on the course, and prepare to hit across an old rock quarry. This can be quite intimidating when the wind is blowing as hard as it was this afternoon. Number 18 tumbles down the hill back home to finish out a wonderful day on the golf course. It’s 465 yards from the member tees (520 from the tips) but if you catch the hill just right you may have only 150 yards in.

Few trees, few houses, no problem! Almost all the holes are framed by sage and colorful heather which appeared like a moving Monet painting as the wind picked up. The Upper Provo River, which runs through the property was rushing full steam as the snow melt crashes down from the surrounding mountains. No wonder Golfweek named it “Top 10 Best New Courses in the Country”


In spring of 2013 March madness will descend on Salt Lake City and a planning meeting must be underway because there was a small NCAA tournament behind us and one of the foursomes had Jim Nantz, best known for years of being the broadcast voice of the Masters and Sean McMannus chairman of CBS Sports. When the wind wasn’t howling, it was as if I could hear the famous hushed tones of Jim Nantz speaking softly into a microphone as my 40 foot putt fell into the hole.

It is not a busy place, only 60 members so far, so in these tough economic times they have hired OB Sports to manage the facility and allow public to play as “club guests” at $150.00 a round (but get a replay rate within 48 hours for $50). If you pick the right day and time it will be like your own private course
Its worth the trip to Park City-- so just get on a plane and go play it.


Victory Ranch Club phone 435-785-5030
or visit www.victoryranchclub.com