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Golf Destinations

Looking to plan your next golf trip? Look no further than the following articles!

When Golf & Skiing Tied the Knot

December 21, 2011 | By Greg D'Andrea | 1 Comment

DCP_4332
Okemo Valley Golf Club (photo by Greg D’Andrea)

As we push into late December, I’m constantly reminded (via radio, TV and billboard advertisements) that besides being the holiday season, it’s also skiing season. Here in New England, the prime ski location is Vermont – and one such ski mecca in the Green Mountain State is a place called Okemo.

Okemo’s advertisements are everywhere – images of snowboarders getting major air on a halfpipe or a family of four gliding cheerfully down a picturesque slope. But this excitement conjures up nada in me. Nope, when I hear the name “Okemo” I immediately think summertime and envision one of the top golf courses in Vermont.

In case you haven’t guessed, I’m not a skier. I’ve never been skiing and have never really had any desire to attempt it. But the irony is, I’ve been to some awesome ski resorts. Let’s take Okemo as an example – what was once a name only recognizable by skiers, now boasts several accolades…for golf:

  • Best Public Course in Vermont, 2006 Golfweek
  • Top 50 Courses in America, 2003 Golf For Women
  • Top Modern Club in Vermont, Golfweek
  • Best New Course in America nominee, Golf Digest

When you think about it, it makes sense to put a golf course at a ski resort. But what’s interesting is golfing at ski resorts is a relatively new phenomenon. According to the April/May 2011 edition of Cigar Aficionado, turning a ski resort into a year-round attraction is big business – for both the resort and the surrounding towns:

All of the big ski resort operators such as Intrawest, Aspen Skiing Co., Vail Resorts and Boyne Resorts, along with many smaller peers, have turned their focus from selling lift tickets to selling real estate. To do this, they have had to offer more than just skiing. The new mountain town mantra is “lifestyle,” and for more than a decade, once sleepy or even chichi ski towns have been busy repositioning themselves as year-round centers of sport and culture, building performing arts centers, sushi bars, bike trails, village centers, parks, ziplines and, most of all, golf courses.

To me this is extremely smart. Not just because of the obvious (that you can stay open year-round), but because I feel golfers and skiers are cut from a different cloth. Sure there may be some overlap, but for the most part, skiers are adventurers, while golfers are more pragmatic. Economically, this is a brilliant marriage, because the ski resort is not only reaching more people, but also reaching different types of people.

But the golfers have it slightly better (as the Cigar Aficionado article acknowledges):

[Ski towns] are famous around the globe and synonymous with luxury vacation hospitality, but even in ski season, most of their appeal and most of the time spent by visitors is off the slopes. All of these ancillary benefits, from fine dining to five-star lodging, can still be enjoyed in golf season, though without the crowds—and usually at much more reasonable prices.

And this is true – my experience playing at ski resort courses has always been great golf, at a great price, in a relaxed and quite atmosphere. Of course, as more people begin realizing these ski resort golf courses are out there, the more busy they will become.

But for now, the fact that these places have two very distinct atmospheres (depending on when you visit) will remain intact. For example, when you click on Okemo’s website during the winter, you don’t even realize they have a golf course! It’s as if they’re marketing department has recognized the two clientele are complete opposites.

Click on that same URL in the summer, and the golf course takes center stage. I’ve actually had conversations with skiers who mention Okemo and I’ll say something like “Oh, I love Okemo!” And they’ll look at me rather puzzled – they’ll ask: “I thought you didn’t ski?”

I guess the marketing is working.

Filed Under: Golf Destinations, The Economics of Golf Tagged With: aspen, cigar aficionado, okemo, ski resort, Vermont

The Other Golf Holes We Want To Play

August 15, 2011 | By Chris Chirico | 4 Comments

Pebble_Beach_Golf_Links,_hole_7
Pebble Beach – 7th Hole (photo by Metallion / CC BY-SA 3.0)

The 7th at Pebble Beach. It’s definitely one of the most recognizable holes in golf. Any major golf publication has emblazoned this image into the minds of its readers. Every golfer, stinky or not, would like to play this hole at least once in their golfing lives…hopefully more.

Along with this hole are a few of the others which the golfing media has spotlighted as “legendary.” Holes such as the 17th at The Old Course, the 13th at Augusta or the 17th at Sawgrass. All of these holes are famous for one reason or another, and all are holes we want to play someday.

But maybe I look at this a little differently. Don’t get me wrong, I would love to play all of these holes. But the way I see it, some of these holes simply have something intangible attached to them rather than actually being a “cool golf hole.” The Old Course for instance; I’ve never played it (would love to though!), but seeing it on TV…I don’t find it to be particularly attractive. But I also understand, that’s not why people want to play it.

Similar to the Old Course is the 13th at Augusta. While it’s a very pretty hole and it, again, has that historical significance, in then end.., it’s just a pretty hole.

When I think of some holes I would like to play, I think of the holes I mentioned earlier and a few more that many may or may not be on the list of most golfers. For instance:

Legend Golf Safari Resort
Legend Golf Safari Resort

This is a hole that’s gotten a lot of attention over the past year or so. It’s the 19th hole at South Africa’s Legend Golf & Safari Resort. While it’s more of a gimmick hole, I don’t care. It’s quite possibly the most unique golf hole on the planet. The green, shaped like the continent on which it lies, is best viewed from the tee box area, which just so happens be located on a cliff, 1,400 feet above. I know what you’re thinking – “Who the hell wants to walk all the way up there?” Well, fret not friends…the helicopter ride up and down is included in your $220 greens fee. Now that’s cool.

But maybe you’re afraid of heights. Maybe you don’t like helicopters. Maybe you’d just rather hit at one of those cool-shaped greens from a “normal” tee box. Well, check out this shapely green at Washington’s Apple Tree Resort:

Apple Tree Resort

Yeah, it’s gimmicky also. It’s a large island green. It’s an apple. But you have to admit…it’s pretty cool. I don’t believe it’s of any historical significance, and I’m sure the only story behind it is to pay tribute to the apple growing regions of Washington, from where 58% of commercially grown apples in the U.S. come. But again, that’s not what matters. What matters here is that it’s a cool hole to play.

But another hole that’s pretty high up on my list resides in the golfing mecca that is…Idaho, home to the Coeur d’Alene Resort Golf Course.

Now, island greens just don’t have the same allure to me that they used to. I live not more than 20 minutes from a pretty average course which features an island green. So seeing that an average course in the area can pull it off, the idea of an island green has lost some of its luster in my mind. Maybe that’s part of the reason why I really like the island at Apple Tree mentioned above. But here at Coeur d’Alene, this island green ain’t just another island green:

Coeur d’Alene Golf

Nope, this is the world’s only floating island green. And when they say island, they mean island. See that boat slip to the right? There ain’t no land bridge here, friends. But wait, there’s more. This par-3 averages 147 yards. I say “averages” because, get this (if you don’t already know), the island moves! Everyday, the computer controlled island is in a different place! One day the hole can play 95 yards. Play it again the following day, and it may be 200! Now that…is a cool hole.

It’s one of the things I love about this sport – the variety. While the same courses, year after year, magazine issue after magazine issue, are drilled into our heads, there are so many great courses and great holes out there just waiting to be played. Some of them may not be on the Top 100. But that doesn’t make these hidden gems any less great. It’s just up to us to get out and play them.

So maybe the next golf trip you plan could or should be somewhere other than Florida or Myrtle Beach. Maybe places like Idaho and Washington (among many others) are worth a look. If variety is the spice of life, then it certainly should be the spice of your golfing life as well.

Swing ’til you’re happy!

Filed Under: Golf Destinations Tagged With: Apple Tree Resort, Coeur d'Alene, Legend Golf Safari Resort, Pebble Beach

Purple Mountains Majesty: Golf New Mexico

January 13, 2010 | By Greg D'Andrea | Leave a Comment

Please forgive me if I insult your intelligence, but in 1912 New Mexico became the 47th state admitted to the Union. If I took a mulligan every time someone asked me back East: “Now, what’s the difference between Mexico and New Mexico,” I’d have a scratch handicap.

New Mexico: The Land of Enchantment. It’s home to the oldest state capitol (Santa Fe); the roadrunner (beep, beep); and green chile (wow, that’s hot)! It’s a state that defines the American landscape; a place that inspires the artist in all of us; and a terrain that flowers two of the top public tracks in the country: Paa-ko Ridge Golf Club and Black Mesa Golf Club.

Paa-ko Ridge is ranked 28th on Golf Magazine’s Top 100 Courses You Can Play, and at $90 during the week, this course is a steal (I’d pay $90 for the scenery alone)! Nestled in a new community between Albuquerque and Santa Fe, you’re absorbed in rugged mountains and high-desert terrain. It truly is a sight to behold. But beyond the aesthetics, Paa-ko is a nice challenge too. The course offers five tee boxes, and plays 7,562 yards from the tips with a slope of 138 (don’t worry about length – at an altitude of 7,000 feet, you’ll be setting your personal driving-distance record).

Meanwhile, Black Mesa (ranked #36), is the newer of the two young courses (2003 vs. Paa-ko’s 2000), and is a mere $82 to play during the week. Just a short drive north of Santa Fe, Black Mesa sits outside the town of Española. The course’s fairways are encompassed by arroyos, while many of the holes are surrounded by canyons and jagged mountains – all part of a landscape native Pueblo Indians have enjoyed for centuries. Black Mesa is not as long as Paa-Ko, but it plays a little tougher, with a slope of 141 from the back tees (7,307 yards).

While Arizona is a typical golf destination for many northerners, New Mexico should not be overlooked – the golf, food, and prices are completely worth it. Stay a week and go whitewater rafting on the Rio Grande, and play other notable courses in the area like Twin Warriors and the Towa Golf Resort. Hit the casinos at night and don’t forget to eat. New Mexican cuisine is like none-other. A must-stop in Santa Fe is Tomasita’s (have the stuffed Sopaipillas) and when near Albuquerque, try El Pinto (the chile rellenos are pretty darn good). But beware – whichever chile you choose for your meal (red or green), it will be HOT.

New Mexico golf in general, but Paa-ko Ridge and Black Mesa especially, have what many golf course designers long for: an awesome location. These courses will capture your imagination on every hole and around every corner awaits a new challenge with another spectacular view. Golfing in New Mexico is an experience that needs to be realized by every stinky golfer in this land.

For more New Mexico trip info, please click HERE.

Filed Under: Golf Destinations Tagged With: black mesa, el pinto, Golf Magazine, new mexico, paa-ko ridge, tomasita, top 100 courses, twin warriors

Golfing in Arizona

October 27, 2009 | By Golf Stinks | 1 Comment

Golfing in Arizona is the most amazing thing this time of the year.

The weather is perfect. No one is passing out from 115-degree temps. The snowbirds have not yet arrived so the courses are not crammed with oldsters. Prices are extraordinary. You can get green fees and a cart at public courses for $35 to $45–and cheaper depending on the course.

I played Mesa del Sol in Yuma on Friday and had a great time except that my driver totally bailed on me. Generally my driving is the best part of my game. But I couldn’t get anything off the tee box. My timing was a total wreck. But my short game showed up out of nowhere. I was plunking greens from 100 yards and inside with ease–not my usual chunking and skulling.

So I ended up shooting my standard 101. It goes to show that this game is as fickle as anything.

Filed Under: Golf Destinations Tagged With: arizona, mesa del sol, yuma

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