Bruce on Golf

Mystical Myrtle Beach Experience

2011-02-23T10:27:00.003-07:00

For many Canadians, Myrtle Beach is a rite of passage: a spring break destination, a buddies golf getaway or simply a retirement mecca. Located just south of the state line with North Carolina, it has always understood its price point as a value destination for Canadians that can be easily accessed by car or air for a weekend, a week or even the winter season.

The city has come a long way from its honky-tonk beach image in the 60s and 70s, with accommodation from very basic up to luxury-- all at a price that competes well with Florida to the south. While Canadians make up just three percent of the area’s visitors, that still constitutes an impressive 300,000 visitors annually-- a number local operators would be happy to increase.

Affordable golf at its 101 courses is Myrtle Beach’s calling card. A trio of local courses run by Mystical Golf sum up the Myrtle Beach golf for both playability and value. The Wizard, the Witch and Man O’War-- designed by Dan Maples-- express the different aspects of local golf as they weave through the Georgia pines and swamps that cover the region.

The Witch is a 6796-yard descent into low swamp and wetland through an impenetrable forest that recalls Civil War battles like the Wilderness. Eagles and buzzards lazily circle the lush front nine that provides an isolation and tranquility even on a busy day. Course employees are suitably respectful of the inky-black dark when it descends here, giving the course back to the creatures of the night.

After the low-lying front nine, the back nine features greater elevation changes as players work through forest dotted with flowering azaleas and dogwood in season. The 520-yard hole No. 11 typifies the rolling fairways on the bask side. If you’re wayward with your driver, the Witch will put a nasty spell on your score.

The Wizard and Man O’War run beside one other on a piece for land that was once pine forest and lakes but now tends toward a spare linksland topography. The Wizard plays a deceptive 6721 yards from the back tees and features large receiving fairways framed by rolling hillocks of rye grass and bermuda. The bent-grass greens are unusual for a climate that saw 54 straight days of temperatures above 30 C. this past summer. But they run true and quick.

The back nine at the Wizard (the clubhouse is designed like a wizard’s castle-- honestly) is perhaps the best nine on the property as it winds between the rolling dunes. The 518-yard No. 14 plays long and tight to a tiered green. Next to the Witch, the wizard’s subtle fairways and lack of water can lull you into a false sense of security.

Wind and water is a major component of 6967-yard -yard Man O’ War, however. Located right next door, it features the classic forced carries and fairways bordered by the vast lake that meanders through the property. The 392-yard No. 9 embodies the Man O’ War credo as players tee off into a fairway that doglegs--bordered on both sides by water. the fairway narrows at a green flanked by pines. The tiered green is an island that just out into the lake. Par is a worthy accomplishment when the wind howls into your face.

The philosophy of the courses, says Mystical’s owner Claude Pardue, is to provide a challenging experience but leave visitors with positive images of the courses. “We want them to leave feeling challenged by the courses but not beaten up by them. We like it when our players score well.”

Winter prices for Canadians are tempting. Play 3 rounds of golf for as little as $143.00 per person carts included before 8 am or after 1 pm , until September 7, 2011 playing each of The Witch, The Wizard and the Man O' War. As a book-it-online package just pick your dates till September 7, 2011, they'll find the times - making sure you pick times before 8 am or after 1 pm.

PGA National's Quintet of Beauties

2011-02-23T10:12:00.002-07:00

For a sport routinely identified with privilege, golf has a wonderful democratic streak. While all the money on the world won’t let you throw a pitch from the mound at Fenway Park or skate in a game at the Air Canada Centre, recreational golfers can tee it up on the holiest of the holies such as Pebble Beach, the Old Course in St. Andrews, TPC at Sawgrass or Banff Springs.

That fantasy player experience extends to the PGA National Resort’s famed Champion Course, home of next month’s Honda Championship (March 3-6) in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. The Tom and George Fazio design-- updated in the 2002 by local resident Jack Nicklaus-- has hosted the Honda tournament, the 1983 Ryder Cup, the 1987 PGA Championship and the PGA Seniors championship (1982-2000).

With its renowned Bear Trap (holes 15 through 17) featuring some of golf's most challenging par-three approaches, the Champion has become a bucket-list destination for Canadian golfers looking to test themselves against the best. The Champion features water on 16 of its holes. Add in Florida breezes, white sand and heat and you have 5145- 7048 yards of challenge to satisfy golfers at all levels.

For the real Tour experience, try walking the course with caddies to simulate the tournament feel. You may not score four straight 68s or better (as 2010 Honda winner Camilo Villegas did) but you can try his patented Spiderman stance lining up a putt on the Champ’s testing greens. To complete the experience, the resort has a Honda Classic package with unlimited one-day play at the Champion, carts, accommodation, breakfast and practice facilities that ranges from $210 (low season) to $315 (high season).

The new PGA Resort owners have spent $65 million since acquiring the four diamond, triple A property in 2006 to replace the greens with Tif Eagle grass that allows for a bent-grass experience in a climate where Bermuda usually holds sway. For a little extra you can get a caddie to line them up for you.

But the Champion is just the beginning of the experience at the Resort, which features four other courses. The 7079-yard Palmer course with its new Champion Bermuda greens is an ideal resort course known for its distinctive cochina shell hazards.

The Squire (named for Gene Sarazen) plays a tight 7048 yards to challenging Tif Dwarf greens, while the Haig (for Walter Hagen) features forgiving fairways for the casual round among friends. A fifth course, the Estates, is located nearby the resort for players wanting a new experience every day. All the resort courses feature a range of tee boxes to accommodate every skill level.

In addition, PGA National features a David Leadbetter Golf Academy (run by former Chateau Whistler instructor Matt Denzer), a Dave Pelz Scoring School and Titleist Performance Institute to brush up on your game. If a workout is required, there’s the newly remodeled Health and Racquet Club, a 33,000-square-foot fitness center that includes tennis and racquetball courts. And the Spa can soothe sore muscles with a range of service from Swedish massage to pedicures and facials.

With the well-known attractions of the nearby beaches and resorts as competition, the PGA National has poured much care and attention into renovations of its rooms, restaurants, conference and recreation areas. A new chef, Irishman Gordon Maybury, was lured from Doral in Miami to upgrade the menus of the resort’s restaurants. On a recent visit the upgrades were apparent with two splendid restaurants – iBAR and Ironwood Grille – and a zero-entry pool providing a beautiful place to while away a 19th hole experience.

PGA National is a short 15 minute drive from Palm Beach International airport with daily direct flights from Montreal and Toronto.

The Links of Spanish Bay/ Bayonet

2009-08-10T12:17:00.010-06:00

There is an understandable tendency to see Pebble Beach as defining Monterey golf. But the peninsula has so much more than just the world-famous links that will host the 2010 U.S. Open. Spyglass, Cypress, Del Monte and Poppy Hills are all well-known, must-play courses on the 17-mile drive to the north side of Monterey Bay.

If you’re looking for a contrast in styles, however, visitors to northern California looking for public-play can do no better than the Links at Spanish Bay, Robert Trent Jones Jr.’s challenging course by the shore, and Bayonet, the refurbished parkland gem just inland north of Monterey airport. Contrasts in style, they round out any collection of the area’s best courses.

Spanish Bay (Tom Watson helped with the design) is part of the Pebble Beach Resort complex just past Pacific Grove on the peninsula’s north point. In keeping with the tradition of links courses, the 6820-yard layout plays along the beach next to the chilly Pacific waters. Like many of the better links courses, much of its charm and challenge lies hidden among the dunes and hummocks created by nature. The “blind” element of the course annoys some but is familiar-- and appreciated-- by others who’ve enjoyed the British style of golf.

Spanish Bay’s first nine holes run from just in front of the clubhouse along the water before finally turning inland on the back nine for a series of demanding tree-lined holes. Shot selection is imperative in navigating the tight confines of Spanish Bay’s fairways, and approach angle is critical to leaving the proper putt on the greens. Typical is the 451-yard par-4 No. Five (Blind Choice, ) which requires a tee shot to avoid the three pot bunkers in the middle of the fairway. The hole ends with the waves crashing on the shore below the green.

Among the memorable holes are No. 14, (Wind & Willow) a tight par five that descends 576 yards through the unspoiled brush and dunes to the ocean. Depending on the wind, this hole can play as a downwind teaser or a beast into the teeth of the Pacific winds. The green is poised above a series of sand traps that catch errant shots. A beautiful view from the tees, too.

No. 4 green,The Links At Spanish Bay (photo Bruce Dowbiggin)

Inland, the uphill par-four No. 12 (Cathedral) is another example of how Jones makes the golfer shape his shots. You need an accurate drive of around 220 yards into the right side of a narrowing fairway. That sets up a second shot across a deep ravine to a sloping green. Beware getting above the pin on this one.

Jones finishes off Spanish Bay with a series of narrow, target-sensitive holes running across the dunes below the resort. The finishing par 5 No. 18 (Long Home) is a 574-yard roller coaster that moves right to left along a narrow sliver of fairway that punishes a fade. You can try for it in two, but a band or gorse swallows short shots. The green is wide but shallow and getting on the wrong side of the hole can lead to all sorts of headaches.

Rounds at The Links at Spanish Bay are less expensive than at Pebble Beach and Spyglass but still cost a healthy $250 in high season. The best way to take advantage of Spanish Bay is to stay at the beautiful Inn and combine the stay with one or more of the other courses on the peninsula. For more phone (866) 939-6423 or go to pebblebeach.com.

Having belonged to a Willie Park Jr. course for years, we have to admit a certain weakness for the classic parkland course designs with their mature trees, sweeping fairways and testing greens. With the magnificent resource of statuesque cypress, oak and pine trees available in Northern California this has left the area with wonderful examples of parkland courses available to the public. This year’s President’s Cup is being played on such a course, San Francisco’s wonderful Harding Park course, just across Lake Merced from the legendary Olympic Club.

But Harding Park has strong competition from the recently refurbished Bayonet/ Black tandem in the Monterey suburb of Seaside. We only had the opportunity to play the 7104-yard Bayonet, the older of the courses that was completely restored by noted architect Gene Bates (Circling Raven, The Rise, Corballis Golf Links) in 2007 (front nine) and 2008 (back nine). Bayonet, which opened in 1954, was created on the site of the former Fort Ord and christened in honor of the 7th Infantry Light Fighter Division (nicknamed the “Bayonet Division”). Ken Venturi, then in the military, was consulted in the building.

Bayonet photos @ Julio Rodriguez
The routing has been changed by Bates, and new bunkering has toughened up the course. And while the course has added just 150 yards in total length, the removal of poa annua and Kikiyu grasses in the fairways has kept the experience difficult but fair. The appropriately named Bayonet can produce the death of a thousand cuts should players decide to venture into the statuesque trees that line virtually every fairway here or be swallowed in the snow-white sand that punctuates Bates’ design.

Bayonet’s new teeth show in the combined eighth and ninth holes that stretch a combined 1089 yards. The beastly No. 8 requires two lengthy shots to avoid the fairway bunkers and set up an approach. The green is narrow and provides a variety of pin positions so a proper distance read is imperative. The dogleg right, par-4 No. 9 follows to rock the unwary player. Playing uphill, it is almost impossible in two at 476 yards. Best to lay up and try for a well-earned up-and-down par.

Par threes? No. 17 is a downhill 225 yards from a beautiful tee box that overlooks the Pacific. The green runs away to the right behind dramatic bunkering so grab plenty of club for back pin positions should the wind blow. Plus, get a photo of the view.

You can’t get a stronger finisher than the 527-yard par-5 that plays into a steady wind off the water. Mere mortals are again advised to take this in three as the green has a ridge running through its middle that can make three putts a possibility for misplaced approaches. Bayonet is ranked No. 35 on Golf Digest's list of the "50 Toughest Golf Courses in the United States, and our recent round underscored that reputation. Tough but honest, Gene Bates has made the classic a must-play in the Monterey experience.

Bayonet is $160 during the weekends, $115 during the week. Afternoon, replay and junior rates are priced even lower. For more information, call 831-899-7271 (PAR-1)or email info@blackbayonet.com.

Pebble Beach

2009-07-26T18:34:00.005-06:00

The burden of greatness lies in living up to the expectations thrust upon you. Comedians talk about being funny all the time to please fans, while singers are never allowed to miss a note. Immortality comes not from meeting standards, but exceeding them. So then what are the expectations of perhaps the most famous golf course in North America, venerable Pebble Beach on the Monterey peninsula in northern California?

The credits are many. Host of the 2010 U.S. Open, annual home of the February AT&T National Pro Am stop on the PGA Tour, top of the “Bucket List” for every dedicated golfer-- Pebble Beach is the Mecca of golf courses. So are the challenges of every one’s imagination on the perfect course. Add the fact that a greens fee at the most famous public course in America is a healthy $475 U.S. to play Samuel F.B. Morse’s links course on the cliffs above the Pacific.

It’s a tall assignment. But from the first hole through to the legendary 18th stretching alongside Monterey Bay, Pebble Beach lives up to its reputation. Not easy for a course carved out of the rugged coastline in 1919 by Jack Neville and Douglas Grant when the sport and the equipment were very different. Pebble Beach Golf Links must host the everyday player as well as Tiger Woods. Yet, everyone seems to leave the property with the timeless gift only Pebble can bestow on a golfer.

That’s not to say Pebble Beach is a museum unchanged since the days when Bing Crosby hosted his annual “clambake” each February. As head pro Chuck Dunbar told us, “This is a living course that adapts as the years goes by-- but always retains its essential character as a test of golf.” As recently as 1999, this meant having Jack Nicklaus restore Morse’s original No. 5 par-three that was never executed in the building of the course 85 years ago.

A recent outing saw new trees planted beside the course, new flanging on the sand traps and some stretching of the length which is still listed as 6828 on the card. All to meet the challenge of the Open next year. Four greens and 16 bunkers have been rebuilt, altered or installed, 11 tees have benefited from enhancements, six holes have seen the addition or adjustment of trees (including Cypress) and the total length of the course has been extended to 7,012 yards for the pros who invade next June 14-20.

And when the United States Golf Association talks about challenge, they mean the most exacting test of golf. Brutal rough. Billiard-table greens. “The USGA says it doesn’t seek to punish golfers with its rough and setup,” says Dunbar. “They say instead that they are seeking to identify the best golfers with the setup for the Open. That’s not always easy for us, of course, We have to be a fair test for the celebrities who play the AT&T National Pro-Am and the golfing public. So we have to find a middle ground.”

Where to start in cataloguing Pebble Beach’s glories? Start with its greens, the
compact surfaces that exact a toll on even the slightest wayward shot. Approaching from too far or from the wrong angle-- or short-siding yourself in the bunker-- has vexed golfers from Bobby Jones through Arnold Palmer to today’s stars. These beauties are as elusive as the wind. Once planted on the putting surface, there is the added test of reading the lightning surfaces with their almost mystical breaks and grains. Take a caddie to read your putts; it’s worth the cost in frayed nerves alone.

For the holes, nothing quite matches the thrill as you emerge from the trees bracketing No. 4 tee box to see the signature lone cypress on the horizon cresting the point beside No. 6 green. Or the bracing challenge of playing holes 6 through 10 with the Pacific crashing at your side and the sea breeze buffeting your shots. The diabolically short par three No. 7 is a nautical challenge at 106 yards, gauging the wind ripping off the waves to land on a tight, two-tiered green.

After the brute par-five No. 14 and insidious dogleg on No. 16, players emerge once more from the inland holes to face perhaps the most memorable finishing hole in golf. The 543-yard eighteenth hole hugs the curve of the bay like a stave to a barrel. The two lonesome trees in the middle of the fairway can sour even a good drive as players find themselves either fading or drawing around them on the second shot to keep par in sight. Then there is the mighty tree standing sentinel to the right side of the green, forcing players to confront the sea wall and disaster.

And if the golf gets too be too daunting, there is always the splendor of the beaches below to soothe the weary golfer. Sea lions, seals and every manner of bird frolicking in the sand make golfing into a naturalist’s dream. A camera is the fourteenth club in every golfer’s bag the first time he or she makes it to play Pebble Beach.

As mentioned, the greens fee is formidable but that doesn’t dampen the enthusiasm of golfers who make their way from around the world to play this gem. Perhaps the best way to experience Pebble Beach-- or the other magnificent courses on the peninsula (Spyglass, Spanish Bay, Cypress and Del Monte)-- is to stay at either the Lodge at Pebble Beach or the Inn At Spanish Bay. Run by the same company that owns the course, these hotels are the ultimate in luxurious comfort for the traveller come to golf nirvana.

The hotels run frequent shuttles back and forth between Pebble Beach, Spyglass and Spanish Bay. They offer a range of excellent restaurants that feature local produce and the wines of California. There is a selection of shops featuring the latest golf fashions. And, of course, they can pamper golfers and non-golfers alike with spa treatments, yoga sessions and tennis. The Lodge and the Inn will be happy to coordinate your golf and other needs with packages designed for everyone.

A word of warning about weather. Autumn and early winter are often the sunniest months to play Pebble Beach. Summertime sees a lot of fog and cooler temperatures on the peninsula-- even as the land is baking just a few miles inland.

For more about golfing Pebble Beach or staying at either the Lodge or the Inn At Spanish Bay, contact the course at http://pebblebeach.com or phone 1-(800) 654-9300.

Iron Mountain/ GreyWalls Michigan Golf

2009-07-26T17:59:00.002-06:00

Iron Mountain, Michigan, is best known for its mines, its locally produced sports and entertainment heroes (Steve Mariucci, Tom Izzo, Diana Ross), its Italian heritage and for the simple life of the Upper Peninsula of the state. Oh-- Henry Ford was born here, too. The town of 7000 would hardly be described as a magnet for the golf crowd. Which is too bad because there are some fine courses that are well worth the trip.

Cut from the north-country forests just south of Lake Superior, TimberStone at Pine Mountain Resort is a challenging course that consistently ranks in the Top 100 public-play courses in America by Golf Digest. In fact ti’s one of just 24 courses in the nation to receive the five-star rating from the magazine.

Starting from the foot of the ski resort, the layout plays 6937 from the tips but can accommodate even the beginner with a great golf experience. It’s imperative to keep the ball in play on almost every hole, but the fairways are wide and responsive to a good shot.

Our favourite part of the course was probably the combination of holes No. 5 and 6 that skirt a large pond and are framed by woods full of deer and other wildlife. No. 5 is a par 5 that features the pond running along the left side of the fairway. To the right is a falloff into brush and trees. A good drive of 260 yards or more brings the green into play on the second shot. But there is no forgiveness in front for short shots. If unsure, best to lay up and approach the left-to-right sloping green with a wedge.

No. 6-- the No. 1 stroke hole-- requires a carry of 250 yards from the tips over water to reach the fairway. From there, the green is sunken into a slope, guarded by hills on both sides. Par here is worth bragging about.

If you like steep downhill par threes, then No. 17 will tickle you. From the tee box you can see for miles, but the drop required is 215 yards from the tips. There is a large trap guarding the green’s right side and woods surround the two-tiered putting surface. Depending on pin placement you could be hitting anywhere between a high iron to a hybrid to measure your shot properly.

If you can find the time, TimberStone at Pine Mountain is well worth the trip. Rates are very reasonable for a course rated on par with Whistling Straits and Pebble Beach-- $69 US low season/ $100 high season. Plus, Joe Rizzo and his staff will treat you well. The course is about two hours north of Green Bay, Wisc., and an hour from the Marquette Mich. International airport. You can get more details on travel packages by calling 906.776.0111 or emailing joe@pinemountainresort.com.

To the east in Marquette is GreyWalls, a beast of a course cut from the northern shield rock and scrub. The grey walls of the title refer to the omnipresent sheets of Northern Shield stone that guard greens, pop up in fairways and line most of the front nine. The back nine is more tree-lined and features rolling fairways and tricky changes in elevation.

Like TimberStone, GreyWalls has been widely recognized. GolfWeek named it the No. 2 course you can play in Michigan, and it was included in the Top Ten Best New Course listings of all the major golf publications when it debuted in 2005. While it plays a deceptive 6828 from the tips, the true story lies in its 144 slope rating.

Not for the faint of heart, it pays to have someone along who’s played the course before to explain the lines of sight and the best approaches to many of the greens designed by Mike DeVries. On the day we played we were lucky to be joined by New York Jets kicker Jay Feely, a member of the club and a scratch golfer. He was kind enough to steer us through the multiple challenges of GreyWalls.. The No. 1 stroke hole is the par-4 12th that plays a daunting 491 from the tips. It takes two mighty whacks to get there in two-- and if the wind is in your face, forget it. Two of the par threes involve forced carries of over 180 yards to greens cut out of the rock face. Miss the shot into the steep rock cut and it can rebound halfway back to the tee box. Perhaps the only disappointment was the par-five No. 18 that begins promisingly with a long tee shot into a stony chute but then finishes with an enormous, featureless green with no bunkering or hazards.

Bring plenty of balls and a creative imagination for GreyWalls. This one should include a sign that says “The Holes Are Played By Experts. Do Not Repeat At your Home Course”. GreyWalls can be reached via the Marquette airport with service from Detroit, Minneapolis and Green Bay. Canadians can drive over from Sault Ste,. Marie, Ont., a drive of a couple of hours. Rates range from $90 in low season to $125 in high season. For more call 1- 866.678.7171.

The Wilderness Club

2009-07-14T10:12:00.004-06:00

It’s a tough time to launch a recreational real-estate development based on a golf course. But if there’s any justice from the golfing side, the Wilderness Club, located just outside Eureka, Montana, will make it.

A 7000--yard-plus beauty from the tips, this Nick Faldo design weaves through two hundred acres of pine and lakes in the Tobacco Valley, just south of the Canadian border. Conceived as the centrepiece of a planned community, the course features changes in elevation, challenging fairways and enough wild grasses to snare any wayward shot. Faldo designed the course and, like its architect, the challenge to golfers is demanding, irascible and ultimately rewarding for golfers of any ability.

Indicative of how varied and challenging the holes are, the club promotes the long, downhill No. 9 and the short par-4 No. 10 as its signature holes. And while they’re both worthy-- the approach at No. 9 across a valley with water on the right is heart-pounding-- we found the series of three dogleg left par 4s on the course to be even more exciting.

In particular, the monster No. 16 (it stretches 456 yards from the tips) will leave a bruise on anyone who fails to hit two perfect approach shots. From an elevated tee box, players must draw the ball around a statuesque pine tree that guards the left side of the fairway. But pounding the ball to the right can bring sand traps and wild grasses into play. The approach is to an elevated green with a steep falloff in front and high rough to the right of the green. Once on, the pin position can be guarded by a dramatic swale in the green.

Likewise, the 450-yard No. 15 that precedes it requires a similar ball flight off the drive to a narrow neck in the fairway. From there the narrow green is protected by pine forest and more aggressive rough. The green is raked from back to front and guarded by sand traps.

On the front nine, hole No. 4 is a shorter par 4 at 400 yards. But the tee shot must thread a chute that is guarded on the left by a bunker and pine forest and, on the right, by a slope that kicks balls into the pine trees or-- oh no!-- the rough and wild grasses. The hole then gently curves left to a dramatically two-tiered green that is protected by a steep hill at the front that repels short shots.

Of the par threes, No. 7 is a 200-yard beast that requires a forced carry to the elevated green that is protected on the right by trees and a waste area that captures shots short and right. When the pin is in the back right par is a real accomplishment.

In all, The Wilderness Club is a tremendous test that will test your game and your nerve. The views from the top of the property of Lake Koocanusa and the surrounding valley are stunning. For more information on golf or the properties consult thewildernessclub.com.

Dancing Rabbit

2008-04-21T11:02:00.007-06:00

1) The Azaleas No. 15 at sunset
The Oaks, sandtrap No. 16
The Azaleas waterfall on No. 18

Yosemite Sam was often vexed by that Rascal Rabbit, Bugs Bunny. Too bad ol’ Sam never had the pleasure of chasing the Dancing Rabbit, the beautiful, challenging golf resort in Philadelphia, Mississippi. If a golfer is looking for a combination of golf and gaming in the warm hospitality of the South, Dancing Rabbit has everything you need. So much so that they’ve made all the lists for the Top Public or Resort Courses in the United States by the most influential golf magazines.

Named after the Dancing Rabbit Treaty between the Choctaws and the U.S. Government, Dancing Rabbit features twin 18-hole creations of Jerry Pate/ Tom Fazio. Called The Azaleas and The Oaks, they run through the tranquil forested hills of central Mississippi, in the Pearl River Indian Resort. For a golfer seeking the quintessential southern parkland golf experience, they are the next best thing to Augusta, winding past brilliant azaleas and dogwood bursting into bloom.

Built in 1997 (Azaleas) and 1999 (The Oaks) respectively, Dancing Rabbit’s two courses have very distinctive characters. Azalea is the lush, flower-spangled layout that runs 7128 yards from the tips (4909 from the front tees). With accepting fairways but plenty of trouble for wayward shots, The Azaleas features fewer elevation changes than The Oaks but might be the more challenging of the designs.

The 8th Hole, the No. 1 handicap hole, is a bracing par four that stretches 465 yards from the back tees. Errant drives are swallowed by a fairway hazard on the left side and overhanging pines down the right side. The green is a stingy 39 yards deep by 30 yards wide and is protected by a bunker front left. Take your par and smile.

Looking for a memorable par three? The seventh hole is a precise downhill carry 184 yards over wilderness to a shallow green. You need plenty of nerve to aim at the pin when it is tucked behind the yawning bunker front left.

The Oaks’ terrain changes and bunkering will be familiar to anyone who knows the other work by Fazio and Pate. After a carry over a long pond. the ninth hole rises gradually to a tricky green protected by a series of bunkers. Get on the wrong side of the green and a three putt becomes a definite possibility. Tantalizing short par fours are always the sign of a good course and No. 8 fills the bill. From an elevated tee, players can drive the green just 327 yards away, but long shots will find water while woods and bunkers lie in wait on both sides of the fairway.

Perhaps the best way to experience Dancing Rabbit’s charm is to stay in the luxurious rooms on the second floor of the clubhouse. Warmly furnished with views of the course, they have a charm all their own. Best yet, guests receive VIP carts with which to explore the nearby Silver Star Casino and Resort, a spectacular hotel/ gaming centre that houses spas, a conference centre and seven restaurants. Try the wine cellar at the outstanding Philp M’s, a gourmet restaurant named for Chief Philip Martin, the instigator behind Dancing Rabbit.

Rates for play & stay start from $150 for weekdays and $199 weekends. Dancing Rabbit is an hour northeast of Jackson, Mississippi, and can be reached by air from most of the major American airport hubs. For more info: www.pearlriverresort.com

dowbboy@shaw.ca

Kauai: Golf's Garden

2008-04-11T22:09:00.008-06:00

1) Poipu Bay Golf Resort, No. 17 (courtesy Brian Oar)
2) Princeville, Makai Course, No. 6 (courtesy Brian Oar)

3) Kauai Lagoons Golf Club, No. 16 Kiele

4) Poipu Bay Golf Club, No.16

The cliff beneath the sixth tee box at the Princeville Makai golf course on Kauai’s north shore drops steeply down to a bed of gnarled volcanic rock and the churning Pacific Ocean. Makai’s Director of Golf Michael Castillo points down the sheer face to the twin trunks of a lonely palm jutting out 30 feet or so down the hillside. “That’s where we found her, her hands just riveted to the steering wheel of the cart,” says Castillo with a trace of awe.

According to Castillo, a golfer-- awed by the inspiring scenery on the island’s north shore-- had not noticed the cliff as she backed up her cart. Next thing she was hurtling backwards down through the scrub, headed for a grisly end. Enter the friendly palm which halted cart and rider before they ended up a hundred feet below on the rocks. “Couldn’t get her hands off the wheel,” says Castillo with a twinkle in his eye.

It’s easy to see how one could become easily distracted by the golfing beauties of Kauai, the oldest of the Hawaiian islands and aptly called the “Garden Spot of Hawaii”. Whether it’s Princeville’s breathtaking oceanside holes above the crashing Pacific surf or the windswept beauties of Poipu perched on the craggy red south shore, there’s a catalogue of unforgettable golf vistas to last a lifetime.

And if the views look familiar-- Kauai’s mountainous ranges have served as the sets for Jurassic Park, its beaches for South Pacific and its surf for Elvis’ Blue Hawaii. The island is also the vacation home for many movie and music stars who love Kauai’s tranquil atmosphere.

Into this sensual mix of golf and garden are a range of skill level and price points to please even the most seasoned traveller. Whether it’s the stern test of Robert Trent Jones Jr.’s Prince Golf Course (“Did you bring lots of balls?” I was constantly asked) or the more forgiving fairways of the Puakea course in Lihue, Kauai’s courses deliver both fun and value. (www.kauaidiscovery.com/activities/golfing/)

Perhaps the best known Kauai course is the impressive Poipu Bay Golf Course in the beach community of Poipu-- home till this year of the PGA Tour’s Grand Slam of Golf (Phil Mickelson holds the course record with a sizzling 59.) Its 210 acres run along the craggy red cliffs beside Shipwreck Bay, with the final five holes skirting a breathtaking trail along the dunes and rocks.

The front nine of this Trent Jones’ Jr. beauty-- which plays 7108 from the tips-- cut their way through brush and trees, offering few respites from the prevailing trade winds that can add two or three clubs to shot selection. Typical in No. 9, the toughest rated hole on the course. Playing slightly uphill and upwind 405 yards, it is protected by bunkers both left and right in the landing zone. The approach must again battle the trades to find a two-tiered green with nasty back flag positions.

Any of the shoreline holes makes a Kodak moment, but No. 16-- a downwind par four stretching 500 yards from the back-- is stunningly curved along the cliffs with views of whales and boats to draw the eye from the sneaky kidney-shaped green guarded by three bunkers. Drink deeply here; golf scenery doesn’t get any better. Poipu green fees can reach $200, but guests at staying at its Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa can enjoy excellent golf-and-stay packages that typically offer better value. Plus there are twilight rates for afternoon rounds. Perfect for beach time in the morning and then golf in the afternoon.

If you stay at the nearby Sheraton Kauai Resort, you might want to roll a few putts on the paspallum greens at the RTJ Jr.-designed Kiahuna Golf Club just minutes away. Many say the 18 greens at this highly affordable layout are the best in Hawaii. The friendly folks at the Sheraton will be happy to make the connections.

As mentioned, the Prince course (rated No. 1 overall in Hawaii) on the north shore is not for the faint of heart. The thrills start early on the downhill No. 1 that requires a crisp 230-yard drive to a fairway that kicks balls off into the brush if they’re even a tad offline. The second shot is over the river to a crested green that can also deliver shots to the rough or worse. There’s no let-up after No. 1 either, as the Prince emerges onto the ocean cliffs and then descends into heavily treed forests, always freshened by the prevailing trades that can turn the par-three No. 7 into a driver hole across a 205-yard chasm of sea, scrub and volcanic rock (Down below you can glimpse Sly Stallone’s beachfront retreat).

A course guide book or member are almost mandatory, especially on the Prince course’s back nine, to navigate Trent Jones Jr.’s challenges. This is definitely a course for serious players. But if your golf game is humbled, you can always take in the lush surroundings, the tropical foliage and the ever-present roosters that blanket the island since Hurricane Iniki in 1992. The staff are unfailingly helpful and solicitous. The best way to play the Prince is by incorporating it into a stay at the sumptuous Princeville Hotel nearby, perched on the crests above famed Hanalei Bay.

If you are interested in a value-priced challenge, head to Puakea, located just five minutes from Lihue airport. A unprepossessing course prized by the locals, Puakea starts in conventional fashion, running alongside Lihue’s commercial area. But the back nine-- the original holes built in the early ‘90s-- is a gem running through the old sugar cane farms with wonderful vistas of the Pacific below.

For a challenge try the tips on Hole No. 12, a 397-yard par four that plays dead into the wind with water down the right side. Or No. 17, a downwind par four that stretches 420 yards along a gentle dogleg left. A rolling draw is the only way to get to the green in two. Puakea is just a few minutes from the impressive and family friendly Kauai Marriott Resort and Beach Club, and games can be arranged through the concierge at the hotel. Rates are as low as $59 after 2 P.M.-- a great bargain.

Kauai’s bountiful golf options are about to get even better. The Princeville Makai course is set to reopen in the summer of 2009 after an extensive upgrade to 18 of its 27 holes. Meanwhile, Kauai Lagoons Kiele and Mokihana layouts in Lihue are being upgraded with the renowned oceanside Kiele holes set to re-open in 2009. They have 18 scenic holes open in the meantime if you want to play the fine Jack Nicklaus design.

And if you want to consider your golf options before choosing a course, a helicopter ride over the island takes you over all the best layouts. Jack Harter Tours will give you a breathtaking aerial view of Waimea Canyon, the Sleeping Giant, Waialea Falls in addition to the golf treasures on the island. Book online (1-888-245-2001) for the best prices and options.

Fairmont Turnberry Isle Golf

2008-02-21T10:28:00.005-07:00

The twin courses designed by Reese Jones beside Biscayne Bay have been the signature of the Turnberry Isle Resort since it opened in 1970 under PGA great Julius Boros. But the combination of a $100-million overhaul of the resort by Fairmont Properties and some inadvertent pruning by Hurricane Ivan in 2004 has produced a unique golf destination in Miami’s Aventura area.

And who better to do the refurbishing of the two 18-hole courses than Florida icon and Golf Hall of Famer Raymond Floyd? Winner of four majors on the PGA Tour, Floyd has a native’s feel for the marshlands and tropical grasses that are such a feature of golf in the southeast United States.

While the rest of the estate was undergoing a stunning facelift to turn it into a Mediterranean villa, Floyd set to work texturing the flat 36 holes of Turnberry Isle, emphasizing changes in elevation and contour on the otherwise flat, sand-based Florida soil. To do so he brought in 700,000 cubic metres of subsoil. The cost was $30 million-- and the care and expense shows.

The result of Floyd’s extensive makeover, finished in 2007, is a shotmaker’s course that combines carries over water with tight, textured greens. (So much so that the LPGA will stage the Standford International on April 21-27.) Being a resort course, however, the layout is still very playable for the holiday or corporate golfer looking for some fun at 5500 yards or so.

Playing 7047 yards from the tips ( 74.9/149 course and slope rating), the Soffer course can be a very different experience each day depending on the winds off the Atlantic or the heat. With a stiff wind, shots can change by as much as two or three clubs. Given too much wind and baking sun, the greens can become hard to hold. The signature hole of the Soffer course is the island green on the 18th hole which can cap or ruin a round with its challenging approach. Don’t let the 64-foot waterfall distract you!

The highlight of the 6417-yard Miller course are the holes that circumscribe Lake Julius (named for Boros) on the back nine. The par-three No. 15 is a daring 200-yard carry over the lake from the back tees. While there are safe bailouts on the left side, Floyd rewards the aggressive shot with a receptive green nestled in front of a tropical garden. A birdie opportunity for the bold.

The finishing par-five is an eagle opportunity with an accurate second shot to the green placed at the foot of a dramatic waterfall. Be careful of the swale running across the 18th green-- being left on the wrong side can result in a three putt.

Another treat on the course is the Audubon-sanctioned bird refuge on Lake Julius which has the flamingos and tropical birds mandatory for snowblind travellers. When the round is over, players can sample the Bourbon Steak House (featuring the rare Kobe beef) or the Cascata Grille with a great view of the closing holes. The Michael Minna menu (try the tapioca-rolled yellow snapper) at the Bourbon is a world-class dining experience.

Prices for golf and stay packages at the 392-guest hotel start at $479 U.S. for low season to $899 for high season. The Fairmont Turnberry Island Resort is available from either the Miami or Fort Lauderdale International airports. For more information go to www.fairmont.com/turnberryisle/HotelPackages/Golf/ForetheLoveofGolf.htm.

Alabama Gulf Coast Trail

2008-01-11T17:30:00.001-07:00

Ask golfers about the state of play in 2007 and they’ll tell you cost of play is becoming a growing concern. Finding an affordable golf holiday is a tougher than a cross-hill putt for par.

The Gulf Shores of Alabama are looking to fill that niche with a collection of fine courses tucked along the snow-white beaches on the Gulf of Mexico. Runnng from Pensacola, Florida to Mobile Bay, the area provides affordable play, a low-key lifestyle and a range of courses that suit every level of play. Temperatures are more temperate than Florida, but perfect for spring or fall play when Calgary courses are not open.

With prices that are a fraction of Florida, Arizona and California in the high season, the Gulf Shores area-- boyhood home to Jimmy Buffett-- has overcome the effect of Hurricane Ivan in 2004 to provide a family alternative for Canadian golfers. There are 15,000 new condo and rental units for visitors.

The jewel of the Gulf Shores golf track is Kiva Dunes, a windswept links resort just a few hundred feet from the beach that is rated the No. 1 course in the stat. Designed by Jerry Pate, Kiva Dunes runs 7092 yards from the tips through natural wildlife areas and cypress groves.

The No. 12 is a monster par-four that plays 452 yads with a long water hazard running the length of the hole. Depending on the wind off the Gulf, the hole can either be unapproachable in two or a real birdie opportunity. The sixth is another beauty, playing 428 yards bordered on one side by cypress and by marsh on the other. The heavily bunkered 18th ends in the shadow of the resort, a 458-yard test of nerve to end the par-72.

The rates at Kiva Dunes range from $75 US in low season to $98 in high season, but packages can reduce the price.

The nearby twin courses of Cotton Creek at Craft Farms were created from a former sod nursery. Designed by Arnold Palmer, the Cypress Bend and Cotton Creek layouts offer contrasting, inland styles. Cypress Bend is the more challenging 7072-yard par 72 that is rated 73.3 with a 133 slope from the championship tees. (But the red tees are a comfortable 5100 yards.) The par-four sixth is a 396-yard test that requires a skillful second shot over water to peninsula green. The 14th is an arrow-straight 435-yard par four that is bordered by a water hazard down the right side.

Cotton Creek plays long but wide open over its 6848 yards and can accomodate all levels of players. Rates range from $68 (low) to $82 (high) with discouts for twilight rates.

Among the other courses meriting the trip to the Gulf Shores are Lost Key, a tight 6841 yard Arnold Palmer design just across the state line in Perdido Key, Florida, Perdido Bay, the 7072-yard layout that hosted the PGA Tour’s Pensacola Open for 10 years, and Peninsula, a 27-hole complex alongside the Bon Secour State Wildlife Preserve, that was designed by Earl Stone.

The Gulf Shores area can be accessed from either Penscaola or Mobile airports. For more information on golf packages and accommodation, you can contact www.gulfshoresgolf.com.

Just a final word for those who get a little testy when anyone brings up the spectre of hurricane season. Locals politely but firmly point out that while Ivan was two years ago, Myrtle Beach, S.C., had three hurricanes last year alone. The Atlantic coast of Florida experienced five category storms in the 2006 hurricane season. The Carribean-- don’t even ask.

“You don’t measure people around these parts by the things that go wrong,” smiles native Kerry Teague of the Alabama Bureau of Tourism. “We’re a little bit stubborn that way.”

Circling Raven: Coeur D'Alene, Idaho

2008-01-11T17:07:00.001-07:00

For better or worse, golf is a public spectacle, players passing each other as they make their way around a course. Getting away for 18 holes rarely means getting away from it all.

But at stunning Circling Raven Golf Club in Worley, Idaho, golfers can experience a unique reverie, playing largely out of sight of other players as they wend their way through the back nine. Even when the layout brings other signs of humanity, the 620 acres of rolling hills and wetlands just west of Coeur D’Alene still offer a special idyll and an excellent test of golf far from the frantic pace of outside life.

Playing 7189 yards from the tips, Circling Raven (named for a legendary native chief) has been honoured by Golf Digest, Golf Magazine and other prestigious golf publications for its combination of challenging golf and a natural setting in the northern Idaho hills. The Gene Bates design, rated 74.5 from the golds and a worthy 70.9 from the blues, has shot up the lists of must-play public courses in the United States.

Bates believes that a memorable course is known for its great par threes and great tees. By that qualification, Circling Raven is a roaring success with a clutch of lengthy, creative par threes to challenge visitors. Among the highlights is No. 13, a daunting downhill carry across wetlands that can play as long as 275 yards from the gold tees to the back flag positions, and No. 7, which plays 212 yards across a gully to a green set in an amphitheatre of trees.

When it comes to tee boxes, Circling Raven is also a memorable day in the country. The 406-yard par four No. 4 demands a challenging approach to a split fairway that can change by several clubs depending on the breeze. And on No. 11, it takes a precise, thumped drive to reach the fairway on the 446-yard par four.

Almost as compelling as the course are the changing colours of the surrounding grasses that go from emerald green in springtime to fiery reds in the summer and then to golden in the fall. And be prepared for the occasional moose or deer that make their home in the copses and bush that blanket the property.

Circling Raven is open from April 1 each spring till late October, and at $75 US in the spring or summer represents great value for the Canadian golfer heading south. (For more info check www.circlingraven.com) Affiliated with the nearby Coeur D’Alene Casino, Circling Raven also offers stay & play packages that top out at $255 at peak summer season.

Owned and operated by the Coeur D’Alene tribe, the golf course and casino have fast become staples of the northern Idaho tourist trail and an economic motor in the state.

As natural and subdued as Circling Raven may be with its native grasses and rolling hillsides, the Coeur D’Alene Resort Golf Course on the shores of Lake Coeur D’Alene is a high-end experience topped by the famous floating green on the 14th hole. Whether it’s the mahogany inlay of the golf carts, the vintage boat that takes you to the 14th green or the whiteclad caddies, the Resort course is perfectly designed for the well-heeled golf crowd.

Opened in 1991 and well known throughout the continent for its floating green that plays 190 yards from the tips, Coeur D’Alene is a course that can be enjoyed by both the skilled player and the occasional golfer who is out for a fun day. Immaculately manicured and groomed, the club attracts everyone from movie stars to businessmen on private trips and couples seeking a getaway at the 300-room resort just down the shore.

The elegant resort rising high above the lake has accommodation/ golf packages available to play the resort golf course (guests are transported by boat to the club) that start at $270 a night, but it can be also used as a base for golfers playing Circling Raven 20 minutes west of the city.

Coeur D’Alene can be reached by air via the Spokane, Washington, airport or by car (approximately six hours from Calgary).

dowbboy@shaw.ca

Tamarack Resort: Osprey Meadows

2008-01-11T16:56:00.000-07:00

Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf were at centre stage for so long it’s a little surpassing to find them planting their flag in the beautiful lakes and hills of southern Idaho, two and a half hours north of Boise. The Tamarack Resort-- lying beside tranquil Lake Cascade and at the foot of the Payette River Mountains-- is as far from centre court as you can get.

And a good thing, too, for those looking for a world-class golf or ski resort that is not teeming with crowds. In that assignment, the Graf/ Agassi enterprise with Fairmont resorts, creating a four-seasons destination directly accessible from most major North American airports, is a grand slam.

A far cry from the congestion of Whistler or Vail, Tamarack is on track to develop a prestige year-round resort with both hotel and condominium accommodation by 2010. Whether it’s alpine or cross-country skiing, hiking, white water rafting or golf, there is enough to provide a well-rounded vacation for those at every level of expectations.

At the heart of the current resort and finely appointed chalet is the Robert Trent Jones Jr.-designed Osprey Meadows golf course. Managed by former Calgarian Tom Altmann, director of golf, Osprey Meadows is a challenging 7319-yard ramble through 400 acres of wetlands and forests outside the tiny town of Tamarack, Idaho.

The former grazing ground for the cattle industry has been transformed into a shotmaking gallery bordered by native grasslands and with a stunning variety of wild birds and animals. For resort players there are comfortable tee boxes starting from 5003 yards total distance; for the low handicapper the course features a number of challenging carries and pinpoint approaches to greens that belie the age of the three-year-old layout.

There are five par threes, five par fives and, at over a kilometre above sea level, enough extra distance to satisfy everyone. And when the wind blows on No. 2, there is enough distance for anyone. A beastly 495 yards from the tips into the prevailing wind that ends in a narrow, two-tiered green, the third-hardest hole at Osprey requires an accurate tee shot and an even more daring second shot to a narrowing fairway in front of the green.

It takes a precise hybrid or low iron to land the longest par three on the course at No. 17. A daunting 246 yards to a bunkered green it is truly a hole to take your par and be thankful. It also shows off Osprey’s greens which belie their young age.

The closing hole is a bold 90-degree righthand turn that leads up a gentle slope to finish beneath the timberland lodge resort. Playing 547 yards, the par-five offers the chance for an eagle putt with a strong second shot over a wetland and between the Douglas fir trees.

Green fees range from $75 in off-peak times to $119 in peak times. Packages that include lodging in the comfortable lodge and green fees are available by contacting the resort at www.tamarackidaho.com. Osprey Meadows can be reached via the Boise International airport and a scenic two-and-a-half hour drive north along the Payette River. (photos courtesy Wayne Freedman)

Osprey Meadows at Tamarack Resort
www.tamarackidaho.com

5003 yards/63.6/111
5916 yards/68.2/129
6737 yards/72.2/136
7319 yards/74.9/143

dowbboy@shaw.ca