Your Responsibilities and Order Play

As players, golfers are not freed from the constant responsibility and order of play. In fact, those details are the main driving standards at winning or loosing, aside from confidence and natural talent of a player. Below are the details to lay them all down.

A Player's Responsibilities

• A player is responsible for determining his or her handicap and the specific holes where such handicap strokes are to be employed.
• A player is given the responsibility to declare the handicap that he or she is entitled to. He or she can be subject to disqualification once he or she declares a lower or a higher handicap where he or she belongs.
• In a stroke play, golfers may be disqualified if they record a higher or a lower handicap which they are not entitled to.
• Players are responsible for any violation their caddie might do, and they are to receive the applicable penalty for it.
• A player must play prompt and should not practice a stroke during a round.

A player's Order of Play

• The first to begin the hole is the player who was determined by draw at the first teeing ground.
• As a golf etiquette, Honor is made to allow players, with the lowest score, to tee off first at the next hole. In terms of tie, who ever held the honor on the previous hole makes a go first.
• Honors also identify the first to shot in between the tee and the hole.
• Anyone who is farthest from the hole is to play first.

Those are just some of the responsibilities and etiquette in a golf game. There are more things to consider as a player becomes an expert on the game. Of course, with being an expert on the skills comes being a specialist on the good habits. Take note of that!

Southern Hills Plantation

I recently had the opportunity to play a fantastic private country club - Southern Hills Plantation in Brooksville, Florida.

Nestled within the rolling hills of Brooksville, Florida, Southern Hills Plantation provides a unique terrain.  Elevations of 60 to nearly 250 feet provide a truly unique opportunity for golfers at the Pete Dye Signature golf course.  Designed to maximize natural elevations and views, the private 18 hole course is rated by Golf Week as one of the top 100 residential courses in the United States.

The golf experience is elevated to new heights with generous course corridors, expansive landing areas and natural buffers that frame each hole.  Pete Dye designed a superb practice facility including a driving range, chipping and putting greens and a six hole par three course.

Southern Hills is available for play through Golf Zoo.  The golf course is under the Natures Coast Golf Trail and is currently included on one of our Hot Deals for that area - http://www.golfzoo.com/-screen-scnSell_Special-_ispost-1-.htm  We have a couple of hotels in the Brooksville area along with a half dozen great courses to compliment Southern Hills Plantation.  The Brooksville area can be axis-ed from either Orlando or Tampa - about an hour drive from each area.

Please contact glen@golfzoo.com or mark@golfzoo.com for other details and any other great summer packages in Florida. 

Desert Springs Resort, Palm Springs California

Palm Springs, California Is A Perfect 

Golf Vacation Destination!!

Palm Springs is a short drive away from Los Angeles making this perfect desert paradise a favorite go to escape plan for many of Hollywood's golf enthusiasts. Hollywood's famous names bring their superstar clubs and high profile selves when visiting the greens of Palm Springs. The celebrities choice for golf vacations are the Palm Course and the Valley Course located at the Desert Springs Golf Resort. 


Desert Springs Golf Resort is a 36-hole facility and has epitomes of high class treatment. The scenery and playable area on the courses will fulfill any golfer's dream vacation. The Palm Course and the Valley Course were designed by acclaimed architect Ted Robinson, "King of Waters-capes" and have made Desert Springs  the premier California golf resort that it is today.


On both 18-hole courses: Golfer's can take a high tech drive in one of our new golf carts with state-of-the-art navigational and computing systems. Right from your cart, you can use your onboard computer to view graphic layouts of each hole, compute exact yardage to the pin, monitor pace-of-play, and solicit tips from the course's pro on playing a particular hole. The result is faster playtime, lower scores, and a more enjoyable game. In addition, your lunch or snack can be ordered as you tee off from the 18th hole and be waiting for you at Sand Trap & Wedge for the perfect end to a great round.


The Greens at Desert Springs Putting Course: Created to provide golfers of all ages and abilities an enjoyable golf adventure, The Greens at Desert Springs - our 18-hole championship putting course - is the perfect solution. The nation's first, all-natural turf putting course combines all aspects of a full length course: sand bunkers, water hazards, strategically placed trees, and rolling "fairways" all played with just a putter. The par 54, 1,435-foot course is truly "golf in miniature," but big-time fun for individuals, families, or group events.


The Palm Course and the Valley Course are park of the JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort and Spa in Palm Desert, California. It provides visitors with stylish surroundings and views any well seasoned traveler desires. The emerald fairways for their Palm Desert Golf Courses and mountains that seem to touch the ski wins over any golf lovers heart. 

Please Contact Our Golf Zoo Travel Specialist To Book A Golf Vacation 

To Palm Springs, California TODAY!!

Please Call: 800-929-7300

Jacaranda Golf Club Resort Of The Year

All golf lovers should experience the courses at Jacaranda Golf Club Resort in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. 

The West Course and East Course are known to be magnificent, as well as one of the finest golf courses in the world! The West Course and East Course partner up to giving golf enthusiast 36-holes to enjoy. 

Both courses are rated with 4-stars and labeled "Best Places To Play" by Golf Digest. 

West Course
Complete facilities and  amenities, the West Course is known as the shot maker course with lagoons, doglegs, bunkers and rolling greens. It is made to stimulate all golfer's strategic skills. To provide golfer's with a little breathing room and time to mimic the professionals the West Course offers outward nines with green complexes and short cut areas. The West Course is about 6,778 yards and has 5-sets of tees to enable players of all levels to enjoy the well conditioned course. This Mark Mahannah designed West golf course just had a recent $10 million renovation bring a breath of fresh air to the golf in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The West Course recently won the "2012 Golf Club Of The Year" for the entire South Florida PGA. 


East Course
Known as "The Jac", the East Course shows a wide carpet of Paspalum Dwarf Bermuda tees and TifDwarf greens on the fairways. The East Course provides a challenging and friendly environment for all golfer's. The East Course is about 7,195 yards, it has a rare installment of bunkers and laps of surrounding green giving this course a vast option for a short game. 



Both the West Course and East Course has become the primary pick for golf vacation destinations due to their friendly staff that holds their special events and programs. The staff at Jacaranda Golf Club Resort always carries a welcoming smile that shows eagerness to assist all visitors.


Based on Jacaranda Golf Club Resort good ratings, it was awarded the opportunity to host most of the PGA and USGA tournaments including qualifiers such as PGA Tour Q-School, U.S. Open Qualifying, U.S. Amateur qualifying and Nationwide Tour Qualifying. 

Even with these amazing events Jacaranda Golf Club Resort continues to welcome and open its doors for every golf enthusiasts. This is why Jacaranda Golf Club Resort  continues to have a top rated reputation among golfer's around the world.

Contact Our Golf Zoo Travel Specialist And Book 
A Golf Vacation To Fort Lauderdale, Florida TODAY!! 

Please Call: 800-929-7300!! 

The Best Stay and Play I've Ever Experienced

Being in the golf travel industry for almost 13 years now, I've had the privilege to stay and play at some of the most premier golf resorts in the world - The Boulders in Scottsdale, Reunion Resort in Orlando, Kapalua in Maui, Barton Creek in Austin, La Quinta in Palm Springs, and of course, Pebble Beach to name a few.

Sorry fellas, but move over - The Resort at Pelican Hill is simply the best I've ever experienced.

It started last Thursday with a quick flight from Phoenix to Los Angeles where we picked up a convertible, put the top down and took our time on the the hour drive south down the Pacific Coast Highway to Newport Beach. You can get there faster by taking the highway, but the views from the PCH are worth the extra time... Being a villa guest allowed us to skip the hotel lobby and go right to the Villa Clubhouse to check in. Within 10 minutes, we were back in the car, went around the corner and were greeted in our driveway by our personal butler Jarek. He had us settled in and on the back patio with champagne on ice within 15 minutes, and all was well with the world.

The 2500-square-foot, 3-Bedroom oceanfront villa is, in a word - ridiculous. Beautifully decorated, sub-Z refrigerator, every amenity you could think of... Even a "flick of the switch" fireplace, but the truth is you probably won't ever sit on the couch. It's all about the back patio. Enormous with lounge chairs, a table for 4, and directly facing the Pacific Ocean, the back patio is where we spent the majority of our time. Click below for a video of our villa. Had dinner at Andrea with the girls and was intimidated by the wine list, but somehow managed to struggle through.

Friday - Dropped Abby at Camp Pelican for a half-day to tee it up. There are 36 holes onsite- the Ocean North Club, and Ocean South Club - and the 18-hole Oak Creek Golf Club, about a 20 minute drive inland. All Tom Fazio designs, and all impeccably maintained. I played the Ocean North course in the morning, and then drove the South course in the afternoon. Being a desert guy, I was surprised at the elevation changes at both Ocean courses, as I thought Oceanside golf would be more flat and traditional. Greens were fast and true, and playing with a forecaddy makes a nice difference. The traditionalist will love the Oak Creek course, but I'm an Ocean North guy. Had an awesome lobster sandwich afterwards, sitting on the back patio at the Pelican Grill. Called our butler before going back to the villa to deliver a bucket of ice with champagne and a Scrabble game for the evening's entertainment. Michelle beat me as usual, but I managed to squeak out a win over my 8-year-old whiz kid. Took Abby to the private Villa Pool for late-night swimming, and alternated between the salt water pool and Jacuzzi.

Saturday - Drove the girls inland to check out Oak Creek, and then headed to Balboa Island and took the auto ferry across to endure Boardwalk-type festivities and ice cream for the kiddo while dreaming of the back patio at our villa... Ordered room service and had the sea bass with veggies, which was fabulous on the back patio - with you guessed it - more champagne. Went a different direction on this night, having our butler pick all three of us up and take us to the Coliseum Pool - taught Abby a new word to describe it... decadent. One feature that I didn't think I would use much, but ended up using A LOT, was the complimentary Mercedes coach transportation. Call your butler, and they're there within 5 minutes to take you wherever you want to go, which was super-convenient and safe.

Sunday - Sadly had to leave, but made it to LAX in about 50 minutes going highway this time. Was back at home in Phoenix in time to watch the final round of the Match Play with a big ole smile on my face.

What a weekend. What a place.

If you're planning a trip between now and May 24th, or this fall between September 3rd through December 20th, you need to take a serious look at this once-in-a-lifetime experience. We have partnered with Pelican Hill to put together an incredible stay and play package - $449.95 per person per day covers:

• Accommodations in a 2500 square foot 3 Bedroom / 3 Bathroom oceanfront villa (quad occupancy)
• UNLIMITED GOLF at each of the three golf courses: Ocean North/Ocean South/Oak Creek - (afternoon rounds based on availability day of play)
• Daily Breakfast at the Coliseum, Villa Clubhouse, or in-room dining
• Forecaddy for the morning round (gratuity not included)
• Complimentary Mercedes coach transportation
• Personal butler service
• and more...

Contact Chris Parcell with any other questions at 888-867-6911, and I'll email you a customized itinerary.

Canada's Priced Gems: Whistler and Banff

Canada has many scenic sights and natural charm, which makes this unsurprisingly one of the most famous vacation destinations in the world. 


Ranking among the top favorites in Maple Country is the majestic Canadian Rockies. Tow of the most famous destinations in the Canadian Rockies are Whistler and Banff. These tourist towns are well know for being Canada's top golf vacation destinations!! 


Whistler
Whistler is known as a resort town north of Vancouver and the fun never ceases throughout the year. When golfing in Whistler you will enjoy an endless panorama view of snowcapped mountains, glistening natural lakes, the best greens the world has ever seen, the biggest names in golf, and the most unforgettable golf vacation ever!! Some of the most famous golf courses in Whistler carry the names of top golf course designers such as:

• Fairmont Chateau Whistler Golf Club - Robert Trent Jones Jr
• Mayfair Lakes Golf and Country Club - Les Furber
• Nicklaus North Golf Club - Jack Nicklaus
• Whistler Golf Club – Palmer Course - Arnold Palmer
• Furry Creek Golf Club - Robert Muir Graves-

Banff

The town of Banff is large, tall, and extremely beautiful. This resort town is listed as having the second highest elevation in Canada an is the largest town in Alberta, Canada. Banff is surrounded by majestic scenery. The golf courses here are beautiful and awe striking. Banff's courses have earned no less than 4.5 star ratings from Golf Digest and are perpetual entries into the "best" list of countless golf magazines. These courses are:

• Banff Springs Golf Club
• Stewart Creek Golf Club
• Silvertip Golf Club
• Kananaskis Golf Club

Contact Our Golf Zoo Travel Specialist And Book A Vacation 

To Golf Courses in Whistler or Banff Today!! 

Please Call: 800-929-7300!!

Scenic Golf In Oregon

If you are looking for a premier Oregon golf destination, look no further than Sunriver Golf Resort!!

Featuring Oregon's finest golf, Sunriver Golf Resort is a golfer's paradise and an ideal choice for a Northwest Golf vacation. Each of Sunriver Resort's three golf courses were designed by an acclaimed architect. These courses are graced with carefully preserved wetlands, forested meadows, and sparking waters, Sunriver Resort offers 63 holes of the best golf in the West!

With their aesthetic grace, holes bordering the meandering Sunriver, and gramatc use of directional and for bunkers, the golf courses at Sunriver Resort serve up great challenges for golfers of all skill levels.  The three courses at Sunriver Resort are The Crosswater Course, The Meadows Course and The Woodlands Course.

Crosswater Course

Designed by Bob Cupp, Sunriver Resort – Crosswater Course got its name from the fact that it crosses over the Little Deschutes and Deschutes rivers as often as seven times in each round. Opened in 1995, this 18-hole, par-72 course features 7,600 yards of golf that has five different tee placements for each hole, bent grass fairways, and greens. It is a recipient of several National Golf Awards. In 1999, it was designated as a certified Audubon Sanctuary.


Meadows Course
Paying tribute to the classic American courses of the 1920s and 1930s, the layout of Sunriver Resort – Meadows Course features the dramatic use of directional bunkers that serve up challenges for players of all skill levels. Each hole is lined with tall pine trees and harbors water. Most of the time, the water serves as amusing scenery more than a nuisance feature, but it can come into play particularly on the front nine and par 5 eighteenth. The white sand traps are the source of trouble because they are positioned along every hole and green. This 18-hole course has played host to a number of events like the USGA, NCAA, AJGA, and PGA. Playing on this course is a good way to test the players’ course management skills.


Woodlands Course

Debuted in 1981, Sunriver Resort – Woodlands Course is regarded as Oregon’s finest championship golf course because of its outstanding conditioning and lovely setting. It is a local favorite because it gives a challenging game to every player. This par-72 course features 6,913 yards of golf. It consists of tree-lined corridors and very tough greens. Designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr., the Woodlands Course offers many picturesque views of Mount Bachelor that adds to the visitors’ fantastic golf experience.

Contact Our Golf Zoo Travel Specialist and Book A Vacation To A Golf Course In Sunriver, Oregon Today!! Please Call: 800-929-7300!!

The Pelican Hill Resort

The Resort at Pelican Hill In Newport Coast, California Offers A One Of A Kind Golf Experience!! 

The fundamentals of golf may not vary, but the way you experience the game certainly can. Tom Fazio designed these 54 holes of golf, including Pelican Hill's 36 championship holes on the Ocean North and Ocean South courses and the 18 holes at nearby Oak Creek Golf Club®, to be unlike any that you've ever played before. 


Ocean North

The North Course is 6,900 yards of pure golfing goodness – with views of the ocean from pretty much every one of its 18 holes and natural bushlands and wooded areas that combine to make you love antagonism. The par-71 creation has wider fairways and is basically more forgiving than its sibling, the South Course.


Ocean South
Heavily wooded in some parts, all rainbow-colored flower gardens on another, pristine greens still on another, and a panorama of the Pacific ocean on Newport coast – this is the cornucopia of sights and textures of the Ocean South Course. And they don't go as easy as they are beautiful. But yes, this course is extremely beautiful. It measures 6,500 yards from the longest tees and plays for a par of 71.


Oak Creek
The first of the Tom Fazio courses that are part of the Pelican Hill, the Oak Creek is not necessarily within resort premises but a little outside of it. But it definitely is within the standards of excellence set on Pelican Hill courses. Well, it set the bar for it. It was named after the creek that winds throughout the property and is surrounded by stunning lakes, fast greens, and narrow fairways that are a rollercoaster ride of easy and nerve-wracking shots. These features are further complimented by its array of bull-nosed bunkers and yes, the views of the Newport Beach. It measures 6,834 yards, par 71.

Contact our Golf Zoo Travel Specialist and book a vacation to Golf Courses in Newport Coast, California Today!! 

Please Call: 800-929-7300!!

Doral Golf Resort

Why Should Golf Enthusiast Book A Golf Vacation to Miami, Florida?? 

--- For The Love Of the Game Of Course!!

Doral Golf Resort & Spa is the perfect place for golf lovers!! It holds five championship 18-hole golf courses: the legendary TPC Blue Monster, the Greg Norman-designed Great White, and the distinctive the Red, Gold and the new Jim Mc Lean Signature Course.


TPC Blue Monster
45 years and counting. That's how long the Blue Monster has been hosting some of the most prestigious PGA Tour events. It is also the home of the World Golf Championships – Cadillac Championship. And the biggest names that the golf-loving public has seen must have set foot and braved the many challenges of this massive 18-hole golf course. It measures 7,536 yards from the longest tees. Thankfully enough, there are three other tee options to counter the “monstrosity” of this golf course. But this has got to be the prettiest monster in the world with its long fairways, deep bermuda rough and assorted water hazards. The signature hole, the 18th with the fountain, is hailed by GOLF Magazine as on of the world's top 100 holes. Repeat: world's.


Doral Great White Course

Greg Norman knew how to make his signature seen, felt and remembered in this Miami creation. The Great White Course is the only golf course in the entire Southeastern USA that uses coquina for bunkers. Countless palm trees and shaped Scottish-esque bunkers line the fairways and pair with water hazards that make an appearance on 14-of-18 holes making the 7,171 yard, par 72 course as beautiful as it is challenging.

Doral Gold Course
Traditional Florida golfing – greens, sand, water, palms, and fairly challenging play, this is the best and most accurate description of the Doral Gold Resort. The 6,659 yard, par 72, course features three sets of tees for the enjoyment of golfers of varied skill sets.



Doral Red Course
Corporate tournament organizers prefer the Red Course amongst the Doral courses for their events. This is largely due to the fact that this is the course that offers the fairest brand of challenge that will be suitable for golfers of all skill levels. The medium length course measures 6,101 yards from the longest tees, par 70 and is known for its two island greens on the 6th and the 14th.


Doral Jim McLean Signature Course
Home of the PGA Q-Tour Finals, the Jim McLean Signature Course or the Silver Course is a challenge not only for golfers of varied skill levels, but a challenge to the traditional Florida layout. It features elevated tees and narrow fairways that give an interesting twist to the usual golfing experience in the Sunshine State. The McLean Course measures 7,105 yards from the longest tees, par 72.

Contact our Golf Zoo Travel Specialist and book a vacation to Golf Courses in Miami, Florida Today!! 

Please Call: 800-929-7300!!

The Wonderful World of Disney Golf

Disney World is not purely about glitters and fireworks. Well, for the most part it is. This is where everybody's favorite Disney characters come to life – or rather, larger-than-life. This complete and ideal vacation destination was made with the whole family in mind so that no one would be left out. Yes, no one, including golf loving dads.


Golfers, in general, would not at all feel left out here. Disneyworld has, as a matter of fact, a set of five championship golf courses all made to thrill, excite, and bring out every golfer's fantasy to reality. Four of these courses are Joe Lee designs, one is a Tom Fazio, and all of them are magnificent.


Disney's Lake Buena Vista
Exciting, fun and challenging, with a four-star rating from Golf Digest's Places to Play, the Lake Buena Vista Course is one unforgettable course. There is so much beauty in the natural pine and palmetto forests lining the edges of the course, as much as there is a storybook quality to the pastel-colored villas and little boats on sparkly ponds. It measures 6,819 yards from the longest tees, par 72.

Disney's Magnolia Golf Course
Dotted with more than a thousand magnolia trees, the Mag as it is lovingly called, is not only literally fragrant but enchanting as well. It features elevated tees and greens, rolling terrain and more than 90 bunkers. But the most memorable highlight of this course is not a “signature hole” but a “signature bunker” - a Mickey Mouse-shaped bunker guarding the 6th hole. It is close to 7,500 yards in length, par 72.


Disney's Osprey Ridge

The only course on the Disney facility that was not designed by Joe Lee, the Osprey Ridge course could not and should never be accounted as anything less. This course was made by an equally legendary architect, Tom Fazio. Not only is this challenging, with water on nine holes and forests of pines, palmettos and bay trees on the edges, it is also a certified Audubon International Sanctuary for its well-preserved wetlands. It measures 7,101 yards, par 72, and holds a four and a half star rating from Golf Digest.


Disney's Palm Golf Club

This has quite a reputation among the PGA Tour courses. For one, it is beautiful. Notably beautiful, that is, with tree-lined fairways, sparkling lakes, lots of Florida sand, and water playing on nine of its eighteen holes. That's the reason why this course is named among America's Top 75. That, and it's 18th hole, known to be one of the longest closing holes in the PGA Tour.

Contact our Golf Zoo Travel Specialist and book a vacation to 

 Golf Courses in Orlando, Florida Today!! 

Please Call: 800-929-7300!!