Visiting Downtown Austin a Must on a Golf Vacation

The Barton Creek Resort in Austin, Texas might not be on your short list of "golf vacations to take", but perhaps it should be. It has four worthy golf courses, golf-friendly and dependable weather, and it's nearby; Texas (by air) is about four hours or less from just about everywhere else in the United States. Another major draw is its proximity to downtown Austin.
Many folks from the metro area go to the four-course Barton Creek Resort to escape the city, but that’s not the mindset you should have on your Barton Creek golf vacation.
Texas’ capital city of Austin, just 20 minutes east of Barton Creek Resort, is a veritable cornucopia of culture for out-of-state travelers. continued...By: Shawn Skipper of GolfVacationInsider.com

Rio Secco to Host Wendy's 3 Tour Challenge

Officials from the Wendy’s 3-Tour Challenge today announced a new two-year agreement with Harrah’s Entertainment to host the made-for-television event in 2008 and 2009. For 2008, Rio Secco Golf Club, located in Henderson, Nevada, will host the official pro-am on November 10 and the Wendy’s 3-Tour Challenge professional competition on November 11.

The Wendy’s 3-Tour Challenge is the only professional golf tournament that pits three players from the PGA, LPGA and Champions Tours against each other in competitive, head-to-head threesomes for Tour bragging rights. Each threesome consists of one player from each Tour competing in two separate, nine-hole stroke play matches. The one-of-a-kind contest is scheduled to air on ABC Television December 13 and 14, 2008.
“We are thrilled to announce our new partnership with Harrah’s,” said Denny Lynch, Wendy’s Senior VP, Communications. “Harrah’s and the Wendy’s 3-Tour Challenge have the same commitment to providing the ultimate golf experience. I know our guests and the Tour professionals will enjoy playing Rio Secco and we look forward to working in partnership with their team to provide a world-class setting for our Event and to generate funding and awareness for the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption.”

“We look forward to serving as host for the Wendy’s 3-Tour Challenge,” said Eric Dutt, Vice President – Las Vegas Golf Operations at Harrah’s Entertainment. “The event will allow us to showcase Rio Secco Golf Club to a national audience. Equally important, we are pleased to align our company with the tremendous work being done by the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption.”

Home to the Butch Harmon School of Golf, Rio Secco Golf Club was designed by renowned architect Rees Jones. The golf course lies at the foothills of the Black Mountain Range, and features six holes through steep canyons, six holes on a plateau overlooking The Strip, and six holes in a broad desert plain.
About the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption
The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption is a nonprofit 501(c)3 public charity dedicated to dramatically increasing the adoptions of the more than 150,000 children in North America’s foster care systems waiting to be adopted. Created by Wendy’s® founder, Dave Thomas, who was adopted as a child, the Foundation leads programs such as Wendy’s Wonderful Kids, placing adoption recruiters throughout the U.S. and Canada to find permanent, loving families for children in the foster care system, and Adoption-Friendly Workplace, encouraging employers to offer adoption benefits to their employees. The Foundation also works with adoption advocates and officials to streamline the adoption process and make adoption more affordable for families. As the only foundation dedicated exclusively to foster care adoption, we are driven by Dave’s simple value: Do what’s best for the child. To learn more about the Foundation’s work, please visit http://www.davethomasfoundationforadoption.org/.

Avoid Fees When Traveling with Golf Travel Cases

In our last tip, we told you about a helpful website that lists nearly every airline's policies and fees with respect to transporting golf travel cases. Today, we're going to tell you how to avoid the extra fees that many people pay — unnecessarily — when taking golf travel cases overseas.
The problem can arise because different countries have different weight limits for what they'll accept as "free" checked luggage. U.S.-based airlines, for example, usually allow heavier bags than say, European airlines, before the "excess weight" fees kick in.
It's usually not an issue if, for example, you're flying from the USA to a single overseas golf vacation destination. But if you then need to take flights while you're there, it's common to be charged hefty, additional fees if your golf travel cases are heavier than the local limit. continued...
By: Craig Better of GolfVacationInsider.com

Not Sold on Golf Club Shipping? This Website's for You

In our previous tip about golf bag shipping , we explained the various options and costs involved in shipping golf clubs instead of traveling with them.
Despite the convenience and relative low cost of golf club shipping (especially if you plan ahead), we know some of you simply prefer the idea that your golf clubs are traveling on same airplane, at the same time, that you are.
Well, for those that aren't yet sold on golf club shipping, there's a website that will prove extremely useful. Golftravelguide.com, out of the Netherlands, has compiled a list of the rules, regulations, limitations, and prices (if any) you'll encounter when flying with your golf travel case on nearly any airline in the world. continued... By: Craig Better of GolfVacationInsider.com

The “Other” Course to Play in Mesquite

Most people who are even vaguely familiar with the Mesquite, Nevada golf scene have heard of the beautiful Wolf Creek Golf Course, which offers target golf at its most extreme.
But while Wolf Creek Golf Course remains the “must-play” course in the Mesquite area, it’s not the only game in this dusty town about an hour northeast of Las Vegas. Next time you’re in the area, we recommend setting your sights on the Palmer Course at the Oasis Golf Club.
Originally known as the Oasis Course, it was designed by its new namesake, Arnold Palmer, and it is one of the most exhilarating “Arnies” that we’ve ever played. It has incredible elevation changes, infinite views of the nearby valley, and wonderful holes set between desert ridges. continued...
By: Shawn Skipper of GolfVacationInsider.com

Golf Zoo Currency Converter and Language Translator

Golf Zoo is proud to introduce two new site features to aid in your golf vacation planning. With the new currency converter, you can instantly find the equivalent of your currency with ones from other countries. Just enter the amount you wish to have converted and find the currency you want it to be converted to from the drop down box. That's it! You will instantly receive the converted amount.

Also new to the site is the Golf Zoo site translator. It has never been easier to translate GolfZoo.com into your native language. By visiting the translation page and clicking on the flag of your native country, you can have GolfZoo.com translated instantly into French, Italian, Spanish, German, Japanese, Chinese, Greek, Dutch, or English, if preferred.

With these new features, Golf Zoo is providing you with the best and easiest way to plan for your golf vacation, whether you're from the United States or from a foreign country. We hope you enjoy these features and will plan your next golf vacation with Golf Zoo!