Old Town San Diego

Recently I revisited Old Town San Diego and it's always great to be there, especially if you're staying at the Holiday Inn Express-Old Town. Old Town San Diego is considered the "birthplace" of California. San Diego is the site of the first permanent Spanish settlement in California. It was here in 1769, that Father Junipero Serra came to establish the very first mission in a chain of 21 missions that were to be the cornerstone of California’s colonization.
As well as a great selection of golf courses within a 30 minute drive, Old Town boasts not only an historic and warm ambience but also 32 Restaurants, 106 Speciality Shops, 12 Art Galleries,
27 Historic Buildings & Sites, Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, Heritage Park (Victorian Homes), Presidio Park, Sheriff's Museum, Old Town Trolley Tours, The Theatre in Old Town. Within close proximty are also some world renowned attractions including Balboa Park (5 mi)
Beaches (3.0 mi), Coronado Island (10 mi), Cruise Ships (5 mi), Gaslamp Quarter (4 mi),
Wild Animal Park (25 mi), San Diego Zoo (5 mi), Sea World (3 mi) and Tijuana, Mexico (18 mi)

I'm sure you'll love Old Town as I do and the folks at Holiday Inn Express-Old Town will make you feel right at home.

Golden Horseshoe- Williamsburg, Virginia

I just returned from a weekend golf getaway and I must say I was most impressed by the staff and golf courses at the Golden Horseshoe! The Golden Horseshoe is located in historic downtown Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, and is home of two fantastic 18 hole courses, as well as a top notch executive course.

I started off my day at the Gold Course which opened in 1963, designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. This is one of the finest traditional golf courses you will find anywhere in the country. There are no homes on the golf course and the elevation changes are fantastic. This course is known for having the best set of par 3’s and I can attest, they are stunning but demanding.

After a wonderful lunch in the clubhouse I ventured just down the road to the Green Course which has its own clubhouse. The Green Course was built by Rees Jones, (Jones Sr. Son) in 1991 and designed to be more of a resort style course that is more forgiving then the Gold. It can best be described as a links style course bordered with trees. You still get the wonderful elevation changes but much larger landing areas and bail out areas by the greens. I had heard all the hype of the Gold Course (which it lived up to) but not much on the Green. Well the Green course is a fantastic layout, kept in great condition in beautiful surroundings. A must play.

As I mentioned earlier there is also a super executive course- Spotswood, redone in 1963 by the elder Jones. This is one of the best executive courses I have seen and if you play 18 in the morning on either the Gold or Green you can get a free replay on the Spotswood in the afternoon.

If you are looking for a great 36 hole day or just a super 18 give Golf Zoo a call at 800.929.7300 and we can put together a memorable golf vacation for you.

Golf Zoo seeks experienced Golf / Travel Salespeople!

Golf Zoo, one of the fastest growing Golf Tour Providers in America is seeking experienced Golf Travel Salespeople in the following destinations:

· Phoenix / Scottsdale, Arizona
· Orlando, Florida

These individuals will be responsible for daily sales and service of customized golf vacations, as well as maintaining relationships with vendors in the applicable region. This is NOT an entry level position - Only those with golf, travel, or previous sales experience need apply. We are seeking enthusiastic and hard working individuals with a strong interest in the golf travel industry. Exceptional communication skills are a must.

Benefits include:

· Competitive compensation plan with bonuses
· Medical and dental plans
· 3 weeks paid time off annually
· Telecommuting
· Discounted travel and golf
· and more...

Join the Golf Zoo team! To apply, please send cover letter with resume to chris@golfzoo.com

Saddlebrook Resort - Convenience and Casual Quality

It's a great thing, when you can arrive at a resort, and never have to leave the property. What do I mean by this, well here goes - 2 championship courses, Arnold Palmer Golf Academy World Headquarters, Spa, Fitness center, two fantastic restaurants, sports bar, lounge, poolside cafe and superpool bar. The greatest thing about all this, is that it's all within walking distance of your accommodations. Speaking of accommodations - Deluxe guest room, One bedroom suite, Two bedroom suite and Three bedroom suites are available. All rooms have new Tropical Bahama furniture - very nice look.

One well know sports writer refers to this unique property as "One of Florida's quintessential golf resorts". I spent the weekend here recently and can tell you first hand how much I enjoyed it. I could play 18 holes of golf, have a great dinner and end the night either listening to the poolside band or with a quality cigar on my balcony overlooking the resort.

Let me talk about the 2 courses for a moment. The Saddlebrook Course - This course has your typical Florida look - natural beauty! The par 70 course winds its way through towering cypress, draped with Spanish moss and beautiful blue water. It is currently going through a 2 million dollar renovation - completed in Mid-November.
The Palmer Course - This course has generous driving areas with firm green contoured fairways to resemble a rolling New England course - level ground is rare. The beautiful look of each hole along with the different variety that each hole brings, makes this par 71 a great test. These are both stay and play courses.

In a nutshell - if you have a group of golfers that want to check into a resort, have two quality golf courses to play, eat at great restaurants, drink cocktails by the pool and do all this with never having to get in your car until the day you depart - THEN SADDLEBROOK RESORT IS FOR YOU!

For more information about Saddlebrook resort or to book you next golf outing, call 888.333.6103 or go to http://www.golfzoo.com/-dest-FLTA-vendor-SADSAD-_param-1-.htm?utm_source=Blog&utm_medium=Blog?utm_content=Saddlebrook.

Auld Course now Salt Creek G.C.

The Auld Course in San Diego has undergone an ownership change and from all reports golfers will see an immediate positive change in the facility. The new ownership is strongly committed to upgrading the course and facility conditions, including adding GPS to all carts, renovated bunkering and improved turf conditions on both fairways and green. Located in Chula Vista, in close proximity to downtown San Diego, you definitely have the feel of being on a links layout. If you can't get to Ireland or Scotland, hit Salt Creek instead for a golf and visual experience not often available.

Located at the foothills of Mt. Miguel, the links are bordered by acres of natural wetlands and protected habitat reserves. With five sets of tees, generous width fairways and ample run-up space, Salt Creek is both playable and very enjoyable for players of all abilities. The practice facilities are among the best in all of San Diego County.

We're certain you'll find Salt Creek a golfing, visual and aesthetic experience. See you on the links!

Florida in November/December

I know it's only Summer and most people aren't thinking about their winter golf trip. I'm originally from the Northeast and I know the weather can start changing as early as November.

I've lived in Florida for over 8 years now and absolutely love it. I'm in Orlando and have played golf all over the state. Of the areas I handle, I would rank them in this order from top golf destination to bottom: Orlando, Jacksonville, Tampa, W. Palm, Stuart/Port St. Lucie, Fort Lauderdale, Miami.

The ranking is based on quality of golf, travel time to courses, variety of course types and price. If you want a good mix of golf and nightlife then Tampa is your place. Only issue with Tampa is the travel to the different courses and some of the quality. South Florida is the night life capitol - but some of the golf can be suspect, or too expensive for what you get. Orlando and Jacksonville pose some of the best golf in the state, along with an expansive number of courses to choose from. If you need many places to eat and drink - Orlando is best.

The weather in Florida for November and December is some of the best in the country. The courses are in great shape, the normal winter golf crowd hasn't arrived yet (Jan. - Mar.), and the prices are attractive. If you'd like to talk more about a Florida golf trip at the end of this year, please call 888.333.6103 to discuss - or go to our website and put together a trip quote (www.golfzoo.com) and see what you get.

Gold Canyon - What a great Stay and Play!

My father came into town last weekend for Father's Day, and we decided to get "outta town" for a guys only golf weekend.
Gold Canyon Golf Resort (about 35 minutes east of Scottsdale) was the perfect choice - I chose it for the golf, though I had never actually stayed at the Resort before.
Gold Canyon has 36 holes right on site, (the first tee of Dinosaur Mountain was literally about 40 yards away from the front door of our casita) and although I play alot of golf in Scottsdale and have played em all, it is still my absolute favorite since I first played it almost 6 years ago. What I was pleasantly surprised at was how good the Sidewinder course was! (I must admit that I had never played it before last weekend.) An extremely enjoyable layout, and a really good warmup for Dinosaur. It makes more a really nice 36 hole day - Sidewinder in the morning, then Dino in the afternoon. (We have a really good special price for that as well.)

I was extremely impressed with the accommodations. Our unit, a "Spa Casita" is basically a hotel room, but a LARGE hotel room. 2 double beds + a sitting area to watch the NBA playoffs made it very comfortable for 2 guys to hang out, and sip a little Makers Mark. The clencher here was the private patio with the PRIVATE JACUZZI right outside your back door. It's the perfect setup.

Also, the restaurant (Kokopelli's) was excellent for both breakfast and dinner. We had all you can eat catfish Friday night, and prime rib was the special on Saturday. The prices were great - much less than what you would expect at a resort - great food, great prices, and exceptional service. The breakfast buffet with an omelette station was a great value as well.

If you're coming to Scottsdale, but want a resort that's a little more out of the way and secluded, give Gold Canyon Golf Resort a try.

You won't be disappointed.

Premium Course without the Premium Price Tag

The Thistle Golf Club located in Calabash, NC is a must play on your next golf vacation to Myrtle Beach. There are 3 beautiful nines designed by architect Tim Cate and the owner has spared no expense in adding gorgeous landscaping throughout the facility.

From the moment you drive through the gates you know the club is managed to give you a top-notch golf experience. The staff is wonderful and their attention to detail is impressive to say the least. A common complaint from many golfers at some golf courses is that they feel as though they are being rushed around and can’t enjoy their round of golf. Well at the Thistle they send out groups every 12 minutes to give you a full hole open in-front and behind you. Most courses send groups out every 8 minutes, which makes for a crowed golf course. You will be glad you have some extra time to look around as every hole is lined with beautiful wildflowers and perfectly manicured flower beds.

If you are looking for a memorable round on one of the top courses in the area, give one of the Golf Vacation Specialists at Golf Zoo a call. We can give you more information on the Thistle Golf Club as well as hundreds of other golf courses.

Mapping out that Perfect Golf Vacation...

Planning your golf vacation just got easier with Golf Zoo's All-New Interactive Area Maps! If you haven't already seen them, have a look at this post for an example, what you can do with the maps and images.
In this example, I will use the destination 'Arizona' as the example. There are two (2) ways you can get to each destination's interactive area map:
The First, is simply from our main destination map page that lists all of our destinations. In the image below - the interactive map graphic/button is highlighted.

The Second option is avialable when you land on the Overview page of a destination - click on the Interactive Area Map button near the top of the section - as noted in the image below.


Once on the Map page - you have options on how you can view the map (see the below graphics). I suggest you select the "Satellite" or "Hybrid" views for a real bird's eye view of some of the golf courses and lodging properties. You can also get directions from from one point to another (the directions will open up on a new page). With name, address, pictures and address information available on every "bubble" it makes it easy to find out where you want to stay relative to the golf courses you want to play - or what golf courses you may want play given the proximity to your lodging property. Simply select a property on the right side listing of options and the map will point out where it is on the map.

Just want to see what's around a particular property? Thats fine too- you can also just click the points on the map to get the same information. All of the green number points on the map are Golf Courses and all of the blue lettered points on the map are Lodging properties.

Clicking on the picture or name of the property in the 'bubble' will take you to that page in our site for more pictures and description as well. You can zoom in, click and drag the map to view anything on the map that you wish (see the below two examples). Have fun!

The Golf Club at Eagle Mountain
Golf Zoo's The Estate

Good Bye to Our Fine Feathered Friends

So Sad, but So True! Wild Wing Plantation in Myrtle Beach, SC which is the home of 4 golf courses: Avocet, Falcon, Woodstork and Hummingbird, is under new ownership and some drastic changes are coming on 6/5/06. The Hummingbird will close for good and the Woodstork and Falcon will have 9 holes open for each course and will be combined under the new name: Wild Wing Couse #2. Fortunately the Avocet will remain open - all 18 holes for play.

With so much supply and not as much demand, alot of golf courses have succumb to closure - being replaced by single family homes, condos and shopping malls. It is a sad day when they close a beautiful golf facility to put up a Walmart!!!