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.
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
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.
Monday, June 19, 2006
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.
Thursday, June 08, 2006
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!
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!
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
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!!!
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!!!
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
And For Your Second Course...
Selected by Sports Illustrated as one of the Top Ten New golf courses in the world, We-Ko-Pa presents a unique alternative to the already upscale Scottsdale golf market. Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw have teamed together for the new course at Wekopa called Saguaro.
This design team, known for such highly touted courses as Bandon Trails, Sand Hills and Friar's Head in Baiting Hollow, NY are very excited about the new prospects at Wekopa. "This piece of land has some very interesting natural movement to it" said Crenshaw of the new Wekopa course. "I think this golf course will be pretty unique for the desert. People will be induced to play different shots and find solutions to new challenges when playing this course".
The new Saguaro course, located just north of the practice facilities, is scheduled to be open for play in December 2006.
This design team, known for such highly touted courses as Bandon Trails, Sand Hills and Friar's Head in Baiting Hollow, NY are very excited about the new prospects at Wekopa. "This piece of land has some very interesting natural movement to it" said Crenshaw of the new Wekopa course. "I think this golf course will be pretty unique for the desert. People will be induced to play different shots and find solutions to new challenges when playing this course".
The new Saguaro course, located just north of the practice facilities, is scheduled to be open for play in December 2006.
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Escena Golf Club - Newest Addition
We are thrilled to have Escena Golf Club in Palm Springs in Golf Zoo's stable. Escena is a Nicklaus Design cut out of raw desert in North Palm Springs and is certain to be a huge success. The grooming of the course is impeccable, the clubhouse and driving range will be coming soon.Located near the Palm Springs airport, this is an upscale addition to golf on the western end of the valley which I'm certain will be well received. Next time you're booking a golf vacation with us, be sure to include Escena Golf Club, you won't be disappointed. The views of the surrounding mountains are awesome and the desert landscaping is simply beautiful. Enjoy !
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
A Pure Golfers Facility
I just returned from PGA Village in Port St. Lucie, Florida - what a wonderful experience! This PGA run facility has everything any golfer would want. There are 3 -18 hole courses designed by Tom Fazio (North and South courses) and Pete Dye (Dye course). The North and South courses are being renovated May - October of this year; after that, they should be even better than they are now. I played the Dye course, this is a unique links style golf course with a lot of variety.
For those players that like to practice and learn about their game, there's a 35 acre practice facility. This has it all - 15,000 sq. ft. putting green, 5 greenside bunkers with different sand from courses around the world, two 25-station chipping area, over 100 individual practice tees and an outdoor ampitheater reserved for student instruction.
If you really want to get into the mechanics of your golf swing - set up and appointment at the PGA Kinematics Lab. This part of the learning center provides essential movement assessments for greater game improvement.
The lodging will be anything from a hotel (Hilton Garden Inn - Sam Snead's Tavern) to Villa's (Kolter Resort and Sheratons Vacation Villa's). Closest airport is in West Palm - about 45 mins. south of resort.
In my opinion - if you want to enjoy great golf, great practice and overall game improvent - then PGA Village is the place for you and your group. If you have any other questions or have interest in booking your next golf trip, please call 888.333.6103 or go to www.GolfZoo.com.
For those players that like to practice and learn about their game, there's a 35 acre practice facility. This has it all - 15,000 sq. ft. putting green, 5 greenside bunkers with different sand from courses around the world, two 25-station chipping area, over 100 individual practice tees and an outdoor ampitheater reserved for student instruction.
If you really want to get into the mechanics of your golf swing - set up and appointment at the PGA Kinematics Lab. This part of the learning center provides essential movement assessments for greater game improvement.
The lodging will be anything from a hotel (Hilton Garden Inn - Sam Snead's Tavern) to Villa's (Kolter Resort and Sheratons Vacation Villa's). Closest airport is in West Palm - about 45 mins. south of resort.
In my opinion - if you want to enjoy great golf, great practice and overall game improvent - then PGA Village is the place for you and your group. If you have any other questions or have interest in booking your next golf trip, please call 888.333.6103 or go to www.GolfZoo.com.
Monday, April 17, 2006
Come Test Your Luck on the Gambler
King’s North at Myrtle Beach National is a must play on your next golf trip to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. This is one of my all time favorite golf courses because it gives you so many options for risk/reward golf shots in a beautiful setting.
Home of the famous island green, featuring bunkers in the shape of “S” and “C” known as the South Carolina hole. Number 18, a 464 yard par four is framed by 42 individual bunkers. The most memorable hole on the course is the par 5 “Gambler.” On the tee box you are forced to make a decision to go for the island fairway and take a crack at the green in two or take the conventional route around the water.
For all you northerners out there who love their bent grass greens you are in luck as all three courses at Myrtle Beach National have the true rolling bent greens. Give the staff of Golf Zoo a call at 800.777.7650 and one of our experienced Golf Vacation Specialists will help you put together your dream golf vacation.
Home of the famous island green, featuring bunkers in the shape of “S” and “C” known as the South Carolina hole. Number 18, a 464 yard par four is framed by 42 individual bunkers. The most memorable hole on the course is the par 5 “Gambler.” On the tee box you are forced to make a decision to go for the island fairway and take a crack at the green in two or take the conventional route around the water.
For all you northerners out there who love their bent grass greens you are in luck as all three courses at Myrtle Beach National have the true rolling bent greens. Give the staff of Golf Zoo a call at 800.777.7650 and one of our experienced Golf Vacation Specialists will help you put together your dream golf vacation.
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Play all day with breakfast and lunch included!
World Golf Village - St. Augustine, Florida -
If you like to play more than 18 holes in a day and have 2 meals included with it - then I have the place for you; the resort courses at World Golf Village -Slammer and the Squire, King and the Bear. These are two great golf facilities at one great property. During the months of July 1 through September 30, you can play all day with two meals. The Slammer and the Squire was designed by Bobby Weed with Sam Snead and Gene Sarazen as consultants. The King and the Bear is the only course in the US designed by Palmer and Nicklaus. A golfer can play all day with 2 meals for around $133 per day. The second round is not booked in advance, but day of play - 2 courses to choose from.
The only issues are summer aeration: King and the Bear (8/22 - 8/24), Slammer and the Squire (9/5 - 9/7). It looks like July 1 through August 21 would be perfect.
You have 4 different lodging options at the facility - Comfort Inn & Suites, Laterra Resort and Spa, WGV Renaissance Resort, and the Villa's at WGV. This package is for the diehard golfer that can deal with the heat, a lot of golf and a full belly. If this package interests you, please call 888.333.6103 to discuss.
If you like to play more than 18 holes in a day and have 2 meals included with it - then I have the place for you; the resort courses at World Golf Village -Slammer and the Squire, King and the Bear. These are two great golf facilities at one great property. During the months of July 1 through September 30, you can play all day with two meals. The Slammer and the Squire was designed by Bobby Weed with Sam Snead and Gene Sarazen as consultants. The King and the Bear is the only course in the US designed by Palmer and Nicklaus. A golfer can play all day with 2 meals for around $133 per day. The second round is not booked in advance, but day of play - 2 courses to choose from.
The only issues are summer aeration: King and the Bear (8/22 - 8/24), Slammer and the Squire (9/5 - 9/7). It looks like July 1 through August 21 would be perfect.
You have 4 different lodging options at the facility - Comfort Inn & Suites, Laterra Resort and Spa, WGV Renaissance Resort, and the Villa's at WGV. This package is for the diehard golfer that can deal with the heat, a lot of golf and a full belly. If this package interests you, please call 888.333.6103 to discuss.
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