Sea Pines Resort - Play Where the Pros Play

Play where the Pros Play - Stay and play at the Sea Pines Resort, home of Harbour Town Golf Links, site of the RBC Heritage each year. Also play the other 2 onsite courses, Heron Point and the Ocean Course.

This Spring, stay 3 nights, and play 3 rounds on these great tracks, and we will also include a $100 voucher to be used onsite at the property. Contact Mike Alfano or Craig Gordon at 888.765.0745

The Florida Swing – PGA Tour-Tested Courses Everyone Can Play

The PGA Tour makes five trips to Florida every year, with four consecutive events in March and THE PLAYERS Championship in May. All are held at terrific courses, but unlike some others on the Tour’s schedule, all five courses are also open to the public.

On its annual golf barnstorm across the United States, the PGA Tour visits several iconic courses that practically reach out and tease fans through their televisions -- Augusta National, Muirfield Village, Colonial, East Lake.

They tease because unless you have serious connections, you and your buddies don’t have a prayer of playing the courses.

But every March, the Tour makes its Florida Swing, a four-week junket from South Florida to Central Florida that isn’t a tease at all. The courses that Tiger Woods and Co. have played and authored so many memorable moments on are all accessible to the masses.

Between the Florida Swing and one more return visit in May to the PGA Tour’s signature course, there are five tracks in all that should be on any golfer’s must-play list. The pros don’t visit any state more times than they visit Florida, and their playgrounds can be yours.

Here’s a look at all five.

PGA National Resort & Spa, Champion Course, Palm Beach Gardens (home of The Honda Classic, Feb. 28-March 3)

The PGA of America is based in Palm Beach Gardens, and its flagship resort features five courses and an acclaimed golf school, not to mention great restaurants and the spa. One could spend a week there without leaving the grounds.

Golf Digest recently named Palm Beach as one of the top destinations for a buddies’ golf trip, and among its recommended courses was PGA National’s Champion Course, home of The Honda Classic.

The course was originally designed by Tom and George Fazio for big tournaments (the 1983 Ryder Cup was played there) and got a facelift in 1990 from Jack Nicklaus. Holes 15-16-17, two par 3s and a par 4 weaving through water, are nicknamed The Bear Trap. The pros are happy to escape with three pars, and so should vacationing amateurs.

Doral Golf Resort & Spa, TPC Blue Monster, Miami (home of the World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship, March 7-10)

Venerable Doral has hosted the PGA Tour for more than a half-century at the famed Blue Monster, whose name says it all.

The course is getting a facelift after this year’s Tour event, as developer Donald Trump bought the resort and has hired respected architect Gil Hanse to renovate the course. In some parts it will be more “Blue”, with bigger greens but also expanded water hazards.

“Doral can be the absolute best,” Trump told the Associated Press last year. “We are going to do this really right.”

Trump, for all his brash outspokenness, has an excellent track record in building great courses. Will be fun to see what becomes of the Blue Monster in 2014, for both the Cadillac Championship and the public.

Innisbrook Resort, Copperhead Course, Palm Harbor (home of the Tampa Bay Championship, March 14-17)

Among the hustle and bustle of north Pinellas County is an oasis in Innisbrook, a woodsy  resort with four championship courses including a gem in the Copperhead Course.

The Copperhead is a beast for the pros at 7,300 yards/par 71, but many have singled it out as their favorite Florida layout on Tour. There’s water, of course, but scoring is more incumbent on working the ball left and right and judging the various elevation changes that are rare for the area.

Innisbrook also features the Island course, which has hosted many pro events over the years and is strong enough to be a headliner. Except Copperhead is just down the street.

Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club, Orlando (home of the Arnold Palmer Invitational, March 21-24)

Bay Hill is in the heart of Orlando, just of I-4 and Sand Lake Road, having been built well before many of the attractions and vacation spots around it. The great Arnold Palmer first played the course in 1965 and then bought it in 1976, and ever since then it has been The King’s winter home.

Palmer’s fingerprints are all over the place, which is classy without being showy, respectful of the game without being suffocating. Gentlemen are asked to remove their hats before entering the clubhouse, like many finer clubs, but a starter’s loudspeaker welcomes guests to the first tee, like many municipal courses. The on-site Lodge is cozy, with Palmer photos and memorabilia spread throughout. (Visitors must stay in the Lodge to play Bay Hill.)

The course has been tweaked often and lengthened over the years by Palmer, assuring a good test for the pros. Amateurs should approach it like the owner – hitch up the pants and swing hard.

TPC Sawgrass, Players Stadium Course, Ponte Vedra Beach (home of THE PLAYERS Championship, May 9-12)

PGA Tour commissioner Deane Beman had a vision in the late 1970s to create a great golf course, not only for pros but for spectators. The “Stadium” concept was born, and golf fans have been treated to great theatre at TPC Sawgrass’ famous Players Stadium course ever since.

For the public, it’s on the short list of absolute must-plays in American golf. The par-3 island green 17th hole is the star attraction and the calling card – tell a friend that you played the Stadium course at TPC Sawgrass and they’ll first ask what you did on 17. Ideally, your ball(s) won’t be among the 120,000 fished from the lake annually.

Visitors will find that 17 is just one of the relentless tests on the Pete Dye layout. From the tips, the Stadium course plays to a USGA slope of 155 – the highest possible.

PLEASE CONTACT GLEN PARIZO AT 888.333.6103 OR EMAIL - GLEN@GOLFZOO.COM TO BOOK ANY OF THESE FANTASTIC PROPERTIES.

Enjoying Valentines Day and Golf

Couples who love to play golf should be looking forward to this perfect opportunity to spend their time on a golf vacation trip. Even though there are plenty of great vacation spots to celebrate Valentine’s Day, golf vacation destinations are still at the top of those lists. 

If you are planning to make this Valentine's Day the best celebration among your usual golf play dates, planning ahead of time is the first step. Choose the best golf resort with the best golf vacation packages for couples. Golf resorts with state-of-the-art amenities and accommodations are very attractive. There are golf resorts that pamper couples by preparing wines and chocolates in their hotel rooms, while others offer spa treatments for couples only. Most golf resorts are also maintaining stimulating activities for couples to enjoy such as canoeing, hiking, swimming, and shopping at local malls. These activities encourage closeness among lovers.

Next, make sure to choose the golf trip that suits you and your significant other's style. If you both love the beach, then golf resorts near stunning beaches is the perfect choice. For newlyweds, it is a perfect honeymoon location. You have both the luxury of enjoying the game while feasting your eyes with beautiful blue waves. If you both love a calming and relaxing golf experience, numerous golf resorts have private balconies for couples to enjoy the scenic view of sunset in the countryside. 

Lastly, choose the golf resort that offers the perfect golf experience without compromising your budget. Make sure to check ahead of time for golf vacation promos and discounts since most golf resorts have various golf vacation packages like Wedding Day Packages, couple golf packages and Valentine’s Day Packages. Most golf vacation packages offer 2 nights stay and 1 night free stay to luxurious Penthouse while others offer free amenities like free access to fitness center and golf lessons. 

Scott's Top courses you must play in Palm Springs

As an avid golfer, I have composed this list based on a few basic factors that matter to me:

• Golf Course Layout
• Service
• Consistency of golf course conditions(mostly the greens, nothing better than perfect greens in the desert
• Playability

Although this list is in numbered order, all of these courses could fall under the same rank at any given time:

1. PGA West Stadium - What's better than going on a golf trip and getting humiliated. The Stadium Course is still the toughest test of golf in the area by far! You will be hitting long irons(or drivers!!) on all par 3's-except for number 17, Alcatraz, which is just surrounded by water! Great test of golf and worth the money(peak season rates are $230+)

2. The Celebrity Course at Indian Wells - You tee it up and Indian Wells and you have no idea you are in a desert climate. The course is as green as can be, always in great shape and who wouldn't want to play the course that used to host the LG Skins game for the likes of Phil Mickelson, Fred Couples, and many more.

3. La Quinta Mountain Course - This Pete Dye gem is absolutely amazing. Don't be surprised if you see some Bighorn sheep scaling the rocks around you. Each hole has its own identity, a fair, yet challenging course that will keep you on your game or in the rocks if you don't pay attention. My favorite hole is the risk reward par 5 15th, where if you choose to go for it in two, beware of the rocks on the right.

4. Firecliff course at Desert Willow - The service at Desert Willow is awesome and the golf courses live up to the hype. The Firecliff Course, which is my favorite is a course that demands accuracy on your approach shots due to quite a bit of undulation on the greens along with great lag putting-which I could use a bit of help with right now:(. When you go to Desert Willow, be sure to eat lunch there, food is great and service is amazing.

5. Terra Lago North Course - Still love this course even though it has changed ownership and management companies a few times over the last 10 years. If you like a some elevation changes and some wildlife, you will not be disappointed with Terra Lago. It used to be the site of the old skins game where Tiger, Nicklaus, Palmer, and many others use to compete. It doesn't get as much attention now, but still a course worth seeing. Also, rates at Terra Lago tend to not empty the wallet.

6. The Classic Club - Formerly a host of the Bob Hope Golf Tournament(now Humana Challenge), The Classic Club has one of the best course layouts of any course in the area. It is the kind of course where if you are hitting it well, it will seem very playable and if you are not, you will end up shooting a very high score. You may even encounter a little breeze while you are there as the course sits North of Highway 10. Don't let that scare you though, it is still well worth it.

7. PGA West Nicklaus/Norman - I really wanted to separate these into two different rankings, but they are so close I have them together. Both courses are great, anyone who has played all the courses at PGA West knows that each course is like your options for Ice Cream, some days you go Vanilla, others you may go with Rocky Road! I like the Nicklaus because there are a few really good risk reward holes like the par 5 15th hole, which has always had my number! The Norman Course is great and has quite a few water holes, like the par 3 13th, which is a long par three and probably my favorite on the course.

8. Escena Golf Club - Not only is Escena a great golf course, it also sits in the perfect location for a day of arrival or day of departure round of golf, only 10 minutes from the Palm Springs International airport. Escena has wide fairways and is very friendly off the tee. The greens are almost always in great condition, but what makes this place is amazing are the views of the mountains nearby.

9. Westin Mission Hills Gary Player Course - The Gary Player Course surroundings have changed over the years, going from a course that basically just in the open desert to a course surrounded by homes and condos. That being said, the course has not lost its beauty as Gary Player did an awesome job combining a course that offers an array of long par 4's that are extremely challenging as well as some short holes that offer you a chance to score.

10. Marriott Desert Springs Palms Course - There are two courses at the Marriott and you really can't go wrong with either. The Palms Course has lush fairly forgiving fairways and lots of water holes. It is a great resort experience you will not soon forget.

Well, there is my top ten, all this talking about golf, and I am still here!! Off to the course! If you are planning on coming to Palm Springs, you can't go wrong with any of these courses.

Feel free to call me so I can set up your next trip to Palm Springs.

Scott Curry 888-985-9170 or email me at scott@golfzoo.com