Golf Bargains & Rip-Offs.

Well, maybe "rip-offs" is a little harsh but the more I Travel With Clubs the more convinced I am that WHERE you go makes a huge difference.

I just returned from San Juan where I played at Dorado Beach. The West Course is the better of the two but I found it to be just "nice"... and at $190, I'm looking for better than "just nice". Those of you who follow this blog know that I'm not too fond of Caribbean golf. (On second thought, this was a rip-off! The course is carved up because they are redesigning it as they build a new clubhouse - but there was no mention of this when I booked. Nor, was there a price reduction because of it.)

You can play World Class courses at Cabo San Lucas for about the same fee; you can play fabulous tracks in Hawaii for LESS!

As you'll see from my comments on another blog site, I didn't choose to go to Puerto Rico. At my golf vacation company, we focus on Florida, the Southwest, Cabo and Hawaii. We actively discourage the Caribbean as a golf destination (with the exception of Casa de Campo in the Dominican Republic).

Cheers,

Dick

The Mountain Courses of the Phoenix area are Pricy...

... but there are some gems that are bargains! In an earlier post, I talked about "Tricks of the Trade" - knowing where the bargains are. I know of many good values in pricy places like Las Vegas, Hawaii, Cabo San Lucas just to name a few. And, there are some good ones in The Valley of the Sun! Most notably, the two courses at the Gold Canyon Golf Resort - Dinosaur Mountain and The Sidewinder - are fabulous. At about $100 less than Grayhawk, Dinosaur Mountain was named Arizona's #1 public access course for 2 or 3 years in a row. How good is Gold Canyon? My company,Gateway Golf Vacations has several groups that have gone back for their 4th and 5th visits. I would say that that's the best testimonial one can cite.

Our prime winter price for 3 nights, 4 rounds and some extras is a true bargain... and the price gets even better after Easter. If a winter or spring golf trip is in your plans, PLEASE check this out! (And bring your Camera!)

To repeat a comment from the last post, whether you ever book your golf trip with my golf travel agency, I'm happy to share my knowledge and give you my 2-cents worth. Send your questions to dick@golf-vacation.com.

Cheers,

Dick