Will Tiger Woods win at Torrey Pines?

It's good to see Tiger back... and, after a rusty round on Thursday at the U.S. Open, he's back in the hunt for Sunday. That's pretty amazing after knee surgery and a 6-week layoff! As an avid NHL Hockey fan, I was amused by Tiger's comment a couple weeks ago that nobody watches hockey on TV anymore. While Detroit during the Stanley Cup finals, he was asked if he is pulling for the Detroit Red Wings or the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Setting political correctness aside, the NHL fired back pointing out that national ratings for the finals on NBC set a new record this year while the ratings for PGA Golf are in the toilet - unless Tiger is playing. Ratings during his layoff after surgery were abysmal. Showing his political prowess, Tiger explained that he loves to attend NHL games - he just doesn't like watching on TV. (Right!)

After the U.S. Open is over could it be your turn to play Torrey Pines? One of our most popular golf vacation packages at Gateway Golf Vacations consists of 3 rounds at Torrey Pines and 3 nights lodging at the Sonoran Suites at Torry Ridge. Check out all of our golf vacations at www.golf-vacation.com.

Before I get back to work, I want to reiterate the "tip" I had in the last post: Costco stores are now selling discount certificates for greens fees at 1,200 courses around the country. You get two $50 certificates for $75. Look at the course listings at teetime.com

Cheers,

Dick

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Golfing in the Desert... and there's Water Everywhere!

Hello y'all from sunny Las Vegas! After being beat to hell by the Dinosaur Mountain course at the Gold Canyon Golf Resort a few weeks ago, I strongly considered leaving my clubs home when I flew off to Las Vegas for a week-long conference. Having the first day at leisure and half of another day, I decided to go ahead. I spent my 'free' day at the practice area of The Badlands Golf Club (a Troon facility) - one of my favorite courses in Las Vegas. [Note: My Golf Travel Agency (www.golf-vacation.com) routinely recommends this course to our clients because of the value. In the Las Vegas world of expensive golf, The Badlands is quite reasonable for a top-rate track!] After the first 45 minutes of continued frustration with my irons, I got things worked out and started 'puring' shot after shot.

So, with renewed confidence, I ventured out to Lake Las Vegas for a round at the Reflection Bay Golf Course - a magnificent layout albeit pricey! I soon learned that there was no need to have brought my old 'desert club', a six iron that had cost me $3 from a demo barrel last winter. I practically wore it out in Arizona with numerous (too many to count) lies in the desert waste areas. At the Reflection Bay Golf Course, a ball retriever would have been a meaningful replacement for the desert club!

More on this terrific course next time.

Cheers,

Dick

Greetings from Gold Canyon, Arizona!

The sun is shining brightly and I just heard of more April snow coming to Minnesota. Hate to rub it in, but I've been sitting in the tundra while various friends have called or emailed from sunny places all winter. My Turn!

The courses here are in fabulous condition and, as I have said in recent posts, this is a great time for a golf trip. The prices are down a little and the place isn't jam packed. Probably about 80% occupancy but the tee sheets seem to be pretty full - but not crazy-wild. Dinosaur Mountain (pictured here) continues to be one of the top-rated public-access courses in Arizona.

It's tee time... gotta go!

Cheers,


Dick

A few follow-up thoughts on Golf in Mexico...

Having played the new Greg Norman designed El Camelion course two years ago (when it first opened), I'm enjoying watching the Mayacoba Classic being played on this great track this week on the Golf Channel. The broadcasts are singing the praises of the 15 golf venues in Cancun and the Riviera Maya. True - some of them are excellent... but most of them are "just OK". El Camelion at the Fairmont Mayacoba Resort is one of very few courses that are on the ocean. Add to that the fact that this area is very flat and that the course grooming on many of the courses is good but not great.

That brings me back to my trip to Los Cabos last month... beyond my comments on Los Cabos golf in the last two posts, I have just learned that construction of a new Nicklaus course will begin this spring on the Pacific side of Cabo San Lucas. On my "other" Blog Site devoted to travel in general, I described a "post-golf" stay at a fabulous adults-only Spa Resort on the Pacific side. It was fabulous to the point of not caring that I was over 30 minutes away the "golf zone"... I was very content to leave my clubs in storage and just relax. BUT... it was just that I didn't want to endure the hassle and expense of the whole thing. This new course will be immediately across the road from the Pueblo Bonito Pacifica resort and will add a new element to the absolute ONLY place to go in Mexico for a golf vacation.

Until this new Nicklaus course opens, if yo want some ideas of where you can stay on the Gulf side that allows great spa facilities for non-golfing wives while you play, just let me know!

Cheers,

Dick
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Cabo Golf is all that I remember - and more!

Well, the week in Cabo San Lucas is over and I'm back in the tundra! (81 degrees at the time of boarding our flight home; -12 degrees upon deplaning 4 hours later!) This place has really "grown up" since my last trip 9 years ago. Oddly enough, the greens fees hadn't gone up very much in that space of time... but the service sure has!!! Back then, largely due to the prices, you could tell the golf concierge at your hotel at 8:00 am that you wanted to play a specific course around 9:30 and you were in. You got a tee time within 20 minutes of the requested time. And when you arrived at the course you would find that there were many open times on the tee sheet. It was great to have a couple open holes in front and behind you.

Now, the courses are very busy. Still, with 10 minute intervals, we never had to wait for the group in front of us and were never pushed from behind. Truly awesome!

There were two other areas of great change from 9 years ago... back then, there was no friendly, fuzzy service and it was hard to find anyone in the clubhouse (sometimes just a trailer) that spoke much English. And, what you got for your $200 was simply a round of golf on a beautifully manicured course.

Now, the clubhouses are the equal of any upscale course at home and the staffs speak English and are extremely friendly and accommodating. Starters & Rangers (non-existent and totally unneeded back then) were as welcoming as can be - and were largely "gringos". A starter at Cabo del Sol noticed my TPC Twin Cities shirt and introduced himself. He is an assistant pro at Hazeltine National just a few miles from my home.

And, unlike the past, it became clear that you were paying for an "experience". The fee included amenities such as complimentary Course Guide books, an attractive suede "goody bag" with logo tees, markers and repair tool (at Cabo Real), rangers that would stop and help you find your errant drive, cold towels upon the completion of the round, and more.

The only downside was that my Two Amigos took me to the cleaners! (Nothing new, here!) I'll describe the courses we played later in the week.

Cheers,

Dick

To comment, please click the "comments" link below, type in your comments then, under “Choose an Identity”, select “Nickname" if you want to leave a name (your name or a ‘blog handle’) or just leave it blank. OR, you can select ‘Anonymous’. I would love to hear from you!

Aloha Golf... There is Nothing Better!

As my profile states, I am a 19 handicapper that has had the good fortune to play great tracks around the world. Over the years I have had the absolute pleasure of playing many gorgeous tracks on Maui, Kauai and "The Big Island". Two of the most memorable have been Poipu Bay Golf Club on Kauai and the Wailea Golf Club on Maui.

Adjacent to the Grand Hyatt Resort & Spa, Poipu Bay is the home of the PGA Grand Slam of Golf. It is one of the most fun and picturesque courses I've ever played and the last few holes dramatically hang high above steep bluffs overlooking the ocean.

Earlier this year we reveled at the Wailea Golf Club on Maui's southwest coast. What an absolute treat. We played the Gold Course just 5 days after the Champions Tour Skins Game was held. (I'm pictured here on the Gold Course.) With ocean views on every hole, it was hard at times to concentrate on the shot-at-hand. and the greens (12 on the stimp meter after the pros played there) were a challenge to say the least. The varying grain of the Bermuda turf combined with speed made putting "interesting"! Aside from a lot of treacherous bunkers, the course is very player friendly - even for a 19 hdcp.
On the previous day, we played the Emerald Course which was equally stunning. The greens weren't quite as difficult but the views were possibly even better than those on the Gold - if that's possible!
For those "snowbirds" like me that haven't played for a couple months prior to arriving in the Land of Aloha, the Old Blue Course is a great warm-up. It is a bit shorter with gentler elevation changes and fewer hazards.

If you are thinking of winter golf in Hawaii, I have some important suggestions for you including a warning of what famous Hawaiian courses you may NOT want to include in your itinerary. Email me at dick@golf-vacation.com.

Kids, it doesn't get any better than this!!!! Take a closer look at Hawaiian Golf.

Cheers,
Dick