Plantation Preserve Golf Course

When endings welcome new beginnings, there is much reason to believe that it’s the start of something better. This much was true at the Plantation Golf Club in Plantation, Florida. Its loyal patrons had to bid the old-time favorite goodbye; the good thing was, a better, more beautiful and more challenging golf vacation destination stood in its place. And the Plantation Preserve Golf Course delivered more than what was expected.

The 18-hole championship golf course was designed by the prestigious design team of von Hagge, Smelek & Baril. Whilst everyone was anticipating a course the same caliber as the old one, the Plantation Preserve Golf Course is a shocker. It measures a whooping 7,148 yards from the longest tees for a par of 72. It has a good number of challenging holes, including the signature 9th hole island green. Another interesting feature of the course are the numerous water holes that could boost or break any golfer’s ego. And that is ANY GOLFER, considering it has five sets of tees that could accommodate players of any handicap. The Sea Dwarf Paspalum grass on the greens – the only one in the entire Broward County to use them – and the state-of-the-art practice facilities all the more make this golf course a golf vacation haven.

And it is, in fact, a haven not only for golf trip aficionados but for the nature lovers too. The Plantation Preserve Golf Course is one of the two Audubon-certified courses in the greater Ft Lauderdale area, the other one being Parkland Country Club. It is one of those few courses that combine a classic design with modern amenities and a modern perspective – fits both the traditional and the new-age golfer. It is indeed a beginning that sees no end in the near future.

Silverado Golf Resort

Napa Valley is, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful places to go to in the West Coast. The wine country of Napa Valley has the perfect scenery of rolling hills and endless vineyards and the perfect weather to go with it. These are also the same factors that make golfing in Napa Valley very interesting and exciting, not to mention unique. And what better way to enjoy a golf vacation hereabouts than to spend it in Silverado Golf Resort?

Silverado Golf Resort has long been the face of Napa Valley vacations. Apart from its world class amenities and lodging offers (read: a hotel with 435 guest rooms, a 16,000 square foot luxury spa, 10 swimming pools, 13 tennis courts), the resort is a superb golf vacation destination home to two championship golf courses that was once beautiful and is now MORE beautiful than ever. The North and South Courses were originally designed by no less than Robert Trent Jones Sr. More recently, PGA Hall of Famer Johnny Miller stepped in and gave the course a face lift. And the result are two 18-hole courses that boast of dozens of water crossings, dramatic elevation changes, and making shots through what seem like a hundred oak trees. All that are backdropped with the scenery of Napa Valley that looks straight out of a storybook.

And since this is wine country, there’s no better way to end the day than with a bottle of red wine from one of the 200 wineries surrounding the resort. Silverado Golf Resort has everything laid out for a truly beautiful Napa Valley vacation. Golfers would definitely not ask for more in a golf trip if this were the destination.

Bayonet Black Horse – Black Horse Course

As mighty and tough as an old tree that stands the test of time, Bayonet Black Horse – Black Horse Course offers superb challenges as well as inspiration to golfers of different ages. Several changes were made in this golf vacation destination to stimulate the visitors with its new setting and test their skills with its improved holes.

 Designed by General Edwin Carnes in 1964, Bayonet Black Horse – Black Horse Course was a 6,800-yard golf course. It was re-sculpted in 1998 by award-winning golf architect Gene Bates. This course has been transformed from a series of tree-lined holes to a wider, flowing, and comfortable environment; it is now a 7,024, par-72 layout that features wide vistas of the Pacific and is highlighted by long rolling fairways, tougher sand traps, new tees, and contoured greens. A golf trip to this 18-hole course will certainly captivate and inspire the players to extend the limits of their skills while playing in its whole new layout.

 Bayonet Black Horse – Black Horse Course has a course rating of 74.4 and a slope rating of 135. The improved playing options make it more enchanting especially to experienced golfers. This made Golf Digest include the course in 2009’s “Best New Courses” in the “Renovation Category”. The new era of this golf vacation destination is always ready to welcome, thrill, and challenge new players with its stimulating environment that is always in spectacular shape, and views of the Monterey Bay as its backdrop. These elements will make the memory of their golf experience here last for a long time.

Bayonet Black Horse – Bayonet Course

If any course in North America deserves the honor of five full stars for being beautiful and challenging, it would be Bayonet Course of the Bayonet-Black Horse Golf Club. That, and its sibling course, the Black Horse. The course has, since 1954, hosted several US Presidents and even more foreign dignitaries. For these heads of the state to bring the nation’s most important guests for a game here, there must be something so special about this golf vacation destination. And for it to last more than half a century and still rank among the best in California, there’s not a reason not to believe there is indeed something so extraordinary about it.

General Robert McClure originally designed the course. Gen. McClure’s design was characterized by fairways lined with cypresses and oaks and a stunning view of the Monterey Peninsula. It was beautiful in its old form, it was ethereal in its recent overhaul – under the skillful hands of no less than Gene Bates. The renovated Bayonet Course of the Bayonet-Black Horse Golf Club now features more challenging hole placement, more trees, and a wider, more breathtaking view of the Monterey Bay. And of course, the signature Gene Bates sand bunkers that might as well add the sixth star to the course’s many merits. The guests must simply expect nothing less than the best from their golf vacations here.

The 18-hole, par-72 Bayonet Course of the Bayonet-Black Horse Golf Club has five sets of tees, measuring 7,104 yards from the longest tees. If the quality of this golf course has fascinated and impressed heads of states over the years, it should not be any different for golf trips of true blue golf aficionados. And happy and satisfied golfers are bigger than any honor for any golf trip.

Spyglass Hill Golf Club

Commonly known as “The Glass”, Spyglass Hill Golf Club was named after the classic novel “Treasure Island” by Robert Louis Stevenson because local legends has it that the author gathered ideas for the book from the area. The surrounding seas and tropical plants are just as exactly as they were described in the book so fans of the book will surely enjoy the place. With its classic vibe, this will take guests on a golfers’ haven of sorts. The treasure hunt for the best golf course golf vacation destination ends here.

Robert Trent Jones Sr. created a treasure of its own by designing Spyglass Hill Golf Club. Debuted in 1966, the club features 6,953 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par of 72. The first five holes meander through the sandy dunes, challenging the players to pick wisely the safest path. The holes of The Glass were later named after the places and characters from Treasure Island. The first hole is called Treasure Island that doglegs almost ninety degrees to the left. Named Blind Pew, the par-4, 370-yard fourth hole is Jones’ favorite. Having a golf vacation here is like meeting the characters of “Treasure Island”, so fans of the novel will surely enjoy their stay here and be challenged by its tough holes.

Boasting a course rating of 75.5 and a slope rating of 147, Spyglass Hill Golf Club is rated as one of the toughest courses in the world. Golf Digest has ranked this golf vacation destination fifth on its list of “America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses”. These recognitions show that The Glass is not only a mirror of the “Treasure Island” novel, but the course is the treasure itself.

Pebble Beach Golf Links

The Pebble Beach Golf Links is the golf course embodiment of legendary, classic, and yes, beautiful. This is that one golf vacation destination that everybody who knew golf in America knew; others, even better, they know this place by heart.

1919 may be a long time ago and could easily have taken its toll on the Pebble Beach Golf. But the last 92 years has only made the golf vacation paradise even better. Countless golf legends have graced its greens, and it would be of any golfer’s honor to walk the same paths and shoot to the same holes. Designers Jack Neville and Douglas Grant have utilized the course’s being located on a rugged coastline. A number of holes play on the ocean; others highlight the wide open ocean vistas, cliffside fairways and the sloping greens. Golfers may find it hard to stop themselves from having goosebumps; this is history in itself. If the greens could talk, they would have told of a thousand stories that no historian could have told better.

 The course is just too splendid for words and for any accolade that they would not be able to suffice. Pebble Beach Golf Links is the only public golf course that has been named the No. 1 Golf Course in America by Golf Digest. The award came in 2001, proof of its timelessness. It is also considered the Number 1 Public Golf Course in America. No wonder the golf trip haven is a favorite host of the most prestigious tournaments in America, including the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, and the US Open Championships that it has hosted five times – running six, on its 100th anniversary in 2019. When that time comes, nothing could be expected of it but only the best.

 

The Vineyard at Escondido Golf Club

Take a golf trip that is both challenging and inspiring. Playing at The Vineyard at Escondido Golf Club will challenge the golfers with its strategically-placed bunkers and demanding holes, as well as inspire them with its beautifully manicured layout. After each hole, they will certainly testify that the course is worth the play, giving them a rewarding feeling once they finish the game.

This David Rainville par-70 course features 6,531 yards of golf from the blue tees. The Vineyard at Escondido Golf Club boasts of its scenic layout that winds through acres of green wetlands with spectacular mountain scenery. This golf vacation destination also offers rolling fairways that mesh peacefully with the surrounding wildlife preserves, grape vineyards, and sparkling lakes. Water is abundant so chances are, they will get in golfers’ ways and nerves more often than not. In addition, this club consists of different back and front nines – the back nine owned by the city of Escondido while the front nine by San Diego City. The club’s characteristics speak to a golf experience as versatile as its environment and as vibrant as nature.

The Vineyard at Escondido Golf Club also offers the guests with a fully stocked pro shop, restaurant and bar, and a lighted practice area that features a driving range with target greens and putting green. With its features and amenities, as well as its challenging yet inspiring golf ambiance, this course has all the qualities that golfers look for in a golf trip.

The Riverwalk Golf Club

People say that almost everything that is “classic” is beautiful and unforgettable – movies, music, arts – because this is how legends are born. The Riverwalk Golf Club is steeped in a rich tradition of golf legends past. It is a classic golf vacation destination that offers a quiet oasis from the hustle and bustle of the urban world. This club is a great place to spend an epic golf adventure with its rolling fairways, well-maintained bentgrass greens, and spectacular waterfalls.

The location of The Riverwalk Golf Club was once a flat and barren marshland. Formerly known as the Stardust Country Club, golf architects Ted Robinson, Sr. and his son transformed the place into a magnificent golf vacation destination in 1998 by using more than half a million cubic yards of soil, while maintaining its wetlands flora and wildlife preserve. This golf club is both beautiful and challenging with the San Diego River playing a prominent role in the layout. Water comes into play in the thirteenth of the twenty-seven holes. Lakes and waterfalls surround the green of the signature hole.

The club entertained numerous golf legends while hosting the 50s and 60s PGA tour. Offering a classic golf experience across three 9-hole courses, a golf vacation at The Riverwalk Golf Club promises a fun and memorable day of golf complete with its clubhouse, pro shop, bar and restaurant, driving range, putting green, and golf instruction. This ensures that every need of the guests are met. A truly classic golf destination, this club offers the golfers a memorable experience with its superb features and amenities. Like the classic “Romeo and Juliet” love story, “Titanic” movie, or the famous “I Will Always Love You” song of Whitney Houston, the golf experience here will last forever.

Eagle Crest Golf Club

Many golfers look for a golf vacation destination that has gorgeous surroundings and an even better layout that could test their skill. And Eagle Crest Golf Club offers just that. Located just minutes away from the Wild Animal Park in Escondido, this club is a golfer’s paradise. It has all the ingredients for a memorable round of golf – thick rough, tight fairways, and plush greens set in a stunning desert ambiance. Integrating waterfalls, wildflowers, and eight lakes into a challenging and dramatic layout, this golf club is an actual nature and wildlife preserve that winds through an isolated valley.

Opened in 1992, Eagle Crest Golf Club has been offering Championship-Quality golf to both local residents and visitors. It is created by master architect David Rainville for players of all skill levels. It offers a series of holes that are unique and unforgettable, requiring a full range of shot-making abilities – its signature hole, the par-5 sixth is the most difficult. The fairways are always in great shape and the fast greens are incredibly smooth – meticulously maintained to complement the nature preserve and numerous flowers that wind through this peaceful paradise. The spectacular setting that abounds in natural beauty and demanding holes helped the club garner a three and a half star rating from Golf Digest. A golf vacation spent here will give the players a memorable experience from all angles.

As the course continues to undergo renovations, the playing conditions are quickly enhancing along with its challenges. The addition and redesign of new and existing sand traps have improved the beauty and main challenge of the course. Having a golf trip to Eagle Crest Golf Club will fill the dreams of every golfer to play in a heavenly paradise because of its aesthetic appeal and great challenge that it offers.

Park Hyatt Aviara Resort – Aviara Golf Club

A round of golf at Park Hyatt Aviara Resort – Aviara Golf Club gives the feeling of playing through a botanical garden. The club has an unparalleled beauty – with its variety and abundance of local vegetation. It was developed around the natural topography of three valleys and a lagoon. Officially opened in 1991, almost a decade was spent in completing the golf course due to the ecological fragility of the lagoon with sensitive San Diego environmental issues. It was meticulously developed to make sure that the wetlands were preserved. A golf trip to this San Diego golf course will give guests a certain inexplicable connection with nature.

Park Hyatt Aviara Resort – Aviara Golf Club features 7,007 yards of golf that is shaped around native wildflowers, rolling hillsides, and lots of bunkers and water hazards. Spending a golf vacation in this 18-hole, par-72 course stimulates the senses of the players with the vibrant flowers and plants that surround it. The front nine holes are tight and meander through the canyons. On the other hand, the back nine is more open and this means that it is more exposed to the wind. So players must have the ability to easily shift their playing style in the half part of the game.

Park Hyatt Aviara Resort – Aviara Golf Club is the only San Diego golf course that is designed by Arnold Palmer. It was named one of the best resort golf courses in America by Golf Digest and Golf Magazine. It was also recognized by Conde Nast Traveler as the number one golf resort in Southern California. These recognitions are proofs of the greatness of its nature-like layout. A golf vacation at this club gives the players a relaxing experience because of its garden-themed environment.