Category Archives: Top Golf Destinations

Gold Canyon Golf Resort – Dinosaur Mountain

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This is one course that’s on top of the mountain, literally and figuratively. Well, not so much literally, as the Dinosaur Mountain course of the Golf Canyon Golf Resort winds through the mountain of the same name, at the foothills of the majestic Superstitions Mountains in Arizona. The picturesque 18-hole championship golf vacation destination offers not only the best, most challenging desert layout, but of the best views of the Sonoran desert as well. And that puts it at the top of the rankings mountain, as it is the No. 1 rated golf course in the entire state of Arizona.

The Dinosaur Mountain Course at the Gold Canyon Golf Resort offers, by far the most dramatic elevation changes in all Arizona courses. The course is dotted with lush desert vegetation and golden canyons that make for scenic surroundings but highly treacherous shots. At Dinosaur Mountain, you can never be so sure of your shots until you are too sure. Add to it the fact that the fairways are long and loping. Nevertheless, the Dinosaur Mountain Course has completed the requisites for the perfect, memorable golf trip.

Golf vacations have never been more perfect than when it is at the Dinosaur Mountain Course at the Gold Canyon Golf Resort. Visitors are assured of endless rounds of golf kissed by the Sonoran sun, hugged by the Arizona mountains, and serviced only by the best staff. Golf Digest has already rated it 4-stars, and more visitors have raved about the wonder that is the Dinosaur Mountain Course. The visitors cannot be blamed if the course makes it to the top of their own list of the best courses.

SunRidge Canyon Golf Club

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The desert sun, the sand, and the golden canyons all contribute to the landscape of one of Arizona’s most scenic golf vacation destinations, the SunRidge Canyon Golf Club. Its designer, Keith Foster, has perfected a bond with the desert around the course that made him work to bring out the best of the Arizona desert and a truly challenging course layout. It almost seems as if the entire golf course was carved out by Mother Nature’s own hands, and all Keith Foster did was decide where the holes would be best.

The par-71, 6,823-yard, 18-hole championship course is one made out dramatic elevation changes that simply follow the dictates of the desert land. Water comes into play on four of its eighteen holes, while arroyos dot the entire course to cause enough distraction and difficulty of the poised game maker. The rolling fairways are wide and surrounded by the glistening sun-kissed desert and the medium-sized greens are undulating. With all these qualities of the SunRidge Canyon Golf Club, it is but natural that golfers prefer it for their epic golf trips.

If that weren’t enough yet, the SunRidge Canyon Club offers the best services and amenities in the valley of the Sun. The clubhouse alone is a striking Spanish hacienda-inspired structure that provides only the best retreats after a long hot game under the sometimes unforgiving desert sun. Almost everything about this golf vacation favorite comes naturally beautiful and excellent – from the challenging plays to the landscapes maintained to perfection to every inch of the desert that hugs it. Falling in love with it is, likewise, a natural reaction for any golfer.

Troon North Golf Club – Monument Course

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The only one who can better a man is himself. So when an artist decides to re-work his own creation, expect the outcome to be a better, more improved version of the original. This was what happened with the Troon North Golf Club in Arizona. It was already beautiful and excellent when it first opened in 1990, and only the word “more” could be said of it after its major renovation in 2007. Its original creator, Tom Weiskopf, outdid himself in the renovation and one look at the Monument Course of the Troon North Golf Club and its sibling course, the Pinnacle, could tell why it has received so much merits, in the old and new faces of this golf vacation destination.

The Monument Course of the Troon North Golf Club now holds as its front nine what used to be the Pinnacle course’s front nine. It still has the best views of the Sonora desert and the mountains around it. The golf vacation favorite boasts of plays featuring wide fairways, high lipped bunkers, natural washes, boulders and mounds that could come into play to make or break the best of games. Each shot is made unique by the lush desert vegetation and huge saguaro cacti dotting the course. The beauty of the desert and the challenge posed by its unique terrain all make for a very fun and highly exciting game.

 It’s not surprising that the Monument Course of the Troon North Golf Club is a favorite for golf trips, and a favorite for the biggest golf course awards, including the No. 1 Arizona Golf Course by both Golfweek and Golf Magazine. Only time will tell what it could become if Tom Weiskopf decides to make another overhaul on the course. It could be beyond the thinkable best.

We-Ko-Pa Golf Club – Saguaro Course

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When a golf course is designed by a renowned course architect, it is almost always expected to be excellent. But when two noted course designers combine to create a genius of a creation in a location that’s anything but ordinary, nothing less than awesome and great is to be expected. This was the result when Ben Crenshaw teamed up with Bill Coore to create the Saguaro Course at the We-Ko-Pa Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona, a fairly new course that’s all too easily becoming a premiere golf vacation favorite.

The Saguaro Course at the We-Ko-Pa Golf Club lives up to the standards and expectations set on it being a part of the top Arizona golfing facility and the reputation earned by its older counterpart in the golf club, the Cholla course. The 18-hole par-71 golf vacation destination plays on 6,912 yards. Like the Cholla course, the Saguaro course sits amidst golden desert sands and majestic Arizona mountains untarnished by the presence of golf club residences. It’s nothing but pure bliss and endless rounds of golf set in its natural desert environment, retaining its original terrain. It perfectly blends a good and challenging game with the natural scenery of the Arizona desert.

Because of this truly wonderful characteristic, the Saguaro Course at the We-Ko-Pa Golf Club was named one of the “Top 10 Best New Courses You Can Play in the US” by the GOLF Magazine in 2007 and Golfweek’s No. 1 Public Access Course in Arizona; not to mention, becoming famous among local and traveling golfers for golf trips. That, however, isn’t surprising. If two heads are naturally better than one, then it’s easy to know what to expect when two geniuses join forces.

The Shoals – Schoolmaster (Muscle Shoals)

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The Schoolmaster Course at the Shoals Golf Club is named after President Woodrow Wilson , the “Schoolmaster of Politics”, because it sits right next to one of the President’s most noted projects, the Wilson Dam. But there must absolutely be something more about this premiere golf vacation destination that makes it worthy of being a namesake of a President. It could perhaps be the scenic vista offered by the course, or the toughness of it that makes it exciting and challenging for the visitors, or it could be both. All that’s certain about the Schoolmaster course is that it has earned the reputation of being one of the best golf courses in the country that merited it a four-star rating from Golf Digest.

Along with the Fighting Joe course, the Schoolmaster course makes up the 36-hole golf facility, The Shoals Golf Club in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Together, they make up in part the famous Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. This golf trip favorite is said to be a tougher course than the Fighting Joe with its narrower fairways and tree-lined greens. The Schoolmaster Course at the Shoals Golf Club was designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr to follow the natural topography of the area surrounding the Tennessee River. It is built, like a schoolmaster, to test the every visiting golfer’s ability.

The Schoolmaster Course at the Shoals Golf Club runs on almost 8000 yards of golf, with 18 neat holes on a par of 72. Whatever it is that makes this golf vacation haven worthy of a Presidential namesake, one thing is for sure: the course, like a true schoolmaster, tests its golfers to help them improve their game. It is one tough challenge made only for those who dare to become better!

The Shoals – Fighting Joe (Muscle Shoals)

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It is as tough as it is beautiful, there is no question in that. The Fighting Joe Course at the Shoals has a really long history under the Confederate – as long as its 8,092 yards of golf on 18 neat holes for a par of 72. Golfers would definitely struggle to make the difficult shots, all the while delighting their senses with the wonderful view of the Wilson Lake on Tennessee River. Golf trips headed this way are sure to be exciting and pleasant.

The links style Fighting Joe Course shares The Shoals facility with the Schoolmaster course, and both are part of the roster of premiere golf vacation destinations at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. Both courses are wedged between the Wilson and the Wheeler Dams on the River Tennessee. The Fighting Joe Course at the Shoals boasts of a challenging golf facility that involves water play on the lakes surrounding it. Because of its beauty that only its counterpart Schoolmaster course can equal, the Fighting Joe Course was hailed one of the top new golf courses in 2004 by Travel + Leisure Golf.

The signature hole in the Fighting Joe Course at the Shoals has always been a favorite subject of debate among its visitors. They simply couldn’t decide on whether it is the 17th or the 18th hole. These holes are nothing less than beautiful, with awe-inspiring views of the Lake, but are equally as dangerous as a rose with thorns. The only way to decide is to make a golf vacation hereabouts and experience it firsthand. There may still be questions on which truly is the true signature hole, but only one thing remains unquestionable about it: THE FIGHTING JOE COURSE IS AS TOUGH AS IT IS BEAUTIFUL, AND IT’S SIMPLY ONE OF THE BEST.

Magnolia Grove – Crossings Course (Mobile)

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A Robert Trent Jones design always bears the renowned designer’s principle of encouraging risky and daring play. Nothing comes easy, nothing gained without risk. This principle is now known all throughout Alabama, and perhaps all of United States, in the famous Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. Every Robert Trent Jones-designed course in the Trail has perfected the art of marrying beautiful scenery with challenging, skill-testing layouts making it a favorite spot for golf vacations. One of the most loved course at the Trail is the Crossings Course at Magnolia Grove Golf Club.

The Crossings Course is one of the three championship courses at the Magnolia Golf Club in Mobile, Alabama. A thick hardwood and pine forest gave way to make up this excellent 54-hole golf vacation destination that is dotted with picturesque marshlands, lakes and creeks. The par-72 18-hole Crossings Course at the Magnolia Golf Club doubles as a railroad track and is home to the Avnet LPGA Classic. It was a design made for the shot maker, with its hilly terrain and several of its pulpit greens elevated well above the fairways. Along with the other courses at Magnolia Grove – the Falls Course – the Crossings Course was listed as Great Value courses in Golf Digest’s Places to Play.

Robert Trent Jones Sr. won’t make it to the elite list of golf course designers if he hadn’t proven his worth. His designs have been known favorites among golfers all around the globe. And the Crossings Course at the Magnolia Grove Golf Club, despite being inexpensive in comparison to the more high-end Robert Trent Jones designs, lives up to the designer’s legacy of excellence in course design that brings home a satisfied golfer after every golf trip made to any of his courses.

Hampton Cove – Highlands Course (Huntsville)

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From one end of Alabama to the other, The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail provides the state with the best golfing experience. Each of the 26 golf vacation destinations at the Trail exude a character of its own – yet they all provide that top caliber golfing experience for their visitors. One of the prides of the Trail is the 54-hole facility, Hampton Cove. Located at the northernmost tip of the trail in Huntsville, AL, it features three signature courses: The Highlands Course, the River Course, and the Short Course. These three courses combine to make the Hampton Cove the place to be in golf. The Highlands Course at Hampton Cove is one of the most noteworthy – both in playability and in scenery.

The Highlands Course of Hampton Cove is an 18-hole Scottish Links-style, championship course. It is famous for its exciting elevation changes and picturesque surroundings. An old mule barn standing in solitude near the 5th hole is a perfect compliment to the surrounding woods of Japanese black pines, oaks, dogwoods and crepe myrtles. These trees were planted in thousands around the course to make this golf trip haven even more pleasing to the eyes.

Truly, the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail makes for the perfect destination for that next golf vacation. It is a paradise of sorts for the avid golfer. It provides a truly unique golf experience at each of its offered courses. Every single course on the Trail is a must try, and the Highlands Course on Hampton Cove should be on top of that list.

Timberline Golf Club (Birmingham)

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Just 30 miles south of downtown Birmingham in Alabama, a golf trip haven is nestled among huge oaks and fragrant pines. With its offering of a different golf course experience for players of all levels, the Timberline Golf Club is fast becoming a precious favorite among the courses in Alabama.

The golf vacation destination of gently rolling fairways, bunkers and perfectly manicured greens spans almost 7000 yards at the tips. It offers not only a great view of the Alabama woods but a challenging but fun round of golf at every outing. The Timberline Golf Club is an 18-hole par 71 championship course built by the famous US Open Champion and golf course architect, Jerry Pate. The land on which the Timberline is built on used to be a nine-hole course, and Pate and his team had to overhaul the entire area to achieve the superb golf course that the Timberline is today. The course opened in 2002, and since then, countless additions have been made to complete its facilities, and countless golfers have also gone home satisfied after taking a trip here.

Golfers, whether looking for a course for that desired golf vacation, or looking for a location for a charity golf event, they can never go wrong with the Timberline Golf Club. The challenging holes are complemented by superb practice facilities, a beautiful clubhouse and grille, and friendly and excellent service. The Timberline Golf Club is one of the 26 championship courses of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in Alabama.

Silver Lakes Golf Club

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Golf at the Silver Lakes Golf Club of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail is not for the fainthearted. The three-sets of nines and the short course on this golf vacation destination were built to break even the best golfer’s composure with the challenge they impose. The names of each nine are a tell-all: The Mindbreaker, The Backbreaker, and the most intense, The Heartbreaker. And do not be deceived: the short course doesn’t come short of challenging.

The Mindbreaker nine is perhaps the easiest of the three sets of nines on the Silver Lakes Golf Club. The secret to conquering this nine lies in excellent club selection. The more difficult one is The Backbreaker with its signature hole that features a jaw-dropping 623-yard par-5 hole no. 7. If you think that isn’t difficult enough, water comes into play TWICE in that hole. If it’s any consolation, this nine offers the best view of the Appalachian mountains. And there’s The Heartbreaker. It wouldn’t be called a Heartbreaker for nothing. This has been dubbed as the toughest nine in the entire trail. Holes no. 8 and no. 9 are the most notorious of the third sets of nines in this golf vacation destination. Hole no. 8, a par-3, plays 200 yards over water and uphill to the green, and the par-4 9th hole is a 450-yard shot that plays with the water on the entire left side of the fairway. The short course is a set of “demanding” par-3’s that require water play in 7 of its 9 holes.

Located right at the edge of the Talladega National Forest near Anniston in Alabama, the Silver Lakes Country Club will make for that no-ordinary golf trip. With its three tougher than tough sets of nines, and an even more difficult short course, Silver Lakes will test even the toughest.