Tag Archives: golf vacation destination

Puerto Los Cabos, Mexico

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A champion knows a good golf course by heart; a legend lives it. When Jack Nicklaus creates a golf course, the years of passionate love affair with the sport and the excellence that he gives in all of those years as a champion. A golf course bearing his name surely bears his attitudes towards golf. Just like his signature nine at the Puerto Los Cabos Resort at the southern tip of Mexico’s Baja in the California Peninsula. If golfers think having a Nicklaus design in a resort couldn’t get any better, the golf vacation destination just took it a notch higher: THE OTHER NINE IN THE 18-HOLE FACILITY WAS MADE BY THE GREG NORMAN, no less.

The two signature nines of Puerto Los Cabos– the front being Norman’s and the back being Nicklaus’ – are the cream of the resort’s crop. Apart from them being the brainchild of the two legendary golfers, they are also part of a huge resort/residential facility fronting the ocean. It is a picturesque paradise made for golf vacations on a daily basis. Though both nines are created by equally legendary players/course designers, there is nothing similar about the two courses except that they both promote a kind of game worthy of championships.

On top of all that, the courses are serviced by a 40,000 square foot clubhouse, not to mention the sweeping vistas of the Mexican shoreline. The designers of Puerto Los Cabos have created their respective nines with the purpose of maintaining – if not bringing out – the place’s natural splendor. And it shows the kind of champions they are: they bring out the best in this place, as well as each golfer who embarks on a golf trip hereabouts.

 

 

 

 

The Bay Club – East Course

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Laid back, relaxing, fun, beautiful – all the good words could go on and on and on when talking about the Bay Club’s East Course. It is perhaps safe, and right, to say that this is one of Maryland’s best golf courses. But of course, it takes more than words to prove this – one should actually play it to know it. But this course should come with a warning: a single round could lead to a full-fledged golf vacation, and it could go on and on and on.

 The 18-hole, par 72 Bay Club’s East Course is made up of the best conditions, and even better amenities to go with its already naturally beautiful surroundings. It was designed by Charles Priestly and opened in 1999 to stand out among Maryland’s best list. The most notable feature of this golf vacation destination is its tour quality Zoysia grass greens, something that no other golf course in the area is offering. That and the 426 acres of pristine lakes, a mixture of natural and man-made wetlands, and the strategically beautiful sand traps make the course special. The signature “Paradise Island” greens make it extra special. All these combine to make this course an irresistible and unforgettable one.

The list of loyal patrons – who make a tradition out of golf trips to the Bay Club’s East Course – is getting longer, and it could go on and on and on. This golf course has everything put together all too perfectly, embossing its name as one of the best – if not the best – golf courses in the state.

 

The Links At Lighthouse Sound (Ocean City, MD)

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For one person to work to bring out another’s best is impressive; to successfully do it is exemplary. The designers of the Links at Lighthouse Sound have toiled to bring out the best of Mother Nature in its layout, and the best in each golfer that comes to play. The result is both impressive and exemplary. This golf vacation destination is a testament to the breathtaking beauty of almost uninterrupted nature, all the while bringing endless rounds of golf fit for the true lovers of the sport.

The Links at Lighthouse Sound is surrounded by several natural water features including the Assawomen bay, St. Martin’s river and a tidal marshland that all provide not only a challenging game, but a scenic one as well. The 18-hole par 72 golf vacation favorite is home to the longest cart bridge in the United States at 1,500 feet – and this bridge stretches all the way from the bay side holes to the marsh side ones. All 7,031 whooping yards of golf at the Links offer a quality of game that is not made for the faint of heart: the water comes into play on several holes and they were made not to serve as passive backdrops for a photo op; they were carved for the extra spunk. The signature par-3 fifth hole plays directly over the marsh towards a water-surrounded green. If water is not the golfer’s element, then perhaps the metal could do the trick.

When the designers came up with the Links at Lighthouse Sound, they brought out a lot of bests: best in nature, the best golf game, and the best location for a golf trip – and in the process, golf lovers have seen they are among the best course architects. It figures, best creators equal best results.

Rum Pointe Seaside Golf Links

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The biggest risks grant the biggest rewards. This is one thing that has been proven time and again – especially on the golfing greens. The shots that are the most difficult, and requires the biggest risks, are the ones that merit the loudest sighs, and the most memorable smiles. This principle of risk-reward was employed by the father-and-son design duo of Pete and PB Dye when they built the Rum Pointe Seaside Golf Links in Ocean City, MD. They themselves have gone through their own risks in building the golf vacation destination, with the difficulties posed by the beachside setup. But the reward is incomparable: a beautiful Scottish style links with the best views of the ocean.

The 18-hole, par-72 course has 17 holes playing with the bay in view, several of which are actually playing in front of the bay. How to play against the wind and the oceans surrounding, and how to end up with a low score requires a lot of guts and more shotmaking skills. The multiple tees, however, allow for golfers of various handicaps to enjoy the course. It is, in actuality, a rollercoaster ride of easy and difficult shots that could make any golfer’s heart flutter or go berserk altogether. Nevertheless, a golf trip to Rum Pointe Seaside Golf Links is something that would remain in the memory for a very long time.

The risks taken by the developers of Rum Pointe Seaside Golf Links have all paid off. Not only has it been recently ranked Top 5 Best in the State by Golf Week Magazine; it has also been the preferred course by golfers taking a golf vacation in Maryland.

Glen Riddle Golf Club – War Admiral Course

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Glen Riddle Golf Club’s War Admiral Course is one golf vacation destination that pays homage to the great origin of golf and to the breathtaking Maryland scenery. It brings out the best of both, and the best and most memorable of games for every golfer who comes its way.

 Stretching to over 6,868 yards of pure golfing goodness, the 18-hole, par-72 War Admiral Course winds through a mature forest and has a whole array of wild and rugged bunkers. While its sibling Man of War course takes the golfers to a British Isles golf experience and they have to brave the eastern shore winds, this course at the Glen Riddle Golf Club has a calmer atmosphere. But that shouldn’t make it any easier than the other. The trees that grow abundantly in the forest surrounding it will give golfers a head- and heartache sooner or later in the game. But the scenic views around the tidal marsh – which comes into play on five of the eighteen holes – are just so breathtaking they have the power to neutralize whatever pains a bad score card can give. Golf trips here are made of beautiful views and game-winning (or heartbreaking!) shots – nevertheless, memorable.

 To whatever it pays homage to, the War Admiral Course clearly has given justice to it. And it would give all its worth for every mile that a golfer would go through to spend a golf vacation here. If this isn’t the best golf course hereabouts, then the best must be unborn yet.

Glen Riddle Golf Club – Man of War Course

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Windswept and lovestruck might be the two things in common that golfers experience after a round of golf at the Man of War course of the Glen Riddle Golf Club. This golf vacation destination in Maryland that used to be a racetrack that trained the best of Maryland’s thoroughbreds, will surely take its visitors to a different time and a different place where the only thing that matters is golf and nothing else.

The Man of War course was patterned after the courses of the British Isles and has the signature large greens, double fairways, pot bunkers, sand dunes, and the soft to moderate blows of eastern shore winds. The wisps of winds could be as soft as whispers or strong enough to break any golfer’s game, but will leave a smile worth a thousand vacations elsewhere. The old racetrack, the surroundings and the atmosphere of vintage golfing makes one feel like not being in Maryland at all, but somewhere in a place and time when golf was just a young sport. The 18-hole par-72 Joel Weiman design brings about the best of links golf and the best of golf vacations in a single package.

Stretching to over 7,163 yards of golf from the back tees, the Man of War course of the Glen Riddle Golf Club is nothing but pure golfing goodness. From scenery to high-quality play to just about everything, there is nothing here to love but just golf. It’s a perfect love affair for people who are bound in marriage to the sport. Golf trips here would definitely leave any golfer falling in love with the sport over and over and over.

Baywood Greens Golf Club – (Rehoboth Beach, DE)

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Augusta is Augusta, an almost invincible institution in the world of golf. It has an unmatched beauty and brand of play that has been legendary – the kind that even legends are fazed. To be compared to it is an honor that is worth perhaps a hundred recognitions from the country’s top golf publications. And this is exactly what the Baywood Greens Golf Club has become: a golf vacation destination that is by all means worthy of being called the Augusta of the North.

Baywood Greens Golf Club is an 18-hole championship course in Longneck, Delaware that is the perfect fusion of nature and human creativity. It is a whooping 27 acres of man made ponds, 2 tunnels and over 200,000 varieties of flowers, plants, trees and shrubs. They all combine to create the scenic paradise that it is today. Golf vacation packages here are made of fun and exciting rounds of golf on two superb nines – waterside and woodside, picture perfect moments amidst a plethora of flora in various colors, and the best memories.

 

The golf trip haven is only a few minutes from Delaware’s scenic Rehoboth Beach, and the Indian River Bay. This, its perfect conditioning and serving of world-class amenities like its clubhouse and pro shop all make the Baywood Greens Golf Club one good golf course. Too good in fact, that it has been awarded the #1 Best in the State for 2011-2012 by Golf Digest. With this recognition and more to come, it is carving its own name that could very well stand next to Augusta, among other legendary courses.

Reynolds Plantation – Great Waters Course

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If there was a beauty pageant for golf courses, this would surely be a title holder. The Great Waters Course at the Reynolds Plantation in Georgia owns the kind of beauty that is so easy to love, and so hard to forget. Golf vacations here are nothing short of scenic and memorable, and it would be a sin to forget bringing a camera hereabouts.

 Amongst the Jack Nicklaus designs, Golf Magazine ranks the Great Waters Course fifth, and Golfweek Magazine lists it among America’s “Best Residential Courses”. This 18-hole par-72 course also never fails to be ranked among the Top 100 Golf Courses in the US. The main reason for this is the beautiful Oconee Lake that plays on nine holes; it shines a beautiful gold on a perfect sunset in the summer. That, and the surrounding dogwood and azaleas that turn the ground a sea of colors in the fall. But this golf course is not all about the face factor. It has got as much spunk that could break any player’s heart. It perfectly breeds beauty and quality play, something that not every golf vacation destination in America could give.

 The Great Waters Course opened in 1992, and has undergone a major renovation in 2009 led by the designer itself. The result made it the best that it could ever be. Because of its exquisite conditioning, it is not only a favorite for golf trips but for tournaments as well. It has hosted the 41st PGA Professional National Championship in 2008 and Andersen Consulting World Championship of Golf (now known as the WGC Accenture Match Play Championship) from 1995 to 1997. This only proves, further, that this beauty is indeed a title holder – by all means.

Reynold’s Plantation – Oconee Course

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The Reynold’s Plantation in Georgia is home to 7 of the best courses in America. And the designs are not made by just any architect. These top caliber golf vacation destinations bear the names of some the industry’s best the likes of Jack Nicklaus, Tom Fazio, and Pete Dye. However, among the seven best, there will always be one that stands out; and in this resort, it is the Oconee Course designed by no less than the legendary Rees Jones himself.

The 18-hole par-72 Oconee Course, which stretches to 7,299 yards from the longest tees was named after the picturesque Lake Oconee which makes an appearance on most of the course’s 18 holes. Its layout is characterized as dramatic, challenging, and playable and has been the venue of countless memorable golf vacations. Lake Oconee and several other water features make or break any golfer’s game and it requires excellent strategy and shot-making skills to come out of this course as pristine as the majestic lake.

It has not only been praised but has been the choice host of some of the most prestigious events. Since it opened in 2002, the Oconee Course has already played host to the 2007 PGA Cup and the 2007 Chik-Fil-A-Bowl Alma Mater tournaments. It has also been listed as one of America’s Top Golf Courses by Zagat Survey (2007), as well as one of the Best Residential Golf Courses (Golfweek Magazine 2007). It was also ranked among the 100 Best Golf Shops in America by Golf World Business Magazine in 2006 and one of the Best Courses for Women by Golf for Women Magazine in 2006. With a portfolio this highly-awarded, it truly deserves the top spot at the Reynold’s Plantation – it proves to be the best golf vacation destination in its line of best golf courses.

The Plantation Course

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Challenging yet forgiving – these are two words that would best describe The Plantation Course at the Reynolds Plantation in Georgia. It is a great eighteen-hole regulation course featuring 6,698 yards of golf for a par of 72. Bob Cupp was the mastermind behind this wonderful course that started giving golfers pure golfing treat in 1987. Golf vacations spent here are made of fun and challenging rounds of golf.

The Plantation Course has a course rating of 70.2 and a slope rating of 125. According to Charley Stine of GolfWeek, “the hills are natural to the terrain, but the funny lies and funny bounces result from the integrity of shape during construction”. The bent grass greens are gently contoured and the Bermuda grass fairways are a little hilly and are always flawlessly maintained. It was ranked among the “Ten Best New Courses” by Golf Magazine in 2004, “Best Places to Play” by Golf Digest in 2006, and “America’s Top Golf Courses” by the Zagat Survey. With the strategic bunkers and water hazards, a golf trip here will make require that the golfers bring their “A” game if they want to score low.

The Plantation Course set the stage of Reynolds Plantation to become the golfer’s mecca, not to mention the great service of the course’s friendly staff under the management of Bryan Evans as the course’s General Manager. The natural beauty of the land, the variety in length and the size of the greens make it an ideal golf vacation destination.