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.

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.

Heron Bay Golf Club was so artfully created that it almost seems as if it’s already part of nature. It blends too perfectly with the Georgia scenery that it’s not hard to think this championship course was carved by Mother Nature herself and all developers did was provide the other amenities, and bring in the players. But the golf vacation destination is actually the brainchild of architect Jeff Burton. Since the course opened in 2004, it has been earning the reputation of being one of the best in the state.

The 18-hole, par 72 championship course is quite long, measuring at 7300 yards from the back tees. If the course’s fair elevation changes and tight fairways do not faze the average golfer, then perhaps the distance will. Heron Bay Golf Club is located on the edge of the Cole Reservoir, giving the course the edge both in scenery and challenge. Eight of the course’s eighteen holes involve water in their play, including two that play along the reservoir, thereby adding drama to the already thrilling game. What couldn’t be had with the swing and shot, luckily, is compensated by the stunning views around the course.The signature hole of the Heron Bay Golf Club is the par-3 12^th, hugged on one side by water and a killer bunker on the other. Golf trips to this golfer’s haven require an extra stash of shotmaking skills and a ready ounce of gut for when risky plays are needed.

Everything good about the Heron Bay Golf Club comes naturally. The fun and challenge of the layout flows along with the contours of the natural Georgia terrain. It shouldn’t be surprising, too, why this is a favorite for golf vacations – it makes loving it part of the golfer’s nature.