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golfing M A G A Z I N E™
TRAVEL GUIDE • Sweet Home Alabama • Kauai, Hawaii • Waccamaw Golf Trail, Myrtle Beach SC • Barefoot Resort & Golf, Myrtle Beach SC • Caledonia & True Blue, Myrtle Beach SC • Pinehurst and Southern Pines, NC • Hilton Head Island, SC • Santee, Couth Carolina • North Carolina’s Outer Banks • BOYNE Golf | Michigan’s Magnificent Ten • Reunion Resort, Orlando FL • Wine Castles and World Class Golf Holiday 2021 / Winter 2022
Bay Harbor Links Course Boyne Golf www.GolfingMagazine.net
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Award-winning dining, a booming craft beer scene, luxurious resorts, and exceptional year-round golf on courses along the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail await you in Alabama. Plus, with Jerry Pate’s Kiva Dunes and Arnold Palmer’s Craft Farms in Gulf Shores, from the mountain lakes to the Gulf Coast you can take it all in.
www.GolfAlabama.org Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, Birmingham www.GolfingMagazine.net
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Winter / Spring 2022 golfing Travel Guide M A G A Z I N E™
Volume 52
Issue 6
Holiday 2021 / Winter 2022
Publisher Tom Landers TLanders@GolfingMagazine.net Creative Director Heidi Dyer Production@GolfingMagazine.net Editor John Torsiello Editor@GolfingMagazine.net Contributing Writers John DiCocco Claudio DeMarchi Mike May Contributing Photographer Mark William Paul National Sales Manager Sean Fitzsimmons GolfingMag@Verizon.net
Wachesaw Plantation East Myrtle Beach, SC
Publisher’s Representatives Claudio DeMarchi Claudio@LakeviewProduction.com Drew Toth
TRAVEL FEATURES
5 Sweet Home Alabama 6 Kauai, Hawaii
8 Waccamaw Golf Trail, Myrtle Beach SC 10 Barefoot Resort & Golf, Myrtle Beach SC 12 Caledonia & True Blue, Myrtle Beach SC 14 Pinehurst and Southern Pines, NC 16 Hilton Head Island, SC 18 Santee, Couth Carolina 20 North Carolina’s Outer Banks 22 BOYNE Golf | Michigan’s Magnificent Ten
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Editorial Contributions should be mailed to above address or emailed to the publisher. Material accepted is subject to revisions necessary to meet requirements of the publication. The act of delivering material shall express a warranty by contributor that material is original and does not infringe on the rights of others. Reproduction of the contents of this publication is prohibited with written permission of the publisher. Publisher is not responsible for errors or omissions.
24 Reunion Resort, Orlando FL 26 Wine Castles and World Class Golf Golfing Magazine is published five times annually. 2022 Home Delivery Subscription Rate: $49.95 per year
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Sweet Home Alabama
weet Home Alabama is more than just a song or a movie, although they both certainly evoke the spirit of the beautiful state. It’s also a mantra for the hard-working, friendly folks that travelers encounter along the way. From the bagboys and beverage cart girls on the worldclass golf courses to the servers and chefs in the award-winning restaurants, visitors are made to feel right at home, ensuring that time spent in Alabama is as sweet as the tea. Sweet Home Alabama is a golfing destination unlike any other, as home to the original golf trail, modern and historic golf resorts, and over 32 miles of sugar-white beaches on the Gulf of Mexico. Both the incomparable Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail and the Arnold Palmerdesigned Craft Farms Resort in Gulf Shores put Alabama on the radar of traveling golf groups more than 27 years ago. The ensuing years have upgraded the state’s position on all types of vacation bucket lists by spawning award-winning hotels, spas, and luxurious resorts; exciting craft breweries with medal-quality beers; world-renowned bass fishing events and red snapper rodeos; and a thriving culinary scene,
ranging from fresh Gulf seafood and a unique BBQ Trail to James Beard-recognized chefs and restaurants. Just a few of the golf resorts that make Alabama so special are Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa in Birmingham, boasting an RTJ Golf Trail golf course,
90 miles) and has a fun, feature pool with patio bar and a three-story spa; The Grand Hotel Golf Resort & Spa on Mobile Bay near Fairhope offering 36 holes of golf on the RTJ Golf Trail and all of the amenities of a worldclass resort; and Kiva Dunes Golf & Beach Resort in Gulf Shores, Alabama’s only gulf-front golf resort offering a Jerry Pate-designed course and clubhouse and fairway condominiums, as well as beach homes to rent. The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, with its eight hotels/resorts and 26 courses at 11 sites around the state, and Coastal Alabama Golf, the booking entity for nine premier golf courses and lodging options ranging from golf resorts and hotels to beachfront condos and homes in the Gulf Marriott Grand National Resort & Spa Shores-Orange Beach area, are eager to put together customized golf luxurious spa and delectable dining; Pursell packages for your foursome or group. Farms just 45 minutes south of Birmingham, which is a unique golf resort with lodging Check out www.GolfAlabama.org options ranging from a boutique inn, 4 for more information on how you can bedroom golf cottages and an 8 bedroom make Sweet Home Alabama your next golf lodge, along with the award-winning destination or visit www.RTJGolf.com and FarmLinks golf course; Marriott Grand www.CoastalAlabamaGolf.com to book National Resort & Spa in Auburn-Opelika today. is the closest resort to the Atlanta airport (just
Kiva Dunes Golf & Beach Resort www.GolfingMagazine.net
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Ocean Course Hokuala at Timbers Kauai
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t your doorstep awaits 13 miles of nature trails, an infinity pool, a restaurant, spa, on-site organic farm as well as an award-winning Jack Nicklaus signature course boasting the longest stretch of oceanfront golf in all of Hawaii. With luxury amenities and a concierge team dedicated to have you living like a local, experience Kauai with some serious benefits. At Timbers Kauai, we’ve created just 47 residences, all offering an oceanfront location like no other on the island. Each residence filters through an elegant design aesthetic that brings the island indoors. Come for a vacation or stay for a lifetime – Timbers Kauai offers room and golf packages for a week, or you may love it so much that you decide to purchase a one or two-month ownership package with us. The Farm at Hokuala makes good on the “farm to table” promise: The mission of the farm is to not only provide fresh ingredients to our spa and 19th hole, Hualani’s Restaurant, but to also build a community farm with an agriculture-education program for local schools. Tour with Farmer Cody and help harvest ingredients for special chef-prepared,
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farm-to-table dinners. “Hawaiians believe that life on this island came from a higher power and I believe that, too. It’s not just planting a seed and picking it and eating it. There’s a deepness to growing food. It’s what connects you to this Earth.” – Farmer Cody For the golfers in your family, the Ocean Course Hokuala is one signature hole after another. For the photographers, it is one picture postcard after another. Here, where the ocean meets the land, is as good as a golfer’s life gets. The Ocean Course Hokuala has been
completely renovated in anticipation of your visit, making Hokuala the premier golf resort on Kauai. If surfing is up your alley, test out our Golf Boards on the course, or if you have any soccer players in your family, Kauai’s only 9-hole FootGolf layout is a must – great for all ages and skill levels. At Hokuala, we have something for everyone and know that you will enjoy a wide variety of amenities we have to offer here at the resort. Savor the Garden Island where Aloha begins… www.GolfHokuala.com
GOLF, PAR ADISE, REPE AT
Ranked among the best courses you can play in Hawai‘i by Golf Magazine and named North America’s Best Golf Course by the World Golf Awards experience the longest stretch of continuous oceanfront golf in all of the islands at the Ocean Course at Hōkūala. At Timbers Kaua’i, you can enjoy your own paradise year after year with luxury ownership opportunities and award-winning vacation experiences. Enjoy spectacular views, world-class amenities, farm-to-table dining and your own award-winning Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course.
J OIN US FOR A VI SIT OR A LIFETIME
TimbersKauai.com /Golfing 808.278.6 4 49
This advertisement does not constitute an offer to sell nor the solicitation of an offer to purchase made in any jurisdiction nor made to residents of any jurisdiction, including New York, where registration is required. Tower Kauai Lagoons LLC uses the Timbers Resort,® Timbers Collection® and certain other Timbers brand names under a limited non-transferable license in connection with the sales and marketing of the Hokuala Kauai™ – A Timbers Resort ® (the “Project”). If this license is terminated or expires without renewal, the Project will no longer be identified with nor have any right to use the Timbers ® marks 7 and names. All renderings depicted in this advertisement are illustrative only and may be changed at any time. All rights reserved.
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TRAVEL
Slow Your Roll
The Waccamaw Golf Trail Experience Will Show You How, Lowcountry-Style
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e love our neighbors along the central and northern parts of the Myrtle Beach area’s 60-mile stretch of “the Grand Strand.” Between its vibrant beach scene, dozens of exceptional golf courses and hundreds of dining, oceanfront lodging, entertainment and nightlife attractions, Myrtle Beach offers an unmatched array of options for enjoying your vacation getaway. It’s almost dizzying, really, served up at a notably different pace – and with a distinctly different feel – from what you’ll discover a few miles south along the southern shores of Georgetown County, South Carolina. Here, you get to slow your roll a bit. Catch your breath. And experience vacation life that’s less adrenaline and more a leisurely cruise with the ragtop down. It’s the Waccamaw Golf Trail, and it’s our little slice of heaven with its own, distinct identity. It’s part of the Hammock Coast experience, where you’ll find far fewer oceanfront high rises and a more sprawling, breathtaking beachfront. Many visitors forsake highways and cars in favor of a good old-fashioned bicycle and the scenic Waccamaw Neck Bikeway. And you won’t need a chain restaurant when an abundance of familyowned, fine dining options awaits, stretching from Pawleys Island to “The Seafood Capital of South Carolina” in Murrells Inlet. When it’s time to pick up the tempo, the adrenaline rush will come from striping drives and sinking birdie putts on any one of 11 award-
Blackmoor Golf Club winning offerings of the Waccamaw Golf Trail, “America’s Most Awarded Golf Trail.” They include designs that have tested the best players, and represent the top Player. TPC Myrtle Beach, with a five-star rating in Golf Digest’s “Places to Play,” has hosted the best golfers at each end of the golfing spectrum, including the 2000 Senior PGA Tour Championship and the Dustin Johnson World Junior Golf Championship. Wachesaw Plantation East was a four-time LPGA Tour event host in the late ‘90s. And “The Black Knight” himself, Gary Player, boasts his only signature design in the area at Blackmoor Golf Club. Jack Nicklaus has made an indelible mark on the Waccamaw Golf Trail with his signature design at Pawleys Plantation, which spotlights
numerous holes on the back nine where a breathtaking saltwater marsh setting takes center stage. And while we’re in “breathtaking” mode, two offerings from the late, great Mike Strantz (Caledonia Golf & Fish Club and True Blue Golf Club, each among Golf Digest’s Top 100 Public Courses in America) have long been considered must-play inclusions in most Trail itineraries – two distinctly different golf challenges, but each set amid the Lowcountry splendor of Pawleys Island that creates memories of a lifetime. Brilliant seasonal foliage and centuries-old, moss-draped oaks define Dan Maples’ stellar work at Willbrook Plantation, while Ron Garl’s Tradition Club and Tom Jackson’s River Club each bring adventure through an abundance of holes with natural water settings. And a true Lowcountry golf experience wouldn’t be complete without including one of its two true originals: Founders Club at Pawleys Island, an adventurous redesign of the Myrtle Beach area’s fourth-oldest course (Sea Gull Golf Club, which opened in 1966); and Litchfield Country Club, the classic Willard Byrd track that stands as the elder statesman of South Strand golf with roots dating back to 1964. However you choose to soak in the complete Waccamaw Golf Trail and Hammock Coast experience, we promise: it’ll come at the relaxed, casual pace and feel that you seek in the ultimate vacation getaway. That’s just the way we like it. And we’re sure you will, too. Wachesaw East Golf Club www.MyGolfTrail.com
PAWLEYS PLANTATION HOLE #13
Blackmoor · Caledonia · Founders Club
River Club · TPC Myrtle Beach · Tradiion Club
Litchfield CC · Pawleys Plantaaon
True Blue · Wachesaw East · Willbrook Plantaaon
LITCHFIELD COUNTRY CLUB HOLE #1
TRADITION CLUB HOLE #15
Runner-Up Kramer Hickok tees of 18th hole in playoff
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Experience One of America’s Premier Multi-Course Properties at
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Barefoot Resort & Golf
ational awards aren’t the end-all for golf courses, but when a wide range of outlets consistently honors a property, it’s certainly easier to get an accurate idea of its standing on the national scene. For the vast majority of 22 years as part of the Myrtle Beach golf landscape, this has emphatically been the case at Barefoot Resort & Golf. Barefoot Resort has emerged as one of America’s premier multi-course properties. In 2017, Barefoot Resort was named the North American Golf Resort of the Year by the International Association of Golf Tour Operators (IAGTO), one of the travel industry’s highest honors. And most recently in 2021, Golf Digest’s Editors’ Choice awards named Barefoot Resort among the “Best Golf Resorts in the Carolinas.” Boasting the signature designs of four legends of the game (Pete Dye, Tom Fazio, Davis Love III and Greg Norman), Barefoot Resort & Golf has seen each of its championship courses earn a steady stream of lofty accolades. With such an impressive trophy case outlined here, it’s little wonder that Golf Channel chose Barefoot Resort & Golf as the host location for its “Big Break: Myrtle Beach” reality series. Among the most recent honors: The Dye Course - 2021 “Best Courses You Can Play: South Carolina” (#14) – Golfweek - 2021 “Top 200 Resort Golf Courses in
the U.S.” (#153) – Golfweek - 2021 “The Best Golf Courses in South Carolina (#29) – Golf Digest - 2020 “Best Courses You Can Play: South Carolina” (#12) – Golfweek - 2019 “Best Courses You Can Play: South Carolina” (#13) – Golfweek - 2018 One of “South Carolina’s Best Resort Courses” – Golfweek - 2017 “Best Courses You Can Play: South Carolina” (#15) – Golfweek - 2016-2017 “Best Courses You Can Play in South Carolina” (#14) – Golf Magazine - 2016 “Best Courses You Can Play: South Carolina” (#13) – Golfweek - 2015 “Best: Next 100 Resort Courses” – Golfweek - 2013-2015 “Best You Can Play on Grand Strand”– SC Golf Course Ratings Panel The Fazio Course - 2021 “Top 200 Resort Golf Courses in the U.S.” (#193) - Golfweek - 2017 “Best: Next 100 Resort Courses” – Golfweek - 2016-2017 “Best Courses You Can Play in South Carolina” (#12) – Golf Magazine - 2015 “Best Courses You Can Play: South Carolina” (#15) - Golfweek - 2015 “Best: Next 100 Resort Courses” – Golfweek - 2013-2015 “Best You Can Play on Grand Strand” – SC Golf Course Ratings Panel
The Love Course - 2021 “Top 200 Resort Golf Courses in the U.S.” (#166) - Golfweek - 2018 One of “South Carolina’s Best Resort Courses” – Golfweek - 2017 “Best: Next 100 Resort Courses” – Golfweek - 2016-2017 “Top 100 You Can Play” (#85) – Golf Magazine - 2016-2017 “Best Courses You Can Play in South Carolina” (#7) – Golf Magazine - 2013-2015 “Best You Can Play on Grand Strand” – SC Golf Course Ratings Panel - 2015 “Best Courses You Can Play: South Carolina” (#14) - Golfweek - 2015 “Best: Next 100 Resort Courses” – Golfweek The Norman Course - 2010 “Top 60 Course in Myrtle Beach” (#43) – Golf Digest - 2006 “100 Must-Play Courses of the Carolinas” – Golfstyles Carolinas - 2005 “Top 50 Course of Myrtle Beach” (#28) – Golf Digest - 2004 “Places to Play” (4 stars) – Golf Digest Make Barefoot Resort & Golf the home of your next golf trip. To find out more about how you can join in its 22nd Anniversary celebration this spring, call 888-581-1927 or visit www.BarefootGolf.com today!
Pete Dye Design Golf Course 10 10
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888-581-1927
www.BarefootGolf.com Four must-play courses in the Golf Capital of the World
This spring golf season, help us celebrate our
22in North ANNIVERSARY Myrtle Beach, South Carolina! ND
North America Golf Resort of the Year 2017 - IAGTO
Home to the most decorated multi-course golf resort in Myrtle Beach, Barefoot Golf Resort was designed by hall of fame players and architects Greg Norman, Davis Love III, Tom Fazio and Pete Dye. They produced the perfect setting for some of the east coast’s top golf layouts. Each one achieved their goal of creating unique, visually striking, and fun to play courses. Each Barefoot Resort golf course www.GolfingMagazine.net 11 has been ranked by every major golf publication.
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2021 a Banner Year for
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Caledonia & True Blue
t’s been a big year for two of the Lowcountry’s flagship designs - and Caledonia Golf & Fish Club and True Blue Golf Club are ready to share their award-winning experience with you for your Spring 2022 golf getaway! Caledonia maintained its status as among “America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses” for 2021-2022 as named by Golf Digest, which also honored Caledonia and True Blue as among “The Best Golf Courses in South Carolina.” Mike Strantz’s critically acclaimed design at Caledonia ranks 85th in the nation by Golf Digest, and was the first solo design in the short, brilliant career of “The Maverick.” Caledonia is in elite company in Golf Digest’s national ranking, joining Pebble Beach Golf Links, Pacific Dunes and the 2021 Ryder Cup host at Whistling Straits among the publication’s 2021-2022 nationwide honorees. True Blue joins Caledonia in holding prominent positioning in Golf Digest’s “Best in State” list for 2021-2022, with Caledonia coming in at No. 22 and True Blue at No. 30. They’re part of a prestigious South Carolina list that highlights both private and public venues, including the three PGA TOUR 2021 event hosts among the top five at The Ocean Course at Kiawah, Congaree Golf Club and Harbour Town Golf Links. Strantz’s Grand Strand designs join The Ocean Course, Harbour Town, May River Golf Club and Osprey Point Golf Course as six of only nine South Carolina public access venues included among the state’s top 35 designs. As has been a consistent theme for several
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True Blue Golf Club years running now, Golf Digest is not the only national golf media outlet to pay tribute in 2021 to Strantz’s Lowcountry masterpieces. Caledonia also appears in Golfweek’s 2021 list for “Best You Can Play in the U.S.” as the 65thranked course in the nation, on the heels of both Caledonia and True Blue gaining entry to the publication’s 2020 list for “Top 100 Courses You Can Play in the U.S.” - with Caledonia at No. 62 in the country and True Blue at No. 95. True Blue and Caledonia join three additional South Carolina venues in Golfweek’s nationwide ranking, highlighted by the 2021 PGA Championship host at The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island, Sea Pines Resort at Harbour Town Golf Links and May River at Montage Palmetto Bluff. One visit to each of these venerable layouts is all you’ll need to see why the accolades keep pouring in, year after year. Caledonia
accentuates soaring live oak trees draped in Spanish moss, and Strantz’s artistry is on full display at Caledonia’s renowned 18th hole, one of the Grand Strand’s most recognizable finishing holes that requires a carry across water to a green that rests in the shadow of an antebellum-style clubhouse. Strantz’s architectural genius extends to Caledonia’s sister course at True Blue, a modern design featuring huge fairways framed by waste bunkers and some of Myrtle Beach’s largest greens. Caledonia Golf Vacations is the Lowcountry’s leader in providing exceptional stay-and-play experiences for visiting golfers who make True Blue Golf Club and Caledonia Golf & Fish Club the centerpiece elements of their trip. Their friendly, expert golf directors are ready to help you plan: visit www.CaledoniaGolfVacations.com to get started today!
Caledonia Golf & Fish Club
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Pinehurst and Southern Pines
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hile savoring its rich history, the Home of American Golf also looks forward to its championship future. The Pinehurst-Southern Pines-Aberdeen region’s excitement boils down to two words: championship golf. Next up is the 77th U.S. Women’s Open Championship at Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club in Southern Pines from June 2-5, 2022. This will be the fourth Women’s Open at Pine Needles, where Annika Sorenstam (1996), Karrie Webb (2001) and Cristie Kerr (2007) notched previous titles. In addition, the Country Club of North Carolina (CCNC) recently played host to the 2021 U.S. Junior Amateur. It was the third USGA event contested at CCNC since the club’s debut in 1963. CCNC also became the 16th site to have hosted both the U.S. Junior Amateur and U.S. Girls’ Junior. Meanwhile, the USGA is busy planning a second home at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club called “Golf House Pinehurst,” which will eventually be the site of the USGA’s equipment research and testing center, turfgrass agronomy and management offices, as well as a museum and welcome center. The resort’s crown jewel, Pinehurst No. 2, was awarded the USGA’s first U.S Open anchor site, with five championships scheduled from 2024 through 2047. Other exciting news includes construction of
Golf’s Title Town The Lodge at Pinehurst hotel, a 64,000-squarefoot, 34-room hotel on Pinehurst Resort’s campus that will overlook The Cradle Short Course. Plans for the hotel include meeting spaces, locker rooms, a fitness center and a bar. The Cradle has been an overwhelming smash hit with all golfers, but with the millennial crowd in particular. Golfers can plunk down $50 and play as many holes as they like on the Hanse-designed, par-3 layout. The Cradle is now a “must play” — 789 yards of the most fun you’ll enjoy on a golf course. The Resort recently acquired one of the Village of Pinehurst’s most iconic hotels, The Magnolia Inn, and Villaggio Ristorante & Bar. The Magnolia has served as the gateway to the Village since it opened in 1896, less than a year after Pinehurst was founded. It is the secondoldest hotel in the Village behind the Holly Inn, which opened its doors on New Year’s Eve in 1895. Of course, there is plenty of additional golf buzz around the famed Sandhills, including a rousing renovation of Southern Pines Golf Club, a vintage Donald Ross-designed course dating to the early 1900s that is now under management of the company that owns and operates Pine Needles and Mid Pines. Architect Kyle Franz says the golf course project evokes the essence of a Ross original, staying true to the well-preserved routing
while removing elements that have been added through the years. More than 700 trees were removed, accentuating dramatic vistas throughout the property. The Ross greens have been revamped and the bunkers restored. Franz also uncovered Ross’s “Lost Hole” — which is not part of the current routing — while researching historic materials prior to the restoration. Other major renovation work has been done on area courses recently including architect Gil Hanse’s facelift of Pinehurst No. 4, along with The New Course at Talamore Golf Resort, a popular Rees Jones original, and the neighboring Mid South Club, designed by Arnold Palmer. At the now private Dormie Club, there’s a new, spacious and stylish 16,000-squarefoot clubhouse, along with 15 cottages and a standalone pro shop among numerous other upgrades. The only original Bill Coore-Ben Crenshaw design in North Carolina, Dormie Club is the sister course to another CooreCrenshaw gem in the Dormie Network, Hidden Creek Golf Club outside Atlantic City, N.J. The Home of American Golf remains proud of its past — and equally excited for its future. For the latest news about nearly 40 area courses and package information, please visit www.HomeofGolf.com.
Pinehurst #2, 3rd Hole
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Come Home!
The USGA chose Pinehurst to build its second headquarters and said the decision was like “Coming Home.” Come home to the Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen Area for a legendary golf experience worth writing home about. Step to the tee and start planning your next golf adventure and make memories inside the Home of American Golf!
HomeofGolf.com www.GolfingMagazine.net
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The Golf Island – Hilton Head Island, SC A Golf Vacation Unlike Any Other
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he Hilton Head IslandBluffton area of South Carolina is home to 26 fantastic golf courses, world-class beaches and an unparalleled variety of vacation accommodations, lowcountry dining choices and off-the-course activities. Recently Voted the #1 Golf Destination in North America Golf is played 365 days a year on The Golf Island, with 16 onisland courses, including the famous Harbour Town Golf Links at The Sea Pines Resort, and 10 off-island layouts. The breathtaking natural beauty of the area attracted some of the games greatest architects...Robert Trent Jones, Davis Love III, Rees Jones, Gary Player, Arnold Palmer, Pete Dye, Plan Your Hilton Head Island Golf Trip Jack Nicklaus, George Fazio...just to name a Online few. Hilton Head Island is also home to the We make planning your golf vacation RBC Heritage, an area tradition where the from start to finish easy on the the #1 trip world’s best golfers try to tame one of the planning site at www.HiltonHeadGolfIsland. most challenging stops on the PGA Tour. com. Browse all of the area’s golf courses, The Golf Island has proven year the many seasonal golf package offers, after year to be a golf lovers dream and accommodations options, off-the-course is the perfect destination for the annual activities and request a custom golf trip buddy golf trip, couples trips, girlfriend quote. With a few clicks of your mouse, getaways and parent-child weekends. your dream vacation can become a reality.
Oyster Reef Golf Club Visit the Award-Winning and Tour Favorite The Golf Island has been voted by PGA Tour players as their 2nd favorite stop on Tour and the #1 Island in the US by Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards four years running. Simply put, no place does a golf vacation like Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. www.HiltonHeadGolfIsland.com
Atlantic Dunes by Davis Love III Photo courtesy of The Sea Pines Resort and Rob Tipton 16
Golfing Magazine
2021 Best Island in the U.S. by Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards
No Place Does A Golf Trip Like
The Golf Island
HILTON HEAD ISLAND S O U T H
C A R O L I N A
26 Golf Courses • Amazing Beaches • Lowcountry Dining & So Much More
Browse Our Many Golf Vacation Ideas Now Online
HiltonHeadGolfIsland.com
Photo Courtesy of The Sea Pines Resort & Rob Tipton www.GolfingMagazine.net Photo Courtesy of Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort - Robert Trent Jones Course
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Santee, Couth Carolina
antee Cooper Golf Resort now features the state of South Carolina’s only 18hole putting course! The Palmetto Traverse is a 35,000 square-foot natural grass putting experience that will challenge the serious putter and create great fun for those just out for enjoyment. The Palmetto Traverse lies steps from the resort’s villas and townhouses. Those on a Resort golf package enjoy unlimited play during their stay. The Most Fun, Value-Packed Golf Vacation The top priority at Santee Cooper Resort is to provide a golf trip for guests that is fun and loaded with value. This is why 85% of Resort customers repeat every year. From great golf and first-class accommodations to BBQ dinners, golf shop gift cards and deeply discounted replay rounds, the golf vacation experience is second to none. And, to top it all off, the Resort recently opened the first 18-hole, natural grass putting course in South Carolina to extend the fun into the wee hours! You will be charmed with good ol’ southern hospitality and wowed with an experience you and your group will never forget!
13 Fun-Filled Golf Courses to Play Santee Cooper Resort features two, 18hole courses that have been the perennial favorites of traveling golfers for more than 30 years. Eleven other championship courses dot the landscape in Santee and the surrounding area, giving you have lots of choices. Many of these fine courses have been ranked by Golf Digest’s Places to PlayGuide. Enjoy classic tree-lined layouts, dramatic elevations and views of beautiful Lake Marion. As you play your way around Santee, you will notice each and every course has been designed for maximum enjoyment and a thrilling challenge. Lake Marion Golf Townhouses Due to the overwhelming demand for quality on-course lodging in the area, 10 new Lake Marion Golf Townhouses were added in mid-2016, bringing the total number of units available for your next golf vacation stay to 34. The Townhouses are located along the fairways of Lake Marion Golf Course. These spacious units average 1500 sq. ft. each and feature two bedrooms with four extended full beds, 2.5 bathrooms, an over-sized fully-equipped kitchen, outdoor patio, three televisions with satellite TV featuring 160
channels with HD options, complimentary WiFi service and daily towel service, plus a gas grilling station. Each unit has two levels, all with ground entry. The second bedroom and bath are located upstairs. Lake Marion Golf Villas Each of these 24 units averages 1250 sq. ft. and allows easy one-level access to all amenities and living space, with a choice of a ground floor or second floor entry. Guests enjoy two bedrooms, with four full beds, two bathrooms, a fully-equipped kitchen, outdoor patio, three televisions with satellite TV featuring 160 channels with HD options, complimentary WiFii service, an in-unit washer and dryer and a conveniently-located shared charcoal grilling station. All Resort guests also enjoy exclusive access to the new outdoor swimming pool (open seasonally) and use of the Hospitality Clubhouse featuring gathering space for groups of 16-64 complete with a kitchen area, flat screen TV and expansive scoreboards. www.SanteeCooperGolf.com
Lake Marion Golf Course, 1st Hole 18
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YOUR GOLF TRIP PLAYGROUND
SANTEE SOUTH CAROLINA
SANTEE COOPER GOLF RESORT
HOME OF THE ALLINCLUSIVE GOLF PACKAGE 36 Holes of Golf Just Steps from Our WellAppointed Golf Villas and Townhouses Unlimited Play on the New, Palmetto Traverse SC’s Only 18-Hole, Natural Grass Putting Course $10 Replay Rounds of Golf Lake Marion Golf Shop Gift Card Breakfast Daily and Weekly Dinner (Seasonal)
35,000 Square Feet of Pure Putting Fun!
SANTEE COOPER GOLF RESORT | (800) 344-6534 • www.SanteeCooperGolf.com www.GolfingMagazine.net
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North Carolina’s Outer Banks The Ultimate Coastal Golf Destination
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ocated at the top of North Carolina’s barrier islands, the Outer Banks divides the Atlantic Ocean from the Currituck Sound. With so many holes along the waters completely surrounding the Outer Banks, it’s hard to imagine a more picturesque and exciting place to tee it up. The OBX is not the trumped-up, touristy golf destination that has developed over time in other coastal towns. Instead, it is a throwback coastal retreat with a charm that is preserved not only in its distinct culture but across many of its big-name golf designs as well. In recent years, the OBX has begun to assert itself as a true golf destination, with an array of courses that are more closely tied to all of nature’s coastal elements than what you’ll find in other East Coast golf destinations. Nags Head Golf Links features several holes routed right along the Roanoke Sound. With its coastal winds, rugged shoreline, island holes, seaside vistas, and tees and greens are separated by rolling dunes and wild sea grass, Nags Head bears far more than a passing resemblance to the famed Scottish golf links. The Currituck Club is a Rees Jonesdesign located on the top end of the barrier island. This grand design along the coast was “sculpted on the type of land where golf began” among 600 acres of dunes, wetlands, maritime forests and sound seascapes. Located on the mainland, Kilmarlic Golf Club is an upscale Tom Steele design set amidst 605 beautiful acres of maritime forest that provides a pure OBX layout with water and wetlands virtually in play at all times. Kilmarlic has played host to many state open championships, as well as an annual Intercollegiate tournament.
Kilmarlic Golf Club The Pointe Golf Club is a traditional design that spreads out across the rural Carolina mainland. The Pointe is known as the most player-friendly course on the Outer Banks and consistently offers fairways and greens that are considered among the finest along the East Coast. Last but not least, The Carolina Club is a big, brawny layout (especially in relation to the others in the region) that stretches to within lob wedge distance of 7,000 yards. Designed by popular architects Russell Breeden and Bob Moore, the course features an island green par 3 that can be challenging to hit when the ocean breezes kick up and penetrate the mainland. A wide range of top-shelf and equally eclectic accommodations can be found all along OBX. The area’s latest golf group accommodations are The Cottages at Kilmarlic. Located within the Kilmarlic
Resort and Golf Club, these well-appointed cottages feature two-bedrooms, two baths, full kitchen, living room and back deck complete with a gas grill – providing the perfect setting to relax and enjoy the view of the lighted putting green. A four-hole par-3 short course called “The Killie” wraps around the Cottages for added fun during your golf vacation stay. There is no denying the quality of the golf on North Carolina’s Outer Banks. But whatever combination of golf courses you choose on your visit, just don’t go there thinking that the trip is going to be a stepping stone to something greater. The OBX golf experience can certainly hold its own against all others – near or afar. A golf getaway to the Outer Banks is simply one you and your friends will greatly enjoy. For golf package information visit www.PlayOBXGolf.com.
Nags Head Golf Links, 18th Hole 20
Golfing Magazine
OBX
Golf
THE OUTER BANKS OF NORTH CAROLINA
Nags Head Golf Links
The Golf Vacation You Absolutely Deserve Kilmarlic Golf Club
The Currituck Club
The Carolina Club
The Pointe Golf Club
Five Award-Winning Golf Courses • First-Class Accommodations Pristine Beaches • Fresh Coastal Dining • Historical Treasures
We Specialize in Custom Golf Packages for Groups of All Sizes! Package Information: (800) 916-6244 • www.PlayOBXGolf.com www.GolfingMagazine.net 21
TRAVEL
BOYNE Golf | Michigan’s Magnificent Ten The flagship destination to America’s Summer Golf Capital
I
t only takes one visit to discover why Northern Michigan has become one of America’s premier summer golf and vacation destinations. From mile after mile of majestic Lake Michigan coastline, towering sand dunes, idyllic small towns, deep hardwood forests, vast serene lakes, meandering rivers and breathtaking elevations, Northern Michigan brings you face to face with pristine nature at its finest. Many seasoned visitors to the area will suggest booking a golf journey with the region’s leading brand in resort golf experiences, BOYNE Golf. With 10 acclaimed golf courses across three separate and distinctive resort properties and an abundance of packages to fit a broad array of itineraries, you can’t go wrong putting your next golf trip in the hands of the folks who’ve been curating the destination more than 70 years. So, how does one golf destination present 10 different golfing experiences? Starting in Harbor Springs, The Highlands resort greets you with a stately inn resembling a Scottish country estate and four sensational golf courses, all carved through 3,500 acres of densely forested terrain. New for 2022 will be the renovated elegant luxury accommodations, which are part of a major transformation to the iconic resort. Boyne Highlands made its name as a golf property in 1966, when Robert Trent Jones Sr. designed the Heather Course. One of Michigan’s premier courses, the classic parkland layout was recognized as the 2019 Golf Course of the Year by the National Golf Course Owners Association. The Highland’s Donald Ross Memorial Course pays homage to the spectacular design work performed by the legendary designer, including holes from Seminole, Oakland Hills, Oak Hill, Pinehurst, Inverness, Bob O’Link, and Aronomink, among others. The Arthur Hills course uses the most dramatic land on the property. And, indeed, the tremendous elevation changes on the 13th hole allow for not just a great hole but a breathtaking 4000 acre view of Northern Michigan forests. The Moor Course has recently undergone renovations to create a more relaxing and rewarding round for guests. In nearby Petoskey, BOYNE Golf ’s flagship property, Inn at Bay Harbor and 22
Golfing Magazine
Donald Ross Memorial Course Bay Harbor Golf Club are draped along Lake Michigan and Little Traverse Bay. Bay Harbor Golf Club offers 27 dazzling holes designed by Arthur Hills that are played in three 18-hole combinations (Links/Quarry, Quarry/Preserve, and Preserve/Links). With its thrilling views and excellent shot values, Bay Harbor’s Links/ Quarry routing has been a staple on Golf Digest’s biannual list of America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses. The Links course is full of daring, imaginative holes with the reachable 490yard par-5 seventh, providing big-time thrills and a shot at glory. The Quarry is full of fantastic holes, but the three finishing holes are noteworthy with intimidating tee shot over rocks and wetlands, a shot onto an island green on Lake Michigan, and finishing with a most beautiful green setting along the shoreline. While more understated in its routing, The Preserve plays well up to the lofty standards of the Links and Quarry. Winding extensively through the hardwoods for much of the nine, The Preserve also opens to the calming Lake Michigan shoreline. Across the street, the scenic 18-hole Crooked Tree Golf Club is perched atop a scenic bluff facing the Inn with breathtaking
views of the Bay. This course delivers stellar panoramic views and an underrated stretch of quality, finely maintained golf holes. At Boyne Mountain Resort, just 20-minutes south of Petoskey, the Alpine and Monument courses open with a breathtaking 10-minute golf cart ride from the clubhouse upwards to the first tees. Both courses weave their way from atop the mountain down toward beautiful Deer Lake, featuring fantastic views. The Alpine combines the scenic mountain golf with beautiful parkland holes, while its counterpart the Monument, features a bit more rugged land with an epic island green finish. BOYNE Golf guests can also enjoy award-winning spas, waterfront dining, sandy beaches, watersports, gaming, microbreweries, wineries, hiking, biking, tennis, zip-lining, shopping and more capped by the spectacular million-dollar northern Michigan sunsets. Getting there has never been easier with airport upgrades at Boyne Mountain Resort and direct service from 17 U.S cities into Traverse City (TVC). For more information, visit www.BOYNEGolf.com or call 855.428.7447.
YOUR LOVE AFFAIR
WITH
GOLF DESERVES THE PERFECT SETTING With 10 magnificent courses why wait, Lock in your 2022 golf plans today.
Go to BOYNEGolf.com or call 855-428-7447
www.GolfingMagazine.net
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TRAVEL
Reunion Resort and Golf Club Orlando, FL
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eunion Resort and Golf Club offers a golfing experience unlike any other in the world. Receiving accolades and awards from several golf publications, Reunion is the only place you will find three Signature Design courses by golf ’s greatest legends: Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, and Arnold Palmer. If you find yourself at Reunion, and you can pick just one course, we recommend the Palmer course. It’s the least challenging of the three, but it boasts the most spectacular views of the resort. You will play through bunkers, lush greenery, and some of our luxury rental homes. The Palmer 7 hole is the most iconic of all 36 holes at Reunion. You might recognize Palmer 7 by its vantage point of the long winding bridge over a sparkling pond with the resort’s Grande Tower standing elegantly in the distance. The Palmer course offers 6,916 yards of rolling terrain with elevation changes up to 50 feet. The Watson course is adjacent to the Palmer course. Both start just behind the Clubhouse restaurant and Pro Shop. The Clubhouse serves a traditional American breakfast and lunch and is a great spot for a cup of coffee before heading out to the driving range or your morning tee time. Once on the course, you will encounter wide-open greens, rolling fairways, and strategically placed bunkers. Club selection is crucial for this course.
The most challenging of Reunion’s three courses is the Nicklaus course. Located on the other side of the resort property and winding through parts of the nature reserve, the Nicklaus course can be a bit quieter and more scenic than Watson or Palmer. This course provides long fairways and challenging water hazards. At the end of the course, you can wave to your fans as they watch from the clubhouse veranda, which features panoramic views of the 18th green. Inside the Nicklaus Clubhouse, you’ll find men’s and women’s locker rooms with showers, the Pro Shop, and a tavern-style restaurant called Traditions. Traditions is the ideal spot for your post-round meal and celebratory beverages.
courses as one,” said Scamehorn. “We’ve adjusted mowing frequency along with pest management and water conservation to improve daily course conditions.”
Reunion Resort has been consistently recognized for providing a premier golf experience in Central Florida since 2005. Director of Golf and Course Maintenance, Scott Scamehorn, has implemented a new approach to golf course maintenance and care, ensuring the courses are “tournamentready” every day.
In addition to golf, Reunion Resort Oyster Reef Golf Club amenities include a mini-golf course, multiple tennis and pickleball courts with a Pro Shop, casual and fine dining, 10 community pools, a five-acre waterpark, and 25,000 square feet of meeting and event space. Whether it’s a family vacation, a golf trip with the guys, or a girls’ trip, Reunion has something for everyone. For more information, to make a reservation, or to book tee times, visit www.ReunionResort.com
“We’re concentrating our efforts down the center lines, while really working hard on perfecting the consistency in playing conditions,” stated Scamehorn. Scamehorn joined Reunion’s team in the spring of 2020, and since then, he has worked with his team to transform Reunion’s courses into three of Florida’s best. “We’re managing all three
Open to resort guests and members, Reunion’s rolling greens stretch across the 2,300-acre resort, just minutes from Walt Disney World® and other famous Orlando attractions. Reunion attracts avid golfers from around the world looking to experience an enhanced level of play with exceptional conditions and unique course layouts designed by three PGA legends. With spacious multi-room villas and luxury vacation homes featuring up to 13 bedrooms, this property is an easy option for golf trips.
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Reunion Resort and Golf Club Orlando, Florida 24
Golfing Magazine
NICKLAUS
|
PA L M E R
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W AT S O N
BY THE GREATS
Tee off at a Floridian golf destination beyond compare. Reunion Resort is the only place in the world where you can play three signature courses designed by PGA legends Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, and Tom Watson, all in the same location. Visit ReunionResortGolf.com
ORLANDO, FL
www.GolfingMagazine.net
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TRAVEL
Wine Castles and World Class Golf ……in the land of which Pilsner was born …..and fairytales might just come true
By CLAUDIO DEMARCHI
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f you need to have an Ocean on your golf vacation you can stop reading right now. If you are good with waking up in a fairytale setting surrounded by cobblestone streets and mystical architecture, exceptional golf, warm summer nights, and very reasonably priced I might add – then, read on! Colorful and historic architecture abounds, not only in Prague but other cities and towns, Brno, the second largest city in the Czech Republic also the gateway to the South Moravian Wine country, Karlovy Vary and Marianske Lazne some of the recently visited, truly give you that magical feeling. Add to that the Castles and Chateaus that are yours to discover, some even on and part of the golf courses and resorts leave you at a loss for words. The history of which we speak of here often starts with 3 numbers, not four. Have you ever thought you could be waking up in a castle and walking out to the course? Golf Resort Konopiste the largest Czech golf resort at the south end of Prague offers just that. Compared to other golf destinations you will find that your Stay & Play golf vacations will have extremely satisfying price levels. The colorful streets wherever we traveled were very clean and the atmosphere brisk and safe! Very comparable in climate to the Northeast USA and Southern Ontario, no need for sweaters or jackets for any
Albatross Golf Resort Prague midsummer travel. It was a 2-part adventure for me, after landing in Prague and spending a night and having my first Pilsner the next day escorted by Jaroslav (Jerry) of Abante Golf, meeting up with my new Czech golfing buddy Tomas as we spent time touring, staying and playing Golf & Ski Resort Ostravice between the twin peaks of the Beskydy Mountains. In North Moravia, Prosper Golf Resort Celedna which in 2011 combined the back nines of the New and Old Course to test the skills of the European Tour tested our skills too. More on this part of the Czech Republic in a future issue
including a visit to Olomouc, Moravia’s 1,000-year-old spiritual centre. Week two was centered around Prague with a couple of days in West Bohemia and 2 major Spa Towns of Karlovy Vary and Marianske Lazne where we followed in the footsteps of Beethoven, Goethe, Schiller, Wagner, Chopin and King Edward IV to name a few. Both towns have their own prominent golf history and a number of options to play. Prague is a must stop for all first-time international visitors. Often described as “the heart of Europe” or the “City of a hundred Spires” (it’s probably closer to
Golf Resort Karlstejn Prague 26
Golfing Magazine
500, but who’s counting). Combining centuries of European architecture with history, romance and panoramic views, evening strolls through the narrow cobblestone streets exploring the nooks and crannies of the Old Town is a Disneyland for adults. There is a reason that is always in the top 5 most visited cities in Europe. Prague.eu The best of what golf has to offer within greater Prague is generally a 30-to45-minute drive of Old Town. PGA National Czech Republic at Oaks Prague voted Best Course in Europe in 2020 by World Golf Awards is a must stop. Oaks Golf | PGA National Czech Republic (oakspga.cz) Six-time host of the European Masters, a classic layout, Albatross Golf Resort. Golfové hřiště Albatross - Home Panorama Golf Resort, 27-hole complex recognized by Golf Digest as one of the top golf properties in Prague. Panorama Golf Resort Castles can come into play at any turn in the Czech Republic. Be it the historic Prague Castle, downtown Prague, in wine country, or you might catch a glimpse in your back swing at a top-rated course, Golf Resort Karlstejn, Golf Resort Karlštejn (karlstejn-golf.cz) or the previously mentioned, castle at Golf Resort Konopiste. Golf Resort Konopiště (golf-konopiste.cz) Beer, Beer, Beer, it is everywhere and the most favored drink in the land and for good reason. The most popular beer in the world, a golden pilsner was born in Plzen in 1842. Pilsner Urquell changed the beer world and became the inspiration for over 70% of all beer consumed worldwide. Still using the same recipe today. The facility tour is a beer lovers delight. A must for beer lovers, approximately 1 hour from Prague. www. plzen.eu https://www.pilsnerurquell.com/ A land of wine, unsuspecting to most North American simply due to the fact that over 90% of the wine produced is consumed within the Czech border. The
Czech Republic has 2 wine regions Moravia and Bohemia although 96% of the wines are produced in Moravia. There are approximately 1,300 registered wineries with roughly 71% producing white wine varieties. The route to Wine Country from Prague (approximately 2.5 hours) takes you south towards Brno with Vienna lurking in the distance. A number of golf resorts, Golf Resort Kaskada just about 10 miles from Brno. Additional options include Korenec Golf & Ski Resort, Austerlitz Golf Resort and Golf Resort Telc. Certainly, one of the most interesting and refreshing parts of my Czech adventure, combining wine tasting, with visits to UNESCO heritage sites. Our guide for this from Mikulov Tourism Jan Sojka showed up driving a vintage Chrysler Newport that he brought to the Czech Republic, originally from Peterborough Ontario, small world! First stop of the day was to check out the unique sleeping accommodations in wine
barrels right in the vineyards of Vinarstvi pod Hradem at the base of a castle in the Palava hills. So cool Vinařství pod Hradem – Nabízíme ubytování v dřevěných sudech a stylové chatce přímo ve vinici. (vinarstvipodhradem. cz) I know it is never too early for wine tasting, but on this day, we added a little culture with a visit to the spectacular Lednice Valtice Complex a UNESCO site known as the Garden of Europe. A unique parkland setting created over centuries, with rare tree species, interlaced with ponds and alleys. The underground caverns of Valticke Podzemi provided us with our first up close and personal family style tasting experience giving us a first-hand glimpse of underground wine storage predating the good old refrigerator. Homepage - Valtice Underground (valtickepodzemi.cz) The ultimate wine tasting experience in South Moravia might have to be Valtice Castle (Zamek Valtice), the Wine Salon exists in the lower level of the castle where for a few dollars you have 90 minutes to sample a selection of the 100 best wines of the Czech Republic. And yes, this too is a UNESCO site. A South Moravian gem not to be missed is the Mikulov Castle with its own wine making tradition and a tour of the cellar will bring you to what just might be the largest wine barrel in the world. Not to be missed on the upper level is a historic library and a collection of over 1,000 extremely valuable books. For greater insight into all the South Moravian region of the Czech Republic offers visit: South Moravian Region Amazing Czechia For information on the amazing Czech Republic #VisitCzechRepublic To help you with getting around the Czech Republic and certainly experts when it comes to golf in the Czech Republic ABANTE GOLF :: Czech Republic Golf (abante-golf.co.uk) www.GolfingMagazine.net
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Great
Golf
Ocean City, Maryland
17 Championship Courses 10 Miles of Beach 3 Mile Boardwalk
2 Nights, 3 Rounds Starting: Spring / Fall Weekdays - $170 Weekends - $191
First Class Accommodations Excellent Dining Exciting Nightlife
“Great Golf is Just the Beginning” 28
Golfing Magazine
Ocean City, Maryland
www.OceanCityGolf.com
