In the holiday spirit, travel to Florida, Texas and Arizona for golf

As I hear the reports coming in from friends and colleagues around the country – 5 degrees in Edmonton, single digits in Wisconsin and even the teens in South Carolina – I can’t help but think how lucky I am to live in a place with a year-round golf climate.

The Houston area (my home) has highs near 80 today. Arizona, where I just returned from over the weekend, was in the high 70s all last week; And Florida, well, that’s where you want to be in the wintertime as well. With that said, there are deals to be had in the Sunbelt over the holidays for those who want to get in a last-minute escape.

Last week, I stayed at Xona Resort Suites in Scottsdale, which is the perfect launching point for golf in the area. The resort has its own golf concierge, and the Phoenix/Scottsdale area is one of the very best golf locations in the world. From there, you can choose from great 36-hole golf venues like We-Ko-Pa, Troon North, and even Superstition Mountain, which is now open to the public.

In South Texas, you might want to check out the resorts in the San Antonio area if you’re looking for warm weather. (Disclaimer: Cold days are still possible in South Texas, Arizona and Florida, but the chances for good golf weather are excellent this time of year.) The new JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort with 36 holes of tour-level golf is a pretty good choice as well as the Westin La Cantera and Hyatt Hill Country Resort (Check out Hyatt packages here).

Another great winter location is Orlando, and right now, through Jan. 2, the Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate is offering a holiday deal, starting at under $100 per night. The resort features two Greg Norman-designed golf courses ? the National and the International ? as well as the David Leadbetter Golf Academy, which is a great place to try to get your game in shape.

For more information on ChampionsGate packages, click here or call (407) 390-6664 or 1-800-The-Omni.