Thailand's female caddies are a big reason why the country is such a popular golf destination - one with a higher repeat-visitor rate than anywhere else in the region. Your caddie experience in Thailand will be far different - and far less expensive - than anywhere in the Western world of golf. The round will come with a bushel full of foreign nuances you won't come close to enjoying back home, so enjoy the ride.
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Bandon Dunes Resort in Oregon features two classically designed links golf courses, Bandon Dunes and Pacific Dunes. While these two popular courses have much in common, it's the differences - from bunker design to tee box placement - that may determine where your group plays its next 18. Brandon Tucker offers a head-to-head comparison.
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Private in name only, Scotland's Prestwick Club is an anachronistic preserve of egalitarian golf and dining. Beyond the traditionally quirky links golf, Prestwick's clubhouse - one of the oldest in existence - welcomes visitors as if they were regulars, and provides as memorable a meal as you're ever likely to have. The only requirements for admission are a coat, a tie, and an appetite for good conversation.
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Until recently, French Lick, Indiana found itself the merest shadow of its former Roaring Twenties glory. However, two years ago, French Lick Resort's West Baden Springs Hotel reopened, its incredible dome and interior restored meticulously. What's more, the resort's Donald Ross course has been fully renovated. A day here is worth the trip and worth going Beyond The Course.
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The USGA's selection of Chambers Bay Golf Course near Tacoma, Wash., is a startling deviation from a "normal" Open host. But Chambers Bay's appeal is clear, Brandon Tucker writes. It will be HDTV eye candy at every turn, wide open with abundant spectator viewing spots. They may even be able to get a record crowd through the turnstiles.
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