Loews Ventana Canyon Resort is about as complete a golf resort as there is, David R. Holland writes. There are two Tom Fazio gems – the Mountain and Canyon courses – and they both come with striking Sonoran Desert backdrops, saguaros, slick greens and bold contours. Wildlife thrives here with coveys of quail, red-tailed hawks, bobcats, deer, rabbits, coyotes and roadrunners at an elevation of 3,013 feet.
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Perhaps no course fits better along the Grand Strand than Man O'War Golf Club, featuring a layout with so much water that golfers may believe they are playing on the beachfront, Josh Hoke writes. Water beckons from nine tees and in front of five greens. Still, the hazards provide fair tests, offering golfers in Myrtle Beach a set of challenges more mental than physical.
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Stay at the Naples Grande Beach Resort or the Edgewater Beach Hotel in Naples and live like a country-clubber. Hotel guests receive access to the Naples Grande Golf Club, an otherwise private layout that ranks as one of the best in Southwest Florida. The Rees Jones-designed golf course is a breath of fresh air, Jason Scott Deegan writes.
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The Plantation Course and the Old Course at Siam Country Club in Pattaya, Thailand offer uniquely designed layouts built around top-shelf facilities. Chances are, your golf group won't agree on the better of the two courses. Stick around for a while in this beach city, a two-hour drive from Bangkok, and play both.
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Just 45 minutes north of Myrtle Beach, outside of enchanting Wilmington, N.C., is Cape Fear National. The 18-hole links-style course just opened in December. Cape Fear isn't a rush job, though. The vegetation on the course is well established, and the clubhouse is fully staffed and stocked. No matter how you play, it's a peaceful jaunt through a large expanse of yet-to-be-developed North Carolina coastline. Enjoy it while you can.
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