Montana's Flathead Valley is rich in glaciers and golf, some of which can be enjoyed for a song. Mike Bailey looks at nine golf courses, all members of the Flathead Valley Golf Association, that combine amazing scenery and challenging terrain with reasonable green fees. Throw in attractions like Glacier National Park and 16-hour days in summer, and you've got all the reasons you need to pack your clubs and head to the mountains and lakes of Kalispell, Whitefish or Columbia Falls.
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Winter is a time when enterprising golfers follow the lead of Dubliners themselves and head down the N9 for ampler sun and easier tee times in the southeast. You see, in Ireland's relatively lush wintertime playground, romance, golfing magic, and, yes, sometimes even sun, unexpectedly abound.
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If you looked into booking an Ireland golf vacation a few years ago but package prices were too high, it's about that time to check back in. In the last 12 months, the Emerald Isle has seen a massive "reset" of prices at many of its hotels and golf courses, especially the high-end niche that has taken a especially brutal beating in the travel industry.
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In recent years, San Antonio has blossomed as a tourist destination, and along with it, as a golf destination. From the recent restoration of historic Brackenridge Park to the city's wonderful Texas Hill Country golf resorts, there's plenty to choose from. If you go, however, you'll want to make sure you pack the right gear. Here are a few pointers ...
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The Jack Nicklaus-designed Chase course at PGA Golf Club Coyote Springs opened last year to rave reviews. It also impressed readers of Golf World and Golf Digest magazines - so much so that it just debuted on their "Readers' Choice Awards" as the highest rated public course in Nevada. Cascata, Wolf Creek, Edgewood Tahoe, and Bali Hai Golf Club also made the list.
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Colorado features areas as flat as the South Plains of Texas, towering sand hills, volcanic moonscapes and mountain peaks. It all makes for an unforgettable place to build a golf course. And the world's greatest architects have tackled this land of contrasts. David R. Holland takes a look at some of the top non-traditional courses in Colorado.
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San Antonio and Austin are only about an hour's drive from one another in the Texas Hill Country, home to some of the state's most dramatic landscape. No pancake-flat deserts with tumbleweeds rolling by around here; the Hill Country is where lush, rugged terrain provides for many of the state's most exciting courses. Brandon Tucker offers five must-play courses in the Texas Hill country.
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Ironically, it might just be the down-turn in the economy that propels forward a decades-long evolution to make golf courses more welcoming to a wider range of golfers. The core of that wider group is women. Trying to make the industry more welcoming to a diverse group of players has been a long road, beginning decades ago with Alice and Pete Dye at the fore, Lisa Allen writes.
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The national spotlight of the Golf Channel's Big Break X series paid off for the host Boyne Highlands in northern Michigan, as the resort is enjoying record play from out-of-state golfers. But Boyne Highlands encompasses less than half of Boyne's golf holes and one third of its resort properties. To ensure you're doing the Boyne that's right for you, here's a selection of golf itineraries to suit any golfer or golf group ...
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The Broadmoor, one of the world's most elegant golf resorts, just keeps re-inventing itself. This dazzling property overlooking the city of Colorado Springs, continues to add to its 3,000 acres of championship golf, unparalleled luxury, five-diamond dining, an award-winning spa and diverse shopping. There may be no better time to visit, David R. Holland writes.
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The remote stretch of wild dunes along the Pacific Ocean may feel like the end of the world, but travel to Bandon Dunes Golf Resort on the southwestern coast of Oregon keeps getting easier. The course's emergence has created enough demand from travelers all over the world to increase access to the region's airport, and new flights are coming.
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No one will argue that Savannah is one of the great destination cities in the Southeast. It has that old-world charm, the pace is still slow and the people are friendly. If you want to play golf, you're in luck there, too. Savannah has plenty of nice options for golfers of all economic capabilities. Here are five Savannah area courses you need to play ...
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The western half of Portugal's Algarve region is stuffed with famous courses. Still, the cheaper, less crowded Eastern half of the Algarve boasts some top-notch courses of its own, including Quinta da Cima Golf Club, Quinta da Ria, Benamor, Jack Nicklaus's Monte Rei, Castro Marim Golfe and C.C., and Quinta do Vale Golf Resort.
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Jekyll Island, Ga. provides an affordable alternative to nearby St. Simons for someone looking to save a few bucks but still have access to golf courses and the beach. Stan Awtrey offers vacation-planning tips to golfers on three budgets: luxury, mid, and low cost.
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When Angel Cabrera, Lucas Glover, Stewart Cink and Y.E. Yang come to Bermuda to tee it up in next month's PGA Grand Slam of Golf at Port Royal, they'll find a course vastly different then it was 18 months ago. With the government pumping $14 million into the project and the Roger Rulewich Group handling renovations, Port Royal has reemerged as a top-rated seaside beauty.
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Where to go after taking in Pebble Beach? Or what if you don't want to shell out close to $500 to play it? Will everything else be a letdown? Hardly, especially when you consider there is top-quality golf with pretty good views all around the Monterey Peninsula for half the price of Pebble Beach. Here are five must-plays on the Monterey Peninsula for $200 or less.
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In a day of rarities, defending champ Jeff Sluman backed up his 2008 victory at the Walmart First Tee Open with an unlikely come-from-behind 2009 win that featured his fifth lifetime competitive hole-in-one. This despite a gusty day of northwest winds on the famously unpredictable Monterey Peninsula.
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Orlando can make a case as America's golfing capital as well as its tourism capital, Brandon Tucker writes. There is the sheer quantity of golf courses, not to mention Arnold Palmer, Tiger Woods and many other pro golfers set up here. We highlight five can't-miss Orlando courses for your next Florida golf vacation, including Bay Hill, Orange County National's Panther Lake course, and the underrated Palm course at Walt Disney World.
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You'll probably sweat a lot when you visit the Georgia coast and maybe swat away a few bugs, too. But whatever obstacles you must overcome are worth it to play some of the area's most interesting golf courses. Here are five must-play golf courses to visit on the Georgia coast, starting with the fantastic Seaside Course at the Sea Island resort.
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For those free-swinging big hitters who never saw a fairway their driver didn't like, we present five Myrtle Beach golf courses where, from the back tees, you'll have plenty of opportunities to hit the big stick, and the phrase "iron off the tee" isn't in the vocabulary.
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