NEWS

Survey: Florida, Arizona, California and Carolinas are best for women-friendly golf courses

By William K. Wolfrum,
Staff Writer

Golf for Women magazine has released its rankings of the "Top 50 Courses for Women." Even a cursory glance at the annual list of the best women-friendly public golf courses in the country shows something many golfers are well aware of - Arizona golf courses, California golf courses, Florida golf courses and North and South Carolina golf courses are among the best for women.

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Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club in North Carolina was ranked the No. 1 golf course for women on the list that includes a record 10 new additions. Here's a look at the rest of the Top-10:

2. South Course at The Boulders Resort and Golden Door Spa in Carefree, Ariz.
3. Sea Island Golf Club (Seaside Course), St. Simons Island, Ga.
4. The Greenbrier (Old White Course), White Sulfur Springs, W.Va.
5. Reynolds Plantation (The Oconee), Greensboro, Ga.
6. LPGA International (Champions Course), Daytona Beach, Fla.
7. Kingsmill Resort & Spa (Plantation Course), Williamsburg, Va.
8. La Quinta Resort & Club (Mountain Course), La Quinta, Calif.
9. Kiawah Island Golf Resort (Osprey Point), Kiawah Island, S.C.
10. Grand Cypress Resort (North/East Courses), Orlando, Fla.

All told, there were 22 states with golf courses included in the list, but courses from such famous golf destinations as Florida, California, Arizona, Hilton Head and Myrtle Beach were again standouts on the list, with Florida having the most courses represented - nine, including two in Orlando - and California with six.

Some of the 10 new additions to the list include:

22. Celebration Golf Club, Celebration, Fla.
26. Rancho Mañana Golf Club, Cave Creek, Ariz.
29. Treetops Resort (Rick Smith Signature Course), Gaylord, Mich.
33. We-Ko-Pa Golf Club (Saguaro Course), Fort McDowell, Ariz.
36. Turning Stone Resort & Casino (Shenendoah Golf Club), Verona, N.Y.
40. Barton Creek Resort & Spa (Fazio Foothills Course), Austin, Texas
45. Southwood Golf Club, Tallahassee, Fla.
49. World Golf Village (King & Bear Course), St. Augustine, Fla.

In order to calculate the Top-50 Courses for Women, Golf For Women editors dwindled down a large group of nominees that included past Golf For Women Top Courses, eligible courses from Golf Digest's Top-100 Public Courses and courses nominated by Golf For Women's course raters.

A Golf For Women Top-50 course must have at least one set of tees under 5,300 yards, with at least two under 6,000. At least two tees must be rated for women and the course should have few forced carries from the forward tees, be in solid condition and present an atmosphere that's friendly to women.

Any opinions expressed above are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the management. The information in this story was accurate at the time of publication. All contact information, directions and prices should be confirmed directly with the golf course or resort before making reservations and/or travel plans.