THE GOLFER'S TRIP

Sub70 Sale

2012-01-24T08:44:00.001-05:00


	The 2011 winter shirts are now part of our amazing 50% off sale Our awesome winter 2011 shirts are available in all new colour combinations. We've added them to our January megasale and they are now 50% off. Thats only £17.50. They are made of a slightly thicker performance polyester with a much softer handfeel. Perfect for these cooler conditions. We have limited stock on these shirts so hurry whilst your size is still available. Click here to view and purchase.


	Dont Forget our other January sale items We've got 50% off all of our stock products for the remainder of January. Click here to view all items on offer in this massive January sale. Limited stock so be sure to move fast.

Legacy County Club/Pinehurst NC

2012-01-16T10:53:00.000-05:00

Come experience our new greens!

Legacy Golf Packages now offers beautiful rental condos and rental houses in the Village of Pinehurst!

Welcome to Legacy Golf Links...a Nicklaus Designed golf gem in the heart of the Sandhills of North Carolina! The Sandhills region of NC includes the Village of Pinehurst, Southern Pines and Aberdeen communities. The Sandhills of NC is nicknamed the "Home of American Golf" by the Pinehurst, Southern Pines and Aberdeen area Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Sandhills of NC has been ranked as the #1 Golf Destination on the East Coast for "Best Quality Courses" by Golf Digest. Golf is not just a game in the Sandhills, it is a part of the culture. Golf is very much a part of the areas history, tradition and industry. Whether you are looking for a nice slow paced golf get away for two or a competitive golf outing with your buddies, the Sandhills of NC will have a golf package and golf course line up to fit your needs. We hope you find our website informative and helpful in learning more about Legacy Golf Links and the Pinehurst, Southern Pines and Aberdeen area known as the Sandhills of North Carolina.

Legacy Golf Links Awards

4.5 Stars by Golf Digest's Best Places to Play Guide

Golf World's Top 50 Public Courses

Golf Digest's Top 50 in the Country for Customer Service

Legacy's Hole No. 18 - Moore County's Best Finishing Hole by Pinehurst Magazine

Legacy's Hole No. 5 - One of Moore County's Top 10 Par 3 Holes by Pinehurst Magazine

NGCOA Chapter Course of the Year

Ballamor Golf Club/VB Golf Crew's 2012 Golf Trip

2011-12-09T10:32:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Ballamor Golf Club

The gates are now open at the area's best maintained, most spectacular course – one that was formally limited to a small number of enthusiasts. Now open for all those who genuinely love the game and challenges that only Ballamor will be able to provide.

Carefully carved out of gently rolling land and dense woods, Ballamor was named one of New Jersey's Best Private Courses by NJ Golf Magazine. Designed by nationally renowned architects Ault, Clark & Associates the course uniquely blends traditional architecture with subtle modern-day nuances succinctly capturing the distinct beauty of the property. As such, each hole possesses its own individual character with a total package that presents a strong composition, testing every type of golf shot.

This once private course is now open to the public. We invite you to experience southern New Jersey's newest daily fee golf club.

Caddies for Hire!!

Blue Heron Pines/2012 VB Golf Crew Golf Trip

2011-12-08T09:23:00.000-05:00

Blue Heron Pines - A Cut Above The Rest.

Blue Heron Pines opened in 1993 and has quickly been recognized as the best 18-hole course at the Jersey Shore. Designed by Stephen Kay, it takes full advantage of the natural beauty of the pinelands, with majestic tree lines framing breathtaking vistas.	Our acclaimed restaurant overlooks the golf course and provides a lovely natural setting for all occasions: meetings, specialty dinners, birthdays, weddings or private parties. The covered patio is immediately adjacent to the dining room, and is frequently used for cocktail hours, ceremonies or other outside events.

"Best Golf Course " Casino Connection Magazine "Four Stars" Golf Digest’s Places to Play "In an era when golf’s future lies with quality public courses, Blue Heron Pines sets the highest standards, the course shows how far intelligence and imagination can go in making modern golf memorable" Golf Week Hole Approach: The first hole, the shortest par 4 hole on the course, presents us with our best birdie opportunity of the day. A three wood or mid-iron will do for a tee shot, as we’ll only need to send the ball 180 to 200 yards out to the fairway. Beware of the fairway bunkers to the right. Aim at the tall lone pine tree on the left and play for the ball to fade into the middle of the fairway. Water guards the green to the right and behind, so be sure not to be long, as this will spell disaster. When putting, be decisive and bold. Hole Approach: Bring your “A” game when you step onto the fourth tee. Pin placement will dictate initial yardage for club selection. Two bunkers protecting the front left and right of the green are not as intimidating as the lateral water hazard running the entire length of the hole on the right side. Once on the green, pay particular attention to the slopes on the green, as a misread can cost you a three putt. Remember, the most important thing on this hole is proper club selection. Par is a good score here and then run to the next tee. Hole Approach: The tenth hole is the most picturesque hole on the golf course. The tee shot must be played toward the right fairway bunker in order to set up the approach shot. As you get to the tee shot, you’ll notice a pond to the left and three pew-style bunkers guarding the front and left of the green. As on most of the holes on the course, club selection is everything. The severely contoured green will cause many a golfer to shake their heads in disgust as the slopes make a three putt into a four putt very quickly. Remember, when putting, all putts will break left, except at the front right of the green, which will break to the right. Good luck!

Harbor Pines Golf Club/2012 VB Golf Crew Golf Trip

2011-12-07T15:36:00.000-05:00

Five sets of tees...
enable golfers to enjoy the course at their own level of challenge -- from 5099 yards to 6827 yards.

Tee areas are unusually large...
offering the opportunity for varied tee positions that lengthen or shorten the hole and provide different playing angles. In addition, the large tees on all par 3's prevent excessive wear in any one area and provide the golfer consistent quality conditions.

12 ponds -- 17 acres of water...
strategically located to add a picturesque charm and a challenge for every golfer. Only two ponds require a carry shot -- most run laterally along the fairways to heighten the challenge and the beauty of the course without unfairly testing the average golfer.

Each hole undisturbed...
Harbor Pines is a parkland-style course that winds around the perimeter of a 520-acre heavily-wooded site providing undisturbed enjoyment of each hole. Only the 1st, 9th and 18th holes provide parallel play as they intersect at the clubhouse.

Outstanding Course Conditions...
Harbor Pines features generous fairways and short rough reminiscent of Augusta National. The finest irrigation system and course management program that exists in golf today is at Harbor Pines. Wall-to-wall triple row sprinklers create conditions that rank with the most prestigious courses in the world.

Large undulating greens...
offer opportunities for varied pin placements that add interest and new challenge to every round. The average green size is in excess of 6500 square feet.

Distinctive Memorable Bunkers...
from the massive 170' - long half-acre bunker that guards the par-4 17th hole to "Sand Creek," the long ribbon-like bunker you cross by bridge as you approach the par-5 7th.

The course is extremely well-marked for yardage...
to speed play. With your cooperation, rounds should take no more than 4:15. Color-coded stakes along each fairway and fairway disks are placed at 200, 150 and 100 yards from each green. In addition, over 800 sprinkler heads are yardage-marked to assist you in your shot selection.

You can visually read each hole...
The course is designed to enable the golfer to visually read each hole -- to clearly see the next shot in order to assess the consequences of risk and rewards for the well-played shot. Landing areas are clearly visible from the tees and most greens are angled to face the golfer -- minimizing blind shots and enabling the golfer to analyze and plan each shot.

2012 VB Golf Crew Golf Trip Dates Set

2011-12-06T09:28:00.000-05:00

The official dates for the 2012 Battle for the King Of Myrtle Beach Cup will be May 17th (Thursday) through May 20th (Sunday) this next Spring.

Also new will be 2 new judging categories, Karaoke and Corn Hole, each of which will have a tournament board posted in the trip leaders room for all to see, along with the other categories so everyone can gauge their place in the competition.

Good Luck and See You There!

Cannon Ridge Golf Course

2011-11-15T12:20:00.000-05:00

“Cannon Ridge Golf Club”...a place synonymous with excellence and perfection. Cannon Ridge was a dream created by a man famous for his vision, Deane Beman. Take that vision and combine it with the perfect piece of land, and you get Cannon Ridge Golf Club. Factor in the historical significance of the property and you have THE premier golf destination in the Mid-Atlantic.

Opened in 2003, Cannon Ridge is a Par 71 layout measuring 7,010 yards from the back tees. The greens, tee boxes, and fairways are L-93 Bent grass, while the rough is a combination of Tall Fescue and Kentucky Bluegrass. Spread out over 200 acres of historic Virginia countryside, Cannon Ridge Golf Club is a great place to invite all your special clients, V.I.P.’s, or even just good ‘ol Dad out for a round of golf. With 5 sets of tee boxes to choose from, it makes Cannon Ridge enjoyable for golfers of all skill levels.

Golf at Cannon Ridge and stroll through history

The Beman Course is the first of two courses to be built at Cannon Ridge Golf Club. A second private membership course will be built later. Deane Beman, former PGA Tour player and Commissioner of the PGA Tour, wanted to preserve the history and flavor of the rolling countryside on the site picked for his course. “This course was built on existing terrain that has a very natural feeling to it,” Beman says. After all, this is a magnificent site bordering the Rappahannock River and lined with huge pines, oaks and maples that now frame the fairways and greens. Cannon Ridge takes its name from the fact that the Civil War battle of Fredericksburg, Virginia, was fought near here on Dec. 11, 1862, on a ridge above the Rappahannock River. The Union Army found that itself out-matched at the time by the Confederates led by Robert E. Lee. To commemorate what happened here, our designers marked 26 spots with special plaques where there are remnants of cannon revetments – places where the Union Army set up cannon to provide cover fire for its troops. There were also some holes where Union soldiers had dug out huts for winter shelter. Extraordinary measures were taken to preserve as much of the site as possible. Deane Beman wanted people to think that this course was built 100 years ago. Great concern was also shown here for aiding the pace of play, Beman says. “We built old-style push-up greens here that are smaller than many modern greens. There are no plateaus but you can still have breaking putts. We wanted smaller greens because we believe most slow play results from spending too much time putting on the greens,” he says. To book a tee time call 866-85-RIDGE

There are five sets of tees here on the par-71 Beman Course with the Gold Cannon tees, the tips, playing at 7,010 yards. Then there are the Black tees at 6,570 yards; the Blue at 6,035; the White tees at 5,650; and the Red at 4,950. Players on this course will find that Nos. 1, 2 and 3 are fun and challenging holes, he says, holes that can help players ease their way into the round. But Nos. 4, 5 and 6 can be a tougher stretch and test of skills. No. 4 is a downhill par-3 (228 from the back tees, 190 from the middle and 125 from the forward) that has what is probably the largest green on the course. As you hit a lofted shot toward the green, you can bail out to the right, even though there is one bunker there. But you don’t want to miss on the left as the slope falls off about 50 to 75 feet from the green. There are beautiful elevation changes at Cannon Ridge. Another strong hole is the par-4 No. 5 (461 yards from the back tees, 400 from the middle and 340 from the forward). The hole plays right in front of you as do most of the holes except for one blind shot on No. 2. You’ll need one of your better drives of the day on No. 4, and you’ll have to contend with some fairway bunkers on the right. No. 6 is a long par-4 (493 yards from the back, 410 from the middle and 345 from the forward) but requires a fairly straight shot traveling downhill, thus making the hole play seem a bit shorter than its actual length.You’re going to find your tee shot to be pretty exhilarating on the par-4 No. 8 (389 yards from the back, 330 from the middle and 270 from the forward). It’s also a drive that requires some fundamental golf decision-making. The hole moves slightly to the left from tee to green and running across the middle of the fairway is a sizeable ravine. If you’re capable of a huge drive, say 290 to 300 yards, you might be able to carry the ravine on the left side and leave yourself with a short iron to the green. Most players might choose to bail out to the right, where there is less chance of losing your ball but more distance to travel to the green on your approach shot. To book a tee time call 866-85-RIDGE

The back nine is so strong that it makes it hard to pick out favorites. No. 11, a par-3 that measures 187 yards from the back, 135 from the middle and 80 from the forward tees. If you hit long or right, you’ll find your ball going downhill into a huge drop off. You can make a 2 here or a 10 and must get the right club into your hands! The par-5 No. 12 (551 from the back tees, 490 from the middle and 445 from the forward) is another unique hole. There’s a rolling fairway that looks as if they just peeled off the corn field and put in grass. The par-4 No. 13 (431 yards from the back tees, 380 from the middle and 325 from the forward) moves up an uphill slope. You need to tee off over a ravine with a large bunker on the left so it’s a challenging tee shot onto the fairway which has slope from right to left. If that’s not enough to contend with you have to hit into a very small, elevated green for your approach shot. No. 14 is a short enough par-4 (366 from the back, 325 from the middle and 260 from the forward) that seems as if it could be drivable par-4. After all, it’s also a downhill hole. But there are lots of risky spots out there, so Players are advised to lay back with a long iron or a fairway wood off the tee. The problem is that the river is on the left side of the fairway. And you also have to carry a ravine on your approach shot. It’s crucial here to keep your ball in play. It’s a neat hole and you have a lot of options here. Just to the left of the green here, you’re also going to find some of those historic cannon emplacements. The last three holes are great finishing holes, and Deane Beman has picked the par-5 No. 16 (575 from the back, 530 from the middle and 470 from the forward) as his signature hole. You drive to the top of a hill with a grand sweeping valley below you and the fairway then goes way down and comes back up again. No. 17 is a par-3 (179 yards from the back, 130 from the middle and 80 from the forward) that requires you to carry a ravine. The green complex has some mounding on the left so that you can see the ball hit and bounce, but you can’t see where it goes. There’s also mounding behind the green.

Although this is a challenging course, it’s not going to leave players feeling defeated. There are not alot of manufactured hazards and there is hardly any water out there to go along with the natural ravines. Deane Beman said, ‘I’m trying to build a golf course, not an obstacle course. This is an interesting course and a challenging course. It’s not a backbreaker.”

The Links at Gettysburg

2011-11-09T08:41:00.000-05:00

Course Overview

Your round at The Links At Gettysburg will take you up and down the rolling Pennsylvania hills, with lakes and creeks on almost every hole and dramatic red rock cliffs that form the backdrop for some of the most memorable holes you will ever play.

One of those is the 3rd, the signature hole, a dramatic par 3 from an elevated tee to a large undulating green that fronts a red rock cliff. Hit the ball too far and you'll find the large trap in front of the cliff. Leave it short and you'll hit the creek in front of the green. This 187 yard hole is a daunting test of golf.

A few holes later at #7 you'll find a 600 yard par 5, with large lake water hazards left and right, guarding a narrow fairway. You can play anything from a 5 iron to a driver off the tee to avoid the water. If you fade your drive, you can play into the slight dogleg, and have a makeable shot to the elevated green. Just stay clear of the water hazard, which runs for about 100 yards along the driving area.

Every golfer is familiar with Augusta's Amen Corner. The Links At Gettysburg has its own! The excitement starts at the 13th, a 450 yard par 4 guarded by a large lake to the left and a river to the right. Keep it straight and you'll have a chance to hit the green in regulation, but the large undulating surface makes 3 putts very possible.

The 14th is a 589 yard par 5 with a river running the length of the hole on the left. Keep it right and you'll have a chance for par if you can avoid the greenside bunkers.

The 15h is the longest par 3 on the course, 233 yards from the tips to a large trap guarded green with water running down the left side of the hole and trees to the right. Play it right to avoid the water and use enough club to reach the green.

The imposing 16th is almost as difficult, an extremely long par 4 with water hazards left and right. The 18th is a shorter par 5 and an eagle opportunity, but only if you can avoid the ponds on the left and right and three bunkers that guard the left side of the green. A large red rock wall lines the back of the green with the clubhouse above, presenting the opportunity for a dramatic finish to a friendly gallery.

The golf at the Links At Gettysburg is truly spectacular, with water on almost every hole, elevated tee shots to greens fronting red rock cliffs; blind doglegs and undulating greens making the putting difficult even after you've managed to escape the hazards. Striving to shoot par at The Links is a supreme challenge and a rewarding experience every golfer should have. The Links At Gettysburg is a brilliant championship course and truly, "Golf's Gettysburg address."

Penn National Golf Club & Inn

2011-11-08T10:14:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Penn National Golf Club & Inn

Penn National is located 20 miles west of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania , 90 minutes from the Washington and Baltimore Beltways and 3.5 hrs from New York City--all with easy access from major highways. Our two award-winning golf courses, Founders and Iron Forge, have both been awarded by Golf Digest. Play us for the day or "Stay & Play" a couple of days with one of our Golf Packages.

36-holes of Award-Winning Golf

The Founders Course features a classic blend of tree-lined fairways, large greens, sculpted bunkers and a 7-acre lake. The Iron Forge Course is a modern links-style course with bentgrass fairways, 30-mile views, and open to the forces of nature. Both courses start from the Founders Clubhouse with its modern, fully-stocked pro shop, Founders Grille restaurant, and practice area.

The Founders Course

During the 1800s, iron ore was mined from the land that is now Penn National. When that ore ran out, the land was farmed until the 1960s, when agriculture gave way to golf course development. In 1966, prolific course designer Edmund Ault was hired to lay out the Founders course as a classic, Northeastern-style masterpiece with large contoured greens and tree-lined fairways.

The Founders Course was opened in 1968 and updated in 2006 with an extensive bunker and tee renovation. With trees lining most of the holes, Founders can be demanding off the tee but everything is there in front of you--nothing is blind or tricked-up--you know what you have to do, but can you pull it off? A 7-acre lake comes into play and makes things interesting on several holes on the front and back sides. As with all well-laid-out traditional courses, Ault turns up the heat at the end, saving the best and the toughest for the 5-hole stretch starting at the par-5 14th!

Golf Digest rates the Founders Course 4-Stars, Zagat rates it 27 points. (Note: Bethpage Black is Zagat's highes-rated Northeast course w/ 30 pts)

The Iron Forge Course
Iron Forge was designed by architect Bill Love and opened for play in 1997, almost 30 years after its sister course. The Iron Forge is visually stunning with 30-mile views of the surrounding farmland and mountains. It starts nad plays toward the Michaux State Forest, in the foothills of South Mountain, and makes a single loop home, passing through a variety of terrain that offers exciting golf and breathtaking views.

In contrast to the Founders Course, Iron Forge is nearly treeless. It will let you grip it and rip it from the tee but the greens and surrounds place a premium on shots to the green and the flatstick. There is also the the mysterious "Mountain Effect" that takes contol from the 4th through 11th holes--your eyes will tell you one thing on the greens but just remember that speed and break are controlled by the Mountain!

During the construction of the Iron Forge course, a small lime kiln was uncovered. Dating back to the early 1800s, this kiln is located behind the 9th green. It has been preserved, and guests are welcome to visit there and learn more about early iron making, and its role in the area's history.

Golf Digest rates the Iron Forge Course 4-Stars, Zagat rates it 25 points.

The Bridges Golf Club

2011-11-07T16:35:00.000-05:00

Welcome to The Bridges Golf Club

The Rolling Hills of South Central Pennsylvania are home to the historic Gettysburg battlefield, New Oxford antique shops, Lancaster County Amish and...

The Bridges Golf Club

Our Public 18 hole, par 72 golf course boasts premier course conditions, superb all-turf practice areas, finely appointed guest rooms, quality pro shop, restaurant, and a gorgeous view of Adams County countryside. Enjoy Golf in it's purist form at The Bridges.

"15th best course you can play in PA" - Golf Magazine

"Four Stars"- "A hidden gem"-"Cross it!" - Golf Digest

"This course is the definition of a hidden gem, and a great value to boot" - Golf Week

"An honest, fair test of golf; no tricked-up excesses and gimmicks" - Tee Time Golf

"100 must play courses of the Middle Atlantic" - Washington Golf Monthly

Rated in top 100 places to play - Golf For Women Magazine

"Top Pick" - Powers Golf Guide reader survey

Course Information & Layout

Completely watered bent grass tees, greens and fairways are always finely manicured and open to the public. With four sets of tees, this south central Pennsylvania gem offers a variety of options to all levels of play.

The course is a 6,713- yard, par-72 layout designed by Charles & Fred Altland. Its setting is on a former horse farm owned by the Bross family, with 14 wooden bridges (including one covered bridge on No. 2) crossing mostly environmentally sensitive wetlands, though some creeks and lakes do come into play. The beauty of the Bridge's layout is the fact that there are really no brutal holes, though many of them will give you more than your fair share of trouble if not properly attacked.

The front nine is the more wooded of the two and generally considered the more difficult. It includes the only real forced carry off a tee on the course (No. 2), and a par 4 that sits precariously on a crowned fairway that leaves very little room for error either right or left (410-yard No. 6). The ninth hole, a 430 yard uphiller, to the clubhouse, is a monster, as shown by its No. 1 handicap rating.

The back nine is a little more open, with no forced caries. There are times, however, that proper club selection is essential to prevent from landing in one of the environmental hazards or bouncing a PRO V off one of its popular wooden bridges. One of the better holes on the back nine is the 534-yard, par-5 No. 15, which has woods and out of bounds down the right side and an old dead tree about two thirds of the way down the fairway. This turns out to be one of the narrower holes on the back and a challenge trying to navigate your way to the green. The 18th hole parallels No. 9 back to the clubhouse but is a little more generous in that it is a par 5 stretching 540-yards mostly uphill.

Mountain Green Golf Course

2011-11-04T10:48:00.000-04:00

Mountain Greens Golf Course was opened in the summer of 1976. A challenging 18-hole championship design provides golfers a true test of mountain golf. Breathtaking views of our mountainous terrain, foliage, and natural wildlife are sure to enhance each and every one of your golfing experiences.

Over the last few years, Mountain Greens has endured two renovation projects. In 2003, the back nine was completely renovated and reopened in July of 2004. In 2006, the front nine was renovated.

Mountain Greens Golf Course closes each winter season. All play is re-directed to Woodstone Meadows Golf Course during this time. Dates are subject to change due to inclement weather. Be sure to call in advance for more information.

Mountain Greens Pro Shop

The Golf Shop at Mountain Greens comes fully stocked with the latest trends in golf apparel. Ashworth, Foot-Joy and Ahead are just a few of the name brands that will be on display. From designer belts to logo shirts, we are sure to have the perfect gift to help you remember your Massanutten experience.

Hours

Mountain Greens Pro Shop is currently open each day from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Contact information

For more information, please call Mountain Greens Pro Shop at (540) 289-4941, resort extension 5041, or send an e-mail.

Heron Ridge Golf Deal

2011-10-19T08:50:00.002-04:00

Heron Ridge Golf Club

Golf Package Including Three Green Fees, One Cart Fee, and Three Buckets of Balls

$45	buy now! send as a gift

74%
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48
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1 day
remaining

We hope your golf swing isn't like Charles Barkley's -- but even if it is, we know you'll be starting, stopping, and starting your swing again over this fore-tuitous deal: Spend $45 (regularly $170) for golf package including three green fees, one cart fee, and three buckets of balls at ... (show more)

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Location

2973 Heron Ridge Drive
Virginia Beach, VA 23456
757-426-3800 | get directions

The Fine Print

Limit one per person, additional as gifts • Limit one per person per visit • Tee time reservations are required and subject to availability • Merchant cancellation/re-scheduling policy of 24 hours applies; voucher subject to forfeiture • Limit one green fee per day • Valid for one cart only; not applicable for second and third rounds • Valid daily after 11 am • Not valid during league or tournament play • Multiple cards may be used in the same group • Cart fees required for each round • All services must be used by same customer; cannot be shared • May be used over multiple visits • Other conditions apply • PAID VALUE EXPIRES ON October 19, 2016 • PROMOTIONAL VALUE EXPIRES

Pinehurst Qoute 1

2011-09-27T10:22:00.000-04:00

Lodging
Choice	Lodge	Date of Stay	# of Nights	# of Rooms/Condos	Room Type	Bed Count
1	Talamore 3 BR Villa	05/24/2012 - 05/27/2012	3	4	3 Bedroom Condo	24
2	Talamore 2 BR Villa	05/24/2012 - 05/27/2012	3	5	2 Bedroom Condo	20
3	Mid South Lodges	05/24/2012 - 05/27/2012	3	5	2 Bedroom Condo	20

Golf Courses
Golf Course	Date of Play	Tee Time	# of People
Talamore Resort Course	05/24/2012 ( Th)	1:30 PM	20
Mid South	05/25/2012 ( F)	8:30 AM	20
Tobacco Road	05/26/2012 ( Sa)	8:30 AM	20

Package Cost

Lodging Choice	Total Package Cost	Per Person Cost
1	$8,040.00	$402.00
2	$7,440.00	$372.00
3	$8,520.00	$426.00

Golf Course Review: Water, Design Make Man O'War Memorable

2011-09-22T11:44:00.000-04:00

Great greens and a lot of water help make Man O'War a memorable round of golf.

When Man O’War Golf Club was under construction, nothing was left to chance. The subsoil under the greens sites was customized to each location and wind studies were conducted to maximize air flow around the course.

Part of the exhaustive research owner Claude Pardue oversaw revealed that even though the property didn’t have any native water, it did have an unusually high water table, a discovery that led to the construction of one of the most unique Myrtle Beach golf courses.

“We found this property in 1993 and it didn’t have a square inch of water on it,” Pardue said. “But if we dug a four feet deep hole, it was a foot under water, and that gave us the opportunity to build a course around a lake.”

As a result, Pardue built a 107-acre lake that is Man O’War’s centerpiece. Architect Dan Maples then sculpted a one-of-a-kind design from the land.

Man O’War is renowned for its back-to-back island greens on holes 14 and 15. It’s believed to be the only course in the world with consecutive island greens, but they are far from the only memorable holes

The middle part of the course is its strength. Man O’War regulars refer to the par 5 eighth and the par 4 ninth and 10th holes as Amen Corner. It’s a tough but fair stretch.

The ninth - an island hole - is another unique Maples creation. After teeing off on the mainland, golfers take a bridge to the fairway and don’t exit until they cross the bridge coming off the green.

It’s classic Man O’War - unique, scenic but not overly penal as the fairway is the course’s widest.

Water is visible nearly everywhere but it isn’t overwhelming, assuming you don’t allow yourself to be psyched out. The fairways at Man O’War are among the widest on the Myrtle Beach golf scene, and long, forced carries are at a minimum.

The abundance of water also nearly removes two longstanding problems for golfers - woods and pine straw. There are a limited number of trees at Man O’War and the course is mowed from wall-to-wall.

The set of tees players opt to play from is an important consideration. Man O’War has four sets of tees though the vast majority of golfers don’t play from the tips (7,000 yards).

That leaves men with the option of playing the 6,400-yard regular tees or the 5,729-yard senior tees. Most men are loathe to move up, but if you are a 20-handicap, do yourself a favor and play from the senior tees.

The test remains significant and you won’t have to over-swing in an attempt to reach greens.

Speaking of greens, Man O’War’s are among the area’s best and largest.

Pardue spared no expense in preparing his course for great bentgrass greens. When Man O’War was built, he brought in a specialist from the University of Massachusetts to create a unique subsoil for each green, insuring prime growing conditions.

“My idea was to make it as perfect an environment as you could make in Myrtle Beach for bentgrass,” Pardue said.

Mission accomplished.

Part of the plan also included greens that average 10,000-square feet and are as large as 13,000-square feet. The size of the greens gives the course multiple pinning areas which helps reduce wear.

The Verdict: Man O’War is creative, it’s fun and it’s always well maintained. The water might seem intimidating, but it’s abundantly fair. The course is visually appealing and a lot of fun to play. There is always plenty to talk about in the clubhouse after a round at Man O’War. If you don’t believe us, try it!

Whispering Pines Country Club Pinehurst

2011-09-19T10:19:00.000-04:00

Golf Course

The property that is The Country Club of Whispering Pines has a unique feature…diversity. The East course and its length, combined with the subtle terrain changes, gives “Golf Courses of The Sandhills” another gem in their arsenal of great designs. The East course will make you hit every club in your bag and if you wish to try it from the back tees, has been maintained.

On the other hand, the West Course will remind you of a “northeastern country club” with the elevation changes, towering oak tress that line the fairways and overhanging greens. Tranquil lakes and streams meander through most of the back nine. The West is not as demanding as the East, but requires some “shot making” in order for a golfer to brag upon completion. Smaller greens and less playable rough make tee shots a premium. The legendary Ellis Maples, a Donald Ross prodigy, designed both courses with the ability and talent to create multiple themes on one property.

The CCWP theme involves using the open, hardpan rough, sparsely covered with the native pine straw and “love grass”, to create the elements that appealed to the late, great Donald Ross. Therefore, we claim to be the “most natural 36 holes in The Sandhills”, taking our place on the list of the area’s best. When you combine the courses with our villas, fitness center, pool facility, tennis courts and our fine cuisine…you have a recipe for a fabulous resort. The southern hospitality extended by our professional staff is the final ingredient that makes CCWP a truly great destination.

Whispering Pines Country Club features 2 surprisingly good mature golf courses in an established residential setting. For reasonably priced golf country clubs with quality courses, Whispering may be the top choice. To see all real estate for sale in Whispering Pines, NC - CLICK HERE. For more info about the Golf, play on!

The Courses

The East and West Courses were both designed by Ellis Maples, who designed the Country Club of North Carolina and other famous courses. For a $500 initiation fee and dues of $250 per month, you basically become a golf member of Whispering Pines, plus 3 other clubs for a total of 6 courses – and all you pay is cart fees. See more on this deal on our Avestra Golf Deal page.
Both WPCC courses are nearly 50 years old, which makes them the most mature courses in the area other than Pinehurst, Pine Needles, Mid Pines and the Southern Pines Country Club. The clubhouse is a dated, but has been renovated inside. Clubhouse bar/grill is better than average, Pro Shop is very good. The East Course is a more challenging in terms of distance, while the West Course has a lot of water – so pick your poison.

The East Course

The Stats:

Par 72
Pro Tees – 7,094 yards (74.1/132)
Men's Tees – 6,409 yards (70.8/124)

My favorite holes: the 16 th (Par 3), the 3 rd (Par 4) and the 11 th (Par 5).

The West Course

The Stats:

Par 71
Pro Tees – 6,521 yards (71.0/126)
Men's Tees – 6,044 yards (69.3/122)

My favorite holes : the 14 th (Par 3), the 18 th (Par 4) and the 7 th (Par 5).

Courses Re-Open With New Greens

2011-09-12T09:55:00.002-04:00

Great Greens! Myrtle Beach Golf Courses Reopen

Chris King

on September 9, 2011 2:35 PM | Comments (0)

River Club is in outstanding condition after installing new greens this summer.

Fall golf season is nearly upon us and the seven Myrtle Beach area layouts that installed new greens this summer will be ready to welcome golfers.

Each of the seven courses installed an ultradwarf Bermuda grass that replicates the best qualities of bentgrass while thriving during the warm summer months in Myrtle Beach.

The most popular of the new ultradwarf grasses are Champion and MiniVerde and they were the grasses of choice for Myrtle Beach courses again this summer.

The Norman and Fazio courses at Barefoot Resort installed Champion Bermuda, as did River Club. The virtues of Champion were on display for a national audience this summer because Atlanta Athletic Club, host of the PGA Championship, uses the grass.

The Avocet Course at Wild Wing, the West Course at Myrtle Beach National, Quail Creek and Lion’s Paw at Ocean Ridge Plantation all installed MiniVerde. A course with MiniVerde has never hosted the major championship but it has received raves from the world’s best golfers as the surface of choice at TPC Sawgrass and East Lake, home of the Tour Championship.

Because the ultradwarf grasses thrive in the summer heat, they take root quickly and provided an outstanding putting surface upon reopening.

“It’s growing in its growing season,” Max Morgan, the director of golf course maintenance for Myrtle Beach National, said. “People like firm fast greens, and they are going to love Myrtle Beach this fall.”
Six of the seven courses that installed new greens have reopened, with the one exception being Quail Creek, which will reopen on October 3. Quail Creek, a Coastal Carolina University owned layout, is doing more extensive course work than the other layouts.

In addition to new greens, Quail Creek is lengthening the 16th hole, redoing its bunkers and moving the second and 18th greens closer to water. Quail Creek is also substantially improving its practice facilities, increasing its putting green to 12,000 square feet, and creating a short-game practice area.

Whispering Woods Golf Course/Pinehurst NC

2011-08-29T15:38:00.000-04:00

Whispering Woods Golf Club

26 Sandpiper Drive Whispering Pines NC 28327

TUESDAY SHOOT-OUT. Contact pro shop 910-949-4653.

Over thirty years ago, Ellis Maples, inspired by a picturesque, rolling track of land in the Pinehurst NC area, carved out another challenge for golfers in the Sandhills. His work, the Whispering Woods Golf Club Course, stands as a credit to him and a pleasure for many. Dan Maples, son of Ellis and renowned golf course architect in his own right, described Whispering Woods this way: “It is a golf course designed with the average player in mind, but good players won’t find a pushover. The well groomed condition of the course enhances the design and complements the roll of the land. Golfers experience left to right, short shots, long shots, uphill and downhill holes. And the quick bent grass green will keep you honest.”

Our goal at Whispering Woods is to see you smile, and have you promise to return. We are known as the friendliest course in the Pinehurst Area. Contact us with your golf needs, and you will always receive the best of service.

Course Layout

Plan your strategy before you begin your round. Click on the hole number links in the Main Menu for all the information you need for a great round.

London Downs Golf Club

2011-08-26T09:18:00.000-04:00

London Downs Golf Club

Architect(s):

Russell Breeden

Address:

1614 New London Road
Forest, VA 24551

Golfers will remember the breathtaking mountain views of this Russell Breeden designed golf course. Four sets of tees, gently rolling hills and undulating greens make London Downs challenging but fair for golfers of all skill levels. London Downs has hosted two SBC Futures tour events and a Teardrop tour event. Our amenities include practice green, driving range, pro shop and snack bar. Located in historic Bedford County, just 12 miles west of Lynchburg on Rt. 460, and only 45 minutes from Roanoke. Play London Downs and see why we are a favorite for golfers all over Virginia.

London Downs Golf Course is one of the state's premier semi-private golf courses located right in the heart of Virginia. With very reasonable green fees and frequent specials, London Downs is the choice of many for enjoyable rounds of golf.

Click Here for a Course Tour

About 75% of the play is public with special rates for seniors on Tuesdays and Thursdays and women on Monday and Wednesday. During the winter months, the course offers its popular Winter Special.
In its 16-year history, London Downs has hosted two SBC Futures tour events and also the Teardrop tour, and plays host to numerous charity and corporate events throughout the year.
Features:

Centrally located12 miles west of Lynchburg on New London Road (Virginia 811) just off US 460 near many popular travel destinations
Semi-private course with daily green fees plus memberships
Special rates for seniors, women
Golf packages available
Golf specials – Fall and Winter Specials
PGA and LPGA professional lessons by appointment
Driving rangeand large practice green
Large pro shop, snack bar and outdoor pavilionfor tournaments and outings

Fair test for most!!: London Downs is a fairly new course that came into being alongside a fairly upscale housing development. Fortunately for everyone most homes are not too close to the course. The course is well conditioned and the designers maximimized the course to suit the land. It's hilly enough to consider not walking. It's failry long for the older golfer and beginners and enough water to present some problems, however it's not completely unplayable to those groups. Most holes are fairly wide open. and only two holes absolutely require a forced carry over water of any distance. They also offer seasonal and late day discounts. The staff is also a nice group of folks.

Lexington Golf & Country Club

2011-08-25T10:13:00.000-04:00

Architect(s):
Ellis Maples & Ed Seay
Address:

141 Country Club Road
Lexington, Virginia 24450

The centerpiece at Lexington is the magnificent 18-hole, par 71, Championship Golf Course—home of the VSGA championship golf tournament. With two nine hole loops players have a challenging variety of shots. The course promises enjoyment for golfers of all skill levels. The course plays from 4,845 to 6,386 yards with four sets of tee boxes. A wide angled driving range, large practice green and short game practice area allow members to warm up before teeing off or just fine tune their swing or putting stroke. Golf course architects Ellis Maples & Ed Seay, masterfully designed the existing Lexington course in 1971.

The Pro Shop
Lexington provides a full service golf shop including clubs, balls, bags, shoes, hats, gloves, and clothing for men and women. Special orders are made to fill customer's needs when items are not in stock.

The club provides handicapping service, bag storage, practice range plans, club rentals, club fitting, re-gripping, and quick turnaround on club repairs. Range balls are available for practice and warm up.
Clinics are scheduled for juniors and adult groups throughout the year. Individual lessons are available anytime upon request.

On site tournaments are scheduled for ladies and men's groups with interclub matches (both home and away) are available to members of the ladies or men's associations. Couples golf events are scheduled for all levels of players.

Outings for small and large outside groups can be arranged. The Virginia Military Institute (VMI) and Washington & Lee (W & L) alumni groups are frequent visitors. Lexington Golf & CC is home to the W & L golf team.

Pro Shop Hours:

thru August, 8:00 am to 6:00 pm. Carts available for use until dark if signed out before 6.

Golf Rates:

18 hole cart - $15 per person
9 hole cart - $8 per person
18 hole greens fee - w/ member, $30
w/out member, $40

Lexington Golf & Country Club, Lexington, VA

by Tim Gavrich

The Lexington Golf & Country Club is a private course located adjacent to one of the town's most upscale communities, with home values averaging in the mid six figures. (The median value of houses in Lexington is $230,000.) The houses, however, do not encroach at all on the golf course. Housing prices in Lexington have escalated in the last few years as people from Washington, D.C., and Richmond have begun investing in Lexington's downtown property and some of the horse farms in the area.

The original golf course was laid out in 1902 by the club's charter members and redesigned and expanded to 18 holes in 1971 by Ellis Maples and Ed Seay. It is located just south of town and a few miles from Interstate 81. The club permits some outside play at times of low traffic (call ahead as we did; the folks in the pro shop are very friendly and accommodating).

Lexington is home to Washington & Lee University and Virginia Military Institute. It is a charming town with good restaurants, interesting shops and a friendly vibe. It is a nice place to visit, to go to school and to live.

Golf Course Setting: 7 ~~ Lexington Golf & Country Club is set on approximately 150 acres of rolling hills. Trees come into play on most holes and make positioning off the tee critical to a good score. Views of the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains provide nice framing to many holes. The driving range is barely 225 yards long and, therefore, permits only iron play off the practice tees. The clubhouse sits on a hill overlooking the 9th and 18th greens and 1st and 10th tees.

Golf Course Conditions: 7 ~~ The greens at Lexington were medium speed, mostly owing to the recent rains that had also softened the fairways that had not been mowed in a few days. The course, whose rating and slope are fairly high for a short layout, would have played even tougher with slicker greens. Though a little hairy, turf both on and off the greens was in fine shape.

Quality of Green Complexes: 7 ~~There are some "classical" movements in the greens at Lexington. Most of them are pitched from back to front in varying degrees of severity. You won't find the dedicated chipping areas prevalent in modern course designs, but missing Lexington's greens left, right and especially long will make bogey a real possibility. Lexington saves its most challenging green (by far) for last at the 18th, a kidney shaped surface with three tiers that make it tough to land an approach shot on the same level as the pin. But it also makes for creative bank shots from off the green.

Quality of Par 3s: 5 ~~ The par 3s are not terribly compelling at Lexington. Holes 4 and 17 are of similar length (about 170 yards), and both play across ponds to fairly mundane greens. Holes 2 and 8 play downhill and are within six yards of 170 from the back tees. The best of the five par 3s is the 14th, which has an interesting oval-shaped green that is slanted away from the tee and offers a narrow landing surface.

Quality of Par 4s: 7 ~~ The par 4s at Lexington are a fair challenge, but only two extend beyond 400 yards from the men's tees (total yardage 6,068). The narrow fairways, however, demand precision tee shots. Even for the grip-it-and-rip-it players, there are no drivable par 4s. The most compelling four-shotters at Lexington are holes 10 and 12, both of more than 430 yards from the tips that call for the player's best drives and accurate long irons.

Quality of Par 5s: 6 ~~ The four par 5s at Lexington provide the golfer with four great chances to gain ground on par. They are all reachable in two, although the 6th green is protected by a stream and should be approached with caution. The strongest of the par 5s is the 11th, which calls for a tee shot that bends right to left to a fairway that tilts down in the same direction. The second shot is a downhill thriller to a green benched into the side of a hill; shots that run through the green will leave the player with a steep uphill pitch.

Routing of Golf Course/A Good Walk: 7 ~~ Because of its relatively short length and the proximity of most tees to the previous greens, Lexington is an enjoyable course to walk. The presence of ample trees and shade also provides welcome relief from the summer heat. There are a few healthy walks from one green to the next tee, but they are nothing like the distances on more modern courses.

Overall Rating: 6.5-7 ~~ On its small scale, Lexington Golf & Country Club is an enjoyable course. It has classic good looks, a well-groomed landscape and enough variety of shots to retain a player's interest over many rounds. In styling, it stands in stark contrast to the brawny Vista Links, the other quality course in the area that was reviewed here earlier. Lexington requires more brain than brawn.

Hanging Rock Golf Club

2011-08-24T13:36:00.000-04:00

Hanging Rock Country Club

Architect(s):
Russell Breeden

Address:
1500 Red Lane
Salem, VA 24153

One of Russell Breeden best designs in Virginia, Hanging Rock Golf Club offers a superb mountain location and a championship layout that assures players of all handicaps a challenging round. Hanging Rock was voted “Best Course” by the readers of the Roanoker Magazine 15 of the past 20 years including the last 3 years; awarded a “3 1/2 Star” Rating from Golf Digest for Places to Play; named one of the top 3 courses in Virginia by The Golfers Guide readers survey and selected as one of Washington Golf Monthly’s 100 must play Mid-Atlantic courses. For a golf memory to last a lifetime, play Hanging Rock on your next trip to the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Play the Best...

Overlooking the beautiful Roanoke Valley of Virginia, Hanging Rock Golf Club is surrounded by breathtaking natural beauty. The course, designed by Russell Breeden, offers a championship layout that guarantees golfers of all skill levels a challenging and exciting round.

Hanging Rock has earned numerous accolades, including:

Voted "Best Golf Course in the Roanoke Valley" by readers of The Roanoker magazine 16 out of the past 20 years including the past 3 years (2009, 2010, & 2011).
Awarded a 3 1/2-star rating by Golf Digest's "Best Places to Play".
Named one of the top 100 Must Play Courses in the Mid-Atlantic by Washington Golf Monthly magazine

Ashley Plantation/Roanoke Virginia Golf Desination?

2011-08-23T13:05:00.000-04:00

Ashley Plantation

Architect(s):
Russell Breeden

Address:
919 Greenfield Street
Daleville, VA 24083

The newest residential golf community in the Roanoke Valley in over 25 years. Surrounded by views of the Blue Ridge Mountains, our stately Georgian-style clubhouse offers a full service pro shop, practice facilities, restaurant, bar, outdoor pavilion and indoor banquet facilities. The championship 18-hole golf course was designed by premier architect Russell Breeden and provides a variety of shots off of rolling hills and mountain vistas. Named “#1 Golf Course In the Roanoke Valley,” by Roanoker Magazine, this course features L-93 bentgrass greens and tees with bluegrass fairways. Test your luck on our signature hole 14, a par 6 that plays a whopping 721 yards long from the back tees. Located just 15 minutes from downtown Roanoke and 4 miles north of I-81 on 220 North in Daleville, VA.

"Where Golf is a Way of Life"

Ashley Plantation is the only 27 hole public access facility in the Roanoke Valley. Established in 1999, Ashley Plantation is a residential community featuring picturesque views of the Blue Ridge Mountains and a beautiful Georgian-style clubhouse, conveniently located 5 minutes from Interstate 81 just north of downtown Roanoke in Daleville, Virginia.

We offer many affordable membership packages that we feel will meet any golfer’s needs including our “Plantation Platinum” packages that include unlimited cart fees and unlimited range balls, great daily rates, a full service restaurant, tennis courts, a swim club featuring three pools and a cabana and a Golf Academy with a full-time PGA Professional instructor.

If you have not been to Ashley Plantation lately you will be surprised at the changes. Our three distinctive 9’s offer challenging yet playable holes, and players love our two signature holes; Our Par 6 that stretches to 725 yards from the tips and our island green Par 3 finishing hole on the brand new Orchards 9.

Currently under construction is our new 3-level practice range - featuring a full acre of grass tees - slated to open in spring 2011.

Consider Ashley Plantation as the site to host your corporate or charity event, as we pride ourselves in the service we deliver. Our goal is for you to enjoy your event at Ashley Plantation and let us take care of every detail!

Check out everything that Ashley Plantation has to offer, we know you will be glad you did!

Course Details - Ashley Plantation

Our three 9’s:

The Meadows; Featuring wide fairways, two reachable Par 5’s and one of the most picturesque holes on the property in the Par 3 9th. The Meadows also features two of the more demanding Par 4’s we have in the uphill 2nd hole and the downhill 5th hole.

The Hills; The most challenging of our 9’s, the Hills plays over 3700 yards from the tips and as the name suggests there are numerous elevation changes. The Hills features one of our signature holes – the Par 6 5th hole which plays 725 from the back tee. You will also encounter two of our more challenging Par 3’s in the 222 yard down – hill 7th hole and the tricky 155 yard 2nd hole.

The Orchards; Opened in 2009 is a true shot-makers 9. There are 3 fantastic Par 3’s on the Orchards. The player who makes par on all 3 par 3’s in their round can truly be proud – but you’ll have to get by another one of our signature holes, the island green 159 yard 9th to do it! You can also test your driver on the Orchards and see if you can drive the 303 yard 3rd or the 295 yard 8th but you’ll have to watch out for the Out-of-Bounds.

Score Card

Woodlake Golf & County Club, Pinehurst

2011-08-22T10:42:00.001-04:00

Woodlake Golf & Country Club

Donald Ross was an apprentice under Old Tom Morris, Frank Maples was an apprentice under Donald Ross, Ellis Maples, who designed and built Woodlake was an apprentice under both. I wouldn’t exactly say that there is a direct connection between Old Tom Morris and Woodlake, but the quality of great golf course architecture that is passed down from generation to generation is certainly prevalent today at Woodlake Country Club. In 1971 Ellis Maples created a course described by many as one of the most challenging and beautiful golf courses in the Southeast. In 1995, a second course was added to the Woodlake inventory when Arnold Palmer put his design team to work. Winding gracefully around the largest, private, man-made lake in North Carolina, Woodlake’s two championship courses will provide you with a golf experience for a “king”.

Palmer	Yards	Rating	Slope
Prof.	6962	NR	NR
Blue	6882	72.9	133
White	6283	70.3	124
Red	5054	65.0	109

Maples	Yards	Rating	Slope
Prof.	7043	74.4	136
Blue	6791	73.2	134
White	6272	71.0	129
Red	5276	71.6	130

Course Architect:
Ellis Maples & Arnold Palmer Location:
Vass, NC

Woodlake Resort and Country Club is nestled in the rolling hills of North Carolina’s lush Sandhills only minutes away from Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Fort Bragg, Pope Air Force Base and Fayetteville, North Carolina and is a gated community. Our convenient location affords easy access to Raleigh and the Raleigh Durham International Airport. Employment and amenities within the Research Triangle are readily accessible.

Woodlake Resort and Country Club offers two championship golf courses, the Ellis Maples and the Arnold Palmer. Our sister course is Pinehurst’s famous Carolina just 15 minutes away. Our Centerpiece is a 1200 acre spring-fed lake offering members boating, swimming, fishing and water skiing. A 25 meter pool overlooks the lake and our clubhouse facilities and tennis are within easy walking or biking distance of any portion of Woodlake Resort and Country Club.
The Historical Oates House, built in 1792 completes the vision with casual and fine dining. Breakfast and Lunch are served daily with a Sunday Buffet Brunch 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Dinner is served Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings.

Historical Oates House

Woodlake Resort and Country Club is the perfect spot for a secluded corporate retreat, golf tournament, business meeting or special event.
The Historical Oates House at Woodlake Resort and Country Club is a magnificent reminder of colonial residents. Originally constructed in 1792 in nearby Fayetteville, NC, the house first served as an inn and later became the home of John A. Oates, a judge, historian and civic leader. In a continuing effort to preserve the historic significance of the area and enhance the beauty of the lakefront, The Historical Oates House was moved to Woodlake Resort and Country Club and completely renovated and expanded to serve as a clubhouse. It has now become the social center of the community.

The LakeView Dining Room and outside terraces offer casual and fine dining with panoramic views of the lake. The picturesque setting, overlooking a 1,130 acre lake offers a magnificent backdrop for your special event.

Whether you’re planning a Family Reunion, Private Party, Rehearsal Dinner, or Wedding and Reception, we offer the perfect setting. Our friendly, experienced staff will work closely with you to arrange all your decorating and catering needs.

For Weddings and Special Events please call 910-245-4970

Tot Hill Farms Golf Course/Pinehurst NC

2011-08-17T11:50:00.000-04:00

Tot Hill Farm Golf Club

Creative course designer Mike Strantz has struck again with 18 holes that will leave your imagination running absolutely wild and your golf clubs screaming for more. Winding through a maze of majestic rock formations and creeks, Tot Hill Farm inspires its players with a vast array of heart-pounding shots and breath-taking views. The expansive greens offer rolling undulations and a wide variety of pin placements. Your trip will not be complete unless you take on this awe-inspiring course.


	Breathtaking. Awe-inspiring Golf. Rated 4.5 Stars Best Places to Play & Ranked the 7th Hardest Course in America by Golf Digest. Are you ready to experience the most breath-taking, awe-inspiring golf you've ever played? Mike Strantz, the designer of such greats as Tobacco Road, Caledonia, True Blue, Royal New Kent and Stonehouse, added yet another masterpiece to his collection with the creation of Tot Hill. Whether you live in the heart of North Carolina, traveling to the famed Pinehurst area for your next golf trip, or simply passing through to another southern golf destination, you will want to schedule a round at the 7th Toughest Course in America as rated by Golf Digest in 2007. It's a golf experience like no other.

Seven Lakes Country Club, Pinehurst NC

2011-08-15T14:39:00.000-04:00

Peter Tufts 1976
18 holes/Par 72

Seven Lakes Country Club

Championship four-star rated golf course emphasizing the traditional and classic design elements that present a true Sandhills experience. Practice range, chipping and putting greens, 6 Har-Tru tennis courts, full service Lounge, Dining Room and meeting rooms.

2000 Seven Lakes South
Seven Lakes, NC 27376
910-673-1092, 1-888-47LAKES
Fax 910-673-7522

Seven Lakes Country Club golf course, designed by Peter Tufts III in 1976, presents a true Sandhills experience. Awarded a FOUR STAR rating by Golf Digest, the contoured fairways wind through longleaf pines and are bordered by a landscape of azaleas, magnolias and dogwoods. Whether local to North Carolina or traveling from afar, make this course one of your prime targets for a memorable round of golf. Most SLCC members are very active in golf. Women members have established the Women's Golf Association (WGA) with a full schedule of events for both 9 and 18 hole players every Tuesday and Wednesday. The men have a Men’s day event each Wednesday (9 holes) and Thursday (18 holes). There are also individually formed men's and women's groups that play throughout the year as well as with other clubs in the Sandhills area. A suitable test for novice golfers and a challenge for the seasoned player, the course is always in wonderful condition, receiving praise from all golf professionals who have played here.

Pinewild Country Club Of Pinehurst

2011-08-12T11:53:00.000-04:00

Holly Course
Gary Player 1996
18 holes/Par 72

Pinewild Country Club of Pinehurst

The Magnolia, which has just recently undergone a comprehensive renovation, is a "Traditional masterpiece" which meanders through the longleaf pines. The Gary Player designed Holly is a classic "risk reward" layout. All complimented by beautifully wooded terrain, rolling hills, ponds and streams. Pinewild has hosted the PGA's Tour School Qualifying, the LPGA's Pinewild Championship, and continues to play host to various USGA Qualifying Events.

PO Box 3369,
Pinehurst, NC 28374
910-295-5145, 1-800-523-1499
Fax 910-295-9644

Pinewild Country Club of Pinehurst is situated in the heartland of American golf.

Here, golf is more than a pastime. It's a way of life. Located just one mile from the quaint and historic Village of Pinehurst, this gated club offers its residents a gracious and private lifestyle, with spacious homesites and pristine views surrounded by three of the most beautiful golf courses found anywhere in the world, one of which was designed by the legendary Gary Player. Pinewild is a residential country club with singular credentials . . . a world where fairways spread emerald meadows beneath candelabra pines, and winter barely whispers past a golfing season that never ends. We invite you to experience exquisite Pinehurst area living.

Pinewild members never have to leave the private gates of the plantation to fulfill all their recreational needs. In addition to all the other recreational attractions, Pinewild Country Club of Pinehurst boasts forty eight holes of golf.

A short video at...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZ1iNygcCkU

The world-class facilities include two championship golf courses, the Magnolia and the Holly, which are both stunning and challenging to golfers of all skill levels. The Magnolia, a "traditional masterpiece", was designed by Gene Hamm, and has played host to the PGA Tour Qualifying School, the LPGA's 's Pinewild Championship, numerous Carolinas PGA events, as well US Open Qualifying. The Holly, a Gary Player Signature Course, is fast becoming an area favorite, due to its' panoramic beauty, "risk reward" layout, and some the best greens in the Sandhills. The Holly has played host to many USGA Qualifying events, as well as Carolinas PGA Championships.

Whatever your choice of course, you are sure to enjoy the Bermuda grass blanketing the fairways, and velvet bent grass greens.

The Azalea course is a nine-hole par 3 course, which includes some of the more scenic holes on property. The remaining holes consist of three practice holes, which make up part of the world-class practice facility. Included in the practice facility are two large putting greens, a chipping green, a short-game complex and a magnificent range with greenside and fairway bunkers. The fine practice facilities are home to the Pinewild Golf Academy. The Academy combines a great facility, state-of-the-art video, and qualified PGA instruction, to create a learning opportunity for golfers of all skill levels.

Whether you visit and play Pinewild for the day, or whether you call it your home, the golf experience enjoyed, is sure to be one of the more memorable.

THE MAGNOLIA COURSE…”a traditional masterpiece”

Originally designed by Gene Hamm, the 18-Hole, par 72 Magnolia Course opened to rave reviews in 1989, and within two months was ranked as one of the top 50 courses in the entire southeastern United States by Golf Week.

The Magnolia has seen a complete multi-million dollar redesign, to include new greens complexes with Crenshaw Bent Grass, bunkers and cart paths.

The result is a truly fantastic lay-out with emphasis on risk-reward golf.

In an area that boasts numerous award winning courses, the Magnolia remains a local favorite. The course is characterized by vast elevation changes, generous driving areas, and spacious challenging greens. In the summer edition of the 2003 Pinehurst Magazine, the Magnolia was ranked as the fifth best course in the area, by the 43 PGA Golf Professionals.

Locals aren’t the only ones who know a great course when they play it. LPGA players heaped praise on the course when the LPGA’s Pinewild Women’s Championship was contested in 1995. The Magnolia has been a qualifying site for numerous US Open Championships, the US Amateur Championship, as well as PGA Tour School Qualifying.

With the back tees measuring almost 7,500 yards, we like to say that the NEW Magnolia is "NO BARK, BUT ALL BITE".

Rating/Slope

Black...76.4/139

Blue...73.5/135

White...70.5/128

Gold...Men...68.1/124...Ladies...73.9/132

Red...Men...65.4/113...Ladies...70.2/123

THE HOLLY COURSE
…”Gary Player’s gift to Pinehurst”

A special signature design by golf’s legendary world traveler, Gary Player, the Holly course is the perfect compliment to the Magnolia. The Holly features fewer bunkers, more water and smaller greens. Vast areas of longleaf pines were left untouched, and the course features numerous natural waste bunkers. The design utilizes the property’s many lakes, ponds and streams that wind through numerous wooded areas throughout the course. Multiple tees present a variety of challenges, but the course is definitely playable for golfers of all skill levels.

The Holly is proud to have hosted the Carolinas PGA Pro-Pro Championship, as well as numerous other Carolinas Golf Association and USGA qualifying events.

Rating/Slope

Black...73.1/137

Blue...70.4/130

White...68.7/124

Gold...Men...66.7/116...Ladies...71.8/133

Red...Men...63.0/107...Ladies...67.3/117

THE AZALEA COURSE …”the best 60 minutes in golf”

As a group, these holes represent some of the finest par-3 holes you will ever play, using every iron in your bag to play them. The course traverses natural, rolling land that is tucked within the back nine of the Magnolia course. The Azalea plays to a nine-hole par 27, but two sets of tees enables you to get 18 different looks.

Donald Ross style bunkers, that appear as though they are green side, but are in fact up to fifteen yards short of the putting green, are scattered throughout the course. After the sixty minutes, you’ll know you didn’t just play a nine-hole par 3 course; you’ll describe it to your friends as a “collection” of great par 3 holes.

Mid Pines and Pine Needles In Pinehurst

2011-08-11T10:46:00.000-04:00

Donald Ross 1927
18 holes/Par 71

Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club

For three generations, Peggy Kirk Bell and her family have been welcoming guests to Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club. The classic Donald Ross course was completely restored in 2004 and has hosted the 1996 and 2001 U.S. Women's Open and has been awarded the Championship again in 2007. World-renowned instruction and practice facilities, all wrapped up with Southern hospitality.

1005 Midland Rd.,
Southern Pines, NC 28387
910-692-7111, 1-800-747-7272
Fax 910-692-5349,

Nestled in the fragrant pine forest of North Carolina, you will find an experience unlike any other: For nearly a century, golfers have reveled in the serene ambiance of Pine Needles and Mid Pines Resorts. Two 18-hole Donald Ross designed resort golf courses have earned us our place among the country's best golf resorts – and one to which our guests and USGA Championships return to time and again. We deliver brilliant golf paired with southern hospitality in a casual atmosphere right here in beautiful North Carolina.

While Pine Needles and Mid Pines resorts are most famous for championship golf, our golf courses and accommodations provide a resort destination for all occasions. Situated on 500 acres, we offer two resorts separated only by the lush pine trees.

Accommodations in either of our resorts are a welcome change of pace. Pine Needles Lodge offers a rustic casual resort setting, with 74 sleeping rooms located within chalet style lodges. Mid Pines Inn offers a more upscale Georgia style Inn atmosphere, and rooms with an Old South Charm. Mid Pines Inn history is also reflective of our membership in Historic Hotels of America. All accommodations offer modern amenities, beautiful appointed rooms. exquisite dining options, versatile meeting space and staff dedicated to exceeding guests' expectations.

Whether you are planning a golf outing with friends, a vacation with the family or a romantic getaway our resort destination makes a most memorable experience among the beautiful Sandhills of North Carolina. While we are located in the heart of golf country many other activities will delight even the non golfer. Visit the boutiques of the surrounding downtown areas of Southern Pines, Aberdeen and Pinehurst or stroll through the numerous art galleries and museums.

We are located just one mile from Southern Pines' historic downtown and four miles from the Village of Pinehurst. Being 60 miles southwest of Raleigh just 75 miles east of Charlotte, NC we are easily accessible by car.

Come experience a tradition like no other at Pine Needles Lodge and Mid Pines Resort.

One of our two Silver Medal Resorts as awarded by GOLF Magazine, Pine Needles offers character, warmth and comfort. Built in the 1950's and nestled among towering longleaf pines, our chalet style lodges provide exceptional comfort with recently renovated rooms and all of the luxuries of home. Balconies and terraces allow you to gaze upon the championship course, a Donald Ross gem that was recently ranked #4 in North Carolina.

In 2004, Pine Needles underwent an important restoration project. Under the watchful eye of Ross aficionado, John Fought, the greens were rebuilt, bunkers were dug out and fresh sand was installed. Contours and dimensions of greens were restored to their original forms as shown by a series of vintage aerial photos of the course, returning the course to its original glory.

Following the restoration, the Pine Needles course measures more than 7,000 yards in length with some holes having been "stretched" to return the shot values that Donald Ross intended for this course. Fairway bunkers are now placed so that they serve as the kind of hazard that Ross intended for the tees.

The Mid Pines course remains exactly as Donald Ross numbered and routed the course in 1921. Impeccably manicured to modern standards, Mid Pines is a classic gem, a rarity among Ross’s masterpieces because it is exactly as he crafted it more than 88 years ago. Even so, Mid Pines has played host to many national competitions including the 2002 USGA Senior Women's Amateur Championship.

Many people have characterized the course as "pure Donald Ross" because of how it fits the land where it was built. It has few forced carries, artificial or contrived holes. It's been said that Mid Pines was never conceived as a daunting task to the finest players competing under championship conditions...Mid Pines was intended simply as a fun course with adequate challenge for members and guests of a private club and resort.

Bayside Resort Golf Club, Ocean City

2011-08-10T12:32:00.000-04:00

Bayside Resort Golf Club's Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course, designed by one of golf’s greatest champions surrounds the Delaware golf community as if guarding against the pressures from the outside world. Special care was taken to leave Bayside's environmental wetlands & woodlands in their natural state. The resort golf course also has dramatic views of Assawoman Bay's breathtaking coastline.

Bayside Resort Golf Club Details & Course Design

18-hole, par-72 championship resort golf course overlooking Assawoman Bay
7,000+ yards of golf with multiple sets of tees for every skill level
Driving range, putting green, and chipping green
Dramatic landforms and bunkering create captivating shadowing across the course
Pro Shop and Oasis Grille
Invitational Golf Memberships are available - for more information call
302-436-3000 ext. 3041, or email us at kpitts@cmfa.com
Open for public play year-round

Course Overview

Bayside Resort Golf Club, Delaware’s first Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course, is conveniently located just outside of Fenwick Island off Rt. 54 and just 4 miles to the beach with gorgeous views along the Assawoman Bay coastline. Inspired by the surrounding salt marshes, meadows and magnificent woodlands, the course provides three distinctly different golf experiences rarely found in one course. The course is dotted with pot bunkers that help defend the smallish, elevated greens, many of which are surrounded by tightly mown chipping areas. First-time players often find it difficult to stay focused on each shot- the gorgeous views have proved to be distracting. A good round requires staying out of the numerous water hazards, which come into play on more than half the holes. As a group, the best collection of holes may be the memorable one-shotters, especially the 158 yard 13th, which features a carry over water to a small green framed by soaring pines and deep bunkers. Since the opening of the course in 2005, the club has made several improvements, including the addition of mature trees to fairways that help direct tee shots. The layout was enhanced in May of 2010 with the opening of a 7,300-square-foot clubhouse facility, which has a fully stocked pro shop, outdoor deck, fire pit, and the Cove Bar & Grill, already a favored gathering spot for golfers and residents.

The golf course sits at the heart of a luxury community that promotes a vibrant lifestyle with a mix of home types, variety of recreational activities, thriving arts presence, and a retail shopping center. Nearby the Bayside community are waterways, beaches, and shopping.

“Golfers at Bayside enjoy three distinctly different golf experiences all in one golf course. Some holes are richly tree-lined, others wind through marshland and still others boast wide-open fairways. It is our hope that Bayside is truly a memorable golf experience offering variety rarely found elsewhere.” - Jack Nicklaus

Bear Trap Dunes in Ocean City

2011-08-09T09:36:00.000-04:00

Bear Trap Dunes Golf Club offers one of the area’s most unique and memorable golf experiences on the Eastern Shore. Winding bentgrass fairways lined with native wetland grasses drift into natural sand dunes. Impeccably groomed oversized greens and four strategically placed sets of tees beckon golfers of every skill level. After just a few minutes at this Carl M. Freeman golf facility, you will see why these 27 holes of scenic beauty are the local’s favorite.

A former associate of Jack Nicklaus, Rick Jacobson has won acclaim for his course designs. In Rick’s own words, “Bear Trap Dunes is visually unique because of its ample use of sand dunes – adhering to the coastal area’s natural terrain.”

Bear Trap Dunes Course Designer
Rick Jacobson

As President of Jacobson Golf Course Design, Rick Jacobson has been actively involved in the Design and Construction of golf courses for more than 20 years. Since graduating from the University of Wisconsin in 1980 with a degree in Landscape Architecture, he has been continuously employed with some of the premier organizations in the golf industry.

From 1985 to 1991, Rick worked for Jack Nicklaus Golf Services as both Assistant Designer and Design Associate. Rick was involved with many prominent projects in both the United States and Asia.

In November of 1991, Rick formed Jacobson Golf Course Design based on his firm belief that 'only organizations that deliver quality product with uncompromising service will endure.' Rick has relied on his exceptional background to deliver this quality product. The manageable size of his firm will allow the company to respond efficiently to client's needs and form close collaborative relationships with the project team.

Rick has won acclaim for many of his golf course creations including the Augustine Golf Club in northern Virginia, which was selected as one of Golf Digests' Best New Upscale Course in 1996 and Top 100 Public Golf Courses by Golf Magazine in 1998. He also designed Bull Run Country Club in Haymarket, Virginia, which was recognized by Golf Digest as Best New Public Course in Virginia in 2000 and renovated the Des Moines Golf and Country Club for the record breaking 1999 U.S. Senior Open.

Ocean City Golf/Bay Club East

2011-08-08T13:11:00.000-04:00

Another option for the 2012 Golf Trip is Ocean City MD. Any place that boast all the bars including Secrets, 19 courses, tons of places to to stay, and is closer than Myrtle Beach is an option.

Bay Club East By Charles Priestly

ADDRESS: 9122 Libertytown Road, Berlin, MD 21811

     Tee up for more golfing fun for your buck at The Bay Club, a Carl M. Freeman golf facility. Nestled amid the picturesque woodlands and natural wetlands of Maryland's celebrated Eastern Shore, The Bay Club offers 36-holes of championship golf conveniently located just 8 miles from Ocean City, Maryland.

     The East Course, which opened in 1999, offers bentgrass greens and the area's only tour quality Zoysia grass fairways. The signature hole #17 is a 225-yard, par-3 with bunkers on three sides of the green. Swing by our clubhouse after your round and visit The Oasis Grille featuring Happy Hour Specials and two 52-inch Plasma TVs.

     So, for unmatched service, superior course conditions, unbeatable value and an all-around exciting golf experience, make The Bay Club your "must-play" course every time you visit Ocean City. Brand new Yamaha golf cart fleet!

Golf In Style

2011-08-04T11:24:00.002-04:00

I am more than biased, being Irish, and now owning 3 Kilts I regularly play in. This company makes great product, they are fast, have a great selection, and playing in a Kilt is actually pretty cool both style and air flow wise. Please check them out, they have a lot of great product.

Enjoy the Freedom, Comfort and Style of a Sport Kilt! Sport Kilt is a modernized and distilled version of the centuries old Scottish kilts. Each of our kilts features the look of the ancient and traditional kilts of the Scottish Highlands, but made with a lighter, more comfortable, no itch, machine washable, easy-care fabric.

An American innovation, Sport Kilt was created in 1995 by athletes seeking to relax in style after competing, and at the same time celebrate their ancestry. Well, one thing led to another and the next thing you know everyone wanted a Sport Kilt.

People love the comfort and practicality of our kilts as well as the style, heritage, and attention that comes with wearing a Sport Kilt.

We are constantly striving to improve our kilts, and are proud of having the largest selection of poly-viscose tartans on hand in clan tartans and universal tartans. Check out our awesome Irish Kilts and Scottish Kilts.

Need it quick? Let us know. We take pride in having the quickest turn-around in the industry.

Sport Kilts are not just for men -- women and children can also enjoy the freedom, comfort and style of a Sport Kilt!

Sport Kilt - Leading the revolution, since 1995.

The Sports Kilt

The casual kilt that started it all!

The Original Sport Kilt is fully pleated around the sides and back, with a flat front panel, or apron, in the front. See this Video for more sizing and product information.

The Original Sport Kilt features our special poly-viscose blend material with superb swing and drape. The material we use is machine washable and non-itchy. This material is great for active wear, yet it still holds a pleat really well.

Each is fastened with a secure velcro closure, with a touch of elastic in the waistband for a perfect fit. This allows for adjustability and comfort an also the required "give" for athletes during strenuous activities.

The Original Sport Kilt also includes an inside stash pocket big enough for a money clip, keys or spare change. The Sport Kilt is also available in several specialty fabrics. All of our kilts are made right here in the good ol' USA!

Price: Size Small is $49.50, Size Medium is $59.50, Size Medium-Long and Large are $69.50, size XL is $79.50, and XXL is $89.50

Please note: We will do our best to get your kilt when you need it and often we can ship it out within one or two days. When choosing custom options like sewn-down pleats, belt loops, buckle straps or fringe, please allow 3-5 days for production.

National Golf Club Of Pinehurst

2011-08-03T09:36:00.000-04:00

Jack Nicklaus 1988
18 holes/Par 72

National Golf Club

Jack Nicklaus constructed a masterpiece set amidst the longleaf pines of Southern Pines. This 18-hole championship layout features classic Jack Nicklaus architecture: wide fairways, lush course conditions, and undulating putting surfaces that test your mind and your true golfing ability.

One Royal Troon Drive
Pinehurst, NC 28374
910-295-4300, 1-800-471-4339
Fax 910-295-8092

National has a commitment to provide the finest in recreational amenities, including the area's only Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course. This commitment extends to the outstanding level of service given to our members and guests.

Jack Nicklaus constructed a masterpiece set amidst the longleaf pines of Southern Pines. This 18-hole championship layout features classic Jack Nicklaus architecture: wide fairways, lush course conditions, and undulating putting surfaces that test your mind and your true golfing ability.

National has blended golf's two greatest legends - Nicklaus and the Sandhills, into a secure, gated residential community of superior quality. We invite you to visit our community for an exceptional tour. Enter our neighborhood through a fairway of azaleas, magnolias and dogwoods. Discover all that membership at National has to offer, including a relaxed and easy lifestyle with diverse amenities and member activities.

Hole 1: The Knoll

Par 4

410 yards

390 yards

373 yards

294 yards

264 yards

Jack starts you off with a rare dogleg left. Play your drive down the right center of the fairway to give yourself the best angle to the green. Avoid the bunkers short and right of the green. The only bail out is short & left of the green

Hole 9: Cornerstone

Par 3

160 yards

140 yards

120 yards

92 yards

74 yards

The picturesque par three ninth hole will test your nerves! The bail out area is short & right. Note the collection area on the right side of the green that funnels marginal shots off the green. On the back of the green there is a slope that will shoot balls down to the back, left of the green.

Hole 18: Bear's Valley

Par 4

460 yards

434 yards

402 yards

358 yards

348 yards

This long par four will make you earn a good score. By playing your tee shot down the right side you may be able to shorten the hole, but you run the risk of getting hung up in the trees. Your approach shot requires a long iron into a well guarded green. Par is a good score on this testy finishing hole.

Deal Of The Day, Williamsburg National

2011-08-02T09:06:00.000-04:00

About Williamsburg National Golf Club The settlers to Williamsburg’s Historic Triangle found great beauty and faced noble challenges in nearby Jamestown and Yorktown. At Williamsburg National, we honor those two nearby historic sites with our existing Nicklaus designed Jamestown Course and our new Yorktown Course designed by Tom Clark. Both courses offer their own “great beauty” and “noble challenges” as today’s visitors enjoy golfing at the award-winning Williamsburg National Golf Club. Our Website : www.wngc.com 3700 Centreville Road Williamsburg, Virginia 23185 To make a tee time up to 14 days in advance: Call 757-258-9642

Dan Maple's Little River Golf and Resort/ Pinehurst NC

2011-08-01T09:03:00.000-04:00

Dan Maples 1996
18 holes/Par 72

Little River Golf & Resort

Once an equestrian landmark, "The Farm" has been transformed into a legendary championship golf course. From its 200 foot elevation changes, winding rivers and thick forests, to its unsurpassed course condition, Little River Farm is a must play for everyone.

500 Little River Farm Road,
Carthage, NC 28327
910-949-4600, 1-888-766-6538
Fax 910-949-4602

Not all North Carolina Golf Courses are Created Equal!

Little River is widely know for its fine greens all year round and first class customer service. The Dan Maples designed course incorporates unique terrain and natural features, including nearly 200 feet of elevation changes. The par 72 championship golf course offers varying sets of tees for golfers of all skill levels, measuring from 4,850 to 7,018 yards.

Little River Golf Club has a 4.5 star rating in Golf Digest's Best Places to Play rankings. We're proud of this accolade and invite you to come and experience championship style golf combined with true southern style hospitality. Without a doubt, Little River Golf Club must be on your golf rotation during your next visit to the Pinehurst area. Rich in golfing history the village of Pinehurst and Little River Golf & Resort look forward to welcoming you soon!

Legacy Golf Links, a Nicklaus Course

2011-07-29T09:09:00.000-04:00

Jack Nicklaus II 1991
18 holes/Par 72

Legacy Golf Links

Legacy Golf Links is proud to be one of only three courses in the Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen area which has played host to a USGA National Championship. This Jack Nicklaus II design is a "must play" when visiting the Sandhills.

12615 U.S. Hwy. 15-501 South, P.O. Box 1158
Aberdeen, NC 28315
910-944-8825, 1-800-344-8825
Fax 910-944-9416
www.legacygolfnc.com

Welcome to Legacy Golf Links!

Legacy Golf Packages now offers beautiful rental condos and rental houses in the Village of Pinehurst!

Welcome to Legacy Golf Links...a Nicklaus Designed golf gem in the heart of the Sandhills of North Carolina! The Sandhills region of NC includes the Village of Pinehurst, Southern Pines and Aberdeen communities. The Sandhills of NC is nicknamed the "Home of American Golf" by the Pinehurst, Southern Pines and Aberdeen area Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Sandhills of NC has been ranked as the #1 Golf Destination on the East Coast for "Best Quality Courses" by Golf Digest. Golf is not just a game in the Sandhills, it is a part of the culture. Golf is very much a part of the areas history, tradition and industry. Whether you are looking for a nice slow paced golf get away for two or a competitive golf outing with your buddies, the Sandhills of NC will have a golf package and golf course line up to fit your needs. We hope you find our website informative and helpful in learning more about Legacy Golf Links and the Pinehurst, Southern Pines and Aberdeen area known as the Sandhills of North Carolina.

Chad's Tips for #1

Par 4 - 431 Yards

Favor the right side on this hole from start to finish. Avoid the green side bunker on the left as you approach the green if you want to have a good chance of making par.

Chad's Tips for #8

Par 4 - 387 Yards

Don't let the yardage here fool you...this is a challenging hole from start to finish. Again, big hitters keep the driver in your bag. A straight shot off the tee is a must here. Play an extra club into this green to avoid coming up short in the waste bunker. Par is a good score on this hole.

Chad's Tips for #18 - "The Bear"

Par 4 - 459 Yards

Voted - "The best finishing hole in Moore County, NC"

by Pinehurst Magazine

If you've never played Legacy you will soon understand why this hole is called "The Bear". In order to hit this par 4 in two shots you better give it your best off the tee. If your tee shot doesn't clear the hill you will have a decision to make on your second shot. If you go for the green make sure to hit an extra club. If the pin is in the back right side of the green you need at least two extra clubs...trust me. Once your on the green most putts will break back toward the lake. Par is a great score on this hole!

State Of The Golf Trip/ Talamore Golf Club

2011-07-28T09:16:00.000-04:00

As of the past trip, the core group of people have expressed some changes to get the whole old gang back together. So I have been looking into the Pinehurst/Sand Hills NC area, as there are about 30 courses there. There are some trade offs, closer to us, brand new courses vs more money, especially if we go in May, a little less night life, but Karaoke, corn hole and poker become more focused on.

Over the next few weeks I will start putting out reviews and information on the courses in the area, and will investigate some of our best options. I am also looking into Ocean City as a destination also, and that will be my next focus.

What Makes Talamore So Very Special...

In 1991, famed golf course architect Rees Jones linked his name forever with the great golf of the North Carolina Sandhills when he debuted Talamore Golf Club. Since receiving the designation as Best New Course in the South by Golf Digest, Talamore has been consistently ranked at the forefront for outstanding courses in the Village of Pinehurst area. Talamore’s clubhouse, pool and cabana are all conveniently located next to the Talamore Golf Villas, which were constructed shortly after the club’s opening. The Talamore Golf Villas have long been a favorite among golfers vacationing in the area for their wonderful amenities and panoramic views of the Resort Course’s signature finishing hole.

The second facility added to the Talamore Golf Resort was the Mid South Club, originally known as Pinehurst Plantation. A private club, Mid South features a fantastic layout designed by “The King” Arnold Palmer. In 2005, the Lodges at Mid South opened, offering the most well-appointed amenities in the Sandhills and giving the Resort over 200 rooms of luxurious and comfortable accommodations, most featuring expansive golf course views.

One Trip And You Become Family...

The Talamore Golf Resort has grown to be the premier golf vacation in the Sandhills. Over 90% of our customers repeat or refer new business. That is unheard of in the resort industry and is a tribute to Talamore’s unwavering commitment to the total customer experience.

A Sandhills Golfing Treasure...

No ordinary golf course receives the kind of acclaim and international praise that has been given to Talamore's 18-hole course since it’s opening in 1991. Talamore has been ranked in the forefront of outstanding courses in the Village of Pinehurst area, an area which has been known for its golfing traditions for more than a century.

Talamore Golf Partners hired architect Rees Jones to bring his considerable talents back to Village of Pinehurst in order to design a course that would be visually striking and exceptionally enjoyable. The result was a 7,020 yard course that was ranked in the top five new courses in America upon its opening in 1992 by Golf Digest.

According to Rees Jones: "This is a position course. Length isn't going to benefit the long hitter. What I'm trying to do is require thinking. I don't want to take the drive out of the golfer's hands, but what I want him to have to think about whether he wants to use it. You have to manufacture golf shots and make them happen. Strategy is an important key to a successful round of golf here. My hope is that golfers will enjoy this dimension of the game. Talamore is intended to capture the best of classic golf in the Village of Pinehurst area. The site has a spirit that's unmistakable: one that allowed for a remarkable diversity of features. There's a challenge in the course that's meant to add to the enjoyment of the game. After all, golf is supposed to be fun."

Talamore was also made famous by instituting the first llama caddy program. Availability is limited to have one of these precious animals escort you around the links. It certainly makes for an unforgettable day.

Talamore's Awards and National Recognition

Best New Golf Course in the South - Golf Digest
Top 5 New Courses - Golf Digest
Voted top 4 courses in North Carolina - Golf Digest
One of America’s Best Courses - Golfweek
Top 10 Courses in the Pinehurst Area - Pinehurst Magazine
North Carolina Golf Course of the Year - National Golf Course Owners Assoc.
Top 100 Courses in America - GolfLink.com

Beacon Ridge Golf & Country Club: Pinehurst NC

2011-07-27T13:02:00.000-04:00

Gene Hamm 1988
18 holes/Par 72

Beacon Ridge Golf & Country Club

This classic layout provides a traditional Village of Pinehurst area challenge to golfers of every ability. Whether you live nearby, are on business or planning your next golf vacation, if you truly love traditional golf, visit Beacon Ridge, a uniquely satisfying golf experience.

Discover the Beauty of Beacon Ridge

Located just minutes from the beautiful Village of Pinehurst, North Carolina, Beacon Ridge Golf & Country Club was designed by renowned course architect Gene Hamm. One of the prettiest and well manicured golf courses in the Sandhills region of North Carolina, Beacon Ridge is a favorite with locals as well as the numerous golf visitors, the Pinehurst area attracts each year.

Beacon Ridge also boasts the largest lake in Moore County, Lake Auman. Lake Auman is three miles long and two miles wide, and the earthen dam on the south side is the largest of its kind east of the Mississippi.

Course Details

The Beacon Ridge course is a par 72, 6494 yard championship golf course featuring rolling fairways and splendid greens and recently was awarded Golf Digest's coveted Four-Star Rating. The Beacon Ridge clubhouse, a Mt. Vernon style manor,overlooking the Beacon Ridge course layout, features spaciously comfortable facilities and a gracious, relaxed style.

Experience the challenge of traditional Village of Pinehurst area golf when you tee it up at Beacon Ridge Golf and County Club. This classic layout provides a challenge to golfers of every ability as it meanders through the towering pines and rolling mounds of the North Carolina Sandhills.

Everyone who truly loves traditional golf must play Beacon Ridge. Find out for yourself why Golf Digest magazine awarded Beacon Ridge their coveted 4 Star Rating.

Penncross Bentgrass greens; Bermuda fairways and tees.
Par 72 with each nine returning to the clubhouse
A uniquely satisfying golfing experience awaits everyone who decides to play Beacon Ridge.

Score Card

The Truth Part 3

2011-07-26T12:17:00.001-04:00

The Truth Part 3

In Part 1 of this series I discussed how golf companies use traditional advertising, watered down tests, and giveaways to manipulate content and ensure that nearly everything you read about those companies and their products is overwhelmingly positive. In Part 2 I detailed the consequences that result from less than universally positive content. I showed you some of the tricks reviewers use to make sure everyone stays happy, and I explained how something as fundamental as maintaining relationships with your contacts can influence what gets published.

Part 3

In this 3rd and final installment I’ll show you how the big money grab is slowly squeezing out the smaller OEMs and even the inventors and start-ups with an unfortunate combination of great products and shallow pockets. Finally, I’ll let you know what you can do to determine whether what you’re reading is unfiltered content, or just cleverly disguised advertising.

Picking on the Little Guy

Most on our side of the industry learn pretty quickly that golf’s biggest names are willing to spend golf’s biggest bucks to make sure their products get plenty of exposure. In our free market economy it’s hard to argue that a company shouldn’t benefit from all the advertising it can afford. It helps the big guys sell product (lots, and lots of product), and the advertising revenue helps keep the golf sites in business. It also happens to provide some of the site owners with an opportunity to make a very comfortable living. Along the way readers get exposure to all the latest gear, and a lucky few actually benefit from the giveaways. The problem is that when monetization becomes the end-game those who can’t afford to play quickly get squeezed out.
The reality is that for many media outlets, Pay-To-Play has become vital to the way business is conducted. As much as golf is a hobby or a passion for many of you, it’s very much a business. If some content is bought and paid for (either directly or through advertising), why shouldn’t nearly all content be?

We think big bucks make for big bullies. The biggest names in golf shouldn’t be able to reduce the little guy to insignificance simply because they can outspend him. If we took that approach our readers would miss out on some great finds and big surprises. While it was being mocked in other forums, MyGolfSpy tested PowerBilt’s AirForce One Driver and found it to be the longest driver of 2010. Though they barely got a mention anywhere else, two of the best wedges that came through our doors last season were Boccieri Golf’s Heavy Wedge, and Solus’ FC-10. Hireko’s Dynacraft irons proved they could hang with the big boys, and both Wilson and MacGregor showed us they still had the chops to make an outstanding forged iron at a very competitive price. One of my personal favorite irons (and among the favorites of our testers) from last year was Fourteen Golf’s TC-910, and almost nobody else bothered to cover it.

You’d think I’d be smarter by now, but in a recent conversation I had with my contact at a smaller golf company, I was shocked to learn that two of the larger golf sites on the Internet told him that if he wanted an “unbiased” review of his product, he’d need to pay for it (by becoming a site advertiser). Just as with many smaller golf companies, this one didn’t have the budget to pony up for the review. As a result readers of these sites may never get to hear about a product that we think might prove to be a game changer. Not only are big golf companies influencing what you see, their willingness to spend and spend big often dictates what you don’t see.

For the big guys spending big isn’t an issue, because around 20% of their massive budgets are devoted to marketing. For the smaller companies, however, ad budgets are absolutely minimal (if they exist at all), with the biggest chunk devoted to research and engineering (what a concept, right?). For the individual who has dumped his life savings into his product, site sponsorship are almost always out of the question. If sites like MyGolfSpy and others aren’t willing to help out with a little bit of exposure he’s probably never going to succeed. For every Martin Chuck (inventor of the TourStriker and instructor at the TourStriker Golf Academy) there are thousands of guys with good ideas that just didn’t make it.

Bucking the Trend

While I believe it’s important for the average golfer to understand the role that corporate dollars play in influencing the content they see on their favorite golf sites, I’ve got nothing against the other media outlets who take in big OEM dollars. It’s not how we chose to operate, but there is no denying that some of those guys have built outstanding communities where golfers can passionately discuss their love of the game and the equipment that powers it. They’ve given a ton of free gear to their followers, and they’ve managed to support their families while doing it. They operate and succeed under a time-proven business model, and I truly wish them nothing but continued success. The bigger they get, and the more intertwined they become with the big golf companies, the greater the opportunity for MyGolfSpy to differentiate ourselves and carve our own niche.
That said, one of the first, and most valuable lessons I learned in the business world is that the absolute worst reason for doing anything a certain way is to do it because it is the way it had always been done before. We don’t want to succeed by walking in someone else’s footsteps, we want to carve our own path. We don’t ever want to become yet another in a long line of mini-Golf Digests. We don’t ever want to depend on big OEM dollars to survive, and we never want to be part of a system designed to either bleed the little guy dry, or squeeze him out altogether. That is how it has always been done, but it’s not how we want to do it. We’re comfortable being MyGolfSpy, even if it means we don’t get Christmas cards from the big OEMs, and if some others in the media speak of us with contempt, and mock us for having the audacity to speak openly and honestly about the companies they depend on to survive.

The Truth is Out There

You love golf, I get that. I’d never suggest that you boycot big OEMs or never visit another golf site. My goal is simply to help you understand that much of what you see and read is driven as much or more by money than it is by any real desire to educate golfers, or to share a love for the game.

If you’re not sure what’s real, what’s unfiltered, and what’s honest, take a look at the banner ads. Is there any real substance, or do they simply rehash the marketing info while finding some insignificant detail to nitpick. Do they have the stones to acknowledge that their sponsor’s club is shorter, and less accurate than a competitor’s, or even last year’s model? The truth is right in front of your eyes, you just have to look for it.

If there’s ever a doubt what’s real and what’s not, don’t be afraid to ask to see the numbers, but be specific. Ask to see the data that supports their claims that a sponsor’s driver is the longest they’ve ever tested. Most importantly ask how much the big OEMs are spending to keep the positive reviews and fluffy content coming. Of course, I’m certain none of them would give you an honest answer because if they did, you wouldn’t just wonder whether what you just read was the result of big money well spent, you’d be certain of it.

Founder's Club Myrtle Beach Course Of The Year!

2011-07-25T11:06:00.002-04:00

Founders Club Named Myrtle Beach Area Golf Course Owners Association Course of the Year

Chris King

on July 20, 2011 11:38 AM | Comments (0)

Founders Club was named 2011 Myrtle Beach Area Golf Course Owners Association Course of the Year.

Myrtle Beach’s newest golf course wasted little time rising to the top of the leaderboard. Founders Club, a South Strand gem, has earned 2011 Myrtle Beach Area Golf Course Owners Association Course of the Year honors.

“To be selected the best among the abundance of golf courses in the Myrtle Beach area is a tremendous honor,” said Tommy Smothers, general manager of Classic Golf Group. “Founders Club has only been around for three years and it is always in impeccable condition, so this award is a testament to all of the hard work the staff there has done to earn this award.”

A Thomas Walker design, the beauty of Founders Club resides in the land’s uncommon elevation change and abundant, native sand.

Located on what used to be Sea Gull Golf Club, Walker bulldozed the old course – completely – and crafted a design that allows it to take a seat comfortably alongside its Pawleys Island neighbors.

From a visual perspective, Founders Club, which opened on Feb. 1, 2008, is defined by the waste bunkers that run alongside side practically every fairway, providing visual contrast when set against the lush, green fairways. But the waste bunkers provide more than aesthetics.

The bunkers also double as cart paths, meaning the only pavement on the course is around the greens and tee boxes. More importantly to golfers, the sand, combined with elevated fairways and outstanding drainage, means carts ride on the fairways 365 days a year.

The Myrtle Beach Area Golf Course Owner’s Association evaluates Golf Course of the Year nominees on four criteria: exceptional quality of the golf course, exceptional quality of the ownership and management, outstanding contribution to the community, and significant contribution to the game. By virtue of winning the Myrtle Beach Course of the Year award, Founders club becomes a candidate for state honors.

A Classic Golf Group course, Founders Club is a sponsor of the Grand Strand Adopt-A-Highway program and the Ocean Highway Beautification Project. The course’s 18th hole is visible from Highway 17 South and stretches 7,007 yards from the championship tees. The course hosts numerous charity events throughout the year and regularly donates complimentary vouchers for rounds to other charity golf events throughout the Myrtle Beach area.

The National Golf Course Owners Association implemented the award in 1996 and the MBAGCOA has since nominated courses from the Myrtle Beach area. Past recipients of the award include Sandpiper Bay (2010) Shaftesbury Glen (2009), Grande Dunes (2008), Wachesaw Plantation East (2007), Burning Ridge (2006), TPC of Myrtle Beach (2005), Indian Wells Golf Club (2004), World Tour Golf Links (2003), Wild Wing Plantation (2002), Blackmoor (2001), Tradition Golf Club (2000), Bay Tree Golf Plantation (1999), Arrowhead Country Club (1998) and Myrtle Beach National’s King’s North (1996). Five of the Myrtle Beach regional winners - Burning Ridge, TPC, Wild Wing, Tradition, Arrowhead and King’s North - also captured the state award. World Tour was named as the national “Golf Course of the Year.”

Part II

2011-07-19T09:16:00.000-04:00

In Part 1 of this series I discussed how golf companies use traditional advertising, watered down tests, and giveaways to manipulate content and ensure that nearly everything you read about those companies and their products is overwhelmingly positive. I’ve also explained why $o many media outlet$ are $o willing to play along. In Part 2 I’m going to show you exactly what can happen when you don’t play along, and I’ll expose the clever tricks that other media outlets use to mask their fluff as as unbiased, objective content.

Content Has Consequences

(Written By: GolfSpy T) Everyone who has ever written a review for an audience the size of MyGolfSpy’s quickly comes to learn that every review written, in fact nearly every word written, comes with consequences. Consequences aren’t always bad. It should surprise no one that when MyGolfSpy or most any other site publishes a positive review, the majority of manufacturers are quick to post links on their Twitter and Facebook accounts praising the review. Some publish the reviews on the company blog, and many put links on their websites. This is great for us because it drives even more readers to the site, and those readers click on ads, and ads are where the money comes from. At its most basic level, positive reviews = more money, and everyone who operates a website has figured this out. In short, to the benefit of everyone (except the guy looking for an honest, detailed, and unfiltered assessment of golf club), the current system works, and works very well.

While the majority of the larger media outlets work comfortably within this system, there are a select few that, like MyGolfSpy, have fought to maintain their objectivity. More than one golf company has been shocked after MyGolfSpy chose to publish what that company considered to be a less than positive review. And why wouldn’t they be shocked when nearly every other review they’ve ever received has been universally positive?

Protecting Their Advertisers

What I’ve been slow to learn (and probably never will) is that you’re not supposed to say anything even slightly negative about a golf club – especially if 1) The company is an advertiser, 2) The company provided you with the club 3) If you ever want to get anything else from that company. Though not all do it, the most egregious players on the media side have gone so far as to delete negative comments, and in many cases ban the offending readers from their sites. Imagine that…banning a loyal reader because he said something negative about a golf club (produced by one of your sponsors). The unfortunate reality is that site operators are forced to choose sides. Either you’re in it for the truth, or your in it for the money (which means you have to protect your advertisers to the detriment of nearly everything else).

In one recent incident, an OEM that provided equipment to MyGolfSpy was so outraged by a mediocre review (not bad…just average) that they informed us they would no longer provide us with equipment or work with us in any other capacity (it’s probably not who you think). This was done despite the fact that we’d had nothing but positives to say about other equipment in their lineup. Unfortunately, this is far too common as manufacturers have grown accustomed to fluff and actually expect that every club reviewed will be as good or better than the last. I also believe it also speaks volumes about a company who, rather than address the criticism, or ask our testers why they didn’t like a club (the type of stuff that could actually lead to a better product), believe their only recourse for a mediocre review is to take their ball (and clubs) and go home.
In this particular case the company in question went so far as to suggest that the mediocre review did not stem from ordinary performance, and unimpressive subjective numbers, but rather as retribution for a positive review on another golf site. At best the accusation is comical, but at its worst it calls into question my integrity, the integrity of our process, and the integrity of the average golfers who take time out of their lives to test clubs for MyGolfSpy. These are potential customers and rather than accept that their club simply wasn’t well received, a major equipment manufacturer chose to either call our testers liars, or suggest that somehow they were duped by MyGolfSpy. It’s as offensive as it gets, but it’s the most extreme example of how stating an unfiltered opinion about a golf club can not only lead to the loss of direct access, but can transcend the business aspect of what we do, and quickly become personal.

Personal attacks aside, I’m more or less able to shrug this one off with a smile, but could you imagine if we, like so many other golf sites, depended on this company to put food on our table? When between $30,000 to $60,000 in annual ad dollars for a website (exponentially more for magazines) come with the stipulation (spoken or otherwise) that nothing negative is to be published, is it any wonder why the overwhelming majority of reviews and other content are incomprehensibly positive?

Criticize Without Actually Criticizing

Now even the most blatant corporate fluffers have developed clever little techniques that give the appearance of a critical eye, albeit without the risk of actually saying anything negative. My two personal favorites are to criticize the grip, and to talk about how much you dislike the shaft graphics. These two largely insignificant details are ideal targets because, grips are easily changed, many people don’t care about shaft graphics, and most importantly, in the majority of cases, the equipment maker isn’t directly responsible for either. It’s a bulletproof way of appearing unbiased without risking your paycheck.

Now to be perfectly fair, when we test clubs, it’s not too uncommon that a tester will tell us he doesn’t like the grip (the shaft graphics thing is less common), but they might also tell us they think the club is ugly, has lousy feel, and that when they hit it they have absolutely no idea where the ball is going to go. Where we differentiate ourselves is that, while we’re happy to publish a quote when our testers say something positive, we don’t sugarcoat it when they say something negative either. Unfortunately some believe we should print the positive and turn deaf ears to the negative. We don’t believe believe its our place to censor our testers (or our readers), and we don’t believe predictably positive reviews offer any real benefit to those of you interested in making informed buying decisions.

Everybody Gets a Trophy

Perhaps the most popular trick of all is to simply not keep score or not pick a winner. At MyGolfSpy we’ve developed a very comprehensive scoring system that blends real performance data with the subjective opinions of our multiple testers. This allows us to put a score on every club we test. While it’s true that our tests have often shown very little difference between clubs, we think it’s important to showcase those few select clubs that outperform the others. We also happen to think it’s equally as important to point out those few clubs that under-perform expectations. At any time you can look through our archives and see what the best and worst performing clubs are in every category.

Now as you well know, others have developed scoring systems too (you may have heard of the Hot List). These type of scoring systems are great because they enable the publisher to give all the golf companies a trophy at once, without leaving anyone feeling slighted. Occasionally they’ll throw a non-advertiser in the mix (usually for a Silver Medal), but as long as their biggest advertisers split the lion’s share of the Medals, everybody wins…except you.

The 1000 Word Review That Says Zero

Finally (and most commonly) is the 1000 word review that says absolutely nothing of consequence. It starts out with a near word for word regurgitation of the companies press release and quickly progresses to discussing how great nearly every aspect of the club is (it’s longer, it’s straighter, it looks awesome, and feels super-awesome), without a shred of actual data to back it up. Most of the time the claims are supported with generalities like “I hit the longest drive of my life” or “I shot the lowest round of the year”. Of course, golf being what it is, two days later, if that reviewer adds 10 strokes, or only carried a drive 150 yards it wasn’t the clubs, his swing was just off.

OEM’s eat up these types of reviews like Elvis ate up peanut butter and fluff. They’re easy to swallow, and they sure taste sweet when you’re trying to promote your products favorably. Better still; under the most literal of interpretations these types of reviews aren’t biased. They’re favorable to absolutely everything, which is pretty damned unbiased. Of course, the literal definition of unbiased is not the same as objective or even useful.

(Input vs. Control) – And the Power of Friendship

In a relatively short period of time we’ve developed a bit of a reputation. It has even been suggested that, among other things, our primary mission is to piss off as many OEMs as possible. It’s certainly true that we’re not as popular with the OEMs as some other sites. Some of that is by design, but much of that is predictable consequence of the way we operate. If I’m being perfectly honest, if I worked PR for a major OEM I’d like the other guys better too (they’re better cheerleaders, and they’re much more OEM-friendly), but as a real golfer interested in real information, this is where I’d spend the bulk of my time.

A PR guy’s job is to make sure that his company is always shown in the best possible light. We choose to write openly and honestly about the industry and the products we review. When reviews are good and content favorable we make their jobs very easy. When the coverage isn’t as positive as a golf company would like, it gives the PR guys headaches, and there are almost always discussions and repercussions.
From time to time we have been asked to either pull down a post (we don’t do that), or reword an article to provide better cover for a source. On rare occasions we’ve been asked to add some additional information to a review. If the request is reasonable we’re happy to oblige, but our rule of thumb is we don’t take posts down, we don’t take information out of our posts (unless we find out it’s factually inaccurate), and we don’t give OEMs creative control over what gets published. We do however work on a two-way street, and we’re always willing to listen to the same type of criticism we’re known for dishing out. Legitimate criticism and feedback from two different golf company contacts caused us to think about aspects of our review system we may never have considered, and the process is better because of them.

There are definitely some great PR people in the industry, and while we’ll probably never be their favorite site, we enjoy working with them and, I believe that even if they don’t always love us, because they hold a healthy respect for what we do, most are willing to tolerate us. Despite what some may think, we’re not robots, we’re actually decent people who love what we do. What we do just happens to be very different from what anyone else in the industry is doing.

We talk to our PR contacts nearly every day. They send us gear, info, and photos, and invite us to many of their events. They are overwhelmingly good people who, like you and me, have a job to do and they do it the best that they can. Anyone who covers golf equipment can’t help build relationships with his PR contacts, but even this is not without its perils. It’s one thing to criticize a product or paint a golf company in a negative light, but when that company is represented by somebody you have a relationship with, rendering an honest opinion can feel like you’re betraying a friend. It’s a reality that all of us face, and while I can’t find fault with anyone on either side of the industry for building those type of relationships, the human aspect of what we do can complicate things when it comes time to write an article or post pictures of the newest clubs.
What we’ve learned countless times is that however good the relationship is, our contacts have bosses (probably an out of touch old guy in a bad sweater), and those bosses are ultimately the decision makers. So while strong relationships can get you gear for your giveaways and equipment for your reviews, one wrong word and it won’t matter. Business has to stay business because, when push comes to shove, even if your contacts don’t agree with the decision, they won’t hesitate to use whatever leverage they have (ad dollars, equipment, etc.) to either pull you back in line, or cut you off entirely.

Part III

In Part III I’ll tell you how some media outlets are turning the tables to the detriment of the smaller golf companies, and individuals trying to break into the industry. I’ll also explain how you can identify and separate objective commentary from the paid advertisements and other fluff.

The Golf Story Of 2011 You Can Not Miss

2011-07-18T10:13:00.001-04:00

“The Truth They Don’t Want You To Know!”

(Written By: GolfSpy T) You’ve been sandbagged (yes you) and you may not even know it. Think that review you just read from some other golf media outlet is truly honest, or did a golf company spend tens of thousands of dollars for the unspoken promise that every word you read would be positive?

Being a golf club reviewer sounds like an awesome job, doesn’t it? I have access to nearly every golf club that hits the market each year, and sometimes I get clubs that haven’t even been released yet. I get to take the clubs out on the golf course, test them on our simulators, and I have the privilege of writing reviews for our readers. Many of you might consider what I do as your dream job. I certainly did. As with nearly anything else, however; my job isn’t exactly what it seems.

Step into my spikes for a minute.

Think about this. What if a single honest sentence in a review meant a golf company would never send you another piece of equipment? What if telling the truth meant a $50,000 pay cut? What if your integrity was called into question simply because you gave your honest opinion about a new driver or set of irons a golf company was trying to promote?

What would you do?

Do you think you could remain true to what you believe in no matter the cost, or would find yourself sugar coating every word you write? Would you allow your readers to speak their minds, or would you take the money and demand your readers keep their damn mouths shut?

Sadly, these aren’t hypotheticals. These are the realities for any golf site with an audience the size of MyGolfSpy’s. While great golf companies do exist in the industry, there are some who use advertising, access to equipment, and the threat of lawsuits to manipulate content. It’s the ugly side of the industry. It’s a side many of you are not aware of; where tens of thousands of dollars and sometimes millions are spent to influence what gets written, and where some golf equipment manufacturers will cut off anyone who doesn’t play by their rules. Unfortunately, the average golfer has no idea what really goes on behind the scenes, but we’ve decided that needs to change.

In this 3-Part Series I’ll expose how many golf companies buy influence with the media, show you what can happen when you don’t play by their rules, and lift the curtain on the pay to play schemes that are slowly infecting the industry.

Great Expectations
In many respects the golf industry represents the blending of cutting-edge technology and out-dated thinking. Take a step back from the forged composites and carbon nano-tube jargon, and one finds an industry still clinging to the idea that their message can be controlled, and where so-called unbiased reviews are only tolerated so long as they’re positive.
Not surprisingly, however, the greatest of all expectations are those associated with the golf club review process. When I started writing reviews I was naive enough to believe that if I took a thorough look at a product, and gave an honest assessment, manufacturers would publicize the positive and take any criticism, no matter how direct, as an opportunity to improve their products for next year. I was, at best, half right.

Buying Influence

While you’ll probably never find a line item on an invoice that reads “Positive Driver Review – $1000“, beyond simply providing a sample for testing there are several ways that OEMs can influence the outcome of a product review.

Traditional Advertising (Print) – Look in any magazine and you’ll find equipment ads, and lots of them. It’s the way it has always been done, and it’s beyond necessary for the way traditional print media operates. Magazines have huge overhead. They have material costs. They pay talent (writers, editors, photographers), revenue generators (sales and marketing), and CEO types who command huge salaries. It all adds up, and to keep the ship afloat they need money. Some of that money comes from subscriptions, but most of it comes from the advertisers. I’m one who has given the guys behind the Hot List the benefit of the doubt. I’m willing to accept that no major equipment manufacturer has ever come to them and said “give our new driver a gold medal or else”, but I also believe those guys know how the game has to be played. My guess is you’re never more than a couple of bronze medals away from losing a major advertiser (which is probably why they stopped giving bronze medals). With print media on the decline, the guys still writing on paper understand that they need the advertisers more than the advertisers need them, but as long as everybody stays happy, the money keeps rolling in.
Traditional Advertising (Online) – Online, the simplest form of advertising is the banner ad. Placement is everything, and ads in more prominent spots command the most money. On a site the size of MyGolfSpy, big OEMs are willing to pay thousands of dollars every month for premium placement (WE WILL ALWAYS REFUSE TO ACCEPT ADS FROM LARGE GOLF COMPANIES). The problem is that it’s easy to get comfortable with easy money. The income becomes expected. And once you’re livelihood begins to depend on it, you have no choice but to try and protect it. Total dependence on big OEM ad dollars becomes a recipe for fluffy reviews and the golf companies trying to control your content. Your site quickly becomes a place where even the slightest criticism of their product or brand is sterilized to the the point where it becomes meaningless. Other media outlets do this to protect both the advertiser and the site owner’s wallet. Problem is, this has led to the downfall of the honest review, and the silencing of the independent voice. Few things can compromise principles as quickly as a deep pocket, and often it means that the loyal readers of that site now get censored. At MyGolfSpy, we don’t hide the fact that we accept advertising, however; what we don’t accept is big OEM (Golf Company) advertising. You won’t find any banners from major equipment manufactures here, and we’re committed to keeping it that way. We’re leaving a lot of money on the table by doing so, but we believe it’s much more important to publish truthful and objective content for you readers. As soon as you start taking money from the big guys, no matter how good your intentions, the integrity of the process inevitably gets compromised. As we look at ways to not only sustain the site, but to grow it to match the vision we have for the readers, you may see banners from names you recognize, but you will never see a banner from a major club manufacturer on our site.
Group Tests – Group testing is where a golf company agrees to send out equipment to a site which will then be given to their readers. Sounds great for the readers right? You guys get free equipment and all you have to do in return is write a review about your experience with the free stuff. But what the casual reader of that site (the ones that did not receive free equipment) gets though is a watered down version of MyGolfSpy’s review system. On paper this sounds like a great way to get an unbiased, mutli-perspective review, and I certainly admire the simple brilliance behind it, but unfortunately it almost always leads to more useless information for the average reader, and here’s why: What big OEM’s understand is that the average golfer may never consider the psychology behind a campaign like this. The OEM’s know that if you take an average Joe and give him as much as $500 worth of free gear, 99 out of 100 times you’re going to get a very good review in return. Why? Because even if average Joe doesn’t like your clubs, he likes getting free stuff. He knows that there’s a good chance he might like the next thing you send him, and so whether consciously aware of it or not, most people will do what they need to do to keep the free stuff coming. Almost no one has the stones to risk that opportunity by saying anything negative about their free gear. This leads to not only more universally positive reviews, but also an almost rabid loyalty to the OEM that provided it. It’s a win-win for everybody…or at least for everybody not looking for a truly honest review. Some might be shocked to learn that our testers never get to keep the clubs we test. Given how much other sites give away it seems almost cruel really. We don’t give anything away because we believe that as soon as the “what’s in it for me” mentality kicks in, objectivity is compromised. We do everything we can to keep our reviews as unbiased, and unfiltered as possible. The integrity of the process is everything.
Giveaways - Who doesn’t love a giveaway? They’re great for readers because it means somebody (or somebody’s) is going to get something for free with absolutely no expectations attached. They’re great for us because they increase interest and drive traffic to the site. They’re great for OEMs too because we’re not only showcasing their products, we’re building desire for them. Heck, some of the guys who don’t win may very well go out and buy whatever it was we just gave away. Every site, including this one, does them. And every site (including this one) relies on OEMs to provide product for that giveaway. If giveaways are good for everybody, what’s the problem? The influence here is definitely more subtle, but the reality is that a company is only going to provide product for a giveaway when you’ve got a history of saying nice things about them or at a minimum if you’ve never said anything negative about them. When traffic volume is tied to, or worse yet, dependent on giveaways, each and every word must be scrutinized, because each and every word written has consequences.

PART 2

What you’ve read so far is barely the tip of the iceberg. In Part 2 of this series I’ll explain why so many of the other golf media outlets are willing to play along, what can happen when you don’t, and I’ll expose a couple of common tricks product reviewers use to give the false appearance of being unbiased.

The Open Offer From SubSeventy Golf

2011-07-15T08:41:00.001-04:00

An Exclusive Open Championship Offer from Sub70 USA.
Any order placed from now through Sunday, July 17th will receive a 20% Discount. Simply place your order and the 20% discount will automatically be applied.
Visit Sub70usa.com

Groupon Deal, 22.00 A Round At Tradition Club Courses In VA!

2011-07-08T09:36:00.000-04:00

Traditional Golf Properties – Multiple Locations

$85 for Three 18-Hole Rounds of Golf with Cart Rental (Up to $174 Value)

$85

Buy

Value: $174

Discount: 51%

You Save: $89

Buy it for a friend!

Time Left To Buy
2 days 14:29:17

bought

The Fine Print

Expires Nov 11, 2011
Limit 2 per person. Limit 2 per visit. Subject to availability. Not valid on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday before 11AM. Not valid on holidays.
See the rules that apply to all deals.

Highlights

Par 71 & 72 golf courses
Scenic views
Championship tee ranges
Redeemable at five locations

Before golf was invented, grassy pastures were viewed as the exclusive territory of roaming sheep, herds of cattle, and overzealous Civil War reenactors. Celebrate turf's competitive utility with today's Groupon: for $85, you get three 18-hole rounds of golf with cart rental at Traditional Golf Properties (up to a $174 value). This Groupon is valid at Kiskiack in Williamsburg, Stonehouse in Toano, Royal New Kent or Brickshire in Providence Forge, or The Crossings in Glen Allen. Groupon holders can use all three games at one course or mix and match games between courses.

Amid Traditions’ five scenic fairways, championship tees and carefully placed bunkers test the technique of ball smackers and accommodate casual play. Players club through the meticulously designed 18-hole par 71 and 72 courses, which wind by a variety of natural scenery, from woods and glistening streams to dramatic contours and sand traps hosting life-size dioramas of The Iliad. Game-day golfers will also receive a cart for cruising the majestic fairways. Though meals are not included in today’s deal, players can retire to each course's clubhouse, where they will find a lunch menu of classic American fare to reward them for not popping wheelies on their golf carts.

Father/Son Golf Tournament In Myrtle Beach

2011-07-07T11:45:00.002-04:00

More than just another golf tournament

They claim it’s the “Perfect Father Son Getaway.” I’ve played the annual Father Son Tournament three years with my grandson and I can tell you it works for the latter combination, too. We always finished in the middle of the pack in a middle flight, but we were the real winters!

We met some great people! The fellows from Maryland that gave my grandson the Terrapin head cover that he still enjoys, today. The father/son from Alabama that made us laugh and never complained about playing with a 10-year-old. The father/son from Ohio that got a little frustrated when they were being beat by a grandfather/grandson team, but in the end were really supportive and encouraging.

We have not been able to play the Father/Son Tournament these past few years with time restrictions hindering both of us. However, I’ll never get tired of telling anyone who will listen, it’s a great investment in family time! Bring the whole family July 21-23, 2011. Better yet arrive earlier in the week and stay a little longer. Get all the details at http://www.fathersongolf.com/.

The Putt-Chip, Chipping Made Easy!

2011-07-06T09:35:00.002-04:00

Edgar look here, the chip made easy and simple, by Jeff Sweet!

The putt-chip is a shot that I encourage all of my students to learn at our golf school. It's easy, it's reliable, and even the pros use it to get up and down in a hurry. By keeping the ball low, you eliminate the need to worry about how much carry you need or how much the ball will spin. Instead, you can focus on distance and direction, two keys to hitting better shots. This shot uses the same setup as most short-game shots, starting with a good golf posture and 60 percent of your weight on your left foot.

The difference from a putt is that you need to use a short iron, perhaps a 7- or 8-iron, and you'll use your normal putting grip instead of your full swing grip. This automatically takes some of the wrist action out of the shot. With the ball positioned at about the middle of your stance, choke down on the club so that your iron feels about the same length as that of a putter. From this position, you might even see the heel of the club off the ground. This is a good thing because it helps prevent the leading edge from digging into the ground. Now you're ready to use your normal putting stroke by dominating the motion with your shoulders rocking up and down and letting your arms, not your wrists, control the clubhead. You should see the ball come off with little trajectory, hit the green and start rolling like a putt. Now with some practice, allow the length of your swing to dictate how far the ball travels. In no time, you'll be saving more pars with this simple, easy-to-learn shot!

Jon Paupore teaches at the Jim McLean Golf School at Red Ledges in Heber City, Utah. For information, visit redledges.com.

Vision Golf Balls Starting To Catch Hold In The US

2011-07-05T09:43:00.000-04:00

WELCOME TO VISION

Yes, the ball you play makes a major contribution towards that solid feel and superb sound off your club. Those incredibly exciting long straight drives that make your game both memorable and exciting are yet again a consequence of playing the right ball. Approach shots that seem to be getting closer to the pin all the time and those putts that now seem to be dropping on a more consistent basis, are all affected by the ball you play.

Vision Icons

Vision™ icons are used to easily identify the variations in advanced design, hi-tech materials and playing characteristics of the different Vision™ golf balls.
Vision™ icons are used extensively on all packaging and advertising to assist in the the usually complicated process of choosing the best ball for your particular game. These simple graphic icons are displayed around each single ball pack, to easily convey the information required by all golfers when deciding which Vision™ ball they should play.
Yes, play Vision™ golf balls and see the difference!

UV Charged Cover

The Vision™ sun icon is used to illustrate the extreme brightness of our UV Yellow golf ball, which we believe to be the brightest ball in golf today. Using our unique patented UV absorption process (US patent No 7179856), we are able to achieve the maximum brightness for this ball during daylight play. Making your game faster, safer and more enjoyable. The hi-tech, soft feel cover material used on this ball is exceptionally durable and extremely slick, thereby creating less drag whilst in flight and greater overall distance.

Arctic White Cover

The Vision™ snowflake icon describes the hi-visibility cool blue-white colour of the cover on this traditional styled ball. Using our advanced hi-tech soft feel cover material, we have achieved exceptional durability and feel.

X-pert Thin Cover

The development of a new manufacturing method allowed us to create our thinnest covered high performance ball yet. Using new hi-tech materials we have created a ball that gives the better player more control in all conditions. These materials provide enhanced durability especially when compared to the urethane tour balls on the market today. The markings on this ball are traditional two pole style.

Multi-Layer Power

Our bullseye styled icon with its concentric circles confirms that this ball has our advanced Vision™ power technology. Through the use of multiple components, our product is consistently longer with driver and irons whilst retaining the great feel and memorable click sound that better players are always looking for.

Pro Tour Spin

The PTS icon with its two spinning arrows surrounding a centre point demonstrates the higher spinning nature of this ball due to its new hi-tech materials. The level of spin available gives greater control and accuracy on all full and approach shots into the green.

Short Game Control

The overall softer feel and extra spin, allows the better player greater control and accuracy over their short shots from around the green when attacking the pin resulting in more saved shots per round.

Long and Straight

The Vision™ power icon represents all the advances that Vision™ balls have made to help take your shots further and straighter than ever before. Our advanced Vision™ tek dimple pattern is but one of the design features creating the increased length and overall improvement in accuracy all Vision™ players have come to appreciate.

Ezy 2 See Numbers

Players have mentioned on a regular basis that one of the main problems they have with current other golf balls is how hard it can be to identify them during play.We asked our Test Pilots to trial a series of large number markings on both Vision™ UV Yellow and Arctic White balls. This has resulted in 2 large numbers appearing on each ball where you would normally find a ball’s brand name printed, resulting in the easier identification of your Vison™ ball and the speeding up of play as result.

Vision X-pert2

	X-pert² With traditional markings uses thin cover multi-layer technology producing pro-tour spin with exceptional short game and full shot control.

X-pert Thin Cover

Pro Tour Spin

Short Game Control

Multi Layer Power

Vision UV Yellow

	UV Yellow Has large easy to see numbers with a bright UV charged soft yellow cover and multi layer power technology, producing longer straighter shots.

UV Charged Cover

Ezy 2 See Number

Long and Straight

Multi Layer Power

Vision Arctic White

	Arctic White The Arctic White golf ball is a soft cover white ball with large easy to see numbers and multi-layer power technology, producing longer straighter shots.

Arctic White Cover

Ezy 2 See Number

Long and Straight

Multi Layer Power

Rick Bidnick's Group Lessons At Bow Creek

2011-07-01T08:36:00.001-04:00

Happy 4th of July everyone. This weekend's schedule is as follows. Saturday 930am-11am and Sunday 10am-1130am. The Saturday class will focus on the full swing and the Sunday class will focus on the impact area.

The workshop will take next weekend off. We are offering two playing lesson times. Tuesday the 5th at 5pm, and Saturday 4pm the 9th of July. Please email me back if you would like to join either class. The cost is $45 per person, includes range balls, green fee and cart, and instruction. The class will last 2 and a quarter hours. This lesson is focused more on golf course management, alignment, rules, etc.

Beginning Sat July 16, we will have a short game class every Saturday from 9am to 1030 am. The short game series will run July 16 thru Aug 27. We will focus on a different area of the short game every week. Price for these classes is only $10 per person.

Beginning Sat Sept 3, we will start the swing workshop again. Times and format tba.

Thank you all for your support,

Rick Bidnick, PGA

THE GOLFER'S TRIP

Sub70 Sale

Legacy County Club/Pinehurst NC

Ballamor Golf Club/VB Golf Crew's 2012 Golf Trip

Blue Heron Pines/2012 VB Golf Crew Golf Trip

Harbor Pines Golf Club/2012 VB Golf Crew Golf Trip

2012 VB Golf Crew Golf Trip Dates Set

Cannon Ridge Golf Course

The Links at Gettysburg

Penn National Golf Club & Inn

Welcome to Penn National Golf Club & Inn

The Bridges Golf Club

Welcome to The Bridges Golf Club

Course Information & Layout

Mountain Green Golf Course

Mountain Greens Pro Shop

Hours

Contact information

Heron Ridge Golf Deal

Heron Ridge Golf Club

Location

The Fine Print

Pinehurst Qoute 1

Golf Course Review: Water, Design Make Man O'War Memorable

Whispering Pines Country Club Pinehurst

The Courses

The East Course

The West Course

Courses Re-Open With New Greens

Great Greens! Myrtle Beach Golf Courses Reopen

Whispering Woods Golf Course/Pinehurst NC

Whispering Woods Golf Club

26 Sandpiper Drive Whispering Pines NC 28327

Course Layout

London Downs Golf Club

London Downs Golf Club

Lexington Golf & Country Club

Lexington Golf & Country Club, Lexington, VA

Hanging Rock Golf Club

Hanging Rock Country Club

Play the Best...

Ashley Plantation/Roanoke Virginia Golf Desination?

Ashley Plantation

"Where Golf is a Way of Life"

Course Details - Ashley Plantation

Woodlake Golf & County Club, Pinehurst

Historical Oates House

Tot Hill Farms Golf Course/Pinehurst NC

Seven Lakes Country Club, Pinehurst NC

Pinewild Country Club Of Pinehurst

Mid Pines and Pine Needles In Pinehurst

Bayside Resort Golf Club, Ocean City

Bayside Resort Golf Club Details & Course Design

Course Overview

Bear Trap Dunes in Ocean City

Bear Trap Dunes Course DesignerRick Jacobson

Ocean City Golf/Bay Club East

Golf In Style

National Golf Club Of Pinehurst

Deal Of The Day, Williamsburg National

Dan Maple's Little River Golf and Resort/ Pinehurst NC

Legacy Golf Links, a Nicklaus Course

State Of The Golf Trip/ Talamore Golf Club

A Sandhills Golfing Treasure...

Talamore's Awards and National Recognition

Beacon Ridge Golf & Country Club: Pinehurst NC

Discover the Beauty of Beacon Ridge

Course Details

The Truth Part 3

The Truth Part 3

Part 3

Picking on the Little Guy

The Truth is Out There

Founder's Club Myrtle Beach Course Of The Year!

Founders Club Named Myrtle Beach Area Golf Course Owners Association Course of the Year

Part II

Content Has Consequences

Protecting Their Advertisers

Criticize Without Actually Criticizing

Everybody Gets a Trophy

Bear Trap Dunes Course Designer
Rick Jacobson

X-pert²