TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. — There’s still a good two months left in the Chicago golf season but, unfortunately, it won’t be too long until the weather changes. Snow and cold weather always arrive eventually, and then it’ll be time to head to warmer climates.
For golf in the winter months that means Florida, California or Arizona. You might be able to tee it up in a few other states but conditions will be iffy, at best. I tried it last winter in Texas and the Carolinas with very mixed results.But in Florida, California and Arizona being able to play from December through February is pretty much a sure thing.
Going to those places takes some planning, and it wouldn’t hurt to start now. One thing to remember, the best courses aren’t necessarily the most expensive. That’s never been more true than in these tough economic times. Doing a little investigating now can pay you big dividends down the road, in terms of both enjoyment and money spent.
Nothing against California and Arizona, but I’m a Florida guy. I’ve been a regular visitor there for years, and last winter I made two trips, travelled widely around the state in search of good playing opportunities and found plenty of them.
The place you should start is an old favorite — Innisbrook, on the outskirts of Tampa. I had made a quick stop at Innisbrook years ago and returned because the International Network of Golf spring meeting was held there. While there was nothing wrong with the “old’’ Innisbrook, I found the present version significantly updated and filled with friendly people.
That latter is understandable, since Innisbrook has strong ties with the Chicago area. Its owner since 2007 is Sheila C. Johnson, born in Maywood and a University of Illinois graduate. A founding partner of Black Entertainment Television, she also has ownership in three Washington pro sports teams — basketball’s Wizards (NBA) and Mystics (WNBA) and hockey’s Capitals. It was through her efforts that Innisbrook underwent a massive renovation that included all 608 of its guest rooms in 2009.
All four courses on the property were designed by Larry Packard, who was based in Chicago for the bulk of his noteworthy career. His broad design portfolio includes the well-respected Cantigny in Wheaton. Packard, now 98, lives on the Innisbrook property with his wife, who is in her 80s.
A key member of the present Innisbrook staff is Doug Schmidt, director of business development and membership. He came through the Chicago ranks as well.
You might not be aware of this factoid: Innisbrook is the only place to host an event on both the men’s and women’s pro tours. The PGA Tour brings its Transitions Championship to the Copperhead layout and the LPGA has a Legends event on the Island course.
Just recently Innisbrook received some significant acclaim when the Copperhead layout was voted the ninth best of the 52 layouts used for tournaments by the PGA Tour. Who did the voting? The players themselves — or at least 82 of them. Those rated higher were Augusta National, Harbour Town, Riviera, Pebble Beach, Colonial, Muirfield Village, Shaughnessy (Canadian Open) and Aronimink. One player opined that Copperhead is “the best course we play in Florida.”
And, statistically, the last three holes at Copperhead created the toughest finishing stretch on the PGA circuit. Those holes have, justifiably, been billed “the Snake Pit.”
By no means is Innisbrook the only golf option in Florida. From personal experience I can recommend quite a few others. If you want a PGA Tour flavor other than Copperhead and are willing to pay top dollar you’ll want to try TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra, near Jacksonville. It’ll give you the opportunity of playing one of the most famous holes in golf — the short par-3 17th with its island green. And, if you do go there be sure to stop (or stay) at World Golf Village in nearby St. Augustine, home of the World Golf Hall of Fame.
Also in that part of the state is Palm Harbor, in Palm Coast. Run by Chicago-based KemperSports, it’s a friendly place on all counts and merits a visit.
There are plenty of courses around Orlando, of course, thanks to the presence of vacation hotbed Disney World. I’d suggest you consider a drive of about 20 miles outside of Kissimmee to the town of Harmony. It has a course I really enjoyed, Harmony Golf Preserve, and nearby Royal St. Cloud has a links layout that’s good, too. Plus, they’re more dollar-friendly than many of the places in the Disney World area. You might also be interested in visiting Windermere, a private club under new ownership that is undergoing an upgrade and welcoming public play.
Further into the state is the Bobby Jones Golf Complex, a 45-hole facility in Sarasota. Its courses are player-friendly and very economical.
The Florida golf offerings aren’t as well known as those in California, where the beautiful Carmel area is the focal point. That’s where you’ll find Pebble Beach, Spyglass, Spanish Bay and Poppy Hills. You’ll pay top dollar there, but it may be worth it to you in terms of the memories you’ll take from the experience.
I tend to look for more out-of-the-way places that also tend to be more economical. Heavily-played Rancho Park, in Los Angeles, is rich in history as a former site of the Los Angeles Open. Sandpiper, in Santa Barbara, is another good buy and San Jose has a nice municipal course, as well, but the best bargain I found was Los Verdes, in Rancho Palos Verdes. Here you get great ocean-front views at an extremely reasonable rate and it’s nearly within walking distance of Trump National, which charges much, much more. The catch is, Los Verdes is no secret. You may have trouble getting a tee time and your round could be a slow one.
My trips to California were frequently for business, and time constraints were involved. That led me to look for nine-holers once in awhile, and the Manhattan Beach Marriott has a fun one on its premises.
As for Arizona, I’m not nearly as familiar with the courses there. Last winter, in fact, was my first playing experience in Arizona, and I tested a couple of reasonably-priced public layouts in Silver Creek in the White Mountains town of Show Low, and nearby Pinetop Lakes, a short, sporty layout. Arizona, though, is known for some great upscale golf with the Scottsdale layouts — Troon North, Talking Stick and The Phoenician — the best-known places to go. TPC Scottsdale is also in that mix, as the site of Phoenix’ annual PGA Tour stop.
A course that I would readily to put on my future travel agenda, though, is far less publicized one at Tubac Resort. That’s where much of the classic golf movie “Tin Cup’’ was filmed.

Not that there’s anything wrong with golf courses in the Chicago area, but golf getaways can be fun, too. And, you don’t have to go very far to find great getaway destinations. Our neighboring states of Wisconsin and Indiana have plenty of possibilities.

In my book no state in the country has come as far golf-wise as Wisconsin in the last few years. The Badger state has been an increasingly frequent stop for me. I’ve made three visits already this season, and one long-time favorite resort should be brought to your attention.
As for Indiana, I haven’t found as many golf possibilities as I did in Wisconsin but the inspirational resurgence of French Lick is a tale well worth telling.

Wisconsin first.

Kohler is certainly the best-known destination for a golf getaway. The Andersen Consulting World Match Play Championship was held there three times (1995-97) at Blackwolf Run as was the 1998 U.S. Women’s Open. Two PGA Championships have been staged at nearby Whistling Straits. in recent years. Those big tournaments brought a bright spotlight on The American Club and other lodging options in the Kohler area.

By no means is Kohler the only area to go for great golf in Wisconsin, however.
This year I enjoyed a delightful stay at Grand Geneva Resort & Spa in Lake Geneva. You might remember it as the old Playboy Club, a thriving spot beginning in the 1960s. Things have changed a lot since then, and especially since a multi-million dollar property-wide renovation was made last year.

One thing remains the same, though. The Brute, one of the resort’s two 18-holers, is still one of my favorites anywhere. It can be too challenging if you use the wrong set of tees, but The Brute’s expansive rolling greens can set the tone for a fun round for players of all levels.

Grand Geneva’s other course was once called the Briarpatch. Originally designed jointly by Pete Dye and Jack Nicklaus (it’s hard for me to imagine them working together) it was transformed in 1996 by Bob Cupp and has been called The Highlands since then. While The Brute remains my favorite, The Highlands is a good option with its scenic hills and lush foliage.

Not to be lost at Grand Geneva is its other entertainment options. This place has undergone considerable updating in recent years, but especially since the recent makeover. On a national level I can compare it to another of my recent ventures, to Innisbrook in Tampa, Fla. — the home of the PGA Tour’s Transitions Championship on its Copperhead course.

But I digress. Grand Geneva’s dining options at Ristorante Brissago, Cafe Grande and the Geneva ChopHouse and the more relaxed atmosphere of The Lobby Lounge provide good diversions after a round at one or both of the courses. There’s also the spa (Carlos relieved my sciatica, for which I will be forever grateful), salon, fitness center and swimming pool opportunities after golf is done. Grand Geneva is, without question, a premier year-around resort. It offers skiing in the winter.

In recent year’s I’ve also spent time at Geneva National and Northern Bay, which offer a different lodging-golf opportunities, and — whether you want to make a long-term stay or not — some courses that merit your attention based on my visits are The Bear at Pinehurst Farms in Sheboygan Falls, The Bog in Saukville, and Trappers Turn and Wild Rock in the Wisconsin Dells area. Peninsula, in Door County, and Brighton Dale LInks in Kenosha are good, more economical options. On the more upscale side, there’s Erin Hills. It hosted last month’s U.S. Amateur en route to landing the U.S. Open in 2017.

You might also want to be aware of what’s coming at Blackwolf Run. Next year it’ll host the U.S. Women’s Open again, and that means special activity around this early Pete Dye design. As it stands now, part of the 1998 U.S. Women’s Open layout was on the River 18-holer and the other on the Valley 18-holer.

Over the last two years portions of the two courses have been closed for a renovation that’s now complete. David Albrecht, Blackwolf Run’s head pro, and I played some of these great holes together, but the original 18-holer used 13 years ago will be put back in play for the biggest tournament in women’s golf. There’ll be plenty of excitement at Blackwolf leading up to this event and advance planning — perhaps for next spring — is advised.

Now for Indiana.

Two resorts that I’ve visited offer multiple courses — French Lick in the southern part of the state near Louisville and Swan Lake, in Plymouth. Swan Lake is much closer to Chicago and is the home of the U.S. Golf Academy as well as two 18-hole courses. A 2009 re-routing led to the creation of the Black course, which is more challenging, and the Silver, which encourages lower scoring.

French Lick, though, is something else. Combined with the neighboring town of West Baden, this is a resort community that has literally been reborn. The West Baden Springs Hotel is a charming throwback to another era, when the community provided a great escape for the well-to-do from all corners of the country.

Then came a long, economic decline and the area was known mainly as the home town of basketball legend Larry Bird. That sad period is long gone now, though. A casino is thriving in French Lick and golf has had a major revival with a renovation of the Donald Ross Course and the creation of the spectacular Pete Dye Course, which opened in June, 2009 and has hosted the 2010 PGA Professionals National Championship. It’s the first course I’ve played that can be stretched past 8,000 yards — though I’m quick to add that I would never venture back to those tees that produce an 8,102-yard layout.

While the Dye course draws all the accolades, the Ross course is rich in history. In its heyday it was the site of the 1924 PGA Championship and both the LPGA and Senior PGA tours held events there before the layout was closed for a major renovation that was completed in 2008.

Starting next year both courses will be used when French Lick becomes the home of the Big Ten championships for both men and women — a major step forward for both the conference and the community.

BENTON HARBOR, Mich. — Anything Jack Nicklaus is sure to be good in golf, and The Golf Club at Harbor Shores is no exception. It’ll gain immense exposure in this summer of 2012 as the site of the Senior PGA Championship. It’ll also host that event in 2014.

Considering the course didn’t open until July 1, 2010, it has elevated its profile by leaps and bounds in a very short time. The Nicklaus connection, of course, helped in the course getting instant credibility. It also didn’t hurt that Benton Harbor-based Whirlpool Corp. came on as a sponsor for the Senior PGA. Sponsors of that caliber aren’t as easy to find these days as they once were.

Nicklaus’ design portfolio lists 275 courses world-wide. This Nicklaus creation, however, is something special. Nicklaus created it out of what had been a garbage dump. A factory was located where the first tee is now, and the land was covered with beer bottles and thousands of tires when Nicklaus first had a look at it. Before Nicklaus could go to work on the land 117 tons of trash, including 20,000 tons of contaminated soil, had to be removed.
Mark Hesemann, Harbor Shores’ managing director, remembers the day Nicklaus arrived for the first time. “Where did you find this place?,’’ was his first comment.

Since then, though, Harbor Shores has turned into one of golf’s best feel-good stories. “We set out really to change a community,’’ said Nicklaus. “This wasn’t just about a golf course. This was a non-profit project. That’s the important part of it.’’

The city of Benton Harbor, located about 100 miles from Chicago’s city limits, has undergone difficult times in recent years. About one-fifth of its residents were unemployed when the creation of Harbor Shores began. Now the course is the centerpiece of a resort and golf community that has created jobs and housing, increased the tax base and brought tourists to the city. Many more will be coming when the Senior PGA Championship puts Harbor Shores in the world golf spotlight.

So far, the course has had just one high-profile event. The grand opening celebration was indeed grand. Four of the biggest names in golf — Nicklaus, Tom Watson, Arnold Palmer and Johnny Miller — showed up for an event billed as the Champions for Change.

“Just a joy,’’ was the way Hesemann described the event, which featured a clinic and evening gala that involved the four legendary stars before and after they competed for a $1 million purse in a skins’ game format with rotating two-man teams. About 4,000 spectators walked along during the competition, while about 2,000 watched the clinic and 1,500 attended the gala.

Along the way the players combined to make 15 birdies and one eagle, but the highlight came when Nicklaus rolled in a 100-foot putt on the No. 10 green. That putting surface is highly uncharacteristic of Nicklaus designs — a three-tiered monster that has been controversial since the course opened. Measuring 10,500 square feet, it’s the biggest green that Nicklaus has ever created.

Golfers who take on Harbor Shores will be intrigued by that putting surface and will certainly find some prettier sites as they tour the course. Nos. 7, 8 and 9 are on the shores of Lake Michigan and 10 others provide views of the Paw Paw River or Ox Creek and its wetlands. Longest of the layout’s three par-5s is the 573-yard fifth while the four par-3s range from 144 yards (No. 11) to 210 yards (No. 17).

Joshua Andres, a local artist, has also provided a special touch for all the course’s visitors with his striking metal sculptures that designate each hole. The course has a slope of 143 and rating of 74.7 from the back tees.

Over 20 charity outings were held during the abbreviated 2010 season, and more were held there in 2011 — the resort’s first full season. Hesemann called those numbers “fantastic for a new golf course in this economy.’’

High school teams have been allowed to use the course for practices and some competitions and an 18,000-square foot facility will be available for the First Tee of Benton Harbor. “We’re all about community service and the area youth,’’ said Hesemann. “That’s something a little different about us.’’

BRANSON, Mo. — The golf is quite good in this lively little town in the southwest corner of Missouri. In just the last few years Branson, with about 6,000 full-time residents, has emerged as a golf destination. There are 13 courses in the general area, and they can accommodate all types of players. Eight of them — operating through the website golfbranson.com — encompass the super tough Murder Rock, credited to controversial PGA Tour player John Daly; Branson Creek, designed by the highly-respected architect Tom Fazio; the spiffy Payne Stewart Golf Club, built in honor of the late two-time U.S. Open champion and local resident who died in a plane crash; and LedgeStone, which may be the most beautiful of the lot with its sweeping views.

You don’t have to be an accomplished player to enjoy golf in Branson, though. Most unique of the other layouts is the funky but fun Thousand Hills, a Bob Cupp design that features nine par-3s, eight par-4s and one par-5.

I liked the Payne Stewart layout the best, but the best part of Branson as a golf destination isn’t necessarily the golf itself. It’s the other options. Rarely does any golf destination have the wide variety of other attractions that Branson offers. A golf die-hard doesn’t have to worry about keeping other family members, or less avid golfers in his travel party, from getting bored. There are tons of other things to keep them entertained.

In its early years, Branson was mainly a gathering place for fishermen. Then Marvel Cave, and its tours 500 feet below ground, emerged a tourist attraction and that spawned the creation of Silver Dollar City, one of the largest theme parks in the U.S.

Silver Dollar City, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2010, in turn stimulated more tourist activity — initially country music venues. Now there’s 49 live theaters offering much more than country stuff. Soji Tabuchi has been a Branson fixture for over two decades with his family-style show in a theater that bears his name, and legendary crooner Andy Williams has his Moon River Theater that brings in other types of music than country.

I especially enjoyed an evening at the Hamner Barber Theater, the showcase for magician Dave Hamner and his long-time partner, ventriloquist Jim Barber. Russian comedian Yakov Smirnoff is also a popular entertainment option.

Missouri residents call this high-energy community in the heart of the Ozarks mountains “the Las Vegas of the Midwest,’’ and the Oscar-nominated movie “Winter’s Bone’’ was filmed there. Annual visitors numbered over 8 million annually in recent years thanks in part to its family-friendly economical options and its location. One-third of the U.S. population is less than a day’s drive away.

As for evening dining, the Mediterranean-style Bleu Olive and Cantina Laredo, with its Spanish dishes, are good bets in the downtown area. On the outskirts are all the usual chain restaurants along with some more economical places with local flavor like Montana Mike’s, the Rowdy Beaver and MacFarlain’s, where unsuspecting diners might be victimized by a rising table that will add some spice to your meal.

If shopping, live shows, golf, cave tours and dining options aren’t enough, Branson also has cruises and fishing along three lakes; a replica of the Titanic ship disaster (billed as the world’s largest museum attraction), plus museums spotlighting antique toys, dolls, autos, dinosaurs, butterflies and war veterans. There’s also five water parks, circus acts, three outlet malls and the beautiful lakes of Table Rock, Taneycomo and Bull Shoals.

And more is still to come — especially for golfers. A new golf facility, Top of the Rock, will reportedly offer a nine-hole course designed by Jack Nicklaus, a practice range designed by Arnold Palmer and a putting course designed by Tom Watson.

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — The World Golf Hall of Fame doesn’t get the media attention that baseball’s Hall in Cooperstown, N.Y., or football’s counterpart in Canton, Ohio, receive — and that’s a shame. It’s well worth a visit and some who were there in its first years will be quite impressed with what they’d see there now.I’m embarrassed to say that I never made the trek during my 40 years as a golf beat writer for the Chicago Sun-Times, but I did make it one of my first stops after that. The World Golf Hall of Fame, located in the World Golf Village resort on the outskirts of Jacksonville, Fla., is a must for the avid golfer and it’ll have some appeal for non-golfers as well.

The Hall opened in 1998, and top stars in the game have been inducted into the Hall since then. Unlike Halls of Fame in other sports, though, this is not simply a shrine honoring the careers of playing greats like Gene Sarazen, Bobby Jones, Byron Nelson, Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. This one goes much deeper than that. No one star player, in fact, dominates the presentation.

If there was one individual that could be a focal point during my visit it was the legendary comedian Bob Hope. He was just a duffer — like most of us — but no one loved the game more than Hope did. His name has been on a PGA Tour tournament staged annually in California. That’s his official connection to golf, but he used the sport in various ways as an entertainer and that brought world-wide attention to the game.

Because of that, the Hall established a special exhibit, “Bob Hope: Shanks for the Memories,’’ in 2008. It amounted to a tribute to Hope’s life, not just his affection for golf. The exhibit consisted of more than 400 items, 300 vintage photographs and two hours of videos that stir fond memories of Hope’s career far beyond his forays into golf. The Hope exhibit wasn’t designed to be at the Hall permanently, but it provides an insight into what you’ll see if you go there — in addition to the golf basics. The Hall functions as a museum that tells the rich history of a sport enjoyed around the world.

The clubs and balls used the in the 1800’s start the evolution in equipment that has gotten quite high tech in recent years. Unlike baseball, football, basketball and hockey, golf has roots far beyond North America and the Hall suggests similar games were played around the world as early as the 1500’s.

The sport, as we know it today, dates to Scotland of the mid-1800’s and the exhibits from that era include a life-size picture of Young Tom Morris — generally acknowledged as golf’s first superstar who won all the big tournaments before dying at the extraordinary young age of 24.

No era is short-changed in your walk through the history of golf, but your tour isn’t all about the old days. The participatory offerings are outstanding.

You can putt on an artificial green designed to copy the shaggy surfaces of the 1880’s with wooden clubs and the balls used in that era. You can also putt on a replica of the slick, fast greens used in pro golf today. It’s on one of those that the Hall has — through use of video and special effects — created a fun competition for visitors that simulates the atmosphere on the last hole of big tournaments.

Golf simulators are also available, allowing visitors to experience some of the world’s most famous courses, and everything isn’t just indoors. Move outside and there’s a replica of the most popular hole in American golf — the par-3 17th at TPC Sawgrass with its island green. For $5 you can take a swing on that 132-yard hole and win a prize if you can keep your ball on the green. (I almost did).

If you want to stay outdoors there’s an 18-hole putting course that’ll hold your attention throughout and can be enjoyed by those who have never played on a regular course.

You’ll need at least three hours to walk through the Hall and will probably want to allow more time than that. For my group of golf aficionados it was almost a full day’s project.

Other options around the Hall are the diverse restaurants and other attractions of St. Augustine, America’s oldest city, and the more modern day amenities in fast-growing Jacksonville.

If you want to play, World Golf Village has two 18-hole courses — The King and the Bear (designed by Palmer and Nicklaus) and the Slammer and Squire (designed by Sam Snead and Sarazen). It you want the ultimate test, TPC Sawgrass with fees in the $300 range depending on the time of your visit, isn’t far away.