ST. CLOUD, FLORIDA – The story of the Royal St. Cloud Golf Links started ominously. Its grand opening came two days before the horrendous 9-11 terrorist attack in 2001. The 18-hole course was known as the St. Cloud Golf Club then, and the designer was Chip Powell. That’s where facility’s connection with Illinois began. Powell…
Author: lenz
Florida’s Grenelefe is working to regain its old popularity
HAINES CITY, Florida – Though I’ve belong to a Chicago area private club for about 30 years I still consider myself more of an avid public course player. Wherever I go, I’d rather play a wide variety of courses rather than a select few. When away from Chicago the ideal combination is in an area…
Innisbrook’s famed Copperhead course is back in action
PALM HARBOR, Florida – The Copperhead, one of the most popular courses on the PGA Tour, is taking on all golfers again – and this is a big, big deal. Copperhead, a Larry Packard design that opened in 1972, has hosted a professional golf tournament for the past 25 years. It was big news when…
Florida’s Mission Inn serves up great golf family-style
HOWEY-IN-THE-HILLS, Florida – Its name may not suggest that of a full-fledged golf destination, and neither does the town in which it’s located, either. Make no mistake, though. Mission Inn Resort & Club, located in central Florida 35 miles southwest of Orlando, is all you could want in a golf resort. It has two well-decorated…
Innisbrook’s Copperhead layout is ready to unveil its exciting new/old course
PALM HARBOR, FLORIDA – Black Friday may be the biggest day of the year for shoppers, but it won’t mean as much to the golfers at Innisbrook Resort in this suburb of Tampa. The day after Thanksgiving to them means the re-opening of Innisbrook’s famed Copperhead Course, annual site of the PGA Tour’s Valspar Championship….
LPGA decides on Merit Club for International Crown
The Ladies PGA confirmed a new site for next year’s UL International Crown on Tuesday. It’ll be played July 21-24 at Merit Club in Libertyville. Merit Club hasn’t been the site of a significant competition since it hosted the U.S. Women’s Open in 2000, a major event that was won by Australian Karrie Webb. “Everyone…
Mossy Oak will give Mississippi one of top golf destinations in the U.S.
WEST POINT, Mississippi – Right now all that’s in operation is the practice facility – albeit a very nice one – used by the men’s and women’s teams at Mississippi State University. Within a year, though, that will change as this town of about 12,000 residents can boast of having one of the premier golf…
These Louisiana courses provide an enticing option for casino resort visitors
LAKE CHARLES, Louisiana – Given the economic difficulties golf has experienced across the country the last few years, it was refreshing to see what’s been happening in this tourist-driven town just 30 miles over the Texas line in southwestern Louisiana. Lake Charles has almost as many casinos (four) as it has golf courses (six). Two…
New par-3 finishing hole climaxes renovation at Wild Dunes
ISLE OF PALMS, South Carolina – For Wild Dunes it was a long time coming. “It was a long process,’’ said director of golf Jeff Minton. “We’d talked about renovating for about 10 years (Minton himself has been at the resort on the outskirts of Charleston for only eight years), but we finally closed the…
This little South Carolina town is a big-time bargain for golfers
SANTEE, South Carolina – Sure, South Carolina is one of the best states in the U.S. for golf. Myrtle Beach might well be the best single city in America for golfers, given the number and variety of its courses. The Kiawah Resort in Charleston is world famous, with its Ocean Course a popular site for…