SEBRING, Florida – Now is the time for a golf upsurge in central Florida. At least that’s how Jim Kurtzeborn — spokesman for the newly-created Citrus Golf Trail — sees it, and I agree with him. The Citrus Trail is a collection of nine courses spread among the communities of Sebring, Avon Park and Lake…
Travel Destinations
Name changes don’t detract from Meadowood’s interesting past
FORT PIERCE, Florida – Golf courses tend to have their ups and downs. Many of those that are opened with extraordinary hoopla don’t stay in the spotlight for long. That’s what happened at a course known as Monte Carlo Country Club when it opened on Oct. 1, 1983. Monte Carlo was one of the very…
HERE AND THERE: Here’s where Trump got started in the golf business
Donald Trump’s rise to President of the United States has come amidst a variety of controversies. There’s no debate about him from the architect who built Trump’s first golf course, however. “He was the best client I ever had in the United States,’’ declared Jim Fazio, the designer who created what is now Trump International…
Re-opening of Dye Course underscores progress made at PGA Golf Club
PORT ST. LUCIE, Florida – The PGA Golf Club is the winter home of the PGA of America’s 28,000 members. It’s also one of just two facilities in America that the PGA operates, the other being Valhalla – the organization’s premier tournament venue in Louisville, Ky. PGA Golf Club, with its four 18-hole courses plus…
No private golf club in Florida matches up with The Legacy
PORT ST. LUCIE, Florida – The Legacy may be the most intriguing course in golf-rich Florida. Located in a community that has five 18-holers in close proximity to each other, The Legacy – the only private course among the five — has been around for 32 years and has hosted local qualifiers for many U.S….
TRAVEL NOTEBOOK: Hurricane Matthew delays Atlantic Dunes opening
Davis Love III had barely finished savoring his team’s victory in the Ryder Cup when the U.S. captain had another event to celebrate. His Atlantic Dunes course was to open a day later at South Carolina’s Hilton Head Island. That opening, though, never happened. Hurricane Matthew caused damage from Florida to South Carolina, but none…
There’s no course, but sprawling Biltmore Estate has a connection to golf
ASHEVILLE, North Carolina – This city in the Blue Ridge Mountains, just over the Kentucky line, isn’t the first place that left me wanting to stay longer – just the latest one. An interesting place, Asheville. It’s been called the “Hippie Hideaway of the South.’’ Its downtown hangouts reminded us of a miniature New Orleans…
Roads to the Ryder Cup offer some interesting playing options
So, you’ve been lucky enough to wangle tickets to the 41st Ryder Cup at Hazeltine? Lucky you – and you might benefit still further by enjoying some of the courses on your way to and from Chaska, MN. Chicago golfers have a couple options on how to drive to Hazeltine. You could drive along Lake…
Beloit Club is just the latest feel-good story in Wisconsin golf
BELOIT, Wisconsin – The last two decades have done wonders for golf in Wisconsin. Look no further than the creations of Blackwolf Run, Whistling Straits, Erin Hills and – most recently – Sand Valley. And don’t forget the recent major upgrades at SentryWorld and Lawsonia. The Beloit Club should count in that mix as well,…
HERE AND THERE: World Am Handicap deadline is closing in
The entry number is already over 2,900 from 25 countries, but there’s still room for more in the 33rd annual Myrtle Beach World Amateur Handicap Championship. The deadline to enter the event, labeled “Every Man’s Major,’’ is Aug. 6 and the competition runs from Aug. 29 to Sept. 2. Nearly 60 of Myrtle Beach’s best…