MACKINAC ISLAND, MI. – The first time we visited this vacation hotspot in Northern Michigan we came largely to check out the golf. It appeared to be a well-kept secret on the Island that we should be uncovering – and it was. The island’s iconic Grand Hotel has an 18-hole course that is well worth…
Travel Destinations
Eagle Ridge Resort is getting into some fishy business
GALENA, IL. — Since Mark Klausner took over the ownership of Eagle Ridge Resort & Spa seven years ago the facility has taken on an exciting fresh new look. That’s especially true this year. “We continue to expand our horizons,’’ said Klausner, a resident of the Eagle Ridge area for 25 years. “We’re re-inventing ourselves…
Historic Homestead Resort offers a lot more than golf
HOT SPRINGS, Va. – Our return to the Omni Homestead Resort & Spa was long overdue. We first visited in 2014, and a lot has changed at America’s first resort since then. Eleven years ago our report was all about golf, and that was appropriate. Homestead was where the legendary Sam Snead first started playing…
There’s one course that stands out among others at Myrtle Beach
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – This is a given. If you’re in search of a golf destination Myrtle Beach will never let you down. So many courses, an oceanfront location for beach goers, lots of other entertainment options, lodging and dining options. It’s all there. I’ve made annual trips to MB for about 15 years and…
GOLF TRAVEL NOTES: PGA Tour returns to Myrtle Beach
Make no doubt about it. With its beaches, lodging options, golf courses and wide variety of other attractions Myrtle Beach, S.C., is – at least arguably – the top tourist destination in the Carolinas. For a week in May, however, it’ll be a bit more than that. It’ll be the site of a…
Florida’s Baseline course is different — and that’s a good thing
OCALA, FL. — Granted, Baseline Golf Course is popular in this town in which I now live, but there’s no question it’s a special place. An Ocala resident for 15 months, I only recently visited this very different layout, nestled among beautiful horse farms. Its beauty is only part of what makes Baseline…
Kentucky becomes the latest state to a offer a golf trail
Add Kentucky to the states that now have a golf trail. Bob Baldassari ended a long run in Florida golf to join The Woodford Club, which is near Lexington, Ky. That led to his joining forces with Randy Clay, a co-owner of the Woodford Club, in establishing the Kentucky Golf Trail. Baldassari’s wife Pam is…
Golf Travel Writers group is looking for new adventures
My biggest focus at this 72nd PGA Merchandise Show was getting the word out on my latest project. I’d been coaxed into being the new president (or, I think the title should be executive director) of the Golf Travel Writers of America. It’s a 20-year old organization that has been led by Bruce Vittner, a…
Home Town Takeover TV series will take Sebring in a new direction
SEBRING, Florida – This charming town of about 11,000 in Central Florida has long been known for its robust golf courses and a famous auto race. Legendary golf course architect Donald Ross started the golf scenario when he designed the Pinecrest course in 1923 and the Sebring International Raceway, which opened in 1950, is one…
Korn Ferry Finals are next on French Lick’s tournament schedule
FRENCH LICK, Indiana – Add the Korn Ferry Championship to the long resume of big golf tournaments played on the courses at French Lick Resort. Lots of new things have been going on at the southern Indiana destination, the latest being the staging of the season-ending event for the PGA Tour’s alternative circuit. The concluding…