Winged Foot Golf Club-Mamaroneck, New York

Winged Foot has been ranked as one of the top courses in the U.S. and the World by Golf Magazine's panel of experts.

          In 1921, a group within the New York Athletic Club wanted the club to build a golf course. When the vernable club decided not to make the investment, the members struck out on their own and in May of 1922, they acquired 280 acres of land in Mamaronack, New York. They then gave A.W. Tillinghast a mandate: Give us a man-sized golf course. After removing over 7,800 trees from the site, and moving an estimated 7,200 tons of rock, Tillinghast delivered the founders of Winged Foot Golf Club just that in June, 1923. Each course is a masterpiece, and together they are regarded as two of the finest layouts from golf's Golden Age of architecture.

         The fairway bunkering defines the correct side of the fairway on nearly every hole at Winged Foot on each course. In order to attack the severely undulating greens and avoid the deep bunkers that guard them, a player must approach from the ideal side of the landing area. Fail to do that and you risk scoring a big number.

        Several of the greens are pear-shaped--narrow in the front and wide in the rear, and many slope sharply from back to front. A prime example of this can be seen on the West Course's 10th hole, which Tillinghast regarded as the finest par 3 he ever built. From an elevated tee, players must hit a mid- or long-iron shot between two gargantuan bunkers on the left and right of the green. The putting surface tilts toward the front of the green, so players closing to cautiously go with a stronger club must then contend with an ultra-fast downhill putt.

        The 18th on the West Course is a classic example of Tillinghast's design style. A dogleg left, players must hit the fairway in order to hit an approach shot that stays on the green-- anything landing short of the putting surface will roll back into the fairway and leave the player with a challenging up-and-down for par.

        The East Course does not get as much attention as the West Course because it has not hosted six major championships won by player like Bobby Jones (1929), Hale Irwin (1974), and most recently, Geoff Ogilvy (2006 U.S. Open). But many locals and members feel it is an equally stern test of golf.

       The 4th hole is a tough par-5, requiring two strong shots in order to reach the green. The uphill tee shot must carry over a pond, and the second shot must clear another small pond that sits on the right-corner of the dogleg. The wiser play is to lay-up on the second shot because the green is set off to the right an nearly a right angle to the fairway.

       Winged Foot is known as a "players' club" and it has had notable teaching professionals call its practice area home. Craig Wood, winner of the Masters and U.S. Open in 1941, was the club's professional from 1939 to 1945. Then, Claude Harmon, winner of the 1948 Masters took over. Harmon, father of famous instructors Butch Harmon, was the last active teaching professional to win a major title.

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The Ridge at Backbrook

       The natural setting at “The Ridge” provides a world-class golf course that was beautifully designed with a purpose. The Ridge at Backbrook has received praise and awards since its opening in 2003, gaining the course a spot on several Top golf course lists over the years.

       Perhaps the most dramatic hole on the front nine, this par 5 features a 100-foot elevation drop from tee to green and a unique split fairway. This offers golfers the visual and strategic option of hitting their second shot along the upper fairway, or playing to the lower fairway guarded by a stream some 30 feet below. The natural red rock wall separates the upper and lower fairways. For those choosing the upper landing area, their second shot has to carry a series of excavated rock outcroppings aptly named the "moonscape." A short iron from either fairway will get golfers onto the green in three with a shot at birdie or par.

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High Lighting, Liberty National

Within perfect proximity of the Statue of Liberty and Manhattan’s skyline, Liberty National golf course offers both challenging holes along with beautiful, breathtaking views.

Bob Cupp has a BA and a Masters in Fine Arts. He was a golf professional in the South Florida Section of the PGA in the 60’s and found that golf course design provided a natural way to combine his interests. Inside five years he was a Senior Designer for Jack Nicklaus, where he remained for fifteen years. Bob had the good fortune to be involved in many of Jack’s courses that have achieved distinction and recognition in the world of golf. In 1984, and with Jack’s blessing, Cupp Design was born. From that point forward, his name, as Bob says, became “a four-letter word.” Bob has won the “Best New Course Award” in Golf Digest on numerous occasions. Additionally, his courses have hosted many events including the US Open, US Amateurs and various PGA Tour Events, as well as the European Open. A number of his courses provoke instant recognition, such as Pumpkin Ridge near Portland, Oregon; Crosswater at Sunriver, Oregon; Old Waverly in West Point, Mississippi; Settindown Creek in Roswell, Georgia and East Sussex National near London, England.

Bob’s latest entry in Golf Digest’s “Top 100 Courses in America” is Hawk’s Ridge in Ball Ground, Georgia. In 1992, Bob was named the first ever ‘Designer of the Year’ in Golf World Magazine.

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Galloway National Golf Club

Galloway National Golf Club overlooks the casino skyline of Atlantic City, NJ. Known for “tees with breathtaking views, inviting fairways, challenging hazards, and beautifully situated greens”, it’s one South Jersey’s best kept secrets.

Galloway National Golf Club is a private, world-class, 18-hole championship golf course designed for the serious golfer. World renowned architect Tom Fazio, meticulously crafted Galloway National’s 7000 yards out of a 200 acre tract of heavily wooded, gently sloping bayside property. “Galloway is one of my best ever,” said Fazio. It is a dramatic and fair golf course designed to bring joy to the serious golfer. Natural contour changes, pine forest, sand and water are the “tools.” Tees with breathtaking views, inviting fairways, challenging hazards, and beautifully situated greens are your reward The inspiration behind Galloway National Golf Club originated with a group of dedicated golfers who share a deep sense of  ... commitment to the game. Management of the Club is being approached in the same way. Our facilities rival the finest in the world and are designed to enhance not detract from your unique golf experience. Our members enjoy an elegant, yet understated ambiance of quiet comfort. Golf Digest recently named Galloway one of America’s best private golf clubs.

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Grand Golf Resort Florida

Salamander Hotels & Resorts presents the Grand Golf Resorts of Florida, creating an 

unparalleled golf and family destination.

From the Gulf to the Atlantic, Grand Golf Resorts of Florida features 1250 spacious villas and homes, numerous family oriented activities and 162 holes of golf designed by Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson and Larry Packard. Featuring some of the highest-rated courses in Florida, the collection has also hosted PGA TOUR, Champions TOUR, LPGA Tour and Legends Tour championships.

In addition to its stellar collection of courses, Grand Golf Resorts of Florida also includes 200,000 square feet of meeting and function space, 25swimming pools featuring slides and lazy rivers, 17 tennis courts, 16 restaurants, three spas and numerous nightlife options.

Innisbrook

Currently celebrating 40 years of excellence, Innisbrook is situated on 900 wooded acres of rolling hills in the St. Petersburg/Clearwater area. Recently and completely renovated, the resort features 600 spacious suites, a new luxury spa, six heated pools, four restaurants, three bars and a collection of four golf courses designed by Larry Packard. Currently, the PGA TOUR Transitions Championship is played at its famed Copperhead Course, and the LPGA-supported Legends Tour Open Championship at the resort’s Island Course.

Reunion

Located in Orlando, Reunion Resort is the only location in the United States with golf courses designed by the golf greats Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Tom Watson. The resort also features the world’s only resort-based ANNIKA Academy, an innovative teaching facility designed and developed by Annika Sörenstam. Accommodations are highlighted by the 82-suite Reunion Grande, an 11-story hotel, replete with stunning lobby and bar, exquisite décor, elegantly appointed meeting space, and two restaurants.

Hammock Beach

Located along 2.4 miles of spectacular Atlantic beach on Florida’s Palm Coast, Hammock Beach Resort features 320 accommodations, including a 12-story tower of ocean view luxury suites, and an intimate 20-room lodge that features spectacular ocean and golf course views. The Ocean Course, designed by Jack Nicklaus, is one of Florida’s highest rated and plays six holes directly along the Atlantic. The Conservatory Course was designed by Tom Watson and is one of Florida’s longest layouts, characterized by waterfalls and babbling brooks.

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Travel Golf

Twenty-six municipalities make up Arizona's Valley of the Sun, anchored by the state capital of Phoenix, but no others do top-shelf golf quite like Scottsdale.

East of Phoenix and Paradise Valley, Scottsdale is one of the largest cities in the Valley with nearly 250,000 residents. Golf has played a large part in its rapid expansion since the 1980s. The city has developed into a popular home for touring pros, thanks to its warm winter climate, phenomenal golf vacation options and close proximity to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

Annually, visitors and residents play 12 million rounds on Scottsdale's golf courses. Beyond the city borders, the options turn limitless, with more than 200 golf courses from which to choose. Scottsdale serves as home to several private golf clubs but also some of the nation's best public and resort courses, including many of the top multi-course facilities in Arizona - like the TPC Scottsdale, Talking Stick Golf Club and Troon North Golf Club.

Golf in Scottsdale comes at a premium, especially in the peak season of mid-January to April. The winter temperatures are mild, and the courses are lush and green as Bermuda fairways and rough are usually over-seeded with a cool-weather, rye grass.

The golf courses change a great deal by the season, both by price and condition, so make certain to examine a rundown of the golf seasons in Scottsdale before playing.

North of Scottsdale around the small towns of Carefree and Cave Creek, you'll find an escape from the sprawling valley and chic nightlife, replaced by beautiful mountains and boulder scenery. The acclaimed Pinnacle Courseand Monument Course at Troon North, designed by Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish, sit 20 miles north of downtown Scottsdale. Further north in Carefree, the 36-hole, 1,300-acre Boulders Resort, a Waldorf Astoria property, is set beneath 12-million-year-old rock formations. From here, you're a short drive from the McDowell Mountain Range, also home to a regional park, as well as urban greenbelts.

 

Getting to Scottsdale

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX), west of Scottsdale, is a 20-minute drive from downtown and central Scottsdale. Flights connect to most large U.S. cities, more than a dozen Mexican destinations and London Heathrow. Scottsdale Airport (SDL), a smaller facility, sits nine miles north of the central business district

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Get Schooled by Pete Dye at the ASU Karsten Golf Course in Tempe, Arizona

TEMPE, Ariz. -- Phoenix-Scottsdale golfers can take on Pete Dye at the ASU Karsten Golf Course, located on the Sun Devils' campus just minutes from the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

The golf course debuted in 1989 with financial assistance from local entrepreneur and PING founder Karsten Solheim. Today it still hosts top golf events like the men's and women's Pac-10 and NCAA championships, the Thunderbird Collegiate Invitational, PING Invitational and U.S. Open Qualifying.

Originally a par 72, the course was reduced to a par 70 in recent years and plays 7,002 yards from the championship tees. Those playing up a tee box get a good break at 6,288 yards. The women's tees play 4,765 yards.

Featuring a classic parkland setting full of ponds and trees, the ASU Karsten Golf Course features typical Dye mounding along fairways. There are also railroad ties and bulkheads, plus bunkers of all shapes and sizes.

Operated by OB Sports, the ASU Karsten Golf Course features a fantastic clubhouse with a full bar and restaurant, plenty of space both inside and outside for outings, plus a driving range (with reduced-flight golf balls) and a PING Learning Center.

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Public Golf -- in all its Forms -- The Real Star of Diverse Virginia Beach, Virginia

The diverse population adds up to a large demand for public golf in an array of forms. From spectacular and pricey Bay Creek Resort on the pristine Eastern Shore; to affordable muni Lake Wright Golf Course, nestled in an urban setting in Norfolk; to meticulously landscaped housing development gem the Signature at West Neck; to private, neighborhood course-turned-upscale-muni Cypress Point Country Club, Hampton Roads has -- as the saying goes -- many different courses for different horses.

An example of facilities with vastly different clientele despite their proximity and matching greens fees are Stumpy Lake Golf Course and Honey Bee Golf Club, two of the seven municipal courses under the umbrella of Hampton Roads Golf Clubs.

At Stumpy Lake, a secluded, tree-lined, traditional beauty set in a wildlife preserve and designed by Robert Trent Jones, the tee sheet is full of players who approximate the age of the course, which opened in 1953.

Less than two miles away, at Honey Bee, where homes line fairways instead of trees, the crowd is younger and more diverse, drawn by the modern design (1988) of Jones' son, Rees Jones, who added definition with shaped fairways, greens and bunkers.

Another factor that guides the decisions of Hampton Roads golfers is geography. With so much of the region defined by water and so many major arteries traversing bridges, tunnels and toll booths, players must be mindful of the choke points that have to be navigated to reach the course of their choice.

For example, as one of the few courses in the under-served south side, just three miles off I-64, Cahoon Plantation Golf Club in Chesapeake, would seem to have a locational advantage. But getting there can be dicey as Route 17 narrows to a two-lane drawbridge crossing the Elizabeth River. The trip will become even more problematic over the next four years with the construction of a four-lane toll bridge.

"The one way to get here is to cross that bridge," said Dan Shea, director of golf at Cahoon Plantation. "And that’s a big consideration for people who have blocked out a specific time to play."

Those who have made the trip can attest to the excellence of Cahoon Plantation, brilliantly crafted by Tom Clark. On a flat, tree-less, windswept canvas, Clark created a course with the feel of Scotland. Raised greens give many of the holes a majestic presence. Large mounds frame generous fairways and help hide surrounding homes on the back nine.

Because Cahoon Plantation offers something unique to the area, it belongs on any list of Hampton Roads' elite publics. Narrowing the roster to 10 is difficult when one considers the illustrious names associated with the following courses -- Bay Creek (Jack Nicklaus), Bay Creek (Arnold Palmer), Virginia Beach National (Pete Dye), Riverfront Golf Club (Tom Doak), Heron Ridge Golf Club (Fred Couples), Cypress Creek (Curtis Strange), Hell's Point Golf Club(Rees Jones), Nansemond River Golf Club (Tom Steele), Lambert's Point Golf Club (Lester George), Bide-A-Wee Golf Course (Strange), Cypress Point (Clark), and Signature at West Neck (Palmer).

Nearly all of these courses were built (or redesigned) in the last 15 years. Before then, golfers in the Hampton Roads area had to truck up I-64 to Williamsburg to find a selection of quality courses at developments such as Kingsmill, Golden Horseshoe, and Fords Colony.


The forerunner of upscale public golf in the Hampton Roads area was Hell's Point (1982), now showing its age but still a great example of the ambition of the times. With much movement of earth, the course was built in the low-lying swamps west of Sandbridge with no surrounding homes.

For nearly two decades, Hell's Point remained the lone upscale public in the area. Then a wave of courses opened including Virginia Beach gems Heron Ridge (1999) and Virginia Beach National (1999). To the east came Cypress Creek (1998) in Smithfield, then Nansemond River (1999) and Riverfront (1999) in Suffolk.


Also in 1999, Strange's collaboration with Ault, Clark & Associates on a redesign of Bide-A-Wee, in an unlikely middle-class neighborhood in Portsmouth, transformed the course from old and unremarkable to fresh and upscale.

Arnold Palmer's arrival upped the ante further with the opening of Bay Creek (2001), an ambitious marina and housing project in Cape Charles, and Signature at West Neck (2002), which incorporates woodlands, wetlands, 13 lakes, and the area's most meticulous golf course landscaping.

It requires an adventurous trek across the 23-mile engineering marvel known as the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel to reach Bay Creek on Virginia's lightly populated Eastern Shore. But Palmer's course was so successful that Jack Nicklaus built another 18 holes there in 2006 and perhaps outdid the King with his longer, tougher layout, which has more variety and seaside holes.

After the wave of upscale public golf hit Hampton Roads like a hurricane, adding eight outstanding courses in a span of five years, new construction has slowed over the last decade. The exception is Lambert's Point, a nine-hole, par-34 municipal course, built on a landfill that juts into the Elizabeth River.

Including such a course in this discussion of stellar tracks might sound like a stretch. But with its outstanding conditions, water views, windswept character and implausible location in Norfolk, Lambert's Point is a worthy play and every bit as memorable as the grand designs of Palmer, Nicklaus, Strange, Doak and Dye.

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