Planning your next round

Great places to golf

by Doreen Pendgracs

Visiting great golf resorts has always been a favorite pastime for my husband and me. What could be better than waking up to incredible ambience, enjoying a little luxury, nature — or whatever the mood desires — and then taking to the immaculate greens of a well-groomed, professionally designed course?

Arizona-bound

For us, there’s no better place to be than Scottsdale, Arizona. Where else can you find 200 breathtakingly stunning courses, more than 70 high-end full-service resorts and the unsurpassed beauty of the Sonoran Desert, all within miles of a major international airport? (Scottsdale is actually a suburb of greater Phoenix, whose population now hovers at three million permanent residents.)

But beware. Save until later in the day your desire to explore the fantastic designer shops of Scottsdale. That’s when the sun gets too hot to enjoy much else. Afternoon summer temperatures in the 100-degree range are not uncommon to the area.

One of the best golf resorts in Scottsdale is the Westin Kierland. It has a 27-hole course designed by Scott Miller (a former designer for Jack Nicklaus), an innovative spa offering unique treatments such as Rollerssage and various special-to-the-area Agave therapies, great restaurants and enough on-site art to practically be classified as an art gallery.

Don’t be intimidated by the 27-hole layout of the Westin course. You can do any combination of the three sets of nine you desire. And if your game of golf is in need of a little help — as mine is — you can pre-arrange for some private lessons from the on-site pros, rated among the best in the country.

While in Scottsdale, be sure to get out and explore the natural beauty of the Sonoran Desert. You’ll find about 3,500 native species of plants in the desert, the reason it is often described as the world’s most lush desert. If you’re like me and don’t know your prickly pear cactus from your teddy-bear cholla, I’d recommend taking a tour with one of the local experts. We found Steve Andreasen, owner of Roadrunner Desert Adventures to be just the guy. Andreasen is very knowledgeable about the local flora and fauna and it was fun bumping around the desert in his bright yellow Hummer.

The big daddy of the Sonoran Desert is unquestionably the Saguaro cactus. Although plentiful, they are a protected species because it takes them so long to grow. The 50-foot-tall giants are estimated to be 800 years old. You’ll see many of these magnificent “sentinels of the desert” adorning the golf courses in the Scottsdale area.

If you’re an enthusiast of the arts, take the short drive up Highway 17 to Sedona, a quaint community that is home to more than 300 artists and 80 galleries, including the Exposures International Gallery of Fine Art, the largest gallery in Arizona. We loved Sedona for its quiet beauty and rugged red rocks. Arizona is a great place for golf enthusiasts in the western U.S.

Head north

In the central states, you’ll find an unforgettable golf experience in North Dakota at the Bully Pulpit Golf Course in Medora. This tiny western-themed town is far less commercialized than some of its better-known neighbors.

Designed by the multi-award-winning golf course architect, Dr. Michael Hurdzan, the 18-hole course proudly shows off the best of the Badlands without altering the natural integrity of the multi-colored landscape.

Although you won’t find the splendor of the Scottsdale resorts here, Medora offers a special charm, warm welcome and lack of pretense that makes it worth the trip. We really enjoyed taking in the Medora Musical, an evolving local production that runs each summer in the outdoor Burning Hills Amphitheater, a stunning facility nestled into the side of a hill just outside of town. If you love barbecue, be sure to partake in the Pitchfork Steak Fondue, held atop a hill overlooking the Amphitheater. The steaks are juicy and served with western-style accompaniments at a very reasonable price.

While in the area, be sure to tour Theodore Roosevelt National Park, named for the 26th president, who lived in the area during the 1880s. The 36-mile scenic driving loop offers you a chance to enjoy the beautiful South Unit of the park, where you’ll see wild buffalo, horses, snakes and prairie dogs. The North Unit has more dramatic vistas of the North Dakota Badlands.

Closer to home

And how could I not mention the wonderful golf courses of Virginia? The state has more than 200 resort and public courses, some of which are rated among the best in the country.

If you’re a history buff, you’ll likely get a kick out of driving from the oldest first tee still in use in the U.S. The Old Course, designed by Donald Ross at The Homestead, is a wonderful historic golf resort located at Hot Springs in the western mountains. The 18th century Homestead Resort has been designated a National Historic Landmark and is filled with the charm of an era gone by.

The Homestead has a world-class spa and offers a myriad of outdoor activities, including a good golf school and two other courses in addition to the original 18th century one. The Cascades Course, designed by William S. Flynn, has consistently been awarded a high ranking by Golf Digest magazine and offers a challenge to golfers of all abilities. The Lower Cascades Course, designed by Robert Trent Jones, Sr., is also worth a round during your visit.

Call 1-800-932-2259 for a free Virginia Golf Guide.

Arizona

Visit www.kierlandresort.com for more resort info and take a virtual tour.

North Dakota

See www.medora.org for more info about the Bully Pulpit Golf Course and other Medora attractions.

Virginia

Visit www.virginia.org/golf for more information about The Homestead and other great golf courses that are closer than you think.

Doreen Pendgracs has been writing tantalizing travel stories for North American publications for the past 12 years. She is a member of the Society of American Travel Writers and the Travel Media Association of Canada. You can read more of Doreen's work on her website at: www.wizardofwords.net.