On the Tee

On June 28, 2008 the city of St. Andrews will christen the Castle Course as it officially opens to the public, becoming the seventh 18-hole course owned and operated by the St. Andrews Links Trust.

The first new course to be built by the Links Trust since 1914 has been described as a "clifftopper", sitting some 60 to 80 feet above the sea which it runs along for a mile.

The Castle Course was built on land previously occupied by a potato farm. Reforming the land was the task of architect David McLay Kidd, creator of Oregon's Bandon Dunes, who shaped the track into one of the most highly awaited courses to debut in recent memory.

OLYMPIC VALLEY, California - The history contained within the Squaw Valley runs as deep as the snowpack, which can amount to depths of 200 inches.

As the host of the 1960 Winter Olympic Games, Squaw Valley ushered in a new era in North American skiing, especially in California and the surrounding Lake Tahoe area.

That year was the first time the Winter Olympics had come to the Western United States and it was the first time the games were broadcast on live television. 

Today the Valley continues to be a mecca for Big Mountain skiing and is one of the most high-concept areas for winter sports in the United States. The area's rich history and tradition may only be overshadowed by the absolute splendor one witnesses here.

Multi-million dollar redesign has Robert Trent Jones, Sr. course among Top 10 in Nevada

INCLINE VILLAGE, Nevada - Now entering its third season after undergoing a $13 million dollar renovation and redesign, The Championship Golf Course at Incline Village is staking its claim as one of the top golf destinations in Nevada and the entire West Coast.

Straddling the California border, located just 26 miles from South Lake Tahoe, the par-72 course designed by acclaimed architect Robert Trent Jones, Sr. is a breath of fresh mountain air that combines the beauty and majesty of Lake Tahoe's north shore with an adventurous, risk-reward alpine golf experience. 

STATELINE, Nevada - An unforgettable finishing stretch can make an above average golf course great and lift a great golf course into the upper echelon of layouts in the world. At Edgewood Tahoe, the closing trio of 16, 17 and 18 combines spectacular scenery and variety to provide a memorable end to a round and give one of Nevada's top-rated courses yet another reason to be celebrated.

Bordered by the shimmering blue waters of Lake Tahoe and set against a backdrop of the snow-capped Sierra Nevada Mountains, Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course is as beautiful as it is bold and closes on the shores of the nation's second deepest lake with three formidable holes, a par 3 sandwiched between two par 5's. 

While the course should be lauded for its signature stretch, Edgewood Tahoe also has a rich and storied history.

Following the devastation of hurricanes Katrina and Rita the Louisiana tourism industry has gallantly been fighting to restore the state's reputation and image as one of America's top travel destinations.

Golf, which often had an understated and perhaps underappreciated role in the state's ability to lure travelers, is now one of the leaders in that effort. 

Originally organized in 2001 as a six-course collection, the Audubon Golf Trail is now 13 courses strong and is helping to enhance the Louisiana experience. The Trail was created with goals of stimulating economic development, enhancing tourism, attracting new residents and retirees to the state and elevating the quality of life experience in the state - all while incorporating the rich Louisiana flavor.

The Okanagan Valley is one of the warmest regions in all of Canada. It doesn't conform to the preconceived views many have of the country that might include hockey, ice fishing and snow storms. In this part of the country golf can be played for the better part of the year.

High above Okanagan Lake is one of the newest and most spectacular layouts in all of North America, The Golf Club at The Rise; Western Canada's only Fred Couples Signature Golf Course.

Historic Indiana icon has plenty to offer after record-breaking renovation 

French Lick has a humble population of just over 2,000 residents. Its most famous former resident, basketball great Larry Bird, helped transform the Hoosier State into a hoops hotbed and put his tiny Indiana town on the map during his stellar collegiate and professional careers.

Long before Bird and basketball was king, The French Lick Hotel was the town’s centerpiece attracting gamblers and golfers to stay and play long into the night and perhaps the early morning. 

PHILADELPHIA, Miss. - Head Golf Professional Sean Racki simply and accurately depicted the location of Dancing Rabbit Golf Club as, "Off the beaten path."

Depending on which direction you're heading, this Mississippi golf club that has achieved national recognition but is still somewhat shrouded in secrecy can be reached by taking a few roads less traveled.

Traveling southbound on Mississippi Rt. 25 after leaving Starkville, home to Mississippi State University, and eventually turning onto Highway 15 further south to Philadelphia (and we're talking about the city that's home to the Ham Jam Arts Festival and not the Liberty Bell here), there isn't much to see.

The concentration of golf courses in the Myrtle Beach area is stunning. Some of the best courses in America litter the area, spanning 60 miles of shoreline in two states.

Just off the beaten path is subtly more relaxed stretch, less crowded and noticeably quiet for those who want to enjoy their downtime and take part in the sacred rite of passage in these parts - a round of golf.

The Waccamaw Golf Trail is a little slice of heaven, or a left to right fade if you prefer.

More than 100 miles of inviting coastline can be found as you travel south down Interstate 95 from Savannah, Ga. to Jacksonville, Fla. In either direction from I-95 a number of excellent golf destinations beckon; seven to be exact. Here you won't find the famous layouts of Atlanta or that premier patch of greenery found in Augusta but you will find the hidden gems of Georgia golf.

The elite and secretive Jekyll Island Golf Club started the ball rolling in Coastal Georgia by removing enough wild boars and keeping deer incursions to a minimum on a 26-acre site just north of and adjacent to what is now the historic district so golf could be played.