On the Tee

Pete Dye arrived on the campus of Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida fresh off a stint with the 82nd Airborne Infantry of the United States Army in World War II. Soon after his arrival at Rollins, where he served as captain of the men's golf team, he met Alice O'Neal who would become his bride.

The young men who now sport the burnt orange and chicago maroon of Virginia Tech probably wouldn't be playing on such a world-class course if it weren't for the relationship Pete had with Alice, who encouraged him to pursue his passion in golf course design.

It's true that opulence does exist within the section of society that strives to cut back on our environmental footprint. It can be costly to go green with expenditures like biodegradable shirts, hemp-fiber sheets and homes strapped with pricey solar panels. But the majority of us have a misconception about eco-friendly living; we equate going green with sacrifice of quality. For example, parting with our prized SUV's in favor of a hybrid equipped with less horsepower that gets more mileage per gallon.

Harmony Golf Preserve , which is just one component of the award-winning master-planned Town of Harmony , has shown a strong commitment to the environment, providing a sanctuary for wildlife on the golf course property as well as an unencumbered experience for players. Last year, Harmony Golf Preserve achieved its designation as a "Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary" through the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for golf courses.

Various accounts of the history of golf suggest that the term greens fee, the amount paid in order to access a particular golf course, was born in the state of South Carolina.

Remnants of the Old South still linger throughout the Palmetto State, in the form of confederate flags and exclusive country clubs with little or no diversity, whether it be racial or economic, in the make-up of their memberships. But somewhere between the formation of South Carolina's first golf club, South Carolina Golf Club which utilized "Harleston Green" in downtown Charleston, in 1876 and today, the state has developed a reputation as a prime destination for public-access golf.

Fayetteville, N.C. - Although best known as the home of Ft. Bragg and the 82nd Airborne, Fayetteville assumes its mantle every year when spring rolls around as an immensely popular stopping-off point for northern golfers on their way down to Myrtle Beach or Hilton Head or Florida - whatever the destination, rest assured, these folks are packing their golf clubs.

For years, given the high-ticket courses at some of the glitzier golfing Meccas, nomadic lovers of the links have enjoyed Fayetteville as a perfect warm-up spot for their trip.

Doral Golf Resort & Spa, recently introduced The Jim McLean Signature Course at Doral, formerly known as the Silver Course. The new layout is named after acclaimed golf instructor Jim McLean, a Top 100 Instructor who has operated the Jim McLean Golf School at Doral for the past 20 years, The Jim McLean Signature Course at Doral is McLean's first full golf course design project, and is highlighted by three of the toughest starting holes in golf.

Set to open in May 2009, The Jim McLean Signature Course at Doral offers a fair test of skill and shotmaking. The first three holes on the McLean Course are consecutive par 4s approaching nearly 500 yards each, truly defining a new golf course which will ensure a great challenge for players at all levels.

The most anticipated golf course debut of 2009 is upon us, as the new Pete Dye Course at French Lick Resort opens for play this week.

Set in the Southern Indiana town of French Lick on a piece of property so bold that Dye initially labled it as unfit for golf course construction, the 18-hole championship course ushers in a new era at the history-rich resort whose heritage dates back to the 19th century.

As a three-time host of the PGA Tour's rigorous Qualifying School Finals, Orlando's Orange County National Golf Club is one of the most recognizable and celebrated golf facilities in a city known for its outstanding golf courses.

Orange County National has yet another award to add to its growing total, as Zagat Survey again recognized its courses (Panther Lake and Crooked Cat) as two of America's top layouts in its recently released 6th edition of "The Ultimate Golfer's Guide."

This week the PGA Tour makes a stop on Louisiana's Audubon Golf Trail.

The Pete Dye-designed TPC Louisiana, located just 15 minutes from the French Quarter in New Orleans, will host the 2009 Zurich Classic. The most notable course on the Trail is just one of 13 located throughout the state of Louisiana.

Originally organized in 2001, the Audubon Golf Trail 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.

Classic Hilton Head Golf Course Returns After Being Left for Dead 

BLUFFTON - Unless you made it a point to avert your eyes, there was no way to avoid the sign positioned at the entrance to once functional Rose Hill Golf Club proclaiming the course's intention of re-opening Labor Day weekend.

Wishful thinking you thought, even though you'd heard the whispers and read the newspaper reports about Rose Hill's new management group, and its ambitious plan to, in six short months, make 18 holes playable on a course left at the mercy of native trees, weeds and grasses after it was abandoned in January of 2006 like a sinking ocean liner.

Increased exposure from both cable and network television in the form of more live hours of golf coverage has helped to raise the profile of desert golf in the past decade. Specifically, golf fans have become enamored with desert golf while watching popular events such as the FBR Open and the Accenture Match Play Championship, now both annually held in Arizona.

But before the FBR’s 16th hole became the amphitheater of professional golf, and Tiger Woods made his long-awaited return to the game just north of Tucson, Troon North Golf Club set the standard for desert golf, building a reputation as the roadmap others would follow, the blueprint by which they would build and the guiding light should they get lost. By most accounts, Troon North is the forefather of desert golf, and remains its high water mark.