On the Tee

WINTER GARDEN, Fla. - According to the readers of Golf World magazine in their recently released "Reader's Choice Awards,” Orange County National Golf Center and Lodge improved on an already excellent product. In the public course category, Orange Country National is now No. 2 in the nation. Last year Orange County National was ranked as the 8th best facility and the top-rated facility in Florida. This year OCN has maintained its No. 1 ranking in Florida while improving their national ranking based upon the reader's overall evaluation scores.
 
"We are extremely honored to be recognized by the readers of Golf World as one of the top golf facilities in the country.  Our entire team works hard every day to provide a superior golf experience and rankings such as this validate those efforts" stated General Manager, Bruce Gerlander. 

Golfers who want to experience playing a course that is set up for the final round of a PGA Tour event will get that opportunity at Cog Hill's newly-renovated Dubsdread. The nationally-ranked course, which will host the 2009 BMW Championship Sept. 10-13, will be open for public play on Monday, Sept. 14 with the tournament's Sunday final round pin placements.

Golfers will be able to compare their game to the best in the world. The BMW Championship is the third leg of four in the FedExCup Playoff Series. The top 70 players on the FedExCup point list are expected to play at Dubsdread for a purse of $7.5 million with the winner taking home $1.35 million.

Golfers from California and Nevada are about to agree with this recent quote from well-known announcer, Ben Wright. The golf icon commented not only on the grandeur of the scenery, reminding him of “his home in Scotland,” but also on the “golfing rewards” to be found on all nine courses: Carson Valley, Dayton Valley, Eagle Valley East and West, Empire Ranch, Genoa Lakes Golf Club – The Lakes & The Resort, Silver Oak and Sunridge.

Located within 35 miles of easy-to-reach Carson City, the Divine 9 seem to be transforming Nevada’s capital into the capital of year-round golf destinations. And no wonder. The area’s unique natural terrain, temperate climate and favorable elevation (at 4,600 feet, golfers can expect 10 percent more distance from their drives) have attracted some of golf’s leading course designers, including Arnold Palmer, Johnny Miller, John Harbottle and Peter Jacobsen. 

Heritage Golf Group recently announced that TPC Tampa Bay, one of Florida's premier daily-fee golf facilities, has officially re-opened to the public following a two-month closure. The award-winning layout which annually hosts the Champions Tour Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am was closed in mid-June so its greens could be re-grassed.

"Our greens were the original greens from when we opened in 1991," said Brady Boyd, general manager at TPC Tampa Bay. "Over time, even with the best maintenance practices, the greens need to be replaced. The average life-span of a green is not much more than 15 years. We have a commitment to our guests to provide unrivaled golf and uncompromising service. This project is an investment in that commitment." 

The birthplace of American golf, West Virginia's Oakhurst Links, is up for sale. The asking price for the nine-hole course and its museum is $4.5 million.

It's not just the tie to history that makes a stop at the course a must for the serious golfer; it's the journey back in time. Visitors are required to use replica hickory clubs, hit gutta-percha balls molded from the sap of the sapodilla tree, and form tees from a mound of wet sand. Electric carts are unavailable - golfers walk among the dozens of sheep just as participants did a century ago. 

Longaberger Golf Club, honored by Golf Digest, GolfWorld, Golfweek and Golf Magazine as one of the best courses in the country, is extending incredible savings to its patrons to celebrate its 10th anniversary.

Through Sept. 10, golfers can enjoy 18 holes and a cart on the award-winning Arthur Hills design for only $59. While the normal rate of $99 has been heralded as a bargain for the quality of course available, the savings enjoyed at the anniversary rate are substantial. The $59 offer is available all day Monday through Thursday and after 1 p.m. Friday through Sunday. 

After closing for five weeks to complete a minor renovation project designed to improve the golf course in a number of areas, the Tidewater Golf Club & Plantation is open and ready for play, representatives of Burroughs & Chapin Golf Management recently announced.

The Tidewater renovation project focused on a range of improvements including:
 

The newest and most reliable online marketplace for purchasing discounted rounds of golf provides golfers the opportunity to play more and pay less.

TeeTimeSavings.com, formerly GolfUS.com, has officially launched its easy-to-use and informative Web site that features a comprehensive catalog of premier courses in Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio where golfers in those areas can buy rounds of golf at special prices. More than 200 courses are currently featured on the site, which will expand quickly to add new courses and resorts in even more areas throughout the country.

The Myrtle Beach Area Golf Course Owner’s Association (MBAGCOA) has named Shaftesbury Glen Golf & Fish Club the 2009 Myrtle Beach Golf Course of the Year.
 
Inspired by celebrated courses like Winged Foot and Augusta National, architect Clyde Johnston designed a traditional British Isles course at Shaftesbury Glen Golf & Fish Club. Tucked into the forest and farmlands along South Carolina’s beautiful Waccamaw River, the course features wide fairways and elevated greens. The Shaftesbury Glen Clubhouse overlooks the Waccamaw River and offers tranquil views tailor-made for post-round relaxation. 

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - On a perfect getaway, guests would be surrounded by luxury and emerald greens, all the golf courses would carry the quality signature of The PGA of America and every day would dawn with the promise of tropical pleasures.

At Castle Pines Golf Villas, you'll stay and play in the heart of The PGA Village Port St Lucie. All units are tastefully decorated, and offer every amenity necessary, just bring your golf clubs and you are ready for fun in the sun. Choose from a wide range of course-side accommodations with all the comforts of home and then some: deluxe guest rooms, golf villas and even town homes.