On the Tee

For even the most seasoned golf course architect, restoring a historically significant layout is a formidable challenge, commensurate to the task a musician undertakes when recording a classic song. The finished product has to strike a delicate balance somewhere between paying homage to the original work and forging a distinct path in order to resonate with a more current audience, as well as preserve the integrity and character established many years ago.

The new Pine Lakes Country Club does just that, reminding long-time Myrtle Beach regulars just how brilliant Robert White’s initial course concept was and moving the “Granddaddy” into a new era so that it can remain relevant in the supercompetitive Myrtle Beach golf scene.

In 2003 the University of Texas Golf Club, with its rolling hills, panoramic views of the Texas Hill Country and lush fairways, opened to considerable acclaim.

But after initial rounds by some of the nation's best collegiate players, and a few Touring pros, the course's management noticed that the rolling terrain was aiding already lengthly drives, which were catching favorable slopes and plummeting down the course's fairways. In other words, the distance on the card of 7,150 yards wasn't quite measuring up in real life.

Las Vegas National Golf Club is located just a stone’s throw from the famed Las Vegas Strip.

This classic Bert Stamps design opened in 1961 and has since held a storied existence rivaled by only the most prestigious clubs in the world.

How many other clubs have been the regular hangout of the Rat Pack, held numerous events on the PGA, Champions and LPGA Tours and been a location for a major Hollywood production, Martin Scorsese’s 1995 crime drama classic, Casino?

LEMONT, Ill. - The wait is over for Chicagoland golfers. Cog Hill Golf Club's Dubsdread Course, one of America's best public golf courses, has officially reopened.

The golf course, which was closed for the entire 2008 season to allow for a $5 million dollar renovation project, opened to the public Friday, May 15.

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.