The Best of Desert Golf - Five Courses for Golf Vacations

Tropical paradises can sure be overrated sometimes! In the warmer months your golf often gets rained out, and you have to cover yourself in insect repellant every day or be eaten alive on the golf course. If you have always been the steadier, hardier sort, then a golf vacation to the desert can hold some surprising gems. From the beautiful courses of Cabo San Jose in Mexico, to Nevada and Arizona's championship offerings, we are looking five of the best golf courses that call the American desert home.

Cabo Del Sol - Desert

This course is designed by the prolific Tom Weiskopf, and is nestled among the six other championship courses in Cabo San Lucas. There are five sets of tees which mean the course varies in length from 5,300 to 7,100 yards, and the design takes advantage of desert landscape features like natural river washes, rolling dunes and startling red sandy bunkers. It is in the desert, but you can see the ocean wherever you look from most holes.

Palmilla

Another of Cabo San Lucas' gorgeous offerings, Palmilla is a Jack-Nicklaus-designed course that was handpicked for its gorgeous scenery by the golf master. For a free and easy golf vacation with just a little bite in your course, Palmilla is a must play. It has a slope of 139.

Omni Tucson - Catalina

Formerly known as the Orange/Gold course, the Omni Tuscon was designed by Robert Bruce Harris and has gorgeous desert mountain views of the middle of Arizona. There are ten sparkling lakes to give the desert setting a bit of refreshment. Why not make your next golf vacation at the standard PGA tour stop in Arizona?

TPC at the Canyons

Vegas is known for slot holes ... but not ordinarily round holes with golf balls in them! The TPC at the Canyons course is a notable exception, designed by Bobby Weed and Raymond Floyd and host to the Senior PGA Touras well as the Invensys Classic. The course flows through canyons and arroyos, and there is nothing but clear blue sky and a comfy dry warmth for most of the year.

The Chase at PGA Golf Club Coyote Springs

Jack Nicklaus has a series of golf courses planned to flow throughout the Coyote Springs community. This course is the first one in the series, and is located between Mesquite and Vegas. It is a par 72, and the forward tees take off around 2,000 yards from the back tees, which set the course at 7,471 yards. There are 11 lakes on the course, so hone your water-avoidance skills on your next golf vacation!

Golf Vacations -- Five Challenging Courses

Being challenged doesn't always feel nice at the time. We're human … we want to win, we want to be the best, and we don’t want to know how far we still have to go before we're perfect! Yet being challenged is how we learn … so today for golf vacationers, we are looking at some of the golf courses worldwide that offer you the best opportunities for learning. From the Dominican Republic to Dunbar and back, here are the best of the hardest.

1. Cocotal -- Dominican Republic

This course for golf vacationers follows the lay of the land, using naturally placed trees and mounds in the midst of rolling terrain. An unceasing wind is what makes the course so challenging -- if you want to learn how to compensate for wind, from every angle, at every speed and on all different terrains, Cocotal is the place to do it!

2. Daytona Beach Golf Course

Aside from having a designer with an awesome name (Slim Deathridge), the Daytona Beach Golf Club also presents several challenges, even for experienced golfers. Dense stands of Florida pines and oaks punctuate the course as well as providing beautiful scenery, and the redesign of the course in 1997 added extra water and more undulations in the territory.

3. St George Golf Club, Utah

This is quite a long golf course, and needs a fair bit of walking mixed with your hits. All that aerobic exercise can be a challenge in itself! Golf-wise, though, there are some par 3's over water, and a peninsula on a par 5 hole to worry about. The peninsula holds both the 9th and 18th hole greens, and where many people on golf vacations will instinctively choose a short-iron here, you really need a club that will give you best accuracy and distance control.

4. Dunbar East Links

If you've come all the way to Scotland on a golf vacation, you may as well see what it can throw at you! The terrain here is coastal, so wind is an enormous factor in play. Different days require completely different tactics.

5. Desert Dunes, California

A day at Desert Dunes certainly isn’t a walk in the park … it is golfing equivalent of boot camp, with grumpy instructors throwing push-ups, mud traps and high walls at you new recruits! A great way to improve your game on a golf vacation is to master the tight fairways, sloped greens and water hazards of this southern California course.

San Antonio -- Texas's Best Golf Courses

A state that is associated more with sand and oil than lush greens and quiet, relaxing fairways, Texas is a big surprise when it comes to quality of golf courses. The layouts here are consistently recognized as among the best in the country -- here we look at some of the Texas courses for golf vacations and golf trips.

Pecan Valley

Pecan Valley is known all over the country as one of the best course for golf vacations -- a huge percentage of players aren’t actually San Antonio residents. This makes the feel at the club very welcoming for out-of-towners. It is fairly standard in terms of length, challenge and playability, with a par of 71 over a course length of 7,010 yards. The slope rating is 131, and the player ratings note aspects like yardage management and bunker negotiation as areas where the course develops your skills. The many trees and water are designed to test your navigation skills, and patience!

The Republic

This golf club is highly rated by members, but yet to be recognized in any major golf holiday magazines. The course has been called beautiful, and is consistently said to be in great shape, despite being in one of the driest states in the U.S.! There are some difficult holes, and some confidence boosters, and staff at the club are said to have excellent service standards. It has quite a standard length and par, 71 over 7,070 yards.

La Cantera

One of Tom Weiskopf's additions to the Texan landscape is La Cantera, which opened in 1995 to such fanfare that the historic Texas Open came to play at the young upstart club! Golf Magazine and Golf Digest have both recognized La Cantera as among their favorites, listing it as either a top public access course, or a best 'new' course. For golf holiday planners, it also has spectacular views and good proximity to other San Antonio attractions.

Canyon Springs Golf Course

Andrew Peterson is the golf professional at Canyon Springs, one of Golf Magazine's top 100 courses for 2000. It is said to be challenging, beautiful and fast, with huge rough and moderately fast greens some of the stand out features. The Texan scenery can let the club down at times … but the course itself is a dream for people looking for a good golf trip.

Phoenix and Scottsdale -- Arizona's Best Golf Courses

Despite the fact that Arizona has quite a reputation as a state of stunning but sandy scenery and grass that is more long and tufty, than pristinely manicured, it is actually home to some of the finest golf courses in the country. Arizona golf is an absolute pleasure when you play at one of these courses -- we look at the top five in the state.

The Silverleaf Club

The Silverleaf Club and Arizona golf course was named Golf Digest's top rated Arizona golf course in the 2005-06 awards, and was among the top 100 residential courses in Golfweek in 2005. It was designed by Tom Weiskopf, and took only three years after opening to gain such great recognition in the golf magazines. Par for the course is 72 at this Arizona golf facility, which is 7,267 yards long

Stonecreek

Named for what is memorable about the Arizona landscape, Stonecreek golf course is slightly shorter than Silverleaf, but only 1 point lower on the par, for a total of 71. Reviews of the course are mixed, with some players building it up to be a Troon status course (more on that in a second!), and some being utterly disappointed by all the hype. It was designed by Arthur Hills and has a longer history than many clubs in the area, hosting Arizona golf players since 1979.

Grayhawk

Grayhawk Arizona golf course may be one if the priciest in the state, but it is consistently one of the highest rated. The earlier tee times are quite inexpensive, but the price rises steeply even a few minutes past the earliest tee times. It ranked in Golfweek's top 100 residential courses in both 2000 and 2002, and among the best public access courses in Arizona for 2005. Players note the challenging Fazio layout, the reasied green complexes and wide fairways as well as the fall off on most sides.

Troon North

The Arizona golf course here was also designed by Tom Weiskopf, like Silverleaf, and is quite challenging, with a par of 72 for a total length of 7070 yards. A swag of awards from 2000 ranging up to 2006 has been won by Troon, and member reviews are glowing.

Golf dreams and wonderful vacations

Have you caught yourself dreaming of the perfect golf vacation but you are not sure where to even begin to look for locations? Perhaps you have a company gathering coming up and you all want to experience golf in locations you've only dreamed about. Maybe you are planning a family vacation and want to spend a day on a golf course that is both challenging as well as breathtaking. With the online assistance of a travel company that specializes in only the best golf resorts and hottest locations, you can find exactly what you are searching for, whether for personal pleasure or business.

Imagine closing a deal with a client while golfing on the beautiful courses in locations such as the Bahamas, the Dominican Republic, Bermuda or Puerto Rico? With the assistance you will find online you can turn the dream into a reality.

Family vacation can take on a whole new meaning when you book your next vacation online and enjoy family fun as well as a day at the golf course. You can choose areas in Florida such as Jacksonville, Daytona Beach, Miami and Ft. Lauderdale, Naples and Ft. Myers, Orlando, Tampa, West Palm Beach and Port St. Lucie.

Maybe the cooler atmosphere is more your style? Well you can enjoy golfing in locations like Canada, North Carolina, South Carolina or even Nevada and enjoy the cooler weather and the beautiful attractions each place has to offer. Maybe you are dreaming of a golf holiday in another country than the United States such as Ireland, Scotland, Spain and even Portugal when you trust you’re booking needs to the company that only offers you the top of the line golf resorts and the information pertaining to the surrounding area you choose.

Enjoy relying on one company for all your golf holiday booking needs when you work side by side with professionals. You now have the options of making your whole family happy with the wide selections in areas that are full of events for your children as well as satisfying the golfing dream you have for your vacation. You will find wonderful packages that fit the golf vacation you are planning rather for one person or a large group of golfers. All the information you need to plan and book your golfing desires are at your fingertips with the assistance of your home computer and a company that does the research for you before offering you top quality golf resorts and their surrounding areas.

Golf holidays at affordable prices

Have you been dreaming of the golf holiday of a lifetime but not sure where to start or how to choose the best destination with all the golf courses available? Perhaps you are planning a company trip and not sure where to make reservations to impress your boss or important potential clients. There is a choice that includes the top class golf courses and resorts that are available state side or out of the country online. A company that knows the importance of golf holidays and business impressions has taken the time to research the various golf courses and the areas they offer to bring you only the best in golf vacations. For a wonderful price and simplified reservations you can book your stay at the golf course of your dreams all at one stop. Simply log on and view your selections then book your destination and start packing your bags -- it’s that simple.

You can rest assured that the choices before you are only top quality resorts and offer you the events you are looking for on the golf course as well as off the golf course. Whether you are planning a golf holiday or your friends, co-workers or family, you can find exactly what you are searching for with the assistance of your own computer. Finally you can plan your golf trip to the spot you have been dreaming of as well as know the resorts, restaurants and local attractions that your destination offers. You can plan a day on the golf course for yourself while your family enjoys the adventures the area has to offer then join them for a night on the town with the guidance of the professionals online. With the assistance you will find online booking your golf vacation, you can be sure that the whole family has fun and the memories that are made will last a life time, for you as well as the rest of your family.

From this point on never book a reservation to locations you have never seen nor have any information about when it comes to your golf holiday. To ensure you have the event of a lifetime when it comes to your golfing holiday experience rely on the company that offers you only top of the line golf courses and resorts for the experience you deserve. Make your reservations today online and save yourself money as well as ensure yourself the time of your life and the golfing experience you long for in life.

Take the Family on a Great Golf Getaway!

During the summer months, most people plan to take it least one family vacation someplace exotic or fun. This year, while consider making a family vacation a golf vacation. Even if the entire family doesn't love the game of golf, a golf resort is an excellent place to vacation for everyone. The variety of golf packages are endless and you, and your family, will be able to enjoy a satisfying golf vacation when you experience the golf trips that are waiting on you.

Most golf resorts also offer amenities like shopping, spas, and salons, fine dining, and access to divorce and other local attractions. Your family can enjoy the white beaches and ocean water during the day as well as the many theme parks these wonderful cities have to offer while you enjoy your day or the green with your golfing buddies. The whole family will enjoy the golf vacation you plan when visiting the beautiful beaches Florida offers as well as the day activities followed by the endless night activities.

If your husband or wife would rather have a massage while you're playing 18 holes, consider booking a day of beauty in luxury at your resorts all while you and foursome hit the links.

Spending your family vacation at a beautiful golf resort will be a wonderful way to keep your entire family the fun and enjoyment they desire and a relaxation they deserve. Believe it or not, choosing the right golf resort will offer something for everyone.

Don't waste another summer planning a trip that won't please everyone. This year, consider a golf resort in one of your favorite cities and reap the benefits that five-star luxury has to offer. So, consider taking your entire family on a golf weekend. Even those who don’t golf will find a wide variety of things to enjoy on a golf journey. Why take the family on a golf getaway? Because everyone deserves a vacation.