http://larrygolfstheworld.com Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:58:16 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Few golf course architecture firms have as much global presence and notoriety as that of Robert Trent Jones II, whose most famous works include Spanish Bay at Pebble Beach, Washington’s upcoming US Open venue Chambers Bay, and several hundred others in more than 40 countries. Jones, Jr. has never been anything less than brutally outspoken, and three years ago he issued his company’s Green Proclamation, a commitment to design golf courses in an environmentally responsible manner. ... ]]> http://larrygolfstheworld.com/golf/golf/personalities/1794/robert-trent-jones-ii-and-affordable-public-golf As loyal readers know, I have been preaching the awesomeness of Australian golf for years, and way back in 2004 when I broke the Guinness World Record for golf travel, I started my epic trip at New South Wales Golf Club in Sydney. Now with the Presidents Cup having just put to focus back on Australian Golf, I wanted to follow up the event with another reminder of just how good golf Down Under is ... ]]> http://larrygolfstheworld.com/golf/golf/1784/why-australia-how-about-half-a-dozen-world-class-courses Here in the northeast we have already been belted with Old Man Winter, and it is just the middle of fall. New York City broke its all-time snowfall record for October, and overnight temperatures where I live have been consistently below freezing. That means it the time of year when my friends and long lost acquaintances starter emailing me and asking where they should plan their winter golf vacation. In a word, Scottsdale. I’ve been giving this ... ]]> http://larrygolfstheworld.com/golf/golf/1772/with-winter-coming-think-scottsdale It’s hard to believe it’s been 40 years, but that is exactly how long Teeth of the Dog, the most famous golf course in the Caribbean has been open. When Pete Dye first designed the course, there was nothing but jungle on this 7,000-acre swath of the Dominica Republic’s southern  coastline, and much of the work to build the course was done by hand, with picks and axes and wheelbarrows. The tiny water filled ditch that ... ]]> http://larrygolfstheworld.com/golf/golf/1755/casa-de-campo-the-best-gets-even-better Florida has more golf courses than any other state in the Union – and more any other country on earth. But Pensacola has just one and exactly one municipal course, the Osceola Municipal Golf Course. And after 85 years of play, it got tired. So it is good news for both locals and visitors to this popular vacation destination that the City of Pensacola and its Parks and Recreation Department just wrapped up a massive renovation ... ]]> http://larrygolfstheworld.com/golf/golf/1746/extreme-makeover-florida-style Loyal readers know I have sung the praises of casino courses before, from Idaho to Mississippi, and with just one or two very minor exceptions, they are a uniquely American golf phenomena. At the moment they are also the only American golf phenomena still being built. Casinos usually consider their golf courses an amenity for gamblers, a very large and grassy version of the free drink. They don’t need to make a profit on it like ... ]]> http://larrygolfstheworld.com/golf/golf/1741/the-northwest-gets-another-great-casino-course It’s now getting into the 40s at night where I live, which means summer is almost over - less than a week from now to be exact. That also means it is time to switch gears to warm weather golf, and few places are warmer than Scottsdale, AZ and Palm Springs, CA. To further heart things up, both are offering bargain priced all-you-can-play specials. Sibling Marriott resorts, the JW Marriott Camelback Inn Resort & Spa in Scottsdale ... ]]> http://larrygolfstheworld.com/golf/golf/courses-and-travel/1734/as-temperatures-drop-unlimited-desert-golf-seems-mighty-tempting The Circling Raven Golf Club at the Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort in northwestern Idaho rightfully makes every list of the nation’s best casino courses, usually right near the top after the much more expensive super heavyweights, Shadow Creek and Fallen Oak. In fact Circling Raven makes the Top 100 Public Course lists of both GOLF Magazine and Golf Digest against all comers, casino or no. I’ve had the pleasure of playing Circling Raven – and most ... ]]> http://larrygolfstheworld.com/golf/golf/1724/one-of-the-nations-best-casino-courses-ups-the-ante True Story.   Four weeks ago I went to Jackson, Mississippi to play in the Pro-Am of the Viking Classic with one specific mission: to pick PGA Championship winner Keegan Bradley as my partner in the pro-am drawing. Four weeks ago, despite having a breakthrough win and several strong finishes already in his rookie year (way more than can be said for Sergio or many more highly touted prospects), Keegan Bradley was almost entirely unknown among golf fans. If ... ]]> http://larrygolfstheworld.com/golf/golf/personalities/1707/congratulations-keegan-bradley-now-why-did-you-skip-the-viking-event Really strange things happen at Skytop Lodge, a grand hotel in Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains. It’s not the most famous golf resort on earth, not by a long shot, but it’s fascinating, sort a smaller version of the Greenbrier or Homestead transported north. There’s a big old-fashioned fancy hotel, with a big spa and several restaurants, plus tons of outdoor activities like rock climbing, kayaking, mountain biking, canoeing, tennis, fly fishing, shooting, skiing, skating, and the like. ... ]]> http://larrygolfstheworld.com/golf/golf/1698/golf-guys-time-for-a-mancation