Top 10 Golf Travel Trends for 2013

Gleneagles Resort Front Entrance

1. Gleneagles Resort, Site of the 2014 Ryder Cup--This legendary Scottish resort will attract its share of golf tourists in the next couple of years. The Ryder Cup's popularity has soared and golfers want to test their skills at the venue. This isn't links golf, though. Gleneagles is home to quintessential parkland golf so at least you won't lose any balls in the ocean.

2. New World U.S. Golf Destinations--Golfers seeking exceptional designs and golf in its purest form are flocking to innovative destinations that aren't located near major urban centers. Among the more popular are Bandon Dunes on the Oregon coast, The Prairie Club in Valentine, Nebraska and the newly opened Streamsong Resort, which is situated in rural Polk County, Florida between Orlando and Tampa.

3. Golf Travel Specialists--Tired of sitting in front of a computer screen trying to piece together a golf trip? It's tedious and frustrating and many golfers are realizing the experts can do it quicker, more efficiently and probably save you a few bucks and lots of headaches in the process. Remember, these guys drink a few pints and single malts with the honchos at the best resorts and courses and are well connected to negotiate great deals and develop itineraries you can only dream about as you point and click your way on the Internet.

4. Dominican Republic-- Selected as the Golf Destination of the Year 2013 for Latin America/Caribbean by the International Association of Golf Travel Operators (IAGTO), the D.R. is on a roll. Expansive, luxury resort complexes like Casa de Campo, Puntacana and Cap Cana feature courses by the biggest names in design, Pete Dye, Tom Fazio and Jack Nicklaus. Besides the adroitly designed layouts, stunning picturesque golf course views and fantastic weather, an added bonus is you can enjoy a fine Dominican cigar during or after a round.

5. Nova Scotia, Canada--It's the biggest thing to originate from Canada since Wayne Gretsky, Michael J. Fox and LaBatts Blue beer. Cabot Links is Canada's answer to Pebble Beach. This phenomenal links layout on the western side of Cape Breton Island in the town of Inverness in Nova Scotia is a wonderland of stunning ocean views, deep pot bunkers and swales. Opened in June, Cabot Links was developed by Mike Keiser, who created Bandon Dunes in Oregon. A second course, Cabot Cliffs, designed by Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore, is scheduled to open in mid-2014.

6. South America--The announcement of the 2016 Olympic Games to be staged in Rio de Janiero with golf to be included as a sport has put the focus on Brazil as well as other countries appealing to golfers like Argentina, Chile and Uruguay. Golf course architect Gil Hanse was chosen over design teams headed by Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and others to fashion the Olympic golf course. As the course begins to take shape, the excitement will increase and more golfers will consider South America a viable golf vacation destination.

7. Off-the-Beaten Path U.S. Value Destinations--If you've already played Myrtle Beach and the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in Alabama, you're probably looking for some new budget-happy golf frontiers. The value menu, please.  Among the destinations promising affordable golf and well-designed courses are Crossville, Tennessee, Brainerd, Minnesota, Branson, Missouri, Gulf Shores, Alabama, Mesquite, Nevada, St. George, Utah, Brooksville, Florida, Flathead Valley in Montana, Santee, South Carolina and Santa Fe, New Mexico.

8. Ireland--The number one player in the world, Rory McIlroy, hails from Northern Ireland and golfers are increasingly considering Ireland as a golf vacation destination. Ya gotta think, everytime McIlroy hoists a trophy (and that's a lot these days) Northern Ireland gets a public relations boost. Top courses in that part of the country include Royal County Down and Royal Portrush. Other Irish gems favored by visitors include Ballybunion, Lahinch, Portmarnock, Waterville and Doonbeg.

9. Trump International Golf Links in Aberdeen, Scotland--I've read reviews and heard reports about this course that are all over the map. The environmentalists keep railing against it for a variety of reasons and some critics claim the fairways are too tight and the frequent high winds will make it extremely penal for the average bogey players. Moreover, the course has more than 100 different tee boxes, which makes for some long walks and long rounds. That said, the setting is stunning and Donald Trump has spent millions on making it a course golfers will travel long distances to play. Check out this video of Trump International Golf Links and I guarantee, whether you're a Trump fan or not, you'll want to play this course.

10. Experiential Golf Travel on Social Media--More golf travel companies are using Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to post information and images of trips around the world. If you don't have the time or money to travel to say, Scotland, New Zealand or South Africa, you can experience vicariously the exploits of others enjoying an adventurous golf excursion in different parts of the world.

Top 10 Finest Golf Vacation Destinations

Alisa Course at Turnberry Resort, a Guru favorite

Golf top 10 lists are a lot like broken tees. You can choose to use them or casually toss them in the nearest trash bin.

My Top 10 Finest Golf Vacation Destination list is different.

No, I don’t have an army of number crunchers sitting in cubicles studiously placing rankings on access, playability and other factors or decidedly uninformed and clueless magazine readers to determine my list.

I have a novel concept. I actually visited the destinations I ranked. 

Yes my list is subjective. It’s meant to be.

If I see you at the first tee of any of the following, you know life is fine:

1. St.Andrews, Scotland-While the experience is dominated by the Old Course, there is so much more to this historic village on the east coast of Fife in Scotland. Beyond the seven courses of the St. Andrews Links, there are phenomenal layouts like Kingsbarns, one of my favorite seaside courses in the world, the two championship layouts at Fairmont St. Andrews Resort and the Old Course Hotel's Duke's Course. Away from the courses, don't miss landmarks include the Tom Morris Golf Shop, Rusacks Hotel, Dunvegan Pub, Quarto Bookshop and the University of St. Andrews.

2. Pinehurst,North Carolina-America's answer to St. Andrews is Pinehurst Village, a wonderful place peppered with golf courses, quiet country lanes framed by large shade trees and manicured lawns. Beyond the classic Pinehurst Resort, home to Pinehurst No. 2 and seven other courses, the area has more than 40 courses to play. Here, golf doesn't play second fiddle to casinos, theme parks or shopping malls. In Pinehurst, everybody loves the game and talks "golf". Tommy Armour put it best when he said: "The man who doesn't feel emotionally stirred when he golfs at Pinehurst beneath those clear blue skies with the pine fragrance in his nostrils is one who should be ruled out of golf for life."

3. Ayrshire,Scotland-Home to my favorite golf resort, Turnberry, this part of Scotland also boasts Royal Troon, Old Prestwick and Western Gailes. One of my finest golf experiences ever was playing the Alisa Course at Turnberry, one of the game's great historical and picturesque courses. If you're looking for golf vacation nirvana, you'll find it at Turnberry.

4. Monterey Peninsula, California-Pebble Beach Golf Links (PBGL) obviously dominates the golf scene here, but there is so much more to a golf getaway in this postcard beautiful slice of northern California. There are 25 golf courses in Monterey County (17 public) and while they might not have the dramatic settings of PBGL, they're still top notch plays. Some of my favorite value plays are Pacific Grove Golf Links and the Bayonet and Black Horse courses on Monterey Bay.

5. PuntaCana, Dominican Republic-If I could only play one Caribbean course the rest of my life, it would be Corales, a seaside gem designed by Tom Fazio at Punta Cana. Six of the 18 holes are oceanfront. It's a wonderland of stunning panoramas, ocean cliff-side holes, rolling inland terrain, a rock quarry and saltwater lakefront green sites. There are also a couple of playable P.B. Dye courses at the massive resort complex, which has its own international airport allowing easy in-and-out access.

6. Canadian Rockies-Jaw dropping mountain panoramas, abundant wildlife and refreshing air without a trace of humidity enhance the experience. The phenomenal course list includes Kananaskis, Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, Fairmont Banff Springs, Stewart Creek, Silvertip and Canmore.

7. BandonDunes, Oregon-Can't make it to Scotland. Bandon Dunes is the next best thing in the U.S. Stretching along Oregon coastline with rolling sand dunes and shaggy beach grasses, this collection of seaside links golf experiences should be on every golfer's (especially those who like to walk and play) bucket list. The offerings include four stunning 18-hole courses and the new, innovative 13-hole short course designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw.

8. Orlando,Florida-There are more than 125 golf courses within a 45-minute radius of downtown Orlando with designer tags like Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman, Tom Fazio, Rees Jones and Robert Trent Jones Jr. and Sr. O-town has a great selection of resort and daily fee courses as well as economically priced Old School public layouts. Let's face it, you can play one of Orlando's top courses for less than you'd pay for a one-day ticket at a theme park.

9. LosCabos, Mexico-Set at the confluence of the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez, this resort area at the southernmost tip of Mexico's Baja Peninsula incorporates courses with designer tags by Jack Nicklaus, Tom Weiskopf and others as well as one of the world's great deep sea fishing areas, especially for those after marlin and swordfish.

10. Algarve,Portugal-There's absolutely nothing better than enjoying a glass of chilled Portugese white wine on a clubhouse veranda overlooking the ocean after a day of golf on one of the Algarve's thirty golf courses. My favorite courses include San Lorenzo Golf club at Quinta do Lago, Royal Course at Vale do Lobo and Vilamoura's Old Course. One of the world's great par threes is the oceanside 16th on the Royal at Vale do Lobo, which demands a 225-yard shot over three spectacular cliffs.

New Corales Course a Must Play

I just returned from a four-day jaunt to the Dominican Republic. It was my second visit to the “D.R.” and I came away more impressed than ever. My primary reason for the visit was to see and play the new Corales Golf Club Course at the PUNTACANA Resort & Club.

The course has been getting a lot of pre-opening buzz and I went down to see what all the fuss is about. Believe me, this one deserves the buzz. Think Pebble Beach oceanside style holes with Caribbean colors. Set between rocky cliffs, coral reefs and the expansive Caribbean Sea on the eastern shoreline of the country, Corales promises to take its place as one of the world’s great, exciting seaside golf experiences.

Designer Tom Fazio was on hand for the ribbon cutting and he summed up his latest masterpiece this way: “Corales encompasses a dramatic blend of captivating vistas, ocean cliff-side holes, rolling inland terrain and salt-water lakefront green sites, as well as with a memorable mix of variety and strategy. With a variety of short and long holes, holes playing into the breeze as well as downwind and a tremendous mixture of visual elements, playing Corales will be an experience to remember, and is sure to set the new standard of quality golf in the Dominican Republic.”

Here are some brief observations from my round:

• Six of the 18 eighteen holes are oceanfront, including the final three, which have been dubbed “The Devil’s Elbow”
  
• The fairways are gargantuan wide. Because of the prevailing winds, Fazio gives even the most struggling mid-handicappers more than ample landing areas.
  
• The entire course (tees, greens and fairways) has the same grass—a plush carpet of Paspalum Supreme.
  
• Currently there are no homes on the course. Plans call for a low-density focus with only 124 home sites.
  
• The director of golf is highly-respected Jay Overton, who you may know from his many years at Innisbrook Resort near Tampa.
  
• Construction on the course started in 2006.
  
• My two favorite holes are 17 and 18. When you stand on the green of the par 3 17^th you’ll feel a refreshing spray of Caribbean ocean against your back as the waves crash a few feet away. On 18, you hit across turquoise/blue waters from one craggy cliff to another. You can play safe leaving yourself a long second shot or bite off a big chunk resulting in a short wedge to the green.
  
• The landscaping by world-renowned Spanish landscape designer Jesus Ibanez is phenomenal.
  

My advice: If you can play only one course in the Caribbean, make it the Corales.