Sugar Mountain Golf Club may be the best “short” course anywhere. The par-64 municipal layout that winds through the golf/ski resort community at 4,000 feet near Banner Elk offers some outstanding holes with beautiful views of the surrounding peaks, including Grandfather Mountain. And the poa annua/bent grass greens have typically been just as fast as…
Though the Pinehurst area includes about 40 golf courses, visiting golfers really don’t have many options for an upscale golf trip featuring spacious, luxurious accommodations, a choice of multiple top-tier courses and on-site dining — all only a mile or so from the historic Village of Pinehurst. Of course, there’s Pinehurst Resort with its 10…
The Sedgefield Country Club course is my favorite Donald Ross design. And yes, I’ve played Pinehurst No. 2 several times, as well as East Lake, Linville, Pine Needles, Mid Pines and several other celebrated Ross layouts in the Southeast and Northeast. This past week, I enjoyed another opportunity to play Sedgefield and my opinion became…
Though home to two world-class oceanfront golf courses on a spectacular barrier island in the South Carolina Lowcountry, Fripp Island remains a somewhat remote retreat, an ideal spot to relax, rewind and enjoy the peaceful surroundings. While there, the only concern for many golfers is not hitting one of many deer who gather in the…
By DAVID DROSCHAK The population of Santee in the South Carolina Lowcountry has grown by 30 percent in the last decade, but still doesn’t top 1,000 folks. You won’t find a Ruth’s Chris Steak House or Grand Hyatt Hotel, or any swank resorts to rival those in well-known Palmetto State golfing destinations Charleston, Hilton Head…
By DAVID DROSCHAK Colorado has always been on my short-list of “must-visit” golf states. After having already picked off Arizona, California, Florida, and Hawaii — and of course North Carolina and South Carolina — I was anxious for my trip to Denver last summer to tackle some top-notch Rocky Mountain golf. The visit began…
By David Droschak The last time North Carolinians were captivated by the state of Mississippi was during Hurricane Katrina, which blew away lavish casinos, leveled homes and basically stunned a region along the Gulf of Mexico that over the last decade had begun carving a unique golfing travel destination niche. Often overshadowed along…