Land, ho: Harbour Town Lighthouse in Hilton Head, S.C., is a
familiar landmark for pros competing in the MCI Heritage Golf
Tournament every April
Golfers love to imagine themselves in the
competitive shoes of their favorite pros. When planning a meeting
with a golf element, why not offer participants the
opportunity to attempt that putt Tiger Woods missed or see if they
can avoid the pond that was David Duval’s Waterloo? The resorts
profiled here have been the site of many PGA Tour events; their
storied fairways and greens will make attendees’ dreams come
true.
Doral Golf Resort & Spa
Site of the PGA Ford Championship, March 1-7
Miami
www.doralgolf.com
(305) 592-2000
One of five championship courses at Doral, the Blue Monster has
been hosting the PGA Tour since 1962. Almost every golfing great in
recent history has had a moment of glory (or agony) on this track.
Created by Dick Wilson, the course was restored by Ray Floyd in
1996.
Eight major water hazards make it difficult to keep balls dry
here. A fountain marks the much-televised 18th hole where, in 2003,
Scott Hoch put his name in the record books by sinking a 10-foot
birdie putt for a sudden-death victory over Jim Furyk.
The 693-room resort has everything a guest could want five
courses, a 148,000-square-foot spa, an aquatic recreation area, 11
tennis courts and five restaurants. More than 40 rooms in the
conference wing provide 100,000 square feet of flexible meeting
space, and outdoor venues for receptions and events are scattered
throughout the 650 acres.
Desert track: This month,
the pros head to Phoenix
for the FBR Championship,
played on the TPC of Scottsdale
Fairmont Scottsdale Princess
Site of the FBR Championship, Jan. 26-Feb. 1
Scottsdale, Ariz.
www.fairmont.com
(480) 585-4848
Held at the TPC of Scottsdale since 1987, the Phoenix Open (in 2004
it will be called the FBR Championship) has been the stage for a
lot of great golf. This includes a 21-year-old Tiger Woods’
hole-in-one on the 16th hole in 1997, and Mark Calcavecchia’s
72-hole PGA Tour record of 256 in 2001. In 2003, Vijay Singh
birdied five of the first six holes and tied the PGA Tour final
round lowest score of 63 to win over John Huston.
The Stadium Course is a fine Tom Weiskopf-Jay Morrish design
incorporating desert flora (and fauna), 72 bunkers, six lakes and a
plethora of mounding to give character to the flat site. It is part
of the Tournament Players Club Network, which not only provides
top-quality venues for the Tour, but also makes them accessible to
resort players.
Set in the desert with a mountain backdrop, the Scottsdale
Princess has two courses, four restaurants, five swimming pools and
a 44,000-square-foot spa. Guest accommodations include 650 rooms
and suites, all with oversize bathrooms and terraces. The resort
has more than 60,000 square feet of meeting space, including a
22,500-square-foot ballroom.
Cliffside drama: The Buick Invitational in February benefits
from spectacular views and testy winds off the Pacific at Torrey
Pines
The Lodge at Torrey Pines
Site of the Buick Invitational, Feb. 9-15
La Jolla, Calif.
www.lodgeattorreypines.com
(888) 826-0224
The municipal Torrey Pines Golf Course has hosted the Buick Open
since 1968. When Tiger Woods claimed the 2003 title over Carl
Pettersson and Brad Faxon, perhaps he lingered in the clubhouse
long enough to look at photos of himself and Phil Mickelson as
teenage winners of tournaments here. The course gets a lot of
traffic from star players and will host the 2008 U.S. Open, only
the second public course to do so.
This year, Torrey Pines South was a revitalized venue for the
Buick Open, having received a major tweaking by Rees Jones that
stretched its length by 500 yards, raised some greens and almost
doubled the bunker count.
The relatively new Lodge at Torrey Pines, a 1900s-style hotel
opened in 2002, is beautifully positioned on the 18th fairway,
overlooking rugged Pacific cliffs. The lodge offers 175 guest
rooms, a 9,500-square-foot spa, two restaurants and more than
13,000 square feet of meeting space. The 10,000-square-foot Arroyo
Terrace is the perfect spot for functions in the ocean air. The
Lodge is 20 minutes from the attractions of San Diego and within
walking distance of miles of trails in the Torrey Pines State
Reserve.
Wooded: Nemacolin's Mystic Rock Course
Nemacolin Woodlands Resort & Spa
Site of the 84 Lumber Classic, Sept. 20-26
Nemacolin, Pa.
www.nemacolin.com
(800) 422-2736
A duffer named Joe Hardy is one of the PGA Tour’s newest best
friends. The 80-year-old owner and founder of the 84 Lumber chain
vows he’s going to put on the Tour’s best tournament next year, no
matter how much it costs.
The billionaire, who owns Nemacolin Woodlands, a lavish resort
in western Pennsylvania, got his feet wet last fall literally as
well as figuratively, when the resort hosted the inaugural $4
million 84 Lumber Classic of Pennsylvania on its Pete Dye-designed
Mystic Rock Course. Hurricane Isabel dampened the event, but not
Hardy’s enthusiasm. Nor did the soggy going faze J.L. Lewis, who
set a course record 62 to win over Frank Lickliter II and Stuart
Appleby.
The day after the tournament, Hardy and daughter Maggie Magerko
broke ground just off the 18th green on the 42-room Falling Rock
Lodge, which will offer a 50,000-square-foot clubhouse, a pro shop,
locker rooms, a dining room and lounge, and an executive
boardroom.
Falling Rock Lodge is icing on Nemacolin’s cake. The resort
already has 292 rooms, suites and town houses; an award-wining spa;
36 holes of golf; several restaurants, and 23,000 square feet of
meeting space.
Radisson Plaza Hotel & Convention Center
Site of the 2000 Ingersoll-Rand Senior Tour
Championship
Myrtle Beach, S.C.
www.radisson.com
(843) 918-5000
The TPC of Myrtle Beach
www.tpc.com/daily/myrtle_beach
(843) 357-3399
When the TPC of Myrtle Beach opened in 1999, it was the 100th
course in the Myrtle Beach area, a prime destination for golf and
family fun. The Tom Fazio design is a certified Audubon Sanctuary
in a wetlands area. It has surprising elevation changes for a
lowlands track and, of course, water or wetlands on 11 holes. Long
carries, sloped fairways, 70 strategic bunkers and undulating
greens add spice to the scenic 6,950-yard route.
The Senior Tour Championship, played in Myrtle Beach since 1994,
moved to the TPC in 2000. The players loved the course. Tom Watson
won that year, going bogeyless for his final 26 holes to beat John
Jacobs. The course was meant to be a permanent home for the
tournament, but bigger sponsorship from another venue won out.
Another Tour event is expected to take its place in the near
future.
The Radisson offers 402 well-appointed guest rooms and easy
access to meeting facilities. The hotel lobby and second-floor
lounge connect directly to the 250,000-square-foot Myrtle Beach
Convention Center. The center has 17 meeting rooms, including a
100,000-square-foot exhibition hall. A new plaza has ample space
for outdoor events.
Windswept: Kapalua's Plantation Course
Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua
Site of the Mercedes Championships, Jan. 5-11
Maui, Hawaii
www.ritzcarlton.com/resorts/kapalua
(808) 669-6200
Ernie Els took the 2003 Mercedes Championships with a PGA Tour
72-hole record of 31 under par. The venue is the Plantation Course,
designed by Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore with wide fairways to
compensate for the wicked wind. The 663-yard 18th hole downhill but
still daunting has seen many a spectacular finish. Two Arnold
Palmer-designed companion courses are nearby, the Bay (which draws
more rounds than the Plantation) and the Village.
Great layouts and 30,000 square feet of meeting space (plus
outdoor areas) make the Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua, an inviting
convention venue. The resort also specializes in personal space
each of the 548 guest rooms has an oversize marble bathroom and a
private lanai with a view. Add to that a 10,000-square-foot,
three-tiered swimming pool; an extensive spa with traditional
Hawaiian treatments, and five diverse restaurants one of which is
ideal for watching whale migrations and the destination is hard to
beat.
Sea Pines Resort
Site of the MCI Heritage Golf Tournament, April 12-18
Hilton Head, S.C.
www.seapines.com
(888) 807-6873
Harbour Town Golf Links is a lucky place for Davis Love III,
judging by his 2003 MCI Heritage win, his fifth in this tournament.
Golfers regularly ante up a $250 greens fee to challenge this 1960s
Jack Nicklaus/Pete Dye collaboration.
Seen on TV, with its trademark red-and-white lighthouse at the
nearby marina, the setting is lovely. But the layout is both
diabolical and inspired, marked by tiny greens, pot bunkers, waste
areas and narrow fairways.
The 5,200-acre Sea Pines Resort offers 500 villas and homes and
a new 60-room inn, with settings varying from oceanside to Southern
plantation-style to marina village. In its forest preserve, there
is a ropes course, and the resort offers eight eco tours on the
grounds.
Overlooking the course is the Harbour Town Conference Center,
more than 6,500 square feet of meeting space offering the latest
technology. An additional 4,600 square feet of of event space is
available outside.
Westin Innisbrook Golf Resort
Site of the Chrysler Championship,
Oct. 25-31
Palm Harbor, Fla.
www.westin-innisbrook.com
(727) 939-3859
The aptly named Copperhead Course, one of four layouts at the
Westin Innisbrook, was designed by Roger and Larry Packard, who put
plenty of bite into the rolling, 7,200-yard track. It’s a great
place for grip-it-and-rip-it types who like to use a driver off the
tee, but the approach shots are tricky and the greens are fast,
sloping and/or heavily contoured. The former site of the LPGA/PGA
J.C. Penney Classic, Copperhead is now home to the Chrysler
Championship. K.J. Choi set a tournament record 267 in his 2002 win
here over Glen Day.
The 11,000-acre resort just west of Tampa has more pools than
golf courses six, including the huge Loch Ness, which is in the
middle of a three-acre fun park. Cycling trails and a wildlife area
also are on the grounds, as well as a tennis, racquetball and
fitness center. Guests staying at the resort’s 600 rooms and suites
can choose from four diverse restaurants. The 65,000-square-foot
conference complex offers three buildings, including the Inverness
Hall, which has a 14,000-square-foot ballroom that seats 2,000
people theater-style.