GOLF Magazine....

GOLF SOUTH

As the weather turns cold, golfers head south for fall and winter golf vacations (some even end up buying a southern home on the links). Here’s a selection of our top warm weather places to play.

VIRGINIA

VIRGINIA BEACH

Virginia Beach’s reputation as a golfer’s getaway is growing, thanks to a warm, year-round climate, challenging play, and the addition of both the Tournament Players Club and Heron Ridge golf courses. Add to the mix a wide range of golf packages available at six Virginia Beach courses and 19 hotels and everyone from novice to professional players can find oceanside accommodations to match their game in Virginia Beach (www.vbfun.com).

The final touches are complete for the championship 18-hole Tournament Players Club golf course, driving range and club house, and golfers took to the links this May. Located in a setting of mature hardwood forests and rolling meadow (and just minutes from the beach), the course was designed by renowned architect Pete Dye in collaboration with PGA TOUR Player Consultant Curtis Strange. It is the first daily-fee Tournament Players Club course open to the public from Maine to the Carolinas.

Heron Ridge of Virginia Beach also opened this spring, featuring a club house, driving range, target greens, bunkers and five tees on each hole. The 18-hole, 7,101-yard course features a variety of challenges such as 30-foot elevation changes and 14 holes with water, creeks or wetlands. These new additions took their places alongside other challenging courses such as Hell’s Point Golf Club, Honey Bee Golf Club, Cypress Point Country Club, and Red Wing Lake Municipal Golf Course.

With the Virginia Beach Golf Association offering comprehensive golf packages, seasoned players as well as those just learning the game will find it easy to tee off daily in Virginia Beach. Many packages include oceanfront suites, guaranteed tee times, and complimentary breakfast. Instruction by PGA professionals is available.

Planning a golf trip to Virginia’s coast is even easier with the addition of a new EZ Links computerized scheduling system. The program is an electronic hole in one for visitors to the resort city, allowing travelers to reserve hotel accommodations and tee times in one phone call. Inventory is maintained online in real time for 19 hotels and 6 golf courses, including the new TPC and Heron Ridge facilities.

Off the links, visitors to Virginia Beach can enjoy a fine array of seafood restaurants, nightclubs and live entertainment, whether it’s a concert at the GTE Virginia Beach Amphitheater or beach music at the 24th Street Oceanfront Stage. Anglers can try their luck deep sea fishing in the Gulf Stream, with charters and party boats departing daily from Rudee Inlet and Lynnhaven Pier.

For more information, visit their website or call (800) 446-8038.

WINTERGREEN RESORT

With the addition of the new Tuckahoe Nine at Stoney Creek, the Rees Jones vision of 27 extraordinary holes of championship golf at Wintergreen Resort is complete. The award-winning Stoney Creek now boasts three memorable nines--Monocan, Shamokin, and Tuckahoe, which is complemented beautifully by the challenging Devils Knob mountain course--Virginia’s highest at 3,900 feet.

The total package--45 holes of mountain and valley golf--is unique in the mid-Atlantic region and sets Wintergreen Resort (www.wintergreenresort.com) apart as a destination for golfers of all ages and abilities. Wintergreen has come a long way since it opened its first ski run in 1976. Although many still know it best as a ski resort, Wintergreen has added upscale and casual restaurants, more than 300 accommodations options, 22 tennis courts and an award-winning tennis program, a mountain biking program with 100 miles of available single-track, six pools, a conference center with more than 40,000 square feet of meeting and function space, and the full-service Wintergarden Spa & Fitness Center.

As the resort prepares to celebrate its 25th anniversary year, it’s clear that Wintergreen is better than ever on and off the links. From the original Ellis Maples-designed Devils Knob, which many consider one of the world’s finest mountain courses, to the now complete Stoney Creek, Wintergreen offers an exceptional vacation or retirement golf experience. With the addition of the popular Wintergreen Golf Academy, as well as new pro shop and clubhouse facilities, it’s clear that Wintergreen is much more than a ski resort.

Golf is just one of the options open year-round at Wintergreen. Even in the winter, Stoney Creek typically remains open. In fact, visitors to the resort are invited to ski and golf on the same day for just the cost of a lift ticket. With the recent addition of indoor tennis, it’s even possible to make it a three-sport day.

For more information, visit their website or call (800) 266-2444.

NORTH CAROLINA

BRUNSWICK PLANTATION & GOLF RESORT

Located just north of Myrtle Beach, Brunswick Plantation & Golf Resort has become one of the Grand Strand area's premier golf and residential communities. This 1,000-acre destination has it all for the vacationing golfer, as well as those looking for a perfect place to live on the links.

The centerpiece of this stunning southern golf plantation is the outstanding 27-hole championship golf course, with 18 holes designed by renowned architect Willard Byrd and the other 9 holes built Clyde Johnston. The magnificent layout is among the best-conditioned in the region and features an authentic Scottish-style design and tournament-quality bent-grass greens (which are guaranteed or your money back).

Willard Byrd emphasized the natural beauty of the terrain by integrating the bright greens of the fairways with the wooded Carolina pines. The first nine holes, the Magnolia Course, are reminiscent of the links in Scotland where golf originated. The next nine, the Azalea Course, features water on many holes and an island green surrounded by oyster shells. The Dogwood Course meanders along the Caw Caw River and by an ancient cypress that has a diameter of more than six feet.

Brunswick Plantation & Golf Resort also offers first-class accommodations in one- and two-bedroom new golf villas. These are designed with golfing foursomes or families in mind, with two full-sized beds per bedroom and complete kitchens. Jasmines, which is inside the 14,000-square-foot Plantation House, is open for all meals and features fine dining in the evenings. Other amenities include indoor/outdoor pools, exercise spa, a fully-stocked pro shop, practice range, and putting green.

Brunswick also features a comfortable residential lifestyle, with choice wooded homesites and elegant spacious single-family homes and golf villas at excellent prices. A wide variety of neighborhoods are included in the master plan of the Plantation, which has been painstakingly developed to make available some of the most picturesque views and settings in the Carolinas. The Brunswick House, a private owners clubhouse, features a swimming pool, tennis court, exercise spa, a card and reading room, kitchen, and recreation room.

It's easy to see why Brunswick Plantation & Golf Resort is one of the Grand Strand's most complete destinations. Their website (www.brunswickplantation.com) provides lots of details. For more information, visit their website or call (800) 332-8576.

NORTH CAROLINA'S BRUNSWICK ISLANDS

Many golfers find themselves drawn to North Carolina's most southeastern region, where, tucked in among endless stretches of beaches, miles of marshes, and acres of forests, the Brunswick Islands offer scores of challenging championship courses well away from the crowds of other golf-intensive areas.

In fact, there are more than 30 local golf courses and another 70-plus within a few minutes drive--thus, the area's nickname, "North Carolina's Golf Coast." Designed by the likes of Couples, Palmer, Dye, Irwin, Maples, and Jones, a number of the area's superb golf courses rank among the nation's best.

Golfers fortunate enough to play these links are treated to spectacular views of the Atlantic Ocean, Intracoastal Waterway, a myriad of marshlands, and dozens of lakes, ponds, and rivers. Here, you'll tee off on holes carved into lush forests, crowning a ridge of rolling hills, and strategically placed throughout the beautiful Carolina countryside.

On diversions from the links, you can visit the numerous historical sites in the area, take in museums and gardens, or take off for a fabulous outdoor adventure of kayaking, canoeing, or sportfishing. Sailing, shelling, horseback riding, antique collecting, beach strolling, and nature watching are other favorite coastal pleasures.

All that activity is bound to make a visitor hungry and ready for a good nights sleep. Visitors to the area may choose from a host of excellent accommodations that overlook the ocean or fairways, as well as a choice of notable restaurants in all price categories. Many hotels and resorts also offer attractive golf packages.

Along with an extensive website (www.ncbrunswick.com), North Carolina's Brunswick Islands offers an excellent vacation guide to begin planning. For more information, visit their website or call (800) 795-SAND.

PINEHURST RESORT & COUNTRY CLUB

Hot on the heels of the huge exposure during the 1999 U.S. Open, Pinehurst Resort & Country Club is more popular than ever. Thanks to coverage by more than 1,500 media members and more than 24 hours of televised broadcasts on NBC and ESPN, people from around the world are planning golf vacations to Pinehurst.

The economic impact for the area from hotel and motel room rentals, car rentals, meals, and other spending was expected to be more than $200 million, but the impact on vacations at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club will be felt for years to come. From playing the legendary site of the 99th U.S. Open Championship (Pinehurst No. 2) to enjoying all of the other golf and amenities of the resort, everyone want to play and stay at Pinehurst.

With the purchase and renovation of the Holly Inn and the renaming of The Pinehurst Hotel to it’s original name, The Carolina, Pinehurst now owns three lodging properties within the Village of Pinehurst. The Carolina, The Manor Inn, and Holly Inn are all included in the Village of Pinehurst's designation as a National Historic Landmark, an honor bestowed on districts, sites, and buildings that represent a nationally significant aspect of American history.

Holly Inn originally opened in 1895. Pinehurst purchased the inn in late-1997, renovated it in time for the U.S. Open. It features 85 rooms and a wide variety of function space for meetings, receptions, and banquets. The Manor Inn opened in 1923, has 46 rooms, and is home to the popular restaurant and sports bar, Mulligans.

The newly-named Carolina is the largest wooden hotel in North Carolina. Pinehurst founder James W. Tufts began building it less than five years after the Holly opened, when it became clear that his idea for a wintertime health and recreation resort for snow-encumbered northerners had found its niche. It opened on January 1, 1901 to 10 guests. By March, more than 350 guest were registered and it was soon dubbed "The Queen of the South."

Of course, the biggest draw is still the resort's legendary golf. With eight world-famous courses, this GOLF Magazine Gold Medal Resort, is like no other golf resort destination in the world. From famed and renovated No. 2 to the rave reviews for the newest, No. 8, Pinehurst features eight spectacular places to play, varied options for places to stay, other recreation, and much more.

Pinehurst has been the historic setting for many tournaments since its opening in 1895. The distinguished list includes the 1936 PGA Championship, the 1951 Ryder Cup Matches, the 1962 U.S. Amateur, the 1989 U.S. Women's Amateur, and the 1994 U.S. Senior Open, as well as this year's U.S. Open.

Along with great courses and a legacy of outstanding tournaments, many other historic golf touches abound. Visitors will find experienced caddies who know every crest and crown on the greens, four golf shops laden with historic tools of the trade, and seasoned staff members that seem to have been here since the resort opened. A visit isn't complete without hitting a bucket of balls on "Maniac Hill," one of the oldest practice tees in the nation and what Tommy Armour said is to golf what "Kitty Hawk is to flying."

The fine facilities at Pinehurst also include the Golf Advantage School, which has become one of the most respected schools in the country. With a maximum student-to-teacher ratio of 5-to-1, the instruction is personalized and productive. Facilities are state-of-the-art and include on-course classrooms, individual video analysis, a 4,400-square-foot enclosed instruction facility with a covered hitting area, a video room, and classrooms. A wide variety of specific school packages are available.

Along with golf and elegant accommodations, other amenities at the resort include 24 tennis courts, watersports and boating on Lake Pinehurst, a fitness center and programs, croquet and lawn balls, five swimming pools located throughout the property, shopping, some of the area's finest dining possibilities, and much more.

Pinehurst Resort & Country Club is owned and operated by Club Resorts Inc., an affiliate of ClubCorp. Founded and headquartered in Dallas in 1957, $1.1 billion ClubCorp is a world leader in delivering golf, private club, and resort experiences. Its international collection of more than 200 properties ranges from premier country clubs and world-class resort destinations to bustling city clubs and exceptional semi-private golf courses.

Of course, Pinehurst Resort & Country Club offers a wide array of golf vacation and golf school possibilities, much of which can be reviewed on their website (www.pinehurst.com). For further information, visit their website or call (800) IT'S GOLF.

SOUTH CAROLINA

DAUFUSKIE ISLAND CLUB & RESORT

It's hard to beat a southern golf resort that you can only reach by boat. Located just one mile off Hilton Head Island, Daufuskie Island is accessible only by a leisurely boat cruise. Once there, you'll find the pristine island's only full-service resort destination, Daufuskie Island Club & Resort.

Opened early last year, Daufuskie Island Club & Resort (www.daufuskieresort.com) was the result of the acquisition and merger of the former Melrose and Bloody Point Clubs by Club Resorts Inc., the well-known subsidiary of Dallas-based Club Corporation International (ClubCorp).

The new resort's secluded amenities include 36 holes of championship golf; 186 well-appointed guest rooms and oceanside cottages (48 Inn rooms and 137 bedrooms in two- and four-bedroom cottages); three oceanside pools; a Stan Smith-designed tennis center; an equestrian center offering trail rides and lessons; croquet; lawn bowling; fishing; and beach access.

In addition, their new three-mile white sand beach stretches from the Beach Club and Inn all the way to Bloody Point. It’s 50 to 150 yards wide, while the Beach Club itself includes the new Daufuskie Water Sports Center and a wide array of options. Numerous other capital improvements are planned, including the construction of The Island House, a 16,000-square-foot executive conference center, which will open next April.

The resort's golf offerings include the Jack Nicklaus-designed Melrose Course and the Tom Weiskopf- and Jay Morrish-designed Bloody Point layout. The Melrose Course features three finishing holes that dramatically hug the Atlantic Ocean. The Bloody Point Course is highlighted by coastal marshes and lagoons, as well as scenic vistas of Savannah, Georgia.

Accommodations start with 52 elegant rooms in the Melrose Inn, with a majority featuring ocean views. The private cottages, which overlook the ocean or native saltwater marshes, feature two- and four-bedroom configurations, including a living room/dining room, full kitchen, washer and dryer, fireplace, and porches overlooking the ocean or marsh.

Dining and entertainment choices include the Inn's elegant Stoddard Room, which overlooks the ocean, as well as casual fare and diversions at Jack's Place, the Beach Club, or the Sportsman's Lodge at the Equestrian Center. The resort also offers an array of personal guest services, excellent year-round children's programs (including a daily recreation and activity program during the summer), and special golf and vacation packages. There’s also a new water taxi service to Harbour Town several times a day.

For that perfect private island golf getaway, the Daufuskie Island Club & Resort boat awaits. For more information, call (800) 648-6778.

HILTON HEAD--THE GOLF ISLAND

From duffers to pros, Hilton Head Island is truly "The Golf Island." With more than 800,000 rounds played annually on Hilton Head's 22 public-access courses, golf enthusiasts will delight in this destination that specializes in golf vacations.

Located off the southernmost point of South Carolina and warmed by the Gulf Stream, Hilton Head Island is blessed with a subtropical climate, keeping the golfing season open year-round. The foot-shaped barrier island is less than a mile off the coastline and just 30 miles north of Savannah and historic Beaufort, as well as a short 90 miles drive south of Charleston. Two convenient airports serve the area, as well as nearby I-95.

Golfing vacationers have flocked to Hilton Head for years and the golf amenities just keep improving. The island's courses include the work of top designers like George and Tom Fazio, Arthur Hills, Rees Jones and Robert Trent Jones, Pete Dye, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, George Cobb, Gary Player, Fuzzy Zoeller, and Willard Byrd. The island is also host to some of the world's top tournaments, including the MCI Classic--The Heritage of Golf.

Along with great golf, the island features Lowcountry topography of vast sea marshes, networks of lagoons and creeks separated by forests of moss-draped oaks, magnolias, pines, and palmettos, and 12 miles of sand, hard-packed public beaches. In addition, more than 6,000 villas, 3,000 hotel/motel rooms, and 1,000 timeshare units make the accommodations choices varied. More than 200 restaurants, 36 shopping areas, and a wide variety of sightseeing options enhance the experience.

The 1999 Golf Planner provide a complete guide to golf and accommodations packages on Hilton Head Island, as does their website (www.golfisland.com). For more information, visit their website or call (888) GOLF-ISLAND.

LEGENDS RESORTS

Legends Resorts offers visitors to the Grand Strand a unique six-star experience, as well as already legendary options up in the Williamsburg, Virginia area. Owned and operated by the Legends Group and headquartered in Myrtle Beach since 1975, Legends Resorts is styled in the tradition of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club in St. Andrews.

Legends Resorts (www.legendsgolf.com) is located just off US 501 in Myrtle Beach and just 10 minutes from Myrtle Beach International Airport, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Strand’s many entertainment and dining venues. Legends Resorts features luxury accommodations and six championship golf courses that have been recognized as some of the best in the nation.

The three on-site courses--Heathland, Moorland, and Parkland--all begin and end at the Legends’ 42,000-square-foot clubhouse, which is reminiscent of the Royal & Ancient. The other three courses--Marsh Harbour Golf Links, Oyster Bay Golf Links, and Heritage Club--all have their own clubhouse and full-service pro shop.

Accommodations at Legends Resorts are reminiscent of ancient Scottish towns, with elegant Turnberry Park offering two-bedroom vacation villas overlooking Parkland Golf Course, lush forestland, or the award-winning 30-acre lighted golf practice facility. For those who want a more permanent Legends spot, The Legends is a master-planned community, offering a wide variety of options for prospective buyers at Turnberry Park, Gleneagles, and Parkland. Property owners and visitors have access to an array of activities, including a full-service pro shop, the practice facility, lots of on-site dining, two swimming pools, a hot tub, tennis courts, and a planned 15,000-square-foot meeting facility.

In addition, the Legends Group has recently developed two already successful and award-winning courses in the Richmond/Williamsburg/Virginia Beach corridor. Mike Strantz’s unique Royal New Kent and Stonehouse layouts have become quite popular in this golf-crazy area.

For more information, visit their website or call (800) 530-1874 or (803) 236-9318 in South Carolina.

SEA MIST RESORT

Regardless of which package you choose, Sea Mist Resort (www.seamist.com) provides one of the best golf vacation values in the Myrtle Beach area. From great golf to great amenities, Sea Mist has the perfect package.

Their six-day package remains one of the most popular packages on the Grand Strand, including exceptional golf, daily buffet breakfast, a southern-style oyster roast every Wednesday, a complimentary drink served in the Sea Mist’s all-new golfers lounge, and two specially designed dinners with entertainment held each Monday and Thursday.

Sea Mist offers four main golf packages, structured to suit any golfer’s needs. For those interested in daily golf, accommodations, and breakfast only, the Four-Day Super Saver is the best bet. For those who prefer eventful dinners and more, the Six-Day Original is perfect. Both of these packages feature play on more than 34 premium championship courses, with no surcharge. Alternatively, the Club One Package (for four or six days) has all of the above amenities, but the choice of courses features 30 signature options with no surcharge. These premium courses are known for their layout and design.

Off the Grand Strand links, Sea Mist Resort amenities include 11 swimming pools (two indoor), numerous hot tubs, a popular restaurant, the golfers lounge, and much more. Sea Mist also offers preferred tee times at more than 100 championship courses through their reservationists and golf coordinators.

For more information, visit their website or call (800) 843-4361.

WILD DUNES RESORT

Golf play-and-stay packages at Charleston’s island resort, Wild Dunes Resort (www.wilddunes.com), are better than ever. With golf on the world-ranked Links and challenging Harbor Course, villa accommodations with daily housekeeping, green and car fees for 18 holes each day, and full breakfast daily, the package plan at Wild Dunes is perfect.

The packages start with great golf. With fairways winding past live oaks and rustling palms and finishing holes along the Atlantic Ocean, Wild Dunes Links recalls the game’s ancient Scottish heritage. The Harbor Course rewards skillful shotmaking, with several holes bordering the Intracoastal Waterway and two holes playing across saltwater marshes. The Wild Dunes golf experience is enhanced by specialist golf coordinators; professional instruction; club storage and cleaning; practice facilities; golf shops; tournament services; a caddie program; and PROLINK (TRADEMARK SYMBOL), a state-of-the-art computerized electronic yardage and information system for their golf carts.

For their packages, Wild Dunes offers a variety of spacious villas and homes with full kitchens and laundry facilities. Offering one to six bedrooms and unsurpassed views of nature, all lodging is convenient to the resort’s world-class amenities, restaurants, and meeting facilities. Great package prices are also available at the 93-room Boardwalk Inn, including an $89 per day “Unlimited Golf” package that is surely one of the best golf vacation deals in the south.

Whichever package you choose, a Wild Dunes golf package will provide a perfect vacation at a perfect price. For more information, visit their website or call (888) 845-8933.

GEORGIA

BRUNSWICK & THE GOLDEN ISLES

Nestled along the coastline and barrier islands of southeast Georgia, Brunswick & The Golden Isles (www.bgivb.com) welcome golf vacationers to a truly exhilarating expanse of sun, sea, fun...and great golf. When you combine a charming port city with four islands and 216 holes of golf, you have a peach of a Georgia golf destination.

The quaint port city of Brunswick features streets with charming Victorian homes, a bustling waterfront, and the vast Marshes of Glynn. Along with famed Brunswick stew, the city is also proclaimed as a “Shrimp Capital of the World.” Out on the barrier islands, St. Simons Island, Sea Island, Little St. Simons Island, and Jekyll Island all feature unique history, beaches, resorts, and much more.

The entire region also features some great golf. The Brunswick area offers 18 holes at Brunswick Country Club and Oak Grove Island Golf Club, as well as nine holes at Glynco Golf Course and the Golden Isles Golf Center, a complete practice facility and par three course.

Out on St. Simons Island 18-hole options include The Hampton Club, St. Simons Island Club, and Sea Island Golf Club. Sea Palms Golf & Tennis Resort features 27 holes of St. Simons Island golf. Down on Jekyll Island, the Jekyll Island Golf Club has three 18-hole courses and a nine-hole layout, for a total of 63 holes.

The invitingly mild weather that graces Brunswick & The Golden Isles year-round is due in large part to the gentle ocean breezes that help winters stay warm and summers cool. The average annual rainfall is just 50 inches and the average temperature is a pleasant 68 degrees.

For more information, visit their website or call (800) 933-COAST.

THE CLOISTER

With the Rees Jones-renovated Plantation Course last year and this year's Tom Fazio renovation of the Seaside and Marshside courses into the new Seaside Course, The Cloister is better than ever. The improved golf is enhanced by one of the finest resort experiences in the nation.

A GOLF Magazine Gold Medal Resort located on Georgia's Sea Island, the resort is situated along the southeast coast of Georgia and is just 70 miles north of Jacksonville and 70 miles south of Savannah. Opened in 1928, the highly successful property now has 286 rooms located throughout the sprawling grounds. The Cloister and Sea Island (www.seaisland.com) have become a complete golf vacation destination.

The famed Avenue of Oaks leads to the stunningly landscaped 36-hole Sea Island Golf Club. Venerable Walter Travis was the first to leave his mark, laying out Plantation nine in 1927. Colt & Alison crafted Seaside two years later. Dick Wilson drew Retreat nine from the land in 1960. Joe Lee fashioned Marshside in 1973.

The Plantation Course is testing the talents of modern golfers with a Rees Jones redesign. Jones, dubbed "The Open Doctor" by this magazine, says, "Our job at Sea Island was to optimize the site." Fazio’s redesign of Seaside and Marshside into the new Seaside Course is just as dramatic. Fazio has preserved the intregrity of the two nines, while moving them closer to the marshes, tidal creeks, and other environmental landmarks.

A recent visitor to the course, GOLF Magazine senior editor Mike Purkey, says, “It’s not as if Sea Island needs a face lift to be successful. It is, however, refreshing to note that one of the best retreats in the world refuses to exist simply on reputation alone.”

In addition, Sea Island's Golf Learning Center offers Cloister guests an excellent place to learn and practice. A new clubhouse and golf lodge are also planned for Sea Island Golf Club, which will open prior to the Walker Cup at Ocean Forest in August, 2001. But smart golfers are already planning visits to The Cloister now to enjoy each of the 'new' courses. Nearby, guests at The Cloister can also play at St. Simons Island Golf Club, bringing the total number of holes available to guests to 54.

The Cloister features a variety of accommodations, with an unusually wide range of rates appropriate to size and location. Some rooms front the ocean, while others are a few hundred yards back. Full American Plan dining options include the main dining room, the Beach Club, both golf clubs, and a special Friday night outdoor plantation supper served on Rainbow Island. Along with golf, the amenities list includes tennis, swimming, horseback riding, sailing, biking, fishing, boating, shooting school, archery, a full-service spa, and the Beach Club.

The resort offers several value-packed golf packages, which include the resort's traditional Full American Plan, daily greens fees (play is usually unlimited), shared golf cart daily (or caddy, when available, at an additional charge), complimentary setup of range balls daily, and club cleaning and storage. There is a three-night minimum stay for packages.

For more information, visit their website or call (800) SEA-ISLAnd.

ALABAMA

ALABAMA GULF COAST CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU

Located at the southernmost tip of Alabama and just 50 miles southeast of Mobile or 35 miles west of Pensacola, Florida, Alabama's Gulf Coast (www.gulfshores.com) provides an ideal sub-tropical climate for year-round golf. It is comprised of 32 miles of sugary white Gulf of Mexico beaches, tall sand dunes, sea oats, and brilliant blue-green water; inland wooded area of live oaks and pines; and freshwater lakes, rivers, bayous, and coves that adds more protected waterfront to the area. There's also some great golf.

With 13 championship courses totaling 252 holes, all within an hour’s drive, you have the perfect conditions for true golf lovers. Gulf Shores/Orange Beach provides that combination, making it a golfer’s paradise. With several Arnold Palmer offerings and a wide variety of other courses, the area is quickly developing into a golf vacation hotspot.

Many hotels, motels, and condominium rental groups offer golf packages at area courses. The combination of championship golf, a great variety of beachfront accommodations, and other vacation activities make Gulf Shores/Orange Beach the ideal destination for the timeless game that can be played anytime of year.

For more information and a free “Vacation Guide and Golf Planner,” just contact the Alabama Gulf Coast Convention & Visitors Bureau. For more information, visit their website or call (800) 745-SAND.

FLORIDA

GOLFPAC

Founded in 1975, Golfpac has evolved into a worldwide leader in golf packages in Florida, the Carolinas, Arizona, Scotland, Ireland, and England. With more than 20,000 golf vacationers booking with them each year (including many happy repeat customers), Golfpac is the perfect resource for booking a perfect golf vacation.

Each August, Golfpac’s “Annual Vacation Guide” is published. This incredible resource provides details for golf, hotels, rental cars, and much more. Golfpac creates their own packages using net room and golf rates whenever possible. Packages include accommodations, greens fees, cart, taxes, and other features available through the specific hotel or resort. This method allows Golfpac the flexibility to build a customized package for the vacationing golfer.

Booking a golf vacation with Golfpac has never been easier. Using the toll-free number (see below), golfers can speak directly to experienced golf vacation planners. To examine all of the possibilities, Golfpac’s website (www.golfpacinc.com) provides a 24-hour quoting system and on-line reservations. Perhaps no other company and website give golfers the ability to completely plan golf tee times, hotel reservations, and real-time pricing.

In addition, Golfpac has developed an exclusive relationship with with Golf Villas Resort at PGA Village (see below). With a perfect PGA Village base, complimentary club membership privileges, and Golfpac as your vacation planner, Golf Villas Resort is a Sunshine State success, just like Golfpac.

For further information, visit their website or call (800) 327-0878.

PGA VILLAGE

If you’re looking for an affordable country club lifestyle, PGA Village is perfect. PGA Village (www.pgavillage.com), located in Port St. Lucie, Florida, offers golf lovers an unprecedented golfing experience, a luxury gated environment, and the opportunity to enjoy it all on a non-equity basis. That means that PGA Village residents don’t have the equity dues or assessments associated with almost all other comparable private country club communities (a typical 25% savings over a comparable equity country club).

PGA Village is the only community in the country with three championship courses owned and operated by the PGA of America--two of which were designed by Tom Fazio and the third currently being built by Pete Dye and scheduled to open in January. Along with the popular non-equity option for these three courses, private non-equity membership at PGA Country Club and private equity membership at The Legacy Club are also available.

PGA Village residents who participate in the “PGA Experience” programs offered by the PGA Golf Club enjoy a variety of privileges and amenities. These include: preferred tee times; indoor and al fresco dining; a golf shop; and a full-service staff, including PGA Professionals who maintain handicaps and oversee the intra-community league’s full schedule of tournaments. PGA Village will also be the site of the PGA Learning Center, owned and operated by PGA of America. Also scheduled for completion in January, this 30-acre facility will feature indoor/outdoor practice facilities and state-of-the-art evaluation techniques.

Kolter Property Company has recently unveiled 20 new furnished models, representing $500 million in new inventory offered in their eight new residential enclaves. This is the largest single collection of models on the Treasure Coast. Kolter is planning a 23-acre retail center, as well as further residential and commercial development on adjacent land. A MainStay suite hotel and a Vistana Vacation Resort are also under construction.

Buyers can choose from a wide variety of golf villas, townhomes, and single-family residences, with starting prices between the $120s and $500s. Additionally, there are homesites throughout the community earmarked for custom estate residences from the $600s to more than $1 million.

Of course, the vast majority of homesites and homes enjoy expansive golf, lake, and/or wooded views, with several homesites bordering double-wide fairways. For owners who are not year-round residents, there are complete on-site rental and management services.

Located about 39 miles north of Palm Beach, the sales pavilion and furnished models are open daily from 9am to 5:30pm. For further information, visit their website or call (800) 682-5551.

THE WESTIN INNISBROOK RESORT

In the rolling hills of Pinellas County, just south of the Greek fishing community of Tarpon Springs and west of Tampa, lies one of America’s premier golf, conference, and vacation destinations--The Westin Innisbrook Resort (www.westin-innisbrook.com).

This private luxurious setting features 1,000 guest suites; 90 holes of championship golf on five award-winning courses; a complete tennis, racquetball, and fitness facility; a sophisticated meeting and conference center; dining in four restaurants; and live entertainment. Guests can also enjoy six swimming pools, jogging and cycling trails, a wildlife preserve, and a complete children’s recreation center.

Innisbrook was carefully designed within the context of the natural landscape of the area. Guest accommodations are in 28 low-rise lodges, which are named for famous golf courses around the world. These lodges are nestled around the resort’s golf courses, clubhouses, and pools. The clubhouses act as centers for dining, entertainment, sports, and leisure activities.

Golfers find Innisbrook’s carefully manicured fairways, 80-foot course elevations, gaping sand bunkers, and strategically placed water hazards offer both beauty and challenge. The famed Copperhead Course--site of the JCPenney Classic--is consistently ranked one of the top courses around. Copperhead recently reopened after and extensive renovation in anticipation of the PGA TOUR event schedule for Copperhead next October 16-22, 2000. Well-known Eagle’s Watch, the Island course, and Hawk’s Run (opened for play in January, 1998) provide a wide variety of golf experiences. Lost Oaks of Innisbrook, formerly known as Tarpon Woods, was acquired by Innisbrook in 1997 and completely renovated last year. In addition to outstanding play, Innisbrook offers the top-notch Innisbrook Golf School Programs developed by Jay Overton more than 19 years ago.

Undergoing more than $50 million in renovations, the entire resort is better than ever. Camp Innisbrook, A Westin Kid’s Club, and the Recreation Center mean families are very welcome at the resort. When you add a wide variety of dining, amenities, conference facilities, nearby attractions, and many package possibilities, you have a complete Florida vacation resort.

For further information, visit their website or call (800) 456-2000.

WEAVING THE WEB OF GREAT SOUTHERN GOLF

Virginia

Virginia Beach: www.vbfun.com

Wintergreen Resort: www.wintergreenresort.com

North Carolina

Brunswick Plantation & Golf Resort: www.brunswickplantation.com

North Carolina's Brunswick Islands: www.ncbrunswick.com

Pinehurst Resort & Country Club: www.pinehurst.com

South Carolina

Daufuskie Island Club & Resort: www.daufuskieresort.com

Hilton Head--The Golf Island: www.golfisland.com

Legends Resorts: www.legendsgolf.com

Sea Mist Resort: www.seamist.com

Wild Dunes Resort: www.wilddunes.com

Georgia

Brunswick & The Golden Isles: www.bgivb.com

The Cloister: www.seaisland.com

Alabama

Alabama Gulf Coast Convention & Visitors Bureau: www.gulfshores.com and

www.golfgulfshores.com

Florida

Golfpac: www.golfpacinc.com

PGA Village: www.pgavillage.com

The Westin Innisbrook Resort: www.westin-innisbrook.com