Conference 7.286::golf

    October would be a great month to go to any of the big resorts
    in Arizona or Southern California (ie. Palm Springs). The weather
    would be fantastic. 
    
    Mad Hacker

    COnsider also the great desert of the SOuth West.  Arizona (Phoenix
    area) is an awesome place to golf and vacation and the costs are not
    exorbidant.
    
    SCD

    I would fly to Arizonia, book a house at The Pointe and play their
    course everyday.
    They have great restaurants on site and "they can spoil you" where
    money is not an issue!
    You might even try to stay on or near Troon in Scotsdale, another place
    to be spoiled by food and golf!
    
    Have fun,
    Tom

    My wife and I and another DEC couple are renting a house in Orlando in
    October. It is three bedroom, two baths, swimming pool, cable TV,
    garage, you name it. Oh golf? It has ynlimited golf on two separte
    courses. I don't know the details about the courses, but the price for
    this house is $600 for a week. 
    
    Pretty reasonable I think.
    
    Info from:   Jean Reiczyk @geo
    
    
    - John

    
    I too would vote for Phoenix.  I had the opportunity to work out
    there for 7 weeks a couple of years ago.....There are some fantastic
    courses (reasonable), great place to stay (The Pointe is one) and
    there is plenty of things to do in that area.  
    
    Play golf by day, see the sites by night...You'd have to go to Pinnacle
    Peak for dinner some night, plan it so your there for sunset....this
    place is GREAT.  You can travel around to other locations in a short
    period and play some the best courses around.
    
    Phoenix, yea that's the ticket!
    
    Bob

    re:.3  I just got back yesterday from a stay at The Pointe at Squaw
           Peak. This is one of 3 Pointe facilities in the area and the
           only one without it's own course. This didn't proove to be
    	   a problem because there was a house shuttle to Tapatio where
           I played the Lookout Mountain course. I'd highly recommend
    	   the pointe and would go there again.
    
    re:.2  Costs are high in Phoenix for lodging and golf. This is peak
    	   season for another month or so. As a result greens fees at the
    	   courses listed in the "places to play" are quite high but drop
    	   considerably by mid summer. For example Lookout Mountain is $96
    	   now and drops to ~$27 in July.
    
    I played:
    	TPC Stadium Course	Gold Canyon
    	Biltmore		Lookout Mountain
    	Troon North
    
    	Biltmore's Adobe course is more conventional but the rest are
        desert courses with TPC Stadium being "least desert" and Troon
        North being "most desert". I thought Troon North and the back nine
    	at Gold Canyon were the most interesting of the holes played. I
    	second the comment made earlier about the food. The prices seemed
    	to be ~25% less that what I'd expect to pay at home and the quality
    	was excellent with quite a selection. [The pointe offered a rattle-
    	snake appetizer]
    gp

    Phoenix-
    
    Of course the summer is their off-season because of the heat.  I
    believe that October is still not yet the high season, so costs are
    still reasonable.  BEst to check to make sure.  Most places in the warm
    belt, including Palm Springs usually crank up the prices in November.
    
    SCD

You want to be spoiled rotten & only spend $3K....So you must be planning on
going for a weekend! ;-)  Places that also fit your requirements that I've
visited include:
	Innisbrook	- just outside Tampa Florida (not your typical
			  Florida course.  Acutally they have 3.)
	The Cloister	- Sea Island Georgia, about 1/2 way between
			  Jacksonville & Savannah.  (A couple presidents
			  have vacationed there.)

Other places that come to mind, but never tested include:
	Greenbriar in West Virginia - Old line hotel, great course, 
		recommended from someone I believe
	Pinehurst - I don't know anyone that has been there but it
		supposedly has old style hotel charm, surrounded by
		7 courses of their own.  #2 is a Donald Ross, must play!
	Monterey, CA - Try either the Lodge @ Pebble Beach or the Inn at
		Spanish Bay - Play Pebble, Spy Glass, Spanish Bay, & Poppy
		Hills, probably a budget buster
	Ventana Canyon, La Paloma - my wife has visited these resorts
		out in the desert & says we MUST go there on vacation.

The best part of planning these sorts of vacations is shopping & planning.
Now if you just want a nice place, great golf, & treated well (but not
spoiled) that would be quite a long list.

Larry

    You said "pampered", and that immediately brings to mind only one place
    and that is LaCosta.  It is expensive, but with the SPA fcilities, the
    five resturants, the movies, the shopping, 36 holes of golf and things
    like a jazz group in the afternoon in the lounge after your 36 holes,
    with maid service multiple times in the day, your clubs on the cart
    when you come into the pro shop, or your caddy ready with your shined
    shoes, etc. , I think La Costa is the ticket.  My wife and I try to go
    every other year (can't afford every year), but they do have some
    packages and everything is there.  You can have massages, mud packs,
    facials, diet consultations, exercise classes - you name it!  
    
    You will not find as good an offerring of food, drink at the Pointe,
    Sheraton Conquistidor or other places I've been in Arizona.  There is
    one five star resturant in Arizona, it is in Tucson, but it is not
    associated with with a golf course (that's by Mobil ratings). La Costa
    has two, plus a diet resturant that serves low fat, low sodium gourmet
    food.  
    
    I think you could have a superb time - I always have.  Last time I went
    dancing there, they had two bands, so the music never stopped, they
    just rotated the stage and you kept dancing.  Some really nice members
    there and its always fun to see all the paintings of the Champions from
    the Tournament of Champions.
    
    Big Mac

RE: from .8

>	Pinehurst - I don't know anyone that has been there but it
		supposedly has old style hotel charm, surrounded by
		7 courses of their own.  #2 is a Donald Ross, must play!

I played Pinehurst last fall (October) when I was at ULTRIX FTC at NCSU.  I WILL
go back there first chance I get.  I was not able to play #2 because it was 
closed for the PGA tournament.  Played #6 and was quite impressed.  #1 is also
a Donald Ross course.  (Larry you know how I feel about Donald Ross courses).
The area reminds me of the Cape.  Sandy soil, with rolling hills, long needle
pines and scrub oaks. Just a beautiful area.  The golf hall of fame is there
(didn't have time).  There ae 2 hotels there, 1 large GRAND beauty and a smaller
BEAUTY.  Greens fees are included in the room charge (#2 costs extra because
it's a championship course.)  This is truely a special area.



						KO

RE: .10

>I played Pinehurst last fall (October) when I was at ULTRIX FTC at NCSU.  I WILL
>go back there first chance I get.  

KO, glad to hear you think so highly of Pinehurst.  I feel guilty that I 
haven't tried to go there sooner.  I will definitely have to move it up on
my list of future vacation spots.  Especially with TWO Ross courses to play!
Everything I've ever read made it seem like an ideal vacation place, golf, eat, 
rest, & relax.

Larry

    Try the Ponte Vedra Inn & Club
    
    I spent several days there in December and I can only say that these
    folks have a Tom PEters approach to "Cutomer Satisfaction".  The most
    courteous people I have bumped into.  The setting is gorheaous, right
    on the beach.  Two Courses at the Inn ( 5574/66.2/110 slope and
    6573/71.3/120 slope ), TPC Sawgrass just a few miles down the coast.  
    Great restaurants, great people, great golf.
    
    
    SCD

    Hey SCD, what the heck is gorheaous ??
    
    Mad Hacker

         For me there isn't a better place to take a golf vacation then
    Myrtle Beach, South Carolina! About the October timeframe the prices
    are coming down, there are approximately 63 courses in a 30 mile
    radius, restaurants galore and $3000 would go a long long way. My wife
    and I go every year around the February timeframe.
    
    Gordi

    These aren't true "warm weather" resorts, but it's hard to imagine
    anyplace more special than The Homestead or The Greenbrier. Real class,
    great courses, great food and service. These are legendary resorts.
    
    --Jack

    Big MAc
    
    Sorry, but the spell checker in the Notes file missed that one.  Must
    have meant gorgeous...but who knows.  Can't wait until we get the
    "stream of conciousness" interface so I can think instead of type.
    
    SCD

    I'm organizing a trip that may interest you.  The date is set for Sept.
    19-26.  It's to Mrytle Beach and includes:
    
    o	round trip air via USAir 
    o	Avis mini-van (unlimited mileage) or car (depends on how many people we get)
    o	7 nites @ the Mrytle Beach Sheraton
    o	Breakfast daily
    o	2 dinners (choice of menu)
    o	6 rounds golf with cart
    o	4 half hour golf clinics
    o 	pre-set tee times
    o	3 wine 'n cheese parties
    o	a nite out @ "Studebakers" Night Club
    o	special golf towel & tees
    o	all taxes, services & surcharges
    
    The 6 courses are;
    Myrtle (ooops I've been spelling it wrong) Beach National,
    Heritage,
    Waterway Hills,
    Oyster Bay,
    Indigo Creek, &
    Burning Ridge.
    
    For all this, the total cost per person is $997.  I guarantee you won't
    beat this price, I've done lots of research to find this price.
    We're going thru a very reputable travel company out of Boston called
    "Golf Vacations".
    A $300 deposit by May 22nd will secure your deposit. 
    
    I have some fancy fliers and more info. if you'd like.  Feel free to
    call or write MELEE::KBEDARD or dtn 297-3576.  
    
    P.S. - Lots of people ask if I'm getting some commission or something.
    The deal I have with "Golf Vacations" is this; if I get 19 paid guests,
    I go free.  This is doubtful and I'm going no matter what.  I'm just 
    offering it to whomever would like to join us.  The more the merrier!
    
    	/Kelly                               

    I can't believe I misquoted the price on my own trip.  Eeee Gaads!
    
    The correct price regarding note 1482.17 is $967, that's $967.
                                                            
    	/So_what_if_I'm_Blond_!
    

    Maybe you folks can help me out...my husband and I have vacationed at
    Hilton Head for the last couple of years. We go during Labor Day week.
    This year my husband is willing to go somewhere different and suggested
    Puerto Rico (based on an 1989 Golf Digest article). I'm a beginner
    while my husband has been playing a lifetime, so it seems.
    
    Has anyone taken a golf vacation to Puerto Rico? If yes, how was it in
    terms of golf, accommodations, price, etc?  Recommendations on exactly
    where to go?
    
    Our second choice in somewhere in the Bahamas? Anyone have any
    experience there? Same questions as above.
    
    If all else fails, we'll be back at Hilton Head this year. We love it
    there.                                    
    
    Thanks!
    NancyS

    I know that St.Thomas has a great Hotel and the course named Mahogany
    Run is one of the nicest in the Carribean.
    
    SCD