Golf Vacation & Travel Tips

Can I Play On A PGA Tour/ Famous Golf Course?

How to Schedule a Tee Time on the Golf Course of your Dreams

Can you envision yourself teeing it up at Pinehurst or Valderrama? How about at St. Andrews in Scotland, the official birthplace of golf? Maybe you think such lofty goals are unreachable for the average golfer. Don't give up so quickly! You might be surprised to learn that scheduling a tee time at Pebble Beach is a simple mouse-click or telephone call away.

A quick online search for such keywords as "top public golf courses" or "top rated international golf courses" can provide you with detailed information about what PGA Tour, famous, and/or highly rated courses are accessible to you. There are web pages ranging from top golf courses for women to "places to play" directories.

Golf Magazine's website (www.golfonline.com) has invaluable lists including the "Top 100 You Can Play," "The Best in Your State," and the "Top 100 in the World." The lists provide a direct link to a separate page for each course. Such pages provide details about important course features such as information pertaining to proper dress code, metal spike usage, greens fees info, course and tee data, contact methods, and additional interesting facts about the specific course. You can even find a user's rating, scorecards, and maps for each course. If you're long with a driver but short on time, you can narrow your search by looking for golf courses by specific location and/or name.

The same website also features a Destinations Travel Profile section that allows you to search for courses that closely match your personal preferences, as well as a Steal Away Deals area to provide you with special rates and/or promotions related to the courses that you're hoping to play on. Golf Digest's website (www.golfdigest.com) is another great reference with its "America's 100 Greatest Courses" and "100 Greatest Public Courses" lists, as well as its invaluable and extremely affordable 30-page booklet entitled "The World's Greatest Golf."

If you can't locate a course that you're interested in playing, check with online golf vacation providers and/or your local travel agent. Maybe they have access to the information that you need. Who knows, they might even find promotional deals related to your dream round of golf.

You can also call, email, and/or write to golf courses directly and inquire about their policy of allowing non-members and/or non-professionals play at their facilities. Perhaps they have certain times of the season when they allow access or maybe you can play any time as long as you're with a member of the course. It can't hurt to ask.

Instead of hiking the entire Appalachian Trail or riding a bike in the Tour de France, maybe your life's mission is to play a round of golf on every PGA Tour course. With a little research (and a lot of traveling), your goal is actually within reach. If only getting your ball out of Hell Bunker at The Old Course at St. Andrews was so easy.

See you on the Golf Course, John "Duffer" Walsh

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