Golf vacations are as numerous as golf courses. In order to lure golfers to their links and fairways, individual courses offer great specials through the summer and fall. Hotels near golf courses offer deals with local courses. Even rental car companies offer partnerships with area golf courses. In short, finding deals and specials to golf courses near you or far from you, is sometimes as easy as picking up the phone and calling.
Like Indiana is basketball country, Malibu surfing heaven, so Pinehurst is golf country. So much so, Pinehurst, North Carolina, is blessed with more than thirty championship or public golf courses. The Little River Golf Resort (tel. 888/766-6538; www.littleriver.com) is offering a summer special that includes two nights' lodging in a two bedroom villa, full breakfast daily, three rounds of golf with carts at the Little River course, Seven Lakes and the Carolina. You get all this, including all local taxes, for just $196 per person. The package is good through September 5, 2006 with rates based on prices for four people for the two-bedroom villa which contains a full kitchen and daily maid service. If one of the group isn't into golfing, local area attractions include antique shopping, old Southern mansions and plantations, and a farmer's market open seven days per week. There are Monday night poker games at the Little River club house and the resort has an in-house restaurant for easy dining.
In upstate New York, the Hudson Valley Resort and Spa (tel. 888/948-3766; www.hudsonvalleyresort.com) has a midweek end of summer special for just $99 per night from Sunday through Thursday that includes lodging and two free rounds of gold with the use of a golf cart through September 14, 2006. If you want to go on the weekend, the large outdoor activity resort has a weekend special for August 18 to 20, 2006 for $129 with breakfast. The resort is packed with things to do and play including a full-court basketball court, several pools, tennis courts with lights, miniature golf for the kids, and of course, a large spa. The hotel is also pet friendly with a $50 fee for your pet. All of the 275 rooms are extremely spacious. Located in Kerhonskon, New York, the resort is just twenty minutes from New Paltz, near several wineries, and has views of the Shawangunk Mountains and the Minnewaska State Park. This region stays cool even in the hot summer months, making golf enjoyable all summer long. You have to book these prices by August 18, 2006. If you call the resort, mention "Travelzoo" to ensure the deal. The resort also has twilight specials for all golfers for just $30 after 2pm on a weekend day and $25 after 2pm on a weekday.
Some websites are specifically devoted to golf vacations. At Go Vacations Golf (tel. 866/835-4900; www.govacationsgolf.com), they have an "Unbeatable Deals" page where they list "Stay and Play" packages at several area courses from Palm Springs to Tampa. For $66 per day, a Marriott Courtyard Summer Special good through September 3, 2006 includes two nights for two players with golf rounds included at three Palm Springs or Palm Desert Resorts. Lodging, hotel taxes, and green fees and cart are included in the $66 per day special. For play at the world-renowned Doral in Miami, a trip during the month of November gets you a room for the night and a round of golf for $156 per day. There's a two-night minimum for this package that includes the room, greens fees, and the cart for play on any three of Doral's professional caliber courses. Doral Golf (tel. 800/713-6725; www.doralgolf.com) is also a Marriott resort. This package includes serious extras such as daily breakfast, unlimited local and national calls, unlimited driving range use, an introductory golf clinic, and 10 percent off the golf shop, unlimited high speed Internet access, and free golf bag storage for the duration of your stay.
Take one look at the photograph on the home page of Golf Canada's West (tel. 877/323-3633; www.golfcanadaswest.com) and you see how golfing in the Canadian Rockies combines love of the game with the love of nature. If you like to fish, the website has a special vacation designed to combine hitting the links with catching some fish. A Canadian Rockies "Pins and Fins" package includes four nights in the mountain town of Canmore, all breakfasts, two rounds of golf, and a full-day float and wade boat river trip as well as full-size Hertz rental car to haul your gear. The entire trip with golf, hotel, and fishing costs a total of $1,179. Prices are based on double occupancy hotel stay with travel good through September 1, 2006. The same trip should be available next year if you want to book now.
For a Canadian golf trip available into the fall or until the golfing stops for the season, Golf Canada's West features a five night/three round golf trip to the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia that includes a vineyard tour with dinner (this trip is titled the "Chips and Sip" package) for a cost of $1,289. Accommodations are at the Grand Okanagan Hotel (tel. 250/763-4500; www.grandokanagan.com) on the banks of Lake Okanagan.
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