Ten years ago, a duffer looking for a first-class golf experience had only two options: Make buddy-buddy with someone in a country club and hope for an occasional invite, or plunk down some serious cabbage to book vacation time at a full-on resort like Pebble Beach. These days, however, a slew of high-end "daily-fee" courses-essentially country clubs for a day-allow anyone with 14 sticks (and a little disposable income) to enjoy first-rate course design and top-shelf service.
Pelican Hill, Newport Coast, California
Given its SoCal locale, you'd expect nothing less of the 36-hole Pelican Hill complex than sun, fun, and a bitchin' attitude. It delivers. Built along the edges of coastal canyons, the Ocean South Course offers an ideal blend of challenge and scenery. The 12th and 13th holes are back-to-back par threes propped up on bluffs 40 feet above a tawny surfer beach. The Ocean North Course serves up a burlier design etched into a tilted plateau 300 feet above the Pacific. Whereas the South Course is lushly landscaped, the North is austere (with only indigenous vegetation) and tends to appeal to more serious players who seem oblivious to seagulls, surfers, and picturesque ocean views.
Accommodations: Options range from the sumptuous Four Seasons Hotel Newport Beach, which offers Pelican Hill golf packages, to the dozens of charming inns and B&Bs sprinkled along the coast. Course details: $175, Monday to Thursday; $250, Friday to Sunday; 949-760-0707; www.pelicanhill.com.
Whistling Straits, Haven, Wisconsin
How's this for a transformation: Plumbing-fixtures kingpin Herb Kohler Jr. acquires a despoiled military encampment and an illegal toxic dump site along the shores of Lake Michigan. He challenges legendary course designer Pete Dye to build a version of Ballybunion, Ireland's storied coastal links, along the two-mile stretch of lakefront property. Dye proceeds to sculpt a rugged tribute to golf in the Old Country, replete with roaming sheep, Irish caddies, and a Celtic-style stone manor. There are two 18s to choose from: The Straits Course features 14 holes within a one-iron's throw of the lake and stretches a bruising 7,288 yards from the black tees; the Irish Course weaves around the perimeter of the property and is characterized by quirkier holes. On the par-three 13th, for example, players hit blind from the top of a bluff to an enormous green far below. It's an inspired shenanigan that calls for X-ray vision and a sense of humor.
Accommodations: Built in 1918 to house immigrant workers, the American Club has been converted to a four-star hotel, and an elaborate 16,000-square-foot spa opened last December. Considering that the club's owner is one of the country's leading plumbing-products manufacturers, don't be surprised if it soon ranks among the country's finest spas. Course details: Straits Course, $229 (includes caddie); Irish Course, $172 (cart is $21 per rider); 800-618-5535; www.destinationkohler.com.
Barefoot Resort North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
If golf had a Disney World-packed with rides, shows, and attractions-this would be it. Unveiled in April 2000, Barefoot offers four gorgeous, championship-caliber courses, and like a golf theme park, it's got a ride for everyone. The Norman Course, designed by the Shark himself, is a flat, low-key affair, its holes framed by giant scalloped bunkers and native vegetation. The Love Course, created by Davis Love III, the world's sixth-ranked player and the 1997 PGA champion, unfolds in classic style, with crowned greens, cross bunkers, and a replica of the ruins of an old plantation house behind the fourth green. Renowned architect Tom Fazio designed his challenging course on a beautiful parcel of rolling land, with water in play at 15 holes. Pete Dye's course is a vintage in-your-face, my-way-or-the-highway layout, with fairways that seem as narrow as bowling alleys and greens that appear no bigger than a pool table.
Accommodations: Take your pick from the more than 60,000 rooms in the area, ranging from budget motels to plush condos. For dinner following the round, check out Greg Norman's Australian Grille, a rustic Queensland-style restaurant in Barefoot Landing that pours Norman's own Australian-bottled wines. Course details: $70-$120, Norman, Love, and Fazio courses; $85-$135, Dye course; 877-237-3767; www.barefootgolf.com.
Bandon Dunes, Bandon, Oregon
Location, location, location. The old real estate maxim holds doubly true for golf, of course, which is why this broad expanse of tumbling dunes high above the Pacific makes for a superior golfing weekend. Bandon is a sleepy fishing village populated by artisans, aging hippies, and besotted golfers. Unveiled in May 1999, Bandon Dunes is a walkers-only, links-style course with soul-stirring scenery: Seven holes trace the edge of a rugged cliff, and all 18 have a view of the ocean, where you may well see whales spouting offshore or bald eagles gliding overhead. On July 1, a second course, Pacific Dunes, debuted. Soon Bandon Dunes may reasonably be regarded as one of the finest golf destinations in the country.
Accommodations: Bandon Dunes offers basic but comfortable lodging (and a few split-level suites), many with views of the Pacific or the surrounding forest. Course details: $120 for hotel guests, $150 for nonguests, May to October; $50-$70 for hotel guests, $75-$100 for nonguests, November to April; caddies are $35; 888-345-6008; www.bandondunesgolf.com.
Troon North, Scottsdale, Arizona
Carved from the foothills of the McDowell Mountains, the 36-hole Troon North sets the standard for desert golf. The Monument Course is a fair, formal test with all targets and hazards in plain view. Its classic layout is distinguished by subtly contoured greens that are true and smooth, and shallow bunkers that give most golfers, who'd rather tangle with a rattler than play from sand, a decent chance to escape. The Pinnacle Course has the same cactus-and-rock landscape as the Monument, but the similarities end there. Built on rougher terrain, the Pinnacle is known for bigger rocks, steeper drops, and twice the bunkers.
Accommodations: Adjacent to the courses sits the Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale, which opened in December 1999. Each guest room has a fireplace, and each suite features a private plunge pool and a telescope for stargazing. There's also a full-service spa at the resort. Course details: $75–$240, Monday to Thursday; $90–$240, Friday to Sunday; 480-585-7700; www.troonnorthgolf.com.
