The Good Life

Return to Article

Smart Players Shoot for Golf Getaways

Eric Gillin

Golf's popularity has a lot in common with Tiger Woods' career. After an unstoppable run of success, both have slumped toward normalcy, but while Woods has been left to tinker with backswings and new drivers -- golf courses are slashing prices.

In the 1980s, during golf's peak, nearly 27 million Americans considered themselves golfers, a staggering 10% of the U.S. population. After leveling off in the 1990s, over the last two years, the number of golfers has fallen 6%, according to the Golf Research Group. At the same time, the industry has added 4,100 courses over the last 15 years -- more than one new course every other day -- using them as centerpieces in new housing developments and as tourist attractions.

"In terms of supply and demand, you've got the biggest increase in supply ever seen and quite the rapid drop in popularity, so at large number of courses, they've seen a drop in play," said Colin Hegarty, president of the Golf Research Group. "And so, the courses get nervous and start discounting their greens fees. Then, everyone starts discounting."

Greens fees may be falling, but some of the best deals -- especially in the fall -- can be found in package deals. According to Hegarty, nearly every major golf destination, from North Carolina to Arizona, is seeing demand soften and working to entice travelers back to the links. This week, the Good Life tees up golf values that are off the beaten path.

The Caribbean Conquistador

Finally, something talk-show hosts agree on.

When you're in Puerto Rico, the Wyndham El Conquistador Resort and Golden Door Spa is the place to stay. Last year, the "LIVE with Regis & Kelly" program held a week's worth of tapings from the resort and Oprah Winfrey gave away all-inclusive trips to recent guests.

And through the end of October, this massive, award-winning resort has slashed the price of golf with its Troon Endless Summer/Endless Golf package, where visitors play as much as they want until Oct. 31. For $198, two people receive overnight accommodations and unlimited golf on the El Conquistador's championship Arthur Hills-designed, 18-hole course, named one of Conde Nast Traveler's five best courses in the Caribbean. You even get a free golf cart.

There's more than golf at the El Conquistador, however -- there's gambling and pampering, too. Puerto Rico first began offering poker in 1999, and the 10,000-square-foot casino at the "El Con," as it is affectionately known, has become one of the most popular places to play. The stakes are low, ranging between $5 and $10 a bet, but with the resort set on a 300-foot bluff overlooking the Caribbean Sea, the views are breathtaking.

And then there's the Golden Door Spa, a descendant of the original Golden Door Spa that was founded in 1958 and introduced the spa concept to millions of Americans. The El Con's spa is the Caribbean's highest rated and has a generous 25-room spread that is set apart from the hotel, in the hills overlooking the El Yunque tropical forest -- tranquil enough to quiet even the chattiest talking head.

Drive Into History

Why visit a Civil War battlefield when you can practically play golf on one?

During the Civil War, the Chickahominy swamp in Richmond, Va., was the final staging area for the Union's critical troop movements in and around the former capital of the Confederacy. It was a place where outlaws came to hide, but today, it's a place where golfers go to play.

The Crossings Golf Club lies on the northern edge of the swamp, its 18 holes wedged between two Civil War battlefields. The Joe Lee-designed course, named one of the top 10 public courses in the state and the best in the Richmond area, takes good advantage of the terrain, featuring dense woods, elevated tees and lush, rolling fairways.

This fall, the course has paired with the Commonwealth Park Suites Hotel in Richmond to provide an excellent package for golfers who like some history with their handicaps. The Commonwealth, established in 1846, was a bootlegging saloon for the first couple decades, that is, until it was burned to the ground during the Civil War.

Today, the fully renovated 11-floor brick building sports 18th century mahogany furniture in its suites and celebrates its history with daguerreotypes from its moonshine past in the lobby. The State Capitol is across the street and the hotel is within walking distance of Shockoe Slip and Shockoe Bottom, two of the Colonial Era's original trading posts.

Living in history is pretty affordable. For $188, two people receive midweek accommodations in a luxury suite and 18 holes of golf at the Crossings, with a free lunch and all kinds of complimentary golf swag thrown in for good measure. (The weekend rate is $214.)

The Georgia Peach

At Reynolds' Plantation, deep in the woods of Georgia, 75 miles east of Atlanta, four golf course designers have held an 81-hole master's class in what links should look like. Jack Nicklaus' "Great Waters," Tom Fazio's "National," Rees Jones' "Oconee" and Bob Cupp's "Plantation" -- all nationally recognized five-star courses -- lie in and around Lake Oconee, on the former site of the cotton and tobacco plantation that provided the Reynolds family's wealth.

An upscale gated community has sprung up around the Plantation, which is being constantly upgraded -- a fifth golf course is scheduled to open in 2006 or 2007 -- and was named the best golf community by the Robb Report in 2001. For decades, the golf scene catered to locals, but the secret came out when the Ritz-Carlton opened a resort lodge in 2002, giving visitors amenities on par with the fine golfing.

And through Nov. 14, the Ritz-Carlton has put together a golf package that includes a single occupancy room and a round of golf for $400 a night, or a double occupancy room and a round for $515. You can pick any of the four courses, but the offer is not available on Fridays and Saturdays, when demand peaks.

While $400 for a room and a round may seem a bit rich, the Ritz-Carlton is synonymous with outstanding service. Rooms are a spacious 460 square feet and have granite and marble baths as well as private verandas. The resort includes five restaurants and two ballrooms.

The Ritz-Carlton at Reynolds' Plantation has more than enough activities to keep you busy. Once you're done shooting a round, visit the Plantation's Gun Club and shoot rounds of a different caliber. There's also horseback riding, a North American-themed spa and all kinds of water sports, from tubing to water skiing to canoeing and kayaking. The plantation even has its own beach, right there on Georgia's second largest lake.

Golf in the Heart of Texas

This May, when Royal Dutch/Shell needed a place to let 400 senior managers cut loose, they held their annual meeting at the Woodlands Resort, 40 minutes outside Houston.

And for good reason. The Woodlands is home to 490 deluxe suites, 21 tennis courts, five swimming pools and so many different recreational activities that it's practically a summer camp for adults. The resort offers 120 miles of hiking, biking and running trails, hosts weekend sushi classes and is home to the Forest Oasis Waterscape, a two-acre water park that includes a double helix racing slide, waterfalls and a white sand beach -- in the middle of Texas.

But for all its amenities and attractions, the sprawling resort complex is best known for golf. The Woodlands is home to two world-class courses -- the recently-renovated Panther Trail golf course and the Tournament Players Course. Golf aficionados know TPC Woodlands as the former home of the Houston Open, where Fred Couples snapped a five-year winning drought with a dramatic birdie on the last hole in 2003.

Now you can play where the pros play, without paying a premium. The Woodland's Platinum Golf Escape package is a tremendous deal, allowing duffers a chance to hack away in luxury. For $250 for a single player ($400 for doubles), you'll receive a night of deluxe accommodations, a full breakfast and 36 holes of golf, including 18 holes at TPC. To improve your game, you'll get unlimited access to the practice facilities, free range balls and club cleaning and storage.

John Daly and Phil Mickelson have both managed to hit a hole in one at TPC, but you should be prepared for a challenge. The TPC's 17th and 18th holes were voted two of the toughest in all of Texas. Nearly two decades ago, Angelo Spagnolo shot a 257 there to take home Golf Magazine's Worse Avid Golfer Award. He lost five dozen golf balls, shot a 66 on the 17th hole and ended the day 185 strokes over par.

Hopefully, you won't play that badly. But at least you didn't overpay to do it.