For the Holidays...Give 'Em
Golf!
by Ed Holbrook
Super Golf and Super Bowl
A long weekend of golf in one of the world's foremost golf meccas,
capped by the ultimate championship football game...have you died and
gone to heaven?
No...just to Palm Springs... California, that is.
Golfers who think ahead (and the people who give them the gifts
they love!) are planning now to join their favorite recreational
sport with their favorite spectator sport for super bowl weekend.
Site of the big game for January 25, 1998, is Jack Murphy Stadium,
home of the San Diego Chargers. That's roughly 130 miles from the
Palm Springs area, and close enough to be a good excuse for any
golfer.
Indian
Wells Country Club is "Old Palm Springs" at its finest. Beautifully
green and tree-lined, it is made up of three nines...the Classic
Nine, the Cove Nine and the North Nine.
Ninety golf courses dot the area known as Palm Springs, which is
really a group of eight communities in the Coachella Valley of the
Colorado Desert. Cathedral City, Desert Hot Springs, Indian Wells,
Indio, La Quinta, Palm Desert, Palm Springs and Rancho Mirage are
home to celebrities like Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope and Gerald Ford, not
to mention the golf tournaments that bear their names. It's a place
where the sun shines 350 days a year and the dry air and low humidity
make even high temperatures comfortable. January temps range between
43° and 69° Fahrenheit - superb golf weather!
"You have to play
it to believe it," is the word on the PGA West Stadium Course.
Arriving in Palm Springs on Thursday will give you Friday and
Saturday to sample a few of the famous courses in the region...like
Indian Wells, PGA West or Mission Hills. PGA West Resort offers 36
holes...the TPC Stadium Course and the Jack Nicklaus Tournament
Course. The Stadium Course is famous from its many television
appearances, but it's said you have to play it to believe it - huge
bunkers, lots of water and greens with devilish breaks. The Nicklaus
Course is a good test, but not as demanding as the Stadium. The
Seniors play their Legends of Golf Tournament on the Stadium Course,
while the Nicklaus Course plays host to the Diners Club Matches in
December.
Mission Hills is well-known as the home of the LPGA's Dinah Shore
Tournament Course, the Pete Dye Challenge Course and the Palmer
Course...54 holes of golfing pleasure! A newcomer to the area is
Desert Willow, designed by touring pro John Cook and Dr. Michael
Hurdzan. And the list goes on!
Tour packages include Super Bowl tickets and roundtrip
transportation from Palm Springs to San Diego on game day. If you
simply MUST, you can go home after the game. Or...you can stay as
long as you like.
Can Tiger Repeat?
Tiger Woods will be defending his Masters title April 6 - 12, at
Augusta National. Why not be there to experience the excitement
firsthand? (Or be sure your special golfer is!) Through a qualified,
reputable golf travel specialist, your Masters package will include
accommodations, guaranteed tickets, transportation in Augusta and
golf at some of the finest courses in the South...plus travel
directors to make your stay more enjoyable.
With the tall
Georgia pines in the background, Davis Love III watches his shot from
the 17th fairway during a 1996 Masters practice round.
Augusta, Georgia is fully alive with its own brand of southern
hospitality during Masters week. Local schools are out for Spring
Break. You'll meet many marshalls who are teachers, and witness the
hordes of students who man the concession stands and keep the grounds
clean. And there is no pimento cheese in the world as good as a
pimento cheese sandwich at The Masters...and it's only $1. What a
country!
Ireland...If Not Now, When?
Guys, you can make enough points with this one to last at least
five years. Why not book a trip to Ireland and take the little lady
with you? My wife and I are escorting a 10-day golf and sightseeing
tour May 18-28, 1998. Stuff that in her stocking and watch her glow!
I'll be taking the golfers to nine of Ireland's best courses
(Lahinch, Portmarnock, Royal Dublin, Faithlegg, Cork's Little Island,
Killarney Killeen, Waterville, Ballybunion [Old], and Adare Manor),
while my wife takes the non-golfers sightseeing and shopping at each
stop. As an added bonus to the ladies, my wife is an experienced
Color and Image Consultant. Your lady will LOVE shopping in Dublin
with her!
Of course, this shoe fits more than one way. Ladies, what a gift
for that special guy! We've included round trip airfare from NY to
Shannon and lots of extras. Space is limited, so don't tarry.
Santa is right around the corner - I can already hear his "Ho Ho
Ho!" But let's not get ahead of ourselves. HAPPY TURKEY DAY!
Photos courtesy of Palm Springs Desert Resorts Convention and
Visitors Bureau.
Ed Holbrook is a golf travel connoisseur in his spare time, as
well as by occupation. He is the South Florida Rep for SGH Golf Inc.,
providers of custom, worldwide golf travel packages. You can reach Ed
by calling 561-770-2222 or 800-785-7180.
edh@floridagolfing.com
