While Reno is facing increasing competition from other gambling cities
and Indian reservations, this city on the eastern slopes of the Sierra
Nevadas still boasts of its reputation as "The Biggest Little City in
the World." Reno has a thriving arts scene to go along with 24-hour gambling.
And the golf has been shaping up here in the past several years with the
additions of D'Andrea
in 2000 and the Golf
Club at Red Hawk in 1997.
7 Springs Inn & Suites is the rare hotel where a small entranceway and an unimpressive exterior does not reflect on the quality of the rooms. Indeed, by the end of your stay, you may be thankful that a trendy decorator would retch at the sight of the place, because that's surely what helps make 7 Springs one of Palm Springs' rare reasonable hotel finds.
If ever there existed a golfing spot worthy of travel to the other side of the world, it's Thailand, which has emerged as the darling of Southeast Asian golf tourism.
Southern California is perhaps America's most glamorous and culturally
influential vacation destination. The area's Hollywood holds, snazzy shops
and behemoth beaches attract millions of stargazers, shop-aholics and
beach bums each year.
But if staking out Jack Nicholson's
house or dropping a grand on a designer wallet on Rodeo Drive isn't
your idea of fun, you will find the region's embarrassing amount of resort
and daily fee golf to be an attractive alternative.
Southern
California is rich with golf history and unique playing destinations,
but San
Diego has the most for your buck with the total vacation package.
Whether on a family vacation, romantic getaway or a trip with the Sunday
foursome, the city and its surroundings have plenty of lodging options
and activities to match the needs of the group.
They call it America's desert playground. Yet for many East coasters,
Palm Springs is an enigma. Golf fans see it a couple times a year on television
during the Skins Game and the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, and it looks
stunning.
Jigsaw mountain ranges frame the background. Emerald green fairways highlight
the foreground. The sun beams down like some sort of omnipresent stage
light and all is right in the world.
The road to Monterey leads through Salinas, home of America's salad
bowl, where the harvest of "green gold" -- iceberg lettuce and broccoli
-- made the area prosper after World War I.
The road to Monterey winds through the garlic patches of Gilroy,
through the strawberry and artichoke fields of Watsonville and Castroville.
The road to Monterey passes through Big Sur in the boondocks of
the Pacific Ocean's spectacular mountain-high cliffs and enters
the city through quaint Carmel-By-The-Sea
Night and day. Black and white. Northern California and Southern
California. Polar opposition is at its best in the Golden State
and golfers are the ones who stand to benefit. For every sun-scorched
fairway in Palm Springs in the summer, there's a tee box in Northern
California shroud in cool, ocean mist.
While nearly impossible to catalog all the outstanding golfing
venues of this geographically immense area, traveling golfers would
be well-served to turn their attention towards the Monterey Peninsula,
the Lake-Tahoe Reno area, and San Francisco and the Napa Valley.
Now that Arnold Schwarzenegger is headed to Sacramento, he'll want
to find the best golf courses in town. He may want to start his
search in nearby Auburn, where DarkHorse Golf Club provides the
ultimate challenge. On pure scenery alone, this Keith Foster layout
is a welcome addition to the local golf scene. And just as in politics,
careful decision-making is a must at DarkHorse.
Southern California Golf
San Diego
Palm Springs/ Coachella Valley
Monterey Peninsula
Northern California Golf
