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Here at the world's finest golf destination, Palm Springs, you will find the perfect environment for enjoying and improving your game: abundant sunshine, low humidity, dramatic desert scenery and more than 110 Palm Springs golf courses from which to choose.

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Palm Springs Golf, Courses and Vacation Packages

Palm Springs Golf and Other Destinations

LAS VEGAS
With 20 new developments since 1998 (nearly all garnering national honors from GOLF and Golf Digest) and irresistible hotel and air packages, there's never been a better time to buy a round of golf in Vegas. But even in this golfer's paradise, there are a few tricks to having a perfect par day. When booking a tee time, Friday through Sunday are the busiest, so look mid-week for more availability and better deals. For seasonal bargains, winter (65 degree days and sunshine) and summer in Vegas are ideal. Just remember, morning and evening tee times in summer fill up early so book in advance.
SHARK REEF
There's no ocean in Vegas -- at least not at first glance. But with its Shark Reef exhibit, Mandalay Bay has created an ocean of its very own with its 22-foot-deep aquarium that contains 1.6 million gallons of water, rife with exotic fish, sea turtles and, of course, sharks. The $49 million aquarium is home to more than 1200 different species of aquatic life, including 16 species of the wily predator. Depicting an ancient temple that is slowly sinking into the ocean, Shark Reef begins as a wildlife exhibit. Featured are a display of golden crocodiles. There are only a dozen golden crocodiles in the world (the Shark Reef, with five, has the only golden crocs in the Western hemisphere). There is also a male water monitor, a cousin to the komodo dragon whose carnivorous species has been known to unearth dead bodies. Although the sharks are the main attraction, you'd be remiss to rush through this exhibit. Take your time to enjoy it, but carry a fan on hot days - the room can get quite humid as it warms the cold-blooded creatures. As you come upon the pirahna exhibit, you're likely to think you've hit the first of the tropical fish. Contrary to common thought, pirahnas are actually quite pretty fish, with their colored bellies and gold-flecked markings. Actually, their are four species of pirahna in the fresh-water exhibit (debunking another common misconception), with the largest species, the black pirahna, capable of reaching sizes larger than a man's hand (These pirahnas are capable of devouring a 100-pound animal in under a minute). The pirahnas are fed a combination of frozen fish and poultry and beef heart three times a day, as the first thing they'll do when they're hungry is to begin to eat one another.

Palm Springs Golf and Other Destinations

 Visitors then descend through the first tunnel that encapsulates you as you are surrounded by aquatic wildlife swimming above and beside you. Exiting the tunnel you come upon a "touch pool," where visitors are invited to pet the sting rays and horseshoe crabs. Even adults are fascinated by the delicate creatures and clamor to touch the animals. Be sure, however, to take a look in the aquarium, where you'll find a variety of exotic fish, including puffers and a soothing jellyfish display. Darkness then envelops you as you reach the Shark Reef exhibit, the very bottom of the "ocean." Foreboding and eerie, visitors are immersed in the environment as 16 species of sharks, including the large and menacing sand tiger sharks, cruise by. It's as close as most people ever, or ever would want to, get. A final oval tunnel then encapsulates you as you are surrounded by 360 degrees of shark-infested water as the animals swim above, below and beside you. The Shark Reef is one of the largest exhibits of its kind in North America. The conservation-minded natural exhibit is masterfully created - only manmade coral is used (as it is an endangered species) and salt water is made by mixing imported salt with dechlorinated tap water, which contains trace elements found in natural seawater. In addition, two million gallons of water from the Shark Reef are filtered every hour. This conservation-minded focus continues inside the exhibit. A wall exhibit, that explains what we can do to help preserve natural habitats is a wonderful addition, and a classroom for area school groups provides students a chance take a first-hand look at the sea -- the back of one of the aquariums substitutes for a wall. The reef was developed in consulation with the Vancouver Aquarium, one of the world's most respected marine facilities which is renown for innovation and the best in animal care. A staff of about 16 naturalists are on hand to answer questions; those looking for a more detailed description should use the audio wands included in the price of admission. Be sure, however, not to get so caught up in the description you don't take time to look at the animals. Whether you're a wildlife buff, an animal lover or just looking for a wild new experience, there's no doubt the Shark Reef is an attraction you'll want to revisit again and again.
 

Palm Springs Golf and Other Destinations

ARIZONA
PHOENIX, Ariz. (Dec. 19, 2002) -- Do women really want a different kind of course than men do when they play golf?

That was the question we had in mind when we set out to pinpoint 10 places to play in Arizona that women like. So we asked Mary Long, the executive director of the Arizona Women's Golf Association, what she thought. Long, who has a mid-range handicap, thinks her level of play as a woman definitely influences her choice of courses.

"I want a course that's long enough so that I have to hit well in order to score," Long says. "But it should not be so long that you can't reach the greens in regulation or not so short that I don't have to try hard to do well."

Palm Springs Golf and Other Destinations

She also likes tees to give her a good shot at the fairway, not just because they make the length shorter. "Sometimes the women's tees are an afterthought. When you hit a drive, you think you're liable to hit a tree that's almost in front of you from the forward tees. Or when they set up the tee markers, they don't look at the direction. They have the markers lined up with the desert instead of the fairway."

We also think women appreciate scenery and mountain views more than men do. And they probably have their eyes on the size of the greens fee more than men. So here are 10 great places for women to tee it up in the Phoenix area from the east to the west and north to south and some in-between:

1 -- Legend Trail Golf Club in North Scottsdale -- Legend Trail is a modified desert-style course with open fairways that will remind you a bit of the famous Grayhawk club. Architect Rees Jones designed this course (5,000 from the forward tees, 6,845 from the back) to appeal to all levels of players. In fact, Golf for Women magazine picked Legend Trail as one of the top 100 women-friendly courses in 2000. The fairways meander through the Sonoran Desert and offer great views of landmarks like Pinnacle Peak.

"There's very good service at Legend Trail," says Dennis Farrell, director of guest services at Resort Suites in Scottsdale, who says women guests often enjoy this course. "The course is a little more open. It's an adventure to play, but you don't have as much carry over the desert as you have at similar courses." Legend Trail is located at 9462 E. Legendary Lane in Scottsdale. Legendary Trail is just off Pima Road. Call (480) 488-7434 or check out www.legendtrailgc.com. Resort Suites can book customized golf packages for guests.

2. Legacy Golf Resort in Phoenix -- Travel down to South Mountain in Phoenix into an area that's being renovated, and you find this wonderful new resort and a great golf course. Scottsdale architect Gary Panks designed the Legacy, and what helps make his courses so playable is that the fairways have grass sidewalls that can keep your ball in bounds. The course opened only three years ago on what was once the Dwight Heard ranch, 7,500 acres of cattle, alfalfa and citrus. There are even some old ranch houses and silos here, preserved as a tribute to the past. This course is 5,471 yards from the forward tees; 6,816 from the back. The course is at 6808 S. 32nd St., Phoenix. Take Baseline Road to 32nd Street, and go north.

Palm Springs Golf and Other Destinations

3. Mountain Shadows Golf Course in Scottsdale -- "If you're looking for a place to play 18 in less than three hours, this executive course that's part of a Marriott resort is for you. Mountain Shadows is a favorite of Scottsdale golfer Sharon Gold, who told us she has played it over and over again: "It's really fun and it's so green." The course is 2,606 yards from the forward tees and 3,081 yards from the back tees with only two par-4 holes. Maintenance is superb. The big pines and palms are a blessing in warm weather. Friendly folks can help you get clubs in and out of your car, a rarity at many short courses. Mountain Shadows is located at 5641 E. Lincoln Drive, in Scottsdale.

4. Starfire at Scottsdale Country Club -- Another option is Starfire, a recently renovated older course near midtown Scottsdale. This is a 27-hole course with three nine-hole courses, where golfers put together two of the courses to make a full round. If you play the King and the Squire courses, for example, it's 4,792 yards from the forward tees and 6,011 from the back. This course is popular with local golfers because of its reasonable prices. It's well-maintained and has a sophisticated new clubhouse. Starfire is located at 11500 N. Hayden Road, Scottsdale.

Palm Springs Golf and Other Destinations

ORLANDO
Florida's history stretches back to the 1500s. On Easter Day in 1513, Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon came ashore at what is now St. Augustine in the northeast corner of the state. What Ponce de Leon and the early settlers found in the Sunshine Statemosquitoes, swamps and native tribes with little interest in sharing the landwas sufficiently daunting to discourage the growth of other settlements.

As so often happened in the Americas, the Seminoles who settled in Florida weren't thrilled with the bands of newcomers. In the early 1800s, the Seminoles fought two bitter wars to retain their land. When the second of those ended in 1842, Orlando's history began. Settlers followed soldiers into Central Florida, and a settlement grew around an old Army post known as Fort Gatlin, located at what is now Lake Eola Park in downtown Orlando. Originally named Jernigan after an early settler, Orlando changed its name in 1857 to honor soldier Orlando Reeves, who, while on sentinel duty at the fort, was felled in 1835 by an Indian arrow as he raced to warn of an oncoming raid. Orlando was born on July 21, 1875, population 85.

Orlando's three C's
In Orlando's early days, the three C's drove commerce in the city: cattle, cotton and citrus. As Cuban demand for Florida beef grew, cattle ranches spread across the flatlands, cattle rustlers fought gunfights in the streets, and little Orlando became a rough-and-tumble town.

Soon, tired settlers turned to cotton, a considerably less threatening crop, and the town became the center of a thriving cotton industry. When the U.S. Civil War began, however, workers moved away to pick cotton throughout the South, replacing soldiers away at war. In 1871, a hurricane roared through town, destroying most of the crop.

Until air conditioning was inventedin Florida, by the waylife in the Sunshine State was no picnic. Summer heat, sandy soil and sporadic torrential rainfall made for tough living, but it also proved to be the perfect conditions for citrus crops. Orange, grapefruit, tangerines and limes all thrived in the sandy soil. By 1870, orange fever had struck Central Florida, and the citrus industry grew rapidly.

All aboard!
When Henry Flagler and, later, Henry Plante pounded spikes into railroad tracks that extended down the east and west coasts of Florida, orange fever reached its peak. Although stymied for a decade or so by the Great Freeze of 1894-1895, which destroyed nearly all the citrus crop in the region, by the 1950s Florida had more than 80,000 acres of citrus trees spread across the flatlands and rolling hills, stretching to the horizon.

Orlando's fascination with entertainment stretches as far back as 1895. Proving that it really is possible for a little creative thinking to turn lemons into lemonadeor, oranges into orange juicecitrus grower John B. Steinmentz watched the freeze turn his crop into worthless mush and started working on a comeback. He turned his packing house into a skating rink, set up some picnic tables and a bathhouse, and built a toboggan slide that whooshed visitors into a cool spring. VoilaOrlando's first entertainment center!

Central Florida acquired electricity in 1900, then telephones and, in 1903, cars that chugged around at the terrifying speed of 5 mph. In 1922, the first airport opened as a cargo center; in 1928, the Orlando Municipal Airport opened. Today, that facility is the Orlando International Airport, welcoming hundreds of thousands of travelers each year.

A major economic force in the region, the Martin Marietta missile factorynow known as Lockheed Martinarrived in 1922 with its facilities spread over 10.6 miles of Central Florida and staffed with thousands (it's the area's largest employer).

Palm Springs Golf and Other Destinations

And that has made all the difference...
But 1971 was the seminal year in Orlando. After looking at many Florida sites, including Miami, Walt Disney and company decided that the vast acreage and accommodating local leaders were just what they needed to build the company's first theme park outside California. Thus was born Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom, which welcomed its first visitors in 1971 and has since celebrated its 25th anniversaryand the 75th birthday of its icon, Mickey Mouse.

As the Mouse's fame grew, others saw the possibilities inherent in thousands of tourists. SeaWorld was the next to arrive, bringing its black-and-white Shamu "killer" whale and its leaping dolphins to Orlando in 1973. That touched off a flurry of other new attractions as the visitor numbers grew...and grew...and grew.

In 1990, Universal Studios arrived to add still more competition, more visitors and more entertainment. In 1999, it grew again with the addition of Islands of Adventure, featuring a host of thrill rides guaranteed to knock your socks off.

Growing, growing...
Meanwhile, Orlando just keeps on growingthere are now 90 attractions, 3,800 restaurants and 99,000 rooms, topping 100,000 even as you read this.

You will still see citrus groves, although many have been usurped by sprawling housing developments. A host of other entertainment facilities and high-tech industries continue to play a major role in the region's economy, but it is tourism that is the pile-driving force of Orlando's finances, contributing more than $17 billion to the economy annually. Today's Orlando is unquestionably the epicenter of the state's tourism industry, a place where billions of dollars change hands every day amid a fantasyland of neon and nightlife.
 

PALM SPRINGS
Welcome to Palm Springs only up-to-date golf guide. Offering "real" online tee times and golf reservations direct from the valley's premiere golf resorts and golf courses. Our Palm Springs golf vacations offer world renowned golf courses, golf instruction and first rate ammenities..

Here in the world's finest golf destination, you will find the perfect environment for enjoying and improving your game: abundant sunshine, low humidity, dramatic desert scenery and more than 110 courses from which to choose.

Major golfing events such as the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, the Nabisco Championship (formerly the Dinah Shore) and the Skins Game are conducted here each year. Our golf course designers include such top names as Pete Dye, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Ted Robinson — and they have done some of their finest work here in the Coachella Valley.

Besides golf, the desert also offers other terrific activities including
tennis, swimming, horseback riding, hiking and more. Dining adventures range from the ultimate gourmet experience to true California casual. Shopping is also world-class with designer boutiques, art galleries and weekly street festivals for treasure hunting.

That is, if you can drag yourself away from the breathtaking golf
courses described in this guide!

Palm Springs Golf
Package Specials
 

Miramonte Resort

The "Best" value packages from $149 per night. Play Indian Wells CC or PGA West Packages...

Westin Mission Hills

Packages from
$89 , include unlimited golf.
Westin Packages...

Ramada Inn Packages

Packages from $99 per night includes golf. A variety of custom economical packages
Ramada Packages

Additional Discount Packages

Best Western - Doral Resort
Embassy Suites - Holiday Inn
Marquis Villas
 

Custom Packages:
We can customize a variety of golf packages to fit any budget or length of stay in the greater Palm Springs area.

Additional Destinations and golf resort packages include Singing Hills Resort, Temecula Creek Inn, Rancho Bernardo Inn, La Costa, Aviara and other San Diego golf courses and hotels.