Archive for the 'Golf' Category
Death Valley: Furnace Creek Resort deal includes golf below sea level
October 15, 2009 8:58am
Average temperatures are now more reasonable than they were just a couple of months ago, it’s still low season for tourism, and the Furnace Creek Inn, popular with travelers who prefer four-diamond digs to camping, has just opened for the season. Now is a fantastic time to visit Death Valley National Park for hikers and other explorers, as well as golfers interested in teeing off at 214 feet below sea level.
Deal: The “Stay & Play” package at Furnace Creek Inn & Ranch Resort — a Xanterra property that includes Furnace Creek Inn and the more casual Furnace Creek Ranch — includes a one-night stay for two people, based on double occupancy; one day of unlimited play at the resort’s golf course (billed to be the world’s lowest); and cart rental.
Prices vary depending on dates booked and whether you stay at the more upscale inn or at the cheaper ranch, which is adjacent to the golf course. Stays now through Dec. 23, 2009, at the ranch start at $214 per night, pre-tax, though you can find a midweek stay in January for as low as $207 per night. Use promo code “GOLF” when booking.
This is a good deal for golfing couples considering that a stay in a comparable ranch room at present, without the golf component, costs $159, and green fees are normally $55 per person (for 18 holes). Cart rental generally costs $12.50, and no extra fee is charged for club storage.
Father’s Day – Take dad golfing on the cheap in Southern California
June 15, 2009 4:12pm
You might have all the best intentions to splurge on a big gift for dad this Father’s Day -– but don’t feel bad if you don’t have the budget to back you up. Sometimes the best gift you can give is to spend time together. I had a look at the Southern California Golf Guide and there are lots of local public golf courses in Los Angeles County, San Diego County and Santa Barbara County with green fees that won’t break the bank.
Some of the best-loved public golf courses in Los Angeles include Griffith Park ($26-$39) and Rancho Park ($26-$39).
If you’re looking for more of a day trip, try:
La Quinta Resort’s all-inclusive summer deal
June 9, 2009 10:18am
For those who appreciate a good rest poolside in the sunshine, now is a great time to head out to Palm Springs and surrounds. With temperatures these days there in the 90s on up to 100 degrees, the desert region is starting to quiet down for the summer.
When the days are hot, it’s hard to go wrong at La Quinta Resort and Club (a 30-minute drive southeast of Palm Springs), whose amenities galore include 41 pools. The next few weeks are ideal for taking advantage of the fun package detailed below, before July and August begin scorching even the lizards among us.
Deal: The “Play It Your Way” package features playing and relaxing, and drinking and dining. For $299 per night (pre-tax), you get a standard room and the following:
> Unlimited golf at one of four resort and PGA West courses
> One spa treatment of choice daily per room per night from a limited spa menu that includes facials and massages. Read the rest of this entry »
Getaways for Dad: Golf in Britain, New Mexico fly-fishing
May 29, 2009 11:17am
Father’s Day, on June 21, is once again around the corner. He already has a closetful of unused neckties and a Magellan RoadMate might offend his direction-confident ego, so what to do? To really knock it out of the park this year, give Dad a getaway full of fun, rest and relaxation.
Crystal Cruises is advertising a “High Tea & Golf Tees” cruise, sailing Aug. 23 to Sept. 3, 2009, round-trip from London. The luxury liner will stop, over 11 days, at some of the most well-reputed golf courses in Britain and Ireland, including Gleneagles and the Royal Belfast Golf Club. Aboard the ship, golfers can tune in to PGA golf-pro instructions, guest lectures and TaylorMade demos.
Rates for this cruise start at $5,800 per person (including taxes and fees), based on double occupancy. Unfortunately this rate does not cover the optional golf outings, but it does come with a $1,000 per person shipboard spending credit, which can be used toward the golf excursions.
If your credit cards can’t quite handle that one, how’s this as an alternative: Read the rest of this entry »
Camelback Ranch: Hotels near Dodgers’ new spring training facility in Arizona
December 16, 2008 5:00pm
[Wigwam Golf Resort & Spa, Phoenix]
The NFL playoffs aren’t even set, the Lakers are already giving fans angst, and USC still has a bowl game ahead, but it’s not too soon to be thinking about the Dodgers. Not at all.
As baseball fans are aware, 2009 marks the team’s move from Vero Beach, Fla., to Arizona, meaning that come March, L.A. fans can drive to the team’s new spring training ballpark in five hours or so — or take a one-hour flight to Phoenix.
Single tickets won’t be on sale till mid-January, but the Dodgers are already selling packages to spring training, and one price range has already sold out.
I’m in Glendale, Ariz., this week, home of the new Dodgers-Chicago White Sox stadium, Camelback Ranch. It’s about 20 miles from downtown Phoenix, and I can tell you from previous trips here that the drive from downtown to the western suburbs can be long, especially during rush hour — even by L.A. standards.
So if you are thinking of coming in March, I recommend staying out west. But what I am finding is that properties close to the new park are limited, and some are already filling up. Dodger fans might want to nail down rooms soon. I’ve checked around and found these hotel options not far from the park (distances are via Google maps):
The 12 books of Christmas: ‘Dream Destinations’
December 14, 2008 6:00am
This year, it seems as though we have more gorgeous travel books than ever. I’d like to share my dozen favorites for the next few days, sort of the 12 days of, well, whatever you’re celebrating.
First up: “Dream Destinations: 100 of the World’s Best Vacations” (Life Books, $29.95). You want to make a traveler swoon? These drop-dead photos are categorized into trips for families, for culture vultures, for sightseers, for sporty types, for history buffs, for romantics. Who could not look at Snowdonia, Wales, or the Snake River in Idaho and not want to be there right now?
Travel + Leisure Golf lists Top 10 golf resorts in the U.S.; stay & play deals at Pebble Beach Resorts
September 3, 2008 3:54pm
Travel + Leisure Golf magazine’s September/October issue will feature the 2008 world’s best golf resorts, including another list of Top 10 U.S. golf resorts for 2008. Several West Coast golf resorts made the the U.S. list, but Pebble Beach Resorts was the only resort in the Top 10 from California (coming in at No. 3). I thought I’d look up some deals so budget-conscious golf travelers can get more value for their dollars when heading up to Pebble Beach.
Deals: There is a generous assortment of special stay & play packages to choose from for the Lodge at Pebble Beach, the Inn at Spanish Bay and Casa Palmero. The Inn at Spanish Bay has the most affordable rack rates of the three resorts, starting at $580 per night for a Garden View room. Special winter rates start at $470 per night Nov. 23-March 31, 2009, with weekday specials lowered to $325 per night Sundays through Thursdays during Dec. 14, 2008–Jan. 7, 2009. You can also get a fourth night free under a different deal with the Inn at Spanish Bay.
Farewell ExpressJet: Ontario (ONT) to Tucson, Arizona (TUC) nonstop airfare sale
July 27, 2008 11:03am
ExpressJet is offering a $79 nonstop fare (plus taxes and fees) each way between Ontario, California, (ONT) and Tucson, Arizona, (TUC).
When: For travel from Aug. 25 through Sept. 1, 2008. 14-day advance purchase required. Call to inquire about availability of other discounted fares for the same routing between now and Aug. 25.
Why: ExpressJet will cease commercial operations Sept. 2, 2008.
Info: (888) 958-9538, www.expressjet.com
Source: This fare was reported Thursday by the eight-member team at AirfareWatchdog.com, with additional reporting on Friday afternoon by L.A. Times staff writers.
[Photo courtesy The Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa, Tucson]
Travel Ticker website from Hotwire focuses on bargains
July 21, 2008 12:01am
The unemployment rate in California is up to a five-year high, and that tells you nothing good about the economy in the Golden State or anywhere else.
So the timing for Travel Ticker (www.travel-ticker.com), a new bargain website from the Hotwire people, probably couldn’t be better. It makes its debut today.
“We love to read about deals so we wanted to have something that was enjoyable to read and peruse and would inspire travel among enthusiasts,” said Barbara Messing, vice president of Travel Ticker.
Unlike some sites that suggest bargains that aren’t bargains for West Coasters, Travel Ticker uses “geo-targeting,” meaning you’ll see bargains appropriate to where you live. Read the rest of this entry »
New Golf Guide for Southern California with Google map
June 27, 2008 11:30am
Hey golfers, are you looking for the latest reviews of Southern California courses, tips from the pros, videos that will help you improve your shots and more? Check out the new Southern California Golf Guide.
Get the 411 on dozens of Los Angeles County golf courses, including where, how much and how big, and with direct website links to each course. If you golf in Ventura County, Orange County or San Bernadino County, no sweat, it’s got that covered too.
