You know summer is over in the northeast when frost delays become more common and courses are getting ready to close for the season. Bummer.
The good news? There are places you can tee it up easily accessible by driving or flying. Here are some Quick Fixes for that three or four-night golf getaway.
Quick Fix #1: Prince William County/Manassas, Virginia
Getting there: Fly into Washington area airports or drive south on I-95. (about 8 hours).
Courses: Prince William County just west of Washington DC is home to 11 golf courses. Here pines and oaks grow tall and the terrain climbs up and down some formidable hills, a perfect canvas for courses like Forest Greens, Old Hickory Stonewall and General’s Ridge.
Forest Greens Golf Club, in Triangle designed by Clyde Johnston (1996), is a fair course, without a whole lot of hidden treachery. With big welcoming fairways and modestly fast greens, this is a course you can enjoy again and again. On site is the Greenside Golf Learning Academy. www.forestgreens.com
Ever since Old Hickory Golf Club opened in 2006, this has been a must play in northern Virginia. Set in horse-country, this semi-private club has a sense of the well-heeled and is one of the prettiest parkland-style tracks in the county with tall trees defining fairways which follow the terrain bisected by Beaver Creek. The track features wide, open landing areas with some mounding and lightning-fast bent grass greens. www.golfoldhickory.com
Classy Stonewall Golf Club, set against a backdrop of the Bull Run Mountains and Lake Manassas which is visible from 15 holes, marches across a rolling terrain which includes the famed “Carolina Trail, ” a route once used to shift troops during the Civil War. With green fees at $90 to $119 including cart, Stonewall is the most expensive daily fee course in the county but for $295, golfers buying into their Patriot Club get reduced green fees, free golf December through January and pro shop discounts. www.stonewallgolfclub.com
General’s Ridge Golf Course at 6,651 yards may be relatively short, but playing here is more like a romp on the wild side. The course careens up and down hills, across ravines and ponds, through woods and onto slippery greens like the diabolical #16 arguably the toughest hole in Northern Virginia. It’s a course where you don’t get to think where you want to go but where you don’t want to go. www.generalsridge.com
Off-course: Browse the outlets at Potomac Mills (potomacmills.com) and sample wines at The Winery at LaGrange (www.WineryatLaGrange.com). History buffs can explore the Manassas National Battlefield Park (nps.gov/mana) and The National Museum of the Marine Corps (www.usmcmuseum.org)
Where to stay: There are several chain hotels in the area including the Hampton Inn, Courtyard by Marriott and the convenient and comfortable Comfort Inn Suites Manassas. www.ComfortSuites.com/Virginia .
Where to eat: Head to Old Town Manassas and stop at Mackey’s American Pub or Okra’s Louisiana Bistro known for southern fare such as shrimp and grits.
Information: www.visitpwc.com
Quick Fix #2: Myrtle Beach, the Carolinas
Getting there: Fly directly into Myrtle Beach Airport. It’s also drivable in a day.
Courses: Myrtle Beach is the promised land for those looking for golf, quick food and inexpensive digs. At last count there were 102 courses along “The Grand Strand,” a 60-mile stretch of coastline running from Georgetown, SC to Brunswick Country, NC. Some of our favorites include Caledonia Golf & Fish Club and True Blue Plantation on Pawleys Island, SC.
Caledonia may get a slight nod in terms of design and sheer beauty— the live oak tree-lined drive is spectacular — but True Blue has hole after memorable hole making you think all the way around. www.fishclub.com.
Pawley’s Plantation Golf & Country Club, a Jack Nicklaus Signature course, is a polished, resort layout inviting repeated play (www.pawleysplantation.com) while Glen Dornoch, part of the Glens Golf Group, is an enjoyable course for all levels with three exceptional finishing holes. www.glensgolfgroup.com
Sandpiper Bay Golf & Country Club in Sunset Beach, is a pretty straight forward track with mostly roll-up greens and not a huge amount of scary drama (www.sandpiperbaygolf.com) and at the resort course at Grande Dunes elevations and mounding mean you’ll often have tricky, uneven lies. www.grandedunes.com
And these are only the beginning.
Off Course: Tying everything together, Rt. 17 is lined by malls, hotels, restaurants and shops, many offering great discounts while white sandy beaches beckon all along the coast.
Where to Stay: Myrtle Beach has a huge array of accommodations: high rise oceanfront hotels such as the Caravelle, full-service resorts like The Marriott Resort at Grande Dunes, condos and rental homes such as the Litchfield Country Club and Pawleys Plantation.
Where to eat: Take a stroll along the Marsh Walk in Murrells Inlet where you’ll pass several interesting restaurants and pub like Divine’s Fish House and Bovine’s. The 2nd Ave Pier, a three-story new open-air bar right on the beach has reat views from the wrap-around deck and super-fresh appetizers prepared with flair. www.secondavenuepier.com
Information: Ask Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday experts to arrange a package geared to your budget and interests. 843-477-8833; www.GolfHoliday.com
Quick Fix #3: Outer Banks, NC: Beach, golf and seafood
The Outer Banks, a chain of narrow barrier islands off North Carolina’s coast graced by stunning white dune beaches and uninterrupted ocean vistas, is a compelling destination for those who love sand, sea and golf.
In Nag’s Head, Corolla, Duck and Kitty Hawk, the pace is slower, prices lower in the “off-season” when the summer crowds have gone away.
With six championship courses located on the northern islands, the Outer Banks provides an ideal golf getaway. You can stay in one place and drive to others in less than a half hour.
Rees Jones spun his magic when he designed the Currituck Club, a pretty resort layout stretching nearly 7,000 yards along the coast with high sand dunes, wetlands, and a wide-open feeling despite groves of maritime trees.
A thinking man’s course, Kilmarlic Golf Club, host to past North Carolina Opens, was designed by Tom Steel. It meanders around wetlands and maritime forests, 15 coastal ponds and lakes.
In Kitty Hawk, Sea Scape Golf Links designed by former Masters champion Art Wall features significant elevation changes affording stunning ocean views from several holes. Some of the holiday homes which edge the fairways are for rent.
Nags Head Golf Links, designed by Bob Moore, also runs through dunes, sea grasses and along the coast where just offshore, windsurfers streak by cutting through white caps.
One of the most popular places to play, the Carolina Club is characterized by a buttressed par 3 island green and another solid bet, The Pointe Golf Club, is known for its slick greens and fine practice facility.
Off Course: Sink your spikes into the sand of one of the many beaches; in Kitty Hawk see where the Wright Brothers made their historic flight or take a four-wheel drive tour to see the wild horses north of Corolla.
Where to Stay: The Hilton Garden Inn, Kitty Hawk (www.hiltongardeninn.hilton.com ) and the Ramada Plaza Nagshead (www.ramadaplazanagshead.com), are both modern, comfortable beachfront hotels. For groups the Club Cottage at Kilmarlic sleeps eight with four suites, a living area and kitchen. There is also a sizable inventory of condos and homes for rent.
Where to eat: In Duck for fine dining we liked The Left Bank at the Sanderling Resort. In Kill Devil Hills for more casual fare, JK’s Restaurant was excellent (jksrestaurant.com) and a killer breakfast served by pirates, the Jolly Roger was a hoot. Argh. Try Awful Arthur’s for oysters..
Information: Three rounds of golf (with a cart) on Kilmarlic Golf Club, The Pointe and The Carolina Club along with two nights lodging is priced from $199; from $249 spring; Golf & Grits from $279 per person, per night gives you two nights accommodations, three rounds of golf, cart and a daily breakfast buffet. The 8-Ball Package from $289 includes three rounds of golf, cart, two nights lodging for groups of eight in the Kilmarlic Golf Cottage and a welcome basket. www.OBXGolfTravel.com; 252-491-5460; 800-916-6244.
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Quick Fix #4: Amelia Island Plantation, Florida
Getting there: Fly into Jacksonville just 29 miles from Amelia Island.
Courses: With 72 holes of championship golf, many running along the ocean, spanning large lagoons and hop-scotching over tidal creeks and towering dunes, you’ll be playing courses created by world-class designers.
Tom Faxio’s Long Point follows the dune ridges of the Intracoastal Waterway as it rolls through dunes, marshes, and moss-draped oaks and pines.
Five fairways on Ocean Links run along the Atlantic coastline while Oak Marsh, designed by Pete Dye, has narrow fairways, small greens and plenty of water hazards and bunkers..
You’ll enjoy the smooth-rolling TifEagle greens on the newest course, Amelia River Golf Club. A public track designed by Tom Jackson, it winds through live oaks, palms and wax myrtles.
Off Course: Relax tired muscles with a massage at The Spa at Amelia Island Plantation where it’s all about “Clean & Green.”. Go fishing in the backwater, kayaking through the marshes, hiking or biking, or simply bask on the 3-1/2 miles of beaches or at one of the many pools.
Where to Stay: Stay in a room or suite of the Amelia Inn & Beach Club and you’ll likely have a view of the sea and golf course while the villas are located throughout the plantation.
Where to Eat: Dine at the Ocean Grill looking out to the Atlantic or go more casual at another of the Plantation’s many places to eat and drink. Aviation memorabilia flies high along with happy pub-crawlers at Falcon’s Nest while sliders are on tap for a late night snack in the Lobby Lounge.
Information: The “Unlimited Golf Package” from $371 includes unlimited golf, lodging, and use of practice range and fitness center. “Guilt-Free Golf” for guys from $193 per night includes a round of golf every day, pizza and beer the second night, free drink, Spa Sampler basket and a “Guilt-Free” gift to take home to that special someone. www.aipfl.com
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