As promised our return golf trip to Grand Cypress Resort this past Mother’s Day weekend did not disappoint. When we arrived on Friday at about 11:00am the sky was overcast and we hit the first tee at 12:00 pm. Our golf round was accompanied with intermittent showers for most of the afternoon. It finally cleared up at around 5:00pm and the sun finally appeared which made the closing holes of our first round exquisite. We played The New Course, which as stated in a prior post, is designed to emulate the Old Course design at St. Andrews, one of Jack Nicklaus’s favorite golf venues. The course was recently aerated so the greens were a bit slow as they were top dressed with fertilizer compound. We enjoyed golfing just the same as we had another two full days to look forward to. After golf, we stopped for a leisurely snack and drink to unwind at the 19th hole. We had awoken that morning to the sound of the alarm clock at 2:30am in order to make our 6:00am flight from JFK on Jet Blue, so we only slept about two hours the night before and were exhausted after golf. We then proceeded to check in and were elated to finally unpack and settle in at our one bedroom suite. The room was adjacent the first hole of the North Course, and was also near the club house, which was a mid-iron away, or around 150 yards.

After we settled in, the hunger pangs kicked in, so we decided to visit Disney Market Place, and dine at one of our favorite restaurants, Wolfgang Puck.  We were lucky enough to be seated near a window, which I requested since it overlooked the lake, adjacent Pleasure Island and the view complemented the ambiance of the restaurant setting. After we satisfied our appetites we strolled through the Market Place and window shopped at various locations at Downtown Disney. After walking for a while the lack of sleep finally caught up to us and we headed back to our room to chill. We watched TV for a short while and then fell asleep for the night. We awoke refreshed the next morning and we were excited as the weather forecast could not have been better. Temperature around 85 with low humidity, sunny all day and the weathermen were actually on target – Simply Beautiful! We checked in at the pro-shop, grabbed a quick breakfast to go and proceeded to the East Course to commence our golf round. We played fairly well for the front nine and even better on the South Course back. We were enjoying the gorgeous day and golf so much we decided to replay another nine holes on the North Course. We finished up at approximately 3;00pm as we anticipated visiting one of the Disney Resort Parks. We decided on Hollywood Studios, formerly MGM, as we have so many fond memories of our prior visits there. Beauty and The Beast and Fantasmic were the two shows that were priority and we made sure to see them while we were there. After Fantasmic, which ended at 9:45pm we returned back to the resort and hit the sack for the night so we were well rested for our final day of golf on Mother’s Day!

We teed off at 7:30am on Sunday and played two full 18 hole rounds as we were enjoying ourselves so much we did not want it to end. I played as well as ever, shooting a 37 on the East Course from the blue tees, or around 3400 yards, which included three birdies and was only one over par and also one of my best nine holes scores to date. We then played the South nine and I finished with a score of 81, not too shabby for the final day. We then visited the clubhouse 19th hole and relaxed as we discussed our golf round and another magnificent clear sunny day with little or no wind to speak of, which made our golf rounds that much more enjoyable. We enjoyed a few cocktails and a light appetizer as we anticipated dining later that afternoon at another one of our favorite spots at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, The White Horse restaurant. The golf may have been over but strolling the grounds at the Grand Hyatt was most enjoyable as the tropical setting and some of the design elements reminded me of my trip to Hawaii some 35 years ago. We spent the last few hours of our weekend getaway meandering through the beautiful grounds of the Grand Hyatt and viewed the sun as it was setting on the Grand Hyatt landscape as it accented the silhouette of the palm trees with an orange hue- (see photo). The serenity and beauty of the surroundings was so exhilarating that I took approximately 200 photos while there. Unfortunately our trip was quickly coming to an end, but the memories and good times while away will not soon be forgotten.

We played 18, 27 and 36 holes respectively, while at the Grand Cypress Resort so I guess you can say we hit enough golf balls to hone our game a bit to prepare for the coming golf season. As always, the trip was way too short, but we have another getaway planned for late July in Myrtle Beach to look forward to. Happy Golfing to all!

The photo provides an aerial view of the club house and the adjacent golf holes complementing the view. In a few short days we will be teeing off and enjoying 18, 27 or even 36 holes a day depending on weather and how well we are playing. We haven’t been to Disney World since October of 2008 and as noted previously we will visit at least one or two of the magical parks where Mickey and Minnie reside. I am presently stowing the golf clubs for the trip and I’ll be reporting all about all the good times and great golf experiences upon our return. Happy Golfing to All!

I am in the process of getting out the golf training aids and setting up the golf net in the backyard so I can loosen up a bit before the trip. If I don’t, I may be donating to the19th hole bar tab as my buddies like the occasional friendly wager when we play. The golf course in the photo is none other than Caledonia Golf Course, a Mike Strantz design and our favorite course to play at Myrtle Beach. This view depicts the approach shot to the 18th green, which is full carry over water and it can be quite challenging, especially when the wind is blowing in your direction. Caledonia offers all a golfer could ask for , beauty, challenge and great 19th hole to unwind after the golf round. If you ever visit Myrtle Beach I would highly recommend giving it a try, a bit pricey but worth the price of the ticket! Happy Golfing to all!

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Welcome to The Wonderful World of Golf Fore Ever!

I am happy and proud to announce to all new or beginning golfers and all my golf and blog fans that I have  recently completed  my book, titled “Golf Fore Ever” and it is now ready for purchase. There is an introductory video for view at the following sites:

You tube: http://youtube.com/watch?v=DjYA6k0Gyy4

* Dailymotion: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/26201040

* Blip: http://blip.tv/file/4368830

* Metacafe: http://www.metacafe.com/w/5480962

This book provides invaluable information and guides the new golfer through every step of getting started and learning to play golf ,”The Right Way”. What I mean by the right way is, so many golfers venture onto the golf course without a clue as to the rules of golf or golf etiquette, an important and integral part of this incredible sport! Pick up a copy of “Golf Fore Ever” and all your questions will be answered. I have included step by step instruction for the new or beginning golfer and the book will provide all you need to know about how to start playing Golf;

-  From purchasing your golf clubs and necessaryancillary equipment, to options for learning  how to play,

- To how to hold the golf club and address the ball,

- To scheduling your first ever tee time,

- To playing your first golf round ever and what to expect,

- To Learning Proper Golf Etiquette, an inportant and integral part of golf,

and so much more like excellent travel and golf resort destinations and informing the new golfer about the collateral benefits of golf. It also includes a Glossary of Golf Terms and Definitions, a must for the new golfer. This book has it all! Get your copy of Golf Fore Ever today and start to play “The Right Way”  Happy Golfing To All!

Note: In order to purchase “Golf Fore Ever” click on one of the attached video locations and at the end of the video there will be a list of five sites where purchase is available.

It is a great time of the year to not only play golf but to enjoy the collateral benefits of the game, like the beautiful assortment of colors of the leaves on the trees in the surrounding countryside. Take a tip from me and be sure to play golf soon as the temperate autumn weather and beauty of nature will only last so long. Happy Golfing to All!

The travelling aspect aside, we enjoyed another fantastic golf trip.  We did encounter some hot weather and the occasional thunderstorm, but that is typical of the southern regions at this time of the year. This summer season happens to be particularly hot throughout most of the country so we had to learn to adapt, which we did.  We played five terrific golf courses, Glen Dornoch on Monday, located near the border of the Carolinas and a beautiful course overlooking the intercoastal waterway, Heritage, another excellent golf venue, located on the south strand in Pawleys Island, Blackmoor, a Gary Player course and one of our favorites, Caledonia, the most beautiful and scenic course on the strand and our personal favorite, and last but certainly not least, The Thistle ( See photo), a course with a flavor of Scotland, located in the Calabash area of North Carolina. This was our first time playing The Thistle and it did not disappoint. The designers spared no expense with the construction of the club house and the adjacent grounds, as they utilized many of the architectural features used in the Scotland in the early to mid 1800′s. The Thistle is a 27 hole complex, the North, South and the West, which are the names for each of the nine hole layouts, one nicer and more challenging than the next.

After 27 holes there on Friday, we visited Market Commons, a new shopping center that opened a few years ago. It features some fine restaurants, such as Tommy Bahama’s, where we dined and thoroughly enjoyed the ambiance and fine cuisine, Travinia’s, another fine Italian restaurant, which is on our list for our next trip, and all of the finest shops, including a Grand 14 Movie Theater for those who prefer indoors or who may just want to get out of the heat for a few hours.

This trip was among our favorite vacation experiences and we will be back for sure as soon as possible. Unfortunately, tonight we have to pack up our golf clubs and other luggage to prepare for the long trip home. It is a great place for golf and vacationing in general and we will surely be returning to Myrtle Beach as often as possible . Happy Golfing to all!

Tiger Woods, who has not yet returned to true form, struggled with the putter and had to settle for a tie for 23rd with a -3 finish total on Sunday. John Daly, who was on the leader board on Thursday with a first  round sixty six, Stewart Cink, last years winner in the Open over Tom Watson, and Phil Mickelson, a fan favorite, all shot plus one and tied for 48th place, which is not so impressive for these U.S. players. I had high hopes for Phil Mickelson coming into this championship but he his play has been less than stellar since his Masters victory in April of this year.

The British Open has been the second major golf tournament in a row where the European and other top world players have stymied the United States from the leaderboard. In the U.S. Open in June, the top three places went to McDowell, the barely known Frenchman,  Havret and Ernie Els from South Africa. The outcome and lackluster performance by the American players in these last two major venues does not bode well for the U.S. in the coming Ryder Cup championship in September of 2010. Corey Pavin, the captain for the U.S. has his work cut out for him if the Amercian team is to be competitive enough to win this years Ryder Cup. I wish them the best of luck as they may surely need some this year. Our players had better get to the golf range and start hitting golf balls to prepare for the challenge they face ahead.

Congratulations to Louis Oosthuizen on a stellar performance in this years British Open. If he keeps playing in this form we may be hearing from him again soon. Happy Golfing to All!

The one upgrade that impressed me the most was the addition of a 19th hole situated at the rear of the club house just off the dining veranda. The hole is scheduled to be completed by the end of June. Anyone having lunch or enjoying a beer or other libation after the golf round can watch the golfers hit their golf balls onto the green or in the water as it is an Island Green for all intents and purposes. This is a fun innovation where all the bets made during the golf round will be doubled or lost, depending on who can handle the pressure better. Donald Trump has added another fine golf course to his portfolio and I look forward to playing there again soon. Happy Golfing to All!

The weather was beautiful, the sun shining each morning, temperatures in the seventies, a little windy but perfect conditions for golf.  On Saturday, which was our last day, we played Indian Wells, a nicely laid out course and convenient as it was located off Rt. 17 in close proximity to Myrtle Beach National Airport. It was a great trip and my friends and I are already planning next years golf getaway. Maybe Pinehurst or Hilton Head? Wherever we choose I have no doubt that it will be great golf and a good time for all. Happy Golfing to All!