If you’re wanting to swing away in the Lone Star State, join this golf adventure with National Hole in One Insurance Association. As we take a brief tour of the best golf courses in Texas, we have to ask: Does the phrase “Everything is bigger in Texas” rings any bell?
If not, it should as this great state has gigantic geographical sprawls and wide open spaces of diverse landscapes which brew up the very idea of Teeing grounds. But then Texans have already taken advantage of this space by providing tons of great golf courses for all golf lovers around the world.
Let’s explore the wide array of favored Texas greens now:
Barton Creek Resort & Spa
· Location: Austin
· Address: 8212 Barton Club Drive, Austin, Texas
· Phone Number: 800-336-6158, 512-329-4000
· Brief description: The spectacular Fazio Foothills rests in the heart of Texas Hill Country and is one of four courses (Crenshaw Cliffside, Fazio Canyons, and Palmer Lakeside) of the Barton Creek golf courses. Home to the Legends of Golf Tour for 4 years in a row, Barton Creek is quite the attraction. The oldest and perhaps the most famous of Barton Creek’s courses, the Fazio masterpiece spreads across 6956 yards. Consistently topping the list of golf courses and resorts in Texas, Fazio has the reputation of being very exigent and exciting. It is an admirable 18 holes of golf with some holes being quite memorable with its mesmerizing waterfalls, narrow approaches and elevation. With the on-site spectacular spa, how could you lose?
More Information, please visit:
Crown Colony
· Location: Lufkin
· Address: 900 Crown Colony Dr, Lufkin Texas 75901
· Phone Number: 936 637-8811
· Brief description: Crowning the list of golf courses in Texas, the Crown Colony golf course well deserve the honors bestowed. In the golfing business for more than 30 years, the club is famous for its very scenic, challenging, fun and frolic atmosphere. Set across a magnificent 6692 yards, Crown colony is an 18 hole semi -private golf course. The club is famous for its finest amenities, great cuisine and very gracious services. All this comes with a very economical Stay and Play package.
For reviews, please visit:
Pine Dunes
· Location: Frankston
· Address: 900 159 Private Road 7019, Frankston, Texas 75763
· Phone Number: 903-876-4336
· Brief description: Rated 2nd in the list of best golf courses in Texas, Pine Dunes has captured the hearts of many Texan golfers. The course is a gem in its own with breathtaking and secluded facilities, full of beautiful and demanding fairways. This desert style course positioned on an expansive 7117 yards, features 4 tees to accommodate all skill levels. The club has great practice facilities and the entire course is quite nice. This is an exciting and adventurous ‘must play’ golf course.
For more information, please visit:
Butterfield Trail Golf· Location: El Paso
· Address: 1858 Cottonwoods Drive, El Paso, Texas 79906
· Phone Number: 915-772-1031
· Brief description: Where history meets future! Confused? Well, in midst of the vast desert settings, surrounded by natural sand dunes stands the magnificent, ultra modern master plan of Tom Fazio – the great Butterfield Trail Golf, nestled on about 7300 yards. The 18 hole, public golf house is equipped with all the amenities including spacious practice facility, full service condos, restaurants, special event facilities, and much more. Incredible course, dramatic holes, great tee boxes and greens in excellent conditions, makes the journey to El Paso a memorable one. It’s a great golf course for all comers with a great design and upkeep.
Visit www.butterfieldtrailgolf.com for more information.
And here ends our Texas golfing odyssey. Don’t misunderstand. There are many more great Texas golf courses. We just couldn’t share them all with you in the course of this tour.
We’d also like you to know that we, National Hole-in-One Association, are the number 1 provider of Hole-in-One Insurance. If you’ve got a large tournament, charity or not, and you need insurance coverage for your prizes, contact us today. We’ve got coverage the size of Texas but you don’t have to be in Texas to benefit from it.
From Putting Contest to Million Dollar Shootouts, we’ve got the Hole-in-One Insurance coverage you need to give the grand prizes you want:

National Hole-in-One Association would like to share some favorite golf ‘hot spots’ with those avid golfers out there who may be looking for a bit of a change of scenery and maybe a few new challenges. Perhaps you want to host a charity golf event in a new location. If so, we can assist you with Hole-in-One Insurance to make sure your event is all it can be.
The love of the game usually increases when you love where the game is played. Psychologically, people just feel better when their surroundings include fresh air, lush greenery, bright vividly colored plants, a pebbling stream, and a comfortable temperature. If you are about to host a charity golf tournament, some of these locations may just be the right fit. Of course you can always check these places out for yourself first – you know for the betterment of the event and all (wink, wink).
Whistling Straits in Sheboygan, WI
Yes, the cheese heads have it. According to Golf Magazine, Wisconsin has 4 of the top 100 public golf courses in America. Coming in as the 3rd best public golf course in America is the Straits at Whistling Straits Rumor has it that the 18th hole is like Goliath and its players are like David. Bring your pebbles and slingshot because you’re going to need it. This hole is said to be quite a challenge.
For those who don’t know when to quit, there is another course at Whistling Straits that also has your name on it. The Irish at Whistling Straits may make you cry for uncle as well. With lush greenery, serene streams, and an oh-so tranquil environment, this course just may fool you. They say don’t judge a book by its cover. We say don’t just a golf course by its surroundings. Some of the sweetest looking courses can leave a bitter taste in your mouth when you walk away with the highest golf score of your life.
Phoenix/Scottsdale, AZ
If you prefer rugged mountains and picturesque sunsets, the Phoenix/Scottsdale area in Arizona is where you should get ready to swing. Known as ‘The Valley of the Sun’ this area offers over 200 golf courses, with more than 35 in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area. The weather is consistently warm and golf-friendly, which is probably why the National Golf Foundation named this area ‘The Golf Capital of the World.’
You can also benefit from some of the best golf instructors in the world and enjoy some remarkable resorts and spas. It’s hard to beat an excellent day of golf that winds down with a full body massage. There’s also swimming and fishing at nearby beaches and many other outdoor activities.
Massachusetts
Although the state of Massachusetts is not large by any means, its cities are busting with golf courses. From Cambridge to Salem to Nantucket to Belmont to hundreds of other Massachusetts cities, you can find both public and private courses to best ‘get your golf on!’

Hole-in-One Insurance for Golf Tournaments, Putting Contests or Million Dollar Shootouts

Hole-in-One Insurance allows you to host a hole-in-contests that offers a huge grand prize, such as a Hummer, speed boat, or anything of value. You pay a little; your guests get a lot. Your event increases its funds. Everyone is a winner with Hole-in-One Insurance Coverage from National Hole-in-One Association.

Some people have all the luck.  On Tuesday  March  31, 2009  Carl Smith, 70, of Boone County West Virginia had the great fortune of hitting back to back hole-in-ones  at Charleston’s Coonskin Park. He used his pitching wedge on hole 18 to ace a 70 yard hole!  Using National Hole-In-One Association has paid two winners in the same tournament before but never the same person twice!  We have a saying in the office, a hole-in-one is a great thing…an insured hole-in-one is even better!  National Hole-In-One Association can write hole-in-one insurance coverage for yardages less than 135 yards.

As a longtime reader of Golfweek I received this “sorry”email notification regarding the cover that is coing out with the “noose” image. I have followed this story over the last few weeks and with some interest. While I know the reference to lynching Tiger Woods was made, aplogies offered and accepted, the most interesting issue is how long the media will continue to run and re-run this story for the shock value that it symbolizes. I suspect Tiger would like this to all go away, regardless of his friendhsip with Kelly or not. But, the media, and maybe I am one at this point, will continue to probe and ask and question and ridicule as long as it sells magazines, newspapers and provides fodder for radio and television.

I wonder who is not going to come to the defense of the poor fired editor? What about the graphic artist? Couldn’t he/she have said “no”?

And, of course I think using the word “sorry” isn’t a very sincere way of apologizing. It’s almost as if they are saying: “We’re sorry we didn’t get away with it.” Plus “management” really doesn’t acept any responsibility for the cover going out. That is pretty sorry even if the tenor of the posting was meant to assure the readers of better systems being put in place so this type of sorry pandering doesn’t occur again.

‘We’re sorry.’

Dear Golfweek reader,

We’re sorry. We made a grievous error.

The graphic image of a noose in the Jan. 19 issue of Golfweek offended our readers, customers, advertisers and people who’d never previously heard of our magazine. For that, we sincerely apologize.

The decision to publish this cover image, which was intended to illustrate a story about the much-talked-about suspension of Golf Channel anchor Kelly Tilghman for a controversial comment said during the Mercedes-Benz Championship, caused an outcry of harsh criticism. It was a story placed on the cover after dedicating four pages of thorough, balanced reporting to the subject.

We made a big mistake. Dave Seanor, the editor who chose the cover image, was fired. (Senior management above Seanor did not view the cover before it was published.) And Golfweek’s solid reputation built on more than 30 years of being a leading publication was damaged.

No organization can experience adversity such as this and remain unchanged; so it is for Golfweek. We are examining our policies, procedures and practices to ensure sensitivity, responsibility and adherence. And we are recommitting ourselves to being golf’s news leader and to covering the many facets of a game so many of you love. We share that passion for the game and what it represents.

There are no degrees to offending people. We now begin a new mission to re-earn your trust. To restore your loyalty. To regain your confidence. And we move ahead determined that an episode like this one will not happen again. We hope that you will not dismiss three decades of diligent and dedicated work with one bad choice.

Please accept our apology.

Thank you.

William P. Kupper Jr.
President
Turnstile Publishing Co.

Who says we’re not conservation conscious?

A recent study found the average golfer walks about 900 miles a year.

Another study found golfers drink, on average, 22 gallons of beer a year.

That means, on average, golfers get about 41 miles to the gallon.

Kind Of Makes You Proud!

Woody Austin greatly enlivened the President’s Cup while displaying a great golf ability. Under the “Don’t take yourself too seriously” banner, Woody dons goggles to play the 14th hole he had fallen into the day before. This will be a highlight for years along with his splash into the lake. Can’t keep a good man down.

And after he did this, he birdied the final 3 holes to get a tie in the match. Great job Woody!

Maybe now it’s the lady’s time to get some press as the FedEx Cup and the Pesident’s Cup are over. Paula Creamer and Angela Park shot 5-under 67s Thursday to share the first-round lead in the Samsung World Championship.

The two front-runners have something else in common – the 21-year-old Creamer was the LPGA’s Rookie of the Year in 2005 and the 19-year-old Park already has clinched the honor this year.

Park, who was born in Brazil and moved with her parents to the Los Angeles area when she was 8, said she was nervous but thrilled to be in the tournament.

“I don’t know how to describe the feeling, coming out here,” she said. “Obviously being one of the top 20, elite members of women’s golf, is a very priceless experience. And especially to be the only rookie out here gives me great pride and gives me a lot of confidence.”

Creamer had her irons clicking during her bogey-free round.

She said getting up and down from 115 yards for a par on the second hole seemed to steady her, and she birdied No. 3 to get some momentum.

“I hit the ball really solid, had a lot of good looks at birdie. Made some good ones, missed a couple of very easy putts,” Creamer said. “But overall, it’s the first day and I am very pleased with the way I played.”

Creamer finished second to Annika Sorenstam in the 2005 tournament, and was fifth last year when Lorena Ochoa won.

Ochoa led most of the first round this time, but a late lapse cost her when she made a double bogey on the final hole to drop into a three-way tie with Morgan Pressel and Mi Hyun Kim at 68.

Wie, who turned 18 on Thursday, sprayed some shots and couldn’t get putts to fall Paula Creamer and Angela Park shot 5-under 67s Thursday to share the first-round lead in the Samsung World Championship, while Michelle Wie was last in the 20-player field after a 79. The two front-runners have something else in common – the 21-year-old Creamer was the LPGA’s Rookie of the Year in 2005 and the 19-year-old Park already has clinched the honor this year. Creamer hit the irons great during her bogey-free round. Creamer finished runner up to Annika Sorenstam in the 2005 tournament, and fifth last year when Lorena Ochoa won.

“Should Have Quit for the Year”  Michelle Wie, who turned 18 on Thursday, sprayed shots and couldn’t get putts to fall and shot a 79 for last place in the limited field event . She was three shots behind 19th-place Bettina Hauert. At her news conference she was more worried about getting her homework assignments done for Stanfors than in playing golf. Too bad. Hopefully she can pull her head together before her money from Nike runs out.

Watching Tiger Woods playing over the last 3 weeks has been truly awesome. Mixed in with some great play by Phil Mickelson, Steve Stricker (in particular), Rory Sabitini, and Steve Verplank the FedEx Cup was actually more entertaining that I first thought it would.

Saturday at East Lake was particularly inspired with the play of Geoof Olgilvy (62) and by Zach Johnson’s 60. Who says low scores aren’t fun to watch. But none of them could do much more than creep up on Tiger’s 63 for the day… and none could duplicate their scores of Saturday to make a run on Sunday.

Tiger’s 2007 season with the 7 wins could have been even more spectacular if not for putting well at the Master’s and the US Open.

And the scary part is he looks more comfortable driving the golf ball than ever. If he continues to hit 60-70% of the fairways as he has in this latest run, look out even more. Another amazing stat that came out this week: Tiger is#1 in closest to the hole from 150-175 yards and from 175-200 yards on tour. He doesn’t even need a driver, so what happens when he really gets comfortable as he is now?