One of Texas' best golf courses, though 2 hours from Dallas

If you’re heading for the Byron Nelson this week in Dallas, and want to include a round of golf in your plans, don’t keep reading this post unless you’re willing to drive two hours one-way to find one of the more unique golf courses in Texas, and a true hidden gem. Pine Dunes is southwest of Tyler near Lake Palestine, and is an Augusta/Pine Valley typ of golf course experience. It was originally a small 9 hole course when Jodi Lutz purchased it in 1994, and with the help of PGA Tour Pro David Frost realized there was more potential here eventually hiring Jay and Carter Morrish to redesign and add an additional 9 holes.

Pine Dunes, an Augusta or Pine Valley experience in East Texas

The course now plays to 7,117 yards, 131 slope from the back tees, and is routed through stands of mature pines with open fairways (Augusta National style) or island fairways(Pine Valley) on the rolling hills of east Texas. The course is extremely well maintained, and has a lot of sand, and the greens putt true with a lot of speed. Very nice, secluded setting, interesting hole layout and variety, and decent rates for this quality and uniqueness of a golf course.

It’s a long haul to be sure, but a very unique golf experience. You might consider stopping for lunch or dinner in Athens, about midway. There’s a couple decent restaurant choices there, for Mexican try The Jalapeno Tree or Danny’s Smokehouse on Corisicana Street for barbeque.

The PGA’s New Path Forward

In Myrtle Beach, golf is a necessity. It’s a way of life. But it’s uncertain if golf has the same appeal to younger individuals across the country. Is golf on the right path in terms of appealing to the next generation of potential golfers? And in attempting to reach the new generation, will older golfers feel alienated?

Previous generations have grown up with a love of the game, from watching The Golden Bear on television to stepping out onto the local green. But Generation Y seems more distant than other generations from the beautiful game of golf.

And the question remains as to whether the love of golf will continue to trickle down to younger generations. Grandpa and dad may play golf, but what about the current generation? Will today’s high school athletes take a second look at the game?

An Ambitious Goal for the PGA

There may not be a clear-cut answer, which creates a problem for the game. As other sports are taking hold of the current generation (i.e. extreme sports’ growth), the PGA has decided that it is time to take action.

With a current club-wielding population of 26 million, the PGA has a simple, ambitious goal: to create 40 million golfers by the year 2020.

How does the PGA plan to do this? They’ve already taken a step in the right direction. During Spring Family weekend at Virginia Tech and Maryland Day at the University of Maryland, golf was taken to each campus to reach college-age students and younger kids. It has been called a “near golf” experience.

A couple of highlights were particularly noteworthy:

• 600 people were introduced to the game of golf and 50 percent of those people had never used a golf club prior to that experience. Maybe that sparked an interest in a young man or woman to start playing or following golf.
• Participants, including students, staff, and parents aimed      at “GolfZilla,” an inflatable dinosaur, and tried their hand at hitting miniature tennis balls.

The Middle Atlantic PGA (MAPGA) held the on-campus experience dubbed “Play Golf America”.

Catering to a New Demographic

Steps like these could attract potential golfers to the sport—who never previously considered playing. For some, it simply is a matter of exposure. A number of college-age students have not had the opportunity to step out onto a golf course.

Taking these steps to bring the game to them could be the answer. They could see what it’s like to swing a club, to enjoy the finer moments of the game. Perhaps understanding the beauty of the game only comes through experience.

This push toward a younger demographic could have great implications for the game. With respect to the allure of major sports such as basketball, baseball and football, as well as action/extreme sports, golf could certainly benefit from the same kind of exposure. A younger, fresher following could change perspectives about golf. Perhaps it could lead to increased acceptance of golf video games, social media appeal and brand awareness. Or, better yet, perhaps golf could become a bond between generations again. After all, it’s not just a game for grandpa and dad—as younger, elite golfers are demonstrating.

Thanks to the author: Dawn lives and works in the Indianapolis area, and she enjoys following the tech and business worlds. After furthering her education, she has spent some time researching her interests and blogging about her discoveries often. Follow her on Twitter! @dawnaltnam

Millsite is one of the more scenic layouts you might find

Millsite is truly one of the more unique golf courses I’ve ever played.  It’s virtually out in the middle of nowhere in central Utah.  It’s about 40 minutes north of I-70 at Fremont Junction on the way to the Manti La Sal National Forest, about 30 minutes north off I-70.  It’s only a 9 holer, but a must play if you’re anywhere close.  It’s set in some rough desert area right next to the Millsite Reservoir and State Park. Millsite opened in 1988 and is just a 9 holer.

The course is owned and operated by the City of Ferron and has plans to build another nine holes, but I’d just rather play this course twice.  Some of the holes are cut from canyons, there’s a waterfall, one hole is at the base of the dam,, and most are doglegs. #3 is a 90 degree dogleg to an elevated green, mostly blind, with the Millsite Dam and boulders bordering the hole, talk about target golf!  Not always in the best of shape, but you’re rewarded by the overall experience and uniqueness of the course.

Kiva Dunes Golf Club, closest to the Gulf in Gulf Shores

Gulf Shores is midway between Pensacola and Mobile on the sugar white sandy beaches of the Gulf of New Mexico.  If you’re heading there on a family vacation, and looking to get a little golf in, use our map of the best golf courses in Gulf Shores to determine the courses closest to where you’re staying. The Forelinksters guide to only the better golf courses lists a total of eight courses in the Gulf Shores area, listed by the cost to play with the best value courses at the top:

1. The Refuge An Earl Stone design, is on the the Gulf State Park on the north side of Shelby Lakes. It’s expensive for a state run golf course, but it’s a better value than some of the more upscale courses in the Gulf Shores area. The course is carved through the woods with no homes or development along the holes, and is very scenic.

2.  Timbercreek is about 30 minutes north of Gulf Shores, and just east of Mobile in Daphne north of I-10 at exit 38. The course is a great a 27-hole course designed by Earl Stone, parkland style with nice elevation change routed through dogwood and pine trees. All three nines have interesting holes, fair to all levels of play, but with some challenge if you’re playing from the back tees.

3. Rock Creek is located on the east side of Mobile Bay in Fairhope, about 30 minutes north of Gulf Shores. It was designed by Earl Stone and opened in 1993. Good, challenging course, the fairway’s landing areas have a enough room off the tee, just doesn’t look like it from the tee. It’s a fun layout with a lot of strategic holes, doglegs, and is parkland-like in the design. It’s very well maintained, and is a semi-private, so they keep it in good shape for the membership.

4. GlenLakes is just north of Gulf Shores in Foley, off Rt 59. There’s 27 holes, designed by Devlin and Von Hagge, with 18 hole links-style holes with the Vista and Dunes nines, and more of a Florida style course with the Lakes course, sand and water throughout. Tee times are available through GolfNow for the best rates.

5. The Peninsula Golf Club is set on Mobile Bay bounded by the Bon Secour Wildlife Preserve, just west of Gulf Shores. It’s a 27 hole course, designed by Earl Stone, and is routed through live oak and cypress tree stands with lakes at every turn, in a very natural setting. The three nines are Cypress, Marsh, and Lakes, interesting hole design, somewhat forgiving on your errant shot, the course is a very well conditioned parkland style course.

6. Gulf Shores Golf Club was previously known as The Golf Club at the Wharf, it’s north of the beach in Gulf Shores, off RT 59, north of Fort Morgan Road. The golf course is surrounded by an upscale resort real estate community, and is a well regarded course in the area. It was originally built in the 1960′s, but re-designed by Jay and Carter Morris and renamed in 2006. The course is flat as are most in the coast area, but it’s an interesting layout with a good amount of variety, plenty of sand. The course doesn’t have the character or quality as Craft Farms or Kiva Dunes, but is a close second to both. Good choice for more reasonably priced golf.

7. Craft Farms has two great Arnold Palmer courses in excellent condition throughout. Typical Palmer design standards, risk/reward and heroic holes, but with some bail out areas, well bunkered, and water in play on almost every hole in some shape or form. The Cotton Creek course is over 7,000 yards 136 slope from the tips, and is routed through lakes and tree lined fairways, on rolling ground with mounding throughout, and was a real challenge. Cypress Bend, is the newer course, and is a little shorter at 6,484-yards, 123 slope 71.8 with water in play throughout. Just as challenging on approach to the greens, but a little more forgiving off the tee.  A must play if you’re vacationing in the area, a real value if you can take the time for a 36 hole day, with a nice lunch in the clubhouse.

8. Kiva Dunes is located in Gulf Shores on the Gulf of Mexico, the course was designed by Jerry Pate and opened in 1995, and extends to 7092 from the back tees with a slope of 134. The course is highly rated, but I think you can buy ratings with the national golf magazines. It’s a good course though, laid out among the sand dunes and pines of the Gulf Coast. It’s a links style layout with a lot of deep bunkers of white sand throughout, and is located in a residential/resort real estate development. There’s a lot of wildlife here including alligators and birds of all kinds. Make sure your sand game is working, there’s sand everywhere, and the constant wind off the Gulf is always on.

9.  Lakewood Club at Point Clear  is on Mobile Bay has two superb 18 hole courses that are available only to the guests at the Marriott Grand Hotel here, a classic old resort property, once used as a Civil War hospital. The Dogwood course was recently redesigned and renovated by Bobby Vaughan, it’s a traditional design with huge oak tree lined fairways. The courses here have some history by golf course architects, Perry Maxwell, Southern Hills and Colonial CC fame, designed the back nine of the Dogwood Course in 1946. Joe Lee, Bay Hill/Doral, designed the front nine of the Dogwood in 1965. Ron Garl did nine holes to the middle of the Azalea in 1985. While not technically part of the RTJ Trail, the resort is funded by the Retirement Systems of Alabama, who owns the Trail, and is included as one of the Trail’s resorts.