Seven Golf Hideaways

High Hampton Inn & Country Club
Cashiers, NC
The Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina are home to a number of long-standing summer camps. As many camper parents did, mine would enjoy a few nights and some golf at High Hampton after dropping me at Camp Merrie-Woode, which was founded in 1919, just a few miles away. With three daughters attending Merrie-Woode, I've continued the High Hampton tradition. This 1,400-acre hideaway has the look and feel of a high-end, low-tech camp itself, with an Adirondack-style lodge and cabins that overlook Hampton Lake and the magnificent face of Rock Mountain. The historic inn, built in 1922, carries on traditions like afternoon tea and bingo around a freestanding stone fireplace. There's also golf, tennis, hiking, lake recreation and children's programs—but no televisions, phones or air-conditioning in the rooms. Meals are served buffet-style and feature timeless Southern recipes prepared with fresh ingredients.
High Hampton's course was designed by George W. Cobb. It measures 6,012 yards from the back tees, and there are three sets of tees under 5,000 yards. The eighth green sits on a peninsula in Hampton Lake—a photo op if ever there was one. When I'm there, I like to hike up Chimney Top Mountain or get a massage at the luxurious Hampton Health Club & Spa.
COST: Golf packages start at $152 per person, not including room, for four days of unlimited golf ($18 cart fee not included). SEASON: Late April through November.
Info: 828-743-2411; highhamptoninn.com.
—Ann N. Yungmeyer, writer, Kingsport, TN

Mountain Lake's Colony House looks as it did in 1915, when it welcomed sun-seeking Northerners.

Mountain Lake
Lake Wales, FL
Golf For Women editor in chief Susan Reed was invited to play in the Ladies' Pro-Am at Mountain Lake in central Florida; this year, I was lucky enough to get the call. Despite living and playing golf in Florida for years, I'd never heard of this golf community, nor had anyone I knew. So I headed an hour west of Orlando to the small citrus town of Lake Wales, not knowing what I'd find. Well, what I discovered was a true vintage gem.
Mountain Lake was founded in 1915, when Baltimore tycoon Frederick Ruth hired Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. (whose father designed New York City's Central Park) to lay out an exclusive community for wintering Northerners that would include a Seth Raynor golf course. The property has 135 private homes, but welcomes guests at the Colony House, its charming hotel. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it has squeaky wooden floors, 30-foot-high ceilings, and two grand staircases that lead to the 36 guest rooms. (No key cards here: The desk clerk hands you an actual metal key.) My room's delicate floral wallpaper and white wicker furniture reminded me of my mother's childhood home in Havana, Cuba. The course, on the other hand, isn't child's play. In 2002, Brian Silva restored Raynor's classic 1916 layout, which plays 5,174 yards from the forward tees and 6,621 yards from the tips. He brought back many of Raynor's original square bunkers and large, Biarritz greens. While you're there, stroll through the Historic Bok Sanctuary, where you'll see birds of every hue flitting about the lovely gardens and the 205-foot Bok Tower, a bell tower visible from the 18th tee box.
COST: Available upon request. SEASON: November to May.
Info: 863-676-5900; mountainlakecc.com.
—Ashley Mayo, GFW associate editor, New York City

Madden's has Minnesota's highest-rated golf course.

Madden's on Gull Lake
Brainerd, MN
My friend's husband doesn't get excited about much. So when he returns home each summer raving about his annual golf getaway to Madden's, it makes me think this scenic spot in northern Minnesota's lake country must be pretty special. Inspired to check it out myself, I discovered that the family-run resort combines nearly 80 years of tradition with modern amenities (like wireless Internet service) and 63 holes of golf.
There are 287 rooms in the lodge-style hotel and cabins and villas, all with golf course or lake views. Golf Digest recently ranked The Classic at Madden's as Minnesota's only five-star course and as the 42nd best public course in America. Golfers love the views of Bass Lake on this 10-year-old championship track, which measures 4,859 yards from the forward tees and 7,102 from the back, and runs through sweeping hills, oak-lined fairways, wetlands and waterfalls. By contrast, Madden's Pine Beach East (5,415 and 5,920 yards) is a classic, 1920s-era, Scottish links?style course dotted with mature oaks and pine. It's walkable and player-friendly with virtually no forced carries. The shorter Madden's Pine Beach West (4,579 and 5,070 yards) has a quiet, parklike setting. The Social?9 is just right for a quick nine or to brush up on short-game skills. Chris Foley Golf Schools offer multiday For Women Only sessions. Nongolfers can play croquet on the manicured grounds, cruise around the bay in a paddleboat, browse the rustic art gallery or enjoy a treat at Chrissy's ice-cream parlor.
Between rounds, relax at one of five pools or three beaches, refuel at five restaurants, with desserts from the resort's own bakery, or enjoy a pedicure in the new Panache Spa while taking in the knockout view of Wilson Bay.
COST: One-night deluxe golf packages (including two rounds of golf and breakfast) range from $110 to $175, per person, double occupancy. SEASON: Mid-April through late October.
Info: 800-642-5363; maddens.com.
—Susan R. Pollack, travel writer, Detroit

Whitetail Club & Resort
McCall, ID
I first traveled to McCall, a former timber town 2½ hours north of Boise, last winter to go skiing. I stayed at the Whitetail Club, and soon realized there would be plenty to do in the summer at this 1,400-acre resort, like hiking in Ponderosa State Park, fishing on Payette Lake and white-water rafting on the Salmon River. And, of course, playing golf among towering pines on a beautiful course I'd never heard of before. A return trip was in order. Whitetail is a 77-room upscale lodge—sort of a luxe log cabin—on the lake's southern shore. Its course, designed by two-time U.S. Open winner Andy North, is 4,957 yards from the front tees, 7,149 yards from the tips. It's a gorgeous mountain layout, with wildflower-studded meadow and mountain vistas and wide fairways dotted with trout ponds. Before your round, power up with buttermilk pancakes at the Pancake House in town, a local tradition. After golf, curl up by one of the lodge's four fireplaces with a glass of wine (I recommend the Ste. Chapelle Riesling from Idaho). The Narrows restaurant serves up local fare like rainbow trout, huckleberries and, of course, potatoes. COST: The Unlimited Golf Package includes a lake-view room and unlimited golf for $499?$595 per night, double occupancy. SEASON: Memorial Day weekend to October 15.
Info: 208-634-2244; 800-657-6464; whitetailclub.com.
—Jill Fergus, writer, New York City

Running Y Ranch
Klamath Falls, OR
I visited this Audubon-certified resort in southern Oregon for a Golf Channel shoot in 2007, and was floored by its serene views, abundant wildlife and first-class golf. Running Y is a working ranch tucked into the pine forests, on the shores of pristine wetlands. The Arnold Palmer?designed course boasts plush-carpet fairways and generous greens, and it meanders through trees and along lakes—playing flatter on the front nine and hillier on the back. Measuring 4,842 yards from the forward tees and 7,133 from the tips, the layout offers a great experience for players of all calibers—which is why we named it one of GFW's Top 50 Courses for Women.
Nongolfers can choose from such activities as cattle herding, hiking, kayaking, fly-fishing and river rafting. There's also a fun 18-hole Putting Course with tee boxes, water hazards, bunkers and fescue rough. The giant, ski lodge?style hotel is very rustic, with big rooms and the Sandhill Spa (try the River Stone massage). We ate at the Ranch House restaurant inside the clubhouse: lots of local fish and beef, plus game such as elk and buffalo. It has an extensive wine list and local microbrews.
COST: The Premier Spa & Golf Package includes one night's stay in a standard room, a one-hour spa treatment and a day of unlimited golf for one (including cart and range balls), starting at $260. SEASON: Year-round.
Info: 800-851-6013; runningy.com.
—Stina Sternberg, GFW senior editor, New York City

La Casa Del Zorro
Borrego Springs, CA
I'm so used to crowds and stress that when my husband and I, both golfers, stumbled on this quiet town in the Anza-Borrego Desert 90 miles east of Palm Springs, we knew we'd found heaven. La Casa Del Zorro is a beautiful Spanish-style boutique resort, formerly owned by the Copley newspaper family. The hotel has 44 deluxe poolside rooms and 19 private casitas, each with its own pool or spa; a great health club; and an excellent restaurant called Butterfield Room. Guests can play at the nearby Ranch at Montesoro Golf Club, a stunning new Tom Fazio Signature design, or at three other local courses.
We eventually bought a house in town and joined the De Anza Country Club (there's no waiting list). Now, when we arrive from Chicago, I head to my favorite restaurant, Carlee's Place, where I have fried chicken and a martini. The next day we play golf in perfect 80-degree weather. We also drive into the desert to see the spectacular flowers and to Fonts Point to watch the Blue Angels practice their fighter-jet formations. We have a circle of friends here from Canada, Oregon, Wyoming and Nebraska; on Friday nights we play in a twilight golf event and have drinks afterward at the Krazy Coyote Bar.
COST: The Golf & Stay package includes a deluxe room, two rounds at the Fazio Course in Montesoro, and continental breakfast, starting at $365 per night, midweek. SEASON: Info: 800-824-1884; casadelzorro.com.
—Mary Ann Foxley, advertising executive, Chicago

Arizona's Tubac Golf Resort has cottonwoods, not cacti.

Tubac Golf Resort & Spa
Tubac, AZ
I first came across this resort while en route to Nogales, Mexico, where I was headed for a ­shopping excursion. It's only 45 minutes south of my home in Tucson, and I often go down with friends to sit on the patio and drink margaritas at Dos Silos, the resort's excellent Mexican restaurant, even when we haven't booked a tee time. This serene getaway confounds prickly southern Arizona stereotypes with its sweeping cottonwoods, gently flowing river and graceful, rolling greens.
That said, the resort is very much of the region. Its 400 acres were part of the area's first Spanish land grant, in 1789—once a vast cattle-grazing spread. Trans­formed into a golf retreat in 1959 by investors, including Bing Crosby, and featured in the movie Tin Cup, Tubac underwent a $40 million upgrade in 2005, which paid homage to its past. The nine holes that debuted in 2006 perfectly complement Red Lawrence's original 18-hole layout; a small herd of Herefords is a nod to the land's past. Golfers can mix and match Tubac's three nines—Rancho, Otero and Anza, which play from 4,848 to 6,870 yards as 18 holes. Off the course, there's a spa and great art galleries in the town, a mile away.
COST: Golf Stay & Play packages include room, one round of golf per person, and preferred tee times, starting at $276 in the winter months. SEASON: Year-round.
Info: 800-848-7893, 520-398-2211; tubacgolfresort.com.
—Edie Jarolim, writer, Tucson