March golf destinations?

[Bill Brightly]

Eight guys from my club near NYC have been going to the Dominican Republic for many years but are looking for a new location. Four or five day trip.


Their requirements:
Good golf courses
70 degrees or warmer
Good night life
Villa that can hold 8 guys.


Streamsong nightlife will nix that. I suggested Cabo. Any other suggestions from the treehouse?

[Adam Lawrence]

Bill - I think they should take a good look at Morocco. Sounds bizarre, but Royal Air Maroc has a nonstop flight on a brand new 787, from JFK to Casablanca. Certainly easier, from NYC, than Cabo.

[Charles Lund]

I was going to suggest Costa del Sol in Spain.  Probably can fly to Malaga.

Valderrama, Sotogrande, Finca Cortesin, La Reserva de Sotogrande, maybe some others since I was there.

Charles Lund

[Greg Tallman]

Bill - I think they should take a good look at Morocco. Sounds bizarre, but Royal Air Maroc has a nonstop flight on a brand new 787, from JFK to Casablanca. Certainly easier, from NYC, than Cabo.

Easier? It is 2 hours longer, golf is inferior and weather less sure. Cabo hands down.

[Greg Gilson]

I am sure Greg has his unbiased hat on here!

There is Dom Rep & then there is Dom Rep. Unsure if they have always returned to the same resort every year but there are a couple of good options there now , not just CDC.

I do agree with Greg, however. I cannot think of anywhere better than Cabo given the group's criteria. Pretty much 10/10 on each.

[John Kavanaugh]

Why not go to Rio?

[Ryan Taylor]

Pinehurst / Southern Pines

Golf - #2, MP, PN, Tobacco Road, Dormie Club and Southern Pines
Weather - May hit low 70's in the afternoon if you go in late March
Night life - Pinehurst, Southern Pines and Raleigh-Durham (1 hour away)
8 person villa - Pinehurst or Pine Needles

[Jason Topp]

Cabo is a no brainer for your group.


- Guaranteed perfect weather
- more nightlife than you can handle
- Two world class golf courses, 2 very good golf courses and the remainder are far better than your standard resort fare.
- Wide variety of lodging
- Great food
- unique combination of desert and ocean

[Adam Lawrence]

Bill - I think they should take a good look at Morocco. Sounds bizarre, but Royal Air Maroc has a nonstop flight on a brand new 787, from JFK to Casablanca. Certainly easier, from NYC, than Cabo.

Easier? It is 2 hours longer, golf is inferior and weather less sure. Cabo hands down.

Greg -- I was under the impression that there wasn't a nonstop service from NYC to Cabo

[John_Cullum]

Hilton Head. The night life will likely have higher health standards then Cabo.

[John Kavanaugh]

I spoke to my wife about this last night and Easter does come a bit early but you can go to Mardi Gras in Rio and still catch the first of March. Come on, you've got the fantastic new Olympic course and the finest night life in the world. Not to mention, these guys would be my eternal heros.

[Carl Nichols]

Bill - I think they should take a good look at Morocco. Sounds bizarre, but Royal Air Maroc has a nonstop flight on a brand new 787, from JFK to Casablanca. Certainly easier, from NYC, than Cabo.

Easier? It is 2 hours longer, golf is inferior and weather less sure. Cabo hands down.

Greg -- I was under the impression that there wasn't a nonstop service from NYC to Cabo

Pretty sure there are direct flights to/from NY to Cabo on Saturdays, but only on Saturdays.  Other than that (which would make a Weds-Sun trip less attractive), I agree that Cabo would be perfect. 


Another option would be Puerto Rico.  You could stay at Dorado Beach and play their two courses--the renovated East is very very good; I was there while they were working on the West so don't know what that's like--and travel one day to play Royal Isabela, which is about 60 miles west of Dorado Beach.  We were in Dorado Beach in late March a couple of years ago (rented a house that had access to the Dorado Beach resort) and the weather was great.  Lots of direct flights. 

[Greg Tallman]

TUESDAY: American Airlines 6:45 from JFK (connect Phoenix) - Arrive Cabo 12:30 - 18 holes

WEDNESDAY - FRIDAY: 18/36 at your leisure

SATURDAY: Delta non-stop flight to JFK departs 2:21- 18 holes 

5 to 8 rounds in 5 days

[Tim Leahy]

How about Pebble Beach? Pebble, Spyglass, Spanish Bay and Lighthouse. Villa at Spanish Bay.

[John Cowden]

...and Pasatiempo 45" and an easy drive away.

[Tim Gavrich]

Myrtle Beach - specifically, Pawleys Island - would be a solid, easy-to-reach option. Could rent a house on the ocean and could amp up the upper end of the golf there (Caledonia/True Blue) by arranging to play the privates: Wachesaw, Reserve and DeBordieu. Plenty of nightlife opportunities, and excellent restaurants. Happy to make recommendations if the group goes that direction.

[Jon Wiggett]

Bill,


it might not have the 70C you asked for but for the rest then St. Andrews is the place in March. Great set of golf courses all of which a reached on foot though for a short drive many others in the area. As much history and atmosphere as you will find anywhere from a golfing point of view. Place will be fairly quiet so good tee time and accommodation availability.


Good nightlife especially as the university is still sitting. With the correct clothing you do not need to have 70C anyway unless of course you are thinking of beach time and topping up the bikini tan


Jon

[Ryan Coles]

Jon

Risk of frost and resulting course closures would put me off.

Not sure if the trust also insist on Mats at that time of year.

[Thomas Dai]

Short sleeves at St Enodoc this past March. Great course conditioning and not many others around. Good value £ off-season as well.
Atb

[Jon Wiggett]

Jon

Risk of frost and resulting course closures would put me off.

Not sure if the trust also insist on Mats at that time of year.

Mat use varies from winter to winter. You would be unlucky to have a frost that lasted any more than an hour or so. Having said that, my reply was a little tongue in cheek. Really good golf in the northern hemisphere in March guaranteed at +70C really is very rare if not none existent. You would have to go to the southern side of the globe to find some.


Jon

[Carl Nichols]

Jon

Risk of frost and resulting course closures would put me off.

Not sure if the trust also insist on Mats at that time of year.

Mat use varies from winter to winter. You would be unlucky to have a frost that lasted any more than an hour or so. Having said that, my reply was a little tongue in cheek. Really good golf in the northern hemisphere in March guaranteed at +70C really is very rare if not none existent. You would have to go to the southern side of the globe to find some.


Jon

Or just cross the Atlantic and play all of the Northern Hemisphere courses that are being discussed on this thread. 

[Jon Wiggett]

Jon

Risk of frost and resulting course closures would put me off.

Not sure if the trust also insist on Mats at that time of year.

Mat use varies from winter to winter. You would be unlucky to have a frost that lasted any more than an hour or so. Having said that, my reply was a little tongue in cheek. Really good golf in the northern hemisphere in March guaranteed at +70C really is very rare if not none existent. You would have to go to the southern side of the globe to find some.


Jon

Or just cross the Atlantic and play all of the Northern Hemisphere courses that are being discussed on this thread. 

but like St. Andrews none of them seem to have the +70C so 

[Peter Pratt]

I echo Ryan's recommendation. Pinehurst is great on all fronts, except for nightlife. We played Tobacco Road, Mid Pines, Dormie (with great caddies), Pine Needles, and Southern Pines and stayed 4 nights in a nice enough condo for $760 (plus the caddie at Dormie).

[Sven Nilsen]

70C?

That sounds toasty.

[Jon Wiggett]

70C?

That sounds toasty.

Oh F it