Pure Gold Mountain Golf

Jack Nicklaus puts on the Ritz near Tucson

Once upon a time, Jack Nicklaus designed unmercifully difficult golf holes. If players couldn't handle them, tough — let 'em card a double or triple bogey and move on.

In February 2009, when the Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain (520.572.3000, ritzcarlton.com/dovemountain), 20 miles north of Tucson, hosted the Accenture Match Play Championship, the top 64 PGA Tour players faced the snarling old Golden Bear on the 17th hole. The green of the dogleg-right par-4 consisted of two tiers divided by a steep slope. Three-putt bogeys, or worse, were not uncommon. Frankly, the players hated the hole, which is actually No. 8 on the Saguaro course, one of three nine-hole layouts at Dove Mountain.

When Nicklaus later played the hole in an exhibition, about 50 invited guests watched while he putted his ball from the lower tier, up the slope, toward the cup on the upper level. The ball reached the crest of the hill — and rolled back to Nicklaus' feet. He smiled and joked, "Now, what are those players complaining about? OK, they might have a legitimate complaint here. We'll do something about this."

Nicklaus lived up to his word, reshaping the green to make it more playable. "Not much else about the golf courses has changed," says Stephen Deucker, director of sales and marketing. "They're still as beautiful as ever." Sure, he may be biased, but there's no denying the beauty of Dove Mountain, an 850-acre parcel of raw, cactus-studded land in the high desert. Of the 27 holes, Saguaro's third, a par-3, stands out for the stunning views from the tee. "You can see five mountain ranges, downtown Tucson, and tens of thousands of saguaros," Deucker notes. "It's mind-blowing."

And, of course, golfers no longer have to fear the Saguaro course's eighth hole. "Maybe Jack has mellowed," Deucker says. "He's still the greatest, but that doesn't mean he wants to put a hurt on you on every hole."

— Joe Bargmann

Local Favorites

Stay

Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain. Opening in December, the hotel features 250 luxurious guest rooms. Available outdoor activities include hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, and a trip down a 235-foot waterslide. The nine casitas near the main hotel are ideal for golfers or families. The Accenture Match Play Championship returns to Dove Mountain February 15-21, 2010. 520.572.3000, ritzcarlton.com/dovemountain

The Arizona Inn. This 95-room classic, which opened in 1930, sits proudly on the National Register of Historic Places. Bob the piano player entertains in the Audubon Bar, and fragrant mesquite smoke from the property's many fireplaces scents the air. 520.325.1541, arizonainn.com

Eat

Core Kitchen and Wine Bar. Don't let the mohawk and tattoos put you off - chef Joel Harrington can flat out cook. Fresh off a stint at the renowned Dallas restaurant Fearing's, Harrington presents refined Southwestern fare with a twist, dubbed "desert fringe," featuring dishes such as grilled halibut with ancho-lobster broth and "chili-lacquered" strip steak. At the Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain.

Bluepoint. Perfect for a casual post-round lunch or a dressed-up dinner, this chic spot in an upscale shopping center specializes in steak and grilled fish but covers all the bases. 520.577.6000, restaurants-america.com

Other Courses

Omni Tucson National Golf Resort. Better known simply as Tucson National, this facility about 15 miles from the Ritz features two highly rated courses. The Catalina is a championship layout by Robert von Hagge and Bruce Devlin that hosted a PGA Tour event for 40 years. The Sonoran is a trickier modern design by Tom Lehman. At just 6,400 yards, it's a shotmaker's course. 520.297.2271, tucsonnational.com

Deals and Discounts

The Traditional Golf Trail
Golf packages at the Trail start at $259 in November, and even lower in December, for two nights' accommodations, three rounds of golf on five course options, and breakfast and lunch each day, plus a $20 pro shop voucher. Located near Williamsburg, Va., less than an hour's drive south of Richmond, the Trail's stars are Stonehouse and Royal New Kent, two parkland beauties by the late, great designer Mike Strantz. 757.566.1138 (ext. 4), traditionalclubs.com

Westin La Cantera Resort
Home of the PGA Tour's Valero Texas Open, this San Antonio property features two courses, one by Arnold Palmer and the other by Jay Morrish and PGA professional Tom Weiskopf. Guests can enjoy accommodations, breakfast, and unlimited golf for just $309 per person — pretty great, considering this is a AAA four-diamond resort with golf good enough to host a PGA event. 210.558.6500, westinlacantera.com

Ocean City
It's a bit of a trek to get to Ocean City, Md. — at least a 90-minute drive from Baltimore or Philadelphia. But golfers who make the effort will be rewarded in the late fall and early winter with temperate weather, superb seaside courses, and stay-and-play packages at a fraction of in-season rates. Ocean City Golf Getaway offers play on such outstanding layouts as Rum Pointe, a collaboration of father/son team Pete and P. B. Dye, and the Arthur Hills-designed Links at Lighthouse Sound. Packages in November start as low as $199 per person, per night, for accommodations and golf. 410.213.7050, oceancitygolf.com

Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail
This collection of Alabama courses represents one of the most ambitious state public works projects in recent history — but more to the point, it's one of the best values in golf. The two northernmost of the trail's 11 facilities, Hampton Cove, near Huntsville, and the Shoals, 70 miles from Huntsville, both offer 36 holes of championship golf, with stay-and-play packages as low as $149 per night. 800.949.4444, rtjgolf.com

Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, Naples
The Ritz-Carlton offers stay-and-play packages starting at just $179 per person, per night, through December 31. This property, with two Greg Norman-designed courses, 35 miles from Fort Myers, ranks No. 15 among the best U.S. golf resorts, according to Golf Digest. 239.593.2000, ritzcarlton.com/naplesgolf

Wynn Las Vegas
Like Las Vegas' famous all-you-can-eat buffets, Wynn's stay-and-play is an incredible deal — and much more appealing than the chow you'll get at a buffet. For just $629, golfers receive two nights' accommodation, double occupancy, a round of golf for two on the Tom Fazio-designed course, and prix-fixe lunch for two at Wynn's Country Club, A New American Steakhouse. 866.770.7929 (package code WUGOLF), wynnlasvegas.com

Editor's note: Some Deals & Discounts are subject to availability and restrictions.

Getting There: All these destinations can be reached by flying Continental. To book your trip, visit Continental Airlines Vacations at covacations.com.