DOES NEW EQUATE TO IMPROVED AT AMERICA’S HOME OF GOLF?

Golf Odyssey Reveals Details From Clandestine Visit to Venerable Pinehurst Resort

SHORT HILLS, N.J. (May 30, 2008) — Prompted by renovations to its No. 1 course and its flagship Carolina Hotel, Golf Odyssey: The Insider’s Guide to Sophisticated Golf Travel conducted one its customary incognito site inspections at Pinehurst Resort, located in the area of North Carolina known as, “The Home of American Golf.” In its just-released June issue, Golf Odyssey not only details its findings about the recent changes, but includes a comprehensive guide to visiting the Pinehurst Resort, complete with rankings of its eight golf courses, five lodging alternatives, and multitude of on- and off-property dining options.

In addition, readers are treated to a number of insider secrets on how to secure the best room rates and green fees at Pinehurst Resort. Golf Odyssey notes, “Oftentimes, the best priced option may be a special seasonal offer rather than the standard golf packages.” By way of example, the story reveals how to secure a night’s lodging at the Carolina Hotel, breakfast, and a round of golf on famed Pinehurst No. 2 course for only $252. The regular green fee on No.2 alone is $410. As is Golf Odyssey’s practice, the intelligence report also includes the all-important details of Pinehurst’s course maintenance schedule.

“Playing the best golf courses in the world is no fun when one is greeted by recently aerated greens and over-seeded fairways,” notes Golf Odyssey publisher, editor-in-chief, and noted golf travel expert David Baum. “By following our advice, our readers rarely find unpleasant surprises on their golf vacations.”

Also included in the June issue is a detailed guide to the golf, lodging, and dining alternatives that one can find outside the Pebble Beach resort in the Carmel Valley and Monterey Peninsula. While Pebble Beach is a must visit, at least once, for serious golfers, the off-resort properties are a great option as an add-on to a Pebble Beach golf vacation or an outright alternative for Pebble Beach veterans or those looking for more of a discount golf vacation in this most beautiful, but expensive, part of the country.

While some of the area’s finest golf courses, including Cypress Point and Monterey Peninsula Country Club, are private, anyone can play Poppy Hills, Bayonet and Blackhorse, Pacific Grove Municipal Golf Links, Carmel Valley Ranch and Quail Lodge – in some cases for less than the cost of a caddy at Pebble Beach. Supplementing the golf is an array of fine lodging alternatives and a cornucopia of dining options.

According to Baum, “One of the secrets of the Carmel-Monterey region is that you may be better off staying in Carmel Valley rather than at the flagship Pebble Beach Resort.” In addition to excellent accommodations, one finds consistently better weather in the Carmel Valley and more reasonable prices.

For a copy of Golf Odyssey’s June 2008 issue, or to arrange an interview with golf vacation expert David Baum, email denise@golfodyssey.com, call 800-550-2286, or visit: GolfOdyssey.com.

• About Golf Odyssey
  Golf Odyssey, LLC publishes a monthly, subscription-only, printed newsletter and companion website. Now in its 17th year, Golf Odyssey: The Insider’s Guide to Sophisticated Golf Travel, is dedicated to the publication of honest and unbiased evaluations of great golf destinations in the United States and abroad. Golf Odyssey travels anonymously, pays its own expenses, and does not accept advertising from golf courses, resorts or restaurants in order to serve its subscribers with objective information and discriminating advice. Subscribers to Golf Odyssey include PGA Professionals, Fortune 500 CEOs, members of 95 of the top-100 golf clubs in America, professional athletes and celebrities, and world-famous golf course architects. To subscribe to Golf Odyssey and/or give it as a gift, please visit GolfOdyssey.com.
  
  
• About David Baum
  A former partner at Goldman Sachs in New York City, David Baum is the publisher & editor-in-chief of Golf Odyssey and Golf Vacation Insider. He is a leading expert on golf travel and has played more than 50 courses in five countries in the last twelve months alone. In addition to authoring two golf travel books, Planning the Ultimate Golf Vacation and Planning the Ultimate Bandon Dunes Golf Vacation, he serves as the golf travel columnist for Dealmaker Magazine and has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, The International Herald Tribune, USATODAY.com, Golf For Women, US Airways Magazine, Bloomberg News, Cigar Aficionado and other national publications.

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