Kid-friendly golf resorts let you tee off together
BY LYNN O'ROURKE HAYES
THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS
If golf is your game, check in to one of the many resorts that cater to families eager to spend time on the links together. Learn on the practice tee, play on courses crafted for kids and enjoy a multitude of amenities.
• Callaway Gardens, Pine Mountain, Ga. In addition to three courses with junior tees and a golf instructor who specializes in teaching kids, families can take part in the Summer Family Adventure. Show up for junior and adult clinics, cookouts, beach parties, astronomy, bingo, hiking and biking. Don't miss the Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center, where more than 1,000 winged creatures flutter about. This year, the 13,000-acre resort is celebrating 50 years of family fun. 800- 225-5292; www.callawaygardens.com'>href='http://www.callawaygardens.com'>www.callawaygardens.com .
• Westin Kierland Resort, Scottsdale, Ariz. Sign up for junior instruction under the sunny Arizona skies, relax around the pools and hike in the nearby mountain preserve. Junior players will love the option of using a motorized, low-impact Segway to travel from tee to green. Adult and junior gear is available on the property. 800-354-5892; www.kierlandresort.com .
• Wintergreen Resort, Wintergreen, Va. Parents can join their kids for group lessons, then head to the course to refine new skills at this family-friendly resort on the eastern edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains. With 45 holes of championship golf as a cornerstone, families can enjoy a golf holiday that also includes a children's program at the Treehouse, hiking, fly-fishing and an award-winning tennis program. 800-926-3723; www.wintergreenresort.com .
• Grand Traverse Resort, Acme, Mich. This 900-acre resort offers both Jack Nicklaus- and Gary Player-designed courses along the sandy shores of Lake Michigan's Grand Traverse Bay. Young players will appreciate the age-specific instruction available and junior tees. Kid-friendly, pet-friendly and offering activities such as tennis and swimming, plus a children's center, this midwestern destination is also home to the National Cherry Festival each summer. 800-748-0303; grandtraverseresort.com .
• Celebration. Built by Disney, it isn't surprising that the town of Celebration and nearby lodging options are family-friendly. Great for beginners, a three-hole course eliminates the trepidation evoked in a more adult environment. The longer course boasts permanent junior tee markers. Best of all, the greens fee for youngsters is just $1. And, of course, Walt Disney World is about 10 miles away. 407-566-6000;www.celebrationhotel.com
