Katharine Dyson
Special Contributor
Katharine Dyson is a golf and travel writer for several national publications as well as guidebook author and radio commentator. Her journeys have taken her around the world playing courses and finding unique places to stay. She is a member of the Golf Writers Association of America, Metropolitan Golf Writers of America; Golf Travel Writers Organization and Society of American Travel Writers. Follow Katharine on Twitter at @kathiegolf.
Recent articles
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October 12, 2016
Turning Stone Resort and Casino, located 30 miles east of Syracuse, N.Y., is loaded with amenities. You can stay several days and never play the same course twice.
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April 5, 2016
The season is short if you want to play golf, dip into the bracing waters, boat, picnic, fish and hit the beaches on Prince Edward Island in Canada. But what a season it is!
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November 18, 2015
Less than an hour from Providence, R.I., Mohegan Sun Golf Club at Pautipaug stands on its own as a serious golf course, much more than just an amenity for high rollers at Mohegan Sun's big-time entertainment facilities. The course reopened in 2012 following an upgrade led by Robert McNeil.
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March 25, 2015
Charleston, S.C. is a city steeped in history and romance. This is "Lowcountry" at its best: Here golf courses and golf communities abound, many built on land with profound historical significance.
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December 26, 2014
Charlotte, N.C. has more than 80 golf courses, many designed by revered architects such as Tom Fazio, Donald Ross, Dan Maples and Arnold Palmer. Here are some of the best.
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December 1, 2014
There are many fine golf courses in Fairfield County, Connecticut. With some persistence and insider knowledge, it's possible to tee it up at several excellent tracks accessible to the public with affordable green fees.
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November 11, 2014
Cape Cod has more than 40 golf courses, nearly 30 accessible to the public. Katharine Dyson offers up her favoite six of the best plays on the cape.
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November 10, 2014
Gather up your sticks and get ready to play five of the best golf courses in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts.
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November 4, 2014
In August, Saratoga Springs in upstate New York is all about horse racing, but the golf in this town is a winner, too. Katharine Dyson lists her five favorite area courses.
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October 14, 2014
From well manicured designer tracks to pretty little courses, here are 13 favorite golf courses in the Finger Lakes region of central New York.
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June 23, 2014
Summertime in the Finger Lakes area of New York is usually gloriously warm and sunny, perfect for golf. Here are some of our favorite courses offering great values, with some off-course suggestions.
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March 3, 2014
In Branson, country music stars like the Gatlin Brothers; Shoji Tabuchi, who plays a mean fiddle; and "Mr. Banjo" Buck Trent of "Hee Haw" and "The Roy Clark Show," play to packed houses. Off stage, they trade in their cowboy boots for golf shoes to perform on another "stage," the golf course. The stars tee up at Branson Creek, Murder Rock, LedgeStone Country Club, Thousand Hills Golf Resort and other top Branson-area courses.
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February 18, 2014
The Tampa area has several golf-oriented communities and resorts that are perfect for a vacation. Renting a home or condo -- or even adjacent suites with kitchens in a resort -- makes sense, not only because of the comfort factor, but also because it's economical. But which ones make the "A" list? Katharine Dyson breaks it down.
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February 11, 2014
About 100 years ago, Naples, on the southwest coast of Florida, had fewer than 40 full-time residents. Today there are more than 90 golf courses in the area, with about three dozen open to the public and some private tracks available during the off season. Green fees are on the high side, but you can find good golf at affordable prices. Katharine Dyson offers a slate of recommendations at three price-points: luxury, mid-level and budget.
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February 11, 2014
There are all kinds of reasons you could be visiting Tallahassee, from a sports event to meetings at the capitol. Perhaps you're here for a wedding, or to run in the Tallahassee Marathon. Whatever the case, you've got some time on your hands and want to sneak in a little golf. You'll need to rent clubs and you're looking for affordable green fees. Katharine Dyson has some of your top options.
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August 7, 2013
This year marks the first time both the PGA and LPGA Championships are being held in the same city in the same year -- historic Pittsford, N.Y., just outside Rochester. That underlines the often-underrated high quality of golf courses in central New York's Finger Lakes region. While you may never get to play Oak Hill or Locust Hill, there are several fine golf courses available to everyone -- and at a good price. Katharine Dyson has more on golf in the Finger Lakes region.
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July 19, 2012
North Carolina's Outer Banks are known for incredible white sand dunes and beaches, but the area is also home to seven impressive golf courses. Blessed by a diverse collection of tracks, from seaside links to parkland style, the question is: Where to play? Katharine Dyson has more from the coast.
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March 12, 2012
Hammock Beach Resort has two exceptional golf courses, the Jack Nicklaus Ocean Course and the Tom Watson Conservatory Course. Both are open to members and guests of Hammock Beach exclusively. As good as the golf is, however, many people come without their clubs because there is just so much for everyone to do, Katharine Dyson writes from northeast Florida.
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July 1, 2011
New Jersey's famed Seaview resort -- located eight miles from Atlantic City -- continues to attract guests from all over the world. The handsome, white hotel entrance with its hotel wings stretching out from the center in a crescent around sweeping lawns and gardens, has changed little since those days when Grace Kelly -- later Princess Grace of Monaco -- celebrated her 16th birthday in the Oval Room.
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November 3, 2010
It's certainly possible to play 36 holes of golf each day and still be in fighting shape. It's just so much easier if a spa treatment is thrown into the mix. If you're playing golf at Pinehurst Resort, The Spa at Pinehurst is the place. From the time you walk through the doors of this impressive 31,000-square-foot-facility, you start decompressing, Katharine Dyson writes.
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November 20, 2009
Katherine Dyson takes another look at a great combination - golf and spas - this time east of the Mississippi. From special massages and body wraps to Olympic-size swimming pools and fitness classes, resorts in the eastern states have no shortage of options for recreation and relaxation. Better yet, all this indulgence takes place within a chip shot of some world-class golf courses.
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September 24, 2009
Located in a park-rich region of Northern Virginia, General's Ridge is a relatively short public course, where long drives are less effective than accurate placement. There's dog legs, blind holes, hills and ravines aplenty - but it's the slick stiff grass on the greens that will have you struggling to make par.
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September 3, 2009
More than ever, posh golf resorts are offering sports and golf massages, while other kinds of treatments - such as yoga for golfers and exercise to develop core strength and flexibility - are also being integrated into the spa programs. Here are some of the resorts in the western U.S. that do a great job of combining the golf and spa experience.
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July 28, 2009
Forest Greens Golf Club in Triangle, Va., may seem like a private club, but in reality, it's a daily-fee track with perks like on-course beverage services and a large practice area. It's a fair course, without a whole lot of tricky drama or hidden treachery. With big, welcoming fairways and huge, modestly fast greens, this is a golf course you can enjoy again and again.
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June 12, 2009
Stonewall Golf Club in Gainesville, Va. may be public, but it lives like a private club from the well-manicured course to the 13,000-square-foot clubhouse with its coffered ceilings and massive stone fireplace. Set against a backdrop of the Bull Run Mountains and Lake Manassas, this scenic Tom Jackson design is blessed by gently rolling hills and plenty of tall trees.