Ask Travelin' Joe: Summer Values in the Sandhills

Dear Joe,

Our group enjoys the Pinehurst area for golf getaways, but money's a little tighter these days. Any bargains you can recommend down that way?

Royal Grant, Felton, Delaware

The Sandhills region is sizzling this time of year, with temperatures and values. Prices rise when the weather cools in early Fall, but there are still several memorable layouts with competitive rates. Always my first choice is Tobacco Road ($59-$89; 919-775-1940, tobaccoroadgolf.com) about 40 minutes north of Pinehurst in Sanford. This Mike Strantz design is an unforgettable blend of beautiful and berserk, but for an on-the-edge experience, it's easily worth the freight. A replay round booked the day of play is $30.

Hi Joe,

My husband and I and another couple are traveling to Bar Harbor, Maine in August for a serious dose of sailing and lobster eating. We'd like to play golf at least once. Where would you recommend for a classic New England golf experience?

Toodles Doyle, North Hutchinson Island, Florida

I could direct you to a handful of undeniably pleasant nine-hole courses that dot the Maine coast, but for a true taste of classic Yankee challenge opt for Kebo Valley Golf Club ($85-$110; 207-288-3000, kebovalleyclub.com) in the shadows of Cadillac Mountain and Acadia National Park. At 6,131 yards, par 70, Kebo Valley won't frighten anybody. But what the scorecard doesn't show about the eighth oldest course in the U.S. are the quirky, Old World design touches that blanket the layout, including blind shots, chocolate drop mounds and oddly twisting brooks. Back in 1911, President Taft hacked his way to a 27 at what's now the 358-yard, par-4 17th, but when you see the 100-yard-wide bunker that blocks the entrance to the elevated green, you'll wonder how the 400-pound Taft ever emerged at all.

Dear Joe,

I'm traveling to the Heartland in September to see my alma mater, the Thundering Herd of Marshall, play the Wisconsin Badgers. I don't get back to the Upper Midwest very often, so I'd like to sample a good local layout. Any suggestions?