Golf Guide: Lexington - KY

Golfers heading to Lexington will likely be surprised at the high-quality courses interspersed throughout Bluegrass Country. Travelers, however, should build time into their visits to Lexington to experience some of what this land is famous for: horses (and bourbon, but many golfers need not be reminded to indulge in this local product).

In Lexington, the Kentucky Horse Park will help fill the afternoon of people with practically no interest in stallions and mares; for people who appreciate horses, however, who have been known to ride them, own them or place a wager on them, the Kentucky Horse Park can easily turn a day into countless lifelong memories.

And golfers will likely remember their meals at Billy's Bar-B-Q, voted the best barbecue in Lexington. To celebrate an excellent round with an even more excellent steak, golfers should head to Malone's.

The two Pete Dye courses in the Lexington region are also beefy. Father Pete and son P.B. pooled their talents with spectacular results when they created Kearney Hill Golf Links, a course that is impressive enough to have hosted a Champions Tour PGA event for eight years. Not surprisingly, Kearney Hill has been named the best public course in the state and has been included among the country's 100 best. What will surprise golfers, however, is the price: less than $50, including cart. And the other Pete Dye course in the area, near Lancaster, is less expensive and requires golfers to strategize, then execute, or suffer the wrath of Uncle Pete.