Golf & Gridiron: Where to Play for the 2014 BCS Bowl Games

December 26, 2013

It’s been a pretty exciting year for college football, and the competition is really heating up as teams prepare to vie for supremacy in the 2014 BCS Bowls. If you’re one of those die-hard fans planning a 4-day trip to watch your favorite team, be sure to grab your clubs as you load up your RV or car and head out.

Here’s a guide to where you can squeeze in 18 holes before watching the rivalry unfold on the gridiron.

Jan. 1, 2014: Rose Bowl – Pasadena, Calif.

Teams: Stanford Cardinals vs. Michigan State Spartans

Featured Course: DeBell Golf Club

A packed house is expected for this cross-country matchup of hardnosed football. Escape the smack talk and tackle the pristine Kikuyu grass fairways of DeBell Golf Club before the big game. The 18-hole De Bell course in nearby Burbank, Calif., features 5,633 yards of golf from the tips for a par of 71, and while fairways are tight and undulating, it’s still enjoyable for beginners. With its perfect rolling greens, and stunning views of the landscape, DeBell offers a swift escape from the intensity of the Spartan vs. Cardinal war.

 

Jan. 1, 2014: Fiesta Bowl – Glendale, Ariz.

Teams: University of Central Florida Knights vs. Baylor Bears

Featured Course: Raven Varrado Golf Club

Both Baylor and UCF have enjoyed a recent rise to prominence and understandably, their fans are ready to enjoy every minute of the Fiesta Bowl glory. Glendale has its share of great courses to offer Floridians and Texans, including Raven Varrado, which makes for the perfect setting to hash out this college rivalry on the course.

Set beautifully at the foot of the White Tank Mountains with gorgeous views of the Arizona desert and the mountains, The Raven at Verrado has been rated as one of the “Top 10 New Golf Courses You Can Play” by Golf Magazine. Don’t skip a chance to play one of the area’s best courses before losing your voice in the stands.

 

Jan. 2, 2014: Sugar Bowl – New Orleans, La.

Teams: Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Oklahoma Sooners

Featured Course: Stonebridge Golf Club

If you’ve ever had one of those rounds where one putt or one approach shot ruined a great day, then you know just about how Alabama and Oklahoma feel this season. Though there’s nothing they can do about it, you sure can. Stonebridge Golf Club presents fans with the perfect opportunity to relive “what could have been” on the golf course for a better outcome.

Located just minutes from downtown, Stonebridge’s unique layout features 27 holes with picturesque views of the city and lush fairways. The course winds through canals and bayous, and guarantees you won’t have to look far to find one of many species of reptiles and waterfowl that make their home in this region. You’re sure to use just about every trick in the playbook for this gem.

 

Jan. 3, 2014: Orange Bowl – Miami, Fla.

Teams: Clemson Tigers vs. Ohio State Buckeyes

Featured Course: Biltmore Golf Course

Put on your Scarlet and Gray or your Orange and Purple and soak up the south Florida sunshine as you defend your team’s honor on Biltmore Golf Course, a lush track completed in 1925 and recently meticulously restored. The exquisite Biltmore Golf Course has challenged the likes of Walter Hagen, Tiger Woods, Babe Ruth and Gene Sarazen. After you’re done playing where legends have played, it’ll be time to watch the game where legends are made.

 

Jan. 6, 2013: BCS National Championship – Pasadena, Calif.

Teams: Florida State Seminoles vs. Auburn Tigers

Featured Course: Angeles National Golf Club

For the pinnacle of all college football, golfers have an awesome opportunity to play on the ultimate championship course. If you’re going out to Pasadena to partake in the college football experience of a lifetime, we suggest experiencing Angeles National Golf Club, which offers all the amenities you need to have a championship-style round of golf.

Nestled at the base of the Angeles National Forest and the only Nicklaus Design golf course in Los Angeles County, Angeles National Golf Club sets the standard of excellence and beauty for golf courses in Southern California. Ranked by Travel + Leisure Golf magazine as one of the Top 30 Best New Courses Worldwide and one of the Top Ten Best New Public/Resort courses in the United States, ANGC presents a challenging and impressive layout for golfers of all skill levels, this course is a sure touchdown for Tiger and Seminole fans alike.