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'I want a round of golf that appeals to all the senses, making me feel more alive, like I'm really a part of the natural world," Canadian golf architect Les Furber says.

When planning their southern golf vacations, Furber and Canada's other top architects are an unusually demanding bunch. They not only seek beauty and challenge in the courses they play, they also ideally want to learn something about their craft from architects they admire. "A uniquely shaped bunker by Tom Fazio or the moulding of a green complex by Pete Dye - you never know where you might find inspiration," Furber says.

From Southern California's fabled Torrey Pines to the Dominican Republic's luxurious Casa de Campo resort, Canada's leading golf architects reveal where they go to recharge and reconnect with the game they love.

Dominican Republic

Tom McBroom so admired the oceanside routing of Pete Dye's Teeth of the Dog course in the Dominican Republic that it inspired the design of his acclaimed Links at Crowbush Cove layout in Prince Edward Island.

"Dye's use of the land was absolutely brilliant," says McBroom, a Toronto-based architect also known for such courses as Ontario's Ridge at Manitou and British Columbia's Tobiano. "On both nines, Dye started inland and then broke out toward the ocean, saving the best for last. I followed that pattern at Crowbush."

Part of the lavish Casa de Campo resort complex on the island's southeast coast, Teeth of the Dog has attracted affluent golfers since opening in 1971. Dye, who along with Fazio is widely considered the greatest of modern golf architects, also designed the resort's two other courses, The Links and Dye Fore, a 7,770-yard behemoth that launched to rave reviews in 2003.

A major player in the golf boom sweeping the Caribbean, the Dominican Republic has captured the attention of the golf world with a two-decade-long string of high-profile course openings. Also on McBroom's must-play list are Playa Grande Golf Course, a Robert Trent Jones Sr. jewel overlooking a broad stretch of sand beach on the island's north coast; and Punta Espada Golf Course, a new Jack Nicklaus oceanfront design at the deluxe Cap Cana resort on the eastern tip of the island.

Orlando, Fla.

Montreal golf architect Graham Cooke says he feels almost overwhelmed by the variety of superior courses in this central Florida city on the doorstep of Walt Disney World Resort. Orlando boasts more than 175 layouts within a 45-minute drive of its revitalized downtown core, a big reason why no fewer than 60 PGA Tour pros call the city home.

"Pete Dye, Jack Nicklaus, Ron Garl, Greg Norman, Arnold Palmer, the Robert Trent Joneses - virtually all the major architects are represented," says Cooke, whose design credits include Nova Scotia's Fox Harb'r and British Columbia's Crown Isle. "Orlando is one of the top golf destinations in North America."

A favourite Cooke stop is Grand Cypress Golf Club, a 45-hole, mostly links-style complex designed by Nicklaus at the Hyatt Grand Cypress Resort. The Golden Bear masterfully transformed a largely uninspiring site into a target-golf track infused with challenge and drama.

"It's a course built for players," says Cooke, who is himself one of Canada's top senior amateur golfers.

He is also a fan of how architects Ron Garl and Howard Swan built European flair - including pot bunkers with revetted faces - into the 18-hole Eagle Creek Golf Club. Especially memorable are the native grasses and wildflowers adorning the 11th hole, a demanding par three of 217 yards.

More than 30 courses have opened in the Orlando area in the past decade, making it difficult for golfers to keep up. "I'm going to start my next visit at ChampionsGate, which I hear is fantastic," Cooke says. The 36-hole facility features two courses by Greg Norman, whose design work grows stronger with every outing. The International is a links-style layout, while the National is a traditional North American parkland design with rolling fairways and greens.

Pinehurst, N.C.

Like most students of the game, Doug Carrick is awed by the genius of legendary golf architect Donald Ross every time he visits the bucolic village of Pinehurst in the North Carolina sandhills. "I never tire of playing Ross's famous No. 2 course at Pinehurst Resort," says Carrick, a Toronto-based designer who made his name with award-winning layouts such as Greywolf in British Columbia and Angus Glen and Bigwin Island in Ontario.

"What really sets No. 2 apart from other great courses are Ross's green complexes, which he famously designed like upside-down bowls. The course has become a pilgrimage site for golf architects."

Pinehurst Resort's lineup of eight courses includes three by Ross (Nos. 1, 2 and 3), as well as designs by Fazio (Nos. 4 and 8), Ellis Maples (No. 5), Tom and George Fazio (No. 6), and Rees Jones (No. 7). All told, 43 courses are found either in Pinehurst or within easy reach of the village, located 113 kilometres southwest of Raleigh, the state capital. Two more Ross-designed jewels are nearby at the resorts Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club and Mid Pines Inn and Golf Club.

Recently restored Pine Needles, which has hosted three U.S. Women's Open championships, offers a stiffer test, though both courses often force the golfer to work the ball around towering pines. But it's the thrill of playing Ross's No. 2 course at Pinehurst that draws Carrick and other pilgrims back. Opened 100 years ago, the course, which hosted the U.S. Open in 1999 and 2005, is hallowed ground for every golfer.

Southern California

Now that the Santa Ana-fuelled wildfires that threatened the region have finally been extinguished, Furber is looking forward to his next golf trip to Southern California.

"My golf buddies and I love playing in the triangle between San Diego, Los Angeles and Palm Springs," says the Canmore, Alta.-based designer of top courses such as B.C.'s Predator Ridge and Alberta's Silvertip. "The landscape varies from desert to rolling parkland, and there are really great courses within an hour's drive that charge under $100."

One such bargain is Oak Quarry Golf Club, a 7,002-yard monster dramatically carved through the abandoned Jensen Quarry, just east of Los Angeles in the city of Riverside. "It's a terrific example of how an essentially useless piece of land has been reclaimed for recreational use," Furber says of the layout by Champions Tour star Gil Morgan and Schmidt-Curley Design. "Most golf architects can do a good job on an easy piece of property, but not many can do it on a really difficult site like this."

Though securing tee times can be a challenge, the famous South Course at Torrey Pines in the San Diego suburb of La Jolla is another gem Furber tries to play whenever he visits Southern California. Opened in 1957, the 7,607-yard municipally owned oceanside layout, which will host the 2008 U.S. Open, is situated between cliffs and canyons rising steeply from the Pacific Ocean. "Rees Jones did a fabulous restoration of the course several years ago," Furber says. "People rave about Pebble Beach farther up the coast. But I think Torrey Pines is a better test of golf."

Pack your clubs

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Casa de Campo 1-800-877-3643; http://www.casadecampo.com.do. Trio of courses by Pete Dye, including Teeth of the Dog. Green fees: $113 to $147 for resort guests; $123 to $197 for non-guests.

Playa Grande Golf Course 809-582-0860; http://www.playagrande.com. Robert Trent Jones Sr. jewel on the island's north coast. Green fees: $88 to $157.

Punta Espada Golf Course 1-809-955-9501; http://www.golfcapcana.com. Jack Nicklaus oceanfront design. Green fees: $216 to $344.

ORLANDO, FLA.

Grand Cypress Golf Club 407-239-1904; http://www.grandcypress.com. 45-hole mostly links-style complex by Jack Nicklaus. Green fees: $172 to $177 for resort guests; $221 for non-guests.

Eagle Creek Golf Club 407-273-4653; www.eaglecreekgolf.info. European-style design by Ron Garl and Howard Swan. Green fees: $80.

ChampionsGate 407-787-4653; http://www.championsgategolf.com. 36-hole facility by Greg Norman. Green fees: $75 to $139.

PINEHURST, N.C.

Pinehurst Resort and Country Club 1-800-487-4653; http://www.pinehurst.com. Six courses, including Donald Ross's No. 2. Play restricted to guests, although non-guests can call for day-of-play bookings. The walk-on green fee at No. 2 is $369; other courses range from $157 to $246. For guests, fees vary depending on packages.

Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club 1-800-290-2334; http://www.pineneedles-mid-pines.com. Ross gem. Green fees: $108 to $118.

Mid Pines Inn and Golf Club 1-800-290-2334. Tree-lined classic Donald Ross design near Pinehurst. Green fees: $68 to $93.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Oak Quarry Golf Club 951-685-1440; http://www.oakquarry.com. Dramatic layout carved through an abandoned quarry. Green fees: $64 to $93.

Torrey Pines (South Course) 858-452-3226; http://www.torreypinesgolfcourse.com. Restored La Jolla layout will host the 2008 U.S. Open. Green fees: $142 to $178.