And now, for the top ten list of timeshares best suited for golf:

Marriott's Grande Ocean Resort - Hilton Head South Carolina- Marriotts Grande Ocean, Hilton Head Island is world-renowned for its many professional golf courses and Marriott''s Grande Ocean sets the standard for other resorts on the island. This Five Star property features four outdoor swimming pools, one indoor swimming pool, tennis center, health spa, and more. Accommodations feature private balconies with either ocean or garden view and feature all of the modern conveniences.

Marriott's Monarch at Sea Pines - Hilton Head South Carolina - Near the Grande Ocean Resort and situated on six acres of oceanfront property in Sea Pines Plantation, this lovely Five Star resort includes deluxe villas, award-winning gardens, two pools (one heated), three whirlpools, children's wading pool, sundeck and a 450 foot stretch of white sandy beaches. Guests can also take advantage of golf, tennis, shopping and exciting nightlife within a few minutes from the resort.

Marriott's Maui Ocean Club - Maui Hawaii - Located on one of the world's most famous beaches is Marriott's Maui Ocean Club. Amenities include golf, tennis, watersports, lavish swimming pools, waterfalls, live entertainment, health club, restaurants, children's activity center and much more. Suite amenities include private balconies, separate living and dining areas.

Scottsdale Villa Mirage - Scottsdale Arizona - Scottsdale Villa Mirage provides the perfect setting for recreation as well as nightlife. Enjoy shopping and championship golf courses located just minutes away. This southwestern designed resort has an exercise room, outdoor pool and tennis courts.

Sheraton's Desert Oasis - Scottsdale Arizona - Sheraton's Desert Oasis is situated in a setting of unparalleled splendor and nestled near the renowned Scottsdale Tournament Players Club, host of the PGA's Phoenix Open.

Marriott's Shadow Ridge - Palm Desert California - This superb resort in California''s Palm Desert, Marriott''s Shadow Ridge is situated among scenic fairways, lakes and mountains. These beautifully decorated two-bedroom, two-bath villas, each with fireplace and a relaxing tub in the master suite, and two private balconies. Amenities on-site include pools, restaurant, and golf instruction.

Marriott's Desert Springs Villas I - Palm Desert California - Golden sunshine and unrivaled elegance are hallmarks of vacations at this resort, set on the grounds of Desert Springs Resort and Spa. Pamper yourself in the fully equipped spa, challenge the two 18-hole golf courses, or lounge by the pool.

Four Seasons Resort Aviara - Carlsbad California - Located on a hilltop among rolling valleys and a protected wildlife sanctuary, the Four Seasons Resort Club Aviara offers beautiful views of the Batiquitos Lagoon, championship Arnold Palmer golf course, and the Pacific Ocean. The well appointed two-bedroom, three-bathroom villas include fireplace, full kitchen, and three private balconies.

Sheraton's PGA Vacation Resort - Port St Lucie Florida - Sheraton's PGA Vacation Resort is located on Florida's Treasure Coast, an area known for it's world-class fishing, beautiful beaches, sports and entertainment opportunities. The PGA Golf Club offers four golf courses and is adjacent to the resort.

Mystic Dunes Resort - Kissimmee Florida - Near Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando, the resort offers fun and relaxation for the whole family. Enjoy the restaurant, clubhouse, and professional golf instruction at critically acclaimed Mystic Dunes, an 18-hole/par 71 championship golf course. Make a splash on the two-story-tall waterslide or enjoy a treat at one of the poolside bars.

Any of these would be a fine choice for the perfect golf vacation.

As a follow up to my last blog about the top ten beach resorts, here's my pick of the top ten ski resort timeshares in North America:

Marriott's Summit Watch - Park City, Utah - Located at the base of historic Main Street, Marriott's Summit Watch is steps away from the town ski lift, in the heart of beautiful Park City. While the area boasts of having "the greatest snow on Earth" for skiers, it also offers year-round recreational opportunities including great golf, tennis, mountain biking, and fishing.

The Cliff Club at Snowbird  Park City, Utah - This resort is nestled in the heart of the Wasatch Mountain Range and boasts four restaurants, three lounges, two outdoor pools, a 27,000 sq. ft. spa, and lap pool. This year round resort offers ski school, and downhill skiing.

Grand Timber Lodge - Breckenridge, Colorado - Grand Timber Lodge is one of Colorado's finest ski-in, ski-out resorts. Located next to the Snowflake Chairlift and just a short walk from downtown Breckenridge, Grand Timber Lodge features studio, one, two, and three-bedroom residences.

Marriott's Mountain Valley Lodge - Breckenridge, Colorado - Marriott's Mountain Valley Lodge is in the heart of town on Maggie Pond. overlooking the Quick Silver Super Six chairlift. The ski mountain boast 27 lifts and more than 148 ski trails.

Trapp Family Lodge - Stowe, Vermont - Situated high in the Green Mountains, these Austrian-themed guest houses are still owned and operated by the Trapp Family of the Trapp Family Singers and Sound of Music fame. Set on a spectacular 2,800 acre mountaintop, The Lodge's main dining room and Austrian Tea Room offer amazing culinary delights.

Inn Season at Pollard Brook - Lincoln, New Hampshire - This resort is set high above New Hampshire's number one scenic byway just across from the state's popular ski mountain, Loon Mountain. On-site amenities include indoor and outdoor swimming pools, outdoor whirlpool, sauna, tennis courts, game room, and playground. All units have a fireplace, deck, kitchen, VCR and mountain views.

Hyatt High Sierra Lodge - Lake Tahoe, Nevada - This fabulous Five Star resort is situated on Lake Tahoe's north shore in Incline Village. These lovely two-bedroom/two-bath units with fireplace are just steps away from the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort.

Shell Vacation Club Mountainside Lodge - Whistler, BC Canada - Visitors will enjoy the views of both Blackcomb and the Whistler ski areas from the pool and the hot tub at Mountainside Lodge. The resort features over one vertical mile of ski terrrain, the longest run in North America. This quiet ski-in/ski-out location is close to shops, restaurants, and golf.

Whiski Jack at Whistler Creek - Whistler, BC Canada - This resort offers you the thrilling skiing of Whistler and Blackcomb mountains. Whistler's Arnold Palmer golf course is a special treat for summer guests. Boardsailing, fishing, horseback riding and much more are available during the summer.

Marriott's Timber Lodge - South Lake Tahoe, California - Marriott's Timber Lodge is at the base of world-renowned Heavenly Ski Area, adjacent to the Heavenly Aerial Tram. Amenities include a courtyard pool, on-site restaraunt, convenience store, fitness center, ski storage, valet and children's activity center. The resort offers a varriety of one- and two-bedroom villas with a fireplace, private balcony or terrace, fully equipped kitchens.

Well,that's my top ten list for ski resorts. Have any to add?

Narrated Slide Show of the Top Ten Ski Timeshare Resorts

Whether you are looking for surfing, diving, playing on the beach, or just soaking in the sun, here's my totally unscientific top ten picks for beach resort timeshares:

10. Marriott's Aruba Ocean Club - Separated from the magnificent Caribbean Sea by a lovely white, sandy beach, this Five Star property offers the ultimate in luxury vacations.Accommodations range from one to two bedroom villas that are elegantly appointed with full kitchen, kitchenette, formal living and dining areas, whirlpool spa in master bath, private balcony with ocean view, laundry facilities and more.

9. The Royal Mayan Cancun, Mexico. Guests will love this fabulous Five Star resort just a few minutes from a Mayan archaeological site and a championship golf course.

8. Marriott's Kauai Beach Club - On the southern coast of Kauai, 51 tropical acres provide the garden setting for Marriott's Kauai Beach Club. The one and two bedroom vacation ownership villas and luxury hotel offer two restaurants, world-class swimming pool complex, two championship golf courses, tennis and a myriad of beach activities on the quarter mile of Kalapaki Beach.

7. Mayan Palace Nuevo Vallarta - Situated on the beach, 15 miles north of Puerto Vallarta, Mayan Palace Nuevo Vallarta is a retreat for recreational water activities. When the sun goes down, explore the exciting nightlife, designer shops, and the international restaurants of Puerto Vallarta.

6. Westin Ka'anapali Ocean Resort Villas - Accommodations feature lanai with ocean view, stone flooring and distinctive Hawaiian themed decor. Activities and amenities include two spas, waterslide, steam room, swimming pool, gameroom, poolside bar, sauna, fitness center, tennis,washer and dryer in both portions of the lockout units and more.

5. Marriott's Maui Ocean Club - My top choice for Maui, located on one of the world's most famous beaches is Marriott's Maui Ocean Club. Amenities include golf, tennis, watersports, lavish swimming pools, waterfalls, live entertainment, health club, shopping, restaurants, children's activity center and much more. Suite amenities include private balconies, separate living and dining areas, and kitchenette. Don't miss historic Lahaina only minutes away.

4. Pueblo Bonito Rose Resort - This awesome resort is located in the mystical, desert landscape of the southern Baja California peninsula. Situated at Land's End, Pueblo Bonito Rose is surrounded by beautiful coastline, magnificent sea life, and the majestic nature of Los Cabos.

3. Charter Club of Marco Beach - One of the best of Florida's Ten Thousand Islands, Marco Island will delight water lovers, sightseers, and sun worshipers. A beachfront location allows guests to be right in the midsts of one of the world's best shelling areas.

2. Vidafel Mayan Palace-Acapulco - This fabulous tropical paradise is in the new Acapulco Diamente Zone and offers beautiful lakes and gardens thoughout the property. Amenities include golf, tennis, restaurants, beach, live entertainment, playground, and the largest swimming pool in the world.

1. Harborside Resort at Atlantis - My number 1 choice. Surrounded by the beautiful Caribbean and pure-white beaches, Harborside Resort at Atlantis is ideally situated in the perfect spot for relaxing and adventure. These luxurious villas feature full kitchens, formal living and dining areas, whirlpool bath and private terraces.

So that's my top ten. Let me know if you would nominate others for this list!

Here's a narrated slide show of these ten resorts!

As I write this, tropical storm Fay is creeping slowly north through central Florida near Lake Okeechobee. It made landfall early this morning somewhere between Fort Myers and Key West. It is supposed to slowly work its way north with most of the damage coming from heavy rainfall. Predictions are that it will drop from 5 to 10 inches of rain. Vacation resort areas in Fay's landfall path included Marco Island, Naples, Sanibel Island, Captiva Island, and others. Wind and heavy rain battered the entire southern half of the state from Key West to Miami and the storm is still moving. The storm has not weakened, in fact there was a report of winds gusting to 80 mph near Lake Okeechobee.

Initial reports have said that many have lost power, but structural damage is fairly light. But the storm continues to be a threat from flooding.

Screenshot from 3:00pm ET 

As more details come out of Florida's west coast I'll post it here. The future of this storm is a little uncertain, according to the weather forecasters.

Having grown up on the Texas Gulf Coast, I remember my father keeping a hurricane tracking chart with all the previous years' hurricanes still drawn on it. I wish I had a copy of it to post here.  Some of those storms went in circles in the gulf, tracked backwards, and confounded everyone as to where it would go next.  While weather prediction has vastly improved, we all still need to keep a close eye on the powerful forces of nature.

I stumbled across this story about New York City that discusses the best free or inexpensive attractions. Absolutely terrific advice! I plan on printing it out and taking it with me the next time I travel there. I'll summarize it here if you don't want to read the whole thing there:

The subway is $2, Central Park is still free, Times Square at night, Rockefeller Center (Ice Skating, Christmas Tree), Grand Central Terminal, Staten Island Ferry (free), Governors Island Ferry (also free),  walking across Brooklyn Bridge, parades, street fairs, some museums with "free hours", and more, more, more.

Not mentioned in the CNN article but worthwhile: Saint Patrick's Cathedral, New York Public Library (3rd largest in the world), and for a small fee - Ellis Island, Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, American Museum of Natural History, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

But when you get to the biggest ticket item, accommodations, the discounted options diminish.

My suggestion, no surprise, would be to stay in a timeshare - rent it!  The only real choice there is the Manhattan Club. The size may be smaller than what you are used to if you've rented a timeshare before, but, this is Manhattan! And again, the best bet would be to rent from an owner through www.rentvacations.com. You can probably pick up a weekly or weekend rental there for less than $350 a night and be located at the corner of 56th and 7th Ave. Carnegie Hall is across the street and the theatre district is a few blocks away.

You may be asking the question, "Why would I want to know how the resorts attract buyers, I want to sell my timeshare!" This question is important because you will be in competition with the resort when you decide to sell your timeshare. So, you need to know.

For example, over the last several months you may have seen one of the major resort developers running television ads to attract discounted vacation travelers to their resort.  They offer significantly reduced rack rates in exchange for your time for a "90 minute presentation".  Unless you bought your timeshare on the resales market from an owner, you are definitely familiar with the sales presentation. The tour, the food, the gift, the pitch, the guilt, and the last ditch handoff to the sales manager who offers you a "one day only" drop in the price if you buy right now. All these things combined plus sales commissions, overrides, and overhead add up to about 50% of the sales price.  The television ads, phone rooms, meals, rooms, gifts, and so on are all very expensive.  So they roll all that advertising expense into their sales prices. That's what you, as a buyer, paid for.

When you get ready to sell your timeshare, you won't be able to offer the same pitch, pressure, or lures to attract a buyer. You will not be able to put a sign in the window, lockbox on the door, sign in the yard, or hold an open house.  The short answer to this dilemma is to check out the seller's options described at www.rpmls.com. A comprehensive list of timeshare selling solutions is available there. Take the time to read the timeshare resales study found on that website as well. Lots of good info: resales data, charts, average prices and more.

Audio version of the story plus a Westgate Timeshare Resorts slide show

Especially when your next maintenance fee bill arrives.  It has been often said that the best value of a timeshare is in its use. And if you are not using your timeshare, then it is time to sell it.  Throughout life our circumstances change in ways that prevent us from doing a lot of things we would rather do. Sometimes a job will be too unpredictable to allow us to plan for vacations and specific check in dates at our timeshare. Or perhaps changes in health may prevent someone from traveling as much as they'd like. Whatever the reason, if you are not using your timeshare every time it is available to you, it becomes a money pit.

Where to Start? If you are reading this, you have made a good start by researching your options. Sadly, most resorts offer no help in selling your timeshare for you. Running your own ads will probably attract unqualified buyers and low offers. Worse, you might be persuaded to pay someone hundreds, or thousands of dollars to just take your timeshare from you (then flip it on youknowwhere.com).  I'd say check out www.rpmls.com. They offer sellers' guides, video guides, catalogs, interactive maps, and so on. Collectively, they have hundreds of years of timeshare resales experience. If they can't sell it, nobody can.

Whatever you do, don't procrastinate. It won't sell itself.  Wait much longer, and you'll have yet another maintenance fee bill for something you don't use.

Chances are, thanks to the price of gasoline, your summer vacation involved a little less driving!  A recent Cnn.com travel article said that Americans drove "12.2 billion fewer miles in June than the same month a year earlier." Many of us decided to take our holiday closer to our home. For those of us who live within easy driving distance to a great beach, mountains, golf, etc we have found great places to relax, swim, or just do nothing.  There are terrific deals to be found close to home. Take timeshare resorts for example.  If you live in the New York metro area, there are great timeshare deals to be found on Cape Cod and the mountains of Vermont and New Hampshire. For example, Inn Season at Pollard Brook is set high above New Hampshire's number one scenic byway just across from the state's most popular ski mountain, Loon Mountain. Or, Attitash Mountain Village in Bartlett, NH you can find 1, 2, or 3 bedroom units to accommodate a large group. In Cape Cod, you'd find Cove at Yarmouth, Courtyard Resort, or Sea Mist Resort to be in great locations and offer a better deal than hotels.

So, even if the price of gas is high, if you travel closer to home you can save cash on both your travel and your lodging if you rent or buy a timeshare close to home!

Last week RCI announced it was adding two more timeshare resorts to their collection in the Orlando/Kissimmee area. These resorts are Vista Royale Resort and Encantada.  The news article describes them as being in the RCI Points program. The president and CEO of RCI Group claims that they have over 4,000 resorts, 60,000 vacation rental properties, and more than 1 million subscribing members.  (source)

While RCI continues to dominate the timeshare exchange world, how are those "1 million subscribing members" doing?  And, where did those 60,000 "vacation rental properties" come from? For the most part, they get good reviews from happy timeshare exchanging members.  But where do all our/your banked weeks end up when you don't get what you request?  And, are those our weeks on redweek.com, travelocity.com, expedia.com, weather.com, vrbo.com, and all the other online travel brokers?

And, who controls what those "points" are worth today, next year, or ten years from now?

That week #1 in Acapulco is starting to look better and better. When you buy a timeshare, consider your usage rights, location, amenities, and chances that you will use that resort many times for your vacation or holiday.  That, in the long run, will be your better value.

Just my 2 cents.

Your thoughts?