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www.golfvacationsmag.com Golf Vacations September 2015 1
OUR 13th YEAR!
THIS MONTH: M y T u r n S w e e t S t u f f C h i p S h o t
s
GOLF VACATIONSGOLF VACATIONSSEPTEMBER 2015
Plus: LATE SEASON GOLF AT SWITZERLANDS TICINOPlus: LATE SEASON
GOLF AT SWITZERLANDS TICINO
FALL IS THE TIME TO PLAY GOLFFALL IS THE TIME TO PLAY GOLF
GLACIER CLUBON A GRAND SCALEGLACIER CLUB
ON A GRAND SCALE
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8 Chip Shots
12 Glacier Club by David R. HollandTodays Glacier Club is
surrounded by the towering Hermosa Cliffs, rising 3,000 feet in the
blue southwestern Colorado sky, bor-dered by 3 million acres of the
San Juan National Forest. Talk about an idyllic setting it is 18
miles, 1,300 feet and 10 degrees cooler uphill from historic
Durango on Highway 550s San Juan Skyway Scenic Byway. Head further
north and the road becomes the Million Dollar Highway, a 25-mile
stretch between Silverton and Ouray amongst the San Juan
Mountains.
18 Fall is the Time to Play Golf by JD LatorreReal golfers know
playing in the fall is where its at. Comfortable temperatures,
little or no humidity, the colors of autumn, plus the likelihood of
smaller crowds after the bustling tourist months is appealing to
those wanting to get as many rounds in as possible before stowing
the clubs for winter.
24 Late Season Golf at Switzerlands TicinoAscona, Switzerland
The unique micro-climate of Ticino, the Italian-speaking canton in
southern Switzerland, allows golfers to continue playing in warm,
balmy weather well into October. To make the most of the fantastic
playing conditions, Giardino Ascona (www.giardino-ascona.ch/) has
teamed up with its next-door neighbor Golf Club Patriziale Ascona,
where the course was designed with the help of the legendary Harry
Colt.
26 Sweet Stuff by Terry Ross
GOLF VACATIONSGOLF VACATIONSSEPTEMBER 2015
Keswick Hall & Golf Club Virginia
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Terry Ross has covered sports as both a print and radio
journalist for more than 35 years, and also has served as a
consultant to the golf industry in a variety of capacities. He has
been a regular columnist for the Long Beach Business Journal and is
based in Orange County, California.
JD Latorre is a freelance travel writer currently calling South
Florida his home base. He has a knack for finding himself in some
of the worlds most exotic locations, including Bangkok, Montego
Bay, Bogata, Havana, Cabo San Lucas, St. Kitts, Cancun and
Marseilles. His past lives included working for the Miami Herald,
Chicago Daily Herald, Boston Globe, Daily News of Los Angles and
Southern California Golf Newspaper.
David R. Holland is an award-winning former sportswriter for The
Dallas Morning News, football magazine publisher, and author of The
Colorado Golf Bible. Holland, whose favorite golf moment was teeing
it up with former Dallas Cowboys coach Tom Landry, splits home time
in Colorado and Texas. He has written for GolfWeeks Superintendent
News, Colorado AvidGolfer, Midwest Golfing Magazine, South Central
Golf Magazine, and Fairway to Green (UK). He also worked for the
Dallas Cowboys Weekly, United Press International and the Fort
Worth Star-Telegram.
Executive EditorJeffrey Diaz
Associate EditorTerry Ross
Features EditorLarry Feldman
Senior WritersJD Latorre
Andy ReistetterFred Robledo
For Editorial:call (760) 774-2655
e-mail: [email protected]
Regional Advertising
Los Angeles Terry Ross 949-279-7801
[email protected]
Atlanta Harold Chambliss 770-239-7500
[email protected]
Published by
PresidentJeffrey Diaz
455 NE 5th Avenue, Suite D-151Delray Beach, Florida 33483
(760) 774-2655
and
Destiny Media, LLCPresident/CEO
James A. Diaz
Golf Vacations Magazine is published in digital format monthly
and distributed online to over
1,000,000 golfers email inboxes each issue.
Entire contents of this publication is copyright 2015
SportsMedia Publications, all rights reserved and
may not be reproduced in any manner, in whole or in part,
without written permission from the publisher.
SportsMediapublications
CONTRIBUTINGWRITERS
Tim Cotroneo is a Mineapolis-based freelance writer specializing
in Caribbean travel, business, and golf. Tim is a long-time
contributor to Tee Times Press and hes also the Travel Writer for
American Business Magazine.
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www.golfvacationsmag.com Golf Vacations September 2015 7
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CHIPSHOTSKauai Golf Trail Card Offers Substantial Savings at
Renowned Courses
(KAUAI, Hawaii) The Kauai golf-and-resort destination partners
www.golfkauaihawaii.com present the Kauai Golf Trail Card, saving
15 percent on green fees at the highly acclaimed Garden Isle
courses.
For $450, including tax, golfers receive three rounds at a
choice of four participating courses Princeville Makai Golf Club,
Poipu Bay Golf Course, Kauai Lagoons Golf Club and Puakea Golf
Course.
Additionally, Kauai Golf Trail Card holders get 10 percent off
regular-priced pro shop items on the day of play. At Puakea,
players get a $50 credit to be used for merchandise, rental clubs
or green fees.
Golfers can purchase cards at any of the courses. There are no
restrictions on time of play. Rounds are non-transferable and must
be used at three different courses within 30 days of purchase.
Kauai offers an amazing collection of unforgettable courses and
resorts, said Sue Kanoho, executive director of the Kauai Visitors
Bureau. The Kauai Golf Trail Card provides an ideal opportunity for
golfers to
enjoy this group of courses at a great value. In June, Kauai was
voted a Most
Dreamed-About Golf Destination in GOLF Magazines inaugural
Readers Choice Awards. Participating Kauai Golf Trail Card courses
and resorts have also earned an array of best-in-kind honors from
multiple media outlets, including Conde Nast Traveler, Travel +
Leisure, Golf Digest, Golfweek, LINKS, GolfWorld, Celebrated Living
and others.
In addition, Wailua Golf Course, easily accessible from Lihue
Airport, is regarded as one of the most beautiful municipal courses
in the U.S. and was named the No. 3 public course in Hawaii by Golf
Channel.
For details on the Kauai Golf Card, as well as resort
information and stay-and-play packages, visit the newly launched
Kauai Golf website at www.GolfKauaiHawaii.com or call any of the
courses:
Princeville Makai Golf Club: 808.826.1912
Poipu Bay Golf Course: 800.858.6300
Kauai Lagoons Golf Club: 800.634.6400
Puakea Golf Course: 866.773.5554
About Kauai GolfKauai offers more than 50 miles of
white sand beaches -- more beach per mile than any other island
in Hawaii -- with only five percent of the island developed for
commercial and residential use. The Kauai golf destination is a
cooperative of five world-class golf courses and three
award-winning resorts:
1. Princeville Makai Golf Club www.makaigolf.com, 808.826.1912
Re-opened in 2010 following an
extensive renovation. The Makai Course has since been ranked by
Golf Digest as one of Americas 100 Greatest Public Golf Courses
2015 and ranked No. 4 by Golfweek in Hawaiis Best Courses You Can
Play 2015.
Designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr., the 18-hole Makai Course
incorporates serene lakes and stunning ocean coastline; the
leisurely 9-hole Woods Course winds through native woodlands
against a backdrop of lush mountains
The St. Regis Princeville Resort is home to the Halelea Spa and
The Kauai Grill by Jean-Georges Vongerichten
Kauai Lagoons Golf Club
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CHIPSHOTS
14 15
2. Kauai Lagoons Golf Club www.kauailagoonsgolf.com,
800.634.6400 In 2015 was voted No. 10 in Hawaii in
Golfweek magazines Best Courses You Can Play by State. It has
also been named one of the Worlds Most Beautiful Golf Courses by
MSN Travel.
The championship 18-hole Kiele course features the longest
continuous stretch of ocean holes in Hawaii with over mile of
oceanfront golf.
The front nine holes are highlighted by the par-3, fifth green
encircled by a tropical Mango and Guava tree forest
The only Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf experience on Kauai
3. Poipu Bay Golf Course www.poipubaygolf.com, 800.858.6300
Along with Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort
& Spa, Poipu Bay has been honored by Conde Nast Traveler as
one of the top golf resorts in the U.S.
Named to Golf Digests Americas 100
Greatest Public Golf Courses 2013-2014 and GOLF Magazines Top
Resort Courses by State rankings in 2014
Home to the PGA Grand Slam of Golf from 1994 through 2006, it
has frequently hosted players like Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson,
Vijay Singh and other major champions.
A Robert Trent Jones, Jr. design, the course underwent
renovation and unveiled the eco-friendly Seashore Paspalum turf on
all greens in 2011. Its four closing holes play atop a 150-foot sea
cliff.
The Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa completed a renovation in
2012 and features a water playground with river pool, waterfalls, a
saltwater lagoon, tennis and the celebrated Anara Spa
4. Puakea Golf Course www.puakeagolf.com, 866.773.5554
Consistently rated a favorite among
Kauai golfers in local media outlets and ranked as the No. 15
course in Hawaii by
Golfweek Golf Course Architect Robin Nelson
used the natural layout of the land when he planned the course,
testing all levels of play
Puakeas 18 holes treat golfers to beautiful views of Mt. Haupu
and deep lush ravines on several holes, which served as the
backdrop to the original Jurassic Park movie
Owned by AOL co-Founder Steve Case
5. Wailua Golf Course www.golfkauaihawaii.com/wailua-golf-club,
808.241.6666 Regarded as one of the most beautiful
municipal courses in the U.S., Wailua was recently named the No.
3 public course in Hawaii by Golf Channel
The courses original holes date back to the 1920s. The course
expanded to 18 holes in 1962 under the direction of Hawaii Golf
Hall of Famer Toyo Shirai.
Easily accessible from the Lihue airport, the scenic public
course is a favorite of island golfers and tourists alike.
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10 Golf Vacations September 2015 www.golfvacationsmag.com
CHIPSHOTSLa Manga Club Tees Up Perfect Pre-Xmas Winter Golf
Open
Renowned as one of the worlds premier golf resorts, Spains La
Manga Club is serving up the perfect way for golf lovers to finish
2015 under sunny skies by staging its popular La Manga Club Golf
Open from December 1-5.
Taking place for the 15th year in a row, the 36-hole Stableford
competition is the ideal opportunity for golfers to enjoy a
warm-weather winter break before Christmas with packages starting
from only 386 (approx 275) per person for a four-night stay
including three rounds of golf.
Widely regarded as Spains flagship resort, La Manga Clubs
outstanding golf facilities include three 18-hole golf courses and
a recently redeveloped teaching and practice centre including a new
Leadbetter Golf Academy the only one in mainland Spain.
Away from the fairways, the venue boasts an array of other
outstanding sports and leisure amenities, bars and restaurants,
helping establishit as a firm favourite with visiting golfers from
the UK, Europe and beyond.
Competition at Decembers event, which is being held on La Manga
Clubs famous North and South courses, is expected to be as fierce
as ever across the different handicap categories for men and women,
with a selection of luxury golf and leisure breaks and golfing
equipment among the prizes available to be won.
Tournament packages feature four nights accommodation, including
breakfast and a welcome pack; a cocktail reception; a gala dinner
and prize-giving ceremony, and are available from just 464 (330
approx) per person in the five-star Hotel La Manga Club Principe
Felipe, or only 386 per person in the fully-serviced four-star Las
Lomas apartments.
Prices, which are based on two people sharing a room, include
tournament entry for golfers, along with a green fee for the
practice day, practice ball card and on-course refreshments during
the event.
Free Wi-Fi and VAT are also included and, whats more, all
tournament guests will receive a 25 per cent discount on any spa
treatments booked; savings of 15 per cent when eating at any of the
resorts Amapola,
Asia, Luigis and La Bodega restaurants and Deli-Caf, and
complimentary access to the five-star Spa La Manga Clubs fitness
centre, indoor pool, saunas and steam rooms.
Running alongside the golf event, La Manga Club is also hosting
the 13th La Manga Club Seniors Tennis Open from November 29 to
December 4, with both competitions helping to confirm the
award-winning venues reputation as Europes leading sports and
leisure destination resort.
The official overseas training base of the Lawn Tennis
Association and a long-term partner of Tennis Europe, the resorts
other recent highlights include being named Spains Best Golf Hotel
at the 2014 World Golf Awards and being voted by readers of Todays
Golfer magazine as the best golf resort in Spain for the last four
years.
La Manga Club features unrivalled facilities as a sports and
leisure destination and, as well as its golf courses, includes a
28-court tennis centre and a 2,000sqm spa and fitness centre. It
also offers the choice of a five-star hotel, four-star serviced
apartments and townhouses and more than 20 bars and
restaurants.
La Manga Club
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CHIPSHOTSInaugural US Golf Tourism Survey Off To A Flyer As Golf
Courses And Tourist Boards Sign Up In Droves
Just two months since the launch of the Brand USA-backed
National Golf Tourism Survey conducted by global golf tourism
organisation IAGTO, the initiative has proved a huge success with
tourist boards and golf courses across the U.S. giving it their
backing.
Aimed at identifying the current value of golf tourism in the US
prior to the development of a strategy to boost the number of
international golfers to the country, the initiative was unveiled
during the 7th annual North America Golf Tourism Convention held by
IAGTO (International Association of Golf Tour Operators) in Palm
Springs, California, in June.
IAGTO Project Coordinator Guillaume Post explained: Calculating
the current value of golf tourism and assessing its capacity for
growth on a regional basis is an essential first step to developing
an effective golf tourism strategy. This survey and service is
being conducted entirely free of charge and we would like to invite
every state tourist board, regional
tourism organisation and commercially-minded golf course to get
on board.
US tourist boards and golf courses can register at
iagto.com/brandusa.
The results of the survey will be published at the 8th IAGTO
North America Golf Tourism Convention (NAC), taking place at
Pinehurst Resort, NC, from 26-29 June 2016.
Peter Walton, IAGTOs Chief Executive, is inviting all tourist
boards, however small their golf destination, along with their golf
courses, hotels and DMCs to attend NAC next year. He said: Not only
will the NAC be their chance to meet with over 100 golf tour
operators from 25 countries, all selling golf vacations to the US,
but it will double up next year as an educational forum helping
every golf destination in the US find the most effective ways to
develop international golf tourism.
Details of the NAC event at Pinehurst Resort are available at
iagto.com/NAC.
Tourist boards and golf courses already signed up and
participating in the National Golf Tourism Survey are from 20
states: North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, California,
Nevada, Arizona, Texas, Colorado, Mississippi, Louisiana,
Tennessee, Alabama, Oregon, Washington State, Montana, Maine,
Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Virginia and Hawaii.
MOROCCO: AGADIR GOLF FESTIVAL to take place from 17 to 24
November 2015
The international amateur golf tournament AGADIR GOLF FESTIVAL
will be played on 4 different golf courses in AGADIR (OCEAN Golf +
SOLEIL GOLF + DUNES GOLF + TAZEGZOUT GOLF) - This event is open to
Amateur golfers of all levels (Men + Ladies + Senior men + Senior
Ladies)
Golfers will be playing in separate categories and will see them
play 5 rounds of Stableford competition of their official handicap
(no slope rating adjustment). This tournament week is great fun and
an enjoyable way of making new friends in a friendly
competition.
For further details please contact the Tournament Director, Mr
BENJAMIN OOSTERVEER by email: [email protected] or
contact the tournament organisers PREMIUM LEISURE & EVENTS by
email: [email protected]
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Glacier Club has grander scale in mind
Glacier Nine No. 7 par 3
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Glacier Club has grander scale in mind
By David R. Holland
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DURANGO, CO Prospectors rushed here in the 1870s to rummage over
the hills, said to be ladened with silver and gold.
The Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad came nine years
later
and laid out the Old West downtown complete with gas street
lamps and saloon girls.
Those fortune hunters never had a clue that more than a 100
years later golf at Glacier Club would be what the rich, the laid
back, the ranch-ers and the fortunate would be seeking in a country
club environment with just about any amenity available.
Todays Glacier Club is surrounded by the towering Hermosa
Cliffs,
rising 3,000 feet in the blue southwestern Colorado sky,
bordered by 3 million acres of the San Juan National Forest.
Talk about an idyllic setting it is 18 miles, 1,300 feet and 10
degrees
cooler uphill from historic Durango on Highway 550s San Juan
Skyway Scenic Byway. Head further north and the road becomes the
Million Dol-lar Highway, a 25-mile stretch between Silverton and
Ouray amongst the San Juan Mountains.
It began as an Arthur Hills design called The Cliffs at Tamarron
in 1975,
a 6,885-yard par 72, a neck-straining beauty complete with a
resort hotel.
No one envisioned that 40 years later it would be in the midst
of taking
a much grander stage that actually began in 2004 when the club
opened its third nine, Glacier, to go with the renamed Cliffs and
Hermosa nines.
A spectacular 20,000-square-foot clubhouse was also unveiled,
sitting
on a cliff 200 feet above the first fairway of the Glacier nine,
designed by Todd Schoeder and Hale Irwin.
Glacier Clubs futureSo whats next? Another nine will be
completed and rerouted with the
existing Glacier nine to become a totally private Glacier
Course, opening Spring 2017, as a Hale Irwin-Todd Schoeder
Signature Design. The land, occupying 228 acres at Glacier Clubs
north end was acquired as part of a land swap with the U.S. Forest
Service in 2010.
Today Glacier Club is a private 27-hole complex, but the plan is
to have
the Cliffs and Hermosa nines become a daily-fee Cliffs Course
open to the public and some day having its own clubhouse and resort
amenities.
The views are absolutely spectacular, Irwin said of the site for
the
new course at Glacier Club. Theres not one bad look anywhere. In
the design process we wanted to make every hole a painting each
uniquely different, and pleasing to the eye. At Glacier Club weve
had this great canvas on which to paint a beautiful golf
course.
The Glacier Course will feature a new out-and-back routing that
will
play to par 72, between 5,000 and 7,100 yards.
Hermosa Nine No. 1 at The Glacier Club
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Glacier Club view from private clubhouse to Glacier Nine No.
1
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16 Golf Vacations September 2015 www.golfvacationsmag.com
When the nines are combined, you will have some flatter shots on
the new nine, Irwin said. We have made some of the uphill and
down-hill shots more friendly. But for the most part, its hilly. I
think weve made something that is uniquely different. Its
beautiful. Once we get it grassed, I think people are going to be
awe-struck with whats out there.
Josh Coccagna, head golf professional, has witnessed the
strengths of
Schoeder and Irwin. Schoeder has shown the ability to make a
strong routing using the
hilly topography in a limited space, Coccagna said. And I like
the way Irwin sees the lines of play making it playable for all
skill levels. He makes it look different from the back tees to the
forward tees while making it challenging for better players and fun
for the novice.
Glacier Club has created golf heaven without a pretentious
attitude. So dont be surprised when you enter the amazing
clubhouse, com-
plete with antler chandeliers, for a concert by the Los Angeles
Cello Quartet and seeing folks dressed to the nines or ranchers
wearing their best new Wranglers and Lucchese cowboy boots.
More than golf: Premier residential opportunitiesGlacier Club is
building some of the countrys premier residential
property. Homes range from 1,200-square feet to more than
6,500-square feet, on half-acre to 2.5-acre sites. The community
offers abundant four-season amenities and activitiesmany designed
with families in mind.
I got to bunk down in a Hideout Cabin that had three bedrooms
and
three and a half baths. Western luxury at it best now this is an
upscale version of camping in the mountains taken to an extreme,
awesome level.
Dining in the clubhouse was superb from wines and hand-crafted
beers
to a Bison Burger to Elk Medallions and just about anything you
can imagine.
There are countless programs to keep your kids busy including
ju-nior tennis and golf along with Camp Glacier for Kids that
provides age appropriate programs where children can connect with
others who have similar interests. All programs are conducted by
professionals to ensure quality instruction and safety.
Membership in the Glacier Club includes access to a network of
pre-
mier golf clubs throughout the United States via ClubCorp. Learn
more about this special golf community, memberships, amenities and
lifestyle at (866) 521-8575 or [email protected].
If you enjoy just being in a spectacular location like the San
Juan
Mountains, and the chance to see a deer, elk or marmot on the
fairways, Glacier Club is the place for you.
Explore Durango: historic and an outdoors playgroundIn 1879
Durango was designed to be the most modern city in Col-
orado. Signs of progress began to appear everywhere in the late
1880s and early 1890s, including the four-story brick Strater
Hotel, electric lights with a home-owned electric company,
telephones, electric trol-ley and a three-story sky scraper, the
Newman Building, with an electric elevator.
When Louis LAmour, the western novelist visited, he stayed at
the
historic Strater Hotel, where you can still book a room.
Old-timers say he always asked for the room directly above the
Diamond Belle Saloon, Room 222, because the honky-tonk music helped
set the mood for his novels of the Old West. Some say a good part
of his Sacketts novels were written at the Strater.
Today, Durango still has its Old West setting, but it is known
more as
a year-round playground. Ski in the winter at Purgatory, play
golf, fly fish, take jeep tours, hike, mountain bike, take glider
rides, go rafting, play ten-nis and go horseback riding in
summer.
Hideout condo
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Glacier Club private clubhouse opened in 2004
Glacier Club Cliffs Nine has lots of water
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18 Golf Vacations September 2015 www.golfvacationsmag.com
Play GolfBy JD Latorre
Fall is the Time to
Full Cry at Keswick Golf Club No. 8
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Play Golf
Fall is the Time to
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Real golfers know playing in the fall is where its at.
Comfortable temperatures, little or no humidity, the colors of
autumn, plus the likelihood of smaller crowds after the bustling
tourist months is appealing to those wanting to get as many rounds
in as possible be-fore stowing the clubs for winter. This sampling
of courses ranging from Myrtle Beach, South Carolinas Lowcountry,
Virginias Hunt Country, upstate New York, Northern Michigan and
Southern Missouri offer de-signs from Pete Dye, Jack Nicklaus, Tom
Fazio and other top architects. Grab your favorite golf sweater and
tee it up!
Pound Ridge Golf Clubwww.poundridgegolfclub.com
Opened in 2008 to critical acclaim, Pound Ridge is roughly an
hour from Manhattan and just minutes from the financial and
business hubs of Greenwich, Stamford and Norwalk, Conn. The only
Pete Dye design in New York, Pound Ridge is hewn from 172 acres of
magnificent cliffs, streams and wooded hills. Those used to playing
on Bermuda grass will relish the courses bentgrass greens, fairways
and tees. Stay and play packages are offered with the luxury
Delamar Greenwich Harbor.
The Sea Pines Resort www.seapines.com
One of the crown jewels in the world of golf, The Sea Pines
Resort is home to Pete Dyes classic Harbour Town Golf Links (home
of the PGA TOURs RBC Heritage), Heron Point by Pete Dye, and the
Ocean Course. The legendary Lowcountry destination now enters the
upper echelon of the worlds finest golf resorts via recent
multi-million dol-
lar investments in its golf, accommodations and amenities
including the spectacular new Harbour Town Clubhouse. Simply put,
the best has gotten even better. The resort offers a full range of
golf package options.
Keswick Hall & Golf Clubwww.keswick.com
Few resort destinations combine luxury, history and spectacular
vistas as does Keswick Hall & Golf Club in central Virginias
Hunt Country. Situated on 600 acres at the foot of the scenic Blue
Ridge Mountains just outside Charlottesville, its new Pete
Dye-designed golf course, Full Cry at Keswick Golf Club, is a must
play and the signature amenity to resorts 48-room five-star inn and
club. Its array of stay-and-play pack-ages is ideal to see what the
fuss is all about.
Mystical Golf www.mysticalgolf.com
Mystical Golf owner and operator of The Witch, Man-O-War and The
Wizard courses is acclaimed as the best 54 holes of golf in Myrtle
Beach and is widely known as the ultimate golf buddy trip
destina-tion as the result of its excellent stay-and-play packages.
Mystical Golfs three layouts are highlighted by wonderfully fun
elements including the only back-to-back island greens in the game
(Man-O-War), a front nine of dramatic holes weaving through
secluded swampland teeming with wildlife (The Witch), and a
splendid layout reminiscent of Scotland and Irelands classic
courses complete with authentic sod-faced bunkering and
castle-style clubhouse (The Wizard).
Bay Harbor Golf Club - Links Hole 4
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www.golfvacationsmag.com Golf Vacations September 2015 21
Pound Ridge Golf Club
Man-O-War Island Greens
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22 Golf Vacations September 2015 www.golfvacationsmag.com
Branson Hills Golf Club Aerial Course View
Hilton Head Golf Islandwww.hiltonheadgolfisland.com
One of the top golf destinations in the U.S., Hilton Head Golf
Island features more than 30 member courses on Hilton Head and
Fripp Is-lands, as well as surrounding Bluffton and Beaufort. Golf
enthusiasts can enjoy Hilton Head Islands Southern hospitality and
world-class de-signs sculpted by vaunted architects Pete Dye, Jack
Nicklaus and Robert Trent Jones. A wide array of value-laden fall
golf packages is available on www.hiltonheadgolfisland.com.
Sweetgrass Golf Clubwww.sweetgrassgolfclub.com
Sweetgrass Golf Club and the Island Resort & Casino are
located in the unspoiled beauty of Michigans Upper Peninsula.
Designed by Michi-gan native Paul Albanese, Sweetgrass Golf Club
has been named a Best Casino Course and a Best Course You Can Play
by Golfweek and GOLF Magazine. The 18-hole championship layout is
renowned for its five historic bridges rescued from around the
region that lend the course a unique feel. Fall rates begin Sept.
21, 18-hole green fees at $45, a near 50 percent savings off the
regular rate. The resorts most popular golf package, the Perfect
Foursome, starts at just $230 per person after Sept. 21 and
includes a two-night stay and rounds of golf at Sweetgrass and
nearby TimberStone and Greywalls. Other package combinations are
also available upon request.
BOYNE Golfwww.BOYNEGolf.com
BOYNE Golf offers the largest collection of courses (11) in the
Mid-west shared among three resorts in northwest Michigans Petoskey
area: Boyne Highlands Resort in Harbor Springs, Boyne Mountain
Resort in Boyne Falls, and The Inn at Bay Harbor - A Renaissance
Golf Resort in Bay Harbor. Golfers play up to 72 holes daily thanks
to the regions long daylight hours and ideal summer and fall
temperatures. Myriad stay-and-play packages are available,
depending on just how long golf-ers prefer to soak up the mild
temperatures and long, languid evenings.
Branson / Lakes Area Golf
Destinationwww.explorebranson.com/golfKnown as Golfs Ozark Mountain
Oasis, the Branson Lakes / Area des-tination averages 70 degrees in
October ideal for playing one of its eight courses and more coming.
A family-friendly course designed by Hall of Famer Gary Player is
planned to open late this season or early next, and a championship
Coore & Crenshaw design is currently being designed. From short
courses to venues hosting the PGA Champions TOUR Legends of Golf
and existing facilities designed by Jack Nick-laus, Arnold Palmer,
Tom Fazio, Tom Watson and others there are courses for every level
of player.
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www.golfvacationsmag.com Golf Vacations September 2015 23
Sweetgrass Golf Club
Robert Trent Jones Course Palmetto Dunes
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24 Golf Vacations September 2015 www.golfvacationsmag.com
Ascona, Switzerland, August 2015: The unique micro-climate of
Ticino, the Italian-speaking canton in southern Switzerland, allows
golfers to continue playing in warm, balmy weather well into
October. To make the most of the fantastic playing conditions,
Giardino Ascona (www.giardino-ascona.ch/) has teamed up with its
next-door neighbor Golf Club Patriziale Ascona, where the course
was designed with the help of the legendary Harry Colt.
Located along the banks of Lake Maggiore against a backdrop of
magnificent Alpine mountains, the feel of the golf club remains
very much that of a private, stylish golf facility, even though it
is now managed by the City of Ascona. Established in 1928 as a
nine-hole layout, the golf club soon became a meeting place for
local businessmen, wealthy tourists and celebrities who chose this
little paradise at the foothills of the Alps as their regular spot
to play golf.
Such was the popularity of the club that the course was extended
to 18
holes with the help of eminent golf course architects, Harry
Colt & Charles Alison, who created a classic, tree-lined
parkland course that weaves its way down to one of Europes most
famous lakes. The par-4 16th and par-3 17th holes run directly
alongside the picturesque lake whilst the rest of the course
meanders through avenues of mature trees and expansive but shallow
bunkers that defend many of the tricky, undulating greens. This par
71 course, which is open all year round, was awarded the title of
Best Golf Course in Switzerland in 1999.
Golfers stay at the 72-room Giardino Ascona, a luxurious retreat
hotel adjacent to the golf club, which offers fine dining in the 2
Michelin-starred Ecco where Rolf Fliegauf (one of Switzerlands most
decorated chefs) resides, a less formal restaurant known as
Aphrodite, the HotelBar overlooking a lush Mediterranean garden and
extensive fitness facilities, including a dipi Spa.
For golfers experiencing a few aches and pains after a busy
summer of
Head to Switzerlands Ticino for Some Late-Season Golf
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www.golfvacationsmag.com Golf Vacations September 2015 25
golf, the Giardino Ascona offers an exclusive Golf Perfekt
programme run in collaboration with renowned physiotherapist
Cornelia Albrecht.
After a full body check-up lasting an hour and a half, Cornelia
accompanies her clients onto the golf course to get a detailed
picture of the rotation, stability and coordination of their bodies
as they play golf so that she can then provide advice and
individually-tailored exercises to suit each golfers own body and
movement.
Cornelia aims to resolve any issues that are affecting player
performance and, with her help, many golfers have managed to
increase their driving capability considerably. A dipi massage in
the hotel spa provides the perfect way to relax after Cornelias
session and is included in the offer.
For those just looking for an 18-hole green fee at the Golf Club
Patriziale Ascona, the cost is Euros120/UK85 during the week and
Euros138/UK98 at the weekends and on public holidays.
Dedicated golfers may wish to travel further afield to the other
two courses in the area. The Golf Gerre Losone, opened in 2001,
offers a complete contrast from Ascona Patriziale; it is a modern,
open and very challenging course thanks to a number of tight
fairways, unnerving OB possibilities and several rock-lined streams
and ponds that demand good course management and accurate shot
making. A few kilometers away on the shores of Lake Lugano, the
Lugano golf course is laid out over gently undulating terrain that
is bisected by the River Magliasina that often brings water into
play. The tight, technical layout with numerous bunkers is tempered
by large greens, whilst azaleas and rhododendrons add splashes of
color on various holes.
For further information on the golf offer, visit
www.giardino-ascona.ch/en/news/golf-perfekt or to book the hotel
and/or a Golf Perfekt package, call the hotel at +41 91 785 8888 or
email [email protected].
Head to Switzerlands Ticino for Some Late-Season Golf
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26 Golf Vacations September 2015 www.golfvacationsmag.com
It is a pretty simple idea really. But appar-ently Harry Briggs
was the first person to put a full-fledged alignment aid on ball
for practicing putting and short game mechan-ics. He now has
introduced his Sight Ball train-ing aid golf ball that has markings
to help play-ers align their eyes, feet, shoulders and putter to
produce better mechanics in the short game.
Sight Ball has six sights, or targets--four of which are used to
help the golfer to correctly align themselves with the ball. One
points in the desired direction of the ball, one points upward
toward the golfers face as they look down, an-other at the feet to
gauge proper stance, and the last lines up with the club at the
back of the ball.
The intention is for a player using the ball during practice to
begin by pointing a sight toward the target and one face up toward
the golfer. The golfer also looks at a sight pointing at his or her
feet to get the correct stance and then
College football and golf always seem to go together, and with
the gridiron sea-son well underway, Imperial headwear is
commemorating the current cam-paign with a new line of unique
designs called the Tailgate Collection.In a departure from the
traditional school logo or mascot on this collection of prep-
py cotton baseball, Oxford bucket hats and Tour visors, the
Tailgate collection features the colors of some of the most
well-known colleges in America with an outline of the schools
respective state and one of its defining characteristics.
The states included in the collection are: Alabama, California,
Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina,
Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.
Our Tailgate Collection is a state pride themed line of
headwear, noted David Shaffer, director of marketing at Imperial
Headwear. Anybody who wants to show their loyalty on game day, at a
party, or any other day of the week will enjoy this new collection
of preppy caps. Its a perfect way to show your team spirit this
season.
A unique feature of these hats is that while the outline of the
state remains con-stant in the collections for each of the 14
states available, the school colors of the hat and logo are
available for many of the most popular major colleges in those
states so that fans can where their school colors and promote their
home state at the same time. The hats have a classic look and fit
that most college football fans will enjoy.
They are available on-line or at many fine golf shops that carry
Imperial headwear.For more information visit
www.imperialsports.com/product-category/tail-
gate-collection/
SWEETSTUFF
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SWEETSTUFFby TerryRoss
lines up a club with a sight in the back before swinging.
Currently, the ball used for the Sight Ball method is a Top
Flight, but Briggs would like to see it expanded to all of the top
brands.
Briggs, an avid golfer and industry employ-ee with eight years
of on-course experience, noticed that there were no golf training
aides that were actual golf balls, except for simple putting
alignment lines. I figured there should be something on the actual
ball to help your game, Briggs said. This ball helps with a
golf-ers stance, focus and accuracy. Briggs added that Sight Ball
can be used to help with tee shots as well as a players short game
and put-ting--and can be used on a golf course whereas most golf
training aides cannot.
It took more than three years for Briggs to bring his concept
from idea to market. He spent more than a year developing the first
Sight Ball prototype, and it would take another year of research
and development to create the final Sight Ball design or Method;
the six sighted golf ball training aid. Further testing indicated
that the Sights lined up on the ball actually did help golfers with
focus, accuracy and their stance; an ideal in-play training
aid.
Already being used by some PGA teach-ing professionals and as a
training device with high school golf teams, the Sight Ball can be
purchased in a six pack or in a bucket of 36 for those who want to
use it for full-swing range work in helping improve their
alignment.
For more information on Sight Ball: www.sightball.com
For players who like to walk the golf course but dont want to
carry their bags, the top European maker of golf push carts has
introduced the Z 360 Push Cart that features a swiveling front
wheel that allows the cart to effort-lessly rotate in a complete
circle for ease of use.
Big Max Golf pio-neered the three-wheeled push cart in 2000 and
is currently Europes #1 manufacturer. The com-pany entered the US
market in 2014 after winning the Golf Europe Best Product Award and
o f -fers a range of push carts, bags and acces-
sories.The Z 360 allows golfers to easily ma-
neuver all types of terrain, including hilly courses that can be
difficult to navigate with other push carts. For additional
stability, the front wheel can be locked into place when descending
steep slopes. Designed with a fast and easy folding mechanism, the
cart collapses into a small, compact size ideal for quick and
efficient storage. The adjust-able handle features a conveniently
located handbrake while the deluxe organizer panel, magnetic ball
marker and the option to fas-ten accessories such as an umbrella,
glove, storage net and a GPS holder make the cart very
versatile.
The rotating front wheel design of the Z 360 makes this model a
very unique offering among push carts in the Amer-ican market, said
Kelly Walker, CEO of Big Max Golf. Golfers who like to walk will
certainly appre-ciate the fluid motion and ergonomic design of the
cart. All Big Max prod-ucts are designed to make walking as
enjoyable and comfortable as pos-sible for golfers of all ages and
skill levels.
Big Max Golf
has quickly gained pop-ularity in the United States
by offering sleek, light-weight and easy to use push carts in a
variety of colors and prices. The companys ultra-
slim Blade model folds into a five-inch profile that helps
create a minimal storage
footprint. Other popular options include the compact IQ Plus and
the Autofold+ model with its unique folding mechanism.
The companys products showcase smart,
functional and durable de-signs while helping golfers
personalize their carts with built-in Quick Lok and Quick
Fix
mechanisms that allow the user to quickly and easily mount a
variety
of accessories, including storage nets and hand warmers.
For more information on the Z 360 push cart:
www.BigMaxUSA.com
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