Get ready to travel the world! From Nova Scotia to Ireland. How about Mexico or Scotland? Then let me take you there with me! As a member of the "Golf Writers Association of America" I have had the pleasure to freelance for SMOKE, Aces Golf Magazine, Pittsburgh Sports Reprt and others.
I also publish my own magazine called "Golfin' Around". Enjoy these stories from great golf resorts and courses across the world by me and some of my other golf pals!
The Black Knight
Gary Player is a remarkable man. I like him because he speaks his mind. Damn the P.C. Police! He’s also pretty damn good at golf. He won nine “Major Championships”. He has one hundred and sixty five professional wins. As he was about to turn eighty years old in 2015; I had the honor to speak with him one on one.
RT: First off Happy 80th birthday Mr. Player! Thank you for your time! It's an honor Sir. RT: Mr. Player as you celebrate your 80th birthday and reflect back on your life; what single event or person shaped your moral and mental constitution as a person? And what value or mantra do you have that helps you succeed?
GP: The ability to overcome adversity is what gave me strength. So, it’s unfair to point out just one instance because I faced hard times throughout my life. My mother died when I was only eight-years-old, I had to accept it and move on. When my brother left for war and made me promise to work out, I stayed true to that promise even though the only person pushing me was myself. I had to sleep on the beach the night before my first British Open Championship, but it was just part of my journey to become a World Champion. As for a mantra, I have always maintained that the harder you practice, the luckier you get.
RT: You are one of a few players in the history of our great game to win the “career Grand Slam”. Which of those victories in your Grand Slam was the most difficult to win?
GP: I am very proud to have achieved two career Grand Slams, one on the Regular tour and one on the Senior Tour. The next Major is always the hardest to win. I was 29 and had the lead at the 1965 U.S. Open, but didn’t make it easy on myself. With three holes to play and up by three shots, I thought the Grand Slam was mine. But in golf anything can happen. I wasn’t patient enough and the lead vanished. I had to win the tournament in an 18-hole playoff against the Australian Kel Nagle. I don’t think I played in another tournament when there was so much pressure to win given the significance.
RT: I love your logo and nick name. How’d you get the nick name “The Black Knight?
GP: Growing up, I was a big fan of the Western genre of TV shows. One of my favorites was Jack Paladin, Have Gun - Will Travel. He wore all black. He was a good man and helped others. My father had convinced me I needed to create a style and a logo if I was going to build an identity, so I chose The Black Knight because it fit my demeanor. Perhaps subconsciously, I chose black to represent the people of Africa whom I have always tried to help.
RT: You are without question one of the greatest players to have ever played the game. What would you like your legacy to be?
GP: Golf has brought so many blessing to my life. I was able to travel all over the world and provide a good life for my family. I dined with world leaders and with local tribesmen in the African bush. But my goal is not to be remembered as only a professional golfer. I am still very active and want to make a difference in the lives of people. We are doing this through The Player Foundation and have set a goal to raise $100 million for children by 2020. When we accomplish this goal, I hope that helping people will be the biggest part of my legacy. We call it "Golf and Giving."
RT: What do you think of all the “screaming and yelling” these days that comes from the Galleries directed towards players?
GP: I really don't like it at unless it is positive applause for a great shot. I hate the idiots that yell out "you da man" for no reason at all. As long as the player about to hit the ball is the one instigating the noise, and it doesn’t distract the other golfers who are playing on a different hole, then I'm all for vigorous applause. RT: What is your favorite golf course? GP: Without a doubt it is St. Andrews – the home of golf. If I had only one more round to play, it would be at the Old Course. There is nothing in the golf world quite like it. Cypress Point, The Links at Fancourt in South Africa and Augusta National are some of my other favorites.
RT: I have been to South Africa three times myself. I love the country and people. Where do you rank Durban Country Club on your list of top courses?
GP: Durban will always hold a special place in my heart because I won my first South African Open there in 1956. And there is so much history from our countrymen at Durban. From Bobby Locke to Ernie Else, we have all had some great moments. If you are a South African golfer, Durban is definitely needs to be on your bucket list. But it really needs to be upgraded and modernized to rank amongst the world’s best.
RT: South Africa’s incredible story of evolution from abandoning the Apartheid system to a modern country is remarkable. It is amazing to me that in those twenty short years that the people have come so far along in their emotional maturity What does South Africa’s evolution and progress as a society say about mankind’s ability to solve conflicts amongst people of different religions, races and backgrounds?
GP: We certainly have come a long way in a short amount of time. Love is the most important part of any society. When you figure out how to love one another, forgive one another, respect one another, great things can happen. What has happened in South Africa is an example the world should never forget.
RT: You are well known for your incredible physical fitness routine? Have you ever wrestled an alligator?
GP: (Laughs) No yet, but that might be something I can start training for!
Lee Wybranski Keeps His Record Alive For U.S. Open Posters
Arizona-based artist paints his eighth consecutive commemorative poster for the U.S. Open
Flagstaff, Ariz. (April 30, 2015) - The U.S. Open Championship might be coming to the Pacific Northwest for the first time this June, but it is hardly the first time that artist Lee Wybranski has painted the official poster of golf’s national championship.
Chambers Bay will mark the eighth straight time that Wybranski has taken brush in hand to create the official poster for the United States Golf Association. Wybranski’s first U.S. Open poster was created in 2008, when the championship was played at Torrey Pines in Southern California, which like Chambers Bay is a public course.
A native of Philadelphia who now lives and works in Flagstaff, Arizona, Wybranski feels a special kinship to the Robert Trent Jones, Jr.-designed Chambers Bay because, as he says, “I love links golf. Not only for playing and looking at the course, but to me golf by the water on sandy turf is where the game makes the most sense. I think it will be a very exciting championship this year because of the course - and because our Open has never been to the region. Plus they are sports crazy and I'm curious to see if the ‘12th Man’ somehow shows up in June."
According to the artist, Chambers Bay offers a number of elements that guaranteed a dramatic composition. “The water, the numerous bunkers on the course, and the lone fir that sits behind the 15th green were my bare minimums to include. Plus, I love diagonal compositions, because they provide a great deal of depth and drama and really pull your eyes in.”
But there is something else, something new that makes this course and this poster extra special. “It’s the first time I’ve had the chance to paint a train in any of my work. Trains are a mythical feature of the American West, and they have a long history in golf, running alongside many old links in the UK. By coincidence, the train in the painting is the same line that goes through the center of Flagstaff a block from my studio.”
Work on the painting began more than a year before the championship. “I spent a few days last May doing fieldwork. I always want to be on a site long enough to get one great morning and one great evening of light. I got very lucky with the weather when I was up there. I hope the players are as lucky as I was.”
Wybranski will be signing the posters in the Main Merchandise Pavilion during the week of the U.S. Open at Chambers Bay, June 11-21.
To order the U.S. Open poster go to www.leewybranski.com or call 928-310-2152.
Subscribe
PGA Tour
Euro Tour
LPGA Tour
Leaderboards
Equipment
College
Rankings
Junior
Recruiting
Amateur
Golfstat
Fantasy
Scoreboard
Rotary Swing
Instruction
Golf Courses
Travel
Photo/Video
Subscribe
Events
Contact Us
PGA Tour
Calvin Peete, black pioneer on PGA Tour, dies at 71
Calvin Peete, at the Georgia-Pacific Atlanta Classic
Calvin Peete, at the Georgia-Pacific Atlanta Classic ( Associated Press )
By Adam Schupak
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Calvin Peete, the winningest black player on Tour before the arrival of Tiger Woods, died April 29 in Atlanta, the PGA Tour confirmed. No cause of death was listed. Peete was 71.
He won 12 times on Tour, including the 1985 Players Championship, and played in two Ryder Cups. Peete emerged among the best in the game in the early 1980s, winning four times in 1982, when he finished fourth on the money list. He also won the Vardon Trophy for low scoring average in 1984.
Peete was born July 18, 1943, in Detroit, the eighth of nine children in his family, and didn't pick up the game until age 23. “I was hooked from the moment the club hit my hand,” he said in Uneven Lies: The Heroic Story of African-Americans in Golf. “I watched a bunch of hackers dribbling the ball off the tee and thought to myself, ‘I think I can learn this game.’ ”
Peete fondly recalled sitting in the clubhouse at Orange Brook Golf & Country Club in Hollywood, Fla., waiting out a thunderstorm and watching Lee Elder in a sudden-death playoff with eventual winner Jack Nicklaus at the 1968 American Golf Classic. That was his moment of inspiration to turn pro.
“I thought if I worked at it, within a few years I’d be out there with Lee,” Peete once said. “It didn’t happen that quick, but in about six years, in 1972, I turned pro.”
He was 32 years old when he joined the Tour as a full-time member in 1976 after making his Tour debut a year earlier.
In 1955, Peete broke his left elbow as a child in Sutton Bay, Mich. He was picking cherries when a tree limb snapped. The arm wasn't properly set, leaving him unable to straighten the limb.
“The only time I worried about it was when I played golf,” he said.
With his left arm slightly bent on every swing, Peete nonetheless led the Tour in driving accuracy for 10 consecutive years, from 1981 to 1990.
“I can still remember watching Calvin hit drive after drive straight down the middle of the fairway, an amazing display of talent he possessed despite some of his physical limitations,” PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem said in a statement.
Peete became the fourth black to win on Tour when he captured the 1979 Greater Milwaukee Open. Only Tom Kite won more than Peete’s 11 titles in the 1980s. Of Peete’s signature victory at the 1985 Players Championship, runner-up D.A. Weibring said, “The man is a machine. He drives his ball. He hits his irons, and he never backed off the flag all day – and don’t let anyone say he can’t putt.”
Peete is survived by his wife, Pepper, and children Calvin, Dennis, Rickie, Nicole, Kalvanetta, Aisha and Aleya.
“Everyone in the family admired and loved him,” Pepper Peete said in a statement released by the Tour. “He took the Peete name to another level. We are so thankful that he was in our lives as a father, husband and role model. He was a blessing, and he will be missed.”
CABO SAN LUCAS, Mexico (Jan. 7, 2015) - Diamante, a premier residential community situated at the tip of Baja California Sur, formally unveiled El Cardonal on Dec. 16 during a gala opening ceremony attended by several dignitaries, including the celebrated course designer himself.
A superb layout with an “Old California” design motif, El Cardonal marks the architectural debut of superstar Tiger Woods, who maintains a residence at Diamante and who was on hand to play the course and describe its features.
“I’ve always wanted to be in the golf design business,” Woods told a small gathering of elected officials, resort executives and international media. “This is an incredible site, and working with (Diamante developer) Ken Jowdy and his team has been absolutely phenomenal.”
Set back from the sea on higher ground than the Dunes Course, the 1,500-acre community’s original venue, El Cardonal is a 7,363-yard, par-72 layout that features an ocean view from every hole. The front nine meanders through rolling sand dunes near the sea. The back nine, framed by thick desert vegetation, ascends to higher ground and crisscrosses a series of arroyos.
Bold, flashed-face bunkers have been placed by Woods to create strategic options throughout the course. With its broad fairway corridors and accent on playability from the forward tees, El Cardonal was designed to accommodate a wide range of golfers.
According to Jowdy, “He (Woods) focused more on the people he plays with on Wednesdays (the amateurs in the pro-ams) than on the weekend (the pros).”
Byron Bell, president of Woods’ design company, said “Tiger grew up playing some of the great, old-style courses on the West Coast. Bunkers and other hazards were used not as a deterrent, but instead to force players to make a decision. Tiger wants the variety of holes and strategic options to promote shot-making while still creating a very playable experience.”
“I expect that everyone—moms, dads and kids—will all play basically the same ‘lines’ on each hole,” Tiger stated. “We’ve given them different tee boxes, but the strategy is the same for everyone. The idea was to make it fun for all types of players.
Poppy Hills, originally built by Robert Trent Jones Jr. in 1986, is named 2014 “Best Semi-Private Renovation” by GOLF in its January edition, which followed an honor for best Newly Remodeled Courses by Golf Digest in November. SentryWorld, an RTJ II original from 1989, also earned an honor for best Newly Remodeled Courses by Golf Digest in November.
HAWAII!
WAIKOLOA BEACH RESORT REACHES NEW HEIGHTS
Kohala Coast Resort Named Among
Top 10 U.S. Destinations “On the Rise”
WAIKOLOA, KOHALA COAST, HAWAII—The influential travel site, TripAdvisor.com, has named Waikoloa Beach Resort on Hawai‘i Island the 8th-ranked “Destination on the Rise” in the United States. It is the only resort destination in Hawaii on the list.
TripAdvisor determines the list by measuring year-over-year increases in a resort destination’s popularity based on positive reviews by users of accommodations, restaurants and attractions.
“This is great news for us,” said Scott Head, Vice President of Resort Operations. “We have made a concerted effort over the past several years to make Waikoloa Beach Resort an inviting place where guests can come, relax with their families, and enjoy the great dining, culture and entertainment that Hawai‘i has to offer, all in one place. Being on this list tells us we’re providing what our guests desire.”
More than 30 dining options are found at the 1,350-acre beachfront resort, along with two shopping centers, a variety of time share accommodations, resort hotels, two golf courses, and regular entertainment that ranges from hula troupes to local musicians to lei making lessons.
Among the “Don’t Miss” attractions cited by TripAdvisor are the Dolphin Quest experience at Hilton Waikoloa Village where guests can sign up to swim with the beloved dolphins; Genesis Gallery in Queens’ MarketPlace, which was described by one reviewer as, “A beautiful gallery full of all things Hawaiian;” and Lava Lava Beach Club, which a reviewer said was,
Waikoloa Beach Resort is a complete destination resort that encompasses two championship golf courses and over 3,000 guest rooms in two upscale hotels, and seven luxury condominiums and vacation home properties. The Resort also includes award-winning Queens’ MarketPlace and Kings’ Shops, offering a wide variety of shopping opportunities, services and dining experiences, plus free entertainment and cultural programs. For more information visit www.WaikoloaBeachResort.com or call (808) 886-8822.
.jpg)
New Mexico-Flying High!
Since I was a kid the Albuquerque, New Mexico balloon festival has captured my imagination.
Hundreds of pretty balloons painted the blue south western skies in the pictures I saw. Breathtaking, spectacular and wondrous were the images I saw.
Realizing a dream is awesome. Wanting to go, see and to be somewhere you have never been ignites the soul with passion.
My friend Bart had bought a home out in New Mexico a couple years ago and heads there to spend his winters. He would come back with talk of hiking the Hilo National Park and the granduer of the state. So with Bart as my inspiration to finally head west; I did so.
The upside bonus was that I would get to film an epsidoe of my Golfin' Around Tv Show as well.
Autumn was bursting everywhere you looked when we arrived in the “Enchanted State”. Crisp blue skies, golden aspen trees and the aroma of Fall filled the air.
And of course it was golf that was to anchor this trip. So we headed North and into Santa Fe. This sleepy little cow town hasn't changed much over time.
We hunkered down at the Santa Claran Hotel and Casino as our digs. This fun little property was decked out in South Western decor and the view off out balcony provided stunning vistas of the surrounding mountains.
And fortunately just down the road was the Black Mesa Golf Course.
Baxter Spann has designed courses predominantly in the South. Texas, new Mexico and Colorado have provided fertile ground for his imaginative layouts. He has done his best work to date here at Black Mesa.
The 7307 yards plays in at a Par 72 and gives a peaceful, tranquil feeling. No houses dot the course. No tacky glowing neon highway signs clutter the view.
No, just you, nature and your swing thought's are to be found here.
The Course has it's fair share of awards hanging from the club house wall.
Golf Magazine ranked her “#11 you can play”. Golf Digest ranked her as the Best “New Public Course you can play” in 2003.
Baxter Spann said, "I have been designing courses for more than 25 years. More than any other project, I eagerly anticipated every trip I made to this course, always knowing I would find something new to experience. I hope that players will feel the same way about Black Mesa."
Trust me she has earned every accolade she has gotten.
The courses meanders through the mountain range and at times you will find yourself standing over your ball simply captivated by the view.
Truly Black Mesa is a golf course you could play the rest of the days of your life and never, ever be bored.
From the first hole and tee shot, you know you're in store for a great day. Not one single hole here disappoints. All eighteen are a work of art.
Lush emerald fairways, glistening white sand and blue skies provide the clay. The rolling hill side, the undulations, the topography blend into a trail of divinity.
Hole number eleven was one of my favorites.
Baxter said,
"A unique green site is the main feature of this slightly uphill par three. The setting is a deep draw between high ridges, with the putting surface hard against a vertical sandstone rise to the left. The approach is relatively open beyond a cross bunker short right, with a deep swale between it and the green. A saving bunker behind the green is intended to keep overshot from continuing on to a harsher penalty in the rocky valley beyond."
Tom Velarde is the head pro here. And I'm here to tell you there's a reason he wears a ring that says, PGA Teacher of the Year”. Tom is hands down the best golf pro I have ever had give me a lesson.
He had me hit one ball off a tee. He looked at my swing plane and gave me two tips. They were so simple, so easy and so right.
If I could spend a year with Tom, the great game of golf would finally become all I have ever dreamed of. Go see Tom!
Tom said of hole number eleven.
The 11th hole is one of my favorite holes on the course because it presents so many challenges from the tee shot to recovery shots to putting on the green.
The hole is a par 3 that stretches from 102 yards off the front tees to 172 yards from the back and it could be one of the most memorable par 3’s in the Southwest.
I enjoy the routing because the hole seems to unfold as you drive up to the green. The green is higher than the tee and your eyes are drawn into the box canyon where the green sits like a saddle between two hills. The tees sit at an almost right angle to the green so you can see all the trouble immediately.
With a bunker guarding the front left and a sheer bluff rising about 30 feet above the left side of the green will subconsciously force you to try and play it safe to the right.
But what a mistake this can be! A bunker positioned very short of the green and a hollow that from the tee seems very benign actually presents a difficult recovery.
The green slopes from back to front with a shelf on the top right that is protected by the hollow and a steep hill. The target for pins cut top right is very small and requires a very high shot.
Beware of hitting over the green where your ball will find a water collection area that will force you to hit to a green that is above you and sloping away.
If the pin is cut in the lower front of the green a well placed shot to the middle of the green will result in the ball collecting towards the lower front. Pins cut short left also present a small target, but chips from short of the green are very straight forward.
Putting on the green from back to front is fast with a capital FAST. The top right shelf has a slight right to left slope, but is relatively level. But the shelf's edge runs at an angle and drops some eight feet to the middle of the green creating large breaking putts. Before making a lag putt, be sure to look at the green from a few angles and take the slope into account so that your putt will not only end up in the direction you want, but relatively close to the hole as well.
The sixteenth also stands out in my mind's eye. Mostly because I nutted a Tour Edge Fairway wood from about two hundred yards out, up hill and onto the green.
"We looked at several options for using this canyon to get back to the other side of the ridge from the valley floor. I had initially favored a short uphill par four to the current green location, but Eddie Peck and Pat Brockwell suggested a tee location on a high point on the west side of the valley, playing downhill across the arroyo, and then climbing steeply on the second shot. In the preliminary plans the narrow neck of fairway which climbs up to the second landing area was to be left as a natural arroyo. However, we decided during construction to run a culvert under the fairway and give the player at least a chance to run an accurately played shot up the middle to the ãpromised landä past the deep bunker on the left. Once past this hazard, a ball has a fair possibility of finding the green, as the right side will kick anything hit there toward the putting surface, which is open in front. The green itself is probably the most severely contoured of any on the course and the surrounds fall away sharply on the left side and in back.", said Baxter of this gem.
Here is the bottom line, Black Mesa has to be in your must play list.
Unlike a golf destination like Myrtle Beach; New Mexico is for exploring, seeing and doing. A journey here is about discovery. She is best embraced by taking your time, renting a car a seeing and doing. New Mexico is an adventure.
Your journey should include an understanding and appreciation of the native culture and heritage. If you love cowboys and Indians; you're in the right place,
A stone's throw outside of Santa Fe is the Puye Cliff Dwellings. Here some 1,500 natives lived, worked and died between 900ad and 1580ad.
The homes were cut into the side of the mountain or mesa and stretched for a mile across. You may call them caves; but to the natives they were home. A protection from the elements, from enemies and from the blistering winter winds. These were tough people.
During Summer they would climb the wooden ladders onto the top of the Mesa and here they had a second village. Homes, shops and a tribal dancing area high above the valley below was home for these proud people.
To walk these ancient grounds was truly a sight to behold.
So you want and need some more golf you say? Well then just down the road is the “Marty Sanchez Links de Santa Fe”.
Baxter Spann also designed this track. This eighteen hole course is a pleasant adventure and is a fine golf course. The course is named after a young man who was an aspiring professional golfer and a local favorite at tournaments.
Unfortunately, he was lost early in life to cancer. It his honor and memory the municipal course bares his name.
The course uses the natural landscape to it's fullest. Water, birds, flowers and indigenous wildlife abound here. A golfer communes with nature during their round.
The course is in fabulous condition and the superintendent should be proud of both the fairways and greens here.
The mounding around the greens and the statistic placement of sand traps ensure that the green complex's manifest a risk/reward scenario.
Coupled with the Black Mesa Golf Course, the Marty Sanchez makes for a complete golf adventure.
Throw in an abundance of color with the towns of Santa Fe and Taos providing day trips; you will have your appetite satisfied.
FROST FREE GREENS
If Winter is ruining your golf game, checkout these courses and offers that will keep your swing warm…. literally.
Costa Rica’s La Iguana Golf Course
Year after year this 6700-yard Ted Robinson designed course is ranked as one of Travel + Leisure’s Best Golf Courses.
The Escape! Golf Package starts at $307 per night and is valid through December 13, 2013 (some blackout dates.) Promotional Code GOF. Visit www.lossuenosmarriott.com or call 1-800-228-9290 for reservations.
Deluxe accommodations for two
Daily breakfast for two at La Vista Restaurant
Daily unlimited golf for two
$50 daily food and beverage credit
Course Tip: Watch out for the second hole which requires a long iron shot either over or under two trees guarding the green and don’t get distracted by the three-toed sloths, howler monkeys or toucans you might spot on the front nine which plunges deep into the rainforest.
Cuisinart Golf Resort & Spa (Anguilla)
This Greg Norma designed course has been a Caribbean favorite since it came on the scene in 2006, but is really worth checking out now after being acquired by this luxury resort, which spent millions getting it back to the high standards for which it was known.
The Tee Up & Revive five-night package starts at $xx per night and is valid through month, xx, 2013. Promotional Code TEE. Visit www.cuisinartresort.com or call 1-800-943-3210 for reservations.
Five nights in a Beachfront Suite
Three rounds of golf
Two 50-minute spa treatments or a Couples massage
Daily breakfast at Café Mediterreaneo or a continental breakfast en suite
One complimentary lunch for two at Café Mediterraneo and dinner for two at any of the resort’s restaurants
Course Tip: The starting hole was dubbed by Robb Report as “The Caribbean’s answer to the 18th at Pebble Beach” and descends to a narrow two-tiered green sitting next to a saltwater lagoon.
Marco Island’s The Rookery & Hammock Bay (Florida)
These members-only courses let you break the rules if you’re a guest at the fabulous beachfront Marco Island Marriott, who manages the courses, by playing a few rounds, even if you haven’t paid the significant fees to join this exclusive club.
The Unlimited Golf Package rates start at $399 per night and are valid through April 30, 2013. Use promotional code: GOF. Visit www.marcoislandmarriott.com or call 1-800-438-4373 for reservations.
Golf for one or two including a golf cart rental
Complimentary replay
$50 daily resort credit
Complimentary bag storage and range balls
10 percent off Golf Pro Shop purchase
Course Tip / Hammock Bay: The course was given the highest ranking from Audobon International as an AI Certified Gold Signature Sanctuary and Jacobsen Hardy, one of the course’s designers, boasts “it’s the best collection of par-3’s ever assembled,” but no fears, there are only four of them.
Course Tip / The Rookery: Hope you’ve spent time at the driving range or practicing your chip shot as this course features 45 acres of lakes, with water coming into play on 15 holes and 74 sand bunkers.
PGA National Resort & Spa Announces ‘Final Round’ of Renovations
Ultimate Phase of Legendary South Florida Destination’s $65 Million Revitalization Underway
(PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla.) -- PGA National Resort & Spa -- home of the PGA TOUR Honda Classic, five championship courses and world-class amenities -- announces the “final round” of its $65 million revitalization is underway and scheduled for completion in early fall 2012.
PGA National’s recent renovations include numerous enhancements to its 379-room resort hotel, clubhouse, golf courses, spa, health and racquet club, and conference and meeting space. Among the contemporary additions is a stunning zero-entry pool, newly-named signature restaurant -- Ironwood Steak and Seafood -- and trendy, sophisticated iBAR.
“This next round of ongoing renovations will allow PGA National to continue to stay ahead of the curve in keeping our property in first-class condition, which is what our guests and members expect and deserve,” says Joel Paige, vice president and managing director. “With all major construction completed, ongoing enhancements will have zero impact on current resort operations.”
The finishing touches include:
· A floor-to-ceiling guest room makeover featuring stylish bedding, headboards, wall coverings and carpet; spacious, modern work desks with multiple plug-in options; atmospheric lighting; and elegant furnishings. Suite bathrooms will have walk-in showers. State-of-the-art, high-definition, 42-inch flat-panel televisions have already been installed.
· Guest room corridors will showcase eye-catching carpeting; tastefully subdued lighting; and chic artwork and wall treatments.
· Due to increased popularity of its outdoor wedding venues, new lakeside locales are being added to its scenic, manicured grounds.
· Renovation of its 19th Hole bar and grill, to be renamed “Bar 19,” presenting the latest in clubhouse furnishings, high-definition televisions and expanded outdoor dining overlooking one of the great vistas in golf. The addition of a kitchen will allow for a completely new menu offering.
· Updating its championship golf courses with new turf, irrigation systems, rebuilt bunkers, and expanded tee and green complexes.
· The Citrus Tree Café, with its renowned breakfast buffet, will re-open newly renovated, renamed the “Palm Terrace” and available as a poolside location for evening events.
· The 40,000 square-foot European Spa with 32 treatment areas and the exclusive "Waters of the World" outdoor mineral pools will also be updated matching the motif of the resort’s fashionably cool, hip décor.
“Ownership is committed to the strategic, long-term capital plan of becoming the premier meeting and golf destination in the country,” says Frank Calaguire, principal of SCS Advisors -- owner / operating partners of PGA National Resort & Spa. “Coupled with our laser-sharp focus on delivering a championship experience for our guests as we’ve done for 30 years, we are confident that we’re creating customers for life.”
For more information about PGA National visit www.pgaresort.com or call (800) 533.9386.
About PGA National Resort & Spa
PGA National Resort & Spa is premier golf, vacation and meeting destination. The South Florida locale offers 90 holes of championship golf on five courses, including the famed Champion course, home to the PGA TOUR Honda Classic and past host of the Ryder Cup, PGA Championship and a litany of other prized professional golf tournaments.
Other distinguishing features include a world-class 33,000 square-foot health-and-racquet club with 19 Har Tru tennis courts, 40,000 square feet of self-contained conference space and nine on-site restaurants and lounges.
PGA National Resort & Spa’s myriad accolades include:
• AAA--Four Diamond Resort (2011)
• Golfweek -- Best You Can Play State by State (No. 3, 2011)
• Golfweek -- Best Tour Courses You Can Play (No. 28, 2011)
• Golfing Magazine -- “World’s Top 5 Multi-Course Venues” (2011)
• About.com -- “No. 1 Golf Resort in Florida” (2011)
• GOLF Magazine -- Top 100 Premier Resorts -- Silver Award Winner (2011)
• GOLF Magazine -- Premier Resorts Green Award Winner (2011)
• Golf World -- Top 50 Resorts (2010)
• Successful Meetings -- Pinnacle Award Winner (2011)
• The Knot -- Best of Weddings (2011)
Conveniently located within easy driving distances of major Florida population centers, the AAA Four Diamond resort is a 15-minute drive from Palm Beach International Airport (PBI), one hour from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) and 90 minutes from Miami International Airport (MIA).
Mystical Golf Offers Value-Rich Spring Golf, Condo Getaway
Three Praiseworthy Myrtle Beach Courses, Excellent Accommodations, Complimentary Steak Dinner and More
(MYRTLE BEACH, S.C.) -- Mystical Golf -- owner and operator of The Witch, Man-O-War and The Wizard courses in Myrtle Beach – is offering its value-laden spring “Magical Golf Condo Package” getaway starting March 1. Featured in the February issue of GOLF Magazine as a perfect locale to “beat the winter blues,” Mystical Golf is renowned for offering exceptional travel deals at affordable prices. Its commitment to top-quality course maintenance, friendly customer care and three diverse layouts providing “all the golf you want” have led to ratings of 4 to 4-1/2 stars by Golf Digest.
Mystical Golf’s well-appointed, comfortable condos offer proximity to Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR) as well as all Myrtle Beach has to offer: fun family attractions; myriad nightlife / restaurants; temperate South Carolina weather; and 60-plus miles of sweeping Atlantic beachfront known as the Grand Strand.
The spring Magical Golf Condo Package starts at $95 per person, per day (quad occupancy, taxes included), and features:
• Three rounds with cart on The Witch, The Wizard, Man-O-War • Three nights’ accommodations in a three-bedroom golf villa (four beds) • Free steak dinner at Max & Emma’s (includes non-alcoholic beverages, taxes)• Free daily lunch and range balls • Two beers per day• $15 gift card toward a golf shirt • Instant replay rounds for cart fee only
“Our spring condo stay-and-play package is ‘one-stop’ shopping for the perfect Myrtle Beach golf getaway,” says Claude Pardue, President and CEO. “Golfers only have to visit once to play our superb courses, enjoy our Southern hospitality and stay in our deluxe accommodations to return year after year.”
Rave reviews continue to accumulate for Mystical Golf:
• “One of the best deals in the country.” – Golf Channel.com
• “You’ll like the variety and love the price at Mystical Golf.” – Partners Club Advice
• “Variety just might be Mystical Golf’s strongest suit of all.” – Fairways + Greens Magazine
• “Going strong and offering their customers a high level of conditioning and service.” – Flagstick Magazine
• “The best deal in golf travel!” -- Golf Vacations Magazine
The Witch sits on 500 acres of tranquil cypress groves and wetlands teeming with flora and fauna. Tactical play is rewarded on the par-71, 6,702-yard layout. With 4,000 feet of bridges wending through swamps (front nine) and rolling hills (back nine), golfers may spy cranes, bald eagles, alligators and black bears.
Man-O-War is revered for its back-to-back island greens and water features touching every hole. With a commanding 141 slope rating, the par-72, 6,967-yard layout is offset by straight-forward shots and excellent, bent-grass greens.
Reminiscent of classic, wind-swept links courses in Scotland and Ireland, The Wizard presents deep bunkers, mound-framed fairways and dramatic elevation changes. Trademark stone bridges and an Old-World, castle-style clubhouse add character to the par-72, 6,721-yard shot-maker’s course.
For Mystical Golf information: www.mysticalgolf.com, 843.282.2977. To book the “Magical Golf Condo Package” visit: http://www.magicalgolf.com/condopackages/index.php.
Getting There
The Witch, Man-O-War and The Wizard are in the heart of Myrtle Beach and within 15 minutes of Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR), beaches, accommodations, restaurants and other attractions. A short distance from I-95 and other major thoroughfares, Mystical Golf courses are easily accessible. More than two dozen cities -- including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, New York and Washington -- offer direct flights.
Viva Cuba! Viva Golf by John Ehle
There is an existing photograph from 1956 showing Che Gueverra and Fidel Castro putting out on a green somewhere in Havana. The appearance of this twosome on a golf course probably didn’t evidence any abiding interest in golf but rather was staged for the purpose of galling Dwight David Eisenhower, our most passionate golfing president.
Golf in Cuba has been all but dormant since the opulent days of the Battista lifestyle but it has recently emerged as more than just a possibility as Cuba edges closer to permitting the entrepreneurial spirit to return to this beautiful island. There is but one course in Havana; a humble 9 hole track which was built in 1944 as a concession to businessmen and the diplomatic corps. The Habana Golf Club is maintained on a shoestring budget by two strong, beautiful Cuban women and a club pro who still gives the occasional lesson but shags his own practice balls from the wide side of the 1st fairway.
The “caddiemaster”, Marlene, is the mother of four children and easily puts in 12-14 hours/day doing all the tasks required to keep a golf course running 7 days a week. She is as hard-
working as she is charming and her aspiration is to claim a golf management position when the embargo is lifted and the development of golf becomes a reality in this subdued nation. As we traversed the fairways of HGC, her enthusiasm showed through her creative English as she described the improvements that her dreams held.
Each hole of HGC has two sets of tees; varied as much as possible in order to allow golfers to suspend disbelief and play 18 holes by making the circuit once again, playing the alternate tees. Many of us were introduced to golf this way. The terrain at HGC is beautiful, rolling and very tropical; diverging from the surrounding Havana neighborhood. The fairways and greens are a little shaggy as the grasses available in the 40s were not developed for golf in tropical climates. A new species of golfing grass (paspalum) thrives on sea water and my money is on its application if/when new courses are developed. The course is an island on an island and smack in the middle of a very poor section of this city of 1.5 million souls. Not much has changed here since 1944…in fact it has gone backward.
Returning to the clubhouse, I overheard a conversation taking place in English and during a lull, I introduced myself to a gentleman on the edge of an energetic, animated group. Patrick Duffy is an Englishman and quickly explained that he was part of a development group which had plans for 16
courses on the island; contingent, of course, on the cooperation of the Cuban government.
John Duffy’s group is looking at more than just Cuba so they are at varying stages of development/progress as they explore the expansion of the industry. The only country in the world which seems to be going in reverse is the United States but the European countries which have started to experience the echos of 2008 may soon see more courses that are closing versus courses being developed.
My money is on Cuban development as the spirit seems to be willing and Fidel Castro’s presence in the day-to-day running of Cuba seems to be waning. This is discussed openly on a daily basis with no apparent negative consequences. The Cuban people deserve a chance to prosper and they really believe that it is imminent.
Vive Cuba! Vive Golf!
jcehle@sbcglobal.net
Note from Randy:
Let me be clear I love golf!
I hate Soclialism and Communism!
Both "Castro" and "Che" were and are dispicable human beings! Scum of the Earth!
The day the USA wants to liberate the people of Cuba from the Dictatorship of Castro, his brother and thugs; well boy sign me up!
I'll gladly put back on the uniform and go kick some Commie ass!
Myrtle Beach’s Mystical Golf Receives GOLF Magazine Acclaim
Man-O-War’s 15th Hole Named in ‘Most Memorable Island Greens,’ The Witch Lauded as ‘Best Bargain’
(MYRTLE BEACH, SC) -- Mystical Golf -- owner and operator of the award-winning The Witch, Man-O-War and The Wizard golf courses in Myrtle Beach -- announces the 15th hole on Man-O-War, a dramatic par 3 of 173 yards, has been named as one of five “Most Memorable Island Greens” in the current issue of GOLF Magazine.
The new honor for Man-O-War follows The Witch recently named in GOLF as its “Best Bargain” in Myrtle Beach. Additionally, the Mystical Golf trio, designed by celebrated architect Dan Maples, are rated all from 4 to 4-1/2 stars from Golf Digest and are widely known as “must plays” when visiting the Grand Strand.
“The fifteenth on Man-O-War is part of our wonderfully unique back-to-back island greens along with the excellent par 4 fourteenth and both give you all the golf you want,” says Claude Pardue, President and CEO. “As great as those two are, here at Mystical Golf, we like to say we have 27 signature holes as everyone who plays our three diverse courses has a different favorite.”
Known as the perfect locale for “golf buddy trips” with its value-loaded stay-and-play packages, the accolades and rave reviews continue to mount for Mystical Golf, including:
“Going strong and offering their customers a high level of conditioning and service.” – Flagstick Magazine
“The best deal in golf travel!” --Golf Vacations Magazine
The Witch sits on 500 acres of tranquil cypress groves and wetlands teeming with flora and fauna. Tactical play is rewarded on the par-71, 6,702-yard layout. With 4,000 feet of bridges wending through swamps (front nine) and rolling hills (back nine), golfers may spy cranes, bald eagles, alligators and black bears.
Man-O-War is revered for its back-to-back island greens and water features touching every hole. With a commanding 141 slope rating, the par-72, 6,967-yard layout is offset by straight-forward shots and excellent, bent-grass greens. Reminiscent of classic, wind-swept links courses in Scotland and Ireland, The Wizard presents deep bunkers, mound-framed fairways and dramatic elevation changes. Trademark stone bridges and an Old-World, castle-style clubhouse add character to the par-72, 6,721-yard shot-maker’s course.
For stay-and-play package information and tee-times: www.mysticalgolf.com, 843.282.2977.
Getting There
The Witch, Man-O-War and The Wizard are in the heart of Myrtle Beach and within 15 minutes of Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR), beaches, accommodations, restaurants and other attractions. A short distance from I-95 and other major thoroughfares, Mystical Golf courses are easily accessible. More than two dozen cities -- including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, New York and Washington -- offer direct flights.
Roatan’s Pristine Bay Resort Opens Six Villas for Golf Vacationers
New Deluxe Accommodations Offer Opportunity to Play The Black Pearl, Enjoy Scenic Caribbean Island
(ROATAN, Honduras) – Pristine Bay Resort -- one of the western Caribbean’s most-anticipated resort communities -- announces six new luxury villas are now available for vacation rentals on the idyllic tropical island 40 miles off the coast of Honduras.
The 2,400 square-foot, two-bedroom villas are ideal as luxury lodging when playing The Black Pearl – Roatan’s first golf course. Opened for play in January and designed by Perry and Pete Dye, it features a signature island green and 14 holes with mesmerizing sea vistas. The Resort and Spa at Pristine Bay, the island’s first five-star accommodation, is slated for a “soft opening” in August 2011.
“Our new rental villas are perfect for golfers visiting Roatan to experience The Black Pearl,” says Mario Toriello, Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “Whether playing the extraordinary course, discovering the many splendors of the western Caribbean or simply taking a break from the hustle and bustle of life, Roatan offers vacations to savor forever.”
Long a haven for scuba aficionados, the island boasts the spectacular Meso-American Barrier Reef -- the world’s second largest and a “must visit” for those seeking one of the striking seascapes on Earth. To fully enjoy Roatan, Pristine Bay Resort will customize packages that include the deluxe villa accommodations and championship golf, as well as, delicious local dining, all island transportation, zip-lining, deep sea fishing, diving, snorkeling and even swimming with dolphins in the crystal clear waters of Caribbean.
Says Toriello, “With numerous daily flights from abroad, Pristine Bay is an ideal home base from which to explore all Roatan offers.”
Additional information about golf membership, real estate options and more can be gleaned by visiting www.pristinebayresort.com, emailing info@pristinebayresort.com or golf@pristinebayresort.com, or calling +504 3310 1900.
About Pristine Bay Resort
Located on the lush, tropical island of Roatan, 35 miles off the coast of Honduras, Pristine Bay Resort is situated on a 400-plus acre site adjacent to the Caribbean Sea. The azure waters off the coast of the island, enhanced by the world’s second largest barrier reef, provide a stunning backdrop and one of the truly unique settings for golf in Central America.
Dye Designs, pioneers of the use of Paspalum turf for tropics-based projects, is grassing The Black Pearl with this salt-water tolerant strand known for its environmental compatibility, ease of irrigation and maintenance, and translucent green hue. Its appearance -- juxtaposed against the turquoise waters offshore – inspired The Black Pearl’s tagline: “The Best Greens and the Best Blues.”
Pristine Bay Resort features a wide variety of residential products including: bay view and golf course condominiums, two-, three-, and four-bedroom villa units and one-quarter-acre custom home lots, many with unobstructed views of the ocean. Villas start at $600,000 and range up to $1 million; lots start at $230,000 and range up to $700,000; and condominiums from $348,000 to $700,000. A 155-slip full-service marina located near The Black Pearl clubhouse will provide deep-water access for a wide variety of sea-going vessels.
Residents and guests will have access to the ocean-front Bay Village at Pristine Bay with boutiques, art galleries, restaurants, cafes and other entertainment options. The 120-room, five-star Resort and Spa at Pristine Bay, to be managed by the Lancaster Hotel Group, is scheduled to open in 2011.
Getting There: Roatan International Airport (RTB) is served by nine weekly, non-stop flights from the United States (Houston, Atlanta, Miami and Newark) on Continental, Delta and TACA. Flights to the island through the Honduran cities of Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula and San Salvador, El Salvador are also available.
PGA National Resort & Spa Rolls Out Popular ‘Summer Escape and Play’
Value-Loaded Package Features Unlimited Golf, Deluxe Accommodations and More Starting at $79 per Night
(PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla.) -- PGA National Resort & Spa -- home of the PGA TOUR Honda Classic and five award-winning championship courses – is once again rolling out its popular “Summer Escape and Play” package, highlighted by unlimited daily golf, nightly deluxe accommodations and access to the famous Waters of the World mineral pools.
Complete with over $300 of extra value, the Summer Escape and Play starts at $79 per night (per person) and runs from May 20 – September 30, 2011. Package features include:
· Unlimited daily golf on The Palmer, The Squire, The Haig or The Estates courses with complimentary replay rounds· Nightly accommodations onsite at PGA National’s award-winning resort hotel · Club storage and access to PGA TOUR-quality practice facilities with unlimited practice balls· Access to the Waters of the World mineral pools at The Spa· Daily breakfast, with ample selection of hot and healthy items· Fifty percent off clinics at the David Leadbetter Golf Academy
“Our Summer Escape and Play package is ideal for taking full dawn-to-dusk advantage of the resort’s array of championship golf, luxuriously appointed rooms, world-class spa and numerous amenities including fine dining at Ironwood Grille and popular iBAR,” says Joel Paige, Vice President and Managing Director.
For more information on the Summer Escape and Play, or to make reservations, visit www.pgaresort.com, or call (800) 533.9386. Complimentary replay rounds are booked at the course the day of play following the first round. A $30 cart fee applies at the course for the first round of the day (each day). A $50 surcharge applies to play The Champion -- site of the Honda Classic and famous “Bear Trap” -- one of the most demanding, three-hole stretches on the PGA TOUR. Taxes and resort fees are not included. Rate based on double occupancy and availability.
About PGA National Resort & Spa
PGA National Resort & Spa is a national, premier golf vacation and meeting destination. The legendary 379-room Florida resort recently completed a $65 million comprehensive revitalization, including a new front entrance, outdoor pool and pavilion, new Ironwood Grille and iBAR, as well as enhanced public areas, golf courses and landscaping.
PGA National Resort & Spa offers 90 holes of championship golf on five courses, including the famed Champion course, home to the PGA TOUR’s Honda Classic. The resort’s storied golf history includes hosting the 1983 Ryder Cup, 1987 PGA Championship, and nearly two decades of the Senior PGA Championship. In addition to The Champion, PGA National’s award-winning golf courses are: The Palmer, The Haig, The Squire and The Estates.
Other distinguishing features include a 40,000 square-foot European Spa with 32 treatment areas and the exclusive "Waters of the World" outdoor mineral pools, a world-class 33,000 square-foot health-and-racquet club with 19 Har Tru tennis courts, 40,000 square feet of self-contained conference space and nine on-site restaurants and lounges.
Conveniently located within easy driving distances of major Florida population centers, the AAA Four Diamond resort is 15 minutes from Palm Beach International Airport (PBI), one hour from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) and 90 minutes from Miami International Airport (MIA).
SANTA BARBARA PLANTATION-CURACAO
With Pete Dye and Hyatt Regency, Santa Barbara Plantation Brings the Stars to Curacao
June 28, 2010 in Santa Barbara Plantation | Leave a comment
Curaçao’s new resort community features vacation homes, Pete Dye golf course, Hyatt Regency Curaçao Resort and Spa
CURAÇAO, Netherlands Antilles – For golfers, beach lovers, sailors, anglers and snorkelers seeking their dream vacation home in the Caribbean, the search may now be over. With the opening of the Hyatt Regency Curacao Resort and Spa and legendary golf designer Pete Dye’s “Old Quarry” Golf Course, this historic island has now reached the level where “world-class destination resort” is an appropriate description.
And those impressive amenities don’t even include the deepwater Seru Boca Marina, the Tennis Center run by Peter Burwash International; or the powdery white sand beaches, colorful shallow reefs and turquoise waters offshore.
Residential choices begin with charming Dutch Colonial villas sited steps from marina slips large enough to handle 150-foot crafts with ease. Deep-sea fishing, diving, sailing and wind-surfing are popular the year round in a climate tempered by trade winds, and outside the hurricane zone.
Marina Village includes 27 single-family two and three-bedroom homes priced from U.S. $726,000 and ranging in size from 1,700 to 2,100 square-feet with detached two-car garages and separate guest quarters.
Santa Barbara Plantation developer Jack Marshall with golf course architect Pete Dye
Homes within Marina Village feature traditional Mediterranean architectural design with white exteriors, complemented by imported Italian porcelain tile flooring, European bathroom fixtures and Colombian terracotta roof tiles. Each home offers a private courtyard cooled by the prevailing trade winds moving across the site. Available for the enjoyment of residents and their guests are a swimming pool complex and paths connecting to Seru Boca Marina and the resort’s extensive bike/jogging trail system.
Terrace Homes Overlook Fairway and Sea
In addition to Marina Village, Santa Barbara Plantation offers 95 Terrace Homes being built on gently sloping terrain offering commanding views of the Caribbean Sea and the Old Quarry Golf Course.
The Terrace Homes residences are priced from $1.1 million and average 3,000 square feet in size. Homes will feature rustic terracotta roofs with handsome stone accents. Also available are 125 estate home sites priced from $450,000 to more than $2 million. The sites offer magnificent vistas of either golf course fairways or Spanish Water Bay and the Caribbean Sea beyond.
Santa Barbara Plantation is a new 1,500-acre resort community 25 minutes from Curaçao’s capital city of Willemstad.
Pool at the Hyatt Regency Curaçao Golf Resort, Spa and Marina
Recently opened is is the stunning 350-room beachfront yatt Regency Curaçao Golf Resort, Spa and Marina, offering onsite amenities such as fine and casual dining, a full-service salon and fitness center, tennis courts, outdoor pool and cabana area and the highly acclaimed Atabei Spa, complemented by spacious bungalow units available for rental featuring in-suite spa services. There is also a resort marina located near the hotel that can accommodate up to five mega-yachts up to 120 feet in length, dive boats, charter boats and catamarans for evening dinner cruises.
The championship Old Quarry Golf Course offers priority tee times to Santa Barbara Plantation homeowners and Hyatt Regency guests. The dramatic natural contours of the site yield a layout that provides golfers with spectacular views and plenty of challenge. Complementing the golf course is an 8,000 square-foot clubhouse featuring a fully stocked golf shop, locker rooms and a restaurant and lounge.
The community also features a private beach club for residents and their guests; business center; outdoor swimming pools and boutique retail shops. Residents and guests who relish nature will enjoy miles of walking, jogging and bicycling trails through the community.
Curaçao’s Hato International Airport is regularly served by major air carriers such as American, Continental and Delta. Air France-KLM and ArkeFly also offer a number of flights each week from Amsterdam.
Santa Barbara Plantation is being created by VIDA Group N.V., developers of premier resort and master planned communities for the past 35 years.
For more information on Santa Barbara Plantation visit www.santabarbaraplantation.com.
RIVERIA MAYA MASTERPIECE
By John Ehle
A mid-winter sojourn to the Riviera Maya in Mexico is exactly what a vitamin D-deprived golfer needs to escape the dreary, snowy landscape of the Midwest.
The Yucatan peninsula has seen a constant process of development since my first trip there in 1976. Back then, Cancun and Playa del Carmen were arrivistes in the array of travel destinations and the ancient archaeological sites of Tulum, Coba and Chichen Itza were places which required a sense of adventure. Walking onto one of these sites early or late in a day, the intrepid traveler was virtually alone. The profundity of the history was overwhelming. There were no ticket booths, gates or shops; no distractions. Just Mayan pyramids, cenotes, columns and the occasional native working the land and tending cattle. And, of course, there was the Caribbean.
Golf in those days was something you left behind. There were no golf courses on the Yucatan peninsula. Today, the east coast is home to myriad resorts and a burgeoning collection of world-class golf courses which are as challenging and beautiful as anything available anywhere. The finest golf course architects in the world are plying their trade here; Jack Nicklaus, Nick Price, Greg Norman, Robert Trent Jones ll and PB Dye, to name a few. The advent of grasses which thrive on salt water is a large piece of the development as fresh water is an issue in this ecosystem. Yes, these hardy, resistant grasses not only endure the occasional 100 degree day but do it while being irrigated with salt water from the nearby Caribbean. Early in the development of this cultivar (seashore paspalum) a fairway on a seaside course was flooded with salt water from a tropical storm. When the water receded, the fairway flourished; with only the weeds in decline.
Fairways wind through the jungle and greens jut out onto Caribbean vistas which are stunning enough to distract even the most focused of players. The courses are populated with an abundance of tropical birds, iguanas and monkey squirrels which have adapted to the golfing traffic. This is a tropical paradise replete with golf.
Our first outing was at the Nick Price design, Grand Coral. With nine of 18 holes completed, this 6,995 yard golf course is a gem in progress. Ample fairways and a set of tees for golfers of every skill level the course reflects Mr. Price's design philosophy. Price says, "Golf is two games. One is played in the air and another on the ground. Having the ability to run the ball onto a green requires as much skill as flying the ball to the hole". The hospitality was as good as the golf. Returning to play the completed 18 will be on my bucket list.
The destination on day 2 was El Camaleon Golf Course at Mayakoba. We arrived amidst a flurry of activity and preparation for the Mayakoba Classic, a new PGA Tour stop which played opposite the Accenture Match Play event. We were the last group to play the golf course prior to the tournament so to say that it was in fine fettle and with an attendant buzz would understate the ambience.
This course was designed by the legendary Greg Norman. The 7,000 yard layout is on piece of property which may be unique to the entire golfing kingdom. As its name suggests, El Cameleon is ever-changing. This stunning Playa del Carmen golf course wends its way through three distinct landscapes: dense jungle, mangrove forests and dramatic oceanfront stretches of sand. Perhaps most unique are the limestone canals which create natural design elements which could not possibly be duplicated anywhere. Several cenotes, underground cavern systems, are incorporated into the golf course as well; giving it heartstopping visual highlights. Peek into a large cenote and you will sense what Mayans felt as they stood on these precipices just prior to their last moments on earth.
Four sets of tees afford golfers of all abilities an opportunity to test their games at the Chameleon and Roberto Molina and his staff will see to your every need. At the Chameleon, hospitality is an achieved goal.
The Mayan Palace is an all-inclusive resort which offers golf on-site with an 18 hole Jack Nicklaus-designed par 54 executive course. We followed up our morning round by playing this testy par 3 and we had all we could handle. With several holes in excess of 200 yards, this golf challenge is not an afterthought. With water, sand and native vegetation on nearly all holes, this golf course will require every club in your bag.....especially your wedges and your putter. This is where you can either play off existing bets or press and start afresh. It's a great golf experience which is perfect to either begin or end a golfing day.
Day 3 took us to Bahia Principe Golf Course, a 36 hole golf resort which includes a 9 hole par 3 of 1300+ yards. The outgoing 18 can be played at 7,843 yards. Designed by Robert Trent Jones ll, the course is set within the Mayan jungle, natural lakes and fresh-water wells. The grasses on these holes are velvety and esquisitely groomed with fairways and greens which are fair, challenging and absolutely gorgeous. Nature lovers, here you are!
Playacar is the oldest of the Riviera Maya courses and it is quite likely the most difficult. Designed by Robert Von Hagge, Playacar is routed around a large plot of Mayan jungle and a series of lakes which create diverse challenges on this course which is the closest to Playa del Carmen. With the tightest fairways we had seen all week and the most abundant iguana population, Playacar has diversions galore. The slope rating of the 7,144 yard course approaches the industry top of 150 and only the longest, most accurate drivers of the golf ball should wander to the back tees. Greenside bunkers are placed in very challenging locations and once you're on the greens, take a hard look....they're subtle and fast.
The final chapter of our Riviera Maya golf experience took place at Playa Paraiso GC at Iberostar. This P.B. Dye design is incredibly routed onto 90 acres of land. You would never know it. The transitional areas between fairways are subtle...and very effective. Mounding and treelines set each hole apart and the result is a golf experience armed with diverse features. The placement of water hazards and waste areas permits the inclusion of short 4 pars of under 300 yards which require thoughtful club selections and precise approaches. Greenside swales collect errant shots and give the golfer an opportunity to demonstrate deft touch. Wedges get a workout on this challenging, beautiful course.
Just as at all the courses we played this week, the hospitality and gracious treatment we received was world-class in every way. It's necessary to mention to prospective travelers that the problems that have been so prevalent in the international news in the recent past do not apply in Riviera Maya. Safety is NOT an issue.
Ease of transportation from our resort, Aventura Spa Palace, to all of these golf courses was quick and efficient. No commute was in excess of 45 minutes from this all-inclusive, centrally located resort. If there are members of the family who don't golf, there are activities for everyone at Aventura. In addition, day trips to Tulum, Chichen Itza and Coba and evening excursions to Playa del Carmen are readily available.
COSTA RICA
“How to Blend a Costa Rican Golf Adventure”
Take one part free spirited golf writer and slowly add the following ingredients; six Jimmy Buffett albums mixed with Bombay Sapphire Gin and a select red wine. You now have a solid base. For spice add the greatest new golf destination on earth, incredible sunsets, soft white beaches and friendly people. For tang and zest blend in volcano lava, a puma paw and one scorpion tail! Now add crushed ice and slowly blend in the secret ingredients of three exceptional Costa Rican cigar brands. These are as follows; Pre Castro Cuban seeds, secrets of the shaman tobacco man, and 100 years of Cuban cigar rolling tradition.
Then pour the above contents into a half coconut shell, add whipped cream and a slice of mango and you have mixed yourself one heck of a “Costa Rican Golf Adventure”.
My old Pal Landy Blank, an expatriate who runs “Costa Rican Golf Adventures.com” called and invited me down to visit and catch up with him in Costa Rica . Any excuse to jump off the merry go round of life for a while, so off I was headed into the great unknown. Adventure!
Costa Rica is Hawaii circa 1930’s. It is an undiscovered paradise with miles of pristine beaches and tropical rainforests to explore. Most importantly there is a spirit that permeates throughout the country. A spirit of peace and tranquility. A spirit that is summed up by simply saying “Pura Vida” or “the pure and good life”. The “Tico’s”, the nickname for Costa Ricans, use this as a greeting and meaning to define life itself. From this tropical paradise is emerging some of the world’s greatest golf courses and finest cigars!
Costa Rica is not considered to be a cigar haven. In fact it’s not even on the radar to most consumers. However, when we peel back the banana peel we find that some of the world’s finest tobacconists are living in Costa Rica and are producing some of the world’s most exceptional cigar blends.
The Costa Rican’s have been cultivating tobacco for two thousand years. The lush tropical rainforests and nutrient rich soil brings to birth delicious tobacco leaves rich with an array of taste. Their traditions have now been combined with the flavor and aroma provided by Cuba ’s cigar heritage. These two cultures have married and evolved into a cornucopia of highbred tobacco culinary delights found today in Costa Rica .
My first stop on my adventure was the capital of San Jose . Here there are two exceptional golf courses “The Melia Cariari” and “The Parque Valle del Sol” both provide awesome vista of volcano’s and the mountains around the capital city of San Jose . The Cariari was home to the “Friendship Cup” in the early 1970’s where PGA Pros came and battled with the legendary Raymond Floyd taking home the cup. This narrow course plays rough and ready.
It was in San Jose that I met up with Sr. Don Benigno. For 100 years Don Benigno’s family has been producing cigars in Cuba only miles away from Havana . Seven years ago he came to Costa Rica to begin rolling cigars. Today he distributes throughout the world .He produces limited production cigars that are hand rolled by his staff of eight. Its aroma, its blend; conjured images of tropical flowers, salsa and meringue music all rolled into one heavenly creation. In a cedar room his staff works and listens to music and laughs and smiles as they create and blend this magical cigar. Don Benigno relies on 100 years of family tradion, knowledge and a variety of leaves and fillers that are aged for three years, from throughout the Caribbean and Central America . Luciano Pavarotti, the world famous Italian tenor, is a regular customer of Don Benignos along with a list of educated enthusiasts and celebrities. Rumor has it that Arnold Schwarzenegger has added the Don’s rolls to his humidor. This was a fine smoke indeed. Soft billowing puffs filled with visions of Havana Harbor and revolution came with each delightful draw.
Its soft brown wrapper gave way to a clean crisp draw. As the ambers and leaves danced a fiery red dance I realized I had found paradise. The Don Benigno is the best cigar I have ever had!
I was off to a good start and soon found myself playing golf in the middle of the jungle and beside the Pacific Ocean at the “Los Suenos Resort”. Located on the Central Pacific coast this lovely facility sleeps gently against the ocean. The course winds and rolls through the rainforest and is home to iguanas, howler monkeys and a variety exotic trees and animals. The lovely Spanish style architecture and the coastline setting provides the perfect place to kick off your spikes and watch the sun melt into the Pacific after your round.
Had I yet discovered all that Costa Rica offers the cigar lover? Not by far. As I was putting on the 17th green beside the calm waters of the Pacific Ocean one of the greens keepers came up to me and asked if I liked cigars. A gleam filled my eyes in anticipation. I soon found myself putting away in bliss as the flavors of the “Tabacos de la Cordillera” or “The Cigars of the Highlands ” danced on my tongue. I had to find out from whence this aphrodisiac came.
I tracked down the hombres responsible for breathing life into this bouquet of hand rolled tobacco bliss. “A tobacco farm has its own beauty and dignity. In the mornings, the plants await the sun's rising over the mountains, to dry the moisture that collected from the night before. By mid-day, you can almost feel their vitality, as they grow to maturity. I especially like to walk the narrow paths between the plants in the late afternoons, when the mountains soften in the haze.” says John Vogel Director of the farm that produces these earthly delights. "Quality all stands on the worth of the seed.” he states. And from his magical bag of seeds Vogel has crafted these cigars.
For forty years Vogel has dedicated his life to cigar making. “During my consulting career, I collected a cache of genetically pure seeds; 47 varieties in all. These seeds are the foundation for our “Tabacos de la Cordillera” cigars. The specimens were virtually all of Cuban lineage; most of them are directly from the island. Others are Cuban-seed tobacco, grown in other countries, genuine African Cameroon and the original Dominican Olor. Some have slept peacefully for sixty years long before Castro's regime. One strain was the tobacco in not only Castro's personal cigars, but also those of the man he deposed. This cache of pure seed stock places our cigars in a unique position in the entire world of cigars. My years in the industry also give me the rare advantage of having sampled countless pre-Castro Havana ’s; I know how they should taste! I began acquiring a bank of over 40 genetically pure pre-Castro Cuban seed varieties throughout my travels:”, Vogel says.
Vogel is a master blender. He mixed the lush tropical surroundings of Costa Rica , the knowledge of the Indians who have been blending cigars for 2,000 years in this country and combined them with a lineage of seeds second to none in the world! In short kids, “WOW” what a cigar! Its wrapper was shinny and its ash stood bold and long. Its flavors dazzled.
All was right in my world. I was golfing in the tropics and beside the ocean and now like Christopher Columbus discovering Costa Rica “the Gold Coast” in 1502; I had discovered a hidden treasure of the world’s finest cigars.
The spirit that permeates this charming tranquil country is the spirit and feeling that represents life in Costa Rica . And it was this way of life, this measure of life; witch enabled me to fully discover the true potential of my golf game.
You see, the hurried pace that is modern life demands and insists that I swing at my poor hapless golf ball like an angry gorilla. No tempo in my back swing. No full concentration upon the third dimple from the turf on the backside of the ball. No momentary stay of time that allows the swing and strike of the ball to occur without interruptions of thought or distraction. The way I see it, the time I spend on a golf course is my “mini vacation” from the world and its many hassles. Those four plus hours on the course in pursuit of nothing more than an ice cold brew, a fine tasty 97 rated cigar and good friends telling jokes is “my” time. I had discovered peace, my swing tempo and cigars of a unique blend.
Off I headed due north to the North Pacific coast of Costa Rica . As I traveled the coastline north I was amazed to find a modern country, a beautiful country and panoramic views that were simply breathtaking.
The North Pacific’s Guanacaste region of Costa Rica is best described as cattle or ranch land. Its topgephoy is in stark contrast to the rainforests of the south. Here great sage brush and cattle roam. And it is here that the epicenter of the golf explosion in Costa Rica can be found.
Three new courses call this home and plans for three more are on the books. It is the golf gold rush of Los Cabos , Mexico in the mid 1990’s all over again.
“The Reserva Conchal Golf Course” is run by my old pal Phil Krick. He’s a Louisville Cardinal old boy who has found his way to paradise. This course is more than just a resort course. It provides dramatic elevation changes, a variety of birds and monkeys make their homes amongst the fairways and greens and there once again are the waters of the Pacific to calm your swing in full view from several of the holes. Robert Trent Jones II used the natural topography and his course flows with mother earth. “The Reserva Conchal Golf Course” is located on the “Paradisus Playa Conchal” resort. This all inclusive boosts 310 rooms, a casino, a mammoth swimming pool and soft sandy beaches. You could get lost here for a week and play golf and eat until you had had your fill. The sun bids “goodnight” with an array of colors and dazzling sunsets to behold.
Just down the road is the 4,500 acres of the “Hacienda Pinilla Ranch”. And here 18 holes emerge from the ranch to test your skills. Amongst the beautiful trees and open spaces of the Hacienda you will make your long walk unspoiled. The course is a resort course that is home to indigenous trees, wildlife and blooming flowers.
“Here try one of these”, said Chris Crabtree the head pro at “Hacienda Pinilla”. As I blew on the glowing leaves of my “Vegas Santiago” and took the first deep draw; I realized that just perhaps I had found my Valhalla , my city of gold. What more did I want from life. Golf, cigars and peace of mind.
“The Vegas de Santiago” is a mystical cigar that prides itself on wrapping the powers of the Shaman Indian into each and every Costa Rican leaf that creates its brand of cigars. Long before the Spaniards and golfers came to Costa Rica ; the native Indians throughout the country traded tobacco and hand rolled cigars. With reverence and respect each leaf was grown and cultivated. As I enjoyed this blend of time, culture and taste I could see visions of the Indians and Spaniards first meetings. This is an excellent smoke and would easily rate a 95.
I called “Costa Rican Golf Adventures” offices back in San Jose and told Landy that all was well and that the open road of discovery was kind and full of new friends. “Well, just remember we’re here 24/7; if somebody books a vacation with us we are here for them from the minute they land until they head back home. Did you get up to the “Four Seasons Resort” yet?” “No, tomorrow.” I said.
And when the new day rose I soon found myself entering the “Four Seasons Resort in Papaguya”. Its splendor, its grandeur and its simple opulence embraced me as I made my way onto the property. It over looks the entire “ Bay of Papagayo ”. Move over Hawaii there’s a new kid on the block. Perhaps a more perfect site for a golf course has never been found.
Rob Oosterhuis, son of famed CBS golf commentator Peter Oosterhuis, is the Head Pro there and soon we were teed up playing from elevated tees that provided awe-inspiring vistas of the water. This was no resort course. Its greens moved and and tested. It carved its way through the land. All the while I smoked on another “Don Benigno” and dreamed of ancient day’s gone buy.
Arnold Palmer was enlisted to design the course at “Four Seasons”. “We were given an excellent piece of property on witch to lay out this course, with lush tropical landscape, exciting elevation changes and 360 degree views of the Bay on many holes. The course will be not only beautiful, but a fair test of golf”, said Mr. Palmer.
After ten days of exploring through tropical rainforests, rugged cattle land, playing golf beside the Pacific Ocean and of course discovering a variety of unique and varied cigar blends; I realized this was a land filled with hardy tobaccos and today is giving her historic secrets to a few proud tobacconists that respect the land, the leaf and linage of cigar rolling. It is here in Costa Rica that cigars are being made, not for mass production, but with all the love, understanding and lessons of their trade that these men can bring
I also publish my own magazine called "Golfin' Around". Enjoy these stories from great golf resorts and courses across the world by me and some of my other golf pals!
The Black Knight
RT: First off Happy 80th birthday Mr. Player! Thank you for your time! It's an honor Sir. RT: Mr. Player as you celebrate your 80th birthday and reflect back on your life; what single event or person shaped your moral and mental constitution as a person? And what value or mantra do you have that helps you succeed?
GP: The ability to overcome adversity is what gave me strength. So, it’s unfair to point out just one instance because I faced hard times throughout my life. My mother died when I was only eight-years-old, I had to accept it and move on. When my brother left for war and made me promise to work out, I stayed true to that promise even though the only person pushing me was myself. I had to sleep on the beach the night before my first British Open Championship, but it was just part of my journey to become a World Champion. As for a mantra, I have always maintained that the harder you practice, the luckier you get.
RT: You are one of a few players in the history of our great game to win the “career Grand Slam”. Which of those victories in your Grand Slam was the most difficult to win?
GP: I am very proud to have achieved two career Grand Slams, one on the Regular tour and one on the Senior Tour. The next Major is always the hardest to win. I was 29 and had the lead at the 1965 U.S. Open, but didn’t make it easy on myself. With three holes to play and up by three shots, I thought the Grand Slam was mine. But in golf anything can happen. I wasn’t patient enough and the lead vanished. I had to win the tournament in an 18-hole playoff against the Australian Kel Nagle. I don’t think I played in another tournament when there was so much pressure to win given the significance.
RT: I love your logo and nick name. How’d you get the nick name “The Black Knight?
GP: Growing up, I was a big fan of the Western genre of TV shows. One of my favorites was Jack Paladin, Have Gun - Will Travel. He wore all black. He was a good man and helped others. My father had convinced me I needed to create a style and a logo if I was going to build an identity, so I chose The Black Knight because it fit my demeanor. Perhaps subconsciously, I chose black to represent the people of Africa whom I have always tried to help.
RT: You are without question one of the greatest players to have ever played the game. What would you like your legacy to be?
GP: Golf has brought so many blessing to my life. I was able to travel all over the world and provide a good life for my family. I dined with world leaders and with local tribesmen in the African bush. But my goal is not to be remembered as only a professional golfer. I am still very active and want to make a difference in the lives of people. We are doing this through The Player Foundation and have set a goal to raise $100 million for children by 2020. When we accomplish this goal, I hope that helping people will be the biggest part of my legacy. We call it "Golf and Giving."
RT: What do you think of all the “screaming and yelling” these days that comes from the Galleries directed towards players?
GP: I really don't like it at unless it is positive applause for a great shot. I hate the idiots that yell out "you da man" for no reason at all. As long as the player about to hit the ball is the one instigating the noise, and it doesn’t distract the other golfers who are playing on a different hole, then I'm all for vigorous applause. RT: What is your favorite golf course? GP: Without a doubt it is St. Andrews – the home of golf. If I had only one more round to play, it would be at the Old Course. There is nothing in the golf world quite like it. Cypress Point, The Links at Fancourt in South Africa and Augusta National are some of my other favorites.
RT: I have been to South Africa three times myself. I love the country and people. Where do you rank Durban Country Club on your list of top courses?
GP: Durban will always hold a special place in my heart because I won my first South African Open there in 1956. And there is so much history from our countrymen at Durban. From Bobby Locke to Ernie Else, we have all had some great moments. If you are a South African golfer, Durban is definitely needs to be on your bucket list. But it really needs to be upgraded and modernized to rank amongst the world’s best.
RT: South Africa’s incredible story of evolution from abandoning the Apartheid system to a modern country is remarkable. It is amazing to me that in those twenty short years that the people have come so far along in their emotional maturity What does South Africa’s evolution and progress as a society say about mankind’s ability to solve conflicts amongst people of different religions, races and backgrounds?
GP: We certainly have come a long way in a short amount of time. Love is the most important part of any society. When you figure out how to love one another, forgive one another, respect one another, great things can happen. What has happened in South Africa is an example the world should never forget.
RT: You are well known for your incredible physical fitness routine? Have you ever wrestled an alligator?
GP: (Laughs) No yet, but that might be something I can start training for!
Lee Wybranski Keeps His Record Alive For U.S. Open Posters
Arizona-based artist paints his eighth consecutive commemorative poster for the U.S. Open
Flagstaff, Ariz. (April 30, 2015) - The U.S. Open Championship might be coming to the Pacific Northwest for the first time this June, but it is hardly the first time that artist Lee Wybranski has painted the official poster of golf’s national championship.
Chambers Bay will mark the eighth straight time that Wybranski has taken brush in hand to create the official poster for the United States Golf Association. Wybranski’s first U.S. Open poster was created in 2008, when the championship was played at Torrey Pines in Southern California, which like Chambers Bay is a public course.
A native of Philadelphia who now lives and works in Flagstaff, Arizona, Wybranski feels a special kinship to the Robert Trent Jones, Jr.-designed Chambers Bay because, as he says, “I love links golf. Not only for playing and looking at the course, but to me golf by the water on sandy turf is where the game makes the most sense. I think it will be a very exciting championship this year because of the course - and because our Open has never been to the region. Plus they are sports crazy and I'm curious to see if the ‘12th Man’ somehow shows up in June."
According to the artist, Chambers Bay offers a number of elements that guaranteed a dramatic composition. “The water, the numerous bunkers on the course, and the lone fir that sits behind the 15th green were my bare minimums to include. Plus, I love diagonal compositions, because they provide a great deal of depth and drama and really pull your eyes in.”
But there is something else, something new that makes this course and this poster extra special. “It’s the first time I’ve had the chance to paint a train in any of my work. Trains are a mythical feature of the American West, and they have a long history in golf, running alongside many old links in the UK. By coincidence, the train in the painting is the same line that goes through the center of Flagstaff a block from my studio.”
Work on the painting began more than a year before the championship. “I spent a few days last May doing fieldwork. I always want to be on a site long enough to get one great morning and one great evening of light. I got very lucky with the weather when I was up there. I hope the players are as lucky as I was.”
Wybranski will be signing the posters in the Main Merchandise Pavilion during the week of the U.S. Open at Chambers Bay, June 11-21.
To order the U.S. Open poster go to www.leewybranski.com or call 928-310-2152.
Subscribe
PGA Tour
Euro Tour
LPGA Tour
Leaderboards
Equipment
College
Rankings
Junior
Recruiting
Amateur
Golfstat
Fantasy
Scoreboard
Rotary Swing
Instruction
Golf Courses
Travel
Photo/Video
Subscribe
Events
Contact Us
PGA Tour
Calvin Peete, black pioneer on PGA Tour, dies at 71
Calvin Peete, at the Georgia-Pacific Atlanta Classic
Calvin Peete, at the Georgia-Pacific Atlanta Classic ( Associated Press )
By Adam Schupak
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Calvin Peete, the winningest black player on Tour before the arrival of Tiger Woods, died April 29 in Atlanta, the PGA Tour confirmed. No cause of death was listed. Peete was 71.
He won 12 times on Tour, including the 1985 Players Championship, and played in two Ryder Cups. Peete emerged among the best in the game in the early 1980s, winning four times in 1982, when he finished fourth on the money list. He also won the Vardon Trophy for low scoring average in 1984.
Peete was born July 18, 1943, in Detroit, the eighth of nine children in his family, and didn't pick up the game until age 23. “I was hooked from the moment the club hit my hand,” he said in Uneven Lies: The Heroic Story of African-Americans in Golf. “I watched a bunch of hackers dribbling the ball off the tee and thought to myself, ‘I think I can learn this game.’ ”
Peete fondly recalled sitting in the clubhouse at Orange Brook Golf & Country Club in Hollywood, Fla., waiting out a thunderstorm and watching Lee Elder in a sudden-death playoff with eventual winner Jack Nicklaus at the 1968 American Golf Classic. That was his moment of inspiration to turn pro.
“I thought if I worked at it, within a few years I’d be out there with Lee,” Peete once said. “It didn’t happen that quick, but in about six years, in 1972, I turned pro.”
He was 32 years old when he joined the Tour as a full-time member in 1976 after making his Tour debut a year earlier.
In 1955, Peete broke his left elbow as a child in Sutton Bay, Mich. He was picking cherries when a tree limb snapped. The arm wasn't properly set, leaving him unable to straighten the limb.
“The only time I worried about it was when I played golf,” he said.
With his left arm slightly bent on every swing, Peete nonetheless led the Tour in driving accuracy for 10 consecutive years, from 1981 to 1990.
“I can still remember watching Calvin hit drive after drive straight down the middle of the fairway, an amazing display of talent he possessed despite some of his physical limitations,” PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem said in a statement.
Peete became the fourth black to win on Tour when he captured the 1979 Greater Milwaukee Open. Only Tom Kite won more than Peete’s 11 titles in the 1980s. Of Peete’s signature victory at the 1985 Players Championship, runner-up D.A. Weibring said, “The man is a machine. He drives his ball. He hits his irons, and he never backed off the flag all day – and don’t let anyone say he can’t putt.”
Peete is survived by his wife, Pepper, and children Calvin, Dennis, Rickie, Nicole, Kalvanetta, Aisha and Aleya.
“Everyone in the family admired and loved him,” Pepper Peete said in a statement released by the Tour. “He took the Peete name to another level. We are so thankful that he was in our lives as a father, husband and role model. He was a blessing, and he will be missed.”
TIGER WOODS CUTS THE RIBBON ON EL CARDONAL AT DIAMANTE
Global superstar’s first 18-hole layout is a strategic gem
A superb layout with an “Old California” design motif, El Cardonal marks the architectural debut of superstar Tiger Woods, who maintains a residence at Diamante and who was on hand to play the course and describe its features.
“I’ve always wanted to be in the golf design business,” Woods told a small gathering of elected officials, resort executives and international media. “This is an incredible site, and working with (Diamante developer) Ken Jowdy and his team has been absolutely phenomenal.”
Set back from the sea on higher ground than the Dunes Course, the 1,500-acre community’s original venue, El Cardonal is a 7,363-yard, par-72 layout that features an ocean view from every hole. The front nine meanders through rolling sand dunes near the sea. The back nine, framed by thick desert vegetation, ascends to higher ground and crisscrosses a series of arroyos.
Bold, flashed-face bunkers have been placed by Woods to create strategic options throughout the course. With its broad fairway corridors and accent on playability from the forward tees, El Cardonal was designed to accommodate a wide range of golfers.
According to Jowdy, “He (Woods) focused more on the people he plays with on Wednesdays (the amateurs in the pro-ams) than on the weekend (the pros).”
Byron Bell, president of Woods’ design company, said “Tiger grew up playing some of the great, old-style courses on the West Coast. Bunkers and other hazards were used not as a deterrent, but instead to force players to make a decision. Tiger wants the variety of holes and strategic options to promote shot-making while still creating a very playable experience.”
“I expect that everyone—moms, dads and kids—will all play basically the same ‘lines’ on each hole,” Tiger stated. “We’ve given them different tee boxes, but the strategy is the same for everyone. The idea was to make it fun for all types of players.
“With all the amenities here at the resort, I plan on spending more time here at Diamante,” Woods said, adding that “Cabo delivers what everyone is looking for. It’s the best of all worlds. You’ve got great golf, plus all the activities available offshore, including incredible fishing and diving. You don’t find too many places like this in the world—ever.”
El Cardonal brings the course count in Los Cabos to 14, establishing it as the undisputed golf capital of Mexico. It was also announced at the grand opening that Woods will return to build a second course at Diamante.
Los Cabos, located at the tip of the 1,000-mile long Baja Peninsula, is home to award-winning hotels, resorts, championship golf courses, rejuvenating spas, world-class sport fishing, and was the host city for the G20 Summit of global leaders in 2012. With a unique landscape of dramatic desert and white sand beaches, Los Cabos is an exotic escape within easy reach of most U.S. and Canadian cities. For more information, images and videos from Los Cabos, please visit www.visitloscabos.travel,
Robert Trent Jones II Renovations Earn Impressive Awards
Poppy Hills, SentryWorld Named To 2014 “Best” Lists By Major Publications
The renovation of Poppy Hills Golf Course in Pebble Beach is recognized as one of the best in the country.
Palo Alto, Calif. (December 18, 2014) – Two renovations by Robert Trent Jones II Golf Architects (RTJ II) – at Poppy Hills Golf Course in Pebble Beach and SentryWorld Golf Club in Wisconsin – have been named to the “Best of the Year” lists by both GOLF and Golf Digest magazines.Poppy Hills, originally built by Robert Trent Jones Jr. in 1986, is named 2014 “Best Semi-Private Renovation” by GOLF in its January edition, which followed an honor for best Newly Remodeled Courses by Golf Digest in November. SentryWorld, an RTJ II original from 1989, also earned an honor for best Newly Remodeled Courses by Golf Digest in November.
Poppy Hills, owned and operated by the Northern California Golf Association, began its extensive, 13-month renovation in March 2013, reopening for public play on April 4, 2014. Each hole was returned to its natural elevation along the forest floor, doglegs and contours were softened, and all 18 greens were redesigned.
Jones introduced native waste areas that help reduce irrigated turf by nearly 25 percent. Drainage and irrigation were updated, and the entire course was sand capped, further promoting firm and fast conditions year-round.
Co-host of AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am from 1991 to 2009, Poppy Hills returned to tour competition only five months after reopening, hosting the 2014 Nature Valley First Tee Open, a Champions Tour event.
SentryWorld, which blazed the trail as Wisconsin’s first destination golf course, was renovated in 2013 by the RTJ II team. Upgrades, improvements, and changes to the 200-acre course included everything from its layout, greens, turfgrasses, and bunkers, to its irrigation system and water features.
Regarded as the premier parkland golf course in the state, SentryWorld is wall-to-wall turf, except for No. 16, its famous “flower hole.”
These are among the latest honors for RTJ II courses, which have appeared on all of the most respected “best of the best” rankings for the past five decades. A global leader and innovator in all aspects of golf course design, from master planning through design implementation, RTJ II serves as a trustee of the great tradition of golf course architecture. Its passion and commitment is to building environmentally responsible golf courses that are challenging, innovative, and enjoyable to play.
HAWAII!
.jpg)
PGA National Resort & Spa Announces ‘Final Round’ of Renovations
Ultimate Phase of Legendary South Florida Destination’s $65 Million Revitalization Underway
(PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla.) -- PGA National Resort & Spa -- home of the PGA TOUR Honda Classic, five championship courses and world-class amenities -- announces the “final round” of its $65 million revitalization is underway and scheduled for completion in early fall 2012.
PGA National’s recent renovations include numerous enhancements to its 379-room resort hotel, clubhouse, golf courses, spa, health and racquet club, and conference and meeting space. Among the contemporary additions is a stunning zero-entry pool, newly-named signature restaurant -- Ironwood Steak and Seafood -- and trendy, sophisticated iBAR.
“This next round of ongoing renovations will allow PGA National to continue to stay ahead of the curve in keeping our property in first-class condition, which is what our guests and members expect and deserve,” says Joel Paige, vice president and managing director. “With all major construction completed, ongoing enhancements will have zero impact on current resort operations.”
The finishing touches include:
· A floor-to-ceiling guest room makeover featuring stylish bedding, headboards, wall coverings and carpet; spacious, modern work desks with multiple plug-in options; atmospheric lighting; and elegant furnishings. Suite bathrooms will have walk-in showers. State-of-the-art, high-definition, 42-inch flat-panel televisions have already been installed.
· Guest room corridors will showcase eye-catching carpeting; tastefully subdued lighting; and chic artwork and wall treatments.
· Due to increased popularity of its outdoor wedding venues, new lakeside locales are being added to its scenic, manicured grounds.
· Renovation of its 19th Hole bar and grill, to be renamed “Bar 19,” presenting the latest in clubhouse furnishings, high-definition televisions and expanded outdoor dining overlooking one of the great vistas in golf. The addition of a kitchen will allow for a completely new menu offering.
· Updating its championship golf courses with new turf, irrigation systems, rebuilt bunkers, and expanded tee and green complexes.
· The Citrus Tree Café, with its renowned breakfast buffet, will re-open newly renovated, renamed the “Palm Terrace” and available as a poolside location for evening events.
· The 40,000 square-foot European Spa with 32 treatment areas and the exclusive "Waters of the World" outdoor mineral pools will also be updated matching the motif of the resort’s fashionably cool, hip décor.
“Ownership is committed to the strategic, long-term capital plan of becoming the premier meeting and golf destination in the country,” says Frank Calaguire, principal of SCS Advisors -- owner / operating partners of PGA National Resort & Spa. “Coupled with our laser-sharp focus on delivering a championship experience for our guests as we’ve done for 30 years, we are confident that we’re creating customers for life.”
For more information about PGA National visit www.pgaresort.com or call (800) 533.9386.
About PGA National Resort & Spa
PGA National Resort & Spa is premier golf, vacation and meeting destination. The South Florida locale offers 90 holes of championship golf on five courses, including the famed Champion course, home to the PGA TOUR Honda Classic and past host of the Ryder Cup, PGA Championship and a litany of other prized professional golf tournaments.
Other distinguishing features include a world-class 33,000 square-foot health-and-racquet club with 19 Har Tru tennis courts, 40,000 square feet of self-contained conference space and nine on-site restaurants and lounges.
PGA National Resort & Spa’s myriad accolades include:
• AAA--Four Diamond Resort (2011)
• Golfweek -- Best You Can Play State by State (No. 3, 2011)
• Golfweek -- Best Tour Courses You Can Play (No. 28, 2011)
• Golfing Magazine -- “World’s Top 5 Multi-Course Venues” (2011)
• About.com -- “No. 1 Golf Resort in Florida” (2011)
• GOLF Magazine -- Top 100 Premier Resorts -- Silver Award Winner (2011)
• GOLF Magazine -- Premier Resorts Green Award Winner (2011)
• Golf World -- Top 50 Resorts (2010)
• Successful Meetings -- Pinnacle Award Winner (2011)
• The Knot -- Best of Weddings (2011)
Conveniently located within easy driving distances of major Florida population centers, the AAA Four Diamond resort is a 15-minute drive from Palm Beach International Airport (PBI), one hour from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) and 90 minutes from Miami International Airport (MIA).
Three Praiseworthy Myrtle Beach Courses, Excellent Accommodations, Complimentary Steak Dinner and More
(MYRTLE BEACH, S.C.) -- Mystical Golf -- owner and operator of The Witch, Man-O-War and The Wizard courses in Myrtle Beach – is offering its value-laden spring “Magical Golf Condo Package” getaway starting March 1. Featured in the February issue of GOLF Magazine as a perfect locale to “beat the winter blues,” Mystical Golf is renowned for offering exceptional travel deals at affordable prices. Its commitment to top-quality course maintenance, friendly customer care and three diverse layouts providing “all the golf you want” have led to ratings of 4 to 4-1/2 stars by Golf Digest.
Mystical Golf’s well-appointed, comfortable condos offer proximity to Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR) as well as all Myrtle Beach has to offer: fun family attractions; myriad nightlife / restaurants; temperate South Carolina weather; and 60-plus miles of sweeping Atlantic beachfront known as the Grand Strand.
The spring Magical Golf Condo Package starts at $95 per person, per day (quad occupancy, taxes included), and features:
• Three rounds with cart on The Witch, The Wizard, Man-O-War • Three nights’ accommodations in a three-bedroom golf villa (four beds) • Free steak dinner at Max & Emma’s (includes non-alcoholic beverages, taxes)• Free daily lunch and range balls • Two beers per day• $15 gift card toward a golf shirt • Instant replay rounds for cart fee only
“Our spring condo stay-and-play package is ‘one-stop’ shopping for the perfect Myrtle Beach golf getaway,” says Claude Pardue, President and CEO. “Golfers only have to visit once to play our superb courses, enjoy our Southern hospitality and stay in our deluxe accommodations to return year after year.”
Rave reviews continue to accumulate for Mystical Golf:
• “One of the best deals in the country.” – Golf Channel.com
• “You’ll like the variety and love the price at Mystical Golf.” – Partners Club Advice
• “Variety just might be Mystical Golf’s strongest suit of all.” – Fairways + Greens Magazine
• “Going strong and offering their customers a high level of conditioning and service.” – Flagstick Magazine
• “The best deal in golf travel!” -- Golf Vacations Magazine
The Witch sits on 500 acres of tranquil cypress groves and wetlands teeming with flora and fauna. Tactical play is rewarded on the par-71, 6,702-yard layout. With 4,000 feet of bridges wending through swamps (front nine) and rolling hills (back nine), golfers may spy cranes, bald eagles, alligators and black bears.
Man-O-War is revered for its back-to-back island greens and water features touching every hole. With a commanding 141 slope rating, the par-72, 6,967-yard layout is offset by straight-forward shots and excellent, bent-grass greens.
Reminiscent of classic, wind-swept links courses in Scotland and Ireland, The Wizard presents deep bunkers, mound-framed fairways and dramatic elevation changes. Trademark stone bridges and an Old-World, castle-style clubhouse add character to the par-72, 6,721-yard shot-maker’s course.
For Mystical Golf information: www.mysticalgolf.com, 843.282.2977. To book the “Magical Golf Condo Package” visit: http://www.magicalgolf.com/condopackages/index.php.
Getting There
The Witch, Man-O-War and The Wizard are in the heart of Myrtle Beach and within 15 minutes of Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR), beaches, accommodations, restaurants and other attractions. A short distance from I-95 and other major thoroughfares, Mystical Golf courses are easily accessible. More than two dozen cities -- including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, New York and Washington -- offer direct flights.
Viva Cuba! Viva Golf by John Ehle
There is an existing photograph from 1956 showing Che Gueverra and Fidel Castro putting out on a green somewhere in Havana. The appearance of this twosome on a golf course probably didn’t evidence any abiding interest in golf but rather was staged for the purpose of galling Dwight David Eisenhower, our most passionate golfing president.
Golf in Cuba has been all but dormant since the opulent days of the Battista lifestyle but it has recently emerged as more than just a possibility as Cuba edges closer to permitting the entrepreneurial spirit to return to this beautiful island. There is but one course in Havana; a humble 9 hole track which was built in 1944 as a concession to businessmen and the diplomatic corps. The Habana Golf Club is maintained on a shoestring budget by two strong, beautiful Cuban women and a club pro who still gives the occasional lesson but shags his own practice balls from the wide side of the 1st fairway.
The “caddiemaster”, Marlene, is the mother of four children and easily puts in 12-14 hours/day doing all the tasks required to keep a golf course running 7 days a week. She is as hard-
working as she is charming and her aspiration is to claim a golf management position when the embargo is lifted and the development of golf becomes a reality in this subdued nation. As we traversed the fairways of HGC, her enthusiasm showed through her creative English as she described the improvements that her dreams held.
Each hole of HGC has two sets of tees; varied as much as possible in order to allow golfers to suspend disbelief and play 18 holes by making the circuit once again, playing the alternate tees. Many of us were introduced to golf this way. The terrain at HGC is beautiful, rolling and very tropical; diverging from the surrounding Havana neighborhood. The fairways and greens are a little shaggy as the grasses available in the 40s were not developed for golf in tropical climates. A new species of golfing grass (paspalum) thrives on sea water and my money is on its application if/when new courses are developed. The course is an island on an island and smack in the middle of a very poor section of this city of 1.5 million souls. Not much has changed here since 1944…in fact it has gone backward.
Returning to the clubhouse, I overheard a conversation taking place in English and during a lull, I introduced myself to a gentleman on the edge of an energetic, animated group. Patrick Duffy is an Englishman and quickly explained that he was part of a development group which had plans for 16
courses on the island; contingent, of course, on the cooperation of the Cuban government.
John Duffy’s group is looking at more than just Cuba so they are at varying stages of development/progress as they explore the expansion of the industry. The only country in the world which seems to be going in reverse is the United States but the European countries which have started to experience the echos of 2008 may soon see more courses that are closing versus courses being developed.
My money is on Cuban development as the spirit seems to be willing and Fidel Castro’s presence in the day-to-day running of Cuba seems to be waning. This is discussed openly on a daily basis with no apparent negative consequences. The Cuban people deserve a chance to prosper and they really believe that it is imminent.
Vive Cuba! Vive Golf!
jcehle@sbcglobal.net
Note from Randy:
Let me be clear I love golf!
I hate Soclialism and Communism!
Both "Castro" and "Che" were and are dispicable human beings! Scum of the Earth!
The day the USA wants to liberate the people of Cuba from the Dictatorship of Castro, his brother and thugs; well boy sign me up!
I'll gladly put back on the uniform and go kick some Commie ass!
Myrtle Beach’s Mystical Golf Receives GOLF Magazine Acclaim
Man-O-War’s 15th Hole Named in ‘Most Memorable Island Greens,’ The Witch Lauded as ‘Best Bargain’
(MYRTLE BEACH, SC) -- Mystical Golf -- owner and operator of the award-winning The Witch, Man-O-War and The Wizard golf courses in Myrtle Beach -- announces the 15th hole on Man-O-War, a dramatic par 3 of 173 yards, has been named as one of five “Most Memorable Island Greens” in the current issue of GOLF Magazine.
The new honor for Man-O-War follows The Witch recently named in GOLF as its “Best Bargain” in Myrtle Beach. Additionally, the Mystical Golf trio, designed by celebrated architect Dan Maples, are rated all from 4 to 4-1/2 stars from Golf Digest and are widely known as “must plays” when visiting the Grand Strand.
“The fifteenth on Man-O-War is part of our wonderfully unique back-to-back island greens along with the excellent par 4 fourteenth and both give you all the golf you want,” says Claude Pardue, President and CEO. “As great as those two are, here at Mystical Golf, we like to say we have 27 signature holes as everyone who plays our three diverse courses has a different favorite.”
Known as the perfect locale for “golf buddy trips” with its value-loaded stay-and-play packages, the accolades and rave reviews continue to mount for Mystical Golf, including:
“Going strong and offering their customers a high level of conditioning and service.” – Flagstick Magazine
“The best deal in golf travel!” --Golf Vacations Magazine
The Witch sits on 500 acres of tranquil cypress groves and wetlands teeming with flora and fauna. Tactical play is rewarded on the par-71, 6,702-yard layout. With 4,000 feet of bridges wending through swamps (front nine) and rolling hills (back nine), golfers may spy cranes, bald eagles, alligators and black bears.
Man-O-War is revered for its back-to-back island greens and water features touching every hole. With a commanding 141 slope rating, the par-72, 6,967-yard layout is offset by straight-forward shots and excellent, bent-grass greens. Reminiscent of classic, wind-swept links courses in Scotland and Ireland, The Wizard presents deep bunkers, mound-framed fairways and dramatic elevation changes. Trademark stone bridges and an Old-World, castle-style clubhouse add character to the par-72, 6,721-yard shot-maker’s course.
For stay-and-play package information and tee-times: www.mysticalgolf.com, 843.282.2977.
Getting There
The Witch, Man-O-War and The Wizard are in the heart of Myrtle Beach and within 15 minutes of Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR), beaches, accommodations, restaurants and other attractions. A short distance from I-95 and other major thoroughfares, Mystical Golf courses are easily accessible. More than two dozen cities -- including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, New York and Washington -- offer direct flights.
Roatan’s Pristine Bay Resort Opens Six Villas for Golf Vacationers
New Deluxe Accommodations Offer Opportunity to Play The Black Pearl, Enjoy Scenic Caribbean Island
(ROATAN, Honduras) – Pristine Bay Resort -- one of the western Caribbean’s most-anticipated resort communities -- announces six new luxury villas are now available for vacation rentals on the idyllic tropical island 40 miles off the coast of Honduras.
The 2,400 square-foot, two-bedroom villas are ideal as luxury lodging when playing The Black Pearl – Roatan’s first golf course. Opened for play in January and designed by Perry and Pete Dye, it features a signature island green and 14 holes with mesmerizing sea vistas. The Resort and Spa at Pristine Bay, the island’s first five-star accommodation, is slated for a “soft opening” in August 2011.
“Our new rental villas are perfect for golfers visiting Roatan to experience The Black Pearl,” says Mario Toriello, Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “Whether playing the extraordinary course, discovering the many splendors of the western Caribbean or simply taking a break from the hustle and bustle of life, Roatan offers vacations to savor forever.”
Long a haven for scuba aficionados, the island boasts the spectacular Meso-American Barrier Reef -- the world’s second largest and a “must visit” for those seeking one of the striking seascapes on Earth. To fully enjoy Roatan, Pristine Bay Resort will customize packages that include the deluxe villa accommodations and championship golf, as well as, delicious local dining, all island transportation, zip-lining, deep sea fishing, diving, snorkeling and even swimming with dolphins in the crystal clear waters of Caribbean.
Says Toriello, “With numerous daily flights from abroad, Pristine Bay is an ideal home base from which to explore all Roatan offers.”
Additional information about golf membership, real estate options and more can be gleaned by visiting www.pristinebayresort.com, emailing info@pristinebayresort.com or golf@pristinebayresort.com, or calling +504 3310 1900.
About Pristine Bay Resort
Located on the lush, tropical island of Roatan, 35 miles off the coast of Honduras, Pristine Bay Resort is situated on a 400-plus acre site adjacent to the Caribbean Sea. The azure waters off the coast of the island, enhanced by the world’s second largest barrier reef, provide a stunning backdrop and one of the truly unique settings for golf in Central America.
Dye Designs, pioneers of the use of Paspalum turf for tropics-based projects, is grassing The Black Pearl with this salt-water tolerant strand known for its environmental compatibility, ease of irrigation and maintenance, and translucent green hue. Its appearance -- juxtaposed against the turquoise waters offshore – inspired The Black Pearl’s tagline: “The Best Greens and the Best Blues.”
Pristine Bay Resort features a wide variety of residential products including: bay view and golf course condominiums, two-, three-, and four-bedroom villa units and one-quarter-acre custom home lots, many with unobstructed views of the ocean. Villas start at $600,000 and range up to $1 million; lots start at $230,000 and range up to $700,000; and condominiums from $348,000 to $700,000. A 155-slip full-service marina located near The Black Pearl clubhouse will provide deep-water access for a wide variety of sea-going vessels.
Residents and guests will have access to the ocean-front Bay Village at Pristine Bay with boutiques, art galleries, restaurants, cafes and other entertainment options. The 120-room, five-star Resort and Spa at Pristine Bay, to be managed by the Lancaster Hotel Group, is scheduled to open in 2011.
Getting There: Roatan International Airport (RTB) is served by nine weekly, non-stop flights from the United States (Houston, Atlanta, Miami and Newark) on Continental, Delta and TACA. Flights to the island through the Honduran cities of Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula and San Salvador, El Salvador are also available.
Value-Loaded Package Features Unlimited Golf, Deluxe Accommodations and More Starting at $79 per Night
(PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla.) -- PGA National Resort & Spa -- home of the PGA TOUR Honda Classic and five award-winning championship courses – is once again rolling out its popular “Summer Escape and Play” package, highlighted by unlimited daily golf, nightly deluxe accommodations and access to the famous Waters of the World mineral pools.
Complete with over $300 of extra value, the Summer Escape and Play starts at $79 per night (per person) and runs from May 20 – September 30, 2011. Package features include:
· Unlimited daily golf on The Palmer, The Squire, The Haig or The Estates courses with complimentary replay rounds· Nightly accommodations onsite at PGA National’s award-winning resort hotel · Club storage and access to PGA TOUR-quality practice facilities with unlimited practice balls· Access to the Waters of the World mineral pools at The Spa· Daily breakfast, with ample selection of hot and healthy items· Fifty percent off clinics at the David Leadbetter Golf Academy
“Our Summer Escape and Play package is ideal for taking full dawn-to-dusk advantage of the resort’s array of championship golf, luxuriously appointed rooms, world-class spa and numerous amenities including fine dining at Ironwood Grille and popular iBAR,” says Joel Paige, Vice President and Managing Director.
For more information on the Summer Escape and Play, or to make reservations, visit www.pgaresort.com, or call (800) 533.9386. Complimentary replay rounds are booked at the course the day of play following the first round. A $30 cart fee applies at the course for the first round of the day (each day). A $50 surcharge applies to play The Champion -- site of the Honda Classic and famous “Bear Trap” -- one of the most demanding, three-hole stretches on the PGA TOUR. Taxes and resort fees are not included. Rate based on double occupancy and availability.
About PGA National Resort & Spa
PGA National Resort & Spa is a national, premier golf vacation and meeting destination. The legendary 379-room Florida resort recently completed a $65 million comprehensive revitalization, including a new front entrance, outdoor pool and pavilion, new Ironwood Grille and iBAR, as well as enhanced public areas, golf courses and landscaping.
PGA National Resort & Spa offers 90 holes of championship golf on five courses, including the famed Champion course, home to the PGA TOUR’s Honda Classic. The resort’s storied golf history includes hosting the 1983 Ryder Cup, 1987 PGA Championship, and nearly two decades of the Senior PGA Championship. In addition to The Champion, PGA National’s award-winning golf courses are: The Palmer, The Haig, The Squire and The Estates.
Other distinguishing features include a 40,000 square-foot European Spa with 32 treatment areas and the exclusive "Waters of the World" outdoor mineral pools, a world-class 33,000 square-foot health-and-racquet club with 19 Har Tru tennis courts, 40,000 square feet of self-contained conference space and nine on-site restaurants and lounges.
Conveniently located within easy driving distances of major Florida population centers, the AAA Four Diamond resort is 15 minutes from Palm Beach International Airport (PBI), one hour from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) and 90 minutes from Miami International Airport (MIA).
SANTA BARBARA PLANTATION-CURACAO
With Pete Dye and Hyatt Regency, Santa Barbara Plantation Brings the Stars to Curacao
June 28, 2010 in Santa Barbara Plantation | Leave a comment
Curaçao’s new resort community features vacation homes, Pete Dye golf course, Hyatt Regency Curaçao Resort and Spa
CURAÇAO, Netherlands Antilles – For golfers, beach lovers, sailors, anglers and snorkelers seeking their dream vacation home in the Caribbean, the search may now be over. With the opening of the Hyatt Regency Curacao Resort and Spa and legendary golf designer Pete Dye’s “Old Quarry” Golf Course, this historic island has now reached the level where “world-class destination resort” is an appropriate description.
And those impressive amenities don’t even include the deepwater Seru Boca Marina, the Tennis Center run by Peter Burwash International; or the powdery white sand beaches, colorful shallow reefs and turquoise waters offshore.
Residential choices begin with charming Dutch Colonial villas sited steps from marina slips large enough to handle 150-foot crafts with ease. Deep-sea fishing, diving, sailing and wind-surfing are popular the year round in a climate tempered by trade winds, and outside the hurricane zone.
Marina Village includes 27 single-family two and three-bedroom homes priced from U.S. $726,000 and ranging in size from 1,700 to 2,100 square-feet with detached two-car garages and separate guest quarters.
Santa Barbara Plantation developer Jack Marshall with golf course architect Pete Dye
Homes within Marina Village feature traditional Mediterranean architectural design with white exteriors, complemented by imported Italian porcelain tile flooring, European bathroom fixtures and Colombian terracotta roof tiles. Each home offers a private courtyard cooled by the prevailing trade winds moving across the site. Available for the enjoyment of residents and their guests are a swimming pool complex and paths connecting to Seru Boca Marina and the resort’s extensive bike/jogging trail system.
Terrace Homes Overlook Fairway and Sea
In addition to Marina Village, Santa Barbara Plantation offers 95 Terrace Homes being built on gently sloping terrain offering commanding views of the Caribbean Sea and the Old Quarry Golf Course.
The Terrace Homes residences are priced from $1.1 million and average 3,000 square feet in size. Homes will feature rustic terracotta roofs with handsome stone accents. Also available are 125 estate home sites priced from $450,000 to more than $2 million. The sites offer magnificent vistas of either golf course fairways or Spanish Water Bay and the Caribbean Sea beyond.
Santa Barbara Plantation is a new 1,500-acre resort community 25 minutes from Curaçao’s capital city of Willemstad.
Pool at the Hyatt Regency Curaçao Golf Resort, Spa and Marina
Recently opened is is the stunning 350-room beachfront yatt Regency Curaçao Golf Resort, Spa and Marina, offering onsite amenities such as fine and casual dining, a full-service salon and fitness center, tennis courts, outdoor pool and cabana area and the highly acclaimed Atabei Spa, complemented by spacious bungalow units available for rental featuring in-suite spa services. There is also a resort marina located near the hotel that can accommodate up to five mega-yachts up to 120 feet in length, dive boats, charter boats and catamarans for evening dinner cruises.
The championship Old Quarry Golf Course offers priority tee times to Santa Barbara Plantation homeowners and Hyatt Regency guests. The dramatic natural contours of the site yield a layout that provides golfers with spectacular views and plenty of challenge. Complementing the golf course is an 8,000 square-foot clubhouse featuring a fully stocked golf shop, locker rooms and a restaurant and lounge.
The community also features a private beach club for residents and their guests; business center; outdoor swimming pools and boutique retail shops. Residents and guests who relish nature will enjoy miles of walking, jogging and bicycling trails through the community.
Curaçao’s Hato International Airport is regularly served by major air carriers such as American, Continental and Delta. Air France-KLM and ArkeFly also offer a number of flights each week from Amsterdam.
Santa Barbara Plantation is being created by VIDA Group N.V., developers of premier resort and master planned communities for the past 35 years.
For more information on Santa Barbara Plantation visit www.santabarbaraplantation.com.
RIVERIA MAYA MASTERPIECE
By John Ehle
A mid-winter sojourn to the Riviera Maya in Mexico is exactly what a vitamin D-deprived golfer needs to escape the dreary, snowy landscape of the Midwest.
The Yucatan peninsula has seen a constant process of development since my first trip there in 1976. Back then, Cancun and Playa del Carmen were arrivistes in the array of travel destinations and the ancient archaeological sites of Tulum, Coba and Chichen Itza were places which required a sense of adventure. Walking onto one of these sites early or late in a day, the intrepid traveler was virtually alone. The profundity of the history was overwhelming. There were no ticket booths, gates or shops; no distractions. Just Mayan pyramids, cenotes, columns and the occasional native working the land and tending cattle. And, of course, there was the Caribbean.
Golf in those days was something you left behind. There were no golf courses on the Yucatan peninsula. Today, the east coast is home to myriad resorts and a burgeoning collection of world-class golf courses which are as challenging and beautiful as anything available anywhere. The finest golf course architects in the world are plying their trade here; Jack Nicklaus, Nick Price, Greg Norman, Robert Trent Jones ll and PB Dye, to name a few. The advent of grasses which thrive on salt water is a large piece of the development as fresh water is an issue in this ecosystem. Yes, these hardy, resistant grasses not only endure the occasional 100 degree day but do it while being irrigated with salt water from the nearby Caribbean. Early in the development of this cultivar (seashore paspalum) a fairway on a seaside course was flooded with salt water from a tropical storm. When the water receded, the fairway flourished; with only the weeds in decline.
Fairways wind through the jungle and greens jut out onto Caribbean vistas which are stunning enough to distract even the most focused of players. The courses are populated with an abundance of tropical birds, iguanas and monkey squirrels which have adapted to the golfing traffic. This is a tropical paradise replete with golf.
Our first outing was at the Nick Price design, Grand Coral. With nine of 18 holes completed, this 6,995 yard golf course is a gem in progress. Ample fairways and a set of tees for golfers of every skill level the course reflects Mr. Price's design philosophy. Price says, "Golf is two games. One is played in the air and another on the ground. Having the ability to run the ball onto a green requires as much skill as flying the ball to the hole". The hospitality was as good as the golf. Returning to play the completed 18 will be on my bucket list.
The destination on day 2 was El Camaleon Golf Course at Mayakoba. We arrived amidst a flurry of activity and preparation for the Mayakoba Classic, a new PGA Tour stop which played opposite the Accenture Match Play event. We were the last group to play the golf course prior to the tournament so to say that it was in fine fettle and with an attendant buzz would understate the ambience.
This course was designed by the legendary Greg Norman. The 7,000 yard layout is on piece of property which may be unique to the entire golfing kingdom. As its name suggests, El Cameleon is ever-changing. This stunning Playa del Carmen golf course wends its way through three distinct landscapes: dense jungle, mangrove forests and dramatic oceanfront stretches of sand. Perhaps most unique are the limestone canals which create natural design elements which could not possibly be duplicated anywhere. Several cenotes, underground cavern systems, are incorporated into the golf course as well; giving it heartstopping visual highlights. Peek into a large cenote and you will sense what Mayans felt as they stood on these precipices just prior to their last moments on earth.
Four sets of tees afford golfers of all abilities an opportunity to test their games at the Chameleon and Roberto Molina and his staff will see to your every need. At the Chameleon, hospitality is an achieved goal.
The Mayan Palace is an all-inclusive resort which offers golf on-site with an 18 hole Jack Nicklaus-designed par 54 executive course. We followed up our morning round by playing this testy par 3 and we had all we could handle. With several holes in excess of 200 yards, this golf challenge is not an afterthought. With water, sand and native vegetation on nearly all holes, this golf course will require every club in your bag.....especially your wedges and your putter. This is where you can either play off existing bets or press and start afresh. It's a great golf experience which is perfect to either begin or end a golfing day.
Day 3 took us to Bahia Principe Golf Course, a 36 hole golf resort which includes a 9 hole par 3 of 1300+ yards. The outgoing 18 can be played at 7,843 yards. Designed by Robert Trent Jones ll, the course is set within the Mayan jungle, natural lakes and fresh-water wells. The grasses on these holes are velvety and esquisitely groomed with fairways and greens which are fair, challenging and absolutely gorgeous. Nature lovers, here you are!
Playacar is the oldest of the Riviera Maya courses and it is quite likely the most difficult. Designed by Robert Von Hagge, Playacar is routed around a large plot of Mayan jungle and a series of lakes which create diverse challenges on this course which is the closest to Playa del Carmen. With the tightest fairways we had seen all week and the most abundant iguana population, Playacar has diversions galore. The slope rating of the 7,144 yard course approaches the industry top of 150 and only the longest, most accurate drivers of the golf ball should wander to the back tees. Greenside bunkers are placed in very challenging locations and once you're on the greens, take a hard look....they're subtle and fast.
The final chapter of our Riviera Maya golf experience took place at Playa Paraiso GC at Iberostar. This P.B. Dye design is incredibly routed onto 90 acres of land. You would never know it. The transitional areas between fairways are subtle...and very effective. Mounding and treelines set each hole apart and the result is a golf experience armed with diverse features. The placement of water hazards and waste areas permits the inclusion of short 4 pars of under 300 yards which require thoughtful club selections and precise approaches. Greenside swales collect errant shots and give the golfer an opportunity to demonstrate deft touch. Wedges get a workout on this challenging, beautiful course.
Just as at all the courses we played this week, the hospitality and gracious treatment we received was world-class in every way. It's necessary to mention to prospective travelers that the problems that have been so prevalent in the international news in the recent past do not apply in Riviera Maya. Safety is NOT an issue.
Ease of transportation from our resort, Aventura Spa Palace, to all of these golf courses was quick and efficient. No commute was in excess of 45 minutes from this all-inclusive, centrally located resort. If there are members of the family who don't golf, there are activities for everyone at Aventura. In addition, day trips to Tulum, Chichen Itza and Coba and evening excursions to Playa del Carmen are readily available.
COSTA RICA
“How to Blend a Costa Rican Golf Adventure”
Take one part free spirited golf writer and slowly add the following ingredients; six Jimmy Buffett albums mixed with Bombay Sapphire Gin and a select red wine. You now have a solid base. For spice add the greatest new golf destination on earth, incredible sunsets, soft white beaches and friendly people. For tang and zest blend in volcano lava, a puma paw and one scorpion tail! Now add crushed ice and slowly blend in the secret ingredients of three exceptional Costa Rican cigar brands. These are as follows; Pre Castro Cuban seeds, secrets of the shaman tobacco man, and 100 years of Cuban cigar rolling tradition.
Then pour the above contents into a half coconut shell, add whipped cream and a slice of mango and you have mixed yourself one heck of a “Costa Rican Golf Adventure”.
My old Pal Landy Blank, an expatriate who runs “Costa Rican Golf Adventures.com” called and invited me down to visit and catch up with him in Costa Rica . Any excuse to jump off the merry go round of life for a while, so off I was headed into the great unknown. Adventure!
Costa Rica is Hawaii circa 1930’s. It is an undiscovered paradise with miles of pristine beaches and tropical rainforests to explore. Most importantly there is a spirit that permeates throughout the country. A spirit of peace and tranquility. A spirit that is summed up by simply saying “Pura Vida” or “the pure and good life”. The “Tico’s”, the nickname for Costa Ricans, use this as a greeting and meaning to define life itself. From this tropical paradise is emerging some of the world’s greatest golf courses and finest cigars!
Costa Rica is not considered to be a cigar haven. In fact it’s not even on the radar to most consumers. However, when we peel back the banana peel we find that some of the world’s finest tobacconists are living in Costa Rica and are producing some of the world’s most exceptional cigar blends.
The Costa Rican’s have been cultivating tobacco for two thousand years. The lush tropical rainforests and nutrient rich soil brings to birth delicious tobacco leaves rich with an array of taste. Their traditions have now been combined with the flavor and aroma provided by Cuba ’s cigar heritage. These two cultures have married and evolved into a cornucopia of highbred tobacco culinary delights found today in Costa Rica .
My first stop on my adventure was the capital of San Jose . Here there are two exceptional golf courses “The Melia Cariari” and “The Parque Valle del Sol” both provide awesome vista of volcano’s and the mountains around the capital city of San Jose . The Cariari was home to the “Friendship Cup” in the early 1970’s where PGA Pros came and battled with the legendary Raymond Floyd taking home the cup. This narrow course plays rough and ready.
It was in San Jose that I met up with Sr. Don Benigno. For 100 years Don Benigno’s family has been producing cigars in Cuba only miles away from Havana . Seven years ago he came to Costa Rica to begin rolling cigars. Today he distributes throughout the world .He produces limited production cigars that are hand rolled by his staff of eight. Its aroma, its blend; conjured images of tropical flowers, salsa and meringue music all rolled into one heavenly creation. In a cedar room his staff works and listens to music and laughs and smiles as they create and blend this magical cigar. Don Benigno relies on 100 years of family tradion, knowledge and a variety of leaves and fillers that are aged for three years, from throughout the Caribbean and Central America . Luciano Pavarotti, the world famous Italian tenor, is a regular customer of Don Benignos along with a list of educated enthusiasts and celebrities. Rumor has it that Arnold Schwarzenegger has added the Don’s rolls to his humidor. This was a fine smoke indeed. Soft billowing puffs filled with visions of Havana Harbor and revolution came with each delightful draw.
Its soft brown wrapper gave way to a clean crisp draw. As the ambers and leaves danced a fiery red dance I realized I had found paradise. The Don Benigno is the best cigar I have ever had!
I was off to a good start and soon found myself playing golf in the middle of the jungle and beside the Pacific Ocean at the “Los Suenos Resort”. Located on the Central Pacific coast this lovely facility sleeps gently against the ocean. The course winds and rolls through the rainforest and is home to iguanas, howler monkeys and a variety exotic trees and animals. The lovely Spanish style architecture and the coastline setting provides the perfect place to kick off your spikes and watch the sun melt into the Pacific after your round.
Had I yet discovered all that Costa Rica offers the cigar lover? Not by far. As I was putting on the 17th green beside the calm waters of the Pacific Ocean one of the greens keepers came up to me and asked if I liked cigars. A gleam filled my eyes in anticipation. I soon found myself putting away in bliss as the flavors of the “Tabacos de la Cordillera” or “The Cigars of the Highlands ” danced on my tongue. I had to find out from whence this aphrodisiac came.
I tracked down the hombres responsible for breathing life into this bouquet of hand rolled tobacco bliss. “A tobacco farm has its own beauty and dignity. In the mornings, the plants await the sun's rising over the mountains, to dry the moisture that collected from the night before. By mid-day, you can almost feel their vitality, as they grow to maturity. I especially like to walk the narrow paths between the plants in the late afternoons, when the mountains soften in the haze.” says John Vogel Director of the farm that produces these earthly delights. "Quality all stands on the worth of the seed.” he states. And from his magical bag of seeds Vogel has crafted these cigars.
For forty years Vogel has dedicated his life to cigar making. “During my consulting career, I collected a cache of genetically pure seeds; 47 varieties in all. These seeds are the foundation for our “Tabacos de la Cordillera” cigars. The specimens were virtually all of Cuban lineage; most of them are directly from the island. Others are Cuban-seed tobacco, grown in other countries, genuine African Cameroon and the original Dominican Olor. Some have slept peacefully for sixty years long before Castro's regime. One strain was the tobacco in not only Castro's personal cigars, but also those of the man he deposed. This cache of pure seed stock places our cigars in a unique position in the entire world of cigars. My years in the industry also give me the rare advantage of having sampled countless pre-Castro Havana ’s; I know how they should taste! I began acquiring a bank of over 40 genetically pure pre-Castro Cuban seed varieties throughout my travels:”, Vogel says.
Vogel is a master blender. He mixed the lush tropical surroundings of Costa Rica , the knowledge of the Indians who have been blending cigars for 2,000 years in this country and combined them with a lineage of seeds second to none in the world! In short kids, “WOW” what a cigar! Its wrapper was shinny and its ash stood bold and long. Its flavors dazzled.
All was right in my world. I was golfing in the tropics and beside the ocean and now like Christopher Columbus discovering Costa Rica “the Gold Coast” in 1502; I had discovered a hidden treasure of the world’s finest cigars.
The spirit that permeates this charming tranquil country is the spirit and feeling that represents life in Costa Rica . And it was this way of life, this measure of life; witch enabled me to fully discover the true potential of my golf game.
You see, the hurried pace that is modern life demands and insists that I swing at my poor hapless golf ball like an angry gorilla. No tempo in my back swing. No full concentration upon the third dimple from the turf on the backside of the ball. No momentary stay of time that allows the swing and strike of the ball to occur without interruptions of thought or distraction. The way I see it, the time I spend on a golf course is my “mini vacation” from the world and its many hassles. Those four plus hours on the course in pursuit of nothing more than an ice cold brew, a fine tasty 97 rated cigar and good friends telling jokes is “my” time. I had discovered peace, my swing tempo and cigars of a unique blend.
Off I headed due north to the North Pacific coast of Costa Rica . As I traveled the coastline north I was amazed to find a modern country, a beautiful country and panoramic views that were simply breathtaking.
The North Pacific’s Guanacaste region of Costa Rica is best described as cattle or ranch land. Its topgephoy is in stark contrast to the rainforests of the south. Here great sage brush and cattle roam. And it is here that the epicenter of the golf explosion in Costa Rica can be found.
Three new courses call this home and plans for three more are on the books. It is the golf gold rush of Los Cabos , Mexico in the mid 1990’s all over again.
“The Reserva Conchal Golf Course” is run by my old pal Phil Krick. He’s a Louisville Cardinal old boy who has found his way to paradise. This course is more than just a resort course. It provides dramatic elevation changes, a variety of birds and monkeys make their homes amongst the fairways and greens and there once again are the waters of the Pacific to calm your swing in full view from several of the holes. Robert Trent Jones II used the natural topography and his course flows with mother earth. “The Reserva Conchal Golf Course” is located on the “Paradisus Playa Conchal” resort. This all inclusive boosts 310 rooms, a casino, a mammoth swimming pool and soft sandy beaches. You could get lost here for a week and play golf and eat until you had had your fill. The sun bids “goodnight” with an array of colors and dazzling sunsets to behold.
Just down the road is the 4,500 acres of the “Hacienda Pinilla Ranch”. And here 18 holes emerge from the ranch to test your skills. Amongst the beautiful trees and open spaces of the Hacienda you will make your long walk unspoiled. The course is a resort course that is home to indigenous trees, wildlife and blooming flowers.
“Here try one of these”, said Chris Crabtree the head pro at “Hacienda Pinilla”. As I blew on the glowing leaves of my “Vegas Santiago” and took the first deep draw; I realized that just perhaps I had found my Valhalla , my city of gold. What more did I want from life. Golf, cigars and peace of mind.
“The Vegas de Santiago” is a mystical cigar that prides itself on wrapping the powers of the Shaman Indian into each and every Costa Rican leaf that creates its brand of cigars. Long before the Spaniards and golfers came to Costa Rica ; the native Indians throughout the country traded tobacco and hand rolled cigars. With reverence and respect each leaf was grown and cultivated. As I enjoyed this blend of time, culture and taste I could see visions of the Indians and Spaniards first meetings. This is an excellent smoke and would easily rate a 95.
I called “Costa Rican Golf Adventures” offices back in San Jose and told Landy that all was well and that the open road of discovery was kind and full of new friends. “Well, just remember we’re here 24/7; if somebody books a vacation with us we are here for them from the minute they land until they head back home. Did you get up to the “Four Seasons Resort” yet?” “No, tomorrow.” I said.
And when the new day rose I soon found myself entering the “Four Seasons Resort in Papaguya”. Its splendor, its grandeur and its simple opulence embraced me as I made my way onto the property. It over looks the entire “ Bay of Papagayo ”. Move over Hawaii there’s a new kid on the block. Perhaps a more perfect site for a golf course has never been found.
Rob Oosterhuis, son of famed CBS golf commentator Peter Oosterhuis, is the Head Pro there and soon we were teed up playing from elevated tees that provided awe-inspiring vistas of the water. This was no resort course. Its greens moved and and tested. It carved its way through the land. All the while I smoked on another “Don Benigno” and dreamed of ancient day’s gone buy.
Arnold Palmer was enlisted to design the course at “Four Seasons”. “We were given an excellent piece of property on witch to lay out this course, with lush tropical landscape, exciting elevation changes and 360 degree views of the Bay on many holes. The course will be not only beautiful, but a fair test of golf”, said Mr. Palmer.
After ten days of exploring through tropical rainforests, rugged cattle land, playing golf beside the Pacific Ocean and of course discovering a variety of unique and varied cigar blends; I realized this was a land filled with hardy tobaccos and today is giving her historic secrets to a few proud tobacconists that respect the land, the leaf and linage of cigar rolling. It is here in Costa Rica that cigars are being made, not for mass production, but with all the love, understanding and lessons of their trade that these men can bring