Destination Golf Media Ltd
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destinationgolf@live.com www.destinationgolf.ie
■ PUBLISHER Dermot Synnott ■ EDITOR Karl Doyle ■ CONTRIBUTORS Andrew Marshall Paul Marshall ■ DIRECTOR Vincent Synnott ■ FINANCIAL CONTROLLER Darren Maguire ■ CREDIT CONTROLLER Mallory Courell ■ UK OPERATIONS Peter Barnes ■ OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR Helen Duggan ■ INTERNATIONAL SALES Gianni Attanasio David Cooney Albert Ferrer I Lahoz
FRONT COVER The 6th hole at the London Club’s ‘Heritage Course’, Kent
Destination Golf opens in Stockholm
S
ince its launch in November 2012, Destination Golf has been welcoming Contributing Editors from major golf markets such as Ireland, England and Spain as part of its rapid global expansion. We’re now delighted to welcome Gene Oberto to the team. Based in Stockholm, Gene will be responsible for the distribution of Destination Golf Travel into the key Swedish golf market.
Gene is an American writer but has lived for some time in Stockholm with his spouse Eva. He writes articles and stories on golf, popular music, Swedish culture and lifestyle – and his ambition to help promote Sweden as a golf destination is sure to be aided through his new contributing role with our global golf guide. Gene only recently wrote the text for a ‘coffee table’ book on Swedish golf courses, “The Swedish Golf Experience”, and has a large following through his blog SwedishGolfOnline.com
Our travelling duo of Andrew and Paul Marshall have packed their golf bags and headed to Kent, affectionately known as England’s ‘Garden County’. Their travel article and stunning photography showcases some of the best in English golf, which headlines our main travel feature in this edition.
As for me, I was kicking back in the French Riviera at Royal Mougins Golf Club, just 15 minutes from Cannes.
Our other features comes from the panoramic Hotel Jardin Tecina on the magical La Gomera Island and from the high-class Sheraton Sanya Resort on Hainan Island in China.
Last but not least, congrats to our Creative Director Kris Byers who has created a fantastic new-look front cover for our monthly golf guide. We hope you like it. Enjoy!
Karl Doyle
EDITOR editor@destinationgolf.ie Dermot Synnott
Editorial Director
Andrew Marshall
Golf Travel Writer
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Paul Marshall
Golf Travel Photographer
Contents and reference guide GOLF DO ESTORIL Estoril, Portugal www.clubegolfestoril.com Page 4-5
OITAVOS DUNES Estoril, Portugal www.oitavosdunes.com Page 6-7
PENHA LONGA Estoril, Portugal www.penhalonga.com Page 8-9
QUINTA DA MARINHA Estoril, Portugal www.quintadamarinha.com Page 10-11
HERITAGE GOLF DU CHATEAU Mauritius www.domainedebelombre.mu Page 12-13
LE TOUESSROK GOLF Mauritius www.letouessrokresort.com Page 14-15
LE TOUESSROK GOLF Mauritius www.letouessrokresort.com Page 16-17
TAMARINA GOLF Mauritius www.tamarinagolfestate.com Page 18-19
DUNES COURSE (LA QUINTA) Palm Springs, USA
GREG NORMAN COURSE (LA QUINTA) Palm Springs, USA www.pgawest.com Page 28-29
www.pgawest.com
Page 26-27
LA QUINTA RESORT
JACK NICKLAUS COURSE (LA QUINTA) Palm Springs, USA www.pgawest.com Page 30-31
Palm Springs, USA www.pgawest.com Page 32-33
GOLFING IN KENT – ENGLAND’S GARDEN COUNTY Andrew Marshall reports Page 21-25
ROYAL MOUGINS GOLF CLUB French Riviera, France www.royalmougins.fr Page 34-37
HOTEL JARDIN TECINA La Gomera, Canary Islands www.jardin-tecina.com Page 38-41
SHERATON SANYA RESORT Hainan Island , China www.sheraton.com/sanya Page 42-45
Features
Golf do Estoril
Estoril, Portugal • www.clubegolfestoril.com
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Oitavos Dunes
Estoril, Portugal • www.oitavosdunes.com
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Penha Longa
Estoril, Portugal • www.penhalonga.com
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Quinta da Marinha
Estoril, Portugal • www.quintadamarinha.c
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om
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Heritage Golf du Chate
Mauritius • www.domainedebelombre.mu
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au
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Le Touessrok Golf
Mauritius • www.letouessrokresort.com
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Le Touessrok Golf
Mauritius • www.letouessrokresort.com
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Tamarina Golf
Mauritius • www.tamarinagolfestate.com
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Golfing in the Gar M
ention the county of Kent and several images may spring to mind: beer and hops, Canterbury Cathedral, the White Cliffs of Dover, seaside towns, orchards, historical homes, castles and gardens. But there’s more to the ‘Garden of England’ than this.
Words: Andrew Marshall
ANDREW MARS 2011 Open Cham
Within a varied landscape of mature woodlands, rolling hills and open coastal regions, Kent boasts around 100 scenic golf courses. From Chart Hills, with its American-style fast greens and Florida-style bunkering, and world-class wind-blown links such as Royal St. George’s in Sandwich, to established parkland and wooded inland courses – all types are covered. As an added bonus the county is within easy reach of London, making the capital’s sights, attractions and nightlife just a short train or car ride away.
A WALK IN THE PARK It’s a sunny mid-May morning at Heathrow, and after picking up our hire car and successfully negotiating the M25’s frenetic traffic, we drive along narrow country lanes to arrive 50-minutes later at the London Golf Photos: Club – draped over the undulating hills of the North Paul Marshall Downs of Kent. From the main gates and sweeping onemile drive the golfing facilities, everything about the place is top-drawer.
Two quality championship courses designed by legendary Jack Nicklaus make up the club; the tougher Heritage Course, a par-72 parkland layout (home to the European Open in 2008 and 2009) that’s reserved for members and their guests, and The International, a par-72 inland links that offers a good test for visiting golfers with four sets of tees to suit all abilities.
Many of the holes at the International are of the risk-reward variety, and the course features plenty of daunting shots over water, especially from elevated tees at two of the International’s terrific par 3s that have more teeth than a grinning crocodile. Usually played into a strong breeze, the 201-yard eighth has a huge lake in front of the tee with a very narrow green tucked away on the back left-hand side, and the 190-yard 12th, also plays over a lake onto an elongated green.
“Everyone seems to talk about those holes and they can be real card-wreckers,” says General Manager Heath Harvey, as we enjoy a beer in the bar after our round. He begins to tell us more about the London Golf Club. “These days more people are looking for quality golf and quality cuisine and here we offer 5-star golf with a 5-star menu. We like to support people on our own doorstep and our menu is based on the foodstuffs we can source locally, such as Whitstable oysters, Winterdale cheeses and ales from Shepherd Neame,” says Harvey.
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A barmaid pulls a pint of Spitfire a
EL E AV R R U T AT
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rden County
SHALL heads to the ‘Garden County’, home to the mpionship, to sample some of the best English golf
at the Royal Hotel in Deal
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The 190-yard par-3 12th at the London Club’s ‘International Course’
King’s Head pub in the seaside town of Deal
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The Open Championship winners’ board at Royal St Georges (prior to Darren Clarke's win in 2011)
Approac (Photo c
ch to the 6th green at Royal St George’s courtesy of Royal St George’s)
From previous page After our round at the London Golf Club we overnight at nearby Brands Hatch Thistle Hotel, which is well positioned for golfers and motoring enthusiasts at the entrance to the world-famous Grand Prix circuit. We spend an enjoyable evening in the new Racing Bar sampling some Kentish ales among British Motor Racing legends such as Jackie Stewart, Graham Hill and Stirling Moss – whose photos adorn the walls of the bar.
Our second course in the Garden of England is Chart Hills situated at Biddenden in the northern reaches of the Weald of Kent. Opened in 1993, this Nick Faldo classic sits in 200 acres of rolling terrain and features mature oak woodland, copious amounts of water and 140 bunkers. Chart Hills will test all facets of your game, and there are a great variety of holes, especially the ninth – where, like us, you’ll probably wonder where the fairway is as you stand on the tee and get psyched out by the highly visible sand traps. Before the 10th hole, it’s worth the green fee alone to sample the delights of the Halfway House, that’s like a classic British cafe in a woodland setting. When we arrive, a couple of other golfers are checking scorecards at one of the tables, complete with red checked tablecloth and bottles of brown sauce. We place our orders and have hardly sat down, before down-to-earth Sheila magically produces mugs of steaming hot tea and tasty bacon and tomato rolls. Just like finding a brand new Titleist ProV1 in the rough, this is one of many reasons we love to play the game. On the back nine be particularly careful over club choice at the tricky 147yard par-3 17th, where a watery grave awaits anything less than a precise iron shot. The resident Canada geese that cruise the water between tee and green must have witnessed some antics here over the years. For some golf with a twist we fit in a few afternoon holes at Leeds Castle Golf Club, a lovely parkland 9-holer set against the beautiful medieval castle and moat. Rising from two islands in the centre of a lake and considered one of the most romantic castles in England, Leeds Castle has been a Norman stronghold, a royal residence for six medieval Queens of England, a palace of Henry VIII, and a retreat for the powerful and influential.
From Leeds Castle we head towards the coast and our base for the next few days, the Royal Hotel in the charming seaside town of Deal. Steeped in history, this 18th century hotel has been a haven for famous people such as Lord Nelson and Winston Churchil, and is the perfect base for Kent’s seaside courses. It’s also close to the medieval market town of Sandwich and is only a short car journey to the towns of Canterbury, Whitstable and Dover. Other parkland and woodland courses: Weald of Kent Golf Course, Tudor Park, Hever Castle, Belmont, Canterbury & Knole Park.
DOWN BY THE SEA It’s 8.30 am the following morning. As a strong sea breeze whips the tangy scents of salt and seaweed into our lungs we loosen up beside the par-4 first
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The 5th green at Leeds Castle golf course
Colourful beach huts on the Kent coast (Photo courtesy of Visit Kent)
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at Walmer & Kingsdown Golf Club. We are joining club members Peter Ebden and John Reynolds to tackle this historic James Braid design that sits atop Dover’s famous White Cliffs with fantastic views across the channel to the French coast.
From previous page
But, as far as Open venues are concerned they don’t come much better than Royal St. George’s. On our final evening in the Garden of England we drive up the coast from Deal and park up along the shoreline. The famous course is deserted. As the late afternoon sun casts long shadows across the links land – defining every undulation, Established in 1909, the course was officially opened bump and hollow – we cast our minds back to the scenes on Saturday 17th April with a match between James of the 2011 Open Championship when Darren Clarke Braid and Harry Vardon, with Braid the winner 3&2. Braid held off all challengers and lifted the Claret jug. The good courses bear distinctive trademarks in their design and news for visiting golfers is that the course is open (on many are in evidence here. He handled severe terrain as weekdays all year round) to follow in the footsteps of past well as anyone and didn’t change the land very much and champions such as Vardon, Hagen, Norman, Lyle, Curtis often allowed the holes to simply fall with the slopes. and Clarke, and it doesn’t get much better than that . He would then either find natural green sites or bench the greens and tees into the slope creating some really unique and spectacular greens – such as the downhill par-4 8th and the difficult dog-leg par-4 seventh, known as the Sea Hole, with a sweeping fairway towards the cliffs. With Peter and John’s useful local knowledge we quickly learn how to tackle Braid’s distinctive greens. “The key here is to allow the ball to run into the greens over the steep edges,” says Peter. After an enjoyable round John says: “You’re playing Royal Cinque Ports tomorrow, aren’t you? You’d best have you’re A-game with you, it’s tough.”
Just up the coast from Deal, Royal Cinque Ports is one of a cluster of three links of the highest order, along with Princes Golf Club and Royal St.George’s, with everything you would expect to find on seaside courses: blind shots, deep pot bunkers, running fairways, lightning fast greens, strong winds and the taste of salt in the sea air. In addition, these clubs are all venues of the Open Championship past and present and are steeped in history. Royal Cinque Ports hosted it in 1909 and 1920 and Princes is another of only 14 courses ever to have staged the Open, and on that single occasion in 1932 Gene Sarazen was the victor.
Other Links & Seaside Courses: Littlestone Golf Club, North Foreland & Rye Golf Club.
WHERE TO PLAY
• London Golf Club: www.londongolf.co.uk • Chart Hills Golf Club: www.charthills.co.uk • Leeds Castle Golf: www.leeds-castle.com/golf • Walmer & Kingsdown Golf Club: www.kingsdowngolf.co.uk • Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club: www.royalcinqueports.com • Prince’s Golf Club: www.princesgolfclub.co.uk • Royal St George’s Golf Club: www.royalstgeorges.com
Where to stay...
• Brands Hatch Thistle Hotel: www.thistlehotels.com • The Royal Hotel, Deal: www.theroyalhotel.com • Wallett’s Court, St Margaret’s at Cliffe: www.wallettscourthotelspa.com
USEFUL CONTACTS & WEB SITES Visit Kent: www.visitkent.co.uk/golf
OFF-COURSE ATTRACTIONS & ACTIVITIES
• Take a brewery tour at Shepherd Neame in Faversham - www.shepherdneame.co.uk • Explore Kent seaside towns and villages such as picturesque St. Margaret’s-at-Cliffe where James Bond author Ian Fleming had a house – www.dunkerleys.co.uk • Visit Canterbury and its magnificent cathedral. • Watch a race at Brands Hatch. For race days visit: www.brands-hatch.com
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Dunes Course (La Quinta)
Palm Springs, USA • www.pgawest.com
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Greg No
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orman Course (La Quinta) Palm Springs, USA • www.pgawest.com
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Jack Nicklaus Course (La Q
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La Quinta Resort
Palm Springs, USA • www.pgawest.com
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R
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UB CL E LF TUR GO FEA
Royal Mougins Golf Club Cannes, France • www.royalmougins.fr
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Royal Mou
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ugins Golf Club
A pearl in the French Riviera
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he Royal Mougins Golf Club is located in the picturesque village of Mougins, just 15 minutes from the city of Cannes in the French Riviera, globally recognised for the Cannes International Film Festival that takes place each year in May. Renowned for its luxury shops, restaurants and modern lifestyle, the French Riviera provides panoramic sea and mountain views, rich and varied architecture, and endless landscapes such as those that occupy the secluded Vallon de l’Oeuf – a quiet Provencal landscape dominated by olive trees on ancient stonewall terraces where The Royal Mougins Golf Club is located. Now in its 20th year, the Robert von Hagg championship golf course provides golfers with a fair test of golf across undulating terrain that is sprinkled with bunkers, lakes and rivers. Recent renovations have placed The Royal Mougins at the forefront of French Riviera golfing, complemented by 29 luxurious hotel suites plus a state-of-theart Spa & Health Club. Destination Golf had the pleasure of staying at this fantastic resort recently, and we can highly recommend a stay here – for golf, relaxtion and recuperation, it really doesn’t get any better than this.
For more information see www.royalmougins.fr Volume 1 • Issue 8
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La G
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EL T RE O U H AT FE
Tecina Resort
Gomera, Canary Islands • www.jardin-tecina.com
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Tecina Resort
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An Oasis of Silence
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a Gomera is an island full of surprises and has something special to offer everyone that visits this enchanted island. Trekking, mountain biking, deep-sea fishing, diving, sailing, golfing or just resting – you could go on forever uncovering its hidden mysteries. The island is said to be magical, and so is Tecina Resort. Tecina Golf, one of the best courses in Spain, together with the superior 4-star Hotel Jardin Tecina offer you a holiday in perfect harmony of leisure and golf. Hotel Jardin Tecina is widely known as a true ‘Oasis of Silence’, where architecture and nature blend together seamlessly. Cosy bungalows are magnificently integrated into the tropical surroundings on the edge of a cliff, where the only sounds you will hear are the songs of the birds and the crashing of the waves. Tecina Golf is an enjoyable par 71 golf course that plays with a unique ‘ski slope’-style aspect, descending down a steep hill from the 1st Tee to the 18th green. This unique design on a cliff-top course provides incomparable views from each hole across the Atlantic Ocean, boasting magnificent views of Mount Teide in Tenerife. A golfing experience that will never be forgotten. For more information see
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Sheraton Sanya Resort
Hainan Island, China • www.sheraton.com/sany
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Sheraton
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Sanya Resort
Enter the Dragon... I
n Chinese tradition, excellent and outstanding people are compared to ‘The Dragon’. Sheraton Hotels & Resorts are renowned for excelling in quality and service, as demonstrated through Sheraton Sanya Resort on Hainan Island in China.
Sheraton Sanya Resort is an approximate 30-minute drive from Sanya Phoenix International Airport. Situated amongst lush gardens on a private 300-metre stretch of the pristine white sands of Yalong Bay, the resort provides a perfect base to explore an abundance of marine wildlife and a wide range of recreational activities. A wealth of facilities are on offer – include five swimming pools and a luxurious spa instilled with the beauty and allure of ancient traditions. Golfers are catered for with two golf courses located in Yalong Bay: the 18-hole Yalong Bay Golf Club and 27-hole Sun Valley Golf Course. Sun Valley Golf Course is the first in China to boast of a 6-par hole, which provides a unique challenge to those that are brave enough to take it on.
For more information see
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