Contents and reference guide ARABELLA GOLF RESORT SOUTH AFRICA www.africanpridehotels.com Page 4-5
FANCOURT LINKS SOUTH AFRICA www.fancourt.com Page 6-7
GARY PLAYER COURSE SOUTH AFRICA www.suninternational.com Page 8-9
LOST CITY GOLF COURSE SOUTH AFRICA www.suninternational.com Page 10-11
LEGEND GOLF & SAFARI COURSE SOUTH AFRICA www.legendgolfsafari.com Page 12-13
GREYHAWK GOLF COURSE USA www.grayhawkgolf.com Page 14-15
THE BOULDERS COURSE USA www.theboulders.com Page 16-17
TPC SCOTTSDALE USA www.tpc.com/scottsdale Page 18-19
WE-KO-PA GOLF CLUB USA Page 20-21
CARNE GOLF CLUB IRELAND www.carnegolflinks.com Page 22-23
ENNISCRONE GOLF CLUB IRELAND www.enniscronegolf.com Page 24-25
ROSAPENNA GOLF CLUB IRELAND www.rosapenna.ie Page 26-27
THE SPIRIT OF GOLF IN NORMANDY Andrew Marshall reports Page 28-33
THE OXFORDSHIRE ENGLAND www.theoxfordshire.com Page 36-39
RAVINDRA BEACH RESORT THAILAND www.ravindraresort.com Page 40-43
THE MONTGOMERIE LINKS VIETNAM www.montgomerielinks.com Page 44-47
www.wekopa.com
Features
2
Destination Golf TRAVEL
Destination Golf Media Ltd
184 Charlesland Wood Greystones Co. Wicklow Ireland
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 Golf Barriere de Saint-Julien, Normandy, France (Photo: Paul Marshall)
Your favourite digital golf magazine is now recommended by IAGTO
W
elcome to your latest edition of Destination Golf Travel, which we are delighted to announce has been given the status of ‘Recommended Guide’ from IAGTO – the global trade organisation for the golf tourism industry.
In this issue, we first take a look at some of the beautiful vistas that lie in store for the golfer travelling to South Africa. Some of the finest courses from the Western Cape, the Garden Route, Sun City and the province of Gauteng feature. Next up, you can feast your eyes on a few of the gorgeous, world-class golf layouts in the sun-kissed state of Arizona –and Scottsdale, in particular. Then it’s on to an area close to our heart here in Destination Golf, the North West coast of Ireland. This is where golf is at its rawest and most thrilling, and the area is a ‘mustvisit’ for any discerning golfer. In a special feature Andy Marshall reports on the golfing – and, indeed, the thirst-quenching – delights of Normandy in France. Our Hotel Resort Features take a look at both the Ravindra Beach Resort in Thailand and The Oxfordshire in England. Finally, Colin Montgomerie’s masterful ‘Montgomerie Course’ in Vietnam is our Club Feature. Happy reading!
Karl Doyle
EDITOR editor@destinationgolf.ie Dermot Synnott
Editorial Director
Andrew Marshall
Golf Travel Writer
Paul Marshall
Golf Travel Photographer
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Volume 1 • Issue 3
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Arabella Golf Resort
Western Cape, South Africa
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Fancourt Links
Garden Route, South Africa Volume 1 • Issue 3
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Gary Player Course
Sun City, South Africa
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Lost City Golf Course Sun City, South Africa
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Legend Golf & Safari Course
Gauteng, South Africa
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Greyhawk Golf Course
Scottsdale, Arizona
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The Boulders Course
Scottsdale, Arizona
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TPC Scottsdale Scottsdale, Arizona
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We-Ko-Pa Golf Club
Scottsdale, Arizona
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Carne Golf Links
Belmullet, West Coast of Ireland
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Enniscrone Golf Club Sligo, West Coast of Ireland
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Rosapenna Golf Club
Donegal, North West Coast of Ireland
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Golf and the Norm Golf Barriére de Saint-Julien
I
Words: Andrew Marshall
Photos: Paul Marshall
t’s early November in Normandy’s Pays d’Auge, a picturesque landscape of small towns and villages, rolling meadows dotted with grazing cattle, russet-coloured apple orchards and half-timbered farmsteads.
The Pays d’Auge region is known for the superior quality of its local produce - a land where some of France’s finest cheeses such as Camembert, are made alongside highly-prized drinks such as Calvados; a fiery apple brandy that has been distilled with typical French passion for more than four hundred years. This slice of France is also blessed with a selection of fine golf courses, and for the gourmet golfer who enjoys a tipple, the good news is that between tee-times, there’s ample opportunity to learn about, taste and purchase some of the fine local produce. Our base in Normandy was the Hôtel du Golf Barriére, a luxurious golf hotel situated in a beautiful location on the slopes of Mount Canisy, just five minutes from the coastal town of Deauville On arrival, we repaired to Le Green Bar, where we happily sank into a couple of red velvet armchairs and admired sketches of famous golfers on the walls – it was the perfect hangout to enjoy some Normandy spirit and discuss the golf trip. “We have a selection of thirty types of Calvados, how about a rare Camut 60-year-old?” said Laurent Mallet, the friendly barman. With an eye-watering price tag of 80€ for a 4cl measure, we decided on a more affordable Château du Breuil 8year-old before our meal.
Normandy greens
Only a long putt from the hotel, and rated among France's top 20 prettiest and most established layouts, Golf Barriére de Deauville has always been one of the places to play in Normandy. The three loops of 9 holes are in excellent condition throughout the year, with beautifully manicured fairways and greens.
Continued over... 28 Destination Golf TRAVEL
EL E AV R R U T AT
FE
mandy Spirit
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Golf Barri茅re de Deauville
A crate of hand-picked apples at Manoir d始Apreval.
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Le Green Bar, H么tel du Golf Barri茅re, Deauville.
From previous page Another excellent 27 holes are located 15 kms south of Deauville at Pont L'Évêque, famous for the Normandy cheese of the same name. Golf Barriére de Saint-Julien’s main 18-hole layout, called Le Vallon is hilly in sections and winds through lush Normandy pastureland. The higher part of the course encourages some open-shouldered driving, and when the holes are not long they are technically difficult. If you have time, stop by the restaurant for some fine French cuisine before taking on the 9-hole Le Bocage course. Completing a trio of 27-hole courses close to Deauville is Golf Amirauté, a championship course designed by Bill Baker in a magical site, among 36 acres of lakes. The aptly named Art Course is mostly flat, so it can easily be walked, though carts are readily available as with most French courses. Normandy Spirit As a break from golf, one afternoon we enjoyed a tour at Manoir d’Apreval, a family-owned estate in the coastal village of Pennedepie (10 km east of Deauville), that makes a line of fine Calvados and cider. The manager, Agathe Letellier, told us inside the fermentation house: “If you listen carefully, you can hear a hissing sound. That’s the apple juice naturally fermenting into a dry cider inside the tanks.” Next we visited the cellar, where the liquid gold is aged in oak casks for a minimum of two years, by which time it’s gained a rich amber hue (due to the tannin in the wood) that darkens, as the Calvados gets older. “ Just put a dab on your wrist and smell,” says Agathe, demonstrating the complexities of Apreval’s Calvados X0 with its aromas of wood and ripe fruit. “There’s a richness in the flavour and finish that’s unique to aged Calvados.” A Normandy cheese is the perfect partner for a Calvados or cider, with much of it being produced around the small towns of Livarot, Pont l'Évêque and Camembert. With its golden-yellow centre and creamy-white rind, the circular Camembert is the quintessential Normandy cheese and known the world over. Two lesser-known and much older cheeses are Pont l'Évêque, an uncooked, unpressed cow’s milk cheese that is square in shape and Livarot, an ancient and noble cheese that dates back more than 700 years, originating with the monks. For a closer insight into cheese making, we visited Fromagerie Graindorge, a cheese producer in Livarot that offers free tours and tastings. There’s ample opportunity to observe the various stages of making the Livarot and Pont l'Évêque cheeses - working the curd, salting, drying, and washing the rind. Before leaving, it's mandatory to sample some of the cheeses. Normandy Landings & Links West of Deauville is Golf Omaha Beach, a 36-hole golf complex located on the coast at Port-en-Bessin, only a few kilometres from the D-Day Landing Beaches of 1944, and the
Continued over... Cheese trolley at the Hôtel du Golf Barriére
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Golf Barri茅re de Deauville
Calvados for sale inside the shop at Manoir d始Apreval
32 Destination Golf TRAVEL
H么tel du Golf Barri茅re, Deauville.
From previous page at Colleville-sur-Mer where Stephen Spielberg filmed scenes for the movie Saving Private Ryan. The 1985 design of the prime two loops, Bocage (Hedgerow) and La Mer (Sea) are simple and unfussy with the emphasis on good driving. The Bocage nine is set in an apple orchard and the name stands for the earth and stone buttressed hedges, which crisscross the interior rural landscape. Each of the nine holes on Le Mer loop closest to the sea, are named after famous World War II war heroes, among them Churchill and Eisenhower, Patton and Montgomery. Playing the few holes that run along the bluffs overlooking the beaches we could appreciate the big advantage defenders had over their adversaries below. Further afield on Normandy’s west coast is the superb Harry Colt designed links of Golf de Granville, one of the best in France. Nestling among the dunes by the sea, this is an authentic links with a rugged, natural character little changed since 1912. Situated northeast of Deauville on the journey back to Paris is Golf Club du Champ de Bataille the final course of our Normandy golf trip. An impressive championship course set in an exceptional natural and historical environment; Champ de Bataille has often been compared with England’s Wentworth and Woburn courses. Ranked among France’s top 25, the course is set in 370 acres of historic forest and parkland and takes full advantage of natural features such as valleys, lakes and centuries-old trees. The 17th is a particularly memorable par-three with a tight tee-shot over a deep gulley. ‘Bon voyage’ and ‘Bon appetit’
Where to play...
Golf Barriére de Deauville: www.lucienbarriere.com Golf Barriére de Saint-Julien: www.lucienbarriere.com Golf Amirauté: www.amiraute.com Golf Omaha Beach: www.omahabeachgolfclub.com Golf de Granville: www.golfdegranville.com Golf Club du Champ de Bataille: www.champdebataille.com
Where to stay...
Hôtel du Golf Barriére / Deauville: www.lucienbarriere.com USEFUL CONTACTS & WEBSITES www.apreval.com www.chateau-breuil.com www.graindorge.fr www.franceguide.com www.normandie-tourisme.org A replica of the worldʼs largest Livarot cheese
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Tullamore Dew ® Irish Whiskey 40% Alc./Vol. ©2011 William Grant & Sons, Inc
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c. New York, NY. GLASSES UP TO DRINKING RESPONSIBLY.
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R T R E O R ES TU A
Oxford, England
FE
The Oxfordshire
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The Oxfordshire
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The Champions’ Course
T
he Oxfordshire Golf Course, a
previous European Tour venue, uses
strategically-contoured holes that blend
naturally into the surrounding
countryside to provide a challenging
game of golf.
Having hosted the Benson & Hedges
International for 4 years, the Ladies English Open for 2 years and the Andersen Consulting World
Championship, this course will provide an exciting challenge that the more skilful golfer will enjoy.
The Oxfordshire is also widely
recognised as one of the best golf
resorts in England, with the facilities
further enhanced by an award winning luxury 50-bedroom Hotel & Spa.
For more information see www.theoxfordshire.com Volume 1 • Issue 3
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Ravindra Beach Resort Pattaya, Thailand
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R T R E O R ES TU A
FE
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Ravindra Beach Resort
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Magnificent Pattaya S
unshine Hotels & Resorts’ flagship resort is The Ravindra Beach Resort & Spa, a luxury 4-star resort only 15 minutes from Pattaya City, and only one-and-a-half hours’ drive from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport.
Blessed by a beachfront location, the sea is a mere 100 metres away. It provides all the amenities of a worldclass resort with lush tropical landscaped gardens and huge lagoon pools for the pampered guests to relax in. The resort has a total of 277 wellappointed guest rooms and suites, all of which are set in a low-rise colonial style accommodation, with excellent private balconies offering either poolside or garden views. Another five private pool villas are available for those that want added privacy and relaxation. The Ravindra Beach Resort & Spa is certainly one of those places that will live long in your memory after you have stayed there!
For more information see
www.ravindraresort.com Volume 1 • Issue 3
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LF O B E G LU R C TU A
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The Montgomerie Links Quang Nam Province, Vietnam
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The Montg
46 Destination Golf TRAVEL
gomerie Links
Monty’s Asian links
M
ontgomerie Links is an award-winning course ocated just 15 minutes drive from Danang International Airport, which is serviced by direct local and international flights. Its unique Central Coast location is ideal for holiday golf, with abundant recreational and cultural attractions all within easy reach of the course. Regarded as one of the top 10 courses in Asia, the Montgomerie Links is a set in the shadow of the Marble Mountains. Its sandy soil, wind-blown dunes and indigenous vegetation made for a superb natural terrain to design a links-style course – something that is certainly unique.
Numerous sets of tees means the course can test the best players, while being enjoyable for the casual golfer. Much more than a golf course, the Montgomerie Links Residences are an exclusive gated community of private villas adjacent to the course, making this the most desirable golf and country club retreat you will find in Vietnam. For more information see
www.montgomerielinks.com Volume 1 • Issue 3
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