Gv#009

Thailand Edition vol. 9

The 19th

Siem Reap’s Trodden Temples & Streets

Special Interview Colin Montgomerie

Choice Resorts

The Bluffs at Ho Tram Strip St. Enodoc, Cornwall Digby Pines, Nova Scotia

RENAISSANCE ROSS BRIDGE Golf Resort & Spa

magazine of the gm group golf vacations thailand vol.9 MARCH-APRIL 2015 / 180 baht

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MASERATI GHIBLI. THE ABSOLUTE OPPOSITE OF ORDINARY.

www.maserati.com

Cru Classe Golf

the first

Last summer, four of our readers and their partners visited Bordeaux in a once-in-a-lifetime golfing experience.

- BY Be n n Y t e o

Last June, Roger Lee and his

regular golfing buddies, terence Lim, Dean Lim and John Goh took off to a golfing trip of a lifetime together with their respective wives.

A self-confessed wine lover, Roger’s fine taste for the eau de vie saw him plan a trip to the birthplace of the finest winemaking region in the Old World – Bordeaux – to (wait for this) play golf!

St Andrews it may not be but from June 6 till 8, Chateau de Vigiers Golf & Country Club in Dordogne, france played host to a tradition as old as the game we love so dearly. Perhaps even more so. the 2nd Crus Classes trophy

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by Chateau des Vigiers and the Saint-Emilion Grands Crus Classes Association brings together the finest french “Art de vivre” with top class golf, and glorious french wine participated by 12 teams from all over the world including france, England, Singapore, China, Switzerland and the Netherlands. three days of golf at the 27hole Donald Steel layout includes a Pro-Am and Individual competitive segments thrown together with daily tastings of Perigourdine and Saint-Emilion Grands Crus Classes vintages and highly coveted SaintEmilion wines to be won. for those who did not excel on course, there is also a putting competition sponsored by “Etablissements Martin” so prizes are always ready to be had. there is also an oenology workshop with wine producers from Saint-Emilion and nightly dinner at a Saint-Emilion Chateau with the gala held at Chateau de Vigiers.

“It was a fun event for sure but the highlight for us was that after the event, we managed to visit first growth vineyards the day after the event,” recalls Lee, continuing, “these are small, old places not used to seeing tourists as they don’t normally open for visits like this, and they can be pretty haughty.

Rightfully so. I’m just glad I got to savour some of the world’s best wine before I returned home!” for information on the 2015 edition of the event, visit www.vigiers. com/themed-stays/saint-emilioncrus-classes-trophy-2015

contents

ON THE COVER

GOLF VACATIONS THAILAND VOLUME 9 MARCH-APRIL 2015

RENAISSANCE ROSS BRIDGE GOLF RESORT & SPA, ENGLAND

Contents

GM MULTIMEDIA PUBLIC COMPANY LIMITED Chairman & CEO : Pakorn Pongvarapa Executive Vice President : Finance Pornjitt Pongvarapa Executive Vice President : Business Development ritnarong kulprasoot Executive Vice President : Marketing Suebwong kaewthipharat Managing Editor : george Somapa Editor-in-Chief : Suebwong kaewthipharat Executive Art Director : PrateeP Putchimtuck Art Staff : Meenruk khadzaikhow Photographer : DaMrongrit Sathitdamrongtham Computer Artist : PraSit anakananthpun Advertising/Marketing Manager : kongwarong Somsa Advertising/Marketing Staff : SantiPat Suksinchai PeMiSa khuangsirikul Production Manager : ratana khow General Manager : Panuwat Pongvarapa Finance Manager : wiMonLak asaiphanit New Media Director : PeSiLP Pongvarapa Accounting Manager : niCHaPa buparanond Color Separation : kanoksilp (thailand) tel. +662 215 1588 Printing : oS. Printing House Co., Ltd. tel. +662 434 6850

Editor's Page What's your plan for 2015 aloha summer "Word" can be interpreted into many difference ways depending on time, situation, social being and environment etc. I already have a word for this summer in my mind, that is "water".

"Water" "Water" is an obstruction for golfer.

"Water" is one of the substances with a chemical formula, H2O, for chemist.

"Water" is an important ingredient for vegetable, fruit etc. to add product value for marketing man.

"Water" hurts some people's feeling who experienced a flood disaster.

However, the meaning of water to me is Songkran Festival or Water Festival of Thai people, the great festival of intellect and imagination that I think it should be respected by new generations. Besides, it was recorded to be one of ten festivals of the world that should not miss.

In addition, Songkran Festival is Thai's New Year Day and a long holiday for Thai people to celebrate with their friends and family on April, the season of highest temperature in Thailand.

Welcome to Water Festival, Welcome to Thailand.

Singapore Company: Pacom Media Pte Ltd Address: 801 Toa Payoh Lorong 7, #06-08, Wearnes Building, Singapore 319319 Tel: (65) 6323 9600 Publisher: Karen Chan Managing Editor: Benny Teo China, hong Kong & MaCau Company: Senasia Publication Group Ltd Address: Unit 832, 8/F, Metro Centre II, No. 21 Lam Hing Street, Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong Tel: +852 2570 6123 Website: www.senasia.com.hk Publisher: Alan Mok Managing Editor: Alex Tam CzeCh republiC Company: Resort Media s.r.o.

Address: Škroupovo námestí 1255/9, 130 00 Prague 3, Czech Republic Tel: +420 271 773 934 Website: www.golfvacations.cz Publisher: Vera Hartmanova Managing Editor: Cenek Lorenc MalaySia Company: Big Shot Media Sdn Bhd address: 31-5, Block E1, Dataran Prima, Jalan PJU 1/42, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia Tel: +603 7880 2788 publisher: Louis Foo Managing editor: Benny Teo

Thailand

Company: GM Multimedia Public Company Limited Address: GM Group Building, 914, Rama 5 Road, Dusit, Bangkok 10300, Thailand Tel: +662 241 8000 Website: www.gvthailand.com Website: www.gmgroup.in.th E-mail: thepooh.gvthailand@gmail.com Facebook: facebook.com/ golfvacationsthailand Publisher: Pakorn Pongvarapa Editor-in-chief: Suebwong Kaewthipharat

Suebwong Kaewthipharat editor-in-chief

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Contributors

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BEnny TEO

ChRiS FOllEy

Managing Editor of Golf Vacations and GolfPunk Singapore with over 13 years experience in publishing, he is a 10-handicapper who trawls the world casting his iron-shafted net, metaphorically speaking, in a life-long search for the finest golf experiences in the world.

The deputy sub-editor of the London Evening Standard features desk whose resume includes the Daily Telegraph and Sydney Morning Herald, Chris is also our regular travel correspondent. In this issue, he makes that long drive to St. Enodoc, where celebrities stay and play.

Our ex-features writer, and current law teacher, and mother of two, Susanna and her anesthetist husband took to the ancient city of Siem Reap in Cambodia to wander through the ruins of temples, and discover a civilization that has weathered centuries of war and strife, and yet retain a beautiful cultural landscape.

Tom’s been enjoying retirement from the Halifax Chronicle Herald. And one of those ways is to pick up his clubs and travel endlessly for golf, bringing his expertise and journalistic flair from working round various desks such as sports, news and business. His journey takes us to Digby Pines Resort and Spa in Nova Scotia, where the legendary Babe Ruth used to call his favourite ‘batting’ ground with a golf club.

SuSanna niCkallS lO

TOM PETERS

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contributors

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Daryl loy

John Gibb

Malacca-born Daryl put aside his engineering background in pursuit of a career in automotive journalism to feed his need for speed. The TopGear Malaysia assistant editor may be light years away from mastering the basic swing but he easily communicates with golfers in a universal language known as cars.

British journalist and author John Gibb’s experience in life and golf is incomparable. Last issue, he talked about his meeting with the legendary Sam Snead, years before he breathed his last, and now, he explores the virtues, or rather inevitability of the fairer gender exploding into the hallowed halls of the Royal & Ancient clubhouse.

Being based in Portugal has its advantages, as Tony travels between that and his London home in his continued quest to prepare for the Senior Tour. One of those journeys took him to Sotogrande in the Spain’s south, a wonderful destination for less lofty amateur vacationers

If it has an engine and wheels, you’ll find Leow Ju-Len all over it like a monkey on a banana. He’s covered the car industry since 1995 without being sick of it (it’s not known if the feeling is mutual). Ju-Len believes in rear-wheel drive, V8s and world peace. In that order.

Tony SmarT

leow Ju-len

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Postcard

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The Renaissance Club, North Berwick, Scotland Par 3, Hole 9

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Journal ★ Suitspot

Authentic Cambodian homes restored at Sala Lodges, Siem Reap A village of 11 genuine Cambodian homes that puts new perspective in absorbing local culture.

• View from infinity pool

• House Dop interior

• Approach to the family houses

• Mod cons in bathrooms

© Pictures by Regis Binard

• The restaurant

Slightly off the beaten track, yet still within an easy

rather sexy infinity pool complete with fluffy white towels and comfy sun loungers.

But don’t let the modern conveniences fool you.

This is no run of the mill ‘Khmer style’ hotel.

The lodges are not inspired by local colour, they are the local colour. Guests are presented with a booklet upon arrival that tells them of the history behind each house. We stayed at House Mouy (“the house of many roofs”), so named because of its decorative triple roof. It had stood in Ta Prom, a village 60km from Siem Reap town and belonged to a master carpenter who built the house for his own family. After the carpenter died, his son was forced to move closer to his farm and decided to sell the house in order to preserve his father’s legacy.

Every Sala Lodge had been a functioning family home: a fact that was particularly poignant when we discovered a lotus flower, simply and delicately carved by a childish hand, on one of the floor boards in the back of the house, which would have been where unmarried daughters slept.

The owners clearly lavished attention on keeping the architectural details authentic, yet they did not neglect the interior decor. Comfortable and welcoming, the varnished wood beams are contrasted by sleek metal taps, heavy furniture is complemented with soft furnishings in warm colours as well as textured rattan rugs.

The whole effect is tasteful and soothing, with just a nod to the houses’ South East Asian heritage without over-doing it; a wise decision by the designers to keep the focus on the beautiful houses themselves.

Sala Lodges is an intimate property that offers an easy and luxurious gateway to experiencing authentic Khmer culture.

You’ll forget that you’re in a hotel and think you’re staying with friends at their Cambodian family home, albeit one complete with rain showers, Wifi and a mini bar. www.salalodges.com

Tuk-Tuk ride from Siem Reap town centre, Sala Lodges should be in the guidebooks as a standalone experience in itself. Lovingly reconstructed by their culturally aware owners, the property is a compact resort made up of 11 authentic Khmer houses, each a genuine family home before they were selected from locations around Siem Reap, dismantled and painstakingly rebuilt at the current location.

The result is a luxurious fantasy Cambodian village, nestled within manicured local greenery, juxtaposed with a slick modern reception, restaurant and bar of contemporary design, as well as a 20

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By S u S a n n a Lo

Journal ★ Comments

Ladies in the game

• 2013 Womens British Open

Ladies and Gentlemen: You are both now welcome to the club.

The view through the west window of the Big

Room at the Royal and Ancient gives you the broad sweep of the first and last holes of the Old Course. The Swilcan Burn cuts through the fairway just before the first green with the wooded hills of the west of Fife in the distance. On the east is the North Sea, to the south, the old town of St. Andrews. Everyone who has hit a ball from this sacred spot will remember the sense of occasion when they stood on the square of turf where the greatest golfers in the world have set their spiked shoes.

The tall bay window is glazed so that you cannot see in from the outside although you can see out from the Big Room. In fact the members can be very close to you when you’re on the tee. Any number of members of the Royal and Ancient could be watching your backswing from only a few feet away. They may smile knowingly as you hit it off the toe onto the putting green.

I have sat in that room with a glass of whisky and watched the great and the good quivering with tension as they contemplate striking their first shot of the day before the invisible members of the oldest club in the world.

The Big Room is lined with six-foot high lockers. There are some chairs and tables, a chandelier or two. I was once there when the Deputy Prime Minister, Willie Whitelaw turned up to play, changing into his plus fours and waterproof jacket and pulling an old canvas bag of clubs out of a locker. While 22

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the R&A may be the Vatican of the game where the golfing sacraments are enshrined, it still remains a functioning golf club where nothing much changes. That is until on September 18th 2014 when they admitted women as members.

Naturally, after all the fuss about discrimination over the years, the first question to cross my mind was where are the girls going to change? Will this venerable old room be adapted into somewhere where you can powder your nose? Perhaps the ladies will be allowed to dress and undress there while the gentlemen members are moved elsewhere. The thought of standing on the 1st tee again with a driver in my hand and the possibility that Anika Sorenstam may be glancing at me from behind the glass is alarming enough without the tension which comes with the shot.

It’s therefore hardly surprising that the club took 220 years to make their decision. Experts on female emancipation have blamed the chauvinism of middle class elderly men with hidebound attitudes to the opposite sex as responsible for the time it has taken to allow women into the R&A. But, in my opinion, discrimination is not the only reason.

To anyone familiar with the working of committees in British golf clubs, 220 years is nothing. A debate about moving the greenside bunker on the 17th two feet to the right can go on for generations. Solicitors become involved and what may seem trivial alterations become hefty issues, particularly at St. Andrews

• The Royal and Ancient Clubhouse, St Andrews, Scotland

• Stacy Lewis, 2013 Women's British Open

where a change in the rules is never a quick or easy process which has always, until now, been the responsibility of men. Now that will have to change.

The truth is that women were not excluded from the club but were regularly allowed in; they played the British Ladies Championship on the Old Course in 1975 and the ladies and officials were given the courtesy of the clubhouse for a week. There was minor collateral damage when two members resigned in protest, but it was the start of a more liberal attitude in the club. A year later in January 1976, they held a mixed buffet evening in the Big Room which was such a success that they took the momentous decision to hold two every year.

There were mutterings but no one actually resigned.

Women have long been a vital part of golf and today, most men feel great sympathy with the grace and style inherent in the women’s game. Fifty years ago intolerance was common, particularly in Scotland. I played in a match for the Wentworth Club against Troon in the 1960s. There were ten of us and we stayed at the Marine Hotel.

On the first night we were entertained to dinner by the Captain of the club, a potato farmer whose name escapes me, although, even if I could remember, I’d keep quiet about it. It was a magnificent meal given in a private room. Haggis was served and industrial quantities of whisky drunk.

Over the cheese, said Captain rose slowly to his feet and addressed us. It was a welcome of great warmth and courtesy during which he offered advice about the condition of the course and one or two traditions about which he considered our boys ought to be aware.

Towards the end of his welcome, he paused and said: “Gentlemen, ye may come across of the occasional lady member playing on the course as ye make your way round. There’s no need to concern yourself.

By JoHn Gibb

Women have no rights and have no standing on the course.

Ignore them and drive straight through.”

At the time, many private golf clubs had a similar attitude to the ladies. Sunningdale, for instance, always had a men’s bar on the right as you entered the clubhouse.

It was a wonderful room, the heart of the club really, with all the trophies and historic pictures and an atmosphere of men only friendship absent elsewhere in the place. There was a bay-window where you could relax and watch players coming in off the Old Course. I was sitting there when a lady member emerged from the club and set off to drive home.

She somehow tangled her right foot between the peddles, lost control and proceeded round the car park bouncing off Bentleys and Jaguars much to the amusement of everyone except her husband.

James Hunt, the racing driver who was enjoying a beer in the men’s bar after his usual 18 holes, was eventually persuaded to stir himself to chase after her and turn off the ignition. It didn’t do much for female equality, in fact the event is still talked about, but of course, if she had been a man, it would have been just a bit of a joke. But in conversation it became a justification for maintaining a separate status for women in the game. This antediluvian attitude has mostly gone now except for one or two sticklers like Royal Troon, Royal St. George’s and Muirfield who still resist the temptation of giving full membership to the ladies.

Now that the R&A has entered the modern world, how long will the others hang on? Will there ever be a woman on the committee at Troon? Well, they’re playing The Open there in a couple of years’ time and it’s hard to imagine today’s top golfers feeling happy about playing at a club which discriminates against women. If that happens and the top players pull out, Troon and the European Tour will lose money and The Open will be tarnished. In the end, it will be money which will enforce the change, not common sense.

Hard to understand really. Personally, I love them.

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© pictures courtesy of Lionard

Journal ★ Luxury

Godilonda

A story of romance and heritage over more than a century gets a chance to add new chapters to its life.

After being abandoned for seven years one of the most beautiful villas on the Tuscan coast has been sold, Villa Godilonda in Castiglioncello, previously owned by the Bulgari jewellers.

A businessman from Eastern Europe has bought it for €6 million, explains the real estate company Lionard Luxury Real Estate which negotiated the sale.

Soon, renovation work will begin to create one of the most luxurious and beautiful hotels in the world with a history steeped in bespoke Italian style and interestingly a fabled romance as well.

It seems that Gabriele D’Annunzio, one of Italy's most important writers, poets, playwright and politician, gave it the name Godilonda, from “godi l’onda” or “enjoy the waves”, after having spent a romantic and passionate night here at the beginning of the 20th century. Built at the end of the 19th century on the land of Baron Patrone (who owned Castle Pasquini), in 1924 it was bought by the American Carter family and after the war, became the summer residence of the Bulgari family, before being transformed in the eighties into a hotel where famous Italian actors from Marcello Mastroianni to Vittorio Gassman and Walter Chiari stayed whilst frequenting Castiglioncello. In 2007 it was closed indefinitely.

Constructed on the extreme point of a promontory, like the bow of a ship, from which you can enjoy a splendid view, the property is composed of the main villa of roughly 1700 square metres with 24

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28 bedrooms, a winter garden and a spa where you can have a sauna, massages or Turkish bath. 11,000 square metres of park and Mediterranean scrub, a private beach and the possibility of creating a helipad complete the property. After the degradation of the last years, the villa can finally live again, and contribute to the relaunching of one of Tuscany’s most beautiful seaside resorts.

The sale of Villa Godilonda is just the last operation concluded at Castiglioncello by Lionard Luxury Real Estate: a few months ago Villa Pontello was sold, formerly of Count Flavio Callisto Pontello, builder and ex-president of the Fiorentina Football Club; while Villa Corcos is still for sale, which belonged to Alberto Sordi. www.lionard.com/sold-godilonda-ex-bulgari-villacastiglioncello.html

By JosepH LAncAsTer

Journal ★ Travel

Celebrity Strokes Two Asian stars take on St. Andrews test in style.

on Kwon: dunhill Links The Ultimate Travel Jacket, puppytooth Moisture Wicking Trouser & Beanie.

In the greater scheme of things, just making a journey

to the east coast of Scotland and spending a couple of days in St. Andrews and Carnoustie would make the bucket list for many a golfing fanatic. But to have been garbed head to toe in Dunhill comfort is taking it another step up.

But that is precisely what happened on October 6, the day after the greatest celebrity Pro-Am in Europe, the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. South Korean actor Kwon Sang Woo and Hong Kong veteran star Simon Yam wore Dunhill Links outfits (how appropriate, you might say) and went on to hack it out in Scotland’s finest links.

And from the looks of it, they must’ve had a ball of a time exploring the heathland up on the rolling hills of the Duke’s course in St. Andrews. That picket fencing in the background with light forestation amidst a cross section of the fairway is most certainly the Par 5 18th. I remember that walk, uphill to the most arduous 50 metres thereabouts of my life after completing a round at this 7,271 yards Par 71 heathland private course.

Owned by American Herb Kohler, the clubhouse offers spectacular views of the town and the Bay of St. Andrews towards the Firth of Tay and where that other famous golf course, Carnoustie Golf Links, is located.

While I’m not sure what either had shot, I can most certainly attest that they will have enjoyed this unique experience of the Duke’s challenge. Suffice to say, while most golfers immediately

on siMon: dunhill Links The Ultimate Travel Jacket & beanie.

wander across the Swilcan Bridge looking to tee it up at the Old Course, or test their verve against Mother Nature at the more recent Castle Course, or even play the entire Alfred Dunhill Links experience by taking on Old, Kingsbarns and Carnasty (that is certainly NOT a typo, if you’ve personally survived the Championship course at Carnoustie), few would’ve thought to take that hike uphill to Duke’s simply for the fact that is it not a links course.

That would have been a grand mistake, and if you’ve asked either Kwon or Simon, I’m sure they’d agree. The undulating fairways, the rolling greens, surprising elevation that cuts a cross section against the hillside, and a journey that takes one from open, farm-like field play to enclosed secret forestry where tall tree enclosures makes one think they are well alone with Par as the enemy.

Survive the challenge, and the clubhouse beckons with the aforementioned views and large, expansive bar with Guinness on the tap. Now, what I really want to know is who outdrank who? The Korean or the Chinese? www.alfreddunhilllinks.com en-sg.dunhill.com

By benny Teo

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Journal ★ Design

• Hole 13 with mountainous backdrop.

Lido Resort

Ernie Els brings new lease of life to an Indonesian classic.

Lido Lake stands serene in the bountiful natural scene-scape that encapsulates the West Javan city of Sukabumi. With rolling waterfalls, one even likened to the world famous Niagara, fabulous beaches that sees surfers ride enormous waves and sea turtles finding respite in bringing their young to this world, sits a family resort and golf course that will soon receive a new lease of life.

You have got to thank Indonesian property developer MNC Land for it. Hary Tanoesoedibjo is the tycoon and chief executive that owns the company and he has hired the legendary golfer Ernie Els and golf course management company IMG to ensure that the project, targeted to cost between US$2 to 3 billion, will put this unassuming site on the world map.

Construction began in August 2014 and will turn 2,000 hectares of land into four and five-star hotels, villas, a theme park and other supporting infrastructure, including golf courses, in phases lasting two to three decades. A seeding US$400 million fund has been set to finance the first phase of the resort, which is expected to open in 2016, during which the Ernie Els Design will create five completely new golf holes while utilizing many of the existing golf corridors to improve the revised master plan of the resort.

The world-class Ernie Els designed golf course is due to reopen in early 2016. IMG will be responsible for on-site project management and will also look into pre-opening management services when it is ready.

Particularly impressed and excited with the prospect, the South African says, “Ever since my initial meeting with MNC in Indonesia last year, I have been impressed with their vision for the total renovation and upgrading of this golf course and the overall resort. I am excited that my first design in Indonesia is on such a great piece of land that not only will allow us to create a great golf experience, but also offers tremendous views over the surrounding mountains and valleys.”

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• Ernie Els during a site visit with his team.

With Rp 1.4 trillion (US$117.83 million) spent on the Lido project, the MNC Group continued to extend beyond this to also include Nirwana Bali, already a hallmark in golf in the region, as part of a deal in 2013 from British Virgin Islands-based Charlton Group Holdings Ltd and Bakrieland, spending another Rp 1 trillion on acquiring the famous Tanah Lot based property.

An interesting development for sure, but for the vacationing golfer, we can certainly look forward to yet another exciting new golf experience in the year ahead, crafted, no doubt diligently by an affable South African champion. www.ernieels.com/design www.imggolfcourseservices.com

By benny Teo

Journal ★ report

World Tour of Ditan Cultural Temple Fair Legendary Chinese temple fair brought in from Beijing, first time in Thailand.

China Cultural Center in Bangkok partnered with CentralWorld, Beijing Dongfang Xinda

Asset Management Corporation, Thai-Chinese Cultural & Relationship Council to jointly organize “World Tour of Ditan Cultural Temple Fair”, a mega cultural event following the policy of China’s Ministry of Culture, Thailand’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Tourism Authority of Thailand, and the Chinese Embassy in Thailand during 10-16 February.

The event was also supported by the People’s Government of Dongcheng District Beijing Municipality, and was managed by East International Culture Communication. This was the first time that the Ditan Cultural Temple Fair has taken place outside China in order to bring happiness to the Thai-Chinese people, as well as to celebrate the 60th birthday anniversary of HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn and 40 years of ThailandChina diplomatic ties.

This event allowed visitors to experience several amazing performances such as the popular lion dance show, the earth worshipping ceremony from the Qing Dynasty, Chinese opera, Chinese drama, and Chinese dance. There were also local arts, crafts, as well as delicious food for all visitors to try.

“World Tour of Ditan Cultural Temple Fair” has taken place at Central World Square. On this occasion, H.E. Prof. MD. Kasem Wattanachai; Privy Counselor, Pinij Jarusombat, Dr. Chaweerat Kasetsoontorn and Sudhipak Chirathivat also joined the official opening event.

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Cover Story

RENAISSANCE

ROSS BRIDGE Golf Resort & Spa

A trail of many courses designed by the legendary Robert Trent Jones, culminates in one spectacularly long and testing tract called Ross Bridge.

BY TO M P E T E R S C R E D I T I M AG E S: T H E R O BE RT T R E N T J O N E S G O L F T R A I L

OPENING PICTURE: The lake at Grand National

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In the fleeting light of a warm September evening, the skirl of the pipes from a lone piper can be heard

echoing off the surrounding hills in Hoover, Alabama. Playing of the bagpipes is a tradition and a reminder of the historical roots here at the Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort and Spa. The Ross family that homesteaded this land long before it became a sprawling resort and residential community and site of one of the longest golf courses in the world, was Scottish.

According to the Hoover Historical Society, James Taylor Ross migrated to the South in 1858 and acquired the land in what is now Shades Valley. Ross eventually moved west and his land was purchased in 1907 by the Tennessee Coal Corp, which later became the U.S. Steel Corp. In 2002, U.S. Steel’s real estate division combined with Daniel Corp. and the Retirement Systems of Alabama, to develop the bordering residential resort community of Ross Bridge.

The hotel, with its 259 guest rooms including 11 suites, is not really a hotel in the same sense, at least architecturally, as most travellers might envision. In keeping with the Scottish flavour of the place, this is an aristocratic Scottish manor with high stone peaks, almost castle like, accenting this sprawling structure which stands stately, overseeing the carefully manicured grounds. One could almost hear The Bard himself, Robbie Burns looking about and pronouncing in his Scottish twang, “Hoots mon! Tis a grand wee place ye have.”

Of course a focal point of the “grand wee place” is the Ross Bridge golf course, one of the newest additions to Alabama’s famous Robert Trent Jones Trail. The trail is composed of 26 public courses at 11 sites throughout the state so some sites have 36 and even 54 holes.

The trail was the idea of Dr. David Bonner, CEO of the Retirement Systems of Alabama, which funded the trail to help expand tourism, recruit industry, attract retirees and ultimately boost the state’s economy.

The RTJ Trail is one of many things that have brought attention and millions of visitors to this warm and charming state. Things like the mouthwatering barbeque ribs at the iconic and original Dreamland Cafe in Tuscaloosa’s Jerusalam Heights; the highly popular sport of NASCAR; being the home of such sports greats as ‘Hammerin’ Hank Aaron, the ‘Brown Bomber’ Joe Louis and the ‘Say Hey Kid’ Willie Mays; and is a hotbed of college football with the Crimson Tide of the University of Alabama and Auburn’s Tigers. Their football stadiums alone are worth seeing. The Crimson Tide’s home field seats over 101,000.

Since opening over 20 years ago, the RTJ Trail has been more than a hit with over 10 million rounds of golf played on these courses which has helped increase the state’s tourism dollars from $2.5 billion to over $9 billion annually. It would be a chore to play all 26 courses on one visit but Ross Bridge, which has hosted the Regions Charity Classic, a PGA Champions Tour event, is definitely a good place to start.

On arriving at the first tee of this 8,191-yard monster, the starter’s welcoming speech was memorable. “Gentlemen,” he said with a southern drawl, “I wholeheartedly suggest you play this course from a distance best suited to your game. Each hole has five tee areas,” he said, and began pointing them out. “Up there is your forward tees, then the whites, the orange, the red and back there,” he said, pointing to the very back black tee area, “that’s just stupid.” Our foursome chuckled. He also pointed out that the course is over a mile longer playing from the tips as opposed to playing it from the forward tees.

Right from the start you’ll be glad to have spent a few moments on the practice range as the first hole is a par 5, with a fairway bunker on 30

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the right and water on the left. You’ll need a straight tee shot over a slight knoll which blocks out your view of the green. However, once over the knoll you will clearly see how the course opens up and where to play your next shot. The green is elevated with large bunkers guarding the front. For most players it is three shots to get there. Elevated greens guarded by large sand bunkers in front is a familiar characteristic of Jones’ design style and is prominent throughout the trail courses.

Water, you will find, is significant around Ross Bridge. Ten holes play along the banks of two lakes connected by a long, narrow waterfall between greens nine and eighteen. In fact, holes two through four have water. The 4th is particularly interesting.

The yardage from the back tee is 226 yards but again pick your distance because the ball flight is over water with a bit of a bail out area to the right. To the right of the green is a pump house with a large water wheel which adds a nice scenic touch.

The 9th is another intimidating water hole. With a small lake all down the left side, don’t let the beauty of this hole distract you from a solid tee shot up the right centre. This is a par 4 that measures 518 yards from the tips but plays longer into the wind.

From the third level tees, it measures 377 yards.

Before you tee off on the inward nine of this parkland setting, drink in the warmth of the afternoon and listen to the unmistakable hum of the cicadas (Latin for tree cricket). Although they are found in many parts of North America, they just seem to be more engrained in this southern environment.

The 10th, at 387 yards from the white tees, is a slight dogleg to the right. It’s a challenge for the average golfer with a second shot uphill to a raised green which is well bunkered in front. A bit of advice here. Take one more club for that second shot.

The 11th hole is another tough par 3. It has a false front and closely mown collection areas. If you miss the putting surface, making par becomes much more difficult.

The 13th hole, a long par 5 downhill, has one of several elevation changes you’ll find on this track, is topped out at 698 yards from the back tee. However, again don’t let the yardage fool you if you are long off the tee. Long hitters do have a chance to reach the green in two and lots of room for others to lay up and pitch on for a birdie chance.

Water comes into the equation on four of the last five holes.

The finishing hole is a real corker. With the hotel high behind the green as a backdrop, your tee shot is a forced carry over water.

There are fairway bunkers to contend with off the tee so shot placement is essential on this dogleg right hole. The water also curls up along the right side of the fairway and around the green making your second shot into the green a bit testy.

RIGHT PAGE ClOCkwIsE FROM TOP: Capitol Hill; Oxmoor Valley; Grand National.

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One thing I particularly liked about this course was the variety. Every hole seemed to have its individual attraction. It is also reasonably priced for a course of this calibre. Greens fees range between $90 and $125. The Renaissance Resort, with all its quality amenities, is actually a good place to be based for a golf vacation in the central part of Alabama. About two miles from Ross Bridge is Oxmoor Valley which has three, 18-hole courses where green fees range from $40 to $62.

And within a two-hour drive of the resort there are several other RTJ Trail sites such as Capitol Hill in Prattville which has three courses, named Senator, Judge and Legislator, and all over 7,400 yards. The Senator hosted the LPGA event, the Yokohama Tire Classic in September.

The Judge course also had some notes of interest. It has been deemed to be the toughest test on the trail with lots of water and challenge. To the southeast of Oxmoor, in Opelika, the site of Auburn University there is the 54-hole golf offering at Grand National. Jones remarked that this was “the single greatest site for a golf complex ever.�

There are approximately 140 courses accessible to the public in this state and a lot of good golf to be played here. So grip it, rip and enjoy Sweet Home Alabama. www.rtjgolf.com 32

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RIGHT PAGE ClOCkwIsE FROM TOP: Ross Bridge; Ross Bridge Hotel & spa; Ross Bridge Hole No. 8.

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Style ★ Vacations

Portofino, celebrated once more

IWC Schaffhausen takes yet another journey into stylish travel through the lens of Peter Lindbergh. by bE N N y T E O P h OTO g r a P h y by P E T E r L i N d bE r g h, cO u rT E s y O f i Wc s c h a f f h au s E N.

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3 years ago, we follow the journey of famous fashion

photographer Peter Lindbergh in our pages, to the Italian province of Genoa, and within it, Portofino. His arrival, together with a cast of celebrated figures threw a glamorous glow to an otherwise peaceful fishing village. Early in May 2014, he returned, and in true sartorial fashion, decked up five of Hollywood’s finest actors in tuxedos and elegant gowns and filmed them strolling through the magnificent gardens of the former abbey La Cervara, watching fisher boats gently rocking in the harbour, and taking a ride on a majestic Riva motorboat.

Their lively chatter nearly concealed that in fact they were in the middle of a photoshoot for IWC Schaffhausen’s new Portofino Midsize watches. Double-Oscar winners Cate Blanchett and Christoph Waltz alongside Hollywood stars Ewan McGregor, Emily Blunt, and Zhou Xun seemingly effortlessly transformed the fishing village into a modern yet nostalgic, enchanting yet simple, luxurious yet pleasantly reserved world in which the new Portofino Midsize collection finally claims its stake.

Just one day earlier on the same spot, supermodels Karolina Kurkova and Adriana Lima had also been the subject of Peter Lindbergh’s camera exclusively for IWC Schaffhausen.

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THE PHOTOGRAPHER: PETER LINDBERGH

Creativity, feelings, emotions – attributes that are inherently linked to the fine work of Peter Lindbergh, and qualities that the artist evidently shares with IWC Schaffhausen. This is why, as a matter of course, the legendary German photographer and the Swiss watch manufacturer have joined forces yet again in a project that captures, condenses and conflates the sophisticated elegance of Portofino watches in a collection of remarkable pictures. Lindbergh first shot pictures of IWC’s Friends of the Brand wearing Portofino watches in 2010. The result was a set of exquisite black and white tints that wowed both watch and fashion enthusiasts. Seemingly with ease, the photographer once again this year makes his protagonists appear gentle, uncomplicated and true to themselves without misguided glamour or false ambition.

THE ACTORS CATE BLANCHETT

The Australian actress recently starred as Jasmine in Woody Allen’s “Blue Jasmine”, which earned her Best Actress awards at the Academy Awards, the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), the Golden Globe and the BAFTA Awards. As an IWC Friend of the Brand who is dedicated to the world of cinema and theatre, Blanchett supports filmmakers all over the world and as a jury member handed over the IWC Filmmaker Award

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at the Dubai International Film Festivals 2012 and 2013.

Cate posed for Peter Lindbergh both this year and during the last photo shoot in Portofino in 2010.

EMILY BLUNT

The British actress is this year’s new ambassador for IWC Schaffhausen and her subtle elegance ideally embody the spirit of the new Portofino Midsize watches. Blunt rose to international prominence in films such as “The Devil Wears Prada”. Most recently she appeared alongside Tom Cruise in the science fiction thriller “Edge of Tomorrow”. In addition to her Golden Globe Award win for the BBC television movie “Gideon’s Daughter”, Blunt was nominated for three additional Golden Globe Awards as well as two BAFTA Awards, and two British Independent Film Awards.

ZHOU XUN

IWC Schaffhausen named Zhou Xun a new Friend of the Brand at the Beijing International Film Festival 2014.

The Chinese actress and singer represents not only splendid charm and refinement, but as a member of the Young Global Leaders elected by the World Economic Forum 2011 and as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme she also stands for dedication and progress. All of these qualities are reflected in the essence of the new Portofino Midsize watches. She made her Hollywood debut in 2012 in “Cloud Atlas”, alongside Tom Hanks and Halle Berry.

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CHRISTOPH WALTZ

Coming from a family with a theatre background, Christoph Waltz shares a great interest with the Swiss luxury watch manufacturer: The love of cinema. Hence, it was at IWC’s “For the love of cinema” event in Cannes, 2013, where Waltz first announced his passion for the brand. The Austrian-German actor is best known for his collaboration with American filmmaker Quentin Tarantino. As Hans Landa in “Inglourious Basterds” he received great acclaim from critics and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award.

EWAN MCGREGOR

Ewan McGregor first appeared at the SIHH in 2012 when he visited the Top Gun-themed event by IWC Schaffhausen. Thereafter, the Scottish actor continues his deep appreciation for the brand and its dedication to film art. At the exclusive “Inside the Wave” gala event during the SIHH in January 2014, he narrated in a colourful and extraordinary stage designed especially for IWC by Cirque du Soleil. A multi-faceted actor, he has played a heroin-addict (Trainspotting), a Jedi-master (Star Wars Episode 1), and a singing writer (Moulin Rouge) with ease and charm.

www.iwc.com

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WATCH & The 19th

WONDER The world of horology as exemplified in the form of the thirteen maisons that make up the Watches and Wonders show.

By Be n n y t e o

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Crowds throng in Hong Kong this late Monday morning.

The date is September 29 and the usually bustling areas of Wan Chai and Central are unusually quiet. Cars are few and far between but people still walk the streets, albeit with many bearing a yellow ribbon across their left breast. Today marks the start of the largest peaceful demonstration in the city that at its peak, will have numbered more than 100,000 decked out in Central, Admiralty and Mongkok.

This was supposed to be Hong Kong’s Golden Week national holiday and crowds were expected to throng the glitzy show that is the second installment of the Watches and Wonders exhibition featuring thirteen of the world’s finest watch brands with four amazingly rich days of haute horlogerie and elaborately decorated pop-up event booths representing each brand’s distinct and unique DNA. “There are some customers who decide not to come due to the uncertainty of the situation, our staff went out for dinner last night and couldn’t get a taxi to return and had to walk back. Coming from Germany, we are used to protests,” responds Jens Henning Koch, Montblanc’s executive vice-president of marketing humorously when we met him at the show.

But the exhibitors are unfazed by the seeming difficult situation surrounding the Hong Kong Conventions and Exhibition Centre, and with those who did arrive, numbering 16,000 including 800 journalists, they enjoyed a spectacular display of intricately built showrooms right down to collections of world’s firsts launched by the maisons exclusively at this event.

For those in the know, this collection of watchmakers hold an annual show in Geneva, Switzerland every April called the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie, or SIHH in short. Celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2015, this prestigious international watch fair sees mainly trade visitors looking to make orders for the coming year but there had been nothing for the individual consumer, especially those in Asia. At least until last year.

Watches & Wonders 2013 began right here at the Hong Kong Conventions and Exhibition Centre, bringing both technical perfection and high jewellery to the Far East. A unique event where access to consumers is key, these four days represents an opportunity to behold and own rare and unique timepieces, some of which are launched particularly to fit this event.

From the get-go, it is clear the Hong Kong authorities and brand principals place high premium on staging this event. Baggage claim screens at the airport, billboards and banners on lampposts, even trams zipping through the streets – all heralded Watches & Wonders 2014 in beautiful blue around Hong Kong.

In her opening speech, Fabienne Lupo, Chairwoman and Managing Director of the Geneva-based Fine Watchmaking Foundation, organiser of the event, stressed the paramount importance of this event. “We aspire to send fine watchmaking across continents, generations and cultures,” she said, “to transmit our passion, to impart our knowledge, to share all the richness of what we do. But it is important to remember that exchange is always a two-way street. We are also here to deepen our ties in Asia, to know our clientele better and to learn as well.”

This process of exchange led many of the exhibiting maisons to notice women’s growing appreciation for fine watchmaking and to create timepieces specifically suited to their taste and needs. For their part, the men’s collections displayed an unparalleled mastery of horological complications. Nearly every booth featured a master artisan or craftsman demonstrating technique, tradition and talent, and here, we showcase the key highlights.

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“But the exhibitors are unfazed by the seeming difficult situation surrounding the Hong Kong Conventions and Exhibition Centre, and with those who did arrive, numbering 16,000 including 800 journalists, they enjoyed a spectacular display of intricately built showrooms right down to collections of world’s firsts launched by the maisons exclusively at this event.”

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A. LAnge & SOHne

The German watchmaker from Glashutte survived multiple wars and cultural revolutions throughout the 20th century. It is unique in the way that it encapsulates tradition and modernity with a touch of class. This is most appropriately represented by the limited edition Lange 1 “20th Anniversary” timepiece launched during the fair.

Significantly, the Lange 1 was first introduced 20 years ago at the brand’s first wristwatch collection in Dresden on 24 October 1994, where consumers and media around the world first caught eye on its emblematic large date design on a classic dial. In its contemporary evolution, those key elements remain but with a symbolic allusion to balance, harmony and couples spending time together as envisioned by the Lange 1 and Little Lange 1, launched as 20 paired sets and subtly expressed by the handengraved “20” on the balance cock.

AudemArS Piguet

One of the most popular watch brand, certainly in Asia, Audemars Piguet’s entry into Watches and Wonders is something to look forward to. Taking centrestage for the first time, is newly appointed General Manager of Southeast-Asia Antonio Seward, who is more than happy to introduce himself, as well as the newly launched Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Tourbillon Chronograph to visitors at the booth.

When the Royal Oak Offshore was first launched back in 1993, it established an entire new category of sports watch with its bold 42mm case that is virtually indestructible. Then, in 2010, it released the first Royal Oak Offshore Tourbillon Chronograph featuring a hand-wound movement and case incorporating forged carbon and ceramic. At Watches and Wonders, its latest incarnation was born, featuring a selfwinding Calibre 2897 mechanism comprising of 335 parts seen in all its glory through a sapphire crystal caseback protected by forged carbon in the middle of the case, ceramic for the bezel, titanium and ceramic for the push buttons and a rubber strap. It is truly an exceptional blend of traditional watchmaking savoir faire and high tech thinking.

JAeger-LeCOuLtre

There were many key points to note Jaeger-LeCoultre’s arrival at Watches and Wonders. Apart from showcasing their artistic collection known as Hybris Artistica, they also launched a high jewellery version of one of their most complicated timepieces, the Master Grande Tradition Grande Complication, limited to 8 pieces.

Set with 294 baguette-cut diamonds to the tune of 19.8 carats, the movement features a flying orbital tourbillon that makes one revolution around the dial every hour, as well as a minute repeater.

The dial is a star chart indicating the Northern Hemisphere, with zodiac, day and month of the annual calendar displayed. The theme of high complication extends to women as well, with the Rendez-Vous Ivy Minute Repeater with the company’s trademark snow-set technique to placing diamonds. While 548 diamonds may sparkle and seduce, it does not forget that it is the maison’s first minute repeater for women, with its own caliber 942A beating at 28,000 vibrations per hour with a 43-hour power reserve. A final touch of feminity occurs when the crystal gongs are sounded by two patented trebuchet hammers that is warm, rich yet soft.

mOntbLAnC

Jens Henning Koch, Executive Vice President, Marketing, Montblanc International was at hand to welcome as you step into the German luxury marque’s booth, which focuses on the craft of watchmaking where one can see the balance spring and key elements of the watches on display. Among them, are two new exquisite timepieces, the Metamorphosis II, Homage to Nicolas Rieussec.

The Metamorphosis II represents the highest order of craftsmanship by their workshops in Villeret, and is so called ‘Metamorphosis’ due to its concept of overlaid dials that open majestically like a theatre curtain switching between a classic timepiece and chronograph. The Nicolas Rieussec chronograph is a true joy to behold, harking back to 1821 when the ‘timewriter’ was first used at the Paris Champs de Mars horse race. In the day, an elegant horse can be seen in full gallop outlined in black at 6 o’clock and at night, it brightens in full luminosity together with the numerals on the dial. Two very different, yet beautifully crafted timepieces from the German luxury maison.

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“This process of exchange led many of the exhibiting maisons to notice women’s growing appreciation for fine watchmaking and to create timepieces specifically suited to their taste and needs.”

CArtier

Decked in full red regalia atypical of the maison, Cartier at Watches and Wonders is as inviting as their popular red-uniformed soldiers standing regally still, yet beckoning visitors to enter into its warm luxury. It is very common to see women in here, where it is easily the most glamourous venue of the entire show.

The star of the show is easily the astonishingly beautiful high jeweler piece adorned with 395 brilliant-cut diamonds featuring the iconic panther – the Cartier Panthere au Claire de Lune. Celebrating the midnight sonata of Claude Debussy, it showcases a movement that allows the big cat, seen reclining on a branch, to sway gently back and forth across the dial in time with the rotor; a clever functioning oscillating weight that winds the watch.

To further imbue a sense of wanton luxury, its branches are made of pink gold and leaves in green jasper.

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PiAget

Probably the most expensive showcase in the entire exhibition is located at Piaget. With a special dark room with its own security, this is where Piaget houses all their exceptional high jewellery pieces like the Emperador Coussin Tourbillon Diamond-Set Automatic Skeleton. Taking gem setting to the extreme, this timepiece combines two specialties of Piaget, gem setting and ultra-thin movements with the self-winding caliber inside at just 5.71mm high. 2,150 diamonds pepper the case, bracelet and bridges of the skeletonised movement totalling 44.4 carats encased in an 18k gold case and bracelet, while the movement bridges and base plate are in harder 14k gold, necessary to maintain structure of the movement.

And speaking of ultra thin, the Piaget Altiplano Skeleton with an enamel dial is a remarkable innovation in ulta thin watches with all the bridges, balance wheel, screws and mainspring all brought forward to full glory, all within a 2.4mm thin 1200S movement.

With the case in white gold, the watch is only 5.34mm thick. Finally, they have the world’s thinnest high jewelry watch, the Piaget 900P in white gold with 71 baguette cut diamonds (2.6 ct) and 296 brilliant cut diamonds (2.0 ct) in a 38mm ultra thin dress watch.

rOger dubuiS

At this year’s event, Roger Dubuis has adopted a fantastical dream world to surprise visitors. The brainchild of creative director Alvaro Maggini, responsible for the ubiquitous four worlds concept, the brand’s DNA and its multiple interpretations espousing intellectual and abstract fantasies were brought to life as one enters their space. New to the show for the Manufacture Roger Dubuis, 2014 brings a unique focus on its reinvigorated Hommage collection representing the quintessence of its incredible mechanics. Maggini’s development of the Hommage collection actually began in January 2013, which goes to show how forward thinking the company is. Unveiled for the very first time at Watches & Wonders 2014, the Hommage Minute Repeater represents a true horological masterpiece that visitors to the show can discover for the very first time.

bAume et merCier

Romance and the promise of eternal love resides at Baume et Mercier at this year’s Watches and Wonders show, espoused by the cozy, home-like environment and spacious rooms for visitors to engage in. A special focus this year features the emblematic watches that have marked the maison’s history. These included the gold pocket watch Melina Baume received from his father, Louis-Victor Baume in 1869, but also La Marquise on a “bangle” bracelet, the futuristic Galaxie, the subtle Etrier watch, the very trendy Catwalk and the versatile Linea, each representing its era.

However, the key product and theme here is the new female collection called Promesse that features an oval, mother-of-pearl bezel nestled inside a soft, round case. This 14-piece collection includes both 30mm and 34mm sizes in both steel and two-tone 18K red gold. Available with or without diamonds, the collection also includes both quartz and automatic models on a bracelet or leather strap. A fine touch that visitors, especially couples revel in, sees an engraver present to seal messages on the back case of the watch when they purchase one. Additionally, there is a Promesse Wall where messages can be sealed in a padlock, signifying the longevity of promises made. Hong Kong celebrity couple Ada Choi and Max Zhang did theirs, together with 600 other messages.

iWC

Always a pleasure to behold, IWC Schaffhausen’s concept this year is to portray the glamourous interior of a grand mansion.

Once you enter, you are greeted by tall, lanky models in stylish gown on each side of a pair of curling stairs. Showcases of the brand’s latest collections peppered on all sides with giant posters of celebrities decked in black tuxedos exuding charm with the Portofino Midsize collection. A certain beauty resides here and rightly so, with these images taken by fashion photographer Peter Lindbergh sliding smoothly with the rest of the decor.

“The Portofino Midsize collection responds to a current market trend, but at the same time draws on our past,” says Goris Verburg, Director Marketing & Communication IWC Schaffhausen, referring to IWC’s history. Numerous variations of watches with smaller cases, diamond set bezels and mother of pearl dials have been a feature throughout the company’s 146 year history and for the better part of 20 years, most of the Portofino watches sold were midsize models, thus reflecting a long tradition and wide international market for the Portofino collection.

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riCHArd miLLe

A glass sculpture welcomes visitors to this luxurious space adorned with ebony, leather, glass and steel, and an atmosphere of calm refinement. The house of Richard Mille has developed its reputation as a uniquely strong and stylish watches for the creme de la creme, and at this year’s showcase, they released some of the most sought after pieces in the RM56-02 and RM57-01. The first comes with a transparent case made from sapphire crystal offers a 360-degree view of its cable-suspended tourbillon movement and a price tag of over US$2 million dollars, while the other is certain to sell out all 15 of its limited pieces before the end of the show.

The RM57-01 Phoenix and Dragon-Jackie Chan is emblazoned with both mystical creatures delicately handcrafted from 3N rose golf. Special miniature tools needed to be made for the specific artistry required in the physical realization of these two creatures. To increase the realism of these special animals, a long and painstaking process of hand-finished micro painting was executed, also including the unseen parts of these two marvelous entities. Also new are ladies edition featuring the RM 19-01 Natalie Portman and RM 51-01 Tiger and Dragon Michelle Yeoh, and something that will certainly interest golfers worldwide; the new RM 38-01 G-Sensor in Augusta green celebrating Bubba Watson’s double triumphs there.

VACHerOn COnStAntin

Vacheron Constantin’s booth is as understated as it is magnificent. To begin with, they have brought their Atelier Cabinotiers to Watches & Wonders where customers can customize their timepiece to almost every possible detail. But there is more. To the passing observer, nothing seems totally abnormal about their showcase; there is of course the new Metiers d’Art series to lust after but look closer and a hidden passage fronted by two comely hostesses reveals itself.

Patrimony, The Essence of Pureness. The 260-year-old icon exhibits in all its splendour, including the sub collections of Patrimony Contemporaine and Patrimony Traditionnelle with advanced sound and light displays further drawing visitors into its world. One is slowly brought to the realization that they have entered a new chapter to this historical world, now separating “Patrimony” and “Traditionelle” into two distinct collections altogether, drawing a line between tradition and modern dynamism as evidenced by the Traditionnelle World Time Collection Excellence Platine. A hallmark world timer, limited to 100 pieces, it is capable of displaying 37 world times thanks to its patented movement that accounts for time zones offset by 15 or 30 minutes and has been given the full platinum treatment, including case, dial, folding clasp, and even the stitching on the alligator strap. www.watchesandwonders.com

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The 19th

Trodden Temples & Streets Siem Reap’s Angkor Archaeological Park presents a unique charm and an exploration that brings back more than 1,000 years of culture.

- BY S u S a n n a Lo

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main image: View of angkor Wat temple inset: a face tower at Bayon temple

Bouncing on the back of a Tuk-Tuk, with the dust of the road blowing gently across our faces, we began our journey to visit the 8th Wonder of the World, Angkor Wat Temple in the Angkor Archaeological Park.

Fiercely protected by the UNESCO World Heritage organization, the 400 square kilometres site contains more than 30 temples, some approximately 900 years old, as well as other ancient architecture of timeless beauty and magnificence.

It all began when the conqueror King Jayavarman II united the lesser kingdoms of ancient Khmer and declared himself supreme ruler sometime around 790 A.D. With the birth of a civilisation comes the requisite dedication to various deities, and thus the conqueror king and his successors began building works that would eventually culminate in the largest religious monument ever built in the history of mankind, the Angkor Wat Temple.

Famed for being the finest example of classical Khmer architecture, the bas-reliefs that cover the walls of the enclosure of Angkor Wat are breathtaking to say the least, demonstrating both Indian and Thai influences upon early Khmer culture with a total of 600 meters worth of narrative carvings depicting divine tales of warfare to religious rites and even the after-life.

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Within the main temple, there are nearly 2,000 exquisitely carved Apsaras (“angels�) that have been beautifully preserved despite weathering time, plunder and war. The finest carvings are along the South Gallery in the West section depicting the Hindu legend of Mahabharata, where the battle of Kurukshetra is in full swing. The magnificent king Jayavarman II is in pride of place in the centre of the mural accompanied by royals, soldiers and mercenaries with their accoutrements in varying expressions of beauty, aggression, fear and barbarism.

My personal favourite is the mural depicting the heavens and hells, located in the East section of the South Gallery. The saints are borne sedately to a heaven full of kindly Apsaras, while the sinners are tumbled down a trapdoor, judged and then tortured in horrible and imaginative ways.

Our visit was in October, which was just before the end of the rainy season so the crowds of tourists have not yet arrived, making for an enjoyable and leisurely exploration but it also meant we had to make the most of our mornings before the rain came. Most guidebooks recommend visiting one big temple and two smaller ones as a good start and so we went to the Bayon next, a complex temple made up of gigantic face towers that emerges out of the rubble, looming over visitors.

Their sheer size and stern gazes can be overwhelming and gave me the disconcerting feeling that they were judging me as I walked past, weighing up the good and bad deeds in my Karmic account. The murals here, in contrast with those in Angkor Wat, also depict everyday life in the 13th century. We saw carvings of a buffalo taken to sacrifice and peasants stewing a deer carcass in a pot.

this page, from top: mural at the hall of dancers; sleeping Buddha statue at angkor Wat temple. opposite page, from top: spa therapist; Deluxe room; Costumed dancer at anantara hotel; at the heart of anantara resort; spice spoons cooking class.

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The hotel dĂŠcor is a mix of modern simplicity and traditional opulence, which inspired some luxurious and wanton loafing when we got back in the mid afternoon heat.

By then, we were tired out from our travels and so we returned to our hotel, the Anantara Angkor Resort & Spa. Located along National Route no. 6, the Anantara is a boutique property styled like a grand Khmer private villa. Our rather handsome suite was perched on the second floor overlooking the dark blue pool surrounded by gleaming wooden decking. The hotel decor is a mix of modern simplicity and traditional opulence, which inspired some luxurious and wanton loafing when we got back in the mid afternoon heat.

Dinner was served at the hotel’s Sothea restaurant where we sampled some famed local dishes. The fresh and spicy salad of pomelo, mango and arrowroot was deliciously refreshing for starters and after a full day of walking, the Fish Amok with its light yellow curry broth and stewed fish in fragrant coconut milk was just what we needed. While we were enjoying our meal, beautifully dressed dancers in sparkling costumes came and gave a traditional Khmer dance performance depicting scenes from cultural fables, bringing to life some of the historical depictions that we have earlier seen; It was particularly charming to see the dancers in Apsara costumes, seemingly unchanged from those depicted on the murals on Angkor Wat temple.

As expected, the heavens opened in the evening. Thankfully, at the Anantara, there are indoor activities like Khmer cooking classes, yoga sessions and spa treatments to keep us happily occupied. With tired temple legs and sore mural gazing necks, no surprises we checked ourselves into the private recluse of the Anantara Spa for some holistic pampering. Three spa suites that come with attached outdoor Jacuzzi and rain shower, two massage rooms including another for Golf Vacations

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With the birth of a civilisation comes the requisite dedication to various deities, and thus the conqueror king and his successors began building works that would eventually culminate in the largest religious monument ever built in the history of mankind, the Angkor Wat Temple.

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foot reflexology, a wellness relaxation area, and a rooftop garden for yoga complete this heavenly respite. Facials, scrubs and wraps are offered but I chose the traditional Khmer massage which was bliss.

The next day, we organised a biking tour with Grasshopper Adventures for a half-day city and temple excursion. The tour guide took us through the busy city streets (note that an experienced guide is absolutely necessary to navigate city traffic) and back into the Archaeological Park where we were yesterday.

We stopped off at Angkor Wat for a second visit, had lunch at one of the temple hawkers, then began the more adventurous part of our tour and cycled through the jungle to Ta Prohm temple, also known as the Jungle temple. Ta Prohm is not fully restored and only has minimal support structures to preserve the romantic atmosphere of its half ruined state, similar to how it looked when it was first discovered. It was built by Jayavarman VII as a temple monastery and is believed to have been built to transfer the king’s karmic merit to his mother.

The murals here are less impressive as age and decay have washed out most of the detail, but the imperfect carvings half obscured by moss and framed by strangler figs have an unearthly quality to them and are in my opinion, more stunningly beautiful in its originality. Enormous roots of the silk-cotton trees have claimed half of the temple and they are now so melded into the structure, it is no longer the temple that is supporting the trees but the other way around.

Mercifully the rains held off so after a quick change we took the hotel car into Siem Reap town for some dinner and shopping. We hit retail therapy first. There are a few markets in central Siem Reap but the biggest is the Old Market, which is a huge covered area with stalls selling silk scarves, souvenirs, cheap silver and wood and metal statuettes.

Left page: grasshopper adventures biking tour. this page CLoCkWise from Left: ta nei temple; ta prohm temple; Carving of king suryavarman ii at angkor Wat temple; an apsara bas-relief.

BeLoW: a stall at the old market.

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Although the stalls mostly cater to the tourist trade, the innermost section still has stalls selling fruit and vegetables, spices and other foodstuffs for locals. Pub Street with its lively neon lights and bright dance beats is the haunt of the activeminded and lies right in the middle of this district. We walked up a side street parallel to Pub Street and found the more up-market boutiques in ‘The Passage’.

There was a beautiful jewellery shop with Cambodian designer jewellery, herbal remedy shops, as well as an art gallery where we found gorgeous photos of Angkor Wat in different sized prints.

As for food, we were spoilt for choice. Siem Reap has some topnotch restaurants that offer both international and local fare. Khmer cuisine is influenced

by French as well as other Asian cultures such as Chinese, Thai and Indian. Since everyone agreed that Abacus serves the best French cuisine we decided to try there. The restaurant decor is sleek modern French with a nod to its South Asian 56

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ABOVE: Abacus Terrace.

RIGHT PAGE fROm TOP : french style cakes at the Upstairs Cafe; Cafe Gourmand at Abacus Restaurant.

UsefUl links Anantara Angkor Resort & Spa www.anatara.com tel: +855 63966788 email: angkor@anantara.com Grasshopper Adventures www.grasshopperadventures.com tel: (+855) 12 462 165 The Garden of Desire, the Passage gardenofdesire-asia.com Bodia Spa Shop, the Passage www.bodia-spa.com McDermott Gallery, the Passage www.asiaphotos.net Abacus Restaurant, Garden & Bar, tel: (+855) 63763660 email: abacusrestaurant@gmail.com The Sugar Palm Restaurant & Bar tel: (+855) 63964838 email: thesugarpalm@hotmail.com Upstairs CafĂŠ tel: (+855) 97 304 3600 email: upstairscambodia@yahoo.com

location with a garden outside for smart cocktails. We dined and wined on French classics of duck confit and braised lamb shank and both were delicious.

On our last day, we decided to sample modern Khmer cuisine for lunch at the Sugar Palm which served Amoks, satays, grilled meats and a killer mojito.

For dessert, we wandered over to the Upstairs Cafe, a quaint little corner offering English teas and French homemade cakes.

To sample a taste of the Archaeological Park as well as the attractions of Siem Reap town, a three-day visit might be sufficient, depending on the season. We were told the queues to get into the Park can take up to two to three hours during peak season so budget a longer stay during the dry months. If you do visit in the wet season, try to be flexible and plan for other activities for those rainy, lazy afternoons. With some judicious planning, there’s really no risk of dull moments on a visit to Siem Reap.

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Destination Focus

Distinctively

Malacca Malaysia’s historical state boasts more than just picturesque greens and its abundance of cultural marvels never ceases to amaze, even for a local.

- BY Da rYl loY

Memories of sitting in the quadrangle -

a rectangular assembly area - of my alma mater still resonate from time to time, the sight of the majestic upper third of the then new Hotel Equatorial from the school’s compound still a vivid recollection. Malacca was a tad more peaceful then, with fewer hotels to choose from and not nearly as many shopping destinations. But its historical and gastronomical wealth was ever present.

The state’s unique culinary offerings and heritage sites have been drawing tourists from across the globe into the doors of the Equatorial, one of the first five-star chain hotels in town, for years.

And those who dined at K5, the hotel’s street bistro, over the weekdays would have found their experience somewhat peculiar, if not interesting. Steps leading out of the bistro’s al fresco area allowed guests to take a stroll into town after a meal but if lunch was what they just had, chances are they had to go back into hotel and exit via the main entrance instead.

Five schools were erected within the vicinity prior to Hotel Equatorial, one of which is the neighbouring St Francis Institution where five years of my teenage life were spent. Students of the 58

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Left Page: twin icons of Malacca, the trishaw and Christ Church. this Page: street art on buildings along the Melaka river.

135-year-old La Salle school, with its historical architecture an attraction of its own, often gathered at the spot now occupied by the hotel to wait for their buses alongside their peers from surrounding schools. And as the rest of Malacca suggests, traditions die hard in a state blessed with so many.

Since those early years, a host of new hotels have sprouted all over the town centre wanting to cash in on Malacca’s growing crowd of tourists but Hotel Equatorial was always something special to the kids who gathered at the steps of K5, gazing at the corner of Jalan Merdeka which was back then flanked by a relatively empty skyline, and longing for the sight of their ride home. We could only imagine the luxury within as it teases us in, but while we couldn’t back then, I certainly did now.

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“Since those early years, a host of new hotels have sprouted all over the town centre wanting to cash in on Malacca’s growing crowd of tourists but Hotel Equatorial was always something special to the kids who gathered at the steps of K5, gazing at the corner of Jalan Merdeka which was back then flanked by a relatively empty skyline, and longing for the sight of their ride home.”

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So, it was on this backdrop that added a sense of elation when I checked into the Equatorial for an event recently.

In spite of its age in the midst of a modernising Malacca, the hotel still manages to arouse the senses within with its grandiose and classy rooms that ranks among the best even by modern standards. Its five-star status has not lost its lustre, with the stay enhanced by gastronomical delights sampled at the hotel’s many eateries such as Kampachi and Seri Nyonya Peranakan Restaurant.

For more authentic Malaccan cuisine, Hotel Equatorial is strategically placed. Satay celup, chicken rice balls and cendol are all delicacies people throng the southern state for and well within walking distance. The A Famosa fortress and Stadhuys, both historical icons that often grace stamps and postcards, are also nearby. The latter brings you close to the famed Jonker Street, where more delicious treats such as Nyonya laksa, pineapple tarts and asam pedas await.

Left Page, CLOCKWise fROM tOP: shopping along the streets of Melaka; hard Rock Cafe, by the river; Perennial favourite, Chicken Rice Ball and Barbecue Pork. this Page, CLOCKWise fROM tOP: hotel equatorial Lobby; Club Lounge at holiday inn Malacca; Dining at holiday inn Malacca.

The nearby riverside landscape is a beautiful sight compared to the swampy mess it was over a decade ago and now boasts a modern touch thanks to the new Hard Rock Cafe, located right beside the famous Chung Wah chicken rice ball shop. It adds to the pedestrian-friendly area’s many go-to places for souvenirs and refreshments.

For air-conditioned shopping, head back to the town centre where Dataran Pahlawan and Mahkota Parade are located. They’re not quite as glitzy as the malls in Kuala Lumpur up north or Singapore down south, with fewer designer labels to choose from as well. But for a relatively small town, the availability of international brands such as H&M, Uniqlo and Victoria’s Secret, as well as the variety of shops, many of which have been redesigned recently for a pseudo high-street look, make for an interestingly shopping experience.

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as Hotel Equatorial, but on the far end overlooking the Straits of Malacca, is Holiday Inn. Once a newcomer threatening Equatorial’s monopoly of the city centre, Holiday Inn has struck a harmony with what seemed to be its rival – one housing guests in the heart of town and the other offering a more tranquil stay by the breezy seaside.

Holiday Inn lacks a beach to truly market itself as a seaside resort and the view has taken a hit by recent land reclamation works around the neighbouring jetty. But the coastal winds still hit the westward side of the hotel, while the other side offers a unique panoramic view of the city which is especially Instagramworthy come night time.

Its rooms differ largely from those in the Equatorial, with a mix of abstract patterns and modern furnishing giving the hotel a fresh, family-friendly persona. Its dining options may struggle to stand out but Holiday Inn makes up for it with a tranquil Balinese spa and gym overlooking the sea.

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this Page CLOCKWise fROM Left: Porta de santiago fort at a farmosa; ayer Keroh Country Club; Orna golf & Country Club.

Right Page: tiara Melaka golf & Country Club.

Stretch your vision further south and you will be able to pick out the silhouette of the Malacca Straits Mosque, fondly known as the state’s floating mosque. The road leading towards it is a visual spectacle for people of all religious backgrounds to appreciate as it passes through Melaka Raya, a district buzzing with life. Some of Malacca’s most popular restaurants and pubs can be found around here.

The sea sweeps into Klebang beach up north which can be accessed in less than 20 minutes from the town centre thanks to a new highway extension from the one that passes right in front of Holiday Inn. This is good news to the throngs of tourists dying for a taste of Malacca’s famed coconut shake.

What started out as a small stall in Klebang is now a massive establishment which also serves light Malay cuisine, catering to thousands each day.

Further up the road is the Seafarer restaurant where Peranakan-style seafood can be savoured. What makes this place interesting is its boatyard cum watersports village setting where some of the region’s most impressive yachts and fishing boats can be sighted here. Keep driving up north and you will hit the trunk roads leading to Port Dickson which many aspiring Formula drivers love; the sweeping curves and undulating terrain makes Monaco look plaid.

Those who prefer stress-free highway commutes can always revert to the usual Ayer Keroh route that also offers fun distractions in the form of Ayer Keroh Country Club, Tiara Melaka Golf & Country Club and Orna Golf & Country Club. Incidentally, they also represent the finest collection of 27 holes within 50 kilometres but only separated to each other by less than 10. Best of all, you do not need to make any detour whatsoever as they are along

the way into and out of town. From Ayer Keroh Golf Club, you are less than thirty minutes away from the town centre by car plus it’s a trip the entire family can make, with nearby attractions such as the Malacca Zoo and Crocodile Farm to keep the others entertained.

Located strategically near the main gateway into the historical state, Ayer Keroh’s attractions tease incoming visitors with what’s to come, and remind those heading out of what to come back for. This still rings true to locals like me. I still discover new gems with each visit despite spending the first 20 years of my life growing up in this idyllic state.

Its charm is everlasting, and offerings ever multiplying, and always wanting to come back for more. melaka.equatorial.com www.holidayinn.com/Melaka

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Destination Focus

Sotogrande's southern charm Nestled right in the cusp of Mediterranean breeze and sunshine is this southern Spanish golfing paradise.

- By To n y S m a rT

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“I’ve just seen the Rock of Gibraltar!” This may mean nothing to some but for those

OPENING PICTURE: La Reserva de Sotogrande Golf Club.

born and bred in the UK, it is the last territory in continental Europe that is still a living vestige of its past colonial glory. Large, and very eye-catching, countless bloody battles had been fought for its possession three centuries ago. Today, the Rock is still a bone of contention in Anglo-Spanish relations due to its strategic location dominating the narrow Straits of Gibraltar, which is the entrance and exit to the Mediterranean. And so the story goes.

On the golfing front though, this is where the current victorious European Solheim Cup captain Alison Nicholas was born 50 years ago and one may add that the uniting factor of the cup and her heritage as a born-in-Spain, bred-in-England leader has in some part, soothed the embers of discord between the two great nations. Although, one really needn’t go that far - Sotogrande is already a well-travelled hotspot for golf enthusiasts across Europe, including Britain.

And so, to the beautiful city of San Roque less than 20 kilometres south on the main A-7 road, where the ubiquitous sight of Gibraltar awaits. After savouring the aforementioned emotive view, there are countless other reasons to stay here. The historic Bull Ring, opened in 1853, comes to mind, where bullfights still rages twice a year and open air concerts play throughout to lighten the mood.

For fans of the old CB radios, San Roque contains the CB Museum which houses the largest collection of CB radios in the world, including one that was used in 1936 during the Spanish Civil War. Across the square from the Governor’s Mansion, there is the very beautiful Santa Maria la Coronada Church which was built in 1735 and has full of colourful religious icons and statues of Christ, the Virgin Mary, saints and angels, further imbuing the once Muslim region with historic character.

And when one has had enough of the local culture, there is the golf.

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“Home to some 99 holes with another 18 planned, and spread across five-and-a-half courses including Europe’s finest, Valderrama, the Spanish south begs to rival its Scottish cousins for supremacy in the world of golfing vacations, and yet offers something extraordinarily different.”

And it is very, very good. Home to some 99 holes with another 18 planned, and spread across five-anda-half courses including Europe’s finest, Valderrama, the Spanish south begs to rival its Scottish cousins for supremacy in the world of golfing vacations, and yet offers something extraordinarily different.

To begin, Almenara Golf Resort on the Sotogrande estate in Andalucia contains 27 holes, with Lakes, Pine Woods, and Cork Trees making three routes of nine and all designed by the noted Welsh architect and former Ryder Cup player Dave Thomas. Incidentally, Thomas also designed the Ryder Cup course at The Belfry in the UK, which last hosted the cup in 2002.

Each of the three measures around 3,000 metres, is par 36, and offers a completely different experience each time you mix them up. The routing begins and ends close to the Almenara Hotel and clubhouse, with impressive views of the Mediterranean and the mountains that surround the resort seen from many holes.

The names of the three nines are accurate notated with the Lakes playing around several bodies of water that confounds on five holes, most notably at the beautiful 183-metre, par 3 7th that calls for a complete carry across the lake. The Cork Trees has fairways surrounded by cork oaks, which are evergreen oak trees that fan out with low-hanging and thick branches. What this means is that stray balls flying into these pretty flora will require some adept skill at coming back out the fairway, let alone going for the green. The best hole on this nine, also the 7th, coincidentally, has the fewest corks. As a matter of fact, its guardian comes in the form of water straddling along its left until the hole doglegs leftwards for a short-iron approach over another, smaller lake to a very narrow green. A short par 4 at only 323 metres but certainly a tricky one.

Finally, the Pine Woods nine plays through forests of pine trees with nary a drop of water in sight. Its signature hole is the uphill par 3 4th which measures 197-metres from the back with a huge bunker hugging the entire left side of the green. Walking away with a three here will 66

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RIGHT PAGE: View of San Roque with the Rock of Gibraltar in centre background and mountains of Morocco behind; Almenara Vista; Almenara Resort Beach Club; Bullfight in San Roque.

make the golfer a source of clubhouse envy.

The 27 holes at Almenara were opened in 1998 but it is not the newest course on the Sotogrande estate. That honour lies with the La Reserva course, designed by Cabell Robinson and opened in 2004. Measuring 6,721 metres from the back tees, La Reserva is a beautiful par 72 divided into two loops of nine that, once again, start and finish at the magnificent clubhouse, which is itself located on a low hill overlooking much of the course.

Both loops feature heavy strategic bunkering, both fairway and greenside, and water that comes seriously into play on a total of six holes. There are avenues of trees and thick rough that befuddles, as well as clinging semi-rough topped with smooth, fast greens. If this is sounding a lot like Augusta National, its semblance, in terms of quality, cannot be understated.

On such a lovely course, there are numerous outstanding holes, the best of which is the monstrous par 3 6th measuring 222 metres from the back and plays slightly downhill to a long green surrounded both sides by water and bunkers on three.

After a round at La Reserva, relax in its beautiful red stone clubhouse reminiscent of a Moroccan-styled building. One might find themselves lost in thoughts of Marrakech and Casablanca as the Arabian theme is continued inside into the central courtyard bringing to mind that the whole region of Andalucia, as well as other parts of Spain and Portugal, were once governed by Moors (Muslims) from Morocco at various times between 711 AD and 1492 AD. Coming back to the 21st century and set within the palatial complex of the clubhouse are five multi-functional rooms with an English bar, another drink hole, two dining rooms, TV room, a fitness centre, and a large terrace overlooking the golf course.

Other courses nearby consist of the 5,917 metre par 71 La Canada layout, with nine holes designed by Thomas and nine by Robert Trent Jones Snr.; the 6,304 metre par 72 Real Club de Golf Sotogrande, which is Trent Jones Snr.’s first European design; and of course the incredible Valderrama, also by the maestro.

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Add another two at the San Roque Golf & Country Club and two more at the Alcaidesa Links Golf Resort makes the southern part of Spain a veritable paradise for golfers. No wonder European Tour stalwart Miguel Angel Jimenez proclaims, “Want to play golf? Come to Andalucia!”

All these courses are within easy reach of the Almenara Hotel, a perfect base for a golf holiday in the area. Part of the NH group which also owns golf resorts Donnafugata in Sicily and Hesperia Lanzarote in the Canaries, Almenara is spread over several buildings with the main complex 68

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RIGHT PAGE: La Reserva golf course with the Mediterranean beyond

holding the reception area, a large piano bar, meeting rooms and business centre, and, upstairs, the Gaia Restaurant where guests take breakfast from a wonderful buffet spread. When night falls, it becomes a fancy gourmet treat for diners looking to stay in.

The remainder of the hotel comprises a main swimming pool and children’s pool; the Veinteeocho Restaurant where golfers can have a gourmet lunch or snack after their rounds either inside or on the huge terrace overlooking the golf course; a large gym; and the Elysium Spa with indoor, heated hydrothermal pool, jacuzzi,

“Finally, the Pine Woods nine plays through forests of pine trees with nary a drop of water in sight. Its signature hole is the uphill par 3 4th which measures 197-metres from the back with a huge bunker hugging the entire left side of the green. Walking away with a three here will make the golfer a source of clubhouse envy.”

Finnish sauna, Turkish steam room, hammam, pebble path, and 10 treatment cabins where you can get a wide range of therapeutic massages.

Step out of the hotel and you’ll find a marina with two beach clubs for water revellers. There are also six polo fields and a riding school for those looking at equestrian as a pastime, but more pertinently perhaps, the Sotogrande Golf Academy to aid in game improvement so as to enjoy the most out of playing in a true golfing mecca as this.

www.hotelalmenara.com/en/golf-sports www.hotelalmenara.com/en/la-reserva-golf-club www.lacanadagolf.com www.golfsotogrande.com www.sanroqueclub.com www.golfalcaidesa.es www.valderrama.com

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The Interview Series

COLIN MONTGOMERIE

The 2010 Ryder Cup winning captain and eight-time European Order of Merit winner sits down for a little reflection with us at Aberdeen Asset Management’s corporate day out last November.

- By Be n n y T e o - P h oTo g r a P h y By Lu v i n L i m S P e c i a L T h a n k S To a Be r d e e n aS S e T m a n ag e m e n T fo r i n v i T i n g u S To T h e g o L f day a n d o r g a n i z i n g o u r T i m e w i T h m o n T y.

It was a significant time for various reasons.

First of all, a week after this, the last Barclays Singapore Open would begin here at Sentosa. Secondly, the premiere of that latest Bond flick, ‘Skyfall’ happens to be today.

“I’ve just decided I’m going to watch the Bond film this weekend because I won’t be able to when I get home,” says Colin Montgomerie who is the subject of our interest for the rest of the day at the Aberdeen Asset Management Colin Montgomerie Golf Day. This is a particularly private event with the Scotland-based international asset management hosting only 40 golfers. Monty, as he is more affectionately known, has been an ambassador for the last five years and travels around the globe to conduct clinics, regaling his storied life and experiences to key clients of the company. When we met, he was on to the 5th of a 5-year deal with the company.

“This is my fourth Aberdeen Asset Day. We were at Tokyo, Sydney, Melbourne then back up here to Singapore and I’m on a 5-week trip away from home,” he confesses, adding, “I haven’t done any laundry yet because staying one night in a hotel room doesn’t give you enough time to get the laundry done and returned.

For instance, here I’ve got St Regis one night, Fullerton Bay one night, Shangri-La one night, talk about living right out of a suitcase. Let me have 2 or 3 nights at the same hotel room, and it’s not easy after 30 years of doing this job.”

But he loves it nevertheless, and interestingly, especially corporate days. “I enjoy meeting people and try and teach them the bits and bolts about the game that I’ve learnt over the years.”

For a man who’s been at the top of his game, he understands the importance of corporate sponsorships that is key to paying the wages of the professional golfer.

“A lot of golfers don’t appreciate that. I have, over the years, appreciated the fact that without this today and the support of the corporate world, there would be no golf tournament.”

“My arrangement with Aberdeen is through the CEO himself, Martin Gilbert. We have a close friendship and I expect to

continue working with Martin in his position now with the Scottish government with Alex Salmond (First Minister of Scotland) putting together the Aberdeen Asset Scottish Open. We’re delighted that it is going home for Martin, that it is going back to Royal Aberdeen Golf Club which is super for him. There are still opportunities to pursue with Aberdeen so I’m looking forward to the next years.”

His image as a golfer however, hasn’t always been glowing with the fans. As a matter of fact, he has always had to deal with heckling from outside the ropes due to his often sourly demeanour, or perhaps vice-versa, resulting in some very infamous incidences including the very regrettable 1999 Ryder Cup at Brookline.

“When I was younger, I was a little bit too ambitious probably.

You want to try and do your best and you’re trying to do your job and sometimes it’s not easy doing one’s job in very public eye,” he tries to explain.

“It’s different for a motor racer or cricketer under a helmet.

Golf is very close to the general public and everyone out there is closer to you than you would find normally, so sometimes it’s been challenging that way but at the same time now, you do mellow with age and in this last 10 years, I’ve enjoyed my golf. I’m still competitive, I’m still starting the first tee here at the Singapore Open next Thursday and ready to compete and try and win.”

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“Alister Mackenzie and Bobby Jones weren’t all bad and yet, every year you go back to Augusta National for the Masters, there is a slight change, always updating itself and that’s what every designer has to do to adapt to golf ball, club development, weather conditions and what have you.”

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Before coming to Singapore, Monty finished 30th at the Dunhill Links Championship, which he won in 2005; the year he concluded his eighth European Tour Order of Merit. At 49 years old, he is still making cuts but has somehow lost his winning touch.

“I’m not playing as much, I’m 49 now, 50 in June, you know Champions Tour is looming. I’m playing to keep one’s eye in and also if it does happen to work then all the better. It’s a bonus so when it doesn’t matter the same, you tend to do better.”

“The mindset does change from back in the 90s when I was the number two in the world. I expected to win. That’s why I turned up. Now it’s different, I don’t expect to win. Believe is very important. When you believe in something you’re halfway there and I don’t believe I’m going to do it now. The competition has gotten very good, they’re very young and they’re doing nothing else but practicing and playing golf so there’s little you can do against that.”

“Now, if I can finish in the top 10 in an event, I’d be delighted, and if I’m in the top 3, then hey, there’s a chance of winning so that’s the goal. It’s a bit different from expecting to win. And you have to be realistic. I’m very lucky that at 49 years old, I can still compete at a certain level. At any other sport, it’ll be over 10 years ago so this is a plus.”

And then, there is the case of Tom Watson.

“Now there you go, he’s 10 years older than I am at 59 and should’ve won the Open. The competition has gotten extremely good and the courses have gotten longer, especially like this one here (Sentosa’s Serapong) with damp fairways. It’s all carry through the air and that’s where I lose out. Why Tom Watson did well at the Open is because it’s all running fairways and you can get more out of the ball as an older player. So yes, the Open is my best chance.

As the weather gets inclement, there is more opportunity at a British Open than a course of this type,” he admits.

While this oldest major represents his final chance at finishing on a high, he does not seem to see the end of the tunnel yet.

“I know I’ve said I wouldn’t play the Senior Tour before but of late, I’ve been looking at it and really, there’s a lot of quality there, and good things said about it from people whom I trust too.”

With his 50th birthday in June, Monty will actually be able to participate in both Open categories at Muirfield (Open) and Royal Birkdale (Senior Open) this July. But while his excitement for the game has not waned, there are other responsibilities that call to his attention these days.

“There are many balls in the air and you’re going to have to drop one. The one you don’t want to drop is the family one. I remarried 5 years ago and now have four new step-children who I live with and I’ve got three of my own down south in England, so I’ve got seven kids. That’s a ball for each one of them.”

Apart from playing a full schedule and attending sponsors days, his other ‘balls’ include a stint with Sky Sports as part of their commenting team in three majors and the Ryder Cup, “so that takes me away to America four times a year on four different trips”, his design work around the world, and the Elizabeth Montgomerie Foundation in honour of his mother who died of lung cancer, and you’ve got a man who spends two-thirds of his time away.

“I’m a lot here in Asia and I want to play a full schedule, and the foundation’s going great - we managed to raise £3.5 million pounds for my late mum’s charity which is set up to build two hospitals, one in Lanarkshire, one in Aberdeen working with Maggie Centre and naming them Montgomerie buildings there. That’s great and I’m glad my father will be able to see those into fruition, which is super

Ryder Cup 2010, Celtic Manor

for him. But when you’re jet lagged and wake up in the hotel room, you go, ‘where am I’? That’s when you realise that you’ve been away too long. I spend about 120 days a year at home in Scotland, 245 days away and that’s really too much,” he sighs.

“And then you’ve got everything else that goes along, and then you talk about practicing and playing… how can I possibly go back home to my wife and new family and say, ‘excuse me, I’m going to practice now?’ So, I try and practice down route, when I’m away.”

Admittedly, practice to the former Caltex Masters winner here in Singapore is generally warm up now. “I’ve done all the practicing I need. I know how to swing a golf club and I know what’s going on with the game so I don’t have to practice as such,” he says.

“If I hit one to the right, I know why and if I hit one to the left, I know why and I won’t do it the next shot. I know enough about the game to not have to worry about it and if it works it works, and if it doesn’t, ok then well, fine. It’s not the end of the world.”

On that note, it was not hard to recall his heroics on a hot Singaporean day where every shot seems to go the right way at the 2004 Caltex Singapore Masters.

“That was a very important time for me as I haven’t won for a couple of years and it was very important to win again on European Tour here in Singapore,” and he adds albeit under his breath, “Europe’s expanded.” Then recollects as vividly as though it were yesterday, “I hit the shot of the month there at the par 3, 17th; A 6-iron and got it to two feet and birdied the hole to go two ahead and stay that way.”

“So, I’ve always been very comfortable here in Singapore when I play golf. I feel very safe in this country, everything works, everything’s good so you tend to relax and play better golf because of that, doesn’t matter what the course was. It just happened to be Laguna and it was Golf Vacations

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“Why Tom Watson did well at the Open is because it’s all running fairways and you can get more out of the ball as an older player.

So yes, the Open is my best chance.”

a very good course, lots of water everywhere, no wonder they called it Laguna. It was a great win!”

“But now, this is me, the kindly corporate host,” he confesses.

“Competing under the gun on a hot day in Singapore is not me anymore. I’m very relaxed on these days and as I’ve said, I look forward to them and to the guests arriving and having a spot of lunch and going to the clinic and playing a few holes with everybody, having a laugh at the same time as having an enjoyment,” he smiles.

His last win was at the European Open in 2007, more than 5 years back. Monty certainly has mellowed. But the story does not end here fortunately. With a growing empire of interests and businesses, the Colin Montgomerie brand, and indeed the man himself has been kept happily busy, starting with his series of golf academies, most notably at Turnberry where he played most of his early golf.

“I’ve got six assistant pros at there. My guys teach my method, whatever that is, (laughs) my fantastic technical method of taking what’s natural within one’s swing and working with that,” he flourishes with hyperbole.

“I will never tell anyone to get into a certain position because odds are we won’t be able to make it because we all have different flexibility and ages and sizes so you have to work with what you can do, so that’s what my lads do,” he says on a more serious note.

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The main thing that they do there is teaching links play, which explains its name, ‘The Montgomerie Links Academy’. For many, that is a totally different game altogether – links bunker play, driving the ball low, the 7-iron pitch-and-run, putter off the green, that kind of thing.

“This is my 13th year with it and long may it continue,” he says, slightly imperially.

And then, there are his ‘Montgomerie Links’ golf courses that are peppered across the most exotic locales as well in Vietnam, Dubai, Morocco and Turkey.

“The Montgomerie Links in Vietnam has been doing very well. I hear it’s now the top 10 golf resorts in Asia, not just Vietnam, which is super. The Montgomerie Dubai is not 10 years old. November 19, I’m going to reopen my restaurant there – Monty’s. It used to be called ‘Bunkers’ and I thought Bunkers? No! It’s a hazard, but that’s a good course as well, stood the test of time and a good model for me.”

But the Holy Grail of golf courses to him?

“Pine Valley in Clementon, New Jersey about 2 hours south of New York is the best ranked golf course in the world and has been for the last 30 years, ahead of Pebble Beach, Cypress Point, Augusta, everything.”

“I played the Walker Cup there in ’85 and was fortunate enough to play in tournaments there about eight times and the land is just perfect. I’d love the opportunity to try and emulate that course as much as possible whenever I design.”

However, with the financial recession across Europe, property developers are having to borrow money while the banks less able to lend. But even on this landscape, Monty has been kept occupied with interesting projects like that one in Goa, “which will be my first project in India.”

“Goa, Marrakesh and the one in Turkey give opportunity for others to play the game, which is what heartens me. Every time I get to Montgomerie Dubai, I sit and watch how many people play the game - on the practice fairways, under the floodlight because it’s cooler there at night - and it’s amazing. Every time I see an Emirate come to play the game, I say to myself, job done. Same for the rest of them. There could be 100 Tiger Woods out there and without the opportunity, we’ll never know who they are; there could be someone who is potentially the best golfer ever.”

It seems, however, that wherever his course may be sited, they all are representative of his roots - Links golf.

Accolades: Turned pro 1987, 31 European Tour victories, 8 Order of Merit, 2010 Ryder Cup Captain.

9 Ryder Cup appearances since 1991, never lost a Cup match, won 6 times as player.

Runner up 4 times in Majors.

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“A lot of golfers don’t appreciate that. I have, over the years, appreciated the fact that without this today and the support of the corporate world, there would be no golf tournament.”

“I like to try and keep the Scottish-ness, this feel to it though it might not be played like one because we have all this weather here in Scotland. I like to have the natural contours of the land. The one in Ireland, Carton House, is an inland links course, the one in Belek, Turkey is about 200 yards from the coast and it’s links style, so is the one in Vietnam.”

At the head of it all is a surprising find - a Malaysian links layout that had been his first design years back named Pantai Lagenda.

“I do think you learn as you go along. It’s different now from say the one in Goa or the Irish course. I won’t necessarily say they’re better but different. The course (Lagenda) is now 10-12 years old. Technology is different now and the ball goes 20-30 metres longer. We’ve got to counter that.”

He reiterates with the example of Augusta National.

“Alister Mackenzie and Bobby Jones weren’t all bad and yet, every year you go back to Augusta National for the Masters, there is a slight change, always updating itself and that’s what every designer has to do to adapt to golf ball, club development, weather conditions and what have you.”

Different techniques and advances of maintenance plays a part as well with more efficient grass cutting so as to achieve shorter, firmer turf. “We’re getting better at growing grass,

LEFT PAGE CLOCkwisE FROM TOP LEFT: Zhuhai Golden Gulf Golf Club 12th Hole; Meishi Mayflower international Golf Club, Hainan; Montgomerie Links; Zhuhai Golden Gulf Golf Club, China; imperial springs Golf Club, China THis PAGE: Nanshan Donghai Golf Club.

so some of the bunkering in Malaysia might be defunct now because 250 metres back then might be a big shot.

Now it isn’t. You have to evolve, adapt.”

“Maintenance is generally an issue. When you open a course, it’s perfect and then you’ve got to make sure when you come back in 3 years time, it’s maintained to the standards that you wanted if it carries your name.

Sometimes, it’s not always possible but at the same time, a lot of the courses that we design, we also manage, which is key at Montgomerie Dubai, Carton House, at Belek especially with the Turkish Open coming up, and a Dutch course in Holland with the Dutch Open coming up.”

“I think there’s more opportunity to get it right as you’ve laid it out so you shouldn’t get it wrong. You shouldn’t suddenly design a course and then play it and suddenly go ‘oh dear’ that’s too late. I can understand a chef is more critical of some foods and some produce tastes different from different parts of the world, I can understand that but with ours, there shouldn’t be any issue. It hasn’t been with me. I’ve been very fortunate.”

And so are the 40 who will spend some time with the man today, gleaning from a life of golfing experiences at every level, but always, like his eight Merit titles and 2010 Ryder Cup victories, at the top.

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Choice Resorts

THE BLUFFS

aT Ho Tram STrip The recently opened links-style golf course in Vietnam’s south coast is set amongst the finest coastal views in the country.

- By T i m oT h y Co n s Ta n T i n e Lo w

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Links golf. It is more art than science, more soul over substance and while it

sometimes isn’t pretty to look at, it is the purest form of golf. Anytime a reference to links golf is mentioned, the mind tends to conjure up images of grey skies, frigid winds howling off a choppy ocean and a golf course that resembles a grazing pasture.

The fairways are a dull brown, the greens look like they’re cut on a monthly basis, treacherous sandy depressions are loosely defined as bunkers and the prospect of actually paying money for an afternoon of abject misery and dreary weather seems a very ill advised decision.

So what if I told you that you could get an authentic links experience without all the doom and gloom of a Scottish winter? That you could feel your fingers as you play that 2-iron stinger into the wind; that you could spoil yourself rotten on perfectly green fairways that still react like they would in Scotland? You’ll still have to deal with those dreaded pot bunkers but at least you’d be bathed in glorious tropical sunshine. So, where is this place?

Vietnam, the booming golf holiday destination of Southeast Asia. Everyone knows about the plethora of brilliant golf resorts in central Da Nang, with every big name designer from Colin Montgomerie to Sir Nick Faldo opening championship tracks there.

But if you want an escape from your run of the mill resort swarming with weekend warriors gliding around in 5 hour rounds then look no further than the future of Vietnamese golf - Ho Tram.

It is a lengthy two-hour drive from Ho Chi Minh City but that only goes to prove its resilience to the mass of tourists gathering elsewhere. It is a quiet getaway from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

The Grand Ho Tram Strip Hotel and Casino sits on a pristine beach with nothing comparable for miles. The 500-room hotel has plans to expand its boarders with a new hotel wing and residential villas in the next few years to accommodate the projected increase in visitor traffic in years ahead when the government relaxes its rules on local gaming.

The property boasts a lavish casino with over 100 gaming tables and 600 slot machines to suit the avid punter. Six world-class restaurants cater to the discerning palate offering up everything from

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PREVIOUS PAGE - OPENING PICTURE: A serene lake, rugged sand dunes and perfectly manicured grass makes the par 4, 8th such a longing sight to behold.

THIS PAGE BELOW LEFT TO RIGHT: An overhanging branch frames a valley of green fairway; Scottish bagpipers led by the stocky Daniel Sweeney; Greg Norman surveying his wondrous creation.

RIGHT PAGE: An inverted green that looks like a helipad; Lush tropical forested links presents a dichotomy of sorts only here at the par 4, 3rd hole.

traditional Vietnamese fare to modern interpretations of French, Japanese and Chinese cuisine. There’s even a world class spa onsite for those who wish to rest their weary bones and pamper themselves with a host of body and facial treatments. A day here will leave one glowing and looking every bit of the proverbial million dollars.

For those whose idea of a perfect afternoon is lazing by the pool, there are several private poolside cabanas and deck chairs guests can partake in a host of fine foods and refreshing beverages while catching some rays by the water. Adrenaline junkies will be more than satisfied with the various water sport activities the beach serves up, kite surfing, open water kayaking and jet skiing to name a few.

But, if we are to be honest, the only reason that you have hauled yourself away from your desk and home is the golf course.

To set the stage right, The Bluffs sits on the pristine Ho Tram Strip, southeast of Ho Chi Minh, perfectly chiseled into the natural sand dunes as its 7,007-yard layout meanders its way from the lush forests towards the spectacular beaches nearby. It is the 78th golf course to be designed by legendary World Golf Hall Of Fame inductee and twice Open champion, Greg Norman.

Since founding his own golf course design company in 1987, the Great White Shark has gone on to build a lucrative and successful business empire with its primary focus on golf and the golfing lifestyle - The Great White Shark Enterprises interests range from clothing to wines, from restaurants to property, but Greg’s main passion has always been designing quality golf courses.

A key design principle that is at the heart of every Greg Norman design project is what he likes to call the “minimal disturbance” approach, that is taking what the land gives you and simply moulding a golf course around it. So, when it came to designing The Bluffs, the rolling sand dunes and brisk costal winds presented an interesting challenge.

“We had to design a golf course that was fair with every wind condition possible. That meant making our corridors 40 to 50 yards wide instead of the usual 10 to 20 yard gaps we have on parkland golf courses. The trick was to be able to design a golf course that was a demanding test for each skill level while keeping it fair and enjoyable,” Norman shared with me at the recent grand opening of The Bluffs.

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“It is a lengthy two-hour drive from Ho Chi Minh City but that only goes to prove its resilience to the mass of tourists gathering elsewhere. It is a quiet getaway from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.”

To that effect, there are up to five tee boxes per hole to ensure that there is a fit for every skill level. The different tee positions also allow the hole to be modified slightly to suit the various prevailing wind conditions, another testament to the ingenuity of The Shark when it comes to getting the most out of a piece of land.

The natural terrain is stunning in its rugged beauty, perfect for your holiday golfer in search of a good picture opportunity or two. Constant elevation changes mixed with swirling winds keep the best of players on their toes, and missing the short grass bears stiff consequences with the soft sand and lush natural shrubbery ready to swallow up any errant shot. Again, Norman’s newest masterpiece hammers home the point that less is more. One does not need to trick courses up with severe undulation and excessive bunkering, nor does he need to add back breaking 500-yard Par 4’s to the scorecard to make it championship worthy. All The Bluffs needed was the eye of a links master, a gorgeous blank canvas and the rest, they say is history.

In my opinion, with its panoply of devilishly tricky short holes, The Bluffs is a matchplay golfer’s dream come true. With plenty of risk-reward options, one can slip from the relative comfort of a tap-in birdie to the despair of a triple bogey that blindsides you from left field. This dilemma can be experienced as early as the first hole.

At a humble 337 yards from the championship tees, Hole 1 is an innocuous little par 4, its shared fairway with the adjacent 9th is almost 100 yards across at its widest. But be warned power player, your landing area narrows considerably as you close in on the slim but long putting surface. With 30 yards to go, the fairway is a measly 15 feet across with bushes, shrubbery and all manner of nastiness ready to swallow up your tee shot at the slightest miscue.

But the strength of the layout has got to be its menacing Par 3’s. With the strong costal winds an ever present factor, the ingenious mapping of the course ensures that at least two of the four Par 3’s play into the wind, a proposition that definitely asks golfers the tough question when faced with the tricky task of correct club selection.

As a prime example, the second hole plays to a demanding 232 yards off the tips but severely downhill.

Try working out the elevation allowance while challenged with a swirling breeze from the elevated tee box, a huge false front and a gaping bunker to punish attempts that fail to make the putting surface? That’s right, a miscue here will eat you up and spit you out with a double bogey faster than you can say, “go hard ball!”

LEFT PAGE CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: The par 5 6th hole is mostly open and inviting but fraught with danger; A long way up at the par 5, 10th; Navigating across swales of the 18th before arriving at the inviting 19th; Workers ensuring the greens are always in tiptop condition.

It’s not all dark desperation when it comes to the front nine at The Bluffs, the wide and reachable backto-back par 5 5th and 6th offers a chance for a much needed birdie or two. With gorgeous vistas and wellpaced holes, the front nine keeps your round cantering along to a wonderful tempo. You’re relaxed, enjoying the beautiful views and relishing the challenge of a well thought out layout. It’s not like playing a string of tough holes in succession where you feel as if you’ve just gone 12 rounds with Muhammad Ali, nor is it a pitch and putt 9 where you’re starting to think you’re playing overpriced mini golf. To quote a certain bed hopping, porridge tasting bedtime story protagonist, “This one’s just right.”

The back nine begins with possibly the hardest par 5 on the layout - the daunting 615-yard 10th. Playing mostly uphill, the fairway bends and twists around the dunes only to reveal an awkwardly angled green with some severe slopes ready to spit any errant shot into a nearby collection area. Your reward for surviving the treacherous 10th is getting to some of the most scenic holes on the course. From the forgiving wide fairways of 12 and 13, to the infamous par 3 15th measuring over 257 yards from the pro tees and every bit of it uphill, to the majestic downhill slide that is the par 5 16th. Every hole offers panoramic views of the course and nearby beach and offering the perfect vantage point to make use of that “pano” function on your iPhone camera.

As you head for the home stretch you’ll be hard pressed to find a better or more demanding final sprint. At 489 yards of the back, the 18th is the longest par 4 on the course and depending on the wind condition, can feel like a par 5. It is framed by massive sand dunes on both sides and toughened by a well placed series of bunkers in the middle of the fairway. The green is two tiered but provides a generous back stop for the creative golfer to maneuver his ball close. As you tap in and gaze up at the stylish modern clubhouse, you can’t help but feel a wave of accomplishment and satisfaction that you’ve just completed quite possibly the most memorable golfing experience in Asia.

After your round, grab a seat at the beautifully appointed clubhouse restaurant, Infinity, and catch the sunset from its floor-to-ceiling windows. As you look out at the stunning links framed in gorgeous hues of orange and gold, you can’t help but wonder if your next round here is going to throw up a 66 or a 96, but one thing’s for sure; it’ll be as incredible as the first time you played it. www.thebluffshotram.com Golf Vacations

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THE

SHORT STUFF

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A short links set in England’s most celebrated summer destination where famous people play.

- BY C h r i s Fo l l e Y

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opening piCTURe: St enodoc, 16th hole, padstow in background.

THiS pAge FRoM Top: St enodoc.approch to 1st green; 8th green, Himalaya Bunker in the background; 9th tee St enodoc; newquay airport, boarding Flybe Dash-400.

RigHT pAge: St enodoc, 5th green.

Cornwall (or Kernow, as the locals call it) continues to delight and frustrate in equal measure. Frustrate because it just always seems that bit too far from London if time is short - 4.5 hours driving if you’re lucky gets to North Cornwall, but more likely the traffic on the A30 will make it six. And with this in mind the frustration is even more profound when you get there, because you want to go again and again but often just can’t.

There will be some who prefer the fastest, most convenient way to get there. Flybe is the only airline to offer regular services to Newquay airport from three UK airports, which not surprisingly, increase in frequency during high summer. It may work out to be a bit more expensive than driving but a 50-minute hop from Gatwick, for example, sure beats a 275-mile hike down the motorway.

From there, it is a picturesque half-hour drive to Rock, through typical Cornish villages such as Little Petherick and St Merryn, and surf spots such as Mawgan Porth. Indeed, on a nice day you get great views of the surfers, the golden sands and the rugged coastline from your propeller plane (Flybe use a Dash-400 rather than any modern jet) as it comes in to land.

As far as hotels are concerned, at the top end you have the St Enodoc Hotel, where award-winning chef Nathan Outlaw looks after two restaurants, Outlaw's Restaurant and Restaurant Nathan Outlaw. The latter has two Michelin stars and is currently named Best Seafood Restaurant in the UK, by the Good Food Guide.

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“With its wonderful beaches and cliffs and general ruggedness, Cornwall is still Britain’s favourite summer holiday destination, despite the potential hassle of getting there. Its remoteness of course is half the appeal. That extends to golf too.”

The hotel has 16 double rooms and four suites, a spa, indoor swimming pool and squash court, and if you want to do something different from golf during your stay you can get surf and paddleboard lessons from the Camel Ski School.

With its wonderful beaches and cliffs and general ruggedness, Cornwall is still Britain’s favourite summer holiday destination, despite the potential hassle of getting there. Its remoteness of course is half the appeal. That extends to golf too, and in particular the St Enodoc Golf and Country Club in the town of Rock, the destination of choice for many a well-heeled folk. Prince Harry is known to have gallivanted around these parts in his youth and the mild gulfstream climate in this corner of southwest England ensures that the course is open all year round.

Founded in 1890, though only properly operating since James Braid’s first design in 1907 (it was radically altered in 1922), St Enodoc’s par 69, 6,557-yard Church course is consistently voted best course in Cornwall and with good reason. There is also another 18-hole course, the unique 4,082-yard Holywell with nine par 3s and nine par 4s. While it looks like they make their courses short here, the Church, especially, is no pushover.

On first impressions, you might worry that things are a bit snooty but that all changes once you get to the first tee. Decorum and punctuality are expected here but friendliness soon takes over.

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“The next big test comes at the 10th, St Enodoc’s signature hole. A stroke index 1 and an incredibly tough ask for a Par 4 with a long stream to the left and sand dunes all the way down the right followed by a dog-leg left.”

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With a genuine smile on his face your starter will guide you through the holes, assure you that you’ll have a ‘fabulous time out there’ and wish you good luck. You can even hire caddies on request with advance notice.

At the first, your drive is blind, over mounds and dips, with a tall marker post in the middle giving you some sense of direction. When you get over the hill the first green sits proudly in the middle of a fabulous vista, with Stepper Point in the distance on the other side of the Camel Estuary. As you are to find out later, this course is dominated by wonderful views which can only inspire your game.

The third takes you back inland and your first encounter with sheep.

Nothing to get alarmed about, just herds of them dotted around huge rolling hills as you drive sharply downhill and then veer left, over a road and onto the green. You might be more concerned about sheep at the next hole, though, as the most direct route to the green, which is uphill, is over a stone wall and their field. They won’t flinch, though as they’ve seen it all before.

The sixth is arguably St Enodoc’s most famous hole, and it’s all about the sand which appears in the form of a 75-metre high mound stuck bang in the middle of the fairway and hiding all views of the green. Dubbed the Himalayas, it is one of the maddest things you’re likely to see on a golf course. If you go in there, by the way, local rules deem that you don’t need to play it like a bunker shot, where you can’t ground the club before playing. Small mercies are needed, though, as it’s steep and still a fair way from the hole.

The eighth is a 155-yard par 3 made challenging by the presence of four bunkers lined up in front of the green ready to gobble any drive that falls short. The next big test comes at the 10th, St Enodoc’s signature hole. A stroke index 1 and an incredibly tough ask for a Par 4 with a long stream to the left and sand dunes all the way down the right followed by a dogleg left. Handicap golfers will probably prefer to treat it as a par 5 and lay up with a 3-wood or iron. The first sight of St Enodoc’s famous church is behind this 10th green. It is appropriately positioned as you may well want to indulge in a few prayers after tackling this one. The church is perhaps St Enodoc’s most famous landmark, and where the great poet laureate Sir John Betjeman is buried.

Betjeman’s famous poem Seaside Golf hangs proudly in the clubhouse - he allegedly penned this after getting a birdie at the 13th. Though not a hugely difficult hole but is all uphill. It also leads you to the highest part of the course, the tee for the 14th, and more of those fabulous views, either over the estuary towards Padstow or Stein-stow, as many have dubbed the home of celebrity chef Rick Stein, whose businesses dominate the local economy. Or you could surmise over the golden sand beaches near Stepper Point.

Wind obviously comes into play at such a high point, and even more so at the par 3, 15th where the swirling gale around Bray Hill can create all kinds of problems for your tee shot.

As should be the norm for any top-notch course, your finishing holes are memorable. The par 5, 16th is 551 yards off the white tees, with bunkers to the right presenting an obvious obstacle. The 17th is a picturesque par 3, with the green in a bowl, while the 18th leads you straight up to the clubhouse with a 446-yarder four par over a typically undulating fairway.

The clubhouse itself, built in 1937 but more recently modernised, is worth a good wander around, with not only the aforementioned Betjeman poem on display but also countless sepia-tinted memories of illustrious guests such as Tom Watson and Peter Alliss. Even Mrs Thatcher made regular pilgrimages to a holiday home in Constantine Bay, and husband Denis could often be seen on the fairways at both nearby Trevose Golf and Country Club and St Enodoc. There is a main bar and restaurant, a lounge and a formal dining room.

Alternatively you can base yourself at the Molesworth Arms, an inviting

pub with rooms above the bar and right in the middle of Wadebridge, just five miles from Rock and also offering easy access to fabulous beaches at Polzeath and Daymer Bay, and the quaint fishing village of Port Isaac (where the popular TV series Doc Martin, starring Martin Clunes, is shot). If peace and quiet is what you need, though, you may not get it here as there is live music in the bar every Friday and Saturday until midnight.

Such interruptions however, are unlikely to spoil your Cornish golf experience. St Enodoc really is one of the great British golf experiences where rounds costs £45 from November to March and £75 throughout summer. Holywell is £25 all year round.

St Enodoc is part of the Atlantic Links golf trail, which also includes Trevose, Saunton, Burnham & Berrow and Royal North Devon. www.st-enodoc.co.uk Flybe has daily flights from London Gatwick to Newquay from £95 return, flybe. com LeFT pAge CLoCKWiSe FRoM Top: St enodoc over the Camel estuary; St enodoc, bar; St enodoc, 10th green, 11th tee behind, St enodoc Church, St enodoc, clubhouse.

THiS pAge: clubhouse and terrace; St enodoc, 9th green.

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DIGBY Choice Resorts

PINES George Herman “Babe” Ruth, the great

“Bambino” was known for his raw power, which he uses to pepper outfield bleachers with baseballs served up by pitchers trying to strike out the New York Yankees’ homerun king.

The “Sultan of Swat” as he was also known, belted many long balls in his day not only with a baseball bat made out of ash but also with wooden golf clubs. One of the Babe’s most memorable drives, a historic event at The Pines Golf Club on the western shores of Nova Scotia, was a 320-yard bullet from the tee to the 11th green.

The actual date the Babe gripped it and ripped it isn’t exactly known but a reprint of an autographed scorecard and Babe’s photo in the club’s history book suggests it was the summer of ‘42. No easy feat even by today’s standards.

“Local golfers have never forgotten that the Babe’s drive from the 11th tee landed on the green,” says a note in the club’s history. Nonetheless, Stanley Thompson’s Pines’ design was a hit with Ruth and many other celebrities who came to enjoy the pleasures of the Pines Hotel and the challenging design laid out over approximately 130 acres on Mount Pleasant, just a short distance from the resort and overlooking the tidal driven Bay of Fundy.

Former head professional, Bill Nickerson, who took over the head pro’s job from his father Charles in 1974, recalls as a caddy, seeing American film star Cliff Robertson coming down the steps of the clubhouse, stopping to sign autographs.

Then there were other sports stars like Bill Ezinicki, a former right winger with the National Hockey League’s Boston Bruins who came in the 1960s to play in the Maritime Open; former world heavyweight boxing champ, Joe Louis, nicknamed the Brown Bomber, who vacationed at The Pines; and Canada’s own PGA star George Knudson, who loved to work the ball around Thompson’s design.

And it was really the sweet swinging Knudson who put a stamp of credibility on the 6,283-yard course that Thompson routed through woods and over rolling farmland.

It has been said that Knudson’s appearances at two Digby Opens were storied events.

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Along the shores of Nova Scotia and astride Mount Pleasant is this, one of the legendary Babe Ruth's favourite haunt.

- BY To m P e T e r s

MAIN PICTURE: Hole on the left.

The short 16th hole over water at The Pines makes for an interesting tee shot.

FRoM ToP: The elegant Norman-style Pines’ chateau dominates the landscape; Early morning tracks on a dew covered green.

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“Local golfers have never forgotten that the Babe’s drive from the 11th tee landed on the green,” says a note in the club’s history. Nonetheless, Stanley Thompson’s Pines’ design was a hit with Ruth and many other celebrities."

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LEFT PAGE, ANTI CLoCKWISE FRoM ToP: A great view from the 11th green looking back toward the tee; A flower garden and gazebo adorn the course; one of the many comfortable cottages at the resort; Digby is known world wide for its delectable scallops.

THIS PAGE, CLoCKWISE FRoM ToP LEFT: Cozy accommodations in the main lodge ensure a restful stay; The Par 5 18th hole is a great finish at The Pines; The Pines’ Nova Scotia Restaurant offers guests great dining in a relaxed atmosphere.

The Pines layout, the centrepiece of the Digby Pines Golf Resort and Spa, is a masterful piece of Thompson architecture, much like his work at The Highlands Links at the other end of the province on Cape Breton Island.

The first Pines resort was built in 1905 by local businessman Harry Churchill. Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR), parent of Dominion Atlantic Railway (DAR) which operated a rail line to that part of the province, purchased the property after the First World War. In 1929, the facility was expanded and the main hotel replaced with the present magnificent Norman-style structure that overlooks the Annapolis Basin and Digby Gut and within eyesight of the fishing fleet that harvests their world famous scallops. Fishing has been a mainstay for this community for centuries.

Purchased by the province of Nova Scotia in 1965, the resort’s majestic hotel dominates its surroundings of manicured lawns and on-property cottages. There is an old world charm within the walls of this elegant hotel, a very peaceful comfort level that is no doubt an attraction to those who return here year in and year out.

The Pines course opened for play in 1931 with three generations of head professionals from the same family beginning from 1951.

The first, Charles ‘Nick’ Nickerson was followed by scion Bill

Nickerson in 1974, and now, his son Scott has the job.

The latest Nickerson reminisces the past and marvels at Thompson’s employ of horse and oxen to mould the landscape into a course that has withstood the onslaught of the game’s technology. There have been a few minor changes over the years at the suggestion of Canadian architect Graham Cooke, but the original Thompson layout is still very much intact.

“He didn’t change much. He worked with the natural contours and most of our mounds around the bunkers are piles of rocks stripped from the fairways. Rocks and stumps overseeded with fescue,” says course superintendent Bill LeBlanc.

After a comfortable par 4 opener, the second hole, a 177-yard par 3, definitely grabs your attention. From a very elevated tee, you see a long slender green guarded by a pond on the left and a steep bank on the right. The green slopes from the back right to the front left. As you walk the course you’ll notice the fairways have lots of rolls. The greens are, for the most part, small by today’s standards, with many subtle breaks. This is very much a course that requires positional play at all times. That is very noticeable on the par 5, 7th.

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This fairway is not only long at 579 yards, but it is also the longest par 5 on the course. You’ll need three shots to reach the green and in doing so be aware of the out of bounds on the right. The ninth hole, also par 5 at 488 yards, is an opportunity to get a stroke back if you happened to drop one or two on seven.

Stay to the right side of the fairway off the tee. There are a couple of traps that could come into play on the left side of the fairway near the landing area. A good second shot will put you close or on this small green.

Guard against going over the green as there is out of bounds looming.

The back or inward nine opens with a tough, 473yard par 4. Long hitters might reach the green in two but with the hole measuring 463 yards from the white tees and 444 from the gold, it is three shots for most golfers to get to this green. The green is guarded by a steep trap in the front left; another one on the right and one at back right. Par is definitely a good score here.

You don’t get much of a breather as the 12th hole is considered the toughest on the course. Playing 418 yards from the back tees, it requires a good drive down a narrow fairway which will leave you with a long second shot into a small, hidden green. Adding to the difficulty and length is the fact it plays mostly uphill.

THIS PAGE, CLoCK WISE FRoM ToP: Enjoy a snack or refreshment in Churchill’s Lounge; The Norman chateau under the lights; The 16th slopes slightly back toward the guarding pond; Treelined fairways add to the challenge of The Pines.

RIGHT PAGE: The Par 3, second hole requires an accurate shot from an elevated tee.

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“From a very elevated tee, you see a long slender green guarded by a pond on the left and a steep bank on the right. The green slopes from the back right to the front left. As you walk the course you’ll notice the fairways have lots of rolls. The greens are, for the most part, small by today’s standards, with many subtle breaks. This is very much a course that requires positional play at all times.”

GettinG there

The Town of Digby is located on Nova Scotia’s southwestern shore. Halifax Stanfield International Airport is approximately 3 hours by car. The Digby Pines Golf Resort and Spa is located just off Highway 101. The resort has 147 guestrooms including 85 well-appointed rooms and suites in the main chateau and 31 cottages ranging from one to three bedrooms. A second choice to reach the resort would be to fly into Saint John International Airport in neighboring New Brunswick and take the ferry, which operates daily between Saint John and Digby across the Bay of Fundy.

The 14th hole is the first of two contrasting par 3s on the inward nine. It measures 207 yards from the very back but plays even longer since it is slightly uphill to the green. The green slopes from the back to the front and is trapped both left and right. The 16th is one of those short fun holes. From an elevated tee it is only 116 yards over a pond to the centre of the putting surface. A nice high shot will stick like glue. If no one is behind you, hit three or four shots just for practice. It’s a hoot! The par 5, 18th is reachable in two for the longer hitters and certainly a birdie opportunity. The hole is straight away but avoid the left side as there are several traps to contend with.

Overall, The Pines course is one of those layouts you could play quite frequently and never get tired of. It is always a challenge that can change with the variable winds swirling around the bay. In addition to the golf, there are a variety of activities around the resort such as swimming, hiking, tennis, and a full fitness centre. The town was settled in 1783 by United Empire Loyalists from New York and New England and there are museums that reflect its storied past. The Bay of Fundy, which produces some of the highest tides in the world, up to 60 feet, is a renowned whalewatching region that attracts tourists worldwide.

For futher information on Digby and the region contact: tourism@digby.ca or http://digbyarea.com. www.digbypines.com

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Collection ★ Move

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Game ChanGer Few cars are as quick at the BMW i8. None are as clever.

- By L e o w J u - L e n

There was a time when cars were made of wood. Then

someone hits upon the idea that an exotic material called ‘steel’ might work better. Flexible and strong with a classic “less-ismore” proposition, cars are suddenly safer and more efficient.

There is only one problem. The material is so new that there is not enough of it for large-scale use.

Some years back, German carmaker BMW found itself on the same page when they assembled a team of futurists to imagine tomorrow’s mobility needs. Instead of steel, the exotic material they identified was carbonfibre, the ultra-light, ultra-strong stuff that Formula One racing cars are made of.

At a glance, it is an all-wheel drive, 362bhp eco coupe that sprints to 100km/h in just 4.4 seconds. Yet its fuel consumption is rated at just 2.1L/100km, possibly using even less fuel because the i8 is two cars in one. As a petrol-electric hybrid, it is an athletic and surprisingly raucous machine to drive, yet it has enough battery power on board to deliver 37km of pure electromobility at up to 120km/h. The average Singaporean driver does 50km a day so a charger at home and another at the office could mean weeks, perhaps even months before needing to stop at a petrol station.

That said, while it performs the urban crawl perfectly well, it is at its absolute best out on country roads. On the twisty canyon passes outside of Santa Monica, California, where we headed for some fun, the BMW i8 attacked corners with ferocious grip

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from the tyres and showed no sign of being upset when flicking between sharp bends. Nevertheless, it was on the straights that the car becomes a breathtaking behemoth, firing out of corners with bullet-like acceleration. Essentially, this car has it all–all-wheel drive, the lowest centre-of-gravity of any BMW, and two engines –all of which conspire to give it devastating traction, acceleration and poise.

Aesthetically, the i8’s overall silhouette might suggest the typical supercar, but there are styling details everywhere to signal that it is an unconventional machine under the skin.

The plastic body panels look taut but also multi-layered, perhaps to remind onlookers that both electricity and petrol provide the propulsion. The tail end of the car has unusual buttresses that slim it down aerodynamically, which helps to save fuel, and for the same reason there are no large grilles or air intakes. They are unnecessary anyway, since there isn’t a huge engine requiring large radiators to cool. Behind the passenger cell there is only a 1.5-litre, 3-cylinder thrumming away, perhaps the kind of engine you’d expect in a small family hatch and not a super coupe that is artificially limited to 250km/h.

Turbocharging and plenty of fine-tuning give the little engine 231bhp, but the rest of the car’s propulsion comes from the 131bhp electric motor that drives the front wheels. Together they give the i8 plenty of power, of course, but more importantly

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1. The eco coupe of the future hits 100km/h on 4.4 seconds but uses little fuel: cue smug grin.

2. The instruments can make the i8 seem more spaceship than car at times.

3. The butterfly doors are a surefire attention-grabber.

4. A ring of blue signifies the key to something special.

5. The rear seats are best suited to children.

6. This active display shows the seamless juggle between petrol and electric power.

7. A wallbox charger at home and another at work and you could go for days before needing any petrol at all.

8. Buttresses give the rear end a distinct shape, but also cut aerodynamic drag.

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they work together seamlessly, so you’re never aware that two different systems are operating in tandem.

But the greatest achievement with the i8 is how little it weighs. It has four seats, two drive systems and a large bank of batteries, but at 1,485kg it is lighter than BMW’s own Z4, a smaller, less powerful car with only two seats. You can thank carbonfibre construction for that, and even then, BMW has been remarkably complete about its approach to building the i8.

Because the market for carbon strands that make up main components of the i8’s shell is still undeveloped, BMW invested in a joint venture that manufactures them. And because there is no point building an eco car in a pollutive way, the factory that makes the i8’s carbonfibre is run solely on hydroelectricity, while the final assembly plant for the car itself operates on wind power.

What the i8 amounts to, in essence, is not a just a new sort of performance car, but a new way to think about performance cars. It is by no means perfect, of course.

It has four seats, but a four-seater, it is not. And the two-drive systems eat into boot space, so it’s unlikely you’ll be able to lug a set of clubs around in one. But driving one does convey a sense of the extraordinary. After this, driving a petrol-fueled car feels like going back to a tennis racquet made of wood.

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www.pml-bmw.com.sg/ Golf Vacations

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Collection ★ Bespoke

Fritz Hansen

in our republic Danish design powerhouse, Republic of Fritz Hansen finds its home in Singapore.

- By S a n d e r S J o n e S

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STockiST The Republic of Fritz Hansen flagship store is at the W Atelier showroom at Level 1, 75 Bukit Timah Road.

W Atelier is teeming with effortless Scandinavian cool with

the first ever Republic of Fritz Hansen flagship store that opened September 2014. The 142-year-old furniture giant is today one of the biggest names in luxury furniture, hosting a rich collection of works by the best talents in architecture, product and furniture design.

Initiated in 1872 by cabinetmaker Fritz Hansen in Copenhagen, Republic of Fritz Hansen today offers classic masterpieces, manufacturing the designs of Arne Jacobsen, Poul Kjaerholm, Hans J. Wegner and Piet Hein, while offering cutting edge new contemporary pieces by Jaime Hayon, Cecilie Manz, Hiromichi Konno, Todd Bracher, Kasper Salto and Jehs+Laub.

The well-curated selection of international designers and architects hosted by Republic of Fritz Hansen ensures that contemporary designs stay true to the spirit of the brand.

Guided by functionalism, Danish furniture design embodies clean, unfussy lines in a display of simplicity and minimalism and celebrates the purity of the form and purpose of materials.

This "thread" that runs through the designs manufactured by the company ensures the continued bridging of mid-century design styles with contemporary ideas, all while displaying the impeccable craftsmanship the brand is known for worldwide.

The first ever Singapore flagship store brings along Spanish designer, Jaime Hayon’s iconic Analog table, fresh off Salone Internazionale del Mobile 2014. The simple yet beautifully crafted table is meant to provide a platform to encourage the gathering of community and promote the genuine togetherness of such meetings in the face of technology.

Along with the table that was launched during the April festival in Milan, came the re-launch of Arne Jacobsen’s iconic Drop chair after 50 years of hibernation. The chair made

by Jacobsen in 1958 for the legendary SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen was never put into standard production until now.

One will expect to find variations of the Drop chair in a range of contemporary colours of moulded plastic in addition to the original upholstered foam, which is available in textile and leather versions. These highly anticipated works of functional art are available along with other luxury furniture of both classic and contemporary design at the store.

Soon after the launch, the brand continues to make headway into the local psyche by hosting a never-before-seen, on-the-spot making of Arne Jacobsen’s Egg chair at Singapore Indesign 2014. During the eight hour live demonstration, Hans Mannerhagen, one of the brand’s virtuoso craftsmen clothed the chair in ‘Sonar 2’, a unique fabric collection that is the result of a collaboration between Kvadrat, a leading European textile brand, and Raf Simons, a celebrated fashion designer and the current creative director of Dior.

The finishing touch by Mannerhagen whose delicate hands expertly sew the upholstery onto the chair, is a rare treat for the 1,000-over visitors who visited the display. The masterpiece was then sold for $30,000 with proceeds going to charity.

This, indeed is design with a heart. http://watelier.com/living/furniture/fritz-hansen Golf Vacations

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Collection ★ Golf

honma perFormanCe studio

Premium club-fitting experience for premium golf clubs.

- By Be n n y t e o

Pan-West, distributors of Honma Golf equipment recently launched

Southeast Asia’s first Honma Performance Fitting Studio at their Wheelock Place boutique in Singapore. It was a necessary step to take forward for the highly prized Japanese clubmaker that produces arguably the most sought for and expensive golf clubs in the world.

Consumers pay a premium that can hit in excess of $80,000 for a 5-Star Honma, where the hosel is made with platinum and cavity backs are plated in 24k gold. For such premium products, it is a wonder why people never bothered to get them fitted right, although it may be suspected that most who obtain this product, use it more as a display trophy than actual use.

“This is certainly not true,” reveals a spokesperson from Pan-West, who says that his customers of the four and five stars actually do put them in play.

Famous Hollywood actor Jack Nicholson back in 2013, had also been known to order a 5-star set for personal use.

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With that in mind, Pan-West has partnered Canadian simulator professionals High Definition Golf to set up a bespoke indoor range with specially fitted indoor golf simulator to effectively fit consumers wanting to get the most out of their Honma equipment. A trained fitter will be on hand to analyse the golfer’s shot patterns and find the best fit from Honma’s extensive range of products that includes the Beres and latest Tour World series as well.

Honma boutique and Performance Fitting Studio is at 501 Orchard Road, Wheelock Place #03-03A.

Collection ★ Style

Fpm FabbriCa pelletterie milano

Mouse

is a brand specialized in the production of luggage, bags and travel accessories founded in Italy in 1946, and returns to the market to promote and renew Italian natural talent for beauty and excellence in know how.

A youthful, colourful brand always focused on the future.

Saint Jacques

In this new thrilling chapter of its history Fabbrica Pelletterie Milano has partnered with important names as a banner for contamination between design and luggage, involving four world famous designers: the goal is to create new concepts that open a revolutionary segment in the world of travel accessories.

The “In the Sign of Movement” project is the fruit of this vision and counts on the collaboration of four big names: Stefano Giovannoni, Marcel Wanders, Jean-Marie Massaud and Marc Sadler. Four designers, four very different sources of inspiration and direction, four different audiences, a sole objective to create luggage to pander to the movement of a new generation of travellers. They have not simply created novelty items of luggage but designed a brand new approach to travelling as each one of these products has welcomed and materially translated all the stimuli of a changing world that constantly requires us to be more nimble, faster, more competitive and up to date.

Each designer in their own special way has privileged both the quality of the materials and advanced technology and design giving shape to innovative variables capable of satisfying the changed needs of new travellers: light weight, security and aesthetics with the omnipresent practical goal to promote movement which is becoming ever more 24/7 dimension.

Products conceived for men and women that have cut out an ambitious and special role “ to move forward” for themselves. People who are increasingly linked together and cosmopolitan and choose realities like the web to find anything that they can use as a source of inspiration and new intuitions.

FPM products move with the people that move the world.

Globe

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Collection ★ Fashion

LACOSTE

Spring / Summer 2015 Runway Collection

Lacoste Yachting: L42 / L36. In 1985, along with one of

the most prestigious French yachting manufacturers, Lacoste designed the L42, followed one year later by the L36, two sailing boats that combined style, comfort and performance, the very values that ruled the creation of the polo shirt by Rene Lacoste in the 1920s. The brand thus returned to a maritime universe, one of its principal inspirations that not only originally inspired its iconic colors, but also a certain allure and essential functional chic. Style, comfort and performance, three words that also resonate with Felipe Oliveira Baptista’s vision for Lacoste, leading him to research the nautical heritage to design a collection that revisits the first yachtsmen’s tailoring as well as the technical nature of this challenging sport that has always generated great textile innovation.

The starting point of the collection: the sailing boat itself as a design object, an inspiring vision of purity that brings together a patchwork of materials, lines and colors.

The silhouette is all about mix-and-match of contrasts. Mix-andmatch of close-fitted and subtly oversized volumes, which are at the core of the urban wardrobe. Mix-and-match of technical pieces, parkas and blouson jackets with welded or zigzag seams, nautical essentials like blazers and fisherman smocks; mix-and-match of structured cuts and supple asymmetrical constructions; mix-and-match of subtly washedout natural fabrics and mesh, ripstop nylon and technical double-faced fabrics; mix-and-match of color blocks and prints such as zoomed-in nautical references and coordinates that almost become abstract patterns; and also mix-and-match of juxtaposed sail-like yokes that play with transparency, weight and shine. The designer has given the nauticalinspired apparel a versatile feel with adjustable straps, suspenders and belts. The maritime element features all the Lacoste codes.

The look. The overall look, punchy with a zest of nonchalance, consists of wrapping, superposition and modular volumes that use fasteners to tie a dress, the back of a sailor top or to wrap a jacket at the waist or on the shoulder.

Colors. Opposites attract in the iconic Lacoste color palette,

where blue, white, red and yellow establish nautical accents while orange, lilac, pale mint, grey and deep purple add hints of pop that either vibrate or seem washed out by sea and sun.

Fabrics. Light cotton veil, subtle tie & dye denim, micro gingham, “caviar” pique, technical double-faced canvases, as well as nautical stripes that are knitted from two threads or applique lace.

Accessories. The now essential Chantaco bag, reimagined

every season, comes in leather and features the collection’s nautical references and coordinates in the runway color palette, also used on a small plain crossover that fastens like a logbook.

A backpack for men inspired by the sea can be worn as a tote.

Footwear offers a leather sandal in both flat and wide high-heel versions that shows the natural sophistication encountered on the sea front. The LS.12, first seen in 1987 and rediscovered in the brand archives, is a real tennis shoe reedited in leather for the season. It is accompanied by the new Inca, a yachtinginspired style featuring 1990s sportswear codes that is revisited as a fashion statement with an integrated neoprene sock. The Freeglide sneaker, new style with fun pop stripes on a rubber sole, is on the runway too. Style, comfort and performance again are found in the profiled Aviator-style sunglasses conceived by the designer. Oozing technical innovations, they feature changeable lenses, a supple nose bridge for bad conditions and telescopic temples with magnetic tips.

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Collection ★ Time

BOVET's AsIA FIRsT BOUTIQUE GRAND OPENING BOVET and DKSH (Thailand) Limited unite to unveil the first ultra-luxury and exclusive timepiece boutique in Asia steeped in inspirational wonders

Bangkok - February 24, 2015: Luxury timepiece collectors

and honorary guests gather in unison at an exclusive and extravagant grand-opening of BOVET’s first boutique in Asia, and the fifth in the world, at Gaysorn Shopping Center in the heart of Bangkok. The event was a collaboration between BOVET & DKSH (Thailand) Limited

by Pascal Raffy, the owner of BOVET - The Swiss manufacturer of high-end artistic timepieces and Stephen Ferraby, President of DKSH (Thailand) Limited. The auspicious ceremony was presided over by Korsak Chairasmisak, CEO of CP ALL Public Company Limited and Korakot Srivikorn, Executive Director of Gaysorn Shopping Center. The elegant evening saw a crowd of luxury timepiece connoisseurs and notable figures from Bangkok’s hi-society who came to celebrate BOVET’s extraordinary heritage in horological engineering and chronometry and artistic excellence. The guests also had an opportunity to marvel at the brand’s latest 2015 collection from Geneva. Presented at the event and personally greeted by Stephen Ferraby and Pascal Raffy were distinct guests, which include Pracha Hetrakul, Krisda Nantalic, Dr Vichit Avatchanakorn, Kumate Koesomboon, Sak Srisanan, Sumate Lopinich, Dr Pramote Rienjaroensuk, and Dr Chettha Songthaveepol.

The event also showcased BOVET’s rare and exclusive timepieces collection from the 19th century, which is testimony to the brand’s historical heritage and tradition of the refined decorative watchmaking arts

that have underpinned BOVET’s success since 1822. The enchanting and unique decoration on each timepiece, such as miniature painting and enamel technique, is meticulously performed by the expert hands of the artisans of BOVET’s prestigious workshop, where all the traditional decorative methods have been mastered to perfection. And to demonstrate this, the brand’s Swiss artisans have been flown in to perform their specialty caliber on the timepieces right before the guests’ eyes. This exceptional style of watch decoration often requires at least forty to one hundred hours per each timepiece in order to ensure absolutely unprecedented elegance.

The new 2015 BOVET collection, the Amadeo Fleurier Braveheart Tourbillon, which was unveiled at the event is the epitome of the technical innovation of the tourbillon. With its patented 22 days of power reserve and intricate Fleurisanne engraving by hand, together with its characteristic crown at the 12th hour position, this icon establishes a new definition of watchmaking excellence and outstandingly elegant artistic design.

Only 80 Amadeo Fleurier Braveheart Tourbillon timepieces are manufactured and are available in gold, white gold, and platinum.

The new Braveheart collection truly testifies to BOVET’s longstanding aesthetic and technical achievement and constitutes a new milestone in the search for absolute perfection in chronometry.

Once inside this Italian-designed 64 square meter BOVET boutique on the 1st Floor of Gaysorn Shopping Center, one feels like being transported to the Chateau de Motiers or the House of BOVET on the Swiss mountain peaks. The European-style boutique, which is in every detail faithful to the principles of BOVET, warmly invites customers to come admire the precious artistic timepieces on display in elaborate Italian walnut cabinets amidst an air of elegance and luxury.

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Collection ★ Time

breitlinG Chronoliner The authentic flight captain’s watch.

A chronometer-certified chronograph to measure flight times, a second timezone display in 24-hour mode to juggle time differences around the planet, a scratch-resistant high-tech black ceramic bezel: the new Chronoliner reinterprets the spirit of aviation in an original and timeless style.

Across more than half a century, aviation has enjoyed spectacular progress. Planes’ performances have reached dizzying heights. The instrument panels featuring pointertype counters and manual controls of the Super Constellation aircraft and the first jets have given way to computer screens and electronic joysticks. But two things have remained unchanged: flight captains still wear the same prestigious uniform; and a Breitling chronograph continues to sit proudly on their wrist.

Inspired by a model from the 1950s and 60s, an era when Breitling was already an “official supplier to world aviation”, the new Chronoliner continues this tradition in a resolutely modern spirit. Its most distinctive feature is a broad bezel in scratch-resistant high-tech ceramic – one of the hardest synthetic materials – with a star-shaped cut-out to facilitate handling, along with white ceramic numerals ensuring an optimal contrast. The second timezone is clearly and simply read off thanks to the red-tipped hand and this rotating bezel with its graduated 24-hour scale, equipped with an ultraprecise ratcheted system. Just the ticket for a long-haul flight anywhere in the world. The performances of the chronograph, which is officially chronometer-certified by the 104

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COSC (Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute) like all Breitling movements, are displayed on counters at 12, 9 and 6 o’clock. The dial is distinguished by a degree of legibility worthy of the finest flight instruments, with white luminescent hour-markers standing out against a black background, oversized hour/minute hands, along with counter hands also featuring a luminescent coating. The robust polished steel case with its 46 mm diameter radiates a strong presence on the wrist of professionals. The caseback bears the stylized planes that were a longtime Breitling signature. The original and timeless touch is complemented by a comfortable and distinctive steel mesh bracelet. The new Chronoliner: the authentic flight captain’s watch.

Movement: Breitling Caliber 24, officially chronometercertified by the COSC, selfwinding, high-frequency (28,800 vibrations per hour), 25 jewels. 1/4th second chronograph, 30-minute and 12-hour totalizers. 2nd timezone in 24-hour mode on the dial, 3rd timezone on the bezel. Calendar. Case: steel with ceramic bezel. Water-resistant to 100 m (330 ft).

Bidirectional rotating bezel. Cambered sapphire crystal, glareproofed on both sides. Diameter: 46 mm. Dial: black.

Bracelets: Ocean Classic (steel mesh) Navitimer.

Moments 25 February 2015

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COrtinA WAtCh Aiming for “The Right place on the right time.”

The first anniversary of Golf Vacations Thailand magazine was sponsored again by

Cortina Watch and its activity named “Right Place on the Right Time” was set on the 11th hole of Krung Kavee Golf Course. The challenge of this activity was a mock-up of 10.10 o'clock scattered by chalk on the grass. The rewards of Cortina Watch were awarded to the golfers who could drive the ball into the “10.10 o'clock” area.

Cortina Watch is a luxurious watch boutique that fulfills your exclusive lifestyle with world-class watch brands such as Patek Philippe, Rolex, Audemars Piguet, Breguet, Cartier, IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre and more.

The boutiques are located at Erawan Bangkok, Central Ladprao, Central Chidlom and Central Embassy.

For more information, please contact 02 250 7999.

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Moments 23 February 2015

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MerCedes trOphy 2015 A global series of golf competitions.

Mercedes-Benz Thailand

today announced MercedesTrophy 2015, a world-class golf tournament that opens an exclusive opportunity for Mercedes-Benz customers to enter a global series of golf competitions.

The best players from the qualifying round in Thailand will make their cuts into the Country Final, in search of Thailand’s representatives to compete in the Regional Final in Australia.

From there, the regional winners will join the World Final in Stuttgart, Germany.

The company also introduced Prom Meesawat as the professional Thai golfer, sponsored by Mercedes-Benz Thailand.

A promising Thai pro, Prom is tipped to deliver impressive performances in world-leading professional tournaments. He will also provide coaching advice to Thai participants at MercedesTrophy 2015.

MercedesTrophy 2015 will start with a qualifying round from April until June in a series of nine competitions.

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Moments KBANK's "ENJOY YOUR sWING" KBank offered golfers big bonus to fly to Chiang Mai.

Enjoy Golf Party: free airplane tickets, free golf games, free accommodation and free trip!

KBank offered big bonuses for golfers to enjoy an exclusive trip and free golf package in Chiang Mai. Boonterb Jeerapath, Product Management and KBank Credit Card Division Director presided over the prizes giving ceremony. The event was also witnessed by Songgrod Palkawong Na Ayutthaya, Communication and Corporate Business Division Director, Bangkok Airways Public Company Limited, Ploenpit Kosolyuthasarn, Sales Director: Promotion Strategy and Planning, Bangkok Airways Public Company Limited, Wongsak Jongpisalsakul, Product Management and Credit Card Marketing Deputy Director, Kasikorn Bank and Jakkrit Vithavatsukol, Editor-in-chief, Swing Golf.

KBank’s “Enjoy Your Swing” : special privileges for Kbank credit card holders to enjoy golf games with their golf buddies, joined hands with leading golf courses in Thailand in staging KBank Sport Days for golfers to enjoy exclusive privileges. The golfers are entitled to golf games with special prices and random prizes and presents including golf gear, golf packages, etc. This campaign has taken place for five consecutive years, getting a lot of good feedback and popularity.

Last January, at the Office of Bangkok Airways Public Company Limited, the last lucky draw of September - October 2014 and the big bonuses of the year 2014 were given in this special occasion.

All golfers’ score cards during the campaign in the year 2014 were collected when golfers played their golf games at participating golf courses and paid the green fee by KBank credit cards. Doing this, KBank’s privileged card holders are entitled to double prizes. The annual big bonuses of 2014 include Golf Party Package featuring free golf games at five-star golf courses, free accommodation, free trip and free airplane tickets by Bangkok Airways. The prize winners can invite one golf buddy to also enjoy the privileges.

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Moments 23 February 2015

↓ NIKE GOLF Nike Golf unveiled TW15 to SE Asian market.

Nike Golf, led by its Marketing

Manager Pannee Santiwiwatkul and Merchandising Manager - FW/EQ Saowaluk Arphabeakbanat introduced new TW15 shoes for Southeast Asia region, at Bangkok Golf Centre in Bangkok.

The TW15 is the latest collaboration between Tiger Woods and Tobie Hatfield, Nike Senior Director of Athlete Innovation. Woods debuted their first project as a prototype at the WGC Bridgestone in 2011. Since then, each iteration of the TW-series has featured a Nike Free-inspired outsole while consistently raising the bar for what athletes should expect from a golf shoe.

TW15 is the leader in world-class performance footwear, inspired by Nike Free technology with the insight of Tiger Woods, which has literally changed the game. Key technologies in TW15 are Flyweave construction to provide ultimate strength and support in a light weight single layer. Dynamic Flywire and Dynamic Fit still play important roles of TW15 to combine for tuned stability with mobility and Nike Free-inspired outsole enhances freedom-of-movement to help harness the full power of your swing.

TW15 will be available in Southeast Asian region in March 2015.

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The Last putt

A lot of the players we have wearing our products are personal friends which makes a big difference for me, i also get to play golf with them, occasionally giving them a good game! Scott Hend has been the stand-out player for us since 2012, winning 5 times on tour and getting his breakthrough win on the European Tour last year. The exposure he and our other players have given us through performing well on the main tours really is priceless to getting our name out to the world.

We understand that your golf game is at pro level as a scratch player. Have you attempted to turn pro in the past?

Play Good, look Great!

There are plenty of golf apparels in the market

but there is one brand standing out from the rest, that is FENIX Golf which is co-owned and operated by passionate golfer Michael John Moir, a former world class junior golfer. Now let's get to know him more.

Tell us a little bit more about FENIX Golf and Michael Moir?

i am from Aberdeen, Scotland and started playing golf at a very early age, My grandfather taught me at the age of about 5 in his back garden. By 13, my handicap went from 10 to 0 in just one year and i managed to win some good events in Scotland before leaving for the United States at the age of 17. The best ranking i had on the official golf rankings as a junior was 73rd in the world in the year 2000.

After i left the USA, i moved to Singapore in 2002 and then Thailand in 2006. i have a beautiful wife i met in 2002 and a 4-year-old son who already has the golf bug! i started dabbling in making golf clothing in 2009 when i felt there was a big gap in the market for high-quality merchandise at corporate events. Most of the time i would play in an event and not even take the goody bag out of the locker to take home. in 2010, i decided that i wanted to to make this into a full fledged business and a brand and i parted from my original partners who had different views. Within 6 months i had some new partners who are still there to this day and we have managed to sustain amazingly consistent growth for the last 5 years.

We now have distributors or agents in 17 countries with the plans to expand to 25 by the end of 2016.

Our main market is still of course Thailand but we have seen some great growth in the Middle East, China, Myanmar, indonesia and Taiwan recently. We have just agreed an exciting distribution deal in China which we are sure will be a great success.

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Golf Vacations

MaR - aPR 2015

When i was a teenager my goal was to play on the pgA Tour and pursue it as a career. i went to the United States to play at the top amateur level but when i was there i lost interest in the game, mainly due to my attitude which i do regret, so i never took the step of turning pro. i now really enjoy my golf and whilst i still have the odd temper tantrum, i used it as an important sales tool to play with my customers and try to teach them a thing or two when we play. Since our business has been getting stronger, my golf has improved a lot most probably because i am not so stressed now. i managed to score 64 twice in tournaments last year which was my best ever.

How do you compete in the tough golf apparel market here in Thailand which is going through a major expansion and what is the unique selling point of FENIX Golf?

There is competition in any business anywhere in the world, but Thailand is definitely one of the hardest due to many local brands entering the market along with the international brands. We have managed to gain a solid market share here through many different factors but i would say the three most important ones are: 1. Quality and reliability of our products 2. personal relationships forged through golf 3. Our flexibility between our retail range and our custom-made product line.

We continue to strive to be the preferred choice in Thailand as it is a great golf market. i feel we are now at the stage where we can let our name and quality stand against any brand and not have to solely depend on a lower price point for clients to purchase our products.

What are your 5 favourite golf clubs that you have played in the entire world?

1. St Andrews Old Course, Scotland, 2. Clearwater Bay, Hong Kong, 3. TpC Sawgrass, USA, 4. The National, Australia, 5. Wentworth, England

Recently, FENIX Golf became the official apparel of the Asian Tour, this must be one of the highlights of your career, tell us more about it?

Yes, this is a major accomplishment for us. The relationship we have forged with the Asian Tour since 2010 has been great and when the opportunity came up it really made sense for both parties as we both feel we can make the partnership a very successful one. The creation of the Asian Tour collection will increase brand awareness for both parties and gives us a unique point of sale in Asia that nobody else has. in addition, we have great exposure on all the tours' social media platforms as well as all their team wearing our products at events. it is a two-year contract to begin with.

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