Gv#010

Thailand Edition vol. 10

The 19th

Return at Rio

Special Interview LPGA Commissionner MIKE WHAN

Destination Focus Isle of Golf A Polish Shine

Choice Resorts

The Carnegie at Skibo Castle

MONTE REI A Jack Nicklaus beauty in Portugal magazine of the gm group golf vacations thailand vol.10 MAy-june 2015 / 180 baht

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50 JOURNAL 20 Tiger Woods Justin Rose The Renaissance Club 250 Years of the Old Course, St. Andrews.

Audemars Piguet Golf Invitational 2014 Bali National and Senayan National LegeNds 28 SIr NICK FALDO An English legend and his priceless moments.

INteRvIew seRIes 32 LPGA COMMISSIONNEr MIKE WHAN The LPGA Commissioner’s steady hand and leadership has steered the world’s most lucrative ladies professional Tour to great heights.

ON the COveR

GOLF VACATIONS THAILAND VOLUME 10 MAy-JUNE 2015

MONTE rEI, POrTUGAL

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COveR stORy 36 MONTE rEI A beauty so raw and a course set up to confound, Monte Rei has it all. my tOp teN 42 bANGKOK GOLF COUrSES Simply the finest courses in Bangkok. the 19th 50 MExICAN PAMPErING TrEATS Enjoy a culturally enhanced spa experience like no other in the world.

56 rETUrN AT rIO After more than a century, golf finally makes a return to the world’s most decorated sporting event. destINAtION fOCUs 64 ISLE OF GOLF Mauritius has it all; endless shimmering sandy beaches, elegant beachside resorts, a kind and courteous people and a growing number of golf courses.

72 A POLISH SHINE Unlikely yet incredibly inviting, Poland represents a confluence of old and new Europe.

Contents

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90 choice resorts 78 ThE CArNEGIE AT SkIBO CASTLE in Scotland, a castle course becomes one of the toughest links challenge endorsed by two former open winners.

84 LE MErIDIEN SUVArNABhUMI BANGkOk GOLF rESOrT & SPA Sparkling sunday brunch at Latest recipe restaurant.

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 Editor-in-Chief : Suebwong kaewthipharat Managing Editor : george Somapa 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

resort golf academy 88 ThE AMErICAN SChOOL OF BANGkOk next generation golfers, taught by next generation golf professionals collection 90 MOVE Lamborghini blancpain Super trofeo world Series ends in Sepang. the Macan heralds Porsche’s entry into the compact premium SuV segment, and is dubbed as the first sports car of its kind.

94 TIME Panerai Luminor submersible 1950 carbotech 3 days automatic – 47mm (pam00616) Montblanc “Homage to nicolas rieussec Special edition”

97 96 FAShION the world of music delivers the right ingredients for a sophisticated and effortless dress code for boSS menswear.

97 GOLF nike Vapor Metal woods. moments 10 0 kBANk ENJOY YOUr SWING 2015 Press Conference.

CAMPArI ACADEMY (ThAILAND) 2015 Campari academy Final Competition 2015 AZIMUT the prestigious italian luxury yacht brand launches in thailand. rOLEX rolex testimonee jordan Spieth wins 2015 Masters tournament MErCEDES-BENZ CAFE thailand's first Mercedes-benz Cafe opens in the heart of downtown bangkok. the last PUtt 10 6 TANES PETSUWAN the man behind thailand golf tourism.

Editor's Page Seasons change!

We're now moving from Summer into the rainy season in Thailand. Most people think this is a 'Low Season' to play golf.

If you think positively, this is actually an absolutely perfect period for golf lovers to play golf around the country with special packages and green fee+accommodation discounts. Some say it's a 'Green Season' but I say it's a 'WOW Season' like the phrase 'Annual Sale up to 80%' used by department stores.

You can also find hot deals at your fingertips at www. travelgolf.com and www.golfdestinations.com for special golf packages at 78 destinations around the globe including America (These websites are not affiliated with Golf Vacations Thailand).

There are two sides to every coin, depending on how you look at it.

Enjoy your vacation.

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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

download gM group's interactive e-magazines from the app Store and standard e-magazines from online bookstores such as Truebook, dtac and bookSmile.

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.

Ex cEO of the AccA, Darryl is not only great at making numbers work but makes it work on the golf course too.

A stable 2-handicap amateur, he is a golf junkie to rival any you’ll ever meet, and with that, great stories as well.

Scottish photographer, writer and videographer David J. Whyte discovers the isle of Mauritius's growing number of golf courses and finds himself pleasantly surprised by what Poland has to offer.

Darryl Wee

DaviD J. Whyte

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contributors Sophie KalKreuth

John Gibb

Former Editor-in-chief of LP – Luxury Properties magazine, Sophie Kalkreuth reports on luxury travel, real estate, design and architecture.

She has lived in Germany, canada, Brazil and china and currently resides in New York city, where she keeps an eye on the latest global trends for us and this journey brings her to a Yucatan spa retreat in red hot Mexico.

British journalist and author John Gibb is contributing a lot to us these days, and that is a good thing for all of us. His experiences and talent mixes well with British wit as he explores the issues of a golfer’s back problem, and then talks to the most important people in golf and sports to tell us what we can expect in the 2016 Olympics in Rio, including a world exclusive on the new Olympic golf course designed by Gill Hanse.

Newsreader and freelance writer Justine Moss interviews LPGA commissioner Mike Whan, about the highlights and future development of the women's professional game.

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.

JuStine MoSS

leow Ju-len

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Postcard

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HERITAGE GOLF COURSE, MAURITIUS

Designer, Peter Matkovich Golf Vacations

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cartogolf

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Halfway Houses The best midway breaks in the world.

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Sunningdale golf Club, berkShire, england

blair atholl, South afriCa

SentoSa golf Club, SingaPore

A simple wooden cabin though it may be, but the halfway hut at Sunningdale, just before the dramatic 10th tee has history and legendary stories written all over it. Try a hot soup with a dash of sherry or the traditional sausage that every member partakes.

2011 Open Champion Darren Clarke once ate 9 of these giant pork sausages and still holds the record today.

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Sited between the 8th and 9th hole, this is easily South Africa’s finest halfway house.

A nondescript wooden deck heavily shrouded and overlooking Crocodile River, there is a grand selection of freshly prepared homemade pies, sandwiches, scones and hot and cold beverages.

There is also no rush as there is only one tee time at this private club.

Easily Asia’s most scenic and relaxing halfway house, the Pyramid sits at the highest apex of the golf club between holes 5 and 13 of the Tanjong Course. Magnificent views served with an assortment of sandwiches and warm snacks, there is the occasional peacock family watching by while golfers tee off at the Par 3, 13th.

4 bro hof Slott, uPPlandS-bro, Sweden

Royalty is the case for Bro Hof Slott’s selection as the best in Continental Europe. Home to the Nordea Masters, a wonderful selection of seafood, sushi and sashimi can be had. A grand outpost in the middle of the course, it offers a splendid view of the Bro Hof castle and lake while imbibing refreshments at the terrace.

5 Pine Valley golf Club, new JerSey, uSa

The number one course in the US also owns the most unique halfway house. Known for making a good Arnold Palmer (ice tea with lemonade), it was previously a working windmill. Its wall is lined with hundreds of golf balls signed by members and guests.

Huey Lewis has one next to 1958 PGA champion Dow Finsterwald.

Journal ★ Report

TIGER WOODS

AND NIKE INSPIRE YOUNG ATHLETES IN CHINA

Tiger Woods and basketball legend Yao Ming team up in China.

In his second visit to China with Nike in five

years, Tiger Woods spent the day at the Nike campus in Shanghai meeting with employees, young golf athletes and legendary basketball star Yao Ming.

"It's great to be back in China once again with Nike.

The enthusiasm I've seen here is infectious and it was great to speak to so many Chinese golf fans," said Woods.

"There are a lot of young and talented athletes here with huge potential to bring golf in China to the next level."

Woods connected with Shanghai native Yao on their shared love for the game of golf. Yao, an eight-time NBA All-Star and current owner of the Shanghai Knights basketball team, is a passionate golfer.

"It is a great honor to meet Tiger in person and to share our experiences in sport to encourage young athletes to pursue their dreams," said Yao. "Hopefully we inspired and motivated kids to challenge themselves and push the limits to accomplish their ultimate goals."

Woods also spent time instructing approximately 40 junior golfers, providing insights on different aspects of the game. Nike had converted its campus football pitch into a small golf course for the day.

Woods judged the Vapor City Challenge Final contest, a regional contest, and personally presented one individual and three team awards for driving distance, chipping and putting accuracy.

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Journal

Kobe Bryant, Usain Bolt and Pele, represent the finest

examples of their sports and now Englishman Justin Rose has joined their ranks. The 2013 US Open champion recently signed up to become the latest brand ambassador of luxury Swiss watchmaker Hublot.

At Torrey Pines during the week of the recently concluded Farmer’s Insurance Open, Managing Director Jean-Francois Sberro hosted a charity event that sees the latest inductee showing off his golfing talents together with Matt Kemp, San Diego Padres’ star and friend of Hublot in his first outside media appearance since joining the team. Rose and Kemp teamed up for a putt-off on the course, while Rose gave golf pointers to the San Diego Padres newest player to raise awareness and proceeds for the Kate and Justin Rose Foundation dedicated to feeding hungry tummies and curious minds of underserved youth with programs dedicated to nutrition, education and experiences.

Hublot will cheer on Justin this season through its social media platforms in a #HublotGolf4Justin campaign.

Ricardo Guadalupe, CEO of Hublot, shared: “It is an honour to add a world-famous professional golfer to our esteemed roster of brand ambassadors, all of whom are inspirations to both Hublot and our clients. Justin’s astounding achievements through his perseverance and commitment to his celebrated career have made him a great fit for Hublot, and we look forward to this exciting partnership.”

Justin Rose stated: “I am thrilled to be joining Hublot as their newest ambassador, a brand I have long had an affinity for. To welcome Hublot into the game I love so much is truly an honour. Much like the mechanics of Hublot’s watches, I work tirelessly to ingrain precise movements in my swing, I look forward to representing Hublot as I continue my pursuit of excellence on the global stage.”

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Journal ★ Luxury new 3-storey clubhouse with accommodation.

Cosy comfort for stay and play.

The 9th green at the Renaissance Club.

Panoramic view of the 9th hole.

one of 3 new holes built.

The Renaissance Club A private golf club on royal land is Scotland’s hidden gem.

As famous lands go, there isn’t that many left with pedigree like this. Nestling on 300 acres of the

famous golfing coastline of the Firth of Forth and blessed by a royal line, The Renaissance Club is born. That the land still belongs to the Duke of Hamilton’s family in a 99-year land lease program gives the club an enviable position in the rich history of the area.

As part of the East Lothian collection of golf courses that includes the highly exclusive Muirfeld golf course, 36 holes of the Archerfield Links, and another beauty, North Berwick West Links, The Renaissance Club can stand tall and proud, owned by an investor group led by the golf mad American Sarvadi family, whose father introduced the game as a way to keep them together. The Renaissance Club represents that legacy.

And so, by swapping Ponte Vedra for North Berwick, Jerry Sarvadi, along with his wife and daughter, has taken a personal interest in the project since it opened in 2008, and is still involved in the day-to-day operations of the club. That they have grown in membership and stature is credit to the Sarvadis passion. Today, as many as five European Tour members are active here – Stephen Gallacher, Scott Jamieson, Richie Ramsay, Marc Warren and Craig Lee – who participates in medal play and enjoys the facilities with other members.

Designed by Tom Doak, of Bandon Dunes and Myrtle Beach fame, the estate is of great historic interest to Scotland, and this is why its restoration was a prerequisite in the planning approvals for The Renaissance Club. The area is also considered a “green belt” zone along the coast, normally prohibited from development. Doak 22

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has harnessed the rugged elegance of East Lothian's sweeping dunes into a truly phenomenal golfing challenge, perfectly suited to test any golfer.

With a recently acquired triangular piece of Muirfield-owned land which Doak fashioned into three new holes and the club's recently completed three-storey clubhouse with accommodation, the showpiece is finally complete, creating a tournament quality venue and world class golfing experience which is attracting these numerous tour players and worldwide attention.

In a game where privacy puts you further up the ranks, the Renaissance Club has a modern day approach allowing everyone to come and experience their facilities through the “One Time Experience”. This opportunity gives all those who love the game of golf the chance to experience what continues to entice new members.

For details about The Renaissance Club, membership, the “One Time Experience” or for further information, please contact Jordan Whyte on 01620 850 901 or email membership@trcaa.com. Visit: www. trcaa.com

By Benny Teo

Journal ★ Culture

road hole. the 17th at the old course is probably the world’s most famous par 4.

250 Years And Counting Celebrating 18 historic holes of the Old Course.

Reproduced images by kind permission of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews.

Last October saw a milestone in the annals of golf that goes

far beyond the trite (compared to this) events that have happened anywhere in golfdom in the last two centuries. Standing resolute and proud through searing winds, breaking hearts of the best and worst of us, on October 4, 2014, the historic Links at St Andrews celebrates a major milestone with the 250th anniversary of 18 holes at the Old Course.

The decision to reduce the world’s most famous Links from 22 to 18 holes was made by the Society of St Andrews Golfers – more commonly known today as the R&A – on October 4, 1764, and would become the standard bearer for courses around the world and championship golf to the present day.

On October 4, 1764, following the Challenge for the Silver Club a meeting took place of the Society, whose minute reads: “The Captain and Gentlemen Golfers present are of the opinion that it would be for the improvement of the Links that the four first holes should be converted into two.”

The removal of two holes (four in total going out and back) in subsequent years meant the Old Course would become, around that period, 10 holes, of which 8 were played twice. In the decades that followed the Old Course continued to evolve as the links and surrounding areas developed, from playing the course backwards

through to new greens being built and holes, so familiar to many today, were mapped out across it. By the mid-19th Century, the 18-hole format at St Andrews had become the blueprint for golf with new and existing courses across the world all following its 18-hole layout.

Euan Loudon, chief executive of St Andrews Links, said: “The Society of St Andrews Golfers may not have appreciated the ramifications of the decision they made on October 4 1764 but those individuals and the resultant changes to the Old Course had a huge impact on the way the game would be played forever.”

To commemorate this special moment, a specially commissioned time-lapse project to highlight the daily efforts of the greenkeeping team at the Old Course can be viewed at their website. The time lapse was recorded as the Old Course greenkeeping team, led by Course Manager Gordon McKie, prepared for a day’s play at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, which celebrates a 30 year association with St Andrews this week. The hand mowing of the 18th green took 45 minutes to record and required thousands of frames of film. http://standrews.com

a painting from the 1720s taken from the perspective of what is today the 17th fairway and would have been somewhere near the 20th hole prior to 1764.

By Joseph Lancaster

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Journal ★ Tournament

Audemars Piguet Golf Invitational 2014 Seven AP golf ambassadors light up this bespoke golf event.

Last November 23, Henrik Stenson completed an historic

double at the Earth Course in Jumeirah Golf Estates, Dubai.

Stenson carded a closing 70 to successfully defend the European Tour season-ending Dubai World Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates. He finished with a four-day total of 16 under par, two shots ahead of ‘Race to Dubai’ winner Rory McIlroy and Ryder Cup teammates Justin Rose and Victor Dubuisson to end the year on a high note.

Just a day later, competitors then became friends as both Stenson and Dubuisson returned to the teebox, but this time The Els Club and in friendlier conditions.

Swiss Haute Horlogerie brand Audemars Piguet organised its first ever golf event in Dubai with seven brand ambassadors and two additional professional golfers. Stenson and Dubuisson were joined by fellow AP ambassadors Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Louis Oosthuizen and the legendary Sir Nick Faldo. Bernd Wiesberger from Austria and Jonas Blixt from Sweden, completed the astonishing field for the day.

Following the success of the previous New York editions of the Audemars Piguet Golf Invitational, the Manufacture from Le Brassus brought the unique experience here. Upon their arrival in the city of superlatives, guests from 16 different countries first visited the surrounding desert then had close glimpses at the iconic buildings, Burj Khalifa and Burj Al Arab before finally meeting with their professional counterparts this very day for a fun demonstration and shared round of golf that includes a longest drive competition and balloons-hitting contest.

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“Audemars Piguet and its Ambassadors have won over the world with their ingenuity and pursuit of perfection, becoming leaders in their own fields,” said Francois-Henry Bennahmias, CEO of Audemars Piguet.

Rigorous discipline, the key to striking a perfect balance between precision, technique and artistry is one characteristic all seven ambassadors share. These passionate golfers fully master their sport and work tirelessly to push their boundaries further by constantly outperforming themselves.

These are the players who share the Audemars Piguet spirit: ‘To break the rules, you must first master them’.

During the event, guests and ambassadors alike had the opportunity to see and try a selection of the 2014 collection, notably the Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Tourbillon Chronograph released at Hong Kong’s Watches & Wonders fair less than two months earlier, at the Audemars Piguet boutique in the Dubai Mall, completing an eventful day for aficionados of both the sport and the hobby. It can be said then, that the passion for both is indeed mutually inclusive. www.audemarspiguet.com

By Da r ry l W e e Golf Vacations

May - jun 2015

Journal ★ Report

BMW Golf Cup International Regional Qualifying Thailand tournament was held at the Siam Country Club Plantation course May 25, 2015.

With the growing popularity of the event,

BMW will host 19 Regional qualifying sites to determine who will make it to the all-important BMW Golf Cup National Finals later in the year.

A total of 120 players from across Thailand will compete in the National Qualifier to determine who will represent Thailand in the 29th edition of the BMW International Finals 2015. In addition to qualifying for the National Finals, BMW offered many wonderful prizes including a BMW X1 to any amateur golfer who made a hole in one on the 3rd hole 170 yard par 3.

With over 144 players competing at Siam Country Club, BMW Golf Cup International has given the amateur golfer the experience of a world class PGA tour event. The attention to details from when you arrive at the golf course until the end of the gala dinner, This tournament has given you an experience to cherish. "We would like to give our customers a golf experience like no other. From when you arrive to the golf course, we create an atmosphere of a world class golf tournament in a relaxing enjoyable setting." Wannapa Tangbanyong, Dealer Principal of BMW AMORN PRESTIGE. BMW Golf Cup International tournaments have set the bar high for standard and excellences with their courteous and friendly staff. The personal touch each player receives during the tournament combined with the World Class Facilities at Siam Country Club, makes for a magnificent event. From the excellent prizes to the exemplary service, BMW Golf Cup International is the paramount golf tournament every golfer must experience.

Flight 1 Flight 2 Flight Lady

Winner Runner Up Winner Runner Up Winner Runner Up

Chavit Luangpijpong Youngkiat Mangkornthongsakun Weerapong Trakulbanlue Cherdsak Janevarakul Vilaisri Panboonhom Awika Phadoongwith

38-38= 76 Stbf. 38 41-39= 80 Stbf. 38 41-42= 83 Stbf. 38 45-40= 85 Stbf. 38 45-49= 94 Stbf. 34 52-46= 98 Stbf. 31

BMW Amorn Prestige, 168 Ratchadapisek Rd., Chankasem, Jatujak, Bangkok 10900.

Tel. 02 513 9555 Instagram: BMW_AMORNPRESTIGE Facebook: BMW Amorn Prestige

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Journal ★ Travel

Bali National and Senayan National A bundled membership for exclusive enjoyment in Indonesia.

Villa accommodation at BnGC.

SnGC Clubhouse

Senayan national Golf Club

Bali national Golf Cub

The latest proposition from Bali National and Senayan National golf clubs, both hallmarks of luxury

and exclusivity in their respective lands, is a bundled membership that allows those who sign up for it, to enjoy both facilities with full membership privileges. At US$65,000, the value proposition is high with membership at the barely two-year-old Bali National already selling for US$60,000 and the more mature Senayan National at US$20,000. This represents a net savings of US$15,000 that could go some way in perhaps purchasing a villa at the glorious new site in Nusa Dua. But we shall leave that for later.

Redesigned two years ago by Nelson & Haworth, Bali National Golf Club, or what was once known as Bali Golf and Country Club, has transformed into a beautiful Par 71 resort course that offers equal measures of challenge and fun. With broad fairways, elevation changes and exciting hole layouts like the Par 3, 17th with an island green, there are plenty of reasons to visit. At 140 metres and with a mid-iron in hand, a tee shot here can result in triumphant celebration or cardwrecking despair. Its adjoining cobbled-stone bridge is great for picture opportunities that lasts until the next round, which may be very soon if one signs up as member.

In addition, along the 17th and 18th holes and just moments from Nusa Dua’s sparkling white sand beach are located the most exclusive golf villas in Bali. With two and three-bedroom options featuring spectacular golf scenery, fully equipped kitchen and an outside patio which includes a large social area with private swimming pool and outdoor Jacuzzi, this modern facility also comes with 24-hr professional and butler services.

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Senayan National Golf Club has a longstanding heritage in the psyche of the golf community in big city Jakarta. At 50 years old, it has seen many golfers, both local and foreign walked its par 69 fairways lined with tropical trees and tranquil lily filled ponds.

Located at its prime location at the heart of the city’s business and retail centre, the golf course has been given a rejuvenated boost four years back by architect Bob Moore and now represents one of the finest golf clubs in town.

Off the course, Senayan National is adorned with a luxurious, executive clubhouse featuring a choice of authentic Japanese cuisine at Takumi Robata & Sushi; a coffee bar named Cafe du Jour, overlooking the greens; and a Terrace Cafe that serves both Asian and Western fare. With function rooms available for business seminars and even exhibitions, many an intimate event, including weddings have been held here.

Bali and Jakarta represents the two most visited places in Indonesia by any measure. Most certainly for golfers and vacationseekers looking for either an urban sprawl to spend the weekend at, or a beachside retreat to ease the stresses away. Suffice to say, anyone, from businessmen to families can appreciate the comforts that a home away from home may offer. Or a home club away from home.

By Benny Teo

Journal ★ Report

dtac

dtac launches “Better Every Day” strategy to mobilize people productivity and creativity toward leading mobile internet position.

dtac, under the leadership of Lars Ake Norling,

reinvents ‘everyday’ working climate and culture by launching the allyear-round dtac HeartRace mission series to mobilize all over 5,000 dtac employees to do BETTER EVERY DAY. Productivity and creativity of individual employee will be purposely driven as an engine of dtac growth and success.

Mr. Lars-Ake Norling, Chief Executive Officer, Total Access Communication PLC or dtac said, “dtac will increase this year’s investment from 14,000 million Baht to 18,000 – 20,000 million Baht to enhance 4G and 3G networks and continue 3G rollout to cover 95% of total population by year end. This is to serve the exciting trend said by the Analysys Mason that a significant growth is expected in the number of 4G subscribers increase to 13.8 million by 2019 and by the recent Ovum report indicating that over 80% of Thais will have smartphones in 2020. The coming 4G auction is very critical as the earliest opportunity to expand 3G and 4G mobile services. dtac, under Lars’ leadership, has set 3 priorities to drive dtac forward: 1) Best in Network – to deliver the best internet experience through high-quality network 2) Best in Sales – to develop Regional Business Model with a systematic and effective sales mechanism and 3) Because We Care – to improve customer experience and open 200 new dtac service centers across the country.

Lars added, “The seamless connection between company goal-setting and employee day-to-day execution is the most critical success factor to win in the market. If we want to win, we have to make changes through Better Every Day. I will challenge our employees what they can do better

today than they did yesterday. Planning is just 20% of the success.

Execution is the other 80%. The only people who can make it happen are “dtac employees.”

dtac Heart Race – connecting heart-to-heart with customers

dtac Heart Race is a big employee engagement campaign to embrace every single dtac employee to excitingly achieve the same goal.

In the dtac HeartRace 1, over 2,000 dtac employees hit the road in BMA and major cities nationwide, with a goal to run 4 km in 44 minutes, for a combined distance of 337 km. It is our pride to complete this mission as the racing has generated 539 new 4G cell sites – one cell site in exchange for every team finishing the race in time. We already deployed these new cell sites in BMA and big cities across regions of Thailand.

Today, dtac proudly launches dtac HeartRace 2 to rally employees to deliver all of 539 new 4G cell sites and put their name plates on each cell-site as ‘individual employee commitment’ to our customers. In addition, employees will volunteer to go teach how to use the internet to the unconnected people and smartphone-ready users to have the best first-time experience on the internet.

By the end of 2015, dtac pledges to increase the number of active internet users in Thailand to reach 60% of total dtac customers supporting the government’s goal to double the number of internet users in 5 years (approximately 20 million currently). Therefore, dtac has initiated Internet Volunteer activity, based on dtac way of contribution to local community, to provide education on how to use the internet. “dtac Internet Volunteer (NET ASA) – free teaching at your home” focuses on raising awareness on the benefit of the internet via simple language and hands-on training with real applications. Once people learn and understand how to use the internet, they pay it forward by teaching others in the community. This is how we improve the quality of life of Thai people, help those lacking opportunities, enhance our work and lifestyle, and eventually create a self-sustainable society. NET ASA has over 60 volunteering internet coaches who are stationed across Thailand and have helped connect over 50,000 people nationwide.

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Legends

Sir

Nick Faldo An English legend and his priceless moments.

- By Be n n y T e o

When Sir Nick Faldo, MBE last arrived upon the

shores of Singapore two Novembers ago, he was bearing the brunt of a broken arm. That, by anyone’s standards, would have forbidden any physical activity from happening during the period of recovery let alone hit a golf ball. He could easily have just showed up, waved his hands and say, “Thanks for coming,” but he didn’t. Instead the former world number one strutted across the practice range at Sentosa Golf Club to the tune of British rock band Coldplay’s ‘When I Ruled The World’, and proceeded to give a full golf clinic with a single arm.

This year, the winner of 40 professional tournaments returns, both arms properly in place and without the fanfare welcoming. He gave the audience attending the 2014 MasterCard Legends Academy event an afternoon they would remember for the rest of their lives. Long game and short, amateur mistakes to avoid and tips on improvement, everything was on the table despite braving the humidity of the island Republic.

But Sir Nick Faldo gamely ploughed on, all smiles, unlike his all too familiar killer demeanour during his playing days.

He even joked about withering under the heat only to bounce back with more vigour to the bemusement of his attentive students.

Not surprisingly, Faldo is a much nicer person to talk to and be around with, corporate days notwithstanding. Apart from his stints as anchor of the CBS network, he is also involved with numerous golf course design projects around the world and here in Southeast Asia, the most recent being Laguna Lang Co. at Vietnam’s Central Coast. But here in Singapore’s Serapong course, he looks to conquer a hole he did not design and had not played before.

“Alright boys, are we ready to have a go yet?” says the 6’3” 57-year-old host at the tough Par 3 14th. “I remember getting an easy one last year. This one’s a bit different,” he joked while preparing to take his first of many 5-iron swings today at the 191-metre long hole.

“Why don’t you young men go ahead and hit first,” the 6-time Major champion encourages, sidling a glance towards a teenager who was already walking up the teebox. That boy is 19 year-old Marc Ong, a promising young local golfer who was Singapore’s youngest ever national player in 2010.

He had the privilege of going head-to-head with Faldo just a day before at the MasterCard Legends Academy Trickshot

OPENING PICTURE: Sir Nick Faldo at the MasterCard Legends Academy.

Challenge at Sentosa’s range. He lost by just one station from a series of novelty golf shots.

“Marc’s a talented young golfer,” said Sir Nick after that novel matchup. “He will go far if he applies himself,” hinting at the bright future ahead for the winner of the Under-18 Division of the Faldo Series Asia Grand Final held at Mission Hills in China. Ong shot 3-under 213 (70, 73, 70) to take the U18 title and the overall 3rd position, thereby qualifying for the 2014 Faldo Series Grand Final.

This is a prestigious event that had seen graduates like Yani Tseng, Nick Dougherty and most famously, Rory McIlroy go on to become successful professional golfers, and in the case of Tseng and McIlroy, world number ones in the ladies and men’s game respectively.

Supported by golf’s governing bodies, 40 annual tournaments now take place in 30 countries worldwide, spanning Europe, the Middle East, North and South America, and Asia. A successful not-for-profit organisation that is raising the profile of golf around the world.

“My main reason for starting the Faldo Series was to try and give something back to the game that has given me so much,” the British Knight Bachelor had been quoted as saying.

The criteria is simple enough. Boys and girls aged 12 to 21 can take part in five age-categories with three boys and two girls from each event qualify for either the Faldo Series Europe Grand Final in the USA or the Faldo Series Asia Grand Final in China. Both are World Amateur Golf Ranking events.

The Faldo Series also aims to create access to the sport for a younger audience through grass-roots initiatives at its tournaments as well as teach its more than 7,000 young participants who will have participated each year, the importance of preparing well for life. This is done through a unique combination of tournament experience and expert advice, including support and advice from Faldo himself.

“I continuously engage with the young winners, especially those who are looking to break into professional golf,” says Faldo, continuing, “I keep in touch with them and watch how they grow. It will be interesting to see the future of golf rising through those ranks.”

To be so intimately influenced by Nick Faldo would have propelled any aspiring youth to confidence, especially after they have tested their skills and tenacity against an international pool at the series finale. Unfortunately, Golf Vacations

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THIS PAGE CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Sir Nick Faldo takes a shot against young Singaporean golfing prospect Marc Ong. Marc got his MasterCard priceless surprise and faced off against golf legend Sir Nick Faldo in a challenge at the Sentosa Golf Club; Marc Ong, Sir Nick Faldo, Debbie Goldingham; Golfers during the golf clinic at the MasterCard Legends Academy.

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The MasTerCard Legends aCadeMy is a program that gives premium cardholders a priceless golf experience with the purchase for a day of golf clinic featuring golf legend and MasterCard ambassador, Sir Nick Faldo. MasterCard cardholders are able to purchase a spot to learn from and interact with Sir Nick Faldo in a Priceless golf outing.

MasterCard hosted Asia’s first MasterCard Legends Academy in Yokohama, Japan on April 23, 2013. This was followed by events in Beijing, Shanghai and Singapore.

Last year, Singapore was the first city in Southeast Asia to host the MasterCard Legends Academy.

THIS PAGE: Sir Nick Faldo at Hole 14 on the Serapong Course at the Sentosa Golf Club during the MasterCard Legends Academy..

Ong could not participate in the Grand Final as it clashes with the equally prestigious Asian Amateur Championships, whose winner gets a free ticket to play in the following year’s US Masters Major tournament.

And it seems he may never find out, as the 2015 Singapore event will likely not feature an U-21 segment.

But he does have the ear of Faldo and will continue to seek his guidance as he develops into the player he wants to be.

The next Major champion, like his mentor, perhaps? When Y.E. Yang first triumphed over Tiger Woods in the PGA Championship in 2009 at Hazeltine National, all of Asia dreamed. Since then, no one had really come close.

“I think it will happen soon. Hideki Matsuyama, fabulous golfer, he won at Murfield Village and looked the part,” predicted Faldo on the next Asian Major winner. “He looked really good at the Majors when he first turned professional (in 2013), but then he’s slapped with slow play at the Open and still finished in a tie for sixth. Made top 10 in the US Open and top 20 in the PGA, I thought he would do well in 2014 but he didn’t. He is young, and it is all part of the learning curve.”

Then the legend offers a tantalising prospect, “But if somebody pops through under-25 and does something special like winning tournaments and Majors, they are going be a hero in this region, and that usually inspires youngsters to go: ‘Hmm, I’d like to do that as well’ or ‘Maybe I could beat him one day’. That would be a sign of things to come from here.

Great things.”

When Marc Ong completed his round at the 13th green with a birdie at the long and narrow par 4 hole, he stole a look over to the hospitality tent at the 14th teebox and his mentor had already left. Faldo was done with the last group of golfers playing that punishing par 3, which he had made look effortless all afternoon, and had returned to the clubhouse to prepare for the dinner program.

That the highlight (and there were many) of the evening was not so much the scrumptious meal provided by the kitchens of Sentosa Golf Club, but rather the sight of a legend dining amongst this small group was not lost upon those many fans who were there.

The audience lapped it up when Faldo was interviewed by the ever-effervescent Kate Burton on opinions and issues both professional and personal. He even later took part in a Q&A session organised by MasterCard’s Southeast Asia head of marketing, Debbie Goldingham and gamely traded barbs with the lucky fans who, unsurprisingly, know all the answers to his life, including statistics of his career that he had spontaneously thrown out. Visibly impressed by the knowledge of the crowd, the smile on the face of the legendary Nick Faldo is genuinely glad, surpassed perhaps only by the men who stood side-by-side with him, sharing a word or a picture, or even a warm hug. http://nickfaldo.com www.priceless.com/priceless/singapore/Home

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The Interview Series

LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan The LPGA Commissioner’s steady hand and leadership has steered the world’s most lucrative ladies professional Tour to great heights.

- BY J u s t i n e M o s s

Mike Whan talks candidly about the highlights and future development of the women’s professional game, how it has become a

Mike Whan at an LPGA press conference.

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truly global tour and, the support of over 2,000 lady members.

When Mike Whan took over the reins of the Ladies Professional Golf Association as its eighth commissioner back in January 2010, his focus was to not only expand the number of tournaments on the LPGA calendar, but also to create more business opportunities, increase exposure for the players and maximise the overall women’s golfing experience for golf fans all over the world.

Fast-forward five years and the 49-year-old has seen some high points during his tenure. Notably, the LPGA tour expanded from a regional tour with limited fans, sponsor and player base, into a global tour with players from over 30 countries and televised in over 150 nations, plus, the experience of launching mega events which can elevate women’s golf to new levels such as fifth major The Evian Championship, the PGA Women’s Championship, International Crown and the Race to the CME Globe.

“No matter what measurement tool you use to gauge our tour health, numbers are up across the board.” he says in an interview with Golf Vacations. This includes television distribution (the number of countries have grown phenomenally), television viewership (television coverage has grown from 205 to 350 hours), tournaments (from 23 to 33 which includes the 2014 International Crown), social media and digital following, total and average purses, number of countries producing top female talent and the inclusion of women’s golf in the Olympics.

He adds, “We have seven different countries represented in the top-15 in the Rolex Rankings, the top five come from five different countries, five Rolex first-time winners and four of the five major winners were first-time major champions. We have some pretty incredible talent on Tour and we are always looking for more ways to showcase their talent.”

The LPGA Commissioner has many reasons to smile after driving the Tour to record prize money.

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THIs page: Whan on a serious note; Whan’s presentation includes the Lpga’s top two players.

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That includes providing accessibility to the players which is what sets the LPGA Tour apart from other sports, and it is an important part of the business according to Whan. “Where else do your top athletes, when they play in an event, know the sponsor, know the customer and know what is important that week? We want our players to have that information and be involved to provide a great return on investment for the sponsors and the players have bought into that,” he says, continuing, “You can see our players after they finish a round, talk to the fans, sign autographs, pose for pictures and then take the time to go meet with our sponsors. It is unique to us and is our advantage.

We know we have to work harder, and so we do.”

When it comes to further expansion of tournaments in the calendar, Whan believes that the desirable number is between 32 to 34 – there are currently 18 in North America and 14 in other countries – as the tour believes in an ‘off-season’ both for the players and fans. He says that they also avoid weeks where their sponsors might not have success with television or field strength, for example, there have been no tournaments scheduled in the past during the US Masters or men’s US Open.

A season opening event for 2015, the Coates Golf Championship Presented by R+L Carriers, has been added in Florida and won by Korean ace Na-Yeon Choi, so that leaves them one more to reach that total of 34 which allows them to stop focusing on growth and instead start investing in the events that the LPGA already has. This new event preludes a series of five events in five different countries – from Florida to Bahamas, to Australia, to Thailand - leading up to the HSBC Women’s Champions in Singapore come early March, and showcasing the international nature of the women’s game.

The US$1.4 million HSBC Women’s Champions is already in its eighth edition and ranks as a favourite amongst the LPGA players according to Whan. “When you land in Singapore, even though you’re 18 hours from home, it feels like you’re home. You know the hotels, you know the people, and a lot of the Pro-Am customers and customers of HSBC we’ve known and been playing with for years. When you go to the gala party, you know people and they know you. You know their background, you know their kids, so it’s very homey there.”

Personally for the commissioner, there have been plenty of highlights from this event, which includes his very first trip to Singapore as head of the LPGA. However, Paula Creamer’s 75-foot putt, which sealed her playoff win over Spaniard Azahara Munoz last year at Sentosa Golf Club tops the list.

“I had come home on the weekend and was watching it live in the middle of the night - which tells you something about the event. It used to always be tape delayed, now it’s both – live and tape delayed. And I woke up and watched it and I screamed and my wife got up because she thought something was going on in the house.

But 2014 and the ‘Putt Heard Around the World’ are probably what we will always remember Singapore for.”

While there has been no news on whether HSBC will continue its sponsorship of the event - the 2015 tournament is the last in a three year extension – the tour is already well on its way to a healthy long term development, judging by the success of the previous year. Another highlight in 2014 saw both the US Men’s and US Women’s Opens being played at Pinehurst in consecutive weeks for the first time. It was an opportunity to increase viewership and fan base, and was a big success, even a stroke of genius.

“Some of our players were able to get there early and watch the men, take it all in and establish more of a presence in the game and that’s what we are looking for. I would like to see more doubleheaders in the future but overall the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open was a great opportunity for the Tour and it ended up with a great first-time major champion in Michelle Wie.” Even though there is still disparity between the men’s and women’s prize money, the past five years have seen the total prize pot on the LPGA being upped from US$41.4 million to US$58.1 million and while it may be a far cry from what the PGA Tour’s total is, at least heading in the right direction.

“Personally, I don’t focus on the men’s purses or their ‘sponsor price points’. My job is to deliver a great value and experience for our title partners, and as that experience and value increases, so does our purse levels. Our purse growth will continue, but reaching someone else’s level is not a goal I spend time worrying about”, he says.

While that may hold true, there is one other million-dollar question. What is it like to be surrounded by women all day in the office? To which the handsome head honcho delivers, “Our staff is a pretty good mix of men and women – players and non-players, golf fanatics and just business fanatics. On the topic of working with women, I can say that they are so much more willing to express their gratitude. I get more ‘Thank you’ and ‘Keep up the good work’ than almost any executive I’ve ever talked to. It makes it easy to set high standards, and push yourself and your team to think big, when you know and feel the support of over 2000 members!”.

THIS PAGE: Mike Whan obliges to teeing off in skirts no less at the LPGA’s Swinging Skirts Classic.

Michael Whan is the eighth commissioner of the LPGA and assumed leadership on January 4, 2010. His resume includes Director of Marketing at Procter & Gamble, Vice-President and General Manager at Wilson Sporting Goods Company, Executive Vice-President and General Manager-North America at Taylormade-adidas Golf.

Whan developed a passion for golf at a young age, cutting greens and caddying to earn money.

Whan graduated from Miami University of Ohio in 1987.

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Cover Story

Monte Rei A beauty so raw and a course set up to confound, Monte Rei has it all.

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

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The well-trodden path for most golfers heading to Portugal when they arrive at Faro airport is to head west, to the lush,

manicured lawns of Quinta do Lago - now complete with its redeveloped North course to the tune of ÂŁ7.7 million - Vale do Lobo, further along to Vilamoura and then Lagos.

It's the heartland of Algarve golf, with more than 40 courses creating Europe's biggest playground for anyone with a club in hand.

The savvy golfer, however, is heading east, to a far less populated land, where traditional life still holds sway, where the terrain is drier and more rugged, and where you even find southern Portugal's loveliest town, Tavira. And the main draw is Monte Rei. Set in the Serra do Caldeirao mountains, the course designed by Jack Nicklaus and opened in June 2007 is now considered the best in Portugal by good judges (like us) and one of the top 10 in Europe. It's 6,567 metres from the tournament tees and a par 72 with plenty of water and hilly terrain to deal with. Only handicaps up to 7 are recommended for the championship tees. Green fees may seem pricey but they include the use of a buggy, which is compulsory - you wouldn't want to be walking these 18 holes in the summer heat.

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Whether obligatory buggies is a deliberate ploy to justify the €190 green fee (reduced to €150 in winter), or just providing something different, there’s no escaping the fact that this is a truly world-class set-up. The service you get from the moment you arrive – clubs taken out of cars, cleaned, then put onto your buggies with bottles of water and tees, while your car is parked for you – is unrivalled on the Algarve.

The buggies themselves are top of the range and are fitted with 3D course guides and ice boxes. And at the end of the round every player is given a Monte Rei bag badge with his name engraved on it. The Monte Rei Golf Academy offers an indoor and outdoor golf swing studio with computerised video swing analysis software. Individual or group lessons are available with PGA professionals, starting from €60 for 50 minutes. There is also an extensive range of Titleist clubs available for hire for €45.

The first-class service stretches to the practise grounds, where the tee master will set up balls for you. And then, there’s the first hole. At 394 metres, it looks intimidating enough from the elevated teebox so your starter’s useful tips to get you underway are most welcome - a long drive downhill is required, and it needs to be straight. It’s a dog leg right but there is a huge expanse of water waiting to gobble up your ball should you slice your drive.

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TOP: The 16th, an uphill par 5, with its green surrounded by bunkers.

BELOW FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: The 18th, requiring a long second over water to reach the green; The raised green on the par 3 9th; The par 5 6th.

You’re then onto the par 5, 509-metre 2nd, with a tee shot needing to carry water and land on a slim stretch of fairway.

Your approach shot isn’t easy either, with five bunkers protecting the green. The third is even more entertaining – you drive downhill over rough but positioning is key - head left and you will have the best approach shot to a small green that juts out the right wrapped around by a lake. Not surprisingly, this is stroke index two on the course.

As a contrast to the water-themed long opening holes, there are also some very challenging par 3s, none more so than the ninth. At just 154 metres, it is easily reachable but the raised green is completely surrounded by bunkers. Different pin positions therefore change the character of this hole and your club selection. Then there’s the 206-metre par 3, 11th, which plays over pine trees, bunkers sitting short left and right of the green, while water lies to the far left to trap any pulled tee shots.

The 13th is a lovely hole, returning us back to the water theme. Drive straight but slightly right and you will have the best approach to a green that dips into a hollow with a lake behind it. Then you get to the stroke index 1, 15th – the long fairway is narrow, with a stream running all along the right-hand side. That stream then becomes a small lake sitting in front of the green placed to the right of the fairway. If you’ve driven long, the temptation to try and hit your second over the water will be great, and often leads to disastrous consequences.

“Monte Rei offers three restaurants under the guidance of Jamie Perez, who trained under Ferran Adria at the legendary El. Bulli, and a former executive chef of the Ritz Carlton Arts Hotel in Barcelona.�

The doglegged 404-metre 17th is considered the third most difficult hole on the course, mainly because of the wind coming in off the sea, while the 18th offers the spectacular finish that all great courses deserve.

It is a 501-metre par 5 which invites you to drive long, with the clubhouse standing high over the green and the mountains in the distance as you address the ball at the teebox. A belting tee shot to the left of the fairway gives you the chance the reach the green in two by hitting over yet another lake but once again position is crucial. Even slight slices or hooks will make it a difficult finish and a frustrated trudge back to the clubhouse.

Monte Rei offers three restaurants under the guidance

of Jamie Perez, who trained under Ferran Adria at the legendary El. Bulli, and a former executive chef of the Ritz Carlton Arts Hotel in Barcelona. The Monte Rei Grill offers an informal setting, while at the practise academy near the 1st and 10th, you can pop into the Academy Cafe for light snacks and coffee and tea. The Vistas restaurant, meanwhile, is the coup de grace, with an opulent, vaulted ceiling providing a spectacular setting for Perez's finest creations.

It's only open from April to October, though smaller groups can be accommodated on request.

A criticism some levy at Monte Rei is that it is too isolated, unlike the endless run of courses over at Vilamoura.

But closer inspection of the Tavira coast reveals a cluster of

bottom, clockwise from left: the practise academy; the 3rd, a stroke index two on the course; the moorish-style clubhouse; the tea lounge in the clubhouse.

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“Set in the Serra do Caldeirão mountains, the course designed

by Jack Nicklaus and opened in June 2007 is now considered the best in Portugal by good judges (like us) and one of the top 10 in Europe.”

FROM leFt tO Right: At the tee on the par 5 2nd; An aerial view of the 10th, set against the Serra do Caldeirão mountains.

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other quite underrated courses to play, such as Quinta da Ria de Cima, Quinta da Ria, Castro Marim and Benamor.

You won’t find them on the list of must-plays but Quinta da Ria ranks 14th in Portugal on the highly regarded Top 100 Courses of the World website while sister course Quinta de Cima, designed by US architect Rocky Roquemore, is 16th.

It means staying at Monte Rei is far more appealing than on first impressions – there are two, three and four-bedroom villas with pools available for short-term rent. At the heart of the resort is O Miradouro Village, which houses the Veranda restaurant and bar, and features tennis courts, swimming pools, fully equipped gymnasium and spa facilities. Massage treatments are also available - the golfers’ massage costs €90 for 45 minutes. You can be treated in your own villa to a couples massage, with two different masseuses working in tandem for 60 minutes, at a cost of €215.

A second Nicklaus-designed course at Monte Rei is at an advanced planning stage, and there are even plans for a

hotel, though the cynic in your correspondent suggests that will take a while to come to fruition considering the parlous state of the Portuguese economy. But other developments show how Monte Rei means business. In the same way that Paul McGinley regularly flies the flag for Quinta do Lago, his fellow Irishman and former Ryder Cup player Ronan Rafferty signed up this year to become an ambassador for Monte Rei. As for exploration away from the resort, a €20, 15-minute taxi ride takes you into Tavira, with its Roman Bridge and cobbled historic centre. Some two kilometres the other side of Tavira is Santa Luzia, known as the Octopus Capital for obvious reasons – there are plenty of places selling the local delicacy.

There are also excellent restaurants on nearby beaches such as Praia Verde, Praia Cacela Velha and Praia de Cabanas. All the beaches on this stretch are golden and part of the Rio Formosa National Park – to get access you must cross a bird sanctuary via wooden footbridges.

The village of Cacela Velha, perched on a cliff facing an estuary, is also a delightful fishing village with cute whitewashed houses sporting bright blue and yellow window trims and remains of an 18th century fort.

Pezinhos n’Areia is a particularly notable restaurant, serving traditional Portuguese dishes such as Cataplanas, Acorda de marisco no pao, and Pataniscas de Camarao but in a modern environment.

Fish is caught locally and the menu is changed every day. It all makes for a highly fulfilling trip – easy may well be Eden the next time you head to the Algarve. www.Monte-rei.com Golfbreaks.com offers off-season packages from £409 per person, includes three nights self-catering in a villa and two rounds of golf.

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My Top Ten

BANgkok goLF CoURSES Simply the finest courses in Bangkok.

- B y da r ry l w e e

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Bangkok is one of Asia’s leading golf destinations. If you travel one hour out from the

city, you have a plethora of courses to choose from with numerous having hosted world class events. Considering many are only in Bangkok for a short period of time, with so many courses at your disposal, which are the ones you should be playing?

1

Alpine Golf & Sports Club

This is one of Bangkok’s leading clubs. Just a little longer than an hour outside the city, this course is well worth the drive. One of the rare courses in Bangkok which features elevation changes, this course designed by Ron Garl has been the host to numerous tournaments including the Asia Games, Thai Major Open and Johnnie Walker Classic. A mature course, with excellent course maintenance, it is recommended to spend some time at the practice putting greens to get used to the green speed.

OPENING SPREAD: Alpine Golf & Sports Club

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Amata Spring Country Club

Visitors arriving from Suvarnabhumi Airport should head directly to Amata Spring as this golf course is one of the furthest from the city at least an hour and a half away. That said, this is currently one of the longest, most enjoyable courses one can play on in Bangkok with a series of challenges, testing every aspect of the game on every hole. A unique par 3 island green that requires a boat to get across sets it apart.

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3 Rajpruek Club

This very exclusive club is one of the closest courses to the city and it takes only 30 minutes to arrive at this golfing oasis. This club should be on everyone’s “must-play� list as the overall golf and club experience is exceptional. The clubhouse looks a little dated from the outside, but a recent renovation has transformed it to become one of the best in the city. Designed

by J. Michael Poellot, it is astounding to see what he could do with this piece of land - subtle elevation changes and fairways framed by mature landscaping and water hazards on numerous holes masked by gentle waterfalls and serene ponds. One could easily be taken in by the landscaping and forget that these lovely features are in fact hazards.

4

Ayodhya Links

A very exclusive club that boasts some of the best practice facilities in Bangkok, be sure to get there early to use them. A hallmark of this club is its pristine course condition throughout the year. Due to the exclusive nature of this club, the numbers of golfers who play here daily are limited which enables the club to maintain their course conditions to the highest standard. The designers of this course have taken pride to ensure that no two holes are the same. In fact, water features are on every hole on this course. If there is an opportunity to be invited to play here, please do go.

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5

Krungthep Kreetha Sports Club

One of the most well known golf courses in Bangkok, this course is just 30 minutes from the city and is very popular with locals and visitors alike. The course is one of the most mature in Bangkok, and playing accurate golf is key. Fairways are lined with tall and leafy trees, and water hazards creep in at strategic locations so it is best to hire a caddy to know where to hit it to, or get out from. The only issue with this club is the condition of the clubhouse, which is in serious need of a renovation. Look beyond that, and it is well worth the time and a lovely layout to play.

6 Riverdale Golf and Country Club

In the direction of the old Don Muang airport, players will be greeted with a modern clubhouse with all the conveniences. One of the newer courses in town, its claim to fame is the speedy and well-maintained modern green complexes. During the recent floods, they were spared the flooding as the owners actually built a wall around the property to protect the course.

A modern layout, this is one of the few paddy field courses that elevation plays such a key role in a number of their holes.

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Thai Country Club

This championship course was the host venue for the Volvo Masters for many years. It is easy to see why when you step into the clubhouse, especially the locker rooms. Owned and managed by The Peninsula Hotels, the food at this clubhouse is easily one of the best in Bangkok, and therefore, it is highly recommended to have a meal here before or after a game. Relatively flat with numerous bunkers and water hazards that come into play, this course suits long bombers with a number of wide fairways which they can take advantage of.

Royal Gems Golf and Sports Club

Not to be confused with the Royal Gems Golf City, the Royal Gems Golf and Sports Club is the older and more mature of the two. A perennial favourite with the locals, there was much debate about whether the newer City course should be included in its place as it features the back nine of Augusta National and signature holes from other famous courses. However, the older course has a certain level of maturity and playability that the newer course is still developing. Something unique about the design of this course, is the designer’s attempt to merge the best of Thai, American and Scottish courses. To make up for a relatively flat layout, the designers narrowed the fairways and throw in bunkers at strategic landing areas and around the greens.

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Lamlukka Country Club

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This is another course that is just a little outside the normal one-hour drive from town. However, it does have 36 holes of championship golf designed by Roger Packard and sculptured over former paddy fields.

The difference that this course has over many others in Bangkok is the lush trees and use of undulating fairways that make approach shots more challenging. Water features on most holes but the hazards blend in very well with the layout and none feel out of place. In fact the course design naturally assimilates water into play and hazards are clearly visible. This course rewards accuracy over power.

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Suwan Golf and Country Club

A recent entrant to the golf scene, this club quickly rose up the ranks and hosted a number of Asian Tour events. A general from the Thai Army was brought in to design this heavily undulating course. Making use of intelligent bunkering and water hazards, it offers friendly fairways, but challenges with tougher approaches. The greens are large and are well maintained and one really should walk both sides of his putt as the breaks can be very subtle.

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The 19th

Mexican Pampering Treats Enjoy a culturally enhanced spa experience like no other in the world.

- By S o p h i e K a l K r e u t h

Mexico’s colourful city of Merida in the Yucatan Peninsula is

where the Mayan civilization first discovered cocoa and offered it to their gods.

Today, influenced by its more recent colonial history, Merida offers an exciting blend of belle epoque architecture, rich Yucatan food and relaxing spa rituals.

Over the last decade, a plethora of spa resorts have sprung up along Mexico’s east coast and well-heeled sun-seekers have started traveling south of Cancun to smaller, up-and-coming beach destinations like Tulum and Playa del Carmen where boutique-style properties offer Mayan-inspired wellness rituals in a more tranquil setting.

The Kinan Spa at the Belmond Maroma in Tulum, for example, attracts serious spa-goers and luxury seekers with its indulgent rooftop palapas and its integrated blend of indigenous traditions such as the Temazcal, an ancient, preHispanic ritual in which the properties of fire and water are combined to purify the mind, body and soul. Further south at Playa del Carmen, the Willow Stream Spa at the Fairmont Mayakoba offers private treatment rooms under leafy canopies overlooking the treetops of a mangrove forest with locally inspired treatments that incorporate Mayan clay and honey.

Inland, the capital of Yucatan province has also been quietly developing a spa scene. In place of a seaside retreat, Merida’s spa properties re-imagine the grandeur of the city’s opulent past and offer lush oasis from the bustle and energy of the streets.

Located west of Cancun and about 35 kilometres from the Gulf of Mexico coast, the city of Merida features colorful colonial architecture with strong Spanish, French and British influences. Built on the site of the Maya city of T’ho, it also has the largest indigenous population of any large city in Mexico, with approximately 60 percent of all inhabitants of the Maya ethnicity. The resulting blend of influences is tantalizing. The streets are lined with stately Belle-epoque style houses, some built from the stones of Mayan temples; the cuisine features rich Yucatan ingredients including corn tamales, turkey and chaya; and the spa treatments integrate the healing properties of cocoa, clay and papaya.

The luxurious pool at Hacienda Temozon, a former sisal plantation outside of Merida.

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“Outside of Merida’s historic centre in the northern part of the city is Paseo de Montejo, a wide boulevard with leafy trees and towering mansions that is sometimes compared to Paris’ Champs-Élysées.”

In the late 19th and early 20th century, Merida prospered ABOVE: Formal gardens at Hacienda from the production of henequen, and for a brief period, Temozon was said to house more millionaires than any other city in the world. With the decline of the industry, however, many residents simply abandoned their homes – large, palatial mansions they could not afford to maintain. Today, these stately structures still stand as reminders of Merida’s illustrious past. In recent years, the city has experienced somewhat of a renaissance with more and more people moving into the historic houses and refurbished them. This includes hoteliers who have opened luxurious properties that capitalize on beautiful architectural details: grand columns and arches, high ceilings and quiet inner courtyards with swimming pools.

One such property located in central Merida is the Coqui Coqui Day Spa, a boutique property that includes a perfumery, one spa treatment room and one luxury suite. The subtle aromas of rose and coconut engulf me when I step in off Calle 55. The main room resembles an historic apotheke with glass flasks arranged on wooden tables. A crystal chandelier is suspended from a thick cord strung up to the double-height ceiling. Then there are large mirrors lining the walls, floors featuring ornate, original tiles and gold detailing abounds throughout the facility. Visitors come and go, quietly perusing the fragrances.

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Coqui Coqui began as a fragrance company founded

by Argentine model, landscape architect and hotelier Nicola Malleville. His perfumes quickly became known for their playful take on local ingredients - the fragrances of the ubiquitous limonada (a refreshing Mexican drink), Orange Blossoms, exotic Flores de Mayo, Agave cactuses and coconut-inspired new scents.

There is also the Menli (mint and lime), Orange Blossom Eau de Cologne (dry, rather than sweet) and the Floplum (with light touches of jasmine), the Agave (a slightly smoky scent) and my personal favorite, the Coco Coco (cool, milky and green).

After launching a successful perfumery, Malleville opened his first spa property in Tulum in 2003, followed by properties in Coba and Valladolid and then Merida in 2012. His fragrances continue to play a central role in the spa experience. At the Merida property, the lush nature of the region inspires tropical scents that evoke flavours of smoked wood, tobacco leaves, vanilla, spicy peppermints and fruity aromas.

The design of the property, which dates back to 1903, takes its cue from the synchronicity of local and colonial traditions, in particular the grandeur of the Belle Epoque period. “We really like to respect the era in which it was built,” says Beatrice Rugai, who manages the Merida property. She says Malleville renovated the property himself, retaining as many of the original details as possible and commissioned local architect Henry Ponce to design

the private plunge pool. On the upper floor, the luxury suite features Venetian plaster walls, marble baths, red velvet settees and original ornate tile work.

The spa offers complete privacy since only one treatment may be performed at a time and the menu features a range of body treatments including massages, skin scrubs and other traditional rituals. Natural ingredients are used for the oils, lotions and herbal preparations. The “Papaya Body Scrub” starts with an invigorating scrub made from salt and papaya fruit and seeds. Papaya contains an enzyme, biochemically known as papain, which softens and revitalizes the skin.

Following the scrub, the spa practitioner cocoons you in a wrap to let the papain work while you receive a gentle head massage. Finally, after a refreshing shower the treatment

is concluded with a holistic orange blossom oil massage that leaves your muscles feeling as supple as your skin.

With very limited space, booking ahead is a must at Coqui Coqui. No less than four to five months for the suite, and a few days ahead for spa treatments. The property is small, and spa seekers looking for all of the bells and whistles might wish to opt for treatments at a larger luxury hotel. The focus here is creating an experience that is highly personalized. “It’s not luxury,” Rugai says. “It’s about privacy and relaxation.”

Outside of Merida’s historic centre in the northern part of the city is Paseo de Montejo, a wide boulevard with leafy trees and towering mansions that is sometimes compared to Paris’ Champs-Elysees. Here, the former grand palaces are home to banks and businesses, museums and libraries and some

clockwise from left: courtyard pool at rosas & Xocolate; Natural massage oils at rosas & Xocolate spa; Belle epoque splendor at coqui coqui's Private suite; coqui coqui Day spa.

have also been converted into hotels. Hotelier Carol Kolozs Fisher created Rosas & Chocolate Boutique Hotel and Spa by combining two historic villas and remodeling the interiors to include a stylish 18-room hotel, a spa and an award-winning restaurant.

“The hotel was created to satisfy great expectations,” says Fisher, who was born in Mexico City but has lived all over the world and brings an international flair to the hotel. The property, five years in operation, features walls of pastel pink and an airy inner courtyard with a pool. The spa espouses a ‘high-touch, low-tech’ philosophy, promoting increased human contact and treatments inspired by indigenous Mexican traditions, and, as the name suggests, incorporates roses and cocoa into many of its treatments.

The signature treatment, the “Experiencia Rosas & Xocolate” begins with a body scrub made of a house tailored blend of cocoa salt, dried rose petals, oils, herbs and liquors designed to energize the circulatory system and remove dead cells. This leaves your pores open to receive the benefits of the Xocolate wrap, which the spa practitioner applies by first lathering your body with an organic chocolate paste and wrapping you in a thermal linen wrap. The moisturizers and decongestant tonics are left to penetrate the skin before the treatment concludes with a soothing massage and custom oils aimed at improving circulatory function and stress reduction.

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FROM TOP: A romantic treatment room at Hacienda Temozon's spa located in a candlelit underground cavern; The Rosas & Xocolate spa experience includes organic cocoa treatments and hot stone therapies.

If your treatment inspires an appetite, head next door to the Rosas & Xocolate restaurant that includes a romantic al fresco courtyard. Chef David Segovia from Mexico City riffs on traditional Yucatecan classics, incorporating locally sourced ingredients – the duck is particularly tasty.

The area surrounding Merida also offers options for pampering in a more remote setting. The Hacienda Temozon is one of the more luxurious. Located 35 minutes south of Merida International Airport, the hacienda is a former sisal estate that has been returned to its 17th century architectural grandeur with an oxblood-coloured main house that rises above manicured lawns and a long swimming pool.

The Hol Be spa, named after the Mayan for ‘open way’, has treatment beds set up in a candlelit underground cavern complete with soothing candlelight and flowers where you can experience traditional Mayan massage techniques. The Hacienda, together with the Fundacion Haciendas del Mundo Maya have worked to recover ancient Mayan healing practices and identified community members with expert knowledge in traditional therapeutic massages to practice their ancestral therapies. The “Maya 54

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“The main room resembles an historic apotheke with glass flasks arranged on wooden tables. A crystal chandelier is suspended from a thick cord strung up to the double-height ceiling. Then there are large mirrors lining the walls, floors featuring ornate, original tiles and gold detailing abounds throughout the facility.”

Massage” begins with a ritual prayer to harmonize the mind, body, and spirit. The therapist then performs a massage with smooth movements and increasing pressure with a blend of eucalyptus and rosemary to enhance breathing and oxygenation.

With a natural environment so rich in nourishing plants, fruits and herbs, wellness professionals here don’t need to rely on imported or synthesized products. Hol Be Spa’s body therapies use exclusively homemade products made from local ingredients such as coffee, lemongrass and avocado.

The “Luxury Facial”, for example is performed using a sisal sponge, lemon water, cucumber juice, and an exfoliant made from natural yogurt and seaweed. “Our treatment and approach to wellness is something I would call Mayan Holistic,” says Reto Kade Spa Manager at Hacienda Temozon. “We are dedicated to do all our services as natural as possible, and use very few premade products.” www.coquicoquiperfumes.com www.rosasandxocolate.com www.haciendatemozon.com

Golf in the Yucatan

For some action before a rub down.

MeRida

Yucatan country club: www.yucatancountry.com Jack Nicklaus

cancun

Riviera cancun: www.playgolfcancun.com Jack Nicklaus

PlaYa del caRMen

el camaleon at Mayakoba: www.mayakobagolf.com Greg Norman

tuluM

the Riviera Maya Golf club: www.rivieramaya-golfclub.com Robert Trent Jones II

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The 19th

RetuRn at Rio After more than a century, golf finally makes a return to the world’s most decorated sporting event.

- By J o h n G i BB

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“At the Rio Games, 60 countries will compete in a 72-hole stroke play contest on a course designed by the Americans Gil Hanse and Amy Alcott, a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame.”

It has been 111 years since the gold medal

for the best golfer in the world was competed for in the Olympics. The Games were held in St Louis, Missouri, and there were 77 competitors. The winner was the Canadian, George Seymour Lyon and the year 1904, the one and only time they have played golf in the Olympics. Since those early days, the sport has flourished and expanded out of Europe and America into Asia. Today, US National Golf Federation figures show that there are 35,115 courses throughout the world for us to play on.

Most of those involved in the sport agree that interest in golf was on the wane for a while, particularly in the US and the sport still needs to generate more active participation. One of the ways to stimulate the popularity

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BOTTOM PICTURE: Olympic Golf Course

of the game would be an inspirational event which will catch the world’s imagination and attract more young men and women onto the golf course.

Golf has a history in the Olympics, albeit a short one, and the good news is that it’s back in the Games.

The Olympics occupy a unique position in sport. It is more than a tournament. It is an inspirational celebration of sportsmanship and athleticism where professionals take part as amateurs. An Olympic champion is a heroic man or woman who, having beaten the greatest in the world, is awarded simply with a gold medal presented on the top of the podium while they raise the flag of his or her home country and play their national anthem.

That is why Brazil has done all she can to attract

the games and the great and the good in the game of golf have worked together and done all they can to have golf included in the Summer Games of 2016 – and succeeded. Olympic golf will be played in Rio on a brand new course on the edge of the city. In 2009, George O’Grady, chief executive of the European Tour formally confirmed that the IOC had agreed to bring the sport back to the Games. In spite of an occasional blip, golf remains one of the most popular sports in the world and so deserves the justice done to its return at Rio, and then later in Tokyo (2020) as well.

At the Rio Games, 60 countries will compete in a 72-hole stroke play contest on a course designed by the Americans Gil Hanse and Amy Alcott, a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame. Amy was commissioned to provide her woman golfer’s perspective to the course design. The prizes will be the same as every other Olympic sport; gold, silver or bronze medals for the first three plus the honour of taking part. The Olympics will be a big deal for both men and women golfers and the players will know how much it matters because, while there’s no prize money, the world’s greatest players will be taking part.

Most of the competitors will be professional, will rarely play golf for nothing and will have spent most of their careers earning a lucrative living on tour and collecting titles which enable them to supplement their livings with sponsorships fees. But Olympic golf is open to amateurs as well and many, including the Brazilian team players, Luiz Jacintho and Andre Tourinho, who are expected to qualify, are amateurs and will have as much of a chance of selection as anyone else.

You can’t be selected for the Olympics on past glories. You have to earn your place through current form. Every Olympic golfer will win his or her invitation to Rio as the result of where they are in the world rankings. It’s got nothing to do with what happened two years ago when you won the Open or The Masters. The ratings are worked out by the International Golf Federation. By July 2016 the field will have been refined down to the best in the world. There will be 60 men and 60 women golfers all with a key to their own rooms in the Olympic Village in Rio. They’ll be there on current form and like all the rest, they will be there to win.

Each team will consist of four players and yet they will not be teams in the generally accepted meaning of the word. For instance, although Olympic golf resembles the Ryder Cup in so far as the winners will be playing for their country, everyone competes as individuals so three males and three female players will win medals.

The six winning golfers will have been competing against the other 118 men and women invited to Rio. The non-playing team leaders will be selected by their respective professional associations. They’ve already started to appear; Paul McGinley for the Irish Republic, Jamie Spence for Great Britain and Ian BakerFinch for Australia. There is a pregnant silence from the Americans.

TOP: Gil Hanse BOTTOM: George Seymour Lyon

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The course doesn’t exist yet as it is still being built.

They have laid out 15 holes so far and completion day is expected to be in November, 10 months before the Games start. They will hold one event there before the Olympics a small tournament in December 2015 to iron out any bugs in the system. Gil Hanse had to beat off some hot competition, including Jack Nicklaus, to get the job. The course is currently being laid out in the Barra da Tijuca at the Reserva de Marapendi, a wealthy suburb on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro, about five miles from the Olympic Village.

Paul McGinley, for one, is keen to travel down several times to play it so he can brief his team when they are chosen. There have been predictable problems over the legal ownership of the land, and in January this year, over the progress of the grass seeding as well. Hanse, however, is happy that everything is on schedule.

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THIS PAGE, CloCkwISE FRoM ToP: olympic Golf Course; Castle Stuart at Balnaglack - Hole 4th and 11th.

RIGHT PAGE, ToP To BoTToM: The spectacled Caiman Crocodilus, which is a threatened species in Brazil; los Angeles Country Club - Hole 8th and 14th.

Selected as designer in 2009 soon after the announcement of golf’s re-entry into the Games, Hanse’s concept is to retain the natural character and colour of the land without disrupting the environment. He believes that course design is all about the golfers playing there and that his courses are the stages on which dramas are played out. Come next year, dramas on the course are what we can expect to see in this unique format that golf has not seen in a long while.

To further this end, Gil Hanse has already moved down to Rio from his base in Malvern, Pennsylvania and he’ll stay there tending the course until after it is complete and ready to play. He says he’ll remain on site until the matches are finished and the medals have been presented. The course at Reserva de Marapendi has been a big commitment for him and by the time it is over and the players are finally competing in the Olympics, it will have accounted for seven years of his life.

“Paul McGinley, for one, is keen to travel down several times to play it so he can brief his team when they are chosen. There have been predictable problems over the legal ownership of the land, and in January this year, over the progress of the grass seeding as well. Hanse, however, is happy that everything is on schedule.”

His attention to detail is extraordinary and he personally finishes much of the sculpture of the greens and bunkers in his designs. “I’ve got the callouses to prove it,” he said, showing us the hands that shaped the spectacular renovation of the Blue Monster at Doral near Miami. Hanse has many elegant links courses to his name, including the beautiful Castle Stuart at Balnaglack at Inverness on the eastern coast of Scotland, and the Los Angeles Country Club.

The land to which he was given to work on at Bara de Tijuca had been degraded by sand mining and the landscape was predominantly dunes which over the years had been mined and excavated for construction work and was then abandoned. It is no more than a few yards from the Atlantic Ocean just down the coast from Copacabana. Originally, of course, it was rain forest, although it has been a long time since Sting or Paul McCartney would have considered trying to protect it. The only environmental drawback to the Reserva de Marapendi is the alarming presence of the spectacled Caiman (Caiman Crocodilus) a carnivorous reptile found all over Central America. There are around 6,000 of these beasts residing in the area and they may well be attracted to the lakes and streams of clear clean water on the course.

There were worries expressed that they might also be tempted by the occasional golfer but Anthony Scanlon, executive director of the International Golf Federation dismisses the risk of Caiman attacks on players and spectators as “minor.” He also told me that there is a strategy in place which will minimise any risk, although we are not sure what this strategy may be. The Caiman is a threatened species in Brazil where some are farmed for their skins and some are netted and taken as pets if you can believe it. There is no question of shooting them in the wild and even trapping them and moving them elsewhere would be frowned up by the local environmental groups, including Greenpeace, which have all been keeping an eye on the goings on at the site.

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Moving towards a more relatable subject, we ask Gil Hanse about the course and he says that it will be a par 71 at 7,352 yards, although the length may change slightly. He says the Olympic project presents an unusual challenge because it had to be designed for both elite and amateur players.

Turf growing for the course has been organised locally by “Green Grass Sod Farms” and the grass they have selected is the environmentally respectable and drought tolerant “Zeon Zoysia,” which will be used for the rough, fairways and tees. Zeon Zoysia was developed by Bladerunner Farms at their Zoysiagrass research Headquarters at Poteet in Texas. Green Grass is the first sod farm to supply big rolls of the grass in South America.

Zoysia is a turf grass which is ideal for landscaping because the turf is delivered to the site in rolls and simply unfurled in long strips onto the pre-prepared landscape of the course. In the case of the Olympic course, the greens are to be seeded with Seadwarf Seashore Paspalum and the planting of the turf onto the course started in May 2014. It will take at least one growing season to become fully established onto the layout.

One of the principle reasons the Olympic Committee selected Brazil as the golfing venue for the 2016 Games is that the game needs support in South America and there is potential in Brazil which although is traditionally a country obsessed with football, it is also mad about sport of all sorts. The government is keen to encourage children to take up golf and believes that the Olympics will inspire new players into the game. The Olympic course will be handed over to public ownership after the 62

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“Golfers on the podium with the national flag and the national anthem would be a powerful symbol.”

Games in the belief that Brazil will become a centre for golf tourism as well as a leader in the sport in South America.

There are 110 courses in Brazil. Many of them dates back to the start of the 20th century when the British and Americans were driving the railroad system south through Central America and down to the south Atlantic. Currently, there are less than 30,000 golfers in a population of 200 million. The Scottish and English were involved in building the railroad systems all over the world and the engineers and builders would develop their own courses in the countryside so that they could play golf in their spare time. The Sao Paolo Golf Club, for instance, was built by railway engineers and updated

by Stanley Thompson and Robert Trent Jones, and Gavea on the edge of the Tijuca Forest close to where the new Olympic course will be. It was built in 1926 by Morgan Davidson an Englishman from Peterhead, and Robert Trent Jones who continued to work in Brazil for many years.

A delegation of International Golf Federation members flew to Rio in the last week of January to look at the progress of the Olympic course. Peter Dawson, President of the IGF and CEO of the R&A and largely responsible for persuading the IOC to return golf to the Olympics, confirmed that growth on the landscape is satisfactory. He said that the impetus for including golf had come from small countries, keen to develop golf as a sport, who had approached the IGF and the Royal and Ancient.

“They wanted an international sporting event which they could take part in because their involvement in the Olympics would help the game to flourish in their countries. Golfers on the podium with the national flag

BELOW: Peter Dawson (President) and Ty Votaw (Vice-President) of IGF, alongside Rio Course design team of Gil Hanse and Amy Alcott.

and the national anthem would be a powerful symbol.

Peter Dawson has worked hard to have golf returned to the Games. His four ambassadors, namely Suzann Pettersen, Padraig Harrington, Michelle Wie and Matteo Manassero all promoted the idea and the R&A and the USPGA were able to persuade the organisers to bring the game back in both 2016 and 2020.

The budget for Rio is 7 billion Brazilian Real (£1.8 billion) so we ask Dawson who was financing it. “It’s going to be privately funded,” he said, “from sponsorship, ticket sales and a contribution from the IOC.” It certainly won’t be cheap and has already increased by 27 percent because of the introduction of four new sports including Golf and Rugby sevens. Any shortfall would be paid for by the Brazillian Government. www.rio2016.com

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Destination Focus

Isle of Golf Mauritius has it all; endless shimmering sandy beaches, elegant beachside resorts, a kind and courteous people and a growing number of golf courses.

- By Dav i D J W h y t e

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What more could you possibly ask for?

Sighting a Dodo perhaps? Hardly, for the national bird is already extinct although its spirit still stands tall in the form of memorabilia in shops all across the island. Set deep in the Southern Indian Ocean – a thousand miles east of Madagascar and South Africa - it is fast developing a reputation as a proper golf venue with eight 18-hole jaunts and a few 9-hole courses and a major Senior European Tour event held at the tail end of the season. Come May 2015, there will be another key tri-sanctioned golf event that looks to feature the very best of South Africa, Europe and Asia in an event named, AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open.

This first-ever tournament by the Sunshine, European and Asian professional tours will take place at the Heritage Resorts on Domaine de Bel Ombre on the southern shores of this idyllic island. With a prize fund of €1 million and an open invitation for players to bring their families to enjoy the sumptuous beachside facilities, it is expected to be a topdrawer for all three Tours.

But how does this tropical Garden of Eden stack up for mainstream golfers more interested in finding the fairway than fancy poolside cocktails? In the past, the island of Mauritius was considered a luxury winter escape for families, honeymooners and couples. A game of golf could be uncovered on courses established by British army personnel as far back as 1834.

But when the island’s ubiquitous sugar cane industry faltered (though you would never think it looking at the place today) golf gained a foothold and resorts saw the wisdom of offering a round or two to their clients. Over the past 20 66

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PREvIOUs PaGE, OPEnInG PICTURE: aerial view of Heritage Golf Course in Bel Ombre.

TOP PICTURE LEFT TO RIGHT: Tamarina Golf Club, par 3, 13th hole; Le Touessrok.

years, seven championship courses were built near to resorts in the southwest and northeast of the island, in addition to the old British track Gymkhana golf club that is the oldest in the southern hemisphere and 4th oldest in the world.

The southwest corner currently offers three excellent tracks with another due to open in September 2015. They are Heritage, Tamarina and Paradis, all within easy reach of one another. The new Avalon Golf Estate built in the hills overlooking the southern shores will be equally accessible. To the northeast there are four more: Belle Mare Plage’s Links and Legends courses, the jaw-slackening Le Tousserok and Ernie Els’ inimitable Anahita.

And you’ll want to play all of them! But travel between both sides of the island is a little tricky taking the best part of two hours through villages and towns. It is quaint and interesting to do so but not the kind of drive you’d want over several days. It is perhaps better to consider Mauritius a twocentre destination where you spend a few days enjoying the amenities and golf facilities of both regions.

We based ourselves at Heritage Resorts Le Telfair, one of the finest 5-star properties you’ll find anywhere. I visited here 10 years ago when the resort first opened and was fascinated to see how it might have changed or settled. It seems they got it right from the start, as I could see no perceptible change other than the feeling of a mature, well-functioning resort.

Heritage Resorts actually offer two luxury properties side by side on this part of the island. Heritage Awali Golf & Spa Resort has a relaxed bohemian feel while Heritage Le Telfair is a touch more sedate. Don’t get me wrong; you’ll

“Over the past 20 years, seven championship courses were built near to resorts in the southwest and northeast of the island, in addition to the old British track Gymkhana golf club that is the oldest in the southern hemisphere and 4th oldest in the world.”

be extremely comfortable in either. Guests are free to use the facilities of both and between them are 12 restaurants, two spa villages, a beach club, a 1,300-hectare nature reserve and the 19th century colonial mansion restaurant known as Chateau de Bel Ombre.

If you should get bored of staring at the Indian Ocean from your beachside lounger, having freshly opened coconuts presented to you by the resort’s gardeners, there are activities galore, most of them gratis to guests and include green fees on the Heritage course, tennis, watersports (including waterskiing) and bikes to explore the coastal road.

But when it comes to golf, the Heritage course was recently ranked in the top 10 in Africa by CNN. And it is challenging no matter which tees you choose. From the tips, the tour elite will be both tested and entertained. There’s room off the tee but strategy is key to every hole. On a course like this you need to play it more than once to fully appreciate its subtleties.

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: The sprawling grounds at Heritage Golf Course belie a difficult test ahead for the unique Tri-sanction professional tournament in May 2015; Teeing off at the site of the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open; Heritage Le Telfair Resort’s colonial architecture.

Elevation changes, defiant par 3s and wide water hazards come at you with great regularity. My playing partners informed me there had been changes made in preparation for the AfrAsian event such as enlarging a few greens to create more pin positions. It was here that I found my putting nerve sternly tested on greens that weren’t too fast but noticeably motile.

Beyond that there are amazing panoramas especially looking back towards the resort and the Indian Ocean with the barrier reef better appreciated from this height. Stepping onto or off the course, there’s also superlative Mauritian service. Staff could not be more attentive in setting us up for our round and welcoming us back to the clubhouse with a wet flannel and cooling drink. You soon get used to this standard of service – but it’s never taken for granted.

While it would never be a chore to play at Heritage, you will be keen to try what else the island has to offer. Just along the coast - a mere 20-minute drive westwards - is

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somewhere and the drive and subsequent weariness didn’t have a good effect on my game. GPS is unreliable on the island, and signs not easy to find let alone read. Yet somehow, I made it to Le Touessrok and boarded a water shuttle to cross over to the heavenly Ile aux Cerfs, an island where golfers and sunbathers gather in private enjoyment.

This island is hugely popular with Mauritians who board boats in their dozens to picnic on its idyllic eastern beaches. For a golf course, there are few finer sites. Bernhard Langer was commissioned, or at least put his name to the project, and the result is a course even he would find tricky to navigate. After some recent, fairly major modifications to make it more golfer-friendly, Le Touessrok is still a test and a half. Therefore, you don’t want to arrive here without your A-game. Unfortunately, I left mine in the car park.

If you are in good form however, this is perhaps one of the most exciting games of golf you’ll ever encounter. I’m actually very keen to get back and take the Le Touessrok challenge again. It’s that kind of course; one that intrigues and beguiles. There are some magnificent holes especially near the end where you are forced to cross dense gullies with nothing but trouble between you and a safe landing. There are no better examples than at the 17th, and again at the 18th, with a glimpse of the 19th temptingly set behind that ultimate green.

Paradis Hotel & Golf Club. A resort course more in line with the skills of the social golfer, it is nevertheless worth sampling for its breathtaking location. Next to the sea, the fairways are uniformly flat, some tree-lined, others hugging palm fringed shores along a peninsula with Le Morne Mountain towering over the entire scene. The dark mountain is a great contrast to the lush, amusing beachside holes. All in all, it is an easy round, gentle and well paced.

From there, head further north and discover a course of an entirely different character. Tamarina Golf, Spa & Beach Club is a track with neither palm tree nor beach view in sight. This looks like a track carved out of Africa with giraffes roaming its fairways or the roar of a lion expected at every turn. All we saw was a wee monkey skirting the forest.

It, too, has mountain views; again somber and foreboding yet another dramatic backdrop to mark your drive off. The course winds through rugged savannah framed with mature trees along with hidden dips and fall-offs. The holes seem to have been designed to give ever more splendid views of the impressive Mount Rempart and its jagged peaks. While we were captivated with the layout - and it is a great course to play with plenty of length and tricky turns amongst forest-lined fairways – we could not hide our disappointment at the course condition. Green-keeping seems to be an issue here. I decided to drive from Tamarina straight across the island to Le Touessrok on the opposite shore. I’m not going to say it was a mistake. I very much enjoyed seeing towns like Quatre Bornes as I make my long commute eastwards. I might have taken a wrong turn 68

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Then, there is Anahita, just a couple of miles south of Le Touessrok – or the Four Seasons Golf Club Mauritius at Anahita to give it its full title. It is a massive 7,500 yards long with fairways wide enough to accommodate even the most errant drive. You’d be hard pressed to find the rough here but don’t be lulled into complacency.

It is still packed with challenge and character and in perfect condition.

There are some stunning oceanfront holes interwoven with rocks and tropical shrubbery. To one side is mountains and the other a vast crystal-clear lagoon so it is a great amphitheatre of golf with plenty of movement in the holes to keep you thinking.

The Resort at Anahita is a new lifestyle concept in holiday accommodation. Guests reside in rambling, spacious suites and villas scattered throughout a wide tropical garden. We took a grand tour of some of the commodious villas and were delighted to learn you could have a butler arrive to cook breakfast, or indeed, have dinner delivered directly from the restaurant. Each villa has its own infinity pool and offers a fully equipped kitchen, spacious lounges and well-appointed bedrooms.

The whole property is sited within 213 hectares of tropical lushness next to the crystalline waters of the lagoon. ‘La Place Belgath’ lies at the heart of the Resort, a lively village centre with

bustling boutiques, a health and fitness centre, tennis courts, a Kid’s club, a water sports centre as well as the golf clubhouse. There is a good choice of restaurants but for my money after a good game of golf, I’d be happy to pick up the phone for a home delivery and stay chilled by the villa pool.

LEFT PAGE, TOP LEFT TO BOTTOM PICTURE: Anahita Golf Course designed by Ernie Els; Uniquely curved swimming pool at the resort; Spectacular view of the Ile aux Cerfs Golf Course.

THIS PAGE TOP TO BOTTOM: Anahita Exclusive Beach at Ile aux Cerfs; Bicycles are an enjoyable mode of transport within the resort.

Useful Links www.heritageresorts.mu www.anahita.mu www.fourseasons.com/mauritius www.constancehotels.com www.letouessrokresort.com www.tamarina.mu www.beachcomber-hotels.com/golf

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CloCkwise from top left: Cocktail Bar at Constance Belle mare plage is one of 11 restaurants and bars in the resort; legends Golf Course built within a deer preservation site holds the annual mCB tour Championship; the Deer Hunter serves as clubhouse for both courses as well as fine dining at night; the links course, designed by rodney wright and peter Allis is the newer of two courses.

And finally, there is Constance Belle Mare Plage’s twin wonders, The Legends and The Links. At the time of our visit, they were hosting the MCB Tour Championship, the European Senior Tour’s season-ending event. While our managing editor is busy languishing in the resort’s many wonderful offerings and taking in some exciting golfing action from the best over-50s of the continent, it is also interesting to note that they are trodding on the grounds of a deer nature reserve.

Offering two entirely different challenges, the Legends, where the championship is played, is built deep into the forest reserve, blending natural beauty, wildlife and tight, challenging play that has water hazards guarding fairways and greens every step of the way.

The Links course, as its name suggests, is open but do not let that lull you into believing it is any easier. With blind holes and sharp doglegs interspersed with harsh rock outcrops to trap the wayward shot, it is as engaging as it is enlightening to walk across.

While the golf is great, it is worth sneaking out of the resorts to explore this magical island. Taxi fares are reasonable, especially if you share. Markets are plentiful and colourful and the less touristy the better especially when it comes to prices. Driving in Mauritius is at best an adventure. We paid £40 per day for a well-used, very small Hyundai that came complete with its own set of rather unusual noises.

Roads along the west coast and through the middle are good but driving through the villages of the south and east was nerve-jangling with pedestrians, motorbikes, dogs and cats all using the road as an appendage to their everyday activities. Signage is also difficult to find let alone read. Still, it was fun driving and it does give you flexibility to explore island life. However, if there are say four of you, it might prove wiser hiring a car and driver for the day.

One of the most delightful aspects of Mauritius are the people. Mauritians really are an elegant, gracious people with a natural charm and friendliness. It is interesting that they are also one of the most culturally diverse populations on the planet. The majority is of Indian descent (68 percent). Creoles of African descent another quarter and the rest an interesting mix of Chinese, South African and French with a few Brits thrown in from the old colonial days. There is even some Taiwanese looking after the fishing industry. Muslims mix with Christians and Hindus and in this day and age, it really does seem to be an exemplary society.

Perhaps living in Paradise helps.

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Destination Focus

A Polish

SHINE Unlikely yet incredibly inviting, Poland represents a confluence of old and new Europe.

- Wo r d s a n d P i c t u r e s by dav i d J. W h y t e

Opening piCTURe: Sierra golf Club

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Over the past decade Scotland and

the rest of the UK has seen a steady influx of Polish people coming to live and work here and most welcome they are too. These friendly, hard-working people have made a sizeable contribution to the British economy and if I may say brought a ray of sunshine into our oft-times lackluster service industries. I sometimes wondered in an absent-minded sort of way though just how they got here - In an old Trabant driven across Europe loaded down with mattresses, goats and chickens? Or maybe a horse-drawn cart with pots and pans dangling off the back? Not quite. They come by Wizz Air, the ultra-modern low-cost carrier that serves most of eastern and central Europe. And now here I am ‘Wizzing’ my way towards Lech Walesa International Airport and Gdansk along the country’s Baltic coast to find out just what this Central European country had to offer.

Before I say anything further, I must apologise unreservedly to any Poles who might take offence at my utter ignorance of their nation. Not at all familiar with the country or culture, I really did not have a clue what to expect when I made my way east. Golf and Poland are two words I have never seen nor heard in the same sentence. But from the airport en route to the first golf outing I was struck by how pleasantly well-ordered and appealing everything appeared; it’s alpine character, tidy little apartments and amicable looking people strolling in the early autumn sunshine.

Regarding golf, I presumed I’d be shuffling round tracks akin to our most basic municipal.

How far could this be from the reality that now accosted me at Sierra Golf Club only a halfhour from Gdansk. The clubhouse was a citadel of fine taste, comfort and modernity with Sky Sports showing the latest golf tournament and a tolerable selection of beers and wines behind the bar. If that had created a good first impression, the golf course was even more awe-inspiring.

The flagpoles were made from the finest mahogany - well maybe not - but a quality wood trimmed in brass with a hefty feel in the hand. The rest of the course furniture would grace the most upmarket of upmarket garden centres while banks of flowerbeds and shapely shrubbery embellished the curvaceous fairways.

Just to finish it off, dainty bridges crossed water hazards and high-spouting waterfalls give it an Edwardian English country estate appeal. This was a veritable Capability Brown knockoff!

After a sterling round we freshened up in our spaciously modern apartments overlooking the golf course and dined in style at the Sierra clubhouse.

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The flagpoles were made from the finest mahogany - well maybe not - but a quality wood trimmed in brass with a hefty feel in the hand. The rest of the course furniture would grace the most upmarket of upmarket garden centres while banks of flowerbeds and shapely shrubbery embellished the curvaceous fairways.

“Maybe Sierra is a one-off!" I mumbled to myself as we drove off in search of more Polish encounters. There are only 25 golf courses in the entire country and we were touring those around Gdansk near the country’s northern coast.

This area is ideal for a short golf break with the courses all within around an hour’s drive of Gdansk. You can easily plan as we did to play three courses in three days. First though, we sampled the culture and cuisine of the somewhat unimaginatively named TriCity, more interestingly called Trojmiasto in Polish and made up of the three adjoining urbanisations of Gdansk, Gdynia and Sopot. Overlooking the sandy coasts of Gdansk Bay, this is where Poles take their seaside holidays. We strolled along gracious avenues and beachside boulevards. Even in late September it was warm and cheery. In Sopot we stopped at a waterfront eatery called Bulaj and enjoyed a cavalcade of delicious fish dishes the likes of which would grace the finest Michelin-starred restaurants and at a fraction of the price. I began to wonder why Poles would ever want to leave the place.

LeFT page, FROM TOp TO BOTTOM: Morning dew still settling in at Sierra golf Club; Sierra's parkland estate reminds of an edwardian era; Flagpoles that look like mahogany and trimmed in brass.

THiS page, FROM TOp LeFT TO BOTTOM: Sand Valley Villa; Sopot Beach where poles take their summer vacation; The UK press delegation at Sierra golf Club.

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There are only 25 golf courses in the entire country and we were touring those around Gdansk near the country’s northern coast.

aBOVe, CLOCKwiSe FROM TOp LeFT: gdańsk golf Club with its many water catchments; gdynia Harbour; gdańsk Old town and amber Street; gdańsk is among the longest courses in europe.

RigHT page, CLOCKwiSe FROM TOp LeFT: Smiling now but for how long- David whyte prepares to take off over Sand Valley; Sand Valley golf & Country Club; Sierra apartments.

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The City of Gdansk is a labyrinth of medieval tenement buildings fronted by ancient docks and a glittering new marina. One of Poland's oldest cities, Gdansk has a history that stretches back a thousand years. There’s shopping on Amber Street (actually called Mariacka Street), a narrow conduit running from the river to the heart of the Old Town lined with amber-bejeweled shops and street sellers. Poland is famous for these molten golden globules, fossilized tree resin from primordial forests now buried deep underneath the Baltic Sea. Sizeable chunks often wash up on the beaches.

At one time amber was as cheap as chips in Poland but the nearby mines got flooded and now it’s more scarce and significantly more expensive.

© Pictures by David Whyte with the go-golftv

Apart from amber, Poland is remarkably inexpensive.

In Gdansk you can buy a glass of beer for one solitary euro; you could have something to eat - albeit a snack - for two. A round of golf at the ultra upmarket, super-suave Sierra Golf Club sets you back a mere 50 euros - even cheaper if you book as part of a package. And to ‘polish’ (pun intended) things off, a half-litre bottle of the purest vodka in a supermarket will only set you back a mindnumbing four or five euros. To a Scotsman, Poland was beginning to add-up very nicely.

The cultural highlight of Gdansk was a visit to the newly opened Solidarity Museum next to the once infamous Gdansk Shipyards. The building, inaugurated only a week before our visit, offers a riveting insight into the struggles of Lech Walesa. The former shipyard electrician and later President of Poland, Walesa’s life was highlighted by his fight, together with shipyard workers, to wrest free from communist oppression and its years of austerity. Their efforts ultimately created a remarkable domino effect that brought down the Berlin Wall, and indeed eventually Communist USSR. This is one of the best museums of its kind I've encountered and worth a few hours of your time rather than the flying visit we had scheduled.

Talking of flying visits, the gregarious Finn who runs Sand Valley Golf & Country Club, Auntie (Antii is his real name) can arrange for anyone who is keen (or stupid enough) to take to the skies above the course in a powered Paraglider. Before you could shout “Fore!”, the flimsy contraption is whirring across the 1st tee and up in the air.

All was well for the first 100 feet or so but then the pilot, a wild-looking chap with Maori-style designs carved into his hair, insisted in climbing as high as was probably possible for such a flimsy contraption.

Getting back on terra firma, Sand Valley is yet another excellent golf course that does exactly what it says on the tin. Built on a geomorphic basin of sand, the fairways snake and shimmy between rivulets of bunkers. Now, I’m generally not in favour of the term, ‘Inland Links’ but I have to admit, Sand Valley fits that description perfectly.

This is as challenging as any seaside setup on the east coast of Scotland with the added impetus of some willfully small greens especially on the par 3s that are devils to hit and hold.

Once again, I was highly impressed with the standard of the golf course, the welcome and the wonderful villa we had to stay in. We dined in the nearby town of Elblag allowing the chef to reign supreme on a medley of Poland's finest, washed down with multiple nips of neat vodka, which I soon realise is the Polish way of doing things. Early next morning I planned to play another quick 9-holes and when I woke up there was barely a trace of a headache indicating a vodka that is clearly of great purity and taste.

We were heading home but there was still time to fit one more round in. Postolowo Golf Club, otherwise known as Gdansk Golf & Country Club, is handy for the airport, a completely different prospect from the first two courses and perhaps the most challenging of all three. At first, it didn't look difficult but this fairly gentle parkland layout is sprinkled with plenty of water catchments that in practice makes for a stern test. This is also one of the longest courses in Europe at a staggering 7,766 yards (or 7,101 metres) off the tips. I would love to play Postolowo again to try and figure it out. Maybe we’ll start with this one next time, and mark my words, there will certainly be one soon.

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Choice Resorts

the CArnegie At Skibo CAStle

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In Scotland, a castle course becomes one of the toughest links challenge endorsed by two former Open winners.

- By J o h n G i BB

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PrEvIOuS PAGE,OPENING PICTurE: Skibo Castle and Spa.

THIS PAGE, FrOM TOP TO BOTTOM: The lake on the right of the 12th hole at the Carnegie Course; At the tee of the Par 5, 5th.

rIGHT PAGE, CLOCKWISE FrOM TOP: The magnificent Skibo Castle is both clubhouse and hotel; The picturesque holes 16 and 17 framed by mountains and lake; The 16th green protected by pot bunkers.

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The first time I saw The Carnegie was sometime in the 1980s. I was in the back seat

of a Royal Air Force Phantom F4 and due to play in a golf match against the RAF. They had given me a lift up from Marham and the pilot had already pointed out Royal Dornoch before he took the aircraft down to low level just west of Skibo Castle and then we were over the dunes and skimming a few feet above the beach alongside the North Sea. “No idea what it’s called" he said through his radio, jabbing his finger downwards at the golf course, “looks good.”

Later, I found out we had been flying over the new Carnegie Club, which had been developed by Peter de Savary. Very expensive, but you couldn’t get on the course unless you were a member, or had been invited by one. Even then, a member would have to pay £250 a round to play golf with his guest. Exclusivity was a big deal in Britain during the 70s and 80s, but it was understandable that not many people were playing on the Carnegie at the time. It was remote and pricy; a difficult combination and little wonder that most of the members were American.

Sam Snead once gave me his opinion about the rash of exclusive golf clubs, which made it almost impossible to join.

“Ol boy get’s blackballed by a fancy new club, so he goes away, earns a fortune, builds his own course, makes himself President and blackballs everyone he don’t know. Finishes up with ten members. What’s the point of that?”

The result was, I never played Skibo then because I only knew one member and, anyway, it was a long way from London.

The inescapable truth was, however, that whatever you thought of the “exclusive membership”, the Carnegie Club course at Skibo Castle had been designed by Donald Steel and been arranged on one of the most beautiful stretches of coastline in the world. There had been a course on the land before.

It had been opened in 1898, but Steel’s design and innovation had retained little from the original 18 holes and remains mostly original although one or two refinements have been made over the years since he laid it out. Steel had a perfect links landscape to work on and was given the opportunity of a lifetime, which I think he took with both hands.

The result was that the Carnegie was then and is still, a work of genius and one of the finest links courses in the world.

The fact that the Carnegie is there at all is a miracle. The land is not simply 18 holes inserted into a range of windswept dunes, it lies in a nature reserve, a saltmarsh and a designated site of special scientific interest with colonies of protected species including greylag geese, widgeon and otters in residence. These are all factors which usually discourage development. The magnificent Skibo Castle, was there already and is used as the clubhouse and hotel, but the course had to be built and earth had to be moved and the environment had to be protected at all costs.

My brief low-level visit in a Royal Air-Force fighter would certainly be frowned upon today because military flying is generally prohibited in areas where wildlife conservation is enforced. But ever since that brief impression of the wild Scottish coastline flashing past below, I’ve wanted to play the course and experience it in the raw. In the end, I flew up to Aberdeen in the spring and was picked up by a well-polished Range Rover and taken to the club. Skibo Castle, now the hotel, retains many of the features indicating that it was the original home of Andrew Carnegie, the son of a weaver from Dunfermline who emigrated to the Unites States in the mid nineteenth century and made his fortune before returning and moving into the Castle.

Carnegie was a short man and the chairs in the lounge and the ornamental balustrade on the terrace are alarmingly low because they were designed for his convenience. Carnegie was no golfer but he knew about money and wrote a book called “The Gospel of Wealth” where he decried that “a man who dies rich, dies disgraced.” To prove his conviction, he gave away 700 million pounds of his “excess” wealth and provided public libraries for the people throughout Britain and the United States.

The land surrounding the Castle eventually became the course for the Carnegie Club.

Donald Steel was commissioned and laid it out as a 6,207-yard par 71 set on a peninsular jutting out into the Dornoch Firth with the sea on three sides.

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“I loved the Carnegie and after it was all over, I loved the clubhouse and the bar. It’s friendly and comfortable and the food’s good. Staying at Skibo was a spectacular experience.”

Aerial view of the Castle from above.

The prevailing wind is from the east and in spite of its remoteness, the Carnegie remains open all year. It is elegant and traditional, strangely devoid of deep rough, short on trees and thus unprotected from the elements, yet the first impression you get is of its superb condition. The turf is full of spring and the greens are big, undulating and, when I played it, fast. The land drains quickly and the ball sits up beautifully on the fairways, asking to be hit.

I talked to Sandy Lyle, Open Champion in 1985, about Skibo. He’s not just a great golfer but is an ambassador for The Carnegie Club. He took the position several years after Donald Steel had made some modifications to the course and when I talked to him he had just returned from playing it. “I play the Carnegie whenever I can. It is a genuine challenge and can be very difficult. There is nothing to deter the wind off the sea and that can give you serious problems when you’re out there. I enjoy going out in the evening. The summer days are long and the light on the landscape in the evening is extraordinary. It’s something to look forward to. I bring friends up to play and sometimes play with the guests. I often come here to practise before the Open.”

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away. Number one is a 400 yard par 4 that bends to the right with bunkers on both sides at 250 yards and the green in a shallow bowl guarded by a heavily swaled pot bunker short and on the left. The second is a sharp dogleg to the right and the third a dogleg to the left. By the seventh, a short par 4, the wind was getting to me and this hole, which has a split fairway at two hundred yards, was asking impertinent questions. The long, oval green is well guarded with a choice of second shot; safe left or go for it and risk deep traps on either side. The 10th, a long, narrow bendy par 4 seemed beyond most golfers, certainly into the wind. Hit a two 250-yard drive and you have a second of the same length.

The 11th, a dogleg left with a second over the water is a character-builder and the remaining holes have the Dornoch Firth on the right hand side all the way to the long par 4, 16th. The 17th, as so often with holes numbered seventeen, is a murderous little 300-yard par 4. It’s a demanding fairway metal up to a raised diagonal green and you’re encouraged to go for it by the four pot bunkers just short of the putting surface.

All the bunkers on this hole have sharp run offs and the green is left to right, narrow and full of slopes.

The 18th, a classic narrow 550-yard dogleg left with the Dornoch Firth on your left is a classic golfing challenge. You have to take risks here, although you can play away from the water’s edge if you want to go the long way round. But it’s designed for the mad gambler, which is what I turned out to be. My risk was predictably without reward and I was at the bottom of the Firth for the fourth time.

I loved the Carnegie and after it was all over, I loved the clubhouse and the bar.

It’s friendly and comfortable and the food’s good. Staying at Skibo was a spectacular experience. My room had a big window looking out over the estate and there was a bottle of whisky and a flask of spring water on the table. 18 holes in a stiff, chilly wind on a tough course, and the idea of sitting in a deep armchair alone for a while before a roaring fire in a lovely old fashioned sitting room with a bottle of malt and a glass, is mesmerising and, for me anyway, more beguiling than golf club bar. Then there was venison for dinner and more malt before deep sleep and another round in the morning.

Before playing it again I talked to Paul Lawrie, the Scottish professional who won

FrOM TOP TO BOTTOM: A modern spa juxtaposes against a traditional backdrop; Space and luxury a hallmark of the Skibo Castle Health Spa; A beacon of beauty at night; Grand and luxuriously appointed bedroom in the castle.

the Open at Carnoustie in 1999 and knows about links golf. He told me he has been associated with Skibo for the past two seasons. “They sponsor me and I carry the logo on my tour bag. I’ve played there a number of times over the years and the course gets better every time.

They’ve recently reshaped the second hole by creating dunes and they renovated the 7th and 8th and lengthened the 10th into a really strong par 4. They also changed the water hazards to the right of 11 and 12 and made a huge difference. It’s interesting that they’ve played about with the layout over the years and I feel that it plays now in a way that I really like.”

Having described my round in which I fell apart on the 9th, I asked Lawrie what was his best score on the course, and which hole tends to be the score-breaker.

“64 is my best score in a pro event,” he said, “Any hole can be a score breaker but 11 and 12 normally test you – into the prevailing wind and you need accuracy and lengthy drives to keep your score going - particularly at the long 11th. The water all along the right side forces you to concentrate and you must not get too greedy by trying to cut off a few yards.

Personally I don’t thank you can leave Skibo without feeling that you’ve been given the chance to play a unique course. It’s not just the testing layout - the links is beautifully presented and conditioned, the details like the paths through the long grass, the course furniture, the “two-thirds-way” house are all beautifully done and conceived. The Carnegie is not just full of quality and character, it’s got class. www.carnegieclub.co.uk

The Castle’s main staircase from the Grand Hall.

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Choice Resorts

LE MERIDIEN SUVARNABHUMI

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BANGKOK GOLF RESORT & SPA

Sparkling sunday brunch at Latest Recipe restaurant.

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“The Brunch for your indulgence includes savoury cuisine and special Infinity Pool access amidst lush scenic views at Le Méridien Suvarnabhumi, Bangkok Golf Resort & Spa.”

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BANGKOK, THAILAND – Spoilt for

choice with an amazing selection of Western, Thai and Asian cuisine featuring Fine de Claire Oyster, Alaskan King Crab, Pan Fried Foie Gras, Wagyu Rib Eye, Australian Lamb Rack, Roasted Hong Kong Duck and interactive BBQ live station. Dessert lovers are invited to discover various sweet treats from around the world while the Infinity pool overlooking the iconic Nick Faldo designed golf course awaits for you to relax.

Enjoy Sparkling Sunday Brunch including access to Infinity pool every Sunday from 12:00 – 15:00 only THB 1,800++ per person with non-alcoholic drink and THB 2,100++ per person including sparkling cocktails, beer and wine at Latest Recipe restaurant, Le Meridien Suvarnabhumi, Bangkok Golf Resort & Spa. Latest Recipe, Le Meridien brand’s signature interactive and contemporary dining restaurant, offers an evocative mix of international, Asian and local Thai cuisines with creative presentation. The restaurant design enhances interactive theatre-like kitchen with a modern interpretation of the traditional French Brasserie and art display inspired by culinary experiences. Located on the second floor next to the Infinity Pool, Latest Recipe features indoor and alfresco seating with fascinating views of the iconic Nick Faldo designed golf course for business entertainment or ultimate relaxation.

For reservations or more information, please call +66 2118 7777 or visit lemeridiensuvarnabhumi.com/ cuisine.

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Resort Golf Academy

THE AMERICAN SCHOOL OF BANGKOK

“Next generation golfers, taught by next generation golf professionals.”

-BY Kurt Greve, PGA of AmericA mAster Golf ProfessionAl (BAsed in BAnGKoK, thAilAnd) emAil: KurtGreve@PGA.com

What’s the next thing in golf instruction?

Thailand to be the epicenter for junior golf in Asia!

A New Golf Platform for Junior Golfers to be launched at The American School of Bangkok

Golf in the Kingdom is often linked with many common associations to beauty, paradise, tropics, caddies, service and especially good value for money. Historically, the game of golf had its genesis in 1920 when King Rama VI took advantage of the new railway south of Malaysia and established a palace and a hotel at Hua Hin on the cool, breezy west bank of the Gulf of Siam. By 1925, 18 holes were operating and golf courses became a haven for the elite well into the mid-century. In 1958, the tourism office commissioned a course at Bangpra. In the early 1970s, three private golfing clubs opened: Rose Garden, Siam Country Club and the Navatanee Golf Course, which hosted the 23rd World Cup Tournament in 1975 launching Thailand into the international golf arena.

Today young boys and girls are the key to growing the sport of golf and they are preaching that learning golf is fun in Thailand!

Kurt Greve is an American and 21 year member of the PGA of America who has attained the highly level of the association as a “Master Golf Professional”. Kurt has been playing the game for 35+ years, teaching the golf swing for 25+ years and traveling the world sharing his knowledge to grow the game of golf. In the last 13 years he has visited over 40 countries and most recently lived and worked in Singapore, 88

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Vietnam, China and now based in Thailand for a long-term commitment to promote better golf course conditions and teaching the junior golfers this great game of golf!

“Golf became an important part of my life for my future in sport, school and now in business. I am very fortunate! It is also a great social game and I have met so many good people. Doors were easily opened because I played golf well,” says Mr. Greve.

Mr. Greve started after school and weekend classes for the kids and corporate learning programs for the businessmen that were very popular and it soon became evident that learning golf in Thailand was a good way to improve a person’s skill level while on business or vacation in Thailand!

Growing the Game of Golf continues to be Kurt’s passion today.

So What’s Next for Golf in Thailand?

Last month, Kurt Greve along with a fellow PGA of America Golf Professional, Pro Tony Meechai, announced the launch of the International Preparatory Golf Academy (IPGA) to call home at The American School of Bangkok (ASB) on Bangna-Trad Highway adjacent to the Green Valley Country Club, Bangkok, Thailand.

The IPGA golf program at ASB will be the first junior golf academy in Southeast Asia that combines the three essential elements; (1) an American

International school curriculum in Asia, (2) PGA of America certified golf instruction in Asia, and (3) opportunity to attend college/university in America with possible athletic scholarship.

This program is specifically designed and customized for each junior golfer who is interested in pursuing a more direct and competitive path towards an American collegiate education or the professional golf tour ranks. ASB is a fully accredited academic institution and now with a world-class golf program with the PGA of America’s golf professionals and their instructional platform.

With an outstanding outdoor short-game area and indoor swing studio facility, it offers specialized focused training, competition preparations and open access to a challenging, high-quality golf course at the Green Valley Country Club – it is a perfect learning combination for nearly 100% guaranteed success.

“We are excited to establish the IPGA program at The American School of Bangkok! There are so many Thai junior golfers with a passion to get an education in the United States, but can’t afford the travel and tuition costs at the golf academies in the United States. Many parents we meet don’t want their children to leave home or to be too far away from their home country at such an early age. The IPGA is the perfect opportunity for those families with junior golfers who have competitive potential that want to stay in the region before going to the United States for higher education and further golf tournament or school competitions.” says Greve, a PGA of America Golf Master Professional based in Bangkok, Thailand.

The IPGA at ASB follows international standards and is led by certified and highly skilled PGA of America Golf Professionals. In this program, each student has a customized ‘plan’ which will be a detailed and comprehensive approach to help students accelerate their development in all areas of golf but, more importantly, in the areas of mental composure, health and nutrition, physical fitness, academics and social and life skills.

The facility will have a 5-star short-game practice area to bring out the best and to help all achieve lower scores through mastering pitching, chipping and putting skills.

“The American School of Bangkok is proud of the success of the current golf program and believes the timing is right to dedicate resources to establish a proper International Preparatory Golf Academy. Kurt Greve and Tony Meechai have an

KURT GREVE, PGA PGA of America “Master” Golf Professional

impressive professional network in Asia and America and we want our current and future junior golfers to enjoy the benefits of learning the game of golf from a true and certified PGA of America Golf Professional. Many students at ASB have received scholarships at well recognized colleges and universities around the world, which is a great accomplishment we are all proud of” says Mrs. Lakhana Tavedikul, Founder and Director of The American School of Bangkok.

At ASB, the student-athletes are provided with a supportive and challenging academic environment, which follows a fully accredited U.S. Curriculum. The IPGA golf program training helps them embrace the key qualities of goal setting and commitment, along with a consistent work ethic that provides a direct and positive impact on their academics, golf, and personal objectives.

“Our objective is to graduate well-educated student athletes who are prepared both mentally and physically to take their place in the world and succeed at the highest levels in both golf and life,” explained Greve, adding, “we are working with a number of institutions in America to ensure that our students and graduates find acceptance in golf programs at some of the finest institutions in the world.”

How to get more information?

About The American School of Bangkok and the IPGA Golf Program: www.asb.ac.th or www.asb-ipga.com Schedule to meet, tour the facilities and learn in Thailand with us!

You can contact us directly at info@tmggroupasia.com Golf Vacations

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Collection ★ Move

Fast Enough Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo World Series ends in Sepang.

- By Da ryl loy

The Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo series came to an end

recently, with the World Final held delightfully close to home at Malaysia’s Sepang International Circuit. Famed for the thrills and surprises it offers in the Formula One Calendar, Sepang proved to be a fitting venue for Italian supercar manufacturer Lamborghini and Swiss luxury watch expert Blancpain to close the curtains on another season of fastpaced, action-packed racing.

Bonaldi Motorsport’s Edoardo Piscopo and Milos Pavlovic were the quickest ones on the track, claiming the Pro Class title on a day threatened by Kuala Lumpur’s dark clouds and occasional passing shower. It would be a season to remember for them, alongside Pro-Am Class winners Kevin Conway and Lawson Aschenbach and Amateur Class hero Jack Rattenbury as this year marks the retirement of the Lamborghini Gallardo Super Trofeo race car that has lit up tracks across the globe both visually and aurally.

In 2015, the series looks to bring back the days of rear-wheel-drive fun with the trackprepped Super Trofeo version of the Gallardo’s successor, the Huracan. And what better way to present the new car than at the World Final itself. Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann was present to unveil the car – not that anybody else can do it justice – but he did not need to say much because the car pretty much spoke for itself.

The Huracan’s V10 is tuned to 620hp, with all power going to the back, in an overall package that’s significantly lighter and more aerodynamic. Having had the privilege of putting the production Huracan through its paces in Sepang myself, I can vouch for the car’s track-worthiness in stock form. It is mind blowingly quick as you would expect a

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Lamborghini to be, and beautifully composed on the turn so one can only imagine how incredible a race-spec version of the car would fare on the world’s finest circuits.

Title sponsor Blancpain invited local VIP customers and media friends from Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand and Australia to experience the Huracan in Sepang through taxi rides conducted by Lamborghini’s professional drivers. Golf Vacations Malaysia’s publisher Louis Foo was among the invitees but opted to pass the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to his son instead. And judging by the lucky kid’s smile and nods of approval upon returning to the pits, my sentiments about the Huracan are far from isolated.

This makes for a somewhat torturous wait to see the Huracan Super Trofeo in action but Blancpain softened the blow with an exclusive dinner at the newly opened Michelin-starred Japanese restaurant Nobu in Kuala Lumpur, after a long and scorching day at the track. Malaysia’s sole outlet of the internationally-acclaimed Japanese restaurant is located on the 56th floor of Menara 3 Petronas which offers a stunning view of the neighbouring Petronas Twin Towers in all its moonlit glory. It was an experience for all to remember, one which represents the icing on the cake that is the Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo World Final.

And we’re already hungry for the next one. squadracorse.lamborghini.com

inset: Lamborghini Blancpain super trofeo World Final 1. Pitstop 2. Blancpain model with the new Lamborghini Huracรกn 3. Champagne attack at the podium 4. super trofeo Race 5. Winners of the team 6. All Blancpain guests enjoying themselves 7. Award Ceremony 8. World Final Winners

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Collection ★ Move

Porsche believes in choice, and so several Macan models are available.

Performance Compact Utility

inset: 1. Pace meet practicality. Folding seats give the Macan up to 1,500L of cargo space.

2. From all angles the Macan is unmistakably a Porsche.

3. Keep a close eye on these if you wish to keep your licence.

4. the frugal Macan s diesel version sips just 6.3L/100km.

5. top of the range is the 400hp Macan turbo.

6. though it's Porsche's smaller sUV, the Macan still seats five adults.

The Macan heralds Porsche’s entry into the compact premium SUV segment, and is dubbed as the first sports car of its kind.

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

Sports Utility Vehicles, or SUVs, are big business in the automotive world, and no one knows this better than Porsche. The sportscar specialist’s first ever such model, the Cayenne, has gone on to become the most popular and best-selling car in the company’s history, and now accounts for half of all Porsche sales worldwide.

Capitalising on the seemingly insatiable demand for such cars, Porsche now has a second SUV model in its range. The Macan sits just below the Cayenne in the Porsche line-up, and is a compact premium model that aims to broaden the brand’s appeal to a wider set of younger buyers, giving a new audience easier access to Porsche ownership.

That makes it a hugely important model in the Porsche lineup, which must be why, for its world debut at the 2013 Los Angeles Motor Show, the company saw fit to book an entire hall section just to launch it.

In Singapore, the Macan was given an equally glitzy introduction, with local distributors Stuttgart Auto 92

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the sport Chrono package boosts performance and adds a stopwatch to the dashboard.

booking the Singapore Indoor Stadium for its launch. Over 200 orders were said to have been received in the lead up to the event, and the first 20 owners were presented with their new cars to drive home on the day itself.

Clearly then, the Macan is a very big deal for Porsche. But purists must surely be wondering if it is, well, a real Porsche at all.

Naturally, the German carmaker insists that the Macan is packed with the sporting essence and heritage that all Porsches carry, even going so far as to dub the car “the only sports car” in the compact premium SUV segment. Let’s see.

Porsche tends to indulge customers with the luxury of choice, and so does the Macan, with no less than four different variants. You start off with the Macan 2.0, which has a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine that puts out 237bhp and 350Nm of torque; just enough power to handle daily urban sprawl without a fuss.

Moving upwards, the Macan S Diesel makes the most sense for drivers who cover long distances boasting a 3.0-litre V6 turbo diesel that churns out 258bhp and 580Nm of torque. Its key selling point is its excellent fuel efficiency, with a quoted average consumption of 6.3 litres per 100km, which is impressive for an SUV. Top of the hierarchy are the Macan S and Macan Turbo models, the latter adorned with a storming 3.6-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol engine that produces a whopping 400bhp and 550Nm of torque, enabling it to rocket from 0-100km/h in 4.8 seconds.

But arguably the key model is the Macan S, which Porsche says has been the best-selling so far, due perhaps to having the best combination of performance and value.

The Macan S is powered by a 3.0-litre turbocharged V6 petrol engine, which churns out a handy 340bhp and 460Nm of torque. All Macans come with Porsche’s seven-speed PDK dualclutch gearbox as standard, which offers lightning-quick shifts.

It’s not only useful for track work, if you’re so inclined, but also makes driving in urban traffic a much smoother experience, as noted by the absence of any awkward lurches and jerks while the transmission shifts through the gears.

Options such as the Sport Chrono package and Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus (PTV Plus) system enhance the Macan’s driving performance even further, with the former offering a Sport Plus mode that sets the car up for a more focused driving experience by adjusting things like the throttle response and suspension settings to suit. As for the latter system, it works in tandem with the fourwheel-drive to vary the power distribution among the wheels for more cornering precision, and sharper behaviour through bends.

All the same, the Macan can also offer a decent ride that can cosset and satisfy even the fussiest of occupants. Select an option from the Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) system, which comes standard in the Turbo, and you get greater adaptability in adjusting the damping force according to road condition.

In developing the Macan, Porsche has spared no effort to create a truly sporty compact premium SUV that not only serves to meet the needs of its demanding customers, but is also capable of rivalling the best in class in terms of performance and driving enjoyment. Yes, Porsche is treading into all-new territory with the Macan, but it is doing so with a car that undeniably embodies the Porsche DNA. www.porsche.com

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Collection ★ Time

luminor panerai

Luminor submersible 1950 carbotech 3 days automatic – 47mm (pam00616).

Every example of the new Luminor Submersible 1950 Carbotech™ is unique and different from all the others thanks to the surprising technical and aesthetic characteristics of carbotech, the new composite material which is making its debut in haute horlogerie with Officine Panerai. One of the secrets of Panerai is its ability to combine echoes of the glorious past, which is always at the foundation of each new design by the brand, with a continuous thrust towards the future and innovation. In 2010, it amazed the world of high quality watchmaking by offering the Luminor Submersible for the first time with the case of bronze, an ancient material with 94

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unmistakable nautical associations which is personalised by ageing with the passage of time. Officine Panerai’s Workshop of Ideas today turns to the future and presents a remarkable new technical innovation with carbotech.

While the technology of the material looks to the future, every detail of the design of the watch is faithfully inspired by the history of the brand. The Luminor 1950 case, developed by Panerai in the late 1940s to be worn on the wrists of commandos of the Italian Navy, has a diameter of 47mm and is enhanced by a rotating bezel with markers consisting of small studs, inspired by the model created by Panerai for the Egyptian Navy in 1956. The bezel rotates only anticlockwise and enables the time of immersion to be calculated: a very useful function for a professional underwater instrument which is tested for water-resistance up to 30 bar (about 300 metres). The dial is black with applied hour markers, the date window at 3 o’clock, and the small seconds counter marked by Panerai blue details at 9 o’clock.

The screw-in caseback, which helps to ensure the watch’s high degree of water-resistance, is made of titanium with black treatment and is engraved with elements characteristic of the Panerai brand: “Florence 1860”, the city and year of birth of Panerai watchmaking, and the image of a Slow Speed Torpedo (SLC), the notorious “pig” on which in the 1940s the commandos of the Italian Navy sailed through the depths of the sea on their missions while wearing instruments made by Panerai.

Collection ★ Time

montblanC

“Homage to Nicolas Rieussec Special Edition” A New Interpretation of Rieussec’s Chronograph from 1821.

Nicolas Rieussec’s first patented chronograph from 1821 inspired the watchmakers at

Montblanc to create the Nicolas Rieussec watch collection with manufacture movements and distinctive styling. The timepiece’s unmistakable appearance combines an off-centre hour-circle in the upper part of the dial and the chronograph’s elapsed-time displays in the lower portion of the face. As on the original from 1821, elapsed time is shown on two rotating discs, above each of which a motionless hand indicates the passing seconds and minutes.

Nicolas Rieussec, watchmaker to the French royal court, invented this construction to precisely measure the running times of individual horses at a horserace. When the starting gun was fired at the track, the patented “ink chronograph” was set in motion so that two white enamelled discs began to turn: one disc was calibrated for 60 elapsed seconds, the other for 30 elapsed minutes. The user pressed a button each time a horse crossed the finish line: this pressure momentarily lowered an elongated rhombic carrier with two ink-filled tips onto the enamel discs, where each tip left a droplet of ink.

These inky markings on the scales of the chronograph’s discs enabled the user to read the exact running time of each horse.

Rieussec’s device was literally a “time writer,” so he accordingly named it a “chronograph” from the Greek words “chronos” (time) and “graphein” (to write). In 1822, the Academie des Sciences in Paris granted a patent on this device to Nicolas Rieussec, who went down in horological history as the inventor of the world’s first patented chronograph.

In 2014, Montblanc pays tribute to this great watchmaker with a new interpretation of his chronograph from 1821. The Montblanc “Homage to Nicolas Rieussec Special Edition” chronograph faithfully replicates every detail of the colour scheme and the styling of the hands as they appeared on the original “time writer”, but relies on innovative materials and technologies to transport the historical device into our contemporary day and age. The new “Homage to Nicolas Rieussec Special Edition” chronograph from the Montblanc Nicolas Rieussec collection shows the date, indicates the time in two different time zones and also offers a day/night display.

The timepiece will be manufactured in limited editions in red gold and steel.

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Collection ★ Fashion

mUsiC mEEts Fashion The world of music delivers the right ingredients for a sophisticated and effortless dress code for BoSS menswear.

BOSS builds its latest Spring/Summer 2015 collection around an aspirational archetype that

mingles with the industry’s downtown cool. From half-lined coats to tumbled slim-fit jackets: the clothes find a balance between tailored and casual.

Tailoring is a strong category for BOSS, so naturally there are beautifully cut pantsuits. The news is in their fits; the jackets offer unconstructed tailoring, and therefore a casualness that is downtown-ready. BOSS continues this idea with a fresh styling. A simple t-shirt gives suiting a dressed-down look, made distinctive by a keen sense of color – azure blue paired with off-white.

Details lend some easiness to the new BOSS look, defined by boxy shapes on top and tapered, slightly cropped trousers below. Around those pieces other markers of casually elegant men’s dressing are assembled: two-toned pea coats, leather varsity jackets, light wool polo shirts.

Houndstooth plaids, herringbone weaves, and breton stripes make sharp looks unexpectedly buoyant. They are featured prominently, while the collection also introduces honeycomb for knitted V-neck sweaters.

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The most distinguishing characteristic of the BOSS man is his penchant for exquisite loafers, rendered in suede skins, and treated to take on an antiqued patina. The rich, unusual color combinations – a flamingo pink shirt over sand-toned trousers, and Art Deco blue over coffee – bring a new beat to the BOSS world.

Collection ★ Golf

nikE VaPor mEtal woods

A fine collection of golf clubs to augur the year ahead.

- By Be n n y t e o

nike Vapor speed & Flex Drivers $650, $950

Nike’s Vapor Speed driver has the largest and most stable chassis of the new Vapor

drivers and promotes a higher launch angle with lower spin.

The Nike Vapor Flex driver offers FlexFlight adjustability featuring a RZN tube with a high density weight on one end called the FlightPod that can actively move the centre of gravity to impact launch angle, spin rate, forgiveness (increased in the “mid” setting) and workability (enhanced in the “low” setting).

Both drivers blend three key technologies: Nike’s new FlyBeam reinforced Covert Cavity Back design for trampoline effect; a re-engineered compression channel and FlexLoft 2 that offers five lofts and three face angles within 15 different settings.

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Collection ★ Golf

nike Vapor speed & Flex Fairway Woods $425, $500

Like the new Vapor drivers, the Vapor Speed fairway woods feature Nike’s new FlyBeam-reinforced Covert Cavity Back design, a reengineered Compression Channel and a NexCOR face – all combining to stabilize the chassis, maximize ball speed and promote longer and straighter distance. The low centre of gravity provides a high launch with a lower-spin flight.

The Vapor Flex fairway woods highlight the same technologies found in the Vapor Speed on a more compact chassis, except the Vapor Flex has added Nike’s FlexLoft 2 adjustability system, allowing golfers the functionality of five lofts and three face angles within 15 different settings.

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Collection ★ Golf

nike Vapor speed & Flex Hybrids $350, $425

The new Vapor Flex Hybrids feature FlexLoft 2 and lower,

straighter leading edges than before. A FlyBeam-reinforced Covert Cavity Back directs impact energy to the reengineered compression channel for increased ball speed across the face.

The Vapor Speed Hybrid features a unique design called “Linear Progression.” The longer Hybrids own a larger body and shallower face that progress to a sleek body and deep face on the shorter clubs allowing for more forgiveness and speed on long Hybrids, while yielding shot-making accuracy and workability on shorter ones.

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Moments 20 March 2015

↓ KBANK ENJOY YOUR SWING 2015 Enjoy your swing everyday.

Kasikornbank held a press conference on 20 March 2015 at Photalai Golf Park to announce the 6th year edition of the 'Enjoy Your Swing' campaign.

This year, Kbank credit cardholders will get to enjoy even more privileges such as discounts on green fees at 100+ golf courses in Thailand and special discounts on KBank sport days (Wednesday and Sunday) at 70 courses.

For 2015, the KBank Enjoy Your Swing Tournament will take place at 6 leading golf courses in Thailand.

Participants will get a chance to win numerous prizes such as golf packages, golf clubs and an exclusive package to fly/stay/play golf for free at Luang Prabang Golf Club. Plus, players who can score a hole-in-one will receive 10,000 baht in cash and a Vespa scooter!

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Moments 16-19 March 2015

↓ CAmpARI ACAdEmY (ThAIlANd) 2015 “Campari Academy Final Competition 2015”

16 – 17 March 2015

Campari Academy (Thailand) offers training and educating basic bartending class for all bartenders with the aim to encourage innovation, in the products, techniques and gestures used and the level of service provided, in order to have participants live a unique experience.

The objective is to disseminate and improve the culture of bartending, and to raise the degree of professionalism and therefore the value of the category as a whole.

The program was divided into two classes on 16th and 17th March 2015 at The Continent Hotel Bangkok, with a common thread “Classic Cocktails Excellence”.

The program was led by Oliver Stuart, Campari National Brand Ambassador and S.T. Gan, Managing Director of Independent Wine & Spirit (Thailand) Co., Ltd.

19 March 2015

This is the 2nd year of the training and education program where we see the bartenders in the race to win the title of 2015 Campari Academy Best Bartender.

The 100 bartenders from this year’s Campari Academy (Thailand) are entitled to take part in this competition, but only 4 best bartenders could get through to the Final Competition on 19 March 2015.

All four finalists were required to make Campari classic cocktails to impress the judges, including Americano, Campari Spritz and Negroni.

At the end of the night, Ms. Supharat Thongmeesuk was crowned the winner for 2015. She received a 10,000 baht cash prize and a year's contract as Campari's bartender.

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Moments 18 March 2015

↓ AZIMUT The prestigious Italian Luxury Yacht Brand, Launches in Thailand.

MGC-Marine, a subsidiary

of Master Group Corporation (Asia) Ltd., the sole authorized importer and distributor of Azimut Yachts in Thailand, welcomed guest-of-honour H.E. Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul, Minister of Tourism and Sports, and VIPs and celebrities to an exclusive SEA, SAND, SKY party at Canapaya Residences to officially mark the launch of the leading luxury yacht brand in the Kingdom.

The event, hosted by Dr. Sunhavut Thamchuanviriya, Group Managing Director of Master Group Corporation (Asia) Ltd., celebrated the company’s recent THB300 million purchase of AZIMUT yachts and the construction of the ‘AZIMUT Lounge’.

Commenting on the launch Dr. Sunhavut Thamchuanviriya said, “MGCMarine is delighted to be partnering with Azimut Benetti, the billion-euro luxury yacht manufacturer led by Dr. Giovanna Vitelli, the daughter of Azimut founder Paolo Vitelli. Azimut is a world leader in terms of the design and construction of luxury motor yachts and serves well-heeled discerning customers at over 130 sites worldwide. We are pleased to become one of those exclusive sites and we look forward to growing the Azimut brand in Thailand and contributing to the 102

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local economy and tourism sector.”

“Thailand is recognized internationally for its great potential in tourism, much of which centers on the richness of our natural maritime resources – our beautiful coastlines and islands, and our diversified flora and fauna. We are also well positioned with international-standard boatyards and marine services.

In addition, the government has set a policy to support Thailand as a hub for yachting in the region. This is why we have allocated a significant investment of THB300 million for the purchase of luxurious Azimut yachts and the construction of two ‘Azimut Lounges’, one in Pattaya, and the near future in Phuket. Azimut yachts range from 50-86 feet in length and start at THB50 million.

Prices vary depending on the yacht’s size and specifications, but all come with a guarantee of exclusive luxury. Our first ‘Azimut Lounge’ officially debuted at Ocean Marina Yacht Club, Pattaya, and we are on schedule to launch the second lounge in Phuket shortly.”

A further highlight of the launch event at Canapaya Residences was 3 brand new elegant Azimut yachts. These were a big draw among guests and celebrities who enjoyed exclusive cruise parties and music provided by world-class DJs.

Moments

13 April 2015

↓ ROlEx Rolex testimonee Jordan Spieth wins 2015 Masters tournament.

Augusta, Georgia –Rolex Testimonee

Jordan Spieth has won the 79th Masters Tournament, taking his first Green Jacket at Augusta National Golf Club, Georgia, US. Leading the field from round one, Spieth was four strokes clear going into Sunday’s final round and held his nerve to shoot a closing 70. Finishing on a 72-hole total of 270, Spieth matched the scoring record set by fellow Rolex Testimonee, Tiger Woods in 1997.

On the immaculate fairways of Augusta National Golf Club, the world No. 2 also broke the 36-hole record (130) and 54-hole record (200) on his way to a historic victory.

Proud Rolex Testimonee since 2013, Spieth’s victory represents his first major win, having finished tied for second at the same event last year.

The American adds his name to an impressive list of Rolex Testimonees to have worn the legendary winners’ Green Jacket, each one sharing Rolex’s values of precision, excellence, heritage and respect.

Rolex Director of Image & Communication, Arnaud Boetsch, said “Rolex would like to congratulate Spieth on his outstanding Masters victory.

"Yet again, the 2015 Tournament saw an abundance of skill, excitement and sportsmanship on display. Rolex is extremely proud of its longstanding relationship with The Masters and looks forward to seeing the players, officials and the many thousands of patrons again in 2016."

Amongst the top 20 finishers were Rolex Testimonees; Phil Mickelson (T2), Paul Casey (T6), Rickie Fowler (T12) and Tiger Woods (T17).

Meanwhile Canadian Corey Conners, qualifying as a finalist in the Rolex sponsored US Amateur earned Low Amateur honours, finishing on +5 over 36 holes.

An International Partner of the Masters, Rolex has supported this event since the late 1990s.

The Swiss watchmaker’s commitment to golf on the global stage is steadfast, spanning the golfing calendar from elite through to amateur levels.

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Moments April 2015

↓ mERCEdESBENZ CAFÉ Thailand's first MercedesBenz Café opens in the heart of downtown Bangkok.

Mercedes-Benz has opened

Thailand’s first Mercedes-Benz Cafe at the Emporium Shopping Complex in downtown Bangkok.

The city store offers an interactive brand and product experience to give customers a closer and more engaging presentation of its premium automobiles. The opening of inner-city formats is one element of the marketing and sales strategy 'Mercedes-Benz 2020 – Best Customer Experience', which will now be rolled out across Thailand.

The city format offers customers a combination of vehicle presentations, culinary experiences, events, information and advice as well as digital interaction. The goal of 'Best Customer Experience' is to enable individual encounters with the customer – from the initial contact through advice and test drive to the purchase and after-sales service.

Open up your new experiences of the premium car brand at Mercedes-Benz Cafe on the 1st floor of The Emporium Shopping Complex at 10:00-22:00 from today until 31 July 2015.

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The Last Putt

knowledge about golf is probably the reason why I appear to be the appropriate person to be entrusted with the golf issue. Golf is fun and Thailand is well positioned to use golf in promoting her tourism. The statistic shows that there are approximately 26 million tourists visiting Thailand per year but only about 800,000 visitors come to Thailand specifically to play golf. They are still a small number – only about 10 percent of the total visitors.

Therefore, the promotion of golf tourism has to continue to be carried out in order to make Thailand a golf destination.

How many golfers visit Thailand?

According to the statistic of last year, there were approximately 800,000 golf visitors. We hope that the number of golf visitors would reach one million next year. In fact, the golf tourism has the potential of 5-10 percent growth. From IAGTO’s studies, the global golf market will grow around 9-10 percent.

Thailand, as a golf destination, is currently a fast growing country and ranked at no. 7 in the world whilst Spain and Portugal are ranked no.1. However, Thailand is no.1 in Asia, which I find it a great opportunity for us.

How does TAT work with IAGTO?

Ta n e s P e T s u wa n E x E c u t i v E D i r E c to r, E u r o p E, A f r i c A A n D M i D D l E E A s t r E g i o n, to u r i s M Au t h o r i t y o f t h A i l A n D tAt g o l f p r oj E c t M A n Ag E r

the man behind thailand Golf tourism Today we have a quick chance to speak to the man behind Thailand Golf Tourism industry, Tanes Petsuwan, multi-talented executive director of Europe, Africa and Middle East Region, a pianist and also one of TAT top golfers. He sits down to talk to George Somapa Managing Editor of Golf Vacations Thailand magazine to tell us about the market direction of Thai golf tourism in the future.

Tell us about the TAT strategic plan for Golf Tourism in 2015-2016.

Golf is one of the important issues for TAT. This year, we will promote more in-depth tourism by focusing on niche markets or specific market groups. We work closely with IAGTO (International Association of Golf Tour Operators) from their first year to promote Asia Golf Tourism Convention (AGTC). This year is the 4th year and Jakarta and Indonesia government is the host city. From the general promotion of Thailand, golf is one of the five important “issues-based” sectors among Honeymoon, Spa and Wellness, Green Tourism and AEC. The fact that I play and have some 106

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TAT and IAGTO have been working together for about 4 years now. And from the opportunities of meeting with Mr. Peter Walton, president of IAGTO, I am of the view that IAGTO is a very interesting organization which plays a great role in propelling the golf tourism’s development. One of IAGTO's strengths is that it is an international organization whose membership comprises the travel agencies with the focal aim of the golf tours’ sales.

Furthermore, IAGTO has more and more representatives in many countries. In Thailand, IAGTO’s representative has recently been established. With the experience of working with IAGTO, we have had the opportunities to use and share IAGTO’s knowledge with our local golf organizations. In order to make use of golf to boost our tourism, what we have been doing with IAGTO for several years now is to participate in the Golf Travel Marts all over the world, either in Europe or Asia. In Europe, we have been in many countries such as Italy, Spain and Portugal. And at these events, we brought Thai golf operators with us too, which gave them an opportunity to meet with the golf agencies coming from all corners of the world and not only those in the Asian region. On the IAGTO’s side, IAGTO launched the event called AGTC or Asian Golf Tourism Convention. Pattaya was voted to be the Best Golf Destination in Asia and two years later, Hua Hin was also voted. Therefore, I believe that the fact of being awarded twice is a good indicator that Thailand has great potential in the golf tourism and the number of Thai golf operators which are also members of IAGTO has been increasing.

This year, we will also attend the AGTC 2015 which will take place between 27-30 April at Jakarta in Indonesia.

Do you think in which year Thailand would host the AGTC again?

Gladly and not secretly as time that we are speaking I think that there is high probability that Thailand would host the AGTC again in 2016. IAGTO is currently searching for a country to be the next host and Thailand hosted in 2013 and if Thailand wants to host the event again in 2016, there is a great chance to be chosen. For now, Thailand is under preparation.

MUCH MORE THAN GOLF COURSE

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