OUR 13th YEAR!
THIS MONTH: My Turn • SweetStuff • ChipShots
GOLF VACATIONS JANUARY 2015
GREAT EXUMAS
BAHAMAS SANDALS EMERALD REEF GC JW MARRIOTT
HOME FOR 36 HOLES OF TPC SAN ANTONIO
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GOLF VACATIONS JANUARY 2015
Sandals Emerald Reef Golf Club - Great Exuma, Bahamas
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Chip Shots
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Pick a Perfect Package and Play by JD Latorre With average temperatures in the 60s and 70s during its coldest months, Hilton Head offers a welcome respite from the freezing weather found in most of the country. The perfect destination for golf enthusiasts seeking year-round play, the winter months welcome incredible value and plentiful tee times on over 20 courses.
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San Antonio: JW Marriott by David R. Holland SAN ANTONIO, Tx – Ginormous is just another faux word to describe things in Texas. It is the larger than life JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort and Spa with 1,002 rooms and 85 suites spreading out with massive views of the Texas Hill Country’s Cibolo Canyons.
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Bahamas: Sandals Emerald Reff GC by Tim Cotroneo There’s a colorful rum cocktail on the island of Great Exuma called the Goombay Smash. The first one tastes as good as it looks. By the time you finish the second, you realize that some beauties can also be beasts. The same can be said for Great Exuma’s spectacular Greg-Norman designed golf course.
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Sweet Stuff
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by Terry Ross www.golfvacationsmag.com
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CONTRIBUTINGWRITERS Tim Cotroneo is a Mineapolis-based freelance writer specializing in Caribbean travel, business, and golf. Tim is a long-time contributor to Tee Times Press and he’s also the Travel Writer for American Business Magazine.
Executive Editor Jeffrey Diaz
David R. Holland is an award-winning former sportswriter for The Dallas Morning News, football magazine publisher, and author of The Colorado Golf Bible. Holland, whose favorite golf moment was teeing it up with former Dallas Cowboys coach Tom Landry, splits home time in Colorado and Texas. He has written for GolfWeek’s Superintendent News, Colorado AvidGolfer, Midwest Golfing Magazine, South Central Golf Magazine, and Fairway to Green (UK). He also worked for the Dallas Cowboys Weekly, United Press International and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Terry Ross has covered sports as both a print and radio journalist for more than 35 years, and also has served as a consultant to the golf industry in a variety of capacities. He has been a regular columnist for the Long Beach Business Journal and is based in Orange County, California.
JD Latorre is a freelance travel writer currently calling South Florida his home base. He has a knack for finding himself in some of the world’s most exotic locations, including Bangkok, Montego Bay, Bogata, Havana, Cabo San Lucas, St. Kitts, Cancun and Marseilles. His past lives included working for the Miami Herald, Chicago Daily Herald, Boston Globe, Daily News of Los Angles and Southern California Golf Newspaper.
Associate Editor Terry Ross
Features Editor Larry Feldman
Senior Writers JD Latorre Andy Reistetter Fred Robledo
For Editorial:
call (760) 774-2655 e-mail: Info@GolfVacationsMag.com
Regional Advertising Los Angeles Terry Ross • 949-279-7801 terryr@GolfVacationsMag.com Atlanta Harold Chambliss • 770-239-7500 haroldc@GolfVacationsMag.com
Published by
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portsMedia publications
President Jeffrey Diaz
455 NE 5th Avenue, Suite D-151 Delray Beach, Florida 33483 (760) 774-2655
and
Destiny Media, LLC President/CEO James A. Diaz
Golf Vacations Magazine is published in digital format monthly and distributed online to over 1,000,000 golfer’s email inboxes each issue. Entire contents of this publication is copyright 2015 SportsMedia Publications, all rights reserved and may not be reproduced in any manner, in whole or in part, without written permission from the publisher.
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PRINCEVILLE MAKAI GOLF CLUB ANNOUNCES MULTI-ROUND GOLF PASSES FOR 2015
PRINCEVILLE, KAUAI, HAWAII – The acclaimed Princeville Makai Golf Club on Kauai’s north shore has announced two special 2015 programs for golfers who want to play multiple rounds on the renowned Makai Course, ranked as one of the top 100 courses in the United States. “We are looking forward to another year of great golf at the Makai in 2015,” says Princeville Makai Golf Club General Manager Alex Nakajima, “and we hope our guests will enjoy these special values in the coming year.” Princeville Makai Golf Club offers two 2015 multi-round passes that provide substantial savings over the standard 18hole rate ($249 at the Makai Course for prime tee times). The “Makai Unlimited Golf Pass” provides a minimum of three days of unlimited golf starting at $465 plus tax, allowing golfers to play as many holes as they can in three days on the 18-hole championship Makai and 9-hole Woods courses. Additional days may be added for $149 each (plus tax). The golf days do not have to be consecutive but must be completed within a seven-day period. The “Makai Premium Golf Pass” provides
a minimum of six days of unlimited golf starting at $750 plus tax, to be used within 30 days. Additional days on the Makai Premium Golf Pass may be purchased for $125 each (plus tax). The pass is nontransferable but may be used for rounds on both the 18hole Makai and 9-hole Woods courses, as well as for Princeville Makai Golf Shop merchandise. Golf World magazine named Princeville Makai Golf Club to its annual list of “America’s 100 Best Golf Shops” in 2011. Registered guests of The St. Regis Princeville Resort, Princeville Makai Golf Club’s sister property, will receive a discounted rate of $195 in 2015. This includes an 18-hole round on the Makai Course and choice of one gift upon check-in at the course: a sleeve of Callaway logo golf balls, a logo ball marker, or sunscreen. The Princeville Makai Golf Club features twenty-seven holes of world-class golf within two uniquely distinctive courses, the first in Hawaii to be designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr. In keeping with its name (makai means “towards the ocean”), the 18-hole championship Makai Course is set on an oceanfront bluff against the stunning backdrop of Hanalei Bay and Kauai’s lush north shore mountains. The Makai is golf at its finest, incorporating Jones’ “design as art” concept for both a challenging and inspirational
golf experience, crowned by five dramatic oceanfront holes featuring magnificent vistas of land, sea, and sky. The 9-hole Woods Course is ideal for the casual golfer who wants to enjoy a leisurely nine holes in a relaxed layout, winding through native woodlands amidst spectacular mountain views. Both courses are home to exotic native Hawaiian flora and fauna, including the endangered Nene Goose--Hawaii’s state bird and the world’s rarest goose. In 2010, the Makai Course reopened after a comprehensive 14-month renovation, and has since garnered rave reviews for its immaculate condition and playability. The course is currently ranked by Golf Digest as one of “America’s 100 Greatest Public Golf Courses” and recently climbed from #86 (in 2014) to #42 in Golfweekʻs 2015 “Top 100 Resort Courses in the U.S.” The Makai Course is also consistently ranked as one of the top five public courses in Hawaii. It boasts an extraordinarily beautiful setting and in 2011 was named one of the “Top 5 Great Golf Settings in the U.S.” by National Geographic Traveler. The Princeville Makai Golf Club is managed by Troon Golf. For more information, rates, or to reserve tee times at Princeville Makai Golf Club, call (808) 8261912 or visit www.MakaiGolf.com.
Princeville Makai Golf Club
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ANNIKA Course Design Announces First European Project
ORLANDO, FL – ANNIKA Course Design – Hall-of-Fame golfer Annika Sorenstam’s golf course architecture business – announces it will design its first course in Europe at Estonian Golf & Country Club. Located 20 minutes outside Estonia’s capital city of Tallinn, the ANNIKA Course is part of a coming-soon, seaside, familyleisure resort and spa. Annika is currently drafting course plans with European Golf Design (EGD), the golf course design company of the European Tour and IMG. Ground-breaking is scheduled for 2016; plans call for the course to open in concert with the resort’s first 50 rooms in 2019. Annika was selected both for the caliber of her design work – she has designed five courses worldwide to date – and her appreciation of a project targeting families and golf tourists from Scandinavia and the rest of Europe. “It’s exciting to be designing my first golf course in Europe, especially one that is close to home,” says Annika, a native of Sweden and 10-time major champion. “The golf industry has been talking a lot about the need to develop golf facilities
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that are more flexible and family friendly, and Estonian Golf & Country Club is actually making it happen. “My objective is to create a course that good golfers will find strategic, competitive and visually appealing, while the design will utilize a variety of forward tees to make it equally enjoyable and engaging for newer golfers and young players. Ultimately, the layout will offer great versatility, from tournament play to resort golf, giving all golfers, no matter how far they hit the ball, a world-class experience.” The new 18-hole course will replace the club’s existing nine-hole Stone Course, and will complement its 18-hole Sea Course, host of European qualifying for the 2011 Omega Mission Hills World Cup. The Sea Course has been ranked among the Top 100 courses in Continental Europe by Golf World (U.K.). Sited on gently rolling terrain above a limestone escarpment that drops down to a pine forest and the Sea Course, the new ANNIKA layout will command outstanding views over the Rebala National Heritage Area. Featuring long, native grasses and firm turf, the course will have a links-like look and feel. Tees will be strategically situated with the tournament course measuring
approximately 7,050 yards. Forward tees will create an enjoyable 4,375-yard course for juniors and new golfers. “I first met Annika in 2011 to discuss designing our second course and she immediately understood and empathized with our vision to further develop Estonian Golf & Country Club into an international leisure resort and spa,” says Hanno Kross, Estonian Golf & Country Club Chief Executive. “As well as being one of the most successful golfers of all time, she is family oriented and coaches young people, so she brings a contemporary perspective to the needs of a modern resort and the type of golf course and facilities that are required. “When I first showed her pictures of the landscape overlooking the Gulf of Finland and the Jägala River Delta, it reminded her of where she grew up and so I think she immediately felt at home with this project.” Estonian Golf & Country Club is part of the European Tour Properties network of world-class golf venues. Already home to a successful real estate development, it plans to construct a 150-room hotel in three phases and develop leisure amenities including a spa and tennis academy.
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KAUAI’S POIPU BAY GOLF COURSE TO CONTINUE “PRACTICE & PLAY” 3-HOLE PROGRAM INTO 2015
POIPU, KAUAI, HAWAII – Kauai’s acclaimed Poipu Bay Golf Course, situated on the island’s sunny south shore, will continue its popular “Practice & Play” program through 2015, providing golfers the opportunity to practice at the range then play three holes in late afternoon on the oceanfront course for a cost of $30. Golfers can “Practice & Play” by booking a check-in time between 3 and 4 p.m. any day of the week. Players are provided with range balls and use of the practice facility (which closes at 5 p.m.), as well as a golf cart and access to play the course’s first three holes, which offer par 3, 4, and 5 experiences for a well-rounded practice session. “We introduced this program last year, and it has proven to be very popular,” says Poipu Bay’s Director of Golf, Craig Sasada. “It’s perfect for the golfer who has limited time or wants to get in a solid practice session at the end of the day. And playing the first three holes provides a great introduction to our course.” Poipu Bay Golf Course is situated on 210 oceanfront acres adjacent to the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa on Kauai’s south shore. The spectacular course gained fame as the host site for the PGA Grand Slam of Golf from 1994
through 2006. A Robert Trent Jones, Jr. design, Poipu Bay has been consistently ranked over the years among the top resort courses in the U.S. It was named to Golf Digest’s 2013/2014 list of “America’s 100 Greatest Public Golf Courses” and Golfweek’s newly-released “Top 100 Resort Courses” for 2015. For more information or to book tee times, call the Poipu Bay Golf Shop at toll free 1-800858-6300 or direct (808) 742-8711. Visit Poipu Bay’s website at www.poipubaygolf.com and check out the live webcam looking over the 18th hole.
The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay Announces Guestroom Renovations and Enhancements
Infusing a fresh, comfortable elegance into its interiors, The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay -- the San Francisco Bay Area’s only luxury oceanfront resort -- is poised to begin an extensive refurbishment of its 261 guestrooms, Guest House rooms and Guest House luxury suites. According to George Munz, general manager of The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay, the redesign and renovation project includes the enhancement of all of the rooms and suites in the private Guest Houses and the standard guest rooms and one-bedroom
suites in the beach resort’s main building. The refurbishment is scheduled to be completed in March 2015. For an added level of luxury, The RitzCarlton Club Lounge will also be enhanced. Located on the fifth floor of the northern California resort, with stunning views on the Ocean Lawn and the Pacific coastline, a separation wall in the lounge will be removed to open the space up and provide more direct views of the ocean.
Dominican Republic Golf Travel Exchange announces 2015 dates
Santo Domingo (PRNewswire).- After a hugely successful inaugural event, the Golf Travel Exchange for Dominican Republic is thrilled to announce that it will return for a second year in 2015. From September 5 – 10, golf tour operators, international golf media, golf course directors, hoteliers, DMC’s and more will have the chance to meet, network and experience first-hand what makes Dominican Republic the #1 golf destination in the Caribbean and one of the best in the world. The summit will once again be hosted at the elite Casa de Campo Resort in La Romana. The luxurious accommodations paired with the three world-class courses on the property make it a perfect fit.
Kauai’s Poipu Bay Golf Course
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• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • CHIPSHOTS The announcement was made by Teddy De Lara, Executive Director of TARGET Consultores de Mercadeo and director of the DR Golf Travel Exchange. “Based on the overwhelming positive response and attendance of the 2014 Golf Travel Exchange, we are thrilled to be able to bring it back for a second year and continue to promote our world-class courses like Teeth of the Dog, Dye Fore, Punta Espada and more,” said De Lara. “The event is designed to showcase the rich and unique golf culture of Dominican Republic and prove to the world why we have earned the rank and reputation as one of the top golf destinations in the world.” In addition to networking with other professionals and learning about the country’s vast golf offerings, attendees will also have the opportunity to experience it first-hand. All attendees will be able to participate in a golf tournament at Dye Fore golf course, designed by Pete Dye. Additionally, attendees will
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be able to enjoy golf rounds at Cocotal Golf Course at Melia’s Caribe Tropical Resort and Punta Espada Golf at Cap Cana. More information: www.drgolftravel.com or via email info@drgolftravel.com
New Website and Mobile App launch for Premier Irish Golf Tours
To celebrate the launch of its new website and mobile app, any tour group that books in the month of January will receive a 10% discount regardless of the tour they choose or group size. Premier Irish golf tours are a family run business and are the market leaders in golf trips to Ireland. This is evidenced by the amount of repeat business the company receives as well as the amount of referrals it receives from its previous tours. With a worldwide client base with particular emphasis on North America and Canada, Premier Irish golf tours has offices in Ireland as well as an
office in Cape Cod, M.A, U.S.A, where they can be reached at (508) 328 7541. So far, 2015 bookings are very strong and this is largely attributed to the favorable exchange rate of the dollar to the euro. Along with the change of the website, there is also a new tour package to Northern Ireland, given the increased demand in recent years due to the success of Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell. Come follow in their footsteps and play all of the great courses that Northern Ireland has to offer. This new package also includes the option to attend the 2015 Irish open, which will be held at Royal County Down In Northern Ireland. This should be very exciting this year as the no. 1 golfer in the world, Rory Mcilroy, will be in attendance, along with American Ricky Fowler. Royal County Down is consistently ranked the no. 1 golf course in Ireland and was recently ranked the no. 2 course in all the UK. http://www.premieririshgolftours.com
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Pick a Perfect Package Cobble Beach
Old South Golf Links
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Caledonia Golf and Fish Club
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and PLAY Traditions Club
Hilton Head Golf Island With average temperatures in the 60s and 70s during its coldest months, Hilton Head offers a welcome respite from the freezing weather found in most of the country. The perfect destination for golf enthusiasts seeking year-round play, the winter months welcome incredible value and plentiful tee times on over 20 courses. From the seven Heritage Collection courses including Palmetto Hall, to Palmetto Dunes, Old South Golf Links and iconic Sea Pines Resort, value-laden, offseason packages abound. Visit www.hiltonheadgolfisland.com for more information on specific deals and packages. Myrtle Beach Seaside Resorts Myrtle Beach Seaside Resorts is offering the “Bucket List Golf Package” featuring four nights of oceanfront accommodations and four rounds of championship golf at GOLF Magazine’s “Top 100 You Can Play” courses. Starting at $501 per golfer (quad occupancy, taxes and resort fee included), it includes 72 holes with one round each at Caledonia Golf and Fish Club, Dunes Golf and Beach Club, True Blue Plantation, and Barefoot Resort’s Love Course. Guests also enjoy five days and four nights in a two or three-bedroom condo with beach access at Avista Resort, Seaside or Grande Shores. Available through January 14, 2015, the offer also features daily breakfast and one prime rib dinner (per golfer) at the resorts’ onsite restaurants. To book or for more information, visit myrtlebeachseasideresorts.com or call (888) 571.4104.
Old American Golf Club
Traditions Club and Community What if you could go back to college for the weekend, stay in luxury accommodations and play a top-rated Nicklaus track? Traditions Club and Community, the private golf club and residential development located in College Station, Texas (home of Texas A&M University) offers stay-and-play packages for the first two months of 2015 starting at $249 based on double occupancy. Rates include a round of golf on Traditions Club’s Jack Nicklaus/Jack Nicklaus II Signature Design (home of the Aggie men’s and women’s golf teams), lodging in the Southern Living-inspired cottages and casitas located onsite, and access to the club’s resort-style amenities. For more information, visit www.traditionsclub.com or call (979) 779.1007. Cobble Beach Cobble Beach – two hours northwest of Toronto on Georgian Bay – is offering an exclusive series of “Discovery Weekend” packages available late January through March, 2015. Designed to showcase one of Canada’s most sought-after residential enclaves, rates start at $390 per person (tax and gratuity not included) based on double occupancy and feature an incredible array of amenities and activities including accommodations, wine tasting, golf simulator, cross-country skiing, spa treatments and more. For more information about Cobble Beach real estate, visit www.livecobblebeach.com. To inquire about or book the Discovery Weekend Package, call 877.781.0149. Offer not valid with other packages, promotions or specials and is subject to availability. Old American Old American Golf Club – recently ranked by Golfweek and Golf Magazine as the best golf course in the Metroplex – and NYLO Plano at Legacy and NYLO Dallas South Side are offering stay-and-play packages starting at $213 per player This unique tandem of a classically designed course and ultra-modern boutique hotels includes one round per player at Old American and one night at either hotel (based on double occupancy). A complimentary yardage book, water, snacks and Old American leather valuables pouch complete the offering, which can be booked for multiple nights – perfect for football weekend getaways and the business traveler who collects top-ranked golf courses on the road. NYLO rooms are reserved online at http://www.nylohotels.com/plano/nylo-plano-stayand-play-golf-package-packages-1.aspx (NYLO Plano) and http://www.nylohotels.com/dallas/stay-and-play-goft-package-dallas-texas-nylo-packages-8.aspx (NYLO Dallas); tee times are booked by calling 972.370.4653. Mention the “NYLO Stay and Play” when booking tee times for additional offerings. Subject to availability, taxes not included in rate above, and tee times are not available before 10 a.m. on weekends.
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JW Marriott San Antonio H Home for 36 holes of TPC San Antonio
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AN ANTONIO, Tx – Ginormous is just another faux word to describe things in Texas.
It is the larger than life JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort and Spa with 1,002 rooms and 85 suites spreading out with massive views of the Texas Hill Country’s Cibolo Canyons.
in the same city. The list of champions includes some of the greatest names in golf: Walter Hagen, Byron Nelson, Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer, Ben Crenshaw, Hale Irwin, Lee Trevino, Nick Price, Justin Leonard, Zach Johnson, Adam Scott, and 2014 Champion Steven Bowditch, to name a few.
This is where crystal clear streams, live oaks and cedar trees mingle with rocky rough, prickly pear cactus and rolling hills. And amongst all that beauty is cowboy luxury.
“Any time a professional golfer can play in a PGA Tour event, bring his family and stay on site the players love it,” said Robert Nader, head golf professional. “The player can just roll out of bed and go to the course. The wife and kids can enjoy the pool or spa.”
It is also the 36-hole TPC San Antonio -- one of three properties in the United States to host two tour events each year. The Oaks Course hosts the Valero Texas Open and the Canyons Course is host to the AT&T Championship on the Champions Tour.
And it could be the most environmentally friendly golf resort ever built. A closed-loop irrigation system returns rainwater to the Edwards Aquifer, a source of water in an area parched from lack of summer rain. “Green initiatives” are prevalent throughout the massive grounds.
TPC San Antonio is a private resort, accessible only to club members and guests of the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort and Spa. Additionally, TPC San Antonio is managed and operated by PGA Tour Golf Course Properties as part of the TPC Network.
AT&T Oaks Course – Designed by Greg Norman The difficult AT&T Oaks Course is a 7,435-yard monster (par 72) which was designed to test the best players on the planet. Norman got an assist from Sergio Garcia designed this beauty, part of the half-billion dollar resort.
The Valero Texas Open, hosting the 94th year of the tournament, spans March 23-29, 2015 just two weeks before the Masters and attracted some of the world’s top-ranked players last year including Phil Mickelson, Matt Kuchar, Jordan Spieth and Zach Johnson. The Valero Texas Open is the 6th oldest professional tournament in golf world-wide, the 3rd oldest on the PGA Tour and the longest held
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The old viewer-friendly TPC mounding was avoided for a more natural look and the bunkers were built to mimic the canopies of the area’s live oaks. Both courses have no houses lining its rumpled, muscular-bunker infested fairways. Norman’s love for nature is evident in every ragged bunker edge, rug-
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Hill Country Resort and Spa By David R. Holland
ged rolls of the fairways, abundance of mature live oaks, cedars and prickly-pear cacti. This world class course is a traditional design that balances narrower tree-lined fairways with wider fairways offering multiple routes and strategic options into the greens. The Oaks Course only has 100 feet of fall from the highest point of the course to the lowest making it very walker friendly. A unique feature of the course is all downhill holes play into the prevailing wind, while the uphill holes play downwind. “We recently renovated four greens on the Oaks Course,” said Nader. “This allows for some smoother surfaces creating more usable pin placements, which can be tricky in the Texas winds.” AT&T Canyons Course -- Designed by Pete Dye The Pete Dye-Bruce Lietzke-designed AT&T Canyons Course at TPC San Antonio rolls out to 7,106 yards at par 72 and could be the least penal course Dye has ever designed. Kenny Perry took the win last year in the Champions tour event. This course has panoramic views of an adjacent 750-acre nature preserve. It has more dramatic elevation changes and flows with the natural curves of the land through live oak and cedar lined fairways. “The Canyons has hosted numerous tournaments, too, and the Champions Tour guys loved the rolls of the greens and conditioning,” Nader said.
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The hotel: more luxury than a bunkhouse The hacienda-styled hotel used native limestone in the brick work, and the resort includes the trademark Lazy River swimming experience. Guestrooms incorporate metals, tooled leather, carved wood, and hewn stonework. The Hill Country resort features 140,000-square-feet of meeting space. Restaurants to pick from include Cibolo Moon, 18 Oaks, High Velocity, Replenish Spa Bistro and Rivertop Grill. The Lantana Spa features 30 treatment rooms including two couples suites with fireplaces. The spa fitness center offers the latest in cardio training equipment, free weights and weight training equipment. Did you know? The Texas Open has been hosted in San Antonio since 1922 and had the following host courses: • Oak Hills Country Club (23), 1961-66, 1977-94 • Brackenridge Park Golf Course (21), 1922-26, 1929-40, 1950-55, 1957-59 • La Cantera Resort Course (15), 1995-2009 • Willow Springs (10), 1927-28, 1941-49 • Woodlake Country Club (5), 1972-76 • Fort Sam Houston (4), 1950- 51, 1956, 1960 • Pecan Valley Golf Club (3), 1967, 1969-70 (course no longer exists)
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Sandals Emerald Reef Golf Club
Great Exuma in
By Tim Cotroneo
Where Golf Meets the “Pirates of the Caribbean”
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here’s a colorful rum cocktail on the island of Great Exuma called the Goombay Smash. The first one tastes as good as it looks. By the time you finish the second, you realize that some beauties can also be beasts. The same can be said for Great Exuma’s spectacular Greg-Norman designed golf course. Sandals Emerald Reef Golf Club’s front nine can lull golfers into a peaceful island state of mind. The back side, with seven holes featuring the Caribbean Sea, may leave you wondering, “Can a golf course be too good looking?” For golfers seeking a show-stopping environment and pristine conditions, the 7200-yard Emerald Reef is as good as it gets. Your round gets even more interesting when the trade winds are blowing. On a course crafted by the Great White Shark himself, you can almost hear the theme from “Jaws” as you turn the corner and transition to the 11th hole. Your tee shot on this petite Par 3 is when golfers begin their adventure from tranquil inland golf to a potentially temperamental Caribbean Sea. There is so much to think about on Emerald Reef’s back nine. If you stick with your routine, and occasionally club down on tee shots when you know this makes sense, then you should be able to handle golf holes that are so picturesque and rugged, that you may ponder out loud, “I’ve never seen anything like this.” Golf’s Seven Wonders What catches about 90 percent of the Emerald Reef golfers off guard is the fact that they’re playing on this wondrous landscape while on vacation. This usually means they’re more relaxed. This could also mean that Great Exuma’s main drawing card can be a golfer’s undoing. On any given day at Emerald Reef Golf Club, the question becomes, “Will the Caribbean Sea be your friend or foe? The water surrounding Emerald Reef Golf Club is “Pirates of the Caribbean” turquoise. There’s no kidding on this claim. The south end of the island is the location for the beach scenes from Johnny Depp’s movie. Now insert the creative mind of Greg Norman on this romantic island setting, and you have a golf course that might be the Eighth Wonder of the World. Emerald Reef Golf Head Professional Rich Gibson described his course this way, “If you go to Paris, can you imagine not seeing the
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Eiffel Tower? For golfers vacationing on Great Exuma, to stay here and not experience Emerald Reef is something you’ll forever regret. That’s how beautiful our course is.” Lessons from the Best After 27 years as the Golf Professional at Cable Beach Golf Course in Nassau, Gibson arrived at Emerald Reef in 2013 and quickly tamed Greg Norman’s Caribbean crown jewel. In fact, Gibson tied the course record with nines of 36 and 30, for a scorching 66 over 18 holes. For golfers looking to improve their game while on Great Exuma, Gibson has a unique pedigree for fine tuning your game. “I was taught by Ken Venturi and Bob Toski,” Gibson said. The long and lean Gibson confided that for one whole week under Toski, he hit nothing but wedges. The first goal was to land each golf ball within a five foot radius of the others. The second goal was to get up and down within 100 yards. Gibson regularly accomplishes this goal. Imagine Gibson teaching you what Venturi and Toski taught him. Unconditional Caribbean If your 2015 golf vacation budget includes just one trip, then Emerald Reef Golf Club delivers a bull market return on your dollar. Emerald Reef offers a golf trifecta of superb conditions an amazing island locale, and a closing nine deserving a place in Norman’s trophy case next his two British Open Claret Jugs. At least a half dozen major airlines fly directly into Great Exuma’s International Airport. See for yourself about the relentless beauty of Emerald Reef’s back nine. Experience what it’s like to play golf with ocean waves crashing less than a chip shot away. For 18 holes, imagine that you’re Captain Jack Sparrow, playing on location at this Caribbean paradise turned golf course. As you sign off on your scorecard at the 18th hole, there’s only one thing left to do. Stop by the clubhouse and order a tall, cool Goombay Smash. By the time you finish the second one, everyone in your group will have tamed the beauty named Emerald Reef. http://www.sandals.com/golf/bahamas/ http://www.gngcd.com/course_detail.php?course_id=9
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Grand Isle Resort in Great Exuma Bahamas Best in Golf, Beach, and Balcony Views
By Tim Cotroneo
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ou love to golf, and your spouse loves the beach. Where in the world can you go to experience the best of both worlds? Welcome to Grand Isle Resort in Great Exuma. Great Exuma is the largest of the Bahamas’ 365 Out Islands. On Great Exuma’s northeastern edge, you’ll find the luxurious Grand Isle Resort. The Greg Norman-designed Emerald Reef Golf Course wraps seven of its 18 holes directly under Grand Isle’s balconies. What’s fabulous for golfers seeking a Caribbean getaway is this: The seven holes that hug Grand Isle’s villas, restaurant, and pool are Emerald Reef’s seven ocean holes. These seven Caribbean show-stoppers are possibly the most scenic, rugged, and breathtakingly beautiful golf holes you’ve ever seen. The good news is they sit patiently right outside your Grand Isle balcony. Spouse Will Love You Now let’s not forget your spouse, the dear person you’re suggesting a Grand Isle Resort vacation to. Your better half loves the beach, and Grand Isle delivers spectacular powder white sand and turquoise water that will have your significant other singing your praises. The wonderfully crescent-shaped Emerald Bay Beach is mere steps from your villa. When the two of you aren’t enjoying the golf course or the beach, you’ll love Grand Isle’s upscale island accommodations. This 11-acre, palmtree lined resort features one and two bedroom villas. If you’re considering the mother-of-all Caribbean Sea and golf course views, Grand Isle offers a massive four-bedroom penthouse option. All villas include spacious kitchens, dining and living areas, well-appointed bedrooms with on-suite baths, and of course, balconies with gorgeous views. Your beach-going partner will also enjoy Grand Isle’s scenic Palapa Grill. This al fresco restaurant has a romantic Caribbean ambiance, and a well-rounded menu that will more than satisfy your breakfast, lunch, and dinner needs. Shhhhhh. Don’t tell your spouse that the Palapa Grill displays a great view of Emerald Reef’s 11th hole tee box. Best of Both Caribbean Worlds So while your spouse settles in with a favorite book on the beach, you can zip to the neighboring Sandals Emerald Reef clubhouse in the electric golf cart that’s included with your villa. Stop pinching yourself, your villa comes with a golf cart. At Emerald Reef Golf Course, you not only have the opportunity to play 18 unforgettable golf holes, you may also want to fine tune your game while on vacation. Rich Gibson, the Emerald Reef Golf Professional, was trained under Ken Venturi and Bob Toski. Gibson is not only long off the tee, but he also humbly admits to an extraordinary short game. So while your spouse is sipping a Pina Colada and drinking in Great Exuma’s “Pirates of the Caribbean” water color, you can knock strokes off your game. On this vacation, give a little. Take your beach-loving spouse to one of the ultimate Caribbean beach destinations. The fact that your Grand Isle Resort villa includes a balcony view showcasing Emerald Reef Golf Course, one of Greg Norman’s finest designs ever, is just a coincidence. www.grandisleresort.com
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SWEETSTUFF
The Range To Go can also be used on top or next to existing range mats to give a more consistent surface and to provide the different types of grasses encountered on the golf course. It also provides the feel of making a divot with the proper amount of give and cushioning, and won’t slip and slide like many hitting mats. One of the most unique features of the Range To Go’s design is that it folds into the size of a laptop bag and stores into a handy nylon carrying case, making it easy to transport from location to location, something very difficult to do with full size mats. It weighs less than eight pounds and sets up within seconds, making this one of the handiest and most practical practice tools we have seen in a long time. For more information about Range To Go visit: www. rangetogo.com
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eeping ones golf game sharp—especially during the winter months in places where the weather is a less than hospitable—is a constant battle. Practice is the key, but finding a suitable hitting surface and a space to hit are always a challenge. A new product called Range To Go solves the problem of having a suitable hitting surface to hit off of--and allows the portability to hit just about any kind of shot with a real golf ball—be it in the backyard, at the beach, in a park or in the garage or basement into a net. This useful training device consists of a three-piece mat that folds into thirds, but stretches out to a full 36-inch by 16-inch mat with synthetic turf hitting areas that realistically resemble three types of grass-- a strip of fairway, light rough and the tee box—each measuring 16 X 12 inches. And the tee box mat accommodates sticking those 3-inch-plus tees into it that are popular today for using with a driver—something that a lot artificial surfaces at driving ranges won’t even do. The 16-inch width of the Range To Go actually helps promote the proper width of the golf stance and the high-quality synthetic grass is constructed in one-piece fashion, with the turf woven into the heavy-duty, non-slip polyurethane base for optimal durability and longevity. It even comes with a 10-year warranty.
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ith the advent of the latest smartphone and tablet technology that enables travelers to stay in constant communication and have 24/7 access to the web, the ability for those taking a trip for either business or that that favorite golf destination to be able to access their favorite newspaper or magazine while on the go is easier than ever. PressReader, an all-you-can-read virtual digital newsstand that reaches 250 million people to read, share and talk about news, has been redefining how people read, share and talk about news for 15 years from its headquarters in Vancouver, British Columbia. Now, over 5,600 hotels, libraries, cafés and cruise lines are sponsoring PressReader HotSpots in
their locations, offering guests 3,500 newspapers and magazines. These newspapers and magazines can be read online, in print or downloaded via the app that is available on just about all mobile platforms. Businesses can offer their own customers PressReader Hotspots, a solution that provides PressReader sponsored access at: libraries, hotels, corporate offices, airport lounges, airlines, cruise lines and more. PressReader also offers readers an individual subscription to continue accessing content from anywhere. It partners with more than 4,000 publishers in over 100 countries, to help publishers distribute their content and grow their global reach and readership. PressReader carries thousands of prominent newspapers such as: The Washington Post, USA Today, The Guardian, Le Monde and The Globe and Mail. It also includes a thousand popular magazines: Vogue, Cosmopolitan, GQ, Elle, Martha Stewart Living and T3. PressReader’s innovative solution has quickly become the travel industry standard for reading digital versions of publications while traveling. Leading hotel chains are now offering PressReader HotSpots as a standard amenity, these include: Shangri-La Hotels, Trump Hotels, Sofitel, InterContinental Hotels, Hotel Jen, Pullman, Novotel, Mercure and Ibis.
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SWEETSTUFF by TerryRoss
“PressReader HotSpots have grown astronomically since the solution launched a year ago,” said Alex Gruntsev, PressReader’s Chief Innovation Officer. “We pioneered an all-you-can-read paid content distribution model, similar to Netflix, and now it includes thousands of partners that sponsor access. We were the first to launch this approach for newspapers and magazines, and now we’re taking it to the next level with the new PressReader HotSpot Map.” Some of the first PressReader HotSpots were Virgin Australia airport lounges, the New York Public Library and the San Francisco Public Library. For more information about PressReader visit: www.pressreader.com GOLF ETIQUETTE, QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE A Golfer’s Guide to Correct Conduct My library is filled with books, tapes and CDs from some of golf’s greatest teachers along with some from not so great teachers who managed to pique my interest by promising innovative ways to cut strokes off my game. I also carry a USGA Rules Book in my bag and generally try to stay informed about the latest rules changes. You won’t find a long putter among the 14 clubs in my bag any more. What is new in my bag, however, is 48-page book – actually a handy 3 x 5 booklet with laminated pages and color illustrations – that deals with a subject not talked about much on a golf course, but one which everyone is expected to know all about simply because they are on a golf course. I am referring to etiquette and a book written by Yves C. Ton-That: “Golf Etiquette, Quick Reference Guide.” The book addresses many common behavioral issues on a golf course that can turn a pleasant round into an uncomfortable situation. Ton-That, who carries a single-digit handicap, has conducted many seminars on the rules of golf and etiquette. He has published 10 books on golf. “Golf Rules Quick Reference” has sold more than 1 million copies and is the best-selling golf book in the United States. When asked why he felt the need to write such a book, Ton-Than said, “I decided to write this book because etiquette is a highly topical issue. I frequently hear complaints from club managers and presidents about the increasing neglect of the etiquette and also from golfers about rowdy players and violence on the course.” Golf is always trying to attract new players, but doesn’t do enough to teach new players some of the etiquette expected of players. As one who has played the game for more than 50 years, I feel pretty well versed in the dos and don’ts on a golf course. But even long-time players like myself sometimes step on or over another player’s line on the green, stands in the wrong place, play too slowly, take too long to look for a lost ball, give
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unwanted advice, take phone calls on a cell phone or any other number of things that can bother other players. There are dress codes and conduct codes and all sorts of other things it’s best to know about, especially if you invited to play at a new or private course. I know first hand about how strange some of the things are to novice players. Having once coached a high school golf team of beginners, they wanted to know why a shirt had to have a collar, why some courses didn’t allow denims, why shirts should be tucked in, why punctuality is so important in a match or even a tee time, how to know when it’s your turn to play, how to take care of the course, how to be respectful of other players and many other things long-time players take for granted. Ton-That believes the rapid growth of golf over the past 20 years is part of the reason so many new golfers aren’t well versed on course behavior. “The side effect of the golf boom is that the unwritten laws of etiquette could not be passed on adequately,” he said. “Golfers show less respect for each other and neglect the protection and maintenance of the course.” Ton-That well-illustrated book takes care of many of those problems. The book makes it easy to find what you need because there are colored tabs explaining etiquette for seven different situations – Basic, Before the Round, Tee, Fairway & Rough, Hazards, Fringe & Green and After the Round. The book doesn’t cover every single situation that might arise on a golf course, but it does cover enough for a beginning player to feel comfortable about going to a course and playing in a group with strangers who will become friends after 18 holes. I would recommend this book for players of all ages and abilities. So many of us who have played for many years often like to give advice and help new players with some of the etiquette of the game. Pulling out this spiral-bound booklet is a great way to pass along the information. The book is available in good golfshops and at www. golfrulesmadeeasy.com, for $12.95 (ISBN 978-3-90959677-5, Artigo Publishing International, 1st edition 2014. - Fred Robledo
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