Great Golf Magazine Winter 2018

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Great Golf Europe's No.1 golf lifestyle magazine

Winter 2018 ÂŁ4. FREE for members

www.greatgolfmedia.com

Top 20

Asian Resorts

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LOOKING FOR A GOLF PROPERTY? GREAT GOLF PROPERTY, THE ONLY DEDICATED GOLF PROPERTY WEBSITE www.greatgolfproperty.com

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»Birdie«

»All Five«

Spend a wonderful time in our fabulous hotels including wellness facilities with thermal water and play 3 days on a different course.

Enjoy your stay only a chip away from the golf courses in our Bavarian style estates and play 5 days on a different course.

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from € 510 per person sharing

from € 630 per person sharing

Golf unlimited: play two different golf courses a day, only pay for one.

View our website www.quellness-golf.com for more special offers and packages or contact our reservations department 00800 1299 1299 (free of charge), reservierung@quellness-golf.com

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THE BAVARIAN

WAY OF GOLF EUROPE’S No.1 GOLF RESORT

The Quellness & Golf Resort Bad Griesbach strikes by its unique combination of health, wellness, golf, business and sports which is unrivaled throughout the world.

Relax and indulge in our three first class hotels who offer exclusive thermal and wellness facilities or in our four estates and selection of restaurants. Experience an offer which includes ten golf courses in the picturesque Bavarian countryside as well as selected further attractive destinations for the entire family.

OUELLNESS GOLF RESORT BAD GRIESBACH

A. Hartl Resort GmbH & Co. Holding KG Kurallee 1 | D-94086 Bad Griesbach | Germany

QUELLNESS-GOLF.COM

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Great Golf Europe's No.1 golf lifestyle magazine

Spring 2018

£4. FREE for members www.greatgolfmedia.com

Great Golf

Top 20

Asian Resorts

Contents FEATURES

14 Great Golf favorite pictures 20 Top 5 golf holidays 22 Sri Lanka & Maldives – Finding your Shangri-La

36 Top 20 Asian Resorts 42 Italy’s best kept secret 50 Colorado – Enter the Vail 58 Baden-Baden – golf with healing powers 70 The Italian trip 90 Philippines – Pacific adventure LUXURY

30 Watch – honouring time FOOD, WINE & SPA

78 Mountain maestro 84 East coast wines PROPERTY

64 Escape the winter blues 6

G R E AT G O L F M A G A Z I N E

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Europe s Europe's Beest Golf Venue *Membership prices for anual subscriptions.

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Great Golf

GOLF TRAVEL YOUR JOURNEY STARTS HERE...

30 Eridge Road Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN4 8HR United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0)1892 544 872 www.greatgolfmagazine.co.uk MANAGING DIRECTOR Mike Kaas-Stock mike@greatgolfmagazine.co.uk

elcome to the latest edition of Great Golf Magazine. We have made sure to keep many of the features centred on warm locations as we work our way through the dark cold months of the year, and as always, we bring you as many stories as possible from new and exciting locations.

We continue our foray into Germany with an article on the region of Barden-Barden. As with our previous feature on Bavaria in the previous edition, you will find that Germany really has a lot to offer golfers in terms of great courses, good food and fantastic surroundings. If you are already thinking ahead to Spring or Summer, then Germany needs to be in you list of potential destinations.

Our intrepid journalist Peter Ellegard has been exploring magical Sri Lanka, and brings us his take on what’s on offer at the luxury Shangri La Resort in his piece entitled “Tee time in Shangri-La-la land”.

The indomitable Clive Agran tests his mettle (and the food) at La Bagnaia Resort in Italy after a journey fraught with missed planes, multiple airports and gridlock on the dreaded M25. Mike Stock on the other hand, heads of to Pestana Gramacho Resort in the Algarve for some November sunshine and guided tours of Golf Real Estate. There really is no better time to view beautiful properties on a golf course in a sunny location than when its freezing cold in the UK. The latest watch manufacturer to gain our attention is the French Chronographer BRM. With a range of stunning pieces designed for golfers, it really is a brand that will be making its mark in the golf world.

But its not just about the magazine, the websites go from strength to strength. Great Golf Media has now launched a dedicated “Members Area” which is accessible from all our sites. Its free to register and it will give you access to all our reduced-price holidays, some up to 70% off, along with discounts on products and much more. It costs nothing to join but you could save a fortune.

As always, we must state that no journalists were mistreated in the making of this publication, in fact, exactly the opposite.

W

Happy Golfing

Chairman Colin Morrison EDITOR Nils Bjornes nils@greatgolfmagazine.co.uk ASSISTANT EDITOR Camilla Kaas-Stock camilla@greatgolfmagazine.co.uk ART DIRECTOR Ketil Plassgaard ketil@greatgolfmagazine.co.uk Advertising Manager David Singh Tel. 020 8979 9858 david.singh@greatgolfmedia.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR Karim Ullah karim@greatgolfmagazine.co.uk Consultant Editor Peter Ellegard peter@greatgolfmagazine.co.uk LUXURY PRODUCTS Mike Kaas-Stock mike@greatgolfmagazine.co.uk Senior Sub Editor Louise Candy CONTRIBUTORS IN THIS ISSUE Judd Spicer Clive Agran Peter Ellegard Dena Roché April Todd Camilla Kaas-Stock Mike Kaas-Stock Published by IPB Publishing Ltd Company No 6484115 Printed by The Magazine Printing Company www.magprint.co.uk For advertising enquiries please contact: david.singh@greatgolfmedia.com karim@greatgolfmagazine.co.uk All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without prior written consent of Great Golf Magazine UK

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G R E AT G O L F M A G A Z I N E

In support of

Time for life—with limited edition timepieces in support of Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières. Each watch raises £100 for the Nobel Peace Prize winning humanitarian organisation.

And still these handcrafted mechanical watches with the red 12 cost the same as the classic Tangente models from NOMOS Glashütte. Help now, wear forever. £100 from every timepiece sold is paid to Médecins Sans Frontières UK, a UK registered charity no. 1026588. NOMOS retailers helping to help include Watches of Switzerland, Fraser Hart, Mappin & Webb, Berry’s, Hamilton & Inches, Catherine Jones, CS Bedford, CW Sellors, Perfect Timing, Orro, Stewart’s Watches. Find these and many other authorised NOMOS retailers at nomos-glashuette.com, or order online at nomos-store.com.

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GOURMET GOLF RESORTS

Trump Turnberry A Legend Reborn

Top 20

Asian Resorts

GREATEST

Golf Resorts

2017

ITALY Best destination 2017

TOP 6 weekend golf breaks

JAPAN Okinawa

BOOK YOUR GREAT GOLF HOLIDAY NOW! www.greatgolfholiday.com

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Spring 2018

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welcome WEEKENDERS

From birdie makers to dream shot takers, there’s a Hilton for you.

Join the weekenders and book direct for the lowest price at Hilton.com

South Course, Quinta do Lago, Algarve – Portugal

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GREAT PICTURES

GreatSCOTLAND Golf Images

Through the years our lucky journalists have visited amazing golf resorts, sampled delicious food, driven stunning cars and worn prestige watches. Here is a small selection of some of our favourite imagesâ&#x20AC;Ś

Scotland

coast to coast to coast to coastt tto From Scotlandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rugged west coast to its beguiling east coast, you can find some of the best golf on earth at some of the most lavish resorts, as well as a multitude of other things to do and see, as Peter Ellegard discovered.

Photos: Starwood Hotels & Resorts, www.carnoustiecountry.com, Machrihanish Dunes, Kinettles Castle and Gleneagles Hotels

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GREAT CARS

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K GREAT PICTURES

Side 1

GREAT WATCHES & GOLF

the Mille

By April Tod and Angus Davies photos Richard Mille

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GOLF BREAKS

Top5 NEW GOLF HOLIDAY IDEAS FOR 2018 Try something new in 2018. Below is a list of what we at Great Golf think will add some flavour. So, book your adventure and pack your bags, because it's time to go somewhere new!

Italy - Emilia Romagna, Italian Golf & Gastronomy

Luxury Golf River Cruises Along the Danube

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Mallorca - Gran Hotel Son Net

Bulgaria - Pirin Golf & Hotel

Portugal - Lisbon Golf & Football Weekend

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SRI LANKA & MALDIVES

FINDING YOUR SHANGRI-LA

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I

t isn’t every day that you play golf with a national sporting h e ro – l e t a l o n e g i ve h i m s o m e c o a c h i n g t i p s .

Yet here at Shangri-La’s Hambantota Golf Resort & Spa, Sri Lanka’s only golf resort, I’m playing as a guest in a four-ball with the country’s former cricket captain, Angelo Matthews, and helping him after he asks for advice from me – a perennial 23-handicap hacker!

Captain of Sri Lanka’s cricket team for five years until resigning last July, he is a golfing newbie. And our two playing partners are just as inexperienced.

We are the final, non-competitive group in a tournament for HSBC Premier members on the Indian Ocean island being held

by HSBC Sri Lanka.

The organisers also invite me to play in a fun night golf event, pitching over a pond to the floodlit 18th green. And I am welcomed as a guest at the gala awards dinner.

There is an expectant air as the last groups in the tournament proper are getting their rounds under way, with rumours of an appearance by a special guest from the cricket world. With just minutes to our tee time, he arrives.

PEACOCK PARADISE. Tall and good looking, Angelo warmly greets me as we all make our introductions. The tournament competitors are all walking with their caddies. We also have caddies but are allowed buggies, for which I am very grateful in the late-morning sweltering heat and humidity.

Opened in October 2016, the 6,100-yard, par 70 Rodney Smith design is a resort course but a testing layout. Long savannah grass rough and 4,000 tall palm trees edge the fairways and greens, it has 15 lakes and 15,000 pineapples grow alongside several back nine holes, while there’s a constant wind off the adjacent Indian Ocean.

The first hole, Peacock Paradise, is named for the peacocks that often meander across it. We echo their mournful calls as we all miss the wide fairway. With no idea how far each club can hit, Angelo asks me which one he should use. That sets the tone for our game; Angelo in and out of the rough and unsure about club selection, while I scramble bogeys.

On the 375-yard, par-4 5th hole, he smashes the cricket equivalent of a straight six to leave a short chip over a bunker. As I near him, having hit my 170-yard approach onto the green, he asks if he should use his 6 iron. “I wouldn’t,” I advise, “unless you want to put your ball through a hotel window…”

Following my suggestion he hits sand wedge – straight into the bunker, from which he takes three shots to escape. But he doesn’t stare accusingly at me like a batsman after being bowled a bouncer, nor does he sledge on my birdie attempt.

SOUTH COAST. We finish after seven holes so as to make lunch, with time for a selfie of us (above, right). It has been fun, and hopefully I have given Angelo some helpful pointers. All cricketers excel at golf. For a beginner he shows amazing aptitude and with proper tuition could quickly become a low handicapper.

Next day I manage a full round when the resort’s director of golf, Romain Pourveer, challenges me to a game. There’s no money at stake, just pride. And that spurs me. Suddenly I’m more comfortable with my rental Titleist clubs, driving straight, hitting 24

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irons well and putting solidly, while he is tired and misfiring after orchestrating yesterday’s competition. I beat him 6 and 5 on the 12th hole, before we draw a rematch on the remaining holes.

Sri Lanka has four 18-hole layouts but this is the only one on the south coast. Both Royal Colombo Golf Club, in the capital, and Nuwara Eliya golf Club, in the hill country, are four to five hours away by road and the Victoria Golf and Country Resort, near Kandy, is even farther away. You can’t base yourself in one place and play every course. But Sri Lanka lends itself to a touring golf and sightseeing holiday, while November’s opening of ShangriLa’s second Sri Lanka property, a 500-room city hotel in Colombo, now makes a twin-centre stay with Hambantota a good option.

DIRECT FLIGHTS. You can also twin Hambantota with Shangri-

La’s Villingilli Resort & Spa in the Maldives. It is located on Addu Atoll, the archipelago’s southernmost atoll, and direct flights link Colombo with Gan, a former RAF base just a five-minute boat ride away. What’s more, it boasts the Maldives’ only golf course, albeit a nine-hole par 30. I opt to add on a few days there.

First, however, I spend time enjoying Shangri-La’s sumptuous Hambantota resort and nearby attractions. Among the first beach hotels in this developing tourism area, the resort is Sri Lanka’s largest, offering 300 rooms, all with free Wi-Fi, cable TV, bathrobes and slippers. My room looks out past tall coconut palms to the ocean. Adjoining the hotel, the Kadamandiya artisan village’s thatched studio huts house local artisans who make and sell their works, including paintings, pottery, sculptures and carvings.

The resort’s CHI, the Spa has 12 indoor and outdoor treatment rooms offering Chinese massages plus Sri Lankan ayurvedic treatments. I enjoy a soothing, hour-long ayurvedic massage after a medical consultation to determine the best oils for me. Beforehand, my masseur, Visula, pours hot water into a bowl with cinnamon and neem (Indian lilac) tree leaves for me to soak my feet. Bliss…

ELEPHANTS AND CROCODILES. Hambantota appeals to families and couples alike. Amenities include three outdoor pools, children’s facilities and activities, jogging trails, health club, mountain bike rental and a long sandy beach. Guests can also learn circus skills on a seven-metre-high trapeze. Among four restaurants and bars, the Ulpatha doubles as the golf clubhouse.

One morning I’m up at 4.45am for a dawn safari trip to Udawalawe National Park, an hour away. Home to 500 elephants, during September and October it’s a great alternative when Yala National Park – famous for its leopards – is closed to tourists. We see several elephants, with little ones in tow, besides peacocks, crocodiles, painted storks, monitor lizards, water buffalo and more. At the nearby Elephant Transit Home, where orphaned and injured young elephants are cared for before rehabilitation back into the wild, we watch feeding and bath time.

An afternoon jungle boat safari along the Walawe River follows an exhilarating 20-minute tuk-tuk ride. My driver, Sisira, parks his red machine then helps crew the boat, slicing open fresh coconuts to slake our thirst after a walk to the beach where ocean meets river in thunderous surf. We spot many species of birds, from large owls and hawks to colourful kingfishers, and a huge roosting colony of fruit bats that suddenly take flight in a flurry

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Water villas at sunset, Shangri-La's Villingilli Resort & Spa, Maldives

Shangri-La’s Villingilli Resort & Spa, Maldives

of flapping wings, resembling a squadron of mini-pterodactyls.

After a final dinner at the Sera restaurant a night transfer returns me to Colombo airport for the 90-minute, early-morning flight to Gan. My last Maldives visit was in 1989, since when tourism has rocketed. There are now more than 100 resort islands.

ROYAL WELCOME. Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort & Spa is the only resort in Addu Atoll and the only Maldives resort south of the equator. Opened in 2009, it is one of the Maldives’ most luxurious, with 132 villas including 60 water villas on stilts, plus tree house, pool and beach villas.

I am welcomed royally after the short boat ride from Gan (they are used to real royalty here – Prince Andrew stayed recently and heads of state and royal guests regularly stay). Nihad, my island host 26

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(aka personal butler), drives me to my water villa by golf buggy.

The villa is huge and well-appointed. It has free broadband internet, TV and DVD, indoor and outdoor showers, a sundeck and daybed, and steps down to the crystal-ceal, azure waters where two Moorish idol fish hang motionless. I could happily spend all my time here, but with 6km of coastline and 2km of white-sand beaches, Villingili is one of the largest Maldive islands, offering everything from water sports, a spa, floodlit tennis and golf to excursions to neighbouring islands. Each villa has its own bikes so you can roam the island.

I play the golf course twice, once on my own – with tea served up on-course – and once, after breakfast watching the sunrise from a deck by the clubhouse, with Australian executive sous chef Dan, who has even introduced kangaroo to the menus! Skirting

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Shangri-La’s Hambantota Golf Resort & Spa, Sri Lanka

both coasts and with spectacular views, the course is very short, with only three par 4s and the longest holes less than 180 yards, but truly tests your short game. The long, tight 3rd has jungle one side and beach the other, while the tee shot on the par-4 5th is over beach and ocean. Dan and I both come up short, watching helplessly as waves claim the Titleist Pro V1 balls recreation manager Abdul Manaf has provided with our rental clubs.

HIGHEST POINT. The 8th hole’s elevated tee is Mount Villingili, officially the Maldives’ highest point at 5.1 metres high. That underlines the peril this tropical island nation faces from rising sea levels.

That evening I’m back atop the “mountain” for an intimate Dine by Design candlelit dinner with communications manager Aishwarya Devaiah. Villingili has three restaurants, with Dr Ali’s

restaurant also offering a choice of Chinese, Arabic or Indian cuisine, but you can dine al fresco in several locations, among them the beach, the chef ’s garden, on a chartered luxury yacht trip to the equator or in your own villa.

For romantics, there are five wedding and blessing locations, from beaches to jungle and even underwater.

Villingili’s underwater treasures are its star attraction. The reefs both in the lagoon and outside the atoll escaped the coral bleaching that devastated much of the Maldives in 2016. I join a morning snorkel trip on the house reef and am enthralled by seeing seven turtles and healthy staghorn, table and other corals alive with multi-coloured reef fish – clown fish, trigger fish, parrot fish, napoleon wrasse and others. A blacktip reef shark glides under the boat as I climb back aboard.

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UNDERSEA WONDERLAND. An experienced and ardent BSAC diver in my youth, I dive Villingili’s south house reef with Portuguese instructor Juan Contente. Instantly I’m transported to an undersea wonderland as we glide past towering coral heads, exploring nooks and crannies and seeing schools of oriental sweetlips, blue surgeons, batfish, Moorish idols and large trevally, plus another seven turtles. After 50 minutes and a maximum depth of 15.4 metres, we take a four-minute safety stop before returning to the boat.

At the Eco Centre, guests can learn about marine life including turtles that nest on the island, and plant coral for the underwater coral garden. They can also try climbing a palm tree to pick coconuts and explore a nature trail through the jungle.

Villingili has its own unofficial time zone, an hour ahead of the Maldives, for guests to enjoy the glorious sunsets before dinner. I momentarily forget the time shift and am late for my spa appointment. In my haste I don’t see an ornamental rock pool in the reception area, sprawling headlong into it and, as the island’s doctor later confirms, cracking a rib.

I still have the signature Kandu Boli Ritual coconut oil treatment, my masseuse singing a Maldives lullaby as she gently strokes me using heated cowrie shells and. It is very calming – until I ask her to gently massage the injured area and a bolt of pain hits me.

My rib is now healed, but I need to return to Villingili and Hambantota for a rest cure. They truly are my Shangri-La. GGM 28

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GOOD TO KNOW GETTING THERE Fly directly from London Heathrow to Sri Lanka capital Colombo with SriLankan Airlines (www.srilankan.com). Guests are picked up by the hotel’s airport butler minibus service for the journey to Shangri-La’s Hambantota Golf Resort & Spa, which takes four to five hours.

For Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort & Spa in the Maldives, direct flights take around 90 minutes from Colombo (four times a week) and 70 minutes from Maldives capital Male (several daily) to Gan, a former RAF base on Addu Atoll. Villingili is a five-minute speedboat ride from Gan. WHEN TO GO For southern Sri Lanka, May to July is the south-west monsoon season and is the wettest, with March to October the windiest period. November to January is the north-east monsoon season, when this part of the island is calmer and drier. You can generally swim in the sea between November and March. Sri Lanka is one of the best places in the world for whale-watching and boats go from Mirissa, two hours from Hambantota, to see whales including humpbacks and blue whales from November to April.

In the Maldives, the driest season and the best time to go for diving is between January and April. The main monsoon season is June to September, with August and September the wettest months.

WHERE TO PLAY AND STAY Shangri-La’s Hambantota Golf Resort & Spa, Sri Lanka www.shangri-la.com/hambantota/shangrila Shangri-La’s Villingilli Resort & Spa, Maldives www.shangri-la.com/male/villingiliresort

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GREAT WATCES

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Honouring

time Every golfer needs a watch that won’t let them down on the golf course, now an exclusive new range promises exactly that…

Text Mike Stock, photos by BRM

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GREAT WATCES

s golfers, we like to think that we are people of taste.

We do after all play the greatest game known to man or woman, and pride ourselves on our sportsmanship and fairplay. So, when it comes to what timepiece a golfer should wear, there are some very straightforward prerequisites. It must exude craftsmanship and taste, it must not be a hindrance to our form but, if possible, help us play the game that we so love. Quite a tall order.

For the golfers in the know, a blingy Rolex is not going to do the job. It has to be a timepiece with all the qualifications stated above, in other words, it has to be a timepiece from the French chronographer BRM…

A

THE MAN BEHIND THE WATCH. e French watch company

BRM was set up by Bernard Richards. Richards was born in 1958 into a family of clock makers. With a love of traditional clock and watch making, it was no surprise that in 1974 he studied horology 32

G R E AT G O L F M A G A Z I N E

and micro-mechanics in Paris. Eight years later, Richards founded a company specialising in the machining of components for the luxury industry. en in 2003, he launched BRM (Bernard Richards Manufacture). e company expanded rapidly and in 2005, the factory moved to Vexin, its headquarters to this day.

A motorcycle collector and lover of race cars as well as a keen golfer, Bernard’s passion for making timepieces that complement their particular use, is easily identifiable in his creations. Whether on the racetrack, in the air or on the golf course, a watch must function well within its environment.

ASCETIC APPEAL. For Richards, luxury is the attention to

technical and ascetic detail at every stage of the creation process.

No stamped cases with built-in lugs, but rather separate machining of each component. In this way, different combinations of colours and materials are possible. Using traditional craftsmanship and high-precision techniques, each BRM model is finished by hand

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and is the result of painstaking hours of work. e machining of each element, which is carried out separately, allows the combination of different materials and precious composites such as rose gold, titanium or carbon. e cases, which are made up of 18 parts, are machined from bars of titanium. e straps have no fewer than 12 parts, and as for the dials, 20 transfers are required to produce each one. e hands are like an Italian car-maker’s finest pedal units; perforated and lightweight.

THE BRM GOLF MASTER. Due to repeated requests from clients, BRM recently launched the BRM Golf Master, a range of watches specially designed for male and female golfers. e most obvious component, crucial to any timepiece that has to deal with the rigorous effects of a golf swing, is a full-floating system to guarantee that shocks are completely absorbed. ese timepieces can fully stand up to the pressures and demands that playing golf will put on them, and in a way that cannot be matched by any

other brand. BRM creates bespoke watches that correspond to the needs and desires of each and every golfer.

An interview with BRM

GGM - What is the thought behind bringing out a golf watch?

BRM - BRM is the preferred watch of motorsports and is also a popular choice amongst pilots. Many of these people tend to play golf, and our clients told us on many occasions that it was a pity not to be able to wear their BRM watch while playing. is is because on a regular watch, the movement of the swing can damage the axle of wheels inside the mechanism. So the simple answer was to develop a watch especially for golfers.

GGM – What is so special about these watches?

BRM – e BRM Golf Master is the first watch specifically 33

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GREAT WATCES

“We worked extremely hard on all aspect to the watch to lose weight everywhere, from the dials to the casing.” designed and developed for wearing while playing golf. e movement is suspended inside the case by six shock absorbers; these are the springs that you can see around the dial. is protects the movement from shock and vibrations during a golf swing, which generates quite considerable force.

We take the design further by changing the position of the crown button. is is usually found on the right-hand side, but on the Golf Master it is on the left to facilitate comfort of the wrist during the swing. It basically avoids the watch crown interfering and causing discomfort with the top of the hand during play. e crown is designed to resemble a small golf ball and is made from ceramic.

We take the golf theme further with the surface of the dial having the same dimpled texture as a golf ball. e very light technical fibre strap has a memory of the shape of your wrist for comfort and efficiency, and is of course waterproof and very resistant. e watch is also very light for comfort and practicality.

We worked extremely hard on all aspect to the watch to lose weight everywhere, from the dials to the casing.

GGM - How was the idea for the design reached?

BRM – We looked to make it sporty yet elegant, just like our golfing customers. You can wear it during a round but also 34

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anywhere else for that matter. It’s a problem if a watch is too heavy and becomes an irritation while playing. e aim is to be efficient, light, comfortable and as practicable as possible on and off the course. We have also created a limited edition of the Golf Master only for the UK. GGM - Are there different levels of watch to cater to different price ranges?

BRM – e white version has an entry-level price of £3,350 while the black version has an entry level of £3,800. It all comes down to what combination of materials you choose.

HOMAGE TO THE GAME BRM. has created a timepiece that any golfer would be proud to own. While fulfilling the role of practicality on the golf course, the watch is something that you may want to wear in other situations too. It’s homage to the game in its design is apparent, its quality, well, that’s second to none. GGM

GOOD TO KNOW BRM website - www.brm-manufacture.com The Golf Master watches are available at: Jura Watches - www.jurawatches.co.uk

GreatGolf Add.qxp_Layout 1 15.08.2017 17.45 Side 1

The Key to Great Putting www.greatgolfproshop.com

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GREAT GOLF TOP 20

TOP 20 ASIAN GOLF RESORTS Here is the second instalment of our Great Golf Top 20 Categories, culminating later in 2018 with the “100 Greatest Golf Resorts 2018”.

Travelling to Asia for a golf holiday is no longer a rare thing. With established countries like Thailand and Malaysia, along with new locations like Vietnam, all vying to woo the travelling and discerning golfer, it is vital that people know where to go and what to expect.

For each resort to be included in this category, a Great Golf Journalist must have visited and experienced all that is on offer to gather first-hand knowledge. As the year progresses we will be asking readers to vote for the winner of each category of the “100 Greatest Golf Resorts” along with one overall winner.

To vote go to www.greatgolfmagazine.co.uk To book a holiday at these and many other resorts, go to www.greatgolfholiday.com

100 GREATEST

Golf Resorts

2018 Great Golf MAGAZINE

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SHANGRI-LA’S HAMBANTOTA GOLF RESORT & SPA – SRI LANKA

RACHAMANKHA – THAILAND

PODO HOTEL - KOREA

MISSION HILLS HAIKOU - CHINA

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GREAT GOLF TOP 20

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LAGUNA LANG CO – VIETNAM

GOODWOOD PARK HOTEL – SINGAPORE

HORNBILL GOLF & JOUNGLE CLUB – MALAYSIA

SHANGRI-LA’S RASA RIA RESORT &SPA, KOTA KINABALU – MALAYSIA

G R E AT G O L F M A G A Z I N E

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MISSION HILLS â&#x20AC;&#x201C; CHINA

ALPINE GOLF RESORT CHIANG MAI - THAILAND

BANYAN RESORT - THAILAND

BLACK MOUNTAIN - THAILAND

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GREAT GOLF TOP 20

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CHIANGMAI HIGHLANDS GOLF & SPA RESORT – THAILAND

THE OCEAN VILLAS AND DA NANG GOLF RESORT – VIETNAM

SAUJANA HOTEL KUALA LUMPUR – MALAYSIA

THE ANDAMAN RESORT, LANGKAWI – MALAYSIA

G R E AT G O L F M A G A Z I N E

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SUTERA HARBOUR RESORT – MALAYSIA

SHERATON SHENZHOU PENINSULA RESORT – CHINA

BANYAN TREE BINTAN - INDONESIA

BANYAN TREE JIUZHAIGOU - CHINA

To c h o o s e y o u r T O P A S I A N G O L F L O C A T I O N , g o t o w w w . g r e a t g o l f m a g a z i n e . c o . u k 41

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ITALY

The Italian trip

Photos by the Resorts

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ever before has a badly sliced tee-shot off the first felt so good as it did recently at La Bagnaia Golf and Spa Resort in Siena, Italy. The thrill I felt probably had a lot less to do with the quality of the shot than the fact that I was finally out in the fresh Italian air rather than languishing in a soulless airport terminal. Yes, the stunning Tuscan scenery did much to lift my weary mood.

My challenging journey meant that I arrived a day late, but missing the fairway was far less disappointing than missing the previous dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s practice with European Tour Pro, Chris Wood. As it was, I had 11 minutes from stepping out of the smart Mercedes

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(that collected me 80 minutes earlier from Florence airport) before teeing off. Clearly, two desultory swings were insufficient preparation for such a prestige event.

Part of the reason I wanted to be there so much is that, having played with Chris Wood almost ten years ago when he was still an amateur, I planned to tell him how delighted I was in his success and ask whether partnering me way back when had in any way inspired him! Or, failing that, whether he could even remember me.

HAPPY MEMORIES. Since it was such a glorious episode in my

otherwise remarkably undistinguished golf career, you wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t

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mind, I hope, if I briefly recount the story. The Portugal Nations Cup is an important amateur tournament that attracts three-man teams from the top 16 golfing nations. Regarded, by some, as even more prestigious than this event is the press-am that precedes it… in which each national side partners a (truly outstanding) journalist from their country to form a four-man team. In 2007, I was that very journalist and played alongside Chris Wood, Ben Evans and Ben Parker.

Shortage of space precludes my taking you through the round shot by shot, but with one score to count on each hole, our 15 under par secured victory. Apart from feeling aggrieved that my net birdie on a particularly treacherous par five didn’t count

because Evans eagled it, what I remember most vividly was how beautifully Chris Wood played and thinking he had a bright future in the game. The other interesting fact worthy of note is that, of our team of four, I was the only one who didn’t subsequently turn pro.

PLAYING WITH A PRO. Bogeying every one of the outward nine

at Royal Golf La Bagnaia would appear to vindicate that courageous, if painful, decision. The beautiful course certainly wasn’t to blame as I hugely enjoyed its sweeping fairways, gently rolling terrain and flawless greens. And I particularly appreciated the very clear definition with vivid green fairways standing out in

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Chris Wood joined our friendly four-ball on the 11th hole

stark contrast to the tall, swaying, straw-coloured grasses on either side. Rather reminiscent of a dessert course but without cactus.

Designed by renowned architect Robert Trent Jones, this Par 71 covers an area of 1300 hectare, and blends seamlessly into the gently rolling hills of Siena.

Chris Wood joined our friendly four-ball on the 11th. Yes, he remembered me but evidently attached less significance to being on the triumphant press-am team at the Portugal Nations Cup than I have these past ten years. For him, it clearly lagged some distance behind capturing the Silver Medal at the 2008 Open at Birkdale and winning the Qatar Masters, the Lyoness Open and the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.

He also seemed to attach more importance to representing Great Britain and Ireland in the Seve Trophy, England in the World Cup and Europe in the Ryder Cup than he did to being in my team that overcame 15 other nations that memorable day back in 2007. Possibly when you have amassed career earnings in excess of €8m, an embossed plate lacks lustre.

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A freak thunderstorm cut short our round before we had reached the hole selected for the long-driving competition and so yet another potential prize slipped through my sweaty fingers.

A CHARMING HOTEL. A shuttle service took us a few hundred

yards to the charming hotel that more resembles a mediaeval village than what one might normally conjure up in the mind’s eye when thinking Hilton. Somewhat surprisingly, it is a Hilton but its ‘Curio’ tag suggests considerably more idiosyncrasy than you might normally associate with the brand. Indeed, La Bagnaia, set here in the rolling countryside of Tuscany, was once a medieval village, and manages flawlessly to preserve its history and character.

The townscape and towers of nearby Siena are within view, and it’s only a short journey to the historic hill towns of San Gimignano and Montalcino. Nearby is also the walled town of Monteriggioni. To put it in perspective, history and culture abound!

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ACCOMMODATION. All the rooms within the resort are decorated

DINNER. After a drink in the delightful Canonica’s Garden, we

in the warm Tuscan tones of red and yellow, and all have those all-important views over the Tuscan hills. The accommodation spans numerous buildings located in two different villages, Borgo Bagnaia & Borgo Filetta, one in the main resort area, and the other located near the Spa.

sat down to a simply superb gourmet dinner on the terrace of La Voliera restaurant. There was a Q&A with Chris Wood over coffee and I asked when he had felt the most nervous on the golf course.

He listed playing is his first Open at Royal Birkdale, his debut appearance at Augusta National and the first tee at the Ryder Cup. Hmmm, no mention of partnering me at the press-am before the Portugal Nations Cup. Possibly feeling guilty at the appalling omission, he sat next to me and said: “I hear you had problems getting here.” He may have regretted asking me that after I regaled him with a long account of my travel woes. But was it all worth it just to meet Chris Wood again, play 13 holes of golf and stay in the lovely Bagnaia Golf and Spa Resort? You bet.

GGM

BUDDHA SPA BY CLARINS. The name La Bagnaia relates to the custom of "bathing" in the thermal waters to be found here; and the resorts Buddha Spa Centre is a treat not to be missed if at all possible. The Spa is characterized by its use of a variety of treatments that are reputably capable of improving your psychological well-being. Guests can reconnect and re-energize with a wealth of facilities including an outdoor thermal pool which is supplied by water from a local spring. Sadly, I had no time to savour the delights of the spa which were sorely needed.

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Visit www.royalgolflabagnaia.com or go to GreatGolfHoliday.com to book you La Bagnaia holiday.

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COLORADO

Enter THE VAIL

Think Colorado, think great skiing and stunning views. Great golf doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t always come to mind in mountainous terrain and yet Judd Spicer finds there is much to love about golfing in the Rockiesâ&#x20AC;Ś Text by Judd Spicer, photos by the Resorts

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COLORADO

UR GOLF CLUBS CLINKING in the deep recesses of the Mercedes Sprinter Van, the vessel climbs westward from the Mile High city of Denver, Colorado.

Gently weaving away from the airport, along the I-70, passing the towns of Golden, Idaho Springs and Gypsum, the shuttle ascends another 2,500-feet over the course of two hours until the bounty of Vail debuts beyond the windshield like something from an IMAX vista.

Traditionally known as one of the world’s premier ski destinations, and rightly so, my gal and I would soon learn that Vail’s unique marriage of opulence and activity never ceases.

Come the late spring/early summer melt of powder and moguls, the destination’s five-month golf scene befits a canvass painted as an outdoor haven.

“Move to Vail for the winter, stay for the summer,” is the city's age-old maxim. Yet, amid a burgeoning golf presence cast across

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13 public, private and resort venues, that script could someday be flipped.

BAVARIAN-STYLE HOSPITALITY. Should Arnold Schwarzenegger ever have graduated from governor of my California home state to a seat in the nation’s biggest chair, the White House would probably resemble something akin to Vail’s venerable Sonnenalp Hotel.

Ideally perched in the bosom of the city’s Vail Village shop-dineand-stroll nexus, the Sonnenalp’s brand of Bavarian hospitality has been greeting visitors for nearly four decades, a run which is long pre-dated by the family-owned Austrian hospitality roots.

There are chalet-style lodges from room to spa to indoor/outdoor pool, and the hotel’s Bully Ranch restaurant sports the area’s most lauded Mudslide cocktail – a mix of vodka, Kaluha and Baileys, which proves perfectly potent in any season.

Twenty miles away in neighboring Edwards, we placed tee-toturf at the hotel’s Sonnenalp Golf Club, open to members and

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guests of the hotel. Here we fast learned the first lesson about mountain golf: altitude requires fortitude, and a well-struck ball will result in nearly two clubs of enhanced distance (put it this way, I don’t generally pop my 9-iron 170 yards!).

Playing at 7,400-feet of elevation and located on the sunny side of the Vail Valley, the Sonnenalp track opens up about a month earlier than some other areas, and proves a play less severe than most neighboring courses.

“The course was built in 1983, just when designers were starting to move tons of dirt,” says Pete Roach, director of golf at the Sonnenalp Club. “So there wasn’t a bunch of land moved here, which is nice for a mountain layout because while we are in the mountains, there aren’t crazy uphill and downhill, three-club elevation changes. The course sets up right in front of you, and it’s pretty generous off the tee. It’s not about tricky shots but rather the greens, and the tall native grasses are the course defenses.”

Sonnenalp’s natural undulations and ever-pleasing backdrops befit

the Vail vibe. “It’s a mountain lifestyle, and many of the people who retired here, moved their work here or vacation here did so because of the high-quality of life,” Roach adds. “From pretty much any residence in our valley, you can jump on your bike and be in the middle of nowhere. It's a small town feel, but we have the big city amenities, especially with our dining scene.”

MOUNTAIN COURSES. Our Stay & Play trip took us to the more expansive, four-season grounds of The Lodge & Spa at Cordillera in Edwards, a Belgian-inspired private mountaintop spread overlooking the valley and Sawatch and Gore Mountain Ranges.

The Club at Cordillera has four courses and is open to club and Troon Privé members, along with Lodge guests. It charts as one of the country’s largest exclusive golf communities. The club’s Tom Fazio-designed Valley Course offers the most rewarding layout for my money.

“At the Valley Course, you may feel like you’re in the Scottsdale 53

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(Arizona) area,” says Darren Szot, director of golf at The Club at Cordillera. “It’s very playable and the slopes play back toward the fairways, but you hit off-line and you’ll still be in brush.”

Heightened challenges literally grow at Cordillera’s Summit and Mountain Courses.

“The Summit is a little bit of everything,” Szot says of the Jack Nicklaus design, where 9,000-feet of elevation has seen the course record stand at just 67. “The course is on top of a plateau, so you’re amidst the pine trees, the aspens and the oaks, and then you’re playing through the valley and over natural rock walls. And there are scenic, 360-degree views for 50 miles, but it’s one tough track. You’ll have fairway to work with, but the greens are very well-tiered.”

For our play day, we took on the taut demands of the Hale Irwindesigned Mountain Course, which proves a challenge of alpine golf, carved through meadows and forest on what was a one-time, working ranchland. There are stated elevation changes on the 54

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course, where the raw beauty of the place is often matched merciless shots.

“It was the first course here and it is a tough test,” says Szot.

“You better have some un-level lie shots in your bag to find success. Play it more than once and you’ll start to understand more of the nuances of where to hit it, but the first time out there you’re going in blind.”

“You get the great views and the Aspens on the back nine,” Szot continues, “but you’ll be hard-pressed to find a level lie on the course.” He notes that the attractive grounds prove especially popular with the ladies, in part because forward tees are frequently placed beyond the tee trouble. “It’s just true mountain golf. It’s why people come to Vail, and it’s the course where our members most often take their guests because they want to see pure mountain golf.”

For all Cordillera players, a quick tune-up is highly recommended at the Dave Pelz-designed, nine-hole Short Course. “It’s just over

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1,200 yards from the tips all the way up, to around 600 yards from the front tees,” describes Szot. “So you can work on every aspect of your iron game, everything from refining those up-and-down shots to working on chipping, wedges and lofted irons. You play it for a week straight and your irons will be all good.”

RANCH-STYLE. Our final scorecard chapter was 20 miles west of

Vail at the stately Red Sky Ranch & Golf Club, a Wolcott-based, western spread of rustic regality at 8,000-feet. Here every turn looks like an Ansel Adams photograph. Open to members and guests of dozens of applicable Vail Resorts and RockResort properties, the club operates on an every-other-day rota for member and guest play.

In recent years, I've had the opportunity to take on Red Sky’s burly (if not beastly) Greg Norman Course, leaving me eager to return for a round at the more benign Fazio design. Such anticipation was well warranted, as we found the Fazio course a

seamless blend of strategic-playability across the panoramic surrounds.

“It’s exciting here. You’ve got two great designers in Greg Norman and Tom Fazio, who have two very different approaches to a relatively equal piece of property,” says Brian Zeigler, assistant golf professional at the club. “The Fazio is more player-friendly; you can go lower and it’s a really good compilation of short par4s, beautiful par-3s and scoreable par-5s, which combine to make it a really fun play.”

Workable from the tee with continually engaging green complexes, the Fazio is now counted in the top-20 plays of my golf life.

“I think it’s fun, but you do need to take on this course in sections,” describes Zeigler. “The ninth, despite being short on distance, is not an easy par-3. And ten is also a tough par-3, followed by a very tough par-4 on the 11th. So you get those birdie chances on most of the front, and then Fazio asks you to 55

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COLORADO

go make three tough pars. This course really mixes it up nicely.”

Open on the front side, the Fazio’s back nine winds up the mountain with more tree-lined terrain and beatific views.

“It can feel almost overwhelming, just how big the mountains are around you here,” Zeigler smiles. “To me, every time I look over a green and see the mountain backdrops, it’s beautiful. It’s amazing and you need to come experience it to describe it to yourself. I know now why people come here and never leave.”

ALPINE BOUNTY. Vail and its people rarely pause. Ever. These are

active communities, readily engaged by outdoor play across the alpine bounty. And the Vail visitor is encouraged to be a part of the motion.

For the avid sportsperson, take a day off the turf and get wet with a wade or float trip with the folks at Gore Creek Fly Fisherman. The region’s most veteran fly company operates across the ample flow of the area’s myriad of rivers and streams, and has been pulling brown and rainbow trout from these waters for nearly four decades.

Proof of purchase: On our three-and-a-half hour wade trip along the rushing shores of the Eagle River, we netted ten trout in fine fashion, catching-and-releasing with ease with our veteran guide.

After your outdoors activities with rod, reel, club, kayak or hike, a Vail day needs a proper meal to sate the active body. And while restaurants dot the spread of the Vail Village, no trip is complete without a high-end/dressed-down night at Matsuhisa. The restaurant has an unparalleled ski-slope view coupled with the 56

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warm, rugged embrace of custom stone and woodwork. The environs are merely heightened to elevated levels with Matsuhisa’s special brand of Japanese flavors, which include a superb king crab with sweet ponzu and an incredibly-succulent black cod with miso that may well alter one’s taste buds eternally.

Should the evening allow, time your dine with a post-dinner stroll over to Vail’s idyllic Gerald R Ford Amphitheatre, where summertime brings in a full calendar of free concerts, family events and international dance and music, amid a serene and open-armed setting that echoes all the welcoming attitude of this comely mountain town.

GGM GOOD TO KNOW GETTING THERE British Airways offers daily non-stop flights to Denver International Airport.

Prior to departure, arrange a shuttle rental with Colorado Mountain Express and enjoy the scenic, two-hour drive to Vail.

WHERE TO STAY AND GOLF Sonnenalp Hotel and Sonnenalp Golf Club www.sonnenalp.com The Lodge & Spa at Cordillera and The Club at Cordillera www.cordilleralodge.com and www.cordillera-vail.com DINE Matsuhisa www.matsuhisarestuarants.com DO Gore Creek Fly Fisherman www.gorecreekflyfisherman.com Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater www.vail.com

BC_NEW Maurit Great Golf 08-17_Layout 1 11/08/2017 15:11 Page 1

The Art of

Mauritius Paradis Beachcomber Golf Resort & Spa

The best choice of Golf hotels on the island

PARADIS GOLF COURSE Set on the stunning Le Morne Peninsula the course is home to Paradis Beachcomber Golf Resort & Spa and Dinarobin Beachcomber Golf Resort & Spa. Luxury accommodation, fine dining and one of the islands most scenic locations. Golf on your doorstep does not get much better than this.

MONT CHOISY GOLF COURSE The newest golf course in Mauritius and the only course on the North West coast of the island.

Two Beachcomber hotels, Trou Aux Biches & Canonnier Resorts, both located just 5 minutes away (free shuttles are provided) enjoy reduced green fees and preferred tee-times at this superb new club.

For the best Mauritius Golf holidays Speak to your Travel Agent or call Beachcomber on 01483 445 618

www.beachcombertours.co.uk

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GERMANY

BADEN-BADEN

Golf with

healing powers Photos Baden-Baden Tourist Information

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O

ver 2,000 years ago, the Romans discovered the healing powers of 12 springs, located at the foothills of the Black Forest in the southwestern part of Germany. Here they built the first thermal baths. Today BadenBaden is an elegant and exclusive thermal spa resort, with luxury hotels, gourmet restaurants and exclusive boutiques, attracting scores of tourists from all over the world. But, perhaps less known, is the fact that the region also has some superb golf courses.

WELLNESS. Baden-Baden has, as you would expect, a wide

selection of spas where you can be pampered to your heart’s delight, but when in Rome, as the saying goes, you should really experience the healing powers of the town’s famous thermal springs.

For the last 140 years, in the historic Friedrichsbad bathhouse, Roman traditional bathing culture has been combined with Irish hot-air bathing. Here, you can enjoy floating in the thermal water, while gazing up at the artful frescoes, which decorate the aweinspiring central dome. There is a circuit of 17 stations, with changing temperatures from hot to cold, which will revive and soothe both body and soul.

There is also the modern Caracalla Spa, which offers 4,000 sqm of relaxation in curative thermal waters with a huge Roman sauna landscape. There is a rock grotto with hot and cold-water pools, marble whirlpools, an aroma steam bath, as well as a stylish wellness lounge.

CULTURE. Baden-Baden has a rich cultural heritage, which can

be explored at the Museum Frieder Burda and the Fabergé Museum Rebland. There is also the renowned Kurhaus, a popular venue for glamourous balls and international festivals, as well as Germany’s oldest casino. If you love opera or ballet then head to the Festspielhaus, Europe’s second largest concert hall.

Whilst here, stroll down Lichtentaler Allee, once a narrow track, bordering fields and pastures, but now a world-famous boulevard with magnificent mature trees, ornate bridges crossing the River Oos, majestic hotels and elegant mansions.

Baden-Baden also offers a multitude of shopping delights, whether you are looking for international designer labels, precious jewels, or exquisite antiques. Soak up the ambiance in the picturesque streets of the neo-baroque old town, which apparently is the place to go for connoisseurs of good wines and gourmet food.

GOLF. The golf region of Baden-Alsace is claimed to be one of the most beautiful golfing regions in Germany. Located between the 60

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mountains of the Black Forest and the Vosges, the eight championship courses provide golfers with charming scenery, variable terrain and plenty of challenges.

Golf Club Baden-Baden e.V. Situated on the lower slopes of the Fremersberg, where the Black Forest begins, this course is claimed to be one of Germany’s finest natural golf courses, though its length lies short of other championship courses.

Baden Hills Golf & Curling Club e.V. Founded by the golfers of the Royal Canadian Air Force in the 1950s, this course offers a strong blend of unspoilt nature and accomplished design. The passing river barges and the black forest panorama give the course a special flair.

Golfclub Bad Herrenalb–Bernbach e.V. Nestled in the pretty Bernbach Valley, this course is a natural paradise with stunning views and tranquil surroundings, but still offers golfers plenty of challenges.

Golfclub Bruchsal e.V. This 18-hole championship course, with its panoramic views over the rolling Kraichgau Hills, has been designed to continually offer new challenges to beginners and proficient golfers alike.

Golfclub Johannesthal e.V. The 18 holes of this golf course nestles into the lower picturesque slopes of the rolling Kraichgau landscape. The wide fairways and flat, playable bunkers reflect the club’s focus on the sporting aspects of golf.

Golfclub Hofgut Scheibenhardt e.V. Transformed into a unique 18-hole golf course, this estate is now viewed as one of the area’s best. With its countryside surroundings and picturesque lakes, the course offers plenty of scenic charm.

Golf International Soufflenheim – Baden-Baden S.A. The golf course, which was designed by the world-class golfer Bernhard Langer, opened in 1996 and is set in enchanting natural surroundings.

Located in Soufflenheim, this golf complex has 33 greens and 18 lakes.

Golf De La Wantzenau. Designed by the renowned English architect Jeremy Pern and Jean Garaïalde, one of France’s best professional golfers, this course has long fairways and tree-lined holes, with plenty of water hazards.

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HOTELS. There is a wide selection of accommodation to choose

from in Baden-Baden, with anything from budget, to luxury and boutique hotels. For those who want to experience all the best the town can offer, as well as play some of the area’s superb golf courses, then there are several outstanding hotels that offer golf packages.

Brenners Park-Hotel & Spa. This luxury hotel, superbly located in a legendary park, is one of the grand hotels of world. Boasting 140-year-old traditions, Brenners Park’s philosophy unites the themes of beauty, fitness, health and culinary experiences.

Dorint Maison Messmer Baden-Baden. Located in the heart of Baden-Baden, the five-star Maison Messmer offers an exclusive ambience. With a successful blend of historic and modern elements, this is the perfect location for a first-class wellness holiday.

Der Kleine Prinz. The Rademacher family have created a fairytale luxury hotel, located only a short walk from all the town’s major sights. The hotel offers packages that include green fees and will gladly book tee times for you.

Hotel Belle Epoque. This wonderfully restored mansion, 62

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celebrates the renaissance of the Belle Époque era. Surrounded by the hotel’s own park, guests can relax in elegant and refined surroundings in the heart of Baden-Baden.

Radisson Blu Badischer Hof Hotel. With a history that spans almost 200 years, this former Capuchin monastery combines history with all the modern comforts. Being one of the first grand hotels in Europe, the hotel delights guests with its classical architecture, stylish spa, thermal pools and regionally inspired cuisine. There are no golf packages offered here but they will sort out tee time for guests.

Atlantic Park Hotel. The hotel is situated in a quiet, exclusive location on the world-famous Lichtentaler Allee, overlooking the idyllic river Oos. With the historic old town and all the local attraction only minutes away on foot, it offers all the comforts of an elegant 4-star hotel.

Hotel Magnetberg. Located in a wonderful park overlooking Baden-Baden, the 3-star hotel offers guest all the modern comforts, with the picturesque course at Baden-Baden Golf Club only a short distance away.

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Maui Jim Great Golf July 2017.indd 1

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PROPERTY

IF YOU FEEL FED-UP

Escape the

winter

blues

By Mike Stock, photo: Pestana

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PROPERTY

SILVES VILLAS

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inter is the season when we become all too aware of the shortened days and colder temperatures. But there is a cure which simply involves a trip to the airport with a bag containing shorts, t-shirts and some sun-cream. Just make sure that you book a flight heading south at this time of year, a trip in the opposite direction would give you no escape from these darkening days My escape plan one dull November day was to head to Portugal.

I arrive at Faro Airport to be greeted by wall-to-wall sunshine and a comfortable 23 degrees. With the memory of shivering in the UK fast disappearing, I pick up my hire car, open the windows and head of for Pestana Golf Resort in the Algarve.

My trip to Pestana Golf Resort is to report on two new real estate developments, but if I can squeeze in a round of golf, then all the better. I am staying at the Pestana Gramacho Resort, which consists of two 18-hole golf courses, Gramacho and Vale da Pinta and a community of villas and apartments, both privately owned and available for rent. The place is a busy but laidback. Golfers 66

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are either relaxing at the clubhouse or making their way out or back from the courses. Pestana has a further three courses in the Algarve, in addition to gramacho and vale da pinta; they are only a short drive away and easily accessible to people staying here.

The two new developments are the Gramacho Residences, which comprise a selection of apartments and a separate hotel, as well as a larger project of villas and apartments underway as well as 23 classic double rooms at the Silves Golf Resort, which is only a ten-minute drive away.

The Algarve is a popular location for second-home buyers and especially golfers. With a veritable plethora of courses and the perfect weather, whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not to like?

LOVELY VIEWS. The Gramacho Residences are located not far from the eighth hole, overlooking the course from the rear and with excellent views over the countryside from the front. This is a collection of 34 luxury apartments with a choice of studio, one and two bedrooms. A lot of thought has been put into the design and layout creating both modern and practical properties for

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SILVES APARTMENTS buyers looking for either a holiday home or a rental investment.

The two-bedroom apartments make use of the drop in the terrain to create unique properties that are spread over three floors. Other apartments are either over two floors or on a single level. The building has a plush lobby area with corridors leading off to the apartments and lifts to the upper level.

On entering one of the two-bed properties, divided over three levels, there is immediately a good feeling of spaciousness. A separate kitchen and bathroom branch off the corridor which also leads to the lounge. Here there is a partial double-height ceiling, giving the apartment a further sense of space. At the far end of the lounge there are double sliding doors that lead out onto a balcony/terrace, perfect for meals or just to chill out and take in the scenery. From this main room you have stairs going both to the lower and upper levels. Both these levels have a bedroom and further en-suite bathroom, giving the property three bathrooms in total. The lower level has access to an outside seating area while the upper level has fantastic views and access to yet another balcony. The finish is modern while at the same time giving a nod

to Portuguese style and tradition.

The construction is nearing completion and with the popularity of the Algarve always high, I cannot see these apartments being available for long. Facilities here will include a spa and gym.

SILVES GOLF RESORT. The next day I take a short drive to Pestana Silves Golf Resort to view the second development. Silves has an 18-hole course which is located near the historical town of the same name. The town bears its ancestry for all to see, once being the capital of the region while under the rule of the Moors.

The castle, which dominates the town, shows how important Silves was both for trade and as a position of dominance in the surrounding area.

The golf course was constructed over 10 years ago, and so has already achieved a level of maturity, but it is only now that Pestana has decided to begin building residential properties. When complete, the development will consist of mixed units comprising 40 villas, 20 three-bedroom duplex apartments, 14 two-bedroom duplex apartments and a further 24 three-bedroom apartments.

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PROPERTY

With a choice of complete or partial ownership, anyone looking to buy that perfect holiday home really has to consider the options available at Pestana seriously.

Along with the residences, there will be a new state-of-the-art clubhouse. All residential properties will be centred around the first and 18th holes, giving golfers plenty of green with no properties in sight.

I spend some time walking around the site with one of the sales team who shows me exactly where the different sections of the new development are going to be. For those lucky enough to be able to purchase one of these frontline villas, it’s never going to be a long walk to the clubhouse.

GOLDEN VISA. If you are a resident from outside the EU, buying

a property at Pestana can have additional benefits. Purchasers of properties of €500,000 or more are legally entitled to permanent residency and Portuguese citizenship for both themselves and their immediate family. This is a very useful addition for those looking for a way to achieve EU citizenship.

FOUR-OWNERS PLAN. Another ground-breaking concept that

Pestana has come up with is the ‘Four-Owners Plan’. Owning a property abroad can seem a bit too much for some people, whether it’s the financial investment or just the responsibility of maintenance. With this plan you become a part-owner of a freehold property, which then becomes yours to enjoy on a rotating basis. Along with three other parties you own a property in the Algarve on a secured individual title deed. You would have use of the property for 13 weeks per year and would enjoy the benefit of reduced management costs, as they would be divided between the four owners.

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GOLF UTOPIA. The Algarve and golf are as inseparable as wine and cheese, or bread and butter. Some things are just meant to be. Astronomers talk about planets being in the ‘Goldilocks zone’, a spot that has the perfect conditions for life. Well, the Algarve is in the Goldilocks zone for golf. And along with this, Pestana has the perfect deal for guests; unlimited golf rounds. For a set price that includes accommodation, you can play as much golf as you like at the five Pestana courses in the Algarve. With options for three, seven, 21 or 28-night bookings, guests can stay and play, with prices starting from €130.50 per person for a three-day booking. And when you think that there are five Pestana courses within only a few minutes’ drive of each other, you realise just what a golf utopia the Algarve is.

With a choice of complete or partial ownership, anyone looking to buy that perfect holiday home really has to consider the options available at Pestana seriously. A flight time of two-and-a-half hours from the UK and a veritable choice of airlines available make this the perfect destination for those who don’t want to spend too much time travelling, while at the same time guaranteeing good weather. GGM GOOD TO KNOW Want to see what is on offer for yourself? In partnership with Pestana, Great Golf is offering discounted trips to Pestana for golf and viewing of properties.

To book this special offer, email us at info@greatgolfmedia.com For more info go to www.greatgolfproperty.com Resort website www.pestanagolf.com

HRH_Tenerife_Golf and Luxury_210x297_EN.pdf

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ITALY

Italy’s

BEST KEPT SECRET

Some countries have it all – delicious food and wine, stunning and varied scenery, culture and great golf.

Italy is one such country, as April Tod discovers…

Photos by the Resorts

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onsidering Italy boasts several top players currently competing on the European pro Tour, and has won the much sought-after bid to host the 2022 Ryder Cup, it is not at all surprising to discover golf is an increasingly popular tourist destination in Italy. With over 400 golf courses to choose from, keen golfers from all over the world are eager to combine a holiday of both golf and traditional culture.

Over the past couple of decades, millions of Euros have been

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quietly invested into updating golf facilities all over the country as a means of encouraging golfers to visit. Italy is a fascinating land, which in addition to its deep-seated cultural history offers some amazing golf courses. However, until quite recently this has been a somewhat closely guarded secret.

Admittedly, past visits to this wonderful country have not included golf but this time I was there to discover just how much this sport had grown over the past couple of decades.

Accompanied with golf clubs, we flew to Veniceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Marco Polo

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airport and were immediately whisked off to the medieval town of Udine, a two and half hour journey from the airport.

VISITING UDINE. Arrangements the next day were to play in the

Italian Open Pro-Am Senior’s event at Udine Golf Club but sadly the morning dawned with horrible grey skies and pouring rain.

Undeterred, we made our way to the club; vainly hoping the heavy rains would subside. In the end, organisers were forced to

abandon play, which was a great shame as I was looking forward to having the opportunity to play in former pro-tour golfer Barry Lane’s group (someone I had met previously at another ‘senior’ event). Instead we were all entertained to a long, lingering and very amusing three-course lunch, washed down with several bottles of delicious local wine.

There was no peace for the wicked as the moment we returned to our four-star Astoria Hotel in Udine, we were met by a local

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guide and taken on an hour’s walking tour around the city, visiting some of its many famous historical churches and monuments.

RUSTIC SCENERY. The Friuli Venetia Giulia region surprisingly boasts several well-designed golf courses and, thankfully, the next day was blessed with glorious sunshine. We headed for the Castello di Spessa Golf Club, a par-71 course that is mostly surrounded by beautiful rustic scenery. Here, the local wine production dates back to the thirteen century and includes the 74

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Collio vineyard, adjacent to the castle and clubhouse.

Years ago the castle was converted into a small hotel with 14 rooms and an attic flat. Apparently it has hosted several notable guests including Mozart’s librettist, Lorenzo da Ponte and Venice’s famous seducer, Giacomo Casanova.

Designed by Giacomo Cabrini, Castello’s 18-hole course intricately combines local topography with wide and long fairways, giving the impression of playing three contrasting courses. And added to this charming setting is the pretty backdrop

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of the Collio vineyards and olive groves. In every sense of the word, this is a delightful course to play. It suited my game perfectly, despite some very challenging moments that needed plenty of thought as to where to accurately hit balls. Particularly taxing is the green on the fourth hole, which is surrounded by two ponds and a large deep bunker.

GOURMET CUISINE. A late lunch followed in the ornately

decorated Tavernetto del Castello restaurant, conveniently within

walking distance of the clubhouse. Here we ate local delicacies, including a variety of San Daniela ham and salami blended with lard and spices. For our main course I choose Musetta, a typical coarsely minced sausage, with turnips marinated in unfermented grape juice. This was followed with a plate of delicious local Fagagna cheeses and was all washed down with some fine Collio wine.

Afterwards, we fitted in a quick visit to Collioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wine caves underneath the castleâ&#x20AC;Ś even though this meant walking down 120 steps and back up again. Just as well the wine tasting took 75

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place afterwards. That evening we dined in another popular restaurant in Udine, the Ai Frate, and sampled a variety of local pastas and cheeses.

and large greens mostly surrounded by water. This was yet another challenging, enjoyable round, and proof, if any more were needed, that Italy really is a golf destination worth visiting.

GGM

GRADO GOLF. The following day we drove towards Trieste for our next game at the Grado Golf Club, listed as one of best 100 clubs in Europe. This mostly flat par-72 course overlooks the pretty Grado lagoon but don’t be deceived, the numerous water hazards are part of the course’s complex design. There are ample greens tucked behind large stretches of water, with one or two strategically placed bunkers where balls needed to be hit accurately. Views from the fifth and sixth holes are stunning but it’s the 12th that is especially tricky, with right dogleg that leads to green surrounded by water.

Lunch at the Tarabusino restaurant, a couple of miles down the road, was another gourmet affair. Local dignitaries and club professionals joined us for a typical Italian meal, and this time I choose smoked trout cooked in a delicious light white wine sauce for my main course and followed it with fresh fruit salad.

Before our final round, we checked into the Gran Hotel Duchi d’Asota in the centre of Trieste, where the famous Irish author James Joyce lived for several years. We then played golf at the nearby par72 Lignano Golf Club. This was an interesting course to play as it features several long fairways bordered by tall swaying pine trees

GOOD TO KNOW HOW TO GET THERE: Flight connections from London, Stansted, Dublin, Bristol, East Midlands and Leeds are available to Trieste (FVG airport) and Treviso (one hour by car from the golf courses of Friuli Venezia Giulai).

A wider variety of flights to Venice are bookable from several UK airports, which is an hour’s drive from Friuli Venezia Guilia’s golf courses.

WHERE TO STAY: Astoria Hotel, Udine, www.hotelfriuli.udine.it Grand Duchi Hotel, Trieste www.duchi.eu WHERE TO PLAY: Castello de Spessa Golf & Country Club www.golfcastellodipressa.it Grado Golf Club www.golfgrado.com Lignano Golf Club www.golflignano.it Undine golf Club: www.golfudine.com

G R E AT G O L F M A G A Z I N E

For further information, visit www.promoturismofvg.it For more details on Italy Golf and More, please email info@italygolfandmore.com or download a brochure at www.italygolfandmore.com

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AUSTRIA

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Mountain

maestro

By Peter Ellegard.

Photos: Peter Ellegard and Rosengarten Hotel Restaurant Spa

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f you go into the woods at the southern end of the Tyrolean village Kirchberg early on a spring, summer or autumn day, you’re sure of a big surprise.

You won’t see picnicking teddy bears, but peer through the trees and you will spot chefs from the chic local Rosengarten Hotel foraging for wild herbs and alpine flowers. They are sent out picking at 8am every day by owner Simon Taxacher, one of Austria’s top chefs, to ensure diners have the freshest of ingredients, sourced as locally as possible for that day’s menu.

Just 7km from Austria’s alpine playground, Kitzbuhel, the Rosengarten is an oasis of contemporary luxury amidst the craggy ski mountains and verdant slopes of the surrounding Kitzbuhel Alps. A member of the prestigious Relais & Chateaux network, it offers 26 rooms and suites plus a spa and an award-winning restaurant in a setting that’s as much a feast for the eyes as its cuisine is for the other senses.

I am staying as a guest of Taxacher’s to take part in the hotel’s annual Golf & Gourmet Trophy, combining a fun golf tournament with glorious food. While the Kitzbuhel area is famous for skiing (the town stages the Hahnenkamm downhill ski race every January), it is relatively unknown as a golf destination – yet there are six golf courses within a 10km radius.

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GOLF AND GOURMET. A late convert to golf, only taking it up

five years ago at the age of 37 when he also launched the tournament, Taxacher tells me his aim is to make the Rosengarten the golf and gourmet centre of Austria. Golfers are also often food connoisseurs, he points out, and he wants his hotel to become a base for golfers from the UK and other countries looking to enjoy fine dining alongside playing golf in the mountains.

He may be a high handicap golfer, but Taxacher is a class act in the kitchen. In 2009, he became the first chef in the Tyrol to gain two Michelin stars – still a unique honour as Michelin stopped producing its guide for Austria the following year. He has also won many honours including being named Austria’s chef of the year, while the hotel’s eponymous Simon Taxacher Restaurant – a member of global gourmet association Les Grandes Tables du Monde – was joint top restaurant in Austria for both 2016 and 2017 in the prestigious Laurent-Perrier Hornstein rankings.

The restaurant’s food style is ‘Mediterranean meets the Alps’.

This is in reference to the French Mediterranean cooking influence Taxacher picked up while understudying top chefs from two and three Michelin-starred restaurants in Germany and Austria, after graduating from Innsbruck’s Villa Blanka hotel management and cookery school. Taxacher set up on his own in

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2000, taking over a three-star hotel in Kirchberg owned by his parents and opening a gourmet restaurant. He built a new restaurant and kitchen in 2004, still in the old building, before having that end of the hotel torn down in order to build the fivestar Rosengarten hotel in 2010.

While Taxacher masterminds the kitchen and its staff (seven cooks in summer, 12 in winter), the hotel and its guests are looked after by his partner, Sandra Kobald, the Maitre de Maison. The adjacent, 38-room three-star Taxacher Hotel also comes under their wing, with Taxacher’s parents still helping (although they are retired), but it is run as a totally separate operation. His sister is also involved, preparing breakfast at the Rosengarten, making it a real family affair.

The culinary forte of this chef is infusing local produce with the Med influence. He meets local farmers and artisan producers regularly and devises two or three new dishes for the menu every few weeks based on their latest products. Local specialities that often find their way into dishes include saibling (a mountain char only found in that region), sheatfish (European catfish), reinanke (a small alpine lake whitefish), wagyu beef (from a local breeder), venison and edible wild flowers such as chrysanthemums, scorpion grass (a type of forget-me-not) and sweet woodruff.

As well as the main restaurant, there is a smaller bistro restaurant, a cookery school and studio and a meeting room that can be used as a private dining room. The breakfast room has an outdoor terrace looking over the woods where the chefs go herbhunting, but guests who prefer a lie in can opt for in-room dining with the Rosengarten Butler – a wooden box on a stand with drawers and an opening lid that reveal the breakfast.

FOOD GLORIOUS FOOD. Alongside fellow tournament guests,

who come from Germany, Switzerland and other areas of Austria, I enjoy an introductory dinner including a dessert garnished with scorpion grass. After which I tee off for a practice round on Kitzbuhel’s magnificent Eichenheim course, several holes of which are towered over by the mighty Hahnekamm mountain.

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That evening, Taxacher hosts a get-together with local tournament participants. We tuck into dishes presented like works of art, including amuse-bouches of kaspressknodel (cheese dumplings) and sweetbread with asparagus and kumquats, and mains such as reinanke Jerusalem artichoke foam soup with curd cheese ravioli, roast beef and paprika and basil gnocchi. All accompanied by Austrian and German wines and finished with local cheeses or a bourbon vanilla parfait with blueberries and woodruff.

We should be outside but a summer thunderstorm puts paid to that. Thankfully the tournament day dawns with crisp blue skies. There is a Stableford competition, which I play in, and a Texas Scramble. Both are played at Golfclub Westendorf, 15 minutes from the Rosengarten, outside the picture-postcard village of Westendorf. The area’s newest course, it opened five years ago and hosts the annual tournament.

Taxacher rustles up some tasty, gourmet snacks by the 9th and 18th greens to keep us nourished. This is living the good life.

Prize-giving that night follows a ‘Kitchen Party’, during which we watch the chefs cook some of the hotel’s signature dishes and sample them, as well as trying a selection of wines brought by local winemakers. I come a respectable fifth out of 10 in my class.

But with such incredible food and hospitality in some of Europe’s most stunning scenery, we are all winners.

The 2018 Rosengarten Gourmet Golf Trophy takes place on June 2. A three-night package from May 31 costs from 685 euros and includes a prior round of golf and entry into the tournament, two dinners in the Bistro Restaurant Rosengarten and the final night Kitchen Party. The hotel also offers two-night golf breaks from 480 euros per person between May and October (it is closed in April and November), including a five-course dinner in the Bistro and a six-course gourmet dinner in Restaurant Simon Taxacher, with one green fee.

That's haute cuisine at a steal!

GGM For more information, visit: www.rosengarten-taxacher.com

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WINE

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EAST COAST WINES Napa may get all the glory, but the United States is filled with so many wine-growing regions that there isn’t a state in the land that doesn’t boast a wine country today By: Dena Roché

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alifornian wines may be big and bold and the definition of new world wine, but if you’re looking for a region that produces wines similar to the soft, elegant styles of Bordeaux and Burgundy, it’s time to head to Long Island.

It may only be an hour out of New York City, but Long Island is a world away in terms of its landscape and vibe. Think of it as London vs. the English countryside. On the island, as locals say, you’ll find quaint fishing villages, farmland, the toney Hamptons and, of course, vineyards. Fifty vineyards and 30 wineries to be exact. Not bad for an area where the first grapes were just planted 44 years ago, and the locals tended to be teetotalers.

Wine came to Long Island thanks to a few intrepid pioneers who recognised the similarity in terroir and climate to the famous growing regions of France. These first families of Long Island wine established the wine culture of the area, and today it is their children who are leading the oenophile revolution from the Hamptons to the North Fork.

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NEW INDUSTRY. In the early 1970s, Alex and Louisa Hargrave

were the first to put down roots and plant vitis vinifera grapes on the North Fork of Long Island, and in doing so gave birth not 86

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only to a new family business, but to a whole new industry on the island.

“They came out here with a romantic ideal and not any experience,” says their son Zander Hargrave, now the winemaker at Pellegrini Vineyard on Long Island. “What they did was brave and challenging, and they changed the entire region.”

At the beginning, Hargrave winery (now Castello di Borghese) was a study in trial and error, as the young winemakers learned what varietals worked and which did not, where to plant and where vines would never thrive.

What emerged was an area conducive to reds like Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, and whites like Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling. The vineyards on the North and South Fork are blessed with sea breezes that moderate summer temperatures and protect the grapes from late frost and over ripening. The results are balanced, food-friendly wines.

Today visitors can see the Hargrave legacy while visiting Castello di Borghese. Since 1999 the winery has carried on the Hargrave tradition, producing award-winning Riesling, Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. The tasting room is open daily and visitors can schedule special walks with the winemaker in advance online.

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Joyce and Bob Pellegrini

HEAD VINEMAKER. Growing up in the vineyard, Zander Hargrave had to pull his weight early and was involved in all aspects of the family business. While he fell in love with the business, he thought he was done with wine when his parents divorced and sold the winery. But after working in journalism, advertising and teaching, the wine world lured him back, first as assistant wine maker at Peconic Bay Winery, and now as head winemaker at Pellegrini, where he has been since 2014.

Bob and Joyce Pellegrini came early to the Long Island wine scene, partnering in a small vineyard in the 1980s and starting Pellegrini in 1991. Hargrave has three vineyards and a state-ofthe-art winery to work with to create a portfolio that includes award-winning Sauvignon Blanc, Gewurztraminer, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.

“I think Cabernet Sauvignon is the king, but the Cabernet Franc is spicy, herbaceous, food-friendly and consistent year to year,” says Hargrave. “Merlot and Chardonnay are the grapes Long Island is known for, but if you look deeper there are many more varietals. The fact is that even Merlot and Chardonnay can be handled in so many ways that we make something for everyone.”

Pellegrini’s two-story cathedral-like tasting room is open seven

days a week and is designed to allow self-guided tours where you can see the entire operation on display.

PINDAR VINYARDS. Long Island’s largest vineyard, Pindar

Vineyards, is also a product of one of the first families of Long Island wine, the Damianos family. Started in 1979 by Dr Herodotus Damianos, and named for his youngest son, Pindar, it is now run by Pindar himself, along with several of his siblings.

The original 30 acres that produced Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon has ballooned to 500 acres, producing a whopping 23 different wines.

“My dad went to school in Italy and fell in love with wine there,” says Pindar. “He had a love of agriculture and when the Hargraves started to plant he saw that he was right and that Long Island had great wine potential.”

The family began making a winter white that was a sweeter wine that appealed to the local population who weren’t experienced wine drinkers.

“It took off and before we knew it the industry was launched and so were we,” he says.

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since he was six, from working in the vineyards to running the tasting room. He eventually got a degree in viticulture in California before returning to the family winery to manage the operation. His brother Alex manages the family’s other vineyard, Duck Walk, his sister Althea overseas operations and his late brother Jason was a part-time winemaker at Pindar and had own label, Jason’s Vineyard.

“We all got the wine bug, “Damianos says. “It was a family thing and we all fell in love with it.”

At the tasting room of Pindar Vineyards you can sample through the vast portfolio of wines they offer from Chardonnays to Viogniers to the popular Pathagarus Red blend.

“Our wines are very food-friendly,” says Damianos. “The whites are smooth, crisp, and clean, and the reds are full-bodied.”

PERFECT PICNIC. The vineyard is a perfect setting for a picnic,

which you can bring on site. Sustainability fans will like that since 2011 wind has powered over 80 per cent of the vineyard operations and that Pindar pioneered the movement away from chemicals to composting. A Geothermal heating and cooling system is used for its winemaking tanks. Customers are even encouraged to leave their wine corks so that they can be recycled into corkboard and flooring.

Despite having a few good wines early on, Long Island wine is only now making a bigger impact on the wine world.

“We have history, but we’re really coming into our own as we approach the 50 year mark,” says Damianos. “The quality bar is raised; it’s a good time to make a trip to Long Island.”

“You really have to experience it,” seconds Hargrave. “You have to work a bit to know what you’re drinking here. Every vintage 88

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holds the truth of that year. It’s never going to be the same. They all have character and I’m glad it’s that way. Our wines reflect the conditions and I think that’s exciting.”

GGM GOOD TO KNOW GETTING THERE: Any international flight to New York City. Long Island is an hour out of JFK and LaGuardia and 90 minutes from Newark.

WHERE TO STAY: North Fork Guest House www.northforkguesthouse.com/home.html The Chequit www.thechequit.com Jedediah Hawkins Inn www.jedediahhawkinsinn.com WHERE TO EAT: Love Lane Kitchen www.lovelanekitchen.com The Frisky Oyster www.thefriskyoyster.com North Fork Table & Inn www.northforktableandinn.com PICNIC SUPPLIES: The Village Cheese Shop: www.thevillagecheeseshop.com VINEYARDS: Pindar Vineyards www.pindar.net Pellegrini Vineyards www.pellegrinivineyards.com Castello Di Borghese www.castellodiborghese.com Duck Walk www.duckwalk.com GENERAL INFORMATION: Long Island Wine Country www.liwines.com Long Island Tourist Information www.discoverlongisland.com

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PHILLIPPINES

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ADVENTURE Pacific

Perhaps not on the top of your list of golfing countries, the Philippines is still for many an exciting destination. So my friends and I decided to escape the craziness of Thailandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Songran Festival for a new adventure

By Mike Bridges, photo Resorts

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his was my first trip to the Philippines, which meant a new stamp in the passport (yay!). We flew to Manila to check out the city plus the golf in the capital, before heading up to Clark and Angeles City, around two hour’s drive north of the capital.

From December to May, the climate is generally dry, but it can get dense and humid during the summer months from March to May, when average temperatures reach as high as 35°c. Avoid the months of July to November as they can be drenching wet due to the serial typhoons. We went after Easter in mid April and the weather was fine.

T

IN GREAT SHAPE. Golf in this region is in pretty good shape,

with many of the top names including the likes of Palmer, Faldo, Langer, Dye, Nicklaus and Robert Trent Jones weaving their magic here.

Many of the clubs, though, are private. However, by booking through several of the excellent local golf tour operators, it is possible to get through the door at most of them. Avoid the weekends though, when the courses can be busy and the prices are sky-high. Average rates are around 3,000 peso (around £43).

Go midweek, however, and some clubs offer discounts after midday with rates reduced to 1,200 peso (around £17). Some public courses can be even lower.

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It is worth noting that most of the best courses will mean a 4590 minute journey from Manila, depending on the time of day.

We were recommended to play the following courses, all south of the city, including Eagle Ridge, Sherwood Hills, Summit Point, Canlubang, Orchard and Southwoods. As we were only in Manila for two days, we decided to drive 60 minutes to check out the Eagle Ridge Golf and Country Club, 50kms south of the city.

MASSIVE CLUB. This club is really huge, with not one but four

championship courses, designed by Isao Aoki, Andy Dye, Nick Faldo and Greg Norman. This is apparently the largest golfing facility in the country and also has a 60-room hotel.

The Aoki Course was deliberately designed for the weekend golfer, with its wide, open fairways and negligible rough. In deference to its designer, the clubhouse has a sushi bar plus a Japanese-style bath and sauna.

Andy Dye’s course was laid out to take advantage of a spectacular natural canyon, and the entire 18 holes offer creativity and mental discipline.

Greg Norman’s course is to be enjoyed by all; he has created signature holes around planned landscaping, verdant thickets and water displays.

Nick Faldo’s 18 holes are, according to locals, the toughest in the country – with wide and tight driving holes, with bunkers in the most

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unwelcoming spots. The greens here will test both your approach and putting, as some slope radically away from the line of play. Visitor rates were published on their website at 3,000 peso (around £43) for weekdays or 4,000 peso (around £58) for weekends. Once you have added the green fee cart and caddie fee, 18 holes will cost you around 4,100 peso (£59) to play here during the weekdays.

CITY CENTRE GOLF. For combining golf while in the city, we also checked out two city-centre courses. Near the Marriott hotel, by the airport, was The Villamor Air Base Golf Club – a par-72 championship course playing at 7,000 yards in a fairly flat terrain surrounded by mature trees. This is a typical oldstyle course, but it is well priced and very close to the international airport.

Alternatively, if you are staying in Makati or Malate you could always try the Club Intramuros Golf Course. It is a short par 66 public course which meanders around the ancient walled city of Intramuros. One local golfer had told me it was not up to much, but when we checked it out it looked like a lot of fun for a quick game hacking around the historical monuments.

They also have night golf here, but we did not check out the standard of floodlights.

MANILA BY DAY AND NIGHT. Manila is trying to construct a new

skyway expressway from the airport into the city to speed up driving times. However at the moment traffic is hideous, especially during the week, so take extra time to get about.

Manila is one of the Philippine’s oldest cities, and glimpses of cultures past and present blend together to give you an experience which is sometimes gritty, sometimes pleasant, but unmistakably authentic. The city is split into three main areas; the business district called Makati, Malate for the bars and cool restaurants, and the quieter historical area, known as Intramuros.

Intramuros area is very old with a heavy Spanish influence. The city’s Catholic Cathedral is in the centre, along with the famous Manila Hotel and The Bayleaf Hotel, several parks and the Club Intamuros golf club. Most of the action, however, is in the Malate district with its own China town, funky clubs and restaurants plus a red light area. There’s a wide range of hotels available, from the bay-fronted Diamond Hotel, the Hyatt and Pan Pacific 5-star hotels to many boutique hotels.

FUN AND GOLF. Rather than stay in Manila for the full trip, we

decided to take a two-hour drive up country to Angeles City, close to the Clark Airbase. Formerly the largest United States military facility outside the US, Clark Airbase was significantly affected by the pullout after Mount Pinatubo erupted back in 1991.

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Today, Angeles and Clark form the hub for industry, aviation, tourism, entertainment and gaming in the Philippines. With this expansion there are several new golf clubs planned, along with established courses such as Mimosa Country Club, the FA Korea Country Club and the Royal Garden Golf Club. Many are within 15 minutes drive from Angeles, or you can drive 45 minutes north of the city to experience the Luisita Golf and Country Club, designed by Robert Trent Jones Senior (voted in the top 100 in the world by Golf Digest).

Our hotel manager hooked us up with a round at Mimosa with some local expats. Apparently, the original 18-hole course was popular with US air force officers until the volcanic eruption covered the course with ash.

By 2004 they cleaned it all up and opened 36 holes. Today there are many mature trees, lakes and bunkers, and it offers a good round of golf on a fairly flat track. We also played the FC Korea course which offered good value with a lot of elevations. However, without doubt the find of the trip (and definitely a future Golf Digest Top 100 course) was the newly opened Clark Sunvalley Country Club – 36 holes of top-class magic.

SPECTACULAR VIEWS. Perched on a mountaintop overlooking

the airbase, the Korean owners have created two 18-hole championship courses. The Clark course for members at 7,127 yards and the public course called Sun and Valley at 7,015 yards.

The views were spectacular and the condition of the fairways and greens were immaculate. Even the four-seater golf carts needed automatic low gears to reach some of the elevated tee boxes.

Here they do accept walk-in golfers and when the public course is closed they allow you to play the members’ course. Both were exceptional with a lot of wow factor and the rates were reasonable for a top-class offering – 2,000 peso (around £29) for green fees and 1,000 peso (around £14.50) for a two-seater golf cart. Either course is well worth the flight to the Philippines alone, and is definitely a heart-throbbing experience.

AFTER SUNSET. As well as great golf, Angeles is a fun place after sunset when the neon lights take over and many head for the go94

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go bars and restaurants. A smaller version of Pattaya’s nightlife, Angeles even has its own ‘Walking Street’ open late into the night.

The girls here love to dance and you will often find up to 30 women line-dancing together!

You can also take a trek to see the volcano at Mount Pinatubo, head to a local casino or if lawn bowling is your bag, then check out Hidden Valley Sports Club.

GGM

GOOD TO KNOW WHERE TO STAY IN MANILA f you are just passing through and want to avoid the traffic jams, best check out Resort World. This has three hotels right next to Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Marriott is its 5-star offering, and close by is a massive shopping mall, a casino, theatre, cinema and restaurants galore.

The hotel also offers complimentary shuttle buses to several of the city’s top attractions and there is an MRT station nearby. Villamor Golf Club is also just five minutes away.

If you want to hit the night spots then Malate is the best area with the Pan Pacific, Hyatt and Diamond Bayfront offering top-end accommodation.

WHERE TO STAY IN ANGELES CITY Reasonably priced hotels are located near the centre of town, with rates from 2,000 to 4,000 peso (around £28-£58) a night. We stayed at the boutique 4-star Queens Hotel, set in a great location in the heart of the action. They have a great new restaurant serving hot American steaks there and the staff were friendly and attentive. Good alternatives are the Penthouse Hotel or the Lewis Grand.

CONCLUSION Manila’s traffic can be stressful with round-trips to golf courses taking up to three hours out of your day.

Also remember to leave plenty of time to reach the airport. It took us over two hours just to check in for our Philippine Airline flight back to Bangkok.

Not a great ending to our vacation.

Angeles City meanwhile is a lot more laidback, with a better variety of courses at very competitive rates. We paid between 1,500-2,000 peso (around £22-£28) for green fees and they let you share golf carts.

The massive Clark Airport handles a number of flights from overseas, including Qatar Airways, Dragon Air and Air Asia. Next time I come, I think I’ll pass on Manila fly directly into Clark.

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2-BED VILLA ON COSTA ADEJE GOLF RESORT, TENERIFE FROM 795 PER WEEK PERFECT FOR GOLFERS AND NON-GOLFERS ALIKE. The villa is situated overlooking the 16th fairway with breathtaking views yet is only minutes from the fishing village of La Caleta and a 5minute drive away from the popular resorts of Las Americas and Los Cristianos.

• First floor - 2 bedrooms both with their own balcony (master en-suite) and a further shower room.

• Ground floor - cloakroom, lounge/dining, American style kitchen, patio door leading to the private pool and barbecue area.

• Roof terrace providing views down the coast of Las Americas.

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Spain - Cadiz

SHERRY GOLF JEREZ esigned by Stirling & Martin from Global Golf Company, Sherry Golf appears like an accessible course for amateurs and challenging for professionals. Proof of this are the many important tournaments we have had the honour to host, like the Spanish Open Amateur Championship, two years in a row, and the Seniors International Championship. We are also the official venue of the 2nd Stage of the PGA Qualifying School.

The layout is characterized as being one of the most pleasant walkthroughs in Spain: - 18 holes Championship course: 6572 meters, Par 72 - Pitch & Putt course: 911 meters, Par 3 Sherry Golf is within the new concepts of American golf course design: fun but safe in the game with undulations and well placed hazards, without making it too hilly, in order to ensure a pleasant

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walkthrough. Wide fairways and ample greens, puts Sherry Golf into the category of a luxury course.

The Clubhouse counts more than 2,800 sq metres designed under the Sherry flair, with a warm, welcoming atmosphere just like the city of Jerez. Its facilities caters to every single aspect of the sport as well as tournaments, including pro-shop, club storage room, locker rooms, restaurant, terrace grill, cafeteria, spike bar, lounges, golf academy, and much more.

The exceptional geographic location of Jerez and its surroundings make this area the perfect destination for the visitor.

3,200 hours of sun light per year, gives this area of the coast its name, Costa de la Luz (Coast of light).

Sherry Golf is located only 5 minutes from the international airport of Jerez, 50 minutes from Seville airport and 1 hour from Malaga International, thanks to the new motorway from Jerez to Los Barrios.

CONTACT

SHERRY GOLF JERE Z , 11407 Jerez de la Frontera, Cadiz Telephone +34 956 088 330. Fax +34 956 088 331 Email info@sherrygolf.com â&#x20AC;˘ www.sherrygolf.com

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Until the next edition.

The Great Golf Team 98

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