Great Golf Magazine Issue 3 2013

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Great Golf

No.3. 2013 £4.95

Magazine

THE LUXURY TRAVEL AND LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

Cyprus www.greatgolfmagazine.co.uk

£4.95

- Birthplace of a Goddess

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Power and elegance to ignite the senses.

The new Aston Martin Vanquish Volante.

The new Vanquish Volante is the very essence of Aston Martin distilled into one beautifully sculpted car. The Vanquish’s soaring performance, meticulous craftsmanship and cosseting luxury are now combined with the pure hedonism of open air motoring to create a dazzling and unique driving experience.

Clothed in a suit of Carbon-Fibre, the Volante retains the athleticism of the coupe underscored with peerless indulgence. The Ultimate Super Grand Tourer has become the Ultimate Volante.

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Great Golf

No.3. 2013 £4.95

Magazine

THE LUXURY TRAVEL AND LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

Great Golf

Magazine

Contents TRAVEL FEATURES - Birthplace of a Goddess

www.greatgolfmagazine.co.uk

£4.95

20 Six Scandinavian courses Cyprus 24 Golf & the city - Dublin 28 Cyprus - Birthplace of a Goddess 38 Vietnam - Three kings of the Orient 52 Las Vegas - Swinging on the Strip 68 Poland - Pole position 74 The road to Wembley and Stoke Park 82 St Kitts & Nevis - Close encounter 90 Mazagan - A Palace by the sea 98 Tenerife - Dogs, doglegs and a few birdies

Cover photo: Bali Hai Golf Club, Las Vegas

PRODUCTS

106 20 great gifts for him & her LUXURY

46 Audemars Piguet Belén Mozo As time goes by 62 Jaguar - Remembering the E-Type SPA, FOOD & WINE

116 Great Spa – Las Vegas - Bet on Wellness 124 Stoke Park - Reaching for the stars 130 Sipsmith Gin – Still crazy PROPERTY

136 Cap Vermell Estate - Where time stands still 144 Golf Club guide GREAT GOLFER

18 Suzann Pettersen 16 Win a trip for two to Mission Hills Haikou 81 Win an evening at Club Wembley 9

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Great Golf

Magazine

The Club Guide UK

SPAIN ITALY

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Great GolfMagazine

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

WELCOME to the winter 2013 issue of Great Golf Magazine. With cold and wet weather

EDITOR

upon us, we have set our sights on sunnier climes, with Cyprus leading the way. Once

Nils Bjornes nils@greatgolfmagazine.co.uk

more our journalists have travelled the world to bring you the best articles and hopefully EXCECUTIVE EDITOR

inspire you when planning your next trip.

Peter Ellegard is a busy man, first plunging into the jungles of Vietnam, where he plays three mighty courses, followed by a trip to glitzy Las Vegas. He also finds time for a

Camilla Kaas-Stock camilla@greatgolfmagazine.co.uk ART DIRECTOR

quick hop across the pond to explore Dublin and see what it has to offer as a city

Ketil Plassgaard ketil@greatgolfmagazine.co.uk

break.

COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR

If you are looking for paradise, then the two-island country of St Kitts and Nevis might

Karim Ullah karim@greatgolfmagazine.co.uk

be just the ticket. Linda Jackson has the envious task of playing golf, tasting the food

MARKETING MANAGER

and soaking up the atmosphere, while Mike Stock finds sunshine on the fairways of

Nick Edgley nedgley@nemediaworld.com

Cyprus, as well as squeezing in a short trip to Mazagan on the North African coast.

EDITORIAL CONSULTANT

Clive Agran searches for that elusive birdie in Tenerife, the largest of the Canary Islands, while Mark Alexander hopes that vodka will help his game in Poland.

Our Luxury Products man, Angus Davies, gets behind the steering wheel to test the

Peter Ellegard peter@greatgolfmagazine.co.uk LUXURY PRODUCTS

new Jaguar F-Type and discover if it is a worthy successor to the iconic E-Type. He also

Angus Davies angus@escapement.uk.com

delves into the world of luxury watches with Audemars Piguet and their newest brand

PRODUCTION CONTROLLERS

Sophie Morrison

ambassador, the Spanish LPGA golfer Belén Mozo.

CONTRIBUTORS IN THIS ISSUE

As per usual, Camilla Kaas Stock gets the lucky task of enjoying some fine dining, this time at Stoke Park’s flagship restaurant Humphry’s, while our Editor, Nils Bjornes, is looking for something to fill his glass and so heads to London where he chats to the Sipsmith boys. We also have a Q & A with Suzann Pettersen, who currently ranks as world no. 2 in women’s golf. In the Gift Guide, you might find ideas if you are looking for a present for that special someone.

We hope you will find both enjoyment and inspiration from reading this issue of Great Golf Magazine.

Happy Golfing wherever you go.

The Team 12

GREAT GOLF MAGAZINE

Peter Ellegard Linda Jackson Angus Davies Dena Roché Mark Alexander Camilla Kaas-Stock Mike Kaas-Stock Published by IPB Publishing Ltd Company No 6484115 Printed by The Magazine Printing Company www.magprint.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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CYPRUS

From a winning game to winning her heart

in no time.

Cyprus is the crossroads linking three continents, and from its turquoise waters emerged Aphrodite, goddess of beauty. It’s no wonder that it affords such tranquil private moments for those who are looking for a quality vacation destination. Enjoy Cyprus, from the intensity that a good game of golf can rouse to complete rest and relaxation at luxury hotels or exotic spas. From the famed Commandaria wine to the country’s shopping, renowned for its variety, exotic goods and jewelry.

Follow your heart to experience the island’s breathtaking beauty and you’ll find that everything in Cyprus is a mere heartbeat away.

www.visitcyprus.com

COME AND PLAY GOLF…

IN THE CITY

ON CHAMPIONSHIP COURSES

GOLF TOURISM MALAYSIA

BESIDE THE BEACH

ALONGSIDE WILDLIFE

ABOVE THE CLOUDS

IN THE ROLLING HILLS

AT NIGHT

Welcome to Malaysia. No other country offers golf above the clouds, beside the beach, in virgin rainforests, at night and on world class championship courses. Come experience golf in Malaysia for your next holiday, adventure, corporate getaway or to learn from the experts in the best settings on Earth

IT’S PLAY TIME IN LUXURY RESORTS

www.golftourismmalaysia.com AND ON WORLD-CLASS COURSES

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COMPETITION

SANDBELT TRAILS COURSE

WIN!

WIN A TRIP FOR TWO TO MISSION HILLS HAIKOU, CHINA

The ultimate competition gives Great Golf Magazine readers the chance to win a trip to Mission Hills China in partnership with Air China. Mission Hills Resort Haikou is the dream destination for any golfer. This vast golf Mecca which is 1.5 times the size of Manhattan offers near-endless choices for the golfing enthusiasts as well as countless other facilities.

The prize is for two people and includes accommodation, breakfast and Spa at Mission Hills Haikou as well as return flights courtesy of Air China.

3 QUIZ QUESTIONS: 1. Mission Hills Group owns and operates how many 18-hole golf courses in China?

2. When did Mission Hills Haikou accredit as the "World's Largest Spa Resort" by Guinness World Records?

3. What is the architectural design concept behind Mission Hills Spa in Haikou?

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GREAT GOLFER

Golf Tweet

n e s r e t t e P n Suzan

Norwegian professional golfer Suzann Pettersen, who is ranked number two in the world after her win at the Evian Championship, is also an ambassador for a mighty cause and generally a woman on a mission. We put a few questions to this quite frankly astounding athlete to see what makes her tick.

Why golf?

My family all played golf so I was introduced to the game of golf through my dad! But growing up I did all kinds of sport which I think is important to establish a good fundamental If not golf, what sport?

I am a very competitive person and I love all sports! But maybe ski, alpine more than others First role model?

Kjetil Andre Aamodth, norwegian alpine skier Favourite course?

St, Andrews First hole in one?

In Spain, Rio Real Golf course in Marbella.

I think I was about 12, it was mostly lucky Dream car?

Bentley, continental Favourite food?

Sushi Three things to do before you get old?

Skydive, become the best female golfer in the world, have a family Two things to do when you are old?

Hang with family and travel Best advice for an upcoming golfer?

Have fun with practice and make sure you challenge yourself against better players Why Right to Play?

Suzann is an ambassador for the ”Right to Play” childrens charity.

I love kids, they are the future. Right to play is established around athletes and represents the core values that are important for kids growing up.

I want to help give kids opportunities growing up. www.suzanngolf.com/right-to-play

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GREAT GOLF MAGAZINE

Suzann’s life is now going to be made into a TV series.

From next May, a TV team will follow her for a year.

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SIX Scandinavian courses

By Nils Bjornes, photos The Golf Clubs

NORWAY - Lofoten Golf Links With its proximity to the ocean, the jagged Lofoten Mountains and the influence of the ever shifting arctic light, this is more than just a round of golf. Few, if any courses offer such a combination of golf in such magnificent scenic surroundings.

And now, you can even spend the night here! Golfing in the Midnight Sun. From mid May until early August Lofoten offers constant daylight for over two months of the year. You can play for 24

hours - if you can manage to stay awake, that is!

Lofoten Golf Links has often been compared to well-known golf links in Scotland. The course is located on flat land by the open sea, facing the north. It is a demanding and challenging course where the sea is an integral part of 8 of the 9 holes. The difference is that these links are on the 68th parallel of northern latitude. www.lofoten-golf.no

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championship course measuring about 6300 m is a truly unique design with long par-3s and water coming into play on several holes. The view of the waterfall on the 12th hole right next to the green is quite spectacular. Players who would prefer a shorter distance have a great variety of lengths as the course offers tees of approximately 4900 m, 5400m, 5800m or 6000m. The series of par-3s, 4s and 5s are enjoyable and challenging for all golfing categories. Â www.oslogk.no

Photo Ulf Berglund

NORWAY - Oslo Golf Club Oslo Golf Club, established 1924, is the oldest course in Norway. The first golf shots were taken one autumn day in 1924. Apart from a period during the Second World War when people resorted to growing potatoes and other vegetables on the course, the noble game has been played here ever since.

Over the years the club has invested considerably in updating and modernising.

Beautifully situated around the Bogstad Lake, this Par 71

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DENMARK - The Scandinavian Golf Club The Scandinavian boasts a total of 36 holes designed by Robert Trent Jones II. The courses are set in a beautiful landscape with undulated ancient woodland and several small lakes.

In addition to the courses the venue features a practise facility with a driving range, four putting greens close to the first tees of both courses, a clubhouse with restaurant, café and bar, pro shop, members lounge and meeting room and a guest house.

The 36 holes at the resort are divided into four loops over two

courses, the Old Course and the New Course both ending at the clubhouse. Chief architect Bruce Charlton from Robert Trent Jones II, has designed two golf courses where the intention wasn’t primarily to create championship courses. The Scandinavian is located in Allerød municipality about 30 minutes’ drive from Copenhagen city centre roughly the same from Copenhagen Airport. www.thescandinavian.dk

DENMARK - Lübker Golf Resort Lübker Golf Resort is located in the middle of the Djursland region, "the nose of Denmark" just 15 minutes from Aarhus Airport, 40 minutes from Aarhus, 25 minutes from Randers and 10 minutes from Grenaa.

The 200 hectare resort includes a 27-hole championship golf course designed by Robert Trent Jones II, luxury vacation houses, a wellness-centre with subtropical bath, spa, fitness and café, not forgetting the club house with restaurants, meeting facilities and much more.

The course is created in three loops of nine holes each, respectively called Forest, Sky and Sand. The fairways are generous with spacious landing areas, the greens are slightly undulated and well guarded by bunkers, sandy waste areas and water hazards. You can land on a wide fairway, but also be forced to chip onto the green from a deep lie in the semi-rough.

Lübker Golf Course has been voted best golf course in Denmark and has recently been voted 17th in Europe. www.lubker.com

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SIX DESERT COURSES

SWEDEN - Bro Hof Slott Bro Hof Slott is an experience not to be missed. You can choose between The Castle Course, a challenging first-rate beauty with a Scottish links character and small challenging bunkers, and The Stadium Course. Each course can vary considerably depending on how you choose to play and what your abilities are.

The Stadium Course is ranked as one of Sweden’s finest, with longer holes, larger greens, more water and larger, well positioned bunkers. Added to this is a wind that is always in

play. The Stadium Course hosts the Nordea Masters every year.

Like The Stadium Course, The Castle Course was also designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr, but in contrast to The Stadium Course it also has playable waste areas and is edged by the hard fescue Aurora Gold. The course feels shorter and slightly hillier than The Stadium Course, with narrower fairways.

It offers an excellent challenge to golfers of all levels and styles. www.brohofslott.se

SWEDEN - Falsterbo Golf Club Falsterbo Golf Club is located at the very tip of the scenic Falsterbo peninsula about 30 minutes drive from Copenhagen Airport and not much further from Malmö city centre in the south of Sweden.

The club which was founded in 1909 recently celebrated its centenary. It is the third oldest golf club in Sweden and is constantly ranked as one of the country’s top courses as well as being among the Top 50 courses in Europe.

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The first nine hole course was laid out not far from the courses present location in 1910 by one Robert Turnbull, who was the golf pro at Copenhagen Golf Club. In 1912 a further nine holes was designed in the area around the lighthouse.

The course is located in a nature reserve and is frequently visited by non-golfers of the bird watching variety due to the fact that the Falsterbo peninsula is the last stop on a migratory route. www.falsterbogk.se

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GOLF & THE CITY

Craic of the Irish Dublin

By Peter Ellegard, photos: Peter Ellegard, DRTA, Druids Glen Resort and Tulfarris Hotel & Golf Resort

ublin. The very mention of its name is sure to bring a smile and a wistful look to the face of anyone who has been there, and a sense of longing to visit from those who haven’t. A compact and walkable city, it has everything for a long weekend stay. There’s sightseeing with its many grand old monuments and buildings, culture to immerse yourself in at grand institutions plus events and tours celebrating its literary heritage, great shopping, and the timeless hostelries of its lively Temple Bar district – where you can slake your thirst with its celebrated Guinness.

But most of all, it’s the craic (pronounced crack) that makes Dublin so special to visit; the infectious fun and enjoyment you get from everyone having a great time together.

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And for golfers, there are some wonderful golf courses right on Dublin’s doorstep that you can combine with a city break.

GETTING THERE AND HOTELS. Take your car over on Irish

Ferries’ Dublin Swift fast ferry or spacious cruise ferry Ulysses from Holyhead straight into Dublin Port, minutes from the city.

With no weight restrictions, you can bring a full set of clubs, your trolley and wet weather gear, just in case you encounter some of Ireland’s liquid sunshine. Or fly into Dublin Airport and rent a car.

Base yourself in Dublin or add a couple of post-golf nights there to go exploring. Options include the Croke Park Hotel, opposite the stadium that is the home of Ireland’s Gaelic football and hurling, and the newly-refurbished Grand Canal Hotel, south

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Druids Glen

Tulfarris

Druids Glen

And for golfers, there are some wonderful golf courses right on Dublin’s doorstep that you can combine with a city break.

of the River Liffey, within walking distance of Grafton Street’s stores and boutiques. Alternatively, the Jurys Inn Dublin Christchurch, across the road from top attraction Christ Church Cathedral, is a short stroll from Temple Bar. ON COURSE. The Dublin area has more than 60 courses including venerable links Portmarnock Golf Club and Dublin Golf Club. But for golf in some of the Emerald Isle’s best scenery, head south into County Wicklow. Known as the Garden of Ireland, fast motorway links make it an easy drive.

Just 40 minutes from Dublin, Tulfarris Golf Club lies at the foot of the Wicklow Mountains on the shores of Blessington Lakes. Several holes skirt the water’s edge. There are stunning

views from all round the course and from the adjoining hotel, although the luck of the Irish deserted me when I played and low cloud and constant rain obscured them. A nice touch, especially on cold and wet days, is the halfway house after the 9th green complete with kettle to freshly brew tea or coffee.

PAUL MCGINLEY. Macreddin Golf Club is the handiwork of 2014 Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley. Buggies are a must as it plummets down and climbs back up the beautiful woodland hillsides of the Macreddin Valley, a designated area of outstanding natural beauty. The spectacular par-4 12th and par-5 13th holes are both hilly doglegs that cross a winding brook.

The Glen of the Downs Golf Club, laid out by Peter McEvoy 25

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GOLF & THE CITY Traditional Irish pubs, often with live music, are a feature of the Temple Bar area, along with restaurants and cafes that spill out onto the pavement.

over rolling slopes and valleys, offers panoramic views of the Wicklow Mountains and the Irish Sea from higher elevations.

Highlights include the five-tier double green shared by the 8th and 10th holes, the long par-5 9th and the 18th green, where a pond fronting the clubhouse terrace forms the backstop. You can stay in the nearby Glenview Hotel as a base outside Dublin.

THE PAT RUDDY FACTOR. Irish golf legend Pat Ruddy is a former sports journalist turned golf course designer whose creations include some of Ireland’s finest. Among them is stunning four time Irish Open host Druids Glen, which he co-designed with Tom Craddock in 1995. Part of a resort with a five-star hotel, it is one of two Druids Glen Golf Club courses that weave through the landscaped, mature parkland of the former Woodstock Estate (the clubhouse is the one-time manor house, built in 1770). The course is both spectacular and tough.

The signature par-3 12th hole has a floral Celtic Cross on the bank below the elevated tee, from where you hit over a stream to a green set in a wooded glen overlooked by an ancient druids’ altar and a statue of a druid. Water features heavily on the remaining holes, notably the island green on the par-3 17th and the cascading ponds in front of the final green.

The European Club is a private club that welcomes visitors warmly. Owned and run by the Ruddy family, its links course was designed by Pat after he discovered the Brittas Bay site while surveying the coast by helicopter. It is a monster at 7,761 yards off the tips – if you play every hole.

There are 20 in all, the par-3 7a and 12a holes being optional.

But in such a glorious setting right on the Irish Sea, how could you not oblige? With serious rough, deep bunkers edged with

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sleepers and frighteningly fast greens, it will leave you battered, but with a smile on your face.

DUBLIN’S SIGHTS. Dublin is Guinness. Tours of the Guinness

Storehouse, located in the St James's Gate Brewery that has been its home for over 250 years, end with a pint of the black stuff in the glass-sided, rooftop Gravity Bar. Traditional Irish pubs, often with live music, are a feature of the Temple Bar area, along with restaurants and cafes that spill out onto the pavement.

Enjoy a candlelit Irish stew dinner at the Brazen Head, Ireland’s oldest pub, while listening to an evening of Irish folklore and storytelling. Across the Liffey via bridges including the ornate Ha’penny Bridge is The Church, a 300-year-old church where Guinness brewery founder Arthur Guinness was married, now converted into one of Dublin’s most popular bars.

A good way to get your bearings is on a hop-on and hop-off Dublin Bus Tour, stopping off for sights such as Dublin Castle, Dublin Zoo, the Old Jameson Distillery, Trinity College, Dublinia Viking Museum, the James Joyce Centre and the Writers Museum. Then explore Dublin on foot at your leisure.

BEYOND DUBLIN. Take a side trip after golf to visit the Irish National Stud, south-west of Dublin in County Kildare. Find out all about the sport of kings in the Horse Museum, tour the stud to discover how winners are produced and maybe see Classic winners grazing in fields, and take in the serenity of the century old Japanese Gardens. Then head to Ireland’s highest pub, Johnnie Fox’s, half an hour outside Dublin, for dinner and traditional Irish music and dancing performances at its famous Hooley Night. It’s a great craic.

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CYPRUS

Aphrodite Hills

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The English summer is officially over and it’s time to look further afield to enjoy a top up of sun induced vitamins, so it’s off to Cyprus, the island of Aphrodite, goddess of love. Funnily enough, they even have a golf resort by that name...

By Mike Kaas-Stock, photos Aphrodite Hills Resort, Eléa Estate and Minthis Hills Resort

M

y flight, courtesy of Monarch Airlines from Gatwick, is a reasonable four hour duration that guarantees sunshine at the other end. We land at Paphos International Airport, conveniently located a short drive from all four championship courses to be found here.

With bags stowed in the hire car, I am soon on my way. The journey could not be easier; simply drive out of the airport and at the first junction turn right. Within minutes you will pass Elea golf course and then Secret Valley, shortly followed by my first destination: Aphrodite Hills.

STUNNING LOCATION. I wind my way up the road to Aphrodite Hills and the five star Intercontinental Hotel, located next to the golf course, where I’m staying. It’s with a fondness that I find myself returning here after a hiatus of two years and I know well that I will be in receipt of some excellent service in a truly stunning location. After checking in at front desk, I’m whisked up to my room on the seaward side of the resort which guarantees views over the ninth hole and the sea beyond.

I awake early the next day to take some pictures of sunrise over the eighth hole, a stunning par-4 with more of those views of the 29

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CYPRUS

sea. I follow this with a big breakfast back at the hotel as today is going to be very busy. Bizarrely, my first port of call is not Aphrodite; I will play here later. No, firstly I am off to Minthis Hills.

SKILL VS LUCK. Minthis Hills Golf Club is located just north of

Paphos, nestled in the mountains above the town and a short distance off the road to Polis. On arriving at the impressive clubhouse I meet up with Maro Kazepi from the Cyprus tourist board. We are soon joined by a Finnish couple, Markus and his wife Marit who run a travel company, and we make our way to the first tee. Maro and I soon discover that our Finnish companions are quite proficient golfers while we tend to be more of the hopeful variety. This is going to be a game of two halves: one an exhibition of technique and skill, the other mainly luck with the odd rummage in the rough for that elusive lost ball.

The course is in exceptional condition and the surroundings 30

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are inspiring. Being located in the mountains guarantees a cool breeze which, although it’s October, is still welcome. The round begins with our Finnish friends playing some exceptional shots while Maro and I have our odd moments of brilliance. But the real joy here is just to be out on such a beautiful course with the sun shining and the breeze coming off the mountains.

By the time we reach the twelfth, a par-4 over a valley filled with thorny bushes, I have had mixed results, but on this hole I play one of those shots to be proud of. Not that I would have attempted to retrieve my ball if it had gone astray.

The par-3 thirteenth is a lovely follow-on hole with a shot over water to an island. Again, I rather excel and manage to hit, what is for me, a good drive to place myself in a convenient position on the green.

This is a delightful course in tranquil surroundings accessible to anyone staying at the Intercontinental or at any hotel in town.

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Our round ends all too soon with a relaxing downhill par-5 on the eighteenth and we retire to the clubhouse for a well earned meal.

FAVOURITE HOLES. I arrive back at Aphrodite Hills with a little over three hours to go before sunset and so waste no time in getting out on the course. Time may be a little short but this is a course that I have some knowledge of, having visited before.

I work my way around to the first of my favourite holes, the fifth. This is an interesting par-3, over scrub and uphill. My ball lands safely on the green, which in my books is a successful shot.

Unfortunately it’s followed by a 3 putt! Never mind, plenty more to come.

The seventh is a quirky number and the buggy ride down the cliff to the tee can be quite exhilarating. This is another par-3 and the type of shot that we all make on a regular basis, however the trip down to the tee gives a hint as to what is in store: a shot over

a ravine. The green looks tempting on the far side of this abyss. It may be best to shut my eyes.

I land on the right hand side, not the safest shot but I survive.

Then it’s off to the eighth, a par-4 looking out to the sea far below.

Beware, the undulating fairway slopes quite considerably to the left with a drop into a valley. This is a picturesque hole with the remnants of an old olive press in the middle of the fairway just to give you something to aim for.

LOTS TO DO. But Aphrodite Hills is not just for golfers. This is a

resort with many opportunities. Other facilities include a spa, a tennis academy and a plethora of activities for adults and kids alike, not forgetting the swimming pool and the beach located only a short shuttle service from the hotel. Add to this the excellent restaurants, kids’ activities, shops and entertainment and you have something for everyone.

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BEWARE OF BUNKERS. The following day I take a trip to Elea Estate. This Nick Faldo designed golf course is wonderfully deceptive and a good contrast to both Aphrodite and Minthis Hills.

From up in the clubhouse the course seems relatively flat, but once you get out there you will find that the terrain is quite varied.

While preparing to tee off, I am joined by a Canadian gentleman and his wife, both veterans of this course. They happily inform me that they both have landed in almost every bunker, of which there are many. While I think that their record is safe, I almost begin my tally on the first hole by landing dangerously close to one.

This par-4 has a slight dogleg left, with a set of bunkers set rather sneakily just before the turn and about the distance of an average drive. I head off and leave my newly found friends to their day in the bunkers. As I work my way around the course, I Gleneagles PGAthey Centenary realise what meanCourse and how easy it could be to land in any 32

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of the profusion of these obstacles. You really need to have your game hat on.

ENJOYABLE. For me, the first and ninth were particular favourites,

both with serious bunkers in play and I am not ashamed to say that I spent some time in one on the ninth, still content with my form and thoroughly enjoying myself. It’s always a good feeling to begin your round on an interesting hole and the first, with the tees from a raised position and excellent views over the front nine, does set the scene.

After my game, I retire to the clubhouse for some excellent food on the terrace. Three golf courses down and one more to go: Secret Valley, which I shall play in the morning. But before then I am going to move my centre of operations to one of the Thanos Hotels. Tonight I shall stay at the Almyra in Paphos and then a further night at the exclusive Anassa in Polis.

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THANOS ALMYRA. The Almyra is located in the town of Paphos and, you could say, quite literally on the beach. Oozing charm and sophistication, it is well placed for those wanting the convenience of the town whilst also having direct access to the seafront. My hotel room has doors leading directly out to a terrace and then straight out onto the sand.

The hotel has been a landmark since the 1970’s, but upon being acquired by the Thanos group it underwent major works to create what is now one of the most opulent hotels in town with an attention to detail that creates a feeling of calmness and order.

I wake up the next morning to the sound of waves lapping on the shore, which in my book is almost heaven. After breakfast on the terrace, I am taken on a tour of the hotel and its facilities which include pools and a spa complex.

From a golf point of view, this location is well situated for all four courses and plans are underway to provide a shuttle service

so as to remove the necessity for guests to drive. If you are here with the family then there is plenty to amuse all.

SECRET VALLEY is so close to Aphrodite that you can see it

perched on the hills above. As its name suggests, this course is located in a valley and winds its way between the hills. The course has undergone extensive work and a further eighteen hole course is now under construction. The fairways and greens are looking superb, and while it was not possible for me to play here due to ongoing works, this is a course not to miss.

ANASSA. My final night is at the Anassa which is located in Polis about 45 minutes drive to the north of Paphos. The journey takes me very close to Minthis Hill and on up over the foothills of the Troodos Mountains. A thunderstorm breaks and the rain falls in torrents but luckily it’s one road almost all the way to the 33

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hotel as my vision is severely limited.

Upon reaching the town of Polis, the rain stops and the evening sky clears. Anassa is located to the south of the town on the coast and it’s not long before I reach my destination.

People told me to expect to be in for a treat staying here, even if just for one night, so it is with a certain interest and expectation that I arrive. I must say that I am not disappointed; opulent is too shabby a word for this hotel. From the moment you pass through the security gates and walk into the building you enter another world. The word Anassa means queen in ancient Greek and this five star resort would not leave a queen wanting. The hotel has an immediate calming effect on the weary traveller.

THE BASILIKO. I am greeted at reception and, after a brief chat with

the manager, taken up to my room. From my balcony I have a view out over the gardens, beach and Mediterranean Sea. I’m booked in for a meal in the Basiliko, Anassa’s signature gourmet restaurant and so, refreshed, I make my way there.

I am not going to say too much about the food as it deserves an article of its own, which is what we intend to do in an upcoming issue. Suffice to say that the food was excellent and service was impeccable. Anyone staying at the Anassa and not 34

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dining here is missing a real treat. The only thing to be done is to write that article soon.

The hotel has a classical air to it with a large atrium and grand rooms. At the front there is a recreation of a traditional piazza along with a church. Entertainment takes place here and even marriages are conducted in the church.

THALASSA SPA. Located not far from the piazza is the

Romanesque Thalassa Spa which covers the full spectrum of wellbeing from an hour long treatment to a gentle detoxifying or holistic programme. The spa boasts eighteen treatment rooms, saunas, steam baths, a seawater exercise pool, squash court, fitness room and hair salon.

My journey back to Paphos Airport is in glorious sunshine as the road takes me through small villages and past vineyards. I have visited four exceptional courses, each quite different from the others. It’s hard to imagine there not being something for everyone, unless that is you want to be wet and cold!

Whether visiting Cyprus purely for golf or for a family holiday, everything that you could want is here: golf, food, sea, mountains and so much more. The only thing that you have to do to experience it is make the time to visit.

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Three KINGS of the Orient

With a name inextricably linked to conflict, Vietnam is enjoying a new dawn as a golf paradise that is now readily accessible to British golfers thanks to new direct flights. The central coast region around Danang is the country’s golf hotspot and now offers three courses by top designers. By Peter Ellegard, Photos: Peter Ellegard, Golf Coast Vietnam and Paul Myers

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or a man with such a tetchy reputation, Sir Nick Faldo seemed remarkably at ease and happy to chat as he relaxed with a beer in the clubhouse of Vietnam’s Laguna Lang Co golf club following the official opening of his new course there.

Around the table with him were his son, Matthew, and American manager-cum-partner, LeslieAnne Wade, as well as several others including his design guru and a couple of us journalists.

Sir Nick is famously prickly with the media when he is displeased, perhaps going back to his early days as a pro when he was unkindly nicknamed “Nick Foldo” for collapsing in the 1983 Open Championship and 1984 Masters. Yet here he was, laughing and joking with us, and even picking up my copy of Great Golf

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Magazine to poke gentle fun at one item that caught his eye.

After the ribbon-cutting ceremony a little earlier, he had been playfully bantering with his “guard of honour” – six ladies wearing vivid blue ao dai tunics, Vietnam’s traditional dress – before entertaining the invited guests with a short game and bunker master class, again totally at ease.

CENTRAL VIETNAM COAST. Was it being with family members

in such a beautiful tropical oceanside setting that had mellowed England’s six-time major champion and former world number one? Perhaps the always-happy locals? Or maybe it was the fact that, even with courses bearing his stamp in 20 countries around the world, he has finally come of age as a great golf course designer

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– and was comfortable in the knowledge that his latest creation, at the heart of a sumptuous resort tucked between a golden 3km beach and steep mountains swathed in jungle, is something rather special.

At the press conference the next day, high up in the Saffron restaurant overlooking the resort and arcing beach, Sir Nick candidly admitted that when he designed his other Vietnam course, Ocean Dunes at Phan Thiet, in the mid-1990s, “I was a 30,000-foot architect,” inferring that he spent most of his time drawing courses up while travelling and rarely visited them.

“These days I’m much more hands on,” he quickly countered, adding, “I hope this course will be a good calling card.”

He needn’t worry. Laguna Lang Co is not just a good calling card; it is both a visual feast and a wonderful test of golf in what

has become this emerging golfing nation’s premier golf heartland, the Central Vietnam Coast.

JUNGLE. Laguna Lang Co is the newest of three top-flight courses in and around Danang, Vietnam’s fourth-largest city. Its arrival follows the opening of the Montgomerie Links Vietnam, by Colin Montgomerie, and the Greg Norman-designed Danang Golf Club, respectively built in 2009 and 2010.

It forms part of the 940-acre Laguna Lang Co integrated resort complex that also includes a Banyan Tree resort with 49 villas and a 229-room Angsana hotel, luxury properties that boast both spas and a range of dining experiences.

According to Sir Nick, the 6,958-yard, Par-71 course is unique

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in Vietnam because it incorporates six environments: sand “blowouts”, rice paddy fields, beach, river, jungle and exposed rock outcrops. The rocks feature most prominently on the par-3 11th hole, Sir Nick’s favourite, and were only discovered, he told us, when he and his team were hacking back the jungle growth with machetes to map out the site.

“chocolate drops” that decorate the par-3 5th hole. They are a series of mounds mirroring the mountain peak behind the green.

BUNKERS. The other two courses are just south of Danang. On the way, we passed a stark reminder of Vietnam’s tragic and violent past: concrete bunkers that once housed warplanes and helicopters at the US air base by today’s airport.

The 16th parallel that divided South Vietnam from the Communist North lies close to Danang, and its Red Beach was where American marines first landed in March, 1965 at the beginning of the Vietnam War (the Vietnamese, unsurprisingly, call it the American War).

Bunkers and caves built by former colonial masters, the French, also riddle the Marble Mountains and were where the Viet Cong holed up during the war. Today, the mountains stand opposite the five-star Hyatt Regency Danang and the grottoes house Buddhist shrines and souvenir sellers seeking to ambush tourists.

It is bunkers of a different sort that this beguiling part of Vietnam is becoming known for now. They are a key feature of Norman’s links-like Danang Golf Club, which is laid out on coastal sand dunes and features large waste sand and scrub areas as well as contoured bunkers.

FISHING BOATS. At 7,190 yards, it is the longest of the area’s courses and is gently contoured. The main coast road splits most of the course from a three-hole loop that heads out to the East Sea, culminating in the signature par-3 16th hole, where you tee off directly towards the ocean with the raised green framed by the distant Cham Islands. Fishing boats chug past as you putt out on the green.

Stay on-site in a villa alongside one of the ocean loop holes and you are picked up by buggy and taken to the clubhouse where you are met by the smiling caddies. Breakfast and dinner is right on the beach at the White Caps Bistro restaurant.

Head to the beach early in the morning before breakfast to capture the hypnotic sight and sound of the high-prowed fishing boats, circling lazily just offshore while the fishermen cast their nets and haul in their catch with the sun glinting like gold off the wave crests.

FEMALE CADDIES. The course changes character repeatedly as

the holes meander through the different environments, all the while impressing that it could only be in Vietnam, particularly while standing on a tee or green in the midst of paddies. That feeling is enhanced by the sight of the female ground staff tending to the fairways by hand on their haunches and the uniformed female caddies with their traditional conical hats.

They and the other resort workers are drawn from nearby communities such as the pretty fishing village of Lang Co, which can be visited on an après-golf tour and which was the finishing point for a tortuous moped expedition over the jungle-clad mountains by Top Gear’s adventurous presenters. We had made the hour-long journey from Danang to Laguna Lang Co resort through the very heart of the mountains via the 6.3km Hai Van tunnel, South-East Asia’s longest.

The mountains have been emulated by Sir Nick on his golf course, both in the severe slopes of the greens (I was lucky to escape with a four-putt double bogey on one par-3 hole during the pre-opening tournament Gleneagles PGA Centenary Course after hitting the green with my tee shot but finding a chasm between my ball and the hole) and the 42

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MATURE FEEL. Despite being less than five years old, Montgomerie Links Vietnam has a mature and established feel.

There are far more elevations than its near neighbours and it also features several water hazards, indigenous vegetation and large but well-protected greens, besides wind-blown sand dunes that add a linksy element. The Marble Mountains can be seen from several parts of the course.

The par-5 12th is a beauty that has been described as the best par-5 hole in Vietnam. It plays uphill towards the modernist clubhouse on a fairway pock-marked with circular bunkers that in times past might have been mistaken for bomb craters. Find yourself up against the lip of one and it could blow your score away.

The trio of courses – now marketed with leading area resorts and hotels under the collective brand of Golf Coast Vietnam – are a match for anywhere else in Asia and underline why Vietnam won the Asia and Australasia Golf Destination of the Year crown for 2013 in the prestigious IAGTO Awards.

MASTER PLAN. The country now has just over 30 courses, with the master plan calling for 90 by 2020. Its other courses are mostly clustered around the gateway cities of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh

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Although something of a tourist trap, Hoi An is well worth a half-day or even longer to explore

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City, or Saigon as it was known, so it is possible to combine areas for a twin or multi-centre golfing holiday.

However, the Danang area has more than enough to keep both avid golfers and their non-golfing partners happy.

The delightful ancient port of Hoi An is close to both the Montgomerie Links and Danang Golf Club courses and can be reached by taxi or on a rented bicycle, cycling through timeless rice paddy scenery and visiting a pottery village on the way. It is one of three UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the region, the others being one-time Vietnamese capital Hue 70 minutes north of Laguna Lang Co and the jungle temple complex at My Son, 55km inland from Hoi An. Boat trips head out to the Cham Islands.

directions, many of them carrying entire families clinging to the rider. Keep walking and you find the two-wheeled sea miraculously parts, but hesitate at your peril.

It may be a long way to travel, but Vietnam does not disappoint, combining some of the best aspects of neighbouring Thailand and China and with gracious, affable people who give the country a sense of serenity, despite its dark past.

They even got Sir Nick Faldo to smile.

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COLOURFUL OLD QUARTER. Although something of a tourist trap, Hoi An is well worth a half-day or even longer to explore.

Go in the morning and avoid the crowds that throng the narrow streets of its colourful Old Quarter later in the day, allowing you to explore attractions such as its ornate Japanese Covered Bridge and temples, and browse the many art galleries, art shops and clothing shops without being jostled.

Pack light for your trip to allow space for the bargains you will undoubtedly want to bring back. Hoi An is famed for its tailors, and you can get a suit hand-made in a matter of days from just over £50, and shoes made to match from around £25. You can even buy a model galleon.

When you are all shopped out, find a waterside bar or restaurant to people-watch over a beer or two, and tuck into a local dish. Among them is Mango Mango, opposite the Japanese Bridge and run by celebrity chef Duc Tran.

Vietnam’s history and culture has been shaped over millennia by the legacy of rule by the Chinese, French and Japanese. Its food is an East meets West fusion, exemplified in its most famous dish, pho, which is a beef noodle broth with charred onions added for flavouring and colour. You can also enrol in a cooking class at some restaurants if you want to try your hand at making local food.

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MOPEDS AND SCOOTERS. Beware the fruit sellers, however.

They beguile with their disarming smiles, asking you to buy their wares if you take a picture of them. But with an exchange rate of almost 35,000 Vietnamese dong to £1, it is easy to get confused and you can end up unwittingly paying as much as £10 for a bunch of overripe bananas and a sliced mango…as I did. You will also find yourself fending off guides trying to entice you on boat, bicycle, trishaw or moped tours – but all done with a friendly smile.

Take care crossing the frenetic streets and roads, both in Hoi An and in Danang. They are awash with a sea of mopeds, scooters, motorbikes and bicycles that seem to bear down on you from all 44

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As time goes by An

increasing number of sporting professionals are seeking the delights of an expertly produced timepiece with a mechanical movement. That includes Spanish LPGA golfer BelÊn Mozo, who recently joined Audemars Piguet as the company’s newest brand ambassador.

By Angus Davies, www.ESCAPEMENT.UK.COM, photos by Audemars Piguet

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GREAT WATCHES

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ike many men, I lament that my true sporting potential has never been realized. I readily proffer advice to my television, pointing out the shortcomings in the performance of footballers, golfers and other sporting professionals. Indeed, I am one of many armchair pundits who seem to have immense knowledge about a variety of sports.

The famous names who populate the highest echelons have an intrinsic talent and plethora of admirable traits which many of us would love to emulate.

Often, we feel we can vicariously become our sporting hero by wearing the same brand of football boot, wielding the same golf club or wearing the same watch.

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AUDEMARS PIGUET AND GOLF. In terms of golf, Audemars Piguet has embraced the phenomenon of brand ambassadors with their impressive lineup of male stars. The likes of Darren Clarke, Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood can all be seen attired in the de rigueur polo shirt adorned with the AP logo.

Audemars Piguet is world renowned for its highend horological creations. In particular, it is a brand which is arguably linked with the most iconic sports watch, the Royal Oak. Launched 41 years ago, it is still regarded as the holy grail of watch design. Twenty years ago, the Royal Oak provided inspiration for a further watch, the contemporary Royal Oak Offshore, and the two models have vied for the affections of sporting types ever since.

For those men who have succeeded professionally, and enjoy partaking in life’s luxuries, an Audemars Piguet may seem like a just reward for their efforts. Through its association with golf, the brand has garnered the attention of its target audience and demand continues to outstrip supply.

FEMALE BUYERS. The brand from the Vallée de Joux also attracts the attention of female golfers such as Belén Mozo, Cristie Kerr

and Morgan Pressel. They all choose to wear an Audemars Piguet on their wrist.

Belén Mozo, born in Cadiz, Spain, is the epitome of style and sophistication. A graduate of the University of Southern California, her flowing blonde locks could fool the casual observer into mistaking her for a quintessential Californian girl, despite her obvious Latin origins.

Born in 1988, she enjoyed sporting success as an amateur, winning the NCAA All-American four times before embarking on a professional career in 2010, aged a mere 21.

Mozo shares many traits with the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and Royal Oak Offshore pieces she wears. Not only would her timeless appearance not look out of place on the silver screen, she also has an innate talent and honed temperament that allows her to compete on the world stage at this elevated level.

The psychological prowess of a competitive sporting figure provides a metaphor for the exalted inner workings of the Audemars Piguet timepieces.

As the number of female ambassadors has increased, so too has the ladies’ watch market, which is experiencing a strong period of growth.

In the past, ladies have often purchased designer watches marked with names typically found in the fashion industry. The market for women’s haute horlogerie has traditionally been very small. However, times are changing. A new group of female watch enthusiasts is emerging and demand for no-compromise mechanical watches is increasing.

This year, several watch brands launched new mechanical models, specifically targeting female buyers with applicable aesthetics. Ladies should no longer feel patronised by merely being offered bejeweled concoctions with an apparent absence of mechanical virtue.

NEW LADIES MODELS. Audemars Piguet revealed several new ladies’ models back in January 2013. They embraced both classical lines and contemporary forms. Would-be buyers can choose from mechanical watches, something the brand has offered for some

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time, and quartz models. Some will enjoy the convenience afforded by the battery powered quartz watches, but to the purist, there is no substitute for a mechanical wristwatch.

A tensioned spring within a mechanical watch will drive the hour and minute hands as well as any other function available, such as a date display. Manual watches, sometimes referred to as “hand-wound”, require the wearer to energise the spring by winding the crown. However, an automatic or self-winding watch captures subtle movements of the wearer’s wrist and uses this to wind the mainspring. This latter option proves particularly user-friendly.

The Swiss Jura has a long tradition of creating fine mechanical movements, created in small ateliers to an elevated standard.

Historically, these movements would be used by Genevan watch houses. However, in 1875, Audemars Piguet was born, crafting matchless mechanical movements and housing them in its own exquisite watches.

Today, one or more artisans can spend many days, weeks or even months creating a watch without the merest hint of compromise. In a world of expedient robotized production, hand craftsmanship is still practiced by the brand. Small components, some barely visible to the naked eye, are diligently polished by experienced hands, resulting in a blemish-free finish.

Increasingly, watch buyers have sought to admire the inner workings of their cherished timepiece and watch companies have fulfilled this desire by fitting many models with an exhibition caseback, a small window affording a view of the movement within.

STILL GLAMOUROUS. Those ladies who do not wish to eschew

glamour in preference to mechanical merit need not compromise.

Audemars Piguet offers some luxurious timepieces which are expertly gem-set with precious stones whilst containing a mechanical movement.

Several models feature diamonds on the bezel, with some extending the use of the “girl’s best friend” to the case and dial.

However, a traditional craft available for the delectation of female buyers is the guilloché dial.

A skilled artisan, called a guillocheur, will carefully apply intersecting lines onto a watch dial. This will necessitate the use of a rose engine lathe to perform fine engraving and require deft use of skilled hands. The delightful outcome is a resplendent dial which captures light on its many facets.

INCREASING INTEREST. Time is ubiquitously presented on public

clocks, our computer screens and even our mobile devices. However, it is the beauty and joy of imparting time with panache that distinguishes haute horlogerie from cursorily manufactured products.

An increasing number of people appreciate the pleasure of owning a fine timepiece. Moreover, the increasingly interested and affluent female buyer can see the rationale in purchasing a beautifully executed watch and with an increasing array of praiseworthy horological gems to elicit attention there has never been a better time to be a female watch buyer.

With a growing number of female public figures wearing an Audemars Piguet timepiece, brand awareness among would-be buyers of ladies’ watches should continue to increase and more ladies will succumb to the charms of these ticking GGM pieces of art.

Mozo shares many traits with the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and Royal Oak Offshore pieces she wears.

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THE ULTIMATE LUXURY GOLF AND LEISURE CAR Design. Quality. Passion.

The Garia is a unique vehicle, combining the convenience of a golf and leisure car with the experience of exquisite luxury. Available in

street legal, non-street legal and 4-passenger versions. Book a test drive or design your Garia at www.garia.com

Now available with lithium batteries

THE SPORTS CAR OF GOLF CARS Inspired by the sense of freedom and joy you get from riding a sports car, the Garia Roadster is the closest you get to a golf car version of your favorite luxury sports car.

The Garia Roadster has a strong visual expression. It is the ideal car to bring with the yacht and use for local sightseeing or on the local golf course. Our new model is available with lithium batteries and in street legal and non-street legal versions.

Explore more at www.garia.com

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Swinging on the Strip might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the words “play” and “Las Vegas” in the same sentence. However, there are some quite stunning golf courses just a tee-shot away from the Strip, so grab your woods, irons and wedges and go clubbing with a difference on some of the most expensive and exclusive golf courses in America.

By Peter Ellegard. Photos: Peter Ellegard, Las Vegas News Bureau, Wynn Resorts, Walters Golf and Heli USA

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oney doesn’t just talk in Las Vegas – it positively shouts. America’s brashest city flaunts itself with the same bravado as its buxom, feather-bedecked showgirls, assaulting the senses with its bewildering array of glitzy resort hotels, its dazzling lights, its mind-boggling choice of top-drawer entertainment and restaurants, and its high-octane party atmosphere.

Inside the luxury hotels, the vast lobbies are cathedrals of gambling, resonating to the cacophony of endlessly jangling slot machines and buzzing gaming tables that heave with the faithful, all praying to Lady Luck.

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Finding your way to the guest room lifts involves negotiating a labyrinth through the slots and tables, testing your own faith and resolve. Day or night, the disciples are still there paying their dues 24/7 and hoping their numbers will come up.

SEX IN THE CITY. If ever there was a city on speed, Sin City is it – and I love it, probably because of rather than despite its excesses. Perhaps also because I come from Essex’s answer to Las Vegas: Southend.

Las Vegas even celebrates its notoriety, which dates back to the days of the Mob and the Rat Pack of Frank Sinatra and co. The new Mob Museum tells the tale of organised crime in the city and

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across the US. Sex has always been a big part of its appeal, and remains so with raunchy shows and strip clubs among the alternatives to homely favourites like Celine Dion and Elton John.

The city even sells itself with the brazen slogan “What happens here, stays here”.

Its famous Strip (as the 4.2-mile section of Las Vegas Boulevard through the heart of the city is known) is the hub of the action, although you should also check out the Fremont Street Experience downtown with its illuminated roof displays.

At night, the traffic crawls past the iconic buildings fronting the Strip while the pavements throng with people heading out on the town or watching the free roadside spectacles that include the

dancing fountains at Bellagio, the volcano eruptions at The Mirage and the pirate ship battles at Treasure Island.

HIGH ROLLERS’ GOLF. Yet, tucked behind the Strip and unnoticed by the vast majority of the millions who flock to this latter-day Eldorado rising from the Nevada desert, are two verdant golf courses where you can swap the pizzazz for peace and quiet.

The courses lie at either end of the Strip and their holes are framed by landmark casino hotels, some of which are outlandish pastiches of international monuments. Bali Hai Golf Club is at the southern end, right by the runways of McCarran International Airport, allowing a round before your flight back home.

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The Wynn Golf Course, near the northern extremity, is part of the refined Wynn Las Vegas resort hotel and across the Strip from the Fashion Show Mall’s designer labels.

The course is restricted to guests staying at the Wynn and its elegant sister hotel, Encore. A round will set you back $500, although rental shoes and clubs are included. This is seriously high rollers’ golf. But considering that the Wynn Las Vegas cost a record $2.7 billion when it opened in 2005, and that the shiny Ferraris and Maseratis on show in the dealership inside the hotel cost up to $1.6 million each, you can understand why.

HEAT WAVE. The course, covering 142 acres of prime real estate, was designed by leading architect Tom Fazio, who also collaborated with owner, casino entrepreneur Steve Wynn, on the exclusive Shadow Creek course in North Las Vegas before he sold it along with his Mirage casino hotels to MGM Resorts.

I was fortunate to play both the Wynn and Bali Hai while in Las Vegas for a trade show in late June. Even normally, the temperature at that time of year is searing. During my visit, a record heat wave pushed the thermometer to a scorching 113º F (45º C) as we teed off at lunchtime on the Wynn course.

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LAS VEGAS Besides the oven-like heat, what struck me was how green and luxuriant the landscaped course was: the tee boxes and fairways immaculate, greens as slick as glass and all edged by trees, flowering shrubs, lakes and meandering streams. The course also had some surprisingly dramatic elevation changes.

SOARING BACKDROPS. A challenging Par 70 that tips 7,000

yards, every hole was a visual delight, whether playing with the curved bronze towers of the Wynn and Encore hotels, the Italianate Venetian hotel or the soaring Stratosphere Tower as backdrops.

Memorable holes include the par-4 dogleg 3rd that skirts a stream, the pretty par-3 6th where you have to fire your tee shot over a lake to a green cupped by grass slopes, the par-3 15th hole, with water on three sides of the green, and the 18th, which has a stream flanking the left and a gushing waterfall beyond the green.

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Buggies are well stocked with drinks to help keep you hydrated and forecaddies are assigned to every group, to help give guidance on hole layouts and the tricky, sloping greens.

TROPICAL ISLAND FEEL. Bali Hai, part of the Walters Golf chain,

is open to all with green fees from $179-$349, depending on the season and when you play. I had actually played Bali Hai on a previous visit. Because the early morning tee times were busy, even in June, I had time to hit some balls on the range.

Highly compact, it has netting above and at the end of the short practice area, but the best bit is that it is automated, with the range balls popping up on a tee from under the ground to a height you select.

More open and less undulating than Wynn, the course is peppered with palm trees, water hazards, wide white-sand bunkers

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and waste areas that combine to give it a tropical island feel.

Except that no tropical island course has a skyline like Bali Hai. The holes near the clubhouse are so close to some of the Strip hotels, it feels like you can reach them with a lob wedge.

STRIP SKYLINE. I was staying at the closest one, Mandalay Bay,

and as I looked back from the first green, my temporary Vegas home (I moved to the ARIA casino resort in the huge CityCentre complex for the trade show) loomed large over the course, its golden façade glinting against the cloudless sky along with that of sister property THEhotel and between them the glass pyramid roof of the Luxor casino resort.

Bali Hai’s open aspect gives sweeping panoramas from holes such as the par-3 6th, where you fire your tee shot over the edge of a lake to green next to a cascading stream with desert mountains

in the distance. The 8th and 18th holes give the best Strip skyline views as you tee off, while the view from behind the bunker separating the 2nd and 11th greens is also worth a Kodak moment.

Although its wide fairways are forgiving, water challenges including the island-green par-3 16th by the clubhouse punish errant shots. After a while you don’t notice the aircraft flying overhead at regular intervals from the adjacent airport. Service is with a smile throughout, especially from the friendly beverage cart girls. Allow time to eat in the clubhouse, too. The bar snacks are a meal in themselves and there is fine dining in the Balinese themed Cili restaurant.

OTHER COURSES. Beyond the Strip is more excellent golf. In the

Summerlin community to the north, TPC Las Vegas is a challenging desert course with lots of exposed rocks and cacti and scenic views

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LAS VEGAS fire live-round machine guns, take to the skies for a duel in combat aircraft, drive a high-speed NASCAR racing car or dive with sharks at Mandalay Bay’s Shark Reef Aquarium.

Helicopter tours are a great way to see Las Vegas, especially lit up at night, as well as the awe-inspiring Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam. I got grandstand views of them all on an overnight package with Heli USA, landing close to the canyon rim for a stay in a rustic cabin at its Grand Canyon Ranch after firing pistols at zombie targets on a gun range (I blasted their faces with my Sig Sauer), a horse ride to a desert overlook to watch the setting sun and see the ranch’s resident bison, dinner and a cowboy singalong under the stars round a roaring camp fire.

Rent a car or take a tour to explore scenic areas including Red Rock Canyon, Valley of Fire State Park and Lake Mead.

NIGHTLIFE. Vegas really comes alive at night. Once you have sated yourself at one of the many celebrity chef-owned eateries, catch a show. Besides the star performers, you can see lavish productions including eight permanent Cirque du Soleil shows, among them the water-based O at Bellagio, the Beatles’ LOVE at The Mirage, and the new Michael Jackson ONE, which I saw a preview of before it opened at Mandalay Bay. Afterwards, sip cocktails at an ultra-lounge, the chic late-night clubs that are now de rigueur in Vegas. My favourites include Encore’s Surrender, where guests spill out into the adjoining openair Encore Beach Club in a poolside setting with cosy cabanas, pole dancers and a DJ in a glass booth, the multi-floor Marquee club at the Cosmopolitan, and the long-established PURE at Caesars Palace, where the rooftop terrace gives superb views over the Strip.

With the clubs staying open until 5.30am, you might as well stay up for breakfast before teeing off.

GGM

of Red Rock Canyon that I played on my last visit.

Nearby are the Arnold Palmer-designed Arroyo Golf Club at Red Rock course and Bear’s Best Las Vegas, with 18 holes hand picked by Jack Nicklaus from his 270 designs worldwide.

Desert resort Las Vegas Paiute, an hour north-east of Vegas on a tribal reservation, has three 18-hole Pete Dye designs. Of Bali Hai’s two sister Vegas courses, Royal Links is the most notable; a links-style course, it features replica holes from 11 Open Championship courses, including the Road Hole, from the Old Course at St Andrews, and Royal Troon’s Postage Stamp.

MINI-SKIRTED CADDIES. Casino hotel giant Caesars owns two

Vegas courses, both by Rees Jones. Cascata, laid out through desert canyons near Boulder, is one of the area’s best. Rio Secco, home to the Butch Harmon Golf School, offers golfers the option to book mini-skirted female forecaddies called T-Mates, for $200 excluding tip and green fee (from $99 to over $200).

Shadow Creek is only available to guests staying at MGM’s hotels on the Strip, unless you’re a high roller or celebrity, and costs $500 a round – but that does include the limo ride there and back.

DIVE WITH SHARKS. Vegas has an endless array of things to do when not golfing. By day, you can hit the pool. Mandalay Beach has 2,700 tons of real sand and a beachside casino, MGM Grand’s Wet Republic has eight pools with party cabanas and DJs rocking dance platforms in and out of the water, and Encore’s adult-only European Pool allows topless bathing and its private cabanas come with mini fridge, plasma TV and a sofa.

Shop at stand-alone malls or in themed shopping areas at casino resorts. Adrenalin junkies can get their kicks on roller coasters (there is even one at the top of the Stratosphere Tower), 60

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GREAT CARS

Remembering the

E-TYPE

Angus Davies drives the new Jaguar F-Type around the twisting lanes of North Yorkshire and tries to ascertain whether it is a worthy successor to the iconic E-Type.

Photos courtesy Jaguar Media Centre

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GREAT CARS

The lovely people at Jaguar had selected numerous options for this particular car including seat memory pack, premium leather interior, performance seats with premium leather and heated seats

A

t the time of launch, in 1961, Enzo Ferrari reputedly said that the Jaguar E-Type was “the most beautiful car ever made”. The car has joined the annals of automotive greats, appreciated by the cognoscenti and loved by every red-blooded male with a functioning pulse.

The sinuous form of the E-type, with its long bonnet and pert rear, is simply gorgeous. Despite various models bearing the Jaguar name since production of the E-Type ceased back in 1974, it is the E-Type which is still held in the utmost esteem.

THE SPIRITUAL SUCCESSOR. Under the ownership of Tata,

Jaguar and Land Rover have been enjoying much commercial success, with several new models garnering praise from pundits and public alike. It did not take long for the marketing-savvy executives at Jaguar’s HQ to see the potential in rekindling the naming of models from their past and, just in the way the E-Type 64

GREAT GOLF MAGAZINE

succeeded the D-Type, we are encouraged to think of the F-Type as the spiritual successor to the E-Type.

The overall length of the F-Type is not dissimilar to the original E-Type, measuring 4470 mm, albeit the wheelbase is significantly longer at 2622 mm and the width has grown to 1923 mm. As you admire the contemporary form of the new model, it is soon obvious that there is less overhang beyond the front and rear wheels, and the increased girth provides greater passenger space.

STRICTLY A TWO SEATER. My test car looked resplendent in Salsa Red, proffering brilliance on an otherwise dull day in North Yorkshire. Although the car seemed petite at first glance, it admirably accommodated my large 6 feet 4 inch frame. However, this is strictly a two seater with limited boot space, hence, if you have a large brood of children, or an abundance of chattels, you will have to leave them behind.

The interior was presented in jet performance leather with

Great Cars_Layout 1 11.11.13 12.46 Side 4

The E-Type was always going to be a tough act to follow. Nevertheless, the F-Type is a quantum leap forward in terms of refinement, capability and comfort contrasting red stitching. The lovely people at Jaguar had selected numerous options for this particular car including seat memory pack, premium leather interior, performance seats with premium leather and heated seats. The resultant ensemble was a comfortable and cosseting place to reside. However, the cost of the options may temper the box ticking if you are specifying your own vehicle.

INTELLIGENT VENTING. There is a sense of occasion with many aspects of F-Type ownership. Unlocking the car with the remote key fob results in flush fitting door handles popping outwards, enticing the driver to enter the leather clad cocoon.

Applying my right foot to the brake pedal, I pressed the start button. The rumbling V6 engine immediately sprung into life, prompting the upper portion of the dashboard to awake from slumber, rising upwards to reveal air vents previously hidden from view. Termed “Intelligent Venting� by Jaguar, they are intended to only come into view when required. There is an abundance of

theatrical spectacle with this car that elicits profuse grinning from me.

SPORTS ORIENTED. As I drove on to the open road, it soon became apparent that there was a copious amount of power available.

The 2995 cc V6 supercharged petrol engine produces 380 PS and propels the car from 0-60 mph in 4.8 seconds. Unlike some turbocharged cars, there is no lag and acceleration is readily accessible.

With the black, automatically retracting roof closed, the interior refinement is very impressive. However, those seeking adrenaline fuelled smiles will enjoy the roof down experience more, with the exhaust providing a deliciously rorty note.

My experience of Jaguars is one of exalted ride comfort, wafting their inhabitants in serene splendour. The F-Type is very different.

The seats were firm but comfortable, affording much support, especially when negotiating twisty sections of country lanes.

The ride is sports orientated, providing much feedback and granting confidence when threading the car through a series of 65

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Three models will be available - F-TYPE, F-TYPE S and the F-TYPE V8 S. They are powered respectively by Jaguar's new 3.0-litre V6 supercharged petrol engine in 340PS and 380PS outputs and its 5.0-litre V8 supercharged petrol producing 495PS

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bends. The car felt highly manoeuvrable and appeared firmly planted on terra firma. It negotiated cambers and curves with grace. The brakes inspired confidence, providing much feel and progressively and predictably retarding speed.

The interior does not eschew creature comforts in favour of a stripped-out racing persona. An impressive array of electronic driver aids enhanced my enjoyment. A touch-screen satellite navigation system, Bluetooth telephone connectivity and DAB radio were just some of the highlights.

Venting System” appeared somewhat extraneous.

The excellent steering-wheel mounted paddles offer superb tactility and are user-friendly. However, those fitted to my test car, presented in Ignis Orange, a copper-like hue, along with the stop / start button and a toggle switch on the centre console, appeared at odds with the other materials within the car. Some may argue they add a smattering of visual excitement, but I failed to understand why Jaguar chose this finish. Nevertheless, Jaguar do offer the option of an aluminium finish, which would be my preferred option.

A QUANTUM LEAP. On the whole, I think the F-Type is an exceptional roadster which deserves to succeed.

The E-Type was always going to be a tough act to follow; its legend is still guaranteed for generations to come. Nevertheless, objectively the F-Type is a quantum leap forward in terms of refinement, capability and comfort. Moreover, the design sparkles with zest and innovative detail.

There were a few areas, however, which were not to my taste.

Firstly, looking downwards between the seats, the obligatory cupholder – a must for the US market I believe – just didn’t share the same quality tactile feel as other interior fittings. Moreover, a stylised “S” located on the dashboard trim beneath the “Intelligent

A REMARKABLE CAR. On balance, I would say my criticisms are

GREAT GOLF MAGAZINE

minor and, some could argue, pernickety. Certainly, it should not unduly detract from the splendiferous motoring experience provided by the F-Type.

I would suggest that the E-Type appeals to my generation and those who pre-date my year of birth, because it was an object of envy that many of us aspired to own. The F-Type may well evoke similar feelings in the youth of today and, based on my acquaintance with this exceptional car, I would suggest their covetous thoughts would be justified.

This is a remarkable car, which has taken a giant leap forwards and raised the bar for many of its competitors to now emulate. GGM

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POLAND

POLE

POSITION

By Mark Alexander, photos Mark Aleexander, Amber Baltic Golf Club and Binowo Park Golf Club

M

y first trip to Poland was a memorable weekend away with my wife in Krakow. I returned to the city shortly afterwards on a business trip and was equally impressed, although for different re a s o n s . Wi t h i n a y e a r, I w a s b a c k photographing golf courses, but this time in the north-west of the country where the landscape is rustic and untouched.

Despite the regularity of my visits, my work schedule had taken precedence over playing golf or sampling the finer things Poland has to offer. So when an opportunity presented itself to make my fourth visit, this time in a playing capacity, I grabbed it with both hands.

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THIRTY COURSES. So far my visits had taught me that Poland

had a surprisingly warm climate during the summer and was pleasantly balmy in autumn and spring. The people were kind and friendly, and the local delicacies were tasty and morish. I also knew golf was played in Poland with close to 30 courses being opened in the last 20 years. It made sense.

After the fall of the iron curtain, a raft of former Soviet Bloc countries came online and began to realise their economic potential. Millions of people who had once been denied the pleasures of golf due to its bourgeois connotations began seeking out their own fortunes and were ready to play.

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Modry Las Golf Club

It was clear the country was changing, and I was there to witness it. Although remnants of the communist era remained, most noticeably the architecture, Polish society was moving on, keen to enjoy its EU membership and all the opportunities it offered. Both physically and psychologically, Poland was throwing off the dogma of its turbulent past and embracing the future, with golf being a symbol of a promising new beginning.

MODRY LAS GOLF CLUB. Nowhere is this idea of a fresh start more readily embraced than at Modry Las Golf Club, which is a relatively new but very welcome addition to Poland’s golfing table.

This Gary Player signature course – the first in Poland – is fun and engaging while being distinctive and bold. This is the kind of course where you can’t fail to remember every hole and how you faired on each.

Situated in a peaceful, rural setting, this 7,271-yard (6,649 metre) championship course has been skillfully laid out to fuse on-the-tee beauty with challenging green complexes that test the very best players. Not surprisingly, it has collected a clutch of national awards as well as international recognition since it opened four years ago.

Although I photographed the course shortly after the first tee 69

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POLAND

shot was struck by the impeccable Black Knight, time restrictions meant playing the course would have to wait until another day. I put this right during my latest visit, and I am glad to say I wasn’t disappointed.

PLEASURE TO PLAY. Despite knowing the course from an aesthetic

point of view, I found hitting drives around the grand sweeping doglegs and playing approach shots to infinity greens, which are an essential part of Modry Las, made it a pleasure to play.

There are various options off the tee while careful course management is required if the layout is not to get the better of you. Add to that deep-faced bunkers and undulating greens and you have a proper international golfing test. The new nine-hole course, which is being carved out of a secluded woodland area overlooking one of the resort’s two spring-fed lakes, will only add to what is becoming a very special golf retreat.

“The course perfectly fits the incredible rolling countryside, surrounded by lakes and impressive trees,” says Peter Bronson, the club’s professional. “It is one of my favourite courses in the world and is a pleasure to play over and over and over.”

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BINOWO PARK. By happy coincidence, Modry Las isn’t the only golf course in West Pomerania with stunning views and a challenging layout. The region is the fifth biggest in Poland and is sandwiched into the north-western corner of the country between Germany and the Baltic coast.

Binowo Park Golf Club, which is just 20 minutes from the regional capital of Szczecin, is nearly 10 years older than Modry Las and in that time has amassed 380 members, which isn’t bad going considering Poland’s courses could only drum up 70 active members apiece until relatively recently. The upshot of golf’s limited appeal in Poland is you have the courses to yourself. The term millionaires’ golf springs to mind.

The front nine at Binowo certainly gives you privileged views across the countryside that surround Szczecin. The outlook from the elevated third green, for instance, takes in a stunning panorama of farms, fields, lakes and forests that stretch on endlessly.

The slopes also provide suitable inclines for a series of uphill slogs and downhill drives from high, exposed tees. Although I am not a fan of courses with exaggerated gradients, it works well here.

The back nine is an altogether calmer affair with the undulations limited to gentle inclines and rolling swales. Finding

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Modry Las Golf Club

the right position off the tee is vital with water coming into play on most holes.

BUZZING CITY. Binowo is a fun course to play. It provides enough

of a challenge without penalizing indiscriminately, and the two nines are distinct enough to keep things interesting. More importantly, the club’s proximity to Szczecin means a short drive will get you into the centre of this buzzing city which, more than most, is reveling in Poland’s independence.

This busy port has a long and turbulent history. It is where the West met the East, and where Scandinavians made footfall on continental Europe. At various times it fell under the governance of Sweden, Prussia and Germany and often paid the price as it was passed from ruler to occupying force. Today, the regional capital is in a hurry to catch up with other European cities, demolishing some of its battle-scarred buildings and replacing them with new, shiner facades. Earlier this year, the city welcomed the Tall Ships Race in a fanfare of revelry and excitement.

SPA VISIT. The city also has a sophisticated side, and after the exertions at Binowo and a tour of the city, where better to

rejuvenate your tired bones than at the 2,000m2 Baltic Wellness & Spa – the largest city spa in Western Pomerania? With a gentle soundtrack of shower spray and ambient music, this labyrinth of Jacuzzis, baths, saunas, caldaria, sensation showers and a snow chamber is the perfect place to prepare for the final leg of our Polish tour.

In many ways, this was the part of the trip I was most looking forward to. The Baltic Sea carries with it a reputation of being a more brazen destination than other coastal locations. Rightly or wrongly, I held the view that this was a place of bold weather, where even the hardiest beach comer would be tested to their limits. But the golden sands and massive cliffs that greeted me were a surprise.

As I took in the sunrise, marveling at the miles of clean beaches and swelling sea, my edification was complete when an early morning bather stripped down to her swimming costume and took a dip. So complete was my enlightenment that I briefly considered taking a dunk myself, but luckily sense prevailed and I returned to photographing the scene in front of me.

THE OLDEST COURSE. The previous evening, we had played

Amber Baltic Golf Club – which had celebrated not only its 20th 71

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Amber Baltic Golf Club

Binowo Park Golf Club

anniversary earlier in the summer, but also its status as the oldest course in Poland. Just a couple of miles from the coast, this elder statesman of Polish golf is ideally positioned close to the resort town of Międzyzdroje. Strangely, it includes an 18-hole championship course (Amber) and an eight-hole beginners’ course (Baltic).

We opted to play the championship course and, like the club’s head professional Tomasz Zembrowski, found it to be a game of two halves. “It’s like having two courses in one – the first nine is flat, with water and trees, while the back nine is hilly with heavy rough,” he explains in perfect English. “The front nine is in a small valley, so it is protected from the wind. On the back nine, the wind is much stronger so you have to keep the ball flight low and play it like a links course. Every time I play here, I always find something new.”

We took the novelty of playing Amber Baltic to new heights as my four-ball made its way round this grand-daddy of a course.

Once again, we had the place to ourselves and our host had furnished our buggies with bottles of vodka (which only came into play on the closing holes). The course itself had matured nicely, although like all the courses we visited, the greens were lacking in speed.

A SHOT OF VODKA. As Zembrowski had described, the opening nine holes were a compelling mix of lakeland and parkland designs with a contrasting shift taking effect on the homeward stretch. In the evening light, the course was warmed by the setting sun and it soon became apparent how Amber Baltic had got its name. The illumination was short-lived, but the game wasn’t.

With a couple of vodka shots to keep the chill away, we eventually played out the closing holes in near darkness, enamored by a course that had provided the ideal backdrop for a thrilling round of golf. Indeed, like the nearby coastline and West Pomerania generally, Amber Baltic had dispelled many misconceptions about Poland. It had been fun, warm and interesting, and certainly on a par with more established European Gleneagles PGA Centenary Course resort courses.

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VERY AFFORABLE. Of course, the greatest pleasure of playing

golf in Poland isn’t the warm feeling you get as you realize you will be the first to play these relatively unknown tracks, or the satisfaction of choosing courses that are of a surprisingly high standard. It isn’t even the bliss of playing golf at your own pace without the frustration of making endless practice swings as you wait for the group in front to finish off. Golf in Poland isn’t like that. What it is, is terrifically affordable.

The most you will pay at Amber Baltic is €45. At Modry Las you will pay no more than €36 and at Binowo €15. You can play all three courses for less than €100, which is a compelling enough reason to snap up a budget flight to Szczecin and sample golf in a country less than two hours from the UK. If playing golf off the beaten track is your thing, you won’t go wrong by heading east.

GGM

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ENGLAND

By Mike Kaas-Stock, photos Wembley Corporate and Stoke Park Golf & Country Club

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ENGLAND

Wembley. Club Wembley membership is designed to offer something to suit everyone, from luxurious corporate entertaining to a great day out with your family and friends.

O

n a balmy September evening, I head off to enjoy international football at Wembley Stadium.

England take on Moldova and Wembley have kindly given us tickets to watch the match in the Bobby Moore Corporate area.

I arrive at the stadium and meet up with Karim, our Commercial Director, and we make our way around to the Bobby Moore corporate entrance. Tickets are checked at the door and we are immediately ushered into a plush alternative reality, a world away from the hordes of people lining up at the turnstiles.

A tall, attractive hostess greets us and escorts us to our own

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personal table complete with views of the football pitch.

Complimentary champagne is poured and we relax and take in our surroundings. The atmosphere is as pleasant as it would be in any high standard restaurant; the only difference here is that I can see preparations being made on the pitch just outside. We are soon enjoying our three course meal and excellent wine. Around us are people soaking up the atmosphere and looking forward to the game.

PADDED SEATS. A while later, an announcement comes over the

address system to inform us that the players will be coming onto the pitch in 5 minutes. Our waitress takes our orders for half time

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Stoke Park. As part of membership to the Bobby Moore Club each person receives four rounds of golf per year at Stoke Park, possibly one of the most desirable and filmed golf locations in the country.

drinks and we make our way out of the Bobby Moore area and directly to our comfortable padded seats (no going back to standard seating for me now!) with uninterrupted views of the game to come.

It’s always something special to see a football match live, to see the players in the flesh and soak up the ambience of the crowd.

Expectations are high for England to do well. The match begins and less than twenty minutes into the game, Steven Gerrard has put England ahead. The stadium erupts as fans begin to celebrate.

Watching an England match in such luxurious surroundings is such a joy. Even the prerequisite Mexican Wave seems to be

performed with a little more panache from the corporate section.

After several more England goals, it’s half time and we retire to our table to find refreshments already waiting for us.

DRINKS AND PIES. The second half continues just as the first.

Moldova, although determined, never really get a chance to recover. The game ends with a well deserved 4-0 win to England.

We return to our table to find further drinks and some delicious meat pies awaiting us.

Nobody seems to be in a hurry to leave and indeed many seem to be settling down to enjoy the evening. Music wafts up from

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Stoke Park has one of the finest parkland golf courses to be found anywhere in the UK.

the floor below as the post-game entertainment swings into action. Why rush? We also decide to relax and wait for the crowds to die down before we rejoin reality.

The evening has been fantastic; this must surely be the only way to enjoy a match. All we need now is a chauffeur to drive us to our homes, but alas it’s back to the underground for us. Still, this is not the end of my initiation into the world of corporate entertainment. Oh no, it’s on to Stoke Park for a round of golf!

STOKE PARK. As part of membership to the Bobby Moore Club each person receives four rounds of golf per year at Stoke Park, possibly one of the most desirable and filmed golf locations in the country.

With Pinewood studios a mere four miles away, it’s no

surprise that this has been the scene for such classic films as James Bond’s Goldfinger and Tomorrow Never Dies, Layer Cake with Daniel Craig and Bridget Jones’s Diary to name but a few.

Indeed, we receive word that Brad Pitt is staying in the hotel on the very day that we are here. Perhaps I should invite him to a round.

Stoke Park has one of the finest parkland golf courses to be found anywhere in the UK. The estate dates back to the Norman conquest, but much of the surroundings that you see today can be attributed to two great architects of the eighteenth-century: Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown and Humphry Repton.

INSPIRATION FOR AUGUSTA NATIONAL. The golf course is the work

of the famous Harry Colt and was completed in 1908. The front

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GOOD TO KNOW nine includes the legendary 7th, the feature hole of the course.

This stunning par-3, with a distance of 150 yards from a slightly elevated tee, was the inspiration for the famous par-3 16th hole at Augusta National.

I arrive during a break between downpours, hoping for it to be a long intermission. The course starts off with a pleasant par5. Flat and with a slight dogleg left, it’s a nice way to ease yourself into such iconic surroundings. There are plenty of golfers out but everyone seems relaxed and apart from the fact that I am booked in for lunch later there's no real rush.

I reach that legendary 7th hole which, for me, is worthy of a visit and reason enough to play this course – better make it good.

I aim slightly to the right side of the fairway to avoid the water and am rewarded by landing in the stream that runs out of it. Ah well, it’s good enough to have added another lost golf ball to this iconic hole.

This is a thoroughly enjoyable course and a real test for any golfer. I have to admit that on one particular hole which I shall not mention, I managed to land in two separate bunkers before reaching the green. Well, it’s good to get some practice in with the sand wedge.

FIVE STAR HOTEL. It would be remiss of me to overlook the fact

that Stoke Park has a five star hotel, spa, fine dining and tennis aplenty. In fact, the tennis facilities here are amongst the best in the country with four all-weather hard courts, three indoor carpet courts and six Wimbledon-specification grass courts. This is not just a place to come and play a round of golf but a complete luxury resort with enough to keep all family members happy.

I finish my round thoroughly happy and looking forward to a meal in the excellent restaurant. Even better, one of my fellow journalists is writing this as a separate article so all I have to do is enjoy the food. I wonder if I can persuade her to drive? The wine list does look rather good!

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COMPETITION

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PRICE INCLUDES: • 4 x Tickets to the Bobby Moore Club at a game of the winner’s choice in the next 6 months after the competition has ended (subject to availability). This includes: • Seats in the Bobby Moore section of Club Wembley, situated on Level 1 of the Stadium on the halfway line, right behind the players dugouts • A private table of 4 in the Bobby Moore Suite • Table available 3 hours before, at halftime and 1 hour after the game • Champagne Reception on arrival • 3 course fine dining meal • All beers, wines and soft drinks • Opportunity to meet Legends and ex-players in the room Terms and conditions apply, for details go to:

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ST KITTS & NEVIS

Close encounter It is the smallest sovereign state in the Americas, in both area and population. The two-island country of St Kitts and Nevis in the Caribbean is already a popular tourist destination, but now also set to become a golfer’s paradise...

By Linda Jackson, photos Linda Jackson and St Kitts Tourism

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degree of sisterly love is to be expected between the Caribbean Leeward Islands of St Kitts and Nevis as they are less than two miles and a 40-minute ferryboat ride apart. The Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis, as the islands are officially named, places great importance on tourism. Their different characters and the ease of inter-island travel makes a two-island holiday a very attractive option for visitors.

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Queen Elizabeth II is the head of state of St Kitts and Nevis, where she is represented by a Governor General based in Basseterre, the capital of St Kitts. St Kitts (aka St Christopher) and Nevis have been joined at the hip, so to speak, since gaining independence from Great Britain in 1983.

Unfortunately for the islands, the loss of long-established sugar export contracts meant they had no option but to diversify; tourism was the obvious choice.

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GAINING POPULARITY. Increasingly these days, tourists are looking for a destination with a difference, wanting more from a Caribbean holiday than sun, sand and sea, and consequently St Kitts and Nevis are gaining popularity.

Although neither island can boast many white sand beaches they are, being volcanic, blessed with very scenic landscapes, lush rainforests and incredibly friendly Kittitians and Nevisians.

There’s no need to worry about the volcanoes though, as there

has been no volcanic activity verified in St Kitts for around 1,800 years and there have been no eruptions in Nevis since pre-history.

Rumour has it that St. Kitts is on the up in the golfing world and that its small neighbouring island, Nevis, is making plans to follow. So, to look at the two existing golf courses (one on each island) and investigate what promises to be an emerging golf dualisland destination, I’ve packed my tropical gear to check out if the rumbles in the jungle have any substance to them.

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FOUR HOTELS. After a 4,000-mile flight via Antigua with British Airways, during which I wished I was wearing thermal underwear, I am delighted to step off the plane and thaw out in tropical St Kitts, a lush island measuring around 65 square miles. During my week in St Kitts and Nevis I will be staying in four different hotels.

A ten-minute transfer from Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport delivers me to St Kitts Marriott Resort & Royal Beach Casino. It’s a huge family resort with its own sandy beach and an adjacent jigsaw-shaped swimming pool set in landscaped grounds.

There are 648 guest rooms and suites, eight restaurants, a casino and a championship 18-hole golf course on site – the Royal St Kitts Golf Club.

A PERFECT SETTING. An early evening arrival means I have time to wander around the grounds of the resort before dark. There are small market stalls in the hotel’s main square selling colourful souvenirs and music is playing poolside. The sandy beach is emptying its late sun worshippers, and the gardens are full of exotic flora with fragrant white frangipani, cerise bougainvillea and silver-green palms.

It’s ‘Italian Event’ night and the hotel’s main à la carte restaurant, La Cucina, is closed so I head for the pasta bar. I’m not a great lover of self-service but choosing ingredients for dinner on this occasion was a treat – mussels, king prawns, tilapia, scallops, salmon, chicken, a selection of vegetables, crushed garlic paste and three different pastas. Everything is cooked in a wok by a chef in front of me and with six active pasta stations I don’t wait long.

VIEW OF TWO OCEANS. The next day, I hit the hotel’s 18-hole

golf course with the Pro. It’s a typical resort course, wide and forgiving, but although it’s pretty flat there are some particularly scenic sea views. It’s a Par 71 measuring 6,900 yards from the championship tees; there are 80 bunkers, water hazards on ten holes, and trade winds to contend with that can turn a pleasurable round into a golfing nightmare when they’re strong.

Interestingly, the front nine enjoys Caribbean Sea views while the back nine has Atlantic Ocean vistas; two of the holes run alongside the Caribbean Sea and three along the Atlantic. I really like the back nine, where the 11th is a monster par-5 at 5,591 yards. Here, take time out to enjoy the views of Nevis volcano from the elevated green and, on a clear day, the islands of St Martin, Anguilla and St Bart’s can be seen from the tees of the 15th, a picturesque par-3 surrounded by bunkers and with an ocean backdrop.

CANDLELIT DINNER. With a good choice of dining options on St Kitts, I’m tempted out of the Marriott to the casual Shiggidy Shack, a beach bar complete with fire-eater, bonfire and tables on the beach at Frigate Bay. On another evening, I set off to the elegant Spice Mill Restaurant, which has a fabulous beachside setting at night, with twinkling lights, delectable food and beautiful views of Nevis over the water. I linger over a candlelit dinner as Nevis beckons through the darkness.

Early morning sees me on the ferry to Nevis, where I’m met at the port for a tour of the island. It isn’t a long tour – Nevis only measures 36 square miles – and afterwards I spend some time wandering through gardens at the Golden Rock Inn, where I devour the first-rate lobster sandwiches and rum punch. Nevis is unbelievably laid back, and with virtually no traffic, it’s like stepping back 20 or 30 years.

FOUR SEASONS RESORT. The first day in this little paradise is

extraordinarily beautiful, the sky a rich blue and the volcano peak clear of clouds, a rarity apparently. Then I check into the chic Four Seasons Resort Nevis (196 rooms and suites, 40 residence rentals).

Surely things can’t get any better.

On the hotel’s golf course, I soon discover they can. The views are absolutely breathtaking. It’s a tricky course to play, especially the back nine; up-hill and down-dell, and totally wicked in places with long carries, sloping fairways, and stunning views to distract.

There is a spectacular panoramic view of St Kitts from the 11th, a 240-yard carry from the championship tees across a yawning gully on the 15th, a gigantic rainwater ditch snakes alongside and splits the 17th fairway, and all sense of depth is totally lost on the 18th – the fairway as flat as a board, the green blessed with a turquoise-blue sea backdrop.

AT THE BEACH. Dinner in the hotel’s Coral Grill is sublime, the

wine outstanding, and the company of General Manager Sven Wiedenhaupt, his wife Michelle and Tara, the resort’s Director of Public Relations, relaxingly entertaining. I threaten to move into the GM’s new house with him and his wife. They think I’m joking. I’m not.

My one-night stay at Four Seasons Resort Nevis is hectic, torture. There’s so much to do on-site that I don’t want to leave, the Spa is amazing – seventh heaven – and oh to have time to pamper myself in one of the cabana-style beach houses. I am, however, led astray by Tara to meander down the beach to sample a ‘Killer Bee’ rum punch at Sunshine’s Bar, and a ‘Green Flash’ at the adjacent Lime Beach Bar. Memory malfunction soon kicks in.

THE SUGAR TRAIN. Although Royal St Kitts is the only course

on the island at present there is an Ian Woosnam course (in association with European Golf Design) being constructed at the upmarket Kittitian Hill development, plus a Tom Fazio-designed course planned for the chic Christophe Harbour development – both courses in stunning locations with spectacular views. I also discover that successful ‘Round 1’ funding has recently been announced for the proposed Paradise Haven 500-acre golf and beach resort on Nevis.

The new day brings an exciting excursion: a tour of the island on the Sugar Train, originally used to transport sugar cane across the island, but now carrying tourists through St Kitts’ lush countryside at 10mph. Book in advance; it’s really popular. In the afternoon, I explore island by car. The roads, apart from in Gleneagles PGA Centenarythe Course Basseterre, are nigh-on deserted. What bliss!

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FRIENDLY ATMOSPHERE. The intimate Nisbet Plantation Beach Club is a former sugar plantation which sits idyllically next to a beautiful white sand beach. It was the family home of Fanny Nisbet who married Nelson on Nevis in 1787.

I arrive there in time for traditional afternoon tea served by smiling Roslyn who’s relatively new on the staff. There’s an incredibly friendly and relaxed ambiance, and I soon feel part of the ‘family’. As they say themselves, the historic plantation inn is “not ultra-fancy and opulent, just private, romantic and personal”.

A huge lawn with hundreds of palms leads down from the plantation house to my Junior Suite, one of just 36 cottage-style accommodations. It’s lovely, and very near the beautiful white sand beach complete with hammocks, pool and restaurants.

Meals are at set times, the dining room elegant, the food

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St Kitts and Nevis, for me I realise, is the real Caribbean – laid back, friendly, unspoilt and scenic

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scrumptious, there is musical entertainment in the bar afterward, staff mingle with guests, and I’m so at home I feel I’ve been here for a week… utterly relaxing.

SPA AND LUNCH. Next morning, at 7am, I’m cycling deserted roads and coastal paths with Winston Crooke, owner of The Wheel World. It’s definitely worth getting up for (the hotel can arrange bike tours, escorted or otherwise). Afterwards, I get coated in a citrus and honey tonic and wrapped in foil in a blissful beauty treatment in Nisbet’s Palm Spa, followed by lunch at Sea Breeze.

This is definitely paradise.

My fleeting visit over, I return to St Kitts, this time to sophisticated Ottley’s Plantation Inn. Wow, what a way to finish my visit – in a Supreme Room in a Caribbean Cottage with a wonderful colonial feel and its own bathroom whirlpool Jacuzzi, sea view sun deck and private plunge pool.

I rise at 6am each morning of my stay, make myself a coffee and just sit on a bench on the hillside lawn, hypnotised by the surrounding tranquillity, staring at the distant turquoise sea.

Ottley’s is gorgeous, with just 23 rooms and features its own little rainforest with green vervet monkeys and magnificent trees.

Charming Marty Lowell, one of the ‘Innkeepers’, shows me the rainforest – an experience I’ll treasure. Ottley’s, although in the hills, provides transport to the nearest beach, and there’s also a lovely pool beside the Royal Palm Restaurant where the food is exceptional.

THE REAL CARIBBEAN. St Kitts and Nevis, for me I realise, is the real Caribbean – laid back, friendly, unspoilt and scenic. I love both islands. The sounds of the tropics are mesmerizing, the hillside setting captivating, the views amazing, the accommodation meeting my highest expectations, the West 88

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Indian friendliness heart-warming, and the experience one I want to repeat… very soon – and as often as my bank balance will allow.

As for my views on the golf courses – when the three courses in the pipeline are added to the existing duo, I reckon St Kitts and Nevis, hand-in-hand, will be hailed as an emerging top-notch golf destination.

GGM

GOOD TO KNOW ­

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MOROCCO

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By Mike Kaas-Stock, photos: Mazagan Beach Resort

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I

arrive at Casablanca airport late at night and feeling a little nervous as this trip has been put together at breakneck speed. I cannot for the life of me remember if it was agreed that I should be picked up. The thought of hitch hiking through the night in Morocco strangely does not appeal to me, especially when I’m in my best suit.

I shouldn’t have worried though; there are several passengers

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from my flight on their way to the resort and the complimentary shuttle service is in full swing. Within no time, I am on my way.

It’s very late when I arrive at Mazagan Beach Resort, but even through my sleep deprived state I have to take note of my surroundings. The hotel is truly palatial. The concierge at the front desk, in an area aptly named ‘the Grand Riad,’ welcomes me and in no time my bags and I are whisked

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through the opulent corridors and on to my room.

I am only here for 36 hours and have a lot to cover, but already with the glimpses that I have of this resort, I get the feeling that it’s not going to be long enough.

The Mazagan Beach Resort boasts 500 rooms and a Gary Player course to die for. With numerous restaurants, a large swimming pool, horse riding and water sports, not to mention a

very nice beach bar with comfy hammocks, this is a location that can cater for the golfer and their family.

FAST GREENS. A tee time has been booked for me at 09.30 and so, after breakfast by the pool, I make my way to the clubhouse where I meet Terrance Mohamed, the golf manager. Hailing from Canada, Terrance has been here for several years and it soon

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becomes apparent just how passionate he is about the golf course.

“Take plenty of spare balls,” he advises. Has he seen me play?

After a quick warm up on the driving range, I head off to the first tee. It’s slightly overcast today but this is not dampening my spirits. With the Atlantic Ocean crashing nearby, I tee off. This first hole is a par-4 from an elevated position with a dogleg left, a rather nice one to start with. But it’s when I get to the green that the real fun begins, as these are a real challenge.

I may have done well to reach here with the minimum of shots, but it’s going to take all my concentration to put the ball in the hole. The greens are fast and tricky which, let’s face it, are where many of us come unstuck. I spend a happy 5 minutes crisscrossing the green until eventually managing to sink the ball.

I soon understand exactly what Terrance meant when he recommended I take plenty of spare balls. There is a sturdy type of plant covering the rough. Now, should you find yourself in that unfortunate placement, there are two scenarios. Either your ball lands within the said foliage and sits on top of said plants, or it disappears into the dense undergrowth and is going to stay lost forever. Unless, that is, you have the whole day spare to look for it.

FORE! Upon reaching the seventh I find myself heading towards

the sea again. From the tee, the view is uphill and I can see the flag fluttering in the breeze. There is a groundsman up ahead so I prepare to wait until he has completed his task, but he waves me on.

Now, by the law of averages, when you have someone who has

moved to the left of the fairway – a vast tract of land (the fairways are quite generous) – the chance of your ball ending up on a trajectory towards them would be considered small. But that’s exactly where my shot goes.

Luckily for me, he is aware and to be honest, I would have missed him by at least a couple of inches. I make my apologies and proceed to the green. And what a dramatic hole this is, when I finally stand there. The Atlantic is crashing onto the shore and the spray creates a mist over the green.

The eighth hole runs alongside the beach, a lovely par-4 with a foliage-covered dune jutting into the fairway. I don’t think that I will make it over, so I aim for the gap to the left.

I finish the front nine only one ball down and having a supremely good time. Yes, the greens are fast and tricky, but this is only adding to my fun. Once you know what is in store for you, you adjust your approach to give yourself a decent, fighting chance (even if it is to go down all guns blazing).

SUPERB LOCATION. Being a Gary Player course, you know that it’s going to be good, but the location is quite simply superb and I am thankful for the fact that it’s not too busy today, as this gives me time to soak up the surroundings. The greens are hard but the fairways generous, so what the great Gods of golf giveth, they also taketh away soon afterwards. But most importantly, this is a place to relax and enjoy. And if you lose a few balls, don’t worry, they are in good company.

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GOOD TO KNOW By the tenth hole, the course has moved inland and I find myself sheltered from the coastal breezes – quite a contrast to the seaward side. The final holes on the back nine follow the coast again and add to the dramatic feeling that seems to go hand in hand with this course. I finish my round two balls down but having played a rather good round. I have just enough time to change before I have lunch in the clubhouse with Terrance.

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FEW UK VISITORS. Sitting out on the terrace, with the sun

shining and the sound of the sea in the distance, it’s very easy to forget that I am here to work. (Yes, that’s what we call it!) When Terrance joins me, my first question to him is why there are not more visitors from the UK. “We used to have more when BMI Baby flew to Casablanca, but they were taken over by British Airways and the route was axed. Royal Air Maroc have regular flights from the UK, and now Air Arabia from Gatwick, but nobody really knows about this at the moment,” he says.

“To bring more UK golfers here we just need to get the message across, that Morocco is the perfect destination for the winter and a good alternative to the Algarve and Spain. Furthermore, there is so much to do and see here, as well as – obviously – the golf.”

That afternoon I take a stroll around the hotel and extensive grounds – kids are playing in the pool while parents relax in the sun, which came out in all its glory by mid morning. At the beach bar, some people are chilling out in hammocks while others are preparing to go out on jet skis. My time is fast running out, but I have one more treat before its back to a cold England. Tonight I will dine at the Morjana restaurant, just one of the eight dotted around the Hotel.

DELICIOUS FOOD. The Morjana serves traditional cuisine from Morocco and Lebanon in exotic surroundings. I am dining with Jose Maria, who is the Director of Sales and Marketing. He guides

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me through the choice of dishes. The food is superb; we start off with a selection of platters that includes meat and vegetables. I follow this with lamb and complete the evening with a custardtype dish which is simply delicious.

Sadly, my trip is all too soon over and I am heading off to catch my morning flight. It seems that a small army of Mazagan employees are at hand at the airport to help guests as they arrive and depart. I find myself whisked through customs at breakneck speed and in no time sitting in the VIP lounge with a coffee. It’s a mere two and a half hour flight back to London, which seems another world from where I am now.

So what are my thoughts on Mazagan after having visited this Moroccan secret? Well, I have played quite a few links courses, but I have to say this course is up there amongst my favourites.

The resort is geared up for all types of visitors, from the purest golfers to families and friends. The service is impeccable and the food divine. So when you look to book your next sojourn abroad, consider Mazagan; you will find that here there really is something for everyone.

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TENERIFE

Dogs, doglegs and a few birdies As the largest of the Canary Islands, with average temperatures of around 23 degrees Celsius, Tenerife is the perfect place for year round golf and that's why lovers of the game flock there in their thousands searching of that elusive birdie…

By Clive Agran, Photos: Golf las Américas, Golf Costa Adeje and Tenerife Golf

Golf las Américas

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TENERIFE

Judging by the nomenclature, golf has long been linked to the avian world. The tradition began perhaps with the featherie and was reinforced by such terms as birdie, eagle and albatross. So it’s not altogether surprising that the Canary Islands are proving a popular destination for golfers who flock there in great numbers, especially in the winter months when the weather is remarkably benign.

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However, visitors hoping to see loads of little yellow birds chirping merrily from the clubhouse roofs will be disappointed, as the name is derived from the Latin “Insular Canaria” meaning Island of the Dogs.

It is believed the dense population of an endemic breed of large and fierce dogs was the characteristic that most struck the ancient Romans who landed here back in the BC days. Although the nasty dogs are no longer around, it might nevertheless be as well not to

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climb over any fences to retrieve even a moderately new Titleist.

HORATIO NELSON’S DEFEAT. Possibly kept awake by constant barking, the Romans never really settled in the Canaries and left colonization to the Spanish, who took control in the 15th century.

They encountered several indigenous populations living at what is described as a Neolithic level of technology – hickory shafts and all that sort of thing.

Horatio Nelson, no less, launched an attack on the islands on 25th July 1797 but was hit by a musket ball. He had his badly broken right arm amputated, sustained his only ever naval defeat and suffered the indignity of having his handicap adjusted upwards.

History lesson over, let’s move on to geography. The seven volcanic islands that together comprise the Canaries lie just off the north-western coast of Africa. The nearest to the mainland is a little less than 70 miles from the coast of Morocco.

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TENERIFE Tenerife is the biggest, most populated Canary Island and boasts the highest peak, Mount Teide, which dominates the island and is the third largest volcano in the world.

Don’t worry, it’s a very long time since the last eruption and none of the volcanoes on the Canaries pose an imminent threat.

PERFECT FOR GOLF. The ever-present breezes, year-round

sunshine and average temperatures of around 23 degrees Celsius not only provide a near perfect climate for golf but are also why Tenerife is often referred to as the Island of Eternal Spring. The combination of ideal weather and suitable topography goes some way to explaining why so many quality courses have sprung up on the island, mostly on the southern and south-western coasts.

When you book your flight with British Airways, make sure you get a window seat on the left-hand side of the plane; you should spot the first of these golf courses as you swoop in to land at the main airport, Tenerife Sur. This is Golf del Sur, the first course to open in the south of the island (1987), the only one in Tenerife boasting 27 holes and, uniquely, has every bunker filled with black volcanic ‘sand’.

There are three nine-hole loops – the North, South and Links – and three possible combinations to make up your round. The North has the best views, the South is regarded as the most difficult and the Links is the most popular because it runs closest to the sea.

GRAND CANYON. Impressive, statuesque pines help give definition to all three and there is a Jurassic Park-like quality to some of the volcanic areas scattered throughout. And there’s also an extraordinary geological feature running alongside a few of the holes on the North that resembles a scaled-down version of the Grand Canyon, beyond which lies the airport and an island shaped like Gibraltar.

The club operates a two tee start from eight in the morning through until noon, which is the most popular period. In winter, if you go as a two, you’ll be joined by another two as only four-balls are allowed. If you want a quieter round, tee off later in the day when the course is less busy.

Nearly three-quarters of the members here are British and visitors who fancy their chances are invited to join in their competitions, which are held nearly every day.

Although the temptation is to hang around the main tourist destinations in the south where there is pretty well everything you want, including most of the golf courses, brave souls who venture further afield will be rewarded with magnificent scenery and a better appreciation of what the island is really like.

So hire a car and drive round the ‘ring road’ that circles the island and you will then be able to claim you’ve seen Tenerife.

Go anti-clockwise on the TF1, Tenerife’s answer to the M25, which is mostly two-lane motorway, and you’ll have the mighty Atlantic on your right and the majestic Mount Teide on your left the whole way.

REAL CLUB DE GOLF. Driving all the way round the island takes about three hours but we’re going to break our journey several times to tee up on some really remarkable courses.

The first of these is in the north-east of the island close to the island’s other airport, Tenerife Norte.

Real Club de Golf was founded in 1889 and migrated to its present site in 1932. Not only is it therefore comfortably the oldest club in Tenerife, it’s one of the oldest Gleneagles PGA Centenary Course

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in Spain. Unlike all the others on the island, it’s not next to the sea. But don’t let that put you off because it’s a real gem.

Two-thousand feet above sea level, no less, it’s significantly cooler and, because it enjoys considerably more rainfall, it’s a lot lusher than the others. In fact, with its oldfashioned straight fairways, modest length and almost English parkland feel, it’s an altogether different experience.

Essentially a members’ club, it doesn’t ordinarily receive many visitors. Nor does it bother with a start sheet or booking system, so just turn up and you’ll be made to feel extremely welcome. And if you’ve a feel for the traditions of the game and appreciate golf’s rich heritage, you will surely love this unashamedly old-fashioned club with its historic clubhouse full of glorious mementos and photos of a bygone era. And look out for the tractor (circa 1950) which is now gently resting and rusting close to the fourth hole.

BALLESTEROS’ DESIGN. Back on the road, we carry on

anti-clockwise as the highway progressively shrinks along the craggy northern coast. About an hour after leaving Real Club de Golf we arrive at the sleepy town of Buenavista on the north-western tip of the island.

Like all the others in Tenerife, the course is well signposted and you’ll soon be appreciating the stunning view from the modern clubhouse and admiring a glorious chunk of real estate that slopes gently downhill to the crashing Atlantic rollers. Look behind and the Teno mountain range provides what appears to be a perpendicular backdrop.

Designed by Seve Ballesteros, Buenavista opened in 2003 and seven years later hosted the Ladies’ European Tour.

Seve’s daughter, Manolo, attended the recent 10th anniversary celebrations. A balanced lay-out with six par threes, six par fours and six par fives, scoring is made more difficult by the constant sea breeze which can play havoc with club selection.

There are so many outstanding holes it’s invidious to single out any, but the 10th is worth the airfare on its own, as is the 15th and the… STOP! They’re all wonderful.

Periodically taken down to the sea, you should pause whenever you can to soak in the view and absorb the beauty of the waves thundering into the rocks below.

DRAMATIC ROAD. As well as the soothing sound of the sea, you’ll also hear plenty of twittering (in the old-fashioned sense of the word) from the 30 or so species of birds that flitter about. Although there are indeed canaries, the one to really look out for is the osprey which, when the sea’s rough, will go for the easy pickings to be had in the well-stocked ponds scattered around the course.

Far from being angered by this wanton theft, the golf club is thrilled to feed this honoured guest. Human guests are made to feel just as welcome at the club’s own hotel, which lies alongside the fourth hole.

Although most definitely not for the faint hearted, the mountain road that heads due south out of Buenavista is as dramatic as the course that disappears rapidly below. A succession of the hairiest of hairpin bends lifts you earpoppingly quickly up the side of the Teno Mountains to a height of approximately 3,500 feet where, thankfully, you gratefully level off onto a wide plateau before descending gently onto the western coast road.

UNUSUAL TERRACING. Our next stop is Costa Adeje

(pronounced adecky), just to the north of the lively party

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Golf Costa Adeje

Golf las Américas

Abama Golf Club

Amarilla Golf & Country Club

Centro de Golf los Palos

Golf del Sur

Real Club de Golf

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TENERIFE

Thousand-year-old dragon tree

towns of Las Americas and Los Cristianos. This course was built on what was formerly a banana plantation, which is perhaps why it’s so easy to slip up here! The evident terracing is an unusual but rather attractive feature. Be careful if you take a buggy that you heed the warning signs and don’t topple over the top of a terrace.

Although the fall’s only a few feet, it’s enough to do serious damage.

There are several tiered greens echoing this terraced theme that resemble the metaphorical marble staircase where putting is extremely precarious. Don’t be put off as this is a truly gorgeous course which weaves down to the sea in delightful style and is a memorable challenge.

LAS AMERICAS. Just a few miles further south is lovely

Las Americas, the last stop on our circumnavigation of the island as we’re now only a few miles from where we began. With masses of beautiful flowers, gorgeous water features, generous fairways and super-smooth greens, it’s a thrill from first tee to final green.

Eminently walkable and hugely enjoyable, it’s a stunningly pretty parkland layout that is fairly forgiving but, with water featuring on no fewer than eight holes, it’s certainly capable of drowning your hopes of a decent score.

Ducks, geese and swans add to the delightful atmosphere but, somewhat sadly, the resident ostrich was thrown off the course and into a bird sanctuary for repeatedly nicking golf balls. Now, canaries wouldn’t do that!

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GREAT GIFTS FOR HIM & HER

The ultimate luxury Christmas gifts from Vivid Audio Total sound clarity juxtaposed with

The Nuvati Watch The Nuvati Watch exemplifies the eternity of time. The moon, mars, a space gem and floating diamonds all captured in a classic, yet stylish design.

The limited edition Nuvati Watch is the result of two years of engineering and design. The watch has up to 70 soaring diamonds and a cabochon at six o'clock with pieces of the Moon, Mars and a space gem. Men's and women's pieces are ergonomically designed with a curved case for wearer's comfort.

Bob Gilson, CEO and Co-founder of Zanis & Co. said, “We really pushed the boundaries of the industry with the Nuvati Watch. In the end, we produced a timepiece exactly as we envisioned… a watch that is elegant enough to be worn on special occasions, yet simple and rugged enough to be worn daily.

Our Nuvati Watch is a show-stopper, a conversation starter and wearing one is like carrying a piece of the universe in your pocket.”

This exclusive watch was launched this fall and will certainly be a product that is remembered for years to come.

Men’s Nuvati Watches retail for 900 GBP and women’s retail for 840 GBP. www.zanis.com

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sculptural design.

Vivid Audio loudspeakers are the crème de la crème of audio listening equipment, designed to the highest quality to provide absolute sound clarity. From their flagship Giya range, to the smaller Oval Series, the loudspeakers will transform not only your music collection, but also your home.

The Giya G3, named after the traditional African Zulu dance, is perfectly suited to medium-sized rooms. Each speaker houses a stand and base, merged into the body of the design.

Retailing at £25,500 for a pair, the speakers are available in Pearl White or Piano Black as standard, with bespoke colours provided on request.

Designed by Brighton-based British sound engineer, Laurence Dickie, the unique shape of each loudspeaker reduces sound imperfections to a level which produces perfect audio clarity and eliminates the loudspeaker’s ‘sonic signature’.

From the Oval Series, the Vivid Audio B1 is a mid-sized, floor standing model, retailing at £12,500 for a pair. Every aspect and component of this loudspeaker has been scrutinized and reinvented to create a dynamic and boxless sound. It’s hard to find a speaker brand that will transform an entire music collection, but when played through Vivid Audio loudspeakers, music is given a new lease of life. www.vividaudio.co.uk

DISCOVER VERTU Vertu aims to deliver the world’s best luxury mobile phone experience for its customers by combining expert craftsmanship and peerless materials with innovative technology and unique services. Today, Vertu leads the market that it pioneered over a decade ago.

The Vertu range of mobile phones is made up of three distinct models – Vertu Ti, Signature and Constellation. Vertu mobile phones are handmade in England using the world’s finest materials, with each one assembled by a single craftsman.

Vertu is renowned for its curated services; a suite of carefully selected exclusive offers, content and assistance especially selected to enhance the Vertu customer’s lifestyle. Vertu LIFE offers personalised recommendations and privileged access to experiences and events. Vertu CERTAINTY delivers security for customers, their data and their phones.

Vertu is available from around 500 stores, including 70 Vertu Boutiques, in 66 countries.

For more information please visit www.vertu.com

Let it Rain ...

All-in-one: waterproof, breathable, ultra light, soft, silent and stretch.

Thanks to the combination of the micro 15 denier shell fabric, the highly breathable waterproof membrane and the high performance tricot lining which uses invisible glue technology, this new 3-layer fabric needs no lining, keeping the garment ultra light: great to wear, great for traveling.

So, have fun even if it’s raining, stormy, windy or chilly: WHEREVER, WHENEVER. To find your nearest stockist, visit www.chervo.com

www.chervo.com

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SILHOUETTE Whether on a bright city break or hitting the slopes for dazzling winter weather Silhouette sunglasses ensure style and safety all in on go. They are known for their durable, lightweight yet stylish nature making them perfect for an athletic lifestyle.

These shades provide: • the lightest frames in the world • polarised protective lenses providing equivalent of 32spf for the eyes • a filter which absorbs up to 87% of damaging blue light • 100% protection from UV light There is a wonderful range of both women’s and men’s designs available to suit all styles.

(Available in more colours) Silhouette sunglasses start from £220 each and are available from Silhouette.com

KANGOL Kangol has continued their partnership with legendary actor and golfer Samuel L Jackson for a fantastic new range. It is not only known for its attractive design but also for its P2i revolutionary ion-mask technology which makes every liquid that comes into contact with the material to simply roll off. Remarkably it has zero effect on how the hat looks and feels which is perfect for this country and the ever so common rainy days. Choose from a range of great styles available from Kangol.

Prices start from£56 (Inc VAT) The Samuel L Jackson Kangol golf range are available from www.kangol.com

X7 Lithium Trolley The X7 Lithium is the latest generation of the multi-award winning X-Series from Stewart Golf.

Originally launched in 2003 as the X1 Remote, the X-Series is recognised as one of the world’s finest remote controlled machines. As well as great fun to use on the golf course, the X-Series is a product that will help your game by allowing you to walk the course unencumbered by your equipment. With the X7 Lithium, all you do is walk.

Specifically designed as a remote controlled machine, the X7 Lithium benefits from a low and central centre of gravity and 4 wheels. This balance is complimented by a world leading electronics system which allows you to control the X7 Lithium from up to 50m away.

FEATURES • Forward, left, right & reverse controls.

• 50m range with safety cut out.

• Refined electronics for greater efficiency.

•12v Lithium battery pack complete with soft case.

• Multi-function handle with scorecard & ball holder.

• Folded Size: 31.9cm (h), 66cm (w), 82cm (l) • X7 Weight: 14.2kg • Battery Weight: 2.5kg • Warranty: 24 months X7 WEIGHTS & MEASUREMENTS Folded Size: 31.9cm (h), 66cm (w), 82cm (l) X7 Weight: 14.2kg Battery Weight: 2.5kg X7 Pricing - £999.00 www.stewartgolf.co.uk

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O F F I C I A L AC C E S S O R I E S S U P P L I E R TO T H E P G A E U R O P R O T O U R 2 0 1 3

SHARPEN

REPAIR

DRAW

Precision groove sharpener cleans the grooves and restores their original sharpness. The result is greater ball control and backspin.

Pitch repairer with innovative club rest and integrated magnetic ball marker.

Golf ball line marker. Draw a precise line 360° around the circumference of your golf ball to aid more accurate drives and putts.

ALIGN

IMPRESS

Golf ball marker and putt alignment tool.

Confidently putt through your chosen line and watch your one putt percentage improve.

Set your club, society or event apart.

Add a permanent personal laser-engraved message, logo, or club badge to any GrooveFix product.

10 0 % B r iti s h M a d e • Li f e ti m e g ua r a nte e w w w.g roov e f i x .co m • 02 0 8 24 0 0 527

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An iconic product from an iconic brand For over half a

Champagne Trunk Make his Christmas this year with the ultimate gift for the discerning sophisticate – a highly covetable travelling trunk, filled with a selection of rare vintage champagnes from award-winning Champagne House, Charles Heidsieck.

Launched just in time for the festive season, the limited edition trunk, with its unique collection of Charles Heidsieck wines, will be sold exclusively at Harrods. The trunk and its contents retail for a cool £11,995.

To accompany the two dozen bottles of exceptional champagnes is a range of complementary accessories to serve in style, as this champagne deserves, including a Riedel Champagne Decanter, six unique ‘Grand Champagne’ Crystal Flutes, a statement ice bucket and some elegant Charles Heidsieck stationery. And to top it off, the trunk includes a beautifully illustrated book chronicling the fascinating history of this celebrated Champagne House.

So whether this is a gift for the refined man about town, the dedicated epicurean or a gift for yourself, savour some champagne moments with Charles Heidsieck this Christmas and long after. www.harrods.com

century Hasselblad has been making cameras for the world's top professional photographers. Now, the company has spread its wings and launched the Lunar - a state-of-the-art, Italian-designed, ultimate luxury camera.

With its evocative retro look, the Hasselblad Lunar revives the timeless charm of the 500C through its famous chrome-plated frame, made smooth and supple by the total absence of edges.

The Lunar launches with five different grip styles. Lovers of the sexy, minimalist look can opt for the light and resistant carbon fibre design. Those who seek something totally unique may prefer natural Italian wood - olive or mahogany. Also available are two leather options in brown or black.

However in a game changer for the industry, the Lunar can be personalised to suit the purchaser's lifestyle, needs and tastes, in the same way that a luxury car or yacht can be customised. Models can be designed in gold or platinum and may feature everything from engravings to precious jewels. Priced at £4,400 (ex VAT) for the standard models, the Lunar is on sale from select retail outlets and luxury boutiques across the globe. www.hasselblad-lunar.com

Tom Morris is acknowledged as the single greatest influence in the development of golf.

A talented player, Tom won the Open Championship four times. But it was his commitment to the game, building the first golf course, standardising rules and ultimately bringing golf to the common man, that has meant Tom Morris has helped shape and influence the lifestyles of generations across the world.

Much more than a golfer, Tom Morris was a pioneer amongst men.

Today those values are reflected in the debut lifestyle clothing collection bearing his name. Showcasing the very best of Scottish textiles through chunky knits, sublime cashmere and tailored tweeds, Tom Morris is the ultimate in off-course luxury.

Shop the collection in Tom’s very own store at 8 The Links, St Andrews.

“Angus” Leather Holdall (Hers) Made from the finest materials, this timeless travel bag has two short handles and a detachable shoulder. There's room enough for all of the essentials for a weekend break.

"DONEGAL" Tweed Blazer (His) Like a fine malt whisky, the “Donegal” Tweed Blazer is full of character. Featuring a full tartan lining, this striking piece is soft to the touch but exudes the rugged elegance synonymous with Tom Morris – a truly timeless piece. www.tommorris.com

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COMPETITION

Golf 1 Million EVER WANTED TO COMPETE FOR THE BIG PRIZE? NOW IS YOUR CHANCE WITH THE GOLF 1 MILLION What is Golf1million?

Golf1million is both a golf apparel brand and golf event and was created to give the average club golfer the chance to experience what Tiger Woods or Rory McIlroy would experience when playing in the Masters or The Open. We all dream about playing the final hole at the Masters or standing over a 6foot putt we need to hole to win the Open, but we could never have this experience until now.

Golf1million will recreate this experience for all the golfers that are lucky enough to be drawn to take part in the event.

How to enter.

1. Buy a Golf1million golf shirt online at www.Golf1million.com or at one of a large number of Golf events and Expo’s we attend Worldwide from November 8th 2013 until the middle of 2015.

2. When you get your golf shirt you will also receive a member’s card with your unique number and code.

3. Then you just go to our website www.Golf1million.com and register your numbers and details.

When will the draw take place?

The draw for the lucky 50 golfers plus guests will take place in July 2015 and the event itself will then take place in October 2015, we will arrange all travel, visas, etc.

How many golfers get to take part?

50 golfers will get drawn at random to play in Golf1million, Series 1.

What does the winner of the event get?

Sports most valuable trophy. It is worth $1,000,000. This is a winner take all event.

Where will the event take place?

The event will take place in Las Vegas.

What is the format of the main event itself?

As we want this to be a true test of golf we have decided to have 2 rounds of stroke-play golf. After 2 rounds the top 8 players go through to a shoot-out match-play format. On day 3 they will play the quarter-final and semi-finals. And day 4 will have the final two play for the title and trophy.

How do your shirts compare to the many other golf shirts currently for sale?

No other golf shirt on the market guarantees one of the lucky purchasers a shot at a $1,000,000 trophy. The idea of the shirt is to create a high quality golf shirt that looks and feels the same as the shirts that a lot of the top Pro’s currently wear.

How do you get round the amateur status / money issue?

Under the amateur rules of golf R&A: Symbolic Prizes: “An amateur golfer may accept a symbolic prize of any value (Rule 3-2a). What is meant by a “symbolic prize”? Well, this is a trophy (e.g. a cup, medal, plaque, etc.) made of gold, silver, ceramic, glass, etc., that is permanently and distinctively engraved. So if you manage to win The Open Championship this year at Royal Lytham & St. Annes as an amateur – Bobby Jones did it in 1926 – that replica Claret Jug is all yours.”

USGA rules state similar: A "symbolic prize" is a trophy made of gold, silver, ceramic, glass or the like that is permanently and distinctively engraved.

Where can you buy a Golf1million golf shirt You can buy one online at www.Golf1million.com or at a large number of live golf events and expo’s Worldwide over the next 18 months.

GGM

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IRISSS The Diva of The Fragrance World Haute Italian perfume house Xerjoff is proud to present the world’s most refined Iris perfume, IRISSS, made using Florentine Iris butter, as part of the exclusive JX17/17 collection. This very first collection from Xerjoff is a celebration of six scents, which encompasses a Quartz Collection with handcrafted quartz flacons embossed with 18-karat gold and decorated with rubies; a limited edition Murano Collection finished in 18-karat gold and presented on an ebony base with each crystalline flacon numbered and crowned with Xerjoff's signature stopper; and a Stone Label Collection.

In the 17/17 range you have 3 bottle choices: - the Quartz Collection (these are one off creations with a high price tag, among them the Amethyst Quartz costing £32,950 from Roja Dove in Harrods), the Murano glass pochettes (these start from 550.00 EUR) and finally the Stone Label bottles which are priced from £525.00 from Harrods.

Available from Fortnum & Mason and Roja Dove Haute Parfumerie, Harrods. www.xerjoff.com

Look better - Play better L'Etoile Sport is a high fashion, high function, new luxury golf collection created by Yesim Philip and Hannah Griswold.

L’Etoile Sport promises to bring elegance and style back to golf, on and off the course. Among the first to tackle high fashion performance wear, Philip’s cutting edge vision creates a niche in an untapped market.

L’Etoile Sport’s innovative design and luxe fabrications speak to the designer's high fashion approach to classic activewear. The collection's pieces, each made with superb attention to detail and body-conscious styling are ultra feminine, elegant and functional. The clothes celebrate chic international style and the brand’s philosophy: "Play all day".

L'Etoile Sport's new luxury golf apparel will help your game on and off the course. www.letoilesport.com

The Golden Putter The Putter is the most important club in your bag.

Inspired by this thought the refinement specialists Barth & Sons, a family owned company located in Germany, has developed the world’s most exclusive Putter.

Each putter is built to the individual demands of its prospective owner. The result is not just another luxury gadget, but a fully-fledged piece of sports equipment: From handmade leather grips in cowhide, ostrich or salmon leather in a variety of different colours, to 24 Carat hart gold plated or platinised shafts, or the platinised 24 Carat hart gold plated, perfectly balanced putter head.

Barth & Sons attention to every detail is not only to deliver, but to exceed each customer’s expectation.

The Expression of its owner’s personality is crowned by an individual inlay on the back of the putter head: Be it the owners name or an individual design, each putter is created as unique as its owner. Price €2,395 To order visit: www.thegoldenputter.com

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Dark Grey - 19–3803 TPX Purple - 19–3536 TPX

tommorris.com

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Kick Back in Style with Royal Albartross Golf Shoes One of the most exclusive golf shoe manufacturers in the world has seen its new men’s collection on greens all over the world this summer. Described as “Freakin’ awesome” by Clay Buchholz, pitcher of the Boston Red Sox USA, there’s no one doing quite what Royal Albartoss are right now.

Not only is every shoe handmade over an eightweek period of intense craftsmanship; they’re also highly engineered for complete precision.

Waterproof, breathable and with removable cleats for street wear, a Royal Albartross golf shoe is a brilliant design classic.

That said, every shoe in the range has a very different vibe from your usual golf shoe.

With styles bouncing from a 20s wingtip to a square-toed patent Bugatti of a shoe, there’s a look for any golfer’s taste.

So after Royal Albartross’ grand tour of the finest greens this Gatsby summer, our thoughts are finally turning towards winter. And what do you get the golfer who has everything this Christmas? Start at www.albartross.com and you won’t go far wrong. www.albartross.com

Luxury leather Established in 1922 in the heart of England, Daines and Hathaway, is among the most prestigious leather goods makers in the world. Their comprehensive collection of both classic and contemporary leather pieces has been carefully and individually crafted using premium quality leathers and fittings. The result is a range of items of the finest quality for those who are discerning of style, and demanding of standards.

Golf Accessory Wallet - a selection of golfing essentials presented within a luxury leather wallet. Features tees, pitch mark repairer and ball markers. £59.00 Golf Ball Tube – features a suede-lined leather tube with stud fastening, containing 3 golf balls. £75.00 To see the new Weekender range of luggage made from a beautifully soft yet robust Pittards leather, go to www.dainesandhathaway.com

Keep warm this winter with Chervò The Chervò men’s Moffy jacket and the ladies’s Mirth jacket benefit from the high thermal insulation of PRO-THERM®, which is due to the special construction of the fibres, and the intrinsic volume of the fabric. They are made of 100 per cent polyester with duck feather filling, and the textile technologies used ensure maximum thermal insulation together with minimal thickness and weight, for a light, slim garment offering maximum freedom of movement for any sport activity.

The fabric’s protective Aquadrop coating repels water and stains of any kind.

A breathable and invisible treatment, and other special features, extends its durability.

Fabrics are CFC free and are dermatologically tested.

The Moffy is available in 11 colours, in sizes 36-46. RRP £199.99, and the Mirth is vailable in 12 colours, in sizes 6-14. RRP £189.99 www.chervostore.com

The ultimate golf heirloom The Bible Of GOLF, is a 585 page journey through the history, culture and elegance of the game, limited to 600 highly collectable cased editions and a further 700 uncased editions worldwide.

Created by broadcast media veterans, Paul Skellett and Simon Weitzman, the leather bound and gold gilded tome takes the reader through 18 uniquely illustrated chapters, investigating the past, present and future of golf. It includes over 50 interviews and 1000s of rare and original photographs and art prints, including photographs of Arnold and Mark McCormack, from the McCormack family library.

The cased editions are presented in an archival case created by the Royal box makers, and each copy is signed, numbered and dedicated by the authors - together with a signed archival print in each edition.

The Bible Of GOLF has been described as a ‘book for life’ and ‘the ultimate golf heirloom’ and is certainly a treat that golf aficionados will never tire of having in their collection.

The price for the uncased edition is £850 and for the cased editions £1,250. www.wonderlandpublications.com

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Great Spa

Been in the rough?

Time to relax...

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N t e B Oess n l l e W

It’s ca lle Vegas d Sin City fo tan r a rea so a n d a talizes with shows n; Las devil m , ni hardly a the firs y c a r e a t t i t ghtlife ud t wellne ss and place you th e . I t ’ s rela ink kept its cards c xation, but V of for ega los here to call: La e to its vest a s has s n cities i n the U Vegas is one d we’re o nited S By: D ena R tates f f the top oché, photo or spa s Cou r tesy s.

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as Vegas is the perfect destination to cater to the devil and the angel within. You can indulge in all that the city is known for, and then erase any damage at the wealth of luxurious hotel spas. The Strip is the heart of Las Vegas, and with its mid-strip location, the Laurel Collection at Caesars Palace is the perfect base. This boutique hotel within Caesars is in a private corridor of the behemoth hotel and affords guests sumptuous accommodations, and a private entrance and check-in.

L

WYNNING WAYS. To wipe away the effects of jet lag so you look

gorgeous in glitzy Vegas, head to the Wynn Encore spa for the Fusion Facial. Entering the unabashedly over-the-top 60,000 118

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square-foot spa that greets you with opulent Turkish décor done in creams, golds and peaches, with the hotel’s signature butterfly motif discreetly mixed into the design you know you’ve arrived in Vegas. The stunning decor continues in the locker rooms with chandeliers, rich textiles dripping in tassels and crystals, and lockers reminiscent of old-fashioned steamer trunks.

Arrive early to take advantage of amenities like the wet area featuring two cold plunge pools and two whirlpools. Relax on the Lanconium loungers before heading to the steam and sauna. The Fusion Facial uses Ling products and incorporates facial massage and a jade roller to penetrate the anti-oxidant products even deeper into the skin. It was one of the few facials I’ve had where I noticed a distinct dewiness and glow to my face afterwards.

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PAINT THE TOWN. Now that you’re looking radiant, it’s time to

hit the town. Begin the night at City Center and Sage restaurant at Aria. Gone are the days of the cheap buffets and in its place are establishment after establishment helmed by celebrity chefs. At Sage, Chef Shawn McClain brings his Midwest roots to Vegas resulting in seasonal gourmet dishes that are straightforward and not fussy. Roasted sweetbreads get foodies started, and the Maine Day Boat Scallops continue the culinary symphony. For dessert the foie gras sundae will surprise the palette. Finish by sipping one of the just legalized absinthes.

While you might think it’s the absinthes infamous effects kicking in, it’s not when you check out the latest Vegas Cirque du Soleil extravaganza, Zarkana, playing at the Aria Theater. Like

all Cirque shows, Zarkana is a visual feast and reminds one of a crazy dream come to life. Zark, a reincarnated circus ringmaster leads his motley crew in a dizzying array of acrobatic feats, dance, humor and song. Live performers mix seamlessly with digital backdrops to create a rich spectacle that overloads the senses.

GLUTTONY, GOLF OR GLAMOUR. If you’re going to try any buffet in Vegas, do it for brunch at Bacchanal in Caesers. This 500-item extravaganza was voted the top buffet in the city by USA Today.

Don’t miss the exotic gelatos like fig and balsamic or Thai tea.

Fully satiated head to the Mandarin Oriental’s 1930s Shanghai -inspired spa. Unlike most Vegas hotels and spas that try to one up each other on size, the Mandarin stayed true to its luxurious roots 119

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The Strip at night

Encore Spa Hallway

Caesars Palace Spa Couples Studio

Hammam at Mandarin Oriental

Sage Restaurant

and has carved out an oasis of calm in a city of frenetic energy. The spa is one of only 30 worldwide to earn a Forbes Five Star Award.

The Mandarin experience starts in the waiting lounge where you’re invited to exchange your shoes for the spa slippers as a symbolic way of slipping out of your worries before entering the spa. The 17-treatment room facility whispers relaxation with the amenities designed to lull you into a peaceful state. Enjoy relaxing on special air loungers in the warm pool as you drink in the highrise view of Vegas.

Don’t miss trying the hammam chamber, laconium room and the temperature controlled tepidarium. There are also customized

Cascata Golf Course

shower experiences, steam and sauna and a relaxation lounge featuring adjustable tempurpedic loungers.

UNIQUE SCRUB. You’ll be Jell-O before beginning the Diamond Magnetic Body Ritual. This 90-minute service, designed to eliminate the effects of electromagnetic pollution and stress, incorporates one of the most unique scrubs around.

After a chakra balancing, a mud studded with diamond dust is massaged into the body and removed, not with a shower, but with magnetic tools. A massage with elements of stretching completes the treatment.

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GREAT SPA - LAS VEGAS

If the buffet left you feeling like you needed to work off calories instead of being pampered, spend the day at one of the top golf courses located near the strip and affiliated with Caesars, including Cascata Golf, offering Red Rock vistas, lush fairways and water features, or Rio Secco Golf, one of the most difficult courses in the area. Both are designed by Rees Jones, son of Robert Trent Jones.

SEAFOOD DELICACIES. No matter what you did, you’ve

undoubtedly worked up an appetite. Tonight it’s Lakeside at Wynn, named best new restaurant by the Vegas Hotel Concierge Association. The restaurant is known for seafood delicacies like fresh shellfish, lobster risotto or yellowfish tuna.

After dinner move to the theater at Wynn to see Le Reve, a fanciful aquatics show featuring over 70 performers who move in and out of the one-million gallon pool using acrobatics to bring to life the dream of the main character.

WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE. If Le Reve left you dreaming of

water, get your fill while relaxing at Caesars. The Qua Baths & Spa, a 51-treatment room spa that ushered in the era of big spas on the strip when it opened in 2005.

As the name implies water is central to Qua and guests should indulge in the Roman Bath experiences before or after treatments.

Hang your robe in the “robe sauna” while you enjoy three pools; The Tepidarioum with warm, mineral-rich water, the hot Caldarium, and the cold Frigidarium. Complete a circuit of all three while also enjoying the rain showers and heated stone loungers. If the desert heat has been getting to you, you’ll love the Arctic Ice Room where “snow’ trickles down from a domed ceiling and the air is scented with mint and chilled to 55 degrees.

ULTIMATE PAMPERING. Qua spa offers some of the most unique treatments in Vegas ranging from color therapy, body art featuring Swarovski crystals, and services that launched this year affiliated with the new Nobu Hotel in Caesars. If you’re looking for the ultimate in pampering, choose the Nobu signature experience, the Nagomi Ritual.

The treatment begins with a foot scrub using honey particles to exfoliate feet tired from walking The Strip. An amouse buche of four different aroma nectars drizzled along your spine begins the intoxicating massage where a variety of Thai, Shiatsu, Lomi Lomi and Balinese styles are used to work out all the knots and kinks while increasing joint mobility. The service ends with Carboxitherapy, a new facial technique that uses carbon dioxide to combat aging.

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BORN TO SHOP. While Las Vegas surprises with its concentration of top spas, it also surprises with the quality of luxury shopping that shouldn’t be missed. The Forum Shops at Caesars serves up brands like Dior, Panerai and Fendi, and the newest complex, The Shops at Crystals at Aria, has been called the largest collection of high-end fashion stores under one roof in the world.

Peruse the latest offerings from Hermes, Harry Winston, Miu Miu and Roberto Cavalli. You’re sure to find the perfect souvenir to remember your Vegas vacation for a lifetime.

They say what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, but thanks to your holiday focused on wellness, you’ll be taking home the effects of days spent rejuvenating your mind, body and spirit, and hopefully a wallet flush with winnings!

GGM

GOOD TO KNOW

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Great Food

After great golf comes good food...

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STOKE PARK

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REACHING

FOR THE

STARS It’s one of

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STOKE PARK

It is on a rather damp and dreary day in September that my husband and I, lured by the promise of some mouthwatering food, make our way around a slow moving M25 to Stoke Park. Tucked away in the lush Buckinghamshire countryside, this former country mansion, with its 49 bedrooms and suites, is now the home of a 27 hole Championship golf course, 13 tennis courts, an award winning spa, and of course, fine dining with its flagship restaurant Humphry’s at the helm.

Here, Executive Chef Chris Wheeler has, over the past 10 years, accrued many an accolade for his culinary skills. Yet it was when the restaurant (previously named The Dining Room) was re-launched and opened to the public last year that word truly got out. It took just two short months for Humphry’s to be awarded 2 AA rosettes, and a third followed shortly.

I

HISTORIC GOLF. As we pull up outside the impressive

whitewashed building, the drizzle subsides and my stomach rumbles in anticipation of what awaits us inside. But alas, not yet.

First, we need to justify treating ourselves to such a sumptuous lunch, and a quick round of golf will do the trick. While working our way around the stunningly beautiful parkland course, I cannot help but marvel at the estate’s long and rich history which dates 126

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back to the Norman conquest.

For most of its existence, Stoke Park has been a private estate owned and visited by some of the most famous people in British history. However, it was through Nick ‘Pa’ Lane Jackson’s vision, over a hundred years ago, that it was transformed into a luxury country club, the likes of which had not been seen in this country before. And with the help of eminent golf architect Harry Colt, this beautiful course, which is still rated among the 100 best in England, was created.

LUXURIOUS AND ELEGANT. As we finish our round, the sun finally breaks through the clouds and shows the estate in all its glory. We park our buggy and quickly change into something a bit more respectable before finally stepping into the hotel’s lush interior. We take a seat in The Orangery while waiting for our table, and relax with a glass of wine.

This is the perfect place for afternoon tea and I am greedily eyeing up the next table’s array of hand-made sandwiches, cakes and scones with clotted cream. Luckily, a waiter arrives before I commit an indiscretion and leads us to our table. The décor in Humphry’s is luxurious and elegant. Large windows offer panoramic views of the lake with its iconic bridge, a favourite with photographers, as well as flooding the room with light. The walls are lined with patterned gold

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STOKE PARK

fabric panels and large mirrors, with chandeliers and soft lighting helping to create a warm, inviting ambiance.

While we are studying the menu, trying to decide between all the tempting dishes, we are served a little aperitif: a smoked salmon mille-feuille, which melts in the mouth. And as salmon is a big favourite of mine, I decide to continue the theme and have Confit Salmon Salad with buttered summer pea purée and herb salad as my starter, while my husband chooses the Red Wine Poached Chicken Terrine with roasted button onions, pickled mushrooms and a red wine reduction.

As we wait for our food to arrive, I sip my wine, gaze dreamily out of the window and wonder what life must have been like for the families living here over a hundred years ago, when this was a private estate; Downton Abbey springs to mind. I get lost in visions of beautiful dresses and servants at my beck and call, when I am interrupted by the arrival of our starter and I soon forget everything else and concentrate on the food.

WINNING RECIPE. Before joining Stoke Park in 2003, Executive

Chef Chris Wheeler honed his culinary skills as right-hand man to French chef Jean-Christophe Novelli, working with him in various Michelin starred restaurants: first at Le Provence in Lymington and later helping him launch Maison Novelli. For the past 10 years, Chris has steadily been building Stoke Park’s culinary reputation and at Humphry’s, with his modern twist on British cuisine, he seems to have found a winning recipe. Will a Michelin star be next on the menu? Well, rumour has it that “the Michelin Man” has been spotted among the guests.

For mains, my husband chooses Pan Seared Cod with glazed artichokes, butternut squash and a tomato and red pepper salsa, while I choose Pea, Broad Bean and Mascarpone Risotto with wild rocket and radish shavings. It has been quite a while since the last time I had risotto and this sounded too tempting to pass up, despite

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the lure of pan-fried loin of lamb and roast supreme of duck.

When it arrives, looking pretty as a picture on a triangular plate, my husband stares at it expectantly, obviously hoping to get a taste. But after the first mouthful I know I don’t want to share.

This risotto, with its creamy, delicate flavours so beautifully complimented by the bitterness of the rocket, is definitely going to be on my list of favourite dishes. Well, my husband seems to be savouring the cod, so I don’t feel too guilty at my own selfishness.

FEELING FRUITY. I don’t usually eat much for lunch, but despite already having had two courses, there is definitely room for more and the desserts at Humphry’s are not to be missed. I am terribly tempted by the Dark Chocolate Delice with salted caramel popcorn and caramel form, but decide to opt for Poached Peaches with textures of raspberry.

My better half is feeling in the mood for something fruity too, so chooses to have the Basil Panna Cotta with black pepper compressed strawberries and lemon shortbread. And when the plates are put in front of us by our very attentive waiter, we both dig in as though we were two starving people. The desserts are scrumptious and we finish off feeling pleasantly full, with just enough room for a coffee and some petits fours.

With his passion for sourcing the finest local ingredients, Chris Wheeler has managed to create a menu that combines modern British cuisine with European influences. I won’t be surprised if a Michelin star is on the horizon. In my opinion, it would be well deserved.

GGM Stoke Park Park Road, Stoke Poges, Buckinghamshire SL2 4PG Tel: 01753 717171 www.stokepark.com

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Great Gin

A good round is worth celebrating

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STILL CRAZY...

By Nils Bjornes, photos Sipsmith

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T

he last time I visited a distillery in London was many years ago when I was doing an article about Gordon’s gin for a Norwegian magazine. At that time advertising for alcohol was illegal in Norway, which created an opportunity for some of us journalists to travel around the world making editorial content about famous drinks.

My journey in early October might not have been as exciting as going to the Caribbean to do a story on Jamaican rum, or Mexico for tequila, but a trip by train and tube from Tunbridge Wells to Hammersmith in West London is not in itself totally without some elements of adventure. I’m looking for a blue door?

MEETING PRUDENCE. When I finally arrive at the Sipsmith distillery I’m a bit surprised to find it located in a rather modest, garage-like building on a residential street north of Ravenscourt Park tube station. There are no big signs, just the blue door I was told to look out for. Stepping inside, I’m met by Fairfax Hall, one of the founders, and several of his co-workers. The room is dominated by a shining copper still where a couple of guys are overseeing the ongoing process.

“We have named her Prudence because in this business you need cautiousness, diligence and not least, good judgement,” says Fairfax pointing at the still.

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“Probably not the easiest of businesses to start these days?” I point out.

“You could certainly say that, but the thing is we had been talking about starting a distillery for so long that in the end we just had to do it,” he says, smiling.

LOTS OF EXPERIENCE. It should be said that none of the Sipsmith Boys are beginners in this trade. Sam Galsworthy and Fairfax have years of experience working in the drinks industry, respectively at Fuller’s and Diageo, while Jared Brown, the Sipsmith’s Master Distiller, is a drinks and spirits historian who has developed spirits in Sweden, Norway, Vietnam and the US over the past twelve years.

Officially the production started in 2009, but preparations were ongoing much earlier.

“The idea came to us when Sam and I spent some time in the US,” says Fairfax. “He was working for Diageo and I was taking a business course. It came to our attention that there were a few small, independent distilleries around the country whose products were getting increasingly popular. At the time it was just a handful, but since then there has been a bit of a boom. Today there are nearly 400 micro distilleries throughout the USA. So we started planning our own.”

THE 17TH CENTURY. London has a long history of gin

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production, ever since William of Orange made it legal for anyone to distil spirits in the late 17th century. Because the Government imposed a heavy duty on all imported spirits, gin became increasingly popular, especially among the poor. Much of the gin was distilled in residential houses and by the 1730s there were 15,000 drinking establishments in London, more than half of them being termed gin shops.

The British government tried on several occasions to stop the flow of gin and in 1736 the Gin Act was introduced. This required that anyone selling gin would have to take out a £50 annual licence, an amount small distilleries could not afford to pay. Only two licences were ever taken out and the small distilleries disappeared. That is, until now.

a drink? You’re “sipping” – right? So there you have it, sip-smith.”

HOST OF MEDALS. Sipsmith only make on average 300 bottles a

day, a small quantity compared to the more industrialised competition, but that hasn’t hindered them from getting the recognition that they deserve. After just four years they have already won a host of medals across the globe, from London to San Francisco, and the bottles with the swan neck on the label have found their way to some of London’s finest shops and bars, including Harrods and the Dorchester Hotel.

“The swan motif on the Sipsmith mark is a reference to the “swan’s neck” pipe where the spirit vapour turns above the still, and is a representation of the beauty and elegant of Prudence, our still, who is at the heart of everything we do,” explains Fairfax.

KEEPING THE TRADITION. “Our aim has been to bring back the

tradition of gin making from the 1700s,” says Fairfax. “But a lot has changed since then, not the least the laws. It took us two years to get a licence and part of the problem was they wanted to inspect the still, which we couldn’t have before we had a licence. A bit of a catch 22, but it worked out in the end.”

“Why Sipsmith?”

“My father is a silver smith, and in a way what we are doing is a bit similar. Each item he makes is a little different from the others; so is every batch of spirit we make. Like the silver smith, we also make our spirits by hand. And what do you do when you taste

OLD MEETS NEW. “We passionately believe this is the only way to craft spirits of this quality. Inspired by the two hundred years of London distilling history we have inherited, we balance modern technology with traditional recipes and techniques. We like to think that old meets new and the two get on really quite spectacularly.”

“So where do you go from here?”

“The interest for our products is also growing on the other side of the Atlantic, and next year we shall be moving to a bigger place where we might have one or maybe two more stills to join dear Prudence – I hope.” www.sipsmith.com GGM 133

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All Sipsmith spirits are handcrafted in small batches

LONDON DRY GIN

BARLEY VODKA

SLOE GIN

DAMSON VODKA

A particularly dry gin with a zesty, citrus finish.

A smooth, buttery spirit with a light, nutty finish.

Truly handmade, complex & bursting with flavour.

Full-bodied flavour with warm, plummy notes.

The quintessential expression of a classic, traditional London Dry Gin. Bold, complex and aromatic – smooth enough for a Martini, but rich and balanced, perfect for a G&T.

Distilled in copper for purity, and made from just the best spirit from the heart of the run. This means there is no need to filter, add glycerine, fructose, or any aromatisers. No compromises; just unadulterated, smooth, pure vodka.

It starts with the award-winning London Dry Gin which is then left to rest on wild sloe berries, handpicked in the autumn. The result is a truly handmade sloe gin that is subtle, complex and bursting with flavour.

The Barley Vodka is left to steep with fresh English damsons. The warm, plummy notes of the fruit combine beautifully with the soft mouth-feel of the vodka for an extraordinarily full-bodied flavour.

The Nose Subtle but rounded nuttyness & barley notes, garnished by a hint of spice

The Nose Gorgeous redcurrant and ripe winter fruits with stone-fruit almond.

The Nose Bright, fresh, red fruit notes give way to ripe plum and cherry with added almond and marzipan

The Palate Cassis comes through with soft cherry hints and a rounded fruitiness.

The Palate Vibrant rich plum and cherry notes with spicy cinammon and citrus freshness.

The Finish Velvety mouthfeel and balanced sweetness.

The Finish Buttery smooth finish with balanced sweetness and confident rounded length.

The Nose Floral, summer meadow notes, followed by mellow rounded juniper and zesty, citrus freshness.

The Palate Dry juniper leads, then reveals lemon tart & orange marmalade, before all the flavours harmonise.

The Finish Dryness leads, with spicy juniper & a hint of lemon tart emerging.

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The Palate Elegant texture, an underlying mellow barley note & gentle, luscious spice emerge mid-way.

The Finish Sweet-dry balance with nuttyness & a hint of pepper coming through

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By Camilla Kaas-Stock, photos courtesy of Grupo Cap Vermell.

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MALLORCA GOLF PROPERTY

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MALLORCA GOLF PROPERTY

I

t is on a very early October morning that I, blurry eyed, stumble out of bed to catch a 5.30am plane to Mallorca.

Now, I have to admit I like my beauty sleep, but when I was offered the opportunity to visit Cap Vermell on the north-eastern coast of this beautiful island, I just couldn’t say no. I was intrigued to find out more about the luxurious properties and the resort that is being built there. This is what you would call a flying visit as I will be jumping on a plane back again this same evening. Ah well, the life of a jetsetter…

package holiday at the age of thirteen. At that time I stayed in one of the popular tourist resorts on the south-western coast and I have to say that I really enjoyed it, but it wouldn’t be my cup of tea today.

Luckily we are heading to tranquil Canyamel which, with its picturesque location between the sea and pine forests on the shores of the Mediterranean, is the perfect place for those looking to get away from it all. Here you can stroll along the white sandy beach, go for a dip in the sea, explore the area, or perhaps play some golf at one of the superb golf courses nearby.

PICTURESQUE. The flight goes pretty smoothly and we land at

Palma airport where I am met by my driver for the day, John. He grabs my bag and leads me to a very plush Mercedes and I lean back in the comfortable seats and watch the landscape as it rushes by.

My thoughts go back to when I last came to Mallorca on a

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GRUPO CAP VERMELL. When we arrive at our destination, after about an hour’s drive, I am met by Florentine, a representative of the company, who has taken it upon herself to show me around the Cap Vermell Residences. After a quick cup of coffee, which

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helps to revive me, we set off on our tour. The Grupo Cap Vermell is the owner of the estate, comprising an area of some 20 hectares (49 acres) overlooking the beautiful valley of Canyamel.

Having been zoned for low-density residential development, here there is no need to worry about towering hotels and drunken tourists roaming around. Permission has been granted for the construction of 70 luxury villas, of which twelve have been completed, as well as a luxury 5 star resort hotel, managed by Park Hyatt Mallorca.

THE HEIGHT OF LUXURY. Florentine shows me around one

impressive property after another and I for one am completely won over. The design is modern, but still with that Mediterranean feel and charm. There are large windows looking out onto terraces, gleaming swimming pools and stunning views. There are wine

cellars and even space for your staff.

Every property is different, but all exude luxury and are extremely spacious and light. There are travertine marble floors, modern fireplaces – some of which can be spun around to face different directions – and big bedrooms with glass doors opening out onto terraces.

I am incredibly impressed by – and just a tad envious of – the enormous en-suites, which have bathtubs carved out of granite, as well as rooms that could be turned into saunas or walk-in wardrobes.

Here there is opportunity to get pretty much what you want and of course there is all the latest technology, which can be controlled from your iPhone if you should so choose. The ceilings are lofty to say the least, and in a couple of rooms you could have a Christmas tree that wouldn’t look too out of place in Trafalgar

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MALLORCA GOLF PROPERTY

Square. There is also a 24-hour night guard, so here you will never need to worry.

UNDER CONSTRUCTION. At the moment, the plot which will hold Park Hyatt Mallorca is just a building site, but the hotel is set to be completed in 2016 and will have a luxurious Spa and Country Club, where residents will be treated as VIP guests. There will also be restaurants and a bakery, so plenty of culinary delights to keep your tummy happy.

Golf lovers will find four excellent golf courses nearby, among them Canyamel Golf, a Par 73, 18 hole golf course created by specialist architect José Gancedo in 1988. The picturesque course has fast, undulating greens with several challenging holes, and as many of the villas overlook it, you can sit on your terrace and enjoy the view while contemplating your next game. Another reassuring aspect is that the villas are built in a protected area of natural beauty, so basically, what you see is what you get.

the sea. I watch the people on the beach and suddenly realize that for some insane reason I didn’t think to bring my swimming costume, but as the food starts arriving I soon forget my woes.

There are olives and fresh bread, followed by jamón Ibérico de bellota – a ham from acorn-fed pigs which tastes incredible. For my main I decide upon grilled white fish and vegetables and we finish the meal with some fantastic homemade ice-cream.

PRETTY SPECIAL. With my stomach full and happy, it is unfortunately time for me to think about leaving, but not before I dip my toes in the Mediterranean, so I take my shoes off and stroll along the white sand with the water lapping at my feet.

What a wonderful spot this is – such a shame I don’t have more time to explore.

I would have liked to visit the historic town of Artà and the amazing caves I can see from the beach, but alas it will have to wait until next time. Earlier, while Florentine showed me around the luxurious properties, I couldn’t help but fall in love with one A FEAST. After showing me around, Florentine says it’s time for of them. Sadly, I don’t think my bank account is quite up to it, a bite to eat and my stomach rumbles in agreement, so we wander with prices starting at a cool 2.5 million Euros. down to the very charming Cap Vermell Beach Hotel, which lies For those who can afford it and are looking for an investment, on a cliff above the sea. This is a small, friendly hotel with just Cap Vermell is definitely something pretty special. As for the mere eleven rooms, which also happens to house one of the area’s best mortals among us, we can still come here, stay at the little hotel restaurants, “Vintage 1934,” famous for its seafood. on the beach or in Park Hyatt Mallorca, and enjoy the area’s Old Course St. Andrews Scotland 1891 It’s a beautiful day so we choose a table outside on the terrace unspoilt beauty and tranquillity.

GGM with great views over the bay and a gentle breeze coming in from www.grupocapvermell.com

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communal droom Villas with Luxur y 2 and 3 be ol from 130000€ po ng mi im sw

For the discer ning buyer the Course 1, 10 minutes from 279,600€

nds of this within the grou d tennis artments set an A choice of ap âteau with swimming pool picturesque ch urts from 100000€ co

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TURKEY GOLF PROPERTY

Villa Belek • Located on the Turkish Riviera, Villa Belek delivers sweeping views across sandy beaches to the crystal sea beyond. The famous Lykia Links Golf Club is situated alongside the spacious 2 bedroom villa, allowing quick and easy access to this unique, stunning golf complex.

The centerpiece of which is an 18 hole championship links course designed by celebrated golf architect Perry Dye. The course is one of the finest in Turkey and is a must visit for dedicated golf enthusiasts.

A l l 1 8 h o l e s o n t h e Pa r 7 2 c o u r s e h a ve commanding panoramic views of the sea to the south and the surrounding mountain peaks. But try not to let the scenery distract you; the prevailing winds on the four coastline holes will challenge even the most adept golfers, often requiring Scottish-style 'punch and run' shots. In fact, the whole course represents a test of ability and nerve for golfers of all skill levels.

Villa Belek provides the ideal place to relax after a challenging round. With private indoor and outdoor pools, private sauna and free and easy access to the all inclusive spa, tired minds and aching muscles can be refreshed and reinvigorated at this charming property.

On top of this, the villa boasts spacious living areas and balconies overlooking the manicured gardens to the coastline beyond.

With a long list of amenities including a private butler, concierge service, air-conditioning, Espresso machine, TV/DVD, stereo and a Minibar, Villa Belek puts the ‘luxury’ into luxury golf holiday.

Rates from just €6,650 per week.

Please quote ‘Great Golf’ Contact: Quintessentially Villas www.quintessentiallyvillas.com Email: info@quintessentiallyvillas.com Contact Telephone Number: +44 (0)845 269 6673 Property link: www.quintessentiallyvillas.com/villas/25352

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Villa Belek provides the ideal place to relax after a challenging round.

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Home Report Valuation £430,000 Offers over £420,000

DESCRIPTION

LOCATION

EXTERNALLY

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Great Golf Guide

A selection of outstanding courses - at home and abroad...

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Scotland

TURNBERRY RESORT V VERVIEW: E R V I E W Turnberry, an icon of Scottish hospitality and home of four Open Championships, has been treasured for more than a hundred years. Turnberry Resort is part of Starwood’s acclaimed Luxury Collection portfolio following a multi-million pound restoration in 2009.

LOCATION: West coast of Scotland. Approximately 55 miles (one hour) from Glasgow Airport, 25 miles (30 minutes) from Glasgow Prestwick Airport, and 100 miles from Edinburgh Airport.

ROOMS: A total of 150 rooms, including four Specialty Suites and four eight-bedroom lodges. Eight newly renovated Lands of Turnberry self-catering apartments are also located in the heart of the resort.

GOLF: Turnberry offers some of the best golf facilities in the world, with 45 holes of magnificent golf, the world’s first links golf academy and a sociable Clubhouse.

The 18-hole Ailsa championship course – venue for The Open Championship in 1977, 1986, 1994 and 2009 and consistently ranked as the UK and Ireland’s top golf course.

O

The 18-hole Kintyre championship course – a final qualifying course for The Open Championship in 2004.

The 9-hole Arran course – used as a teaching course by Turnberry’s Colin Montgomerie Links Golf Academy.

Scotland’s first and only TaylorMade Performance Lab. THE SPA AT TURNBERRY: Featuring an inviting 20-metre indoor pool, eleven individual treatment rooms, fitness studio, heat experiences and pool-side Jacuzzi and offering a range of treatments by ESPA including reflexology and hot stone massage.

CUISINE: Turnberry has six restaurants, bars and lounges – the signature restaurant 1906, Duel in the Sun bar, The Ailsa Bar & Lounge, James Miller and The Grand Tea Lounge. In the heart of the Turnberry kitchens is the ultimate dining experience, The Turnberry Chefs Table. Turnberry also boasts the Tappie Toorie restaurant, which is situated in the Clubhouse.

OUTDOOR PURSUITS: Rifle target shooting, clay target shooting, 4x4 off-road driving, trout fishing, archery, quad biking, falconry, horse riding, all-terrain carting, mountain biking and children’s activities.

CONTACT

TURNBERRY, A LUXURY COLLECTION RESORT, Maidens Road, Ayrshire, KA26 9LT, (0)1655 331 991 www.luxurycollection.com/turnberry • turnberry@luxurycollection.com

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Scotland

KINGSBARNS GOLF LINKS ocated just seven miles south-east of St Andrews Kingsbarns is a must-play seaside links course which regularly features in top 100 golf course rankings in the world. Designed by Kyle Phillips, the golf course opened in 2000 and is set in an amphitheatre along the coast line, so nearly every hole boasts spectacular views of the sea. At 7,181 yards from the championship tees, Kingsbarns is a formidable enough test to be included in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship rota each autumn alongside the Old Course, St. Andrews and Carnoustie Golf Links.

Kingsbarns prides itself on excellent customer service and great accessibility of tee times. As Kingsbarns does not operate a membership programme, visiting golfers are each treated like members for the day, with staff on hand to ensure that they each enjoy the golfing experience which the team at Kingsbarns are so proud of.

L

Kingsbarns Golf Links offers an unforgettable golfing experience, which is proving increasingly popular with the corporate market. Companies are using it as a venue for both large and small groups when they really want to make a favourable impression with clients or show their appreciation to valued members of staff.

Our proximity to St Andrews and a wide range of accommodation providers makes us a no hassle venue to book.

With two five star hotels, The Old Course Hotel Golf Resort and Spa and The Fairmont, St Andrews on our doorstep along with a choice of 4 and 3 star hotels, there are accommodation offerings for every budget.

There is an extensive range of flight options from London to Edinburgh (1hr 20 minutes from St Andrews) and CityJet fly from London City to Dundee (20 minutes from St Andrews) offering a no charge for your clubs option.

CONTACT

KINGSBARNS GOLF LINKS, Kingsbarns, St. Andrews, Scotland, +44 (0)1334 460861 E-mail: info@kingsbarns.com • www.kingsbarns.com

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Scotland

T H E D U K ES S t A N D R E W S he Duke’s is the only heathland course in St Andrews daring to be different amongst the famous list of links courses, including of course the Old Course, in the Home of Golf. The Duke’s rolling terrain and elevated position above St Andrews provides spectacular panoramas of the surrounding countryside, The Grampians, the West Sands and the “Auld Grey Toon”. Moreover the sheltered inland location of the course offers a welcome respite from the blustery, sometimes brutal linksexperience elsewhere in the location.

Owned like the Old Course Hotel, Golf Resort & Spa by the Kohler Co., The Duke’s was originally designed by five-time Open Champion Peter Thomson and was officially opened by HRH Prince Andrew, Duke of York, in 1995. However American Tim Liddy, a protégé of distinguished golf course designer Pete Dye, remodeled The Duke’s in June 2006 transforming it into a majestic layout reminiscent of the true heathland courses of the 1920s.

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It now boasts five completely new holes and the addition of 118 natural, rough-edged bunkers. The championship course now measures 7512 yards and is a Par 71 that offers a set of five tees on each hole, making it a challenge for golfers of every standard.

The Duke’s Clubhouse offers five-star service and a warm Scottish welcome in relaxed surroundings. Amenities include The Duke’s Bar & Grill, a traditional wood-panelled bar and restaurant with a terrace overlooking the course for al fresco dining on warm days, The Captains’ Room for private dining or meetings, a well stocked Pro Shop and equipment hire.

It also boasts comprehensive practice facilities that include a large practice range, extensive putting green, two practice par-3 holes and a chipping/bunker area. The Duke’s was recently voted the ‘Best Club in the UK’ by the Golf Club of the Year Awards and in 2008 & 2010, Golf World magazine included The Duke’s course in its Top 100 Courses in the UK. Today the course is very much on many players “must-play” list.

CONTACT

THE DUKE’S ST ANDREWS, Craigtoun, St Andrews, Fife, Scotland KY16 8NS. Contact: Alan McColm, Golf Coordinator T: 01334 470214, Green Fee Summer £115/Winter £55 www.playthedukes.co.uk • alan.mccolm@oldcoursehotel.co.uk

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Scotland

THE GLENEAGLES HOTEL et in its own magnificent 850-acre estate, The Gleneagles® Hotel 5 Red Star resort is only one hour’s drive from both Glasgow and Edinburgh and is a byword for style, elegance and comfort. Gleneagles offers 3 championship golf courses set in the heart of the stunning Perthshire countryside. The King’s and the Queen’s are both top Scottish Championship courses, whilst The PGA Centenary has been chosen to host the 2014 Ryder Cup Matches.

The golf courses were the inspiration of two of the world's most famous golfers, James Braid, five times winner of the Open Championship who designed the King's and Queen's, and Jack Nicklaus, Golfer of the 20th Century, who created the PGA Centenary Course.

As well as playing great courses at Gleneagles golfers can also brush up their skills at The PGA National Golf Academy that offers tuition for all abilities, beginner to scratch player, and a 320-yard double ended driving range. For those who want to

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practice what they have learnt but are not quite ready to take on an 18-hole championship course, they can make the progression to the testing but fun 9-hole par 3 PGA National Academy Course.

Once golf is over you can retire to the newly refurbished Dormy Clubhouse facilities, and rue the lipped putts and toast the holed chips while enjoying food and drink of a quality that no-one can argue with, all while looking out over the 18th greens of the King’s and Queen’s courses.

As well as golf, there are a host of outdoor activities including riding, fishing, off road driving, falconry, shooting, archery and gun dog lessons.

To relax further there’s an award-winning destination spa

by ESPA with all the latest therapeutic treatments, as well as a range of bars and restaurants, including the Two Michelin starred Andrew Fairlie. Gleneagles is a sanctuary from the modern world, offering the best of Scotland every day of the year.

CONTACT

THE GLENE AGLE S HOTEL, Auchterarder, Perthshire, PH3 1NF, Tel +44 (0) 1764 662231 www.gleneagles.com • resort.sales@gleneagles.com

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Scotland

DUNDONALD LINKS he West coast of Scotland is famous for its stunning championship links and Dundonald sits right up there alongside the very best of them.

Opened in 2003, this modern day classic links was inspired by the timeless architecture of the great Ayrshire links courses of Royal Troon, Prestwick and Western Gailes, all connected by the historic rail line. Acclaimed architect, Kyle Phillips, also known for Kingsbarns and The Grove, intimated from the outset that it was his intention “to create a championship Ayrshire links that felt and played as though it was an old, rediscovered course.” The course is featured in the Top 100 in UK and Ireland.

Dundonald Links is now recognized as one of Europe’s “must play” links having played host to a number of professional and amateur tournaments, including pre-qualifying for the European Tour for four consecutive years and the Senior British Open Championship.

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The course is located at the very heart of Ayrshire’s golf coast, just 10 minutes from Prestwick Airport, half an hour from Glasgow, and an hour and a half from Edinburgh Airport, A wide selection of accommodation to suit all budgets can be recommended within easy reach, including the 4 star Gailes Hotel on its doorstep, and the 5 star Turnberry Resort.

Players can benefit from good accessibility to weekend teetimes and a new online booking system now ensures you can book in advance and guarantee the best rates and availability.

Owned by Loch Lomond Golf Club, the course is renowned for its exceptional standards of service and a warm welcome awaits. A team of PGA Professionals will co-ordinate group golf days to suit your individual requirements whether it’s to impress clients or simply for pleasure.

The course is proud to be recognized for its best environmental practices and recently achieved its goal of zero waste to landfill, the first in the country to achieve this status.

CONTACT

DUNDONALD LINKS, Ayrshire, Scotland T: +44 (0)1294 314000 E: reservations@dundonaldlinks.com • www.dundonaldlinks.com

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Scotland

MURRAYSHALL HOUSE HOTEL & GOLF COURSES urrayshall Hotel is the home to both the Murrayshall and the Lynedoch Golf Courses, two prestigious but very different eighteen hole courses, providing a hugely enjoyable challenge for all golfers.

The Murrayshall course meanders through tree lined fairways, undulated parkland and has several natural burns which have been used to protect the large greens. The introduction of the white sand bunkers which are a feature of the Murrayshall course lie in waiting for errant shots. In creating Lynedoch the course designer made great use of the existing Scots pine woodland, utilising the wild flower meadows and carved a real wee gem of a course.

Both courses are a real contrast to one another - Murrayshall the wider, longer course requires length and accuracy from the tee shot, this will allow golfers the opportunity to approach greens from the correct angle, widening the view of the pin. Lynedoch

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however is shorter but no less a challenge, tighter fairways, bracken filled gullies and tall Scots Pine trees narrow the golfer’s view of fairways and greens.

With two different golf courses, both set out to a fabulous standard of play, the courses have attracted national and international events over the years. Currently the home to the Paul Lawrie Scottish Schools Championship Murrayshall and Lynedoch have also hosted PGA events along with SGU National Finals and most recently was the Inaugural Scottish venue for the Sky Sports Trilby Tour.

Murrayshall also gives our resident golfers the chance to visit the famous courses of St Andrews, Kingsbarns, Carnoustie and Gleneagles, which are all within short driving distance of the hotel.

With so much on offer to keen golfers of all levels, it’s no surprise that Murrayshall House Hotel has become renowned as a provider of top quality golfing breaks and golf days out in the historic home of golf.

CONTACT

MURRAYSHALL HOUSE HOTEL & GOLF COURSES, Scone, Perth, Scotland, PH2 7PH, +44 (0)1738 551171 sales@murrayshall.co.uk • www.murrayshall.co.uk

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England

SAUNTON GOLF CLUB wo of links golf’s most precious gems are set in the remote shadows of the towering sand dunes of Braunton Burrows at Saunton Golf Club in North Devon, less than half a mile from the Atlantic Ocean. When the club was inaugurated in 1897 its clubhouse doubled up as the local post office, yet now its two championship courses, East and West, are considered among the greatest links in the world.

The basis for the present East Course was laid out under the direction of the renowned course architect W. Herbert Fowler in the 1920’s. A completely natural layout set amid the spectacular sand hills, the East Course provides a peaceful environment with only the sound of the sea for company as well as a great test of golf for players of all standards.

The West course is also an exceptional challenge in its own right and it was here in 1997 that a 17-year-old Sergio Garcia

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won the British Boys Championship, just two years before making his Ryder Cup debut. Indeed over the years Saunton has played host to many major national and international championships during its 113- year history.

The East Course will host the South West Amateur Championships and West of England Championships in 2011 whilst the West course will be used in 2012 by the English Golf Union for the Mid Amateur Championships, Logan Trophy.

England’s most successful modern day golfer, Nick Faldo, has been one of Saunton’s many fans since playing here as a boy. The multiple major winner once said of Saunton’s East Course, "I've no doubt if the East Course were located on the coast of Lancashire or Kent it would have hosted an Open Championship by now." Saunton, a member of the England’s Atlantic Links golf network, is easily accessible via the M5 and A361.

CONTACT

SAUNTON GOLF CLUB, Nr Braunton, North Devon EX33 1LG Contact: Peter McMullen T: 01271 812436. Green fee £74 weekdays/£79 weekends www.sauntongolf.co.uk • gm4@sauntongolf.co.uk

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Golf

Golf

Hotel Hotel

Spa Spa

Restaurant Restaurant

Resort Resort

enjoy your game

discover the italian lifestyle

take your time

tasting delights

living in paradise

Live the emotion of Italian Style Enjoy your “Full immersion” in the world of GOLF! It is the virtuous combination of antique and modern that makes the Chervò Golf Hotel Restaurant Spa & Resort San Vigilio so unique. Our efficient services and features work in partnership with nature, comfort and enhancement of your body and spirit on your quest for wellness and relaxation.

Our resort is in Pozzolengo, just south of Lake Garda, between Sirmione and Desenzano, in the center of the most important cities in northern Italy. At its heart is the ancient Benedictine abbey

of San Vigilio built in 1104. New buildings and historic residences have been constructed around the abbey in a harmonious fusion of line and form, providing facilities for the hotel, restaurant, spa, resort and the 36-holes golf course.

AIRPORT CONNECTION: VERONA 18 KM - BERGAMO 58 KM - MILANO/VENEZIA 120 KM. Transfer from/to airports - On request.

Chervò Golf Hotel Spa & Resort San Vigilio

Special Packages for your stay

N. 1 ITALY GOLF DESTINATION

N. 1 ITALY GOLF DESTINATION

TOP 20 GOLF & HOTEL RESORT IN THE WORLD

TOP 20 GOLF & HOTEL RESORT IN THE WORLD

Loc. San Vigilio, 1 - 25010 Pozzolengo (Bs) Lago di Garda - Italy Tel +39 030 91 801 - Fax +39 030 91 80 999

Investment opportunity Direct Sale N. 1 ITALY GOLF DESTINATION

TOP 20 GOLF & HOTEL RESORT IN THE WORLD

info@chervogolfsanvigilio.it www.chervogolfsanvigilio.it

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England

St ENODOC GOLF CLUB ornwall’s St Enodoc, designed by celebrated golf course architect James Braid, is a sparkling jewel of links golf in South West England that once trodden, is never forgotten. Founded in 1890, it boasts a magnificent setting amongst the rolling sand dunes and exposed cliff tops that overlook the Camel Estuary and the dramatic coastline of the North Atlantic ocean giving it some of the greatest sea and estuary views of any course in the world. Indeed St Enodoc prides itself on its stunning panoramas over the water that can be seen from every single hole.

St Enodoc’s Church Course is so called because of the 11th century Norman Church that was uncovered from amongst the sand dunes in Victorian times in the middle of the course at the bottom of the winding 10th hole. This is where the Poet Laureate John Betjeman lies following a lifelong love of Cornwall and the golf course. The undulating track that trails the natural contours

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of the landscape has no two holes the same and is world renowned for its towering Himalaya bunker - reputedly the tallest bunker in Europe - that entirely blocks golfers’ view of the 6th green from all but a slither of fairway.

Testament to the quality of the course St Enodoc, one of the most charming championship links courses in England, has played host to top amateur events including the English Ladies Amateur Championship in 1993 & 2002 and the English Counties Championship in 1989 & 2005. Over the years, the charm of St Enodoc and its history has lured a host of legendary Open Champions to its fairways including James Braid of course, Henry Cotton, Jim Barnes and Tom Watson which has added to the prestige of this exceptional course. The club offers excellent practice facilities complete with driving range, two putting greens and two PGA coaching professionals and recently invested heavily in a new short game practice area, a new target green on the range and a new covered bay facility.

CONTACT

ST ENODOC GOLF CLUB, Rock, Wadebridge, Cornwall PL27 6LD Contact: Tuck Clagett T: 01208 863216. Green Fee £67 www.st-enodoc.co.uk • tuck.clagett@st-enodoc.co.uk

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England

BURNHAM & BERROW GOLF CLUB omerset’s Burnham & Berrow Golf Club is a fine example of a classic English links course that offers a superb challenge to golfers of all abilities. Founded in 1890, the championship layout is particularly noted for its distinct sand hills that form stubborn, natural obstacles along with the buckthorn and even a marsh mid-way through a round that golfers are advised to avoid.

As with all links golf the challenging factor is the wind and its unpredictability, which means that the course can play differently almost every day. The prevailing south westerly winds that whip in from the dramatic backdrop of the North Atlantic Coast and along the Bristol Channel ensure that golfers are treated to a links challenge that is not for the faint hearted. The greens are renowned as true and quick and the temperate coastal location means that the course is guaranteed to be in good condition all year round. Excellent drainage due to the sandy subsoil ensures that the course is rarely, if ever, closed.

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The nature of the course demands that you use almost every club in the bag, ensuring that the experience is both memorable and challenging.The course has evolved over the decades but today’s layout is largely the work of Harry Colt. The club’s first professional was the legendary JH Taylor, five times an Open champion, who played an important part in development of the playing side of the club and once described the course as “one of the most sporting courses conceivable”.

Burnham & Berrow has hosted a string of prestigious amateur tournaments from as early as 1906 when it staged the Ladies British Open Amateur Championship. More recently it has been proud to be chosen as the venue for the 2006 English Amateur Championship and the 2009 Tillman Trophy. In 2011 it will be the host venue for The Brabazon Trophy as well as the British Boys Championship. Conveniently located just off the M5 in Burnham-on-Sea, Burnham & Berrow is part of the England’s Atlantic Links golf network.

CONTACT

BURNHAM & BERROW GOLF CLUB, St Christopher’s Way, Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset TA8 2PE Michael Blight T: 01278 785760. Green fee £70 www.burnhamandberrowgolfclub.co.uk • secretary.bbgc@btconnect.com

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: Thracian Cliffs Golf Course

golf in bulGaria “experience the magic”

: Blacksearama Golf Course

Stay and play the great golf courses in Cape Kaliakra on the Black Sea where all three venues offer wonderful clifftop vistas of the ocean.

Two masterpieces by Gary Player which complement each other perfectly, Blacksearama and Thracian Cliffs – also adjacent to the Ian Woosnam Links which boasts the best hotel in the region, the Lighthouse Golf & Spa Resort.

Gary Player has actually stated that Thracian Cliffs, which he designed and has hosted the World Match Play in 2013, is one of the most dramatic and exhilarating pieces of land he has ever had the privilege to work with. For the purist lover of links golf, Blacksearama is simply stunning and in our opinion, Thracian Cliffs is the most spectacular course in Europe for scenery and shot making challenge.

This is an opportunity to experience stunning golf in a wonderful country.

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England

E A S T S U S S E X N AT I O N A L et in 1100 acres of quintessentially English countryside, yet only 40 minutes from Gatwick Airport and close enough to several major transport routes to make travelling a breeze, we can’t think of anywhere more conducive to a relaxing, awe-inspiring golf break than right here in this glorious setting.

Boasting two world class 18 hole Championship Golf Courses as well as 104 bedroom hotel, a fully equipped health club, 20 metre pool and a nine treatment room spa, East Sussex National has it all.

From the moment you tee off, to the first drink back at the clubhouse, we’re confident it’s an experience you will want to repeat time and again. We welcome everyone who wishes to spend time on our spectacular courses; we just want to give those who enjoy the game a chance to live the experience. Today, it represents the nearest you can get to perfection in the design and condition of the golf courses. Our meticulous attention to detail and clubhouse facilities among the finest in Europe,

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make the game even more enjoyable.

SUPERIOR COURSES, UNRIVALLED APPEAL Both our championship courses were designed by Robert E Cupp, one of Jack Nicklaus’s course architects, with major championship golf in mind. It’s no wonder that the club staged two European Opens and played host to some of the world’s leading players including Nick Faldo, Ernie Els, Vijah Singh, Colin Montgomerie, Jose Maria Olazabal, Nick Price and Ian Woosnam.

GOLF ACADEMY The East Sussex National Golf Academy boasts some of the finest practise facilities in Europe: a 13 acre driving range, with open grass tee and covered bays, greenside and fairway bunkers, pitching and chipping areas, three putting greens and a championship three hole academy course featuring a par 3, par 4 and par 5 holes.

CONTACT

EAST SUSSEX NATIONAL, Little Horsted, Uckfield, East Sussex, TN22 5ES. 01825 880088 www.eastsussexnational.co.uk

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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 • www.sherrygolf.com

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Italy

B ELLO S G UA RD O V I N C I G O L F CO U RS E A TRULY TUSCANY GOLFING EXPERIENCE ellosguardo Vinci Golf Course, the Tuscan Golf destination. Known for its Wine and Oil production, Bellosguardo Vinci as its name suggest is located close to the birthplace of the great Leonardo Da Vinci. Nestled in the undulating hills of Tuscany, the golf course consists of 9 plus 9 holes with an overall length of 6322 m playing two rounds.

The fairways can all be viewed from the vantage point of the club-house, a perfect place to sit and taste the local wine.

Immaculate greens follow a wide valley as it winds its way through a picture perfect Tuscan landscape that will capture the imagination of any golfer.

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Our team of attentive staff will consider it their mission to make your visit something to remember whether in the clubhouse or on the golf course. Make use of our well stocked pro-shop to purchase or hire anything that you may need to make your round of golf complete.

Our exquisite restaurant where chef Marco Pagni creates food to match the charming view over the Tuscan landscape is a must for anyone wanting to immerse themselves in the ambience of to location.

We offer our guests who want to stay and truly experience all we have to offer excellent accommodation with the choice of four comfortable and tastefully furnished rooms, all with views of the breathtaking countryside and with views directly to the golf course.

CONTACT

BELLOSGUARDO VINCI GOLF COURSE. Via Provinciale di Mercatale, 25 – 50059 VINCI (Firenze) Phone +39 0571. 902035. Fax + 39 0571. 901015 www.golfbellosguardovinci.it

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LE TOUQUET - FRANCE Manoir Hotel and Golf Resort

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* Price per person sharing a double inclusive of 2 nights, buffet breakfast, one welcoming dinner with drinks and 3 rounds of golf. Valid from 27th October 2013 to 09th March 2014. Subject to availability.

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THE NEXT ISSUE

Great Golf

Magazine

... and the journey continues We are keeping busy here at Great Golf Magazine and with four issues coming out next year, our journalists will have plenty of travelling to do. Clive Agran visits Lake Maggiore in Switzerland and plays golf in truly stunning surroundings, while Mike Stock travels up to Lofoten in northern Norway to play the world’s most northern links course. Dina Roché pops the cork in California’s Wine Country and follows it up with a bit of pampering in one of the many luxury spas and Suzann Pettersen, the world’s no.2 women’s golfer, puts Bentley to the test on Brands Hatch Race Course. Of course, we will be doing some fine dining, having a look at property and much, much more. We also have a new and exciting website which is constantly evolving and plans are afoot for the definitive guide to the top golf resorts in the world.

Why not subscribe to Great Golf Magazine and make sure that you don’t miss an issue?

Just visit our website to be redirected to Unique Magazines who will be happy to take your order. www.greatgolfmagazine.co.uk

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Nobody is closer to a Bentley than a Bentley dealer.

Only a Pre-Owned Bentley has passed the most exacting technical inspection by technicians trained by Bentley. Only a Bentley dealer can offer you this reassurance, fully validate its service history and will check it against our own original build specification records to ensure authenticity. Only then can it carry a comprehensive and exclusive 12-month Unlimited Mileage Warranty with 12 months’ Bentley Roadside Assistance. Quite simply, a Bentley cannot just become Pre-Owned; it has to earn it.

For more information visit preowned.bentleymotors.com BENTLEY MOTORS LIMITED, Pyms Lane, Crewe, Cheshire, CW1 3PL, England. Registered in England: Number 992897 The name ‘Bentley’, the ‘B’ in wings device and various other models presented are registered trademarks. © 2013 Bentley Motors Limited.

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05/07/2013 11:09