GOLF
TRAVELLER
THIRTEEN • CANADIAN ROCKIES ISSUE • VIETNAM & CAMBODIA
WITH COMPLIMENTS
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The Fairmont, Banff Springs
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PaR nz Golfing Holidays Partners and Associates PaR nz Golfing Holidays is a member of:
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PaR nz Golfing Holidays Golf Partners
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PaR nz Golfing Holidays proudly has a Corporate membership with Windross:
PaR nz Golfing Holidays – 2017 and 2018 Best Outbound Golf Tour Operator – World Golf Awards 2016 Best Inbound Golf Tour Operator – World Golf Awards
New Zealand's Best Inbound Golf Tour Operator
New Zealand's Best Outbound Golf Tour Operator
New Zealand's Best Outbound Golf Tour Operator
PaR nz Corporate Events Limited trading as PaR nz Golfing Holidays, Established August 2000. Office located in Takapuna, Auckland, New Zealand . Postal address PO Box 331395, North Shore 0740 Phone +64 (9) 486 1077. Directors Denise Langdon & Kim Buckley Contact denise@parnz.co.nz and kim@parnz.co.nz Photos care of Tourism New Zealand and its contributors, and PaR nz’s image collection.
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GOLF TRAVELLER ISSUE13
GOLF TRAVELLER CONTENTS
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The 2020 Canadian Rockies Golf Tour
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The 2020 Vietnam & Cambodia Luxury Golf Tour
Visit our website: www.parnz.co.nz Or call us on +64 9 486 1077, Australia Toll Free 1800 018 575
MAY 2019
2020 CANADIAN ROCKIES GOLF TOUR
June 10 – 28 2020
Fairmont Banff GOLF TRAVELLER ISSUE13 6
Welcome to our 2020 Canadian Rockies Golf Tour! This will be our 17th golf tour to this fantastic destination. We know that it will sell out quickly, so please register promptly because the tour has a fixed maximum limit of 40 golfers. Our luxury package includes staying 17 nights in the 5-star Fairmont chain of hotels along with two amazing golf resorts. From Calgary we head into the Rockies, all the way through the Okanagan Valley and Whistler to finish in Vancouver. This is your chance to play Banff Springs, Stewart Creek, two championship layouts at Predator Ridge, Chateau Whistler, Nicklaus North and Greywolf, to name but a few in our 2020 line-up. Overall, we play 11 exhilarating golf courses. A winery tour, catch-up drinks, and the Lake Louise Gondola are added inclusions. Many thanks from the PaR nz Golfing Holidays team and your Canadian Tour Hosts, Kim Buckley and Denise Langdon kim@parnz.co.nz & denise@parnz.co.nz
optical illusions created by the surrounding Rocky Mountains. Whatever the secret, this Alberta golf course remains a tour favourite. Canada’s master golf course architect Stanley Thompson designed Banff’s original 18 holes in 1928, and these wind along the Bow River below Sulphur Mountain and Mount Rundle. An adjoining nine holes, designed by Cornish and Robinson, were constructed in 1989, so there are now 27 holes of superb championship golf to enjoy. The Predator Ridge Resor t, where we play and stay , is a premier golf resor t community in the Okanagan Valley outside Vernon in British Columbia and home to two of the country’s finest golf courses. Canadian architect Doug Carrick renovated the original nine-hole Peregrine course and built nine new holes to expand the 27 holes to a 36-hole championship golf course.
Predator Ridge Tour Overview You’ll play some of the world’s most scenic courses when you travel with PaR nz Golfing Holidays to the Canadian Rockies. Even the amazing pictures can’t do justice to this part of the world – so join us on tour for the complete Canadian golf experience! What’s in store? Simply some of the most thrilling golf imaginable on magnificent courses designed by the sport’s big names in awesome alpine settings. There’s something so special about the Fairmont Banff Springs Golf Course that it draws golfers in and compels them to return. Perhaps it is because it lies in the heart of Banff National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with views of the historic, castle-like hotel. Perhaps it’s the fascinating layout or
The two original 18-holes were renamed The Predator Course (Les Furber) and The Ridge Course (Doug Carrick), which SCOREgolf voted the best new golf course in Canada in 2010. Carrick, with direct involvement from the original Predator course architect Les Furber, went back in 2018 to lead a $3.8 million, four-hole renovation project. The Ridge Course is defined by extraordinary vistas, long, scenic fairways and beautiful granite outcrops. The Predator Course, which hosted the World Skins Game twice, has a distinctive character too, with rolling hills, long grasses and undulating greens. Another award-winning course designed by Doug Carrick is Greywolf at Panorama Mountain Village. One of golf’s true mustplays, Greywolf’s signature hole ‘Cliffhanger’ has an island green perched above the aptly named Hopeful Canyon with cliffs
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Predator Ridge below the front and back. Mountain golf can be challenging and dynamic – and this 18-hole course is an exhilarating example. There are four great golf challenges near the famous winter ski resort of Whistler, north of Vancouver. We’ll play three of them on our tour, including the famous Fairmont Chateau Whistler Golf Course designed by Rober t Trent Jones Jnr, Nicklaus North Golf Course designed by Jack Nicklaus, and Whistler Golf Club designed by Arnold Palmer. Carved into the slopes of the Coast Mountain range of British Columbia, with Blackcomb and Whistler mountains as a backdrop, Fairmont Chateau Whistler incorporates creeks, ponds, ancient stands of Douglas fir trees and massive granite rocks. The course elevation changes by more than 130 metres overall, present an impressive golf opportunity and an exceptional experience of natural scenery and wildlife.
Nicklaus North
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Nicklaus North, designed by ‘The Golden Bear’ Nicklaus, is a par 71, 18-hole course that gently winds along a valley floor. Some of golf’s biggest names have played here – Nick Faldo, Ernie Els, Greg Norman, Fred Couples, John Daly, Vijay Singh, Stephen Ames and, of course, the mighty Jack Nicklaus himself. The friendly and relaxed ambience of Arnold Palmer’s first Canadian design, Whistler Golf Club, contributes to its popularity. It represents an authentic Whistler brand of golf and highlights big views of snow-capped-mountains, signature designs and uncompromising course conditions. The 2020 tour includes golf at courses which may not feature at the very top of course rankings, but which have something very special to add to an authentic Canadian golf experience. You will see the work of acclaimed golf architect Bill Robinson, whose Eagle Ranch in a canyon setting makes the most of
Fairmont Banff
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Copper Point
Eagle Ranch
TRAVEL APP
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SPECIAL FEATURE – PaR nz TRAVEL APP When you register for this 2020 Canadian Rockies Golf Tour, you will receive a link to our special PaR nz Travel App. A detailed electronic itinerary can be downloaded on your laptop, iPad or smartphone, enabling you to review tour highlights and access daily updates while on tour.
GOLF TRAVELLER ISSUE13
Fairmont Chateau Whistler natural contours, varied terrain and 360-degree views. Its 18 holes are strategically placed along ancient bluffs overlooking the Columbia River. Continuing our play on the wild side, our 2020 tour itinerary will feature the 18-hole, tree-lined Stewart Creek near the Bow River at the entrance to the Rockies. Designed by Canadian golf architect Gary Browning in 2000, it has views of the Three Sisters, Cascade, Pigeon and Ha Ling Mountains. This course occupies a wildlife migration corridor, and we’ve spotted coyote and other indigenous wildlife such as elk in this river valley. Copper Point Golf Club in the Windermere Valley is a natural, lay-of-the-land 36-hole route with numerous ‘classic’ elements such as roughly-hewn bunkers and clever use of natural hills
and ravines. Close to popular tourist destinations of Invermere, Radium Hot Springs and Fairmont Hot Springs, it has two 18hole courses: The Point – recently ranked in Canada’s top 100 courses by SCOREGolf Magazine – and The Ridge. Mayfair Lakes by contrast has a charming, flat layout designed by Les Furber. Its pretty lakes and waterways present a technical challenge on 13 of its 18 holes, and it offers year-round golf in a secluded, countryside setting beneath the beautiful North Shore Mountains at Richmond, just a shor t distance from downtown Vancouver. The 11 courses included in our highly-rated Canadian Rockies Tour represent some of Canada’s finest championship fairways. Come and explore with us in 2020!
Visit our website: www.parnz.co.nz Or call us on +64 9 486 1077, Australia Toll Free 1800 018 575
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Vietnam, Cambodia, South Africa
Canada – Rockies & The East Coast
Grand Europe Trail
2020
WORLD GOLFING TREATS! 2020 will start with Vietnam & Cambodia, and a special Cambodian welcome on the 27 January in Siem Reap. We play two courses in Siem Reap, Golf Angkor Wat and Phokeethra, and have a day sightseeing including the Angkor Wat Temples, (one of the largest religious temples in the world), at sunrise. Then we are off to the ancient city of Hanoi and Halong Bay (a UNESCO World Heritage site) with golf at the new FLC Course. We have 6 nights relaxing in Danang, with four rounds of golf including the Montgomerie and Ba Na courses – some of the best in the country. The tour finishes in Saigon with a tour to the Cu Chi tunnels and our last game of golf. Tour finishes on the 11 February – see you there! May 2020 will see PaR nz Golfing Holidays in South Africa again – the 2019 tour sold out in 2 weeks so contact denise@parnz.co.nz promptly if you want full details and to reserve your place. We start with a private course in Johannesburg, on safari in Kruger with golf at Leopard Creek and travel to Cape Town by the 5 Star deluxe Rovos Rail. We relax in Cape Town with golf at Arabella and Pearl Valley before Pinnacle Point by Peter Markovich and Oubaai from Ernie Els with a stunning finish at Fancourt playing all three of Gary Player’s masterpieces. Will you join us? In 2020 we offer two exciting Canada Golf Tour options – one to the Canadian Rockies star ting in Calgary and finishing in Vancouver and a new East Coast bonanza. This new tour will include golf in Toronto, time at Niagara Falls and then a golf cruise from Novia Scotia, return cruise with golf that includes Cabot Links and Cabot Cliffs. If you want a new Canadian Golf Experience – this is the one for you – with a post New York golf option to consider! All details will be available on www.parnz.co.nz or contact denise@parnz.co.nz 5-Star Grand Cities European Golf Tour – from Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Ljubljana, Milan and Crans-Montana in Switzerland before a special finish in Vienna. There has not been a tour like it! 19 days in the grand old cities of Europe playing a range of exquisite private member courses and European tour masterpieces. Full package details will be released shortly – get yourself on the ‘possible’ list now – contact denise@parnz.co.nz
VISIT US AT: www.parnz.co.nz Or call us on +64 9 486 1077 Australia Toll Free 1800 018 575
Ba Na Hills Golf Club
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THE PICTURES
SAY IT ALL Two Vibrant Countries and 9 Great Courses
Vietnam and Cambodia 27 January – 11 February 2020
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Ba Na Hills Golf Club
Ha Long Bay Golf Club
Ha Long Bay GOLF TRAVELLER ISSUE13 16
2020 Vietnam and Cambodia 27 January – 11 February 2020 Such a rich and unique culture engulfs these two beautiful countries. Join us in Vietnam and Cambodia to discover the timeless charm, the bustling day to day life of its delightful people and to sample fresh fabulous food while playing some world-class golf. The tour star ts in Siem Reap with a special welcome Cambodian style, two rounds of golf and a sunrise tour to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Angkor Wat. We then head to Hanoi and onto Ha Long Bay with a round scheduled for one of Vietnam’s most recent golf additions – FLC Golf @ Ha Long Bay. Six wonderful days on China Beach in Da Nang includes four rounds of golf, a Vietnamese Cooking Class and time for shopping in historic Hoi An. The tour finishes in Saigon – our last game of golf we travel up the river to the tee, we visit the Cu Chi tunnels and, final night celebration dinner. This 15 night / 16 day tour is 5 star throughout and limited to 26 golfers only. For full tour details contact denise@parnz.co.nz Have a look at this exciting course line up…. Play Cambodia Golf Courses in Siem Reap and see the 8th Wonder of the World: the Temples of Angkor Wat. We welcome you to present day Cambodia, a peaceful and welcoming country that has retained the style of its former French colony heritage and mixed it with indigenous cultural charm to completely redevelop itself and regain its proud title as “The Pearl of Asia”. We start our golf challenge in Siem Reap, the main golf destination in Cambodia. Siem Reap is a small former French colonial town that has been visited by foreigners mainly to see the 1,000 year old cradle of the Khmer civilization and the Temples of Angkor Wat. There are three international standard 18-hole courses each with their own variety and challenges for everyone from amateurs to professionals.
Ha Long Bay
The best course is Angkor Golf Resort – a challenging and well-maintained Nick Faldo design. The six-time major winner, Nick Faldo himself, received a blessing from local monks and then opened the golf course in December 2007, his first golf course in Cambodia. The Angkor Golf Resort brings Cambodia squarely onto the international golf destination map. Golf here is a fair test for all players and requires thinking and strategy on every hole to score well. The strategically placed bunkers and water hazards are tricky, but easily seen from each tee box. The greens have plenty of subtle undulations, and they reward and encourage a variety of approach shots. We also take on the challenge of the Phokeethra Country Club, home of the Asian Tour’s Johnnie Walker Cambodian Open. The Sofitel-managed Phokeethra Country Club is one of the best courses available in Cambodia. The golf course hosted the 2009 Johnnie Walker Classic and 2010 Cambodian Open. Major renovations in 2018 have returned course standards to those set when first opened. Our first game of golf in Vietnam will be at Hanoi’s Kings Island Golf Resort – a 54-hole golf resort designed by Robert McFarland (USA). Scenic lakeside views aplenty! The golf resort lies on the shores of the Dong Mo reservoir 36 kms from Hanoi. At only 45 minutes drive from the capital, Kings Island Golf Resort is a high quality and convenient choice to include in any Vietnam golf package. In a uniquely Vietnamese touch, access to the course is by boat. The island-situated site comprises 350 hectares of land and 1,500 hectares of waterfront. Then we look to golf in Ha Long Bay with tee times reqested at the new FLC Ha Long Golf Resor t. Tee times don’t get confirmed here until much closer to the time but hopefully the wait will be worth it? FLC Ha Long Bay Golf Club is a stunning course overlooking Ha Long Bay which opened for play in
Angkor Golf Resort
Angkor Wat Temple
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Nha Trang, Central
Apsara show
Vietnamese cooking class
August 2017. Twenty minutes from Ha Long City and three hours from Hanoi, the 18-hole championship Schmidt-Curley designed layout offers stunning scenic ocean views over the famous UNESCO World Heritage Site. The golf course sits above the old town of Ha Long Bay and overlooks the spectacular limestone karst-riddled bay. The dramatic terrain offers a drastic departure from the sandy dunes of coastal Vietnamese golf sites. Several greens have a stunning backdrop of Ha Long Bay, viewed from high above, framed by rock outcrops and mature native vegetation, punctuated with pine trees. Above a series of ridges, the course features dramatic, sweeping views and substantial elevation changes. FLC Ha Long Bay Golf Club is worth a visit if nothing else for the magnificent views of the bay. Our line-up of golf in Da Nang is impressive. Da Nang, Hoi An, and Hue are connected to each other by new coastal roads and tunnels. Together they make up Vietnam’s Golf Coast. Vietnam’s recognition as an up-and-coming golf destination is no secret, but the Vietnam Golf Coast ups the ante even further. Da Nang dates to the early 14th century when the area was settled in a small collection of hamlets in central Vietnam. In 1954 with the division of Vietnam into the North and South, Da Nang became part of South Vietnam, and in 1965 was the location of the first landing of US forces in Vietnam and aptly coined “China Beach.” Nowadays, the area is home to one of Asia’s best beaches, many world-class resorts, and Vietnam’s best golf courses. For example, Ba Na Hills Golf Club and the BRG Da Nang Golf Resort are ranked continuously among Asia’s leading golf clubs. Hoi An, with its lovely, traditional wooden shop-homes, was set up in the 16th century. It was revived in the 20th century to commemorate the long history of Vietnamese international trade. Wandering through its protected old town is like being transported back to a time when Hoi An was Vietnam’s most important trading port. For those looking for a glimpse of the real Vietnam, or just a fun night out, Hoi An mixes old world charm with modern and vibrant nightlife. Hoiana Shores Golf Club is Vietnam’s first Robert Trent Jones Jr. designed course and is located 15 minutes from Hoi An’s center. We will have four games here including Da Nang, Hoiana Shores, Montgomerie and Ba Na Golf Course. Ba Na Hills Golf Club is 25 minutes inland from Da Nang at the
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BRG Da Nang Golf Resort
Da Nang Golf Club
Hoi An portrait
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Cu Chi Tunnels
Saigon City tour
BRG Kings Island Golf Resort
foothills of the cable car station leading to Bana Hills. The IMG managed course is the first Luke Donald designed course not only in Asia but the world. BRG Da Nang Golf Resort, designed by Greg Norman, opened in 2010 and immediately leaped to fame being recognized as one of the 15 best new courses in the world by USA GOLF magazine. Da Nang Golf Resort has achieved many awards, amongst them 2011, 2012, 2013 best golf course in Asia by the readers of Asian Golf Monthly as well as the 2012 Best Golf Course in Vietnam by USA Golf Digest and the 2014 IAGTO Diamond Award. The Montgomerie Links, located just off historical Da Nang Beach and minutes from Da Nang City, is a stunning 7090 yard, par-72 golf course. The course rated as one of Asia’s ten most elite courses by the 2012 Forbes Travel Guide as well as most recently voted as ‘Vietnam’s Best Championship Course 2013’ by the Vietnam Golf Magazine. Since then yearly awards are common for Montgomerie. Hoiana Shores Golf Club is the first Robert Trent Jones Jr. II golf course in Vietnam and is located on the shoreline south of Hoi An in central Vietnam. Located on the shores of the Eastern Sea, approximately 8km south of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Hoi An, known as ‘The City of Lanterns’, the golf club is part of a major destination development which harbours the ambition of becoming one of the most compelling golf experiences in Asia. With Hoiana Shores Golf Club scheduled to open in the second half of 2019, the new destination will be home to a selection of luxury hotels, entertainment outlets, residential communities, retail complexes, as well as the world-class golf club, and is earmarked to become a major attraction for
tourists globally. We finish our 2020 Vietnam and Cambodia Golf and Cultural Tour with Saigon’s Long Thanh Golf challenge. This is a beautiful Ron Fream design considered the South’s #1 course. The Long Thanh Golf Club offers 36 holes of golf in the former rice paddies and scenic countryside surrounding Saigon. Both the Hill and Lake course are well maintained throughout the year and the golf courses are a longtime favorite among locals. Many expatriates and Vietnam golf visitors prefer Long Thanh Golf Club over its more famous neighbor Vietnam Golf & Country Club. The Hill Course features rolling fairways and large undulating greens. Large oil palms frame each hole. The Lake Course is characterised by many high lipped bunkers and water hazards on almost every hole to catch errant shots. Both courses feature paspalum grassed fairways and tee boxes. Putting greens use Tifdwarf Bermuda grass which can roll anywhere from 8 to 10. This combination of grasses matches other top courses in the region. The Long Thanh Golf Club and Residential Estate have also spared no expense to build an elaborate clubhouse. The locker and changing rooms might be the plushest in Saigon. Ask for a shoe shine after your round. The main restaurant serves a fine selection of both Vietnamese and Western food for golfers after their rounds in both indoor and outdoor setting. Overall, golf at Long Thanh is an impressive experience and is sure to please all Vietnam golfers. For all details and to reserve your place on this tour – please contact denise@parnz.co.nz
Visit our website: www.parnz.co.nz Or call us on +64 9 486 1077, Australia Toll Free 1800 018 575
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Angkor Wat, Siem Reap
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Fairmont Vancouver
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