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7/30/08 2:02:40 PM

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085_IN_Travel.indd 10

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S E PT E M B E R/O CTO B E R 08

7/29/08 7:25:50 PM

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E L A I N E G LU SAC

S JESSICA KLEWICKI

!""#$$%!&, '!((-)*++, boutique hotels that were once one-offs in cities like New York, Miami, and Vancouver have hit the road, exporting their brand of cool coast to coast, and even to the Caribbean. The new mini-chains draw on the strength of their parents, adding local twists to keep the scene fresh.

085_IN_Travel.indd 11

1 New York’s trendy Meatpacking District Hotel Gansevoort, where the rooftop lounge overlooks the skyline and the spa converts to a party place after hours, recently opened (BOTFWPPSU 4PVUI (305-604-1000) in Miami with an expansive lobby aquarium, fuchsia room accents, two pools (one 18 stories above the South Beach sand), and tepees at the beach club. gansevoortsouth.com 1 Also from New York, Thompson Hotels, creator of 60 Thompson in SoHo, is rapidly expanding to the left coast and beyond. The new 5IPNQTPO #FWFSMZ )JMMT (310-2731400) features a cabana-edged rooftop pool and lounge and Manhattan-themed amenities such as Dean & DeLuca goodies in the minibar. %POPWBO )PVTF (800-383-6900) adds flair to Washington, D.C.’s hotel scene with ’60s S E PT E M B E R/O CTO B E R 08

P R I VAT EC LU B S.C O M

7/29/08 7:26:34 PM

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JOHN CARROLL

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! "#$ "%&$ '()' *+&$+ retreated from the U.S. auto market back in the mid-’90s, it had firmly established a reputation for making the best-looking car that you’d see broken down on the side of the road. Now the buzz is that the Italian carmaker is returning, and bringing all the style

-*.*5&% 4611-: Fewer than 100 of the Alfa 8C Competizione are heading to the U.S. in 2009.

P R I VAT EC LU B S.C O M

085_IN_Rides2pg.indd 14

S E PT E M B E R/O CTO B E R 08

7/29/08 7:36:04 PM

and performance without those nagging questions about quality.

Alfa Romeo is taking no chances on its second attempt at making a good first impression.

For performance-car enthusiasts, there’s the limited-edition "MGB $ $PNQFUJ[JPOF at the exclusive price of $200,000-plus. The curvaceous and powerful 450-horsepower, V-8 coupe already has a good rep for taking the lead in its class. And with fewer than 100 headed to the U.S. in ’09, out of a limited run of 500, you can expect to own the road — if you can claim one before they’re all gone.

You may find a Competizione to test-drive at select Maserati dealerships as Fiat’s executives figure out how they mount the American reinvasion. Some industry talk has pointed to a rumored U.S. plant that would supply cars to a string of new dealerships, so they can avoid getting skinned at the till by a soft dollar. And look for other models to come.

American drivers are already lusting over "MGB 3PNFP T .J5P (for Milan and Torino, where it’s built). You can set the car’s performance level to sporty, city driving, and rough weather. Available in Europe for $25,000, this subcompact can give BMW a race for the Mini market. And the Alfa lineup also includes the sporty, classic lines of the #SFSB and 4QJEFS. But once you sink below the $100,000 price level, those nagging quality problems surface again. A J.D. Power survey in Europe left Alfa at or near the bottom of all brands ranked.

Alfa Romeo still has a deep sense of nostalgia to tap into over here, though. The Spider branded itself on the American consciousness more than 40 years ago with Dustin Hoffman behind the wheel in The Graduate. Some young moviegoers who saw that classic at the theater now have the money on hand to buy into that silver screen memory.

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5FTMB DIBSHFT VQ UIF HSFFO SFHJNF !"# $%& '"()*+ about buying the 2008 edition, all-electric 5FTMB 3PBETUFS It sold out before they rolled the first one off the assembly line. And with drivers like California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in the waiting line, this was one production run with plenty of limelight to herald its arrival.

Electric car enthusiasts, though, can still look forward to the 2009 edition.

Just don’t wait too long before you decide. The word is that you first have to make a call with a sales consultant and go over the fine points of putting in your order for a vehicle that has a base price of $109,000. (Call the company at

650-413-4000, or fill out a short form online at teslamotors.com and a rep will give you a call.)

The trade press has been raising some troubling questions about Tesla’s decision to improvise on the car’s transmission, cutting acceleration. And the company quickly fell behind on its original delivery schedule. But, hey, where else are you going to get a hot, hip electric roadster? For this car, the green image it evokes is split evenly between envy and the environment.

The main question is do you want to be the pioneer, or wait until the performance issues are ironed out? — J.C.

S E PT E M B E R/O CTO B E R 08

085_IN_Rides2pg.indd 15

P R I VAT EC LU B S.C O M

7/29/08 7:36:55 PM

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085_IN_Calendar.indd 26

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Sept

Platinum, Tourmaline, Rock Crystal, and Diamond Clip-Bangle-Bracelet, circa 1935 made by Cartier (estimated $15,000-$20,000).

S E PT E M B E R/O CTO B E R 08

7/25/08 6:02:49 PM

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S E PT E M B E R/O CTO B E R 08

085_Connect.indd 31

P R I VAT EC LU B S.C O M

7/31/08 11:44:01 AM

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My purpose is to bring animals to an art form and share them with the world.

P R I VAT EC LU B S.C O M

085_Connect.indd 32

S E PT E M B E R/O CTO B E R 08

7/29/08 7:44:03 PM

MARC ROYCE (GARVEY), MARC CLIMIE (RATERMAN)

WYATT MCSPADDEN

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085_Connect.indd 33

P R I VAT EC LU B S.C O M

7/25/08 9:12:19 AM

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P R I VAT EC LU B S.C O M

085_Connect.indd 34

S E PT E M B E R/O CTO B E R 08

7/29/08 7:49:09 PM

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085_EL_The Game.indd 39

!" #$ %&!' discernible differences between skilled golfers and those who struggle with the game is that the former possess a go-to shot.

Old reliable, as it were.

Whether a draw, fade, or straight ball, a go-to shot amounts to a controlled shot shape that can be counted on when pressure intensifies — on the finishing holes of a tournament, for example, or when your playing partners capriciously elect to press a bet.

Major champions like Lee Trevino, Craig Stadler, and Fred Couples are left-to-right players who prefer to fade the golf ball. Major champions like Arnold Palmer, Bob Tway, and Mark Brooks are right-to-left players who prefer to draw the ball.

Developing a go-to shot is essential for middle handicappers and higher who wish to whittle strokes off their average score. After

7/31/08 4:26:57 PM

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!"# $% &'(" %$(" to think about college, Joanna Schiffman of Evanston, Ill., wasn’t sure what she was looking for. Then a high school junior, Joanna knew she wanted a small liberal arts college with strong academics and a liberal-minded campus. But she didn’t know what she wanted to study or which colleges and universities to consider. The guidance counselors at her large public high school didn’t seem helpful. “It was pretty stressful,� she says.

Her parents, though, knew exactly what to do. They sent Joanna to Nancy Marcus in Winnetka, Ill., the same private counselor who helped guide her older brother through the college selection and admissions process.

With rising tuition costs and deepening competition at the nation’s most prestigious colleges and universities, a growing number of parents are turning to independent advisers to help their children find the right campus, coach them through the application process, and help counsel families through the emotional minefield of sending a child off to college.

Marcus helped Joanna develop a list of colleges. She told her to play up her math skills in admission essays because she knew female students who excel in math have an edge. She coached her on which classes to take her senior year and helped edit her essays. Joanna was accepted by early decision at her top choice, Wesleyan University in Middletown, Conn. She’s now preparing to start her sophomore year and considers Wesleyan a perfect fit. “She kept me organized,� Joanna, 19, says about Marcus. “I got my applications and essays done early. My friends who didn’t see counselors didn’t even know where to start.�

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085_EL_Family.indd 44

(SPXJOH 5SFOE '&&*+,$#- %* ('+. /.0'+*1, executive director of the Independent Educational Consultants Association, a national organization of private education counselors, the number of high school seniors working with these advisers has doubled over the last five years, to well over 120,000. Consultants also have grown in number as the demand increases for their services. IECA, headquartered in Fairfax, Va., has been in existence 32 years with an average of 300 members, but now has 700, Sklarow says.

Counselors’ fees start at about $120 an hour and most packages average about $3,500. The counselors usually offer at least two years of consultation and individualized attention to make sure that students like Joanna find colleges and universities that best fit their academic interests and personalities. They help students choose high school courses and encourage them to use their summer breaks to participate in science programs, art camps, or volunteer programs that enhance a student’s profile.

The trend has grown in part, Sklarow says, because students no longer confine themselves to colleges within their home states as generations before them once did, and, therefore, need help discovering a wider selection of possible schools. The growing cost of tuition drives parents to make sure that their children choose wisely. And some parents PERCENTAGE also are clearly seeking an edge in the OF FAMILY competitive admissions process.

MEMBERSHIPS “By and large, people come to me for IN THE CLUBS two reasons: They either want me to find a college that they haven’t thought about, or they’re looking for me to maximize

SERGE BLOCH

BY

S E PT E M B E R/O CTO B E R 08

7/31/08 11:45:19 AM

Star Attraction George Clooney.

Richard Branson.

The world’s power players can’t resist the lure of Italy’s laid-back lake country.

What keeps them coming back?

BY

E L A I N E G LU SAC

P H OT O G R A P H Y BY

P R I VAT EC LU B S.C O M

085_ItalyLakes.indd 48

COLLEEN DUFFLEY

S E PT E M B E R/O CTO B E R 08

7/28/08 2:31:44 PM

'*-. 45"3 The

stunning gardens at Villa Balbianello on Lake Como may look familiar. George Lucas chose them for the wedding scene in Star Wars: Episode II.

S E PT E M B E R/O CTO B E R 08

085_ItalyLakes.indd 49

P R I VAT EC LU B S.C O M

7/28/08 2:32:11 PM

S

!"# $#!$%# think of Italy as taste, recalling pastas, Barolos, and prosciutto. Others think of Italy as sight, in postcard flashbacks to duomos, piazzas, and palazzos. I think of Italy as sound: the ceramic ring of cups shuffled atop café espresso machines, the flap of wings as children chase the pigeons in Venice, and frenzied discussions spiked with “Madonna!” overheard in 20 years of travel here.

Which is why I am not sure I am truly in Italy when I arrive in the northern lake country. It’s too quiet. Even the gentle lapping of the lakes — Lake Garda, the larger body to the east where the rich own villas, and Lake Como near Milan, where the rich and famous own villas — is soundless. Like a stage set, silent, snowcapped Alps to the north backdrop tropical palms, tree-sized rhododendron, and pergolas trimmed in pendulous wisteria along the climatically improbable shores. Even moving objects, ferryboats that often look like 19th-century steamers with strings of colorful pennants strung stack to stern, ply the lakes on mute. The only sound — that of gravel crunching P R I VAT EC LU B S.C O M

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under my impatient boot heels — seems like a shushing during my first morning’s walk.

It’s a region of fabled grand hotels that, in the spirit of an age innocent of treadmills, low-fat diets, and minimalist design, lavish guests with rich food and fine wine in rococo surroundings. The elegant hoteliers who operate them expect the well-fed and finely wined will do little but bask in pleasure. I had arrived the day prior at one of them, the crenellated and stripped stone Villa Feltrinelli on Lake Garda, greeted with a nosegay of baby roses and a bottle of spumante that I immediately drank in the company of two fellow guests on the porch of the 1892 villaturned-21-room hotel, mesmerized by the billowing sailboats on the lake. Now guilt-stricken for my indulgence, I am determined to explore the lake from

The Italian idiom sweetness of doing the shop-filled Alpine town of Riva at the north end, to the Roman ruins of Sirmione in the south.

“I’m sorry, you cannot go to Riva,” says Peter Eisendle, Villa Feltrinelli’s high-spirited food and beverage director, who manages to make a morning

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suit and cravat look comfortable at 9 a.m. Eisendle laughs as he shakes his head. “The road is closed because the new James Bond movie is filming and they want to crash an Aston Martin down the hill into the lake 500 meters.â€? Foiled by Bond, I suggest heading south to Salò. “But you know the shops are all closed from 12 to 3,â€? says Eisendle, checking his watch. “Why don’t you just relax, read a book, enjoy the villa?â€?

As he makes the suggestion, his arms sweep in the direction of the lakeside Adirondack chairs where one man has already commenced napping.

More than anywhere else in Italy, the lakes excel at disarming ambition. The roads are few, narrow, and precipitous (ideal for a Bond car chase). Ferries seem to stop in every port. There is no one landmark sight that you must see in the way that guidebooks

not anything one might consider a necessity. It’s courtly villas and lavish gardens; the towns are modest.

La dolce vita, an Italian phase for “the sweet life,� comes quickly to mind here. But la dolce vita as defined by the eponymous Fellini film is more frenetic.

It’s Anita Ekberg romping in the Trevi Fountain with Marcello Mastroianni after midnight. There will be no fountain dips hereabouts, nor even a light on after midnight. Sure, there’s celebrity, but discretion, not paparazzi, rules. The Italian idiom that best fits is la dolce far niente: the sweetness of doing nothing — which requires downshifting on my part.

Ironically, the region is filled with overachievers.

You have perhaps heard actor George Clooney owns a villa on Lake Como? Make that two. British mogul Richard Branson just purchased one up the shore.

-",& -*'& (from left) A friendly Italian at a Bellagio cafe; waterside lounging at Villa Feltrinelli on Lake Garda; cappuccino for an afternoon pick-me-up; and Villa d’Este chefs in the resort’s Lake Como herb garden.

that best fits is ‘la dolce far niente’: the nothing — which requires downshifting. dictate you sprint Rome from Colosseum to Vatican to Forum. It’s a place to stroll, if you must; never hike. It’s Prosecco and spumante at midafternoon, rather than espresso, at lakeside cafĂŠs. It’s shopping, but only for luxury items like silk scarves and Versace sunglasses,

No less than the prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, helicopters in. Long ago, Napoleon slept here. So, more recently, did Benito Mussolini. The deposed dictator ran his puppet Republic of Salò from the Villa Feltrinelli, which the Nazis commandeered in World S E PT E M B E R/O CTO B E R 08

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Fabled grand hotels lavish guests with rich food and fine wine in rococo surroundings.

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War II. Like contemporary guests, Mussolini rarely left the Villa and its eight-acre garden crowned by a 19thcentury limonaia, a soaring stone-and-wood-framed structure for growing lemons that looks like a Romanesque church ruin planted as a garden ornament.

American hotelier Bob Burns, the founder of Regent Hotels, rescued the villa in 1997 after a 29-year vacancy, spending $30 million to restore the historically protected home — per Italian law he could improve its features, but not remove anything, including the furniture — and opening it as a hotel in 2001. The elaborate ceiling murals, faux-painted marble entry hall (the Feltrinelli family made their wealth in the lumber trade), a two-story stained-glass window, and even the dining table where Britain’s Winston Churchill once tried to talk Mussolini out of the war are all original. In my room, a push-button sound system broadcasts a “relax� station with a spa-like vibe, and a “jazz� selection that channels the 1940s.

In the dining room, edible flowers the size of seed pearls lace sophisticated dishes that recently earned the restaurant its first Michelin star. White-jacketed waiters, sensing a chill on my last evening, bring snowy white blankets to the terrace at cocktail hour.

One will not refill my champagne glass, but fetches a fresh flute instead. “Madame, it’s much more romantic, elegant.�

Idleness begets flirting. He returns shortly with a tray of canapĂŠs. “Foie gras, madame?â€?

When I turn in, I find a single rose on the bed, and rose petals in the loo.

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!"#$ "% ďœąďœľďœśďœ¸ by a cardinal, owned successively by a duke, a count, a marquis, another count, a princess, two princes, another prince, and a baron, Villa d’Este put Lake Como on the map. Once it became a hotel in 1873, stars from Greta Garbo to George Clooney came, as did writers (Edith Wharton, Mark Twain), composers (Giuseppe Verdi), business moguls (Bill Gates), and kings (Italy’s, Belgium’s, et al).

And it was publicist Jean Salvadore, splendid still at 82 in her peach lipstick and oversized sunglasses worn inside the light-filled dining room at breakfast, who imprinted Villa d’Este on the American consciousness for the past 40 years. “We love Americans,� smiles Salvadore, who’s as much an icon as the villa itself. “They’re so easy. If

Herb Caen said, ‘Villa d’Este was the place to be,’ they believed it.�

Caen, her friend, was the columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle who, before his death in 1997, visited repeatedly and often included Salvadore in his reports. She also wrote a book on the villa’s design with a foreword by American author Joseph Heller, who once penned an entire Forbes FYI article about the breakfast spread because, “Harboring all my adult life a distaste for physical activity, and having little better to cope with as I lazily sunned myself from one hour to the next on a lounge chair, I began to write sentences for an article centered on a luxuriant buffet ‌ â€?

Indulgence — one Minnesota couple is here for their annual monthlong stay to enjoy the food of chef Luciano Parolari, famed for his risotto — is the course of the day.

But not sloth. Except for language, Villa d’Este’s American guests are indistinguishable from the Europeans around them. One Virginian wears pressed pewter-toned linens, her partner in a crisp navy blazer, just two of the dapper and sociable crowd that make Villa d’Este feel like a country club and belie the sartorial American stereotype of Nikes and baseball caps.

Though “villa� in Italian means country house, and “palazzo� or palace indicates a city dwelling, Villa d’Este, along with the string of villas concentrated on the sunnier western shore of Lake Como, would be, in any language, a palace. None of the 152 art- and antiquefilled guest rooms are the same. A formal, cypress-lined garden marches up the hillside, giving way to a wild and steep cliffside where battlements, turrets, and guard towers indicate perhaps a war-torn Middle Age. Rather, like everything else about Lake Como, it’s a playground, a gift in the early 1800s from a countess to her husband, a former general in Napoleon’s army, so he could re-create his battles in Spain and not be bored by life at the lake.

Beyond the villa grounds, impassable headlands and rock outcroppings prevent much nosing around on land, but the public ferries are virtual tour boats.

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(clockwise, from left) Chatting over a long lunch at Il Gatto Nero in Cernobbio, above Lake Como; a dashing Italian at Villa d’Este; and service with a smile at Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni in Bellagio. (facing page) An ornate stairway at the Victorian-age Villa Feltrinelli.

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town of Cernobbio just steps beyond the resort’s iron gates, I board the northbound Volta, which smells like marinara sauce and practically heels to port with the weight of passengers silently gaping at the estates of Clooney, Branson, and the late Gianni Versace.

En route to Bellagio, nearly two hours by boat, we slip by the terraced gardens of 18th-century Villa Balbianello, so otherworldly that George Lucas could pick no better place to set his Star Wars: Episode II wedding of PadmĂŠ and Anakin. Breaking the silence, someone gasps.

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!""#$%& looks nothing like the Las Vegas casino it inspired. Occupying the crux on the inverted Y-shaped Lake Como, Bellagio has no dancing fountains, no Dale Chihuly glass, and no gaming tables. Like Villa Feltrinelli and Villa d’Este, Bellagio, with its steep landscape, does not encourage roaming.

Alleys of cobblestone stairs lead one street up from the wharf, and I walk the entire town, including the sizable gardens at the historic Villa Melzi, in under one hour. But on a second outing, I slow down enough to see the small boutiques slotted along the narrow staircases selling silk from Como, Italy’s capital of silk production; turned olive-wood bowls; and Murano glass jewelry. At 2:20 p.m., I order pizza from a begrudging restaurateur anxious to close for his between-meals break. On the harborfront, couples move their chairs close together to share the lake view from beneath wisteria weeping over trellises that form an arborlike ceiling above a lakeside cafÊ. At a slow and meandering pace, visitors stroll, sip Prosecco, gaze out over the lake, and repeat. That’s how Villa Carlotta, directly across the lake in */ 5)& $*5: Hand in hand, strolling along Tremezzo, caught my roving eye.

Bellagio’s cobblestone “As Paris has the Eiffel Tower, Lake alleyways; and whiling Como has Villa Carlotta,� guide Anna away an afternoon Maria Gilardoni, who leads chartered with a Bellini. lake outings, advised me back in Bellagio. The rare public villa houses neoclassical nude sculptures by Antonio Canova, making the visit a sensualist’s delight. But mostly it is, again, a place to stroll, where vast gardens span exotic bamboo and ornamental orange trees.

That evening, I open the windows in my lakefront room at the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni to hear the rain on the water. Faintly I pick up Puccini, the aching aria “O Mio Babbino Caro,� and follow it to the lounge where a couple is quietly sipping tea and the three-piece band is between numbers. “Chi canta?� I ask.

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“Ella,� says the tuxedoed violinist pointing to the tea-taking woman, a virtual 21st-century Carmen with freckled olive skin, long black hair coiled at the back of her head, and cascading diamond earrings grazing a plum wrap. She introduces herself as Larenka Hoareau, a French opera singer from Provence weekending on Lake Como with her husband. I ask her to sing again, and in tribute to my nationality, she chooses “Summertime� from Porgy and Bess, leaning soulfully back against the grand piano.

The lakes have finally sounded. Fittingly, their frequency is opera, something exquisite, antiquated, and resounding of la dolce far niente.

Italy’s Lake Country Essentials $IFDLJOH *O

Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni, Bellagio, Lake Como. An 1873 classic with antique furnishings and modern amenities in the 83 guest rooms and public areas.

Rooms from $595, including breakfast.

011-39-031-950-216, villaserbelloni.com Villa d’Este, Cernobbio, Lake Como.

Lavish 16th-century estate with 152 rooms and two villas. Doubles from $650, including breakfast. 011-39-031-3481, villadeste.it Villa Feltrinelli, Gargnano, Lake Garda.

Whimsical Victorian-age mansion with 13 rooms in the original house and another eight in the cottages and garden houses.

Chef Stefano Baiocco’s cuisine alone is worth a stay. Doubles from $1,240, including breakfast, house wines, laundry, and minibar.

011-39-036-579-8000, villafeltrinelli.com

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U.S.-based Homebase Abroad represents six on Lake Como; the 1786 six-bedroom Villa della Tremezzina costs $43,700 per week, including staff and concierge.

781-639-4040, homebaseabroad.com

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Navigazione Laghi runs water ferries. navigazionelaghi.it

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Como is the seat of Italy’s silk trade; its Silk Museum (museosetacomo.com)

surveys the fabrication process. Several villas are open to tourists including, on Lake Como, Villa Carlotta in Tremezzo (villacarlotta.it) and Villa Balbianello (contact the Bellagio tourist office, 011-39031-950-204) in Lenno; on Lake Garda in Gardone Riviera, Il Vittoriale is the former home of early 20th-century poet and daredevil Gabriele d’Annunzio (vittoriale.it).

Sirmione (sirmione.com), which occupies an isthmus on Lake Garda’s south end, is famed for its Roman ruins and 13th-century castle.

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Il Gatto Nero serves pastas and scenic views above Lake Como. 69 Via Montesanto, Cernobbio, 011-39-031-512-042 Mistral, in the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni, showcases the Michelin-starred gastronomy of chef Ettore Bocchia.

011-39-031-950-216, ristorante-mistral.com Navedano prepares seasonal fare such as sea bass from the neighboring province of Liguria in a flower-filled 19thcentury villa. Via Pannilani, Como, 011-39031-308-080, ristorantenavedano.it The tiny Michelin-starred La Tortuga, just outside the Villa Feltrinelli’s gates, does the lake fish proud, served with capers and tomatoes. 5 Via XXIV Maggio, Gargnano, 011-39-036-571-251

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$&-&#3*5: 308

Lake Como’s western shore is sunnier, so the rich and famous favor its string of waterfront villas.

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Executive chef Nate Sims of the Commerce Club in Greenville, S.C., serves this whole grilled trout similar to the style prepared in the lake country of northern Italy, where butter and cream sauces are prevalent.

4 whole trout (about 7-8 ounces each), skin on 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, minced 2 tablespoons garlic, minced salt and pepper butter sauce (recipe follows) Light a charcoal fire, adding hardwood for more flavor. Rub each trout with olive oil, rosemary, and garlic. Salt and pepper to taste.

Place trout on the grill, away from direct heat.

Turning gently, grill on each side for about 6 minutes.

Remove from heat and serve each trout on a plate; spoon butter sauce over and around the fish. Garnish plates with rosemary sprigs and lemon wedges.

Yield: 4 servings

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BUTTER SAUCE 1 cup seafood or fish stock 1/3 cup white wine 1/4 cup heavy cream 6 tablespoons non-salted butter (3/4 stick), cut into about 6 pieces 1 medium lemon, juice only (2-3 tablespoons) Heat the stock and wine in a deep saucepan until boiling. Lower heat and reduce liquid to about 1 cup.

Add cream and reduce 8-10 minutes over mediumlow heat, stirring occasionally until thicker, and making sure not to boil the cream. Gradually whisk in the butter and lemon juice. Add salt, if needed.

Pairing idea: crisp Soave, Pinot Grigio, or lightly oaked Italian Chardonnay Chef’s secret: “If you keep the skin on the trout while grilling, the meat inside will stay moist.

Throw some extra rosemary on the grill for an extra smoky herb flavor.”

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STEPHEN STINSON

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Italian Accents If a getaway to Southern

STEPHEN STINSON

Europe isn’t on your calendar, fire up your burners and dream

!"# $%&'&(# )* the enchanting lake country in northern Italy bursts with robust flavors.

Think Alpine accents of fresh-churned butter and sumptuous cream sauces along with myriad local cheeses that gild rich risottos and corn polentas. Abundant perch and trout thrive in the streams and lakes and are so fresh they can be cooked with minimal seasoning. Aromatic rosemary, sage, and basil grow wild in this cool countryside and enhance meaty stews and colorful hearty vegetables like Swiss chard, kale, and radicchio.

And no Italian meal is served without wine.

Barolo and Barbaresco are the heavyweight red wines made from the Nebbiolo grape.

The region’s crisp whites include Soave, Pinot Bianco, and Tocai Friulano. Here’s your chance to re-create favorite dishes from this abundant land.

BY

ROBIN BARR SUSSMAN

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F O O D P H OT O G R A P H Y BY

RJ HINKLE

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Executive chef Jason Sperber of Braemar Country Club in Tarzana, Calif., serves this substantial zesty salad starring radicchio. Bellissimo!

“

1 garlic clove, roughly chopped 1/2 cup virgin olive oil 1 sourdough baguette, at least 8 inches long 1-1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1 pound fresh heirloom cherry tomatoes, sliced in half 2 small heads radicchio, or one large head, torn in pieces 1/4 cup fresh sweet basil, torn in pieces kosher salt fresh cracked pepper

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In a small dish, mix the garlic with 1/4 cup of the olive oil.

Slice the baguette in half and brush both halves with the garlic-infused oil. Let the bread stand for 15 minutes, then grill in a barbecue pit or broiler until golden brown and crisp.

Let the bread cool and cut into 1-inch pieces like croutons.

Whisk together the remaining olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and Dijon mustard in a small bowl. In a large salad bowl, add the remaining ingredients. Salt and pepper, to taste. Add the croutons and drizzle on the vinaigrette, to taste. Toss the salad and serve chilled or at room temperature.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings Pairing idea: Tocai Friulano Chef’s secret: “A head of radicchio also grills well when cut in half, if you don’t want a salad.�

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DAVID PARDO (SPERBER), DENNIS TENNANT (KERR), FOOD STYLING BY TRACE HAYES, PROP STYLING BY PIO VIGIL

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1PSDJOJ BOE "TQBSBHVT 3JTPUUP Executive chef Richard Kerr of Greenbrier Country Club in Chesapeake, Va., shares this addicting risotto made with arborio rice, a grain that outshines pasta in northern Italy.

8 pieces thin asparagus spears 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, or olive oil 1 medium white onion, diced 1/4 cup sliced porcini mushrooms 1 cup arborio rice 1/2 cup Pinot Grigio, or similar crisp dry wine 3 cups chicken broth 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese salt and pepper

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Trim each asparagus spear to about a 4-inch size, removing the tough stem. Heat about 1 tablespoon of butter or olive oil in a medium pan on medium-high heat. Lightly sautĂŠ the asparagus until just tender.

Set aside at room temperature to use for garnish later.

Melt remaining butter or olive oil in a nonstick deep skillet on medium heat until it starts to bubble, being careful not to brown it. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally for 2 minutes or until onions are translucent. Add mushrooms and cook for an additional 2 minutes.

Add arborio rice to skillet and stir gently, 3 to 4 minutes, until rice is a light golden color. Increase heat to mediumhigh and add the wine, 1/4 cup at a time, stirring continuously until the liquid is absorbed. Add the chicken broth, 1/4 cup at a time, stirring slowly until liquid is absorbed.

Turn off the heat and stir in Parmesan cheese. Salt and pepper, to taste.

Heap risotto on each plate and serve with asparagus.

Yield: 4 servings Pairing idea: Barbera or Valpolicella Chef’s secret: “For a special presentation, serve the risotto in lightly fried portobello mushroom caps.�

(P 0OMJOF For polenta, osso buco, and crostini recipes inspired by the Italian lake country, visit privateclubs.com.

SSEEPT PTEEM MBBEER/O R/OCCTO TO BBE R 08 08

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JOSH SENS

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DREAMSTIME (BALL), BOB MARTIN/SPORTS ILLUSTRATED/GETTY IMAGES (TROPHY)

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!"#$% &'(!% )'( *(+,%& &'% past are doomed to repeat it, here’s a plain and painful reminder: Since 1995, the Europeans have ruled golf’s greatest global rivalry, besting the United States in five of the last six Ryder Cups.

What used to be a cakewalk for the red, white, and blue has turned into something akin to a funereal proceeding along plush fairways. In Spain and England.

In Michigan and New York. In front of hometown crowds and across the pond, the Americans have suffered a string of biennial beatings. Only a miracle comeback in 1999 saved our boys from a decade-plus of unbroken despair. Europe bounced back from that dramatic loss in Brookline, Mass., by claiming three straight cups — the last two by such lopsided margins that they barely qualified as competitions.

Once a spirited contest, the Ryder Cup now resembles a bad relationship: imbalanced and uncomfortable to watch.

And befuddling, too.

In the wide, wild world of international sports, few trends

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perplex the pundits like Europe’s recent Ryder rule. Every two years, the U.S. dispatches a squad of the game’s top players: major tournament winners, PGA Tour money leaders. Tiger Woods.

Phil Mickelson. Fearless Jim Furyk.

The list goes on. They show up as clear favorites, then slink home, defeated. Dominant on paper, they’re exposed as paper tigers on the links.

And so, this year, as the Ryder Cup heads to Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky., on Sept. 16-21, the air hangs heavy with recent history. Bad memories haunt the Americans, and questions hover around the competition. Why such success for the unheralded Europeans? How can Team USA right its listing ship?

Talking heads have furnished a think-tank worth of theories, most of which boil down to a few factors: pride, putting, coping with pressure. The Europeans, they say, have been stronger at all three.

But talking heads don’t tee it up in competition. Better to ask the participants, veterans of past European squads, made up of top players from across the continent, and, of course, the Americans themselves.

4USBOHF %BZT “"’. !( $/(!% &( "& that it’s hard for me to tell,� says former U.S. Ryder Cup captain Curtis Strange. “But it is baffling. What I do know is that if we claim to be better, one of these days we’re going to have to walk the walk.�

The first Ryder Cup, captained by America’s Walter Hagen (left) and Britain’s Ted Ray (right) is played at Worcester Country Club. The U.S. team wins, 9-1/2 to 2-1/2.

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Following World War II, the Ryder Cup returns after a 10-year hiatus. When the British don’t have the money to send a team to the U.S., Oregon fruit grower Robert Hudson pays the travel expenses so the matches can go on as planned at the Portland Golf Club. The U.S. team wins 11-1.

With Ben Hogan as captain, the U.S. records the matches’ biggest blowout with a 23-1/2 to 8-1/2 win. Arnold Palmer (crouching) and Gardner Dickinson (putting) each go unbeaten in five matches.

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JEFF HAYNES/GETTY IMAGES (TOMS), HULTON ARCHIVE (1969), SIMON BRUTY/ GETTY IMAGES (1987), JACQUELINE DUVOISIN/GETTY IMAGES (1991), JEFF HAYNES/ GETTY IMAGES (1999), ANDREW REDINGTON/GETTY IMAGES (2006)

Hagen (center) closes out his Ryder Cup career triumphantly, backed by legendary teammates Gene Sarazen, Horton Smith, and Paul Runyan in a 9-to-3 rout of Britain.

BETTMANN/CORBIS (1927/1935), BOB THOMAS/POPPERFOTO (1947), ASSOCIATED PRESS (1967)

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BETTMANN/CORBIS (1927/1935), BOB THOMAS/POPPERFOTO (1947), ASSOCIATED PRESS (1967)

A two-time U.S. Open winner, Strange, now 53, played on five Ryder Cup teams, experiencing both humility and heroics. In 1989, at the Belfry in England, he rallied from four down to beat Ian Woosnam and secure a tie for the United States. But in 1995, in the final singles match at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, N.Y., he squandered a late lead to Nick Faldo. The Europeans triumphed by one point, a win that marked the start of their current run. “I’m not sure what the answer is,� Strange says. “But at some point pride has to come into play.

When does getting your butt handed to you time after time inspire you to suck it up and get the job done?�

No one displayed more fistpumping fire than Strange, especially when he was competing for his country. It’s a quality that’s missing among today’s American stars, some observers argue.

According to this view, many top PGA players are pampered prima donnas, accustomed to sweet treatment and polite applause, and ill-inclined to rough it out in bareknuckle match play with no purse.

In what is considered one of the greatest gestures of sportsmanship, American Jack Nicklaus (right) concedes Tony Jacklin (left) a short-par putt to end the Ryder Cup in a tie.

This argument gained credence in the run-up to the 1999 Ryder Cup at the Country Club in Brookline, when rumors arose that some American team members might boycott the competition unless they were paid to compete (stars like David Duval and Mark O’Meara denied the rumors; still, the prima donna perception stuck). “The idea that we’re not into the competition is just ridiculous,� Strange says. “But I do think we grow up with a different mentality than the Europeans. For an American golfer growing up in my generation, there were two big events that loomed in your mind: the Masters and the U.S. Open.

For the Europeans, the two big ones were the British Open and the Ryder Cup. They get pumped up for the Ryder Cup. I think it means more to anyone when you go up against the big and sometimes bad U.S.A.�

In other words, the Europeans care. But so do the Americans — maybe, in fact, too much. Time and again, American competitors describe the Ryder Cup as a “different kind of pressure,� one

After snapping his putter in anger, American Ben Crenshaw putts the remainder of the match using a 1-iron and sand wedge and loses the match to Eamonn Darcy.

Germany’s Bernhard Langer misses a 6-foot putt on the final hole against Hale Irwin, costing Europe the victory.

7"-*"/5 &''035 Although American David Toms did his best by defeating Sergio Garcia in singles play at the 2002 matches, the European team emerged victorious.

that’s laden with the stress of performing for your teammates, not to mention millions of your countrymen. It’s one thing to play for a paycheck. Try draining an important putt when you know an entire nation’s hopes are on the line. “I thought I was going to soil myself,� says Brad Faxon of his first Ryder Cup appearance in 1995.

Adds J.J. Henry, a Ryder Cup rookie in 2006, “I think we’re

Justin Leonard sinks a 45-foot putt to beat Spain’s Jose Maria Olazabal in singles and seals a dramatic comeback victory for the U.S. The Americans are accused of bad sportsmanship when they swarm the green in celebration before Olazabal has a chance to attempt a long-shot tie. They still find themselves apologizing for it today.

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Scotsman Colin Montgomerie makes a nerve-rattling up-anddown birdie from a bunker at the 18th to cement a one-hole win over American David Toms, and extends his undefeated Ryder Cup record to eight singles matches.

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!"# #$%&'#()*, of course, play under pressure, too. But they approach the competition unburdened by the weight of expectations. Historically, after all, they’ve been underdogs.

Starting in 1927, when an English seed merchant named Samuel Ryder founded the event, and through the early 1990s, the Cup overflowed in America’s favor, so much so that the Cupengraver likely ran the risk of injuring himself from repetitive stress. Between 1935 and 1983, the U.S. lost only one Ryder Cup competition. Finally fed up with the drubbings, the Europeans adjusted. In 1979, a team

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originally restricted to players from the United Kingdom and Ireland expanded its membership to include leading names from all of Europe. Stars like Seve Ballesteros, Jesper Parnevik, and Bernhard Langer, to name a few. “As good as they are today and as much as they’ve won, I’m not sure they should be considered underdogs anymore,� says P R I VAT EC LU B S.C O M

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air of a cohesive unit, a group that’s somehow greater than the sum of its parts. Consider England’s Lee Westwood and Northern Ireland’s Darren Clarke. Neither player has won a major. Neither is ranked in the top 10 in the world. But the two are close pals, which comes across when they’re paired up for the Ryder Cup. They grin. They win.

So does their team.

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#03/ Jan. 6, 1960, in Holyoke, Mass.

July 18, 1957, in Welwyn Garden City, England 1&%*(3&& Known as a gritty competitor Taught himself the game with an unorthodox swing, with borrowed clubs after he started playing golf at watching a television age 5 but couldn’t break 40 broadcast of Jack Nicklaus for nine holes until he was in in the 1971 Masters. high school. ."+034 Won six majors: three British Claimed one major title: the Opens and three Masters.

1993 PGA Championship.

5)& 3*7"-3: Edged Azinger by two shots Has had a history of bad in the 1987 Open at Muirfield blood with opposing captain without making a single Faldo. After Faldo edged birdie. Faldo parred every Azinger to win the 1987 hole, a performance that British Open at Muirfield, enhanced his reputation Faldo reportedly said to as a steely, near-robotic his opponent, “Tough luck, competitor. old boy.� $0.1&5*5*7& 41*3*5 His intense demeanor served After his non-Hodgkin’s him well on the course, but lymphoma went into earned him few friends off it. remission, he boasted, “I kicked cancer’s butt.�

3:%&3 &91&3*&/$& Represented the European At the 1993 Ryder Cup at the team in 11 Ryder Cups and Belfry, he beat Faldo in an recorded more Ryder points epic singles match. than any player in history.

'3*&/%-: #"/5&3 At the 2006 British Open, As commentators, their the two broadcasters were sparring has turned to surveying the putts of Tiger good-natured jabbing. “Back Woods and Sergio Garcia. when [Faldo] was playing, I Azinger started to comment never heard him complete a when Faldo quipped, sentence,� Azinger said last “It’s my hole, so buzz off.� year. “Now his voice-activation Azinger replied, “You’re so system has switched on, and competitive.� you can’t turn it off.�

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7/30/08 10:10:13 AM

STEPHEN MUNDAY/GETTY IMAGES (BALLESTEROS), ROSS KINNAIRD/GETTY IMAGES (HENRY), AL MESSERSCHMIDT/GETTY IMAGES (WOODS/MICKELSON)

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American Ryder Cup veteran David Toms.

And yet even with their recent string of success, the Europeans have maintained the attitude of upstarts, playing a loosey-goosey style of golf, rollicking free spirits in collared shirts. They smile, swap high-fives, and sip champagne while the Americans sit around with puckered, pallid looks. “The fact that they’re stronger on paper and in the world rankings almost certainly makes it more difficult for the Americans,�

Langer says. “They feel like they should win, and then they don’t.

The longer that goes on, the more the pressure builds from the media and everyone else. We probably look like we’re having more fun.

But it’s easier to have fun when you’re playing well.�

And it’s easier to play well when you play as a team. Give the Europeans credit in that department. They always have the

ANDY LYONS/GETTY IMAGES (AZINGER), ROSS KINNAIRD/GETTY IMAGES (FALDO)

our own worst enemy out there.

We’re not as loose as we should be. We kind of straitjacket ourselves with self-imposed pressure, and that’s not a good way to play your best golf.�

Compare that, say, to the wellpublicized power coupling of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson in 2004. The two best players in the world have never exactly been best buddies, and yet there they were on the first day of the 2004 competition, a twin billing of titans, together on the tee at Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. Hal Sutton, that year’s American captain, called his chosen pairing “stronger than new rope.� But what it proved to be was a frayed relationship. They were teammates in name only: Woods and Mickelson hardly spoke to each other. They played miserably and lost both of their matches, including Friday foursomes to Westwood and Clarke. “The Europeans always seem to have done a better job of creating a team,� says Niclas Fasth of Sweden. “It’s a classic story, isn’t it? It’s kind of funny, really, because we’re lots of different nations, but it’s always been like that. There’s no secret to it. It’s hard to explain it any other way.�

STEPHEN MUNDAY/GETTY IMAGES (BALLESTEROS), ROSS KINNAIRD/GETTY IMAGES (HENRY), AL MESSERSCHMIDT/GETTY IMAGES (WOODS/MICKELSON)

ANDY LYONS/GETTY IMAGES (AZINGER), ROSS KINNAIRD/GETTY IMAGES (FALDO)

-BUFTU $IBMMFOHF "#$$ "%&" "' Paul Azinger, the current U.S. captain. He has another explanation: He thinks there’s a problem with the way the American team is chosen.

In past competitions, the 12-member squad has largely been determined by Ryder Cup point standings (a combination of Tour earnings and world rankings) over two years leading up to the event. The top 10 point-earners have made the team; the remaining two spots were filled in by captain’s picks.

For the 2008 Cup, Azinger pushed successfully for policy changes.

The new process places greater emphasis on a player’s recent performance; the idea being to get ’em while they’re hot.

One guy Azinger won’t get, of course, is Tiger Woods, who, come Cup time, will still be sidelined with a surgically

repaired left knee. But since this time around only the top eight point-earners will gain automatic entry onto the team, Azinger will have four captain’s picks, not two.

That presents a glaring question: Whom should he choose? “It’s hard to say for sure,� says Johnny Miller, a former Ryder Cupper and golf analyst for NBC Sports. “But I’ll tell you this. I believe that in the past few years, you could have sent the best American college golf teams into the competition and they would have done better than the pros.

You laugh, but seriously, you couldn’t have played any worse than the Americans played.�

Nothing is ever guaranteed in golf. But, Miller says, in the Ryder Cup, with its matchplay format, putting becomes especially important. And in recent years, the Americans have floundered with flatsticks in their hands. “In this head-to-head stuff, the putters always prevail,� Miller says. “To putt well under pressure you need confidence. You need to be one of those guys like [former Tour stars] Lanny Wadkins and Jerry Pate who say, ‘Here I am. Get out of my way or I’ll whoop your butt.’ �

4*(/4 0' 5)& 5*.&4 (clockwise, from top) Spain’s Seve Ballesteros confidently chips out at the 1995 matches; J.J. Henry’s reaction to his missed putt in 2006 speaks volumes; the frustration shows on Tiger Woods’ and Phil Mickelson’s faces at the 2004 matches.

Any number of candidates come to mind, from gritty veteran Justin Leonard to budding Tour star Sean O’Hair. Another is Anthony Kim, the 23-year-old up-and-comer who won his first professional event this year and has a well-earned reputation for self-assuredness. “He’s the kind of guy who could come in there with confidence and really get the rest of the guys fired up,� Miller says.

Says Kim: “I’d love to play for Captain Azinger. There would be no greater feeling than representing my country.�

Whether Kim will get that chance is still to be determined.

The Ryder Cup point runoff ends in August, when the automatic eight slots will be allotted. On Sept. 2, Azinger will announce his captain’s picks. Two weeks after that, the games begin.

Amid the many questions, one thing is certain: The American team will be aware of the past. It remains to be seen whether they’ll repeat it. “Bottom line,� Miller says, “the U.S. has to turn this thing around quick. They haven’t even been close the last two or three Ryder Cups. It’s almost embarrassing if you want to know the truth.�

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7/31/08 9:07:35 AM

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5

hey call him the Big Easy, but Ernie Els often has it hard. Consider, for instance, his travel log. In the past year alone, the two-time U.S. Open champion spent 350 hours on an airplane, keeping up his standing as the golf world’s king of frequent-flier miles.

As has long been his habit, Els crisscrossed the continents to tee it up in big-time tournaments. He’s shown flashes of dominant play, winning the 2008 Honda Classic and placing sixth in the prestigious

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Players Championship.

But the South African star also occupied himself with business obligations as the president of his growing company, Ernie Els Design.

Like the player himself, Els’ golf architecture firm has earned a reputation for its quality performance and global reach, with championship courses on four continents, and more to come.

Els’ latest project is a spectacular 18-hole, 7,400-yard layout at Hoakalei Country Club on the Hawaiian island of Oahu, just 20 minutes from Honolulu, overlooking the stunning Ewa coast. The

facility, owned through a joint venture between Haseko Inc. and ClubCorp and managed

by ClubCorp, will be the first new course on Oahu in more than 10 years.

With play set to begin at Hoakalei this fall, Private Clubs caught up with Els in a rare quiet moment to ask about his new course, his golf career, and whether he ever finds time to sleep. :PV WF CVJMU BOE QMBZFE DPVSTFT BMM BSPVOE UIF XPSME 8IBU BUUSBDUFE ZPV UP UIJT QBSUJDVMBS QSPKFDU I love coming to Hawaii, and this particular property was an especially interesting

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7/28/08 7:20:27 AM

JOHN DEMELLO (HOAKALEI), STEVE READ/GETTY IMAGES (ELS)

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JOHN DEMELLO (HOAKALEI), STEVE READ/GETTY IMAGES (ELS)

/"563"- 41"$& Ernie Els let nature dictate the seventh hole at Hoakalei, opting for a split fairway and a fun challenge for golfers.

challenge. It’s a very difficult site, with a great deal of lava rock that’s been tough to cut through. But what’s challenging from an architectural standpoint often makes for a wonderful golf course, and that’s the case here.

"OZPOF XIP T QMBZFE HPMG JO )BXBJJ LOPXT UIF DIBMMFOHF PG QMBZJOH JO UIF USBEF XJOET That’s true. And you’ve got to design a course with the winds in mind. You’ve got to offer a good mix for the player.

You certainly can’t make every hole a 480-yard par-4 into the wind. I think we’ve offered a good mix here. It’s the kind of course that’s never going

to play exactly the same from one day to the next. :PV TUBSUFE PÊ ZPVS EFTJHO DBSFFS XPSLJOH XJUI +BDL /JDLMBVT XIP IBT CFFO LOPXO GPS BO FTQFDJBMMZ EJTUJODU EFTJHO TUZMF %P ZPV IBWF B TUZMF UIBU ZPV DPOTJEFS ZPVS PXO I think Jack’s philosophy, especially early in his design career, was to design to the way he played. A lot of left-toright shots. A lot of demanding long irons, which reflected what a great iron player Jack was. But he also knows how to integrate his style with the environment, and that’s what I like to do. I love bunkering. I like to give a player a chance off the tee, so I’m not inclined to cover my courses with a lot of high rough. I’m not into growing grass just for the sake of growing grass. I like to get the guy in play, then give him a challenge with risk-reward shots into the green.

8JMM XF TFF UIBU BU )PBLBMFJ Absolutely. Take the 18th.

It’s a great risk-reward par-5 that heads back toward the clubhouse. Depending on the wind, it will be reachable in two. But there’s water down the right side, so you’ve got to think and execute. %PFT JU IBWF XIBU ZPV DPOTJEFS B TJHOBUVSF IPMF I don’t really think in terms of signature holes because I think they’re all great, but the seventh is a hole we’re especially proud of. It’s an environmentally sensitive area with a river running along it, and we thought to ourselves, OK, so what the heck are we going to do with this? What we did was design a split fairway.

Construction on Hoakalei Country Club’s clubhouse is scheduled to begin in 2010. The two-story facility will feature meeting rooms, a grill, a member lounge and bar, patio dining, a fitness center with state-of-the-art athletic equipment, men’s and women’s locker rooms, a pro shop, and a snack bar. The club is set inside the oceanfront, residential community of Hoakalei, currently being developed to include new resort homes, upscale dining and shopping, a hotel and spa, private beach/canoe club, and marina.

It’s another example of where design choices, combined with what nature presents you, lead to a wonderful challenge for the player.

8JUI BMM UIF XPSL ZPV EP JO EFTJHO UIFTF EBZT IPX EP ZPV çOE UJNF UP QSBDUJDF I still work hard at my game because I want to be competitive. But I’m 38 now.

I’ve probably got about six more years of top golf ahead of me. Looking to the future, design is something I can see myself transitioning into more. %P ZPV FWFS HFU UJSFE PG BMM UIF USBWFM It can take a physical toll.

But I’ve been a drifter all my life. I’ve always been moving from one place to another. I don’t think I’d feel entirely comfortable with myself if I were just sticking to one place. *G TPNFPOF TBJE UP ZPV :PV WF HPU POF MBTU SPVOE UP QMBZ JO ZPVS MJGF BOZXIFSF JO UIF XPSME XIFSF XPVME JU CF Wow, that’s a tough one. I don’t think we’ve designed that course yet. But I’d say it would

be pretty hard to top Cypress Point in California. The coastal setting is just spectacular, and Alister MacKenzie, who designed the course, is my favorite designer. %P ZPV USZ UP FNVMBUF IJN JO ZPVS BSDIJUFDUVSF We change our approach depending on the location.

The course we built in Dubai, we employed some of that beautiful MacKenzie bunkering. At a place like Hoakalei, with all the rough terrain, we had to manufacture some of the spaces.

The results are quite dramatic. %JE ZPV CVJME JU XJUI BOZ UZQF PG QMBZFS JO NJOE You’ve got to design for all kinds of players. We’ve got different sets of tees to accommodate the casual golfer, the tourist, say, who comes over from the mainland. But the back tees are so far back I’m tempted to call them the Tiger Tees.

There’s a reason I’m hoping to get the [PGA Tour’s] Sony Open here. This course would be a wonderful venue for a PGA event.

"OZ PUIFS QSPKFDUT ZPV SF FYDJUFE BCPVU Yes, plenty. We’ve built courses in China, the Middle (P 0OMJOF East, South Africa.

Read more about We’re looking into Els’ favorite golf courses, his design the Caribbean, philosophy, and his traveling ways at Nassau. We’re privateclubs.com. checking out something in St. Lucia. There’s a lot to be excited about.

"OE ZPV MM CF USBWFMJOH UP BMM PG UIFTF QMBDFT PG DPVSTF Of course. I figure I can sleep on the plane.

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P R I VAT EC LU B S.C O M

7/28/08 7:21:44 AM

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Naples Harbour Yacht Club

Member Scott Stoddard (second from left) aces a hole and wins a new Acura MDX.

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+VTUJO -FPOBSE, a member of 5IF )JMMT PG -BLFXBZ in Austin, Texas, shot a 19-foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole to win the 2008 Justin Leonard 4UBOGPSE 4U +VEF $IBNQJPOTIJQ, held at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tenn.

The 12-time PGA Tour champion defeated Masters champion Trevor Immelman of South Africa and Robert Allenby of Australia.

About 80 golfers ages 12-18 competed in the $MVC$PSQ .JTTJPO )JMMT %FTFSU +VOJPS, a three-day tournament held at .JTTJPO )JMMT $PVOUSZ $MVC in Rancho Mirage, Calif. The American Junior Golf Association, an organization dedicated to helping young men and women grow through competitive golf, conducted the event. Patrick Cantlay and Veronica Valerio were the winners.

Patrick Cantlay and Veronica Valerio.

For the second time in the 15-year history of the Acura qualifier tournaments, a member made a hole-in-one on a designated hole to win a new Acura. While competing for a spot in the Acura ClubCorp Team Championship, 4DPUU 4UPEEBSE, a member of $PUP EF $B[B (PMG 3BDRVFU $MVC in Orange County, Calif., aced Coto’s No. 4 hole to win an MDX in the "DVSB TQPOTPSFE IPMF JO POF DPOUFTU Pictured above, from left: team members Larry Martz and Scott Stoddard, Coto de Caza golf pro Dan Walker, and team members Frank Frederick and Eric Schrier.

Tower Club

5PXFS $MVC in Dallas has completed construction on two boardrooms and a private event facility featuring a dining area and a $25,000 dance floor. The club’s NJMMJPO SFOPWBUJPO continues with construction on the new Triniti restaurant, scheduled to open by Dec. 1. The new restaurant will include three menu options, a full wine wall, and a casual and formal dining area.

AP PHOTO/MARK HUMPHREY (LEONARD), QUAD/PHOTO (CHARITY), PALM SPRINGS PHOTOGRAPHY.NET (DESERT JUNIOR)

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S E PT E M B E R/O CTO B E R 08

7/29/08 9:27:02 PM

$MVC$PSQ /FXT BOE &WFOUT When the $JUZ $MVC PO #VOLFS )JMM opens its new #7 -PVOHF in late September, members can rent wine lockers, host tastings, and entertain guests with cocktails from the bar. The Los Angeles club’s 2,000-square-foot facility includes four 50-inch plasma TVs, staggered seating with views of the ocean, and a casual, all-day dining concept.

Chicago’s .FUSPQPMJUBO $MVC provided the venue for the Fourth Annual .FUBM $IFG $PNQFUJUJPO, sponsored by the Chicago Society of Clubs. The chefs were each given a secret ingredient — corn — to use in a signature dish. Judges declared a two-way tie between Matt Maroni of Mid-America Club and Matt Castro of the House of Blues-Foundation Room.

or one 50-minute spa treatment.

Get unlimited range use and discounts on day-of-arrival golf and additional rounds. Rates start at $198 per night.

The Homestead

3FTPSUT

Members with Signature Gold benefits have until Oct. 31 to take advantage of the 'BMM 'PMJBHF 1BDLBHF at 5IF )PNFTUFBE in Hot Springs, Va. Enjoy luxurious accommodations, breakfast daily, and access to the fitness center, indoor pool, and nightly movies.

Hit the golf course or relax in the spa. The )JMM $PVOUSZ (PMG PS 4QB 1BDLBHF at #BSUPO $SFFL 3FTPSU 4QB in Austin, Texas, includes accommodations and your choice of one round of golf per night stay

With the 'BMM *T 4VJUF 1BDLBHF at )PUFM EFM $PSPOBEP near San Diego, you can stay overnight in a Victorian one-bedroom suite; enjoy a three-course dinner for two at Sheerwater, the resort’s oceanfront restaurant; and receive special rates starting at $750 a night. Offer valid Sept. 5-Dec. 25.

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$BMFOEBS 4FQU Acura ClubCorp Championship Series Country Club and Resort Team Championship at Pinehurst Resort in the Village of Pinehurst, N.C.

Through Dec. 15, -B $PTUB 3FTPSU BOE 4QB in Carlsbad, Calif., offers FYDMVTJWF SBUFT starting at $199 per night for members with Signature Gold benefits. $229 for non-Signature Gold members.

4FQU The Cakebread Cellars Wine Dinner at La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, Calif. The three-course dinner features California cuisine and wine pairings from the best of Cakebread cellars. $60 per person.

The Sparkling Wine & Lobster Dinner at Hotel del Coronado near San Diego. The four-course dinner, held at 1500 OCEAN, is paired with a variety of sparkling and fine wines. $130 per person. Part of Savor the Southland, a series of dining events.

0DU PGA McGladrey Team Championship at Pinehurst Resort in the Village of Pinehurst, N.C. The PGA of America’s nationwide amateur championship marks its second year.

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5SBWFM 0Q

Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa

Members traveling with kids will love the ,JEUPQJB 1BDLBHF at 3BODIP -BT 1BMNBT 3FTPSU 4QB in Rancho Mirage, Calif. With rates starting at $169 per night, members receive accommodations and a full-day admission for one at Kidtopia, a new camp that entertains kids ages 4-12 with arts and crafts, games, nature walks, books and puzzles, and outdoor games. Valid through Sept. 30.

4PVUI 1BDJGJD "EWFOUVSFT &WFS CFFO PO B [PEJBD TBGBSJ JO ,PPNBMB #BZ 0SJPO &YQFEJUJPO $SVJTFT B QSFNJFS DSVJTF MJOF BDRVJSFE CZ ,4- $BQJUBM 1BSUOFST DPNCJOFT MVYVSZ XJUI BEWFOUVSF USBWFM 5IF TIJQ DSVJTFT UP SFNPUF MPDBUJPOT JO "VTUSBMJB /FX ;FBMBOE UIF 4PVUI 1BDJGJD BOE "OUBSDUJDB 'PS JOGPSNBUJPO PO JUT EFTUJOBUJPOT HP UP PSJPOFYQFEJUJPOT DPN 7BJM .PVOUBJO -PEHF 4QB in Colorado offers couples a 3PNBOUJD 'BMM (FUBXBZ 1BDLBHF. Available Sept. 2-Nov. 14 (for Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday arrival), couples stay four nights and receive two spa treatments, breakfast daily, access to the athletic club, and one dinner at Terra Bistro, the resort’s awardwinning restaurant. Call 866-4760700 to book the package.

Resort deals are subject to availability. Some restrictions may apply. Call the ClubLine to make reservations, unless noted.

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Tuesday-Sunday on the 18-hole, Curtis Strange-designed course.

Call the Society at 404-880-0088 for tee times.

With the addition of .PVOU 1MFBTBOU $PVOUSZ $MVC to the /FX &OHMBOE 4PDJFUZ, Society members can try out their game on the club’s championship golf course. The private club, located in Boylston, Mass., features a William Mitchelldesigned par-72 course. Members can play Tuesday-Thursday and have lunch or dinner WednesdaySunday (reservations only). For tee times and reservations, call the Society at 617-287-3191.

THE CLUBLINE

INTERNATIONAL CALLERS

"UMBOUB 4PDJFUZ members can enjoy golf privileges at (PWFSOPST 5PXOF $MVC, a private golf club community set on 725 acres northwest of Atlanta. Society members and their guests can play

SIGNATURE GOLD

(0-% CLUBLINE @ CLUBCORP . COM CLUBLINE . COM

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Hyatt Regency Scottsdale at Gainey Ranch In Scottsdale.

Inn at Eagle Mountain In Scottsdale.

Business Clubs

In Chandler; Desert Ridge; Scottsdale.

Sports Clubs

Seville Golf & Country Club, 480-722-8100

Wigwam Golf Resort & Spa In Litchfield Park, 20 miles from Phoenix. Three 18-hole golf courses, 9 tennis courts, fullservice spa.

5VDTPO Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar Hilton Tucson El Conquistador Golf & Tennis Resort North of Tucson International Airport in the Catalina Mountains.

9-hole course surrounding the resort, and two 18-hole championship courses in the high desert terrain, 31 tennis courts.

6OJUFE 4UBUFT "MBCBNB #JSNJOHIBN Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar The Summit Club, 205-252-0088 summit-birmingham.com Atop the Regions-Habert Plaza in downtown Birmingham. Meeting and conference rooms, member workstations. Breakfast and lunch Mon-Fri. Dinner Wed-Sat. Closed Sun. Signature Gold Dining.

The Tutwiler Hotel

)VOUTWJMMF Heritage Club, 256-533-0350 In the Everett Building downtown.

Main dining room, grill, and 7 private dining rooms. Breakfast and lunch Tue-Fri. Dinner Tue-Sat. Brunch every Sunday. Signature Gold Dining.

.PCJMF Bienville Club, 251-433-4977 Atop AmSouth Bank Building with panoramic skyline views of

Mobile Bay, Mobile River, and surrounding area. 4 dining rooms for private functions. Lunch Mon-Fri. Social hours and dinner Thur-Sat. Closed most Sundays. Signature Gold Dining.

.POUHPNFSZ Capital City Club, 334-834-8920

designed golf, two resort-style pools, and two fitness centers.

Signature Gold Golf.

At the foot of the Phoenix Mountain Preserve. 8 tennis courts, putting course, 7 pools, spa, salon, and fitness center.

)PU 4QSJOHT

Arizona Club, 602-253-1121

"SJ[POB

In Chandler; Phoenix; Scottsdale.

'MBHTUBGG

Gainey Ranch Golf Club, 480-951-0022

Junipine Resort

1IPFOJY Arizona Society of Clubs, 480-607-6952 arizona-society.com

Anthem Golf & Country Club, 623-742-6200 anthemclubliving.com In Anthem, about 40 miles from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. 36 holes of Greg Nash-

In Sierra Vista. Golf course provides views of the mountains and desert terrain. The club also includes tennis courts and pool.

Signature Gold Golf.

"SLBOTBT

Atop Chase Tower in downtown Phoenix. A la carte dining, private dining rooms, meeting and special-event rooms. Signature Gold Dining.

In Sedona. Fifty 1- and 2-bedroom creekhouses, cafe.

Pueblo Del Sol Country Club, 520-378-6444

Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa

capitalmontgomery.com Top two floors of RSA Tower downtown. Formal and informal dining, private party facilities.

Breakfast and lunch Mon-Fri. Dinner Tue-Sat. Closed Sun. Signature Gold Dining.

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar

gaineyranchcc.com In Scottsdale, with picturesque views of the mountains and lakes.

20 miles from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. 27 holes of golf designed by Benz & Poellot, clubhouse, pro shop, restaurant, bar and grill, banquet facility.

Breakfast and lunch daily. Dinner Wed-Sun.

The Grace Inn

Diamante, A Private Membership Golf Club, 501-922-1114 diamanteclub.com In Hot Springs Village; 50 miles from Little Rock International Airport. 18-hole golf course designed by Ault, Clark & Associates, 4 lighted clay tennis courts, pool, shower/changing building. Lunch and dinner TueSun. Closed Mon.

CALL THE CLUBLINE TO MAKE RESERVATIONS

SIGNATURE GOLD

(0-% INTERNATIONAL CALLERS

FAX

CLUBLINE @ CLUBCORP . COM

Country Clubs Golf Clubs KSL Resorts: Resort properties owned and/or operated by a sister company of ClubCorp. As a member, you enjoy various special rates and services.

The Owners Club, Inc.: Use of The Owners Clubs is available to Owners Club members only.

Societies: As a Society member, you receive access to clubs in your local area.

Affiliate Clubs/Hotels/ Services: You enjoy privileges at a group of clubs not owned, operated, or managed by ClubCorp. Green fees may apply. You also qualify for preferred rates, privileges, and accommodations at select hotels, and have access to ticket, shopping, and transportation services.

New listing since previous issue.

You must be an overnight guest of the resort in order to use the facilities.

Affiliate clubs that accept your MemberCard.

Business club is equipped with athletic facilities.

Entries in “The List� are under nearest metropolitan area with commercial airline service.

To make reservations, call the ClubLine or e-mail at clubline@clubcorp.com.

-JUUMF 3PDL Peabody Hotel

$BMJGPSOJB #VSCBOL Roy’s Hawaiian Fusion Cuisine In Woodland Hills.

'SFTOP Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar

-PT "OHFMFT Compass Society of Southern California, 818-762-4389 Avalon Hotel In Beverly Hills.

Braemar Country Club, 818-345-6520 braemarclub.com.

In Tarzana, 20 miles from Los Angeles International Airport. 2 golf courses, 20 tennis courts, and 2 pools. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner Tue-Sun. Sunday brunch.

Closed Mon.

CLUBLINE . COM

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Ritz-Carlton Phoenix Roy’s Hawaiian Fusion Cuisine

sevillegcc.com In Gilbert, 34 miles from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

18-hole Gary Panks-designed golf course, 3 tennis courts, health club, water park. Breakfast Sat-Sun. Lunch Tue-Sun. Dinner Wed-Sat. Signature Gold Golf.

Aliso Viejo Golf Club, Aliso Viejo, Calif.

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.FNCFS #FOFçUT BOE -FWFMT As a benefit of club membership, you have access to certain clubs and resorts listed in “The Listâ€? that are outside the nonresident radius of your home club. These restrictions apply from the place(s) of residence and business for you and your family members. Privileges are based upon your benefit level as described below.

The Associate benefit does not apply to groups or private events, and cart fees are additional.

Call the ClubLine to make reservations and for questions about your benefits. For information on legacy and relocation benefits, contact your home club.

Signature Gold: Signature Gold Unlimited is the flagship level of private club benefits, featuring complimentary golf and dining at participating clubs (two rounds and two meals per club per 30-day period). Additional benefits include a private jet program, 30-day advance tee times, and privileges in the market of the members’ second home or business. Signature Gold Golf offers complimentary golf at Associate Clubs and signature courses (two rounds per club per 30-day period). Signature Gold Dining offers complimentary dining at business and business sports clubs (two meals per club per 30-day period).

Associate Bronze: Members receive social privileges at Associate Club properties.

Associate Gold: Members receive golf, social, and athletic privileges at Associate Clubs, excluding some select golf courses. Members do not pay green fees at specified country clubs. (Play restricted to two rounds per 30 days at each location.)

Associate Plus: Members receive golf privileges at certain properties and are limited to two rounds per 30 days per club. Members are charged 50 percent of accompanied guest green fees.

Associate Silver: Members receive social and athletic privileges at Associate Club properties and golf privileges at certain Associate Club properties.

Golf availability varies and green fees apply in certain resort areas and during designated seasons.

City Club on Bunker Hill, 213-620-9662 icityclub.com Atop the 54th floor of the Wells Fargo Center downtown.

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner MonFri. 10 private and business dining rooms, lounge, game room, and business and videoconference center. Signature Gold Dining.

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar In El Segundo.

House of Blues Foundation Room Access for Signature and Associate Gold only.

House of Blues - Sunday Gospel Brunch Signature Gold Dining.

The Langham, Huntington Hotel & Spa In Pasadena.

Lucky Strike Lanes In Hollywood; Torrance.

Maison 140 Hotel

Porter Valley Country Club, 818-360-1071 portervalley.com In Northridge. 18-hole Ted Robinson-designed golf course, 5 tennis courts, swimming pool, fitness center. Breakfast and lunch Tue-Sun. Dinner Wed. Closed Mon.

Roy’s Hawaiian Fusion Cuisine Seven Oaks Country Club, 661-664-6404 In Bakersfield. 27-hole championship golf course, tennis and fitness facilities, and lakeside pavilion for swimming. Signature Gold Golf.

.POUFSFZ Carmel Valley Ranch Resort 6 miles from Carmel-by-the-Sea; 20 miles from Monterey Peninsula Airport. 18-hole championship golf course. 12 tennis courts, 2 pools, 6 outdoor spas.

Hyatt Regency Monterey

0OUBSJP Canyon Crest Country Club, 909-274-7900 canyoncrestcc.com In Riverside. 20 miles from Ontario International Airport. Golf course, 6 tennis courts, swimming pool.

Breakfast Sat-Sun. Lunch Tue-Sun. Dinner Fri. Closed Mon.

0SBOHF $PVOUZ Aliso Viejo Golf Club, 949-598-9200 alisogolf.com In Aliso Viejo, 13 miles from John Wayne Airport. 18 holes of Jack Nicklaus/Jack Nicklaus II-designed golf, practice facilities, pro shop, private event facilities. Open daily.

Golf benefits for Signature and Associate Gold.

Center Club, 714-662-3414 center-club.com In the Center Tower building in downtown Costa Mesa. Fewer than 5 miles from John Wayne Airport. Breakfast and lunch MonFri. Dinner Tue-Sat. Closed Sun. Signature Gold Dining.

Coto de Caza Golf & Racquet Club, 949-858-4100 coto-de-caza.com In Coto de Caza, 20 miles southeast of John Wayne Airport.

36 holes designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr.; 10 lighted tennis courts, 3 pools. Breakfast Sat-Sun. Lunch and dinner Tue-Sun.

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar In Newport Beach.

House of Blues - Sunday Gospel Brunch

In Beverly Hills.

Signature Gold Dining.

Omni Los Angeles Hotel at California Plaza

Roy’s Hawaiian Fusion Cuisine In Newport Beach.

Westin South Coast Plaza

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1BMN 4QSJOHT Desert Falls Country Club, 760-340-5646 desert-falls.com In Palm Desert, 15 miles southeast of Palm Springs. This par-72 Ronald Fream-designed course spans 7,017 yards with spectacular views of the San Jacinto Mountain Range. Breakfast and lunch daily.

Dinner in season. Tee-time cancellation policy applies.

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar In Rancho Mirage.

Hyatt Grand Champions Resort & Spa Indian Wells Country Club, 760-345-2561

CALL THE CLUBLINE TO MAKE RESERVATIONS

SIGNATURE GOLD

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Roy’s Hawaiian Fusion Cuisine

In Copperopolis. 6,828-yard golf course and private event facilities. Accommodations available.

Signature Gold Golf.

Rattlesnake Desert Grill and Wine Bar

Saddle Creek Golf Club, 888-852-5787

Teal Bend Golf Club, 916-922-5209 tealbendgolf.com 18-hole, 72-par course designed

by Brad Bell, practice range, grill, home of Teal Bend Golf Schools.

Open daily. Golf benefits for Signature and Associate Gold.

Turkey Creek Golf Club, 916-434-9100 turkeycreekgc.com In Lincoln. Outstanding 18-hole Brad Bell-designed golf course, grill. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily. Open daily. Golf benefits for Signature and Associate Gold.

In Palm Desert.

4BO %JFHP

Renaissance Esmeralda Resort and Spa Roy’s Hawaiian Fusion Cuisine

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar

In Rancho Mirage.

4BDSBNFOUP Compass Society of Northern California, 925-735-5715 compass-society.com

Morgan Run Resort & Club, 858-756-2471

Granite Bay Golf Club, 916-791-7578

CLUBLINE . COM

Miramonte Resort & Spa Mission Hills Country Club, 760-324-9400

In Rancho Mirage. See KSL Resorts section.

La Costa Resort and Spa 800-854-5000; 760-438-9111 In Carlsbad. See KSL Resorts.

dining, driving range, and practice areas. Golf benefits for Signature and Associate Gold.

CLUBLINE @ CLUBCORP . COM

granitebayclub.com In Granite Bay, 20 miles east of Sacramento. 18-hole championship course designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr., practice facilities, pro shop, clubhouse, fitness facility, meeting space. Breakfast Sat-Sun. Lunch Tue-Sun. Dinner Thur-Sun.

Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa, 866-423-1195; 760-568-2727

Signature Gold Dining.

morganrun.com In Rancho Santa Fe. 27-hole championship golf course, practice facilities, 11 tennis courts, pool, overnight accommodations, informal and formal dining, conference/banquet facilities. Open daily.

Golf benefits for Signature and Associate Gold.

FAX

indianwellsclub.com In Indian Wells, 20 miles southeast of the Palm Springs Airport. 2 clubhouses, ballroom, fitness center, private dining rooms, patio dining, and pro shop. 2 championship courses wind through the foothills of the Santa Rosa Mountains.

Breakfast and lunch daily. Dinner Tue, Thur, and Fri. Tee-time cancellation policy applies.

missionhills.com In Rancho Mirage; 10 miles southeast of Palm Springs. Spectacular vistas at this 1,760-acre club. 3 par-72 championship golf courses.

Large clubhouse, pool, fitness center, 26 tennis courts (2 grass).

Breakfast and lunch daily. Dinner Wed and Fri. Tee-time cancellation policy applies.

House of Blues - Sunday Gospel Brunch

In La Jolla; San Diego.

Hotel del Coronado 800-468-3533; 619-435-6611 In Coronado. See KSL Resorts.

Hotel Solamar

Locations in La Jolla and downtown San Diego.

Shadowridge Country Club, 760-727-7700 shadowridgecc.com In Vista, in north San Diego County. 18-hole golf course, practice facilities, clubhouse. Breakfast Sat-Sun. Lunch Tue-Sun. Extended lunch on Sun. Dinner Wed, Fri, Sun. Closed Mon.

Stoneridge Country Club, 858-487-2138 In North County, 35 miles from downtown San Diego; 25 miles from San Diego International Airport at Lindbergh Field. 18-hole golf course, driving range, practice area, 9 lighted tennis courts, pool, Jacuzzi. Breakfast and lunch TueSun. Dinner Wed.-Fri.

University Club Atop Symphony Towers, 619-234-5200 uc-sandiego.com Atop Symphony Towers downtown. Breakfast and lunch Mon-Fri. Dinner Wed-Sat. Closed Sun. Signature Gold Dining.

4BO 'SBODJTDP Compass Society of Northern California, 925-735-5715 compass-society.com

Carneros Inn In Napa Valley.

City Club of San Francisco, 415-362-2480 In the Stock Exchange Tower in the financial district. Main dining

Skyline Club, Southfield, Mich.

Charlie Palmer Group Receive VIP access and service at Charlie Palmer’s Dry Creek Kitchen, located in Healdsburg.

Access for Members with Signature Gold benefits only.

Empire Ranch Golf Club, 916-817-8100 empireranchgolfclub.com In the foothills of Folsom. 6,669yard, par-71, daily fee golf course overlooking Folsom Lake. Fullservice pro shop, clubhouse,

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