Destinations

Here we present a diverse trio of golf destinations, yet what ties them together are the majors, either through staging them or being designed by major champions

Rolling around 767 acres of land in Montgomery, Texas, 50 miles northwest from Houston, Bluejack National has become established as one of the finest and most diverse residential communities in North America. It is home to the first Tiger Woods-designed golf course in the United States and Woods’ only private course in the U.S.—a rare gem and inevitably the headline act—but the truth is that at Bluejack National, world-class golf is just the tip of the pine tree. The Fort at Bluejack National opened in 2018, incorporating an array of family amenities such as two swimming pools, a burger joint and bar, pickleball courts, 10-pin bowling, a football field, tennis center and even a “mini-Fenway” Wiffle-ball diamond. You might ask if it’s good for kids? And the answer is, “it’s great once the parents let the kids have their turn…”

The peerless amenities are complemented by an extensive network of walking trails around the expansive, wooded property.

Tiger’s course still looks pristine, yet having been open for play since 2016, it has had time to settle and in fact is now better than new. Woods has ensured the golf course provides a memorable challenge for golfers of all levels, and we love that the folks at Bluejack make it hard to lose your golf ball: there is no rough beyond a friendly first cut. Woods also designed Bluejack’s beautiful 10-hole short course, The Playgrounds.

The Windward Islands string out between the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea and among them is Saint Lucia, named by French colonists after St. Lucy of Syracuse. Saint Lucia is just 27 miles long, 14 miles wide and shaped like a teardrop, and at its northern tip lies the Point Hardy peninsula, fringed by white sand and surrounded by azure waters. At this idyllic setting the brand new Cabot Saint Lucia private community will open later this year. Perhaps the most eagerly anticipated golf course introduction of 2023 will take place here when Point Hardy Golf Course—the first Caribbean design from celebrated duo Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw—opens for play. The dramatic course has been rolled out along one and a half miles of island coastline, and the property is also opening bespoke real estate, a sumptuous spa, upscale beach club and fine-dining through a trio of restaurants. Secluded beaches await guests and residents, while sunlit, panoramic views can be enjoyed across the property. Promising to be the ultimate Caribbean luxury enclave—friendly, welcoming and social yet discreet and secure—a limited selection of once-in-a-lifetime real estate opportunities await.

You may not find a place where first-class, modern hospitality intertwines so seamlessly with famous history as it does at The Omni Homestead Resort, nestled on 2,000 acres of a secluded valley, deep in the wooded foothills of the Allegheny Mountains of Virginia.

With a history spanning more than 255 years, The Homestead joined the game with the construction of a six-hole course in 1892, one of the first mountain courses to be built in the country. Donald Ross updated the “Old Course” in 1913, adding his distinctive saucer-shape greens and contoured fairways, while the first tee remains the oldest in continuous use in the country.

In 1899, President William McKinley, the first sitting president to play golf, teed it up on the Old Course. Less than 10 years later, President William Howard Taft, a frequent Homestead guest, established golf as the most favored presidential sport. He said, “As every man knows who has played the game, it rejuvenates and stretches the life span”.

The Omni Homestead’s Cascades Course, a William Flynn design, has hosted 8 USGA championships and is where Bath County native and legendary golfer Sam Snead began his professional career. It was here that Frenchwoman Catherine Lacoste stunned golf’s pro ranks by becoming the only amateur ever to win the U.S. Women’s Open.

Championship sporting clays, zip lines, archery, falconry and horseback riding, along with a luxurious spa, highlight other popular pursuits at this four-season resort, while skiing and ice skating come to the fore during winter months.