Gayot's Top Golf Resorts for 2009
by Karen Misuraca
The "guide to the good life", Gayot.com
annually presents the
Top 10 Golf Resorts of the
World—tops in golf course excellence, challenge and beauty; along with exceptional
accommodations, personal service, dining, spas and general amenities. Here are five of the winners
for 2009 (as for the rest, my personal opinion is that the other five may be lovely places to
stay-and-play, but tops in the world? nope.)
 Pinehurst Resort in Pinehurst,
North Carolina
Since 1895, the history of American golf championships has thrived at Pinehurst Resort, where more
have
been played than at any other golf club in the country. Among the eight golf courses at Pinehurst
is the world-famous No. 2, created by legendary architect Donald Ross. Ross completed the course
in 1907, and also built No. 3 and No. 4. The 1999 U.S. Open—won by the late Payne Stewart
with a
dramatic fifteen-foot putt—and the 2005 U.S. Open, the Ryder Cup, U.S. Amateur and Club Pro
Championships, the TOUR Championship and Senior Opens were played here. Every golfer in love with
the game dreams of playing Pinehurst, at least once in his or her life. Besides 144 holes of golf,
guests enjoy a 24-court tennis complex, water sports at Lake Pinehurst, a world-class spa and
lovely hotels in the historic village. More on golf at Pinehurst
Fairmont Chateau Whistler in British Columbia, Canada
On rugged terraces at the base of the glacier-capped Coast Mountains, the Chateau Whistler Golf
Club was designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr. on tilting, high-altitude terrain studded with
monumental granite outcroppings and criss-crossed by glacier-fed streams. Golfers in the know
bring their binoculars and cameras for the daily pageant of golden eagles, swooping osprey, and
resident pileated woodpeckers. Looming above the European-style village of Whistler, the massive
Fairmont Chateau Whistler hotel is castle-like, a dawn-colored edifice surrounded by mountain
peaks. The hotel's Mallard Terrace is one of the world's greatest places to bask in the sun and
enjoy a tremendous view of snow-capped peaks and forest-covered slopes. Stone columns, a
museum-like collection of Canadiana, vibrantly colored Mennonite rugs, a giant stone fireplace and
overstuffed armchairs and sofas in the soaring Great Hall create a cozy environment from which to
watch the spectacular outdoor scene. More on golf at
Chateau Whistler, B.C.
 Hotel Transamerica Ilha de Comandatuba, Brazil
Guests fly in from São Paulo to a private tropical island off Brazil's south Bahia
coast to
the
sprawling Transamérica Ilha de Comandatuba Hotel and golf course, in a lyrical setting of
blue-water bay and the tranquil lagoons of the Rio Doce. Comandatuba's
6,928-yard Ocean Course occupies a
palm-studded, flat peninsula where sand and water create the challenge. Between the sea and
mangrove swamps, the course snakes beneath thousands of coconut trees, alongside sand dunes,
lagoons and through dense native vegetation. Keep your eyes peeled for capuchin monkeys, egrets
and other tropical birds, foxes, anteaters, and jupatis—any or all may join your foursome
without
notice. Deep-sea fishing is world-class here, for marlin, sailfish and swordfish. Take a wildlife
boat tour and laze on your lace-trimmed hammock, enjoying ocean views from your suite or
beachfront bungalow. Stroll on 13 miles of sandy beach, go sailing, water skiing, jet skiing and
play tennis. Or, just sink into the plush, full-service Spa L'Occitane. Among the accommodations
are beach chalets, apartments, suites and guest rooms.
Old Course Hotel, St. Andrews, Scotland
Don't we all dream of setting foot on the historic links where golf was born. Adjacent to
the 17th "Road Hole" of the Old Course, the 5-star-rated Old Course Hotel, Golf Resort & Spa at St. Andrews has
been lavishly refurbished and features 35 suites including 16 Old Course suites with silk-lined
walls; most of the suites have private balconies with views of the Old Course and the town of St
Andrews, and many of the suites have the fantastic Kohler bathrooms, including the "chromatherapy"
(colour therapy) baths. The elaborate and luxurious Kohler Waters Spa is the first of its kind
outside the U.S., complete with a hydrotherapy pool, plunge pool, Japanese steam room and light
therapy sauna. a 20-metre indoor swimming pool with waterfall, a fitness suite and a rooftop hot
tub! The hotel offers guaranteed tee times on the Old Course and on the resort's own championship
course, The Duke's. Even if you don't stay here, stop in for a toddy at the Road Hole, a chummy
bar with a choice of more than 200 of malt whiskies. More on golf at St. Andrews
Four Seasons Resort, Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo, Guanacaste, Costa
Rica
On the verdant Papagayo Peninsula, Four Seasons Resort, Costa Rica has a top-notch Arnold
Palmer-designed golf course with cliff-top tees and greens, deep ravines, rocky streams, and
360-degree views of the ocean from 14 holes. Don't be surprised if you are confronted by
mischievous monkeys and squawking toucans. The resort is tucked into jungle-covered mountains,
surrounded by a natural rainforest and miles of pristine beach. Ocean fishing, boating, water
sports, tennis and wildlife tours of three nearby national parks are also available—in
addition to lolling on two private beaches.
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