 |
BEST OF... |
|
Top Golf Resorts in Latin America
by Karen Misuraca
Vacation resorts in Central and South America, are known for tropical beauty, gracious hospitality and charming, Old World architecture. Nonetheless, when it comes to the perfect combination of a five-star hotel and a world-class golf course, just a precious handful in Latin America are on a par with the famous resorts of Europe and North America. From Argentina to Costa Rica, here are the resorts that deserve to top every golfer's dream list.
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. The 6,928-yard Ocean Course occupies a palm-studded, flat peninsula where plenty of sand and water create the challenge; Golf Digest has called it the Best Golf Course in Brazil. 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 thirteen miles of sandy beach, swim in the labyrinth of swimming pools; go sailing, water skiing, jet skiing and play tennis. Or, just sink into the plush, full-service Spa L'Occitane. Among the 370 accommodations are beach chalets, apartments, suites and guest rooms. (http://www.transamerica.com.br)
 Argentina
On a wooded hilltop between two gleaming mountain lakes in Patagonia's Nahuel Huapi National Park, a masterpiece of a country lodge, the Llao Llao Hotel, was built in 1940. The entire property and the 18-hole golf course were entirely renovated in recent years, with a marina, a luxury spa and swimming pools added. Surrounded by the imposing presence of 11,722-foot-tall Tronador volcano and a lineup of snowcapped Andean peaks, you may imagine you are in Switzerland--in fact, this Argentine Lake District is called "Little Switzerland." Menaced by doglegs, tight fairways and battalions of cypress and larch trees, every hole on the course is within sight of the crystalline lakes, and the 18th presents a thrilling finish with a long, forced carry over water. After golf, river rafting on the Rio Manso, fishing and scenic drives, and beauty/body treatments in the full-service spa, guests relax in deep armchairs in the cavernous, timbered lobby by the massive stone fireplace. Guest rooms and suites are furnished in upscale alpine lodge style, and all have stunning mountain and lake views; 24 new rooms and suites were recently added. The top suites have view decks and fireplaces. The views from the indoor/outdoor pool are nothing short of life changing. (http://www.llaollao.com)
Costa Rica
Arnold Palmer laid a sinuous, sexy golf course on the narrow tip of the lushly forested Papagayo Peninsula, at the Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica on the Pacific Coast. Cliff-top tees and greens, deep ravines, and 360-degree views of the ocean from fourteen holes create one of the most rewarding golf experiences in Central America. Adding to the fun are erratic winds off the water and the occasional scurrying coatimundi and mischievous monkeys in the trees. The low-rise, lavishly appointed resort is tucked into the mountains above Culebra Bay in a paradise of luxuriant gardens and natural rainforest rimmed by miles of pristine beach. Ocean fishing, boating and water sports, tennis, lounging at the elaborate pool terrace and wildlife tours of three nearby national parks keep non-golfers happy. Fishing for sailfish, marlin, swordfish and tuna is popular, and surfers flock here for the big waves. Costa Rican culture is featured at the complimentary Kids for All Seasons supervised activity program. (http://www.fourseasons.com/costarica)
The best time of year to golf in Costa Rica is late-December to mid-April; the rainy season---they call it the "Green Season"--lasts from May to November but mornings are usually sunny. Do you love it? You can rent or buy a fractional-ownership villa.
The golf resorts of Costa Rica will be covered in depth in coming months. In the meantime, here are brief descriptions of two notables:
 At Paradisus Playa Conchal, the Lion's Paw is a Robert Trent Jones II design with elevation changes including a 100-foot drop on the on the fourth. Lakes, ravines, mature tropical trees and ocean views make this rather flat track a lot of fun. This is a 406-suite, all-inclusive, Spanish Colonial-style resort with a casino and endless sandy beaches on the dryer northern Pacific Coast. Royal Service suites come with butlers and a private pool and beach area, and preferential reservation services, among other amenities. (http://www.paradisusplayaconchal.travel)
Between the curve of Herradura Bay and a dense rainforest, La Iguana, the Ted Robinson Jr. course at Los Sueños Marriott Ocean and Golf Resort, meanders through a river valley beneath canopies of huge Ceiba trees where monkeys, toucans and scarlet macaws and a hundred more species of creatures are in residence. 201 suites are set in tropical grounds along with a casino, a fabulous beach club, a marina, yacht club and shops. (http://www.lossuenosresort.com)
Chile
The first Nicklaus (Jack and Jackie) designed course in South America opened in 2006 at 2,800 feet in the Andes in the spectacular mountain town of San Martin de los Andes in southern Patagonia, about a two-hour flight from Buenos Aires. In the new luxury resort and residential community, Patagonia Virgin Frutillar Golf and Resort, Chapelco Golf and Resort is a 7,163-yard beauty freshened by several lakes and a lively stream. A 5-star, contemporary hotel, spa and a fishing clubhouse on the Quilquihue River will open in late 2007, one of the LoiSuites hotel properties. The area is a popular tourist destination, in particular for fly-fishing, boating and sailing, horseback riding, and in the wintertime, skiing. (http://www.chapelcogolf.com/english.htm, http://www.loisuites.com.ar)
Uruguay
Over gently rolling savannah, the golf course at the Four Seasons Carmelo winds around lakes and mature trees through wetlands. World-class course conditions from bent-grass greens to Bermuda fairways create the rating/slope of 74.4/136. The resort is a unique and private forest retreat with just twenty 970-square-foot bungalows, each with private garden, outdoor shower, deep soaking tub, fireplace, a draped, four-poster bed, and covered verandah. Rather more elaborate and larger are 24 bi-level suites. High, beamed ceilings, exotic wood accents and vivid Uruguayan rugs, wall hangings and artifacts complete a rich texture. Inexplicably, the design influence is Asian, from rice terraces and pan-Asian restaurant menus to batik fabrics, Balinese art and the tropical look of the grounds. All the bells, whistles and amenities of a Four Seasons resort are here: full-service luxury spa, fitness center, lighted tennis courts, complimentary Kids for All Seasons program, and a double swimming pool terrace. Canoeing on the Rio de la Plata, horseback rides led by Uruguayan gauchos and a stay at the Carmelo are reasons to vacation in Uruguay. (http://www.fourseasons.com/carmelo)
Panama
 Slated to open mid-2007, Cielo Paraiso Golf Course is a long-awaited addition to the popular town of Boquete in Panama, where many Americans and Canadians are flocking to build and buy retirement homes. Inland at several thousand feet in a Shangri-La-like valley, Boquete looks like a small town in old Hawaii. In 2005, Fortune magazine called it one of the five best places in the world to retire. J. Michael Poellot Golf Designs of Saratoga, California, has laid out a lovely parkland course with views of Baru Volcano, the Jaramillo and Talamanca Mountain ranges and, at a distance, the Pacific Ocean. An impressive clubhouse and practice venues are in the works, too. You can rent homes and villas in Boquete and a good place to stay is the boutique hotel, Los Establos. A large Colonial style hotel, the Inn at Cielo Paraiso, complete with fitness center and tennis, will be up and running in 2008. (http://www.cieloparaiso.com, http://losestablos.net)
|
|
|
|
