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GOLF RESORT NEWS |
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Provincial Getaway
First opened in 1923, the golf course at the Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu in the idyllic countryside of Quebec Province's Charlevoix region has been redesigned and expanded to a 27-hole, tee-to-sea layout. A new driving range and nine new holes, a golf Academy, a redesign and upgrade of the original 18-holes, and a new clubhouse make this a premier golf destination. The first tee is accessed by a 1.5 km cart trail with smashing views of the mountain--La Malbaie--the forest and the St. Laurence River below. Keep in mind that putts fall away from the mountains toward the river. A 90-minute drive from Quebec City, horseback riding, hiking, sea and river kayaking, ATV expeditions and gaming in the on-site casino are on the activity menu. http://www.fairmont.com
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Playing in the Rain
You can make a tee time and play the world's most famous courses--in Seattle, when it's raining. Pebble Beach, Pinehurst #2 and #8, and the Old Course at St. Andrews are a few of the options available in the "Golf Club" at the uber-hip, new, boutique Hotel 1000. More than 50 of the top courses from around the globe come to life through fairways, crosscut greens, galleries of fans, water hazards and wildlife. Infrared screens monitor clubhead speed, distance and trajectory, and you even get the feeling of being in the sand and the rough. Take a lesson with a golf pro and schedule a group tournament with longest drive and closest to the pin contests--the tee boxes accommodate 8 people. The hotel is a showcase of technology, from touch screen phones to electronic Do Not Disturb, housekeeping and valet features; 40" HDTVs, personal preference art, and space-age meeting venues. http://www.hotel1000seattle.com
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Troon Middle East
Tops in the field of upscale golf course management, Troon Golf is growing fast in the Middle East. They have just taken on the Abu Dhabi Golf Club, just 10 minutes from the airport. Rolling over desert terrain and around seven oasis-like salt-water lakes are 18 holes on the National Course, host of a European Tour event, and the 9-hole, easier Garden Course. Like much of the new architecture in the country, the clubhouse is a dazzler, in the shape of a falcon landing on a golf ball. Troon manages The Montgomerie in Dubai, a 7,266 yard links layout designed by Colin Montgomerie with 81 bunkers, 14 lakes and the world's largest green. The third hole can be teed from any of several tee boxes located 360 degrees around the green; golf carts have cooling systems. You can stay here at a 5-star hotel, take lessons at the Troon academy and lounge in the Angsana Spa. Coming up: an Ernie Els' golf course and Butch Harmon academy at Dubai Sports City, a 50 million square-foot multi-sports complex. http://www.troongolf.com
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Tuscan Hideaway
An international rental company with a top-notch reputation, Wimco is offering a centuries-old, 6-bedroom farmhouse with its own private 18-hole golf course. Villa Maremmana sits in glorious seclusion on a 2,300-acre estate about a half-hour from the coast, where a private yacht awaits for cruising the nearby archipelago. The villa has fireplaces, an outdoor pool and a Turkish bath. Estate-produced olive oil, wine, honey and fruit are available for meals put together in the fully equipped kitchen. Concierge services include provisioning, private winery tours, a private chef, and guided tours to bike, horseback ride and sightsee. Nicely maintained, the golf course is dotted with cork oaks and crisscrossed by creeks and streams. http://www.wimco.com
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Fazio in San Diego
In San Diego County near the California coast, the 249-room Grande del Mar will open this fall. Fit for a Spanish grandee are Mediterranean-inspired arched doorways, rotundas, ornate stone and iron accents, fountains, gardens and verandas. The San Diego area's only Tom Fazio design, the Grand Golf Club has undergone significant recent improvement on the course, and the addition of a double driving range and short game and putting practice areas. Within the impressive clubhouse the resort's signature dining venue, the Addison, is already garnering awards. The full-service spa has a fireplace, Jacuzzi, steam and sauna, and an outdoor spa pool. Walking trails meander through the secluded property and the adjacent Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve. Guest rooms and suites have balconies and golf course views, while 4,500-5,000 square-foot villas are available for rental, and for whole- and fractional ownership. Among villa amenities are 2-car and golf cart garage, golf cart, 4 fireplaces, sunken Jacuzzi, wine refrigerator, and elaborate baths with oversized tubs. A private concierge and private fitness and spa venues complete the package. http://www.thegranddelmar.com
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On the Rio Grande
Surrounded by nearly a million acres of Big Bend National and State parks, one of the Leading Hotels of the World, Lajitas is a sprawling, isolated destination resort in rugged West Texas near the Mexican border. Old West history and 21st Century, 5-star elegance come together in an early 1900s mining town, which features several intimate, upscale hotels such as the Badlands with its cowboy (rich cowboy) chic interiors; and shops selling custom hats and boots, and saloons such as the Thirsty Goat. Luxury condos are available to rent or purchase. Several restaurants include the stone-walled Ocotillo, where diners take their after-dinner drinks in the lookout tower. Dove, quail, deer and sheep hunting, a world-class equestrian center and the Agavita Spa offer après-golf fun. Cowboy Action Shooting takes place in what looks like a Western movie set, complete with gallows and saloon. The 32,000-square-foot clubhouse opens this year with indoor tennis, a lap pool, pro shop and locker rooms. Decorated with 60,000 native desert plants, a thousand or so trees and the occasional wild horse or donkey, 7,400-yard Ambush at Lajitas sports four holes on an island in the Rio Grande and--where have you ever seen this?--an optional par one in Mexico. Playing along river and into the foothills of the Chisos Mountains, golfers contend with serious elevation changes, sandy wastelands and millions of boulders. Visitors arrive at the international airport by chartered Lear Jet, or after a long, scenic drive. http://www.lajitas.com
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