CANADA:
No Pain at Whistler
The David Leadbetter Golf Academy at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler now offers a unique "Golf the Pain Away" deluxe package, to include golf lessons and video analysis, workshops, a private chef, spa treatments, yoga sessions, luxury accommodations and other extras (http://www.fairmont.com/whistler).
At the resort's Vida Wellness Spa, the Deep Tissue Sports Massage reduces scar tissue and fibrosis, decreases pain and restores flexibility through muscle conditioning and detox of lactic acid, which may build up after days on the fairways of the four fabulous courses at Whistler: the Fairmont Chateau Whistler Golf Club, Nicklaus North Golf Course, Whistler Golf Club, and Big Sky Golf and Country Club.
In the spa, hot towel facials and back facials are popular with men, while lady golfers often go for the extensive choice of Ayurveda therapies, from the four-hands massage to the Shirodhara warm oil massage.
Of special interest to golfers is a unique Golfer's Massage at The Spa at the Four Seasons Resort Whistler. The massage concentrates on the shoulders, upper back, chest and hips, as well as the forearms and wrists, and uses heated golf balls for a warming effect (http://www.fourseasons.com/whistler).
FLORIDA:
PGA Spa
With views of the King and the Bear golf course—PGA TOUR Spa Laterra recently opened at World Golf Village near Jacksonville. Designed by Robert Henry, the spa architect who created Trump's Mar-A-Lago Club and the spa at Wynn Las Vegas, Spa Laterra is water-water-everywhere. Fountains, streams, lakes, waterfalls, pools and reflecting ponds make for a soothing retreat. An infinity edge pool and "floating" cabana treatment venues contribute to the secluded setting.
The spa menu caters to golfers, with a pre-game "Warm-Up Massage" and the post-game "19th Hole Signature Treatment" massage. Mindful Golf is a 3- to 5-day program designed to assist golfers in realizing their maximum potential through the guidance of a golf instructor, a personal trainer and a massage therapist, to improve your swing and foster flexibility, core strength and muscle tone.
World Golf Village is the center of golfdom, it seems (http://www.wgv.com). You may need a map to navigate the sprawling complex of two golf courses; three hotels, the World Golf Hall of Fame, an IMAX theater, the PGA Tour Golf Academy; one of the largest golf emporiums in the world, and fifteen restaurants—and homes to rent or purchase if you care to stay forever.
Arnie and Jack co-designed the King and the Bear, a plantation style track with 200-year-old oak trees overhanging ponds, creeks and marshlands; check out the 141 slope and 75.2 rating. The Slammer and the Squire is a whisper easier, although you may want to keep your eyes peeled for the alligator on the ninth hole. Named for Sam Snead and Gene Sarazen, "S&S" winds among wetlands and an ancient pine forest. One of the country's top golf teachers, Scott Sackett, directs the PGA Tour Golf Academy.
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 SPAIN:
New Spa and Club
Newly opened on the coast of Spain, just south of Costa Blanca about 20 km from Cartegena, at the Hyatt Regency La Manga is the multi-faceted Spa La Manga Club, set on a hillside with panoramic views from the gymnasium, the fitness studio and the 25-metre indoor swimming pool (http://www.lamangaclub.com). If you are here for the day to play golf, consider arranging for day spa admission.
In addition to traditional treatment rooms are the private Spa Suites, each with its own changing area, steam, shower, tub and treatment space. Golfers get relief from the Spanish sun with the Aloe Vera body wrap, and relaxation with the Golfer's Tonic, a hydrotherapy bath followed by reflexology foot massage and an aromatherapy body massage.
La Manga is regularly named Europe's top golf resort. European PGA and LPGA events are hosted on the three championship courses, where the outstanding practice facilities are the training base of the German PGA. The courses have recently been completely renovated, and the Academy of Golf has relaunched with digital coaching technology and improved practice venues including a 60-bay driving range, and a par 47, 18-hole pitch and putt course with bunkers and water hazards.
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 SCOTTSDALE:
Just for Guys
Macho dudes are loving the new MVP (Most Valuable Player) Room at the Willow Stream Spa at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess. A clever concept in men's spas, and one that will appear at more Willow Streams in the near future, the MVP Room appeals to guys who wouldn't be caught dead in robes and slippers in a co-ed relaxation room.
Male guests change, clap on wireless headsets and enjoy their massages, manicures and facials while watching news, the game or CNN on a large, plasma screen. Business journals and sports magazines are available, too, in a masculine, wood-and-leather environment (http://www.fairmont.com/scottsdale). Aside from the private MVP Room, the men's side of the spa is a welcome retreat after play on the nearby Tournament Players Club Stadium Course, host of the PGA's FBR Open. The signature Golf Performance Treatment Massage erases soreness from sports, exercise and stress, while the 90-minute Golf Facial heals sun exposure and dehydration, and erases wrinkles!
Home to the Phoenix Open, the Morrish and Weiskopf-designed TPC Stadium course offers a PGA-level experience. The Desert Course is a shorter, less demanding, and beautiful resort course.
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