Golf Vacations Magazine September 2015

www.golfvacationsmag.com Golf Vacations September 2015 1

OUR 13th YEAR!

THIS MONTH: M y T u r n S w e e t S t u f f C h i p S h o t s

GOLF VACATIONSGOLF VACATIONSSEPTEMBER 2015

Plus: LATE SEASON GOLF AT SWITZERLANDS TICINOPlus: LATE SEASON GOLF AT SWITZERLANDS TICINO

FALL IS THE TIME TO PLAY GOLFFALL IS THE TIME TO PLAY GOLF

GLACIER CLUBON A GRAND SCALEGLACIER CLUB

ON A GRAND SCALE

2 Golf Vacations September 2015 www.golfvacationsmag.com


8 Chip Shots

12 Glacier Club by David R. HollandTodays Glacier Club is surrounded by the towering Hermosa Cliffs, rising 3,000 feet in the blue southwestern Colorado sky, bor-dered by 3 million acres of the San Juan National Forest. Talk about an idyllic setting it is 18 miles, 1,300 feet and 10 degrees cooler uphill from historic Durango on Highway 550s San Juan Skyway Scenic Byway. Head further north and the road becomes the Million Dollar Highway, a 25-mile stretch between Silverton and Ouray amongst the San Juan Mountains.

18 Fall is the Time to Play Golf by JD LatorreReal golfers know playing in the fall is where its at. Comfortable temperatures, little or no humidity, the colors of autumn, plus the likelihood of smaller crowds after the bustling tourist months is appealing to those wanting to get as many rounds in as possible before stowing the clubs for winter.

24 Late Season Golf at Switzerlands TicinoAscona, Switzerland The unique micro-climate of Ticino, the Italian-speaking canton in southern Switzerland, allows golfers to continue playing in warm, balmy weather well into October. To make the most of the fantastic playing conditions, Giardino Ascona (www.giardino-ascona.ch/) has teamed up with its next-door neighbor Golf Club Patriziale Ascona, where the course was designed with the help of the legendary Harry Colt.

26 Sweet Stuff by Terry Ross

GOLF VACATIONSGOLF VACATIONSSEPTEMBER 2015

Keswick Hall & Golf Club Virginia


Terry Ross has covered sports as both a print and radio journalist for more than 35 years, and also has served as a consultant to the golf industry in a variety of capacities. He has been a regular columnist for the Long Beach Business Journal and is based in Orange County, California.

JD Latorre is a freelance travel writer currently calling South Florida his home base. He has a knack for finding himself in some of the worlds most exotic locations, including Bangkok, Montego Bay, Bogata, Havana, Cabo San Lucas, St. Kitts, Cancun and Marseilles. His past lives included working for the Miami Herald, Chicago Daily Herald, Boston Globe, Daily News of Los Angles and Southern California Golf Newspaper.

David R. Holland is an award-winning former sportswriter for The Dallas Morning News, football magazine publisher, and author of The Colorado Golf Bible. Holland, whose favorite golf moment was teeing it up with former Dallas Cowboys coach Tom Landry, splits home time in Colorado and Texas. He has written for GolfWeeks Superintendent News, Colorado AvidGolfer, Midwest Golfing Magazine, South Central Golf Magazine, and Fairway to Green (UK). He also worked for the Dallas Cowboys Weekly, United Press International and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Executive EditorJeffrey Diaz

Associate EditorTerry Ross

Features EditorLarry Feldman

Senior WritersJD Latorre

Andy ReistetterFred Robledo

For Editorial:call (760) 774-2655

e-mail: [email protected]

Regional Advertising

Los Angeles Terry Ross 949-279-7801

[email protected]

Atlanta Harold Chambliss 770-239-7500

[email protected]

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(760) 774-2655

and

Destiny Media, LLCPresident/CEO

James A. Diaz

Golf Vacations Magazine is published in digital format monthly and distributed online to over

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CONTRIBUTINGWRITERS

Tim Cotroneo is a Mineapolis-based freelance writer specializing in Caribbean travel, business, and golf. Tim is a long-time contributor to Tee Times Press and hes also the Travel Writer for American Business Magazine.


CHIPSHOTSKauai Golf Trail Card Offers Substantial Savings at Renowned Courses

(KAUAI, Hawaii) The Kauai golf-and-resort destination partners www.golfkauaihawaii.com present the Kauai Golf Trail Card, saving 15 percent on green fees at the highly acclaimed Garden Isle courses.

For $450, including tax, golfers receive three rounds at a choice of four participating courses Princeville Makai Golf Club, Poipu Bay Golf Course, Kauai Lagoons Golf Club and Puakea Golf Course.

Additionally, Kauai Golf Trail Card holders get 10 percent off regular-priced pro shop items on the day of play. At Puakea, players get a $50 credit to be used for merchandise, rental clubs or green fees.

Golfers can purchase cards at any of the courses. There are no restrictions on time of play. Rounds are non-transferable and must be used at three different courses within 30 days of purchase.

Kauai offers an amazing collection of unforgettable courses and resorts, said Sue Kanoho, executive director of the Kauai Visitors Bureau. The Kauai Golf Trail Card provides an ideal opportunity for golfers to

enjoy this group of courses at a great value. In June, Kauai was voted a Most

Dreamed-About Golf Destination in GOLF Magazines inaugural Readers Choice Awards. Participating Kauai Golf Trail Card courses and resorts have also earned an array of best-in-kind honors from multiple media outlets, including Conde Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure, Golf Digest, Golfweek, LINKS, GolfWorld, Celebrated Living and others.

In addition, Wailua Golf Course, easily accessible from Lihue Airport, is regarded as one of the most beautiful municipal courses in the U.S. and was named the No. 3 public course in Hawaii by Golf Channel.

For details on the Kauai Golf Card, as well as resort information and stay-and-play packages, visit the newly launched Kauai Golf website at www.GolfKauaiHawaii.com or call any of the courses:

Princeville Makai Golf Club: 808.826.1912

Poipu Bay Golf Course: 800.858.6300

Kauai Lagoons Golf Club: 800.634.6400

Puakea Golf Course: 866.773.5554

About Kauai GolfKauai offers more than 50 miles of

white sand beaches -- more beach per mile than any other island in Hawaii -- with only five percent of the island developed for commercial and residential use. The Kauai golf destination is a cooperative of five world-class golf courses and three award-winning resorts:

1. Princeville Makai Golf Club www.makaigolf.com, 808.826.1912 Re-opened in 2010 following an

extensive renovation. The Makai Course has since been ranked by Golf Digest as one of Americas 100 Greatest Public Golf Courses 2015 and ranked No. 4 by Golfweek in Hawaiis Best Courses You Can Play 2015.

Designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr., the 18-hole Makai Course incorporates serene lakes and stunning ocean coastline; the leisurely 9-hole Woods Course winds through native woodlands against a backdrop of lush mountains

The St. Regis Princeville Resort is home to the Halelea Spa and The Kauai Grill by Jean-Georges Vongerichten

Kauai Lagoons Golf Club


CHIPSHOTS

14 15

2. Kauai Lagoons Golf Club www.kauailagoonsgolf.com, 800.634.6400 In 2015 was voted No. 10 in Hawaii in

Golfweek magazines Best Courses You Can Play by State. It has also been named one of the Worlds Most Beautiful Golf Courses by MSN Travel.

The championship 18-hole Kiele course features the longest continuous stretch of ocean holes in Hawaii with over mile of oceanfront golf.

The front nine holes are highlighted by the par-3, fifth green encircled by a tropical Mango and Guava tree forest

The only Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf experience on Kauai

3. Poipu Bay Golf Course www.poipubaygolf.com, 800.858.6300 Along with Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort

& Spa, Poipu Bay has been honored by Conde Nast Traveler as one of the top golf resorts in the U.S.

Named to Golf Digests Americas 100

Greatest Public Golf Courses 2013-2014 and GOLF Magazines Top Resort Courses by State rankings in 2014

Home to the PGA Grand Slam of Golf from 1994 through 2006, it has frequently hosted players like Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Vijay Singh and other major champions.

A Robert Trent Jones, Jr. design, the course underwent renovation and unveiled the eco-friendly Seashore Paspalum turf on all greens in 2011. Its four closing holes play atop a 150-foot sea cliff.

The Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa completed a renovation in 2012 and features a water playground with river pool, waterfalls, a saltwater lagoon, tennis and the celebrated Anara Spa

4. Puakea Golf Course www.puakeagolf.com, 866.773.5554 Consistently rated a favorite among

Kauai golfers in local media outlets and ranked as the No. 15 course in Hawaii by

Golfweek Golf Course Architect Robin Nelson

used the natural layout of the land when he planned the course, testing all levels of play

Puakeas 18 holes treat golfers to beautiful views of Mt. Haupu and deep lush ravines on several holes, which served as the backdrop to the original Jurassic Park movie

Owned by AOL co-Founder Steve Case

5. Wailua Golf Course www.golfkauaihawaii.com/wailua-golf-club, 808.241.6666 Regarded as one of the most beautiful

municipal courses in the U.S., Wailua was recently named the No. 3 public course in Hawaii by Golf Channel

The courses original holes date back to the 1920s. The course expanded to 18 holes in 1962 under the direction of Hawaii Golf Hall of Famer Toyo Shirai.

Easily accessible from the Lihue airport, the scenic public course is a favorite of island golfers and tourists alike.


CHIPSHOTSLa Manga Club Tees Up Perfect Pre-Xmas Winter Golf Open

Renowned as one of the worlds premier golf resorts, Spains La Manga Club is serving up the perfect way for golf lovers to finish 2015 under sunny skies by staging its popular La Manga Club Golf Open from December 1-5.

Taking place for the 15th year in a row, the 36-hole Stableford competition is the ideal opportunity for golfers to enjoy a warm-weather winter break before Christmas with packages starting from only 386 (approx 275) per person for a four-night stay including three rounds of golf.

Widely regarded as Spains flagship resort, La Manga Clubs outstanding golf facilities include three 18-hole golf courses and a recently redeveloped teaching and practice centre including a new Leadbetter Golf Academy the only one in mainland Spain.

Away from the fairways, the venue boasts an array of other outstanding sports and leisure amenities, bars and restaurants, helping establishit as a firm favourite with visiting golfers from the UK, Europe and beyond.

Competition at Decembers event, which is being held on La Manga Clubs famous North and South courses, is expected to be as fierce as ever across the different handicap categories for men and women, with a selection of luxury golf and leisure breaks and golfing equipment among the prizes available to be won.

Tournament packages feature four nights accommodation, including breakfast and a welcome pack; a cocktail reception; a gala dinner and prize-giving ceremony, and are available from just 464 (330 approx) per person in the five-star Hotel La Manga Club Principe Felipe, or only 386 per person in the fully-serviced four-star Las Lomas apartments.

Prices, which are based on two people sharing a room, include tournament entry for golfers, along with a green fee for the practice day, practice ball card and on-course refreshments during the event.

Free Wi-Fi and VAT are also included and, whats more, all tournament guests will receive a 25 per cent discount on any spa treatments booked; savings of 15 per cent when eating at any of the resorts Amapola,

Asia, Luigis and La Bodega restaurants and Deli-Caf, and complimentary access to the five-star Spa La Manga Clubs fitness centre, indoor pool, saunas and steam rooms.

Running alongside the golf event, La Manga Club is also hosting the 13th La Manga Club Seniors Tennis Open from November 29 to December 4, with both competitions helping to confirm the award-winning venues reputation as Europes leading sports and leisure destination resort.

The official overseas training base of the Lawn Tennis Association and a long-term partner of Tennis Europe, the resorts other recent highlights include being named Spains Best Golf Hotel at the 2014 World Golf Awards and being voted by readers of Todays Golfer magazine as the best golf resort in Spain for the last four years.

La Manga Club features unrivalled facilities as a sports and leisure destination and, as well as its golf courses, includes a 28-court tennis centre and a 2,000sqm spa and fitness centre. It also offers the choice of a five-star hotel, four-star serviced apartments and townhouses and more than 20 bars and restaurants.

La Manga Club


CHIPSHOTSInaugural US Golf Tourism Survey Off To A Flyer As Golf Courses And Tourist Boards Sign Up In Droves

Just two months since the launch of the Brand USA-backed National Golf Tourism Survey conducted by global golf tourism organisation IAGTO, the initiative has proved a huge success with tourist boards and golf courses across the U.S. giving it their backing.

Aimed at identifying the current value of golf tourism in the US prior to the development of a strategy to boost the number of international golfers to the country, the initiative was unveiled during the 7th annual North America Golf Tourism Convention held by IAGTO (International Association of Golf Tour Operators) in Palm Springs, California, in June.

IAGTO Project Coordinator Guillaume Post explained: Calculating the current value of golf tourism and assessing its capacity for growth on a regional basis is an essential first step to developing an effective golf tourism strategy. This survey and service is being conducted entirely free of charge and we would like to invite every state tourist board, regional

tourism organisation and commercially-minded golf course to get on board.

US tourist boards and golf courses can register at iagto.com/brandusa.

The results of the survey will be published at the 8th IAGTO North America Golf Tourism Convention (NAC), taking place at Pinehurst Resort, NC, from 26-29 June 2016.

Peter Walton, IAGTOs Chief Executive, is inviting all tourist boards, however small their golf destination, along with their golf courses, hotels and DMCs to attend NAC next year. He said: Not only will the NAC be their chance to meet with over 100 golf tour operators from 25 countries, all selling golf vacations to the US, but it will double up next year as an educational forum helping every golf destination in the US find the most effective ways to develop international golf tourism.

Details of the NAC event at Pinehurst Resort are available at iagto.com/NAC.

Tourist boards and golf courses already signed up and participating in the National Golf Tourism Survey are from 20 states: North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, California, Nevada, Arizona, Texas, Colorado, Mississippi, Louisiana,

Tennessee, Alabama, Oregon, Washington State, Montana, Maine, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Virginia and Hawaii.

MOROCCO: AGADIR GOLF FESTIVAL to take place from 17 to 24 November 2015

The international amateur golf tournament AGADIR GOLF FESTIVAL will be played on 4 different golf courses in AGADIR (OCEAN Golf + SOLEIL GOLF + DUNES GOLF + TAZEGZOUT GOLF) - This event is open to Amateur golfers of all levels (Men + Ladies + Senior men + Senior Ladies)

Golfers will be playing in separate categories and will see them play 5 rounds of Stableford competition of their official handicap (no slope rating adjustment). This tournament week is great fun and an enjoyable way of making new friends in a friendly competition.

For further details please contact the Tournament Director, Mr BENJAMIN OOSTERVEER by email: [email protected] or contact the tournament organisers PREMIUM LEISURE & EVENTS by email: [email protected]


Glacier Club has grander scale in mind

Glacier Nine No. 7 par 3


Glacier Club has grander scale in mind

By David R. Holland


DURANGO, CO Prospectors rushed here in the 1870s to rummage over the hills, said to be ladened with silver and gold.

The Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad came nine years later

and laid out the Old West downtown complete with gas street lamps and saloon girls.

Those fortune hunters never had a clue that more than a 100 years later golf at Glacier Club would be what the rich, the laid back, the ranch-ers and the fortunate would be seeking in a country club environment with just about any amenity available.

Todays Glacier Club is surrounded by the towering Hermosa Cliffs,

rising 3,000 feet in the blue southwestern Colorado sky, bordered by 3 million acres of the San Juan National Forest.

Talk about an idyllic setting it is 18 miles, 1,300 feet and 10 degrees

cooler uphill from historic Durango on Highway 550s San Juan Skyway Scenic Byway. Head further north and the road becomes the Million Dol-lar Highway, a 25-mile stretch between Silverton and Ouray amongst the San Juan Mountains.

It began as an Arthur Hills design called The Cliffs at Tamarron in 1975,

a 6,885-yard par 72, a neck-straining beauty complete with a resort hotel.

No one envisioned that 40 years later it would be in the midst of taking

a much grander stage that actually began in 2004 when the club opened its third nine, Glacier, to go with the renamed Cliffs and Hermosa nines.

A spectacular 20,000-square-foot clubhouse was also unveiled, sitting

on a cliff 200 feet above the first fairway of the Glacier nine, designed by Todd Schoeder and Hale Irwin.

Glacier Clubs futureSo whats next? Another nine will be completed and rerouted with the

existing Glacier nine to become a totally private Glacier Course, opening Spring 2017, as a Hale Irwin-Todd Schoeder Signature Design. The land, occupying 228 acres at Glacier Clubs north end was acquired as part of a land swap with the U.S. Forest Service in 2010.

Today Glacier Club is a private 27-hole complex, but the plan is to have

the Cliffs and Hermosa nines become a daily-fee Cliffs Course open to the public and some day having its own clubhouse and resort amenities.

The views are absolutely spectacular, Irwin said of the site for the

new course at Glacier Club. Theres not one bad look anywhere. In the design process we wanted to make every hole a painting each uniquely different, and pleasing to the eye. At Glacier Club weve had this great canvas on which to paint a beautiful golf course.

The Glacier Course will feature a new out-and-back routing that will

play to par 72, between 5,000 and 7,100 yards.

Hermosa Nine No. 1 at The Glacier Club


Glacier Club view from private clubhouse to Glacier Nine No. 1


When the nines are combined, you will have some flatter shots on the new nine, Irwin said. We have made some of the uphill and down-hill shots more friendly. But for the most part, its hilly. I think weve made something that is uniquely different. Its beautiful. Once we get it grassed, I think people are going to be awe-struck with whats out there.

Josh Coccagna, head golf professional, has witnessed the strengths of

Schoeder and Irwin. Schoeder has shown the ability to make a strong routing using the

hilly topography in a limited space, Coccagna said. And I like the way Irwin sees the lines of play making it playable for all skill levels. He makes it look different from the back tees to the forward tees while making it challenging for better players and fun for the novice.

Glacier Club has created golf heaven without a pretentious attitude. So dont be surprised when you enter the amazing clubhouse, com-

plete with antler chandeliers, for a concert by the Los Angeles Cello Quartet and seeing folks dressed to the nines or ranchers wearing their best new Wranglers and Lucchese cowboy boots.

More than golf: Premier residential opportunitiesGlacier Club is building some of the countrys premier residential

property. Homes range from 1,200-square feet to more than 6,500-square feet, on half-acre to 2.5-acre sites. The community offers abundant four-season amenities and activitiesmany designed with families in mind.

I got to bunk down in a Hideout Cabin that had three bedrooms and

three and a half baths. Western luxury at it best now this is an upscale version of camping in the mountains taken to an extreme, awesome level.

Dining in the clubhouse was superb from wines and hand-crafted beers

to a Bison Burger to Elk Medallions and just about anything you can imagine.

There are countless programs to keep your kids busy including ju-nior tennis and golf along with Camp Glacier for Kids that provides age appropriate programs where children can connect with others who have similar interests. All programs are conducted by professionals to ensure quality instruction and safety.

Membership in the Glacier Club includes access to a network of pre-

mier golf clubs throughout the United States via ClubCorp. Learn more about this special golf community, memberships, amenities and lifestyle at (866) 521-8575 or [email protected].

If you enjoy just being in a spectacular location like the San Juan

Mountains, and the chance to see a deer, elk or marmot on the fairways, Glacier Club is the place for you.

Explore Durango: historic and an outdoors playgroundIn 1879 Durango was designed to be the most modern city in Col-

orado. Signs of progress began to appear everywhere in the late 1880s and early 1890s, including the four-story brick Strater Hotel, electric lights with a home-owned electric company, telephones, electric trol-ley and a three-story sky scraper, the Newman Building, with an electric elevator.

When Louis LAmour, the western novelist visited, he stayed at the

historic Strater Hotel, where you can still book a room. Old-timers say he always asked for the room directly above the Diamond Belle Saloon, Room 222, because the honky-tonk music helped set the mood for his novels of the Old West. Some say a good part of his Sacketts novels were written at the Strater.

Today, Durango still has its Old West setting, but it is known more as

a year-round playground. Ski in the winter at Purgatory, play golf, fly fish, take jeep tours, hike, mountain bike, take glider rides, go rafting, play ten-nis and go horseback riding in summer.

Hideout condo


Glacier Club private clubhouse opened in 2004

Glacier Club Cliffs Nine has lots of water


Play GolfBy JD Latorre

Fall is the Time to

Full Cry at Keswick Golf Club No. 8


Play Golf

Fall is the Time to


Real golfers know playing in the fall is where its at. Comfortable temperatures, little or no humidity, the colors of autumn, plus the likelihood of smaller crowds after the bustling tourist months is appealing to those wanting to get as many rounds in as possible be-fore stowing the clubs for winter. This sampling of courses ranging from Myrtle Beach, South Carolinas Lowcountry, Virginias Hunt Country, upstate New York, Northern Michigan and Southern Missouri offer de-signs from Pete Dye, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Fazio and other top architects. Grab your favorite golf sweater and tee it up!

Pound Ridge Golf Clubwww.poundridgegolfclub.com

Opened in 2008 to critical acclaim, Pound Ridge is roughly an hour from Manhattan and just minutes from the financial and business hubs of Greenwich, Stamford and Norwalk, Conn. The only Pete Dye design in New York, Pound Ridge is hewn from 172 acres of magnificent cliffs, streams and wooded hills. Those used to playing on Bermuda grass will relish the courses bentgrass greens, fairways and tees. Stay and play packages are offered with the luxury Delamar Greenwich Harbor.

The Sea Pines Resort www.seapines.com

One of the crown jewels in the world of golf, The Sea Pines Resort is home to Pete Dyes classic Harbour Town Golf Links (home of the PGA TOURs RBC Heritage), Heron Point by Pete Dye, and the Ocean Course. The legendary Lowcountry destination now enters the upper echelon of the worlds finest golf resorts via recent multi-million dol-

lar investments in its golf, accommodations and amenities including the spectacular new Harbour Town Clubhouse. Simply put, the best has gotten even better. The resort offers a full range of golf package options.

Keswick Hall & Golf Clubwww.keswick.com

Few resort destinations combine luxury, history and spectacular vistas as does Keswick Hall & Golf Club in central Virginias Hunt Country. Situated on 600 acres at the foot of the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains just outside Charlottesville, its new Pete Dye-designed golf course, Full Cry at Keswick Golf Club, is a must play and the signature amenity to resorts 48-room five-star inn and club. Its array of stay-and-play pack-ages is ideal to see what the fuss is all about.

Mystical Golf www.mysticalgolf.com

Mystical Golf owner and operator of The Witch, Man-O-War and The Wizard courses is acclaimed as the best 54 holes of golf in Myrtle Beach and is widely known as the ultimate golf buddy trip destina-tion as the result of its excellent stay-and-play packages. Mystical Golfs three layouts are highlighted by wonderfully fun elements including the only back-to-back island greens in the game (Man-O-War), a front nine of dramatic holes weaving through secluded swampland teeming with wildlife (The Witch), and a splendid layout reminiscent of Scotland and Irelands classic courses complete with authentic sod-faced bunkering and castle-style clubhouse (The Wizard).

Bay Harbor Golf Club - Links Hole 4


Pound Ridge Golf Club

Man-O-War Island Greens


Branson Hills Golf Club Aerial Course View

Hilton Head Golf Islandwww.hiltonheadgolfisland.com

One of the top golf destinations in the U.S., Hilton Head Golf Island features more than 30 member courses on Hilton Head and Fripp Is-lands, as well as surrounding Bluffton and Beaufort. Golf enthusiasts can enjoy Hilton Head Islands Southern hospitality and world-class de-signs sculpted by vaunted architects Pete Dye, Jack Nicklaus and Robert Trent Jones. A wide array of value-laden fall golf packages is available on www.hiltonheadgolfisland.com.

Sweetgrass Golf Clubwww.sweetgrassgolfclub.com

Sweetgrass Golf Club and the Island Resort & Casino are located in the unspoiled beauty of Michigans Upper Peninsula. Designed by Michi-gan native Paul Albanese, Sweetgrass Golf Club has been named a Best Casino Course and a Best Course You Can Play by Golfweek and GOLF Magazine. The 18-hole championship layout is renowned for its five historic bridges rescued from around the region that lend the course a unique feel. Fall rates begin Sept. 21, 18-hole green fees at $45, a near 50 percent savings off the regular rate. The resorts most popular golf package, the Perfect Foursome, starts at just $230 per person after Sept. 21 and includes a two-night stay and rounds of golf at Sweetgrass and nearby TimberStone and Greywalls. Other package combinations are also available upon request.

BOYNE Golfwww.BOYNEGolf.com

BOYNE Golf offers the largest collection of courses (11) in the Mid-west shared among three resorts in northwest Michigans Petoskey area: Boyne Highlands Resort in Harbor Springs, Boyne Mountain Resort in Boyne Falls, and The Inn at Bay Harbor - A Renaissance Golf Resort in Bay Harbor. Golfers play up to 72 holes daily thanks to the regions long daylight hours and ideal summer and fall temperatures. Myriad stay-and-play packages are available, depending on just how long golf-ers prefer to soak up the mild temperatures and long, languid evenings.

Branson / Lakes Area Golf Destinationwww.explorebranson.com/golfKnown as Golfs Ozark Mountain Oasis, the Branson Lakes / Area des-tination averages 70 degrees in October ideal for playing one of its eight courses and more coming. A family-friendly course designed by Hall of Famer Gary Player is planned to open late this season or early next, and a championship Coore & Crenshaw design is currently being designed. From short courses to venues hosting the PGA Champions TOUR Legends of Golf and existing facilities designed by Jack Nick-laus, Arnold Palmer, Tom Fazio, Tom Watson and others there are courses for every level of player.


Sweetgrass Golf Club

Robert Trent Jones Course Palmetto Dunes


Ascona, Switzerland, August 2015: The unique micro-climate of Ticino, the Italian-speaking canton in southern Switzerland, allows golfers to continue playing in warm, balmy weather well into October. To make the most of the fantastic playing conditions, Giardino Ascona (www.giardino-ascona.ch/) has teamed up with its next-door neighbor Golf Club Patriziale Ascona, where the course was designed with the help of the legendary Harry Colt.

Located along the banks of Lake Maggiore against a backdrop of magnificent Alpine mountains, the feel of the golf club remains very much that of a private, stylish golf facility, even though it is now managed by the City of Ascona. Established in 1928 as a nine-hole layout, the golf club soon became a meeting place for local businessmen, wealthy tourists and celebrities who chose this little paradise at the foothills of the Alps as their regular spot to play golf.

Such was the popularity of the club that the course was extended to 18

holes with the help of eminent golf course architects, Harry Colt & Charles Alison, who created a classic, tree-lined parkland course that weaves its way down to one of Europes most famous lakes. The par-4 16th and par-3 17th holes run directly alongside the picturesque lake whilst the rest of the course meanders through avenues of mature trees and expansive but shallow bunkers that defend many of the tricky, undulating greens. This par 71 course, which is open all year round, was awarded the title of Best Golf Course in Switzerland in 1999.

Golfers stay at the 72-room Giardino Ascona, a luxurious retreat hotel adjacent to the golf club, which offers fine dining in the 2 Michelin-starred Ecco where Rolf Fliegauf (one of Switzerlands most decorated chefs) resides, a less formal restaurant known as Aphrodite, the HotelBar overlooking a lush Mediterranean garden and extensive fitness facilities, including a dipi Spa.

For golfers experiencing a few aches and pains after a busy summer of

Head to Switzerlands Ticino for Some Late-Season Golf


golf, the Giardino Ascona offers an exclusive Golf Perfekt programme run in collaboration with renowned physiotherapist Cornelia Albrecht.

After a full body check-up lasting an hour and a half, Cornelia accompanies her clients onto the golf course to get a detailed picture of the rotation, stability and coordination of their bodies as they play golf so that she can then provide advice and individually-tailored exercises to suit each golfers own body and movement.

Cornelia aims to resolve any issues that are affecting player performance and, with her help, many golfers have managed to increase their driving capability considerably. A dipi massage in the hotel spa provides the perfect way to relax after Cornelias session and is included in the offer.

For those just looking for an 18-hole green fee at the Golf Club Patriziale Ascona, the cost is Euros120/UK85 during the week and Euros138/UK98 at the weekends and on public holidays.

Dedicated golfers may wish to travel further afield to the other two courses in the area. The Golf Gerre Losone, opened in 2001, offers a complete contrast from Ascona Patriziale; it is a modern, open and very challenging course thanks to a number of tight fairways, unnerving OB possibilities and several rock-lined streams and ponds that demand good course management and accurate shot making. A few kilometers away on the shores of Lake Lugano, the Lugano golf course is laid out over gently undulating terrain that is bisected by the River Magliasina that often brings water into play. The tight, technical layout with numerous bunkers is tempered by large greens, whilst azaleas and rhododendrons add splashes of color on various holes.

For further information on the golf offer, visit www.giardino-ascona.ch/en/news/golf-perfekt or to book the hotel and/or a Golf Perfekt package, call the hotel at +41 91 785 8888 or email [email protected].

Head to Switzerlands Ticino for Some Late-Season Golf


It is a pretty simple idea really. But appar-ently Harry Briggs was the first person to put a full-fledged alignment aid on ball for practicing putting and short game mechan-ics. He now has introduced his Sight Ball train-ing aid golf ball that has markings to help play-ers align their eyes, feet, shoulders and putter to produce better mechanics in the short game.

Sight Ball has six sights, or targets--four of which are used to help the golfer to correctly align themselves with the ball. One points in the desired direction of the ball, one points upward toward the golfers face as they look down, an-other at the feet to gauge proper stance, and the last lines up with the club at the back of the ball.

The intention is for a player using the ball during practice to begin by pointing a sight toward the target and one face up toward the golfer. The golfer also looks at a sight pointing at his or her feet to get the correct stance and then

College football and golf always seem to go together, and with the gridiron sea-son well underway, Imperial headwear is commemorating the current cam-paign with a new line of unique designs called the Tailgate Collection.In a departure from the traditional school logo or mascot on this collection of prep-

py cotton baseball, Oxford bucket hats and Tour visors, the Tailgate collection features the colors of some of the most well-known colleges in America with an outline of the schools respective state and one of its defining characteristics.

The states included in the collection are: Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.

Our Tailgate Collection is a state pride themed line of headwear, noted David Shaffer, director of marketing at Imperial Headwear. Anybody who wants to show their loyalty on game day, at a party, or any other day of the week will enjoy this new collection of preppy caps. Its a perfect way to show your team spirit this season.

A unique feature of these hats is that while the outline of the state remains con-stant in the collections for each of the 14 states available, the school colors of the hat and logo are available for many of the most popular major colleges in those states so that fans can where their school colors and promote their home state at the same time. The hats have a classic look and fit that most college football fans will enjoy.

They are available on-line or at many fine golf shops that carry Imperial headwear.For more information visit www.imperialsports.com/product-category/tail-

gate-collection/

SWEETSTUFF


SWEETSTUFFby TerryRoss

lines up a club with a sight in the back before swinging.

Currently, the ball used for the Sight Ball method is a Top Flight, but Briggs would like to see it expanded to all of the top brands.

Briggs, an avid golfer and industry employ-ee with eight years of on-course experience, noticed that there were no golf training aides that were actual golf balls, except for simple putting alignment lines. I figured there should be something on the actual ball to help your game, Briggs said. This ball helps with a golf-ers stance, focus and accuracy. Briggs added that Sight Ball can be used to help with tee shots as well as a players short game and put-ting--and can be used on a golf course whereas most golf training aides cannot.

It took more than three years for Briggs to bring his concept from idea to market. He spent more than a year developing the first Sight Ball prototype, and it would take another year of research and development to create the final Sight Ball design or Method; the six sighted golf ball training aid. Further testing indicated that the Sights lined up on the ball actually did help golfers with focus, accuracy and their stance; an ideal in-play training aid.

Already being used by some PGA teach-ing professionals and as a training device with high school golf teams, the Sight Ball can be purchased in a six pack or in a bucket of 36 for those who want to use it for full-swing range work in helping improve their alignment.

For more information on Sight Ball: www.sightball.com

For players who like to walk the golf course but dont want to carry their bags, the top European maker of golf push carts has introduced the Z 360 Push Cart that features a swiveling front wheel that allows the cart to effort-lessly rotate in a complete circle for ease of use.

Big Max Golf pio-neered the three-wheeled push cart in 2000 and is currently Europes #1 manufacturer. The com-pany entered the US market in 2014 after winning the Golf Europe Best Product Award and o f -fers a range of push carts, bags and acces-

sories.The Z 360 allows golfers to easily ma-

neuver all types of terrain, including hilly courses that can be difficult to navigate with other push carts. For additional stability, the front wheel can be locked into place when descending steep slopes. Designed with a fast and easy folding mechanism, the cart collapses into a small, compact size ideal for quick and efficient storage. The adjust-able handle features a conveniently located handbrake while the deluxe organizer panel, magnetic ball marker and the option to fas-ten accessories such as an umbrella, glove, storage net and a GPS holder make the cart very versatile.

The rotating front wheel design of the Z 360 makes this model a very unique offering among push carts in the Amer-ican market, said Kelly Walker, CEO of Big Max Golf. Golfers who like to walk will certainly appre-ciate the fluid motion and ergonomic design of the cart. All Big Max prod-ucts are designed to make walking as enjoyable and comfortable as pos-sible for golfers of all ages and skill levels.

Big Max Golf

has quickly gained pop-ularity in the United States

by offering sleek, light-weight and easy to use push carts in a variety of colors and prices. The companys ultra-

slim Blade model folds into a five-inch profile that helps create a minimal storage

footprint. Other popular options include the compact IQ Plus and the Autofold+ model with its unique folding mechanism.

The companys products showcase smart,

functional and durable de-signs while helping golfers

personalize their carts with built-in Quick Lok and Quick Fix

mechanisms that allow the user to quickly and easily mount a variety

of accessories, including storage nets and hand warmers.

For more information on the Z 360 push cart: www.BigMaxUSA.com

Golf Vacations Magazine September 2015

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Transcript of Golf Vacations Magazine September 2015