▲

□V a

M Y S T E R I O U SSand Bunkers,

Absent VICTORS,A n d T h i s Ye a r ' s L A S T

S H O TA t G l o i y

2 0 1 5 P G AP R E V I E W

/ v t

Y O U R G O L F

lakes you up a hill with a tight fairway, thenruns the fifth hole sharply back down theslope, before curving No. 6 up and to theleft, ending with the seventh tec box atopa hill, looking over the green some 20-30yards below.

Another great stretch of holes is Nos.l2-15. The 12th is our favorite hole on the golfcourse - a long par three over the entranceroad (see sidebar) - and the l4th and 15thrun right down to the banks of the Brazos River. Hole No. 14 is an outstandinglydesigned hole, using the river to frame it inits entirety, making it both visually appealing and quite difficult. As we mention in thesidebar, it is very rare that a par 5 is a course shardest hole, but there is no question No. 14is the most difficult at SugarTree.

After the round, we highly recommendtaking some time to relax on the diningarea's outdoor porch that overlooks theninth green. You can enjoy a cold beverageand a delicious cheeseburger and take in theentire country atmosphere. It is hard to beatafter a fun round of golf.

A truly unique aspect of the facility isHie Cottage at SugarTree, a completelyrefreshed a refurnished home on the prop

erty that is perfect for an overnight golf outing or trip with the family. According to theSugarTree website, the cottage "contains aliving area with a 50" TV, full kitchen, fivebedrooms, six queen size beds, two and ahalf baths and an outside shower for summer use. An outside grill is convenientlylocated for those *sit around the fire' times,cooking and enjoying quiet evenings."

Adjacent to the cottage is a five-hole par3 course (18 tee boxes forvariety), availablefor guests only, with unlimited play during your stay. You also get a free round ofgolf per night stay in the cottage. For moreinformation on the cottage, visit www.sug-artreegolf.com/thc-cottage.

For golfers in the Metroplex - and especially those in and around the Fort Wortharea - SugarTree Golf Club in Lipan is ascenic piece of golfing greatness. While itisn't lengthy, the Phil Lumsden design isstill challenging, with tight landing areasand rounded, .sloping fairways runningthrough groves of pecan and oak trees. Thegolf course is enjoyable, and the calm, quietscenery may be even more so. No matterwhat you fancy in a golf course, SugarTree isa must visit for any golfing aficionado. /G

SUGARTREE GOLF CLUBAddress: 251 SugarTree DriveLipan. TX 76462P h o n e n u m b e r : 8 1 7 - 3 4 1 - 1 1 1 1

Website: www.sugartreegolf.comDesigners: Phil LumsdenYear opened: 1987Par/Yardage: 70/6,659 yards (Goid);6,177 (Blue): 5,807 (White): 5,200 (Red)Greens: BermudaRates: Monday-Thursday $39; Friday-Sunday $49. Rates are for peak hours andinc lude car t .

Toughest hole: No. 14, 524-yard par 5.It isn't often that the toughest hole on agolf course is a par 5, but at SugarTree,the 14th is, in our opinion, a monster ofa golf hole. At 524 yards it isn't long,bu t t he re a re t r ees , bunke rs and wa te rhazards eager to grab your bail on everyshot. The hole is a slight dogleg to theleft, curving around the Brazos River fromthe tee box to the green. The water cutsacross the hole just before the fairway,so a poor tee shot is liable to get wet,and giant trees guard the left side, readyto ricochet your ball right into the river.Going for this green in two isn't really anoption, and the green is elevated wellabove the fairway. Don't miss the green,as you will struggle to get up and down.

Our Favorite Hole: No. 12, 210-yard par3. As rare as it is for a course's toughesthole to be a par 5, it may be even rarer forit's best hole to be a par 3. In our opinion,however, the par-3 12th really takes thecake at SugarTree. From the back tees,you hit over the course's entrance road,which is cool, to a green that Is set backand down in a group of trees, giving it asecluded feel. It is a tough tee shot, asbunkers guard the skinny green on theleft and water on the right, but the viewfrom the tee is really neat. It probablyisn't a ■easy" hole, but take a minute tolook and appreciate how unique It is. Andthen get your par and move on.

Most Intriguing Hole: No. 5, 471-yard par4. On paper, this hole is a monster of apar four. 471 yards? YlkesI However, thereality is the hole is much more interesting than it looks at first glance. The holeplays considerably down hill, but from thetee, all you can see is about the first 150yards of the rough and fairway, becauseIt drops off after that. There is a bit moreroom to the left than you think, and evena decently straight drive should run out,leaving you a manageable second shot.The green slopes from front to back andsits at the very bottom of the hill, so youcan land 10-15 yards short and the ballwill bounce on to the green.

A V I D G O L F E R 6 7

T R A V E L

B e t w e e n R o c k s a n d Wa v e sQuivira Golf Club in Los Cabos, Mexico is beautiful ly carved betweenstunning rock hi l ls and the crashing Pacific OceanB Y M I C H A E L H I L L E R

Los Cabos is one of those sunny Mexico beaches, lavish resorts and scenic golf sits town Cabo San Lucas and the centerpiecegolf destinations I escape to as often as strategically positioned where the Pacific ofa 1,850-acre master-planned community.I can and dream about when I cannot. Ocean meets the sea of Cortcz in a swirl of To create Quiviras 7,139-yard, par-72Bookended by boozy Cabo San Lucas to sea foam and azure blue. It's been battered layout, Nicklaus muscled his way throughthe west, and the more sedate San Jose del by hurricanes, molded by tourists and chis- massive sand dunes and steep granite cliffs,Cabo to the east, the windswept finger of eled by golf course architects. carving out deep hollows and secludedland sits at the southern tip of Mexico's Baja Nowhere is that more evident than at coves. It's Nicklaus' sixth course in CaboPeninsula. Collectively called Los Cabos, Quivira Golf Club, Jack Nicklaus' new - his 26th course in the Caribbean andor just Cabo, the booming oasis of blonde I8-hole design ten minutes from down- Mexico - a S40 million design that tattoos

6 8 A V I D G O L F E R

Y O U R G O L F©©AIT ©IL(U)©

itself into your brain with the same indelible ink you'd reserve for Chambers Bay,or, say, Cypress Point - courses whose scaleand setting widen your eyes and quickenyour pulse.

Beginning and ending at the ocean'sedge, Quivira wends its way across a base ofdessert sand for four holes before climbing275 feet nearly straight up, a ten-minutecart ride to a tee box that hangs on theedge of an oceanside cliff. There, with thePacific over your left shoulder and bouldersover your right, Nicklaus unrolled a carpetof platinum Paspalum to a downhill greenchat also teeters over the Pacific.

You can lay up with a seven iron and hopevour wedge shot sticks on the tiny green (itwon't), or you can go for glory with a three-wood off the tec. If you hit a draw just rightand the wind is in your favor, you'll land

ENJOY THE BOATINGL I F E S T Y L E T H I S S U M M E R

B Y J O I N I N G D F W ' SPREMIER, MEMBERS-ONLY

B O AT C L U B ! ! !

Suntex Boat Club offers access to ourentire fleet of top-of-the-line pontoons,

ski boats and wakeboard boats.

B I M D l M l l M fl i K

near the cup. If you miss the shot, you'llneed to reload. I needed to reload.

Is it one of the world's great golf holes ?No. It's contrived, a little goofy and maddeningly tough for a 310-yard par-4. Yet, Icircled back to play it again - twice - aftermy round.

That doesn't mean I liked the next hole,the par-3 No. 6, any less. Carved into thebase of a thick dune and hemmed in bymore cliffs on the right and water on theleft, you fire directly into the wind, hoping your ball finds safety on a long, narrowgreen, whose riskiest edge is ocean.

Heading inland on No. 7, Nicklausplaced tee boxes near a historic lighthouseat Land's End, the oldest standing structurein Cabo San Lucas. Remember the movie

Troy? The producers used the land nowoccupied by the No. 12 green for part of

Memberships can be usedat all 3 DFW Locations

' • w '

Lake Lewlsvi i lePier 121 Marina (Lewlsviile)

Lake Ray Hubbardr's Landing Mjacina fp

Call today to book a tour

4 6 9 - 4 0 4 - 3 8 5 2

T R A V E L

their set, leaving behind a portion of polefence as a memento.

"This is one of the great pieces of property in the world," Nicklaus remarkedwhen the course opened last fall. "We triedto create some excitement on the mountainand in the dunes, and I believe we've created a golf course that plays as spectacularas it looks."

Quivira seems to have a little bit ofeverything you'd want in a golf site: desert,mountain, ocean, rocks and plenty of sun.It also books the fewest number of bunkersin Nicklaus portfolio, his smallest green (atNo. 13), and an unusual front-back split -par-34 on the way out then par-38 back in.

To appeal to a wide range of golfers,Nicklaus wisely constructed five sets of teeboxes that vary the overall yardage from4,793yards to 7,139. That enriches Quivira'sappeal to guests of the two resorts that canaccess the course. Pueblo Bonito PacificaResort & Spa and Pueblo Bonito SunsetBeach Resort & Spa, plus their three affiliated real estate communities, Montecristo

Discover the Changes..Experience the LifestyleImprovements over the years have led to ourmost significant milestone to date!

Since opening in 2011, The Lakes at CastleHills has been committed to providing thepremier country club experience. As part ofthat commitment, The Lakes is undergoing acomplete renovation of the existing clubhousecapping off over $20 million of improvements.

Schedule your tour today with ourMembership Team at 972-899-7400, and learnmore at www.thelakesatcastlehills.com.

C A S T L E H I L L S

699 Lady of the Lake Boulevard • Lewisville, TX 75056972-899-7400 • www.the lakesatcast leh i l ls .com

Q u i v i r a G o l f C l u bAddress: Via de Lerry, CaboSan Lucas 23450, MexicoP h o n e n u m b e r : + 5 2 1 - 8 0 0 - 9 9 0 - 8 2 5 0Website: www.quiviragolfciub.comDesigners: Jack NicklausYear opened: 2014ParA'ardage; 72/7,139 yards (Black);6,701 (Gold); 6,216 (Blue): 5,598(White); 4,326 (Red)Greens: PaspalumRates: $115-$295

Estates Luxury Villas by Pueblo Bonito,Copala and Novai.spania Residences.

Given the private nature of Quivira andthe adjacent luxury neighborhoods, serviceand niceties are more than an afterthought.While you won't find any cart girls roamingthe course, Quivira maintains four comfortstations along the routing, each stockedwith complimentary food and beverages

With rollercoaster contours, cactus-studded arroyos and lob-wedge proximity to thePacific and the Sea of Cortez, Los Cabos isan easy mark for more golf course development. Quivira has another 18 in the works.Tiger Woods recently opened his first coursenearby (you can spot it from the Quivira'scliff tops). Because so much of Baja's quieteastern coast already developed, though,designers now have to move west of the Seaof Cortez, staking out sites along the moreblustery Pacific. But as Jack Nicklaus andhis team proved with Quivira, land oncedeemed inhospitable is suddenly welcoming.

Keep your eye on this wedge of Mexico;it has "Best Golf Course" written all over it.

J G

Play A Round.Then Play Around.

fllles in Fredericksburg!Serious golfers will find it "all in Fredericksburg." At Lady Bird Johnson

Golf Course, you'll play on contoured fairways built to USGA standardswith 48 challenging bunkers, water in-piay on over half the holes, lush

Champion Ultra Dwarf underfoot and spectacular Hill Country views.Your fleet of four-wheeled "chariots" awaits at the clubhouse, featuringthe Red Bird Grill and Golf Shop. Plus, your 19th hole is historicFredericksburg—where you'll find wineries, spas, gourmet cuisine, shopping,live music and so much more! As far as getaways go, it's your ace in the hole,G o l f F r e d e r i c k s b u r g . c o m j 8 0 0 9 5 0 8 1 4 7

Michael Hillir is a mwl/er oj the Society of AmericanTravel Writers. He is TravelEtlitor ofAviclGolfer Magazine. Yon canjollowhis travels on I'lcitter, @i\!il:eHiller •»*('