Destination Golf - January 2013

2 Destination Golf TRAVEL

CCoonntteennttss aanndd rreeffeerreennccee gguuiiddeeAARRAABBEELLLLAA GGOOLLFF RREESSOORRTTSOUTH AFRICAwww.africanpridehotels.comPPaaggee 44--55

GGAARRYY PPLLAAYYEERR CCOOUURRSSEESOUTH AFRICAwww.suninternational.comPPaaggee 88--99

LLEEGGEENNDD GGOOLLFF && SSAAFFAARRII CCOOUURRSSEESOUTH AFRICAwww.legendgolfsafari.comPPaaggee 1122--1133

TTHHEE BBOOUULLDDEERRSS CCOOUURRSSEEUSAwww.theboulders.comPPaaggee 1166--1177

WWEE--KKOO--PPAA GGOOLLFF CCLLUUBBUSAwww.wekopa.comPPaaggee 2200--2211

EENNNNIISSCCRROONNEE GGOOLLFF CCLLUUBBIRELANDwww.enniscronegolf.comPPaaggee 2244--2255

FFAANNCCOOUURRTT LLIINNKKSSSOUTH AFRICAwww.fancourt.comPPaaggee 66--77

LLOOSSTT CCIITTYY GGOOLLFF CCOOUURRSSEESOUTH AFRICAwww.suninternational.comPPaaggee 1100--1111

GGRREEYYHHAAWWKK GGOOLLFF CCOOUURRSSEEUSAwww.grayhawkgolf.comPPaaggee 1144--1155

TTPPCC SSCCOOTTTTSSDDAALLEEUSAwww.tpc.com/scottsdalePPaaggee 1188--1199

CCAARRNNEE GGOOLLFF CCLLUUBBIRELANDwww.carnegolflinks.comPPaaggee 2222--2233

RROOSSAAPPEENNNNAA GGOOLLFF CCLLUUBBIRELANDwww.rosapenna.iePPaaggee 2266--2277

TTHHEE SSPPIIRRIITT OOFF GGOOLLFFIINN NNOORRMMAANNDDYYAndrew Marshall reportsPPaaggee 2288--3333

TTHHEE OOXXFFOORRDDSSHHIIRREEENGLANDwww.theoxfordshire.comPPaaggee 3366--3399

RRAAVVIINNDDRRAA BBEEAACCHH RREESSOORRTTTHAILANDwww.ravindraresort.comPPaaggee 4400--4433

TTHHEE MMOONNTTGGOOMMEERRIIEE LLIINNKKSSVIETNAMwww.montgomerielinks.comPPaaggee 4444--4477

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3Volume 1 • Issue 3

Destination GolfMedia Ltd184 Charlesland WoodGreystonesCo. WicklowIreland

[email protected]

� PUBLISHERDermot Synnott

� EDITORKarl Doyle

� CONTRIBUTORSAndrew MarshallPaul Marshall

� DIRECTORVincent Synnott

� FINANCIALCONTROLLERDarren Maguire

� CREDIT CONTROLLERMallory Courell

� UK OPERATIONSPeter Barnes

� OFFICE ADMINISTRATORHelen Duggan

� INTERNATIONAL SALESGianni AttanasioDavid CooneyAlbert Ferrer I Lahoz

FRONT COVERGolf Barriere de Saint-Julien,Normandy, France(Photo: Paul Marshall)

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Welcome to your latest edition of DestinationGolf Travel, which we are delighted toannounce has been given the status of

‘Recommended Guide’ from IAGTO – the globaltrade organisation for the golf tourism industry.

In this issue, we first take a look at some of thebeautiful vistas that lie in store for the golfer travellingto South Africa. Some of the finest courses from theWestern Cape, the Garden Route, Sun City and theprovince of Gauteng feature.

Next up, you can feast your eyes on a few of thegorgeous, world-class golf layouts in the sun-kissed state ofArizona –and Scottsdale, in particular.

Then it’s on to an area close to our heart here inDestination Golf, the North West coast ofIreland. This is where golf is at its rawestand most thrilling, and the area is a ‘must-visit’ for any discerning golfer.

In a special feature Andy Marshallreports on the golfing – and, indeed,the thirst-quenching – delights ofNormandy in France. Our HotelResort Features take a look atboth the Ravindra Beach Resortin Thailand and The Oxfordshirein England. Finally, ColinMontgomerie’s masterful‘Montgomerie Course’ inVietnam is our Club Feature.

Happy reading!

Your favouritedigital golfmagazineis nowrecommendedby IAGTO

Karl [email protected]


Arabella Golf ResortWestern Cape, South Africa




Fancourt LinksGarden Route, South Africa



Gary Player CourseSun City, South Africa


Lost City Golf CourseSun City, South Africa



Legend Golf& Safari CourseGauteng, South Africa




Greyhawk Golf CourseScottsdale, Arizona



The Boulders CourseScottsdale, Arizona


TPC ScottsdaleScottsdale, Arizona



We-Ko-Pa Golf ClubScottsdale, Arizona




Carne Golf LinksBelmullet, West Coast of Ireland



Enniscrone Golf ClubSligo, West Coast of Ireland


Rosapenna Golf ClubDonegal, North West Coast of Ireland


Golf and theNorm


Words:Andrew Marshall

Photos:Paul Marshall

Continued over...

It’s early November in Normandy’s Paysd’Auge, a picturesque landscape of smalltowns and villages, rolling meadows dotted

with grazing cattle, russet-coloured appleorchards and half-timbered farmsteads.

The Pays d’Auge region is known for the superior quality of itslocal produce - a land where some of France’s finest cheesessuch as Camembert, are made alongside highly-prized drinkssuch as Calvados; a fiery apple brandy that has been distilled withtypical French passion for more than four hundred years. Thisslice of France is also blessed with a selection of fine golfcourses, and for the gourmet golfer who enjoys a tipple, the goodnews is that between tee-times, there’s ample opportunity tolearn about, taste and purchase some of the fine local produce.

Our base in Normandy was the Hôtel du Golf Barriére, aluxurious golf hotel situated in a beautiful location on the slopes ofMount Canisy, just five minutes from the coastal town of DeauvilleOn arrival, we repaired to Le Green Bar, where we happily sankinto a couple of red velvet armchairs and admired sketches offamous golfers on the walls – it was the perfect hangout to enjoysome Normandy spirit and discuss the golf trip.

“We have a selection of thirty types of Calvados, how about arare Camut 60-year-old?” said Laurent Mallet, the friendlybarman. With an eye-watering price tag of 80€ for a 4clmeasure, we decided on a more affordable Château du Breuil 8-year-old before our meal.

Normandy greensOnly a long putt from the hotel, and rated among France's top 20prettiest and most established layouts, Golf Barriére de Deauvillehas always been one of the places to play in Normandy. The threeloops of 9 holes are in excellent condition throughout the year,with beautifully manicured fairways and greens.

Golf Barriére de Saint-Julien

mandySpirit


TRAVEL

FEATURE


A crate of hand-picked apples at Manoir dʼApreval. Le Green Bar, Hôtel du Golf Barriére, Deauville.

Golf Barriére de Deauville


Another excellent 27 holes are located 15 kms south ofDeauville at Pont L'Évêque, famous for the Normandy cheese ofthe same name. Golf Barriére de Saint-Julien’s main 18-holelayout, called Le Vallon is hilly in sections and winds through lushNormandy pastureland. The higher part of the courseencourages some open-shouldered driving, and when the holesare not long they are technically difficult. If you have time, stop bythe restaurant for some fine French cuisine before taking on the9-hole Le Bocage course.

Completing a trio of 27-hole courses close to Deauville is GolfAmirauté, a championship course designed by Bill Baker in amagical site, among 36 acres of lakes. The aptly named ArtCourse is mostly flat, so it can easily be walked, though carts arereadily available as with most French courses. Normandy SpiritAs a break from golf, one afternoon we enjoyed a tour at Manoird’Apreval, a family-owned estate in the coastal village ofPennedepie (10 km east of Deauville), that makes a line of fineCalvados and cider. The manager, Agathe Letellier, told us insidethe fermentation house: “If you listen carefully, you can hear ahissing sound. That’s the apple juice naturally fermenting into adry cider inside the tanks.”

Next we visited the cellar, where the liquid gold is aged in oakcasks for a minimum of two years, by which time it’s gained a richamber hue (due to the tannin in the wood) that darkens, as theCalvados gets older. “

Just put a dab on your wrist and smell,” says Agathe,demonstrating the complexities of Apreval’s Calvados X0 with itsaromas of wood and ripe fruit. “There’s a richness in the flavourand finish that’s unique to aged Calvados.”

A Normandy cheese is the perfect partner for a Calvados orcider, with much of it being produced around the small towns ofLivarot, Pont l'Évêque and Camembert. With its golden-yellowcentre and creamy-white rind, the circular Camembert is thequintessential Normandy cheese and known the world over. Twolesser-known and much older cheeses are Pont l'Évêque, anuncooked, unpressed cow’s milk cheese that is square in shapeand Livarot, an ancient and noble cheese that dates back morethan 700 years, originating with the monks. For a closer insightinto cheese making, we visited Fromagerie Graindorge, a cheeseproducer in Livarot that offers free tours and tastings.

There’s ample opportunity to observe the various stages ofmaking the Livarot and Pont l'Évêque cheeses - working the curd,salting, drying, and washing the rind. Before leaving, it'smandatory to sample some of the cheeses. Normandy Landings& Links West of Deauville is Golf Omaha Beach, a 36-hole golfcomplex located on the coast at Port-en-Bessin, only a fewkilometres from the D-Day Landing Beaches of 1944, and the

Continued over...

From previous page

Cheese trolley at the Hôtel du Golf Barriére


Calvados for sale inside the shop at Manoir dʼApreval Hôtel du Golf Barriére, Deauville.

Golf Barriére de Deauville


at Colleville-sur-Mer where Stephen Spielberg filmed scenesfor the movie Saving Private Ryan. The 1985 design of theprime two loops, Bocage (Hedgerow) and La Mer (Sea) aresimple and unfussy with the emphasis on good driving.

The Bocage nine is set in an apple orchard and the namestands for the earth and stone buttressed hedges, which criss-cross the interior rural landscape. Each of the nine holes on LeMer loop closest to the sea, are named after famous WorldWar II war heroes, among them Churchill and Eisenhower,Patton and Montgomery. Playing the few holes that run alongthe bluffs overlooking the beaches we could appreciate the bigadvantage defenders had over their adversaries below.

Further afield on Normandy’s west coast is the superbHarry Colt designed links of Golf de Granville, one of the best inFrance. Nestling among the dunes by the sea, this is anauthentic links with a rugged, natural character little changedsince 1912. Situated northeast of Deauville on the journeyback to Paris is Golf Club du Champ de Bataille the final courseof our Normandy golf trip. An impressive championship courseset in an exceptional natural and historical environment; Champde Bataille has often been compared with England’sWentworth and Woburn courses. Ranked among France’s top25, the course is set in 370 acres of historic forest andparkland and takes full advantage of natural features such asvalleys, lakes and centuries-old trees. The 17th is a particularlymemorable par-three with a tight tee-shot over a deep gulley.

‘Bon voyage’ and ‘Bon appetit’

From previous page

Where to play...Golf Barriére de Deauville:www.lucienbarriere.comGolf Barriére de Saint-Julien:www.lucienbarriere.comGolf Amirauté: www.amiraute.comGolf Omaha Beach:www.omahabeachgolfclub.comGolf de Granville: www.golfdegranville.comGolf Club du Champ de Bataille:www.champdebataille.comWhere to stay...Hôtel du Golf Barriére / Deauville:www.lucienbarriere.comUSEFUL CONTACTS &WEBSITESwww.apreval.comwww.chateau-breuil.comwww.graindorge.frwww.franceguide.comwww.normandie-tourisme.org

A replica of the worldʼs largest Livarot cheese


Tullamore Dew ® Irish Whiskey 40% Alc./Vol. ©2011 William Grant & Sons, Inc. New York, NY. GLASSES UP TO DRINKING RESPONSIBLY.


c. New York, NY. GLASSES UP TO DRINKING RESPONSIBLY.


The Oxfordshire

37

Oxford, England

Volume 1 • Issue 3

RESORT

FEATURE

The Oxfordshire


TheChampions’Course

The Oxfordshire Golf Course, a

previous European Tour venue, uses

strategically-contoured holes that blend

naturally into the surrounding

countryside to provide a challenging

game of golf.

Having hosted the Benson & Hedges

International for 4 years, the Ladies

English Open for 2 years and the

Andersen Consulting World

Championship, this course will provide an

exciting challenge that the more skilful

golfer will enjoy.

The Oxfordshire is also widely

recognised as one of the best golf

resorts in England, with the facilities

further enhanced by an award winning

luxury 50-bedroom Hotel & Spa.

For more information seewww.theoxfordshire.com



Ravindra Beach ResortPattaya, Thailand


RESORT

FEATURE


Ravindra Beach Resort

MagnificentPattaya

Sunshine Hotels & Resorts’ flagshipresort is The Ravindra Beach

Resort & Spa, a luxury 4-star resort only15 minutes from Pattaya City, and onlyone-and-a-half hours’ drive fromBangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport.

Blessed by a beachfront location, thesea is a mere 100 metres away. Itprovides all the amenities of a world-class resort with lush tropicallandscaped gardens and huge lagoonpools for the pampered guests to relaxin.

The resort has a total of 277 well-appointed guest rooms and suites, all ofwhich are set in a low-rise colonial styleaccommodation, with excellent privatebalconies offering either poolside orgarden views.

Another five private pool villas areavailable for those that want addedprivacy and relaxation.

The Ravindra Beach Resort & Spa iscertainly one of those places that will livelong in your memory after you havestayed there!

For more information see

www.ravindraresort.com




The Montgomerie LinksQuang Nam Province, Vietnam

GOLF

CLUBFEATURE


The Montg


Monty’sAsian linksMontgomerie Links is an award-winning

course ocated just 15 minutes drivefrom Danang International Airport, which isserviced by direct local and internationalflights.

Its unique Central Coast location is idealfor holiday golf, with abundant recreationaland cultural attractions all within easy reachof the course.

Regarded as one of the top 10 courses inAsia, the Montgomerie Links is a set in theshadow of the Marble Mountains. Its sandysoil, wind-blown dunes and indigenousvegetation made for a superb naturalterrain to design a links-style course –something that is certainly unique.

Numerous sets of tees means the coursecan test the best players, while beingenjoyable for the casual golfer.

Much more than a golf course, theMontgomerie Links Residences are anexclusive gated community of private villasadjacent to the course, making this themost desirable golf and country club retreatyou will find in Vietnam.

For more information see

www.montgomerielinks.com

gomerie Links

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Destination Golf - January 2013