Golf is one of those sports that you can transport you to some of the world’s most beautiful and luxurious places. Rewarding yourself with a stay at one of the top golf resorts is a sure way to ensure you improve that handicap, and to give yourself an unparalleled golfing experience!
I personally started my golf career on the plain simple grounds of Australia as that country is blessed with a good part of its land being a natural golf course. Lucky Australians, although golf course qualities varies of course. Australia is a country where some of the world’s prime golf resorts are located. I was lucky enough to stay at Port Douglas’s fabulous golf resort, the Mirage Country Club, for example.
However, we don’t need to fly to the other end of the world in order to find a top quality golf resort. There are many top quality golf resorts in the US, and that’s what I want to talk to you about today.
Top Golf Resorts In the US
The top 10 US Golf resorts as it stands today:
The Pinehurst Resort in Northern California
Kiawah Island Resorts in South Carolina
Pebble Beach resorts in California
Kapalua Bay Hotel and Ocean Villas in Hawaii.
Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Oregon
Princeville Resort in Princeville, Hawaii
Dora Golf Resort in Miami Florida
The Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North in Arizona
The Boulders Resort and Golden Door Spa in Arizona
The Greenbrier in West Virginia
.
This list of 10 golf resorts is chosen by Travel & Leisure’s discriminating readers. There are however other ratings with hundreds of panelists who decide which is the best golf course, depending on various factors ranging from yards, par, points, the course ambiance, the overall feel and atmosphere of the golf course & resort.
So, check these golf courses, but sure don’t limit yourself to just these. There are wonderful golf courses the world over and America is home to some of the best ones.
CARIBBEAN TRIP TIP Click Here to get the 7th Night FREE at Sandals Resorts plus Save up to 50% off !
A Canadian Rockies golf vacation could very well be the most memorable holiday you’ll ever take! The Canadian Rockies truly are one of the top natural wonders of the world, internationally renowned for the stunning scenery, the sparkling clean air, and the quiet of unspoiled wilderness. This is as close as it gets to paradise on earth.
Snow-gilded mountain peaks, gem-like lakes, lush green river valleys and wide blue western skies are almost scenery clichés, but on your Canadian Rockies golf vacation this is reality. Golfers from around the world come to just stand and stare at one of nature’s crowning achievements. The fact that you’ll be playing golf in such a fabulous setting is just the icing on the cake. Of course, the numerous world-class golf courses in the area take full advantage of their gorgeous settings.
Verdant fairways weave themselves around glacier-fed streams and towering stands of evergreens, and often the greens themselves are back-dropped by achingly beautiful vistas. If there is a heaven, surely it must look like this! In such circumstances, it can be very difficult to concentrate on your golf game.
There are a wide variety of golf courses to choose from, all of them fabulous in their own unique way. Stanley Thompson, Canada’s master golf architect, designed the Fairmont Banff Springs Golf Course in 1928. He sensitively incorporated the natural scenic splendour into his design. The course winds along beside the pristine wilderness of the Bow River overlooked by the snow-capped peaks of Sulphur Mountain and Mount Rundle. This amazing course will both challenge and delight you.
SCOREGolf Magazine rates the Jasper Park Lodge Golf Club as the #1 Best Golf Resort in Canada with good reason. Designed in the 1920’s by Stanley Thompson, few golf courses in the world can match the rugged majesty of this national treasure. The design features wide fairways carved through thick forest, dramatic bunkering and holes aligned with distant mountain vistas. It presents a cunning blend of beautiful landscapes and challenging terrain.
Of course, a Canadian Rockies golf vacation would be incomplete without luxurious accommodations, fine dining, unique shopping experiences and pampering spas. Fortunately, resorts like Banff and Jasper in the Canadian Rockies have been offering these amenities for well over a century, all in a unique manner. Hedonistic luxury in the heart of spectacular unspoiled wilderness is now a Canadian Rockies tradition.
About the author
Copyright 2007 – Golf Canada’s West. Author K. Gordon Schultz is President of the http://www.GolfCanadasWest.com K. Gordon Schultz is president of Canmore Golf & Curling Club and the founder of Golf Canada’s West – Customized Golf Vacations. His company offers customized golf vacations packages to Alberta and British Columbia being the Western Canada’s leading golf vacation specialist. Toll free 877 323 3633, or visit http://www.GolfCanadasWest.com
Costa Brava holidays invariably means a huge choice in holiday accommodation and the inevitable, anxious feelings of, “How will I know what it’s like?” Large, impersonal hotels, poorly serviced self-catering accommodation can leave you feeling frustrated and angry.
Come with us as we review one Costa Brava holiday we know you will love, as we show you 10 best things to enjoy at TorreMirona Golf & Spa Resort, Costa Brava.
TorreMirona Golf & Spa Resort is an exclusive holiday destination situated to the west of Figueres in the Empordà region of the Costa Brava. With its famed rugged coastline 20 minutes away, natural beauty of the Aigüamolls de L’Empordà wetlands and the magnificence of the Pyrenees Mountains, this is the ultimate Spanish vacation spot.
Here in no particular order are 10 of the best things to do whilst staying at TorreMirona Golf & Spa Resort.
1. Relax and unwind on your terrace in the privacy of the garden with a complimentary bottle of Cava in an ice bucket beside you and listen to the song of the swallows on the wing in the setting sun. The tranquil and serene surroundings will have you chilled out in moments, allowing you to start your vacation the instance you arrive.
2. Enjoy a round of golf on the picturesque course at TorreMirona Golf and get 15% discount off your round by staying at the resort in either Villa Amora or Vila Birdie apartments. 15 % discount is also given on TorreMirona’s sister course, Golf d’Aro.
3. Spend a pleasurable evening dining in El Canigo Restaurant at the resort’s luxury hotel. Indulge your tastebuds in the sumptuous Catalan and Mediterranean cuisine, whilst your eyes feast on the stunning views across the golf course towards those impressive Pyrenees mountains. Even better, when you stay on the resort, no worrying about taxis to take you home! A short walk in the warm, balmy evening air will have you arriving at your front door in no time.
4. Hire a bicycle and explore the countryside and medieval villages that abound in this region. Besalu is one such village with a magnificent bridge crossing the River Fluvia.
5. Unwind at the spa. TorreMirona Golf & Spa Resort boasts a state of the art spa facility based on holistic philosophies. Relax and recharge your batteries far from the stress and tension of everyday life in an unparalleled, peaceful environment.
6. Play some tennis. Courts can be hired for an hour at a time or for better value become a member of the sports club.
7. Grab a bucket of balls and practise your swing at the golf driving range. If your golf needs some rehearsal, spend some time perfecting your putting and fine-tune your game before hitting the fairways on the 3 practice holes.
8. Swim in the crystal clear waters of the large swimming pool below the terrace of your home-from-home holiday villa. A private shared pool, available to the residents of the horseshoe of homes on Golf Royal, the pool is set in beautifully landscaped gardens a few steps from the end of your garden. Enjoy the views, space and peace a few steps from your villa.
9. Partake of a “Menu del Dia” at the superb restaurant at the Sports Club. Terrific value for money in attractive surroundings over-looking the large outdoor pool of the sports club, you won’t be disappointed.
10. Work up a sweat in the state-of-the-art gym. Perfect for making room for all that gourmet food!
I invite you to use these tips to plan your own trip to TorreMirona Golf & Spa Resort and to making the most of your holiday on the Costa Brava.
About the Author
And with your permission, I’d also like to offer you free access to my short report, Costa Brava Holiday – What Else Is There Apart From Sun, Sea and Sangria on a Costa Brava Holiday? You can download it by going to http://www.costa-brava-spain.com/shortreport.html
As one of Europe’s hottest – and most exciting – cultural hotspots, Spain is a popular summer holiday destination for tourists from the UK and beyond.
However, whether you’re keen to explore parts of Spain that you’ve never visited before or you’re a novice to the joys of Spanish culture, it’s important to figure out which areas of the country you’d most like to visit. After all, each area of Spain affords different opportunities to people with different interests – so ensure you make the right option when it comes to your holiday!
For instance, if you’re seeking a cosmopolitan city with a vibrant cultural scene, you’ll love Barcelona. Rent a holiday villa in Barcelona and you’ll be able to enjoy the buzz that surrounds Spain’s second largest city. Take a walk around the city and explore its stunning Gaudi architecture, as well the spectacular churches of the Gothic Quarter. Visitors to Barcelona will also be able to enjoy a range of museums: the Museum of the City of Barcelona, for instance, includes access to underground Roman ruins, while The Football Museum located near Barcelona’s Nou Camp football stadium is one of the city’s most visited attractions.
Alternatively, why not take a holiday in Andalucía and explore the region’s rich historical heritage and stunning coastal landscape? Rent a holiday villa in Cadiz and you’ll find yourself in the midst of one of Spain’s most stunning coastal towns. As the oldest continuously-inhabited city in Western Europe, Cadiz boasts breathtaking sandy beaches and clear blue seas. Every year, the city also plays host to the Carnival of Cadiz, one of the world’s best known carnivals. And while you’re in Andalucía, take the opportunity to visit the Alhambra in Granada and the Grand Mosque in Cordoba – two of the most spectacular monuments of Spain’s Moorish past.
And if you’re planning a party holiday to Spain, you’ll love the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands of Spain. Whether you’re hoping to head to Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Menorca or the ever popular Ibiza, you’ll be able to experience some of the best nightlife in Spain. What’s more, if you’re planning to rent a holiday apartment in the Mediterranean islands of Spain, you won’t be disappointed: these party locations are home to some of the best holiday villas in Spain, so you’ll be able to party and sleep in style!
Ultimately, if you’ve traveled around Spain’s most popular tourist hotspots and you’re looking for a Spanish holiday destination that’s off the beaten track, why not visit Bilbao? The primary city in the Basque Country of Spain, Bilbao is home to a range of museums, fabulous architecture and Spain’s Guggenheim Museum. Or if you’re a keen food fan, take a trip to Valencia – the city that invented paella! Every March, Valencia hosts the festival Fallas, in which the local neighburhoods of Valencia build large paper maché constructions that can represent a range of issues or interests. Rent a holiday villa in Valencia during Fallas and you’ll be able to bask in the buzz of the city and take delight in Fallas’ spectacular firework display! So even if you’ve been to Spain before, you can rest assured that you’ll always find new things that will draw you back to this beautiful country.
About the Author
Andrew Regan is an online, freelance journalist who lists travelling and rugby among his interests.
Have you ever considered a golf school vacation as a way of combining your vacation with a means of improving your game?
Has your game been letting you down lately, or have you finished the season on a bit of a low, feeling a bit down with your rising scores and reducing length? How about a winter vacation down south while your own club is closed for the winter?
Some courses are open all year round, especially the desert courses in Nevada and Arizona. A vacation in Scottsdale or Phoenix might be an ideal way for you to get some of these bad habits sorted out, or have your swing properly analyzed and corrected, before the spring comes around again. Just imaging the look on your foursome’s faces as you hammer that ball 300 yards down the fairway, as straight as a die!
There are many golf schools around that can give you a week’s coaching, and most are equipped with the latest video imaging techniques with biometric swing analysis that can diagnose exactly where you are going wrong. The right coaching can resolve your swing problem and add yards to your length. You can spend all winter hacking balls down a driving range without improving your game one iota if you don’t know exactly what your problem is. What you need is a professional golf coach to give your game a check over and find out what parts of your game need improved.
That takes professional equipment, and slow motion video replay of your swing can detect what is wrong with your swing mechanics. You might also need some specialized fitness training. Sometimes all this is needed to get your game back to where it should be is some proper golf-specific strength and stretching training. It’s no good just pumping iron in gym because that won’t help your golf game. You need to exercise all the muscles you use when swinging a golf club, and that involves specialized exercises.
You have several options in golf school vacations. You and your golf buddies can take a week in Vegas, getting your golf problems sorted out in the day, and enjoying some time on the tables at night. Or even take in a show or two. There are some excellent golf schools in and around Las Vegas that also offer accommodation in of the Vegas hotels. You have Bird schools and Butch Harmon among lots of others, each offering great five star accommodation.
How about fitting in some winter sports and heading off to the David Leadbetter Academy in Vail, Colorado – more popular than Aspen, but there are also golf schools in Aspen if you prefer. Mix your golf coaching with some skiing or snowboarding. However, if you like it hot, try one of the desert courses in Arizona. That might be a unique experience for you, especially if you get your swing sorted out as part of the deal.
If you have the family with you, Florida or the Carolina Grand Strand will keep the kids happy, while you and your partner get some coaching, or perhaps he or she wants to take advantage of the beach or fit in some shopping. Myrtle Beach is fabulous for both.
Whatever you choose, whether it is a full two week vacation with continuous coaching, or just a weekend away for some professional swing analysis, make sure you know what you want, and set your self a budget. The best golf schools have one on one coaching, or last two pupils per teacher. Some run to four or more, but you get what you pay for. Check out the golf course, and try to negotiate some free rounds after the coaching.
If you can arrange to get your coaching off-season, it might be a lot less expensive, and the resorts are usually a lot cheaper then too. Never accept the price offered, but ask what discounts are available. You can often get something knocked off the price. Make sure that the vacation suits everybody and you know exactly what you are getting. There is nothing worse than your partner and children hanging around all day with nothing to do, stuck in a poor golf resort with nothing around for miles.
Whatever you choose, it is going to be worth it as you step up to that first tee after the winter break, pull out your driver and know that you are going to amaze your buddies with your new form. They will be green with envy at that 30 yards you have improved by – and all without a hint of that slice that was plaguing you all last season.
A discussion of top notch golf courses is a lot different than a discussion of favorite golf courses. Although each golfer might have his own favorite, there are a few that have always stood out.
Anyone with a serious interest in golf will have heard of St. Andrews in Scotland. This is not only a Mecca for serious golfers, but is also where the game originated. St. Andrews is really a whole series of different world class courses that surround the town and run along the rugged Scottish coast near the town of St. Andrews. Although some of the courses are over 100 years old, there are some new and modern courses mixed in for variety. Despite year round play, these courses are among the best maintained in the World. It appears that the Scotch have the experience to do this job correctly. They are known for hosting the British Open.
The courses at St. Andrews are across an ocean which poses a slight disadvantage for the American golfer and many who make this journey are a bit shocked by the higher costs and green fees here. Most people are too blown away by the awesome scenery and the sense of golfing history to notice and the thrill of playing St. Andrews is rarely a disappointment.
The Augusta National Golf Club is another top notch course. It was designed and built in 1933 by golf legend Bobby Jones and has hosted the Masters Golf Tournament since 1934. It is a private club golf course that has been in the news recently for more than just the Master’s Tournament. There are only about 300 members. The membership fees range fro $250,000 to $500,000 a year and in its entire history no female has ever been a member. Although women are allowed to play the course as guests of members, they are restricted from membership. This caused a bit of a stink recently as the National Organization for Women put pressure on the club to change its policy.
Pebble Beach in California is like St. Andrews in Scotland. It is not just one golf course, but rather a series of top notch golf courses all in one location. Pebble Beach could be better called a golf destination than a course. There are seven public or private courses located at Pebble Beach. The Pebble Beach Golf Links is one of the public courses and is possibly the most top notch course in America. It is the one of only two courses in America to make the top of the “best courses” list in Golf Digest.
St. Andrews, Augusta, and Pebble Beach might be the most top notch golf courses in the World, although another writer might pick another for this list. In the end, the choice might be personal. The most top notch course in the world, to an individual, might be where they shot their first par or even where they first learned to play and love the game.
About the Author
Aazdak Alisimio writes about golf courses for GolfClubCourse.com.
