Best Golf Resorts of the World

Johnny Miller's Silverado Resort Renovates Golf Courses

With a new ownership team that includes World Golf Hall of Famer, Johnny Miller, with Troon Golf management on board and the resort now operated by Dolce Hotels and Resorts, Silverado Resort and Spa will renovate the North and South golf courses by spring, 2011.

Designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr., the North and South Courses sprawl across 360 acres, with dozens of water crossings, elevation changes, and routing through oak, pine, and redwood trees. Most of the major changes will take place on the North Course and driving range: bunker renovation, turf replacement and new tees, lengthening to 7,100 yards.

Improvements to the South Course include reshaping of fairway lines, recapturing lost green area, and enchancing bunkers.

A California landmark for more than 140 years, Silverado Resort has 435 guest rooms, a 16,000 square foot luxury spa, 10 swimming pools, 13 tennis courts and is located near more than 200 wineries.

More about Silverado.

Founder/editor of BestGolfResortsofTheWorld, Karen Misuraca is a travel and golf writer from the California Wine Country. She follows the little white ball around the world and blogs about International Golf Travel. And, she also writes a blog on Sustainable Travel.

Check out Karen's new iPhone app, California Coast North.

Annika Sorenstam celebrates new ANNIKA Chardonnay at Wente Vineyards golf day

Annika Sorenstam and her new wine

Golf diva Annika Sorenstam will host an all-day affair on July 25 at Wente VIneyards in California's Livermore Valley to present the newest wine from her ANNIKA Vineyards label, a 2008 Chardonnay.

Guests at the event will enjoy:

• continental breakfast
• golf clinic led by Annika
• shotgun golf tournament at The Course at Wente Vineyards
• ANNIKA Vineyards' 2008 Chardonnay tasting on the 7th tee.
• ANNIKA Vineyards' 2006 Syrah on the 14th tee
• awards and wine reception
• gala dinner on the vineyard lawn
• bottle of 2006 ANNIKA Syrah to take home

Annika Vineyards 2008 Chardonnay

Pricing for the day is $350 (dinner only option is $75). Participants can sign up through Wente Vineyards’ web site

Winemaker Karl Wente describes the Chardonnay as "full-bodied with apricot, peach, tangerine flavors throughout that lead to graham, vanilla and ground spice on the finish,”

The greatest female golfer of our time, Annika Sorenstam offers junior golfers opportunities to pursue their dreams through her ANNIKA Foundation. Along with Jack Nicklaus, she was named a Global Ambassador by the International Golf Federation and aided in the successful bid for golf in the 2016 Olympic Games. .

 
A spectacular layout tucked away in an idyllic valley and clifftop setting, Greg Norman designed, The Course at Wente Vineyards meanders through scenic rolling hills, vineyards, and grasslands of the Livermore Valley. Nestled up against the cliffs of Cresta Blanca, the course is lined with sycamore, oak and cottonwood woods and runs dramatically up onto high plateaus.

The Course at Wente Vineyards, Livermore, California

More about playing golf at Wente Vineyards.
 

Founder/editor of BestGolfResortsofTheWorld, Karen Misuraca is a travel and golf writer from the California Wine Country. She follows the little white ball around the world and blogs about International Golf Travel. And, she also writes a blog on Sustainable Travel.

New Tom Fazio Corales Golf Course opens in Dominican Republic

Tom Fazio-designed Corales Golf Course at Puntacana Resort in Dominican Republic

PUNTACANA Resort & Club has announced the opening of the new Tom Fazio-designed Corales Golf Course. Long associated with the sprawling luxury resort in the Dominican Republic, Oscar de la Renta and Tom Fazio attended the opening.

The 7,500-yard Corales Golf Course features six waterfront golf holes along rocky cliffs, a spectacular clubhouse overlooking the Bay of Corales and a 28-acre practice area and training center. The 18th hole has a unique 'double-shot', where players drive over the ocean and the cliffs to the fairway on the other side.

The course is available to club members, to Puntacana residents and to guests at Tortuga Bay resort and Puntacana Hotel. Open for play by the public and resort guests is the award-winning, P. B. Dye-designed La Cana Golf Course, an established track with 14 ocean-view holes, including four playing right on the water’s edge.

Among other packages available at the Puntacana Hotel, the Golf Experience includes:

• 4 nights accommodation in a newly refurbished deluxe room 
• Roundtrip transportation from the Punta Cana International Airport
• Daily breakfast and lunch
• Golf cart to move around the resort
• Two rounds of golf at P. B. Dye's La Cana Golf Course
• One round of golf at Tom Fazio's Corales Golf Course
• Rates start at $295 per person per night  

More about golf in the Dominican Republic

More about vacations in the Dominican Republic: www.GoDominicanRepublic.com

Fred Couples wins the 2010 Cap Cana Championship at Punta Espada Golf Club, Dominican Republic.

Founder/editor of BestGolfResortsofTheWorld, Karen Misuraca is a travel and golf writer from the California Wine Country. She follows the little white ball around the world and blogs about International Golf Travel. And, she also writes a blog on Sustainable Travel.

Can't get into the 2010 Masters? play golf around Augusta

River Golf Club, North August, Georgia

Only a few lucky souls will get the chance to follow the golf greats around Augusta National Golf Club at the 2010 Masters, and even fewer get to play there any time, since it's private . . . . very private.

Nonetheless, lots of gorgeous, public-access golf is available nearby Augusta.

• Reynolds Plantation: one of the largest and most highly rated golf complexes in the Southeast, between Atlanta and Augusta along the shores of Lake Oconee, 117 holes of golf designed by Nicklaus, Cupp and Tom Fazio (plus 2 private tracks by Rees Jones and Jim Engh tracks). The Reynolds Golf Academy, 4 full-service marinas; 251-room Ritz-Carlton Lodge Reynolds Plantation; #5 on Condé Nast Traveler's “Top 100 Golf Resorts” worldwide. A Nicklaus Signature course that opened in 1992, Great Waters has been renovated by Nicklaus Design and has just reopened to guest play.
• Cuscowilla Golf Club and Resort: Coore and Crenshaw came up with a lovely layout in the pines of Lake Oconee. Golfweek says it's the "#1 Best Course You Can Play" in Georgia for 2009 and 2010. Courseside cottages and lakeside villas are where players and families like to stay.
• River Golf Club. In north Augusta on the Savannah River, a Jim Fazio design (72.7/129) that meanders through wetlands and alongside lakes--water on 12 holes. Reasonable greens fees. Multi-bedroom cottages.
• Mount Vintage Plantation and Golf Club: in North Augusta, a new 9 has been added to the 18 championship holes (7,127 yards, 144/74.5). Expect big-time elevation changes. The circa 1840 “Shaw House" is the beautiful clubhouse.
• Goshen Plantation Golf Club: In Augusta, 7,151 yards of Georgia pines with water on 12 holes, uniquely massive greens, updated in 2001; terrific practice facility. The course is very highly rated by locals and visitors.
• Jones Creek Golf Club: In west Augusta on pine-studded, softly rolling hills, a 7,008-yard Rees Jones design that has been renovated and updated by Tom Fazio (139/73.9).

• More about golf in Georgia.

Founder/editor of BestGolfResortsofTheWorld, Karen Misuraca is a travel and golf writer from the California Wine Country. She follows the little white ball around the world and blogs about International Golf Travel. And, she also writes a blog on Sustainable Travel.

Couples wins Cap Cana Championship at Punta Espada in Dominican Republic

Punta Espada Golf Club at Cap Cana, Dominican Republic

 For his third straight win in a row, Fred Couples won the $1.6 million Champions Tour Cap Cana Championship at Punta Espada Golf Club in the Dominican Republic, with a course-record 62. That makes 50-year-old Couples the first player in Champions Tour history to win three of his first four official tournaments. As he said during a practice round, “The Champions Tour is good timing for me." He also continues to complete on the PGA Tour.

For the second consecutive year, Golfweek Magazine selected Punta Espada as the best golf course of the Caribbean and Mexico for 2010. The 7,396 yard Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course, operated by the prestigious management company Troon Golf, lies on a rugged and spectacular coastline on the Eastern tip of the island, where the surf sprays up in dramatic fashion behind several photogenic greens.

Cap Cana is a master-planned luxury resort and residential community with golf courses, yacht harbors and several 4- and 5-star hotels and resorts. 

More about vacations in the Dominican Republic.

More about golf in the Dominican Republic.

Founder/editor of BestGolfResortsofTheWorld, Karen Misuraca is a travel and golf writer from the California Wine Country. She follows the little white ball around the world and blogs about International Golf Travel. And, she also writes a blog on Sustainable Travel.

Ryder Cup Stay-and-Play Packages at Celtic Manor Resort

Host of the 2010 Ryder Cup, a 5-star, historic resort two hours from London, Celtic Manor Resort in Wales is offering once-in-a-lifetime "Last Chance to Beat the Best" and "Follow in the Footsteps of Giants" packages.

The Twenty Ten, the first course in history designed specifically to host the Ryder Cup, will close September 6 for final event preparations. In the meantime, golfers will have the "Last Chance to Beat the Best", playing the course under tournament conditions before the Ryder Cup begins October 1. The package includes:

• One round of golf on the Twenty Ten Course
• Overnight accommodations in the 5-star Resort Hotel with breakfast
• Complimentary use of the Forum Health Club facilities
• Ryder Cup souvenir cap, towel and personalized bag tag
• (Approximately $545-$580 per person per person, Sept 1-5)

A limited number of players will also be able to "Follow in the Footsteps of Giants," October 5-31 (approximately $725 per person). The package includes:

• One round of golf on the Twenty Ten Course
• 18 holes of golf on one of Celtic Manor's other championship courses -- the Montgomerie (designed by 2010 Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie) or Roman Road (a classic Robert Trent Jones layout)
• Two nights' accommodations at the Resort Hotel with breakfast
• Complimentary use of the Forum Health Club facilities

More about Celtic Manor

More about the US Ryder Cup Team

Founder/editor of BestGolfResortsofTheWorld, Karen Misuraca is a travel and golf writer from the California Wine Country. She follows the little white ball around the world and blogs about International Golf Travel. And, she also writes a blog on Sustainable Travel.

51st Bob Hope Classic in La Quinta brings out the TV and movie stars

Actor Kurt Russell hits from the 11th tee during the first round of the Bob Hope Classic PGA golf tournament at Silver Rock Resort in La Quinta, Calif., Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2010. (AP Photo/Matt York)

The stars are out for the 51st Bob Hope Classic in La Quinta, CA. Celebrity players in the 2010 event, playing this week through Sunday, include such luminaries as Chris O’Donnell, Kurt Russell, William Devane, Oliver Hudson of “Rules of Engagement,” Kevin Nealon of “Weeds”, Bo Jackson and musicians Kenny G and Alice Cooper.

The PGA TOUR competition is being played on four courses in the Palm Springs area city of La Quinta: the Palmer Course at PGA West, the Nicklaus Private Course at PGA West, SilverRock Resort and La Quinta Country Club.

Although Shane Bertsch is leading the pack by 2, on-and-off rain and wind should complicate the final rounds.

Baseball Hall of Famer Yogi Berra is the first-ever "Classic Ambassador". Also new this year is Hope Square just inside the tournament entrance at the Palmer Private Course, featuring daily live entertainment, a massive video wall broadcasting tournament play, a food court (includilng Bar B Q prepared by 10-time National Bar B Q Cook Off Champion Big Bob Gibson's Bar B Q from Alabama) and two bars, plus a preview of vintage autos that will participate in the Desert Classic Concours d’Elegance tnext month at La Quinta Resort & Spa.

During the past 50 years, the Bob Hope Classic has donated more than $47 million to nonprofits throughout the Palm Springs-Coachella Valley.

TV schedule for the Bob Hope Classic

Read more about golf in the Palm Springs-Coachella Valley area.

Founder/Editor of BestGolfResortsofTheWorld.com,  Karen Misuraca is a travel and golf writer from the California Wine Country. She follows the little white ball around the world and blogs about International Golf Travel at www.examiner.com.

Arnie is 80 today, designed 300+ resort courses

 

Four Seasons Aviara, Carlsbad, CA

The Arnold Palmer Design Company has designed more than 300 courses around the world, from China to Spain, Costa Rica to the Dominican Republic and Ireland. Arnie and his architects have created some of the world's most famous private, semi-private and resort courses. You can search by country, or browse the alphabetical list. Here are just a few of his notable resort courses:

Palmer Lakeside Course at Barton Creek Resort in Austin, TX        

The South Course at The Broadmoor, Colorado Springs, CO

Four Seasons Resort Aviara in San Diego County, CO

Four Seasons Resort Peninsula Papagayo, Costa Rica

The Old Course at Half Moon Bay Golf Links, Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay, CA  

Hyatt La Manga Club Resort, Costa Brava. Spain

Whistler Golf Club, Whistler, B.C., Canada

Palmer Course, Turtle Bay Resort, Oahu, HA

The Club Course, Sea Pines Plantation, Hilton Head, SC        

Palmer Course at PGA West, La Quinta Resort and Spa, La Quinta, CA

The Club Course at Sea Pines Plantation, Hilton Head, SC  

Palmer Ryder and Palmer Smurfit courses, Kildare Hotel and Golf Club(K Club), Straffen, Ireland, host of the 2006 Ryder Cup

Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill Club and Lodge, Orlando, Florida, host of the Arnold Palmer Invitational

Arnie's 80th birthday, tweaks Bay Hill

As he approached his 80th birthday (which is tomorrow, September 10), Arnold Palmer and the Arnold Palmer Design Company decided to tweak his classic course at the Bay Hill Club & Lodge in Orlando. The private course is open only to members and to guests at the small, charming lodge.

"We don’t want to change it, let's tweak it." Arnie said to his architects, "Let's get the greens closer to the water and take the sand where you can see it."

Greens were removed and reinstalled with Emerald Bermuda grass. Palmer said, "I've introduced firm, fast playing conditions on slopes around greens . . . along with putting new pin positions around the outside of the greens and cutting bunkers up closer to the greens, we have made my course more interesting to play and view."

Course aesthetics received a boost in visual impact with the bunker renovation. Arnie again: "The renovations had to be completed in 2 months so the course can properly grow in and open in September. I know the 2010 Arnold Palmer Invitational will be very exciting to watch with these new course changes in place."

A Junior Olympic sized swimming pool, a full-service spa, 6 tennis courts, 4 restaurants, and 70 lovely rooms and suites make up the intimate lodge complex.

Golf Digest and the Golf Channel are celebrating Arnie's birthday with stories, anecdotes and interviews.

Today Arnie will throw out the ceremonial first pitch as the Pittsburg Pirates play the Chicago Cubs. Tonight will be Arnold Palmer Bobblehead Night at PNC Park and will mark the first time Palmer has been honored with a bobblehead created in his likeness.

And to celebrate his birthday, tomorrow on September 10th, Arnie and some of his closest friends will tee it up at his home course, Latrobe Country Club.Arnie's father helped build the course in the 1920s and he went on to become the grounds superintendent and then the golf professional in the 1930s.

According to the club, "Arnold was born September 10, 1929 in Latrobe. His saga began when he was four-years old swinging a set of golf clubs that had been cut down by his father, Milfred (Deacon) Palmer. Before long, Arnold was playing well enough to beat the older caddies at the club. He began caddying himself when he was 11 and worked almost every job at the club over the years."

Founder/editor of BestGolfResortsoftheWorld.com, Karen Misuraca writes about golf travel and resorts around the world in her examiner.com column.

Labor Day is Patriot Golf Day

Arnold Palmer and Major Dan Rooney support Patriot Golf Day.

More than 3,600 PGA-staffed golf courses and resorts around the country are participating in the third annual Patriot Golf Day, actually several days, Labor Day weekend, September 4-7, 2009.

Golfers nationwide are asked to add $1 or more to their greens fees to benefit the Folds of Honor Foundation, which provides educational scholarships for children and spouses of military service men and women killed or disabled while serving our nation.

Patriot Golf Day has raised more than $3 million dollars in the past two years. PGA Professional Dan Rooney, an F-16 fighter pilot in the Oklahoma Air National Guard, is the founder of the Folds of Honor Foundation. Major Rooney has served three tours in Iraq. He said, "We have lost more than 4,000 soldiers. America can come together in the spirit of golf and have a dramatic impact. We have an opportunity to make a difference for the families who have made the ultimate sacrifice."

Here are a few of the dozens of California courses and resorts where golfers can participate in Patriot Golf Day:

Links at Bodega Harbour on the Sonoma Coast

La Costa Resort and Spa in San Diego

Half Moon Bay Golf Links adjacent the Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay, near San Francisco.

Mount Shasta Resort in Northern California

On the Patriot Golf Day Web site, golfers can search for participating courses around the country.

Founder/editor of BestGolfResortsoftheWorld.com, Karen Misuraca writes about golf travel and resorts around the world in her examiner.com column.

British Open 2009, Cink trumps Watson in play-off

One of the all-time masters of Scottish links, 5-time British Open winner Tom Watson watched his hopes of a 6th win fade away as he searched for his ball in the high rough, several times, at Turnberry, site of this weekend's 138th Open Championship. Likely tired after four days of staying at or near the top of the leaderboard, Watson battled to the end in a four-hole playoff with Stewart Cink.

An Alabama native, 36-year-old Cink has won five times on the PGA Tour and many top ten rankings.

After his win, Cink said, "This week Tom has blown everybody away, including me."

Read "Watson hangs in there at Turnberry

Read British Open 2009, "no go for Tiger"

Click here for "Watson birdies for the lead"

Read about the first round of the the 2009 British Open.

Read about the British Open 2009 at Turnberry, part 1

Read about the British Open 2009 at Turnberry, part 2, the first Open

Read about the British Open 2009 at Turnberry, part 3, the resort

Read about the British Open 2009 at Turnberry, part 4, the academy

Founder/editor of BestGolfResortsofTheWorld.com, Karen Misuraca is a travel and golf writer from the California Wine Country. She follows the little white ball around the world and blogs golf travel right here at bestgolf.typepad.com/blog/

The golf gods have spoken

Tiger's First Course Design

Quick, before a sheik beats you to it, stake your claim at The Tiger Woods Dubai, a golf community underway in the United Arab Emirates. Just for home(palace) owners and for guests at the 5-star hotel, the Al Ruwaya Golf Course here will be Tiger's first design, a 7,800 yard whopper studded with 1,200 trees imported from Thailand and South Africa.

Of his par 3, 173-yard twelfth hole, Tiger said, “Visually it’s very dramatic due to the elevations and vegetation, but its also very strategic. It plays over a 30-foot depression of native grassland and shrubbery to a somewhat crowned green. Pin position will dictate strategy off the tee and club selection will be very important. You are really going to have to think on the tee about your shot, especially if the wind is up.” Aaahh . . . the wind across the desert.

Tiger Woods Dubai is part of Dubailand, an ambitious multi-billion-dollar development that, when complete within a decade, will be the Middle East's mega-version of Disneyland for the tragically uber-rich, to include numerous theme parks, live entertainment venues, the Snowdome indoor ski resort––already wildly popular, with a second, larger ski hill on the drawing boards––plus a sports city, wildlife and eco-tourism exhibits, 55 hotels, and . . . one wonders why . . . outlet malls.

Bids are being taken on 22 palaces, 75 mansions and 100 villas. Tiger said, "We will be hitting golf balls at the beginning of the year", meaning 2009.

216 Golf Holes in China

A stupendous complex of 12 courses designed by world-famous golf stars and top architects, Mission Hills Golf Club is home to the first David Leadbetter Golf Academy in China. Leadbetter's son, Andy, is the Director of Golf Instructor Training. Among many other tournaments, Mission Hills hosted the World Cup in 1995, the Tiger Woods China Challenge in 2001, and the Olazabal Course will remain the home of the Omega Mission Hills World Cup through 2018.

The designers of the 12 tracks comprise a panoply of great names: Nicklaus, Pete Dye, Olazabal, Els, Faldo, Zhang Lian Wei, Leadbetter, Norman, Ozaki, Singh, Sorenstam and Duval. And, the five-star Mission HIlls Resort hotel, spa and spectacular clubhouses were built to impress. From Hong Kong International Airport, guests are transported by luxury shuttle across the border to the resort.

Play in the Tom Watson Golf Classic at Greenbrier

The legendary Greenbrier in West Virginia has enjoyed a close relationship with PGA Tour superstar, Tom Watson, for more than 25 years, and this year, September 7-10, the Tom Watson Fall Golf Classic is open to resort guests--a rare opportunity. The tournament will take place on the recently restored Old White Course, and the Greenbrier Course, which has hosted Ryder Cup and the Solheim Cup matches. Guests taking advantage of this special package will also have the chance to interact with Watson as he leads a private clinic. Non-playing spouses and guests can participate in a variety of other activities, including fly-fishing, a shooting clinic, tennis, nature walks, horseback riding, or just disappearing into the spa . . .

The package for the Tom Watson Fall Golf Classic starts at $2,645 per person, for three night's luxury accommodations, breakfast and lunch on tournament days, green fees, golf car, golf concierge services, and private dining and receptions related to the event. 800-908-0740, www.greenbrier.com.

 

Enjoy an in-depth article about The Greenbrier, by one of our regular contributors, Ed Stone.

Once-in-a-Lifetime with Monty

Only a few lucky golfers will have the rare opportunity to spend time with European PGA star, Colin Montgomerie this October, learning, playing and partying in the lap of luxury at the world-renowned Gleneagles Hotel Golf and Spa Resort.

A golfing vacation of a lifetime, offered by one of the premier golf vacation companies on the planet, the package includes:
    Playing clinic and cocktails with Montgomerie
    A round on the the Old Course at St. Andrews
    A round at Carnoustie
    Rounds on the 3 Gleneagles courses: the Queens and Kings courses, and the PGA  Centenary Course, redesigned by Jack Nicklaus for the 2014 Ryder Cup.
    6 nights in a luxurious Classic room
    Daily breakfast and dinner
    1 full body massage in the lavish new Spa at Gleneagles by ESPA
    Escorted transfers to all events; round trip transfers between Gleneagles and Edinburgh airport
Monty will share his Ryder Cup-winning strategies and swing, chipping/pitching and putting techniques, while helping to fine-tune each golfer's skills. And a gala celebration dinner and whiskey tasting will be accompanied by bagpipes!

Not a moment to lose! (800) 828-8768, GolfingVacationsAndMore

New Golf Community at Tahoe

Johnny Miller was on hand recently to launch his newest course design, a stunner of a mountain track, the showpiece of Timilick, a new private community in the Martis Valley a few minutes from Lake Tahoe. His co-designer was John Hardbottle, a Pete Dye alum who is making himself famous with such notable projects as the Yellowstone Club. Masses of mature evergreens line fairways laid out in meadows and on hillsides menaced by rocky outcroppings; a luxurious, lodge-style clubhouse is underway. Watch the "Living the Life" section of BestGolfResortsofTheWorld.com for details on the home sites and whole ownership townhomes that are being offered. Also, a limited number of club memberships is available to non-owners.

Annika's Coach at Tahoe This Summer

ANNIKA Academy summer golf schools are offered this year at Old Greenwood, one of the Tahoe Mountain Resorts' spectacular golf clubs. Sorenstam's school will be led by her coach, Henri Reis, and her fitness instructor, Kai Fusser. An accomplished LPGA and amateur player, Annika's sister, Charlotta, will also teach. Two program packages are available for the June sessions (theannikaacademy.com). Also at Old Greenwood this summer is a summer concert series, including Kenny Loggins in July (tahoemountainresorts.com).

Overheard on Maui: Tom, Jack & Gary

Dressed head-to-foot in his traditional black, Gary Player looked up at an elegant lady spectator, also in black, and said, "Oh you're my American wife (which she was). I have a wife in South Africa, too––but, I take better care of you, don't I?"

Regaling the crowd at Wendy's Champions Skins Game at Ka'anapali on Maui this February, Player said, "I've been coming to Hawaii for 50 years. These islands exemplify the word love––I always get the feeling of great peace and love here. This time we're staying an extra day, it's a such a delight."

Paired with Jack Nicklaus in the tournament, Tom Watson said, "I like playing skins with Jack, because on the first tee when your opponent asks you, 'Who is your partner?' and you say Jack Nicklaus, they look at you like 'We're cooked. . .'  Jack has the ability to hit a meaningful when it counts––I trust him." (the two had 8 skins after Day 1). Watson said, "I first played with Jack in 1966 in Topeka when I was 16 years old. One of the best days of my life as a kid."

In fine form at age 68, with his son Steve as caddie, Nicklaus dazzled the spectators. After Watson called out, "Bring out the magic, partner!", he sunk a 15-footer for a $150,000 hole to put the two in the lead. Nicklaus went on to pitch in from 50 feet away in the sand on the 6th and putt in on the 7th for $90,000. They led until the last hole on Sunday, when they tied with Zoeller and Jacobson, then finally lost in a tie-breaker.

Striding down the fairway beneath the fluttering palm trees, ready for his 51st appearance in the Masters this year, Player summed up his 72 years: "I have achieved everything that I wanted to do. Now, I want to be a role model(for physical fitness). Obesity is killing more people than wars."

Dubai: Ernie Kicks Off The Dunes

South African PGA and Euro Tour super-star, Ernie Els, kicked off the “Els Club” at the spectacular new Dubai Sports City in United Arab Emirates.A British and US Open champ, Ernie Els inaugurated his new Els Club golf course at Dubai Sports City by playing a few holes with English cricketer, Andrew Flintoff; South Africa's World Cup-winning rugby captain, John Smit, and Manchester United’s legendary goalie, Peter Schmeichel. Then, Ernie hosted a traditional South African 'Braai' (BBQ) at the Madinat Jumeirah to celebrate Dubai's newest prestige golf destination.

Open to members and the public in March, the Scottish-links-style golf course, The Dunes, stretches a whopping 7,538 yards from the back tees. The Butch Harmon School of Golf and a 60,000-square-foot Mediterranean design clubhouse, 19th hole and restaurant will soon open, along with a Manchester United Soccer School, a David Lloyd Tennis Academy and the ICC Cricket Academy(dubaisportscity.ae).