Best Golf Resorts of the World

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.

Special Offer at Grand Cypress

The Nicklaus-designed links-style New Course at the Grand Cypress Golf Club in Orlando is marking a 20-year anniversary by offering Floridians all-day play for $75, through September--quite a whopping savings over the usual $120 green fee. Golfers will see Jack's autograph on the 18 pin flags, and everyone who plays the New Course before the end of September can enter a random drawing for one of the flags.

The 1st and 18th holes are replicas of the Old Course at St. Andrews, including the "Valley of Sin" on the 18th green. Unique in Florida, the course is complete with double greens, stone bridges and walls, gorse mounds, burns and pot bunkers as deep as 12 feet, in the spirit of the original in Scotland.

The Villas of Grand Cypress Golf Resort is a AAA four-diamond property and a member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts Worldwide. Completed last year was a multi-million-dollar renovation of the resort, including the complete restoration of the 9-hole South Course, a beautiful renovation of the Grand Cypress Clubhouse and a $3 million facelift and improvement of all 146 guestrooms at The Villas of Grand Cypress.

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.

Golf in Charleston, S.C.

Check out my feature on golf in the Charleston area, published this month in the AirTran inflight magazine, GO. From Fazio at Wild Dunes to Dye, Player, Fazio and Nicklaus at Kiawah Island, from Seabrook, Charleston National Country Club, RiverTowne, Stono Ferry and Patriots Point to Belvidere, sexy, seductive Charleston is surrounded by sensational golf resorts and courses.

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.