Posts Tagged ‘Championship Golf Course’

Urban Escapes – Three Getaways within 2 Hours of San Diego

January 17th, 2012 Tushar Mathur

There are a lot of great benefits to living in a major city like San Diego.  We have world-class restaurants, culture, and arts all in our backyard.  We can go to the beach in the afternoon for some sun, and then dress up and head downtown for a sophisticated night out. Being a city-dweller is pretty great.

Still, there are times when we just want to get away.  It’s not that San Diego isn’t a wonderful place, but rather a break from the norm can refresh our bodies and our spirits.  Here are some great escapes that are close to San Diego (within two hours), but far enough away that they’ll make you forget all about your everyday worries.

Palm Springs
Originally gaining popularity as a getaway for medical patients who needed a dry and hot climate, Palm Springs today is popular with tourists from across the country.  Weather remains a major reason why visitors love this beautiful oasis, with the coldest month of the year, January, retaining an average high of around 70 degrees.  The city offers something for everyone, including many great trails for hiking and horseback riding, desert recreation activities such as ATV’ing, sophisticated nightlife, and fine dining.

If you’re looking for a good place to stay when in Palm Springs, try the Indain Wells Resort, located just over 10 miles from the Palm Springs Airport.  This resort is a little further out from the main strip, but they offer beautifully appointed rooms with sweeping balconies, excellent restaurants, and a 36-hole championship golf course.

Julian
Even though it’s only a little over an hour from downtown San Diego, entering Julian is like traveling into a different world.  The town is located at around 4,200 feet above sea level, and has a population of about 1,500 people.  It originally gained prominence as a mining town in the 19th century, and experienced its own gold rush in 1870.  Today Julian is famous for it’s quaint downtown, and amazing apples (okay, and more importantly Apple Pie, which is hands down the best anywhere).  A fascinating legend is that James Madison was the first to bring these apples to the region, though it is difficult to prove the authenticity of this statement.

If you’re planning an overnight stay to Julian, a great choice for lodging is the Julian Gold Rush Hotel, which was voted one of the Best Bed and Breakfasts in the West by Sunset Magazine.  The hotel offers 16 guest rooms, each of which is uniquely decorated with antiques from the gold rush period.

Click to continue reading

Posted in Destinations Comments Off

Golfing in the Seychelles: it can be done

October 3rd, 2011 Tushar Mathur

Think of the Seychelles. What comes to mind? White sand. Aquamarine water. Scuba diving. Lazing in the sun. Romantic strolls. What about golf?

Typically, golf is the last thing on anyone’s mind when they come to the Seychelles. It gets in the way of one’s romantic preconceptions; no one wants to be a golf widow or widower on the perfect island holiday. And the truth is that the islands aren’t perfectly suited to golfing holidays, but die-hard golfers (and there are plenty of them about) can take comfort in the fact that there are at least two outlets for their passion.

Once you’re in the Seychelles, travel to Mahe Island to Seychelles Golf Club. The club has a quaint little nine-hole course that covers 50 acres and is determined to distract golfers with amazing views. The course is on the south eastern coast of Mahe Island and is affordable for all kinds of golfers, from the deadly serious to the occasional weekender. There is, of course, a 19th hole that also serves food. Lessons are available should they be required.

As you walk the course you’ll have to compete with nature; the coconut palm trees along the fairways make interesting obstacles and the red crabs in the water hazards have a tendency to steal golf balls.

If you want something more serious you’ll have to travel to Praslin Island and Lémuria Resort.

Lémuria is a five-star resort on Anse Kerlan beach. If you can tear yourself away from the pristine beaches there is an 18-hole championship golf course waiting for your attention. The course is relatively young; it was established in October 2000, but what it lacks in history and tradition it makes up for in beautiful architecture, well sculpted greens and extreme luxury. In total, the course covers just over 5.5km and includes sights such as the Small Kerlan Cove and the Grand Kerlan Cove. You’ll go from flat plateaus with beach views to tree-filled mountainous terrain. Once again the views will do their utmost to keep your eye from the ball.

Personal trainers are on hand every day between 07:00 and 19:00 to help you perfect your swing or provide some helpful tips.

Those who would rather give the course a miss can pass the time waiting for their loved ones at the Shiseido Spa for some beauty treatments or yoga and meditation classes (for some much needed patience) or one of the resort’s four bars and three restaurants.

Sandy writes for a number of different sites, including blogs on Seychelles travel and other African adventures.

Posted in Destinations Comments Off

Good golf courses in Asia

October 10th, 2009 Tushar Mathur

GOLF fever shows no signs of abating in Asia, where the latest set of clubs remain a definite status symbol.

The lists of the most interesting golf courses in Asia are as follows:

Kabul: Visit Afghanistan to test out the devilish “browns” at the Kabul Golf. It has the compacted oil and sand combination. It has a 9-hole course.

Thailand: Laguna Phuket Golf Club is part of one of Thailand’s top golf resorts. The 18-hole, par-71 course was designed by Max Wexler and David Abell. There’s also an indoor teaching centre that opened in mid-2004.
In Phuket the most famous club is, the Blue Canyon Country Club. It is surrounded by hills and sea in northern Phuket, it has two 18-hole par-72 award-winning championship courses: the 7,179-yard Canyon Course and the 7,129-yard Lakes Course.
Phuket Country Club, Loch Palm Golf Club and the 27-hole Mission Hills Golf Resort are few other golf courses in Thailand.
Bankok also has a number of prominent golf courses. The Ronald Garl designed championship Alpine Golf and Sports Club. It was the venue for the 2000 and 2004 Johnnie Walker Classic PGA tournament; it is at about an 80-minute drive from the city. It also hosted the 2000 and 2004 Johnnie Walker Classic, and it is also said that it’s one of Thailand’s most challenging courses.
At a short drive from Pattaya there is Laem Chabang International Country Club, it is a par-72, Jack Nicklaus-designed course. There are two courses, the 3,446-yard Mountain 9 and the 3,419 Valley 9, with a stream running all the way through it.

Some other to mention are as follows:

The Santiburi Country Club Chiang Rai: It is an 18-hole, 6,853-yard Robert Trent Jones Jr-designed course, 10km from the Chiang Rai city centre.
The Waterford Valley Chiangrai Golf Club & Resort Wiangchai Hills.

Indonesia golf options are as follows:
The Ria Bintan Golf Club: it has a popular 27-hole championship golf course designed by veteran Gary Player, consisting of an 18-hole Ocean Course and a 9-hole Forest Course.
The Club Med Ria Bintan
The Banyan Tree: it has its own 18-hole Greg Norman-designed Laguna Bintan course with signature holes 7 and 8, framed by the South China Sea.
The Bintan Lagoon Resort: It has two acclaimed championship courses. The first, a Seaview Course designed by Jack Nicklaus.
The “Island of the Gods”, Bali has the award-winning Bali Golf and Country Club it is famous for par-72 course that provides “three distinct” playing environments.
About two hours’ drive from Bali’s Nusa Dua resort area, the Bali Handara Kosaido Country Club is yet another option.

Click to continue reading

Posted in travel, Travel Tips, Vacation Comments Off