Look no further than South Africa for the planet’s most exotic golf and travel destination.
This is where the world class fruits sown by one Big 5 – local heroes Locke, Player, Frost, Els, and Goosen flourish alongside the beauty of another –lion, buffalo, rhino, elephant and leopard. Here you’ll find a startling variety of eco-systems and landscapes all to be enjoyed in the graceful comfort of hospitality professionals admired the world over for their luxurious standards of service.
A visit of 10-14 days is recommended for those who prefer a thorough yet leisurely paced custom schedule. The place to begin is Cape Town whose dramatic setting on Cape Peninsula in the shadow of towering Table Mountain promises to leave a lifelong impression. The Cape Grace Hotel, Ellerman House and the Victoria and Alfred are just three of the numerous excellent choices for your base of operation over the next four days. Abundant golf is nearby including Pearl Valley by Nicklaus in the famous Franschhoek Wine region where a wine tour and tasting it the ideal compliment to a morning round. Cliff top whale watching is on order after 18 at Arabella.
Your next four days will pass too fast at the sensational Fancourt Hotel, located in the heart of The Garden Route which winds along the warm Indian Ocean and is renowned throughout the world for its immense natural beauty. From majestic mountains and white beaches to the Tsitsikamma Forest, the area is home to a kaleidoscope of flora, fauna and a multitude of rare bird species. Guests at Fancourt may choose between a room in the beautifully restored 19th Century Manor House or one of the stately Garden Suites and Studios. The spa is one of South Africa’s premier wellness facilities. The property’s three courses are accessible to members and hotel guests only, and each is ranked among the country’s top 12. Perhaps most impressive is The Links, a Gary Player design inspired by his love of the British game, and host venue of the 2003 Presidents Cup. Ernie Els home and golf course is nearby in Oubaai, a course perched on cliffs overlooking the Indian Ocean. Goosen, Norman, Player, Clarke and Nicklaus all have courses along this striking coastline.
Fun and games now turns to fun and big game as your journey continues northeast to Lion Sands Private Game Reserve near the Kruger National Park. There are a dozen or so true luxury safari lodges in South Africa, each with unique charm and merit, but few can match the amenities and location of Ivory Lodge. Located deep in the African bush, this property has redefined the luxury wilderness experience. With only six suites, privacy and exclusivity are granted in this paradise where getting up close to the Big 5 is a daily occurrence. Suites feature magnificent bathrooms and bedrooms. Vast sundecks overlooking the Sabi River with private plunge pools offer front row views of the wilderness and all manner of wildlife. African cuisine complimented by one of the finest wine lists in the country complete this “all inclusive” sensory experience. Bigger groups may wish to consider 1933, the manor house which provides a private chef and ranger to groups of up to 4 couples.
Naturally there is one more round to play before returning to the real world. And remarkably enough, in this remote region of the country, you will find its #1 ranked layout — Leopard Creek. Situated on the southern border of the Kruger National Park, Leopard Creek presents the rare opportunity to play a golf course in the bush of Africa. The enormous property, nearly 900 acres, is bordered to the north and the west by the Crocodile River and the Kruger National Park. Rocky bushveld hills overlook the course from the east, providing an ideal backdrop for this Gary Player masterpiece.
All told, the experience in South Africa is about diversity: the old world, and new; the landscapes; the wildlife; the many flavors of hospitality and, of course, great golf.
About the Author: Gordon Dalgleish is the Co-Founding Director of PerryGolf, the leading provider of international golf vacations. You can find him onGoogle+
A recent trip to Italy reminded why this destination is so popular with such a wide range of travelers. I was there in mid November with weather which was mostly overcast but attractively (in Venice) short on the normal summer crowds!
It was my first visit to Venice and I was enthralled by the city. I stayed at the San Clemente Palace which is an island unto itself. In prior centuries it was a monastery and after five years of renovation it is a wonderful hotel. While slightly isolated due to using a boat to get to and from the city, friends said that during the summer months it would be a wonderful refuge from the crowds. The city has approximately 55,000 residents and 20 Million visitors annually!
John Julius Norwich spoke at the conference I was attending and in 25 minutes has presented a wonderful speech on the history and relevance of Venice, including a short overview of what challenges lay ahead.
I then spent a productive day with Danilo Discacciati who represents PerryGolf in Italy. We visited two golf properties and enjoyed a typically Italian dining experience in Como. The following was drafted by Danilo and rather than trying to put into my own words, I think summarizes the Italian view of golf far better then I;
“What has Golf to do with all that, then? Good question! Let’s find a pretext to join Golf and things that make Italy unique!
When we started selling Italy as a golf destination, we had to face the huge competition represented by the most well-known destinations such as the British Islands, Spain, Portugal. We were in a similar position of a boutique trying to compete with a supermarket! Boutique? We found the solution! We have to sell Italy as a boutique destination where clients can find some of the most refined articles in the market sold together in the same place.. And which better place than Italy for the fine things?
So we took a typical day of golf in Scotland and (…gosh! what a noisy day!), we did the opposite!
Pick-up in the morning at 7am, breakfast at 8am, drive to the course at 8:30am, tee-off at 9:15 am, enjoy a lunch or a beer with snacks at the 19th hole, by 3pm back to the hotel to refresh, at 4pm out in town to enjoy some visit or going out in excursion, at 7:30pm aperitif sit outside a bar in a square looking at the people passing by and enjoying the last hours of sunshine, at 8:30pm dinner in a restaurant, 11pm again in town for….
Doesn’t it sound more interesting than a day in Scotland? Ohhhhhh, yes! But, as we do not want to give the impression to divert your attention from golf, let’s speak about the courses in Italy.
Golf is still considered a game for rich people but, even though it is not true because skiing is far much more expensive, the fact that there is no public course but only private clubs helps this belief to take root preventing people to approach golf as a new sport activity.
Said that, as a confirmation of what people think of exclusivity of golf, the highest number of courses is located in the North of Italy, considered the richest part of the country.
In fact, from Turin to Venice, we count 150 courses, among which 82 are 18 holes. The best areas where to play and where you can find enough courses to play a different one everyday are:
Piedmont (Gavi area and Turin)
Lakes District, without doubt the best in Italy for number and quality of the courses, formed by
Lake Maggiore (Piedmont and Switzerland)
Lake Lugano (Switzerland)
Lake Como (Lombardy)
Laka Garda (Lombardy and Veneto)
Venice surroundings
Tuscany Florence
Tuscany Versilia (seaside)
Rome
Then, you have:
Sardinia to be chosen for its being a seaside destination as there are only 3 courses in the entire region;
Apulia (South), that is becoming more and more a golf destination, but damaged by not being very well served by the flights
Having such a concentration of golf courses in each area, driving times are short and the really good system of roads and motorways help the foreign visitor to visit the country easily, with little or no problem at this regard.
For what regards the tee-times, during the week-days it is an easy job because courses are never crowded, tee times are every 10 minutes. Other matter is to play during the week-ends.
In fact, being private clubs, on Saturdays, Sundays and any holidays that fall in the calendar, they organise local tournament where the non-members are rarely admitted. This means that tee-times for the visitors are fixed in the afternoon after the tournament or in the morning teeing off at 10am from hole #10 and then in the afternoon, always after the tournament, to complete the other 9.”
About the Author: Gordon Dalgleish is the Co-Founding Director of PerryGolf, the leading provider of international golf vacations. You can find him onGoogle+
Cape Kidnappers from the air, courtesy of Gary Lisbon
How many reasons do you need to take the golf trip of two lifetimes? Here’s five:
1. Our winter is their summer. (Florida is fine but New Zealand is phenomenal.)
2. Their golf is played among some of the most dramatic and diverse landscapes on earth. (Keeping your head down is not an option.)
3. New Zealand is unique for its collection of boutique luxurious lodge-style properties. (Think Four Seasons gets back to nature.)
4. Fly fishing here is absolutely second to none. (The ladies will catch Art Deco City.)
5. Their dollar exchanges favorably with our dollar. (Start packing!)
The marvel of travel to New Zealand has always been its stunning, varied and pristine natural beauty. Every imaginable land form is at hand including vast snow capped mountain peaks, steaming volcanoes, cliff hanging coastlines, and deeply indented fjords.
Comparable in size to California or Japan, New Zealand has a population of just 4 million making for a refreshing change of pace. As a people, the Kiwis are among the most relaxed and engaging in the world.
It is no wonder that thrilling golf is abundant in such a place. More than 400 courses exist today, with roots dating to 1871 and classics like Paraparaumu Beach Golf Club near Wellington which was opened after World War II as a links style masterpiece. Local hero Sir Bob Charles has authored perennial favorite Millbrook offering a truly unique golfing experience set against the stunning alpine backdrop of The Remarkables mountain range. Terrace Downs in the high country near Mount Hutt about an hour from Christchurch, offers a challenge amid scenery to match any in the world. On the 16th tee, local tradition allows for a bonus drive to carry the chasm carved by Rakaia River. Kauri Cliffs in Northlandand Tom Doak’s remarkable Cape Kidnappers in Napier were both basically born to the world 100 and are responsible for much of the country’s current spotlight. More recent additions include Kinloch near Lake Taupo and Jack’s Point in the South Island. While the list is not endless, it is substantial.
Wherever you play, you will be captivated by one remarkable land form after another. Glaciers grind their way down the Southern Alps. Lake Taupo, located in the center of the North Island and formed by an ancient volcano, is neighbor now to a pair of active mountains – Ngauruhoe and Ruapehu. The pristine lake is prized worldwide for the quality of its trout fishing, legendary for their condition and size. The Tongariro River at the southern end of Lake Taupo is one of the best fly fishing trout rivers in the world. Hawke’s Bay is a sunny, dry, Mediterranean-style home to red wine, glorious beaches, and lively celebrations of Matariki, the Maori New Year. Milford Sound is Rudyard Kipling’s “Eighth Wonder of the World”!
The North Island
If you need more, start with Kauri Cliffs. After arriving in Auckland, you’ll connect for a short, scenic flight the Bay of Islands. Here, toward the northern tip of the North Island in the “Northland”, you’ll find Golf Magazine’s 36thbest course in the world and hedge fund financier Julian Robertson’s first New Zealand development. Opened in 2001 and routed among 800 acres of strange fern forest, marshland and cliff tops, this is a fitting introduction to the Kiwi game. Forced carries and 200 hundred foot death drops abound but Florida architect David Harman has crafted a completely playable ensemble with wide landing areas and generous greens. Tee times every half hour allow you to have the course to yourself which works nicely on 14 tee where you’ll need a moment to take in the scene of the Cavailli Islands and Matauri Bay. Back at the lodge, eleven cottages are on offer each containing two one-bedroom suites. The bedroom is large, the fireplace is hot and the 180° views over the golf course to the Pacific promise a sunrise you’ll wake up to wait for.
Where Northland has its beaches and Auckland its great waterfront restaurants, Lake Taupo is the centerpiece of your next stop and quite possibly the most adventurous with active volcanoes and some of the world’s most highly prized fly fishing. You’ll find distinctly Kiwi accommodation at numerous local lodge and ranch properties, all of which leave you within striking distance of two of the country’s most highly regarded layouts: Wairakei International and Mr. Robertson’s second masterpiece – Cape Kidnappers.
Wairakeiis the finest non-coastal course in the country. Opened in 1970 as New Zealand’s first golf resort, then given a major makeover in the late 90s, it’s a parkland layout requiring target-golf skills to negotiate strategic bunkering and tree-lined fairways. The par-5 14th hole previously held title as the country’s longest at 602 yards but you’ll remember it for the 150 foot pine tree in the middle of the fairway forcing your second shot left or right. Next you’re bound for Cape Kidnappers, a Tom Doak creation unleashed on the world in 2004 immediately putting New Zealand on the must conquer list for every fearless player willing to test his true mettle. Ladies are welcome of course but nearby Napier and Art Deco City are far more forgiving than a track featuring the likes of “Pirate’s Plank” – the 653 yd, par-5 fifteenth with cliff left, ravine right. It’s all very simple on the Plank; short grass or Davy Jones’ Locker. Most of the back nine plays atop these bizarre finger ridges with chasms in-between and 500 foot cliffs to the Pacific representing the most audacious piece of property ever turned into a golf course. The front nine plays through farmland for the most part but nary a cream puff among them. You will not believe this place and if you really want to show it who’s boss, get some rest and go it again.
Away from the battlefield there are ample opportunities to lick your wounds. The Hawke’s Bay Wine Country is one of the country’s three major wine making regions, and New Zealand’s premier destination for food, wine and lifestyle. Relax on golden sand beaches, swim with dolphins, visit the National Aquarium or tour the largest mainland gannet colony in the world. Nearby Napier is home to 55,000 Kiwis and one of the world’s largest concentrations of Art Deco architecture. Leveled by an earthquake in 1931, the city’s re-founding fathers built what looks to be a Jazz Age movie set but it is quite real and uniquely charming with excellent shopping and restaurants. Fifteen minutes south of Napier is prestigious Mangapapa Lodge. This 1885, colonial-style homestead with a wraparound veranda and 12 individually decorated suites was treated to a complete renovation in 2005. With more than 20 acres of lush, green, manicured gardens brimming with roses, established trees and orchards, it is one of the country’s very finest small hotels.
Back in Lake Taupo, its time to go trout fishing. First pick your partner. Jack Nicklaus will tell you Huka Lodge, hidden on the banks of the Waikato River just 300 meters up-stream from the mighty Huka Falls. Started some 70 years ago as a simple fishing lodge, today this luxurious property lures anyone seeking an extraordinary retreat. Huka has just 20 guest rooms and suites; each set privately in native bush, each overlooking the swift flowing Waikato. The Owner’s Cottage has recently been refurbished and offers four superbly appointed guest suites, living room, dining, kitchen and a den plus provision for staff. It is ideal for a private party of guests or for members of a family. The Lodge’s own fishing guides will steer you to some of the finest Rainbow and Brown trout spots in existence. Fly fishing is available on 23 nearby streams and rivers. Wilderness areas are offered by helicopter and off-road vehicles. On Lake Taupo, boat fishing will explore the many isolated coves and inlets fringing the edges of the great lake.
Jack Nicklaus’s enjoyment of the region may have some connection with his involvement in designing The Kinloch Club. Ideally situated in the central portion of the North Island, with spectacular views of Lake Taupo. At Kinloch, the land’s characteristics feature fast-moving contours and knobs, and Nicklaus recreated that same look in the golf course. Many have described this true links layout as a course reminiscent of the coastal gems in Scotland, the birthplace of the game.
The South Island
New Zealand’s South Island offers the nation’s best mountain courses. On the east coast, less than an hour’s drive inland from Christchurch, is Terrace Downs. Located in one of the most naturally beautiful places on earth – at the base of Mt Hutt overlooking the Rakaia Gorge – the resort offers an incomparable luxury leisure experience on 550 acres of secluded New Zealand High Country. The 7,046 yard, par 72, championship course features four tee positions for players of all abilities. Played against the backdrop of the Southern Alps, you are advised to keep a least one eye out for 11 lakes and 70 bunkers. The entire round is a picture book experience but the panoramas are poignantly interrupted by the diminutive 16th, a 3-par of only 143 yards from the tips, but whose tee box hangs on the edge of the gorge with the Rakaia River over 200 feet below. Beyond splendid golf, Terrance Downs also offers guided salmon and trout fishing. Guests can receive fishing tuition and equipment to enjoy a wide selection of spring creeks, mountain streams, lakes and snow fed rivers along with raft based trips and helicopter to access the more remote waters. The majestic Southern Alps of New Zealand also hold some of the world’s finest big game animals available for free range hunting safaris plus hunts on exclusive private land. Superb accommodation is offered in one, two and three bedroom Villa Suites plus three and four bedroom Fairway Chalets. All feature spacious open plan lounges, dining areas with gas fires, fully equipped kitchens and balconies providing majestic views over the golf course of the Southern Alps.
Three hundred miles south west of Christchurch, about half way to a land many consider to be the eight wonder of the world, is Millbrook Resort. Situated on 500 acres of what was once a wheat farm, then a recovery center for soldiers injured in World War One, then a bootleggers hideout, the spot now offers one of New Zealand’s top alpine golf courses and a highly regarded spa. Sir Bob Charles (1963 British Open champion at Royal Lytham & St. Annes) designed the perfect layout for a location blessed with the spectacular Remarkables mountain range – wide fairways, minimal trouble and numerous elevated tees from which to take in the scenery. Ample risk-reward opportunities invite numerous swings for shot-of-the-day. The Spa at Millbrook is a total health and wellness experience, with leading edge treatments designed for head to toe restoration. You’ll encounter the latest therapies for skin detoxification, hydrotherapy, advanced skin care, personal grooming, massage and facial therapies.
Another new edition to the golfing scene in New Zealand is Jack’s Point,located in close proximity to Queenstown and beside a property slated for development of a luxury hotel. The course is bounded by the Remarkables mountain range and Lake Wakatipu. It traverses through wetland to the lake edge encountering steep bluffs, indigenous vegetation and wildlife. It is designed to work with nature, not against it. Fairways are designed with minimal excavation and careful plantings to complement the natural environment, but also to give the golfer a fighting chance.
Queenstown’s area is world-class hub for adventure tourism with a menu of thrills from skydiving, whitewater rafting, hang-gliding, and jet boating the spectacular Dart River. For lovers of fine wines nearby Otago is home to 75 wineries serving 177 vineyards. Pinot Noir from this region is widely recognized to be among the best in the world. You can visit over 200 ‘cellar door’ operations under your own steam or with a wine tour. West of the resort, and deserving a full day of your attention, is stunning Milford Sound. Located in 3 million acres of the Fjordland National Park and reaching nearly 10 miles inland from the Tasman Sea, sheer rock faces rise more than 1,300 feet about the water on either side. In Maori legend, the fiords were created not by rivers of ice, but by Tu Te Raki Whanoa, a godly figure who came wielding a magical adze and uttering incantations. By all appearances, Tu Te had quite a swing.
About the Author: Gordon Dalgleish is the Co-Founding Director of PerryGolf, the leading provider of international golf vacations. You can find him onGoogle+
Honesty box for 10 pound green fee with "honest golfers"
In the course of a golfing lifetime I have been extraordinarily privileged to have played at a great many of the world finest golf courses. All of these have been fantastic experiences. Not to detract from these in any way, quite often however the most memorable trips are not necessarily defined by the absolute quality of the golf courses.
For instance I can specifically remember a trip which four good friends made in April 2004. It involved us playing the five golf courses on the “Long Isle”, the slightly misleading name given to the collection of outer Hebridean islands off the north west coast of Scotland which run from the isle of Lewis in the north to the isle of Barra in the south, separated by various bodies of water. Of the five golf courses, one is 18 holes, and four are 9 holes. Our trip involved four ferry journeys (two of which were between rounds), and three overnight stays at small B&B’s. We completed the five courses in 53 hours, possibly a record, only as much as no one would have perhaps much bothered before-:) We saw a total of eleven other golfers during our time there, and the biggest planning aspect was not booking the starting times …clearly! … but rather working around the ferry times. Most of the 9 holers had “honesty boxes”, some more advanced than others. Isle of Harris GC had an organized system of envelopes and receipts …. Isle of Barra GC on the other hand had a bird nesting in the box!. But it was a spectacular trip with friends. The courses were fun, if some a little more “rough” than most of us grow used to, but it did not and would not detract from our enjoyment in any way. Take a look at the site Golf Hebrides and indeed then google some of the courses for some great imagery. The newly “found” Old Course of Askernish stands out as the strongest layout.
I just love to plan a golf trip with friends. The more the challenge of the logistics the better! Enjoying a well thought out, well planned and well executed trip at enjoyable golf courses, combined with comfortable accommodations, good food and hospitality, and in good company, has to be one of the highlights of the game. Trains, planes, and automobiles … and golf … what a great combination!
The recent addition of some outstanding links courses in Scotland, got me thinking regarding the logistics of tracking many of them down in one trip. Most of our clients have time limitations, and of course love to play the “name” golf courses as we all do, but equally many are possibly even more drawn by the particular lure of links golf, and the challenge of stepping out of the “normal” zone, and the satisfaction that comes from being one of a more select group who have experienced something a little out of the ordinary. So …..
I’ve penciled together a potential schedule, from which many variations would be possible to suit particular preferences, which I think is exciting but convenient, and affords the opportunity to play a number of these new but diverse (both in geographic location and style) golf courses, plus some of the older classics and fun venues. The schedule makes good and economic use of several modes of transport, incorporates comfortable accommodations and gives variety in excellent dining, plenty of local malt whisky along the way, and always assures a warm welcome.
In the near future a link will be provided to a brief but compact schedule, but for the time being here are the details;
My starting point would be to ideally assemble a group of 8 friends. Gather in Troon on the Ayrshire Coast of Scotland. Charter the Kintyre Express, a highspeed and comfortable fully enclosed private boat service over to the island of Arran. Play the marvelous 12 hole Shiskine Golf Club, before continuing by Kintyre Express to Machrihanish. Spend two nights in a cottage at the Village at Machrihanish Dunes. Play Machrihanish (possibly also Dunavertythe same day) and the new David Mclay Kidd designed Machrihanish Dunes over the two days. After golf the second day make the one hour road transfer and two hour comfortable ferry crossing to the famous malt whisky isle of Islay. There stay at the Machrie Hotel for two nights, and enjoy a full day on the absolutely wonderful Machrie links, full of humps and bumps (and plenty blind shots). You will love it. I do -:) Then a private charter in a comfortable turbo pro from Islay up to the outer Hebridean island of South Uist to play what is undoubtedly the most remote course on the schedule, the “uncovered” Old Course at Askernish. A spectacular location, a warming story of an island community asset, and a golf course that all true lovers of the game should try and experience. Forget course conditioning. Get back in the plane and make the short onward flight to Inverness. Spend three nights here with a choice of accommodations in this small but vibrant city. Two days golf; one at Royal Dornoch, simply not to be missed. My suggestion is to make Castle Stuart, opened July 2009, your final round. It occupies a stunningly beautiful location with 360 degree views over water and mountain, the routing and layout are outstanding, the condition is excellent, the attention to detail by the management team second to none. It is certainly worthy of the star billing! … if you have time left it is well worth nipping down to St Andrews to play the new Castle Course .. or save that for the next trip?
I can assure you would certainly return from this trip with plenty tales to tell. Further, you would certainly be in little danger of being upstaged or even contradicted in the Grill Room at your home Club!
Naturally PerryGolf is best suited to bring this all together for you, ensuring all the preplanned arrangements are seamless, and providing a PerryGolf concierge to travel with you smoothing your journey as you go. If the trip has appeal to you please drop me a line at Colin.Dalgleish@PerryGolf.com and we would be delighted to take it from there!
PS: An entirely separate thought … you might also consider a private charter of the luxury 12-guest 189 foot mega yacht Harmony II to take you around some of these island gems.
Often overlooked in favor of the many great links courses Scotland has to offer, a recent round over the King’s Course at Gleneagles on a crisp fall day was a gentle reminder that not all the best courses in Scotland are to be found by the ocean. The King’s was the first course to open at the hotel in the 1920’s and was laid out by Scotland’s legendary James Braid. There are a few blind shots to handle which make it a standout from modern design but I strongly believe they add to the overall experience. Hiring a caddie is a wise move, with very large greens that have deceptive contours and some lines from the tee offering the chance to “steal a few yards” their local knowledge is well worth the caddie fee. Playing in a 3 ball under competition conditions the round was completed comfortably under 4 hours, the caddies certainly help with pace of play, if only all rounds could be completed in that time the game would be more enjoyable for all. While the PGA Course will host the Ryder Cup in 2014 (it is longer and designed to cope with the world’s best) the King’s provides a unique challenge for all, in truly magnificent surroundings. One more point single figure players should play from the white tees, a greater challenge on the par 3’s and some of the longer 4’s become two good hits to get home.
