International

Golf or skiing? Why not both? Whether scoring a high from watching your golf ball soar through the air for extra yardage at higher elevations or feeling the adrenaline rush while spraying waves of fresh white powder through virgin ski tracks, both adventures epitomize a perfect pairing at many premier mountain resorts where either physical activity can induce elevated levels of exhilaration.

During winter months, many snow-covered fairways are perfectly suited for cross-country skiing and from late spring to early fall the gondolas and chairlifts can transport mountain bikers and hikers up to the mountain trails. And depending upon when the white stuff melts to make fairways accessible there may be a transitional weather window of opportunity for the two-sport athlete to double-dip.

If venturing across the USA border to the western Canadian province of British Columbia, there are no two better qualified – and contrasted – representations of high-altitude resort getaways satisfying both interests than what exists northeast of Vancouver.

Flanked by skyscraping mountains, one of the world’s most scenic drives known as the Sea to Sky Highway leads directly to the village of Whistler in two hours. As host to the alpine, Nordic and sliding events for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, Whistler is consistently ranked as North America’s top-rated ski resorts on the strength of having the largest area of skiing terrain in North America at 8,171 acres (over fifty percent larger than the second largest at Vail, CO).

On the flip side, once the snow evaporates, Whistler transforms into a summertime recreational arena highlighted by mountain bikers shooting across single tracks and not one, not two, but four diverse golf course experiences from four of the world’s top designers to validate the resort as Canada’s No. 1 golf destination.

Regardless of season or sport of choice, Whistler’s popularity is strengthened by its central hub offering a variety of accommodations, dining options and trendy boutique shops to ensure visitors are treated to a carefree party atmosphere all year-round.

The first 18-hole entry at Whistler was established in 1983, when Arnold Palmer stamped his first Canadian design at the base of the village’s valley floor where Whistler GC’s fairways meander through strands of ancient cedars, nine lakes, two creeks and snow-capped mountain views on both sides.

This walkable 6,722-yard layout challenge typically, hosts the most rounds per season of Whistler’s four courses but one look at the scorecard cover photo of a playful black bear toying with a pin flag is a stark reminder the course, as well as the entire region, is also their playground.

A five-minute drive from the village lies the course that generally receives the most attention – Nicklaus North. Opened in 1995, the 6,961-yard, exquisitely manicured layout hosted the Telus Skins Game (1997) and Shell’s Wonderful World of Golf (1998) and remains one – and the first – of a handful of the 300-plus courses designed by the Golden Bear that he agreed to attach his name. Deservedly so.

Adjacent to the glacier-fed Green Lake, Nicklaus deliberately designed the 18 holes to be fun, with roomy fairways and enormous undulating greens, yet, beware of the course’s 50 bunkers and water on 15 holes. The five par 3s are solid, especially the signature 17th guarded by Green Lake and the 12th that resembles No. 12 at Augusta National, including a replica of the famed Hogan Bridge.

The 19th hole, aka, Table Nineteen, is a primo patio venue overlooking Green Lake and for watching float planes land and take off from the Harbour Air dock. 

If you want to take your game up the slopes, Fairmont Chateau Whistler GC, designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr, is the ticket to Whistler’s only true mountain course. The 6,635 yards, highlighted by tight fairways, doglegs, and plenty of uneven lies, can be deceiving with the opening holes traversing 400 feet up Blackcomb Mountain. On the bright side, any misfired shots are offset by the majestic views of Whistler Valley.

Rounding out Whistler’s course quartet is Big Sky GC, approximately 20 minutes north of the resort village in Pemberton. Designed by Robert Cupp at the base of snow-capped Mount Currie, the links-like design built on rolling terrain is the destination’s longest at 7,001 yards and features seven lakes with a creek winding through.

While it would be tough to argue that Whistler is the reigning king of British Columbia’s mountain resorts, approximately 4.5 hours northwest near Kamloops lies the queen – Sun Peaks Resort. Relatively unknown outside Canada, the European-inspired pedestrian village with a stellar variety of locally-owned shops, restaurants and accommodations is a scaled-down mountain experience of BC’s more reputable resort, yet offers all the same outdoor four-season activities.

In winter, it lays claim to the second-largest ski area in Canada with 4,270 acres of skiable terrain, including cross-country on the back nine of Canada’s highest elevated golf course situated at 3,938 feet.

Adjacent the village hub golfers will cross a quaint wooden covered bridge to the first tee of an 18-hole course under the shadows of three mountains—Tod, Sundance, and Morrisey – with numerous ski trails in sight. Designed by noted Canadian golf architect, Graham Cooke, the layout that winds through the forested valley floor is a tale of two courses.

The front nine (constructed in 1996) requires delicate accuracy to handle the narrow fairways with thick trees on both sides that will encourage the smart player to keep the driver in the bag. Too many hooks and slices will, undoubtedly, require the more aggressive player to call the pro shop to deliver some extra golf balls.

With far more forgiving fairways and better scoring opportunities, the back nine, completed in late 2005, is a welcome complement to the challenges of the front. The only exception could be the course’s most difficult hole at the dogleg right 430-yard, par 4, No. 12. Hit the ball too far off the tee and watch it find the lake but if it stays dry, you’ll then be faced with a daunting approach shot to the green.

The back nine also treats golfers to the signature hole at No. 16 with Mt. Morrisey facing you along with terrific views of homes and the village below. Being a relatively short par 4 situated at 4,353 feet elevation, this 364-yard will tempt long hitters to drive the putting surface.

Sun Peaks can easily be classified as a hidden gem compared to the notoriety of Whistler but with the resort continuing to expand to strengthen its bid of joining Whistler as a host for the 2030 Winter Olympics, the secret is being revealed. Whichever resort you choose to experience, there are just not enough ‘O’s in OMG.

Golf courses all over Asia are often anchored by a great hotel. Until now, however, no club could boast of having not just one, but two of the region’s highest rated resorts within a well-struck iron shot of the clubhouse. Such a scenario has just come to pass at Laguna Lang Co in Central Vietnam.

Angsana Lang Co and Banyan Tree Lang Co were both ranked among the top 20 resorts in Asia, as recognized by Conde Nast Traveller’s Readers’ Choice Awards.

The resorts are part of a wider integrated property—one of Asia’s most expansive—that also encompasses Laguna Golf Lang Co, a signature design by Sir Nick Faldo that is rated as one of Vietnam’s finest golf tests.

Angsana Lang Co, which commands an extended beach frontage and features 229 stylish suites, more than 100 of which come with their own private pools overlooking the East Sea, was ranked at No. 2 on the list. Banyan Tree Lang Co, a multi-award-winning all-pool villa resort, meanwhile, was rated No. 13 in Asia by readers of the publication, regarded by many as the world’s leading authority on luxury travel.

“That travellers, particularly those who read one of the world’s preeminent travel magazines, have recognised Angsana Lang Co and Banyan Tree Lang Co as among the best in Asia is incredibly exciting and is testament to our efforts to put the overall experience first,” said Adam Calver, Director of Golf at Laguna Lang Co.

“Not only is it a boost for tourism in general in Central Vietnam, it’s also really good news for golf tourism in this part of the country,” he said. “It’s very rare that you can play golf on one of Vietnam’s best courses and then take your pick of two of the best resorts in Asia just a couple of hundred yards down the road.”

www.lagunalangco.com

If you’re looking widen your hackin’ horizons, consider Asian golf. It’s more beautiful, bountiful and boast-worthy than ever in Southeast Asian nations like Thailand and Vietnam, and further north in Korea. Here’s a rundown of recent news from the far side of the planet.

VIETNAM: HOIANA SHORES

Hoiana Shores Golf Club will welcome its first players starting on 23rd September 2019, to preview the completed, 18-hole design from architect Robert Trent Jones II. 

The golf course will be the first facility within the new Hoiana Integrated Resort to welcome the public.

The 985-hectare, US$4 billion Hoiana complex is the most ambitious resort development ever undertaken in Vietnam. Its first operational phase, which is nearing completion, will eventually integrate more than 1,000 rooms, suites and villas (managed by Rosewood Hotel Group), 4 kilometers of pristine beach, a suite of beachside pools and restaurants, a stand-alone beach club, an entertainment facility managed by Suncity Group, and a wide array of retail partners.

“Hoiana Shores Golf Club will indeed be the first component of this larger development welcoming both domestic and international tourism to our shores,” said Steve Wolstenholme, Group COO at Hoiana. “As a group we intend to showcase the vibrancy and economic potential of not only Hoi An and Central Vietnam but this region in general.”

 “It all starts with the golf,” said Ben Styles, Vice President of Golf for Hoiana. “What we have tried to achieve at Hoiana Shores GC — with help from the design team at Robert Trent Jones II— is something specific and nuanced: a traditional links that proudly builds on local traditions, which, if we are honest, is what all great golf courses do.”

Hoiana Shores Golf Club began construction since late 2017, under direction of experienced, Hong Kong-based course builder Linksshape, led by Australian, Stuart Stone. “It’s been an amazing experience to be entrusted with this extraordinary piece of land,” Stone said, “almost the dictionary definition of what ‘linksland’ should be.”

Six of the 18 holes at Hoiana Shores come into direct contact with the beach. According to Styles, this illustrates both Hoiana’s vision and ambition. “It speaks volumes about our ownership group — to allow so much interaction with the shoreline. That’s a rarity. The beachfront could have been otherwise developed,” he said. “But this decision will ultimately pay off, as this part of the course is uniquely unforgettable… There is nothing quite like playing those holes — playing shots from the beach itself! It is proof you are playing a proper links. There aren’t many courses in Asia that serve up that type of experience.”

To make a tee time during the preview period contact reservations@hoianashores.com.

Narrow cobblestone streets – lined with cozy cafés, cheese and wine shops, boutique bakeries, and so on – meander down the hillside to the quaint harbor. The ancient stone buildings, many adorned with turrets and tin roofs, date back to the 1600s. French is the only language you hear. Walking down the street, you’d swear you’d stumbled on some charming riverside city in France. Except here, the Seine is the St. Lawrence. And you’re in Quebec City, Canada.

Unquestionably, the province of Quebec, thanks to its Francophone culture, is a special place in Canada that’s unlike any other province. And Quebec City, a history-rich fortress of approximately half a million people that sits on the St. Lawrence River 150 miles northeast of Montreal, is the epicenter. It’s also home – especially if you include the charming Charlevoix region north of the city – to some spectacular golf.

But, to do this part of the world justice, sauntering along the ancient streets of Old Quebec is a mandatory experience. A fortified, stone-walled city within the city, Old Quebec dates to 1608. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site and exploring this city will give your Canadian holiday a distinctly European flavor. Punctuated by the towering Fairmont Le Château Frontenac – a luxurious landmark hotel, a castle, that rises above the river in the heart of this charming city – Old Quebec, which consists of the Upper Town and the Lower Town, is a treasure. And booking a stay at the Fairmont Le Château Frontenac is highly recommended. The hotel, which is said to be the most photographed hotel in the world, is within easy walking distance to the Plains of Abraham, the stone fortifications and iron cannons that ring the old city, the cobblestones of Petit-Champlain (dubbed “Canada’s prettiest pedestrian street”), and Place Royale, the beautiful public square where the city was founded.

Fittingly, golfers visiting Quebec City will also find a blend of old and new. No doubt, after exploring the city, the avid golfers in your party will want to explore some fairways. While Quebec City does not boast a high concentration of courses, you can definitely find some outstanding golf.

Golf La Tempête, for example, which is located just fifteen minutes from Old Quebec, features a beautifully shaped parkland course – with some stadium-golf overtones — that has hosted some of the best players in the world. In 2009 Fred Couples, Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter, Geoff Ogilvy, and Mike Weir battled it out there in the Telus World Skins Game. Ogilvy was the big winner, pocketing a cool $150,000 for his nine skins. La Tempête was also the site of the 2014 PGA Tour Champions Quebec Championship, which was won by Wes Short, Jr. The club is currently nearing completion of a second championship course, which is scheduled to open in 2021. Brothers Darren and Warren Huxham have done the design work on both courses.

But golfers seeking a definite “wow” factor should make their way north of Quebec City into the charming Charlevoix region. A beautiful and pastoral destination peppered with small French villages that are nestled in the hills and tucked away in scenic bays along the St. Lawrence River, the Charlevoix is classic Quebec. Unquestionably, tourists who are smitten with the rural, history-rich, and laid-back ways of, say, Cape Breton or the New England States, will find the Charlevoix a little slice of heaven.

And for golfers seeking the finest there is, a multi-day stay at the Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu, which sits tight on the river in scenic La Malbaie, is the obvious choice. The grand 120-year-old resort — which hosted the most powerful leaders in the world during the 2018 G7 Summit — boasts a 27-hole course with some of the most spectacular vistas in Canadian golf. The opening hole on the St. Laurent nine, a stunning par 4 that plunges down the rocky summit where the clubhouse is situated, is, without a doubt, the ultimate Kodak moment, the “postcard” you’ll want to post on all your social media platforms.

However, as golfers will soon find out, the Golf Club Le Manoir Richelieu is not just a one-trick pony. The remaining holes on the St. Laurent nine, the undisputed champ of the three nines, continues with the dramatic down-the-mountain theme before rising (thankfully, most of the elevation is regained via your cart!) to an excellent par-5 finisher.

Unquestionably, routing a course on rocky and rugged terrain with significant elevation change poses many challenges. But here, thanks to architect Darrell Huxham’s sensible approach in his redesign work (Herbert Strong was the original architect of Le Manoir Richelieu), there are no “extreme” holes; no brutal uphill slogs that are just “grit your teeth and bear it” holes.

While St. Laurent is the most picturesque nine, the other two – Richelieu and Tadoussac – can certainly hold their own. Drivable par-4s, pretty downhill par-3s, and heroic par-5s where big hitters can unleash “the beast,” are the norm. It’s exciting, tree-lined, parkland golf with “wow” moments interspersed throughout. In fact, the “wow” moment at the Golf Club Le Manoir Richelieu comes early. Very early. The 1.5 kilometer (nearly a mile) drive up the mountain from the cart staging area at the hotel to the perched clubhouse on the summit is unlike any other “start” in golf.

Speaking of driving, the winding rural roads that curl through the Charlevoix region are a delight to explore. And, not surprisingly, given the fact the region is peppered with farms, roadside cafés, orchards, and the like, the Charlevoix “Flavour Trail” is the best way to experience them. Although you won’t be able to visit all of the tasty stops along the trail in just one visit (there are more than 50 stops), you’ll certainly have an epicurean adventure that won’t disappoint. Although the trail does incorporate restaurants, craft breweries, cideries, and brewpubs, it’s the eclectic and organic farms, the tomato wineries (seriously), and the many gastronomic surprises along the way that really make the experience worthwhile.

On your way back to Quebec City, and to cap off your visit to the Charlevoix, a quick stop at Baie-St.Paul, the artistic hub of the region, will give you one last paragraph for your postcards. Baie-St. Paul, which also sits along the tidy shore of the St. Lawrence at the mouth of the Gouffre River, is chock full of art galleries, restaurants, chocolatiers, exquisite little cheese shops, and, well, you get the idea. True, bringing a good golf swing to Quebec is somewhat important. But bringing a good appetite is essential.

Somehow the idea of Fred Couples designing a course in Los Cabos, Mexico, especially an instant classic like Twin Dolphin Golf Club, seemed like an accident waiting to happen.

Whether or not it is true-to-life or a carefully crafted persona, Freddie’s cucumber cool demeanor seemed to meld with the mañana myth of Mexico’s eternally chill, nothing to get excited about way of life. Mix another mango margarita and dream away the day – zzzzzzz…..

Truth be told, Couples and the crew down at the now fully-realized Twin Dolphin worked their butts off in the last few years to complete a course that adds to Cabo’s reputation as a world-class golf destination. American dollars have been flowing southward in the last twenty years like the mighty Rio Grande itself, resulting in a plethora (if not a glut) of high-end residential and resort golf developments. To name but a few: Nicklaus’s Quivira, Fazio’s Querencia and Tiger’s El Cardonal.

Accompanying these distinguished layouts are condos and townhomes and luxury hotels tailor-made for deep-pocketed gringos looking to either invest in a second or third home, or to just have a convenient weekend getaway from Los Angeles or Dallas (or anywhere else in the western third of this great nation). And Mexico’s not paying for it! Apologies, couldn’t resist.