Travel

The Best Short Courses In America

An old adage in golf is that you never want to leave yourself “short,’’ whether it’s on an approach shot or a putt. But “short’’ is proving to be a positive these day when it comes to creating golf courses that are alternatives to traditional 18-hole layouts. These short courses – and par 3 courses – give the lie to the belief that golf takes too long to play and are opportunities for everyone from scratch players to entire families to enjoy the game.

Here’s a look at some of the top short and par 3 courses in the U.S.

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Pick A Golf Trip For Fall Or Winter 2019-2020

Looking for a new and cool golf trip this fall or winter? We’ve got some great ideas.

TEXAS: HORSESHOE BAY RESORT

One of Central Texas’ quintessential Hill Country golf experiences, the 18-hole Apple Rock course at the AAA-Four Diamond- and Conde Nast Readers’ Choice Award-winning Horseshoe Bay Resort, re-opened this summer, signaling the completion of the resort’s three-year restoration of all three of its acclaimed Robert Trent Jones, Sr. designs.

The renovated Apple Rock layout offers some of the most picturesque views in the state, most notably at the start of its second nine. The 10th and 11th holes, both dramatic downhill par fives, cascade toward the serene coast of Lake LBJ and the par-three 12th plays along an intimate stretch of its shoreline. Jones Sr. strategically routed Apple Rock, which debuted in 1986, to take advantage of the many higher elevation points that overlook Horseshoe Bay and the lake.

Apple Rock’s renovations included the installation of 007 Bentgrass greens, expanding green sizes by as much as 50 percent on many holes, renovating (and scaling down many) bunkers, re-shaping and leveling tee-boxes, improved irrigation, as well as adding stone retaining walls along water hazards to improve aesthetics.

In 2016, Slick Rock, the oldest of Horseshoe Bay Resort’s three Robert Trent Jones, Sr. layouts (built in 1971) underwent similar renovations and in 2017, the acclaimed and challenging Ram Rock course (which opened in 1981) was restored to match Jones’ original vision. On Ram Rock, to improve playability, the greens were enlarged and re-contoured and dozens of bunkers were reduced in size. The result is a more enjoyable course from the forward tees and still an impressively strategic set-up for skilled golfers.

Similarly, the greens on Apple Rock’s 6,999-yard, par-72 layout have been made larger and more playable and, according to director of agronomy Ken Gorzycki, each surface now has more options for quality pin placements.

Gorzycki’s team worked in concert with Robert Trent Jones II’s design team, led by senior project architect Mark Voss, to maintain the integrity of the original design while making the most of the layout’s naturally hilly features

Apple Rock’s bunkers now feature a firmer, lighter-in-color sand that Holder says will be more playable while creating an attractive visual contrast against the emerald fairways.

With all 54 Robert Trent Jones, Sr.-designed holes in peak condition plus the 18-hole Whitewater Putting Course and the exclusive, private Summit Rock course, Horseshoe Bay Resort is positioned as one of the most attractive and diverse golf destinations in the United States. The brand-new Cap Rock clubhouse village will open later this year with a state-of-the-art, 3,360-square-foot structure housing world-class dining, locker rooms, meeting spaces and terraces overlooking breathtaking views of the Texas Hill Country and Lake LBJ.

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Golf Just Adds To Quebec City Charm

quebec city street — A street in Quebec City with the Fairmont Chateau Frontenac above. Photo by Andrew Penner.

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.

quebec city salaberry — Photo by Bernard Brault

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.

quebec city fairmont richelieu — Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu

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.

The Soaring Golf Song Of Montana’s Spanish Peaks

Mountain golf is a genre all its own, but mountain golf of the caliber conjured by Tom Weiskopf at Spanish Peaks Mountain Club in Big Sky, Montana, is on a whole new level, literally and figuratively.

Not that it’s the highest track in elevation in America, in Montana or even in its neighborhood — the Yellowstone Club one ridge away grabs that distinction, and the Jack Nicklaus-authored course art Moonlight Basin a few miles to the north, on the other side of horizon-hogging Lone Mountain, comes close — but in terms of making the most of challenging terrain, and creating a hole-to-hole experience that immediately leaves you wanting more no matter what your score, Spanish Peaks reaches some rarefied air indeed.

And don’t let the fact that’s a private club deter you, at least in the short term. With several luxury rental cabins available to the public through the 2019 season, and the under-construction, high-end Montage Hotel set to offer guests course access come summer 2021, golfers who find their way to the soaring peaks of southwest Montana, about an hour’s drive south of Bozeman and not far from the West Gate to Yellowstone National Park, should plan to spend a day immersed in Weiskopf’s handiwork.

spanish peaks clubhouse — Spanish Peaks Clubhouse

At least four things will come to mind as you take the winding, rising road from the village at Big Sky to Spanish Peaks Mountain Club.

The 360-degree sweep of mountain beauty is truly and undeniably awe-inspiring
This place is hopping with home construction — though not one handsome structure interferes with the golf experience or ventures that overbearing, “hey, look at me” ethic found at more than a few private golf enclaves throughout America
Perched perfectly between the front nine below and back nine above, the clubhouse complex is as luxury-meets-rustic welcoming as any comparable structure in the modern American West.
There are smiling member faces everywhere, and they’re not all of a certain, uh, advanced age. This a family club and development through and through and multi-generational enjoyment is encouraged if not expected.

In fact, during a round you’re liable to see mom, dad, kids and a grandparent or two loaded into a couple carts and heading for one of Spanish Peaks’ coolest perks: A “Snack Cabin” loaded with refrigerated drinks, pint-sized hot dogs and snacks ranging from classic candy bars and chips to fresh fruit and health-conscious protein bars. There’s one on the front, one on the back, strategically placed to serve a half-dozen holes, so there’s no excuse for getting parched or letting hunger pangs interfere with even one swing.

spanish peaks hole 1 — The first hole at Spanish Peaks

Then again, hunger or thirst have a tough time competing with the sheer joy of just being there to follow Weiskopf’s muse, to let his best mountain course’s seductive song of “polished seclusion” carry you through every swing, good and bad, with gratitude.

“I like playing fast, but I would never object to being held up all day at Spanish Peaks,” said Mike Fish, a visitor from Syracuse, New York enjoying his first extended foray into the Montana wild — not only for golf, but for hikes around Big Sky and in Glacier National Park, several hours’ drive to the northwest. “I will treasure this round. It’s special.”

Special enough, indeed, to be rescued from a 2011 bankruptcy filing on the heels of the worldwide economic collapse, which laid many a fledgling golf club low. After closing for a couple seasons to round up partners with the cash, clout and foresight to keep this Weiskopf wonder from disappearing into the woods forever, Spanish Peaks returned in 2013. It’s been adding members and racking up raves ever since.

spanish peaks hole 17 — The 17th hole at Spanish Peaks

But what makes the course itself so special, other than its rugged, God-given setting?

For one thing, among modern architects, Weiskopf has always been known for giving his layouts a certain pacing and rhythm that draw the player in right away, asking for his or her best game until the last stroke and throwing in a few features that, in lesser hands, could sink into gimmickry.

At Spanish Peaks, for instance, he designed the 18^th hole with alternate greens — it’s a par 4 to one, par 5 to the other. In either case you’ve got to keep your downhill, half-blind tee shot short of a broad ravine choked with greenery and tall grass — tricky at plus-6,000-feet above sea level — and clear it with your second shot. That could be a simple (maybe) flip wedge to the short green or a big decision to the long one, which hovers on a small cliff with the hotel rising in the distance behind it: hit a lay-up to a relatively flat lie or just go for it with a hybrid or fairway metal? It’s a common quandary on many a par 5, but ol’ Tom manages to give it a little extra pucker factor.

The course’s other three par 5s are just as tasty in their own way, including No. 2, which boomerangs around a long, narrow lake to plateau green, and No, 11, which, at around 230 yards from the members’ tees, narrows to just a few yards between a bunker and piney outropping — negotiate that bottleneck and the green is there for the taking with a well-placed baby draw.

spanish peaks hole 2 — The second hole at Spanish Peaks

So where is the trademark Tommy W. drivable par 4? That would be No. 17, which tips out at 342 yards, translating to about 305 at elevation for a single-digit player. He puts one bunker right in landing zone, of course, but it’s also an apt aiming point. What the hell — if the wind is favorable, pull the dog and give ’er a go.

But it’s a par 3 that seizes “signature hole” honors. No. 15 is a heart-stopping, suitable-for-framing mountain tableau that just happens to have a broad, inviting green in the foreground. It plays downhill with a water feature left, trees right and behind and the soaring, serrated edge of the Spanish Peaks themselves soaring into the distant horizon.

Might want to take an extra deep breath before pulling the club back here, friends. And when driving down to the green, take a moment to appreciate the way Weiskopf mirrors the shape and line of those mountains on the course’s sculpted scapes. “You might call it peak, or peek, symmetry,” said Mike Fish. He’s right both ways.

In fact, playing this course is a lesson in that brand of man-in-nature symmetry all too few of us experience enough. Every step, swing and breath is a blessing.

Clearly Spanish Peaks has mastered the language of mountain golf, backed by a crack maintenance crew that can bring every hole back to midsummer form within a few days of a freak snowstorm, and even has the chops to erase, overnight, the dance-on-the-green tracks of resident elk.

Fish marveled at the conditioning, and what must be some impressive technology behind it. “I’m guessing there’s a subtle, world class drainage system that each spring prevents the winter snowpack from destroying the manufactured artwork blending in beautifully with Mother Nature’s sloping canvas,” he wrote in an e-mail several weeks after his round there. “How many miles of drainage pipes must be involved?”

And how many miles on the road or in the air is a trip to Spanish Peaks worth? As many as it takes.

•••

If you have time to add rounds at The Reserve at Moonlight Basin (also private but accessible via onsite lodging) and Arnold Palmer’s public Big Sky Golf Course while you’re up there, all the better. But start at Spanish Peaks Mountain Club, and do so while the sun is still high in the sky. By late September, Big Sky’s collective mind turns to winter sports (Big Sky boasts North America’s largest expanse of skiable terrain), and the snow may even be flying by then. By mid-October the golf courses bed down until May at the earliest. (Remember, the course will be closed to the public in 2020 only, then available when The Montage opens.)

Bozeman-Yellowstone International Airport is served by Alaska, Allegiant, American, Delta, Frontier, JetBlue and United Airlines, with direct flights from several large cities including Los Angeles, Chicago and New York.

Reservations/Information:

www.spanishpeaks.findyourbigsky.com

Love Los Cabos? You’ll Doubly Love Twin Dolphin

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.

Ireland’s New Adare Manor Course Lands 2026 Ryder Cup

Irish golf is set for an extended spell in the golfing spotlight following Shane Lowry’s Open Championship victory, with the announcement of Adare Manor as host venue for the 2026 Ryder Cup.

Since reopening in April 2018 on completion of a two-year reconstruction commissioned by its owners, the McManus family, The Golf Course at Adare Manor has been propelled to global recognition by a host of well-wishers.

The property has been an immediate hit with industry figureheads and top players alike, each rich in praise for the Tom Fazio design and, in particular, its pristine condition. In its first eighteen months of operation, Adare Manor has collected numerous global accolades, capped off with confirmation of its Ryder Cup host venue status.

Adare Manor will continue a run of new venues for the event. The 2020 Ryder Cup will be contested at Whistling Straits (Straits Course) in Kohler, Wisconsin; the 2022 Ryder Cup is slated for Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in Rome, Italy; and the 2024 Ryder Cup heads for Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, New York. It has come to Ireland in the past, to the K Club near Dublin, but this is its first foray to the golf-rich southwest part of the island.

Adare Manor Owner J.P. McManus On Hosting The 2026 Ryder Cup

“I am delighted that the prestigious Ryder Cup will return to Ireland,” said JP McManus, owner of Adare Manor. “Noreen and I are very happy that Adare Manor was chosen as the venue for this world-renowned tournament in 2026 and we look forward to welcoming our worldwide visitors.

“It is a wonderful tribute to the many great Irish golf ambassadors and success stories Ireland has had in golf over the years and a nice follow on from Shane’s momentous Open win on Sunday in Portrush. The nation was behind Shane, it was a great achievement and very well deserved.

“I am confident that the people of Ireland will get behind The Ryder Cup and take the opportunity to showcase Ireland on the world stage and ensure that the 2026 Ryder Cup will be an outstanding success. I hope the many tourist, golfing and business organisations will work together to identify all the opportunities for the benefit of The Ryder Cup tournament, the Irish economy and across the southwest community.”

The announcement was made today by Ryder Cup Europe, which unveiled its partnership with the Irish Government and described the positive economic outcomes The Ryder Cup will yield by amplifying Ireland’s distinct golf tourism offering. Hot on the heels of the return of The Open Championship to the island of Ireland, and the extraordinary achievement of national hero, Lowry, the exceptional feats of golf in the region show no signs of abating.

“Adare Manor is a world-class venue, both in terms of the golf course and the wider resort facilities,” commented Guy Kinnings, European Ryder Cup Director. “We could not be happier to be able to take golf’s greatest team contest back to Ireland and are delighted that Adare Manor will be the venue to showcase the next chapter in Ireland’s Ryder Cup story in seven years’ time.”

Adare Manor is already familiar to some of the world’s best players. The 2020 Ryder Cup Captain, Padraig Harrington, was consulted on the design of the golf course, providing player insights to Tom Fazio and his team. To celebrate its re-opening in April 2018, Lowry and Harrington were joined by four-time Major Champion, Rory McIlroy, and former Ryder Cup Captain, Paul McGinley, for a charity exhibition match. In addition, The JP McManus Pro-Am, the most illustrious event of its kind, has visited Adare Manor on two occasions and will welcome a star-studded cast from both sides of the pond, including Tiger Woods, John Rahm, Justin Rose, Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson in July 2020; an opportunity for Ryder Cup hopefuls of the future to get to know the golf course.

Mr Colm Hannon, Adare Manor CEO, said: “We could not be more honoured to be successful in bringing The Ryder Cup back to Ireland and to Adare Manor. Today’s announcement is extremely humbling for all of us and my heartfelt thanks and gratitude go out to all of those who have played their part in the Adare Manor story so far.”

www.adaremanor.com

Photo by Larry Lambrecht

Solheim Cup Anchors Scotland’s Summer of Women’s Sport

Scotland is one of the world’s leading event destinations and this summer it will reaffirm its position as it shines a spotlight on women’s sport, including the 2019 Solheim Cup.

Over the next three months the country will play host to six European and international sporting events kicking off with the UEFA Women’s U19 European Championship in July and culminating in the biggest event in women’s golf in September.

The country will also host the Women’s Eurohockey Championships II, the inaugural Women’s Tour of Scotland, The Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open and the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup T20 Global Qualifier during the summer months.

To mark the occasion, VisitScotland and its EventScotland team gathered players from each event to celebrate this special summer of women’s sport and showcase Scotland is leading the way in the development and promotion of world-class women’s sporting events.

Solheim Cup Team Europe Captain, Catriona Matthew, met with Scotland cricketer, Samantha Haggo, along with Katie Archibald, Women’s Tour of Scotland ambassador and Commonwealth, World and Olympic Cycling Champion; Becky Ward, Scotland’s Hockey Vice Captain and Scotland Under 19’s football player Michaela McAlonie to commemorate this occasion.

Talking about this unprecedented summer of women’s sport, Catriona Matthew, Solheim Cup Team Europe Captain said: “It is incredibly exciting that The 2019 Solheim Cup will be the culmination of a terrific year for women’s sport in Scotland, showcasing the very best of a range of sports across a number of events. There is no doubt that women’s sport is benefitting from an enhanced profile both domestically and globally and it is fitting that The Solheim Cup and golf plays a huge part of that in the country which gave the game to world. I hope the Scottish public turn out in force to support our world-class athletes, not just at Gleneagles in September but across all of our women’s sports events.”

VisitScotland’s Director of Events, Paul Bush OBE, said: “2019 is a big year for women’s sport with Scotland providing the perfect stage over the next three months for six key events on the international sporting calendar. As a world-leading events destination we have a proud history of supporting and championing women’s sporting events. From hosting the largest women’s annual golf event on the Ladies European Tour to supporting showcase events for national teams, we continue to shine a spotlight and build on the momentum shift behind women’s sport.

The Scottish summer of women’s sporting events are, in chronological order:

Football: UEFA Women’s U19 European Championship

In the aftermath of the FIFA Women’s World Cup, Scotland will be hosting UEFA’s flagship European Championship Youth Tournament Sept. 16-28. The Women’s Under 19 European Championship aims to expose talented youth footballers to elite level competition in preparation for stepping up to the senior stage to represent their country. Taking place across four professional football stadiums in Scotland – the grounds of St. Johnstone FC (Perth), Stirling Albion FC, Partick Thistle FC (Glasgow) and St. Mirren FC (Paisley) – Scotland will be joined by Belgium, England, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, and current holders Spain as they all compete for the trophy, which will be lifted by the winner on Sunday 28 July.

INFORMATION AND TICKETS

Hockey: Women’s Eurohockey Championship II

Held every two years, the Women’s Eurohockey Championship Division II will see eight nations compete to join the first division and rank amongst the best in Europe August 4-10. Featuring 20 matches spread over seven days at the Glasgow National Hockey Centre, the iconic legacy venue of the 2014 Commonwealth Games, all eyes will be on team Scotland as they go up against Wales, Czech Republic, Italy, Poland, Ukraine, Austria and Turkey to gain promotion to the top tier and avoid relegation to the 3^rd league. Scotland matches are due to take place at 17:00 Sunday 04 August, 18:00 Tuesday 06 August and 19:00 Wednesday 07 August ahead of a final on Saturday 10 August.

INFORMATION AND TICKETS

Cycling: Women’s Tour of Scotland

The Women’s Tour is a new and permanent fixture on the professional cycling calendar. This year’s inaugural the three-day, three stage 350km Tour will take place August 9-11. Starting from Dundee’s iconic waterfront area, the 103km opening stage will take in the Tay Road Bridge and travel down through the Kingdom of Fife to finish in Pittencrief Park, Dunfermline. Stage Two is a 139.4km route departing on Saturday from Glasgow’s George Square, sweeping through The Trossachs and finishing in the centre of Perth.

The final stage will start and finish in the beautiful setting of Holyrood Park, the famous Royal Park in central Edinburgh. The 118.3km stage will include three Queen of the Mountain climbs.

INFORMATION

Golf: The Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open

The co-sanctioned ASI Ladies Scottish Open August 8-11 is one of the premier events on the Ladies European Tour and the LPGA. It will be held at The Renaissance Club in North Berwick for the first time just three weeks after the men’s Scottish Open. Tickets for this event are FREE and it is the final qualifying event for players looking to make Team Europe ahead of The 2019 Solheim Cup.

TICKETS AND INFORMATION

Cricket: ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup T20 Global Qualifier

The Women’s T20 World Cup Global Qualifier will take place in Dundee and Angus August 31-September 7. The event is the final global qualifier for the T20 Women’s World Cup, which is being staged in Australia next year. The qualifier will see eight teams – Scotland, Netherlands, Ireland, Papa New Guinea, Thailand, USA, Zimbabwe, and Bangladesh – compete for the final two qualifying places at next year tournament.

INFORMATION AND TICKETS

Golf: Solheim Cup

Hosted by VisitScotland, The 2019 Solheim Cup Sept. 9-15 aims to be the biggest ever European edition of the event and the most family-focused golf event in history, with around 100,000 spectators expected at Gleneagles in September. It is the pinnacle of women’s golf with the best players from Europe and the USA going head-to-head in match play formation. The 16^th edition promises to be one of the highlights on the women’s world sporting calendar in 2019.

INFORMATION AND TICKETS

Inside The Sea Island Golf Performance Center

Four decades ago, Davis Love, Jr., built a small shed with two hitting bays that became the first Golf Performance Center at Georgia’s Sea Island Golf Resort. Three years after Love’s death in a plane crash — under the supervision of his longtime friend Jack Lumpkin — a 4,000 square-foot Golf Performance Center made its debut overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

True to his Southern Gentleman personality, Lumpkin scoffs at the notion that he is a pioneer in the world of golf performance centers, but the truth is, the man known around Sea Island Golf Resort as “Mr. Jack,’’ is exactly that — a visionary who, like Love, Jr., was always looking for better ways to teach the game of golf.

In that regard, the new Sea Island Golf Performance Center opened this past May as a fitting tribute to the two men who helped shape Sea Island as a world class golf destination.

“I had a little input,’’ on the new 17,000 square-foot Golf Performance, said Lumpkin, a legendary teacher of such noted PGA Tour stars a Davis Love III and Loren Roberts who serves as Sea Island’s Senior Director of Instruction. “All of the instructors shared their ideas. Craig Allan (Golf Performance Center Manager) was the one who really sold it to the [Sea Island] Company.

“I did have a lot to do with the original building because I built it. At the time there was nothing comparable. We needed to do something for our students during rainy days to help, entertain and educate them at the same time. We needed meeting rooms and ball-striking rooms, too, so it was all kind of put together out of need and necessity.’’

The new Golf Performance Center is part of Sea Island Company’s $30 million renovations and additions project, which include an 18-hole Driftwood putting course; six new cottages with 14 new sleeping rooms; a new oceanfront pool; pool house; and extended practice facility and short game area, each overlooking the Atlantic.

In addition, the Plantation Course, currently being renovated by Love III’s design group, will re-open later this fall as an outstanding complement to the fabled Seaside Course, built in 1929 by Harry S. Colt and Charles Alison.

sea island golf indoor putting — Sea Island Golf Performance Center’s indoor short game facility

The new Golf Performance Center, located behind and just a few yards away from the original center (that will be reshaped into another cottage complete with a hitting bay) is the centerpiece of the new amenities — and solidifies Sea Island Golf Resort’s reputation as one of the country’s great places to learn and play the game.

That reputation, of course, is thanks in large part to Lumpkin and other instructors, including putting guru Phil Kenyon and Director of Fitness Randy Myers. Each has his own space at the new Center. For example, two indoor putting studios for Kenyon and an extensive exercise room with outdoor patio for Myers.

The new Center also features six instruction and club fitting bays, a golf simulator, retail area, and indoor and outdoor meeting and event spaces.

“We think the new Center is going to be as good as anybody’s,’’ Lumpkin said. “Hopefully people will want to come.’’

No doubt they will come, but with all of the Center’s technologies and toys, begs the questions, when does a student (or teacher) reach techno overload?

There is no better person to answer than Lumpkin, an avowed “old school’’ instructor who has embraced 21st century teaching technology.

“I use video and Trackman (launch monitor) but for specific purposes,’’ he said. “Some teachers won’t teach without a Trackman. They use it for everything from face angle to ball spin.

“A lot of times when I’m working with Tour players, we are working on distance control. We will work on Trackman simply for that alone. We might then work on trajectory or spin. But I don’t think I have to have it to deliver a good lesson.’’

Indeed. The mark of a good teacher — or in Lumpkin’s case, a great teacher — is figuring out how his or her student learns best.

“Some (students) are very analytical and want all those numbers,’’ Lumpkin said. “Then there is the student who plays totally by feel. So as a teacher, you need to put the person in a place he or she can learn the most. After all, that’s what it’s all about.’’

And that’s what the Sea Island Golf Performance Center delivers.

Idaho’s Circling Raven Soars Ever Higher

If Circling Raven Golf Course could be cloned, blade for blade and bunker for bunker, and plopped down in a major metro area or any place that could handle the infrastructure, it could host a U.S. Open.

All golfers seem to make that claim about one of their favorite courses at some point, but Circling Raven is the real, championship-worthy deal. It’s that good, that spacious, that engaging, that telegenic. That tough, certainly, from the tips.

But it can’t be cloned, nor should it; it will forever be connected to the stunning Northern Idaho landscape surrounding Coeur d”Alene Casino Resort-Hotel, not far from the southern fingers of Lake Coeur d’Alene.

Named for a Coeur d’Alene tribal leader and laced through a sprawling 620-acre parcel of some of that tribe’s most beautiful ancestral ground — coniferous forest and rolling grassland and stream-fed meadows — Circling Raven was not conceived and laid out by a front-line golf course architect with a name like Trent Jones, Doak, Coore, Hanse or Nicklaus. Not one of them summoned the outside-the-box vision of the man who eventually won the contract, Gene Bates.

A DIFFERENT VIEW

The Florida-based designer, who has worked with Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Johnny Miller and Fred Couples, and who continues to design projects around the world, arrived on the scene as the tribe’s leaders decided that their growing casino-resort needed a good golf course among its amenities.

“At first they thought they might just need a nine-hole course, but once they knew how important and special a great golf course can be, and how many fine Native American-run courses there were around the country, their vision got bigger,” said Director of Golf Dave Christensen, a native of Eastern Washington at the helm of Circling Raven for the second time, having been there when Bates signed the line and opening the course to the public 15 years ago.

In fact, he was there from the start of the proposal process. The Coeur d’Alene tribal leaders called in all the big names for initial plans. To a man, all of them looked to the relatively flat parcel just west of the resort, where water was readily available and access was a snap. Only Bates looked to the east and south, across and along an elevated railroad bed, for his inspiration.

“He was the one guy who had a different vision of what this course could be,” added Christensen. “He saw all that beautiful land across the tracks, the hills and wide corridors, and knew it was special.”

BIG, BROAD CANVAS

Bates also knew his imagination and skill wasn’t hemmed in by fences or ownership issues of any kind. This was tribal land, wild and wide open and infused with deep native spirit, and he took full advantage of its promise, its sheer scale.

He’d made his bones as a shaper, so he knew instinctively how to mold the heaving Idaho landscape to mimic its vast horizons — the distant mountain peaks, the rounded foothill forms closer afoot, the tree lines jutting into that endless azure sky. He made each hole its own set piece — why limit himself to scoping out one or two “signature” candidates when every hole site will produce a stunner?

Christensen watched Bates and his crew pull magic out of the soil, was onsite for the grow-in and maturation process, and marveled at how the final product managed to coalesce into a seamless, balanced and cohesive golf journey even though it took up more than three times the acreage of most courses.

[ngg src=”galleries” ids=”6″ display=”basic_imagebrowser”]That journey begins with a bang — a cape-style par 5 swooping around reedy wetlands. It’s reachable in two from every set of tees, especially when the prevailing southwest breeze is up, but only if the drive is properly drawn off the fairway bunkers guarding the landing area’s right side; 3-wood isn’t a bad play as it’s usually easier to turn over.

Then it’s over the tracks and out into the open, rolling grassland for several holes, starting with No. 2, the first of several par 4s that aren’t exactly short but can be driven by the brawny, brave … or foolhardy. Hole 5 is stout, left-turning par 5, hole 8 a downhill par 4 with a creek up the right side and a severe, forested bank to the left, leaving no margin for error from the box — in other words, the dog might have too much bite here.

The back nine kicks off with a risk-reward winner, a right-angled par 4 that’s definitely drivable, but you’ve got to negotiate 150 yards or more of wetlands, plus two tall trees that essentially split the landing area in two. Go left of them and you’ve got a mid- or short iron in; roll the dice right of them and you’re set up with a flip wedge home.

The back nine offers more forested holes than the front, with a couple forays into the open. No. 12 is a fine transition hole and, to some, the best par 5, moving downhill from an explosed tee, with a few pines perfectly placed between forked fairways to force you into yet another decision — go safe to the left, or challenge the right side with a shot at an uphill approach to an elevated green. No. 17 is Christensen’s favorite three-shotter, straightaway with a drive over the course’s only pond, leaving another decent shot at the green in two, while the final hole, a par 4 with mounding and the highway to the left and trees right, is one last risk-reward opportunity.

This is Bates at his wily, come-and-get-me best; he shares a certain playful design gene with Pete Dye. There’s plenty of room off the tee almost without fail, but it might not look that way when you step up and pick a line. Greens are big and rangy but not overly contoured, bailout areas abound and bunkers allow at least some forward progress.

It’s all fair, and right there, but play all the way back from nearly 7,200 yards, squeeze in the fescue, and yeah, we’re talking Open-caliber stuff.

ONE-TWO PUNCH

But back to resort golf reality, where Circling Raven dwells through its five- to six-month season, and dwells well, thanks to Christensen’s oversight and an excellent, well-equipped maintenance staff, a sweet pro shop nudged alongside the Twisted Earth Grill (also named for a revered tribal leader), and a very good hotel just a walk or short shuttle ride away.

It’s really all you could want in a challenging, upscale resort course, and proves the perfect counterpoint to The Coeur d’Alene, with its famed floating 14^th green and somewhat friendlier (though sneaky tough in places) Scott Miller design, some 40 minutes to the north.

In other words, you’ve got to play it, too.

After a fairly substantial reworking of several holes about a decade ago — most notably on the front nine — this high-end resort course became even more of a joy, with its well-trained forecaddies, flawless conditioning, optional classic wooden speed boat ride from the main resort’s marina to a dock just below the clubhouse (don’t miss it) and, of course, views of lovely Lake Coeur d’Alene at nearly every turn. And the 14^th isn’t the only conversation-piece par 3; the other four — including back-to-back gems at holes 5 and 6 — boast their own sweet lake views.

Of course a night or two in the waterfront hotel is and should be an option, but at a minimum work in dinner at Beverly’s, the hotel’s five-star signature restaurant, with a bottle or two from the largest wine collection in the Pacific Northwest (even arrange a cellar tasting with an accredited sommelier). It’s a day you’ll savor through the long winter months.

GAMING AND MORE GOLF

One thing the lakeside resort doesn’t have is a casino, which is why Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort-Hotel makes for such a multifaceted home base. Guests have access to a full-service spa-pool complex and several restaurants serving fresh farm to table fare including the Red Tail Bar & Grill and Chinook, a fine steakhouse with an outdoor deck.

Beyond Circling Raven, plenty of outdoor pursuits await, and there are several small towns and local attractions to explore — including the H2H bison ranch, where you can get close (but not too close) to the huge animals and sample some bison-based cuisine.

Oh, and one other thing: Christensen says that a third nine and reconfigured practice range is in the works.

“It’ll be across the road, on a little flatter land, working back into those trees,” he said, pointing to the southwest. “Gene had designed a third championship nine that’ll be a little more walkable, and it’s under review by the tribal board. The idea is to get it built, then close each original nine, one at a time, to do some renovations. We’ll still have 18 holes available at all times. And we want to make the range more convenient to the clubhouse.”

Those renovations will touch bunkers (with a few to be removed, and a few new ones added, too) and tees, while greens will get a new poa annua-resistant strain of bent grass.

New “destination golf accommodations” are also in the master plan, giving players the option of staying right next to the course.

In the meantime, Christensen adds that Circling Raven is finalizing an agreement to host a Symetra Tour “Road To The LPGA” event next summer. “Those gals can really play, and this is a perfect course for them.”

For you, too.

GETTING THERE

Circling Raven and Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort-Hotel are located in Worley, Idaho, just over the Washington state border, about a 55-minute drive from the Spokane airport, which is served by Alaska, American, Delta and Southwest airlines. Shuttle service to the resort is available, or rent a car and soak up the scenery. RV’ing it? There’s plenty of room for even the biggest rig.

For tee times: www.circlingraven.com

For hotel reservations or information: www.cdacasino.com

Grandover Resort Delivers on Total Golf Experience

North Carolina makes a good case for being the most golf-blessed state in the U.S.

Both the “Home of American Golf” (the famed Sandhills region) and the “Cradle of American Golf” (storied Pinehurst Resort) are located in the friendly confines of the Tar Heel State.

Technically, even the “North Strand” of the Myrtle Beach “Grand Strand” lies in bucolic Brunswick County.

Golfers here are so spoiled, they can play one day in the Blue Ridge Mountains around haute Cashiers, hipster Asheville or collegiate Boone, and another day along the sandy shores of the Outer Banks or around historic Wilmington.

In between, ultra-modern, midsize cities like Raleigh, Charlotte and Winston-Salem beckon with myriad daily fee options.

grandover resort hotel — The Grandover Resort Hotel

However, one of North Carolina’s most over-looked golf destinations is hidden in plain sight.

The reimagined Grandover Resort in revitalized Greensboro is situated so close to bustling I-85, it feels like there should be an exit ramp straight into the parking lot.

The hotel, golf courses, amenities and surrounding materplanned community are the vision of the late Greensboro businessman and developer Joseph Koury. Koury passed away in 1998, but his spirit lives on throughout the hallways and fairways of The Grandover.

Rising from the rolling Piedmont like a monolithic ode to the Triad Region, Grandover’s centerpiece is a 244-room hotel that recently underwent a stunning $10 million renovation. Ownership and management did an admirable job of not just upgrading the rooms, restaurants and meeting space, but pulling in the rich history and culture of the state’s “Triad” region.

grandover resort west course — The West Course at Grandover Resort

The hotel’s five luxury suites are themed to pay homage to Triad’s “industries, arts and people,” and guests can enjoy original art by North Carolina-based artists throughout the property. The lobby currently houses a Draper X-3 Loom from the former Cone Mills White Oak Denim Plant, the world’s largest producer of denim throughout most the 20^th century.

“The Koury Corporation continues to reinvest in our community,” says Grandover general manager Kelly Harrill. “This is truly the best Grandover has ever been and we hope all our friends and neighbors will come out and enjoy it with us.”

Have-clubs-will-travel types, however, will immediately notice the bright green stretches of fairways emanating from the hotel. These would be the resort’s aptly named East and West courses.

Gary Panks and David Graham designed both courses, with the Scottsdale-based Panks taking the lead on both layouts. The 7,100-yard East Course opened in 1996, and is chock-full of elevation changes, wetlands and thick strands of Carolina hardwoods. The West Course opened a year later; slightly hiller, somewhat tighter and features a tinge of links-style design.

The dynamic course duo has hosted four Division III Men’s Golf National Championships and a Division I Regional in 2012. The Grandover is also the staging site and preferred lodging partner of the PGA Tour’s Wyndham Championship, held Aug. 1-4 at the neighboring Sedgefield Country Club, a private venue that opened in 1926.

The Grandover’s practice facility is so good (traveling golfers take note), the Wyndham Championship utilizes the Grandover practice range for the Wednesday Pro-Am participants to prepare for the day.

No doubt, practice time will be in high demand for this (80^th) iteration of the tournament. For the first time the $10 million Wyndham Rewards Top 10 bonus pool will be in effect. It offers bonus money — $2 million to the winner – to the top 10 players in the FedEx standings entering the playoffs

Out-of-town golfers and Tour players notwithstanding, The Grandover understands loyalty among local golfers pays the bills. Case in point: longtime director of golf Jonathan York recently introduced the wildly popular “Griffin Club.”

North Carolina residents are eligible to join (for $20) and receive exclusive golf rates, access to a premier tournament series, unique spa, dining and apparel promotions and special clinics, equipment testing and social events.

Grandover’s new 19 & Timber serves at the Griffin Club’s de facto 19^th hole, offering local craft beer and traditional pub fare. It is adorned with a mix of flat screen TVs and prints of Greensboro’s industrial and social past.

“In everything we do, we try to stay true to Mr. Koury’s vision of being both a world-class resort and a place for locals to call home,” says York, who was born and raised in Greensboro and has been with the golf operation since day one. “The hotel renovation and the Griffin Club are prime examples of how we are always striving to meet the needs of our guests and residents.”

Because it is such an accessible and convenient stopover, Grandover’s most popular golf package is a one-night stay-and-play starting at $349 for two players including golf, cart fees, bag storage, range balls and breakfast. For golfers headed south to the Sandhills region, it is the perfect arrival or getaway day round. Tobacco Road, Pinehurst Resort, Southern Pines, Mid Pines and other outstanding venues are just over an hour away.

For additional information on packages, amenities and area attractions, visit www.grandover.com.

When in Greensboro …

North Carolina’s Triad is one of the furniture capitals of the world, so why not a side trip to the largest furniture store in the world? With 1.3 million square feet, Furnitureland South is a behemoth. Located in Jamestown, it partners with over 1,000 of the world’s finest furniture and accessory manufacturers to offer the highest quality products with an exclusive low-price guarantee.

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A DIFFERENT VIEW

BIG, BROAD CANVAS

ONE-TWO PUNCH

GAMING AND MORE GOLF

GETTING THERE

For tee times: www.circlingraven.com

For hotel reservations or information: www.cdacasino.com

Grandover Resort Delivers on Total Golf Experience

When in Greensboro …

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