Gv#007

Thailand Edition vol. 7

My Top Ten European Courses

Destination Focus

North and West Coast Links Calabash and New Brunswick

Style Vacations

Two To Tango

SOUTH AFRICA

The Wild Game of Golf

magazine of the gm group

golf vacations thailand vol.7 november-december 2014 / 180 baht

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Golf Vacations

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Welcome to 1st Anniversary Golf Vacations Thailand

25 February 2015

Krung Kavee Golf Course & Country Club Estate

• A friendly ‘Golf Competition’ sponsored by luxury brands.

• Exclusive Dinner & Party.

• Exclusive Test Drive on Krung Kavee’s runway.

• The most exclusive opportunity for only Golf Vacations Thailand Magazine fans.

Just merely tell us your team members of four on our Golf Vacations Thailand Facebook fan page and wait for the lucky announcement in the next issue.

Golf Vacations

sEP - oct 2014

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Following ol’ Tom

the first

An opportunity to share a piece of history and create new and first experiences at the Home of Golf.

About RogeR McStRAvick McStravick recently produced and wrote scripts for an iPad application, “Golf History with Peter Alliss.” He has been commissioned to write two books, “A History of Golf” and “The Fine Art of Golf.”

For the 2014 St. Andrews Links Yearbook, he has written a history of the Eden Course, which is enjoying its centenary year, and a story on the evolution of St. Andrews’ Old Course.

For additional information please contact: rmcstravick@ gmail.com.

To make a donation, visit www.kickstarter.com/ projects/1527571987/ st-andrews-in-the-footstepsof-old-tom-morris

"St. Andrews - In the footsteps of Old tom Morris”, by golf

historian Roger McStravick is a beautiful photo-rich book that guides readers around the historic sites of this ancient town that lays claim to the title: the Home of Golf. the new book presents remarkable new findings about St. Andrews and legendary Old tom Morris, who is considered golf’s founding father.

In order to publish his book, McStravick, who resides in St. Andrews, has turned to the fund-raising site Kickstarter with the goal of raising ₤22,000. Kickstarter funding will cover the print and production costs for 2,000 books with an anticipated late fall or winter 2014 release.

McStravick’s exhaustive three years of research in the University of St. Andrews’ golf collection archives resulted in the discovery of new information about Old tom, many unpublished rare photographs, and unknown stories about the Old Course, including the naming of its bunkers. the 240-page book offers a fresh perspective on St. Andrews and the town’s famous 19th century residents who made it truly special.

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An important part of McStravick’s mission in writing “St. Andrews - In the footsteps of Old tom Morris,” is a campaign to get signage on the town’s historic sites so visitors can identify and locate, for instance, the homes of famous past golf champions. the book’s guided tour starts at Old tom’s house at 6 Pilmour Links and ends at his grave in the ruins of the cathedral’s cemetery. furthermore, a pledge of ₤4,950 will reward the first donor with use of a two-bedroom house for seven days during the 2015 Open Championship in St. Andrews, plus a personal tour of the town and lunch at the St. Andrews Golf Club, the world’s second oldest gentlemen’s club, overlooking the 18th green of the Old Course. Now, how’s that for a first experience?

contents

ON THE COVER 07-11-57 CN

Golf Vacations thailand Edition Vol.7 noVEMBER-dEcEMBER 2014 soUth afRica

Thailand Edition vol. 7

My Top Ten European Courses

Destination Focus North and West Coast Links Calabash and New Brunswick

Style Vacations

Two To Tango

SOUTH AFRICA

The Wild Game of Golf

magazine of the gm group

07 7.5

GOLF VACATIONS THAILAND VOLUME 7 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2014

golf vacations thailand vol.7 november-december 2014 / 180 baht

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GV007011A1TY TRIM247x300 06-11-57

SOUTH AFRICA, THE WILD GAME OF GOLF

Contents

GM MULTIMEDIA PUBLIC COMPANY LIMITED Chairman & CEO : Pakorn Pongvarapa Executive Vice President : Finance Pornjitt Pongvarapa Executive Vice President : Editor niPan kulprasoot Executive Vice President : Business Development ritnarong kulprasoot Executive Vice President : Marketing Suebwong kaewthipharat General Manager : Panuwat Pongvarapa Finance Manager : wiMonLak asaiphanit New Media Director : PeSiLP Pongvarapa Executive Art Director : PrateeP Putchimtuck Art Staff : kornratH ngamprasit Accounting Manager : niCHaPa buparanond Editor-in-Chief : Suebwong kaewthipharat Editorial Staff : SiraYa Pongvarapa Photographer : DaMrongrit Sathitdamrongtham Computer Artist : PraSit anakananthpun Advertising/Marketing Manager : kongwarong Somsa Advertising/Marketing Staff : SantiPat Suksinchai kanokorn Channgam wijak Chaopanitjaroen Production Manager : ratana khow Color Separation : kanoksilp (thailand) tel. +662 215 1588 Printing : oS. Printing House Co., Ltd. tel. +662 434 6850

Editor's Page 10 Golf Quotes for our 1st AnniversAry is a game whose aim is 01 “Golf to hit a very small ball into

02 03 04 05

is the infallible test. The man 06 “Golf who can go into a patch of rough

and even smaller hole, alone, with the knowledge that only with weapons singularly God is watching him, and play his ball ill-designed for the purpose.” where it lies, is the man who will - Winston Churchill serve you faithfully and well.”

- P.G. Wodehouse “It is good sportmanship not to pick up lost goft balls while t “Journalism is a craft that takes years hey are still rolling.” to learn. It's like golf. You never get it - Mark Twain right all the time. It's a game of fewer errors, better facts, and better reporting.”

“But in the end it's still a game - Ben Huh of golf, and if at the end of the day you can't shake hands “The most important shot in golf with your opponents and still be is the next one.” friends, then you missed the point.”

- Ben Hogan - Payne Stewart “If you watch a game, it's fun.

“Success in golf depends less on If you play it, it's recreation. strength of body than upon strength If you work at it, it's golf.” of mind and character.”

- Bob Hope - Arnold Palmer “Golf is a search for perfection, “Achievements on the golf course for balance. It's about meditation are not what matters, decency and concentration. You have to use and honesty are what matter.” hand and brain.”

- Tiger Woods - Celine Dion And one more quote for the year of the sheep.

“People no longer have to work seven days a week. Leisure is a new luxury.”

- Lethabo Tsatsinyane

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Merry Christmas and happy new year.

Suebwong Kaewthipharat editor-in-chief

Singapore Company: Pacom Media Pte Ltd Address: 801 Toa Payoh Lorong 7, #06-08, Wearnes Building, Singapore 319319 Tel: (65) 6323 9600 Publisher: Karen Chan Managing Editor: Benny Teo China, hong Kong & MaCau Company: Senasia Publication Group Ltd Address: Unit 832, 8/F, Metro Centre II, No. 21 Lam Hing Street, Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong Tel: +852 2570 6123 Website: www.senasia.com.hk Publisher: Alan Mok Managing Editor: Alex Tam CzeCh republiC Company: Resort Media s.r.o.

Address: Škroupovo námestí 1255/9, 130 00 Prague 3, Czech Republic Tel: +420 271 773 934 Website: www.golfvacations.cz Publisher: Vera Hartmanova Managing Editor: Cenek Lorenc MalaySia Company: Big Shot Media Sdn Bhd address: 31-5, Block E1, Dataran Prima, Jalan PJU 1/42, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia Tel: +603 7880 2788 publisher: Louis Foo Managing editor: Benny Teo

Thailand

Company: GM Multimedia Public Company Limited Address: GM Group Building, 914, Rama 5 Road, Dusit, Bangkok 10300, Thailand Tel: +662 241 8000 Website: www.gvthailand.com Website: www.gmgroup.in.th E-mail: thepooh.gvthailand@gmail.com Facebook: facebook.com/ golfvacationsthailand Publisher: Pakorn Pongvarapa Editor-in-chief: Suebwong Kaewthipharat

download gM group's interactive e-magazines from the app Store and standard e-magazines from online bookstores such as Truebook, dtac and bookSmile.

Contributors luCy KuBliKowsKi

toM Peters

GeorGe edward wahalatantri Usually found on a golf course in South Africa, Lucy has worked in the Golf Travel industry for almost a decade. She shares her experiences of hosting luxury golfing holidays that combine safari, sight seeing, wine tasting and other unique African experiences.

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Wahalatantri is the Chief Butler at the new St. Regis in Chengdu having arrived from its sibling hotel in Yalong Bay. With more than a decade of experience in luxury hospitality, one his most interesting experiences was to serve at the Doha Asian Games organizing committee as a Front Office Supervisor, managing a team in providing lodging and other services to athlete and press.

A long-time newspaper man with The Halifax Chronicle Herald since 1968 and now semi-retired. Has worked in sports, news, business desk as reporter and editor, and is now happily scouting new golf and travel experiences across North America for Golf Vacations magazine.

david J.whyte

Ben Chin

In two decades, the Scot native has done golf travel industry as producer, photographer and writer.

He now produces videos for the Old Course at St. Andews, Muirfield and Royal Aberdeen amongst others.

He has his own online site called go-golf.tv which is a multimedia golf travel website covering key golf destinations around the world.

Freelance fashion stylist and writer Ben Chin is based in Asia, contributing to magazines like August Man, Robb Report and Toast. His work has also been featured in international publications in Malaysia, Japan and Italy. His commercial clients include Sony, Nielsen and Guinness.

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Contributors andrew MarShall paul MarShall

Sophie KalKreuth

John Gibb A professional freelance travel writer for 20 years with over 50 countries under his belt, Andy works with his photographer brother Paul, particularly on golf. This issue, they troll the pubs of Dublin to bring us the best of the best. Andrew lives in a 17th century cottage on the outskirts of Huddersfield in West Yorkshire and can be found walking the Pennines with his partner Amanda on most weekends.

Journalist and author who specialises in sport, crime and military matters. Gibb worked for the Evening Standard for six years as a crime writer and has contributed regularly to the Spectator, the Sunday Telegraph, Financial Times and The Observer. In 1999 he went to the Erotic Review where he worked as features editor and investigative reporter for eight years writing about café society.

He is happily married to a lovely brunette called Rosie and lives in East Anglia.

Former Editor-in-Chief of LP – Luxury Properties magazine, Sophie Kalkreuth reports on luxury travel, real estate, design and architecture.

She has lived in Germany, Canada, Brazil and China and currently resides in New York City, where she keeps an eye on the latest global trends for The Peak Hong Kong, Palace, AsiaSpa and others.

ChuCK reyeS Chuck is a fashion and advertising photographer who used to work in Los Angeles but now based in Singapore.

His work can be seen regularly in Nylon Magazine Singapore, August Man Singapore, Ziggy Magazine, and The Millenary Post. His commercial work can be seen in major brands like L'Oreal Paris, TANGS, Coca-Cola, and Puma.

Paul is a professional photographer living in Stockholm with his wife, daughter and Welsh springer spaniel. He freelances with various reportage and portraiture work for various publications in Sweden, including golf, and works with his brother Andy on many of those, including this issue’s Dublin’s finest pubs story.

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Postcard

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Wilder Kaiser, Austria Hole 5 Par 3, 156 yards

PHOTOGRAPHER: MW GOLF (www.mw-golf.co.uk)

cartogolf 2 1

4 3 5

Famous Five Fairways Espousing the five best views from fairways around the world.

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Kintyre Course, Westin turnberry resort, Ayrshire, sCotlAnd

Windsor pArK golf & Country Club, ibArAKi, JApAn

sugArloAf golf Club And resort, CArrAbAssett vAlley, mAine, usA

CApe KidnAppers, hAWKes bAy, neW ZeAlAnd

lAKe Course, spring City golf & lAKe resort, Kunming, yunnAn provinCe, ChinA

Hole 13, Par 4, 465 yards

Here, high up in the “Turnberry offers the mountains, you can best golf in the world,” sample the jaw-dropping says Colin Montgomerie. scenery and immaculately And with lush green on lush fairways – and the land and views like these sake’s on tap. This tee over the horizon, you are shot is played down into inclined to agree. This a valley before rising scene, reminiscent of a back uphill to a long and lagoon at dawn in deepest narrow green protected Africa, is in Scotland. by one large bunker Imagine playing this hole on the left. The hole is as the sun pokes over the an Everest among golf hill one mile off-shore; holes, but the walk is as heaven on earth. pleasurable as any in the world.

Hole 9, Par 5, 480 yards

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Hole 15, Par 5, 650 yards

One of the most spectacular golf courses On a track punctuated by ever built on one of the the rugged demanding most amazing geography; terrain that is the hallmark Cape Kidnappers in the of mountain golf, the land of Kiwis is carved awe-inspiring 14th is a out of very steep bluffs, dogleg with a difference. and in the case of the Set directly over the 15th, on both sides of the Carrabassett River, in the fairway. It’s more than shadow of Mt. Sugarloaf, 600 yards so you’ve really this hole is surrounded got to take this on in four by trees sporting more because if you go long varieties of green and red on the 3rd, you could be than anywhere else in the listening for the splash of world. ball against water some 15 seconds after it goes over.

Hole 14, Par 4, 401 yards

Hole 9, Par 5, 486 yards

A glorious Robert Trent Jones Jr. design that sees a 150-yard elevation drop between holes 1 to 9, this low-lying par 5 seems reachable in two. Big mistake. Surrounding an island green is the glorious Lake Yangzhonghai that also protects the length of the hole to the right. Add the rugged rock cliffs to the left and above and this easily becomes one of the finest views in China.

Journal ★ Comments

Sam, Still Slammin’

I first saw Sam Snead at Wentworth when he came over with Hogan to play for the US in the Canada Cup in 1956. The US won the Cup but it was Snead’s swing that struck me. I’ll never forget it.

I watched his career over the years. He won The Open in 1946,

the Masters three times; he came second in the US Open four times, won the USPGA three times and the Vardon Trophy four times. He played in seven US Ryder Cup teams.

After he retired he took to teaching and charged $20 a minute. Nick Faldo went to see him and asked if he ever focussed on the plane of his swing. “The swing’s all about the left side,” said Sam, “I don’t know nothin’ about no swing plane.”

I met him at the Greenbrier in the pine-covered Allegheny Mountains in 2001. He was 89. This was where he grew up and learnt to play hitting stones and using old horsewhips as shafts. In 1936 he played his first pro tournament in bare feet.

I met him for breakfast. It was eight o’clock and he was alone in the hotel dining room, wearing his hat. A waitress was serving him a plate of wholemeal toast with hominy grits.

I looked at his hands, brown and lumpy with arthritis. The knuckles of his left hand were swollen, the skin burnt and flaky after years in the sun. His palms were soft and white with no calluses. He gripped my wrist with his left hand. “Hold the club gentle, like a little bird. It’s the speed of the club that gives you the power. Hold it soft and rip it through.” We walked slowly through the sunlit corridors of the hotel and on to the practise ground. Everyone smiles and he smiles back.

He grabs me by the arm, “In 1959, we play the Ryder Cup at Palm Beach. I go down to the water and pull out a five-pound Sea Bass. Middlecoff and I are playing against Eric Brown and Harry Weetman and I’m Captain so we go off last. We’re all square at the 18th and Middlecoff puts me in the rough and I hit a one iron and it falls two feet short and rolls into the ocean. Then I see Brown is sweating and has taken his five iron and he does the same thing, so Middleccoff chips up and I hole the putt and Brown misses, so we win and Brown gets his airse kicked for hitting a five iron. That night I meet this little Californian girl and we go out on the 18th in the dark and I get laid, standing up on the green. My, what a day that was.”

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Snead was a natural athlete, strong and lithe, able to make an effortless turn of the hips and shoulders without losing balance.

Even in his late years, his position at the top of the backswing remained perfect, ready to release the power in his arms and transfer his weight through to an elegant finish. In his peak, the swing was a slow, elegant, wide arc which gave him total control and massive impact.

We stood on the practise ground, looking at the 300-year-old Sycamore 250 yards down range where he used to stand his caddy, Larry Mazey, and hit one irons at him. “I hit them with a touch of draw or a touch of fade, hit the tree, bang, make him jump.” He turns to me, “let’s see you boy,” looks at my swing, “yo feet too far apart, straighten that left arm, your left arm leads and your right arm follows, turn your body, point your left shoulder at the ball, drag the club down, get your hips through. I want your weight on the left side.”

Later we take a glass of whiskey on the terrace and he leans across the table and says, “Never have dinner with a bad putter. If a boy’s putting bad then he’ll start moaning and before you know it, you’re worrying about your game and the next day, you cain’t hit your hat.”

In the bar, there’s a photograph of Snead taken a millisecond after he’s struck his drive.

The power of the shot has lifted him onto the side of his left foot. His head is still, his eyes look down in perfect focus to where, a split second ago, the ball had reposed upon its tee.

The picture shows power, balance and beauty and will always remind me that Snead had the finest golf swing anyone had ever seen.

By John GiBB

Journal ★ Home Away

Golf Properties, Hualalai, Hawaii American golf courses and residences were hard hit during the financial crisis – many consider the downturn the toughest ever in the industry but today, they are back.

After scaling back during the recession, recreational golfers and property investors are returning to the game. At the high end of the market, communities like Hawaii’s Hualalai appear to be thriving. Hualalai, a masterplanned resort and residential community located on the North Kona Kohala Coast of Hawaii’s Big Island, comprises 865 acres of oceanfront land that includes golf courses, health clubs and private residences for sale. Homeowners who can afford the hefty price tag – homes range from $4,350,000 to over $30 million – enjoy access to an 18-hole Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course and a private Tom Weiskopf-designed 18-hole course, as well as a residential concierge, the sports club, spa and Four Seasons Resort.

Over the last 18 months, Hualalai Realty has recorded strong sales. In the first six months of 2014 total sales exceeded $101 million and the average home price was $9.7 million, up from $7.7 million in 2013. In July, Hualālai announced the sale of a 6.6-acre parcel to a private investor and developer. Plans are underway to build 17 new homes to meet the growing demand.

“Prior to 2009 there was significant appreciation happening in the marketplace,” says Rob Kildow, Director of Residential Sales, Hualālai Realty. “We have seen prices rising in the past two years as well as construction costs. Those factors, together with historically low inventory levels, are pushing prices once again.”

However, Kildow says, the majority of buyers at Hualalai are purchasing for the lifestyle. “Approximately 1/3 of the owners rent their residences. None of the residences are purchased primarily for rental purposes.

Owners who rent are looking to offset some of the fixed costs of ownership,” he says.

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The residences are designed in the tradition of the Hawaiian kauhale and feature largely natural materials, classic Dickey roof designs and an emphasis on indoor-outdoor connections. At the lower end, homes at Hualalai have three to four bedrooms and include between 3,000 and 4,000 sq ft of air-conditioned living space on lots of 15,000 sq ft to 23,000 sq ft. The higher priced homes have five plus bedrooms and over 7,000 sq ft of living space on larger, more expensive lots of 40,000 sq ft plus.

Renowned for its natural beauty, mountains, beaches and lifestyle offerings, Hawaii remains a popular holiday home destination for buyers from the United States, Canada, Japan and, increasingly, China, but, Kildow says the luxury market remains inconsistent, with product quality depending largely on the location, amenity package and financial capacity of the developer. For the time being, his property is leading the pack.

“Due in part of our amazing year round weather, world class amenities, ownerships commitment to improving the experience and a special culture that is respectful of the history of Hualalai, we achieve the highest price per square foot of any Hawaii luxury property and most properties in the U.S.,” he says. www.hualalairealty.com www.hualalairesort.com

By Sophie KalKreuth

Journal ★ Luxury

The Thing About Butlers Representing an elegant and exclusive brand is all joy for the Chief Butler at the new 29-storey St. Regis, Chengdu.

One of the most motivating and rewarding

Shoe Shine service at St. regis, Chengdu

aspects of being a butler is the ability to make each of our guest experiences unique, tailored to their preferences, and truly unforgettable. It may sound cliché but I am genuinely motivated by it. People make an effort to come stay with you so it is only natural to enjoy seeing that they in turn, enjoy their visit.

As Chief Butler here at the 32nd and newest St. Regis hotel, I have a team of 27 staff to help me. The key is to provide ever-present, yet unobtrusive round the clock service while anticipating their needs and preferences. That includes anything from packing and unpacking their luggage, getting and remembering their preferred beverage, to helping them plan their stay.

I would certainly recommend a unique and unforgettable experience from our St. Regis Chengdu’s Aficionado packages. These once-in-a-lifetime experiences are exclusive to our guests and include a private evening tour of Chengdu’s Brocade and Embroidery Museum, which has a history of over 2,000 years of hand-woven fabric used by the Emperor; or a private tour and tasting at Shuijing Fang Museum, China’s first Baijiu distillery.

I believe luxury is a lifestyle, not a net worth, so every guest that walks through our doors is as important as the next. For example, we want to know the guest as soon as possible, if he or she is vegetarian or won’t drink wine, their particular allergies and comfort food.

Then we can tailor the set up. Most people simply expect a level of service from St. Regis and we take pride in keeping to that standard.

To give an example of the detail we go through, I will talk about the shoe grooming service that we provide that you can take home as a tip for caring for your shoes as well.

First, we check the condition of the shoe and then consider its make, whether it is leather, suede or sneakers. If it is leather, we will verify the original colour to see if we can use a neutral-hued shine.

To begin cleaning, place old newspapers on the floor to prevent soiling the surface and dust the shoes with a damp cloth. Then, using the shoe rag, apply the correct shoe cream to the shoe. If it is an unusual colour, use the neutral polish. Apply sparingly. Using the large brush, lightly skim over the shoe until sheen is achieved.

When done, use the shoeshine cloth to polish the shoes, insert shoetrees, then put them into a shoebox and store in a dry and cool environment. If the shoes are suede, never use a regular polish. Brush with a special suede brush. For sports shoes, only use sneaker shampoo to remove dirt and grime.

Of course, here at the hotel, we will also check your delivery time with you, place your shoes in a hotel branded shoebox, and if your ‘Privacy’ sign is on, we will put it at the Butler Service Window and press the ‘Service Delivered’ button so you’ll know it’s there.

Here at St. Regis Chengdu, we anticipate as well as expedite, organise as well as implement, delegate as well as do. We are most often the first and last point of contact for the guest and is seen as the best the hotel has to offer; a true ambassador for the brand. www.stregis.com/chengdu

Chengdu Brocade and embroidery Museum

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Butler packing service at St. regis

By G e o r G e e d wa r d wa h a l ata n t r i

Journal ★ Travel

Mission Hills Haikou, Course 4, Stepping Stone Hole 16

American Express and Mission Hills

American Express card members now have preferred privileges at the biggest golf club in the world.

Recently in June, American Express announced a major strategic partnership with Mission Hills China to deliver exclusive experiences and compelling benefits to holders of American Express cards in eight key markets in Asia including Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and the Philippines, rewarding them with benefits in five key areas, namely lodging and spa, golfing, retail, dining and special events like the upcoming World Celebrity Pro-Am (WCPA) in October at Haikou.

“Asia is home to the world’s largest population of High Net Worth Individuals, which is a segment of the community with high appreciation for the possibilities that affluence creates. And we see a similar pattern with American Express’ Card Members in the region,” said Y. C. Koh, President, Asia, Card Services of American Express.

In survey on American Express’ premium Card Members in Asia in 2012, golf is the most popular pastime among 23 percent of the respondents. The preference grows as it moves up the premium cards, with members of the Centurion Card at 28 percent.

For the rest of 2014 at least, card members across the range can take advantage of savings when they visit Mission Hills with holders of the Centurion or Platinum-level cards able to enjoy golf at 20 Mission Hills courses in Shenzhen, Dongguan and Haikou at various special rates.

Something to look forward to, card members can access this year's World Celebrity Pro-AM, enjoying VIP passes and hospitality suite while Centurion or Platinum cardholders have the opportunity to get up close with the professionals and participating celebrities at private receptions during the tournament.

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For details of the American Express Cards exclusive benefits at Mission Hills, visit: http://www. missionhillschina. com/en-US/ promotions/ american_ express_cards_ exclusives.

Certainly a much looked forward affair as the Chu brothers, Ken and Tenniel, who run the Mission Hills business, invite a string of interesting personalities. Catherine Zeta Jones, Ronaldo, Matt Kuchar and current Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley have come before.

Gracing this year's event are 2013 US Open champion Justin Rose and the larger-than-life John Daly, with Captain America himself, Chris Evans alongside the beautiful Jessica Alba among other luminaries.

Aptly put, “Mission Hills’ Golf and more philosophy is bringing the concept of ‘retail-tainment’ to life and our partnership with American Express is strategically aligned in this direction,” stated Dr. Ken Chu, Chairman and CEO of Mission Hills Group.

By Benny Teo

dtac & telenor Youth Summit 2014 Mr. Sigve Brekke, Interim Chief

Executive Officer of dtac presented awards to 2 winners, Mr. Siraphat Boonyapan and Ms. Asma Naksawee, of the “Safe Internet” workshop as part of the dtac & Telenor Youth Summit 2014, which was organized to select Thai representatives to join fellow youth from various parts of the world to share ideas and exchange knowledge on digital media and internet and how it can bring change in society.They were selected by a panel of expert judges such as Mr. Suthichai Yoon, Chairman of Nation Group, Mr. Saran Charoensuwan, Director General of European Affairs Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ms. Suthida Malaipan, President of Online News Providers Association. World-class organizations and experts will provide education and knowledge at the Telenor Youth Summit on December 9-11, 2014 in Oslo, Norway.

The highlight of the trip is once-in-a-lifetime chance to attend the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony and meet with Malala Yousafzai, 17, the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. With a strong heart and courage, she has fought for the rights of all children to education in the midst of violence in her country. Malala almost died after being shot in the head by Taliban gunmen. She survived and stood firm in the hope that every girl in the world would have equal opportunity to education.

In addition to attending such an extraordinary event, the 2 Thai representatives will also serve as the youth ambassadors of the “dtac Safe Internet” program to help promote and educate Thai youth on digital media and internet use.

Journal ★ Suitespot

Oriental Finesse Located at the heart of Malaysia’s most unique cultural heartbeat resides a large hotel with small town hospitality for the best in both worlds.

Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur

Strategically located in the heart of the city, adjacent to the iconic Petronas

Twin Towers, Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur is a home away from home for business people and luxury travellers. Since opening in 1998, the beautiful property has fast become one of the most lauded hotels in the world. Its impressive accolades include Best 5-Star City Hotel awarded by Malaysia Tourism Awards 2012/2013, ASEAN Green Hotel Award by the Ministry of Tourism and Culture 2014–2016, World’s Top 100 Hotels by Institutional Investor 2014, Best Hotel in Kuala Lumpur by FinanceAsia Travel Poll 2013, The World’s Top 100 Hotels by Robb Report 2013, DestinAsian Reader’s Choice Awards 2013, and many more.

In line with Mandarin Oriental hotels worldwide, the lobby makes for a nice welcome, with high ceilings, grandiose pillars, an enormous chandelier and an expansive area marked by neutral tones greeting one upon entry. Service levels of every Mandarin Oriental property are said to be second to none, but it’s something else to experience it first hand – staff at the reception desk greet guests by name without prompting and have all paperwork ready for checkin. Despite the crowd hanging around the lobby, the entire check-in procedure is smooth and quick.

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OPPOSITE PAGE FIRST ROW LEFT TO RIGHT: Bar interior; Club Suite dining.

SECOND ROW: Mandarin Oriental's Club Lounge.

THIRD ROW CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Simulator at Indoor Golf; Hotel Entrance; Club Suite bathroom; Indoor Golf.

Comprising 643 well appointed rooms, suites and serviced apartments, each has been designed and decorated more like a relaxing and intuitive abode than a regular hotel room. During our stay, we had the privilege of residing in the hotel’s signature Club Suite, which we found was definitely worth the hype.

Hypoallergenic, anti-microbial, and dust mite resistant features aside, the King-size bed with goose down bedding gave us one of the best and soundest nights we have had away from home. The luxurious marble bathroom is generously sized with separate glass cubicles for shower and toilet with a stand-alone tub that is long and temptingly deep enough to soak a long day away. With an impressive dining room and a fully equipped kitchenette, we took some time off on one of the evenings to cook up a storm and have our own dinner party in the comforts of our own suite.

Other perks of living in the Club Suite include Mandarin Oriental Club benefits, a convenient guest powder room and access to sweeping views of the imposing Petronas Twin Towers.

Golf aficionados will be pleased to know that the hotel offers indoor golf simulators allowing golfers to hone their skills or get a round in regardless of the weather outside.

Featuring over 50 different courses, this green escape, simply known as Indoor Golf at Mandarin Oriental, offers an impeccably realistic golf simulation using 3Trak technology - also used

by PGA Tour pros and renowned golf instructors from around the world - which provides dynamic performance and pinpoint accuracy for realistic simulation on course or at the range.

Guests can choose from one of three golf simulators on-site and enjoy playing at their own pace. Lastly, the hotel’s Indoor Golf area also offers a comfortable lounge where you can kick back and enjoy a drink or two coupled with an array of snacks. www.mandarinoriental.com/kualalumpur

By BENNy TEO

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Cover Story

Out Of

AfricA A tour group from Singapore took to South Africa’s vast safaris to explore golf ’s final frontier.

- By Lu c y K u BL i Ko w s K i

Out of Africa. That poignant Sydney Pollack film starring

the charming Robert Redford and incandescent multiple Grammy winner, Meryl Streep, kindles a warm spot for the safaris of Africa that calls to romantics around the world since its 1985 release.

Today, one such group from across the Indian Ocean, in Singapore, attempts to relive that experience, albeit with a lot of golf thrown in.

South Africa. Those two words conjures up images of an unheralded past where civil strife raged through the nation through the 20th Century but at the same time upheld heroic figures such as the recently deceased Nelson Mandela. In golfing terms, it is also a nation that has given us such legends as Bobby Locke, Gary Player, Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, who collectively own 19 Major titles. And that’s not even including the new generation of players like Charl Schwartzel, Louis Oosthuizen and Trevor Immelman.

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That can only mean one thing. Either they are a truly blessed people or they have some wonderful golf courses waiting at every turn. While it is hard to justify the former, the sojourners from Singapore will soon be able to experience the latter.

We fly into Johannesburg on a grey March morning, the sharp chill in the air doing its best to remove the weariness of the overnight flight. Our vehicle was waiting to take on board the luggage, golf clubs and guests as we set out east towards Kruger National Park, a 19,633 square-kilometre game reserve between the northeastern provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga.

Everyone catnapped on the way from the Highveld plateau, on which Johannesburg sits, towards the Drakensberg Mountain escarpment, which plunges into the Blyde River Canyon below. A pity since those views offered were carved by heaven’s own hands.

But a long flight and road journey were bound to take its toll on the human body. The third largest canyon in the world, it stretches

OPENING PICTURE: Pinnacle Point GC Clubhouse.

LEFT PAGE: Blyde River Canyon.

THIS PAGE FROm TOP: Atlantic Beach Golf Club, Cape Town (12th); Giraffes.

25 kilometres running north to south and acts as a natural boundary between two very diverse eco systems. As we started our descent into the valley, some stirred awake noticing a marked change in the climate. It is here that the sub-tropical Kruger National Park lies.

The first night was spent at the delightful Oliver’s Hotel, with a delicious dinner before everyone turned in for an early night and a chance to have a good rest. The following morning the group were up early for a hearty breakfast of cereals, fruit platters, croissants, cold meats and a full English for anyone who needed some extra fuelling before golf.

Our first round was at the fabled Leopard Creek Golf Club, located at the southern end of the national park. This 889-acre course was Gary Player’s vision of “Augusta in Africa” and it is glorious. The fairways are emerald green, the views breathtaking, and each hole poses a particular challenge. Features include well placed bunkers, uphill drives, two-tiered fairways bisected by creeks, elevated greens and 207-yard drives over water hazards, home to hippos and crocodiles, which are not for the faint-hearted!

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In golfing terms, South Africa is a nation that has given us such legends as Bobby Locke, Gary Player, Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, who collectively own 19 Major titles.

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Fancourt, The Links Course - 12th hole

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From Leopard Creek, the group travelled by light aircraft from the nearby airstrip to the luxurious Thornybush Safari Lodge for a unique wildlife experience over the next three days. The flight path crossed over the Kruger park and it was possible to see elephants below gathered around the riverbanks, whiling away lazily nonchalant of the group above them that was just yesterday, hacking away right beside.

Thornybush stands on the banks of a dry riverbed. The beauty of the lodge blends into the environment, so much so that the wildlife treat the place as its own. Kudu greeted us at reception, monkeys and hornbills kept watch from the overhanging trees and colourful Nyala antelope nibble at the grass. Each of the suites has a private deck overlooking the riverbed, where animals come to browse or graze at the vegetation.

We got ready to enjoy an up close and personal visit with the African wild. The first game drive took us far south on the reserve, where we caught up with elephant, buffalo and a pride of lions as well as numerous sightings of impala, warthog, zebra and the majestic giraffe before returning for a well-awaited dinner.

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THIS PAGE: Pinnacle Point Golf Club.

RIGHT PAGE FROm TOP: Fancourt, The Links Course; De Zalze Golf Club, Stellenbosch (18th); Fancourt, montagu Course (17th).

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The morning wake-up call jarred us into life the next day for another game drive and we were able to spot a female rhino with her calf browsing among thick bushes. Everyone was given a checklist of the most common animals and birds to be found in the region and each vehicle enlisted the help of their ranger to mark off as many as possible.

The final evening drive was the most memorable as both vehicles chanced upon a leopard strolling down one of the tracks.

Notoriously skittish, this large male was unusually relaxed and allowed the vehicles to track him as he moved silently through the bush. Eventually he disappeared into the thick undergrowth and the trail was lost, but everyone was elated to have ticked off all of the Big Five game animals. As the group rounded a corner, they were greeted by the flickering lights of a bush dinner set up on the runway.

The staff had set up a table complete with white linen and gleaming cutlery for the guests to dine out under the stars.

Everyone had a chance to stretch their legs and enjoy a glass of wine in front of the fire before sitting down to dinner.

The three-course meal included a barbecue with different meats, accompanied by salads, sweetcorn and local dishes such as mealie pap - a polenta porridge.

Next day, the group flew down to Fancourt on the coast, in the area known as the Garden Route for a return to golfing business, and at a site that is easily one of the world’s finest. Home to three courses including The Links at Fancourt, a Gary Player design that ranks as the number one course in South Africa and a past host of the Presidents Cup. Fancourt has extensive practice facilities including a driving range, bunker areas, putting greens and a swing analysis lab.

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The layout and facilities of the hotel make this a dream destination with every detail considered and catered to the needs of golfers. The group played their first round on the Montagu course with its magnificent risk-versus-reward 18th hole over water to the green. All the courses are maintained to the highest standards, meandering through lush valleys, with superb lightning-fast greens.

There is plenty of water on the course as well with a number of shots over water including the par-3 17th.

This was followed by an afternoon of sightseeing in the nearby town of Oudtshoorn, famed as the Ostrich capital of the world.

The group toured a working ostrich farm and were offered the opportunity to ride an ostrich in the enclosure! Everyone declined the use of the practice facilities before their next round on the Links course, something that a few regretted later. The caddies were assembled at the first tee and we were joined by the club’s pro, who had some useful advice about playing the course.

The Links is a walking-only course and the caddies are compulsory but also very necessary. Stray off the fairways and the rough can be knee-deep. This course favours straight drives and accurate shots to the green above all else. Danger lurks in the form of deep bunkering around the greens and thick long grass, so caution is the better part of valour.

From Fancourt the group headed the short distance to the coast and the dramatic Pinnacle Point Golf Club. Perched on cliffs, this wonderful course offers views of the ocean from virtually every hole, and in some cases you can even feel the spray as the waves crash on the rocks below. Several holes run along the edge of the cliffs with par-threes across gorges that plummet into the ocean. There is usually an area to opt out and play safe, but it is the kind of place where you have to go for glory and make at least one attempt from the tee to green.

FROM TOP: Fancourt, Montagu Course; Thornybush Game Lodge.

Incredibly, one among the group, Alan Fong, a member of Raffles Country Club in Singapore, achieved a hole-in-one on the par-three 13th here, which added to the festivities of the already entertaining trip. The next stop on the tour is Cape Town and the 5-star Table Bay Hotel. Ideally located in the heart of the V&A Waterfront, the hotel is close to Victoria Shopping Mall and there are a host of restaurants to choose from and shops to browse along the quayside.

Today represents another off day from golf with sightseeing the call of the day. Commencing with a ferry ride across the bay to Robben Island, the notorious prison that once held Nelson Mandela, the guide on the island was also once a political prisoner and he gave the group an insight into life under the apartheid regime. Back on dry land, there was time for some shopping before everyone departed for a trip to Table Mountain. The views from the summit are magnificent in every direction, with the city below, Robben Island in the bay and, in the distance, the mountains of the Cape winelands.

The view was further enhanced when everyone was led to a private viewing platform complete with champagne and canapĂŠs set up as a surprise. It was a memorable evening, enjoying the cooler air and watching the sun setting with a glass of bubbly in hand.

The next morning the group headed into the winelands, about an hour’s drive from the city. The first stop was the Ernie Els Wine Estate where there was a chance to sample the different wines with a sommelier on hand. We could also look at the trophy room, filled with photos, memorabilia and trophies that Ernie has won throughout his career. From the wine estate it is a short drive to the De Zalze Golf Club, set among the grape vines and orange groves in Stellenbosch. The first few holes are quite flat but it soon starts to pick up elevation with a number of holes either over water or flanked by water. The signature hole has its tee boxes set on islands in the lake and offers big hitters a chance to try their luck with a shot direct to the green.

The course winds through the vines of the nearby Kleine Zalze wine estate, and it was here that the group dined after golf, with a superb meal at the acclaimed Terroir restaurant.

The three-course meal was laid out on the terrace overlooking the golf course and accompanied by wines from the estate.

The final day in Cape Town included a trip to a golf superstore where numerous brands of clubs, clothing and accessories were on offer. Prices in South Africa are very reasonable and visitors are able to claim back the 14 percent sales tax when they depart the country. Clubs were purchased by some of our party in a last-ditch attempt to improve scores on the final round that followed, which happens at another links design called Atlantic Beach.

A very tight course with long, undulating fairways that reward straight tee shots with some extra rolls of the ball, Atlantic Beach offers picture-postcard views of Table Mountain and Robben Island as backdrop but when the offshore wind blows, it can make this a very difficult track indeed. Springbok, mongoose and leopard tortoises share the fairways, oblivious to the golfers passing by.

Back at the hotel, the group met for a final dinner at a Waterfront restaurant and a light-hearted prize-giving ceremony over the days of pseudo competitive play that adds to a little bit of fun more than pressure. The wine flowed and the group reminisced about the golf, the safari and all the sights that we had enjoyed. Everyone had a different highlight but were united in their enjoyment and surprise at the diversity they had experienced.

The group travelled with Out of Africa Travel & Golf, based in Singapore. To find out more, call +65 9194 1256 or visit the website at www.outofafricatravel.com.

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Legends

Fuzzy Zoeller

The life and soul of the PGA Tour, he slugged it with the best until one joke too many cut him adrift… - By gavin newsham

It’s March 1994 and Lee Janzen is sat in the locker room at Bay Hill, feeling a little sorry for himself. At 9-over-par, the reigning US Open champion has played his way out of the Nestle Invitational and is slumped at a table ruing his bad form and wondering what to do with his weekend. Suddenly, a voice pipes up across the room. “Hey Lee J, why the face?” It’s Fuzzy Zoeller, double Major winner and joker-in-chief on the PGA Tour. “Look outside, man. It’s a beautiful day, we’re healthy and these people are actually paying us to play golf. Life,” he concludes, “is a beautiful thing.”

That’s Zoeller for you. Not merely one of the guys, but the self-appointed social secretary of the professional game; a gregarious, avuncular man whose wit and wisecracks have been a part of the PGA Tour furniture since he joined the circuit in the mid-70s.

“You know, I enjoy people. What the hell. That’s about all you can say - I enjoy people,” explains the 55-yearold. “They know they can say something to me and I always give them a little comment back.”

Born in New Albany, Indiana on November 11, 1951, Frank Urban Zoeller (hence FUZ), was a kid who loved his basketball. But then every other kid in Indiana did too. A gutsy guard, it was during a game for New Albany High School that Zoeller sustained a back injury that would plague him throughout his professional golf career. Attempting a lay-up he was submarined by an opponent, and as he hit the ground 42

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he tore the muscles in his lower back. To this day, he’s still troubled by the complaint, relying on Advil and electric muscle stimulation to help him through.

“Vodka,” he has discovered, “does not ease back pain.

But it does get your mind off it.”

After turning his attention to golf, Zoeller attended the University of Houston, playing on their team and honing his game ready for a crack at the pro ranks.

When he graduated, he plied his trade on mini-tours in Georgia before finally making it on to the promised land of the PGA Tour in 1975. Within a year, he would make his mark by equalling the PGA Tour record for most consecutive birdies, nailing eight on the bounce at the Quad Cities Open. His maiden Tour title, meanwhile, would come in 1979, when he took the Andy Williams Open in San Diego.

With a Tour victory under his belt, Zoeller took his place in the Masters that year, finally realising a lifelong dream of playing at Augusta. Hiring a local caddy, Jeriah Beard, Zoeller found the slick greens of the National to his liking, and after four days of competition, found himself in the clubhouse tied with Tom Watson for the lead. Still out on the course was Ed Sneed, who had already bogeyed the 16th and 17th and now held just a one shot lead going down the 72nd hole. With his nerves rattling, Sneed then missed a six-foot par putt on the final green, leaving Zoeller and Watson to join him in a play-off.

Fuzzy Zoeller US Open, Bethesda, Maryland, June 11,1997

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“Look outside, man. It’s a beautiful day, we’re healthy and these people are actually paying us to play golf.

Life is a beautiful thing.”

The trio went down the 10th but still no winner emerged. At the next hole, the 11th, Zoeller murdered a drive right down the middle, leaving him a straightforward 8-iron into the green. Once more, he middled it and when he sank his six-foot birdie putt he became, with a little help from Ed Sneed, the first rookie to win the Masters since Gene Sarazen in 1935. “When that ball was rolling toward the hole, my mind went through flashbacks of all those years of practice, standing on the putting green, having the opportunity to make the putt for a Masters or a US Open.”

Five years and three Tour victories later, Zoeller would also have the chance to experience just what it was like to putt for the US Open title, when he found himself up against Greg Norman in an 18-hole play-off for the title at Winged Foot. Zoeller had followed the Great White Shark in during the last round and as the Australian holed monster putt after monster putt to keep himself in the hunt, Zoeller was back down the fairway, waving a white towel in surrender. Come the play-off, though, Norman’s superhuman form finally deserted him. Zoeller, aided by a gargantuan 60-foot birdie putt at the second hole, cruised to victory, carding 67 to Norman’s untidy 75. “All golf courses are different, but there are certain golf courses that a player stands on and he just likes what 44

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he’s looking at,” he reflects. “It [Winged Foot] was one of those where when I stood on the tee… and I just felt very, very good on the tee, had a good feeling about the driver and what to do with it and where to hit it.”

With Majors under his belt and more Tour titles coming his way – he would win ten in total – Zoeller would also breeze into several Ryder Cup sides but was, by his own admission, “pathetic” with a record of one win, eight defeats, and one half over three contests. That half, incidentally, came in the 1983 match at the PGA National in Palm Beach, when Seve Ballesteros hit that 3-wood out of the bunker to snatch a draw.

Fast forward 18 years from Zoeller’s breakthrough Major victory and the Masters is the scene of a faux pas that would forever blight his career. In 1997, Zoeller had finished his final round and was stopped by a TV camera crew and, like so many other players that week, asked what he thought about Tiger Woods, the 21-year-old phenomenon who was in the process of rewriting virtually every Masters record on his way to his maiden Major victory. “Little boy’s playing great out there,” he said. “Just tell him not to serve fried chicken at the [Champions’] dinner.” If that was distasteful, the interview would get even more uncomfortable.

As Zoeller walked away from the camera, he turned around and added “or collard greens or whatever it is they serve.”

What made Zoeller’s comments all the more perplexing was that never in over 20 years on Tour had he been pulled up for anything remotely like it. Sure, his reputation as the party guy of professional golf preceded him, but there had never been any suggestion that he harboured any racist leanings. When CNN aired his comments a week or so later, Zoeller got the kicking of his life. Kmart, his long-term sponsor, ditched him as did Dunlop.

Picket lines were planned for the Greater Greensboro Open (and only prevented when Zoeller withdrew) and Zoeller made apology after grovelling apology. “I’ve been on the Tour for 23 years and anybody who knows me knows that I am a jokester,” he said. “It’s too bad that something I said in jest was turned into something it’s not. But I didn’t mean anything by it and I’m sorry if I offend anybody. If Tiger is offended by it, I apologise to him, too. I have nothing but the utmost respect for Tiger as a person and an athlete.”

Eventually Woods publicly accepted Zoeller’s apology and the two shared a clear-the-air lunch at the Colonial Country Club for the Byron Nelson Classic. But the damage had already been done.

A life’s work building a career in the game he loved was in severe danger of being undone by a couple of throwaway sentences in a TV interview.

For all the uproar, Zoeller received support from many of his fellow professionals, not for his remarks, which everyone agreed were wrong, but for the over-reaction to them. “It was a disgrace, the way that thing came out and got twisted around, portraying him as something he isn’t,” said Greg Norman. “It cost him millions. It wasn’t right. It wasn’t fair.”

Vijay Singh agreed. “It was ridiculous. Fuzzy was hung out to dry, and I blame mostly the press for making such a big deal out of it. I also think Tiger could have come out right away and said it was no big deal,” he explains. “Fuzzy didn’t just get screwed. He got really screwed.”

While Lee Trevino’s jocular on-course demeanour is said to mask what is an essentially lonely character, Zoeller’s enduring popularity among the fans and especially his fellow players has

rarely been in question. Just ask John Daly. After all, without Zoeller’s counsel, Daly may not even be with us today. When the Wild Thing joined the PGA Tour in 1991, Zoeller, a kindred spirit, took him under his wing. As Daly’s celebrity snowballed and his myriad vices got the better of him, Zoeller was always on hand to rein him in or to help pull him through. At the 1997 Players Championship, for instance, Daly was knee-deep in another of his many dark spells and had, according to reports, drunkenly trashed his hotel room and collapsed unconscious. When the police and paramedics arrived on the scene, Zoeller was also there. As he was stretchered to the ambulance Daly awoke and pleaded with Zoeller to take a nearby cop’s gun and put him out of his misery. Ever the friend, Zoeller stayed with him until he left hospital. “It’s his life, and he’s living it the way he wants to live it,” said Zoeller. “It’s all his choice, and why can’t we let it go at that? I’ll tell you why: because everybody’s a critic.”

Yet the Fuzzy Zoeller that emerged from the episode was a different man to the casual, carefree player that once strode the fairways playing the fool. It’s hardly surprising. Ten years on and Zoeller (and his family) still receive letters, and in some cases even death threats, about the incident. It is, he maintains, “the worst thing I’ve gone through in my entire life.”

Today, Zoeller enjoys the relative calm of the Champions’ Tour and has rebuilt a career so nearly destroyed by his wayward words.

He is, according to those who know him, a more reflective and less spontaneous character than the Fuzzy of old. He is also a man who has realised the value of what he has outside of golf, choosing to spend as much time with his family at home in Floyds Knobs, Indiana – “I live on a farm, but I’m not a farmer…too much hard work” – and not enduring the week-in-week-out strain of life on the road. It’s a policy by which he has not just reaped rewards – he’s won the 2002 Senior PGA Championship and the 2004 Mastercard Championship – but has also helped him to maintain his appetite for the game when, after everything that’s happened, it could so easily have waned. “The older you get the more you appreciate the game,” he says. “I’ve been at it for 27 years, and even on the mornings when I creak out of bed, I still get pumped up about hitting that silly little white ball.”

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The Interview Series

Ian Woosnam One of the big 5 European players of his generation and ex-world number one, Ian Woosnam truly lit up this year’s Julius Baer Golf Classic.

- By Be n n y t e o

OPENING PICTURE: Ian Woosnam, hitting it sweet at Julius Baer Golf Classic 2014.

THIS PAGE: Captain Woosie smiling at the K Club, 2006.

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He arrived at 3pm, halfway round the

world, checked into the W Hotel on Singapore’s resort island, Sentosa Cove and proceeded to a schedule of interviews that would take him till evening. Then, he got his beer.

The difference between Ian Woosnam, or Woosie, as fans and contemporaries alike fondly calls him, and the panoply of golfing greats is that he is never one to shun away from a conversation over lager with folks he’s just met, something a few fortunate souls would later find out.

This evening, however, was spent in the company of a friend who’s recently moved to the Southeast Asian tropical isle and his minder Andrew Wood, from management company, IMG. It would be a good night’s rest before he faces a group of enthusiastic fans for a full day of golf and networking at banking giant, Julius Baer’s corporate day out at Sentosa Golf Club.

“Good morning Ian, hope you’ve had a good rest,” quips an early bird at the flawless grass range at Sentosa Golf Club. It’s 9am the following day. Thankfully, the 56-year-old father of three has had enough years of jet setting around the world to get over jet lag. “Good, good, it’s rather hot today isn’t it?” he replies with a kind, paternal grin.

Standing at barely 1.64 metres, Ian Woosnam was never going to be as imposing as the rest of that famous five; the late Seve Ballesteros with those intense furrowed brows, Bernhard Langer’s stoic German poise, the big Scot Sandy Lyle and of course, Nick Faldo, before Tiger Woods, was the one with ‘the Aura’.

But what he can do with those stocky arms is beyond belief. Even now, Woosie can hit past the fences at Sentosa’s golf range with a driver off the deck, with a shot-making prowess that calls high draws and low fades at will; his TaylorMade irons are traditional blades with professional extra stiff shafts that weigh a ton.

“I hit real men’s clubs,” he amicably jokes, pauses and then asks, “What do you hit with?” with a slight searing edge in the eyes.

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After a casual breakfast with about 20 distinguished guests of the Swiss private bank, Woosnam proceeded back to the golf range and decided to move the entire canopy over the driving bays. With his own bare hands. “It serves no purpose having this shelter and us all sweltering in this heat before actually playing golf,” he joked. A rush of manpower quickly came over and helped him.

Skye Neal, the head instructor at the golf club was hesitant at first, for fear that a few stray balls may hit the top of the canopy and ricochet back to the people below. Nevertheless, a general consensus was reached that all will be fine and soon the former Ryder Cup captain was in his element hitting all sorts of shots and then following that up with individual coaching.

This is a guy who has won three BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year awards, inducted in the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame and awarded an Order of the British Empire for his contributions to golf.

Born in the town of Oswestry, Shropshire in England, he began playing golf with half sawn clubs at Llanymynech Golf

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Club, unique for being set along the Wales-England border.

Building his career as an amateur in competitions around his hometown, he honed his game together with another notable compatriot Sandy Lyle. At 18 years young, he turned professional.

“I was like any 18-year-old. I liked having fun, having a few pints. I was playing at a lower level to get some money, then going off to the European tour to see how I could do.

When I ran out of money, and I did a few times, it would be back to get a job for a while. I was buying experience, really.

And I lived like that for five years. It was fun and a great experience.”

Hard to imagine someone with a net worth well over $30 million saying that but in truth, he really just wanted to experience life to its fullest. “I try to be normal. I don’t go around saying I’m a top golfer and I want this and I want that.

I just want to walk into a bar and merge into the background,” says the self-proclaimed working class lad.

When he started plying his trade in the European Tour in 1979, Woosnam spent his early years driving around the

continent in a camper van, living on a diet of baked beans to save money. After three modest seasons, his career took off in 1982 when he won the Swiss Open and came eighth on the Order of Merit. He also finished in the top ten on the Order of Merit every year from 1983 to 1991 and again in 1993, 1996, and 1997, making thirteen times in all.

In 1987 and 1990 he was first, and in the former year he set a world record for global tournament earnings of £1,062,662.

He has won 28 official money events on the European Tour and many other events around the world. In 1991, he won his one and only major, The US Masters, became world number one, and eventually spending 50 weeks there. But he was not really happy.

“Winning the Masters was great, but what came after, not my thing. I was in the public eye all the time and I don’t like that. Certain people I lived back in London with were jealous, and when we’d go out, we’d get people shouting at us. What had I done to deserve that? I’d be expected to buy all the drinks, too. I didn’t like that. There were so many jealous people. So we moved. It was pathetic,” he says.

Today in Singapore, however, he was a star and a popular one too. Everyone wanted a chat with him, and even sought to bring him beer on the course, which he kindly declined, saying, “I’ll drink my pints when I’m done, but not while I’m trying to beat you!”

That his competitive spirit extends to even a simple corporate ‘Beat The Pro’ station, constantly belting 4-irons at a 200-yard par 3 against amateurs says something of his respect, not just for the game, but for the people who play it.

Ian Woosnam does not look down on his competition, and does not give away shots for the sake of hospitality, and so, those who eventually do beat him at this tough par 3, 8th hole at the Serapong course can take pride in properly doing so. No ifs, buts and what ifs.

Woosnam’s final victory on the European Tour came in the 1997 Volvo PGA Championship but what may be most memorable to fans here in the island state is that he won the Johnnie Walker Classic the year before at Tanah Merah Country Club. Some, till today, recall the manner by which he did it.

Standing at barely 1.64 metres, Ian Woosnam was never going to be as imposing as the rest of that famous five; the late Seve Ballesteros with those intense furrowed brows, Bernhard Langer’s stoic German poise, the big Scot Sandy Lyle and of course, Nick Faldo, before Tiger Woods, was the one with ‘the Aura’.

LEfT PAGE, fROM LEfT: The Ryder Cup winning team of 2006.

THIS PAGE: Prize giving at the Julius Baer Golf Classic 2014.

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Today in Singapore, however, he was a star and a popular one too. Everyone wanted a chat with him, and even sought to bring him beer on the course, which he kindly declines, saying, “I’ll drink my pints when I’m done, but not while I’m trying to beat you!”

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“I was a volunteer at that time and I was at the spot on the 18th where Ian entered into a playoff with I-can’t-rememberwho for the third time,” says a guest at today’s corporate outing when he arrived at the 15th where Woosnam held court.

“Andrew Coltart. I remember it like it was yesterday,” offers the Welsh.

The amateur guest nods agreeing, and continues, “There was no shot where he was in the rough. Trees were all over and he had about 180, maybe 200 yards to go,” pausing for effect, “his caddy handed him a club, motioned for him to play it safe and chip it out but Ian took a hard look instead, put the club back into the bag and pull out a long iron.”

LEfT PAGE: One final celebratory look at that famous champagnesnort image at the 2006 Ryder Cup.

THIS PAGE fROM TOP: At 56, and still showing the way at Sentosa Golf Club's pristine range with guests of the Julius Baer Golf Classic 2014; Still active on the Senior Tour, it's hard to keep a good lad down, even in bunkers.

“I remember the hushing sound the crowd made as they crammed closer to watch this spectacle that was to happen.

Either a miracle, or disaster for sure. I was standing right there in full view of what was happening, watching history about to unfold and almost forgetting my job!”

What eventually did happen was that the Wee-Welshman found a gap through those trees and hit a curling, zipping shot through it, landed on the green and made the putt for an unlikely birdie. Coltart had already missed from 30 feet to then hand over the win.

That the victory from almost a decade back still resounds today makes a case for this being a return of a local legend, but what everyone got more of, was a convivial gentleman who was more than ready to share his experiences, and truly look like he enjoys being in the company of new people.

“I’m just a working-class lad with a talent. I wish I could have made it to the top in golf without having to be famous. But that’s impossible,” he would later say over a Coleman box full of beers at the club’s VIP changing room.

“I love having a chat with people, meet someone at the bar and just rolling with it. We can talk golf, or just about anything else, no problem,” he says, knocking bottles for the umpteenth time with those fortunate enough to be around.

Later at dinner down at the Pavilion where the Serapong course is, Woosie is in his element yet again, giving his thanks and appreciation and handling out prizes to the winners of the golf day, and almost missing his flight.

He didn’t, of course, but his transport had to wait a while as all his favourite food – “I was sure I didn’t ask for it but somehow, they knew!” - came streaming in, together with the good company that he was having.

Soon, the night had to end but he did manage one final picture and drink before scooting off to the airport, barely 30 hours after he’d first arrived.

Was Ian Woosnam a force of personality that comes and goes like a whirlwind? No, but he was rather much like rolling waves on a perfect beach that one might remember fondly of, long after they’ve left. If anything at all, that image and memory is far better than that champagne-snort at The K Club in 2006 after successfully captaining the European Ryder Cup team to victory.

Funnily enough, the gentleman that just left reminded so much of him.

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The 19th OPENING PICTURE: 7th green at The European Club.

THIS PAGE: Guinness tap table inside the Arlington Hotel, Temple Bar.

in

Down

ONE

For a winning round of golf, then drink in some classic pubs afterwards, there is no place like Dublin to do so.

- By A n d r e w M A r s h A l l P h oto g r A P h y By PAu l M A r s h A l l

Just a short drive away from Dublin’s city centre, there are some amazingly high quality courses waiting to be discovered.

A few miles north of the city, golfing options include Royal Dublin, Portmarnock Links and the lesser-known St Anne’s Golf Club.

To the west, are top-class parkland tracks like the K Club and Rathsallagh. To the south, quick road connections lead to County Wicklow and championship courses such as Druid’s Glen and The European Club.

And when it comes to enjoying a pint or two after your round, there’s no shortage of 19th holes in the city. “A good puzzle would be to cross Dublin without passing a pub,” wrote James Joyce in Ulysses. Little has changed since Joyce penned his classic novel and Dublin’s approximately 800 pubs are still the hubs of social life summed up in that famous Irish word, the “craic”. Here are the pubs you must visit to end the day right. Enjoy your rounds!

Palace Bar 21 Fleet Street A short stroll from Temple Bar’s cobbled streets, the Palace Bar is often said to be the perfect example of an old Dublin pub.

Step into the beautiful snug with its mirrors and wooden niches in which many a historic meeting has taken place, or the back room with its high ceiling and ornate stained glass, where literary stock used to gather.

Flann O’Brien and Harry Kernoff were regulars, and the Palace Bar became one of Dublin’s great literary pubs.

An advertisement published in the “Where to drink Guide 1958” adorns the wall and says: “Internationally famous also for its intellectual refreshment.”

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John Mulligan’s 8 Poolbeg Street Once a working-class drinking man’s pub, this brilliant old boozer is another virtually unchanged over the years.

Established in 1782, its main claim to fame is a perfectly poured pint of Guinness and the colourful crew of regulars who are considered experts on the subject. Over the years Mulligan’s has attracted a mixed bag including former US President John F Kennedy and it also featured as the local in the film My Left Foot starring Daniel Day-Lewis as Christy Brown.

THIS PAGE FROM TOP: Colm Quilligan with a group of Literary Pub crawlers inside O’Neill’s bar; Pub detail – O’Neill’s; The mirrors and wooden niches of the Palace Bar – considered by many to be the perfect example of an old Dublin pub.

grogan’s castle lounge 15 South William Street Known among regulars simply as Grogan’s, this city centre institution is a favourite haunt among painters, writers, bohemians and alternatives. From the street, not much can be seen through the lace curtains, but once you go through the door it’s like stepping into someone’s living room. The actor Brad Pitt became a local here to help him soak up the Irish atmosphere, while working on the movie Snatch.

o’neill’s 2 Suffolk Street Granted the James Joyce award for being an authentic Dublin pub, O’Neill’s has existed as licensed premises for over 300 years. Featuring five bars and numerous alcoves and snugs all of which attract a different clientele and age group, from students and lecturers at nearby Trinity College, to busy city traders and lovers of the arts and theatre. As an added bonus, O’Neill’s is one of 220 Irish pubs with special beer-dispensing tap tables, where customers can pour their own Guinness without the interminable wait for the barman to put the shamrock in the froth. Taps on the tables are linked to kegs behind the bar and customers leave their credit card to pay for a given number of pints.

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long hall 51 South Great George’s Street Backing onto Dublin Castle, the Long Hall is one of Dublin’s most beautiful and best-loved watering holes. Although very much a locals’ pub, many visitors come to experience the evocative atmosphere and full Victorian splendour with an ornately carved bar, elegant chandeliers and a pendulum clock more than 200 years old.

teMPle Bar 48 Temple Bar Slap bang in the centre of the tourist area of the same name, vibrant red Temple Bar (also known as Flannery’s) has the most photographed pub façade in Dublin, if not the whole world. Not the kind of place to go for a quiet pint with the locals, as it’s usually wall-to-wall with visitors. But it’s still a good ‘craic’ and has all the right ingredients with traditional musicians and a lively atmosphere.

THIS PAGE FROM TOP: The colourful Temple Bar pub – the most photographed pub façade in Dublin, perhaps even the world; Interior pub detail – O’Neill’s.

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Ryan’s 28 Parkgate Street Located just a few sips of the black stuff away from the Guinness Storehouse across the River Liffey, Ryan’s of Parkgate Street (established in the 1890s) is well worth a visit. It is one of only a handful of city pubs that has retained its Victorian décor virtually intact, and boasts an original oval-shaped mahogany bar, magnificent stained glass and walls decorated with an outstanding collection of antique gilt mirrors advertising various products sold at the turn of the 20th century.

OPPOSITE PAGE CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Golfers get ready to tee off at The European Club; Colourful mural outside the Auld Dubliner pub; O’Neill’s has been granted the James Joyce Award for being an authentic Dublin pub.

THIS PAGE FROM TOP: Mirror detail inside O’Neill’s; A lady cleaner at work outside Ryan’s, the closest pub to the Guiness Storehouse.

Dublin liteRaRy Pub CRawl A great way to learn more about Dublin’s pub culture, history and its literary associations is to take the Literary Pub Crawl. It’s a guided tour by Colm Quilligan and other actors who perform humorous extracts from Dublin’s best-known writers in some of the city’s best-loved drinking establishments. “We were a band of unemployed actors doing entertainment in pubs,” says Quilligan. “It was a natural fusion of the two ideas and a great way of legitimising the pub lifestyle.”

- www.dublinpubcrawl.com

Guinness stoRehouse & GRavity baR What would Dublin’s pubs be without Guinness stout? No ‘Pubs and Golf Clubs’ visit to the Irish capital would be complete without a pilgrimage to the Guinness Storehouse at St. James’s Gate, where you’ll learn plenty about the world famous beer including the brewing process and the Arthur Guinness story. After you have seen how it’s made, it’s time to taste the famous product. Hovering above the roof of the Storehouse is the Gravity Bar, and with a pint of Guinness in hand and incredible 360-degree views over the streets of Dublin, it’s the perfect position to contemplate James Joyce’s puzzle. - www.guinnessstorehouse.com www.discoverireland.com www.visitdublin.com Golf Vacations

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Destination Focus

FacIng thE noRth's

IRE

The winds, the seaside links, the raw edge of playing golf the Wild Atlantic Way, as described here of Northern Ireland’s finest courses. - By P e t e r r o Bi n s o n

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And so we do, like so much in Ireland, in a pub. Some of the stories

you hear there are even true. Like the time a young kid named Rory McIlroy shot 61 (11-under) on the Dunluce Links at Royal Portrush to best a field that included a player who the bartender serving us our first Guinness caddied for that day in 2005.

McIlroy, 16 at the time, won the North of Ireland Amateur championship in the process.

“My guy shot 68 and likely would have beat most anyone else in the field,” said our barman.

We don’t know if the barman was telling the truth about caddying, but the wider tale was indeed true, McIlroy’s golf exploits at Royal Portrush, indeed around much of Northern Ireland, are the stuff of legend.

Graeme McDowell, who hails from Portrush, the pretty town on the north coast in County Antrim, grew up playing Royal Portrush, said that when he first heard the story of McIlroy lighting it up at Dunluce, he knew that a special talent was emerging.

McIlroy has now ticked three of the four boxes needed for the career Grand Slam.

In fact, Ireland has accounted for seven of the past 30 major champions awarded since Padraig Harrington won the 2007 Open Championship.

How a country with six million people (including the less than two million in Northern Ireland), can produce talent on that scale is about all you need to know about what’s on offer golf-wise.

How a country with six million people (including the less than two million in Northern Ireland), can produce talent on that scale is about all you need to know about what’s on offer golf-wise.

McDowell was once asked about his country’s proficiency at producing good players with such a small population base.

“We just do,” said the Northern Irishman, “I think what you see is that when you grow up in an environment that sort of [fosters] golf. It can be difficult to play links golf and that makes you a better player… forces you to learn all the shots.”

That is not to say that there aren’t plenty of parkland tracks too – the K Club hosted the 2006 Ryder Cup and Mount Juliet was once home to the WGC-American Express Championship – but links golf is Ireland’s calling card. And it should be. Wind has lashed the Irish coastline since the beginning of time and created land that seems destined to knock a ball on it. Though you’re technically at sea level, to walk around the coastal areas, you’re often surrounded by dunes as high as an air traffic control tower.

Like in Scotland, the land is no good for farming or even grazing cattle, so not long after they started building courses north of Hadrian’s Wall, they did the same in Ireland.

And what a job they did.

Royal County Down and Royal Portrush are generally considered to be two of the best handful of courses outside the continental United States (many people cite County Down as the very best). Those two courses, 60

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OPENING PICTURE FROM PREVIOUS PAGE: Rosapenna Golf Course.

OPPOSITE PAGE FROM TOP: Enniscrone Golf Club; Royal Portrush Golf Club.

THIS PAGE: Connemara Golf Links.

both located in Northern Ireland, are often the cornerstone to a bucket-list Irish golf trip for overseas visitors. But the devil’s in the details, and the treasures that exist behind those two (and, in the Republic, Ballybunion, another world-class track), complete an epic golf journey.

The folks that call the shots in the Irish tourism industry realized that they were under-utilizing many of the hidden assets at their disposal and created the Wild Atlantic Way, a 2,500-kilometre trail that includes much of the country’s north and western shoreline. Golf is a big part of the appeal and there are 10 links courses on what is called the North and West Coast Links, effectively the golf arm of the Wild Atlantic Way. If you want a future Open venue, you have it in Royal Portrush, which is soon set to revamp Dunluce’s final two holes in time to host the tournament, which is widely expected to be 2019. Royal Portrush’s other course, the Valley, is a decent track in its own right.

A personal favourite is Connemara.

Located about halfway between Westport and Galway city on the west coast, Connemara is an Eddie Hackett-designed gem. The charming piece of Galway coast was a sunkissed paradise on the day we played. That’s rare; rarer still is being able to make your way ‘round an Irish links in shorts and short sleeves. But even bundled up, Connemara suits the eye.

It’s not quite the imposing wind-lashed land of other courses along the Wild Atlantic Way, but it’s plenty difficult, especially a little later in the Northern Hemisphere summer when all the fescue grows in; something that can be said about most of the country’s links.

The front nine is fun enough but when things get real interesting at Connemara is = distance. It was erected by Grace O’Malley, the legendary Irish queen whose influence was so great that even Queen Elizabeth I, on the English throne for much of Grace’s reign, knew enough to make peace with her.

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THIS PAGE CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Portstewart Golf Club; Donegal Golf Club; Narin & Portnoo Golf Club.

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IF YOU GO Accessing the Wild Atlantic Way is possible from virtually any Irish gateway city but it’s best to fly into either Belfast, Derry City or Shannon. Smaller airports such as Knock also allow for quick access along the ‘World’s Longest Coastal Touring Route’. Along the way there are many accommodation options but three bear special mention: Mount Falcon, Glenlo Abbey and Harvey’s Point.

Mount Falcon is a spectacular multipurpose estate near Ballina in County Mayo that attracts both overseas but also many local visitors who come for short stays, or just to enjoy a meal.

You can lose yourself here on the grounds doing such things as fly-fishing, falconry and shooting.

Glenlo Abbey is a charming former monastery, not far from Westport, that has a nine-hole golf course and driving range on site. Dining options are highlighted by the rail-car restaurant that is a short walk from the bar and drawing room.

Harvey’s Point, in Donegal, is located on a pretty piece of scenic property and is popular with the full gamut of visitors as well. Its bar and adjacent restaurant are of particular note as are the viewing points located around the grounds.

NORTH AND WeST COAST LINKS There are 10 links golf courses that make up the “North and West coast links”, the golf arm of the Wild Atlantic Way. In alphabetically order, they are (holes in brackets): Ardglass (18) Ballyliffin (36) Carne (27) Connemara (27) Donegal (18) enniscrone (27) Narin & Portnoo (18) Portstewart (54) Rosapenna (45) Royal Portrush (36)

Elevation changes are a factor at Connemara but not so much from the dunes as the rocky outcroppings that lord over that half of the property. It all builds into the tremendous finishing stretch starting on 13, a terrific 212-yard par 3, and the stellar 14th, a 513-yard par 5 that tees off from an elevated box, the highest point in the course. Off in the distance are the 12 Bens, a mountain range that keep constant watch over this area. They never really go away as you make your way around but are best viewed on the tee deck on 17.

“One, and that was enough for me,” said our Irish host when asked if he nips out to climb the 12 Bens. “Better just to look at them.” Well said, because you can’t stop staring.

Staring in disbelief aptly described some of the property at Enniscrone Golf Club, near Ballina, The land is stunning but can really punish those who aren’t on their game. A missed fairway by any more than a few yards generally means a lost ball. It is perhaps Enniscrone’s greatest compliment that you’re getting smacked about by its difficulty but never lose your smile.

Aside from the exacting test, the property is unique in the way the holes wind through the dunes – 12 holes are visually closed-off from the rest of the course and invisible from the clubhouse (and viceversa). Pack your GPS. Carne Golf Links, near Belmullet, is quite similar to Enniscrone: tough, beautiful and not always fair (if the word ‘fair’ even applies in links golf). The scenes here on the coastline have to be seen to be believed.

On the day we visited, someone made the point that the views from Carne’s holes that run along the water have an “Irish Pebble Beach” feel. Best of all, it was true – the sun was shining, the wind was calm and the water even had a blue hue to it.

Further north up the coast lies Sligo Golf Club, just outside the town of the same name. It was formerly a member of the North and West Golf Links but is now an associated course. The course plays uphill to start and winds its way inland for 11 holes, highlighted by the tabletop mountain that hangs off in the distance. If you isolate yourself on this vista, you would swear that you are watching Cape Town’s northern hemisphere twin. From 12 green onwards, the focus switches to the coastline, playing along it for four holes before the impressive up-hill 17th, a 457-yard par 4, probably the best hole on the course.

Not far away from Sligo is Donegal Golf Club and its Murvagh course. The course is a bit different from a typical old world links in that the opening nine plays out and around the property, following the coastline, before ending up back close to the clubhouse. The second nine then plays inside it, in a tighter formation where wind isn’t as big of an issue. And let’s face it, the biggest issue about golf in Ireland is wind. The same course that was a fawning pussycat one day can suddenly become a four-club wind the next.

Nothing summed up the wind better than at Narin & Portnoo Golf Club, perhaps the only championship calibre course in the world with three consecutive par 5s, starting on 13. A terrific track as we were bathed in sunshine playing it but the wind was again, howling.

Teeing off on 15, drop-dead gorgeous and the last of the par-5 treble, it runs along the sea and almost impossible to get your ball in the fairway, and even-money not to plunk onto the beach below. The fairway sloped toward the water and the wind was blowing the same way and three of four tee balls in our group had to be retrieved by a kindly gentleman walking on the beach below.

“Seen this many times before,” he yelled up, “no two tee balls are the same.”

He didn’t realize it but he may as well been describing golf in Ireland.

www.northandwestcoastlinks.com www.ireland.com/wild-atlantic-way

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My Top Ten

EUROPEAN GOLF 64

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Rich in customs, cuisines, architecture and language, no two countries in Europe are alike. Throw in some fine scenery and you have a perfectly packaged golf trip.

Here are ten of Europe’s best.

- By A n d r e w M A r s h A l l

1

NORWAY – Oslo Golf Club

Established in 1924, Oslo Golf Club is the oldest in Norway.

Between 2007-2009, the golf course went through a total revamp

by Steve Forrest, including the construction of greens, tees, fairway surfaces and drainage systems according to USGA specifications. The result is a championship quality par-71 design of 6,340 metres, that features plenty of elevation changes with water coming into play on several holes. Plans are currently in place to launch a bid to host the biennial Solheim Cup in 2019. www.oslogk.no

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2

IRELAND – County Sligo (Rosses Point)

Established in 1894, the present links were redesigned by Harry Colt in the 1920s, and continuous improvements have been made to make the layout, in the words of BBC golf commentator Peter Alliss “A tremendous test for the highest quality player and great fun for the modest competitor.” The signature hole is the par-4 17th, a long dog-leg left where the second shot must be hit up a hill to a difficult green that slopes severely from the back. A par here, is as rare as an unfriendly Irishman.

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www.countysligogolfclub.ie

BULGARIA – Thracian Cliffs

“You will not find a golf course like this anywhere else on the planet,” says course designer Gary Player about his stunning layout framed by rugged coastal cliffs and the vast blue of the Black Sea. The 302-metre par-4 7th sums up what Thracian Cliffs is all about. The men’s regular tee is a small island in the Black Sea and a carry of nearly 170 metres is required to reach the fairway. Once safely there, a precise short iron second is required for the elevated green. www.thraciancliffs.com

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4 AUSTRIA – Golfplatz Eichenheim

Designed by Kyle Phillips of Kingsbarns and The Grove fame, this 5,944m track presents a stern test with superbly manicured greens, roller-coaster fairways, meandering water hazards and regular elevation changes, producing a truly memorable golf experience.

After playing your approach shot through a cut in the rocks at the par-5 1st, take a few moments to appreciate the setting. The emerald green is on the same level as a snow-capped mountain range in the distance creating one of the most spectacular vistas in Austrian golf. www.eichenheim.at

5

PORTUGAL – Praia d’ El Rey

Cabell B.Robinson designed this Praia d’El Rey golf course, arguably one of the most stunning in Europe. After the tighter pine-lined fairways of the opening nine, the layout opens up and heads towards the pummelling Atlantic, offering all the elements of a Scottish or Irish links, but with warmer weather.

Bold deep bunkers, undulating greens, and natural sand areas contrast sharply with lush green fairways making it a complete golfing challenge. www.praia-del-rey.com

6

ITALY - Donnafugata Golf Resort & Spa

Sited in the south of Sicily, Donnafugata is aimed at the established golfer looking to play two different styles of course at one luxury resort. The first is a Franco Piras designed links course routed around a couple of lakes in open, rolling terrain near the sparkling waters of the Mediterranean Sea and the second 18 is a Gary Player designed parkland course that winds through a landscape dotted with olive, pine and carob trees. www.donnafugatagolfresort.com Golf Vacations

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7 SWEDEN – Bro Hof Slott

From the moment you drive through the gates of Bro Hof Slott and glimpse the white hilltop castle, manicured fairways and glistening Lake Mälaren, you know you are at a special place. “Everything is big at Bro Hof. The holes are longer, the greens are bigger, the course has more water and the bunkers are larger and wellplaced,” says Robert Trent Jones Jr. who designed this superb lakeside layout with state-of-the-art facilities. Only open for play since 2007, Bro Hof Slott’s Stadium Course is now a world top 100 golf course and has been host to the Nordea Masters European Tour event. www.brohofslott.se 68

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GERMANY - Golfclub Budersand

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With its undulating fairways, impressive dunes and a multitude of heath areas, Germany’s only authentic 18-hole links course is a captivating experience. A classic hole is the 391m, par-4 14th with pot bunkers both left and right. Be bold and you will be rewarded with a short iron second shot to a green which nestles in the dunes with picturesque views over the Wattenmeer (Wadden Sea) and the neighbouring islands of Föhr and Amrum. www.gc-budersand.de

9

SPAIN – Anfi Tauro

Designed by Robert von Hagge, Gran Canaria’s impeccably maintained desertstyle PGA championship course located among rocky canyons and gorges, teeming waterfalls and glistening lakes offers a perfect contrast to the surrounding volcanic mountains. Anfi Tauro is a dream for golf photography and one of the most photogenic holes is the classic 209-metre, par-3 6th framed on either side with swaying palms and a pyramid-shaped rock as a backdrop. www.anfi.com

SCOTLAND – Castle Stuart Golf Links

This superb championship course with links characteristics overlooks the Moray Firth and well-known landmarks that are synonymous with Inverness – the Kessock Bridge, Chanonry Lighthouse, Fort George and Castle Stuart itself and enjoys similar topography to Royal Dornoch further north, with an old sea cliff creating two tiered plateaus with six holes running alongside the inner Moray Firth. Look out for the par-3 4th, played towards beautiful Castle Stuart and the inspiration for the course name. www.castlestuartgolf.com Golf Vacations

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Choice Resorts

THE

GROVE

Possibly one of the swankiest, quirkiest golf resorts in the United Kingdom. - By Dav i D J W h y t e

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THIS PAGE: Both hard to hit and hold.

RIGHT PAGE CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: The Stables is the place to start and finish your round with an excellent restaurant for snacks or meals; The Grove, 17th and 8th holes.

As soon as I got into London, I

jumped on another train and headed back north.

No, I hadn’t chickened out! I was only going as far as Watford Junction just on the north side of the city, heading for a bourgeois weekend at The Grove, London’s grooviest 5-star country estate.

After several decades on the demolition block, The Grove came back on the scene in the 1990’s, a country house saved from rot and ruin having once played host to the likes of Queen Victoria and various prime shakers of the day.

By all accounts its 19th century house parties were legendary. Now, it is the preferred port-ofcall for rock royalty such as Kylie and Madge or Hollywood A-listers who stay for prolonged periods whilst working at nearby Warner Bros Studios.

Meanwhile, I was heading for my room for a refresh. But first I just had to wander around The Grove’s mansion, the original red brick pile to check if its funky lounges were still intact.

And they were; a celebration of Bohemian bon vivant if ever there was one. The Grove’s interior design style is eclectic, eccentric and endlessly surprising. As a weekend retreat for fashionconscious Londoners and an inspiring meeting place for corporate creative types, The Grove works like a charm. Its public spaces are stimulating, flamboyant, some might even say titillating.

The exquisite antique chandelier in the Blue Bar was rescued from a French flea market and given ‘The Grove’ treatment. Diaphanous drapes waft at the windows, a film projected on a corridor wall shows a scene of a naked man walking off into the

Designed by Kyle Phillips of Kingsbarns, Dundonald and Yas Links fame, it is a veritable showcase of dazzlingly good golf with the finest conditions you can find in the UK; cut five more holes on those greens and you could have yourself a very pleasant game of table billiards.

And me, of course! This was my second visit.

My first was not long after Tiger Woods tamed The Grove’s then juvenile track during the World Golf Championship. That was back in 2006 and it was the first time the WGC American Express event had ventured into Europe. Woods blitzed the tournament with a record aggregate score of 261 to capture his fifth WGC-American Express Championship and his 12th World Golf Championships title; heady days for a young Tiger in his prime.

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undergrowth, a playful, irreverent and provocative example of what this place represents. And that’s just the interiors. A truly great hotel should inspire you beyond your everyday sensibilities; pluck you from your comfort zone, and if it can do so in sublime comfort - so much the better.

The gardens are equally Zen-like; trippy topiary and fragile statuettes, sunken glades, meditative lakes and floral walkways. Whoever dreamed all this up was either mad, a genius or just plain high!

To further exemplify my point, the Walled Garden with its outdoor pool has its own beach - pure white sand has been shipped in and surrounded with sun-bleached beach huts and deck chairs. Slap on the factor 50 and order a Mojito and you’re in Aruba. This place on the edge of London with its topiary giraffes and purple, padded wallpaper takes care of everything; mind, body and spirit.

I’d played The Grove’s course back in 2007 with the waft of Tiger’s presence still in the air. I hadn’t quite played to his standard but was willing to give it another try. The Grove is a pure ‘Payand-Play’ facility, with no members’ times to worry about so, unless there’s a corporate group ahead which there often is, you can enjoy millionaire’s golf. But there is a price tag to match - £165 Monday to Wednesday and £185 the rest of the week. I have to say it’s worth it as it’s one of the finest parkland courses I’ve encountered.

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LEFT PAGE FROM TOP: The Grove on a misty Autumn morning.

THIS PAGE FROM LEFT: The Athenaeum in London’s swanky Mayfair; Main suite at The Athenaeum; Duncan Dickenson, the concierge of The Athenaeum.

Designed by Kyle Phillips of Kingsbarns, Dundonald and Yas Links fame, it is a veritable showcase of dazzlingly good golf holes with the finest conditions you will find anywhere in the UK. Cut five more holes on those greens and you could have yourself a very pleasant game of table billiards. We are talking smooth!

Outside of the putting zone, it is a tough course to play. If you stray into the fescue it will not give up your ball easily. Even if you do keep it on the super-trim fairways, and there is plenty room generally off the tees, you are regularly stretched again into those legendary pacey greens. And if you miss the greens, there is a world of deviousness to deal with - sunken hollows, swales and runoffs all conspiring to suck your ball off the green and into bogie wonderland.

Holes such as the 3rd linger long in the mind. It is a par 4, stroke index 1 that typically plays back into the wind with a water feature defending the green – a very strong challenge where you can’t afford to visit (as I did) the long grass on the left. Number 9 was actually the 18th during the WGC tournament where Tiger made three eagles over the four days.

There is a plaque to commemorate the occasion on the 567-yard par 5 hole three days in a row.

I, meanwhile, made a modest birdie. Probably the prettiest hole is the 13th, a par 3 playing downhill followed by the next two holes making up the universal range of testing golf holes.

Kyle Phillips has long been hailed for his work at Kingsbarns, creating an incredible seaside links from several cow pastures next to Fife’s coastal reaches. The Grove, set in the heart of deepest Hertfordshire was an entirely different proposition. Here Phillips pays homage to Harry Colt, the legendary golf architect of the 1920s who used curvaceous landforms to build interest and excitement.

Such sweeping shapes are the backbone of the visual and playing encounters of the Grove.

Each hole embraces fairly different profiles allowing each to stand out as a test and visual testament but also to flow flawlessly, one into the next.

The greens are different again. As opposed to say Colt’s contemporary Dr. Alister MacKenzie, Phillip’s green complexes are relatively even, certainly less undulating than greens of old. And with today’s extra zippy green speeds this is totally appropriate and fair. If they need to make the greens more difficult for tournament play for instance, pin positions tucked into the corners provide all the challenge required, bringing into effect those dastardly smooth aprons and deadly runoffs.

As you can perhaps tell, I was totally sold on The Grove’s delicious course from the very 1st all the way through to the 18th. But the real deal sealer here is the service.. These folks believe in what they are doing and they do it to the very best of their ability. Some of the staff I encountered on my first visit 7 years ago are still here! As an instance, the Scottish Golf Guest Services Manager, William Grant has been working here for 8 years. The golf course is run by Troon Golf, the American management company who specialize in highend operations in accordance with the highest American service ethos and even here in crusty old Britain, they (somehow) make it work. Hats off to them – all the staff make a supreme and genuine effort to make your stay as close to perfect as is possible.

So that was The Grove and a very groovy two days it was. But my trip to London didn’t end there. The Grove’s sister hotel, The Athenaeum in the heart of London’s swanky Mayfair district, is offering a second-centre stay to allow golfers the chance to take in the highlights of The Grove along with a night or two in the heart of London. It’s always a great idea to spend a few days in London and if you do stay at the Athenaeum, have a word with Duncan Dickenson, the concierge. He’s a master at his art and will keep you right on all things you need to know about London – which in my book makes all the difference. www.thegrove.co.uk David travelled from Scotland to London with East Coast trains. Lowest advance fares are always found online at www.eastcoast.co.uk and you can check times and fares on 08457 225225.

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Style ★ Vacations

Two To Tango

The gentleman’s guide to courtship and the perfect vacation.

p h oto g r a p h e r: c h u c k r e ye s s t yl i s t: be n c h i n

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On JAn

LeAther JAcket, knit puLLOver And trOusers; BOss sungLAsses; LOuis vuittOn

On cArLA

dress And BeLt; rALph LAuren BLAck LABeL

A true vacation lets you take control and the couple drives, with a Porsche convertible top-down no less, across the countryside and stops to smell the roses.

As his partner this day, matching black and white Akira golf bag from MST Golf with the exuberant 24k gold Akira ADR clubs goes hand in hand with his stylish composition – premium Japanese label Munsingwear’s white/beige top with navy Le Coq Sportif pants and a swanky pair of bespoke Berluti golf shoes that is a first for the Italian shoemaker.

On JAn

pOLO shirt; MunsingweAr trOusers; Le cOq spOrtif gOLf shOes; BerLuti sungLAsses; LOuis vuittOn gOLf BAg And cLuBs; AkirA

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three-piece suit And shirt; erMenegiLdO zegnA cOuture pOcket squAre; styList’s Own. BLAzer, shirt, trOusers And scArf; prAdA

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Then, it is on to the business at hand. Shaving cream is expertly applied with a hand-made badger hair brush, and the confident barber begins the straight razor shave with unerring dexterity.

A vacation should be a luxuriantly easy affair instead of rushing from place to place as we begin the day with a pampering shave at the world’s oldest barbershop, Truefitt and Hill, established in 1805 in London and now also open in Singapore’s hip Ann Siang Hill.

For some, a peg of single malt whiskey in crystal tumbler would do well to start the day, as Miles Davis played from the vintage gramophone at this premier men’s grooming salon.

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On to a romantic dinner at The Black Swan with its 1920s Great Gatsby style located at what was formerly a bank. The Stockyard Australia wagyu ribeye steak arrived at the table, but he could hardly keep his eyes off her. The 400 days grain fed beef sizzled softly between them. She smiled surreptitiously before reaching for the fries.

Finally, the move. The Power Room bar provides a perfect space for an intimate whispering and while cocktails and whiskies, sometimes both in one, might have done its part, the glittering beauty that is accentuated by the shimmering diamonds of Mouawad, the world’s most exciting and long standing jeweller, is sure to play a part in its crescendo as well.

Love is in the air, but also depicted by matching his and hers Ulysse Nardin and Girard Perregaux timepieces exclusively by The Hour Glass. Certainly, the deliciously heady concoctions at The Powder Room upstairs makes for a romantic tête-à-tête.

On JAn

dOuBLe-BreAsted BLAzer, shirt And trOusers; sALvAtOre ferrAgAMO pOcket squAre; styList’s Own. tiMepiece; uLysse nArdin executive duAL tiMe in rOse gOLd cerAMic cAse And BLAck ALLigAtOr LeAther strAp.

On cArLA

dress; sALvAtOre ferrAgAMO tiMepiece; girArdperregAux cAt’s eye AnniversAry in white gOLd cAse set with 62 BriLLiAnt-cut diAMOnds And BLAck ALLigAtOr LeAther strAp.

phOtOgrAphy: chuck reyes styLing: Ben chin grOOMing: AngeL gwee using ysL & redken hAir prOfessiOnAL MOdeLs: JAn B & cArLA B/Ave shOt On LOcAtiOn At truefitt & hiLL And the BLAck swAn

On JAn

cOAt & shirt; LOuis vuittOn

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dress; sALvAtOre ferrAgAMO eArrings; MOuAwAd 1.84ct white diAMOnds BrAceLet; MOuAwAd 7.54ct white diAMOnds

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On JAn

Timepiece; Ulysse nArdin execUTive dUAl Time in rOse gOld cerAmic cAse And blAck AlligATOr leATher sTrAp cOckTAil; gOlden pArAchUTe: A smOOTh 15 yeAr Old single mAlT whisky sTirred wiTh frAgrAnT vAnillA beAn, pUre mAple syrUp And livened wiTh mAndArin zesT

On cArlA

Timepiece; girArd-perregAUx cAT’s eye AnniversAry in whiTe gOld cAse seT wiTh 62 brilliAnT-cUT diAmOnds And blAck AlligATOr leATher sTrAp cOckTAil; The blAck swAn, gOOdnighT perU: flOrAl grApe spiriT infUsed wiTh chAmOmile flOwers, sUgAr syrUp & fresh ciTrUs smOOThened wiTh egg whiTe

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Destination Focus

Calabash & brunswiCk Twin havens of seafood and golf make this North Carolina region a beckoning respite for visitors far and wide. - By To m P e T e r s

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It could be said that the late, great American entertainer

Jimmy Durante helped put Calabash, North Carolina on the map. Durante coined a phrase which he used after his performances: “Goodnight, Mrs. Calabash, wherever you are.”

There have been the obvious discussions as to where that phrase originated but the good folks of the fishing community of Calabash, in Brunswick County, near the South Carolina border, claim that phrase started in their town.

According to ‘Our State Magazine’, NC, it was some time in the 1940s when Durante came through the town. He stopped to eat at a restaurant called, The Original, Calabash’s first seafood restaurant. He liked the food so much that he asked to speak with the owner, Lucy Coleman. He told her he would make her famous one day. Lucy Coleman, as the local story goes, was Durante’s Mrs. Calabash.

Well, Durante may have brought additional attention to Calabash but the seaside town of approximately 2,000 residents had a reputation as a tourist destination long before ‘Schnozzola’ (Durante’s nickname) happened by. Calabash’s claim to fame is it is the fishing capital of the world, more so because of the ‘Calabash style’ in the way the fish is cooked in the town’s many and varied restaurants. There are several interpretations of what the ‘Calabash style’ of cooking really is but one of the more popular thoughts is that the fresh fish is rolled in corn meal instead of flour before it is lightly deep-fried.

Fishing, whether it is recreational or commercial, brings a lot of money into the local economy. And if you are a fresh fish lover, the delicacies of the deep can be had at places like Ella’s, The Giggling Mackerel and Twin Lakes Seafood Restaurant, just three of over 30 restaurants in the area.

If the beach is high on the agenda, there are miles and miles of white sandy beaches throughout Brunswick County and its islands. For example, explore Bald Head Island where the only traffic is by golf cart or bike. Cars are not allowed to go to Southport, so that this opportunity to wander through what is considered the finest little fishing village on the Carolina coast.

But Calabash and Brunswick County and Brunswick Islands, a group of barrier islands along the coast, in general, have another draw and that is golf. Known as North Carolina’s Golf Coast there are over 30 courses in Brunswick County and more than 70 courses within an hour’s drive.

The courses are affordable, accessible and in many cases, are a true reflection of the terrain you may well expect along the coastal south - links-style courses and those sprinkled with marshlands and stately southern pines.

And another little tidbit to keep in mind is that you are not far from the famed Myrtle Beach in South Carolina, which has over 200 courses. However, what might be more appealing, at least to some, is the fact the Calabash/Brunswick County region is much less commercialized than Myrtle Beach and less crowded, particularly in the shoulder seasons. And you will still find all the big name designers in Brunswick County with names like Arnold Palmer, Rees Jones, Dan Maples, Willard Byrd, Fred Couples and Hale Irwin counted among the many.

There are championship calibre courses aplenty, many a part of golf and residential communities and as previously mentioned, very affordable. The spring and fall months, when the weather is not so hot, are excellent times to play in this region.

OPENING PICTURE - LEFT PAGE: Hole #5 Jones Course at Sea Trail Golf Resort.

THIS PAGE: Holes 1 and 2 at Magnolia Greens Golf Course Convention Center at Sea Trail Golf Resort.

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The Winds Resort Beach Club on Ocean Isle Beach, says it’s “all about golf” and has a variety of golf packages to suit the season. The resort has accommodation both right on the beach and across the street from the main building. It is more of a traditional resort, not the huge glitzy property one might expect but has all the amenities for a comfortable stay.

There are 20 courses within an eight-mile drive called ‘The Winds’. There are a variety of stay-andplay packages and specials that vary in price according to the time of the year. A winter special, for example, includes lodging, breakfast daily, golf and a power cart at only $69 a night. Temperatures that time of the year in Calabash average between 55-60 Fahrenheit. A March Madness special, when temperatures are warming up to between 65 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit, costs around $110 a night and includes the golf, cart, lodging and breakfast. In September and October and November, when temperatures start to cool down but still very comfortable, there is a fall special as well.

Because the Carolinas are known as a golf destination, the quality and challenge of the golf courses are very high. For example, The Pearl Golf Links in Calabash is a 900-acre complex just a short drive from The Winds Resort over the Intercoastal Waterway. The Pearl has two 18-hole championship courses designed by Dan Maples and routed through southern marshlands. In Maples’ style, they are both very challenging layouts that require positional play.

THIS PAGE FROM TOP: Hole 17 The Pearl East; green on Number 17 The Pearl East Course.

RIGHT PAGE FROM TOP: The Pearl Clubhouse; Sandpiper Bay Golf & Country Club Hole 7 on the Bay Course.

www.thewindsgolf.com www.thepearlgolf.com www.brunswickplantation.com www.sandpiperbaygolf.com www.farmsteadgolflinks.com www.magnoliagreensgolf.com www.seatrailgolf.com www.brunswickvillas.com

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The clubhouse at Sandpiper Bay Golf & Country Club. In the aerial shot you can see folks on the green for hole 9 of the Piper Course.

The greens are known locally for their speed and the fairways border on lots of water including the Calabash River. The Pearl opened in 1987 and both courses have been ranked among the top public courses in the Carolinas. The West course tops out at just over 7,000 yards from the tips. There are a lot of good solid holes in this design and long hitters will like the par 5s, all over 500 yards in length. Overall, it is a very strategic course so keeping the ball out of the many hazards is the key to a good score. The East course is slightly shorter at just under 6,800 yards but just as challenging as the West.

Brunswick Plantation & Golf Resort, another resort with stay-and-play packages and also in the Calabash region, is a 27-hole complex made up of the three-nines, Magnolia, Dogwood and Azalea. The large, plantation-style clubhouse instantly puts you in that southern mode.The three layouts, designed through a residential community, put emphasis on shot making. There is a lot of water and sand to keep it all very interesting.

The Brunswick Plantation boasts luxury condos overlooking the fairways and with all the amenities plus two pools and exercise facilities. The condos feature a central living room and kitchen area with bedrooms, each with private bath, accessible to that central area. Some of the other courses nearby included Sandpiper Bay Golf & Country Club, Farmstead Golf Links and Magnolia Greens.

Sandpiper Bay at Sunset Beach is a 27-hole complex with the three nines again designed by Dan Maples. Although the Piper and the Bay courses were routed around lots of water, there is a real parkland feel. There are six sets of tees on each course so they really offer every level of golfer a chance to enjoy. The third nine, called Sand, offers lots of water challenge on five of the nine holes. Keep your eyes open for a gator or two.

Farmstead in Calabash is a unique treat. It has a very strong Scottish links flavour and a number of holes cross the state line into South Carolina. The 18th is, to say the least, a monster by any standards.

It is a Par 6 (no typo here) at a whopping 767 yards from the back tees. It is tough enough from the white tees at 679 yards and the green is nearly completely surrounded by water to make this easily the most resounding finishing hole in the area.

Magnolia Greens is another 27-hole complex, this time designed by Tom Jackson and is a part of a residential golf community. It has hosted a number of PGA qualifying events and rated one of the top public courses in the southeast. A true test and definitely a reflection of the high standard of golf courses in the region.

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And another little tidbit to keep in mind is that you are not far from the famed Myrtle Beach in South Carolina, which has over 200 courses.

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If golf is only part of your vacation, other activities here are in abundance. Apart from fishing, you can also cruise the Intercoastal Waterways from the Ocean Isle Beach Fishing Center, enjoy the many kilometres of white sandy beaches, go hiking, biking, kayaking and in the south, there are lots of history. There are a number of seaside resorts, motels and hotels throughout the area to base your activities.

Sea Trail Resort & Golf Links at Sunset Beach is considered one of the top places to stay. The resort, which features three 18-hole championship courses (Rees Jones, Willard Byrd, Dan Maples) accommodates its guests in a variety of fully equipped and well-appointed villas.

Brunswick Plantation Golf Resort is another top-rated property in the region as is The Winds Resort Beach Club at Ocean Isle Beach.

And by the way, don’t forget to stop at one of the many restaurants and try out some hush puppies. These tasty morsels, made of cornmeal and deep fried, have a sweet flavour that can become very addictive if you decide your waistline doesn’t matter.

LEFT PAGE: Hole Number 15 Sea Trail Jones Course.

THIS PAGE FROM TOP: Green on Hole 18 at Farmstead Golf Links; Intracoastal Waterway Ocean Isle Beach.

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Fairway

Major Winners and ryder Cup stars Confirmed for the Fourth edition of the thailand Golf Championship Bangkok, Thailand (13 October) – Major

winners Bubba Watson and Martin Kaymer will join defending champion Sergio Garcia in a star-studded field for the eagerly anticipated fourth edition of the 2014 Thailand Golf Championship, which will be staged once again at Amata Spring Country Club on December 11-14.

Furthermore, two of Europe's other Ryder Cup heroes – Lee Westwood, who captured the Thailand Golf Championship in 2011, and Victor Dubuisson – have committed to play in the Asian Tour's US$1 million flagship tournament, as has South African legend Ernie Els, who will be making his first appearance in the event.

Adding to the excitement of a tournament that has provided so much drama in its first three years, the Thailand Golf Championship has been confirmed as part of The Open Qualifying Series (OQS), with four places at the 2015 Open, to be held at St Andrews, up for grabs.

Before the action gets underway at magnificent Amata Spring, which has been voted as the best course on the Asian Tour for three consecutive years, Garcia said he can't wait to return to the Land of Smiles.

"I have been coming to the Thailand Golf Championship every year and I love it, but last time was especially special as it gave me my first win of the season," said world number three Garcia, who made a hole-in-one on his way to a four-shot win in 2013. "The event always attracts a really high-quality field and this year it is as strong as ever, so I'll need to be at my best if I want to retain my title. I'm really looking forward to the challenge."

In Watson and Kaymer, the Spaniard faces two players who have this season recorded their second major championship

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victories. In April, 35-year-old Watson put on a brilliant display of ballstriking to collect his second Green Jacket for winning the Masters Tournament at famed Augusta National Golf Club, while Kaymer powered his way to a convincing first US Open title at Pinehurst's historic No. 2 course.

"Sergio played great last year and I'm sure all the European guys will be feeling good after their win at the Ryder Cup, but Amata Spring is a course I really enjoy playing and I know I can perform well on. There's no doubt: it's going to be another great week in Thailand," declared Watson, whose best result at the Thailand Golf Championship came in 2012 when he finished in a tie for second behind runaway winner Charl Schwartzel.

Kaymer, who has enjoyed a breakthrough season after winning the Players Championship in May before adding to his major championship haul at the US Open in June, will be making his Thailand debut and is raring to go.

"I've heard so many good things about the Thailand Golf Championship – the quality of the golf course, the friendliness of the fans and the great atmosphere they provide – that I was very happy adding it to my schedule," said the German, who is ranked 12th in the Official World Golf Ranking. "I'm really hoping to experience plenty of Thai culture, too."

Inaugural Thailand Golf Championship winner Lee Westwood, who fired a blistering 12-under-par 60 in the first round on his way to a seven-shot victory in 2011, is gunning for his second Asian win of the year after claiming the Malaysian Open in April. The Englishman, one of the most successful players in European Tour history, said his fondness for the event combined with his knowledge of the course will stand him in good stead.

"The 60 I had that first year was certainly the lowest and arguably the best round of my career." reflected the 41-yearold. "Amata Spring suits my eye very well and it is always in fabulous condition. The Thailand Golf Championship is one of the most enjoyable weeks of the season and I'll be trying my best to get the trophy back off Sergio."

Dubuisson, who was one of Europe's standout performers at Gleneagles, will, like Els, be making his first appearance at the Thailand Golf Championship and is likely to make a big impression with the fans thanks to his laid-back manner and impressive all-round game. The former world amateur number one has featured prominently on leader boards around the world in recent times. The Frenchman finished the European Tour's Race to Dubai season in sixth place in 2013 and boosted his credentials yet further by reaching the final of the 2014 WGC-Accenture World Match Play Championship in February.

Consecutive major top-10 places at the US Open and the PGA Championship – plus that stunning Ryder Cup display – makes the 24-year-old one of the pre-tournament favourites.

Although the elegant championship trophy has gone to international stars over the previous three editions, the local galleries can be assured of a strong Thai challenge from the likes of Thongchai Jaidee, Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Prayad Marksaeng, Prom Meesawat and Chapchai Nirat.

The Thailand Golf Championship's significant prize purse and positioning as the penultimate event on the Asian Tour calendar means it will likely play a key role in determining who wins the Order of Merit. But its newly acquired status as part of The Open Qualifying Series means there's now more to play for than ever.

Asian Tour Chairman Kyi Hla Han said: “The Asian Tour is delighted that the Thailand Golf Championship will now be part of The Open Qualifying Series. This new status will provide additional motivation for our talented members to shoot for glory and fight for places in The Open Championship in 2015.

“Since its inauguration in 2011, the Thailand Golf Championship has been a major fixture on the Asian Tour Schedule and the event, which continues to attract world-class golf stars, has indeed grown in stature that it is regarded as one of the most prestigious tournaments in Asia.

“I would like to express our fullest appreciation to Amata Spring Country Club for its vision for the Thailand Golf Championship and we look forward towards another successful staging of the tournament.”

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Resort Golf Academy

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In golf instruction, there is a name above all names.

Introducing the Butch Harmon School of Golf.

- by be n n y t e o

OPENING PICTURE: Cascata Golf Course.

THIS PAGE: Harmon on the short swing.

The name marks an age of number ones and Major champions from Tiger

Woods to Adam Scott, Phil Mickelson to Rickie Fowler and Dustin Johnson. For as long as the 70-year-old venerable golf instructor has coached, he has made a difference to the world of golf.

As recently as last year, golf’s journeyman Jimmy Walker even had his wife appeal to Butch to take a look at him and the results are telling with three wins on the PGA Tour in his first eight events in the 2014 season.

Now imagine having the same coaching those guys are getting. That is all achievable now at the Butch Harmon School of Golf located at Rio Secco Golf Club in Las Vegas, Nevada. And that was what a group of 12 friends from Singapore did when they booked a 3-day package back in March.

When they first arrived, all the staff were there introducing themselves, and then as they got in, a gentleman came forward and plainly said, “Hi, I’m Butch!” to the surprise of everyone as a warm and friendly gentleman stood before them, no larger than life than what they had each imagined Butch Harmon to be.

At 9 o’clock in the morning, hitting the range is not on top of most people’s minds and so it was that everyone settled for coffee and tea, getting to know Harmon and his team of instructors first before gearing up for lessons. All instructors have been trained by Harmon. Greg Labelle, one of the youngest in his late 30s, has been with Butch for 16 years. The oldest, Don Callahan, who at 75, has been coaching for half a century and has been with Harmon since 2003.

Later, the group would be separated with an instructor taking one section to the short game area and the other covering the range from 3-wood, 8-iron and wedges at the driving bay.

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Philosophy and Teaching Here at the school, they don’t try to change your grip or stance. They try to tweak from what you have, so if you’re using a strong grip, they will maintain it, unless it is very wrong. For Ken Khoo, one of the participants of this trip, his problem has always been slicing the ball.

Ken recalls, “I remember what they did, until today, and was very particular about it because for so many years, I was a strong slicer. That badly affected my game. During the sessions, I gamely took down notes on my phone, on the things that they told me to remember.”

One of the main things was having a correct stance, namely, left foot forward, right foot back. But the shoulders must be in-line with the stance and not the target to allow for a proper full backswing and follow-through. Eventually, what they wanted was for Khoo to achieve was a correct body turn.

“I was swinging ‘out-to-in’ and Butch was changing that ‘in-to-out’. So, once I had the body turn and finish facing the target and weight towards the front, I was almost moving forward,” he says, continuing, “I was always the opposite, falling back.”

Butch is involved everyday throughout the program. He may not be with each individual at all times but will be watching, observing, guiding together with the rest of the instructors on every aspect of the game from putting, chipping, long game, and short game.

For example, he was mulling over Khoo’s swing with the instructors before approaching Ken personally asking, “Kenny, let’s see what you can do.”

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“I got stressed and screwed up. But Butch Harmon was stood there right behind me, being really friendly, uncritical and told me to go again,” recalls Khoo.

“Kenny, you are very difficult, but if you put to heart to what we’ve taught you, you’ll do fine.

Just go out there and enjoy the game. That’s what golf is all about,” said Harmon, following which Khoo relaxed a little more and began hitting the draws that he has recently learnt.

Then there was the chipping session where they learnt how to chip in to hole with about 5 or 6 holes on the practice green. Butch went up to the group and said, “If anyone can hole it, I’ll buy you a whisky.” Khoo chipped in twice.

There were also some interesting contraptions that were used at the school, like a putting ruler where you can check the degree of deviation left or right of the putting line.

Lining a putt 3 metres behind the hole, they put the target at the end and then align. A laser is beamed towards the ruler to show how accurate or far off the line is.

One of the students had a chicken winged backswing so they strapped something that looked like a bionic arm over his elbow and for that entire day, he was just using it. It was so uncomfortable but after taking it off, he realised he was cured.

Nevertheless, the instructors mostly depended on gut feel, observing swings and habits, helping the individual through a combination of experience and know-how. An authorised Titleist fitting centre, there was even a complimentary service where they would fit the clubs to suit the individual.

Socialising with Butch Harmon Harmon, as the group found out, is one of the funniest guy on the dining table. “There were 12 of us and he was just in his element, joking – he called me Kenny, my friend Geeson, G-Man, and I was so impressed with him because he remembered all our names,” remarks Khoo, continuing, “He also knew I was interested in military stuff because he saw I was carrying a military backpack, and he took from his personal collection, a camouflaged Butch Harmon knapsack that says ‘Butch Heroes’, and said to me, ‘Ken I know you’ll love this, this is from me to you.’”

A hotel entrepreneur by trade, Geeson P. Lawadinata, or G-Man, just wanted a trip with friends but got more in return and says, “I really didn’t have any expectation with regards to the school. Just knew that it probably wouldn’t harm my game. I was looking forward to be playing together with friends and meeting new friends. In the end, it exceeded all expectations I had.”

He continues, “Butch Harmon is very friendly and very approachable but I just can’t understand his obsession over my fedora hat!” He laughs, then on a more serious note, says, “Jokes aside, I see his passion and generosity, and helping others enjoy the game.

Individually, I believe we each gained something from him, though one thing remained consistent, that is, learning the basic of the golf swing that suits your game. It may seem trivial, but grip, stance, posture, balance are still important points to remember. Taking a brief, but deliberate time to address the ball is just one overlooked factor most of us take for granted, me included.”

One of the nicest renowned personality in the game, Butch Harmon has coached the best and is willing to share war stories of the many top players he’s taught, as well as some Hollywood stars.

“He keeps talking about Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, and then he also told me he played with Bruce Willis and George Clooney, and when the latter had a hole-in-one, Willis carried him running around the hole!” says Khoo.

A man who wears his heart on his sleeve, he was upset when at Cascata Golf Club, where they were due to play a round together on the final day, he heard news that Tiger Woods was suffering from a bulge in his back. He sadly says that that was the end of Tiger, attributing his physical ailments to too much weight training. It seems, the man who started Woods on to his stellar career, really knows him best, as the ex-world number one recently announced retirement from the rest of the golfing year after missing the cut at the PGA Championship.

Even at the range, Harmon was hilarious, showing many bloopers of

LEFT PAGE FROM TOP: Butch Harmon giving tips at Rio Secco Golf Club; Butch reviewing the golf swing.

THIS PAGE FROM TOP: Harmon on bunker play; Greg Labelle on the putting stroke; Short game instruction.

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TOP PICTURE: Getting started at Cascata Golf Club CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Rio Secco, home of Butch Harmon Golf School; The million dollar par 3 challenge; A river runs through it, at Cascata's club house; The group celebrating Tay's hole-in-one.

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golfers great and not so great. He showed them a video of Tiger when he first came, at 17, skinny and with no mass, hitting driver, not being happy with the swing and then throwing it; another student hit the ball, rebounded on the side wall and then between his legs; then there was someone taking a back swing and hitting the instructor on the head.

Rio Secco and Cascata Golf Courses Butch Harmon and his team of instructors will play two rounds of golf, a 9-hole playing lesson at Rio Secco Golf Club, where the academy is sited on the second day of the program, and a full 18-hole round at the much vaulted Cascata golf course at nearby River Mountains above Boulder City, 30 minutes from the Las Vegas strip.

This Rees Jones designed course offers unsurpassed panoramic views of the mountains and a 418-foot waterfall (Cascata is the Italian word for ‘waterfall’) that tumbles from the steep boulders and cascades into a river oasis that winds its way through the clubhouse before culminating in a tranquil stream. A beautiful sight to behold indeed.

For Khoo, it was made even more incredible as he returned with a gross score of 81. “That’s a career high. I’ve not been able to break through for so many years, so to be able to shoot that score on such a magnificent course, playing it for the first time and then having Butch Harmon with me, words just can’t describe it.”

But the highlight was to come after.

Tay Liam Wee, a businessman in the luxury timepiece sector scored a hole-in-one at the par 3, 15th hole measuring 192 yards from the Blue tees. Butch Harmon had just left the flight to join Khoo’s group in front but Greg Labelle was there. The others who had played this hole before mainly hit their balls outside the green and even if they had landed on, it would run out of those fast greens.

“Liam Wee hit outside the green and it popped on and ran. Greg had a feeling that it was going in, urging the ball towards the cup, which it eventually did,” offers Khoo in a retelling. “They were screaming so loud, we were just in front of them, but the Cascata Golf Course is so big, we didn’t even hear them scream. And then Butch, who found out soon after, came up and told us what just happened. He was very surprised.

In the history of the school, this was the first time it happened.”

THIS PAGE CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Butch showing Geeson and Billy the way; Liam Wee with his ace; scenic views of Cascata Golf Course.

Having recently closed down the academies at Macau and Florida, the venerated golf coach does not want a jet set life anymore, preferring to stay at his hometown here in Henderson, nevada. after the group has departed, they can still see Butch Harmon teaching the local folks, talking to them and getting involved with the community. the 3-day program costs Us$5,900, including a 4-night stay at caesar’s Palace tower with viP check-in, 3 days of schooling, all meals and limousine transfers.

Back at the Cascata clubhouse, as the golf carts rolled in one by one, the staff and management were on hand to greet and congratulate the group, and Tay in particular, for this accomplished feat. A bottle of fine champagne was opened there and then and a celebratory toast perfectly sums up the experience at Butch Harmon School of Golf.

An unforgettable experience to be sure but just how effective really is the program? For Geeson, a member of both Sentosa and Tanah Merah golf clubs in Singapore, the benefits remained long after his return: “My official index was reduced dramatically in the 3 months since attending Butch Harmon’s school, having gone from 16 to 13.”

Now, that is testimony indeed.

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Gastronomy

A ChristmAs story at Pan Pacific orchard, singapore 1 – 31 December 2014 Deck the halls

Christmas Day Luncheon, 25 December 2014 $788 per table of up to 10 persons

A merry Little Christmas 1-31 December 2014 Available from $300

Surround yourself in style and indulge in contemporary luxuries for the perfect yearend escape in our tasteful guest rooms.

Begin your escape with a festive welcome and look forward to a hearty start each day with a hearty buffet breakfast at our signature restaurant, 10 at Claymore.

Relax in comfort with in-room Nespresso coffee, premium Gryphon teas and an intuitive media hub that lets you play almost any entertainment device for your viewing pleasure. A late check-out and complimentary Wi-Fi ensures you get to boast your best moments to your friends too!

With a myriad of sweet holiday deals galore spread over 800,000 sqm of retail, dining and entertainment options, all at your doorstep, there is no other better staycation option than this!

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Descend upon our Christmas Day Luncheon held in a specially decked up hall in true festive glamour. Revel in convivial conversations over a bottle of champagne, red or white wine with every table.

Carve your own Oven Roast Turkey with chestnut stuffing and Whole Leg of Honey Baked Ham, served with roasted country vegetables, buttered mash. Complete the merriment with buffet of salads, hot sides and festive desserts including the ever popular yule logs, Christmas pudding and home-baked festive cookies.

Children will be delighted with a dedicated corner including their very own buffet and activity corner of their own to keep them engaged and happy!

For dining enquiries and reservations, please call +65 6831 6686 or email dining.ppsgo@panpacific.com. i’ll Be home For Christmas Bring Christmas home without the hassle. Succulent and well-marinated, our Oven Roast Turkey is served with Winter Vegetable & Chestnut Stuffing as well as the full set of condiments including cranberry marmalade and traditional brown gravy.

Other festive treats available from our takeaway counter include Brandy and Rum Fruit Cake, Yule Logs, Gingerbread and Christmas cookies, all handmade according to traditional recipes.

For enquiries and reservations, please call+65 6831 6686 or email dining dining.ppsgo@panpacific.com.

A Noel Afternoon Delight

Refresh and Relax at St. Gregory spa

1– 31 December, Lobby Lounge

Wellness Floor, Level Four

Make time to savour the year’s joy over a delightful tête-à-tête in the elegant ambience of the Lobby Lounge.

Enjoy three silver tiers of festiveinspired treats, a spread of tapas, desserts and a ‘live’ Roast Turkey carving station this season in addition to a delightful array of premium tapas, cheese board, dainty finger sandwiches and a lovely assortment of festive treats.

Indulge further with our complementary àla carte Plates of Pleasure menu that offers signature favourites prepared fresh from the kitchen for your dining pleasure.

Raise a toast of Laurent-Perrier bubbly to a year’s achievements and successes in life, love and friendship!

A selection of premium loose leaf teas and freshly brewed coffee is also available.

St. GreGory’S Gift CertifiCate Gift luxuriously of spa experiences at awardwinning spa, St. Gregory. Surprise loved ones with gift certificates that entitles them to select their own spa treats. Enjoy 15% savings on minimum of $300 St. Gregory’s gift certificate purchased before 1 December 2014. *Except eve of and Christmas Day, eve of and New Year’s Day. For dining enquiries and reservations, please call +65 6831 6685 or email dining.ppsgo@ panpacific.com.

elemiS treaSureS ColleCtion Gift SetS The leading luxury British spa and skincare brand loved by 7 million spa lovers worldwide, Elemis is now available for pampering experiences at home.

Successfully combining natural active ingredients with cutting-edge technology, present the most influential anti-ageing products and professional spa-therapies the beauty industry has ever seen this Christmas.

Drumming Up A Feast 1– 31 December, 10 at Claymore

Eat, drink and make merry for ‘tis the season for hearty gatherings!

Celebrate over the finest cuisine and classic favourites such as Oven Roasted Turkey with Chestnut stuffing with giblet gravy and cranberry marmalade, carved Roast Wagyu Beef on Wagon and Rougie Foie Gras with onion marmalade at Sunday Brunch.

Complement this meaty indulgence with fresh seafood on ice which includes Maine lobster and Queen Roe Scallops, freshly sliced airflown sashimi as well as a hearty variety of hot bistro fare. End on a sweet note with a decadent dessert table filled with festive yule logs, homemade confectionaries, sweet treats, chocolate fountain and a crêpe station which lets you decide how you want it done.

Must-tries also include the Plates of Pleasure featuring signature favourites such as Executive Chef Andy Oh’s award-winning Peddlers’ Famous Char Kway Teow, Assam Laksa with Barramundi and Aromatic Prawn Noodles in Spicy Broth, all prepared à la minute. Add some sparkle to the celebrations with our special LaurentPerrier Champagnes and premium wine selection, specially curated to augment your dining experience. *Except eve of and Christmas Day, eve of and New Year’s Day.

For appointments and enquiries, please call +65 6831 6797 or email stgregory.sgo@panpacific.com.

A Christmas Carol

24 and 25 December 2014 Main Lobby, Level Two

Let the sweet serenade of our carollers light up your Christmas season. Join them on 24 and 25 December as they fill the Lobby with their angelic voices.

Join in the chorus and be imbued with the Christmas spirit before taking a stroll down Orchard Road, adorned in festive grandeur and abuzz with all things merry.

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Fairway

Korean SenSation noh

Set for Chiangmai Golf Classic Debut

The Alpine Golf Resort Chiangmai, designed

by Ron M. Garl, is located in a valley between mountain ranges in the heart of the San Kampaeng natural forests and boasts of natural beauty.

The Chiangmai Golf Classic is supported

by PTT Public Company Ltd, Advanced Info Service Plc, Toyota Motor Thailand Co., Ltd., Siam Commercial Bank PCL, Tourism Authority of Thailand, Provincial Government of Chiangmai, Chiangmai Provincial Administrative Organisation, The Northern Golf Resort Association, Alpine Golf Resort Chiangmai, Thai Beverage Public Company Limited, Italian-Thai Development PLC, Advanced Information Technology Public Company Ltd, Sport Authority of Thailand, CAT Telecom Public Company Ltd, TOT Public Company Ltd, Fenix Apparel and Accessories Co., Ltd., Ricoh (Thailand) Limited, Diageo Moet Hennessy Thailand, Panasonic Siew Sales (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Jebsen & Jebsen Technology, Hytera Communications Corporation Limited, Oakley, Furama Chiangmai and Standard Tour Co., Ltd.

Chiangmai, Thailand, October 12: Korean star Noh Seung-yul, who became the youngest Asian Tour Order of Merit champion in 2010, will lend his star credentials at the Chiangmai Golf Classic presented by PTT in November.

The 23-year-old is highly regarded as one of the most promising talents in world golf and will join an exciting line-up of top names at the US$750,000 Asian Tour event which will be played at the majestic Alpine Golf Resort Chiangmai from November 13 to 16.

Major champions Jason Dufner of the United States and Charl Schwartzel of South Africa will headline the second edition of the Chiangmai Golf Classic alongside Australia’s Scott Hend, who is the title holder.

As a teenager, Noh burst onto the Asian Tour scene in 2008 and made an immediate impact by winning his first title at the Midea China Classic in his rookie year.

Two years later, he defeated idol K.J. Choi to lift the Maybank Malaysian Open title in 2010 before going on to win the prestigious Order of Merit crown at the age of 19 years and 204 days.

Since then, Noh has successfully plied his trade on the PGA Tour where he won his first title at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in April.

“I enjoyed a great career on the Asian Tour and winning the Order of Merit opened many doors for me. I’m excited to return to Asia because I’ve got fond memories there. There are many talented players on the Asian Tour and it will be a big challenge to win in Chiangmai,” said Noh. “The Asian Tour gave me the opportunity to develop my game and provided me with the platform to go on and play on the PGA Tour. I look forward to meeting old friends and hopefully contend for the title in Chiangmai,” added the Korean.

The Chiangmai Golf Classic will promote Chiangmai as a leading golfing and tourist destination through the four days of live broadcasts on the Asian Tour’s global television platform, which reaches over 180 countries and 625 million homes.

About the Asian Tour As the official sanctioning body for professional golf in Asia, the Asian Tour leads the development of golf across the region, enhancing the careers of its members while maintaining a commitment to the integrity of the game. The Asian Tour, through its membership of the International Federation of PGA Tours, is the only recognised pan-Asian professional golf tour in Asia. This unique feature positions the Asian Tour at the pinnacle of professional golf in Asia; providing its events with Official World Ranking status. Tour Partners include Abacus (Official Apparel Partner), Inetol Headwear (Official Headwear Sponsor), Oakley (Official Eyewear and Footwear Sponsor), PRG (Official Accessories Supplier), Saxo Capital Markets (Official Statistics Partner), Srixon (Official Ball), Titleist (Official Web Partner) and Rolex (Official Timekeeper). The Asian Tour has offices in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. Also, visit us at www.asiantour.com, www.facebook. com/asiantourgolf, www.twitter.com/asiantourgolf, www.youtube.com/theasiantour and www.weibo. com/asiantourgolf.

Collection ★ Move

Aston MArtin BAngkok unveils the all new 573 hp Vanquish Volante for the High Luxury Sports segment in the Thai market.

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Aston Martin Bangkok by Heritage Motor Sales &

Services (Thailand) Co., Ltd, a subsidiary of the Master Group Corporation (Asia) Co., Ltd celebrates its 1st anniversary in Thailand with the spectacular launch of the Vanquish Volante for the High Luxury Sports Segment.

Komkrit Nongsawat, General Manager of Aston Martin Bangkok (AMBKK) said the introduction of the all-new Vanquish Volante for the Thai market will strengthen the Aston Martin brand in Thailand in conjunction with the reinforcement of the commitment by AMBKK who holds the sole importer and distribution rights for the brand in Thailand.

"Aston Martin of UK understands the strategic importance of AMBKK as a key footprint for the expansion of the Aston Martin brand in the ASeAN region." said Komkrit. He added, "AMBKK has invested over 300 million THB in its state-ofthe-art dedicated showroom at Rama III in early 2014. We are fully capable of accommodating the High Luxury Sports (HLS) segment demand with sales, services and genuine spare parts

by Aston Martin to build the growing Aston Martin customer base in Thailand. The Vanquish Volante is a strategic product that will meet customer’s discerning needs and demands after the DB9 and Vantage models. Meanwhile the Vanquish and Rapide S are exquisite alternatives for our customers as well." added Komkrit.

The Vanquish Volante’s soaring performance, meticulous craftsmanship and cosseting luxury are now combined with the pure hedonism of open air motoring to create a dazzling and unique driving experience.

With a light but incredibly stiff aluminium structure and clothed in a suit of Carbon-Fibre, the Volante retains the precision of its exceptional coupe sibling yet brings the driver closer to the elements and closer still to its magnificent 6.0-Litre V12 engine. This is the most powerful Volante ever created with a magnificent 573 PS (565 bhp), and the Vanquish Volante’s sheer breadth of talent is unrivalled.

To ensure that you can explore every facet of its character at any moment, the luxurious multi-layered roof with ThinsulateTM technology stows at the touch of a button in just 14 seconds. The Ultimate Super Grand Tourer has become the Ultimate Volante. The Vanquish Volante has an effortless charisma. It is always centre stage but never overbearing and exudes the unique Aston Martin elegance. But there is a twist – inspired by the extraordinary One-77 supercar, the Volante’s tightly sculpted suit of Carbon-Fibre underscores that elegance with a palpable sense of scintillating dynamism. the Vanquish Volante is also a piece of street theatre.

The crucial details – the Carbon-Fibre front splitter, the one-piece 'Aero Duct' bootlid, the vast Carbon Ceramic brakes – might pass them by, but they will know they have just seen a truly special Aston Martin.

And as it glides out of sight and the rich tone of the 6.0-Litre V12 washes over them, it will leave an indelible impression. The Vanquish Volante has an understated, timeless movie star quality.

Nothing is more liberating than the simple thrill of open air motoring. Feeling the warm flush of sun on your face, the smells of the seasons whipped into an intoxicating cocktail and if you are driving a Vanquish Volante, the feeling that you have melded completely with its intensely powerful drivetrain and poised chassis. So retracting the taut, insulated roof in just 14 seconds at speeds of up to 30 mph (48 kph) is the ultimate luxury. However it is matched by the sumptuous, bespoke interior that connects you so completely with the car yet isolates from fatigue like only this Super GT knows how.

Designed to cosset with unrivalled comfort and crafted from the finest natural materials, Vanquish Volante offers a uniquely opulent driving environment.

Supple leather, cool metal and smooth glass provide delightful visual and tactile contrasts, while the exceptional quality of materials and craftsmanship is evident in everything you see and touch. Once again the One-77 super car is referenced with the ‘waterfall’ design centre console, a stunning and intuitive centre piece to a sophisticated and soothing interior. The perfect place to orchestrate your journey. The perfect place too, for the world to watch you slip effortlessly past.

The Vanquish Volante is the culmination of 100 years of passion and accrued engineering skill then it’s little wonder that it is a car of rare harmony.

While agility, response and balance are all key contributors, the Vanquish Volante also delivers cosseting refinement and supple ride quality. The foundation of this finely judged balance is the latest version of Aston Martin’s bonded aluminium skeleton, which provides a super-stiff platform to allow the suspension and steering components to work at optimum efficiency.

The result is a car of many moods but one that is always deliciously poised and polished. Our Adaptive Damping System (ADS) offers three modes: Normal, Sport and Track. The Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) is similarly versatile, so the Vanquish Volante’s inherent rightness can be tuned to the road or circuit that it is tackling and the skill and appetite of the driver. Whichever mode you choose the car’s nearperfect weight distribution, immense torsional rigidity and progressive, intuitive balance combine to deliver the consummate Super GT driving experience.

Komrit added, "The Vanquish Volante is peerless amongst its competition and delivers a unique statement about the gentleman owner who drives this most exquisite High Luxury Sports car. AMBKK is proud to introduce the Volante to Thailand and is confident of the brand’s unique appeal of soul, performance and passion that exudes in every essence of the Volante."

GGoollff VVaaccaattiioonnss

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Journey Dreams come true in

HokkaiDo When the green leaves are turning to red, the wind of winter is coming.

Yesterday the autumn leaves were falling down and covering the ground.

When the days are gone, feeling of a sadness in heart.

Let the feeling flow, free the heart go as the red autumn leaves.

- by L E E L AWA D E E H O L I DAy

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When the last autumn leaf says goodbye to the

tree is the sign of the greeting from the winter wind.

The Snow Queen magically makes the beautiful and brilliant snowflakes. As the stars falling from the sky to the ground.

Hokkaido, the large island of Japan, attracts the visitors with the amazing direction of the season flow. Most of the remembering pictures of Hokkaido are in the white tone, which is the color of snow, but no one understands the happiness of Hokkaido people in the beginning of the beautiful winter, if he never sees the picture while the Ainu people cut firewood and suddenly hear the first greeting sound of the winter wind. Of course, you will see Ainu people working energetically, looking up to the sky and stretching the arms to respond the sound of the wind calling out with the peaceful smile. They are so happy beyond words.

Here‌The legend of ice of the year is happening again.

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Noboribetsu city The name "Noboribetsu" derives from an Ainu word, which means "The river of the white mist."

In Noboribetsu, time can deceive people.

Here is the place, which is suitable for playing Hide and Seek with the outside world.

This province has a large territory of forest.

When the trees have no sound, the leaves reply the winter wind, respond to love and waiting by changing their color together throughout the forest.

There is no place on this earth, where the autumn leaves turn to the red color as beautiful as here ever.

The Ainu People The Ainu are an indigenous ethnic group of people who live in Hokkaido, comparable to the Aboriginal fighters, Maori warriors or Masai Mara hunters of South Africa.

The word "Ainu" means "human."

The Ainu people have a deep reverence for nature and the belief that gods exist in all things.

The Ainu people have the unique DNA, which is not the same as other people in the world, not Caucasoids, Mongoloids or Negroids according to the genetic characteristics by means of the Mitochondril DNA testing.

This may be the reason why the Ainu like to go hunting by the wooden boat among the melody of "Shintoko", listen to the call of the nature and dream about the field of "Fuki" with every breath.

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For more information, kindly contact 02 664 0022 www.leelawadeeholiday.com

Ninja Kunoichi Ninja is the lineage of the renowned warriors, but did you know there is the female ninja, too?

Kunoichi is the female ninja. The one thing that is interesting is the word "Kunoichi" , which derives from the use of three Japanese character sets – first hiragana, then katakana and kanji.

Moreover, the word "Kunoichi" can be translated as the person, who has nine gifts. It is believed that the nine gifts contain two eyes, two noses, one mouth, one ear, one navel and one anus.

That is nine gifts altogether.

It also means the nine special abilities that one person must practice, because Kunoichi often disguises herself as geisha, prostitute, dancer or fortune teller, in order to find the opportunity to be close to the target with the weapons, hidden in sleeve and hair bun, so if you have a chance to meet the beautiful lady – the daughter of the Sun, "Please be aware that she may be the dangerous Kunoichi."

Today Ninja’s villages, where many groups of kunoichi live, remain in Hokkaido.

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Hokkaido‌It is the land of dreams of the people around the world, especially the European people, even the dreams of the Japanese people, while sleeping.

And what about you‌ Are you ready to have a dream, even if you are awake? www.leelawadeeholiday.com

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Sapporo Sapporo is not only the economic center of Hokkaido island, but also the fifth-largest city in Japan, although in the early period there were only seven inhabitants here. "Sapporo" can be translated in Ainu language as movie and music.

Nowadays on Hokkaido island, Sapporo is well-known as the birthplace of miso ramen.

There are eight ramen restaurants here, which are widely known.

Sapporo is famed for fresh seafood such as salmon, sea urchin and crab. If you come to Sapporo, you have to try the unique crab soup.

Blueberries and many kinds of watermelons are also very popular local specialties in Sapporo.

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Collection ★ Move

NOVITEC TORADO exclusive refinement for the Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 roadster

The Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 Roadster is one of the world's most exciting and powerful drop-top sports cars.

NOVITEC TORADO, the business division of NOVITEC GROUP specializing in the exclusive refinement of the automobiles from Sant'Agata Bolognese, now presents an extensive range of customization options that make the open two-seater even more extravagant and dynamic. The NOVITEC TORADO appearance upgrade comprises strikingly styled and aerodynamically efficient carbon-fiber body components and tailor-made staggered high-tech forged wheels with diameters of 20 and 21 inches. The NOVITEC TORADO coil-over sports suspension was designed specifically for this tire/wheel combination.

NOVITEC TORADO tuning boosts the power output of the Aventador's 12-cylinder engine to 535 kW / 728 hp, and thanks to a high-performance exhaust system with active electronic sound management at the push of a button in the cockpit the engine sounds even more spectacular. Exclusive options for the interior round out the product lineup.

Making super sports cars even more exciting is the specialty of NOVITEC Group. The body-enhancement program for the Aventador has now been expanded with parts adapted to the Roadster version, and combines even more spectacular looks with maximum aerodynamic efficiency, which was defined in extensive wind tunnel tests. All NOVITEC TORADO body styling components are made from carbon fiber. They are available with either a matt or glossy finish, and in a version for painting in vehicle or contrasting color.

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The face of the top-of-the-line Lamborghini model undergoes an extensive NOVITEC TORADO upgrade. The front bumper is upgraded with a two-piece NOVITEC TORADO front spoiler on the left and right, a central blade and redesigned air intakes. In addition, the front is modified with a redesigned trunk lid with integrated air ducts, and redesigned air extractors in front of the windshield. The wind tunnel tests showed these components to reduce negative lift on the front axle, thus optimizing handling stability at high speeds.

From the sides, NOVITEC TORADO rocker panels and carbon-fiber mirror housings lend the Aventador a new and even more distinctive profile.

The NOVITEC TORADO rear wing is not only a redominant part of the aerodynamic-enhancement concept, but also plays a key role in the extremely sporty appearance of the refined Lamborghini. To ensure venting of the engine bay, the rear wing is raised by a special NOVITEC CANTRONIC control unit below speeds of 180 km/h.

www.novitec.com

The aerodynamic-enhancement concept also comprises a special diffuser for the rear bumper that can be expanded into an especially efficient double diffuser.

The NOVITEC TORADO appearance package for all Lamborghini Aventador models, CoupĂŠ or Roadster, includes high-tech forged wheels. The three-piece NL1 alloys fill out the available space in the wheel arches perfectly, and fascinate with their delicate design featuring five double spokes. The staggered diameters on front and rear axle further emphasize the wedge-shaped appearance of the Roadster. The front axle is fitted with size 9Jx20 wheels and Pirelli P-Zero high-performance tires of size 255/30 ZR 20. Tires of size 355/25 ZR 21 on 13Jx21 rims provide optimal traction on the rear axle.

The height-adjustable NOVITEC TORADO sports suspension for the top-of-the-line Lamborghini model was developed together with KW automotive.

In addition to extensive road tests, the KW 7-post shaker rig from the Toyota Formula 1 team was also used in the development. It allows simulating a wide variety of roads and sequences of turns. The test results are then used in engineering an even sportier and safer suspension setup. As an alternative, NOVITEC TORADO also offers sports springs that lower the ride height of the two-seater by about 30 millimeters.

It goes without saying that NOVITEC TORADO offers engine tuning for the top-of-the-line Lamborghini model as well. Thanks to the NOVITEC TORADO high-performance exhaust and recalibrated engine electronics with special mapping for injection and ignition, power output of the Aventador LP 700-4 Roadster jumps to 535 kW / 728 hp while peak torque increases to 709 Nm. As a result the V12 engine delivers even more spontaneous throttle response.

The NOVITEC TORADO exhaust systems are also available without engine tuning. The high-performance exhaust comes in a stainless-steel version and in a version made from even lighter INCONEL used in Formula 1 racing.

Customers can choose from versions with or without active sound control optionally even at the push of a button in the cockpit. In addition, the lineup includes lighter and more efficient sports catalysts. Besides optimizing performance, NOVITEC TORADO's high-performance exhausts also offer weight savings of up to 26 kilograms over the production system.

NOVITEC TORADO likewise offers a host of options for the interior.

These include clear-coated carbon-fiber components ranging from door panels to the instrument cluster cover, as well as high-quality interiors crafted from the finest leather and Alcantara in any desired color.

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Collection ★ Time

IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN

Celebrates Construction of New Production Facility Schaffhausen, 24 September 2014

– As one of the world’s leading brands in the luxury watch segment, IWC is once again investing in its Schaffhausen home, the location of the company’s headquarters since 1868. The watch manufacturer celebrated the go-ahead for work to begin on the new production and technology centre in the Merishausertal on the outskirts of Schaffhausen with a traditional ceremony.

Members of IWC Management and numerous esteemed guests gathered to mark the forthcoming commencement of building work on IWC’s new manufacturing centre in a manner befitting the occasion. IWC CEO Georges Kern was joined

by Cantonal Councillor Reto Dubach, as well as Peter Neukomm and Raphaël Rohner, heads of the municipal council’s finance and building departments.

Schaffhausen Facilities Expand for the Third Time in 10 Years

“Today’s ground-breaking ceremony is about more than just marking the start of construction for the new production facility,” comments IWC CEO Georges Kern, emphasizing the significance of the event. “It is a commitment to Schaffhausen as the home of IWC and to attractive working conditions for our employees. It is also testament to the positive work being done by both the city and the Canton of Schaffhausen to create the ideal conditions for IWC to continue producing unique timepieces.” With an investment totalling around 40 million Swiss francs, this new building represents the largest expansion of production facilities to date. It follows the addition of the East Annex in 2005 and the West Annex in 2008 to the premises in the old town, which were constructed to meet growing demand. With 800 employees at its headquarters, IWC Schaffhausen is not only one of the most important employers in the region, but is an ambassador for the city’s image across the globe. The company was able to secure development rights for the 20,000-squaremetre site thanks in no small part to the residents of Schaffhausen, who 2 years ago voted with a majority of over 80% in support of the luxury watch manufacturer’s plans, demonstrating the trust they place in their local employer.

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OPPOSITE PAGE FROM SECOND PICTURE: IWC CEO Georges Kern (centre) and Karlheinz Baumann, COO IWC (middle right) on the occasion of the groundbreaking of the new IWC production facility; (From left) Christian Klever, CFO IWC, Reto Dubach, Cantonal Councillor of Schaffhausen Canton, IWC CEO Georges Kern, Raphaël Rohner, , Representative of the City Council of Schaffhausen, Karlheinz Baumann, COO IWC, Peter Neukomm, Representative of the City Council of Schaffhausen, on the occasion of the groundbreaking of the new IWC production facility.

New Building Consolidates Manufacturing Process

Once again, IWC is sending out a clear signal with the construction of the modern manufacturing centre.

“Over the past 10 years, IWC has grown from a niche company into a global brand, and we want to keep growing a little more each day,” says Georges Kern of the ambitious building project. “The large site allows us to design the building with a view to creating optimized, carefully coordinated lean production and logistics processes, which will enable us to further improve our ability to compete internationally.” Upon completion of the new building in October 2016, the Schaffhausen-based watch manufacturer will relocate the case and parts manufacturing departments along with the movement assembly to the Merishausertal.

State-of-the-art workstations will be provided for a total of 250 employees across a floor space of 13,000 square metres, while the building’s capacity allows for up to 400 workstations.

Attractive Building in Accordance with Latest Standards

The large expanses of green and the elegant architecture of the two-storey flat-roofed construction ensure that the staggered building complex blends seamlessly into the topography of the Merishausertal.

The new manufacturing centre is not just the product of IWC’s philosophy and its dedication to climate

protection and ecological responsibility; the experience gathered from the new-build projects undertaken over the past 10 years has also strongly influenced plans for the building. An example of this is the triple-insulated glass facade which ensures that the interior is flooded with light.

“We are continuing on from where we left off in 2008 with the West Annex, and implementing only the highest possible standards,” continues Georges Kern. “Alongside water heat recycling and heat recovery ventilation systems, we also use groundwater heating and cooling methods, and it goes without saying that our insulation measures meet the Minergie standard. We will also be able to cover a significant share of our energy requirements with the photovoltaic system that is planned to cover a large section of the flat roof.” Lighting in the building and the surrounding area will be equipped with LED technology and controlled by motion sensors. Also planned as part of the infrastructure is an intelligent waste and recycling management system to facilitate the reuse of waste from the production process. A canteen will also provide meals for the staff. IWC has been a certified carbonneutral company since 2007, and in line with this commitment will also provide its employees with a Smart Fortwo electric car. A final progressive initiative comes in the form of charging stations for the car and for e-bikes.

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Collection ★ Time

BELL & ROSS

B-ROCKET: The Dynamic Duo that is Bucking the trend Inspired by aeronautical design, watchmaker Bell & Ross has once again commissioned Shaw Harley-Davidson to design a concept bike with a sleek and powerful look evoking the extreme modernity of the 1960s and the very first American jet aircraft. More than a motorcycle, a legend. More than a legendary engine, a dream airplane-motorcycle.

Revival of the Heyday of Aeronautics: A Motorcycle Reminiscent of the Future

A passion for pioneering aeronautics, a quest for aerodynamic lines, a fascination with cockpit instrumentation… Since its creation, Bell & Ross has constantly strived to perfect the look of tools dedicated to aviation and featuring amazing functional mechanics. In 2011, the watchmaker successfully switched from the air to the ground by designing an exclusive motorcycle in collaboration with the British team at Shaw Harley Davidson Speed & Custom – the Nascafe Racer. At the time, this prestigious looking motorcycle travelled the world winning a series of prizes in London, Dublin (Ireland) and Sturgis (United States), before being named the planet’s «most famous custom motorcycle». In 2014, leading aeronautical watchmaker Bell & Ross went even further, presenting a totally exclusive motorcycle, again constructed with the engineers at Shaw Harley Davidson, who share the brand’s values of innovation, performance and precision. A unique motorcycle, inspired by the iconic world of the first jet planes secretly designed in the United States in the 1960s and evoking this heyday in aeronautics when anything seemed possible. The B-Rocket is a concept bike with a neo-retro look with lines encapsulating the essential principles of aeronautical design.

An airplane-motorcycle with a unique style whose extremely aerodynamic lines evoke the experimental aviation of the 1960s, Nevada’s speed bikes and the records they set

on the salt lake at Bonneville, the genius of Utah’s pioneering engineers in white coats, as well as the bravery of the test riders.

The B-Rocket is all that and much more: an airplane-motorcycle which cuts through the air with its striking conical jet nose, its cabin, its fin and its propulsion turbines.

This exceptional motorcycle – a unique model epitomizing the union between performance and precision, design and power – could have been ridden by a classic superhero, a NASA test pilot or a young gun thirsty for glory. Above all, it represents a watchmaking firm that believes in the authenticity of its designs and functions and most importantly aims to perfect the modernity of the past.

Aerodynamics and Performance Inspired Directly by the History of 1960s Experimental Aviation and Speed Bikes

Everything – absolutely everything – in the B-Rocket was designed to promote a sense of adventure. Bell & Ross and Shaw Harley Davidson worked side by side for over a year on the design of the B-Rocket: a dream airplane-motorcycle designed to break records.

Does it drive? Does it fly? The answer lies in its uncompromising aerodynamics, every detail of which has been designed to evoke the world of aviation.

The stylistic and technical originality of the B-Rocket can also be seen in its two impressive side-mounted turbines, instantly evocative of two jet engines that help to rapidly discharge air to achieve higher speeds. Two new types of filters have been incorporated into these turbines: the first, on the right, for the intake of air; the second, on the left, to cool the oil. These two «jet engines» are united by a hand-crafted stainless steel grille protecting the hydraulic tanks during activation of the clutch and the brakes.

The symmetry of these two high-performance engines strengthens the symbolic appeal of this unique airplane-motorcycle, whose exceptional power-weight ratio is unrivalled.

Finally, a tachometer designed by Bell & Ross has been incorporated into the front fairing to allow the rider to remain attuned to his machine’s heartbeat. Here again, esthetics merge with functionality; the canopy and the tachometer combine extreme legibility with the rapid display of information regarding speed.

BR 01 B-ROCKET Black Leather Strap

BR 03 B-ROCKET Black Leather Strap

THE BR 01 and BR 03 B-Rocket, When Speed is Taken Over by Time

In the wake of the B-Rocket, Bell & Ross is launching two watches which perform complementary functions and are complementary in size. A direct offshoot of the B-Rocket, the BR 01 B-Rocket is the ultimate watch for drivers. In the more elaborate BR 03 B-Rocket version of the watch, the 42 mm satin-brushed steel case is fitted with two complications. With their sophisticated finishes, the BR 01 and BR 03 B-Rocket can communicate, making dimmed headlights within easy reach. In terms of colors and materials, nothing has been overlooked in the detail of the finish of these models: red, black, steel and padded leather are there to prove it.

Finally, both watches are fitted with a padded leather strap, lined and edged in red, modeled on the seat of the B-Rocket. Naturally, to meet the requirements of Bell & Ross in terms of reliability, resistance and readability, both the BR 01 and BR 03 B-Rocket are water resistant to a depth of 100 meters and fitted with anti-glare treated sapphire crystal.

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Collection ★ Time

GRAHAM

CHRONOFIGHTER OVERSIZE SUPERLIGHT CARBON It always starts with the lever, then the idea begins to gain momentum. A first technological challenge, then a second. GRAHAM achieved a remarkable technological timepiece which brings Superlight technology to its peak and to high-end watch making.

The Chronofighter Superlight Carbon is the first Chronofighter carbon-fibre-made watch combining complex and unprecedented machining processes. The superlight black carbon nanotube composite case is enhanced by a carbon trigger, bezel, dial and buckle. Light, soft and comfortable to wear, the Chronofighter Oversize Superlight Carbon will survive rough treatment and the passage of time.

Only a high-level of ambition and extensive research enabled the creation of the impactful and reliable Superlight carbon watch. Perhaps, the easiest way to understand the technical feat is to think of the various carbon properties. Convenient, malleable and lightweight, carbon is the preferred material in aeronautics, car racing, aerospace, sports and other domains that require lightweight, strength and performance. By combining carbon fibre and a strong polymer matrix, carbon fibre composites are simply reshaping the world of high performances. All the conditions are there to create the most resistant and lightest time machine.

The Chronofighter Oversize Superlight Carbon complete watch weighs lighter than 100g.

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GRAHAM has developed a case, made of carbon nanotube speckled composite. The start and stop lever on the left of the case, the renowned GRAHAM signature, is made of plain carbon fibre –multi layersand results from a very specific machining process. This means that the lever is a unique piece of carbon which provides the watch with more stiffness and enhanced usability. Thanks to the instinctive and precise use of the carbon fibre trigger, the chronograph facilitates the measurement of speed thanks to a tachymeter scale and a reversed minute’s counter with a white painted indicator to show the starting point. The function emphasizes the intuitive use of the chronograph and immediate reading.

The shiny carbon bezel and dial perfectly finish the watch design and enable an optimum lightweight and shockproof use in all situations.

Dedicated to adrenaline and advanced technology, the watch is held by a red integrated “Clous de Paris” strap and plain carbon fibre buckle made of different parts and resulting from an inventive assembly process. No doubt you will create a fused relationship with The Chronofighter Oversize Superlight Carbon.

Collection ★ Time

VACHERON CONSTANTIN Platinum keeps Time to the Tune of Useful Complications

Celebrating a pure, rare and eternal material, the Collection Excellence Platine by Vacheron Constantin welcomes two new models that will delight all those with a taste for pure, understated dials, as well as keen long-distance travellers. This noble line of preciously attired watches highlights the full extent of the expertise cultivated by the Geneva-based Manufacture in the creation of mechanical movements ranging from the simplest to the most complex. Designed, developed and produced by the Vacheron Constantin Manufacture, the two calibres powering the Traditionnelle Day-Date and Power Reserve and Traditionnelle World Time watches thereby consolidate the brand’s range of useful complications.

At its heart beats a mechanical self-winding movement developed and produced by Vacheron Constantin – Calibre 2474 – graced with the kind of meticulous finishes that are the unmistakable signature of Fine Watchmaking: Côtes de Genève, bevelled and rhodiumed bridges and a circular-grained mainplate. The watch and movement bear the Hallmark of Geneva, an independent certification of origin, of craftsmanship, of durability and of expertise.

Traditionnelle World Time Collection Excellence Platine: Simultaneous reading of all world time zones

The Traditionnelle World Time watch embodies a complication inextricably bound up with the history of the Geneva-based Manufacture, since it was in 1932 that Vachercon Constantin made its first timepiece equipped with a world time mechanism enabling simultaneous reading of the time in 31 cities of the world. Ever since, it has consistently perfected this useful and ingenious mechanism also referred to as “universal” or “international” time. This mechanical self-winding movement developed and crafted by Vacheron Constantin is distinguished by its ability to drive indications corresponding to the world’s 37 time zones – including those offset from Universal Coordinated Time (UCT) by a half-hour or a quarter hour – complete with a day/night display via a central globe, as well as by its simplified crown adjustment of all indications. A patent for this exclusive association has been duly filed by the Manufacture.

The display consists of three parts: a sapphire dial with day/night shading as well as an engraved and inked 24-hour indication; a 950 platinum dial with a “Lambert projector” type map; and a metal chapter ring.

All indications are easily adjusted via the crown, thereby considerably simplifying the use of this highly technical watch.

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Collection ★ Bespoke

NIKE GOLF

Precision and control for Olesen as Nike Vapor Pro irons help him clinch ISPS HaNda Perth International title.

Beaverton, Oregon. (October 26, 2014) – Nike Golf athlete Thorbjørn

Olesen produced a gritty, determined final round 71 to secure his first win in 2014 at the ISPS HaNda Perth International on the European Tour.

The win was also a first for the new Nike Golf Vapor Pro irons, as Olesen peppered the greens on all four days in australia.

Olesen went into the final day three shots clear of his nearest opponent at the top of the leaderboard, following scores of 64, 69 and 67 in the first three rounds thanks in part to some aggressive iron play and clinical work with the Nike Method 001 Proto putter on the greens. as impressive as Olesen had been Thursday-through-Saturday, it was his ability to dig deep on Sunday that was perhaps the most remarkable aspect of his performance.

He showcased his competitive nature in particular during a three-hole stretch from the 13th to the 15th as he recorded two birdies and an incredible par save to retain a clear lead ahead of the field.

The 24-year-old’s ball-striking was impressive throughout the week, showcasing the Pure Precision of the new Vapor Pro irons to stunning effect at the Lake Karrinyup Country Club. The Vapor Pro irons, available to consumers starting on October 31, were developed at Nike’s R&d headquarters – The Oven – in Fort Worth, Texas, with direct input from Nike Golf athletes including Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.

The new forged blade irons feature innovative Modern Muscle design, which is defined by balanced weighting for perfected precision and power.

Interestingly, Olesen also relied on a Vapor Speed #2 iron during the tournament, allowing him to hit towering approach shots even when attacking the flag from longer distances. He also relied on the Vapor Speed #3 and #5 fairway woods, as he plotted his way around the 7,143-yard track in Western australia.

Olesen’s control of the RZN Black golf ball was a feature of his play over the four rounds, as he notched 22 birdies on his way to winning score of 17-under-par.

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“The feel of the ball is outstanding, especially around the greens where I'm able to spin it a little more,” said Olesen, who displayed his short-game mastery no better than on the par-five third hole on Saturday, chipping in from off the green for a confidenceboosting birdie.

On the body, Olesen wore Nike Golf apparel from the Sport and Performance Collection and the Nike Lunar Control II footwear. The victory was Olesen’s first since he won the 2012 Sicilian Open.

Olesen’s nike GOlf ArsenAl Driver: Nike VRS Covert 2.0 Tour 9.5-degree fairway Wood: Nike Vapor Speed 3-wood/15degree; Nike Vapor Speed 5-wood/19-degree irons: Nike Vapor Speed 2-iron; Nike Vapor Pro (3-9) Wedges: VR Forged 46-degree, 54-degree, 59-degree Putter: Nike Method 001 Ball: Nike RZN Black Apparel: Nike Golf Sport/ Performance Collection footwear: Nike Lunar Control II

Nike GOlf’s 2014 PGA TOur VicTOries Russell Henley – Honda Classic

Seung-Yul Noh – Zurich Classic

Rory McIlroy – The Open Championship

Rory McIlroy – WGC – Bridgestone Invitational

Rory McIlroy – PGa Championship

Nike GOlf’s 2014 iNTerNATiONAl VicTOries Charl Schwartzel – alfred dunhill Championship

(European Tour) Ross Fisher – Tshwane Open (European Tour)

Rory McIlroy – BMW PGa Championship

(European Tour) Xin-Jun Zhang – Beijing Open (PGa Tour China)

Paul Casey – The KLM Open (European Tour)

Hao Tong Li – Jianye Tianzhu Henan Open

(PGa Tour China) Hao Tong Li – Nanshan China Masters (One asia)

Thorbjørn Olesen - ISPS Handa Perth International

(European Tour) Nike GOlf’s 2014 lPGA TOur VicTOries Michelle Wie – LPGa LOTTE Championship

Michelle Wie – U.S. Women’s Open

Nike GOlf’s 2014 lAdies iNTerNATiONAl VicTOries

Cheyenne Woods – Volvic RaCV Ladies Masters

Moments Hua Hin, Thailand –

Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok, Hyatt Regency Hua Hin and Hyatt Regency Phuket Resort, in association with the Banyan Golf Club, recently held the fifth Hyatt Open at the Banyan Golf Club, Hua Hin. This annual event is organized to promote Hua Hin as a golf and wellness destination while showcasing the hospitality of Hyatt Hotels and Resorts in Thailand which also invited their top customers to join the fun tournament for both days.

This year’s event was well received by the 132 participants and golf enthusiasts. The event was proudly sponsored by Kiatnakin Bank, Lawton Asia, Mercedes Benz, Task Interior, Thai Airways, Qatar Airways, Garuda Indonesia, International New York Times, The Post Publishing PCL as well as some 20 Hyatt Hotels and Resorts worldwide supporting the event.

After the second day of play, the awards ceremony was held at the Banyan Golf Club. The Hyatt Open 2014 Champion was Mr. Mike Moir (handicap 0) from Bangkok who won with the lowest overall net score over the two-day competition. Mr. Moir received a three-night stay at Grand Hyatt Shanghai, a Titleist golf bag, Hyatt Open medal and was awarded with the silver “Claret Jug” Hyatt Open Trophy.

The winner in the 10-19 handicap category was Mr. Leong Siew Seng (handicap 16) from Singapore who received a prize of a three-night stay at Grand Hyatt Taipei, a Titleist golf bag and Hyatt Open medal. The winner in the 20-24 handicap category was Mr. Rohan Haslam (handicap 20) from Australia, who received a three-night stay at Grand Hyatt Beijing, a Titleist golf bag and Hyatt Open medal. This year, there were two players who scored a hole-in-one on hole 15 on each day; both receiving special gifts from Banyan Golf and Hyatt Hotels and Resorts Thailand. However, no player scored a hole-in-one on the hole 17 with the prize being a brand new Mercedes Benz C180.

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6-7 September 2014

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HYATT OPEN 2014

Moments 10 September 2014

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BELL & ROSS Celebrating the release of the much anticipated B-Rocket at Cortina Watch Boutique

Central Plaza Ladprao, Bangkok – Visually taking 80 guests

including media, key customers and watch collectors, to the salt lake at Bonneville, guests at the event were treated to a feast for the eyes – The entire store was transformed to a B-Rocket pop-up, exuding red, black and white colors from the bike codes and at the same time, encapsulating the spirit of creativity and experimentation.

Two Bell & Ross B-Rocket girls, decked out in biker chic outfits, went round taking Polaroid pictures for the guests to keep as a memento. Renowned DJ Kenny spinned through the event while the guests enjoyed the music and watches.

Inspired by aeronautical design, watchmaker Bell & Ross has once again commissioned Shaw Harley-Davidson to design a concept bike with a sleek and powerful look evoking the extreme modernity of the 1960s and the very first American jet aircraft. In the wake of the B-Rocket, Bell & Ross is launching two watches, The BR 01-94 and BR 03-97 B-Rocket, which perform complementary functions and are complementary in size.

A direct offshoot of the B-Rocket, the BR 01 B-Rocket is the ultimate watch for drivers. Just like the high-speed motorcycle it is designed to go with, this instrument is impressive; its case measures 46 mm in diameter. It has a large minutes counter, with a tachymetric scale on the outer edge of the dial, which as a matter of priority measures short periods of time and so allows your performance to instantly be displayed. And in a flash, the small seconds counter, at three o’clock, replicates the graphic display used in experimental vehicle testing. While in the more elaborate BR 03 B-Rocket version of the watch, the 42 mm satin-brushed steel case is fitted with two complications; a large date window and a power-reserve indicator. As regards the sub-dial, there are cut-outs in the dial revealing the discs operating the large date window, highlighting just how sophisticated the mechanism is. The circular power-reserve counter at 6 o’clock is reminiscent of the fuel gage seen on racing motorcycles or cars and both watches are fitted with a padded leather strap, lined and edged in red, modeled on the seat of the B-Rocket.

Limited to 500 pieces for each model.

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Moments 10 September 2014

↓ BANgkOk BANk gOLF TOURNAMENT 2014 at Rayong Green Valley Country Club.

“Samran-Somdech-Thanatad”

conquered the championship togerther in the 8th round of Bangkok Bank Golf Tournament 2014 at Rayong Green Valley Country Club.

Bangkok Bank Golf Tournament 2014 has come to its 8th course at the Rayong Green Valley Country Club. This time, more than 160 Bangkok Bank golfers excitedly competed for the hole-in-one grand prize- Toyota Camry (worth 1,656,000 baht). Unfortunately, nobody could beat the challenge to claim the grand prize.

The evening party consisted of the award ceremony for the winning golfers in three categories and a wide array of fun activities to keep everyone entertained.

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Moments 29 September 2014

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IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN A glittering evening as IWC Schaffhausen celebrates its new Portofino Midsize collection.

Hong Kong/Schaffhausen –

On the opening day of the WATCHES & WONDERS exhibition in Hong Kong, Swiss watch manufacturer IWC Schaffhausen hosted an exclusive gala dinner to mark the launch of the new Portofino Midsize watch collection.

Among the 250 distinguished guests, IWC was also pleased to welcome its well-known brand ambassadors Cate Blanchett, Zhou Xun, Karolina Kurkova and star photographer Peter Lindbergh, who had all travelled there personally to be present at the opening of the “Timeless Portofino” exhibition in which they played the lead roles.

With the gala dinner at the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, IWC Schaffhausen emphasized the esteem in which the WATCHES & WONDERS exhibition is held. Around 250 celebrity guests, among them actors Francis Ng and Anita Yuen, enjoyed a fabulous evening. IWC CEO Georges Kern was delighted to welcome some of his best-known brand ambassadors, namely actresses Cate Blanchett and Zhou Xun, together with top model Karolina Kurkova, all of whom played leading roles in the Portofino photo shoot last Spring. To mark the world premiere of the new Portofino Midsize watch collection, star photographer Peter Lindbergh – who was also in Hong Kong – had created another aweinspiring series of photographs, his second for IWC within 4 years. “It makes me incredibly proud that we are able to show off our latest watch collection in this unique and delightful setting,” said Georges Kern in his address.

“With this series of photographs, unmistakably in his personal style, my friend Peter Lindbergh has captured the watches brilliantly. It was a privilege to realize this unique project with some of the most outstanding talents from the world of film and fashion.”

The WATCHES & WONDERS haute horlogerie exhibition provided a fitting backdrop to the unveiling of the Portofino Midsize collection from IWC Schaffhausen.

With these slightly smaller, elegant, diamondset timepieces, IWC has added some dazzling highlights to its enormously popular Portofino watch family which fit perfectly with the timeless flair of the eponymous Italian coastal town. “We are delighted to have yet another opportunity to demonstrate our watchmaking expertise and, with the presentation of our new Portofino Midsize collection, we are underscoring the importance of the Asian market for our brand," said IWC CEO Georges Kern.

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Moments 21 October 2014

↓ LAMBORgHINI ANd NICHE CARS Officially opend a New Flagship Lamborghini Showroom in Bangkok

Bangkok – Italian supercar brand

Automobili Lamborghini and Thai distributor Niche Cars today officially opened the new flagship Lamborghini showroom in Bangkok. Conveniently located between Suvarnabhumi Airport and the Bangkok city centre, the new showroom will provide the Thai market with a refined dedicated floor space for the showcase and sale of Lamborghini’s two model lines, the Aventador and the newly launched Lamborghini Huracán LP 610-4. Beyond marking a new milestone in Lamborghini history, the move highlights the long-standing collaboration between the Italian brand and the Thai dealership as they approach 30 years of cooperation in 2016.

Joining Lamborghini and Niche Cars for the opening ceremony were over 200 guests and VIPs, including some of Bangkok’s top socialites and public personalities.

Currently featuring a VIP lounge, Collezione Automobili Lamborghini merchandise shop and a dedicated customer service desk, from 2015 the showroom will act as the only authorised centre for Lamborghini sales and after-sales services in Thailand, while providing additional customer services such as information on the Lamborghini Squadra Corse customer driving experience programmes.

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The Last Putt

Shoke Na RaNoNg

Learning people’s real self and their true colors through golf.

- T e x T by Z - Da - P h oTo s by Da m r o n g r i T s aT h i T Da m r o n g T h a m

Shoke Na Ranong, Executive Vice President, Credit Cards Division Manager, Bangkok Bank, is the key figure in this division. His roles and responsibilities include creating new types of cards, seeking for partnership with the bank’s allies to offer special deals and privileges for their mutual clients, and supervising daily operations in the division. Yet, despite his work load, he tries to balance between his career and personal life.

"Often than not, work seems to be unexpectedly demanding and it is out of my control. What I can do is to balance between work and personal life as much as I can. And I am quite satisfied with what I have been doing because after all, it depends on how I manage my time."

Learning people’s self and their true colors through golf

Holidays and weekends are his private time, usually spent with his family. Sometimes he has to attend gatherings of his relatives and friends and golf games of his friends and acquaintances.

In fact, golf is his most favorite sport.

When asked why he loves it, he said, golf is a universal sport and can be enjoyed by people of any age group. It has a lot to do with handicap. With the handicap, golfers from different levels can play together. And that makes golf interesting.

"You can see through people when golfing. When we play a game with our friends or business counterparts, we will get to see who they really are. Some like to take advantage of others, cheating the score. Some get moody when they have a bad swing and they blame it on the caddy or any other people around them. Some stay calm and can control their temper very well. Good or bad swing, they are not making a scene out of it. So we can see their real self. It is shown in a golf game."

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Shoke also teaches his kid about this lesson when taking his 8-year-old son to golf together "I really enjoyed it when we got to spend 4-5 hours playing golf together. Seeing what he did, I got to teach him many things, not about golf though. I told him to keep calm and try his best again. I told him not to be upset and concentrate on the next swing. Let bygones be bygones.

There is no use whining about it. And now he has become focused, not getting annoyed easily like before. Back then when he had a few bad swings, he just wanted to go home. But now he is trained."

Making golf one of the privileges for the bank customers

Golf is a popular sport and Bangkok Bank realizes there are numerous cardholders who are golfers. So the bank relates golf as one of its exclusive privileges for the customers.

Four years ago, Bangkok Bank joined hands with Tourism of Thailand offering golf tournaments with discounted entry fees for Bangkok Bank credit cardholders. And then Bangkok Bank Golf tournaments were organized last year. It was a great success. Some golf

courses were fully booked within half an hour. So this year the number has increased from 6 to 10.

In addition, more golf-related privileges to come for cardholders include over 150 participating golf courses with special green fees and special discounts on golf gear.

Since the person in charge and the card holders are golf lovers, there is no wonder why Bangkok Bank can easily create good impression and strengthen the relationship with their customers.

MUCH MORE THAN GOLF COURSE

Rancho Charnvee Resort & Country Club

18 holes of Charmpionship Golf Course and European Country lifestyle for your great memorial Pakchong Nakornratchsrima Thailand : www.ranchocharnvee.com : Tel. 044-756-210-3