DG 2024 ProAm Issuu

The ultimate Digital Magazine for the golfer on the go!

Baja Bliss

PLAY THE SOUTH & MEXICO Mississippi & Baja California

DESTINATION MIDWEST

Oklahoma, Missouri, Illinois & Minnesota

HEAD EAST Massachusetts

EUROPE

Scotland, Ireland & Northern Ireland

GO WEST & HAWAII

California, Washington, Idaho & Maui

Mexico's Villa del Palmar at the Islands of Loreto and TPC Danzante Bay are awe-inspiring

EQUIPMENT Retail Sales & New Releases PAGE 52 Product Showcases PAGE 70

19TH HOLE Cocktails, Spirits & Wine For the Golfer PAGE 74

SHOOTOUT AT

GAMBLE SANDS

Two Amazing Days

of Golf at Gamble Sands

Including an Evening on the Quicksands Short Course

Two-Day Competition Two-Person Best Ball Net and Gross Divisions

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VOLUME 16 • 2024

Let us take you on a journey to a dozen states, five countries and regale you with experiences aplenty

Destination Golfer is published and owned by Varsity Communications, Inc.

BY DICK STEPHENS • DESTINATION GOLFER PUBLISHER

VARSITY COMMUNICATIONS 2128 Sahalee Drive East Sammamish, WA 98074 varsitycommunications.com

EDITORIAL STAFF P U B LI SH ER S Kirk Tourtillotte & Dick Stephens A RT D I R EC TI O N & GR A P H I C D ESI G N Robert Becker CO NTR I B UTI NG ED I TO R Tony Dear STA F F WR I TER S Bob Sherwin & Bart Potter CO PY EDI TI NG Charles Beene & Steve Hamilton FOR EDI TO R I A L SU B M I SSI O N S stephens@varsitycommunications.com

ADVERTISING & MARKETING STAFF GOLF MA R K ETI NG MAN AG ER Simon Dubiel FOR ADVERTISING & ACCOUNTING INQUIRIES CONTACT Simon Dubiel simon@varsitycommunications.com COPYRIGHT 2024 Destination Golfer.

PUBLISHED IN THE USA. All rights reserved. Articles, photos, advertising and /or graphics may not be reprinted without the written permission of the publisher. Advertising and editorial contained herein does not constitute endorsement of Destination Golfer or Varsity Communications, Inc. Publisher reserves the right to edit letters, photos and copy submitted and publish only excerpts.

The publisher has made every effort to ensure the accuracy of all material contained in this issue. However, as unpredictable changes and errors do occur, the publisher can assume no liability for errors, omissions or changes.

All photos are courtesy of the course or individual unless otherwise noted.

PROUD PRODUCERS OF

VARSITY GOLF SHOWS

T

his issue is another reflection of America’s golfing quilt and a patchwork of links experiences from coast to coast. We love to play our part with this magazine to show this country’s power globally to our sojourning brothers and sisters who live in Europe, Asia and all over the world. We’re indeed fortunate to have such a portfolio of incredible places to play here.

I’ve had the pleasure to play some of the special spots here at home such as Pebble Beach, Spyglass, the whole Bandon Dunes swath of amazingness, Bethpage Black, stops along the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, Kapalua and many others. This year, a goal for me is to head east and knock off some Donald Ross beauties.

Each year when we publish Destination Golfer, we strive to showcase a cavalcade of options. In fact, you could say that we look at this annual magazine kind of like a golf travel brochure for the year to come in the U.S. and abroad. Although our love of golf and coverage does extend outside of North America at times, it’s our honor to play our part in showcasing a ‘best of’ bouquet here at home.

In the last year, I experienced the sport in a lot of different sandboxes so to speak — garnering a good grasp of what’s hot and what’s not right now. I’ve been to Orlando for the PGA Show and produced our own golf expos with our team in Indianapolis, Connecticut, St. Louis, Kansas City, Portland and our hometown of Seattle. I enjoyed some R and R in the Northwest and went to Colonial in Ft. Worth a few times in the last year for our James Beard gala we produce there.

I played golf in six states, took my clubs to four different countries and visited five other amazing spots around Europe this year. I logged a record amount of flight miles, tipping the scale at around 65,000 clicks — I’m a globetrotting fool, to say the least.

Having hit all four corners of the map this year, it made me appreciate what we have in the U.S. more than ever. I love the Midwest — I grew up there. So, this issue we reflect on central Missouri and the Lake of the Ozarks Golf Trail, which I enjoyed recently.

We also bring you up to speed on Shangri-La’s latest addition in Oklahoma and golfing through the ‘Gateway to the West,’ with coverage on St. Louis, southern Illinois and Minnesota.

No DG is complete without our sweep of the south, so we have a feature on the Mississippi Golf Trail once again.

We also work our way up the Atlantic with focus on New England and more specifically Cape Cod. We give a heartfelt thanks to Tom Landers and Golfing

The 623-yard 17th hole called ‘Lighthouse’ at Old Head GC in Kinsale, Ireland.

Magazine for their expert vision on golfing and life on the Cape with shared coverage.

And being West Coasters ourselves, no issue is complete without our spotlight reporting on the world-class golf and lifestyle in Washington, Idaho, California and Hawaii.

Our cover feature on Mexico’s Baja California and their crowned jewel Villa del Palmar and the TPC at Danzante Bay will make you long for a trek there.

We also have international coverage on over a dozen stops we made during our on-site experiences in Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland.

Enjoy features this issue on an array of equipment that we feel will pique your interest. Then, we will cap off our coverage and propose a toast in our 19th Hole section on cocktails and mixology that will ‘stir’ your soul. We will even point you in the right direction on where to stop for a pop when traveling to Oregon or Connecticut with golf-friendly ‘spiritual’ watering holes where you can meet the makers of fine wine, vodka, whiskey and more. Cheers!

In closing, I wish to thank the great many advertisers of this title that make Destination Golfer possible this year and in the past. You’re not just clients — we see you as partners and friends — vital to making this fun and worth the read.

Enjoy your 2024 journey, write your own narrative and relish your time with the game at home and on the road. And, as always, TAKE IT EASY. D ES T I N AT I O N GO LFER 5

CONTENTS 5 8

TEEING OFF • Dick Stephens shares his views on world travel and the 2024 issue

56 SOUTH OF THE BORDER • Mexico’s Villa del Palmar and TPC Danzante Bay dazzle

ON THE COVER The 2024 cover image is one of the most iconic we’ve ever published.

Mexico's Villa del Palmar at the

TRAVEL INSIGHTS • Travel There & Back offers valuable information and news on crafting your travel

12 PLAY THE SOUTH

60 HAWAIIAN ISLANDS

• Maui’s Ka’anapali always delivers

Islands of Loreto and TPC Danzante Bay Golf Course are simply breathtaking. Located in Baja California, this 18-hole Rees Jones

62 GO WEST

• Coachella Valley’s Desert Willow

• Mississippi is Magnolia Magic

• Washington’s Salish Cliffs

masterpiece features vistas of dunes, valleys and arroyos.

Photo courtesy of Villa del Palmar.

• Gamble Sands in central Washington

14

• Idaho Icon Circling Raven

DESTINATION MIDWEST

Ardglass Golf Club in County Down,

• Shangri-La shines in Oklahoma • GreatLIFE is making their mark • DraftKings at Casino Queen in St. Louis

70 PRODUCT FOCUS

• Gol-Fit and Bess Box Training

• Lake of the Ozarks Golf Trail

• MGI Zip Navigator Power Trolley

• Old Kinderhook is a Central MO jewel

• Cleveland Golf wedges and putters

• Minnesota is America’s North Star

28 HEAD EAST

• Cape Cod has it all on the Atlantic

36 EUROPE

• Scottish golf galore in Fife and east coast

ON THIS PAGE Northern Ireland, just outside Belfast, is one of the most popular stops anywhere on The Emerald Isle.

It boasts the oldest clubhouse in the world (1405), a castle warehouse and high coastal splendor where

74

the Irish Sea is with you at every

19TH HOLE

turn. Pictured is Destination Golfer’s

• Lanphere Cellars

Co-Publisher Kirk Tourtillotte teeing

• Diplomatico Rum

off into the wind on the 4th hole.

• Waypoint Spirits of Connecticut

Photo by Dick Stephens.

• Diageo Portfolio • Beam Suntory lineup

• Dublin’s Portmarnock and Jameson Links • Irish favorites: Grafton Hotel, Castlemartyr, Old Head, Galway Bay, Ballybunion, Ardglass and The European • Tourist hot spots to hit around Ireland

D ES T I N AT I O N GO LFER 7 7

PLANNING

TRAVEL ABROAD

Your AdventureAdvocate

Golf-friendly travel agent has your back in making dreams come true

Portmarnock’s Jameson Links • Dublin, Ireland

BY BOB SHERWIN • FOR DESTINATION GOLFER

M

ichelle Wicks Cypher and her husband Michael, who have operated Travel There & Back agency for the past nine years, make sure they put equal emphasis on both ends of their company name.

Over the years, the Cyphers have put together hundreds of travel packages, specializing in golf adventures, to get folks effortlessly off to their dream golf destinations. They also ensure, even when things go awry, as they can when traveling to far flung outposts across the world, that their clients are equipped with enough information and resources to make their way safely back home.

Completing the circle.

“No one’s at fault when something happens,” Michelle says. “I am their advocate when possible. One of the reasons people like to use an agent is for that kind of support. You have someone to help things go smoothly.”

After nearly a decade of running their agency in Monroe, Wash., the Cyphers pulled up stakes in April to set up a new home and office in Kennewick. “It doesn’t change the business at all,” Michelle says. “People are used to meeting in person or by Zoom now.”

The couple hopes to rely on their long-time client base while adding new clients in the Tri-Cities. The location may have changed, but their expertise remains the same: their time-tested experience and a reliable rolodex full of contacts critical to their operation and clients’ experience.

Golf trips have been a growing segment of the Cyphers’ business, especially since the pandemic when the game’s popularity exploded. The number of foursomes, for both men and women, buddy trips and couples’ trips have all increased.

The royal and ancient courses in Scotland are in demand as well as courses in Ireland, Hawaii, Florida, the Caribbean and British Columbia, among others.

8 D ESTI N ATI ON G OL FE R

www.travelthereandback.com

EXPLORE IRELAND: UNCOVER THE RICH TAPESTRY OF CULTURE, HISTORY & GOLF

CALL NOW 425-361-5212

PLANNING

TRAVEL ABROAD

Something the Cyphers excel at is what they call ‘travel fitting’ — offering alternate (from golf) places to visit at night or on non-golfing days. That may include wine or whiskey tours, reservations at noted restaurants, visiting museums, attending performances, or a wide array of hands-on experiences, such as cooking classes, pottery or glass-blowing lessons.

There have been trips to Africa that include a round of golf in the morning and a safari in the afternoon.

To flesh out the individual preferences, the Cyphers discuss interests and options with their clients extensively, then tailor trips within their clients’ budgets.

“We’re seeing more interest in combining golf with other things,” Michelle says. “That speaks to us.

Wine and travel go well together. We love it when we combine two things together.”

That client meeting is also the time when the Cyphers thoroughly prepare their clients for what to expect as well as what could potentially go wrong.

Michelle offers different documents that detail various procedures, customs, laws and nuances specific to each destination.

She discusses how customs might vary from country to country. She’ll give advice on exchange rates, how much and what to carry, the smart use of credit cards, and downloading helpful travel apps.

She even makes clients aware of how Europe’s bathroom/restroom availability, and the procedure for using one, might be very different to what people expect in the U.S. Rental cars and insurance in Europe can also be full of surprises and money traps.

She provides details of certified agencies that offer reasonably-priced insurance.

“You do not want to have a car rental without coverage,” she adds. “In some places, if an accident is your fault (fender bender), you may be responsible for repair.”

She also passes along contact details of people who would help get you into certain places or events, as well as help get you out of difficulties if/when 10 D ESTI N ATI ON G OL FE R

things don’t go as planned.

Theirs is not a full-service agency, in the sense that someone is not waiting by the phone around the clock (the Cyphers need to sleep too). “But,” says Michelle, “I will deal with any problem as soon as I know about it.

“I can’t renew their passport,” she adds. “I can’t review visa applications. But I can give them all the information and links they’ll need.”

That’s why she encourages clients to get travel insurance and supplies those local phone numbers should clients need assistance.

Sort of a travel mulligan.

“When things go wrong, like a flight is delayed, flight or a connection missed, I walk clients through what needs to happen. We provide for our clients. We obviously don’t want to leave them stranded.”

There have been times, however, when she has had to labor long into the evening on behalf of her sometimes frantic and desperate travelers. One couple, on their way to Scotland for a golf vacation, had their connecting fight in London canceled, not just delayed. She had to call around to rebook, then had trouble getting word to them about the change because the client had lost her phone.

Another time, a mudslide disrupted a European train trip. The client was given the option of waiting days until it was cleared or taking a 22-hour bus ride.

Michelle took over, canceling the train and booking a flight to ensure a happy end.

The Cyphers try to send their clients out into the world armed with phone numbers, documents and safeguards to survive any eventuality. Their dome of care does not extend to the golf course, however.

When an emergency flares up on the course, such as excessive slicing, sculling or shanking, Michelle stays safely within her lane.

“I can’t help them with their golf game,” she says. “I know what I know, and I’m good at what I know and do. But that doesn’t extend to golf instruction, I’m afraid.”

Fi recli f f + Mountai n Vi ew

DESERT WILLOW GOLF RESORT Firecliff Course ranked #134 by Golf Week’s Best 2022 Top Resort Courses in the US

O N E L E G E N D A RY L O C AT I O N , T W O U N F O R G E T TA B L E C O U R S E S Desert Willow Golf Resort offers two of the Coachella Valley’s best plays. Test your skills against the natural hazards and myriad water features of the challenging Firecliff Course.

Or play a smoother, more relaxing round on the magnif icent Mountain View Course, highlighting rolling fairways, f lowing water features, and natural desert f lora.

SCAN QR C ODE FOR T EE TIME S 38-995 Desert Willow Drive | Palm Desert, CA | 92260 | (760) 346-7060 | www.desertwillow.com 36 Holes of Award-Winning Golf • Outings & Tournaments • Palm Desert Golf Academy • Golf Schools Private Instruction • Group Clinics • Scenic Outdoor Dining at The Terrace • Weddings • Meetings & Events

PLAY THE SOUTH

MISSISSIPPI

Magnolia State

Magnificence Mississippi

Dancing Rabbit Golf Club • Philadelphia, Miss.

Mississippi is the perfect destination for southern charm and superb golf

T

BY TONY DEAR • DG CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

he Mississippi golf trail has obviously become a thing over the last 20-30 years. Historically, the Magnolia State had been known for having a handful of noteworthy private clubs, but not much in the way of public golf. The arrival of numerous highly rated courses that anyone could play has had a significant impact on Mississippi’s tourism economy and made it a serious contender for your next golf trip, even if the chances are good, you’ve already been.

According to the country’s most prestigious golf publications, eight of the state’s 10 best courses are now public and all of them opened in the last 36 years. Though it certainly wasn’t built to trigger a surge in quality public golf, the course that prompted builders to take advantage of Mississippi’s splendid natural terrain was Old Waverly in West Point, 150 miles northeast of the state capitol in Jackson.

Developed by former Sara Lee executive George Bryan and designed by Bobb Cupp and Jerry Pate (whose PGA Tour career was winding down at the time), Old Waverly opened in 1988 and was immediately acclaimed as one of the best, if not the best, in the state. It combines open pastureland and thick forest with five back-nine holes skirting 40-acre Lake Waverly. The course hosted the 1999 U.S. Women’s Open, with Juli Inkster winning the first of her two U.S. Open victories.

Fifteen years or so after Old Waverly opened, George Bryan felt the urge to build a second course and purchased a dairy farm less than a mile to the

12 D ESTI N ATI ON G OL FE R

west of the first. He hired Gil Hanse to transform it into a traditional layout reminiscent of courses built during golf’s Golden Age of Architecture, and the result was an instant classic. Mossy Oak was named after a company that makes outdoor wear, and which also happens to have a stake in the course.

Like its near neighbor, Mossy Oak offers very stylish lodgings for groups. The course covers roughly 360 acres and looks like it’s been there for well over 100 years rather than just eight. Like all Hanse courses, it plays firm and fast and requires sound thinking and decision-making in addition to solid ball-striking, which — when you think about it — is exactly what golf courses should do. Most publications place Mossy Oak immediately above Old Waverly in the rankings and playing both makes for some enjoyable post-round discussion, as you decide which you prefer.

Other public Mississippi courses you should definitely make time for include the two courses at Dancing Rabbit in Philadelphia, Shell Landing in Gautier, The Preserve in VanCleave, Grand Bear in Saucier, and the course they all look up to in the rankings, Fallen Oak — also in Saucier.

It would be wrong to suggest Jerry Pate was largely responsible for Mississippi golf’s changing fortunes, but the 1975 U.S. Open champion certainly did play an important role in the creation of several of its best courses. Besides Old Waverly, the Georgia native designed the very highly-regarded Preserve and collaborated with Tom Fazio on both the Oaks

and Azaleas courses at Dancing Rabbit GC — which is part of the Pearl River Resort owned by the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians.

As its name suggests, the Azaleas Course gets much of its color from the flowering shrub closely associated with Augusta National. From February to April, when the flowers are in bloom, Azaleas definitely has the look of the Masters tournament venue.

It’s really a pleasure to play all year round, though, as is the Oaks Course which followed a year after Azaleas and is known for having a more rugged look with grand old oak trees bordering the fairways.

The excellent Shell Landing opened in 2000 on the coast, 15 miles west of Biloxi, and was designed

by Davis Love III. Grand Bear is a Jack Nicklaus Signature course, owned by Caesar’s Entertainment, with holes on the banks of the Little Biloxi River. It is set in 650 pristine acres of the De Soto National Forest, where you often have the wonderful feeling of being alone in the wilderness.

The sense of seclusion and remoteness is also felt at the amazing Fazio-designed Fallen Oak, accessible only to guests of the equally impressive, MGM-owned, 1,700-room Beau Rivage Resort in Biloxi. Due to that limited usage, the course sees relatively little play (around 15,000 rounds a year) and is invariably in superb condition. Though it has plenty of competition, Fallen Oak will likely be the highlight of your Mississippi golf trip, which you’ll be very happy you took whether you’re a first-timer or a return guest.

Mississippi is famous for the blues. But our greens are pretty spectacular, too.

If you’re looking for challenging play and beautiful scenery, you’ll find both in abundance in Mississippi. Our state boasts true destination courses designed by Nicklaus, Palmer, Fazio, and other luminaries, with a number of stunning courses located at our casino resorts. Learn more at VisitMississippi.org/Golf. #WanderMS

The Refuge Golf Course | Flowood, Mississippi

MIDWEST & EAST COAST

GREATLIFE GOLF

Living the

Great Life

North Carolina Carolina National Golf Club • Bolivia, NC

Course management company builds golf empire across the U.S.

G

BY TONY DEAR • DG CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

reat LIFE Golf was founded in September 2022 after GreatLIFE Golf and Fitness merged with Brown Golf, creating a golf course management and holding company with a portfolio of 52 facilities in 10 states.

Last year, CEO John M. Brown was judged the 16th most powerful man in golf by respected industry publication Golf Inc. To give you an idea of how influential a voice Brown has in the business, Rory McIlroy came in a spot behind at No. 17, and two back was LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman. Other well-known figures featured in the list were Tiger Woods at No. 8, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund Manager Yasir Al-Rumayyan at 9, Mike Whan of the USGA at 12, and Jay Monahan of the PGA Tour one spot ahead of Brown at 15.

14 D ESTI N ATI ON G OL FE R

Brown is the son of former Troon Golf executive John A. Brown, who founded his own course management company Brown Golf in 2011 with Pinecrest GC in Bluffton, S.C., as its first client. John A. retired in 2017 handing over the reins to John M. who, in conjunction with the company’s new ownership group, launched a tee-time booking engine called ‘GolfBack,’ which became the company’s marketing and revenue-optimization platform for the entire portfolio and now works with a total of more than 75 golf courses.

In 2021, Brown Golf made perhaps its biggest acquisition when it purchased Carolina National GC in Bolivia, N.C. Designed by Gene Bates (together with former Masters champion Fred Couples), the course opened in 1997 and was awarded 4.5 stars by

Golf Digest in its first year of operation.

GreatLIFE Golf and Fitness, meanwhile, traces its roots back to 1984 when CEO Rick Farrant leased Lake Perry Country Club in Ozawkie, Kan., from the Lake Ridge Home Association. Farrant added a second course seven years later, and in 2004 — after purchasing a nine-hole, family-oriented golf center — converted its banquet space into a gym that quickly attracted 2,000 members, thus confirming the golf and fitness model had wheels.

In 2006, Farrant took the golf and fitness combination a step further when he purchased Berkshire Country Club in Topeka, Kan., and built a fitness facility that saw the company’s membership more than triple. The following year, after organizing an internal company name-changing contest, the name

Florida

Missouri

Orange Lake Golf • Kissimmee, Fla.

“GreatLIFE Golf and Fitness” was born and the company thrived with dozens more courses joining the fold, and Kansas City becoming something of a center of operations. Then came the 2022 merger and the formation of GreatLIFE Golf, headquartered in Lenexa, Kan., with an east coast office in Mechanicsburg, Penn., serving the company’s 26 courses in Vermont, the Carolinas, Georgia, Florida and Pennsylvania. Shortly after the deal was struck, John M. Brown set out the newly formed company’s goals.

“First, we must grow our management platform and portfolio with our current teams and partnerships,” he said. “We will aim to deliver integrity, transparency and innovation, while understanding the impact our client courses have on their communities. Second, we will acquire new golf courses. We want to find the right properties to join our network, and we are excited this merger has increased our ability to do that.”

Each of GreatLIFE’s 52 facilities are part of one of the company’s four brands. Seven clubs fit into the “Signature” brand, demonstrating what the company sees as dedication to a luxury experience. “These clubs are typically private properties featuring initiation fees and supported by higher dues structures.”

This group includes courses designed by Kansas City’s own Craig Schreiner, Arthur Hills and Eric Iverson who began his career working for Pete Dye and Dye Designs in Japan but has been a part of Tom Doak’s Renaissance Golf team for the last 23 years.

There are 11 clubs in the “Premier” category, which offer “classic championship golf with a supporting food and beverage service to provide the total daily experience.” Typically semi-private, these courses offer both private and daily-fee golf.

Carolina National is included here along with the Davis Love III-designed Preserve at Jordan Lake, Ellis Maples’s Sapona GC, and Great Bear in East Stroudsburg, Penn., which you’d be right in assuming was designed by the Golden Bear, Jack Nicklaus.

Steve Price also says to look out for one of Kansas City’s best at Drumm Farm. “We’ve completed a ton of renovations at our Kansas City properties — Painted Hills especially — to ensure they retain their standing. They all offer annual passes as well as five

(and) 10-round packages.”

The next group are the “Classic” clubs, 12 courses that are all about the on-course experience. “Food and beverage offerings are simpler,” says GreatLIFE. “The check-in experience is quick, efficient and dealt with online, and these clubs daily fee clubs provide an efficient operating structure while providing a great golf experience.” You’ll find designs by Arthur Hills, Ed Ault, Tom Clark, and at Pinecrest in South Carolina, Rocky Roquemore.

The fourth brand includes six “Destination” clubs which provide a lodging component and traditional resort amenities. Gene Bates’s magnificent Green Mountain National in Killington, Vt., is a highlight of this collection along, with two designs by Arnold Palmer. Those would be Orange Lake in Kissimmee, Fla., and the highly acclaimed Osage National in Lake Ozark, Mo., which offers both condos and homes for rent, 27 holes of golf, a pool, the highly recommended Eagle View Bar and Grille, and of course, a fitness facility.

Palmer designed the first 18 at Osage National (now called the Mountain and River Nines) alongside design associate Harrison Minchew, who worked with the King for over 25 years. The Links Nine was built by local enthusiasts in 1992, six years after the original 18 opened. Minchew was very involved in the design and says the site was one of the best he worked on.

“It had some interesting features and great views,” he recalls. “The front nine (Mountain) was spaced out nicely to accommodate the housing though there wasn’t much off-course construction.

Most of the holes were positioned well away from the golf, so it always felt like a core course.”

The back nine (River), says Minchew, was built on a flood plain which meant the designers had to get creative, fashioning their own features to give the holes variety. Because of deposits from the nearby Osage River, the soil was ideal for golf which helped create excellent playing surfaces and a course that frequently ranks among Missouri’s most popular.

Like all GreatLIFE Golf’s courses, you’ll rarely find it in anything other than excellent condition.

Visit GreatLifeGolf.com to stay in step with news and views and book a golf experience.

Drumm Farm Golf Club • Independence, Mo.

North Carolina

The Preserve at Jordan Lake • Chapel Hil, N.C.

Ozarks

Osage National Golf Club • Lake Ozark, Mo.

Orange Lake Golf • Kissimmee, Fla.

D ES T I N AT I O N GO LFER 15

MIDWEST

OKLAHOMA

Sooner State

Splendor

Oklahoma

Shangri-La Resort • Monkey Island, Okla.

Golf, sports, military tributes, food and fun make Shangri-La special

S

BY BOB SHERWIN • FOR DESTINATION GOLFER

hangri-La Resort, the heralded golf and entertainment center in northeast Oklahoma, has developed a heartfelt way to sustain its popularity — building toward the future by remembering and honoring its distinctive past.

The resort never fails to show its respect for many of the state’s heroes, from the greatest sports figure Oklahoma has ever produced (Mickey Mantle) to the invaluable Native American Code Talkers of World War II, to those individuals who gave the ultimate sacrifice during that war. They are all tied to various fields of play, activities and exhibits throughout the vast complex.

“We have more things in one location than almost any resort in America,” says Mike Williams, Shangri-La’s Director of Communications and Government Relations.

More than 80 years ago, this area looked nothing like it does today. A dam was constructed in the 1940s that flooded the terrain to produce the six-mile-long Grand Lake ‘O the Cherokees. The high point in the lake was called Monkey Island despite not being an island and having no monkeys. Three nine-hole golf courses were developed on the land — Champions, Heritage, and Legends. It served as the home retirement course for Mantle, the New York Yankee great who was born in nearby Spavinaw.

The Legend’s closing hole is known as ‘The Mick,’ and is a 580-yard par-5, with a double-green finish that is the state’s most famous hole. Golfers must decide whether to risk a long carry over water to the right-side island green or choose a safer shot to the other green, 70 yards further and bordered by a waterfall on the right. Mantle, a statue of whom

16 D ESTI N ATI ON G OL FE R

stands behind the 18th green once made an albatross on ‘The Mick.’

In 2010, Tulsa businessman Eddy Gibbs recognized the area’s tourist potential and revived ShangriLa with a $100 million cash infusion, revitalizing the championship golf course and developing a wide range of attractions around the lake.

“We opened in 2011,” says Williams, “and since then there has not been a single day that we haven’t had something under construction.”

Two years ago, the resort opened a $12 million year-round indoor/outdoor facility called ‘The Anchor’ which featured tennis, pickleball, and basketball courts, a Fenway Park-like wiffle ball park and Trackman golf simulators. The reason it is called the ‘Anchor’ is because the facility has on display a 20,000-pound replica of the battleship USS Oklahoma’s anchor (the Oklahoma was one of the ships sunk at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941). There also is a tribute wall to the 429 servicemen who lost their lives on the ship that fateful day.

On May 4 of last year, the resort proudly opened ‘The Battlefield’ — a challenging 18-hole, par-3 course that has an elevation drop of more than 100 feet, waterfalls, creeks, plenty of bunkers and various hazards.

“It almost exactly doubled the number of rounds and amount of interest we expected,” says Williams.

“We’ve had so many regional and national publications that have checked out the course and have given it rave reviews, all centered on the fact they had not seen another par 3 course like it with greens that big and elevation changes that dramatic. It is a unique course. On 16, for instance, if you want to play from

the tips, it’s 246 yards, That’s a pretty good par 3.

“We thought play might decrease on the Championship course after The Battlefield opened, but it has actually increased — up five percent from our record year.”

What makes The Battlefield even more special is that each of the 18 holes is named in honor of a prominent Oklahoma military figure who served in World War II. “The Anchor received the Oklahoma tourism award as the most outstanding new attraction in the state last year,” Williams says. “And The Battlefield has been nominated this year.”

On May 24, the resort opens another feature, the ‘Legacy of Liberty’ — a walk-through park honoring World War II veterans, including the Code Talkers — 14 Native American tribes, including Navajo, Cherokee and Comanche, who used their native language to provide secret military communications during battles in Europe and the Pacific.

The park will also feature many WWII replicas such as a Sherman tank, a Higgins boat, a howitzer, jeeps, armored personnel carriers and, the centerpiece, a life-size replica of the Marine flag-raisers on Iwo Jima.

“There’s a little something for everyone,” says Williams. And we haven’t even mentioned all the water activities — parasailing, waterskiing, boat rentals, or the extraordinarily large pool at the 119room Shangri-La Hotel.

“We’re not sure what’s next after the Legacy,” Williams adds. “Probably additional housing for our guests because we’re pretty much sold out for the summer.”

MIDWEST

ILLINOIS

Royal Flush

Illinois

Gateway National Golf Links • Madison, Ill.

DraftKings at Casino Queen is the golf and gaming home in St. Louis

I

BY TONY DEAR • DG CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

f you’re anything like the tens of thousands of other golfers in this country who desperately need a long (or even longer) weekend of golf and gaming every so often, then you should make your way to the center of the country and DraftKings at Casino Queen in East St. Louis, Ill. There you’ll find highly rated courses, a fantastic range of dining options and incredibly comfortable accommodations where you’ll be treated like royalty.

Okay, there may not be red carpets, butlers, and people standing at attention and announcing your name when you enter every room, but you will be made to feel special and welcome. Casino Queen is the ideal place for letting your hair down. Here, you’ll be able to forget about deadlines, to-do lists or any other obligations, and just indulge yourself. Go ahead, you deserve it!

Start your stay with 18 holes at any of the area’s top-rated golf courses. The pick of an impressive bunch may well be Gateway National in Madison, just six miles northeast of your retreat headquarters. The course opened in 1998 and designed by Keith Foster. The designer’s reputation in architectural circles was established with superb original creations like Haymaker in Colorado, The Quarry in Texas, Sunridge Canyon in Arizona, Coral Canyon in Utah and the Harvester in Iowa. Foster has also completed a good deal of quality renovation work at some of the country’s best-known private clubs — Colonial CC, Philadelphia Cricket,

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Baltimore CC, and Eastward Ho among others.

His design at Gateway National is intriguing with a number of memorable and well-maintained holes that look beautiful and call for sound course-management and solid ball-striking. The lakes, lush rough, boundary trees, and views of the Gateway Arch probably won’t conjure thoughts of British links courses but look closely and you’ll see the strategically positioned bunkers, streams (burns), and firm surfaces of familiar layouts from across the pond. Its clever design makes for a course where you’ll need to hit a really wayward shot to lose a ball, but where you need to make sensible decisions and strike the ball cleanly if you’re to have any chance of posting a score to be proud of.

Gateway National gets a 96 percent approval rating on Golfpass.com with 251 five-star ratings (for now). It can stretch to 7,178 yards, but we’re not playing a major championship here. This is your time to relax, so why not try the Middle (6,154 yards) or Arch (6,377 yards) tees, give yourself some birdie looks, and smile throughout the round?

You’ll find another great adventure (this time 27 holes), 10 miles across the Mississippi at Forest Park on the same 1,326-acre, city-owned, recreational property as the Saint Louis Zoo and the city’s Art Museum. The course at Forest Park is named for prominent St. Louis businessman and philanthropist Norman Probstein and was the site of the World’s Fair

in 1904. It bills itself as the “Best City Course in MidAmerica” — a confident, though certainly not unreasonable, claim — and opened in 1912 with nine holes.

A second nine was added a year later, and the third in 1915. They were designed by Robert Foulis, who had worked under Old Tom Morris in St. Andrews, Scotland, before he emigrated to the U.S. in 1896.

Following your round, it’s time to try your luck back at the Casino Queen where 930 slot machines, video poker screens, and 29 table games fit into 38,000-square-feet of gaming space. There’s also a huge sportsbook with 28 LED TVs on a 60-foot wall of video. There are 38 betting kiosks, five betting windows, and a fabulous menu with the shareable appetizers, specialty burgers, and stadium foods you love when watching (and betting on) your favorite sports.

Elsewhere, you can enjoy steaks, pasta, and seafood at the casual and comfortable Bridgeway where the house-made Fettuccine Alfredo, Pan Seared Atlantic Salmon, and 14-ounce Ribeye are, perhaps, the standouts (head to Bridgeway from 4-6 p.m.

Tuesday-Saturday for Social Hour when specialty crafted cocktails are $5 as are chef-selected appetizers); acclaimed Asian fare at 3 Wok’s Noodle Bar; and some very tasty chicken dishes at That Chickn’ Place.

Great food, stellar golf, and a few well-placed bets at DraftKings at Casino Queen makes for a heck of a weekend. And, like we said, you’ve earned it.

Visit DraftKingsatCasinoQueen.com today.

MIDWEST

THE OZARKS

At the Center of it All

Missouri Osage National Golf Resort • Lake Ozark, Mo.

Central Missouri’s Lake of the Ozarks Golf Trail is the nexus of golf in America with 12 courses to choose from and endless recreation

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BY BOB SHERWIN • FOR DESTINATION GOLFER

hen you venture into the golf mecca at the Lake of the Ozarks, you could not be more in the center of everything, not just the country but the nexus of an American golf experience.

There’s a balance, a harmony on the Ozark Golf Trail, as you are square in the middle of the state of Missouri, equidistant from Kansas City and St. Louis, halfway between the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers as well as the geographical center of the country, between the Pacific and Atlantic shores.

It’s the yin and yang of it all. As Bing Crosby once crooned, ‘Straight Down the Middle,’ which, in this case, means more than the center of the fairway.

The centrally located region is accessible to nearly half the nation’s population, as eight western states — Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Nebraska, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Kansas — shoulder Missouri’s four borders. For decades, folks have

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been drawn here to enjoy the relaxing waters of the Lake of the Ozarks, which was voted “The Best Recreational Lake in the Nation” by the readers of USA Today. Many are just a full tank, or charge, away from Memphis, Wichita, Des Moines, Topeka, Omaha, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Cedar Rapids, Indianapolis, Peoria, Evansville, Cincinnati, Nashville along with Kansas City and St. Louis.

Many are drawn to The Ozarks Trail, which offers a selection of a dozen superior golf courses, designed by some of the finest architects the game has known — Arnold Palmer, Tom Weiskopf, Robert Trent Jones, Sr., Ken Kavanaugh, Robert Von Hagge and Bruce Devlin.

Where do you start? So hard to choose one quality Ozarks Trail course over another. For the opening round, best to yield to the King – Arnold Palmer’s Osage National Golf Resort. Palmer was prolific in

his creation of more than 300 courses in 25 countries, such as magnificent efforts in Ireland, Tralee and The K Club, along with The Tradition, PGA West and The Classic Club in Palm Desert, Bay Hill and Isleworth in Florida, Kapalua and Turtle Bay in Hawaii and Suncadia and Semiahmoo in Washington. Osage National is the only Palmer design in Missouri.

Palmer was authorized to design Osage in the early 1990s (finishing 18 holes in 1992), on a bluff overlooking the Osage River. Another nine-hole circuit was finished in 1998, giving the resort three nine-hole selections, The River, The Mountain, and The Links. The course was voted ‘Best Course at the Lake’ four times, and its motto is ‘The Must Play Course at the Lake.’ And it should be.

Palmer thought enough of it to hold the 1992 Michelob Skins Game on the Osage, as he played against Tom Watson, Lee Trevino and Payne Stewart.

In addition to the ‘Trail’ are other amazing course options such as this bucket list track.

Payne’s Valley at Big Cedar Lodge, Hole No. 1 • Ridgefield, Mo.

Top of the Rock at Big Cedar Lodge Ridgefield, Mo.

Old Kinderhook • Camdenton, Mo. Stewart still holds the course record at 63, shot during that round. The course also hosted the National Club Pro Championship two years later.

Next up is Old Kinderhook, 30 miles south of Osage in Camdenton. It’s a bit away from the water, into the rolling Ozark hills, and designed by Tom Weiskopf, who, like Palmer, was a prolific designer with worldwide acclaim. His TPC Scottsdale course, the ‘Stadium Course’ where the PGA Tour’s Waste Management tournament is held, is his most notable.

The Olympic Club in San Francisco is his most praised. He also designed both Troon courses in Scottsdale, Kukui’ula and Hualalai in Hawaii, TPC Craig Ranch in Texas, The Ocean Club in the Bahamas and The Reserve Club in Indian Wells, Calif.

Old Kinderhook, which opened in 1999, has been consistently ranked the first- or second-best course in the state and among the top 100 in the nation. A wellappointed 84-room hotel, The Lodge at Old Kinderhook, allows you to stay and play. And play again.

Robert Trent Jones Sr., one of the great golf architects the nation ever produced (with Junior following closely in his footsteps), unveiled The Cove at the Lodge of Four Seasons in 1973. Jones is known for so many design wonders such as Spyglass Hill in Carmel, Calif., Mauna Kea in Hawaii, Firestone in Akron, Ohio, Medinah in Chicago, Oakland Hills in Michigan, Hazeltine in Minnesota, Southern Hills in Oklahoma, Oakmont in Pennsylvania, Ballybunion in Ireland and Valderrama in Spain.

The Lodge is a challenging tract, not so much in length (6,553 yards) but with water on half the holes.

The fourth hole, ‘Witch’s Cove,’ is 230 yards from the back tee and requires an all-carry drive over water. Put on your big-boy pants here.

Years later, the resort authorized another 18-hole course designed by Ken Kavanaugh, known for his

many Southwest courses. This was his first and only project in Missouri and is ranked among the best in the state. It is not excessively long (6,447 yards) and considered ‘player friendly,’ but will dazzle golfers with its beauty, more than 180 feet in elevation changes, sweeping vistas and lake views. The par-5, 555-yard sixth hole is a memorable one, considered to be the hardest par-5 in the state.

Von Hagge and Devlin combined their talents to create The Oaks Course at Margaritaville Lake Resort, in Osage Beach. It’s also not long (6,432 yards) but takes you around tight turns with plenty of water/ forest hazards. Accuracy, not so much distance, is the required skill for this dandy. Von Hagge, either as a team with Delvin or separately, has created hundreds of courses across the world. Von Hagge is best known for a celebrated and elegantly designed course in France, Les Bordes.

While the Lake of the Ozarks Golf Trail is uniquely favored by a host of well-known course designers, that doesn’t mean there’s a drop off among the other sites on the circuit. The collection also includes venerable Rolling Hills CC in Versailles, the most established course (1955) among the group, Lake Valley GC in Camdenton, which features six par 3s, six par 4s and six par 5s, The Golf Club at Deer Chase in Linn Creek, Eldon GC, Indian Rock GC in Gravois Mills, semi-private Redfield GC in Eugene and Bear Creek Valley GC in Osage Beach. For those who rather not have a good walk spoiled, the LOZ Golf Lounge in Osage Beach, featuring numerous indoor Trackman booths, is part of the circuit. It’s located in Wicker Willie Sports Bar & Grill.

Virtually all the courses are within a 30-minute drive of another, putting two-a-day in play, as you meander through the middle of resort activities, in the middle of everything.

Payne’s Valley at Big Cedar Lodge, Hole No. 5 Ridgefield, Mo.

Osage National Golf Resort • Lake Ozark, Mo.

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MIDWEST

OLD KINDERHOOK

Old Kinderhook Providing world-class golf, food, lodging and lake life, this destination just gets sweeter each year

Missouri Old Kinderhook • Camdenton, Mo.

BY DESTINATION GOLFER STAFF

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e’re no doubt missing a few important details from the story, but the Old Kinderhook Resort, five miles west of Camdenton, Mo., basically got its distinctive name thanks to a connection with the eighth President of the United States. Martin Van Buren, the former Vice President and Governor of New York, and a co-founder of the Democrat Party, was born in 1782 in Kinderhook, N.Y. In an attempt to gain his favor, the Show Me State more or less named its entire southern half Kinderhook County (apparently the attempt to woo the President wasn’t terribly fruitful, however, as Kinderhook was renamed Camden County just two years later).

The resort’s original developers chose to link their project to that time in the area’s history, and the 750-acre playground at the southern end of the 93-mile Osage River Channel that forms the major part of the Lake of the Ozarks, has retained the name ever since it opened in 1999.

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And it’s a name that, in the last year, has reached more corners of the country than ever before. “Obviously, when the pandemic began and things started to shut down it didn’t look good,” says Old Kinderhook’s Director of Hotel and Marketing Jasen Jones.

“But when we re-opened bookings just soared. I think when people heard we were open they saw us as a little oasis of normality. They just wanted to get away.”

During the pandemic, Old Kinderhook welcomed travelers from places rarely represented on the visitor list. “We saw a lot of people from Chicago, Oklahoma, Texas, Wisconsin and Minnesota,” says Jones.

“Places from where we traditionally don’t see a lot of business. “Our group bookings had dipped a litle because of health restrictions, but our transient business is up 30 percent.” The place is still booming.

It’s the same story on the golf course, a Tom Weiskopf design that scores a 95 percent approval rating with readers at GolfPass.com, and which Golfweek recently named the fifth best public-ac-

cess course in the state.

At just over 20 years of age, the course was beginning to show its first signs of wear at the beginning of 2020. Head Superintendent Charlie Boldreghini together with his maintenance team and the pro shop staff under Head Professional Jason Woods, took the opportunity to rebuild a dozen bunkers and remove a few more during the slow period in March and April when rounds were significantly down. “The course has held up really well and is invariably in great shape,” says Woods. “The fairways are a nice, tight zoysia and the bentgrass greens are some of the best in the state. But some of the bunkers weren’t looking their best.”

The region around Old Kinderhook can get its share of heavy rain — sometimes as much as an inch in 30 minutes — and steep bunker faces don’t fare well in a downpour. “Some of the bunkers were being washed out,” says Woods, “and getting them back in playing shape every time proved expensive

and took a lot of time.”

So Woods identified the bunkers that saw the most play, and got to work. “We dug them out, fixed the drainage, and softened their faces,” he says.

These modifications were well-received and reviews support the tweaks.

Old Kinderhook recorded 28,000 rounds last year — a very impressive figure for any course in a remote location (180 miles to St. Louis, 150 to Kansas City, and 75 to Springfield), but especially true for one that saw so little play in the first five months of the year. “We started to pick up again the middle of May and really haven’t slowed down since,” says Woods, echoing Jasen Jones’s words.

Jones is bullish on this summer’s prospects.

“I think people are more eager than ever before to take some time away from everyday life,” he says.

“Whether they come for the golf, boating on the Niangua Arm, a day at the spa, or a meal in our award-winning restaurant the Trophy Room, they are assured some relaxing downtime.”

And there’s plenty more to see and do outside of Old Kinderhook’s gates. Just five miles southeast of the resort is the Ha Ha Tonka State Park described as a geological wonderland featuring sinkholes, caves, a huge natural bridge, a large spring, and the ruins of a turn-of-the-century castle. Built by Kansas City businessman Robert Snyder, the castle was gutted by fire in 1942 and purchased by the state in the 1970s since when it has been a popular feature of the park.

Then there’s the Ozarks Amphitheater, which has some great shows lined up, hundreds of miles of trails, Ballparks National — an amazing fivediamond baseball/softball tournament facility that opened in September 2020, and Bridal Cave at Thunder Mountain — an ancient underground cave system near Camdenton that’s steeped in Native American folklore and where over 3,000 weddings have been performed. “Actually, my wife and I are renewing our vows there later this year,” says Jones.

This year would be a great time to renew your association with the Lake of the Ozarks region, and the fabulous Old Kinderhook Resort in particular. And, if you’ve not been before, go to OldKinderhook.com and begin your journey.

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MIDWEST

MINNESOTA

Star of the North

Minnesota’s golf history and endless options make it the ultimate Upper Midwest hot spot with 10,000 lakes and 496 golf courses

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BY BOB SHERWIN • FOR DESTINATION GOLFER

hat state, in the contiguous U.S., is the only one to hold all 13 USGA championships — juniors, women and men — plus has hosted the Walker Cup, Curtis Cup, Solheim Cup, Ryder Cup, the PGA of America, and the Women’s PGA Championship?

It must be in the South, right, where the weather is more dependable, and the courses are tested and time honored. Florida? Georgia? Either one of the Carolinas? Nope, none of those. Maybe Texas. Big state. Much can happen there. Again, no.

It’s where snow doesn’t completely disappear until April, giving the state little more than six solid months, annually, to host as many golf events as possible before the snow comes back again in November. It’s Minnesota, in the Upper Midwest bordered

by North Dakota to the west and Canada to the north.

“It’s a condensed season, basically, seven months.

We tend to produce very, very good turf conditions,” said Steve Dowling, executive director of the Explore Minnesota Golf Alliance. “We also have one of the highest frequencies of golf courses in the country and highest frequencies of golfers in the country. That has pushed entrepreneurs to think, with that much interest, let’s try some USGA Championships.”

The USGA, which was established in 1884, gave the state its first tournament in 1916, the U.S. Open at the Donald Ross-designed MiniKahda Club in Minneapolis (still around). More recently, the golf world turned its attention to Minnesota for the 2016 Ryder Cup at Hazeltine CC in Chaska (and will return in 2029) and the course also hosted the 2019 Women’s PGA Championship (returning in 2026).

“There are a lot of great quality golf courses in Minnesota,” Dowling said. “We have prairie courses, bent grass courses, deep woods, all with plenty of water.”

It’s the Land of 10,000 Lakes, many of which are dotted around the state’s 496 golf courses.

Dowling said the Explore Minnesota Golf Alliance represents 20 of the state’s courses. It was organized in 1999 by various prominent golf resorts that wanted to

26 D ESTI N ATI ON G OL FE R

promote destination golf. Many of the 20 have hotels/ convention centers/pools on site or nearby.

“It’s 20 golf facilities that represent 27 golf courses, many are in the Golf Digest top 100,” Dowling said. “It’s a list of destination-style courses. You go to any parking lot in the summer and see a high variety of out-of-state license plates.”

The courses are not in just one region of the state, but in all directions. The majority are slightly south of the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. Willigers GC in Northfield is the furthest south, not far from the Iowa border and five other courses are grouped within 20-mile drive of each other, Ridges at Sand Creek in Jordan, Stonebrooke GC in Shakopee, and three in Prior Lake area — The Legends Club, The Meadows at Mystic Lake and The Wilds.

“Those Prior Lake courses, Meadows, Wilds and Legends, are all within five to eight miles of each other,’’ said Dowling. “You can set up a hotel close by. Your base might be in Bloomington, which is where the airport is, and you’re 20 minutes from Minneapolis and 20 minutes from St. Paul.”

Stonebrook GC, designed by Tom Haugen and opened in 1989, has quite a unique eighth hole, a 380yard par-4. Your tee position is on a bluff, flush against Lake O’Dowd, with a daunting carry over water.

“It’s about a 170- to 180-yard carry,” Dowling added. “There’s a pontoon boat that takes you across the lake to the fairway. You just pull your golf cart on the boat, which takes you to your drive (if still dry).”

There are three courses close to the Twin Cities, Braemar GC in Edina, Chaska Town Course, and Destination Bloomington.

Two courses are just a few miles west of the Twin Cities, Prestwick GC in Woodbury and StoneRidge GC in Stillwater.

Six courses are due north of the Twin Cities, Territory GC in St. Paul, Atikwa GC at Arrowwood Resort in Alexandria, and four in Brainerd, Breezy Point Resort, Cragun’s Resort, Madden’s on Gull Lake and Gravel Pit Golf.

“Madden has four courses, one just a (nine-hole) social course, a family course,” Dowling said. “The Gravel Pit is not a very attractive name, but it’s a very popular par-3 course, all unique holes. It’s built inside a gravel pit and has been so popular they added another 10 holes this year.”

Dowling said when the other courses in the area fill their tee sheets, the starters will suggest to golfers that they should finish their day in the gravel pit.

“They all compete against each other, but they also all support each other. There’s kind of a spirit within the resort owners.”

Atikwa, which was designed by a Texan, has three state-shaped greens, Texas, Oklahoma and Minnesota.

There are three other courses in the northeast corner of the state, north of Duluth, Giants Ridge in Biwabik, Superior National GC in Lutsen and The Wilderness at Fortune Bay in Tower.

They are far from the state’s bustling cities, “but all three are among top 100 courses in the nation,” Dowling added. "When driving to a remote area, you are not driving to some remote course. These are high participation, destination courses.”

Giants Ridge has two courses in the north woods, the Quarry and the Legends. Quarry has been rated the No. 20 Greatest Public Course in America and No. 1 in Minnesota. Legends is ranked fourth in the state.

The Wilderness at Fortune Bay has an appeal to the indefatigable golfer with a weekend package that includes tee times for 18 holes Friday, 36 Saturday and 18 more Sunday before leaving town.

A good number of out-of-state golfers seeking destinations each summer in Minnesota are, Dowling noted, from those states difficult to play because of weather.

“We get a lot from Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa, but surprisingly, a high percentage come from states that are inundated with sunshine, Missouri, Texas, Florida.”

Surf the web to exploreminnesotagolf.com and connect your own dots.

HEAD EAST

NEW ENGLAND

Massachusetts

Blue Rock Golf Course • South Yarmouth, Mass.

Escape to

New England

Cape Cod has it all for golfers craving a true experience on the Atlantic

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BY MARK WILLIAM PAUL • CONTRIBUTED BY GOLFING MAGAZINE

recently had the opportunity to be invited on a trip to discover more about golf on Cape Cod, and other local experiences in this coastal Massachusetts destination. I met with Patti Lloyd, Senior Vice President of Sales at Cape

Cod’s Chamber of Commerce, at the start of the visit.

The first course we played was Blue Rock Golf Course in South Yarmouth (bluerockgolfcourse.com), a par-54, Geoffrey Cornish design. It measures from 2,150 to 2,800 yards from five different sets of tee boxes. The course was built in 1962 and has been consistently ranked in the top 10 executive courses in the country.

From the manicured tee boxes to the meticulously maintained greens, Blue Rock would be an excellent choice if you’re looking for a course to work on improving your irons and short game. The top handicap hole is number 5, playing at a robust 255 yards from the tips. Hole number 9 is rated one of the Cape’s top 18 holes, playing 170 yards from the back markers. The hole requires the experienced player to navigate a well-placed tee shot over water to a large, undulating kidney shaped green. Par on this hole is a great score.

For those golfers who prefer to take a cart the course offers an easy walk-through picturesque landscaping.

28 D ESTI N ATI ON G OL FE R

Dennis Pines Dennis Pines (dennisgolf.com), a Henry Mitchell design, focuses more on accuracy than distance.

Built in 1966, the course winds its way through the pine forest of East Dennis. The 8th hole plays a long 487 yards from the tips and is the number one handicap hole on the course. Par here is challenging but rewarding to those who can achieve that goal.

Dennis Highlands The par-71 Dennis Highlands (dennisgolf.com), opened in 1984, was designed by Mike Hurdzan and Jack Kidwell. As with Dennis Pines, the course features large multi-tiered undulating greens that will challenge anyone’s putting skills. The sweeping panoramic views offer the golfer breathtaking images of wildflowers and landscaping.

Because winters are relatively mild on the Cape, both courses stay open year-round for play.

The Highlands Restaurant is an excellent choice for those who wish to enjoy a beverage and a delicious sandwich either before or after the round.

Food choices are plentiful, and the libations were ice cold. Prices were extremely reasonable, and the serving sizes are ample.

Blue Rock Golf Course • South Yarmouth, Mass.

Bayberry Hills Golf Course Bayberry Hills Golf Course (golfyarmouth. com), located in West Yarmouth, is a premium 27hole championship layout. Designed by Geoffrey Cornish and Brian Silva, the track opened in the summer of 1988. Verdant lush grass, meticulously groomed, along with wide fairways and large undulated greens make it a unique and serene experience for the golfer. Multiple tee boxes allow for the perfect choice for players of all skill levels.

A particular local favorite is hole number 4, the only water hole on the course. It plays 400-plus yards and features a large pond, fescue, bunkering and large trees that protect the green from errant shots.

The “links” 9-hole course, opened in 1999, has a total opposite feel of the 18-hole track, with rolling hills and fescue-lined fairways. Here you will find shorter par-fours and a couple of long par-fives.

Dennis Pines • South Dennis, Mass.

Photos coutesy of Cape Cod Chamber and Golfing Magazine

D ES T I N AT I O N GO LFER 29

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Bayberry Hills Golf Course • West Yarmouth, Mass.

Cape The Captains Golf Course Other courses to sample on Cape Cod include The Captains Golf Course in Brewster (captainsgolfcourse.com) features 36 holes of golf on two very distinct 18-hole layouts. The club calls itself the Cape’s premier public golf facility, and the conditioning here is always excellent, the golf challenging but approachable for players of all abilities.

The Port Course The Port Course plays to a yardage of 6,724 yards and has a slope of 131 and a rating above its posted par of 72, which gives an indication of the difficulty of some of the holes. One of the best holes is the 573-yard, par-5 eighth. A pond guards the putting surface and there are several large fairway bunkers to complicate matters.

The Starboard Course The Starboard Course plays around 6,800 yards and has a slope of 122. It’s a bit more “player friendly” than its sister layout, with wider fairways, large greens, and fewer bunkers than the Port Course, which makes it more suitable for mid- and higher handicap players. Number 18 is a great finishing hole, a 534-yard par-5 that can be reached in two by big hitters.

Kings Way Golf Club

Bayberry Hills Golf Course • West Yarmouth, Mass.

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Kings Way Golf Club (kingswaygc.com) is located within the Kings Way community on the historic north side of Cape Cod’s village of Yarmouth Port. The golf course plays to a par of 60 featuring spectacular elevating changes, Scottish bunkers, and undulating greens. The course is welcoming to golfers of all levels. Being an “executive” style layout, it allows you to enjoy some golf and get off the course and on to all the other activities on the Cape in quick order.

Cod

Kings Way Golf Club • Yarmouth, Mass.

The Aiden by Best Western Looking for lodging during your stay? The Aiden by Best Western, conveniently located on Route 28 in Yarmouth, is a boutique hotel that celebrates local flavor in its retro-styled furnishings and splashy décor. Rates are very reasonable and include a continental breakfast for guests — stay and play golf packages are available as an added bonus.

Check their website (bestwestern.com/aiden/westyarmouth) for more information.

Ryan’s Family Amusement Center If you’re looking to spend quality time with the family after your round, give Ryan’s Family Amusement Center (ryanfamily.com) a visit. Located nearby in South Yarmouth, they offer an arcade, axe throwing, candlepin bowling and a new indoor inflatable airpark. This is a family-owned business with 10 locations to choose from.

Want lunch or dinner at a true Cape Cod local landmark? Try Captain Parker’s Pub in West Yarmouth (captainparkers.com). They are known for their award-winning New England style clam chowder, and the fish and chips were outstanding as well.

Captain Parker’s also offers a full bar menu and local craft beers for the thirsty traveler.

The Captains, Starboard Course • Brewster, Mass.

Visit the Bay State's Cape Cod The mild days and cool nights on Cape Cod during autumn keep golf course turf green and lush, even after the hot summer we had. There is perhaps not a better place to play the game we love at this time of year than on this peninsula on the southeastern tip of the Bay State. So, put the sticks in the car and head to Cape Cod this fall for a truly spectacular visit. Visit CapeCodChamber.org to start planning today.

The Captains, Starboard Course • Brewster, Mass.

D ES T I N AT I O N GO LFER 33

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SCOTLAND

EUROPE

Great Scot!

An off-the-cuff first trip to Scotland’s Kingdom of Fife is full of seaside fairways and fish ‘n’ chips

Scotland

Kingsbarns Golf Links, No.15 • Fife, Scotland Courtesy of Kingsbarns

BY BART POTTER • FOR DESTINATION GOLFER

S

ome experts suggest the worldfamous Anstruther Fish Bar might be no better than third best in the Kingdom of Fife behind two joints on the same downtown street. I’m reserving judgment until I taste for myself and judge I will.

There are no tepid opinions about fish ‘n’ chips in Scotland and especially in this small fishing town, which adjoins Kilrenny village, my headquarters for the week. Vote for whichever chippy you prefer, but don’t say you don’t care.

Welcome to Scotland off the cuff, whereby a visiting golfer is free to exercise his whims — to drink and contemplate whisky, to play the old game, to roam the kingdom on the North Sea coast of Scotland – unfettered by the dictates of a guided golf tour which might, after all, have been useful in getting me on the Old Course St. Andrews.

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APRIL 21 • Anstruther Golf Club • FIFE It’s drizzling but not unpleasant and here I am, playing Scottish golf for the first time, teeing off by myself at Anstruther, a course that doesn’t land on the itinerary for any organized tour I’ve seen.

This small but well-appreciated course packs wicked challenge into most of its nine holes, but especially No. 5, The Rockies, the most famous par-3 in Fife. But first this: A serviceable tee shot, a low runner of a second shot onto the green, and an easy two-putt has earned par on my first Scotland golf hole (Johnny Doo, a short par 4).

The huge patches of pretty yellow gorse at 5 eat golf balls for sustenance, I have to believe. If you clear the gorse, be straight and tame your natural right-to-left or you’ll watch your ball bound gaily off the course onto the rocky beach.

If I ever lived in Fife, I believe I’d make Anstruther the course I play most often. It feels like home. Right now, I’ve not yet even seen my lodging for the next seven nights in Kilrenny, East Neuk in the Kingdom (and County) of Fife, A tiny home, my home, beside the bounteous garden of my host in the big house next door. There’s a resident pheasant here.

APRIL 22 • Attempt to make St. Andrews Old Course Ballot Sitting in a quiet residential neighborhood in Dundee, not 10 minutes from the car-hire shop, is far from what I intended for today, waiting on a guy to render roadside assistance to my disabled rental and its destroyed left-front tire, possibly but not indisputably a result of driver error. This three-hour delay means I’ll miss my 5 p.m. window for getting in the draw for playing the Old Course tomorrow.

Which is not all bad: I won’t have to change my tee time tomorrow at Lundin.

APRIL 23 • Lundin Golf Club, Lundin Links • FIFE Brilliant sunshine today, and no translation necessary for the whistles of appreciation of my Finnish playing partners for any of the rugged seaside holes that bloom from the immaculate surrounds of the clubhouse … wherein I get a chance to talk to the overtly personable club professional Ron Walker, who tells me he remains an “incomer” (newcomer, in American English) in his adopted Anstruther home even after 35 years.

Anstruther Fish Bar • FIFE Let’s start with the leader in the clubhouse, the legendary Fish Bar, known for queues out the door seeking entrée to its kitschy interior. The battered haddock is crispy enough, but the chips alongside do not inspire. The accompanying slice of plain white bread is plainly dreadful.

Julietphotography

APRIL 24 • Hallowed Grounds I walk on the hallowed grass of the Old Course, though I won’t be playing it today. I stand 25 yards from the Swilcan Bridge and soak it in.

At 5:02 p.m., I get the text: All available tee times tor tomorrow are filled. It’s all right: I’ll be back. It’s why they make airplanes.

InchDairnie Distillery • FIFE I should have known, but didn’t ‘til I got here, that Inchdairnie does not have a visitor centre. I do know that RyeLaw, the distillery’s only current release, made from 53 percent malted rye and 47 percent malted barley, is my new favorite whisky. I keep a bottle at the Kilrenny HQ. I might almost make it last the week.

APRIL 27 • Rental Car Return This morning, I return my rental car with no immediate repercussions. Have I enjoyed driving in Scotland? Not even a little bit.

Julietphotography

APRIL 26 • Kingsbarns Golf Links • FIFE It’s said if you had to choose between the Old Course and this early 21stcentury jewel based solely on the test of golf, Kingsbarns would get the nod. So says my caddie today, Neil Spratt, a veteran looper who ought to know.

At the splendid sprawl of No. 3, I remind myself to take a breath and a long look around. No. 12 rewards a gaze back from the green to the tee I came from. At 15, I make par, clearing the cliff edge with at least two inches to spare and rolling onto the green.

Afterward, done with a total bollix of 18, I tell Mr. Spratt he’s a lovely caddie, and he appreciates it, I think, because he knows I mean it. A nice man, and tolerant.

Village of Anstruther Photo by Bart Potter

The Wee Chippy • ANSTRUTHER This is a sit-down experience, if you want it to be, and by an accident of timing it’s not busy inside on this early afternoon. The fish is delish, the chips the best I’ve had in Scotland, the service relaxed and attentive. Wee might contend.

Courtesy of Kingsbarns

essevu

APRIL 25 • Leven Links • FIFE I play with a couple from Vancouver, B.C., Michael and Diane, on this course that abuts Lundin, separated by a low rock wall between the No. 5 green at Lundin and the No. 5 tee at Leven. We laugh can-you- believe-it laughs because we’re here on this course on this day in good company even though the weather shows its Scotland self with a stiff wind and a brief sprinkle of hail.

Kingsbarns Golf Links, No. 3 • Fife, Scotland

Swilcan Bridge, 18th Hole, Old Course of St. Andrews Fife, Scotland

APRIL 28 • On a train to Edinburgh — then fly, fly away My only regret is leaving the kingdom, not for anything I didn’t do or course I didn’t play. Can I come back? I believe the Scottish people will give me welcome.

David McElroy

Fish ‘n’ Chips On The Waterfront • ANSTRUTHER Maybe I’ve caught ‘em on a bad day, but the chips are soggy, and the fish is bland enough to demand liberal application of malt vinegar. The crowd jamming the cramped shop made me expect better. A fish ‘n’ chips verdict: The Wee Chippy, hands down. That was easy.

Anstruther Golf Course • Fife, Scotland Photos by Shutterstock

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GLOBAL GOLFER IRELAND PART 1

Seaside

Splendor Ireland

BY DICK STEPHENS • DG PUBLISHER

T

here are slivers of locales on the global golfing map where bliss, abundance and solitude all exist.

One could add the words ‘comfortable decadence’ to this

list, too. And in the case of Portmarnock Resort and Jameson Golf Links in the seaside, suburban Dublin town which bears the destination’s name, all those words push together neatly and most appropriately.

And, yes, that Jameson. These are hallowed grounds as this place is the original home of the Jameson whiskey dynasty.

Wherever you might go to play bucket-list golf in Ireland or anywhere for that matter, you may have to make tradeoffs to fulfill your desires. A true links runs alongside the ocean or a large body of water and to experience that, you must travel to the coast, which could mean a bit of a drive or stretch of rail to get you there.

And what surrounds many links courses, might lack resort amenities.

When it comes to comforts, cuisine and character, it’s rare to find a single pin-drop course that has all that. And let’s do it one better — legend and historical significance on the very grounds where you walk, play and stay.

If you can relish a spot that has that, too, with all items outlined above, you are in a place that would be called a true sliver.

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dor

DUBLIN’S

PORTMARNOCK RESORT & JAMESON GOLF LINKS

GLIMMER ALONG THE SHORE OF THE IRISH SEA

D ES T I N AT I O N GO LFER 39 39

Photos courtesy of Portmarnock Resort

This place will test every golfer. It’s fair and the design allows for punchouts when errant shots need to be put back in play.

But the rolling beach hills and bunkering can gobble up risky or sloppy play.

40 D ESTI N ATI ON G OL FE R

M

y second trip to Portmarnock Resort — the last one being 15 years ago — was even more memorable than the first. And the first made such a fond, indelible mark on my memory bank, that I knew on my return to Ireland, this place had to be on the list.

In the next feature of this issue, I will take you on a journey that my good friend and co-owner of this magazine Kirk Tourtillotte and I made just this past August. The trip was a 2,000-mile circumnavigation of Ireland and Northern Ireland. It took us 10 days and we played seven times along the way at some of the world’s best courses.

Both Kirk and I knew where we wanted our last stop to be and Portmarnock was a perfect exclamation point to our experience there. Why might you ask? Simply put, we wanted our games to be tested, the wind in our hair, and for us to be in the lap of comfy luxury where we could heal up a little before Aer Lingus bought us back home from Dublin.

Let’s make a note about luxury. The Latin root word “lux” is part of the slogan of this lovely locale that sits right on the Irish Sea. ‘Lux Amor Pax’ is inscribed tastefully all over the grounds there.

The English translation is ‘light, love, peace’.

Perfect.

Not to be confused or compared to the historic Portmarnock Golf Club just down the county road from the newly rebranded Jameson Golf Links (formerly called Portmarnock Links), it’s hard to believe that this rustic spot is nestled so neatly in the Dublin metro area.

When Kirk and I played these links 15 years ago they were as special, tight, natural, and memorable as our time at The European Club or The Island Golf Club. Now, with five new green complexes and four brand new tees we both felt and saw the changes. All this was done ahead of schedule and reports were all favorable.

The original Bernhard Langer design here was already dialed in to stand the staunch Irish golf critic’s test of time and playability. The new links routing and modifications to the natural coastal undulations provide great sightlines of The Velvet Strand, Lambay and Ireland’s Eye. This place will test every golfer. It’s fair and the design allows for punchouts when errant shots need to be put back in play. But the rolling beach hills and bunkering can gobble up risky or sloppy play.

Wind is a major part of your experience here — so bring an open mind to what Mother Nature can dish out during your round. It will affect your day, so embrace it.

D ES T I N AT I O N GO LFER 41 41

I Photos courtesy of Portmarnock Resort

’d like to note that I witnessed Kirk break 80 here (78) in windy and firm conditions, which was the best round either of us carded over the 10 days we were in Ireland.

The Jameson Links had its way with me as I went 47-43 (90). I admired how Kirk kept his ball low and piercing all day — he played Portmarnock like a linksy champion.

Jeff Lynch of ReGolf Design, together with DAR Golf Construction, Aquaturf Solutions and the resort’s grounds team masterfully delivered the changes to Langer’s original design.

The original Jameson Estate of St. Marnocks has played host to professional and amateur events including the 2008 and 2009 Ladies Irish Open and the 2021 Irish Challenge. These new improvements will likely bring more championship play here in the future.

As for the accommodations, food, drink, spa, sights and sounds — we will put Jameson against other lovely places here in Ireland such as the K Club or Castlemartyr.

The hotel has just over 130 rooms that range from standard to luxury suite, all with lovely vistas of the championship links, Irish Sea and the quaint surroundings. The vibe of the hotel is a confluence of elegance, coastal ambiance, and history with modern edges.

It’s a respite feeling there. The food in the Jameson Bar and The 1780 is fantastic. The steak, chops and seafood we paired with a flight of Jameson whiskey was a dinner we will never forget.

A couple of special things to add are the windows in the bedroom — a stunning way to wake up each morning (I loved keeping the drapes open to let the sunshine in at sunrise, followed by a walk on the beach), and the proximity to Dublin’s city center and airport, both just 15 minutes away.

Free parking and more than reasonable rates for everything here makes this a must-stay and play for every golfer.

Visit Portmarnock.com for complete details, bookings and interesting reading about the Jameson family.

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Welcome to the newly renamed Jameson Golf Links Jameson Golf Links is an 18 hole course spread across 203 acres and is set on the grounds of the old Jameson Estate of St. Marnocks.

DELUXE GOLF PACKAGE

Situated on the shoreline of a rugged peninsula, Jameson Golf Links

With our Deluxe Golf Package,

first opened for play in 1995. Located just 15 minutes from Dublin

enjoy a round of golf for two

Airport, Portmarnock Resort & Jameson Golf Links is the perfect

people before retiring to a

location for anyone looking to enjoy a break in Ireland’s capital.

Deluxe Golf View Room for a well-deserved rest after a day on

To book a tee time, visit our website or email us at golfres@portmarnock.com To book the Deluxe Golf Package, visit our website or email us at res@portmarnock.com www.portmarnock.com | +353 (0) 1 866 6504 | res@portmarnock.com

the course. The next morning wake to a delicious breakfast alongside that vital cup of coffee.

GLOBAL GOLFER IRELAND PART 2 PRESENTED BY

Circumnavigation of The

Emerald Isle

BY DICK STEPHENS • DG PUBLISHER

A

Old Head Golf Links • Kinsale • County Cork

s I impatiently waited for weeks to board an Aer Lingus non-stop flight from Seattle to Dublin, my anxious cop-

ing mechanism was to hum a jingle from the 1970s over and over.

If you experienced that decade, then the catchy Heinz Ketchup song

by Carly Simon is one that you will relate to. “An-tic-i-pa-tion. An-tic-ipay-yay-tion…” I couldn’t get it out of my head, which isn’t a surprise as my travel and golf companion Kirk Tourtillotte and I had been stitching together our circumnavigation of The Emerald Isle for months.

It certainly wasn’t a hardship, but our obsession became reality. The basic plan was simple — 10 days, seven courses, each along the coast — starting in Dublin and ending in Dublin. We drove clockwise along the most amazing stretches of motorways, county roads and some harrowing eyes of the needle where two cars barely fit on the road — literally with just a few inches to spare.

Kirk and I have been business partners for more than 30 years, played golf all over the U.S., and this was our second sojourn to Ireland and Northern Ireland — the last time was 15 years ago. There were a couple spots we longed to revisit but we added stops in Kinsale, Cork, Kerry, Galway, Ballybunion and Belfast this time.

In the previous feature, we shared our Portmarnock experience as part one of this two-part story. I wish to thank our Englishman Editor Tony Dear for his help and insight on a couple of our stops here.

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Image courtesy of Shutterstock

Destination Golfer publishers drive

2,000 MILES AROUND IRELAND on a trip of a lifetime

D ES T I N AT I O N GO LFER 45 45

Old Head Golf Links Kinsale, County Cork

The Grafton Hotel Dublin

N

amed after Charles FitzRoy, Second Duke of Grafton and illegitimate grandson of England’s King Charles II, The Grafton is one of Dublin’s hippest and most sought-after hotels with a five-star rating from 659 reviews on TripAdvisor.com.

Located on Stephen St. Lower in the city center’s affluent District 2 (or D2), the modern, red-brick building has 128 guest rooms, and has been included among Ireland’s top 50 places to stay by the Irish Independent.

Interested in a short stroll? The wonderfully peaceful St. Stephen’s Green is just a four-minute walk southeast of the hotel. For a longer trek, about 20 minutes, head west to the Guinness Storehouse.

For something a little more urbane, you can simply hop down to Bartley’s Cocktail Bar on the hotel’s ground floor. There you can sip on the divine Grafton Cosmo, a mix of Belvedere blackberry and lemongrass vodka, triple sec, cranberry juice and lime. The adjacent Bartley’s Restaurant is a cool, stylish space whose menu highlights include an eight-ounce striploin steak, and a seared salmon fillet with brown shrimp hollandaise, among other delightful entrees.

The beauty of Dublin (besides the people, the amazing nightlife, the Guinness, the tranquil green spaces, the ‘craic’ — described as a mixture of repartee, humor, intelligence, and acerbic and deflating insight — and its myriad other charms) is that, at 46 square miles in area, it’s not terribly large. For the avid golfer, that means a lot of fantastic courses are conveniently reachable from The Grafton.

It’s just a 20-minute drive east to Royal Dublin GC, and only 10 minutes further north to the historic Portmarnock GC and excellent Jameson Links. An alternative 30-minute trek gets you to the magical dunescape at The Island GC. Pat Ruddy’s The European Club is 50 minutes south, and a similar distance north takes you to Baltray for the highly rated County Louth GC. — Tony Dear

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I’ve played 20 of the finest courses in the world by anyone’s standards, and the 24 hours Kirk and I spent at Old Head Golf Links in Kinsale is not only one of the fondest golf experiences I’ve ever had — it’s one of the best moments of my life.

This place will blow you away. Old Head, the course, famous lighthouse, Lusitania Museum, world-class hotel and spa are narrowly tethered to Ireland by a thread of land not much wider than County Cork’s rural road 604 itself.

From the air, Old Head looks like an island and it’s one of County Cork’s mostbeloved tourist vistas. Just how old is Old Head? Try this — Greek historian Ptolemy mapped this hallowed ground in 100 A.D., and the Vikings occupied this spot from 820-918 A.D. The castle here was built in 12th century.

The course design is diamond-shaped, with sightlines of the sea at nearly every turn and was penned by a unique amalgamation of legendary Brit and Aussie mappers: Ron Kirby, Dr. Joe Carr, Paddy Merrigan, Liam Higgins and Haulie O’Shea. It’s the most masterful 18 holes I’ve ever walked.

At 7,135 from the tips, I’d put Old Head in a windy Kapalua category of difficulty.

Frankly speaking, your heart will be in your throat all day long as the whole course is a good 150 feet above rugged coastal terrain — hilly and hearty.

Upon teeing off, this warning from the course guidebook really stuck with me.

“Players, caddies and spectators are warned to not attempt to retrieve balls from the hazards at holes 2, 3, 4, 7, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17 and 18. It is positively dangerous to do so.”

I will back up that claim all the way. Basically, you step too far and you’re a goner. I took a pic of Kirk hitting his second shot on hole 3 and it literally looks like he’s hanging on to that last blade of grass in Ireland. See his heroic shot on the previous page.

The hotel is uber modern, and the patio will make you want to miss your tee time — it’s glorious. The food and drink pay homage to its special European roots there.

One of my favorite parts of the trip, not including our five hours on the links, was the beer and whisky Kirk and I shared in the Lusitania Bar after our round. There with us were other globetrotting golfers from around the world, all sharing stories about where they’d been and where they were heading — each of us chirping war stories and little insights to help each other on our next stops. A modern day, Irish golf Mos Eisley Spaceport Cantina for linkster pilots.

Ballybunion Golf Club Old Course, County Kerry

I implore you, please take a moment to read my sidebar story on page 50 in this issue if you have time. It’s about our memorable moment there in Ballybunion in meeting one of their heroes Jackie Hourigan, manager of Harty Costello Town House and past club captain there. He’s one of my top 10 golf people I’ve ever met.

Established in 1893, Ballybunion’s Old Course (the other, shorter Cashen Course, is also part of the complex), ranks as one of Ireland’s best and most challenging courses. For me, it’s the ultimate links heavyweight champion. Tom Watson, who has a statue in front of the clubhouse commemorating his legacy there, said this of the Old Course: “Ballybunion is a course on which many golf architects should live and play before they build a golf course.” Amen, Mr. Watson.

At 6,739 from the blue tees, one might think you can score there. Frankly, the 6,700 yards feels like 7,700 yards with the wind and steep, blind layout. If you could only play two or three courses in Ireland, Ballybunion must be one of them. By the way, I lost nine balls that day — four of which were in the first cut of rough.

Galway Bay Golf Resort Oranmore

Our time at Galway Bay was highlighted by one our favorite hosts during our trek. Ronan Devaney of the resort went out of his way to make our short stop there filled with hospitality, regaling us with the visions and history that have made Galway Bay a local and Hollywood A-lister favorite since opening in 1993. It’s designed by legendary Irish golfer Christy O’Connor Jr., who will long be remembered for breaking Americans’ hearts in 1989 by beating Fred Couples, which led to Europe retaining the Ryder Cup. His routing of this 7,300-yard masterpiece is more parkland than it is links. It feels and plays like a salty air country course – sheer magic and rolling lush fairways with perfect views of Galway City across the bay. The Connacht Hospitality Group has made marvelous improvements and upgrades. This is a must play and will accentuate a Galwegian stopover.

Arglass Golf Club

Northern Ireland, County Down

When we decided to return to both Northern Ireland and its sister to the south, Ardglass was at the top of both our lists. Just 45 minutes from where we stayed in Belfast, the drive there is a reminder of the spirit, beauty and grit of this part of the UK. I’ve told countless people this — if I hit the Lotto, I’m moving there and joining Ardglass.

For what it costs to play Pebble Beach twice, you can join and be a member here. And, bluntly, the par 70, 6,216-yard layout is as beautiful as any links course I’ve ever seen.

The clubhouse is a 15th century castle/warehouse that still has the original cannons right by the first tee. Your first hour on the course is all rugged North Atlantic shoreline and your opening tee shot must cross a sea gorge with waves crashing right in front of you. This place is bliss to both Kirk and I. He is still the only golfer to ever post an albatross on the 483-yard par-5 11th hole there, which he did 15 years ago. This trip, I had a memorable back nine with three birdies — one of which was a 180-yard par-3 where I hit my driver to thwart a 35-mph gale.

The people there make this place even more memorable. The pro shop and restaurant is top shelf.

Castlemartyr Golf Resort County Cork

W

hen you play golf on the other side of the Atlantic, you know there’s a good chance the course, the land on which it was built, the club that now owns it, or the ancient village down the lane probably has some cool history attached to it.

Maybe an Open Championship was played there in the 19th century? Perhaps a king or queen awarded the club Royal patronage, or it was designed by one of golf’s golden age famous architects? And might a Beatle or Rolling Stone have had a pint in the nearby pub?

The Castlemartyr Golf Resort, 20 miles east of Cork in southern Ireland, may not have hosted an Open Championship − and its golf course might have opened just 15 years ago — but its story is interesting, nonetheless.

The ruins of a 13th-century castle built by the Knights Templar (a popular and highly skilled military order of the Catholic faith founded in Jerusalem in 1119) stand just a few hundred feet from the 17th-century manor house that now forms the centerpiece of the 108-guestroom resort. And yes, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Brian Jones stopped for a pint in Barry’s Bar in the village of Castlemartyr in 1965 on their way to the Savoy Theatre in Cork.

Set in 220 acres of glorious parkland and woodlands with lakes, streams, abundant wildlife and an ornamental garden, the resort opened in 2008 following a significant refurbishment program which produced a grand, five-star hotel that is now listed among the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s most historic in the world.

Terre is the resort’s main fine-dining restaurant and was recently awarded a second Michelin star. The Irish Times calls it one of the best in the country and where Chef Vincent Crepel says he uses “classic French techniques to underpin exciting Asian flavors and local Irish fare.”

Enjoying a meal here is a very special and memorable way to spend an evening and not, perhaps, for the casual diner looking for some everyday comfort food. Here, you eat tuna belly with verjus, radish, trout roe, and Irish truffle seaweed. You might also try the Irish trout with carrot sauce, yuzu kosho, and timut oil, or one of the many other fantastic dishes you’ve never seen or heard of before but will never forget once sampled.

You’re also unlikely to forget the resort’s golf course − a very fine Ron Kirby design − which opened in 2009. His work can be seen elsewhere in the Emerald Isle at courses such as Dromoland Castle and Mount Juliet — where he collaborated with Jack Nicklaus — plus the magnificent Old Head, located just an hour southwest of Castlemartyr.

The setting at Castlemartyr is bucolic with an interesting layout of holes separated by wispy, golden, fescue rough making for a very pleasant round. The back nine is considerably longer than the front, which offers up several genuine birdie chances. Together, they create a course of 6,790 yards with a par of 72.

Following the round, sit down in the distinctive clubhouse for a plate of hake and chips, braised feather blade of beef, or bangers and mash made with O’Connell’s sausages from Limerick. — Tony Dear

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The European Club

Brittas Bay, County Wicklow

Pat Ruddy’s 20-hole Everest of golf was our final stop (and second time there.) The European Club is just a short 50-minute speed limit drive from Dublin. It’s ranked on many top 100 course lists in the world. For me, it ranks as the hardest course I’ve ever played. I haven’t played them all – but I’ve faced beasts like Carnoustie, Royal County Down and Bethpage Black. The European, which opened in 1992, would have a slope rating at 150-plus from the tips. Why is this a must-play? It’s gorgeous, linksy, rolling, seaside, hilly, prickly and the railroad tie-banked traps and pot bunkers will give you fish tales to tell forever. Par-3 holes 7a and 12a give you two more bites at the cherry and made Ruddy’s magnum opus design world famous.

He bought the land, moved the dirt, routed the plan, designed every hole and green, manages the place, wrote a book about it and greeted Kirk and I personally when we arrived. We’ve never received that treatment from Coore/Crenshaw. As much as this place takes a hunk of flesh from you, I would never ever not play it on any trip to Ireland. I love the man and the course.

And Pat’s beef stew, as he puts it, “will allow your heart, mind and body to come together again after you’re done playing.” True that.

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Ballybunion's Jackie Hourigan (left) with DG Publisher Dick Stephens.

Meeting ‘The Man’ of Ballybunion on a road less traveled

BY DICK STEPHENS • DG PUBLISHER

M

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he staff at Travel There & Back will connect your dots to follow your dreams, offer ideas and stay within your budget. Visit TravelThereAndBack.com and contact them today.

Links to the Links • TheGrafton.ie • CastlemartyrResort.ie • OldHead.com • BallybunionGolfClub.com • GalwayBayGolfResort.ie • ArdglassGolfClub.com • TheEuropeanClub.com 50 D ESTI N ATI ON G OL FE R

y wanderlust is very much a part of my modus operandi. Making new acquaintances while I follow this little white 1.68-inch-wide bouncy ball all over world is the main reason I love the game of golf. This issue contains a circumnavigation of Ireland with Co-Publisher Kirk Tourtillotte and I last August. I hope you enjoy parts 1 and 2 this issue — both provide a unique glimpse of what we experienced.

During our 2,000-mile trek, we met handfuls of interesting people along the way: club pros, chefs, Irish street punks, politicos and hearty rural folk. But, without a doubt, the cake-taking character we spent time with is not a wallflower but part of Irish golfing folklore and a hero to the town he’s lived in for decades.

Ballybunion’s Jackie Hourigan is “The Man” in this little 1,600-person village, which is known around the world as a golfing wonder. Ballybunion Golf Club is to Ireland as St. Andrews is to Scotland.

I never heard of the man until I started doing research. We wanted our stay to be authentically publike, where the inn was on the top floor, and the potatoes and soda bread were below.

I stumbled across amazing reviews of a small eight-room inn called the Harty Costello Town House. I woke up at 2 a.m. to ring them for a reservation. A soft-spoken Irishman answered, “Ay, may I help ya?” It was Jackie’s son John, the inn chef and co-manager there with Jackie. He said they’d love to host us, and it’s the “the place to stay” when playing there. He shared, “when you’re here, ya need to meet Jackie — he saved Ballybunion and is a past club captain. I’ll tell him you’re coming. Please share when you’re arriving, I’ll make sure he’s aware.” Click.

When we arrived a month later, 90-minutes late, we unloaded our Opel SUV and walked up a narrow, steep, creaky flight of steps that smelled comfy like an old book collector’s store.

At the top of the staircase was a lean, tall gent with a full head of perfectly groomed silver hair in a Ballybunion sweater who said “goo-ehd-ness, ya maast be Dick Steee-phens from Sea-ah-tell, Wooshington, air ya naut?”

His words shook me, but not in a scary way. His greeting was warm, colloquial. “I am, sir. Oh my God, are you Jackie?” We laughed, he gave me a firm handshake and put his left hand on my right shoulder to steady me thankfully as I was gonna fall backwards down the stairwell. He nicely ordered us to quickly stow our bags — he made dinner reservations. No check in or credit card, just gave us old brass room keys.

We did as we were told, and five minutes later we’re dining at a bistro owned by his lovely lady friend — everyone there knew his name.

For two hours over local seafood, fresh chops and white wine, Jackie regaled us with decades of stories. While he was a club leader, many years ago, ocean erosion was washing away the mantle underneath the course and huge chunks of Ballybunion’s links coastline — the course was imploding.

It was Jackie, and his clubmates, that saved it with emergency efforts, geologists and soil experts who soon built a seawall to save the hallowed grounds.

But perhaps his pièce de résistance moment was in September 1998, when the White House shared that President Bill Clinton would be making a quick trip to Ireland and would be taking his own road less traveled to play a round at Ballybunion — only days to prepare.

At the same time, news was swirling regarding Ken Starr’s independent report that was submitted to the House Judiciary Committee. The town was enduring a lull in tourism and biz, and were now thrust into their own version of “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?”

Rather than make it political, Jackie and town leaders welcomed thousands of visitors taking in Clinton’s visit and round of golf. They quickly commissioned a local artisan to sculpt a seven-foot-tall statue of the President golfing for his visit. The famous monument still stands today, now bronzed, to commemorate the impromptu historic appearance there. Jackie proudly shared this while showing us the statue and was quoted in The Irish Times as saying, “I was very emotional. We embraced (he and Clinton) and I thanked him for all he had done for Ballybunion...”

After dinner, Jackie invited me to join him at his pub, where I just listened to endless tales of his life and brushes with legends such as Christy O’Connor, Tom Watson, the President, heads of state and sojourning golfers who enlightened his life.

Surely, each were enlightened tenfold by Jackie, just as I was.

Après Golf Hot Spots to Hit

Use this checklist from Travel There & Back when in Ireland Dublin

Irish Whisky Museum

Check out the Irish Whisky Museum to learn the history behind the rise, fall, and renaissance of Dublin’s whisky trade.

Belfast

Maritime Mile

Walk the Maritime Mile and delve into the rich nautical history of Belfast. Make sure to leave time to visit the Titanic Belfast Experience.

Galway Ardglass

Saint Patrick’s Church

Walk in historical footsteps. Visit Saint Patrick’s Well, Saul and Ardtole Churches, founded by the Saint, plus his final resting place at Down Cathedral.

Belfast Dublin

Galway

Aran Islands

Galway is the gateway to the Aran Islands.

Explore Dun Aengus on Inis Mor, purchase an Aran Sweater on Inis Meain, or cycle around Inis Oirr.

Old Head Kinsale Scilly Walk

Old Head Kinsale

Beyond the colorful Market Street, explore the Scilly Walk out to Charles Fort, roughly 3.5 miles roundtrip. Make sure to leave time to enjoy Charles Fort.

Ballybunion Castle

After visiting the ruins of Ballybunion Castle, take time for yourself with a Seaweed Bath. It’s the perfect way to decompress and care for tired muscles.

Photos courtesy of Shutterstock

Ballybunion

Ballybunion

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SOUTH OF THE BORDER

MEXICO

Baja Bliss Villa del Palmar Resort brings it all together for the vacationing golfer

Mexico

O

BY BART POTTER • FOR DESTINATION GOLFER

ld Mexico charm comes together with every dining, lodging and recreational amenity that's possible to imagine in one blessed Baja California place.

That’s the Villa del Palmar Resort, where you get all of the above and a great golf course, too.

“It really feels like the undiscovered, untouched piece of Mexico it’s hard to find anymore,” says Aisling Mahoney, PR coordinator for Villa del Palmar.

A stay-and-play vacation here, roughly a half-hour from the town of Loreto, might as well be a stay and play and play and play … on the golf course and off.

Danzante Bay is a 740-acre master-planned community, home to the award-winning Villa del Palmar at the Islands of Loreto hotel and new “Baja contemporary” real estate offerings.

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Photos courtesy of Villa del Palmar

L

et’s start with the golf.

TPC Danzante Bay (tpcdanzantebay.com), voted one of the best golf courses in Mexico by Golf Digest, is an 18-hole gem from world-renowned architect Rees Jones. The only TPC course in Mexico, Danzante Bay is known for its shot-making challenge and jaw-dropping visuals.

The natural beauty of the course arrests the eye.

The rolling hills of the Sierra de la Giganta Mountains hug the contoured greens and open to views of the Islands of Loreto.

At a length of 7,237 yards from the tips, TPC Danzante Bay delivers exceptional golf, while the clubhouse, on-site pro shop, and state-of-the-art practice facilities add to the experience.

This unique TPC layout might be the most photographed golf course and resort in all of Mexico, Mahoney says.

Loreto sits on the eastern coast of Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula. The oldest human settlement in Baja, the beach town is known for its secluded, unspoiled setting, clear seawaters teeming with marine life, colonial buildings from the early 17th Century, and natural topography unique to Baja.

If for some reason you or anybody in your vacation party doesn’t play golf, there’s no chance for boredom at Villa del Palmar.

With a seemingly endless variety of activities to entertain children of all ages — including cooking classes, treasure hunts, Spanish lessons, and Mexican crafts — along with a secluded stretch of beach and spacious suites, Villa del Palmar is a haven for families and multi-generational travel. The resort’s Family Fun Package includes a four-night stay in a Deluxe Suite, daily breakfast, a snorkeling excursion, putting at TPC Danzante Bay, a beach bonfire, and more.

Hotel-led boat and scuba diving tours offer guests an up-close look at the underwater wildlife of the Loreto Bay National Marine Park. Dubbed the “Galápagos of Mexico,” the park is home to nearly 800 animal species including manta rays, dolphins, and whales.

Mahoney says the property, sheltered by the bay, is safe for families. All parts of the property are joined by paths.

“It feels like a small community,” she said.

At the hotel you’ll have everything you need — five restaurants with a rich array of dining options,

with food grown and sourced locally. All the hotel rooms are suites with kitchenettes, and a market stocked with fresh food is on-site.

The resort doesn’t forget the youngest members of families — join the Kids Club on the first day and you’re covered for the rest of your stay, Mahoney says, with special programs just for children.

The property offers several packages including a Stay and Play package and Unlimited Golf or Spa package.

Villa del Palmar takes pains to let you know you can live here year-round if you want. The Loreto region is shaping up as the next big Baja resort and residential market. For visitors seeking an authentic Mexican lifestyle in a setting of natural luxury, lots and homes are available for sale.

Buyers can choose from four home plans from Kevin B. Howard Architects, ranging from three to six bedrooms and 2,400 to 4,350-plus square feet.

Pricing for built product ranges from $1.7 to $6.9 million and lots are also available for sale with pricing from $370,000.

Come early, stay late, or stay forever. Villa del Palmar has a plan for you.

D ES T I N AT I O N GO LFER 57

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HAWAII

Island Vibes Hawaii offers the quintessential Hawaii golf experience Ka’anapali Resort

T

BY TONY DEAR • DG CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

he March-April issue of the Ka’anapali Resort’s “Talk Story” newsletter begins with a suggested week-long itinerary for golfers visiting Hawaii with their golf clubs. Time for relaxation and enjoying attractions besides golf is worked into the schedule, but it’s a fairly exhausting journey that takes in three islands, including visits to Ka’anapali’s sister courses — Volcano GC on the Big Island and Hokuala on the Garden Isle of Kauai.

Sitting at 4,000 feet above sea level, and on the edge of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Volcano Golf Course is a fun, beautiful and historic walk.

Meanwhile, the Jack Nicklaus-designed Hokuala features a breathtaking stretch of ocean holes, with the 210-yard 14th epitomizing the almost surreal, stunning Hawaiian golf experience of your dreams.

Venerable Royal Ka’anapali is the most storied of the three, however, having played host to the Champions Tour, Shell’s Wonderful World of Golf, the LPGA Kemper Open, college golf’s Ka’anapali Classic, and — in 1964 just two years after it opened — the Canada Cup which would evolve into the World Cup of Golf. The U.S. team of Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus won that event by 11 strokes, with Nicklaus beating Palmer in the individual competition by two.

The course, designed by Robert Trent Jones, features many of the architect’s familiar characteristics — big bunkers, runway tees and elevated greens, plus its fair share of “hard par, easy bogey” holes. Jones knew the course was for vacationers who didn’t want

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to spend their day hunting for lost balls or marking down a string of fives and sixes on their scorecards, so he kept it playable.

The best-known hole is probably the 474-yard 5th which heads gently downhill to a green right beside the beach, though it’s the 454-yard 10th that gets many visitors’ vote as the course’s best. Like the 5th, it plays downhill toward the Pacific, but threads the needle between the narrow chute of Cook Pines with the tee shot and looking west across the ʻAuʻau Channel to the island of Lanai, approximately nine miles away.

The final hole — another fairly lengthy par 4 at 440 yards — deserves a mention, too. Palmer named it one of the best closers he’d ever played. Named “A Hui Hou,” (meaning “until we meet again”) it starts with a water carry from the back tees and bends slightly to the right with water in play all the way down the right side, with a large diagonal fairway bunker narrowing the landing zone at about 220-230 yards off the tee. As if all that wasn’t enough to contend with, the green is defended to its left by four sizeable bunkers and slopes toward the water.

The three holes highlighted above might give the impression Royal Ka’anapali is something of a brute.

In truth, however, it is not a terribly difficult course if the trade winds aren’t blowing too hard, and at just 6,700 yards from the back tees, it shouldn’t pose too much difficulty for an accomplished player.

The neighboring Ka’anapali Kai Course, now just nine holes following last summer’s tragic wildfires,

started its life as an executive layout before being extended by Jack Snyder in 1976 and redesigned by Robin Nelson in 2005 when it became a 6,400-yard fun fest. Due to the course and the community having made such a remarkable comeback over the past few months, all 18 holes are scheduled to reopen on June 1 when the course will, once again, be the perfect foil for its longer and more challenging sibling.

Together the two courses provide guests of the numerous lodging options in the Ka’anapali Resort area — Hyatt Regency, Sheraton, Marriott, Outrigger, and multiple Westin properties – with hours of pleasurable recreation. Stay at the Westin Maui Resort and Spa and you’ll find great indoor entertainment at the newly-opened Hana Hou Center in the revamped Kūkahi Tower (formerly the Ocean Tower). You can carry on playing your favorite game in the Topgolf Swing Suites, try duckpin bowling, or virtual reality adventures.

There’s a keiki club (an app that offers various educational games, puzzles, songs, cooking, and spelling) for youngsters plus a bar and lounge area with great food and drink options. Elsewhere in the resort, you can have fun in, on or above the ocean while snorkeling, surfing or parasailing. You can also go ziplining, join a whale watching tour, relax in a spa, hit the shops, or check out any of the Hawaii discovery adventures.

Or you can stay outside and just play golf. Which is fine, too.

TAKE A BREAK TO

Refresh

GO WEST

CALIFORNIA

Playing with

Fire

Desert Willow Firecliff

Desert Willow's Firecliff and Mountain View are must-play courses in Coachella Valley

California

BY TONY DEAR • DG CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

C

ertain courses and destinations in the world of golf are epitomized by familiar images.

When we think of the Monterey Peninsula, we invariably picture Pebble Beach’s tiny 7th hole with the Pacific Ocean in the background. For Scotland, we tend to imagine

the 17th on The Old Course at St. Andrews with the scary Road Bunker pinched into the front of the shallow green. Or perhaps it’s the home hole with the R & A clubhouse and Hamilton Grand anchoring perhaps the most famous scene in the game? Pinehurst invariably comes with thoughts of the 18th hole on the No. 2 Course, with the clubhouse and Payne Stewart statue behind the green.

Meanwhile, thoughts of Ireland are usually accompanied by a panorama of the Mountains of Mourne and Slieve Donard Hotel from Royal County Down’s 9th hole.

When Palm Springs is mentioned, many will recall the 16th or 17th on the Stadium Course at PGA West, while for others, the par-3 17th on the Firecliff course at Desert Willow is what inevitably comes to mind.

62 D ESTI N ATI ON G OL FE R

Y

ou might not know which hole it is or even which course it’s on, but every element connected to golf in the California desert is present and correct. In a photograph of this gorgeous 204-yard hole, we see everything we associate with the game here: the attractive water hazard with beach-style bunker, the lovingly-maintained emerald turf, the beautiful, lush vegetation — California fan (Washingtonia filifera), dwarf sugar palms, milkweed and other native bushes. There are the magnificently rippled, snow-capped Santa Rosa Mountains to the south. Above it all is a sky so blue you can sense the early morning warmth and that it’s going to be another glorious day in the Coachella Valley. Like all great golf photographs, this one makes us want to be right there, hitting a long iron or hybrid to the distant white flagstick.

As with a lot of Palm Springs-area courses, none of the above was present when course co-designer Dr. Michael Hurdzan first saw it.

“There was nothing there except mesquite shrub and wind-blown shifting sands,” he says. “It was desert in the truest sense. Everything that one sees there was created but made to look natural. So, we used all native plants.”

The Firecliff Course is owned by the City of Palm Desert (operated by KemperSports) and was designed

by Hurdzan and Dana Fry. It opened in 1997, along with the facility’s Mountain View Course. In 2023, it was named the California Golf Course Owners Association Course of the Year, a prestigious award that recognizes Desert Willow’s commitment to exceptional course quality, water stewardship, community impact and contributions to the game.

The course’s bunkers were renovated eight years ago. This summer, the greens, fairways and tees will get the same attention in an effort to keep Firecliff among America’s top 150 resort courses — currently No. 139 in Golfweek’s rankings.

Brian Simpson, a regional sales manager for KemperSports, says the course will close on May 13 and reopen on Sept. 22, in time for the Winter 2024 and Spring 2025 seasons. The multi-million-dollar project will see the turf on the greens converted from TifDwarf Bermuda to Mini Verde Bermuda, an ultra-dwarf first used as an alternative to bentgrass because of its reliability in summer, but which can provide championship-quality conditions throughout the year.

All tee boxes will be leveled, reshaped, and in some cases, expanded. Every fairway will undergo fraise mowing — an aggressive method of removing thatch from the top two inches or so of the turfgrass surface. Thatch is undecomposed grass stems, root, and other organic matter found between the surface of the soil and grass blade, and its build-up can have a devastating impact on the health of a course’s turf and its playing characteristics. The fraise mowing will therefore create healthier turf and firmer conditions.

“The combination of green, fairway and tee improvements will create optimal playing conditions for the 2024-2025 season and beyond,” says Simpson.

Desert Willow offers golfers the Platinum Club Card, which currently costs $899 for non-residents ($549 for those renewing) and provides a long list of benefits including 25-30 percent off green fees, 50 percent off driving range tokens, 25 percent off apparel in the pro shop, the ability to secure tee times up to 60 days in advance, and much more. You can also get 10 percent discounted from your food bill at the popular Terrace Restaurant which serves breakfast, lunch and Sunday brunch.

Many Destination Golfer readers who spend extended periods in the Valley — and who are fans of Desert Willow’s two fantastic courses — take advantage of the Platinum Card, as they know this is a place where they’ll be spending a lot of time.

Mountain View

Mountain View

Mountain View

Mountain View

D ES T I N AT I O N GO LFER 63 63

GO WEST

WASHINGTON

A Gene Bates

Beauty

Washington Salish Cliffs Golf Course • Shelton, Wash.

Salish Cliffs Golf Course shines bright in south Puget Sound

T

BY TONY DEAR • DG CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

here were some very good courses on Washington’s Kitsap Peninsula prior to 2011, nothing, though, that might tempt golfers to travel cross-country, or which might win national acclaim.

But because Gene Bates had been hired to design it, hopes and expectations for Salish Cliffs Golf Course outside of Shelton, 70 minutes southwest of Seattle, were high.

Bates, a former design associate of Jack Nicklaus who had also designed a handful of courses alongside Fred Couples and Johnny Miller had already shown Pacific Northwesterners what he was capable of when designing the superb Circling Raven in Worley, Idaho, for the Coeur d’Alene Tribe. And, if anything, the site for Squaxin Island Tribe-owned Salish Cliffs was potentially even better.

There was some glorious, thick forest with beautiful, well-established trees and a lot of elevation change, which was good from an interest/view/ variety/beauty standpoint. On the other hand, however, there was some glorious, thick forest with wellestablished trees and a lot, an awful lot, of elevation change — 600 feet in fact. That kind of height is bad in the sense that designing and building an enjoyable course here — one without too many severely up or downhill holes which might quickly become tiresome — would not be easy.

As anticipated, Bates did a masterful job. Instead of designing holes that pitched too dramatically one

64 D ESTI N ATI ON G OL FE R

way of the other, the Ohio native and Florida resident built cart paths on the most significant slopes saving the flatter ground for the golf. That’s not to say the golf course is flat, far from it, just that what could have been more of an exhausting slog of a course that you’d play once and not be in any hurry to come back to is, in fact, a delightful journey you play once and can’t wait to get back to.

Really, the only hole with a marked incline or decline is the par 3 3rd. The drop from tee to green here is significant. There are plenty of other holes with rises or declines — the short par 4 2nd plays uphill, the par 3 6th down, the par 4 12th down, the par 4 15th up, the par 3 17th down — but none of these elevation changes seem quite so sharp either because of the length of the hole (6th, 17th) or because the gradient genuinely isn’t so severe. And even the 3rd isn’t that excessive. Yes, good players can get to the green from the 211-yard tee with a 6-iron, but there are definitely quicker drops at some other par 3s around the country.

All that to say, you probably won’t leave Salish Cliffs with any idea of the difference in elevation between the highest and lowest points. You probably won’t ever use the word ‘steep’ (well, maybe once or twice), and you certainly won’t strain to play all 18, partly because you’ll likely be in a cart — sure, but also because Bates did such a good job of disguising the climbs and plunges over the course’s 320 acres.

Not surprisingly, Salish Cliffs has won its share

of awards over the last 13 years, at one time or other being ranked among Golfweek and Golf Digest’s Best New Courses in the U.S., the same publications’ top 100 U.S. Public and top 100 U.S. Resort Courses, the top 10 casino courses in the U.S., and the 10 best public courses in Washington. The pro shop has been named the best in the state, and Salish Cliffs was the world’s first Salmon-Safe Sanctuary course.

Likewise, it’s no great surprise the course is invariably in superb condition with smooth, quick running bentgrass greens and beautiful lies in the bentgrass fairways, all thanks to Superintendent Bob Pearsall.

Last summer, the Tribe felt it was time for a bunker overhaul as a decade-plus of Pacific Northwest weather can take its toll as bunkers tend to lose their shape and structure, and the sand needs replacing.

Between June and October, all 63 were rebuilt using the Better Billy Bunker approach of laying down two inches of gravel across the entire bunker floor, spraying a polymer into the gravel and letting it harden into a strong-but-flexible bond that holds the gravel together. And new sand was used giving each bunker back its clean, vivid appearance. Tees were re-laid, too. “The whole project went very smoothly,” says Bates who came back to the course to oversee the work. “And the feedback has been really positive with lots of players saying the course looks fresh and new again.”

GO WEST

WASHINGTON

Washington Gamble Sands • Brewster, Wash.

Gamble Sands Ups the Ante

Stellar second course designed by McLay-Kidd set to open in 2025

I

BY TONY DEAR • DG CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

n July 2022, Pacific Northwesterners received exciting news when Gamble Sands announced plans for a second 18-hole course. Golfers across America — if not the world — sat up and took notice because if it turned out to be anywhere close to as good as the resort’s first layout, it would be another gem worth traveling a significant distance to play.

“I think it will be even better,” says David McLay Kidd.

Kidd is, of course, the Scottish architect who designed the original Sands Course and whom the Gebbers family (owners of the central Washington development) rehired to design the second. Located on dramatic ground to the north of the original, which opened in 2014 and is now ranked among the U.S.’s top 50 public courses by numerous publications, the currently unnamed follow-up course will take golfers on a mostly counterclockwise journey around a site once used to grow corn, measuring 6,865 yards from the back tees.

The creek that runs east-to-west, and parallel to Sand Trails Road, divides the two courses and is featured prominently on a few of the back nine holes.

Players will enjoy incredible views of the mighty Columbia River from most parts of the course, but most notably at the 130-yard par-3 11th which heads directly toward the water.

Kidd broke ground in the fall of 2022. The construction and shaping phase were completed the following spring when five holes were seeded. As-

66 D ESTI N ATI ON G OL FE R

suming the weather cooperates, the rest of the course will be seeded by August, and the course should be ready to play in the summer of 2025.

“The back nine will probably have the strongest set of holes on the entire property,” he says. Kidd, whose star has continued to rise since the opening of the original Gamble Sands course, has also achieved acclaim with his work at Sudden Valley (Mammoth Dunes) in Wisconsin, Entrada in Utah, Sand Point in Seattle, Tributary (formerly Huntsman Springs) in Idaho — where he recently renovated his original design — and the Dunas Course at Terras Da Comporta in Portugal, which has been lauded as not only the best course in the country but one of the best in continental Europe. He has also completed the private GrayBull GC for the Dormie Network in Nebraska, and currently has ongoing jobs in both Texas and Florida.

Though the new course will be Gamble Sands’ second 18-holer, it will be the fourth of Kidd’s creations at the resort, which is located 220 miles east of Seattle and 135 miles west of Spokane. In May 2020, the 100,000 square-foot Cascades Putting Course opened just outside of a 37-room inn, giving guests wonderful views of the Columbia upon stepping out of their lodgings to practice their stroke or enjoy a money game over the rollicking contours. A year later came QuickSands, a 14-hole Par 3 course, where guests could play 60- to 180-yard holes barefoot with a cold beer and just a couple of clubs. The music emanating from speakers placed around the

course’s 115 acres gives QuickSands an “anything goes” mentality that guests have lapped up.

Gamble Sands’ next course promises to combine all the fun of its previous openings with just a little bit more of a challenge. Bring up images of the site on Google Earth and you’ll see crop circles on what appears to be flat, featureless ground. The picture is misleading, however, as the land is surprisingly rugged. Due to a committed effort to restore the wild scrub of the high desert, the course will have a wild, untamed look while providing a stiffer test than its neighbor offers.

“It should play a few strokes harder than the first course,” says Kidd. “The greens will be a little smaller and the slopes not quite so friendly. So, I think it will put up slightly more resistance.”

With two regulation-length courses, 40 additional rooms being built to the right of the 1st fairway, a new restaurant, and the newly opened Barn (a 4,000 square-foot event space adjacent to the clubhouse), Gamble Sands is well on its way to becoming the type of destination where golfers can comfortably spend three or four days playing some of the best golf in the country.

“Hopefully it will rival other great golf destinations like Bandon Dunes, Sand Valley and Streamsong,” says Kidd.

It’s an ambitious goal for sure, but one that — given the land’s potential and Kidd’s creativity — will more than likely happen.

GO WEST

IDAHO

Bold Moves Idaho

Circling Raven Golf Club • Worley, Idaho

Circling Raven’s mesmerizing journey through forest and wetlands

A

BY TONY DEAR • DG CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

t the start of the century, the Coeur d’Alene Tribe began speaking with architects about designing a golf course on its ancestral land 35 miles southeast of Spokane, and only one suggested building it on the east side of Highway 95. Gene Bates knew it was a bold move, as the plan put forward by others had none of the potential obstacles his proposed site had, but he was convinced it had the potential to produce a far better golf course.

“I knew it was risky as the wetlands and railroad might make it unworkable,” says Bates. “But that was before I developed a better understanding of tribal politics. Because the course would be on sovereign land, it would be controlled by the Tribe’s own environmental department. So, though they certainly wanted to be sensitive and respect their land, they didn’t feel nearly as nervous about using it as I had.”

Bates did grow a little anxious, though, when the original contractor hired to build the course went bankrupt a few weeks into construction. But it didn’t take too long for a replacement contractor to be found.

“After considering all the options,” says Bates, “I asked the tribe if my brother, Gary, could come on as project manager and his son, Casey, as lead shaper. Tribal members worked on the course, too.

We hired the occasional sub-contractor, but basically, we built the course ourselves.”

Circling Raven would eventually cover an astonishing 620 acres, roughly 100 of which are maintained. Golfers are taken on a mesmer-

68 D ESTI N ATI ON G OL FE R

izing journey through forest and wetlands, over high ground and low, with a majority of holes completely cut off from the others. Bates’ team worked hard to create a few of them, but many were simply waiting to be discovered and shaped into something attractive and compelling.

“We needed to do some drilling and blasting to create the sixth and eighth holes and move a lot of dirt around the second and fourth,” he says.

“But a few months into construction after we’d cleared everything and could start shaping holes, we were hit by how amazing a site it really was.”

Bates is rightly proud of all the holes, but says the 581-yard, par 5 12th might be his favorite.

“There’s a few ways to play it,” he adds. “Off the tee, you can take the safe route left of the tree or take on a tougher drive to the right of it, and hopefully catch the speed slot which might get you within range of the green for your second shot.”

No doubt the 12th is an exciting hole − and many people’s top pick − though Director of Golf Operations Chris Runyan chooses the par-4 15th, where Bates had encountered a number of moose when building the course.

“It’s just a beautiful hole through the trees and down the hill,” says Runyan. “But there’s so many wonderful holes here. And they’re separate from each other, so you usually have this great feeling of being out there by yourself.”

Runyan, who has been at Circling Raven since November 2022, first visited the course in 2004.

At the time, he was the head professional at Priest Lake GC (about 100 miles north) and started

bringing groups to play there. He says that thanks to the efforts of Superintendent Kal Zaranec and his predecessor Brian Woster, who arrived in January 2001 and remained at the course for two decades, it is invariably in excellent condition.

The course frequently appears in major golf publications’ top-100 U.S. public course rankings. Though Bates worked with Ron Kirby and Gary Player in the late 1970s, Jack Nicklaus in the 80s, and later with Fred Couples and Johnny Miller, his design at Circling Raven might be better than anything he built prior. His other Northwest course on tribal land, Salish Cliffs, should probably be part of that conversation, too. It took talent, experience, vision, and guts to conceive, design and build the course, though Bates will tell you he couldn’t have done it without considerable help from the Coeur d’Alenes.

“I will never forget the faith they showed in me,” he says. “They backed me every step of the way, and there was no way I was ever going to let them down.”

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SHOWCASE

BESS BOX

A Golf Workout Innovation

BY R.A. FREEDMAN • MANAGING PARTNER GOL-FIT.COM LLC

The BESS Box is pure concentrated fitness and makes workouts portable

A

s a TPI certified golf fitness trainer, my objective is to help all golfers improve to the best of their abilities. The process begins with an assessment, which allows me to uncover any mobility or stability issues. From there, I can recommend corrective exercises and/or drills. While these two functional attributes of the golf swing are critical, so is how the Central Nervous System (CNS) responds to training and aging.

The marriage of proper swing mechanics and an individual’s physical conditioning combine to give a golfer the best chance of playing to his or her highest potential. Certainly, there are other factors as well.

Having a great mental approach to the game, course management, equipment, and other variables make golf a complex sport. Touring pros have a distinct advantage. They work out, practice, and/or play for six to eight hours almost every day. Most recreational golfers, even those with very low handicaps, have perhaps just a few hours a week to devote to golf.

So, what does this mean in terms of helping golfers of varying ages and abilities?

For years, my business partner (a teaching PGA professional) and I struggled to balance the ratio

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between practice, play and physical conditioning.

As we coached both at the collegiate level, and worked the offseason with private clients, these populations both had a limited amount of time for practice, play and workouts. What we observed was the following: • Poorly conditioned golfers (young or old) struggled on the last few holes of the back nine due to lack of endurance and/or poor nutrition and hydration.

• Distance was a distinct advantage for lower scores.

• CNS performance was critical for ball striking, putting and short game.

Getting our students and clients to the gym for workouts was problematic. Everyone had different schedules and we just couldn’t accommodate training all hours of the day. So, we created a portable workout station that players could use at home. It turns out our invention was more multi-functional than we had imagined. It’s called the BESS Box, which stands for Balance, Endurance, Strength and Speed.

It became our tool of choice for training all fitness levels because of its unique features. It has a cooler

for food and beverages, gaming options like ring toss and cornhole, provisions for landmine exercises, fitness rope and resistance bands, plus a sled drag and circuit training. It has wheels and a handle like a suitcase. It can be used indoors or outdoors. You can take it to the park, the beach, or virtually anywhere, since it easily fits in the trunk of a car. You can jump on it, over it, do incline or decline push-ups, or a multitude of other Balance, Endurance, Strength, and Speed routines. The BESS Box is about as functional as you can get without the need for expensive machines or heavy equipment.

Besides being able to purchase a BESS Box from our website, we also have franchise options for mobile trainers or those who want to open a small fitness studio. The BESS Box allows for an extremely lowcost franchise option since trainers don’t have the burden of heavy equipment, and its small footprint allows for training in facilities with only a few hundred square feet.

For more information, please visit our website www.gol-fit.com where you can view videos of the BESS Box in action. You can also email us with questions at bessboxfitness@gmail.com.

AMERICA’S NO. 1 ELECTRIC GOLF CADDIE. mgigolf.com

THE FUTURE OF GOLF IS HERE TO STAY Feel the fairway beneath your spikes. Slow down your round just enough to give every satisfying shot the attention it deserves. Embrace the gratification of each step as you track down that smashed drive on foot — without being weighed down by your clunky bag.

With an MGI Electric Caddie, you gain an advantage that saves energy and drops strokes for even the most experienced players in the game.

No push. No pull. No cart. No carry. Just a moment in time that takes you out of this world.

SHOWCASE

MGI GOLF CARTS

MGI 2024 Zip Navigator AT

S

ales of powered buggies (walking trollies with batteries) are becoming increasingly popular as golfers realize they can still get the health benefits of walking a golf course without putting excessive stress on their joints. The 2024 MGI Zip Navigator All-Terrain Golf Buggy has an attractive new look with a matte black frame and striking gloss top box, chassis cover, and battery. Other upgrades include a newly designed screen, a wider range of speed options and a powerful lithium battery. The Nav AT comes with MGI’s Gyroscope Straight Tracker Technology, which keeps the buggy on track across any terrain, and it’s packed with additional features that help it traverse courses with significant elevation change. The front wheels swivel independently, giving the vehicle extra stability, and there is

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a fully directional remote control which allows you to walk to your golf ball and have your buggy meet you there. The downhill speed control minimizes your effort while maximizing control. Twin 230w calibrated motors give the Nav AT both power and agility, while the 24V battery should be sufficient for 36 holes. Of course, in regard to the latter, severe weather and poor course conditions could obviously impact the life of its charge. The quick-release rear wheels handle tough conditions, and there’s a fully foldable rear fifth wheel for added stability. The USB charging port keeps you connected during the round and the T-bar handle and bag support are ergonomically designed and adjustable. The battery charger is included. The Nav AT weighs around 30 pounds without the battery, and 37 with it.

SHOWCASE

CLEVELAND / SRIXON

Cleveland CBX4 ZipCore

Cleveland HB Soft 2 Putters

E

W

quipment manufacturers have become really good at giving game-improvement clubs a more sophisticated look, allowing higher-handicappers to put great-looking clubs in their bag. They still work like traditional game-improvement models, offering plenty of forgiveness for off-center strikes, but have lost the ungainly, overly busy aesthetic usually associated with game-improvement models. Cleveland’s CBX4 wedge is a perfect example. When the first CBX wedge appeared in 2017, Cleveland said that because 84 percent of golfers used cavity-backed irons, most should also use cavity-backed wedges. The original CBX was certainly forgiving, but its use was largely limited to stock 80- to 100-yard pitches from the fairway. Subsequent models have been far more versatile, enabling golfers to hit more confidently from rough and sand, and even open the face to hit lob shots. The CBX4 Zipcore obviously features Cleveland’s Zipcore technology, which positions the club’s CG further from the heel and closer to the center of the clubface. That makes impact feel consistently solid. The club offers other technology found on the company’s flagship RTX wedges — UltiZip and HydraZip — which ensure deep, sharp, tightly-configured grooves and a laser-milled series of tiny lines on the face to enhance friction between ball and club. This improvement is designed to help golfers gain an advantage in controlling their short games. The wide sole and leading-edge chamfer (a transitional edge between two faces of an object) will help you eliminate chunks.

hile Cleveland Golf has maintained its reputation for building exceptional wedges over the years, its putters have become a notable extension of its short-game offerings in more recent times. Not only are its putters regarded as top-quality, but they also offer excellent value. The HB Soft was introduced late in 2022, and its successor is as attractive and well-made as putters that are twice the cost. There are nine models built to fit both arcing strokes and a straightback-and-through motion by assigning the appropriate hosel, shaft, and grip to each specific putterhead. Every HB Soft 2 putter features Speed Optimized Face Technology (SOFT), which uses individualized milling patterns to normalize ball speed across the face. That results in more consistent distance wherever the strike. The milling patterns are aligned to each head shape’s center of gravity (CG), moment of inertia (MOI) and weighting profile. A 20-gram counterbalance is positioned in the butt of the shaft on 35-inch and longer models, helping golfers move the putter more smoothly while doing wonders for their confidence. Based on stroke type and alignment preferences, HB SOFT 2 putters feature Cleveland’s custom-made pistol grips. For a slight arc stroke, the grip has a classic look and allows the hands to turn over naturally. For those with a straighter move, an oversize grip promotes a stable stroke. Also available is the HB SOFT 2 RETREVE, the company’s first-ever putter with the ability to pick the ball out of the hole without bending over.

D ES T I N AT I O N GO LFER 73

19TH HOLE

LANPHERE CELLARS

Fine Wines And Family Photos Courtesy of Lanphere Cellars

Oregon’s Lanphere Cellars pours its passion into every glass in lovely Willamette Valley

P

BY BART POTTER • FOR DESTINATION GOLFER

roducing high-quality wines in the Pinot Noir country of Oregon’s Willamette Valley is the focus for Lanphere Cellars, a small family-owned winery in Aurora, Ore. The winery, owned and operated by Bob and Debbie Lanphere, is located off the same exit I-5 travelers would take to get to two nearby golf courses — Langdon Farms Golf Club and Charbonneau Golf Club.

Bob and Debbie have been operating the winery since 2017, but winemaker Alberto Alcazar, who is also the vineyard manager, has been making wine in Oregon for almost 30 years. The Lanpheres are a household name in the Portland metro area as the family has run and owned a premier auto dealership group for decades – a name synonymous with customer service and excellence.

Asa Sarver, sales manager for Lanphere Cellars, said Alcazar makes wine in a New World style, meaning it’s approachable and young, but will age well.

“Everything from field to bottle is carefully monitored,” Sarver said. “Only organic compounds are used in viticulture.”

A focus on small-batch fermentations creates exceptional single-vineyard Pinot Noirs, as well as

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Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc wines.

B & D Estate (2021) is a single-vineyard Pinot Noir from Bob and Debbie’s personal vineyard on Bald Peak.

Other wines in the current Lanphere portfolio include Lanphere Cellars Pinot Gris (2022), Lanphere Cellars Chardonnay (2022), the 2021 Estate Pinot Noir, which can be aged for years but can also be enjoyed today, and the 2021 Lanphere Cellars Estate Pinot Noir, which is sourced from Lanphere Estate Vineyards.

A particular favorite of Sarver – “It’s delicious,” he said – is a unique fortified wine called Debbie’s Hibiscus, made of pinot noir infused with hibiscus flower notes.

The Estate Pinot Noir and Willamette Pinot Noir are in markets pretty much anywhere in the Pacific Northwest, Sarver said.

Small-batch and single-vineyard releases are only available from the winery, but the good news is the winery will ship to other states upon request.

Sarver says visit lanpherecellars.com. The Lanpheres would love to hear from you. They also have a growing wine club, which you can join and learn about on their website.

About The Lanphere Auto Group’s Legacy

When Bob Lanphere Sr. was honorably discharged from the Army in 1955, he bought a BSA motorcycle and that was the beginning of his dream to open a motorcycle shop. The dream grew by leaps and bounds and took a twist when Honda offered motorcycle dealers an opportunity to sell the Honda car coming to America. On Feb. 28, 1964, Bob opened the doors of Beaverton Honda on the corner of Hall and Broadway in downtown Beaverton, Ore. Over the next 50 years, Beaverton Honda grew into the Lanphere Auto Group by opening a number of dealerships throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Today, Bob Lanphere Jr. still owns and operates Beaverton Honda, Beaverton Kia, Beaverton Infiniti, Newberg Jeep Ram, Beaverton Motorcycles, Lanphere Auto Collection and Canyon Road Auto Body.

About Lanphere Cellars

Bob Jr. and Debbie have been married for 43 years, and while just entering their golden years, they decided to take on a passion project, which led them to winemaking. What started with nine small vines and garage bottling has now evolved into a family adventure that has seen the acquisition of 20 plus acres and the remodeling of a little red barn that now houses their beautiful tasting room.

In the background, you will find two of Bob and Debbie's three daughters (Lyndsey and Andrea) “quietly” running the back end of the winery. From website building, accounting, to applying for permits and occasionally being official wine tasters, these two ladies manage to keep everyone on track. Not just sisters, but business partners and friends.

Lanphere Cellars, known for its New World Pinot Noir, sits conveniently located across from Langdon Farms, one of Oregon’s top rated golf courses. Nestled at the entrance to Oregon’s Willamette Valley wine country, our tasting room makes for an excellent 19th hole or the beginning of any wine tasting tour. A family passion project that quickly turned into a boutique winery with the wine making expertise of award-winning Winemaker, Alberto Alcazar, Lanphere Cellars is quickly growing. And with the expansion of our barrel room, we have begun hosting fun local events. Check out our website for details.

LanphereCellars.com | 26444 NE Butteville Rd., Aurora, OR 97002

Lanphere Auto Group and Beaverton Motorcycles announces its 60th anniversary. February 2024, marks 6 decades of exceptional service, growth and community involvement. Established in 1964 by the late Bob Lanphere Sr the journey began with the passion for motorcycles in downtown Beaverton. The motorcycle store has expanded with a vision from a streetwise motorcycle rider, growing up in southeast Portland, to Lanphere Auto Group and Motorcycles, with over 350 employees. Lanphere Auto Group and Motorcycles now includes Beaverton Honda Automobiles, Beaverton Motorcycles and Powersports, Beaverton Infiniti, Beaverton Kia, Newberg Dodge-Jeep, Lanphere Auto Collection and Canyon Road Auto Body.

Today, the company is still family owned and operated by Bob Lanphere Jr, Sharon Lenz and Mary Wiggins, ensuring the values instilled by Bob Lanphere Sr continue to drive success. Reinforcing its role as a responsible corporate citizen, Lanphere Auto Group and Motorcycles are continuing to upgrade the facilities and remain involved in the community. Beaverton Motorcycles has the largest service department in the Pacific NW and actively supports amateur and pro motorcycle racers. Beaverton Honda supports various local initiatives, charities and events.

Beaverton Kia holds the distinction of being the oldest Kia dealership in the country and is remodeling the showroom.

Beaverton Infiniti is the sole INFINITI dealership in Oregon.

Newberg Dodge-Jeep has recently completed a million dollar upgrade to its service department.

Bob Lanphere Jr expressed his gratitude for the community’s support through the years, saying, “We are immensely proud to celebrate this significant milestone. It’s a testament to the dedication of our employees, the loyalty of our customers, and the vibrancy of the communities we serve. As we reflect on the past 60 years, we are excited about the future and the continued opportunity to serve and support our community.”

B O B

L A N P H E R E ’ S

Beaverton Honda

ONE PERSON,ONE PRICE, THE BETTER WAY!

www.beavertonhonda.com | 971-346-4548

ONE PERSON, START TO FINISH THE BETTER WAY!

www.beavertonkia.com | 503-746-9515

ONE PERSON, ONE PRICE, THE BETTER WAY!

www.beavertoninfiniti.com | 971-217-9368

BOB LANPHERE’S

ONE PERSON,ONE PRICE, THE BETTER WAY!

www.newbergjeepram.com | 971-205-5513

ONE PERSON,

BOB’S PRICE ON EVERY UNIT Celebrating 60 Years Serving Our Community.

www.beavertonmotorcycles.com | 503-828-9149

19TH HOLE

DIPLOMATICO

Diplomatico Rum Rocks the World Brown-Forman’s molasses-based nectar sips smooth in a cocktail or neat

BY BART POTTER • FOR DESTINATION GOLFER he first question in the interview about Diplomatico Rum was from Rebecca Gardiner for the reporter: “Do you know anything about BrownForman?”

No. Gardiner, a Brown-Forman rep for Oregon and Idaho, filled the void with information, the most pertinent of which is this: Brown-Forman, based in Louisville, Ky., is the oldest liquor supplier in the U.S., launched in 1870 with the first bottled bourbon in America, Old Forester, and still family owned, more than 15 decades later.

The useful timeline on the Brown-Forman website (brown-forman.com) shows it would have been late in the “Prohibition and (post) World Wars” era at Brown-Forman, in 1959, when Diplomatico Rum was first distilled in Venezuela.

Today, Diplomatico is the No. 5-selling rum in the world.

What makes it special?

Diplomatico rums use a specific sugar molasses to start — a lot of rums use honey — which is fermented for 24 hours, Gardiner says.

The company’s rums benefit from a singular process in the rum trade, Gardiner said, when they go through distillation in three different types of stills.

First is the column still, which affords production nine time as great as a pot still (different stills create different products and flavor profiles).

And finally, to the batch kettle still, more synonymous with Canadian whiskey.

The aging process in Venezuela, a significantly warmer country than, say, Scotland, means a year of aging in Venezuela is equivalent to three years in a colder country.

The distinctive process lends Diplomatico rums a “hugely flavor-forward profile,” Gardiner said.

Most people think of rum as meant for mixing to create daiquiris, pina coladas and mojitos, among other summery refreshers. But the rums in the Diplomatico line range from super-premium rums on the high end, eminently sippable all on their own, to lighter rums who know just what they’re supposed to do, i.e., mix smoothly with fruity elements and other ingredients to make the familiar concoctions we ex-

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pect from rum.

The Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva, 12 years aged in ex-bourbon casks that impart notes of vanilla, is a multi-award winner in international competitions. Gardner said the spice flavors — anisette, orange peel, all-spice — remind her of her grandmother’s boiled fruitcake from back home in Ireland.

Gardner sips her Reserva over a single large ice cube.

Diplomatico Seleccion de Familia is a special blend of rum reserves in the artisanal tradition of rum-making. It would be a crime to mix this rum with anything.

Ultra-premium Diplomatico Ambassador Selection is crafted in limited quantities, aged and then finished in former sherry casks, and bottled at 47 percent ABV for an intense sensory experience. Don’t waste this rare rum by mixing.

But rum is rum. The unique white rum, Diplomatico Planas, is aged four years and then filtered to achieve its clear color. Go ahead and mix away — Diplomatico says Planas is ideal for “elevating” classic rum cocktails.

Diplomatico Mantuano, a blend of rums, is aged eight years. It offers a dry finish that makes it nice for drinkers who want to lift their rum cocktails above the everyday.

“It doesn’t take itself too seriously,” Gardiner said. “Planas and Mantuano you can absolutely have fun with.”

Gardiner recently got to spend four days with Diplomatico’s master blender, Nelson Hernandez, and came away impressed with his craft — “the art is in the blend” — and the care he showed to the people around him.

Gardiner is similarly respectful of Diplomatico’s “farmer-forward” practices regarding the people who grow the crops that go into the company’s rums.

Golf shows and other golf gatherings are often on Gardiner’s work itinerary, and she said she gets a good reception from attendees when she introduces a rum like Diplomatico, which is not the first spirit many golfers bring to mind.

As for herself, she says, “There will always be a place for whiskey in my home and my heart, but I’m definitely drinking more rum.”

At Home Bar Mixology with Brown-Forman

Mojito

By Diplomatico INGREDIENTS • 3 mint leaves • .5 ounce simple syrup • 2 ounces Diplomatico Planas white rum • .75-ounce lime juice, freshly squeezed • Club soda, to top • Garnish: mint sprig • Finish with a lime wheel

INSTRUCTIONS • Lightly muddle the mint with the simple

syrup in a shaker.

• Add the rum, lime juice and ice, and

give a brief shake.

• Strain into a highball glass over fresh ice.

• Top with the club soda.

• Garnish with a mint sprig and lime wheel.

Photo by Sam Hojati on Unsplash

T

1

NO.

TOP TRENDING RUM*

AS VOTED BY THE WORLD’S BEST BARS

*Drinks International Brands Report 2023: Rum

ENJOY DIPLOMÁTICO WITH MODERATION.

Diplomático Rum, 40-47% Alc by Vol., Imported by Brown-Forman, Louisville, KY. DIPLOMÁTICO is a registered trademark of Diplomatico Branding, Unipessoal LDA. BF-171-100153

TM

19TH HOLE

WAYPOINT SPIRITS

Connecticut’s Cocktail Compass

Waypoint Spirits

Craft spirits, canned cocktails, distillery and tasting room just outside of Hartford is growing in popularity with golfers and sipsters

BY BART POTTER • FOR DESTINATION GOLFER

B

ourbon whiskey is made of corn (51 percent of the mix, by law, to be called a “bourbon”) and aged (again, by law) in new charred oak barrels.

But it’s not a corn thing, or a barrel thing.

It’s a people thing.

“We just love making great-tasting spirits,” says Eric Surmanis, co-owner of Waypoint Spirits in Bloomfield, Ct. “We bring people together with our spirits.”

The people are welcome in Waypoint’s taproom, which was refurbished in 2021 after Connecticut revised its licensing requirements to allow distilleries to sell food and cocktails. A full food menu is featured during open hours, but the stars here are the disparate sprits in the Waypoint portfolio.

Three spirit presentations were the first offerings when Waypoint launched in 2015. Waypoint Vodka is first distilled in Waypoint’s own column still and then filtered to ensure that every ounce you drink tastes for a bright, clean and crisp finish.

Waypoint Rum is a molasses-based rum made in small batches using a special yeast that brings out rich tropical fruit notes.

Each batch of Waypoint Gin starts with the distillery’s own column-distilled spirits, followed by separate distillations of traditional juniper and select botanicals, plus another with a mix of citrus and lemon verbena.

Waypoint’s Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is never chill filtered, ensuring that all the vanilla, caramel and oak notes from aging in charred white oak barrels are delivered straight to the glass.

Waypoint’s lineup of flavored spirits includes vodkas in apple, citrus, raspberry, espresso, vanilla and chocolate flavors; Honey Habanero Whiskey and Coconut Rum. The newest release at Waypoint is the Orange Whip ready-to-drink craft cocktail, which had its coming-out party in April 2024.

Surmanis, who is partners in the enterprise with brothers Tony and Joe Tine, said he hopes to develop and launch a barrel program “to make available great-tasting whisky in smaller denominations up to a barrel.”

The barrels could be customized like a private label for groups and individuals and potentially make Waypoint spirits available to a broader clientele, perhaps outside Connecticut.

86 D ESTI N ATI ON G OL FE R

At Home Bar Mixology with Waypoint

Espresso Martini

Manhattan

INGREDIENTS

INGREDIENTS

By Waypoint Spirits

• 1 ounce espresso • .75 ounce coconut cream • 2 ounces Waypoint Vodka • Switch things up by swapping the vodka

with one of our Waypoint bourbons.

INSTRUCTIONS • Throw ingredients into a shaker with ice.

• Shake vigorously.

• Double strain into a martini glass

or a coupe.

By Waypoint Spirits • 2 ounces Waypoint Kentucky Straight

Bourbon Whiskey • 1 ounce sweet vermouth • Maraschino cherries • Couple shakes of bitters • Choose glassware that’s appropriate

to the occasion.

INSTRUCTIONS • Put ingredients into a cocktail shaker

with ice.

• Shake vigorously.

• Strain into a cocktail glass.

• Garnish with a Maraschino cherry.

PRO TIP FROM ERIC SURMANIS • Always refrigerate sweet vermouth

after first use.

19TH HOLE

DIAGEO

Brand Loyal Diageo’s countless offerings and evolutions always raise the ‘spirits’ of golfers globally with a vast portfolio of beers and liquor libations

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BY BART POTTER • FOR DESTINATION GOLFER

hen you’re the largest distilled spirits distributor in the world — and only Diageo can make that claim — there are bound to be stories. One of the newest is Diageo’s resurrection and reimagining of something very old.

The reopening in March of the legendary “ghost” distillery at Port Ellen, on the famous Scottish island of Islay, reverberated through the spirits industry.

Diageo’s stature is already secured by its ownership of Johnny Walker, far and away the largest whisk(e)y brand in the world.

Other renowned brands in the Diageo whisk(e)y portfolio include Buchanan’s and J&B blended whisky, Lagavulin and Talisker single-malt Scotch, Bulleit American whiskies, Crown Royal Canadian whiskey and Blade and Bow Kentucky bourbon.

Diageo is also a major player in vodka (Ciroc, Ketel One and Smirnoff), gin (Tanqueray and Gordon’s), beer (Guinness) and no- and low-alcohol beverages (Seedlip, Tanqueray 0.0 percent, and Gordon’s 0.0 percent).

Port Ellen distillery reopened with what Diageo says is a “bold vision to be a trailblazing light for the future of whisky distillation.”

Established in 1825 by Alexander Kerr MacKay, Port Ellen distillery is perhaps the most famous of the so-called “ghost” distilleries, a term given to a distillery that has ceased production but still has stock available.

Drawing on Port Ellen’s deep heritage, the new distillery has been redesigned from the ground up with an eye toward innovation, experimentation and sustainability, Diageo says.

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At the heart of the distillery are two pairs of copper stills. The first pair — The Phoenix Stills — are precise replicas of the original Port Ellen stills that will distill the classic smoky liquid that has made Port Ellen single malt one of the most highly soughtafter whiskies in the world. The second pair — The Experimental Stills — will take the art and science of whisky exploration to levels of precision never seen in Scotch whisky distillation, Diageo says.

The stills work in concert with the “Ten Part Spirit Safe” that allows the Port Ellen whisky makers free rein to experiment. The Ten Part Spirit Safe connects to a special laboratory at Port Ellen where the distillery’s technician will analyze and catalogue new spirit variations.

Islay is home to The Machrie, an esteemed links golf course, established in 1891. A worthy aprèsgolf destination is the Port Ellen Distillery; a range of whisky experiences will be available to book beginning in June 2024. Visit via portellen.com to learn more.

Guinness Open Gate comes to Chicago

The highly anticipated Guinness Open Gate Brewery opened in September 2023 in Chicago as the second Open Gate location in the U.S. The Chicago brewery will combine more than 260 years of brewing experience from Ireland with cutting edge American brewing innovation for a uniquely Chicago experience, Diageo says.

Open Gate guests can taste 12-16 rotating experimental drafts, most of which are brewed on site and exclusively available in the taproom, alongside sig-

natures like Guinness Draught Stout, Guinness Extra Stout, and Guinness Foreign Extra Stout, which will always come straight from Dublin.

Environmental leadership

Diageo is well into its 10-year plan to actively address environmental goals in its business practices, including: • Installation of heat battery technology to decarbonize production operations in Illinois and Kentucky, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy. Diageo will install heat batteries made by Rondo Energy at the production sites, providing zero-carbon heat and power and eliminating reliance on natural gas for boilers used in heating during distilling processes.

• Signing of a global agreement with ecoSPIRITS for the distribution of Gordon’s, Captain Morgan and Smirnoff in reusable glass packaging in an expected 18 markets over the next three years.

Diageo is the first spirits producer to sign such an agreement.

• Announcement of two “regenerative agriculture” programs in Scotland and Mexico for the increasingly popular Scotch and tequila sectors. The programs will work to enhance biodiversity, improve water stewardship, reduce carbon and improve soil health.

To discover more about Diageo, its initiatives and its brands, visit diageo.com/en to learn more about their 200-plus brands.

19TH HOLE

BEAM SUNTORY

‘Beaming’ Beam Suntory has a house of products giving golfers something to sip everywhere they play on and off the course

I

BY BART POTTER • FOR DESTINATION GOLFER

t wasn’t so long ago — 25 or 30 years — that a typical spirits drinker on a Friday night would pick up his or her usual liter bottle of Crown Royal or Jim Beam and never much vary in their routine or their selection.

Times change, and so have the habits of drinkers.

“Those days are over, for the most part,” says Tyler Voorhies. “People are drinking less but drinking higher quality.”

Voorhies is happy to say his employer, Beam Suntory, Inc., a top three company in worldwide liquor sales, is meeting the needs of liquor consumers, sophisticated like never before. The new spirits drinker is curious about the craft and science of liquor production and appreciative of the breadth of premium and super-premium brands out there.

Many of those brands are prominent in Beam Suntory’s spirits portfolio, statewide and internationally.

The company has also jumped in big to the burgeoning market for RTD (ready to drink) cocktails, complete with a celebrity partnership.

Voorhies is field marketing manager for Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Montana and Wyoming for Beam Suntory.

90 D ESTI N ATI ON G OL FE R

“Honestly, we’re a whiskey company,” Voorhies says. “Our heritage lies between Kentucky and the Japanese craft distilleries.”

He calls whisk(e)y the “first pillar” of Beam Suntory, and no other segment is represented as richly in the company’s portfolio of brands. Among bourbons, the old-guard Jim Beam, the largest-selling bourbon in the world, is proudly middlebrow, and it only goes up from there: Maker’s Mark, Knob Creek, Basil Hayden, Baker’s, Booker’s …

Legent, a Kentucky bourbon partially finished in wine and sherry casks, is distilled by Fred Noe, seventh-generation master distiller of Jim Beam, and blended by Shinji Fukuyo, fifth-ever Chief Blender of Suntory, the founding house of Japanese whisky.

Irish whiskies in the company portfolio include Kilbeggan, from the oldest continuously licensed distillery in Ireland, founded in 1757; Connemara, Ireland’s only peated single malt; and the doubledistilled single malt Tyrconnell.

The Yamazaki Whisky is Suntory’s top single malt. Hibiki, since its introduction in 1989, has become Japan’s most-awarded blended whisky. Kakubin, a blend, was created by Suntory’s founder

Shinjiro Torii in 1937.

Suntory World Whisky Ao is a blend of five whiskies from Beam Suntory-owned distilleries in each of the five major whisk(e)y regions — Japan, Scotland, Ireland, Canada and the U.S. The second pillar of Beam Suntory, Voorhies says, is tequila. Hornitos, which has been around for 75 years, remains an eminent choice for mixing in drinks such as margaritas. (Fun fact: For five years now, the margarita is the No. 1 mixed drink in U.S. bars as well as among stay-at-home mixologists).

The company’s tequila portfolio doesn’t stop with Hornitos. The premium Sauza is a bar staple, and the super-premiums are represented by El Tesoro, Tres Generaciones and 100 Anos.

For gin, the company can offer up Suntory’s Roku (meaning “six” in Japanese), a premium craft gin made with six Japanese botanicals and eight traditional gin botanicals; Sipsmith, a handcrafted, small-batch London dry gin; and Larios, the bestselling gin in Spain.

Beam’s one and only cognac offering is the one and only Courvoisier, born in France more than 200 years ago.

A strong vodka segment is anchored by Effen, which means “smooth, even and balanced” in Dutch.

Pinnacle is the most-awarded French vodka, available in a variety of flavors. Haku, from Suntory, is made with 100 percent Japanese white rice.

The third pillar of the Beam Suntory model is the array of ready-to-drink cocktails.

The On the Rocks brand has been a big success for the company, featuring the Strawberry Daiquiri (brand new, with a first presentation at the Portland Golf Show in March), the Cosmopolitan, the Jalapeno Pineapple Margarita, the Manhattan, the Espresso Martini and several others.

A year ago, Beam Suntory launched the Delola line of RTD cocktails in partnership with entertainer Jennifer Lopez. The next Delola release will be the Skinny Margarita, made with Cruzan rum, notable for its lower calorie count than a regular margarita.

Other well-known brands in the Beam Suntory portfolio are in the RTD game, too: Sipsmith’s Classic London Dry Gin and Tonic; Canadian Club and ginger ale; and Suntory’s Horoyoi, a low-alcohol (3 percent) canned chu-hi beverage.

Voorhies, who lives in Eugene, Ore., started in the beverage business with Oregon wine, and now has been on the spirits side for a little more than 10 years, long enough to see the change in the industry.

“There’s been a move to qualify over quantity,” he said. “People are wanting to know more about bourbon and different whiskies and the difference in quality.

“That’s what makes my job fun.”

Beam Suntory has developed a drink, Voorhies said — a refreshing aperitif cocktail called The Golden Hour. He suggested it might be perfect for the 19th hole.

At Home Bar Mixology with Basil Hayden Bourbon

The Golden Hour

By Beam Suntory INGREDIENTS • 1 ounce Basil Hayden bourbon • .75 ounce Aperol • .75 ounce Lillet Blanc

INSTRUCTIONS • Serve in a rocks glass over

one large cube.

• Garnish with grapefruit peel.

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