TPC at Baha Mar: Brilliant Bahamas Golf Coming in Spring 2015

If you haven't heard of Baha Mar, get ready for one of the world's most amazing gaming resorts. Combining the over-the-top opulence of Las Vegas with a French Riviera flair and Disneyesque style master planning, this resort will redefine luxury in the Bahamas.

The expansive, $3.5 billion resort located on the north shore of New Providence Island near Nassau is slated for a grand opening in Spring 2015. Dubbed the Bahamian Riviera, it will encompass five luxury hotels, a 100,000 square foot casino, a 2,000-seat performing arts center and art gallery, two spas, 40 restaurants and bars, an 18-hole Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course, designer retail boutiques and 20 acres of landscaped beach and pool experiences.

One of the centerpiece amenities is the TPC at Baha Mar, a Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course, a stunning addition to the TPC Network of courses. The Golden Bear put in a lot of on-site personal attention on this layout to create what should quickly become one of the Caribbean's most desirable places to tee up. 

Arguably, the best professional golfer ever with 18 major championship victories, Nicklaus is also a prolific course architect with more than 380 golf courses in 36 countries and 39 states.

"TPC at Baha Mar truly epitomizes the standard of excellence and tournament-hosting capabilities for which TPC courses are recognized worldwide," says Charlie Zink, PGA TOUR Co-Chief Operating Officer. The TPC Network is comprised of 33 premier private, resort and daily fee golf properties designed by some of golf's most celebrated architects.

Stretching 7,189 yards, the TPC at Baha Mar, the first Caribbean golf course in the TPC Network, will feature two very distinct nines. The front offers several high-profile water features and ocean views and the back nine weaves through a lush inland forest. Tree growth on the layout is spectacular with 15 species of native trees, include protected Mahogany, Silk cotton, Caribbean Pine and Buttonwood, as well as Red and Black Mangroves. There are also more than 70 species of birds and other wildlife on the course.  

After a round, the Royal Blue Clubhouse, designed in a traditional Bahamian style, will feature an open courtyard overlooking the golf course and a bar and grill restaurant serving breakfast and lunch

Harbour Town Golf Links: When the Lighthouse Beckons

I played Harbour Town Golf Links on Hilton Head Island (South Carolina) a couple of days ago.

I'm still on a golfer's high with images of luxury boats and a candy stripe lighthouse dancing in my mind.

I first played Harbour Town 13 years ago and had a blast playing with my 10-year old son.

Flash forward to this past weekend and this time around my son is a strapping 23-year old who bombs it off the tee and wonders why "Pops" can't keep up with him.

We struck gold with the weather on our latest trip. It was 68 degree beauty in late October.  Our forecaddie, Lee, said it was one of the best days of the year.

Following the round, my son and I celebrated our good fortune a little differently this time. When he was 10, we went with the ice cream with double sprinkles. On this occasion we retired to the clubhouse bar and celebrated our enviable surroundings with a frosty IPA by the Palmetto Brewing Company of Charleston, South Carolina.

Absolutely, don't miss the cozy bar at the Harbour Town clubhouse. With its framed golf pictures and rich furnishings, it provides the ideal atmosphere to discuss the day's round and toast your good luck.

GURU's HARBOUR TOWN REVIEW

Risking a scolding and impending arrest from the hyperbole police, I view Harbour Town as a course with the elegance of Augusta national, the pine scented ambiance of Pinehurst and the water panorama excitement of the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island.

If you don't believe the hype from yours truly,  PGA TOUR players (in a survey by Golf World) selected Harbour Town Golf Links as their second favorite course right behind Augusta National. Harbour Town hosts the PGA TOUR's RBC Heritage every April.

It's a perfect test for the pros. With tight fairways and small greens, you must control your accuracy and trajectory and be able to work the ball left or right to score well. If you're a weekend hacker or casual player, you must play the correct tees for your skill level or you'll need a calculator to tabulate your score and several sleeves of balls to finish your round.

While Pete Dye (with consultation by Jack Nicklaus) adroitly designed all 18 holes at Harbour Town, I consider the final stretch of holes (number 13 to the lighthouse) among the best anywhere.

No. 14 at Harbour Town Golf Links

Often overlooked by golfers so enamored with the lighthouse and finishing hole are two of the most picturesque and fun-to-play par threes. Number 14 (192 yards from the back tees, 165 yards from the blues and 148 from the whites) incorporates a beautiful pond, a bulkhead framed green, tall pines and moss draped oaks. As you gaze at the setting off the tee, the reflection of the trees off the pond creates a surreal effect.

Number 17 (185 yards from the back tees, 174 from the blues and 152 from the whites) is a scenic gem with an expansive backdrop of the Calibogue Sound. The tee shot, over a lagoon and high grasses, is an adventurous one. A long, narrow bunker skirts the left side of the green and continues up almost to the forward tees and a small, menacing bunker waits to gobble up errant shots right of the green.  Don't wait to take out your camera or phone camera on 18, this beauty deserves a few shots as well.

If you're an avid PGA TOUR fan and watch tournaments regularly on television, you, no doubt, tune in to watch the RBC Heritage. Like Augusta National, you're so familiar with many of the holes at Harbour Town that you feel like you know the course even if you've never played it.

Pete Dye has some marvelous courses around the world at places like Casa de Campo in the Dominican Republic and Whistling Straits in Wisconsin, but no Dye hit list would be complete without this Sea Pines Resort gem on Hilton Head Island.

What's New for Golf Vacationers in 2014

If you're sick and tired of the constant drumbeat of gloom and doom economic news, I hope I can remedy that problem for you.

Finally, here's some good news about exciting happenings in the golf travel world in 2014:

Slated to debut early 2014 is a luxury 210-room main lodge at Streamsong Resort in Polk County near Lakeland, Florida. Amenities will include three restaurants and two lounge areas, an indoor pool, outdoor infinity pool, fitness center, full-service spa with multiple treatment rooms, retail shopping, hiking, birding tours, sporting clays and lakefront fishing complex with guides, outfitters and boating equipment. Situated 53 miles from Tampa and 69 miles from Orlando, Streamsong is home to two of golf's more celebrated new courses that opened in 2012. Set on formerly mined land, the courses incorporate hills, dramatic land forms, sweeping sand dunes, ridges and vistas. The two 18-hole courses were designed by Tom Doak and Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw.


Celtic Manor Resort in Newport, Wales, the venue for the 2010 Ryder Cup matches, will debut 10 new luxury lodges in 2014, which is part of a planned development of 60 lodges. The large, multi-bedroom log cabins will be named Hunter Lodges. Offering views of the Usk Valley, the lodges will be situated near Celtic Manor's Twenty Ten Ryder Cup course.



The $3.5 billion Baha Mar mega-resort in Nassau's Cable Beach area (Bahamas) will open its 1,000-room casino hotel in December 2014. Opening late this year or early next year is the property's Jack Nicklaus Signature Course at Baha Mar.



An 18-hole putting course at Pacific Dunes at Bandon Dunes Resort in Oregon is scheduled to open in May 2014. Designed by Tom Doak, the highlights of "The Punchbowl Putting Course" include 15 to 20 feet of elevation change and a 100-foot downhill roller coaster putt.


Expected to open late 2014 is the 444-room Four Seasons Resort at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. Set in Disney's ultra-exclusive, luxury master-planned Golden Oaks community near the Tom Fazio designed Osprey Ridge Golf course, the $360 million hotel will be dripping with luxury amenities.



PGA Village Resort in Port St. Lucie, Florida has committed to a course conditioning and enhancement program that will significantly improve the overall golf experience at the resort's four golf courses. Veteran superintendent Dick Gray was hired to raise the quality of maintenance and conditioning to unparalleled levels for 2014 and beyond.


The Trump National Doral Miami (formerly named Doral Golf Resort & Spa) is undergoing a massive $250 million renovation and enhancement program. Slated for completion in fall 2014, the transformation will include refurbishment of guest rooms, extensive renovation of the clubhouse and redesign of the "Blue Monster" by architect Gil Hanse. The new "Blue Monster" is scheduled to be ready by early 2014, just prior to the 2014 World Golf Championship/Cadillac Championship in March.

The Indura Resort and Spa on the northern coast of Honduras is scheduled to open early 2014. One of the highlight amenities is an 18-hole golf course designed by Gary Player and managed by Troon Golf.

Ryder Cup 2014: How To Make it to Gleneagles

I know, I know, it's too early to start thinking about the Ryder Cup, right?

Uh, no, not really.

It's just a year away and if you want to be there, you better start planning now or you might end up spending the night in a pup tent with a flashlight on the beach instead of an amenity-laden room with European linens and designer toiletries.

Afterall, some major hotels are already declaring themselves full for the 2014 Ryder Cup.

To assist in your research and planning process, here's the scoop:

The Site

Gleneagles is a stately upscale hotel set in an 850-acre resort complex amid beautiful countryside in Perthshire, Scotland near the village of Auchterarder. Opened in 1924, the main hotel building was designed in the style of a French chateau. Today, the hotel has 232 guestrooms and 26 suites.

Through the 1920s and 1930s the hotel became the venue for those in high society and for wealthy Americans. Gleneagles closed during World War II and reopened in 1947.

It's a beloved respite for sportsman who can participate in pursuits like shooting, fishing, falconry, equestrian and off-road driving at the resort.

Golf at Gleneagles encompasses three 18-hole championship courses--The King's and Queen's by James Braid, a five-time winner of The Open Championship and the PGA Centenary, a Jack Nicklaus design.

The Ryder Cup Course



Opened in 1993, the PGA Centenary Course takes full advantage of the stunning Perthshire countryside. Nicklaus masterfully routed the course to make every hole visually appealing and challenging. Like other great Nicklaus' courses, the Golden Bear uses his signature features such as huge undulating greens, bold in-your-face bunkering and several high risk/high reward holes to create drama and anxiety for players.

PGA Centenary Course at Gleneagles Resort

There are no breather holes on this layout, which is the longest inland golf course in Scotland. Only two holes incorporate water. Nicklaus demands pinpoint accurate approach shots on the PGA Centenary. I played there five years ago and I can attest you don't want to come up short on approach shots or your score will soar. Mr. Nicklaus did a creative job of placing a lot of trouble in front of the greens. For those who consistently under club, you're in for a long day.

From the back tees, the PGA Centenary plays to 7,296 yards, par 72 with a 145 slope. All of the holes have unusual names. Some of my favorites include, No. 4-Gowden Beastie, No. 9-Crock O'Moss and No. 13-Wimplin' Wyne.

Three Ryder Cup '14 Strategies

1. Use a golf travel company that can package accommodations, tickets, transportation and golf as well as give advice on sightseeing, shopping and dining. I highly recommend Atlanta, Georgia-based Premier Golf, which is licensed by the PGA of America as the official distributor of Ryder Cup Travel packages in North America.  Premier Golf's special Ryder Cup 2014 page 
has a comprehensive list of packages at differing price points and hotels.
Among the hotels featured are The Balmoral Edinburgh, Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa Edinburgh, Fairmont St. Andrews, Dalmahoy, A Marriott Hotel and Country Club, Radisson Blu in Edinburgh, Doubletree by Hilton Hotel in Dundee, Malmaison Dundee and Carlton Hotel Edinburgh.

2. Arrange your own trip if you're Internet savvy and have lots of patience. I suggest clicking the Visit Scotland site, which is loaded with information about things to do, hotels and resorts and dining. For those who want to use St Andrews as a sort of convenient base camp (it's about a 70-minute drive from Gleneagles), the Visit St Andrews site is also an excellent user-friendly site. There are a wide variety of accommodations such as boutique hotels, mom and pop B & B's and chain hotels in major cities.

3. Rent a home in places like Stirling, Perth and Edinburgh, which all offer easy access to Gleneagles. To research, Glengolf2014, which helps in the private home renting process, is a good place to start.

Directions and Nearby Sights

Edinburgh and Glasgow airports are less than 50 miles away from Gleneagles. Great North Eastern Railway services stop at Gleneagles, which is on the London to Inverness line.

Here are the distances from Gleneagles to other major courses:

Ladybank Scotscraig St Andrews Old Dukes Course Carnoustie Crail Kingsbarns Western Gailes Glasgow Gailes Royal Troon Prestwick Royal Aberdeen

50 min 1 hour 70 min 70 min 70 min 75 min 80 min 90 min 90 min 1 hour, 40 min 1 hour, 40 min 2 hours

Must see sights near Gleneagles:

Drummond Castle at Crieff (pictured)
Scone Palace
Blair Castle
Stirling Castle
Elcho Castle
Dunblane Cathedral
National Wallace Monument (Braveheart)
Famous Grouse Experience
Tullibardine Distillery

The Town of Auchterarder

Gleneagles is located just outside the village of Aucherarder. Home to 4,000 residents, it's laid out with a long main street (1.5 mile High Street) giving it the nickname of the Lang Toon (meaning long town). For some excellent fish and chips and fried chicken takeaway, try the Top Shop on High Street. 






Why You Should Go

The politically correct answer is because you want to see one of the world's great sports events in person where you can witness passionate players and fans in a dynamic, pulsating spectator environment. Not so politically correct is those darn Euros came back on us in Chicago and it's about time we won the cup back on "their soil".

Scotland is a fascinating place to play golf. Better still, if you can play on some great courses while you're there attending the Ryder Cup to cheer on the Americans (or Europeans, if you so desire), well, as they say, "it doesn't get any better than that" for a golf traveler.

I can't wait till 2014 when chants of "U.S.A.", "U.S.A.", "U.S.A" and "Ole, Ole, Ole, Ole" will blast through the Perthshire countryside.

Great golf course designers -- and their styles -- on display in Florida

If you like to play exceptional golf courses designed by some of the best architects like Pete Dye, Tom Fazio, Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman and Donald Ross, Florida has an enviable menu. Check out my latest post at worldgolf.com:

Great golf course designers -- and their styles -- on display in Florida

5 Best U.S. Opens in the Modern Era

1. 1973--I've never seen a more mesmerizing round of golf than Johnny Miller's 63 on the final day. I remember watching the then 26-year old Miller pin-seeking on just about every hole at Oakmont resulting in a phenomenal birdie barrage that left players like Nicklaus and Trevino behind. The U.S.G.A. was so miffed that Miller essentially embarrassed them by soundly defeating its tough set-up that they came back the following year with near shin-high rough at Winged Foot where winner Hale Irwin shot a 7-over par for the victory.


2. 1999--Staged on Pinehurst No.2, this one had spectacular drama. Payne Stewart, with his wind shirt with cut off sleeves, sunk a treacherous 15-foot par putt on the final hole to beat Phil Mickelson. It was the pinnacle of Stewart's career. Sadly, he never got to defend his title. Stewart died tragically in a plane crash four months after he hoisted the U.S. Open trophy.


3. 2008--Tiger Woods won on a bum leg at Torrey Pines. Limping around the course like he'd been floored by a linebacker, Woods amazingly played at a championship level. Woods bested Rocco Mediate on the first hole of a sudden death playoff following an 18-hole playoff. Then came the fire hydrant at Isleworth, a slew of personal and knee problems and Woods hasn't won a major since.


4. 2011--This was the Rory McIlroy coming out party following his flame out at the Masters two months earlier. The 22-year old Irish lad broke the U.S. Open record by 4 shots with his 268 total at Congressional Country Club. He shot an astonishing 16 under par to win by 8 strokes. He also set the record for the 54-hole record at 199, the 36-hole record at 131 and the most under par at any point at 17 under. Here's what's truly amazing: He finished 8 shots ahead of Australian Jason Day, whose score of 8 under 276 would have been good enough to win 26 of the previous 30 U.S. Opens.


5. 2000--Up until Rory in 2011, this was the gold standard in U.S. Open play. Tiger Woods destroyed the best golfers in the world by shooting 12 under 272 and winning by a whopping 15 strokes over Ernie Els at Pebble Beach Golf Links.

Is Tiger Woods Finally Back?

All aboard, we're now loading up on the "Tiger is finally back" bandwagon.

Everybody get your red shirts, black pants, TW caps and those goofy looking white athletic golf shoes because Tiger Woods is back.

With the fire hydrant in Isleworth, sex clinic in Mississippi and Perkins Restaurant distant memories, Woods is finally back on his game following victory at Jack's tournament (The Memorial).

Even the most devoted Tiger hater must appreciate the way Woods sealed the victory. Bringing back memories of his phenomenal chip at the 16th hole at the 2005 Masters, Woods executed a similarly memorable shot at The Memorial.


It was the type of timely shot that only Tiger seemed to hit prior to the Escalade escapade.


Is Tiger back?


No, at least not the invincible Tiger.


This 2.0, 3.0, 4.0 or whatever version of Tiger will probably play more at the level of Phil Mickelson, Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler and Luke Donald.


Woods will be good, even great at times, but not nearly as dominant as his glory years when he was rattling off Major victories.

At age 36, with a slew of knee and personal problems, there is no way Woods will ever get close to his prime.

When you look back at the year 2000 when Woods was 24 years old, he won an amazing 11 events (9 PGA Tour titles, a European Tour event and the PGA Grand Slam) and three majors (Masters, U.S. Open and British Open).

Let's face it, Tiger set the bar so high that any future accomplishments by him and other golfers pale in comparison to that year. 

You hear all the talking heads rattle on about TW being one of the favorites to win next week's U.S. Open, but nobody really knows which Woods is going to show up.

Will we see the struggling, floundering Woods we saw in the Masters (following his Arnold Palmer Invitational win) or the new, improved Tiger that hits fairways, sinks five foot putts consistently and executes miraculous shots?

To be sure, the ratings for the U.S. Open will be off the charts because of Tiger. 

Both the bandwagon types and haters want to see Tiger either win his first major since 2008-- when he won the U.S. Open on a bum leg-- or crash and burn and miss the cut.

I'll be watching intently. 

Admit it, so will you.


Read more great GURU on Facebook.

Golf in France is Magnifique

The spectacular Etretat Golf Club in Normandy.

Phenomenal wine, exquisite cuisine, amazing culture and history and golf courses designed by marquee names like Jack Nicklaus, Pete Dye and Gary Player make France an enticing and viable golf destination.

Though France doesn't immediately top the list when thinking of a European golf destination, (Spain and Portugal promote their golf offerings more aggressively), it has all of the necessities for a superb golf-oriented excursion.

France has almost 600 courses, which is more than the rest of continental Europe combined. Equally important is there are only about 300,000 golfers in France resulting in courses that are, for the most part, relatively uncrowded. Visiting golfers are treated respectfully at most French golf clubs and are generally considered members for a day instead of suspicious interlopers like at some snooty European clubs.

The French golf menu is a diverse one ranging from traditional parkland layouts and links courses to dramatic clifftop and mountain courses. The divergent topography has given designers exceptional terrain to fashion courses with high-impact features. You'll be hard pressed to find two courses that look or play the same.

Whether you want to tee up overlooking the French Riviera, along the rugged coast of Normandy, in golf happy Biarritz or Bordeaux, near Paris or other areas of France, rest assured, the settings, food and wine will always be magnifique. 

Omaha Beach Golf Club in Normandy.

Here's a quick glance at some of France's popular golf courses (listed alphabetically):

Etretat Golf Club (Normandy region)--Its famous white cliffs make it one France's most identifiable courses. By all means, bring your camera along when you play this panoramic layout, which has a view from each hole of the ocean.

Evian Masters Golf Club (Rhone-Alpes region)--Situated at the foot of the Alps Mountains on the shores of Lake Geneva, this championship layout hosts the women's Evian Masters. A wonderland of lakes, trees and mountain views, it's one of Europe's most beautiful courses.

Golf de Chantilly (near Paris)--Stunningly beautiful, this wooded 36-hole complex, originally built in 1909, is the quintessential, traditional French golf experience.

Granville (Normandy region)--If you love links golf, this course is for you. The Golf de Granville du Mont St. Michel, originally laid out in 1912 and later redesigned by Harry Colt in 1921, is a 27-hole links golf complex oozing with charm and challenge.

Les Bordes (Loire Valley)--Consistently ranked as one of Europe's best courses, this private, Robert von Hagge layout has an American feel.

Moliet (Biarritz region)--This Robert Trent Jones design is famous for its jagged bunkers and carpet-like fairways.

Morfontaine (Chantilly region)-Annually ranked by many magazines and websites as a Top 50 course in the world, Morfontaine is notoriously private and you'll need to know a member or have a good connection to play this beauty.

Paris International (near Paris)--The only Jack Nicklaus design in France, this undulating parkland layout features high-profile water hazards and island greens. It's only open to non-members in July and August.

Omaha Beach Golf Club (Normandy region)--Located near the beaches where the Americans landed on D-Day, this picturesque layout is a supreme challenge, especially when the wind starts howling.

Seignosse (Biarritz region)--A highly ranked course designed by Robert von Hagge, is a wildly undulating layout dominated by pine and oak trees.

Versailles-Golf International-Albatross (near Paris)--A blend of Scottish links and target golf, this Robert von Hagge design, home to 18 of the last 20 French Opens, will serve as the venue for the 2018 Ryder Cup.

If you're looking for somebody who thoroughly understands how to combine golf with the French lifestyle,  I'd like to introduce you to Beatrice Martin, managing director of La Haute Couture du Voyage, a boutique style travel agency, with offices in Biarritz, France (+33 689657638) and New York City (917-981-9555) that can help you plan a luxury golf trip  to France. She has programs that incorporate wine appreciation, cooking classes, spa treatments, shopping, historical tours and a variety of other fun and interesting activities away from the fairways.

Here's a sample package to Bordeaux offered by La Haute Couture du Voyage:

*  7 nights accommodation at prestigious chateaux hotels or manors 
*  5 green fees (18 holes)
*  7 days transportation (self drive or with a driver-guide) 
*  daily breakfast
*  5 lunches
*  4 dinners at gourmet restaurants 
*  4 wine tasting visits in some of the famous Grands Crus Classes de Bordeaux 
*  visits to St Emilion medieval village 
*  sightseeing and boat tour in Bassin d’Arcachon and Paris
*  meet and greet at arrival in Bordeaux

Non golfers will enjoy different activities;  Spa treatments, shopping, cooking class, ...
 

Price starts at 4200 Euro per person/dbl room/ group of 6 minimum (approximately $5,560 U.S. dollars)

5 Reasons I Love to Play Golf at Mission Hills Resort in China

1. It has the largest golf course menu on earth with 12 layouts designed by a wide range of architects from Jack Nicklaus and Pete Dye to Nick Faldo and Annika Sorenstam.

2. It has more than 3,000 caddies-- an army of cheerful, polite young ladies, who make a round of golf joyful and fun.

3. The open-front concrete structures on the courses serve Chinese noodle soup and ice cold Tsingtao, my favorite Chinese beer.

4. The American-style, high quality maintenance standards at all of the courses provide a fantastic golf experience.

5. The 163-yard, par-3 signature hole on the Faldo course, which is reminiscent of the 17^th at TPC Sawgrass is spectacular. Faldo’s version offers a tee shot from an elevated tee more than 100 feet above a tiny green.

(MissionHills Resort in southern China is situated less than a 30-minute drive from downtown Shenzhen and a 70-minute drive from Hong Kong.)

For more great GURU, click here for my Facebook Page.

The Blue Monster Makeover

Guess who will be re-designing the TPC Blue Monster at Doral Golf Resort in Miami?

Gil Hanse. 

He's the little known architect, who was recently selected over Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman and Gary player design groups to design the 2016 Olympics golf course in Rio de Janeiro with LPGA Hall of Famer Amy Alcott.

Hanse will take orders at Doral from Donald Trump, who purchased Doral for $150 million. Trump reportedly plans to spend a whopping $200 million to revamp the Blue Monster.

Trump already owns golf courses in New York, Washington and California.

Hanse’s most notable designs are Castle Stuart Golf Links in Inverness, Scotland, Rustic Canyon in Moorpark, California,  and TPC of Boston.

Based in Malvern, Pennsylvania, Hanse states several of his philosophies on his website. One of the most intriguing is: “We create courses that are simple and elegant in appearance, yet sophisticated in strategy and interest.”

It’ll be interesting to see what he and Trump come up with for 200 mill.

Rest assured, it will be fun to watch and eventually to play. 

Read more great Guru, click here for my Guru Facebook Page.

5 Best Golf Shots Ever

For my list of the 5 Best Golf Shots ever, go to my latest post at Golf Partners Club