Holly Sonders: Hottest Golf Chick?

Ask any random dude on the street, "Who is the hottest woman in golf?" and I bet 99.9% of those that can actually come up with an answer will name Natalie Gulbis. Ask me that same question, and I'll name someone that I bet 99.9% of all guys have never heard: Holly Sonders.

After watching the Golf Channel over the last year, I have finally concluded that she is indeed the hottest girl in golf. Originally slated for the eye candy role on the daily live golf talk show "Morning Drive", she has been making the rounds on other Golf Channel shows such as "Golf Channel Academy" and "School of Golf". Like a master chef using just a bit of saffron to complete a gourmet dish, the programming big wigs at the Golf Channel use Ms. Sonders to spice up otherwise bland shows.

At first I thought that she was just another pretty face with a smile that rivals the Cheshire Cat, but she's actually an excellent on-air personality. She is smart and articulate and speaks with a sweet and pleasant voice. She's a natural in front of the camera and can handle the unpredictability and pressure of a live show. And to top it off, she's a legit golfer. Just check out this video from the 2012 CVS Caremark Charity Classic shot by my friends at Golfwrx:



Along with Win McMurray and Lauren Thompson, the Golf Channel has assembled quite a bevy of golf babes for us to feast our eyes upon. After watching the NFL Network, it's obvious that they could learn a thing or two from their dimpled, white balled competitor. But of course football is interesting enough that eye candy would just be a distraction!

Top 10 Most Annoying Slow Play Golfer Types

Hope this drops for a "Snowman".

Let's face it, more than three putts, shanked drives and warm beer at the 19th hole, there's nothing worse in the golf experience than playing behind a bunch of clueless dolts who can somehow turn a four hour round of golf into a 6 hour death march.

These guys take slow play to an art form.

Here are my 10 slow-play player types that annoy the heck out of me and other golfers:

1. Playing Wrong Tees Guy--He's the guy with the 22-handicap that absolutely must play the tips so he "can really get a good look at the course and see how the pros would play it." He typically hits his 210 yard drive on a 450-yard par 4 and takes three more shots to make it to the green.

2. Mr. Mulligan Guy--Whether its "a breakfast ball" or the "two off the first tee" call, Mr. Mulligan always likes to take more than one shot so he can "hit it flush" and get off to a good start. Usually, Mr. Mulligan uses the same approach throughout the course.

3. U.S. Open Qualifying Guy--This is the guy (typically an 18 handicap or above) who must finish out holes by lining up putts for quadruple and quintuple bogeys. He counts every stroke and never picks up because he wants to show his wife back home that his 112 on 18 holes is a legitimate score.

4. Practice Swing Guy--You're standing on the tee and you see this poor slug take 3, 4 or 5 practice swings only to dribble a five iron shot about 50 yards down the fairway. You don't know whether to laugh or cry.

5. Pre-shot Routine Guy--He watches the pros and must go through an extensive pre-shot routine so he can hit a couple of hosel rockets before reaching the green.

6. Not Ready Golf Guy--This is my nomination for the most annoying slow play guy. He's clueless about speeding the game up by never carrying more than one club to his ball or being ready to hit immediately after a playing partner strikes his ball. He's usually over at the cart swigging a beer until he hears "Hey Stan, you're up. What the hell are you doing over there?"

 7. Talking Too Much Guy--He can't stop talking about his recent vacation, promotion at work, etc. You see him out on the fairway just blabbing away when it suddenly occurs to him that he might want to interrupt his story and hit the ball.

 8. Crazy Cart Guy--He ventures to one side of the course to search for his ball while his playing partner is stranded on the other side of the fairway with the wrong club or no clubs.

9. Cart Girl Romeo Guy--He's the guy with the receding hairline, huge gut and mustard stained shirt that flirts incessantly with the cart girl. While she meets dozens of other better looking and younger guys every day, this guy knows he's God's gift to cart girls. While he orders a couple of Michelob Ultras (to watch the waistline, of course) he peels through his wallet of bills to show the young lady there might be a little something extra if she listens to his B.S.

10. Scorecard Superstar Guy--His group always, and I mean always, loiters around the 18th green tallying up their scores while you wait out on the fairway. Scorecard Superstar and his group need a calculator to add up all the 7s, 8s and 9s but you can wait, right?

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)

On Location: Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island in Florida

For golf vacationers, the Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island is a logistical godsend.

The golf course and pro shop are about 50 yards from the front door of the hotel. The pool, spa, restaurants, shops and other amenities are steps from the main elevator and the beach and Atlantic Ocean frame the back of the hotel.

Rest assured, you can take long strolls and runs on the hard-packed sands, however the walks in the hotel complex are short and always come with a happy ending.

Like other Ritz-Carlton's around the globe, Amelia Island's version has impeccable service, great food and exceptional amenities.

Situated on 26 acres of sand dunes and sea oats on the well-preserved barrier island about 30 minutes north of the Jacksonville International Airport, the Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island offers a beach and golf experience enhanced by world-class service at every turn.

While I could drone on endlessly about the resort's major attributes, like most travel experiences, it's the small things that often make a big impact.

Here are 10 Little Things I Liked About My Stay at the Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island:

1. The ice cold draft Stella Artois I had at the pool bar as I listened to the poolside singer serenading with Jimmy Buffet, Michael Buble and James Taylor favorites.


2. The Bvlgari shave gel left one evening with my turn down service. What a smooth shave the next morning to start the day.


3. Sitting around the firepits on the beach one evening feasting on s'mores and hot chocolate. 


4. The spectacular panoramic view of the pool area below and Atlantic Ocean beaches from my room balcony.


5. The unique Salt boutique shop with its unbelievable selection of gourmet salts, many that are infused with herbs, citrus and other flavors.


6. Live music and dancing in the large lobby area. There just aren't that many opportunities to dance these days. Great music, great fun.


7. Sitting outside on large, fluffy sofas on a flower-encircled spacious lawn behind the hotel gazing at the Atlantic Ocean as the seabreeze wafts through my hair.


8. The orange juice at the resort's Cafe 4750. Produced with organically grown oranges, it's the best O.J. you'll ever have anywhere. End of story.


9. The "Heaven in a Hammock" massage. My wife got one and she's still talking about it several days later. You simply get comfortable in a hammock and receive the ultimate relaxation massage by a therapist.


10.  Director of golf John Price. Unpretentious, friendly and a true professional, Price sets the tone for a great golf experience for everyone, no matter your skill level.

Golf course review

Designed by Mark McCumber and Gene Littler, the Golf Club of Amelia Island is the quintessential parkland layout dominated by natural woodlands and wetlands. Built in 1987, the course has lots of homes framing its fairways, yet you hardly notice them because the tree growth is mature and dense in some areas.

While the course only measures 6,696 yards from the back tees (relatively short by today's standards), it's no pushover. The slope rating from the tips is 140 so you'll need your "A" game to score well. High-handicappers should play the blues (6,156 yards, slope 128) or whites (5,341 yards, slope 115).

You need to be ready on the first tee because the seven par 4's and 5's on the front have narrow landing areas. If you're spraying the ball, you're in for a long and frustrating front nine. Hit the range and make sure you're hitting straight drives before you head to the first tee. The back nine is wide open with more generous landing areas. Shifting ocean breezes are always a concern and you must put in a little extra time and effort in club selection.

Restaurant reviews

The dining options at Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island are impressive.

Salt, the hotel's gourmet culinary experience, is a truly unique resort restaurant. Salt uses 35 salts harvested globally as foundation salts and infuses flavors for menu items. The salts enhance the flavor of superbly prepared dishes. My dinner included White Asparagus Soup, Seared Alaskan Halibut and Steak and Eggs served on a 250 million year old Himalyan Salt Block. Other popular entrees include Nebraskan Free Range Chicken Breast, Atlantic Halibut and Braised Colorado Lamb.  I enjoyed sprinkling some of the salts on my entrees. Among the salts I tried were the Himalayan Pink, Adriatic Citrus Salt and Mediterranean Black Garlic. My compliments to Chef de Cuisine Richard Laughlin.

Cafe 4750, the resort's versatile all-day restaurant, has a menu that utilizes seasonal ingredients from regional farms and eco-friendly fish purveyors. Among the many items I enjoyed were the fresh squeezed Florida orange juice (the best I've ever tasted), Mayport shrimp and house made pasta and gelato. This restaurant appears to be strongly committed to fresh local ingredients and it results in delicious food bursting with flavor.

When to visit

The high season on Amelia Island is March to June and the low season is January to March. If you want to build your visit around a festival, the most popular events are the Concours d'Elegance, a world-class rare and classic automobile show, in March; Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival in May and Amelia Island Jazz Festival in October.


Things to Know

Guest rooms: 444 (37 Club rooms, 43 suites, two Presidential suites and four deluxe Oceanview suites with oversized patios).

Guest room amenities: Private balconies, coastal or direct ocean views, marble baths, 37-inch flat screen television, plush bathrobes, one king or two double beds, 400TC Egyptian Frette 100 percent cotton linens, goose down and non-allergenic foam pillows, generously sized desk with ergonomic leather chair, et. Al.

Restaurants: 4 (Salt, Cafe 4750, Ocean Bar & Grill and Eight Burger Bar and Sports Lounge).

Major resort amenities: 1.5 miles of dune-lined beachfront, 18 hole championship golf courses, on-site tennis facilities, The Ritz-Carlton Spa, Amelia Island, indoor and outdoor heated pools with whirlpool, fitness center, full-service beauty salon, four cocktail lounges (one outdoors and seasonal), retail gift shops and The Ritz Kids program, children's pool and playground.

Other recreation available: Deep-sea and backwater fishing, horseback riding on the beach, kayaking, sailing, surfing, bicycling and couple's beach fires.

Nearby sites and activities: Shopping and dining at Fernandina Beach, a Victorian seaport town on Amelia Island, tours of Cumberland Island and visits to Fort Clinch State Park and Talbot Island State Park.

Telephone: 904-277-1100

Website: http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/AmeliaIsland/Default.htm

Conde Nast "Top 121 Golf Resorts" Poll is Puzzling

I don't want to disparage the readers of Conde Nast Traveler, but they did a sorry job of voting in the "Top 121 Golf Resorts" poll in the April 2012 issue.

Some of their selections are laughable.

In the "Top 20 Foreign Golf Resorts" there's no mention of Gleneagles in Scotland or Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic, which are two exceptional resorts that amazingly didn't make the list. Atlantis, Paradise Island (tied for 20th) is a great place to gamble and race down water slides, but, no way I'm going there for golf over Punta Cana Resort, which has two great new courses designed separately by Tom Fazio and P.B. Dye.

Really mystifying is the "Top 20 Florida Golf Resorts", which confusingly leaves out superb multi-golf course resorts like Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort in Destin, Turnberry Isle Miami in Aventura and Reunion Resort in Kissimmee.

Instead, resorts like The Breakers in Palm Beach (No. 2), Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa in Lake Buena Vista (No. 7), Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables (No. 9), Gasparilla Inn and Club in Boca Grande (No. 10) and South Seas Island Resort on Captiva Island (No. 18) were selected by Conde Nast Traveler readers.

Are you kidding me?

While all of these properties are impressive on many levels, with the exception of The Breakers and Biltmore, they could hardly be considered golf resorts. At the Grand Floridian you must take a van to the nearest Disney course, South Seas Island Resort has an on-site 9-hole executive golf course and the Gasparilla Inn and Club is more likely to attract anglers seeking tarpon rather than golfers.

What's really confusing is the Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes (No.11) and JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes (No. 13), which  utilize the same Greg Norman-designed golf course. Unbelievably, they received different ranking numbers on the evaluation of "Course Design and Access". Apparently if you spend the night in the Ritz-Carlton you think more highly of the course (91.3) than if you sleep at the JW Marriott (82.4). The only explanation could be access, right? Well, the JW Marriott is located closer to the clubhouse and practice facilities than the Ritz so I'm not sure how you justify the numbers.

Did the readers spend too much time at the 19th hole before they voted?

While I don't feel qualified to rank courses in other areas of the world (even though I've played many on their lists), I know I can do better on Florida golf resorts. I've authored two books and written numerous articles on the best places to play in Florida.

Excuse me Conde Nast Traveler readers, but I can provide a better list for golfers contemplating a golf getaway to the Sunshine State.

Here's my Top 10 Florida Golf Resorts:

1. Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, Naples
2. Grand Cypress Resort, Orlando
3. PGA National Resort and Spa, Palm Beach Gardens
4. Sandestin Beach and Golf Resort, Destin
5. Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island
6. Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes
7. Turnberry Isle Resort, Aventura
8. Reunion Resort, Kissimmee
9. Renaissance World Golf Village Resort, St. Augustine
10. Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort and Spa, Ponte Vedra Beach