Luxist http://www.luxist.com Luxist. http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.luxist.com/media/feedlogo.gif Luxist http://www.luxist.com prods@weblogsinc.com (Weblogs, Inc. Producers) support@weblogsinc.com (Weblogs, Inc. Web Support) en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. View our terms of service here: http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/ Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/ <![CDATA[Pound Ridge Golf Club: A Country Club Experience, For A Price]]> http://www.luxist.com/2010/08/02/pound-ridge-golf-club-a-country-club-experience-for-a-price/ http://www.luxist.com/2010/08/02/pound-ridge-golf-club-a-country-club-experience-for-a-price/ http://www.luxist.com/2010/08/02/pound-ridge-golf-club-a-country-club-experience-for-a-price/#comments
When Pound Ridge Golf Club opened two years ago in the horsey precincts of northern Westchester County, New York, more than a few eyebrows (including mine) arched over its hefty green fee. Yes, the legendary Pete Dye had designed the course, and, sure, the steep and rocky terrain made for some dramatic shots. But at $235 for a round a golf--on a layout that in certain spots felt forced onto the land--Pound Ridge seemed like yet another example of big-city excess.

Finally, Pound Ridge's owner, Ken Wang, brother of Vera Wang, has lowered the weekday rate this year, to $155, provided golfers book at least five days in advance. (Discounts are also available for those who tee off after 3 p.m.) The club, just under an hour from Manhattan, has also partnered with several hotels, including the Mandarin Oriental in New York, where guests can arrange a round through the concierge.

All of which led me to pay Pound Ridge a second visit this spring. There are still a few holes that feel contrived, including the sandy par-three fourth; others, such as the par-five thirteenth, whose fairway is no wider than an Upper West Side brownstone, feel shoehorned in. But to my surprise and pleasure, I discovered that the course is walkable, and that the turf is maturing nicely. For the traveling businessman who seeks a country club experience but lacks private-club connections, or any other golfer with similar needs, I can think of few better options in the metro area.

Gallery: Pound Ridge Golf Club

Mandarin Oriental New York

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Pound Ridge Golf Club: A Country Club Experience, For A Price originally appeared on Luxist on Mon, 02 Aug 2010 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> golf clubmandarin orientalPound Ridge Golf Clubwestchester county Paul Rogers Mon, 02 Aug 2010 15:01:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[Italy: The Latest Home to Links Golf]]> http://www.luxist.com/2010/05/26/italy-the-latest-home-to-links-golf/ http://www.luxist.com/2010/05/26/italy-the-latest-home-to-links-golf/ http://www.luxist.com/2010/05/26/italy-the-latest-home-to-links-golf/#comments

An American golf course architect designing a seaside links in Scotland, just down the coast from St. Andrews, is akin to an English chef cooking coq au vin at Le Cordon Bleu. But that's just what California-based Kyle Phillips managed to do a decade ago at Kingsbarns Golf Links. In his latest overseas venture, Phillips has laid out two spectacularly scenic yet understated 18-hole courses at Verdura Golf & Spa Resort, the new Rocco Forte Collection resort on the southern coast of Sicily.

The five-star resort--just over an hour from the international airport in Palermo and near the historic city of Agrigento, with its Valley of the Temples--has much to speak for itself, as Luxist noted in reporting the opening of the property. Not the least of Verdura's attributes are suites and villas appointed with assorted mosaics, ceramics and artifacts culled from this primordial island by the interior designer Olga Polizzi, Sir Rocco Forte's sister. The amenities also include four restaurants, among them a Sicilian trattoria, and a gelateria.


Gallery: Verdura Golf Resort & Spa in Sicily

Verdura Golf Resort & Spa in Sicily

Continue reading Italy: The Latest Home to Links Golf

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Italy: The Latest Home to Links Golf originally appeared on Luxist on Wed, 26 May 2010 09:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> golfItalyRocco Forte CollectionSicily Paul Rogers Wed, 26 May 2010 09:02:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[A Golfer's Fantasy: The Tour Club]]> http://www.luxist.com/2010/02/19/a-golfers-fantasy-the-tour-club/ http://www.luxist.com/2010/02/19/a-golfers-fantasy-the-tour-club/ http://www.luxist.com/2010/02/19/a-golfers-fantasy-the-tour-club/#comments
The idea of trumpeting golf as a corporate perk seems as dated as the oversize shirts so many Tour pros (including Tiger Woods) somehow saw fit to wear not that long ago. But even in these chastened economic times, it's hard to ignore the game's effectiveness as a business tool. Which explains the recent announcement of the Tour Club, a fantasy-like club that offers, among other amenities, access to a network of private and resort courses, lodging at luxury golf residences, and VIP access to PGA tournaments and other sporting events.

The Tour Club bills itself as the first national sports entertainment club. Membership is open to families and individuals as well as to businesses, but it's conceived primarily for corporate entertaining. The portfolio of residences--the Tour Club has the same parent company as the destination club Quintess--includes retreats in places such as Pinehurst, N.C.; Bend, Ore. (see Pronghorn, above); and Los Cabos, Mexico. The list of golf clubs consists mainly of Tournament Players Clubs (TPC)--many of them well-regarded, some, like the remodeled TPC Boston, outstanding, all of them high-end.

Gallery: The Tour Club

Residence Los CabosResidence Los CabosThe Pronghorn Club, Bend OregonTPC Jasna PolanaTPC Sawgrass

Continue reading A Golfer's Fantasy: The Tour Club

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A Golfer's Fantasy: The Tour Club originally appeared on Luxist on Fri, 19 Feb 2010 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> golfpgaQuintessTour ClubTourClub Paul Rogers Fri, 19 Feb 2010 16:01:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[News Flash: A Golf Course Opens Near Dallas ]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/12/22/the-tribute-a-dallas-golf-community-debuts-a-new-course/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/12/22/the-tribute-a-dallas-golf-community-debuts-a-new-course/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/12/22/the-tribute-a-dallas-golf-community-debuts-a-new-course/#comments Now that the Tiger scandal is, for the moment at least, losing its roar, here's an only slightly less shocking bulletin from the world of golf. At a time when course construction projects have stalled and country clubs are opening their gates to the hoi polloi, The Tribute, a lakefront golf community a half-hour north of Dallas, is completing work on what by early accounts is an impressive new eighteen.

The layout is called the Old American Golf Club, because it pays homage to the country's golden age of golf architecture (roughly 1910 to the mid-1930s). In those days, without the ready use of bulldozers, course designers such as Donald Ross and A. W. Tillinghast relied largely on the natural contours of the land. Their example inspired Old American's designers, Tripp Davis and the PGA Tour pro and Dallas native Justin Leonard. The course, which hosted preview rounds this fall and will open officially next spring or summer, sports a low-slung, old-style appearance.

In what is surely a nod to the economic times, Old American--like its celebrated British-inflected sister course, The Tribute--will be open to the public as well as to residents of the development. (A boutique or mid-sized hotel is also planned.) Whether the new golf course will help sell the faux English cottages and French provincials in the 1,200-acre community remains to be seen.

Gallery: Old American Golf Club

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News Flash: A Golf Course Opens Near Dallas originally appeared on Luxist on Tue, 22 Dec 2009 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> DallasOld American Golf ClubOldAmericanGolfClubThe TributeTheTribute Paul Rogers Tue, 22 Dec 2009 08:01:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[Unlimited Golf at the Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/10/02/unlimited-golf-at-the-ritz-carlton-dove-mountain/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/10/02/unlimited-golf-at-the-ritz-carlton-dove-mountain/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/10/02/unlimited-golf-at-the-ritz-carlton-dove-mountain/#comments
There is such an abundance of high-quality desert golf in the greater Phoenix and Tucson areas that it can be hard to decide where to play over the course of a short visit. Here's one option that may help make Arizona snowbirds choose where to alight this winter with their clubs in tow: The soon-to-open Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain is offering an unlimited-golf package beginning December 18. Guests who take advantage of the deal can play the resort's
Jack Nicklaus-designed layout--annual host to the world's finest golfers at the Accenture Match Play Championship--from 2 p.m. the day they arrive until 7 p.m. the day they depart. The offer, which includes deluxe accommodations, starts at $399 for one player and $519 for two.

When completed, the Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain will encompass 850 acres within a spectacular saguaro forest outside Tucson. Plans call for the 250-room resort to be accompanied by a community of 400 homes. Beyond golf, activities at Dove Mountain include hiking along 20 miles of trails mapped by National Geographic and touring the rugged desert-scape by mountain bike or Jeep. There's also a state-of-the-art spa that features, among other enticements, a Vichy shower (see photo gallery) that's ideal for scrubbing off the perspiration and grit accumulated on a warm Sonoran day.

Gallery: Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain

A Vichy shower at the spa

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Unlimited Golf at the Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain originally appeared on Luxist on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> ArizonaDove MountaingolfRitz-Carlton Paul Rogers Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:02:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[News Flash: A Golf Course Community Opens ]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/09/28/news-flash-a-golf-course-community-opens/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/09/28/news-flash-a-golf-course-community-opens/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/09/28/news-flash-a-golf-course-community-opens/#comments
Not long ago, golf real estate communities sprouted across the country every month, each project promising a higher level of luxury than the last. These days, they're as a rare as a postseason in baseball that doesn't include the Red Sox or the Yankees. Hence the curiosity of the Victory Ranch Club, an expansive (5,600-acre) development just east of Park City, Utah, that's to be designed around a just-opened--and, of course, camera-friendly--Rees Jones golf course.

The primary selling point of Victory Ranch is its mountain setting. The 7,600-yard golf course gambols across rugged topography that features deep ravines, bulwarks of ancient stone and high plateaus that yield sweeping views of the Deer Valley ski area and the Jordanelle Reservoir. Horseback riding on a network of trails and fly fishing in the Upper Provo River complete the tableau. Whether buyers will come at a time when the nation's high-end real estate market is reeling remains to be seen.

Gallery: Victory Ranch Club

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News Flash: A Golf Course Community Opens originally appeared on Luxist on Mon, 28 Sep 2009 15:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> GolfPark CityParkCityRees JonesReesJonesUtahVictory Ranch ClubVictoryRanchClub Paul Rogers Mon, 28 Sep 2009 15:02:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[Upholding Golf's Sartorial Style: the FootJoy Icon]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/09/23/upholding-golfs-sartorial-style-the-footjoy-icon/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/09/23/upholding-golfs-sartorial-style-the-footjoy-icon/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/09/23/upholding-golfs-sartorial-style-the-footjoy-icon/#comments
Golf, as everyone knows, is a game of tradition. So when the Acushnet Co. announced last winter that it was closing its FootJoy Classics factory in Brockton, Mass.--which for decades had produced leather-soled, welted golf shoes that set a standard for refinement--purists were despondent. The Classics line had gone the way of persimmon woods and balata balls. Now, amid the endless store racks of unstylish, if functional, shoes, golf's traditionalists again have a place to turn: the company has introduced a new line of finely detailed brogues called the FootJoy Icon.

The Icon comes in five patterns--including wing-tips and plain-toe saddle, both adapted from the old Classics--and a total of 19 styles. In addition, all but one of the patterns are part of FootJoy's MyJoys program, in which customers can choose from thousands of color and other personalized options, such as collegiate, NFL and MLB logos. Sartorialists will appreciate the Icon's traditional touches: full-grain leather uppers, calf-skin detailing, a leather-covered "fit-bed" designed to mimic the natural shape of the foot. These are combined with 21st-century technological innovations including a tri-density outsole for a stable hitting platform and two-part forefoot channels for comfort and flexibility.

FootJoy Icons can be found on the feet of such PGA Tour pros as Hunter Mahan, a fan of the two-tone wing tip (see photo gallery,) and Ian Poulter, whose wildly colorful trousers often require a solid white shoe. For those of us golfers who have to pay for our footwear, the Icon's suggested retail price is $250 for stock styles, $270 for original MyJoys and $290 for MyJoys bearing licensed logos.

Gallery: FootJoy's New Icon Golf Shoes

PGA Tour Pro Hunter Mahan wears FootJoy Icons

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Upholding Golf's Sartorial Style: the FootJoy Icon originally appeared on Luxist on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 15:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> FootJoygolf shoesGolfShoesIcon Paul Rogers Wed, 23 Sep 2009 15:02:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[Main Courses: Where the Food's on Par With the Golf]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/08/10/main-courses-where-the-foods-on-par-with-the-golf/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/08/10/main-courses-where-the-foods-on-par-with-the-golf/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/08/10/main-courses-where-the-foods-on-par-with-the-golf/#comments
Regardless of how well you've played the first seven holes, when you reach the eighth tee at Mirabel Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz., your round takes on a different flavor. There, at a comfort station on the edge of the Sonoran desert, a covered ceramic pot contains "the thickest, moistest, tastiest Beef Jerky ever made." So enthuse Scott Savlov and Jon Rizzi in their appealing new coffee table book "The Club Menu: Signature Dishes from America's Premier Golf Clubs." Hyperbole? Having visited Mirabel and sunk my own teeth into those exquisitely marinated, salted and dehydrated strips of flank steak, I can vouch for every superlative the authors use to describe them.

Savlov and Rizzi (the latter of whom I occasionally worked with while I was an editor at Travel + Leisure Golf) engagingly present the culinary specialties of more than a hundred clubs. The movable feast begins at Atlantic Golf Club in Bridgehampton, N.Y., (lobster salad and coffee cake with Kahlua icing) and concludes at Windsong Farm Golf Club in Independence, Minn., (banana bread with maple pecan butter).

The book's conceit is that enjoying a club's signature dish is as integral a part of the experience as playing its golf course. To be able to say you've had the "burger dog"--a grilled hamburger shaped like a hot dog and served in a hot dog bun (see photo gallery)--at the Olympic Club in San Francisco is to make clear that you've entered an inner sanctum. In fairness, not all of the dishes featured in the book seem particularly indigenous or steeped in tradition. If I never have the orange-soy seared salmon at Bighorn Golf Club in Palm Desert, Calif., I won't feel deprived. But those are the exceptions. Anyone who has even a passing interest in the game's bastions of privilege will enjoy perusing these pages, which include recipes for every dish. The 128-page hardcover book ($50) is available at www.pindarpress.com.

Gallery: Signature DIshes from America's Top Golf Clubs

The Olympic Club's Burger DogPebble Beach's Del Monte Artichoke SoupMeadow Club's Chicken Taco Salad Wrap

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Main Courses: Where the Food's on Par With the Golf originally appeared on Luxist on Mon, 10 Aug 2009 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Country ClubsCountryClubsGolfSignature dishesSignatureDishes Paul Rogers Mon, 10 Aug 2009 14:01:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[Brunswick Billiards' Replica 1878 Table]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/08/07/brunswick-billiards-replica-1878-table/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/08/07/brunswick-billiards-replica-1878-table/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/08/07/brunswick-billiards-replica-1878-table/#comments
Even the most steel-eyed hustler might pause for a moment before breaking a rack on the latest offering from Brunswick Billiards: a replica of the company's Exposition Novelty Table from 1878. The iconic pool-table manufacturer has produced scores of models since its founding (by a Cincinnati carriage maker) in 1845, but it is this one that Brunswick has chosen to reproduce in honor of its 165th anniversary. Beginning in October, the company will offer for sale 25 renditions of the exquisite 9-foot-long table -- at a cost of $39,999, including a matching cue stick and cue rack.

An award-winner in its day, Brunswick says, the Exposition Novelty Table artistically blended sophisticated nineteenth-century refinement with the aesthetic of a still largely untamed American West. It sits on beveled legs of solid white oak and is adorned with a variety of richly grained veneers, brass rosettes, and rail sights made from Asian water buffalo bone.

Gallery: Brunswick Billiards' 1878 Novelty Exposition Table

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Brunswick Billiards' Replica 1878 Table originally appeared on Luxist on Fri, 07 Aug 2009 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> brunswick billiardsBrunswickBilliardsdecor-awardsExposition Novelty TableExpositionNoveltyTable Paul Rogers Fri, 07 Aug 2009 11:01:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[Royal Court: Federer's Suite at the Carlyle Hotel ]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/08/06/royal-court-federers-suite-at-the-carlyle-hotel/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/08/06/royal-court-federers-suite-at-the-carlyle-hotel/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/08/06/royal-court-federers-suite-at-the-carlyle-hotel/#comments
After completing his work each day on the hard, sun-baked courts of the U.S. Open in Flushing, Queens, Roger Federer will rest his head on plush monogrammed pillows (above) at the Carlyle Hotel on Manhattan's Upper East Side, the New York Observer reports. Federer, winner of the most grand slam titles in the history of men's tennis, will be staying for the third consecutive year in a $3,000-a-night suite on the 16th floor.

As the Observer dutifully details, Federer's suite has a long, formal living room furnished in black and white and hung with a large "quasi-Picasso." The bathroom is bedecked in black marble and gold trim. The polite and soft-spoken Swiss, the newspaper reports, prefers the smaller of the two bedrooms, eschewing the master chamber, with its mirrored bedposts and leopard-print rug. His focus during the fortnight will be on capturing his 16th major title, two more than the less artistic, though coldly efficient, Pete Sampras.

Gallery: Roger Federer's Lair at the Carlyle Hotel

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Royal Court: Federer's Suite at the Carlyle Hotel originally appeared on Luxist on Thu, 06 Aug 2009 07:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> carlyle hotelCarlyleHotelroger federerRogerFederer Paul Rogers Thu, 06 Aug 2009 07:01:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[Bermuda's Newest Luxury Resort: Tucker's Point Hotel & Spa]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/07/26/bermudas-newest-luxury-resort-tuckers-point-hotel-and-spa/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/07/26/bermudas-newest-luxury-resort-tuckers-point-hotel-and-spa/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/07/26/bermudas-newest-luxury-resort-tuckers-point-hotel-and-spa/#comments
With its pink-sand beaches, temperate climate and traditional English touches (cricket, afternoon tea, orderly streets), Bermuda has never lacked for charm. But the recent debut, in April, of Tucker's Point Hotel & Spa has offered an added attraction: the first luxury resort to open in decades in the centuries-old British territory.

The resort is designed to evoke the golden age of Bermuda tourism, roughly the 1930s and '40s, when the well-heeled arrived by steamships, Pan Am Clippers and private yachts. Most of the accommodations are in a manor house perched above Castle Harbour, a 17th-century anchorage. A formal palm court (above) leads visitors from the croquet lawn to a horizon pool. The Tucker's Point Spa is not to be outdone, featuring treatments centered on local flora, ocean minerals and honey harvested on the resort grounds. There's open-air yoga and tai chi, and a "hydrotherapy suite" in which guests submit to the invigoration of a SilverTAG shower, consisting of 18 specially placed shower heads that shoot water of varying temperatures and pressures. For golfers, the resort has its own seaside course and, even better, there's the option of going next door to play the world-renowned Mid Ocean Club, designed by Charles Blair Macdonald in 1921.

Rooms start at $590 per night, double occupancy, through Aug. 31. From Sept. 1 to Oct. 31, they begin at $460.

Gallery: Tucker's Point Club



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Bermuda's Newest Luxury Resort: Tucker's Point Hotel & Spa originally appeared on Luxist on Sun, 26 Jul 2009 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> BermudaMid Ocean ClubMidOceanClubTuckers Point Hotel SpaTuckersPointHotelSpa Paul Rogers Sun, 26 Jul 2009 10:01:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[A Luxury Spa Opens at Spain's Finca Cortesin ]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/07/17/a-luxury-spa-opens-at-spains-celebrated-finca-cortesin-resort/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/07/17/a-luxury-spa-opens-at-spains-celebrated-finca-cortesin-resort/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/07/17/a-luxury-spa-opens-at-spains-celebrated-finca-cortesin-resort/#comments
Much has been written about Spain's tourism woes, particularly in light of the struggling British pound. For high-end travelers still determined to use their passport, here's a bulletin of good news. Finca Cortesin, a boutique hotel and resort on the Costa del Sol that welcomed its first guests last fall and promptly earned a spot on Condé Nast Traveler's Hot List of new hotels, has opened an exquisite 23,000 square-foot-spa. Guests can now indulge in a Turkish hamam (or steam bath) and then cool off in the Snow Cave, inspired by the Finnish tradition of rolling in the snow after a sauna as a way to boost immune defenses. There's also a 114-foot indoor pool that bathed in natural light as well as two outdoor pools, one of which is Olympic-size, that offer sweeping views of the Mediterranean.

The spa is just the latest amenity at the Moorish-style resort, 45 minutes west of the international airport in Málaga. The Finca Cortesin has two restaurants, a fountained courtyard and a scenically rolling golf course that hosts the PGA European Tour's Volvo Match Play Championship.

Gallery: Finca Cortesin Hotel, Golf & Spa

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A Luxury Spa Opens at Spain's Finca Cortesin originally appeared on Luxist on Fri, 17 Jul 2009 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> AndaluciaFinca CortesinFincaCortesinMalagaSpaintourism Paul Rogers Fri, 17 Jul 2009 10:01:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[Golf in a Kingdom: Exploring the Game in Thailand]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/07/16/golf-in-a-kingdom-exploring-the-game-in-thailand/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/07/16/golf-in-a-kingdom-exploring-the-game-in-thailand/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/07/16/golf-in-a-kingdom-exploring-the-game-in-thailand/#comments
We all know Tiger Woods is part-Thai. But what's the golf scene like in Thailand, the lush and beguiling land where his mother, Kultida, was born? To promote the country's finest courses, a group of premier golf properties and hotels has partnered with a tour operator and the Tourist Authority of Thailand. The consortium, called Golf in a Kingdom: The Thai Golf Experience, can help you map out an itinerary stretching from Chiang Mai, in the cool, mountainous region of the north, to the seascapes of Phuket and Koh Samui in the south. And by "experience," they mean not just golf but also cultural immersions like visits to Buddhist temples, ethnic villages and the teeming city of Bangkok.

Long a popular destination for Asian golfers, Thailand has more than 250 courses. Some of them, alas, are "American-style" layouts that could be in Florida or humdrum spots in the Caribbean. But others, such as Santiburi Samui Country Club (above), set into coconut groves at the foot of a mountain, offer a distinctly Thai adventure. The many charms of Thai golf will be on full display when Bill Clinton arrives this week--with clubs in tow, it's expected--to accompany Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton at the ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting on the island of Phuket. For a deeper sense of golf in Thailand, check out this story (which I played a hand in) from Travel + Leisure Golf.

Gallery: The Thai Golf Experience

Muang Kaew Golf CourseHua Hin Marriott Resort & SpaAnantara PhuketAnantara Resort & Spa Golden TriangleSantiburi Samui Country Club

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Golf in a Kingdom: Exploring the Game in Thailand originally appeared on Luxist on Thu, 16 Jul 2009 11:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Chiang MaiChiangMaigolfKoh SamuiKohSamuiPhuketThailand Paul Rogers Thu, 16 Jul 2009 11:02:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[At The Ritz Carlton, Half Moon Bay, a Recession Special for Golfers ]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/07/03/at-the-ritz-carlton-half-moon-bay-a-recession-special-for-golf/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/07/03/at-the-ritz-carlton-half-moon-bay-a-recession-special-for-golf/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/07/03/at-the-ritz-carlton-half-moon-bay-a-recession-special-for-golf/#comments
Pebble Beach will always reign supreme among California resorts, and deservedly so, but at $500 for a round of golf its rates aren't exactly recession-friendly. If you're looking for a more affordable golf getaway on the Pacific Coast, consider this: The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay, an award-winning clifftop retreat 45 minutes south of San Francisco, is offering an unlimited stay-and-play package through year's end.

For a nightly rate of $399 for one player or $519 for two--a savings of $250-$500 per day--guests can play as many holes as they choose on the resort's two 18-hole courses. The Old Course, co-designed by Arnold Palmer, is an American parkland-style layout that finishes in dramatic fashion, with a par four that skirts the edge of a bluff. The newer Ocean Course, featuring more seaside holes and open expanses, draws its inspiration from the great windswept Scottish links; as testament to its character, it hosted a local qualifier for this year's U.S. Open.

In addition to golf, the special offer also includes complimentary valet parking and access to the hotel's spa, known for its co-ed Roman mineral bath.

Gallery: The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay

Half Moon Bay Golf LinksHalf Moon Bay Golf Links

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At The Ritz Carlton, Half Moon Bay, a Recession Special for Golfers originally appeared on Luxist on Fri, 03 Jul 2009 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> GolfHalf Moon BayHalfMoonBayRitz CarltonRitzCarlton Paul Rogers Fri, 03 Jul 2009 14:01:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[Summer Steal: Fridays at Felidia]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/07/03/summer-steal-fridays-at-felidia/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/07/03/summer-steal-fridays-at-felidia/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/07/03/summer-steal-fridays-at-felidia/#comments
Everyone knows that Manhattan empties out on sultry weekends in July and August, when the in-crowd flees to the cooler precincts of the Hamptons. With that in mind, Felidia, the flagship restaurant of celebrity chef Lidia Bastianich, is offering a discounted tasting menu on Friday evenings this summer.

The choices presented on the four-part menu at the elegant brownstone restaurant on East 58th Street aren't exactly steals, but given the food's exquisiteness and the fact that on a typical night there the tab can easily approach $200 a head, they're worth digging into. For $21, you can choose a sampling of three assaggini (or first courses), including veal semi-carpaccio with celery and Grana Padano cheese. There are also three "pastas on a fork"--long strands like tagliatelle that can be twirled--served as a tasting for the same price, or a la carte ($10-$18). Just be sure to save room the dish Felidia is most famous for: cacio e pere, a fresh pear and pecorino-filled ravioli. It's so delicious, order it a la carte ($10) rather than in a tasting with two other "classics" of the house. Accompanying the menu is a special wine list composed of bottles priced at $30 and under.

Reservations are required. Call (212) 758-1479 or visit www.felidia-nyc.com. Cin Cin!

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Summer Steal: Fridays at Felidia originally appeared on Luxist on Fri, 03 Jul 2009 07:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Felidialidia bastianachLidiaBastianachnew yorkNewYorkrestuarants Paul Rogers Fri, 03 Jul 2009 07:01:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[Exclusive Scotland Golf Cruises]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/06/17/exclusive-scotland-golf-cruises/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/06/17/exclusive-scotland-golf-cruises/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/06/17/exclusive-scotland-golf-cruises/#comments
Once the final putt is holed at this week's U.S. Open, the golf world will turn its gaze eastward toward the craggy shores of Scotland, where the British Open will be held at Turnberry next month. With all due respect to New York's Bethpage Black, the rugged site of the 2009 U.S. Open, there is nothing like golf on the Auld Sod, and there may be no finer way to experience it than by taking a private cruise: play a majestic links by day, sail by night.

PerryGolf, a well-respected tour operator, is offering two exclusive seven-night voyages aboard the Harmony II, a beautifully restored mid-twentieth-century mega-yacht. Each sailing can accommodate up to 12 guests. The first trip, from July 20-26 (the week following the British Open), begins in the Ayrshire town of Troon on Scotland's west coast and concludes up in the Highlands, in Inverness. The second journey, beginning July 27, reverses course.

Both itineraries feature six rounds of golf at such storied old links as Royal Dornoch, Machrihanish and the Machrie and the brand-new Castle Stuart (above), which will open in July bearing a timeless seaside look. Cultural excursions include exploring the unspoiled Isle of Islay, home to eight working distilleries, and a visit to Cawdor Castle, with its fictional link to Macbeth. The cost is $8,895 per golfing passenger; $8,495 for nongolfers. The price includes all on-board meals and drinks as well as ground transport and all golf-related fees.

Gallery: PerryGolf's Private Scotland Golf Cruises

The Harmony IIThe Harmony IICastle Stuart Golf LinksMachrihanish Golf ClubCawdor Castle

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Exclusive Scotland Golf Cruises originally appeared on Luxist on Wed, 17 Jun 2009 10:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Castle StuartCastleStuartcawdor castleCawdorCastlecruisesDornochgolfisle of IslayIsleOfIslayMachrieMachrihanishPerryGolfScotland Paul Rogers Wed, 17 Jun 2009 10:02:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[Simplifying the Schlep: Club Glove's Smart New Attachable Luggage]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/06/12/simplifying-the-schlep-club-glove-s-train-reaction/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/06/12/simplifying-the-schlep-club-glove-s-train-reaction/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/06/12/simplifying-the-schlep-club-glove-s-train-reaction/#comments
Who among us hasn't tried this: You're schlepping through the airport with multiple pieces of luggage but only one of them has wheels, so you stack your other bags on top of it and/or hook them around the handle, hoping to lighten your load. It works for about twenty paces or so and then becomes a tangled mess that only slows you down even more. Seeking a solution to this traveler's nightmare, West Coast Trends Inc., maker of popular Club Glove products, has introduced a line of attachable luggage called Train Reaction.

The line consists of three-piece luggage sets ($667-$757) that include a shoulder bag, a carry-on and large duffle or golf travel bag. The two largest pieces in each set have wheels and are designed to hook together. The third bag fits on top, and all three share a handle that can be pulled with one arm. Sounds confusing? Actually, it's rather simple, as you can see in this somewhat breathless promotional video.

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Simplifying the Schlep: Club Glove's Smart New Attachable Luggage originally appeared on Luxist on Fri, 12 Jun 2009 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Club GloveClubGloveluggageTrain ReactionTrainReaction Paul Rogers Fri, 12 Jun 2009 10:01:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[Shield Your Eyes, Golf Fans: Here Comes John Daly]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/06/12/shield-your-eyes-golf-fans-here-comes-john-daly/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/06/12/shield-your-eyes-golf-fans-here-comes-john-daly/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/06/12/shield-your-eyes-golf-fans-here-comes-john-daly/#comments
In the staid world of American professional golf, John Daly has always stood out, but never more so than this week. The Bunyanesque two-time major champion is making his return to the PGA Tour, after a six-month suspension for bad behavior, sporting a wardrobe right out of Caddyshack. Daly is being outfitted by Loudmouth Golf, a California-based producer of kaleidoscopic golf wear.

The company was started in 2000 by Scott Woodworth, an accomplished graphic designer and Rhode Island School of Design grad who says the idea came to him when he couldn't find any colorful clothes to wear for golf. He'd grown up watching greats like Jack Nicklaus and Johnny Miller win tournaments in the '70s in garishly colored polyester pants and decided to create a retro clothing line harkening back to that era.

Loudmouth's pants ($89.99) come in a variety of styles: paisley, argyle, dots, stripes, houndstooth and plaid. All of which Daly has been showcasing for months now during his exile on the PGA European Tour. Loudmouth offers an American fit (wide, straight leg) and a European fit (slimmer, flared leg). The company also sells shorts ($69.95), in the same styles as its pants; matching solid-color shirts ($49.99); and patent leather belts ($49.99), which are made in three colors including de rigeur white.

Gallery: John Daly: Poster Boy for Loudmouth Golf

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Shield Your Eyes, Golf Fans: Here Comes John Daly originally appeared on Luxist on Fri, 12 Jun 2009 09:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> golfJohn DalyJohnDalyLoudmouth GolfLoudmouthGolfpantsSeventies Paul Rogers Fri, 12 Jun 2009 09:04:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[A Pitched Battle in Paradise at the Four Seasons Aviara]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/05/27/a-pitched-battle-in-paradise-at-the-four-seasons-aviara/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/05/27/a-pitched-battle-in-paradise-at-the-four-seasons-aviara/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/05/27/a-pitched-battle-in-paradise-at-the-four-seasons-aviara/#comments
With its bluff-top setting overlooking a blue lagoon and the Pacific Ocean, the Four Seasons Resort Aviara was designed to project an aura of bliss. But as The New York Times skillfully reports, the Spanish Colonial-style resort north of San Diego has become the site of a pitched battle between its owners and the Four Seasons, which manages the property.

The owners claim the Four Seasons has financially mismanaged the Aviara at a time when the luxury travel industry is reeling. They've attempted to oust the company and replace it with a new operator. For its part, the Four Seasons defends its performance and says the owners are struggling because they shouldered too much debt. The fight, which has spilled over from arbitration into open court, has gotten so intense that the Four Seasons has hired security guards to prevent the owners from entering the offices that hold the Aviara's financial books.

Outlandish as that is, the dispute itself is by no means unique. Having invested enormously in their properties only to see business steeply decline in the economic crisis, The Times explains, many luxury-hotel owners are now pressed for cash. Hotel operators, however, are often loath to cut room rates or scale back on amenities for fear of diminishing their brands.

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A Pitched Battle in Paradise at the Four Seasons Aviara originally appeared on Luxist on Wed, 27 May 2009 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Four SeasonsFour Seasons Resort AviaraFourSeasonsFourSeasonsResortAviaraLuxury hotelsLuxuryHotels Paul Rogers Wed, 27 May 2009 19:01:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[Buyer Up! Yankees Auction Off Stadium Memorabilia]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/05/14/buyer-up-yankees-auction-off-stadium-memorabilia/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/05/14/buyer-up-yankees-auction-off-stadium-memorabilia/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/05/14/buyer-up-yankees-auction-off-stadium-memorabilia/#comments
Let's get this straight. First the New York Yankees build a taxpayer-supported new stadium which, after cost overruns, comes to a whopping $1.5 billion. Then they charge $2,500 a game for the best seats in the house (a price they cut in half when the tickets embarrassingly weren't selling). And now they've begun auctioning off artifacts of the old stadium at exorbitant prices to earn back the $11.5 million the team paid the city to be able to dismantle the publicly owned ballpark.

Now that we've got all that squared away, here's a sampling of the items that went on offer this week from Yankees' partner Steiner Sports. A pair of seats (pictured), made of royal blue plastic and dating from the old stadium's renovation in the mid-1970s, begins at $1,499. A 2x2-foot chunk of freeze-dried sod starts at $280. A square of outfield turf ten times that size costs $10,000 and up. Getting sticker shock? Compared with the original price of top-of-line season tickets this year--$202,500--it's a veritable bargain.

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Buyer Up! Yankees Auction Off Stadium Memorabilia originally appeared on Luxist on Thu, 14 May 2009 09:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> baseball memorabiliaBaseballMemorabilianew york yankeesNewYorkYankeesSteiner SportsSteinerSportsYankee StadiumYankeeStadium Paul Rogers Thu, 14 May 2009 09:02:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[Lenny Dykstra Gets Sued Over Magazine Launch]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/05/12/lenny-dykstra-gets-sued-over-magazine-launch/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/05/12/lenny-dykstra-gets-sued-over-magazine-launch/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/05/12/lenny-dykstra-gets-sued-over-magazine-launch/#comments
Facing 100 mph fastballs and diving for screaming line drives couldn't have been this hard. In his latest tumble, former baseball star Lenny Dykstra is being sued in federal court in Manhattan for allegedly failing to pay five people a combined $183,000 for helping launch The Players Club, his ill-fated magazine about the extravagant lifestyles of pro athletes. The plaintiffs include, the New York Post reports, Time magazine art director Arthur Hochstein and Mary Anne Gordon, a former head of photography at Time, as well as Marco Canora, a celebrated chef Dykstra hired for the magazine's $400,000 launch party at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in New York.

Dykstra's recent troubles are well-chronicled. As Luxist reported last month, he reportedly faces foreclosure on his home, a six-bedroom mansion in Thousand Oaks, Calif., that he bought from Wayne Gretzky, and had his private jet impounded. TheStreet.com dropped Dykstra's investment-advice column in April. The Players Club, meanwhile, has been the subject of various lawsuits for months.

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Lenny Dykstra Gets Sued Over Magazine Launch originally appeared on Luxist on Tue, 12 May 2009 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Lennylenny dykstraLennyDykstraThe Players ClubThePlayersClub Paul Rogers Tue, 12 May 2009 18:01:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[Quarrels Continue Over Trump's Golf Project In Scotland]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/05/09/quarrels-continue-over-trumps-golf-project-in-scotland/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/05/09/quarrels-continue-over-trumps-golf-project-in-scotland/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/05/09/quarrels-continue-over-trumps-golf-project-in-scotland/#comments
Donald Trump may have won the Scottish government's approval to build a massive seaside golf resort in the Highlands, but squabbles over the project continue. In an amusing column by Sarah Lyall, who delights in chronicling the quirkiness of British culture, The New York Times reports that Michael Forbes, the local fisherman and quarry worker whose 23-acre property lies within Trump's proposed development, is standing firm in his refusal to sell the land he's lived on for 41 years. He's painted a big anti-Trump motto on the side of his barn and won't even open mail from Trump's people. Trump calls Forbes' property, which includes a series of weathered outbuildings, a "monstrosity" that should be improved or condemned. In another twist, a Scottish architecture magazine derided Edinburgh's preliminary approval of Trump's plans by bestowing its Pockmark Award for the year's worst planning decision. The $1.5 billion development, which Trump says remains on track and could break ground in early 2010, calls for two 18-hole golf courses, a 450-room hotel, 950 vacation homes and 500 single-family homes. The property sits along the North Sea, eight miles north of Aberdeen.

Back in the States, Trump's also making news with this golf plans. He purchased the Lowes Island Club in Loudon County, Va., outside Washington, earlier this year and has vowed to renovate its two courses so well as to attract a PGA Tour event. He's also announced new initiation fees: $75,000 for regular golf memberships, $175,000 for corporate memberships, and $25 for social, or nongolf, memberships.

Quarrels Continue Over Trump's Golf Project In Scotland originally appeared on Luxist on Sat, 09 May 2009 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> donald trumpDonaldTrumpgolfLowes Island ClubLowesIslandClubScotland Paul Rogers Sat, 09 May 2009 10:01:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[Costa Rica's Rainforest Recession Special]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/05/05/costa-ricas-rainforest-recession-special/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/05/05/costa-ricas-rainforest-recession-special/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/05/05/costa-ricas-rainforest-recession-special/#comments
It's hard to remember a time when exotic travel to so many places was as reasonably priced as it is today. If it's the rainforest you've always wanted to see, here's a recession special worth checking out. The Lost Iguana Resort in Costa Rica is offering a seven-night package for $999 that includes all meals (though not alcohol) and a $500 credit at its new Golden Gecko Spa as well as transportation to and from the San Jose International Airport.

The property sits in Costa Rica's lush Central Valley, and all of its 42 guest rooms face the lava-spewing side of the Arenal volcano, one of the ten most active in the world. The region's natural setting, in a primal rainforest, lends itself to some memorable activities, including a zip-line canopy tour that stretches for 1.7 miles and, for the more earthbound, guided hikes through the jungle and plunges into steaming hot springs. The rainforest's abundant wildlife is also large part of the experience at Lost Iguana. Guests are likely to see, among other species, tiny Scintillant hummingbirds; white-nosed coati, a raccoon-like animal native to Central and South America; and, yes, iguanas.

Gallery: Costa Rica's Lost Iguana Resort

Arenal VolcanoThe resort is perched in a primal rainforestAn open-air loungeA coati finds a snackA lagoon-like pool

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Costa Rica's Rainforest Recession Special originally appeared on Luxist on Tue, 05 May 2009 10:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Costa RicaCostaRicaLost Iguana ResortLostIguanaResortzip lineZipLine Paul Rogers Tue, 05 May 2009 10:02:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[Guatemala's First Golf Resort]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/05/04/guatemala-s-first-golf-resort/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/05/04/guatemala-s-first-golf-resort/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/05/04/guatemala-s-first-golf-resort/#comments
The first golf resort in Guatemala, a country more accustomed to attracting tourists to its ancient Mayan ruins, opened this spring outside the colonial city of Antigua. The resort, called La Reunión, occupies a former coffee plantation at the base of the active volcano Fuego.

Its centerpiece is Fuego Maya, a Pete Dye-designed golf course that offers striking views of Fuego and three other volcanoes as well as the Pacific Ocean in the distance. The layout is the architect's first course in Central America (and his second to open this year). According to Dye's son Perry, who oversaw the project, it's also the region's first course to have bent grass, which is prized by golfers because it produces lush, full fairways and smooth-rolling greens.

When completed, the 1,400-acre enclave is to include 950 units of housing in the form of villas and private homes plus a luxury hotel, a boutique eco-hotel, a spa, an observatory and a cultural center. There are 26 golf course casitas available for overnight guests, each including an outdoor terrace, small pool, Jacuzzi and shower.

Gallery: La Reunion Golf Resort in Guatemala

The clubhouse, at the base of the Fuego volcano The fourth hole at Fuego MayaThe seventh hole at Fuego MayaA casita bathroom and private terraceA golf course casita

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Guatemala's First Golf Resort originally appeared on Luxist on Mon, 04 May 2009 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> AntiquaFuego MayaFuegoMayagolfGuatemalaLa ReunionLaReunionPete DyePeteDye Paul Rogers Mon, 04 May 2009 10:01:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[Vroom! Designer Housewares Inspired by the Automobile's Golden Age]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/05/03/vroom-designer-housewares-inspired-by-the-automobile-age/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/05/03/vroom-designer-housewares-inspired-by-the-automobile-age/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/05/03/vroom-designer-housewares-inspired-by-the-automobile-age/#comments

Given all the depressing news out of Detroit these days, it might seem an odd time to promote a collection of housewares that evokes the golden age of the automobile. But Sid Ramnarace, a former designer for the Ford Motor Co., has created a stylish line of shiny metallic bowls and coasters that deserves more than a passing look. Each piece is hand-crafted out of recycled aluminum.

Ramnarace, whose own name sounds like it was made for the race-car industry, has named each of his pieces after a famous driver. The Mika Bowl ($160), honoring Finnish Formula One champ Mika Hakkinen, consists of a series of curved spokes that resemble wheel rims on a hot rod. The similarly shaped Moss Bowl ($150), after English legend Stirling Moss, has wider spokes that connote motion and cresting waves. A more minimalist design, which can perhaps best be described as looking like a plastic spike on a golf shoe, defines the Emerson Bowl ($300), an homage to Brazilian Emerson Fittipaldi. And, finally, there are the hubcap-like Tazio Coasters ($65), named for Tazio Nuvolari, the Italian Grand Prix star of the 1920s and '30s.

Ramnarace spent 10 years with Ford, helping design, among other cars, the fifth generation Mustang. He earned a bachelor of fine arts degree from the Cleveland Institute of Art, where he studied under the celebrated industrial designer Viktor Schreckengost, who died last year at the age of 101. To view the Ramnarace Metalcraft Collection or to purchase a piece, visit www.ramnarace.com.

Gallery: Ramnarace Metalcraft Collection

Tazio CoastersMoss BowlMika BowlEmerson Bowl

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Vroom! Designer Housewares Inspired by the Automobile's Golden Age originally appeared on Luxist on Sun, 03 May 2009 16:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Emerson FittipaldiEmersonFittipaldiMika HakkinenMikaHakkinenRamnarace Metalcraft CollectionRamnaraceMetalcraftCollectionSid RamnaraceSidRamnaraceStirling MossStirlingMossTazio NuvolariTazioNuvolariVicktor SchreckengostVicktorSchreckengost Paul Rogers Sun, 03 May 2009 16:02:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[The Wildest New Hole In Golf]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/04/10/the-wildest-new-hole-in-golf/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/04/10/the-wildest-new-hole-in-golf/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/04/10/the-wildest-new-hole-in-golf/#comments
There are lots of selling points to the new Legend Golf & Safari Resort in South Africa. Each of the eighteen holes was designed with input from a different tour pro, including Sergio Garcia and Padraig Harrington and native sons Retief Goosen and Trevor Immelman. The course and the encompassing resort lie within the Entabeni Safari Conservancy, in a malaria-free zone of Limpopo Province about three hours north of Johannesburg by car. The big five--elephant, lion, rhino, leopard and buffalo--roam just on the other side of a perimeter fence from the golf course, while friendlier fauna like giraffe, zebra and antelope can be found grazing the rough.

But it's Legend's so-called Extreme 19th hole that's generating most of the buzz. The tee sits on a ledge of Highlip Mountain--more than 1,400 feet above the grassland and bush below; players take a helicopter to reach it. From that lofty perch, they can see the distant outline of the green, which is shaped like the African continent, complete with a grassy tuft for Madagascar surrounded by sand off the front-right portion.

The hole, by traditional measure, is 500-plus yards long. But given the steep drop, the putting surface is reachable by a roughly 300-yard carry or a 200-yard drive that catches a favorable bounce on a funneling tongue of fairway. Coolest of all may be the amount of hang time produced by a decent strike: up to 25 seconds. That's more than enough time for each player, after teeing off, to radio to spotters on the ground to tell them which direction the ball is headed. The Extreme 19th costs 3,500 rand (about $385) to play--but it comes with the promise, however remote, of a $1-million prize for a hole-in-one.

Words go only so far in describing the spectacle. Check out video of the hole after the jump.

Gallery: Legend Golf & Safari Resort

The Extreme 19th Hole

Continue reading The Wildest New Hole In Golf

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The Wildest New Hole In Golf originally appeared on Luxist on Fri, 10 Apr 2009 11:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Entabeni Safari ConservancyEntabeniSafariConservancyLegend Golf Safari ResortLegendGolfSafariResortSouth AfricaSouthAfrica Paul Rogers Fri, 10 Apr 2009 11:02:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[Coolmax for the Cocktail Set: Dunning Sportswear's Performance Button-Downs ]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/04/06/coolmax-for-the-cocktail-set-dunning-s-performance-button-downs/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/04/06/coolmax-for-the-cocktail-set-dunning-s-performance-button-downs/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/04/06/coolmax-for-the-cocktail-set-dunning-s-performance-button-downs/#comments
First came Coolmax running and workout gear. Then Coolmax polo shirts. Now, in the latest line from Dunning, a Canadian sportswear maker, come Coolmax button-downs designed for casual Friday at the office and cocktail parties by the shore.

Dunning's new "performance woven button-downs" ($125) are nontraditional in fabric--the lightweight cotton/poly/Coolmax blend wicks away moisture, unlike, say, Oxford and broadcloth, which retain it--but not in style. The collection hews to timeless preppy standards such as candy stripes, tattersall, mini-gingham and glen plaid. Dunning also has a new line of cotton-Coolmax shorts ($99), in both a slightly clingy "technical" fabric and a more classic poplin-like weave. I prefer the latter. Rounding out the collection are "classic prep polos" ($98) featuring a stitched crest.

The company was founded by Ontario native Ralph Dunning, a 44-year-old former Ironman competitor turned avid golfer. Dunning golf shirts (some of them in appealing retro stripes) are popping up on the PGA Tour. They're worn by Zach Johnson, the 2007 Masters champ, among others. The company's clothing can be purchased at department stores, country clubs and resorts as well as online at http://dunningsportswear.com.

Gallery: Dunning's New High-Tech Menswear

Woven shirtsWoven shirtsSeersucker shortsCotton-Coolmax shortsPrep polos

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Coolmax for the Cocktail Set: Dunning Sportswear's Performance Button-Downs originally appeared on Luxist on Mon, 06 Apr 2009 11:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> CoolmaxDunninggolf shirtsGolfShirtssportswearZach JohnsonZachJohnson Paul Rogers Mon, 06 Apr 2009 11:03:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[New Pete Dye Golf Course Opening at French Lick Resort]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/04/01/new-pete-dye-golf-course-opening-at-french-lick-resort/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/04/01/new-pete-dye-golf-course-opening-at-french-lick-resort/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/04/01/new-pete-dye-golf-course-opening-at-french-lick-resort/#comments
Although more golf courses in the U.S. are closing than opening these days, as spring arrives there are at least some breaks in the industry's gloomy skies. The most sparkling of all may be the new Pete Dye Course at historic French Lick Resort in southern Indiana. (An hour's drive north of Louisville, Ky., French Lick is the hometown of basketball legend Larry Bird.)

Dye, the irascible 83-year-old architect of such celebrated layouts as TPC Sawgrass and Whistling Straits, is an Indiana native, and he was clearly energized to be working on this project. The course, scheduled to open April 24, drapes across rolling hills overlooking Hoosier National Forest. It bears many of Dye's hallmarks, including aggressive mounding, bold and deceptive bunkering, and strategic holes that vary greatly in length.

The Pete Dye Course is the latest of several recent improvements to French Lick Resort, whose mineral springs have been attracting visitors since the late 1700s. Its 1917 Donald Ross course--a wonderful complement to the more modern Dye design--underwent an extensive restoration. So, too, did the landmark West Baden Springs Hotel, one of the resort's two hotels. Built at the turn of the twentieth century in the style of a grand European spa, with a soaring atrium under a massive circular dome, the hotel reopened in 2007 after a $500 million refurbishment.

Gallery: French Lick Resort

Pete Dye Course and clubhousePete Dye CoursePete Dye CourseDonald Ross CourseLobby, French Lick Springs Hotel

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New Pete Dye Golf Course Opening at French Lick Resort originally appeared on Luxist on Wed, 01 Apr 2009 15:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Donald RossDonaldRossFrench Lick ResortFrenchLickResortgolfIndianaPete DyePeteDyeWest Baden Springs HotelWestBadenSpringsHotel Paul Rogers Wed, 01 Apr 2009 15:02:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[Artful Rusticity: Organic Furniture by Urban Hardwoods]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/03/27/artful-rusticity-organic-furniture-by-urban-hardwoods/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/03/27/artful-rusticity-organic-furniture-by-urban-hardwoods/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/03/27/artful-rusticity-organic-furniture-by-urban-hardwoods/#comments
In many if not most places, when a tall old tree becomes befallen with disease and must be torn down, it gets chopped into firewood or hauled to a landfill. Not in Seattle, where a furniture company called Urban Hardwoods salvages doomed sycamores, elms, walnuts, Pacific madrones and other species and fashions them into one-of-a-kind household pieces.

The company makes a range of hand-crafted products, including dining and coffee tables, desks, side tables, benches and headboards. Each is marked by rich-grained wood and a distinct organic shape: a black walnut dinner table branches into a "Y"; a coffee table made from the cross-section of red cedar bears the outline of a clover leaf.

Urban Hardwoods has two showrooms, one in Seattle and another, opened this month, in San Francisco. It ships to all 50 states. The pieces range from $1,000 to $10,000.

Gallery: Urban Hardwoods

Ancient California redwood headboardBuilding salvage side tableTacoma deskCedar flare coffee tableBlack walnut dining table

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Artful Rusticity: Organic Furniture by Urban Hardwoods originally appeared on Luxist on Fri, 27 Mar 2009 16:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Organic furnitureOrganicFurnitureSan FranciscoSanFranciscoSeatteUrban HardwoodsUrbanHardwoods Paul Rogers Fri, 27 Mar 2009 16:02:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[Boston's Liberty Hotel Offers Red Sox Packages]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/03/26/boston-s-liberty-hotel-offers-red-sox-packages/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/03/26/boston-s-liberty-hotel-offers-red-sox-packages/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/03/26/boston-s-liberty-hotel-offers-red-sox-packages/#comments
As all baseball fans (even the Yankee faithful) know, Red Sox Nation stretches far and wide. With that in mind, Boston's Liberty Hotel, which occupies a lavishly converted city jail in Beacon Hill, is offering overnight packages that include hard-to-get tickets to Fenway Park.

The offer, called Fenway Fan or Foe, includes one night's accommodations for two, a pair of Pavilion Club tickets to a Red Sox game and breakfast for two. It's available on four upcoming spring weekends: April 17-19 (when the Baltimore Orioles will be in town); May 8-10 (Tampa Bay Rays); June 5-7 (Texas Rangers); and June 19-20 (Atlanta Braves). The price starts at $725.

The 300-room hotel opened in September 2007 after a $150 million transformation of the mid-nineteenth-century Charles Street Jail. An exquisite Romanesque structure, it features exposed brick walls, wrought-iron chandeliers and an atrium (pictured) that stretches 90 feet high. Among many winks and nods to the building's old days as a lockup, the first-floor bar is called Alibi. It's located in what was used to be the "drunk tank" of the jail.

Gallery: Boston's LIberty Hotel Offers Red Sox Packages

Fenway Park

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Boston's Liberty Hotel Offers Red Sox Packages originally appeared on Luxist on Thu, 26 Mar 2009 15:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Beacon HillBeaconHillBostonFenway ParkFenwayParkLiberty HotelLibertyHotelRed SoxRedSox Paul Rogers Thu, 26 Mar 2009 15:03:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[Prices Fall for Attending the Masters, Golf's Prized Event]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/03/10/prices-fall-for-attending-the-masters-golf-s-prized-event/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/03/10/prices-fall-for-attending-the-masters-golf-s-prized-event/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/03/10/prices-fall-for-attending-the-masters-golf-s-prized-event/#comments
The anemic economy and outrage over corporate perks seem to have driven down prices for online tickets to the Masters and housing during tournament week in Augusta, Ga., Bloomberg reports.

To be sure, the Masters, the first of golf's four major championships each year, remains the most sought after ticket in the sport. Tickets to this year's tournament are sold out as always, creating a market for them at online brokers such as StubHub. But ticket prices are nearly 15 percent lower this year than last; on average, four-day passes (whose face value is $200) have fetched $3,377 on StubHub, down from $3,930 a year ago, according to Bloomberg.

Even steeper falloffs can be found in the prices of rental housing during Masters week, April 5-12. Once highly coveted by companies that use the tournament as a key opportunity to entertain, private houses and estates in town are being rented for as little as half what they commanded last year. The decreased demand isn't surprising given the intense criticism of corporations such as Northern Trust, sponsor of a PGA Tour event last month at Riviera Country Club in suburban Los Angeles, that have spent lavishly on golf after receiving federal bailout funds.

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Prices Fall for Attending the Masters, Golf's Prized Event originally appeared on Luxist on Tue, 10 Mar 2009 09:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> AugustaGa.golfmastersNorthern Trust Paul Rogers Tue, 10 Mar 2009 09:02:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[Tropical Getaways, from Condé Nast Traveler]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/03/05/tropical-getaways-recommended-by-conde-nast-traveler/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/03/05/tropical-getaways-recommended-by-conde-nast-traveler/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/03/05/tropical-getaways-recommended-by-conde-nast-traveler/#comments
The snowstorm that buried cities up and down the Eastern Seaboard this week served as a blunt reminder that winter has yet to exhale its last breath. For those suffering from sunshine deficiency, now may be the time to squeeze in a trip to someplace warm, and Condé Nast Traveler has come up with a host of affordable destinations.

The March issue of the magazine features a guide to 28 hotels and resorts in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean that offer idyllic settings at reasonable rates. Most of them can be reached by direct flight and don't require a rental car.

Here's a sampling of the correspondents' choices: Tres Sirenas Inn (pictured above; doubles, $175), an intimate beachfront B&B in Rincón, a surfing town on the west coast of Puerto Rico; hammock-equipped Ranguana Lodge (cabins, $80-$88) in "the sleepy Creole fishing village" of Placiencia, Belize; and, in the hip town of Tulum, Mexico, two hours south of Cancún, a "boho-chic" collection of thatched huts and stone villas called Amansala (doubles, $175-$225).

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Tropical Getaways, from Condé Nast Traveler originally appeared on Luxist on Thu, 05 Mar 2009 10:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> AmansalaBelizeconde nast travelerCondeNastTravelerMexicoPuerto RicoRanguala LodgeRangualaLodgeRinconTres SirenasTresSirenasTulum Paul Rogers Thu, 05 Mar 2009 10:02:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[Ogilvy Cruises to Victory in Puma Golf Apparel]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/03/04/ogilvy-cruises-to-victory-in-puma-golf-apparel/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/03/04/ogilvy-cruises-to-victory-in-puma-golf-apparel/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/03/04/ogilvy-cruises-to-victory-in-puma-golf-apparel/#comments
For as long as he plays the game, Fred Couples, with his sauntering gait and effortless swing, will remain golf's king of cool. But a convincing case can be made that there's now an heir apparent: Geoff Ogilvy. In his laid-back manner, the rangy Australian ambled his way to victory last weekend at the Accenture Match Play Championship outside Tucson, Ariz. It was Ogilvy's second win of the young season and his second triumph at the Match Play in four years.

Couples, 49, long ago became synonymous with Ashworth clothing, whose soft-collared golf shirts became not only a staple on the course but a symbol of casual Friday. The 31-year-old Ogilvy just might have a similar effect on Puma's line of edgier golf apparel. While winning on Sunday, he wore a Puma Invisibonding Polo ($80), which has a relaxed drape and seamless stitching to promote freedom and comfort. On his feet were Puma Swing Crown GTX shoes ($275), featuring a series of "quills" on the soles designed to increase traction. The shoes also come in less expensive models.

To check out the rest of Puma Golf's spring/summer 2009 collection for men and women, visit www.puma.com. The items are available for purchase on the web sites of Puma and The Golf Warehouse (www.tgw.com) and at golf retailers nationwide.

Gallery: Geoff Ogilvy and Puma Golf Apparel

Puma's Intarsia Knit SweaterPuma's Swing Crown GTX golf shoesPuma's Invisibonding PoloOgilvy after winning the Accenture Match Play

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Ogilvy Cruises to Victory in Puma Golf Apparel originally appeared on Luxist on Wed, 04 Mar 2009 11:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> AshworthFred CouplesFredCouplesGeoff Ogilvygolf apparelPuma Paul Rogers Wed, 04 Mar 2009 11:02:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[Retro Golf Furniture by Clubhouse Design]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/03/02/retro-golf-furniture-by-clubhouse-design/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/03/02/retro-golf-furniture-by-clubhouse-design/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/03/02/retro-golf-furniture-by-clubhouse-design/#comments
The other day we profiled a boutique line of furniture inspired by the Fender Stratocaster electric guitar. Which got me thinking about another quirky furniture maker, Clubhouse Design, whose golf-themed tables, chairs and accessories evoke a certain midcentury-modern cool.

Take the L.A.-based company's Classic Table ($200, pictured above). Its clear glass surface sits atop three legs of artfully bent steel that look like clubs from the Hogan and Snead era, complete with rubber grips and persimmon heads. The chrome-finished Wine Rack ($240) consists of 12 circular sleeves supported by four aluminum-headed clubs. The Classic Barstool ($470) features a contoured cherry wood seat and a back composed of six club handles, each bearing an actual Lamkin grip that almost begs golfers to wrap their fingers around it.

To check out or purchase these and other pieces from the collection, a take a swing through the company's web site, clubhousedesign.com.

Gallery: Golf-Inspired Furniture by Clubhouse Design

Satellite Coffee Table by Clubhouse DesignWine Rack by Clubhouse DesignClassic Barstool by Clubhouse DesignClassic Table by Clubhouse Design

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Retro Golf Furniture by Clubhouse Design originally appeared on Luxist on Mon, 02 Mar 2009 14:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> bar stoolClubhouse Designgolf furnitureGolfFurnituremidcentury modernMidcenturyModerntable Paul Rogers Mon, 02 Mar 2009 14:02:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[The New Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain in Arizona]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/02/28/the-new-ritz-carlton-dove-mountain-in-arizona/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/02/28/the-new-ritz-carlton-dove-mountain-in-arizona/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/02/28/the-new-ritz-carlton-dove-mountain-in-arizona/#comments
Tiger Woods, just back from knee surgery, and Rory McIlroy, a teenage phenom from Northern Ireland, weren't the only ones making a high-profile return or debut on the PGA Tour this week at the Accenture Match Play Championship. The cactus-studded course on which the tournament is being played, Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain, is brand new. It's the centerpiece of a Ritz-Carlton resort and residential community in the Tucson suburb of Marana, Ariz., that's scheduled to open in the fall. The desert setting -- a saguaro forest shadowed by the Tortolita Mountains -- is picturesque. The pros may be grumbling about the slow putting surfaces on the Jack Nicklaus-designed layout (above) but certainly not the scenery.

The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain is to include a 250-room resort and 450 home sites spread across 850 acres (roughly the size of New York's Central Park). It will be the largest Ritz-Carlton project in the country. Guests will have access to 20 miles of hiking trails plus routes for mountain biking and Jeep tours. A limited number of golf vacation packages can be reserved now at www.ritzcarlton.com/dovemountain.

In terms of real estate, charter memberships bestowing special discounts on property and services are being offered to the first 25 buyers. The benefits include, among other things, up to $175,000 off the price of a pre-designed custom home; 20 percent off the cost of a custom estate home site; free membership at the golf club ($125,000 value); and tens of thousands of dollars in credits that can be applied to costs such as home upgrades, hotel and spa charges and the purchase of a "neighborhood electric vehicle." For full details, see www.theresidencesdovemountain.com.

Gallery: The New Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain in Arizona

Ritz-Carlton GC, Dove Mountain, Hole 4Rendering of Ritz-Carlton, Dove MountainGuest room, Ritz-Carlton, Dove MountainBathroom, Ritz-Carlton, Dove MountainRitz-Carlton GC, Dove Mountain, Hole 5

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The New Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain in Arizona originally appeared on Luxist on Sat, 28 Feb 2009 08:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> ArizonaDove MountainJack NicklausMaranaRitz-CarltonTucson Paul Rogers Sat, 28 Feb 2009 08:02:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[Italy, by Way of Iowa: La Quercia's Artisanal Salumi]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/02/26/italy-by-way-of-iowa-la-quercia-s-artisanal-salumi/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/02/26/italy-by-way-of-iowa-la-quercia-s-artisanal-salumi/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/02/26/italy-by-way-of-iowa-la-quercia-s-artisanal-salumi/#comments
Thanks to celebrity chefs like Mario Batali and Lidia Bastianich, it's hard to come across a restaurant review these days that doesn't mention, if not wax poetic about, the appeal of cured pork. The word salumi has entered the lexicon. (For the uninitiated, it's an umbrella term meaning Italian-style cured meats--not to be confused with salami.) How can we home cooks tap into this rich culinary vein? Sure, in upscale neighborhoods specialty food stores abound. But an even better way to get started is to check out the offerings from La Quercia, a family-owned salumi maker in Iowa that supplies scores of restaurants and shops across the country and sells its products online at www.laquercia.us. (The Hawkeye State might seem an odd source of prosciutto and lardo, but since Iowa is the nation's largest producer of pork, it sort of makes sense.)

La Quercia, whose products are nitrate-free and made exclusively from the meat of free-range pigs, makes several types of prosciutto plus other delicacies such as pancetta, speck and coppa. But it's their guanciale that instantly won me over after I bought it at my local Fairway market in New York City.

Guanciale (gwan-CHA-leh) is salt-cured and unsmoked pig jowl. Ask any Italophile worth her olive oil, and she'll tell you it's the key ingredient in two classic pasta sauces, carbonara and all'amatriciana. The latter is less widely known. It's fashioned from tomatoes, onion, garlic, guanciale and a pinch of red pepper and topped with pecorino cheese. I, for one, can't make it often enough. Here's a story about the dish and a surefire recipe, courtesy of Florence Fabricant of The New York Times.

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Italy, by Way of Iowa: La Quercia's Artisanal Salumi originally appeared on Luxist on Thu, 26 Feb 2009 11:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> coppaguancialeLa QuerciaLaQuercialardoLidia BastianichMario Batalipancettaproscuittosalumispeck Paul Rogers Thu, 26 Feb 2009 11:02:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[Disney Offers Deep Discounts]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/02/26/disney-offers-deep-discounts/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/02/26/disney-offers-deep-discounts/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/02/26/disney-offers-deep-discounts/#comments
Mickey, Alice and Cinderella are getting a little lonely. As The New York Times reported the other day, Disney is running discounts at its theme parks to stem an ebbing tide of visitors. Attendance began falling in late 2008 at Walt Disney World in Florida and Disneyland in California. Traffic was down roughly 5 percent from the year before.

At Disney World, cost-conscious parents can reserve a seven-night package at one of 23 on-site hotels for the cost of four nights. The offer, which is good for trips through Aug. 15, can be applied to even the most upscale accommodations, such as the Polynesian and the Animal Kingdom Lodge. Visitors who book stays in early or late March can also receive a $200 gift card. Disneyland, meanwhile, is offering a variety of packages, beginning on hotel stays of two nights. The deals include adult tickets priced at the cost of children's tickets and free flights for kids on Alaska Airlines.

One of the best ways to find these and other discounts is to take a spin through MouseSavers.com, a web site devoted to finding deals on Disney trips.

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Disney Offers Deep Discounts originally appeared on Luxist on Thu, 26 Feb 2009 07:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Disney WorldDisneyland Paul Rogers Thu, 26 Feb 2009 07:02:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[Southern California's Resort at Pelican Hill]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/02/23/southern-california-s-resort-at-pelican-hill/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/02/23/southern-california-s-resort-at-pelican-hill/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/02/23/southern-california-s-resort-at-pelican-hill/#comments
Other than Tiger Woods's much-awaited return to the PGA Tour this week, there's been little good news in the golf world of late. Iconic destinations such as Sea Island Resorts and TheGreenbrier have been undergoing well-documented struggles in the failing economy. A rare bright spot is the recent opening of the Resort at Pelican Hill, a spectacular cliff-side property in Southern California.

The 500-acre resort in Newport Coast, about an hour south of L.A., is designed in the style of an old Italian hill town. Terracotta-roofed villas and bungalows are terraced into the slopes high above the Pacific, shaded by imported olive trees. The bungalows feature limestone fireplaces, hand-hewn wood-beam ceilings and private terraces. Even more lavish are the two-, three- and four-bedroom villas that are as large as 3,000 square feet and situated in a gated enclave. Villa guests can avail themselves of butler service and access to a private clubhouse and pool. Refreshingly, this is purely a vacationer's resort--there are no home sites for sale.

The golf at Pelican Hill predates the now-encompassing resort by a decade and a half. It consists of two eighteen-hole Tom Fazio layouts that overlook the ocean. Originally designed in the early '90s--and sometimes criticized for failing to make the most of the natural setting--they were renovated by the architect two years ago to improve playability and better expose the seaside views.

Gallery: Southern California's Resort at Pelican Hill

Pelican Hill South Course, 12th holePelican Hill North Course, 17th holePelican Hill South Course, 18th holePrivate dining at Pelican HillClubhouse entrance, Pelican Hill

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Southern California's Resort at Pelican Hill originally appeared on Luxist on Mon, 23 Feb 2009 15:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> golfNewport CoastPelican HillPelicanHillSouthern CaliforniaSouthernCaliforniaTom Fazio Paul Rogers Mon, 23 Feb 2009 15:02:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[ The Fender Stratocaster Coffee Table]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/02/18/the-fender-stratocaster-coffee-table/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/02/18/the-fender-stratocaster-coffee-table/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/02/18/the-fender-stratocaster-coffee-table/#comments
It's the most iconic image in rock 'n' roll: that sleekly contoured and lustily potent electric guitar commonly known as the Strat. With that in mind, two entrepreneurs in Portland, Oregon, have designed a boutique line of furniture based on the Fender Stratocaster and the company's almost-as-recognizable amps.

The outfit is called Fender Custom Furniture. It is independent from the instrument manufacturing company founded by Leo Fender in Fullerton, Calif., in 1946, but licenses its products through them. Hence the unmistakable detailing on the Deluxe Stratocaster Coffee Table ($750), a 4-foot-long version of the Strat's solid maple, vintage-finished headstock. The piece, which sits on three chrome-plated legs and is 15 inches high, has six tuning peg caps (made of inlaid steel disks) and silk-screened Fender lettering. For a third the price, there's the Standard Stratocaster Table, with the same dimensions only composite wood and silk-screened pegs.

The line also includes "hot seats" ($180) in the shape of Fender's Blackface and Tweed amps. They're essentially hollow cubes with a cushioned seat that pops up to reveal storage space when you turn a volume knob that's straight out of the Fender inventory. You can practically hear the reverb.

Gallery: Fender Custom Furniture

Fender Blackface HotseatFender Blackface HotSeatDetail, Deluxe Stratocaster Coffee TableDetail, Deluxe Stratocaster Coffee TableDeluxe Stratocaster Coffee Table

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The Fender Stratocaster Coffee Table originally appeared on Luxist on Wed, 18 Feb 2009 10:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> decor-awardsdecor-mainFenderFurnitureStratocaster Paul Rogers Wed, 18 Feb 2009 10:02:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[ECCO's New Limited Edition Golf Shoes]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/02/09/ecco-s-new-limited-edition-golf-shoes/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/02/09/ecco-s-new-limited-edition-golf-shoes/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/02/09/ecco-s-new-limited-edition-golf-shoes/#comments One of the more welcome trends in golf is the renewed popularity of walking (with a caddie, ideally) over riding in a cart. And if you're going to walk, you need to pay attention to what you wear on your feet. ECCO, the Danish shoemaker known for its durable soft-soled styles, has introduced a top-of-the-line golf shoe designed for the player who wants comfort without sacrificing a classic look.

The World Class Ltd. Edition, which the company debuted at the recent PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, features super lightweight cushioning and an internal stabilizer for crucial support during the swing. It also has a Gore-Tex membrane for water resistance. In terms of styling, the shoe has genuine leather uppers and a handsome stitched saddle and leather welt. It comes in four color combinations: white on white, black on black, white with black saddle and white with coffee saddle (pictured). Priced at $430, the new model will be available at select on- and off-course retailers and at www.eccousa.com. You'll also see it on the feet of Fred Couples, Colin Montgomerie, Aaron Baddeley and other sharp-dressed PGA Tour pros this season.

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ECCO's New Limited Edition Golf Shoes originally appeared on Luxist on Mon, 09 Feb 2009 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Aaron BaddelyAaronBaddelyColin MontgomerieECCO shoesEccoShoesFred Couplesgolf shoes Paul Rogers Mon, 09 Feb 2009 16:01:00 EST Luxist