golf

BMW Deal Makes Ritz Naples Even Better

I don't know about you, but I never need an extra reason to visit the Ritz-Carlton Naples Resorts. I'm not a golfer, so I can't speak with authority about the courses. But, they looked incredible. The spa, on the other hand, I experienced directly, and it continues to be among my favorites. Well, through April 29, 2010, there's another perk. Guests of both the beach and golf resorts will have access to eight BMWs and one MINI convertible. The cars will be available for complimentary use through the BMW/Ritz-Carlton Driving Tour.

Guests will have access to the cars from half an hour to up to three hours, based on availability, from 9 AM to 6 M every day. If you have restaurant plans that take you off-property, you can arrange to pick up the keys to one of the BMWs by 5:30 PM and return the car by 11 PM. To make a reservation, stop by or call the BMW/Ritz-Carlton Driving Tour desk at either the golf or beach resort. Making a reservation a week in advance is a smart move.

Tags: beach, beaches, bmw, florida, golf, golfer, golfers, golfing, hotel, hotel deals, hotels, resort, resorts, ritz, ritz carlton, ritz-carlton

The new Scottish Re-Formation: Hamilton Hall, St. Andrews and Herbert Kohler

by Susan Kime (RSS feed) —

Filed under: By Design

Religious pilgrims were the first to come to St. Andrews in the 10th century, to view to relics of St. Andrew himself, St. Peter's brother. In more recent times, golfing pilgrims have consistently flocked to St. Andrews to pay homage and play on a stretch of weather-beaten land on the edge of the North Sea, where the game was invented over 600 years ago. When contemporary pilgrims set off down the first fairway of the Old Course into the prevailing wind, and it is always prevailing, they walk headlong into history. There is no place like it. It is no wonder then, that over the years many hotel developers have seen the most lucrative of possibilities here, not knowing that the town of St. Andrews also plays a huge part in the history and formidability of any project's success.

St. Andrews is a small Scottish town, that stresses the Scottish traits of humility, distrust of pretense and artifice, and frugality. The hallowed St. Andrews course is an unadorned links course that lies on public ground, where golf is forbidden on Sundays so families can picnic, or just walk on the fairways. Community is crucial, and as it is in any small town, outsiders ususally have to prove themselves.

Imagine, then, in 2006 ,what the local people thought and felt when they discovered the fate of one of their historic landmarks -- Hamilton Hall, a building on the 18th hole of the St. Andrews course. This building was, for over 60 years a University of St. Andrews dormitory, and prior to that a Royal Scottish Army living quarters, and prior to that, the iconic Grand Hotel, opened in 1895. It was discovered that Wasserman Real Estate Capital, based in Providence, R.I., had purchased the building, and was planning on major renovations, so they could sell fractionalized residences for between $1.3 and $3.3Million per fraction, in a project called the St. Andrews Grand.

Tags: Golf, Hamilton Hall, Herb Kohler, History of St. Andrews, Kohler Company, KohlerCompany, Old Course Hotel, St. Andrews, St.Andrews, The American Club, TheAmericanClub

Continue reading “The new Scottish Re-Formation: Hamilton Hall, St. Andrews and Herbert Kohler”

A Golfer's Fantasy: The Tour Club

by Paul Rogers (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Sports

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

Tags: golf, pga, Quintess, Tour Club, TourClub

Continue reading “A Golfer's Fantasy: The Tour Club”

The Five Sacred Rules of All Private Golf Clubs

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Sports

Whether you're playing in Maine or New Mexico some things remain the same: the five sacred principles of how to behave at a private golf club. Each club has its own set of etiquette standards but these 5 rules apply everywhere.

Never throw a golf club in anger. Ever.
Don't change your shoes in the parking lot. It's tacky. Head to the locker room, that's what they're there for.
No blue jeans. Not even really nice, expensive ones.
Take your hat off when indoors or sitting down to eat.
Turn off your cell phone when on the course or in the clubhouse.

These are the basics that can be applied no matter where you go in the country, but if you're new to a particular course it is best to find out before you play what the particular etiquette standards are at that club. Some clubs are much stricter than the above list (i.e. no cell phones anywhere on the property, no swearing, women must wear skirts, etc) and you don't want to assume and embarrass yourself by inadvertently making a major social blunder.

Source

Tags: etiquette, golf, golfing, outdoor-entertainment-pedia, outdoorentertainment, sports, summer-travel, summer-travel-pedia, summertravel-pedia

Golf Your Way To A Free Wedding

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Are you a golfer who just happens to be getting married? A new contest lets you put your skills to the test. The JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa in San Antonio, Texas has partnered with The Knot to create a wedding giveaway. The Perfect Match $150,000 Wedding Contest offers brides and grooms a chance to win an all-inclusive destination wedding and honeymoon that includes 200 of their closest friends and family.

From now until January 31, 2010, couples can enter at TheKnot.com/perfectmatch. Submit a brief description as to why you deserve to win a dream wedding at JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa, along with photos, and take a quick golf quiz. Six couples will be selected as finalists and flown to the resort to test their skills in The Perfect Match Golf Tournament from March 3-5, 2010, at the new PGA TOUR Tournament Players Golf Club (TPC) San Antonio and the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa. Each couple will play as a team in a nine-hole scramble tournament. The couple who wins the tournament returns to the resort for the $150,000 wedding to take place the weekend of May 21-23, 2010. The Knot team of style and design experts will create a one-of-a-kind wedding experience and provide planning. The winning couple will also receive a luxury honeymoon at the JW Marriott Ihilani Resort & Spa on O'ahu in Hawai'i.

Tags: contest, golf, jw marriott, JwMarriott, the knot, TheKnot, wedding

Dubai Says Tiger Woods Development Will Proceed as Planned

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Sports, Real Estate Developments, Wealth, Crimes and Misdemeanors

Some of Tiger Woods' sponsors and business associates are distancing themselves from the sports star in the wake of his mushrooming mistress scandal; however the Dubai backers of the first ever Woods-designed golf course and housing development say they'll proceed as planned with the megabucks project. The move is surprising given the iffy emirate's recent financial troubles as well as the UAE's extremely strict laws and outlook on sexual misconduct, real or perceived. The company building The Tiger Woods Dubai housing development and golf course said in a statement Wednesday it remains committed to completing the course, a 60,000-square-foot clubhouse, an 80-suite boutique hotel for VIP guests, 300 luxury villas, 20 mansions and a community retail area, all bearing the increasingly dubious Tiger Woods brand. The developer, part of the Dubai Holding conglomerate owned by the city-state's ruler, says "progress continues" on the project but gave no specifics, the AP reports. As we reported the other day, Woods' travails are likely to end up preventing him from becoming the world's first billionaire athlete, a goal he had nearly attained.

Source

Tags: celebrity, Dubai, golf, Tiger Woods, TigerWoods, UAE

Tag Heuer Watches To Reconsider Relationship With Tiger Woods

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

I recently mentioned that Tag Heuer affirmed its commitment to Tiger Woods as a brand ambassador. They publicly stated that they would stick by the super star as a face of the brand despite and alleged transgressions. It now looks like they might have altered their position. This is the second time this month that Tag Heuer has had to "restate" an earlier announcement. The first was in regard to the origin on their new Caliber 1887 movement.

Now Tag Heuer seems to suggest that Tiger Woods may not be in their short term future goals.We have already seen Tag Heuer pull Tiger Wood based ads, but that makes sense in the immediate given the negative publicity of Tiger's current extramarital activities. Now it looks like Tag Heuer is seriously considering their future with the golf superstar. The main reason? Not likely the current scandal. Though it helps lubricate their decision - the main rationale behind Tag Heuer's likely separation from Mr. Woods is his announcement to leave the professional world of golf for some indeterminable amount of time. Tiger's main allure was his ability to draw a large audience when he played on the greens. Now that he will withdraw from the public eye, does he really have immediate value to the popular watch brand? Several months from now when Tiger Woods hasn't been in a golf tournament in months, he will just be another rich guy in a Nike baseball cap (unless they pull out too). The bigger picture is that because Tiger Woods is exiting the world of golf for a while, he is severely jeopardizing his main income stream - endorsements.

Via World Tempus.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: ambassador, endorsements, golf, Tag Heuer, TagHeuer, Tiger Woods, TigerWoods, watch

Tag Heuer Retains Tiger Woods As Brand Ambassador Despite Scandal

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches, Sports

It has not been an easy holiday season for mega super athlete Tiger Woods. After news got out about his possible extra-marital affairs and the resulting fiasco surrounding it, the squeaky clean celebrity now has a new angle to his personality. Still, I think he handled the media conference aspects of it much better than others have in the past.

Tiger is a very wealthy guy thanks to years of unprecedented sponsorship and endorsement deals. Suddenly advertisements with his iconic image have all but disappeared - especially on television. Sponsors are worried about possible negative associations with the star looming in the public at this time. Of course, none of this is a surprise.

Like most scandals, this will likely more or less blow over in a few weeks or months. Whatever ensues in Tiger's personal life, is his own business. From a sponsorship standpoint, things won't be quite the same, as some of the more conservative advertisers will likely shun Tiger, although he was once the boy-wonder of conservative image athletes.

One of Tiger's most popular sponsors is watch maker Tag Heuer - who has recently announced their dedication to sticking with the man who has likely been good for their business. Tag Heuer, while a Swiss watch maker, is French owned (by LVMH). While they may pause or delay advertisements in the immediate future, expect to see lots more Tag Heuer ads involving Tiger Woods, a baseball cap, a golf club, and a watch in the near future.

Via World Tempus (in French).

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: endorsements, golf, scandal, sponsorship, tag heuer, TagHeuer, Tiger Woods, TigerWoods, watch

Tiger Woods' Troubles Will Cost Him Billionaire Status

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Sports, Wealth, Crimes and Misdemeanors

Back in 2008 we reported that Tiger Woods was set to become the world's first billionaire athlete, with earnings on target to cross the billion-dollar mark, which they did in October. In order for his net worth to follow suit however, he would need to continue the momentum for at least another year, given the taxes and management fees he has to pay, to be considered a bona fide billionaire. Now in the wake of his fateful car crash and ongoing mistress revelations, along with the looming prospect of one of the most expensive sports divorce settlements ever and now news of his lucrative advertising revenue stream drying up, it seems Woods may never reach that goal. The golfer's $110 million in annual income from endorsements and tournaments, as estimated by Forbes magazine, hinges on his standing with consumers, which is currently at an all-time low. Sorry, Tiger, looks like you'll have to be content as a mere multimillionaire several times over - at least until that divorce goes through. For God's sake please don't end up like Lenny Dykstra.

Source

Tags: athlete, billionaire, divorce, golf, Tiger Woods, TigerWoods

Charriol Iron Golf Themed Watch

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

Golf lovers, are you prepared for another golf themed watch? Ready or not here is one sure to put a smirk on your face. This is the Iron watch by Charriol, shaped just like one of your clubs. The watch dial is complete with the iconic horizontal grooves and a dial shaped like the club head. Charriol calls the watch unisex being suitable for a man or a woman, but whoever you are, it takes a dedicated lover of the sport to wear one of these.

The watch case is in steel and not so large at 33mm wide by 29mm tall. Dots on the dial make the time readable, and the case is attached to a leather strap with an embossed crocodile pattern on it, and a steel butterfly clasp. In addition to the pictured black tone, the watch is available in a "green" green color that you shouldn't miss. Movement is quartz.. I like that Charriol is able to not take themselves too seriously and release a fun watch like this. Price is 1,260 Swiss Francs and it is available on their website.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com

Gallery: Charriol Iron Watch

Tags: Charriol, golf, watch, watch of the day, WatchOfTheDay

The Luxurious Taste of Scotland Travel Package

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Luxury Travel & Hotels

The five star Gleneagles resort in Perthshire (above) and Rocco Forte's The Balmoral in Edinburgh are teaming up to offer an incredible "Taste of Scotland" package this season, providing guests with a true Scottish gourmet experience in two legendary, luxurious and multi award-winning locations. At the historic Balmoral in Edinburgh, travelers will be welcomed into a complimentary upgraded Executive Room, complete with a bottle of Bollinger champagne on ice, and will enjoy dinner in the Michelin-starred number one restaurant. While at Gleneagles, set on 850 acres of Perthshire countryside, guests will relax in a sprawling Estate Room before sampling a Scotch whisky tasting for two in the bar and then dining at the Michelin-starred Andrew Fairlie restaurant. Gleneagles is also home to three of the top Scottish Championship golf courses, a wide range of exhilarating outdoor leisure activities and a spacious spa. The Taste of Scotland package costs £1,200, or about $1,985, for two people with two nights at each hotel.

[via JustLuxe]

Tags: Edinburgh, Gleneagles, golf, hotels, Rocco Forte, RoccoForte, Scotland, The Balmoral, TheBalmoral, whisky

The Classicist: LINCS by David Chu for the Gentleman Explorer

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Men's Style, The Classicist

One of our favorite menswear collections for fall is from preternaturally stylish Nautica founder David Chu's LINCS line, which he relaunched earlier this year as a full sportswear collection. The name is of course derived from golf, but Chu has expanded its horizons considerably this season. He aptly describes it as "a modern expression of style inspired by a life in and out of the country club - of travel, of sport, of classic chic." The theme of the fall collection is a modern take on the "gentleman explorer," characterized by classic rugged yet elegant styling in a color palette of loden, navy, and charcoal, with fabrics like waxed cotton, cashmere, wool and flannel.

"LINCS is grounded in authentic, classic style, but updated with details and textures men can relate to," Chu notes. "Many of our shirts for example have a contrast color / pattern detail that's subtle. You'll find a surprising detail or color at the cuff, on a collar, or the inside liner. Part of the LINCS concept is the fusion of sporty, easy authentic looks together with performance fabrics and the technical. In outerwear, you'll see a classic piece like a blazer, but designed with quilted nylon and stuffed with down for a look that's rugged and elegant." Also worth noting are the very reasonable price points. Outerwear is between $199 - $399, sweaters are about $119 - $129, shirts are $89 - $99, pants are $79 - $89, available at select Nordstrom, Dillard's and specialty stores.

Key looks include a military style parka in waxed cotton with a sheared rabbit collar (above), a blazer-style coat made of quilted waxed cloth, a loden cashmere cardigan with a leather buckle at the collar, a tan safari-style parka with a removable navy liner, and a quilted navy nylon rip-stop down-filled blazer with suede detailing under the collar. "When I named it LINCS, people automatically thought it was a golf line, but it's not," Chu notes. "LINCS is about sport, about design, and more importantly, this person's lifestyle and an extension of it, which includes easy pieces that can be tailored and elegant, but mixed in with more casual elements for a dressy, but sporty look."

Gallery: LINCS by David Chu Fall '09

Chu also has his eponymous David Chu Bespoke line, featured in The Classicist's "Best of Men's Style" roundup, a custom-clothing atelier located on the penthouse floor of his "Townhouse" HQ in New York that embodies the deisgner's "ultimate statement on style, sophistication, and the well-lived life," blending the best of Savile Row and Neapolitan tailoring. In addition to Bespoke, Chu is also working on a new project with famed golfer Jack Nicklaus to develop the Nicklaus brands worldwide under a unified creative direction and make it more of a lifestyle brand with a distinct point of view. More on that later.

Tags: cashmere, David Chu, DavidChu, golf, Jack Nicklaus, JackNicklaus, LINCS, LINCS by David Chu, LincsByDavidChu, menswear

Ojai Valley Inn & Spa's Celebrity Chef Classic

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Luxury Travel & Hotels, Events, Sports

It may be snowy and cool in some parts of the country but in November it's still prime golfing weather in Ojai, California making it a perfect time for the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa's Celebrity Chef Classic occurring on the weekend of November 13 - 14. The event which includes the chance to golf alongside several celebrity chefs will benefit Share Our Strength, a national organization dedicated to ending childhood hunger in America. This year, Ming Tsai of Blue Ginger (and the cooking show Simply Ming), Todd Gray of Equinox, Alan Wong of The Pineapple Room, Budi Kazali of Ballard Inn & Restaurant and Ojai's own Executive Chef Jamie West will play in the 18-hole golf tournament with guests on the naturally sculpted George C. Thomas-designed course.

The weekend begins with a welcome cocktail party on Friday that will highlight tasting menus presented by each chef. Saturday morning, guests will be invited to play Ojai's greens alongside the chefs followed by celebratory gala dinner. The Celebrity Chef Classic is $1,450 per person, excluding taxes (double occupancy) or $1,850 per person, excluding taxes (single occupancy) and includes two nights in deluxe accommodations, unlimited golf, Friday's welcome reception, gala dinner, breakfast, lunch and additional amenities.

Source

Tags: celebrity chef, celebrity golf, celebrity golf tournament, CelebrityChef, CelebrityGolf, CelebrityGolfTournament, golf, ojai, ojai resort, OjaiResort, share our strength, ShareOurStrength

Limited Edition Nike Method Putters To Go On Sale

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Sports

The Nike Method putter hasn't been made available to the general public yet but it has had people buzzing for months. It's not officially supposed to be out until February 2010 but Golf.com reports that Nike Golf is going to sell a limited number of Method putters starting on November 2 at the Nike store website. The putter has polymer grooves on a steel face and a solid polymer layer dampens vibrations and has already been used by several pros. There are five versions but the limited edition putter is only available in the Blade 001 version. You give Nike the length and lie angle and they will build the putter at the Nike Fort Worth, Texas research and development plant. Each putter will be customized with your initials and shipped within three weeks making it a pretty perfect holiday present for the golf lover. The limited edition putter will be $499.The regular Method putter will be $250 when it is released next year.

Source

Tags: gifts for golfers, GiftsForGolfers, golf, holiday gifts, HolidayGifts, method, nike, putter

Unlimited Golf at the Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain

by Paul Rogers (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Sports

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

Tags: Arizona, Dove Mountain, golf, Ritz-Carlton

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