Fifty More Places to Play Golf Before You Die: Golf Experts Share the World's Greatest Destinations

228 Pages·2009·16.86 MB·English

by  Chris Santella

$24.95 U.S. / $32.50 CAN / £14.99 UK
Santella

f
In this beautiful guide, golf experts reveal their picks for fifty more i
KEITH of the world’s greatest golf courses to author Chris Santella. ft THEA BSEESQTUSEELL TLOIN G
B. CARLSO THE DESTINATIONS INCLUDE: y m BETFFOIFO PTRLYEA PYYL OGAUOC LDEFSI E WPlaitche st htoi sP floalyl oGwo-luf pB etofo rhei sY obue sDtsieel, lCinhgr iFsi fStya ntella
N o
interviews fifty luminaries in the golf world to
r
Chris Santella is a freelance writer and marketing e uncover some of the sport’s hidden gems.
consultant based in Portland, Oregon. A regular Cypress Point Club in California Golf industry insiders—from seasoned touring
p
contributor to the New York Times and Forbes.com, RECOMMENDED BY Joe Passov l professionals (Amy Alcott, Fred Funk) to
he has also contributed to the New Yorker, Travel a journalists and photographers (James Dodson,
Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Golf Club in China
& Leisure, Golf, American Lawyer, and Delta Sky. c f i f t y m o r e p l a c e s t o Brian Morgan) to golf course architects (Robert
RECOMMENDED BY Jeff Wallach
Santella is the author of five other titles in the “Fifty e von Hagge, Bob Harrison) to travel specialists
Places” series, as well as Fifty Favorite Fly-Fishing Mauna Kea in Hawaii s (Gordon Dalgleish, Mike Lardner)—offer

Tales (all STC). RECOMMENDED BY Darrin Gee t P L AY G O L F their favorite courses around the world and
o describe what makes them so spectacular. Their
Nirwana Bali Golf Course in Indonesia
experiences bring the venues to life for both
RECOMMENDED BY Bob Harrison p ardent golfers and armchair travelers.
l
White Witch in Jamaica a
b e f o r e y o u d i e
RECOMMENDED BY Rick Baril y The golf courses featured here range from the
windswept peninsula of Old Head off the coast
g
Black Mesa Golf Club in New Mexico
of Ireland to the sultry landscape of the recently
o
RECOMMENDED BY Baxter Spann inaugurated Ho Chi Minh Golf Trail in Vietnam
l
The Hills in New Zealand f to the privileged putting surfaces of California’s
Also available from Stewart, Tabori & Chang: Cypress Point and Maryland’s Congressional
Fifty Places to Play Golf Before You Die RECOMMENDED BY Sir Bob Charles b
ISBN 978-1-58479-474-5 Country Club. Along the way, Santella shares
e
$24.95 U.S. $32.50 CAN Machrihanish Golf Club in Scotland f vivid descriptions of the courses, funny and
Jacket front: Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Golf Club, RECOMMENDED BY Brian Morgan o touching anecdotes, and enough “If You Go”
near Lijiang, Yunnan Province, China.
Photograph © Robin Moyer/robinmoyer.com r information for golfers to begin planning
Arabian Ranches in United Arab Emirates
Design by Anna Christian RECOMMENDED BY Ian Baker-Finch e that once-in-a-lifetime getaway. The texts are
y complemented by more than forty vivid
Stewart, Tabori & Chang
An imprint of Harry N. Abrams, Inc. Chambers Bay in Washington o photographs that capture the allure of these
115 West 18th Street · New York, NY 10011
www.stcbooks.com RECOMMENDED BY Bruce Charlton u Golf Experts Share the unforgettable golf destinations.

World’s Greatest Destinations
d
$24.95 U.S. / $32.50 CAN / £14.99 UK i
ISBN 978-1-58479-793-7 e
Chris Santella
stewart tabori & chang
stewart
tabori
& chang
Printed in China
$24.95 U.S. / $32.50 CAN / £14.99 UK
Santella

f
In this beautiful guide, golf experts reveal their picks for fifty more i
KEITH of the world’s greatest golf courses to author Chris Santella. ft THEA BSEESQTUSEELL TLOIN G
B. CARLSO THE DESTINATIONS INCLUDE: y m BETFFOIFO PTRLYEA PYYL OGAUOC LDEFSI E WPlaitche st htoi sP floalyl oGwo-luf pB etofo rhei sY obue sDtsieel, lCinhgr iFsi fStya ntella
N o
interviews fifty luminaries in the golf world to
r
Chris Santella is a freelance writer and marketing e uncover some of the sport’s hidden gems.
consultant based in Portland, Oregon. A regular Cypress Point Club in California Golf industry insiders—from seasoned touring
p
contributor to the New York Times and Forbes.com, RECOMMENDED BY Joe Passov l professionals (Amy Alcott, Fred Funk) to
he has also contributed to the New Yorker, Travel a journalists and photographers (James Dodson,
Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Golf Club in China
& Leisure, Golf, American Lawyer, and Delta Sky. c f i f t y m o r e p l a c e s t o Brian Morgan) to golf course architects (Robert
RECOMMENDED BY Jeff Wallach
Santella is the author of five other titles in the “Fifty e von Hagge, Bob Harrison) to travel specialists
Places” series, as well as Fifty Favorite Fly-Fishing Mauna Kea in Hawaii s (Gordon Dalgleish, Mike Lardner)—offer

Tales (all STC). RECOMMENDED BY Darrin Gee t P L AY G O L F their favorite courses around the world and
o describe what makes them so spectacular. Their
Nirwana Bali Golf Course in Indonesia
experiences bring the venues to life for both
RECOMMENDED BY Bob Harrison p ardent golfers and armchair travelers.
l
White Witch in Jamaica a
b e f o r e y o u d i e
RECOMMENDED BY Rick Baril y The golf courses featured here range from the
windswept peninsula of Old Head off the coast
g
Black Mesa Golf Club in New Mexico
of Ireland to the sultry landscape of the recently
o
RECOMMENDED BY Baxter Spann inaugurated Ho Chi Minh Golf Trail in Vietnam
l
The Hills in New Zealand f to the privileged putting surfaces of California’s
Also available from Stewart, Tabori & Chang: Cypress Point and Maryland’s Congressional
Fifty Places to Play Golf Before You Die RECOMMENDED BY Sir Bob Charles b
ISBN 978-1-58479-474-5 Country Club. Along the way, Santella shares
e
$24.95 U.S. $32.50 CAN Machrihanish Golf Club in Scotland f vivid descriptions of the courses, funny and
Jacket front: Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Golf Club, RECOMMENDED BY Brian Morgan o touching anecdotes, and enough “If You Go”
near Lijiang, Yunnan Province, China.
Photograph © Robin Moyer/robinmoyer.com r information for golfers to begin planning
Arabian Ranches in United Arab Emirates
Design by Anna Christian RECOMMENDED BY Ian Baker-Finch e that once-in-a-lifetime getaway. The texts are
y complemented by more than forty vivid
Stewart, Tabori & Chang
An imprint of Harry N. Abrams, Inc. Chambers Bay in Washington o photographs that capture the allure of these
115 West 18th Street · New York, NY 10011
www.stcbooks.com RECOMMENDED BY Bruce Charlton u Golf Experts Share the unforgettable golf destinations.

World’s Greatest Destinations
d
$24.95 U.S. / $32.50 CAN / £14.99 UK i
ISBN 978-1-58479-793-7 e
Chris Santella
stewart tabori & chang
stewart
tabori
& chang
Printed in China
Published in 2009 by Stewart, Tabori & Chang
An imprint of Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
Text copyright © 2009 Chris Santella
Photograph credits: Pages 2, 72, 76, 98, 122, 142, and 170: © Evan Schiller/golfshots.com; pages 12 and 146:
© Mark Hill; page 14: Photo courtesy of Pannónia Golf & Country-Club; pages 16, 44, 86, 96, 126, 138, 150,
160, 192, and 220: © John and Jeannine Henebry; page 22: © Dick Durrance; page 28: © Gary Lisbon; pages
32 and 156: © Mike Bell; page 36: © Rob Brown; pages 40, 56, 68, 102, 114, 174, 178, and 200: © Brian Morgan
Golf Photography; page 52: © Robin Moyer/robinmoyer.com; page 64: © Sperone Golf Club; page 82:
Photo courtesy of Golfclub Am Mondsee; page 90: © Greg Norman Golf Course Design; page 130:
Photo courtesy of Boyne Resorts; page 134: © Fairmont Hotels and Resorts; page 164: Photo courtesy
of Oitavos Dunes; photograph by Brian Morgan; page 182: © Aidan Bradley Photography; page 188:
© Grant Leversha; page 200: photo courtesy of Arabian Ranches; page 212: © Peter Steinhauer
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical, electronic,
photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Santella, Chris.
Fifty more places to play golf before you die : golf experts share the
world’s greatest destinations / Chris Santella ;
foreword by Jeff Wallach.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-1-58479-793-7
1. Golf courses—Directories. 2. Golf resorts—Directories.
I. Title. II. Title: 50 more places to play golf before you die.
III. Title: Golf experts share the world’s greatest destinations.
GV975.S194 2009
796.352—dc22
2009000579
Editor: Jennifer Levesque
Designer: Anna Christian
Production Manager: Tina Cameron
Fifty Places series design by Paul G. Wagner
This book was composed in Interstate, Scala, and Village typefaces
Printed and bound in China
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
115 West 18th Street New York, NY 10011
www.hnabooks.com
fifty more places to play golf
before you die

f i f t y m o r e p l a c e s t o
P L AY G O L F
b e f o r e y o u d i e
Golf Experts Share the
World’s Greatest Destinations
Chris Santella
FOREWORD BY JEFF WALLACH

STEWART, TABORI & CHANG
NEW YORK
This little book is for Deidre, Cassidy Rose, and Annabel Blossom, and for everyone who enjoys
the thrill of stepping onto the first tee of a course they’ve never played.

ALSO BY THE AUTHOR
Fifty Places to Dive Before You Die:
Diving Experts Share the World’s Greatest Destinations
Fifty Places to Fly Fish Before You Die:
Fly-Fishing Experts Share the World’s Greatest Destinations
Fifty Places to Go Birding Before You Die:
Birding Experts Share the World’s Greatest Destinations
Fifty Places to Play Golf Before You Die:
Golf Experts Share the World’s Greatest Destinations
Fifty Places to Sail Before You Die:
Sailing Experts Share the World’s Greatest Destinations
Fifty Favorite Fly-Fishing Tales:
Expert Anglers Share Stories from the Sea and Stream
Contents
Acknowledgments 8 / Foreword 9 / Introduction 11

THE DESTINATIONS
1 Alberta: Jasper Park Golf Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
RECOMMENDED BY BOB WEEKS
2 Arizona: Talking Stick (South Course) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
RECOMMENDED BY TIM GREENWELL
3 Australia–Perth: Golf Club at Kennedy Bay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
RECOMMENDED BY SPENCER SCHAUB
4 Australia–Tasmania: Barnbougle Dunes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
RECOMMENDED BY MICHAEL CLAYTON
5 British Columbia: Capilano Golf and Country Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
RECOMMENDED BY DOUG ROXBURGH
6 California–Moorpark: Rustic Canyon Golf Course . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
RECOMMENDED BY GEOFF SHACKELFORD
7 California–Pebble Beach: Cypress Point Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
RECOMMENDED BY JOE PASSOV
8 California–San Francisco: Harding Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
RECOMMENDED BY FRANK D. “SANDY” TATUM JR.
9 China–Kunming: Spring City Golf and Lake Resort . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
RECOMMENDED BY GORDON DALGLEISH
10 China–Lijiang: Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Golf Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
RECOMMENDED BY JEFF WALLACH
11 England–Southport: Merseyside . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
RECOMMENDED BY BOB WOOD
12 England–Westward Ho!: Royal North Devon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
RECOMMENDED BY RAN MORRISSETT
13 France–Corsica: Sperone Golf Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
RECOMMENDED BY CHRISTOPHER SMITH
14 France–Greater Paris: Chantilly and Fontainebleau . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
RECOMMENDED BY JAMES DODSON
15 Hawaii–Big Island: Mauna Kea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
RECOMMENDED BY DARRIN GEE
16 Hawaii–Kauai: Princeville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
RECOMMENDED BY AMY ALCOTT
17 Hungary: Driving the Danube . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
RECOMMENDED BY JIM LAMONT
18 Illinois: The Glen Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
RECOMMENDED BY JOSH LESNIK
19 Indonesia: Nirwana Bali Golf Course . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
RECOMMENDED BY BOB HARRISON
20 Ireland–Enniscrone: Enniscrone Golf Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
RECOMMENDED BY JOHN STEINBACH
21 Ireland–Kinsale: Old Head Golf Links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
RECOMMENDED BY KEITH BAXTER
22 Italy: Bogogno Golf Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
RECOMMENDED BY ROBERT VON HAGGE
23 Jamaica: White Witch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
RECOMMENDED BY RICK BARIL
24 Japan: Hirono Golf Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
RECOMMENDED BY BEN COWAN-DEWAR
25 Maryland: Congressional Country Club (Blue Course) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
RECOMMENDED BY ROBERT MORRIS
26 Massachusetts: Farm Neck Golf Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
RECOMMENDED BY DAVID BAUM
27 Mexico–Jalisco: El Tamarindo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
RECOMMENDED BY EVAN SCHILLER
28 Mexico–Playa del Carmen: El Camaleón at Mayakoba . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
RECOMMENDED BY FRED FUNK
29 Michigan: Bay Harbor and Beyond . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
RECOMMENDED BY BRANDON TUCKER
30 New Brunswick: Algonquin Golf Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
RECOMMENDED BY THOMAS MCBROOM
31 New Mexico: Black Mesa Golf Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
RECOMMENDED BY BAXTER SPANN
32 New York: Montauk Downs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
RECOMMENDED BY DAMON HACK
33 New Zealand: The Hills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
RECOMMENDED BY SIR BOB CHARLES
34 North Carolina: Pinehurst No . 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
RECOMMENDED BY TIM MORAGHAN
35 Ontario: Devil’s Paintbrush . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
RECOMMENDED BY MIKE BELL
36 Oregon: Bandon Trails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
RECOMMENDED BY GRANT ROGERS
37 Portugal: Oitavos Dunes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
RECOMMENDED BY DREW ROGERS
38 Scotland–Dornoch: Royal Dornoch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
RECOMMENDED BY LORNE RUBENSTEIN
39 Scotland–Islay: The Machrie Golf Links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
RECOMMENDED BY COLIN DALGLEISH
40 Scotland–Machrihanish: Machrihanish Golf Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
RECOMMENDED BY BRIAN MORGAN
41 Scotland–South Uist: Askernish Old . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
RECOMMENDED BY JOHN GARRITY
42 South Africa: Durban Country Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
RECOMMENDED BY GORDON TURNER
43 South Carolina: Kiawah Island (The Ocean Course) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
RECOMMENDED BY HUNKI YUN
44 Spain: PGA Golf de Catalunya (Green) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
RECOMMENDED BY GENE A. HOLLAND, JR.
45 Thailand: Blue Canyon (Canyon Course) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
RECOMMENDED BY MIKE LARDNER
46 United Arab Emirates: Arabian Ranches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
RECOMMENDED BY IAN BAKER-FINCH
47 Uruguay: Four Seasons Carmelo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
RECOMMENDED BY BRIAN ROBBELOTH
48 Vietnam: Ho Chi Minh Golf Trail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
RECOMMENDED BY HAL PHILLIPS
49 Wales: A Welsh Sampler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
RECOMMENDED BY JOHN HOPKINS
50 Washington: Chambers Bay Golf Course . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
RECOMMENDED BY BRUCE CHARLTON