You are in luck. Of the many questions I get, this is one of the easiest to answer. First, let me just say this; many of the great golf resorts and courses also happen to be in some of the most scenic locations in the world. Second, opportunities abound for the non-golfer including world class spas, hiking, biking, rafting, fishing and so much more.
Spas and Golf
Great golf resorts go hand in hand with great spas and offer both golfers and non-golfers vacations of a lifetime. Whether it’s The Spa at Pebble Beach or at the The Greenbrier in West Virginia, there is no shortage of phenomenal golf paired with equally popular pampering and relaxation. Certainly it would be hard to beat a stay at the American Club in Kohler, Wisconsin. This Midwest resort is not only home to the acclaimed Whisling Straits golf courses it also boasts the Kohler Waters Spa. Yet, for every well known resort such as the Broadmoor, Pinehurst or The Phoenician there are many more and lesser known hideaways.
From the woods of northern Minnesota’s Grand View Lodge to the shores of Cabo San Lucas, a day of golf followed by an afternoon of rest, relaxation and a massage is hard to beat. What could be better than hitting the links while your spouse hits the whirlpool, aroma steam room and yoga class?
Outdoor Activities
Golf resorts worldwide abut some of the finest natural surroundings on the planet. The Lake Tahoe area is home to some of the finest hiking, camping and skiing in the country. Puerto Vallarta, Cabo San Lucas and the islands of the Caribbean and Bahamas abound with world class fishing – both deep sea and shallow water flats fishing. Would you rather be in the water than on the water? Many of these sites were renowned for their snorkeling, scuba and amazing beaches long before they even offered golf.
Feeling a bit more daring? Maybe a day of white water rafting, jeep touring, hot air ballooning or riding a zip line is in your future. These are just a very few of the near endless variety of activities available if you were to be golfing in Aspen, Tucson, Sedona or Vail.
Family Fun
Golf resorts are now synonymous with activities for the entire family. From the youngest children to the senior golfer, today’s resorts offer an adventure for every member of the family and for every level of activity. While Mom is on the golf course and Dad is at the spa, the kids are at supervised pool play or off biking on a guided tour of the surrounding hillsides, desert or ocean shores. Check out the options next time you are planning a trip. You will be glad you did and so will your family.
With the FedEx Cup playoffs on hiatus this week, we considered taking a breather, too. Hey, if there’s one thing more taxing than playing golf for a living, it’s writing about it.
David Law
Yeah, not really. Besides, there’s still plenty of golf goings-on to discuss, such as:
Scottish amateur lays down the Law
How’s this for an in-your-face response: Snubbed for a spot on the Great Britain & Ireland Walker Cup team, David Law went out and won last week’s Northern Open. A professional tournament.
Law, who must watch GB&I take on the United States from the sidelines of the very links where he won the 2009 Scottish boys championship, posted a four-round total of -14 to become the first amateur to win the event in 40 years.
For good measure, he took the high road afterward. “The timing of this is more important to other people,” he said, “than it is to me.”
Law is actually the first alternate for GB&I should one of its 10 players become incapacitated. Could make for a real Hollywood ending.
New Bjorn identity
From 1996-2006, Thomas Bjorn was a mainstay on the European golf scene. The burly Dane earned a pair of Ryder Cup berths, regularly contended in major championships, and never finished worse than 21st on the European Tour money list.
Over the next three years, Bjorn’s scores soared and his world ranking plummeted – all the way to 250th by the end of 2009. His swing and passion seemed to vanish overnight.
Bjorn began showing signs of renewal in 2010, when he won the Portuguese Open, then returned to genuine prominence by claiming the Qatar Masters in June of this year. His back-to-back victories at the Johnnie Walker Championship and Omega European Masters completed Bjorn’s rousing comeback story at age 40.
Yet more proof that golf is, despite appearances to the contrary, a forgiving game.
A couple more takes on golf’s hot topics:
- Mickelson adds sports psychologist to team: Julie Elion joins Phil’s phalanx of on-call gurus, featuring Dave Pelz (short game), Dave Stockton (putting), Butch Harmon (full swing) and Sean Cochran (fitness). Next thing you know, Mickelson’s hair stylist will be joining him at Tour stops.
- Faldo says Tiger won’t catch Nicklaus: Sir Nick claims Tiger is too distracted to win four more majors. And we thought his shredded knee, shattered ego, dozens of young challengers and re-re-reconstructed swing were the big obstacles.
Who’s the fresh-faced fellow winning another golf tournament every time you turn around?
Webb Simpson
That’s Webb Simpson, an emerging young talent on the PGA Tour. (Not a drone from sector 7G.)
Simpson, eh?
Yep, Webb Simpson claimed his second victory in three weeks by outlasting a stellar cast at the Deutsche Bank Championship. The guy’s developing an appetite for trophies to rival Homer Simpson’s (no relation) taste for donuts.
Simpson’s recurring theme is one of several that keep popping up week after week. (See: Els, Ernie; putter, long.) Herewith, our Golf Clap winners and Silent Treatment losers from the Deutsche Bank:
Golf Claps
- Webb Simpson: More like thunderous applause for the genteel North Carolinian. With a final-round 65, Simpson zipped past the likes of Luke Donald, Jason Day and Adam Scott, then took out Chez Reavie in a playoff at TPC Boston. Simpson is now the unlikely leader of the FedEx Cup race heading into the final two events.
As for the gratuitous Simpsons reference each time Webb wins… Get used to it. It’s all the excuse we need to flog our all-time favorite show.
- Ernie Els: Once again, the Big Easy was staring at FedEx Cup elimination. Once again, he survived to play another week, his 72nd-hole birdie securing spot No. 68 in the 70-man BMW Championship two weeks hence. If he keeps living on the edge, Els’ nickname may get revoked.
- The long putter: Simpson’s wand of choice added another feather to its cap; four of the past five Tour winners have wielded extra-long putters. This week, ever-experimenting Phil Mickleson joined the belly brigade en route to a 10th-place tie – and proving that you really never know what Phil will do next.
- Thomas Bjorn: A shout-out across the pond to the 40-year-old Dane, who won for the second week in a row on the European Tour. Considering he’d all but disappeared a few years back, you might say Thomas has been Bjorn again.
Silent treatment
- Bubba Watson: The big lefty spit the bit on Monday, stumbling to a 74 after leading through three rounds. A two-time winner in 2011, Watson made seven bogeys before redeeming himself with an eagle on the last. He wasn’t alone among faltering leaders. Scott started hot, then staggered home with a par-free 37 on the final nine.
- Nick Watney: No one sank further than Watney, whose 11 on the par-5 second hole was the centerpiece of a closing 80 – and a 49-spot tumble down the board. That’s gotta hoit.
Can someone please tell me why in the world it costs $4 to play a top-line golf ball? How much more goes into it, other than advertising, compared to balls at $1 apiece. I know, I know, there is a somewhat linear relation between cost and quality. But then shouldn’t my $3 ball also go a lot further than your $1 cheapo rock of a ball? You mean I paid three to four times as much for balls that still: don’t avoid sand, live for the forest, go only 10 yards further and don’t know how to swim or find their way home? Are you kidding me?
And what about those SUV sized $500 drivers? For you discriminating amateurs out there I recommend you be an early adopter. While there is no doubt that the extra 5 or 6 yards would be:
- Your least cost effective
- Fastest depreciating
- Most treasured investment
- All of the above
…..I still say wait a year, get one at the consignment shop and remember…..keep your day job. How do you think you are going to pay for all this stuff?
Clothing
It’s not just the balls and metal woods (is that an oxymoron?) whose cost has risen faster than my standard of living. What about clothing? If I wanted to look like Adam Scott, Ian Poulter or Rickie Fowler 
(oh the visual) it would cost me a week’s pay or more. I can’t afford to be that handsome. Hey Michelle Wie, Paula Creamer, and Natalie Gulbis…we have to pay for our stuff. Can you get a clothing contract for me and my foursome please? We’re looking a bit tattered lately.
Green Fees
While we’re ranting, what about those green fees? Top notch desert layouts fetch nearly $300 in prime season. Pebble Beach nearly double that. And imagine the nerve; none of these include a caddy, drinks, Cuban Cigar, rooting section, limo or even a masseur. I have no trouble with a $500 round of golf but shouldn’t one expect a few of these basic perks? How about providing the ever popular “On course ridicule of your group by revered announcer extraordinaire Johnny Miller”?
All kidding aside, let’s keep some sanity in regards to all the costs of playing the game. Our economic times have taken care of sky high green fees and mortgage sized initiation dues. Yet, equipment costs are higher than ever. Anyway, there are great deals on green fees and vacations all over. This is a great time to support your local golf course and get in an extra round or two with the savings.
Final Thought
When investing in new irons can cost $500, $1,000 or more, shouldn’t we be able to take, or rent, a set for a few rounds before we purchase? So few places have this service. Hitting some shots in a cage in a strip mall or a dome in the dead of a Minnesota winter is not the best way to purchase a non-refundable investment. Entrepeneurs?
First, let’s get this week’s Tiger-related headlines out of the way:
- “Couples picks Woods for Presidents Cup squad”
- “Tiger to tee it up at Frys.com Open”
- “Mediate rips Woods’ former, current coaches”
- “Haney hammers Mediate: ‘Absurd’”
- “Woods may not qualify for own tournament”
- “Tiger still searching for full-time caddie”
Whew! Did we miss anything?
Michelle Wie
No matter, that’s all the time were spending on El Tigre today. Other topics are top of mind, including an even more controversial pick for a U.S. team, eye-opening comments from women’s golf’s former queen about its would-be ruler, and Lefty’s flirtation with – you guessed it – the belly putter.
Onward!
Walker Cup choice a head-scratcher
You may remember John Peterson as the over-enthusiastic collegian who, after finishing second to fellow amateur Harris English in a summer Nationwide Tour event, claimed that “the top guys in college, the top 20 or 30 guys, can beat the top 20, 30 guys on the PGA Tour.”
Now Peterson has a new claim to fame – he’s the golfer who was inexplicably stiffed by America’s Walker Cup selection committee. (FYI — The Walker Cup pits 10 top U.S. ams against their counterparts from Great Britain and Ireland.)
The snub is simply shocking, given Peterson’s current ranking as the world’s No. 7 amateur. He also won the individual title at this year’s NCAA Championship and, yes, outplayed every pro in that Nationwide tourney.
No one is saying for sure why Peterson was passed over in favor of Blayne Barber, a fine but far less accomplished player. But the lesson may be that if you want to stay on the good side of golf’s high-and-mighty, it’s best to keep your mouth shut.
Sorenstam’s remarks a Wie bit off base
Speaking of, well, speaking out of turn, Annika Sorenstam recently chastised Michelle Wie for prioritizing her education – her Stanford education, at that. “I think her focus, in my opinion, should be more on golf,” Sorenstam said redundantly.
Our take: Let’s applaud Wie for pursuing not only her degree, but all the knowledge that comes with it. It’s refreshing to see a young person who treats college as something more than an inconvenient stepping stone to a professional career (athletic or otherwise).
By the way, Wie finished second last weekend at the Canadian Women’s Open. If only she’d studied a little less…
Our two cents on a few more topics:
- Keegan Bradley tosses first pitch at Sox-Yankees game: His goal – throw it at least as far as his 71st-hole birdie putt at the PGA.
- Rory McIlroy opens with 65 in Switzerland: The wrist is fine. Any questions?
- Phil Mickelson tries belly putter in Deutsche Bank practice round: His set makeup – four drivers, six wedges, three putters and a rescue club.
Just north of Tucson, nestled against the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains, awaits a wonderfully luxurious old school golf resort and spa – Loews Ventana Canyon.
While not on the ocean like Pebble Beach, or nearly as large as the enormous Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, this resort’s is a hidden gem. The terrain has the feel of Troon North in Scottsdale or the Vista Vallarta golf course in Puerto Vallarta. The resort itself may conjure up visions of classic American resorts such as the Arizona Biltmore, also up the road in Scottsdale.
Don’t be misled, this is a modern, up to date, “has it all resort”. By “old school” I simply nod to the architecture, beautiful grounds, not too big size (398 rooms), friendly staff, and excellent service. Swimming pools are large yet peaceful with no waterparks or man-made rivers in sight. Add on two Tom Fazio designed championship golf courses, a tennis center, spa, excellent dining options and you have just begun to experience all there is to do here.
Ventana Canyon is only a 30 minute drive from the Tucson airport but a world away as y
ou climb north from the desert floor into the Catalina foothills. Ventana Canyon begins as the road is about to end at the base of the mountains. Loews at Ventana Canyon sits nearly camouflaged as you approach its commanding site high above the Tucson valley.
The Golf
The Loews Ventana Canyon resort shares the Mountain and Canyon golf courses with the private Ventana Canyon Golf and Racquet Club. Play is alternated each day between the two courses. I highly recommend you play them both.
The courses are blessed with a great site including elevation changes, arroyos, rock outcroppings, trees, cacti, lakes and myriads of other distractions and attractions. The Mountain Course has its famous Hole #3, a 105 yard Par 3, with a tee shot over a ravine to a green that looks to be no bigger than your average 
backyard swimming pool. My favorite might be the next hole, the Par 5 fourth. From the elevated hillside tee, a swooping dogleg left beckons. Desert and sand guard the corner. The second shot offers no breather as the fairway narrows and water now comes into play. This liquid disaster guards the entire right side all the way through the green. Great hole!
The Canyon Course is equally challenging as it rolls around and through its many ravines, hillsides, cactus and undulating terrain. There are many fun holes and a really nice collection of 3 Pars. The Canyon Course culminates just below the resort lobby where an island green, complete with waterfall and even a few spectators, lays waiting at the end of this challenging Par 5 finishing hole.
The extras
Besides great golf, the resort has the intimate Lakeside Spa (with its own private pool and Jacuzzi), exercise classes, tennis center and a fitness path that meanders between the golf courses. The Flying V Bar and Grill is just one of the resorts dining options. It occupies the top floor of the spa building and offers amazing views of the 18th hole and the valley below. Dinner here is resort casual yet sophisticated and the guacamole made table side is amazing. Nearby hiking and biking trails are just the start to the myriad of outdoor activities in the area.
Loews Ventana Canyon is just minutes from the excellent shopping, dining and entertainment found throughout this modern north side of Tucson. Be sure to visit Shlomo and Vito’s New York Deli and Gavi’s Italian restaurant. Tell them Gordy sent you.
All in all this is one of my favorite spots for great golf, peace and quiet, as well as all the other amenities one might need for a great vacation.
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