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With an
estimated 30,000 golf courses worldwide, one can only wonder at the variety of
scenery, conditions, layouts and, most importantly, prices at these distant
courses.
In this article, we examine a few random courses you could play around
the world, and compare prices to those found in Australia.
While the
likes of Augusta, Pebble
Beach and St.
Andrews are traditionally on most players’ “wish lists” for
golfing around the world, many of the world’s elite courses are either too
expensive for the average golfer, or simply not open to the public.
The
following are a random selection of courses you could play around the world,
and while this list is by no means comprehensive, it aims to give you a sample
of what to expect while on the road in various locales. Also, please note that
the prices quoted below are general, public-quoted rates. You are very likely
to get better rates by employing the services of a proper travel agent or
taking advantage of travel packages and specials.
South Africa
Home of
Ernie Els, Gary Player and a slew of other top PGA players, South Africa is
gaining popularity for golfers around the globe. Prices vary according to
location and course quality. For instance, while you could play the
breathtaking Gary Player Country Club, or the Lost City Golf Course (both in
Sun City) for about $500 ZAR ($86 AUD), you could also play (as I have) quality
courses like Benoni Golf course (near Johannesburg) or Stellenbosch (near Cape
Town) for as little as $200 ZAR ($34 AUD). Gary Player’s Goose Valley at
the Turtle Creek Estate (on the Garden Route in the Western Cape) is one of the
least expensive of Player's 200-plus designs worldwide, at around $270 ZAR ($47
AUD).For the truly adventurous, you
could then hop over to Swaziland and hit the Royal Swazi Spa for around $220
ZAR ($38 AUD),
Mexico
Apart from
the standard resort courses in high-profile, American-tourist-catering places
like Cancun or Acapulco
(where you can fork out over $400 AUD or more per round) you can enjoy some
great golf throughout the country. I’ve had the pleasure of playing at the
Tangolunda Campo de Golf, located in Huatulco,
Oaxaca, for a mere $590 MXN ($65 AUD),
complete with ocean views, jungle, and a resident croc who lives in one of the
course’s lakes. Alternately, jump over
to Ixtapa, and play the Robert
Trent Jones-designed Campo de Golf Ixtapa (one of Mexico’s finest courses) for $450
MXN ($50 AUD). If you want to venture to
Los Cabos, you could take in some stellar Jack Nicklaus courses like
Palmilla, El Dorado,
and Cabo Del Sol's Ocean Course, or tee it up on a variety of courses by Tom
Weiskopf, or Robert Trent Jones Jr. (All prices vary according to season).
USA
For the serious
golfer, you can’t beat Arizona
for a golf destination. Scottsdale
is arguably one of the world’s top golf destinations, with unique desert
layouts and a warm, dry climate year-round. While many courses can be expensive,
there is certainly no shortage of choice, with over 150 golf courses in the
area. These include We-Ko-Pa Golf Club, Talking Stick Golf Club, and of course,
the TPC Scottsdale. Rates at these facilities can vary from $69 USD to $300 USD
($83 - $363 AUD), depending on season.
In summer months (June-August) the prices drop significantly due to the high
temperatures (40+), but if you tee off in the morning, or at twilight, you can
get a bargain price for a top-quality golf experience. For the budget golfer,
many top quality municipal courses in Phoenix
offer rates as low as $27 US plus cart.
Nestled in the heart of Carmel Valley, California, Quail Lodge Resort has been voted one of the top 100 golf resorts worldwide by Conde Nast Traveler. Amenities include an 18-hole Championship golf course, 97 guest rooms, swimming pool, tennis court, two restaurants, pampering spa and trails through the beautiful lakes, lush gardens and rolling hills of the area. Designed by Robert Muir Graves, the Golf Club at Quail Lodge course provides more than 5940 metres of challenging play for golfers of all skill levels. Green fees range from US$140 - US$175($211 AUD - $264 AUD). www.quaillodge.com
Philippines
The Philippines offers some magnificent golfing settings -- from lush valleys and mountaintops to seaside resorts and city escapes -- at venues which have hosted some of the most prestigious international and local tournaments, including the Johnnie Walker Classic, the World Amateur Golf Championships, the World Cup, The Asian PGA, and the Philippine Open.
Canlubang Golf and Country Club in Laguna province is considered one of the largest and most exclusive golf complexes in the Philippines, featuring two 18-hole courses designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. The par 72 North and South courses feature manmade lakes, gaping ravines and abundant tropical vegetation. Green fees range from PHP 2,550 - PHP 5,050 ($80 AUD - $158 AUD)
Club Intramuros is set within the historic walled city of Manila, and offers memorable rounds of night golf. The 18-hole par 66 day and night golf course is set in approximately 23 hectares of landscaped grounds, trimmed with trees and lagoons. Green Fees: PHP 1,400 for day golf ($44 AUD) and PHP 2,200 for night golf ($67 AUD).
Luisita Golf and Country Club in Tarlac province is one of the finest 18-hole par 72 championship courses in the country, designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. The course is host to a number of high profile golfing events in the Philippines and features eleven challenging water hazards. Green fees range from PHP 2,000 - PHP 4,000 ($63 AUD - $125 AUD)
Tiger Woods has played at the 86 hectare Mimosa Golf and Country Club in Angeles City. Set against a backdrop of mountain ranges, this Championship course is made up of three distinctive nine-hole courses: Acacia, Lakeview and Mountainview. The course boasts gently rolling terrain, shimmering lakes, wooded valleys and colourful native Philippine flowers, trees and shrubs. Green fees range from PHP 2,550 - PHP 3,050 ($80 AUD - $95 AUD)
Puerto Azul in Cavite province is a par 72 golf course designed by some of the world’s most famous golfers: Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Robert Trent Jones Jr. The course is one of the most scenic in the Philippines, set against a backdrop of mountain ranges to the east and the South China Sea to the west. Its signature hole is number 17, a par 3 hole delineated by one of the deepest water hazards in Philippine golf, the South China Sea, and rated by renowned golfers as among the top 500 most difficult in the world. Green fees range from PHP 2,500 - PHP 3,500 ($78 AUD - $109 AUD)
www.wowphilippines.com.ph/
UK
After your
obligatory pilgrimage to the “Home of golf” at St Andrews’ 5 courses (the
Old, the New, the Jubilee, the Eden and the Strathty-rum -- ranging from $24 GBP
to $125 GBP), it is well worth the trip
down to the rolling hills of “merry olde England”, to test your skill at some
of the other “world’s best-rated courses”. These include the “World Top 100” Stoke Park
club, located in Stoke Poges Buckinghamshire. The 27-hole layout, built in
1908, has won a variety of awards and honours, and with winter rates at $50 GBP
($120 AUD), you can’t go wrong. Other courses include Knole Park Golf Course in
Kent ($36 GBP) which features “4-legged mowers” (grazing deer) and over 1,000
acres of parkland, or the Woburn Golf and Country Club, an hour north of
London in
Bedfordshire (and home to the British
Masters). Green fees range from $75 GBP to $125 GBP.
Asia
While in China, a good
bet is the Beijing Golf Club - Just 30 minutes from the Airport, golfers
are treated to a spectacular view of The Great Wall on the first hole. Visitor
rates run $800 RMB ($125 AUD). If you’re after a Nicklaus design, try Pine Valley
(recent host of the Beijing Open), or the Hui Yang City course in Guang Dong (stay-and-play
packages available). For the long-ball hitters, a short trip to Japan will give you the chance to play the
world’s current longest golf hole, a gruelling 964-yard, par-7 monster at the
Satsuki golf course in Sano,
Japan.
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