Golf Resorts

Golf Vacation Insider, the leading website for expert, unbiased and trusted golf travel advice, has published a revealing “special report” on Turning Stone Resort & Casino just one week prior to its hosting of an official PGA Tour event.

Turning Stone will undoubtedly put its best foot forward when the PGA
Tour plays the Turning Stone Resort Championship there next week
(September 20-23, 2007), but Golf Vacation Insider’s free “special
report” examines what the general public can expect when taking a golf vacation to the Verona, N.Y., resort and if it is, in fact, worthy of
their time and money.

In addition to detailed descriptions and full-color photos of the
resort’s amenities, this special report reveals such things as: why
the “championship” golf course is not the best one to play (and which
of the resort’s five courses truly provides a “member for a day”
experience); the pros and cons of the resort’s lodging and dining
options; the best time to visit; the best off-resort activities to
experience; and the resort’s unique rule with respect to alcoholic
beverages.

To get this special report, golfers need only visit GolfVacationInsider and select it from a list on the right-hand side of the page.

” Hosting a PGA Tour event and hosting people on a golf vacation are
two very different things, ” said David Baum, publisher and
editor-in-chief of Golf Vacation Insider. ” Luckily, after reading our
free report on Turning Stone, you’ll immediately know if it’s the type
of golf vacation experience you’re looking for. ”

Golf Vacation Insider and Golf Odyssey, it’s printed, sister
publication, are the only golf travel publications in the world that
conduct their on-site inspections anonymously and do not accept
advertising, travel discounts or “freebies” from the properties they
review.

For more information about Golf Vacation Insider’s free, special
report on Turning Stone Resort & Casino, or to arrange an interview
with golf vacation expert David Baum, call 800-550-2286 or visit
www.GolfVacationInsider.com.

You’ve probably noticed I have an affinity for The Coeur d’Alene Golf & Spa Resort. Well, it just got ramped up two notches.

Why ? because they introduced some “Men Only” spa treatments !

Take that Golf Girl !

From their Press Release:

For many men, getting a spa treatment for the first time is like entering a dark room. There’s apprehension and uneasiness.

That’s never the case at , where its spectacular 30,000-square-foot Spa Coeur d’Alene provides Gentlemen Only quarters reserved for top-shelf treatment that eliminates their mindset that, ” A spa is not for moi. ”

” Spas have focused on women clients for years, but we now are seeing more and more growth in clients who are men, ” says Berni Campbell, director of The Spa Coeur d’Alene, where the full line of Gentlemen Only services are available for the first time in spring 2007.

Among them is the aptly named Mineral Man therapy, which combines the naturally soothing waters of Lake Coeur d’Alene and indigenous nutrients of the surrounding environment.

Designed to provide stress relief and revitalization for the man on the go, the Mineral Man treatment has been known to cause amnesia - in that it makes guests of The Resort’s new spa temporarily forget the outside world.

This new, two-hour session — administered by trained staff in the private men’s-only area of The Spa Coeur d’Alene — consists of complementing elements, suggested in the following order to provide guests with the best overall experience:

Nourishing Waters Bath. Rich in skin softening nutrients and extracts of honey, oats, silica and magnesium. Restful waters are softening and soothing. It is a perfect choice for skin therapy, or prior to a special event.

Deep Tissue Massage. Your choice of 50 to 75 minutes may be enjoyed as a pre- or post-sport therapy, or to release and relax chronic tension.

Gentleman’s Facial. A man’s skin has unique sensitivities and needs. This de-stressing, detoxifing treatment is 60 minutes of pure bliss and relaxation.

Pure Essence Shower. Experience a one of a kind hot and cold water therapy and the benefits of rejuvenation in our SilverTAG Swiss Shower. Enjoy the sensation of immersion, as 18 showerheads spray the body for five minute with a personalized hydrotherapy program per your needs, be it stress reduction, relaxation, tension release, and more.

To help introduce the new service is the Mineral Man Spa & Golf Package, which includes overnight accommodations with a round of golf at the award-winning Resort Course and the spa session. Starting in April, the package is $474.

” Oftentimes men have never been to a spa, so maybe their spouse or significant other can talk them into it on vacation, ” Campbell said, noting she thinks golfers will like the combination the Mineral Man package provides. ” At a resort you’re getting a lot of first time people who have never been to a spa. ”

Men account for 20 percent of its spa business at The Spa Coeur d’Alene, which follows the national trend. According to figures published in the November 2006 edition of Club & Resort Business Magazine, 31 percent of all U.S. spa goers are men. Accordingly, The Spa Coeur d’Alene, a $10 million, two-floor facility that debuted in spring 2006, is in touch with relieving male anxiety for treatments as simple as the common pedicure. Providing men with their own private area helps put them at ease.

” That’s very important, ” Campbell says. ” Men do not have to be in the same salon with women. We’re all about making our guests enjoy their experience. Everyone is comfortable - the men and the women. And they tend to enjoy the option of being able to not be mixed in with everybody. ”

The Gentlemen Only area at The Spa Coeur d’Alene offers treatments that enable guests to “escape” and just relax. When everything is done, the men feel at the top of their game, physically and mentally - which they discover is beneficial whether they are heading out to play golf on The Resort Course, or off to a meeting in the renovated Conference Center. Options available only in the Gentlemen Only area upstairs include:

Gentleman’s Detoxifying Facial ($125, 60 minutes) — meets the unique sensitivities and needs of a man’s skin while eliminating stress. Includes a hand and foot massage. (Available only in the unisex area of the spa.)

Pure Essence Shower ($25, five minutes) — pure pleasure in the exclusive $100,000 Silver TAG Swiss Shower, which has 18 showerheads that invigorate with 60 gallons of water a minute at four different temperature settings (between 70-102 degrees) to reduce stress, release tension and promote relaxation.

Flow-through Tub Hydrotherapy ($25, 10 minutes) — recommended as a prelude to a massage, it creates a sensation of serenity, as if bathing in a pure mountain spring.

Downstairs, the atmosphere in the Gentlemen Only barber and pedicure areas are specifically designed for relaxation. Unisex is the central theme, with stone décor accompanied by the sounds of waterfalls in the background. The colors are a soft and soothing combination of brown, blue and beige, and there’s the intoxicating aroma of cedar that creates a feeling of being in Northern Idaho’s great outdoors.

” Everything about the men’s area is very calming, relaxing and soothing but you don’t feel like it was meant for a woman at all, ” Campbell says. ” Once you walk into our spa you don’t feel like you’re part of the hotel. It takes you away from the rest of the world. ”

Another fine touch for men is in the Barber Room, which has a Vibe TV, woven leather black wallpaper and a Ferrari red barber chair. The Gentlemen’s Barber Cut ($45, 60 minutes) comes complete with a scalp massage, hot towel treatment, haircut, shoulder massage and a mini manicure (nails clipped, cuticles pushed back, hands massaged), while the Gentlemen’s Pedicure ($65, 50 minutes) is the same as a conventional pedicure, but done in a private room. Jack Black products, exclusively formulated for men, are available in the Barber Room.

The Spa also features its own proprietary line of products for men and women, Spruce & Cedar, offering the scent from clippings of trees indigenous to Northern Idaho. The line includes shampoo, conditioner, lotion, scrub, bath gel and body gel.

The choice for discerning travelers worldwide, The Coeur d’Alene Golf & Spa Resort combines luxury with endless recreational opportunities and serves as an ideal locale for conventions and wedding celebrations alike. A member of the family of Preferred Hotels, The Resort is 31 miles east of Spokane, Wash., and 100 miles south of the Canadian border. For reservations and more details call 800-688-5253 or visit the Couer d’Alene Resort website

Okay. I admit it. I want one of these shirt. I’m a golf shirt freak. I wear one almost every day to work. Almost.

The fact that I have to be ready, on a moments notice, to play golf with a customer or supplier has a lot to do with it.

One shirt. XXL size. University Blue, to match my eyes.

Send it along and I’m your buddy for life.

Text link, sponsored post, whatever you want, you got it.

The Coeur d’Alene Golf Resort is one of my dream golf vacations.

I will make it and I will hit balls until I hit that dang floating green.

If you can’t make it to or aren’t near Coeur d’Alene, feel free to send any other XXL golf shirts you happen to buy for me as a bribe for getting me to pimp your golf product, website, course, book, etc.

From the St. Pete Times, we find out that Disney plans another world-class golf resort.

How much land is there left in Orlando and how can they possibly need another world-class golf resort ?

” Walt Disney World unveiled plans Thursday to develop 1,350 acres of its vast property, including a massive luxury resort in a partnership with Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts.

Disney also plans to build up to 5,000 value-priced hotel rooms on 450 acres around the first formal western gateway to the park, built to serve new highway access there. “

I’m thinkin’ there’s more than enough golf courses and homes in Orlando to last for eons, but they’ve gotta do something with all those profits, don’t they ?

Click thru and read the whole story, or if you don’t want to then click the link below to go look at a way to get some tickets to The Masters.

” The green is surrounded by sand, but the real hazards here are the trees. They will reject any off-line shot and make a successful recovery very tricky. The green is narrow but deep, and pin placement can affect club selection. “

Number 7 at Harbour Town Golf Links looks like it would be an easy 3 for your scorecard … but it’s not.

The other 17 holes aren’t that easy either, but you don’t go to Harbour Town to post a good score. You go to play where the Pro’s play, to see the lighthouse and to get a polo shirt with their logo to take back and stick in your golfing buddies faces !

Yes, if you go I’d like one.

Yes, I look good in red.

Yes, I do wear XXL.

Yes, you can click the photo to go to their store.

Click thru to their store and to the other parts of their website and book a golf vacation today.

Their golf packages are second to none … and you need to send ol’ Mike that shirt !

I just got back from a week-long trip to Greensboro, NC. Coming and going, I got the chance to drive thru one of my favorite places on earth - western North Carolina.

Beautiful views, lots of big trees, green greens, er, … well they would have been really green if it wasn’t January.

Seriously, I love western North Carolina and the area around Maggie Valley has always been a favorite of mine. Nice, friendly people, good food and plenty of golf.

I hear that Maggie Valley Golf Club just got a new General Manager, Richard Brucki, who came from another place I used to live, Columbia, SC.

He came to Maggie Valley Club after a year as GM of Columbia Country Club in Columbia, S.C.

Prior to that, he spent seven years as general manager of Providence Country Club in Charlotte, and held the same post from 1996-98 at the Old North State Club in New London, N.C.

Earlier in his career, Brucki was GM at Cabarrus Country Club in Concord, N.C.

Looks like Richard is well travelled and well acquainted with North Carolina golf.

I’m looking forward to getting back to Maggie Valley and meeting Richard.

If you get there before I do, tell him Mike says ” Hey ! “

If you’re even slightly considering going west ( or east ) to San Francisco for a golf vacation at a world-class golf resort and spa, you really need to click thru and check out today’s offering from my friends over at Perfect escapes.

Today they’ve come up with a golf and hotel package to the Westin St. Francis that will rejuvenate your body and mind.

Via their website:

It’s a great time to visit San Francisco: The crowds are few, the theater season’s in full swing, and the boutiques sparkle with treasures. Make your San Francisco trip even more memorable when you stay at the landmark Westin St. Francis, right in the heart of Union Square.

And right now, when you book two consecutive nights at The Westin St. Francis, your third night is free! Simply arrive on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday for a 3-night stay and your last night is on the house.

Rates vary seasonally, but standard rooms start at just $149 per night over many winter and early-spring weekends. Better still, this special Third Night Free offer is available for other popular room categories — Traditional, Deluxe and Grandview — and is valid for stays through the end of 2007.

Why wait? Plan your San Francisco escape with The Westin St. Francis today.

You’d better hurry, as this deal is only available thru February 28th, 2007 !

My friends over at Perfect Escapes have gotten together with 4 and 5 Star hotels and created some of the finest golf vacations to some of the world’s best golf resorts and spas.

Today we’d like to focus on Florida.

Click thru and look at the special deals that await you in The Sunshine State, where my former home of Pensacola Beach is located.

Diplomat Country Club & Spa

Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa

From their website:

The Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa offers luxurious accommodations, magnificent views, and an experience sure to inspire renewal. From our infinity pool with waterfalls to the marina, shops, tennis, golf and white-sand beach on the Atlantic Ocean, endless options encourage complete tranquility and a sense of rejuvenation.

Westin Diplomat guests also enjoy access to all of the facilities and services of the Diplomat Country Club and Spa – including the resort’s 18-hole championship golf course and the full-service Spa at The Diplomat – plus complimentary shuttle service between the two properties.

And now, you can combine all of these world-class offerings into one luxurious escape. The South Florida Pamper & Putt package includes:

- Overnight accommodations in a spacious guestroom with magnificent views
- One round of golf at the Diplomat Country Club championship course
- One 50-minute Diplomat Massage at the Spa at The Diplomat

Better yet, these added amenities are available nightly — you’ll receive an additional round of golf and massage treatment for each night of your stay.

I’m thinking Florida’s the place to be … Hollywood, Florida to be specific !

Tomorrow I’ll have an exclusive offer for you from the Westin St. Francis in San Francisco, so stay tuned and subscribe to my RSS feed.

Did you happen to watch the Mercededs-Benz Championship from Kapalua on The Golf Channel ? I did and saw a commercial from GoHawaii.com that led me to this great resource, in case I’m ever fortunate enough to play golf in Hawaii.

Bookmark their site and buy lottery tickets is my new motto !

From their website :

” Seventy million years ago, Nature created Hawaii – a paradise of green-carpet valleys, emerald mountains draped in mist, and an ocean as blue and deep as the sky. It is a setting so perfectly sculpted, it’s clear that golf was part of Nature’s master plan. Our fairways are lush and bordered by rainforests and wild seascapes…and our hazards are a natural part of the landscape.

From lush hillside courses with views of neighboring islands and whales breaching offshore, to black lava layouts dotted with white sand bunkers, Hawaii offers you all the challenges and all of the pleasures of golf on more than eighty courses, spread over six uniquely different islands. So it isn’t surprising that eight Hawaii courses can be found in Golf Magazine’s list of Top 25 U.S. Golf Resorts (no other state has more than two). “

Click thru and enjoy !

PS - And Congratulations to Vijay Singh for winning the first event of 2007 ! Note to Tiger and Phil, you can’t win if you don’t play.

After having recently unveiled the “new look” Blue Monster, Doral Golf Resort & Spa, A Marriott Resort, one of the world’s premier golf destinations, today announced two new golf packages for the 2006-2007 fall and winter seasons. These new packages are designed to highlight the recently renovated Great White Golf Course, and the famed Blue Monster Golf Course, home of the 2007 CA World Golf Championship.

The new Blue Monster Golf Package includes two nights of luxury accommodations in a beautifully appointed garden view room, 18-holes of golf on the Blue Monster Course, and 18-holes on the Great White Course, cart included. Also included in this package is a $25 gift card per night per player, unlimited driving range usage, golf bag storage, one day introductory golf clinic, and advance tee-times. Rates start from $309 per person, per night, based on double occupancy, and must be booked at least 60 days in advance. This package is also available in a 3-night stay, which includes three nights of accommodations, one round on the Blue, one round on the White and one round on the Red, Gold, or Silver Courses. Rates start from $289 per person, per night, based on double occupancy, and must be booked at least 60 days in advance.

Also available at Doral is the Championship Golf Package, which includes one night of luxurious accommodations in a beautifully appointed garden view room and 18-holes of golf on one of Doral’s Championship courses, cart included. Included in this package is a $25 gift card per night per player, unlimited driving range usage, golf bag storage, one day introductory golf clinic, and advance tee-times. Rates start from $219 per person, per night based on double occupancy, and must be booked at least 60 days in advance.

The 693-room Doral Resort, which is managed by Marriott International and is officially named the Doral Golf Resort & Spa, A Marriott Resort, joined Marriott’s first-class portfolio of 60 resorts worldwide in August of 2004. In managing the golf business operations at Doral, Marriott International enlisted its in-house golf management arm, Marriott Golf, the world’s largest resort golf management company, and the first in-house golf management team ever established by a lodging company. Currently, Marriott Golf oversees more than 150,000 rounds of golf per year on Doral’s five championship golf courses, managing more than 500 corporate and group outings per year.

” For reservations call (800) 713-6725 or visit www.marriott.com, and enter GOF for promotional code. “