Perfect Winter Coming up Oranges
Named “one of America’s best master planned communities” the Villages of Citrus Hills in Hernando, Florida, has a whole lot going for it from its quiet, uncongested location in the central Gulf Coast north of Tampa to exquisite homes and amenities that can knock your socks off. Homes include condominiums, two and three bedroom single-family designer homes and detached villas in a variety of floor plans. Gated entrances and large lots typically a half to a full acre, enhance the private club ambiance. Citrus Hills has three golf courses: The Oaks, a 6,323 yard track over rolling terrain punctuated by towering live oaks; Skyview, their flagship course with elevations as high as 250 feet above sea level — a good choice for the better golfers; and The Meadows, relaxing and kind to beginners.
The Citrus Hills Golf & Country Club and Skyview Clubhouses contain restaurants, lounges, pro shops and tennis while the Brentwood Swim & Fitness Center has an outdoor pool, fitness area, spa and saunas. There is also the BellaVita Spa & Fitness Complex, offering an extensive array of sports and fitness facilities as well as a fitness trail. citrushills.com
Home Suite Naples
Naples on the southwestern Gulf coast has a huge number of gated golf communities for those who enjoy a thriving shopping, restaurant and cultural lifestyle with lots of buzz. Fifth Ave. South in Naples with trendy shops like Altered Elements and hidden-in-an-alley Brambles Tea Room & Gift Shop is minutes away from those who call Quail West home for the winter (or longer). Here there are no condos, just one-of-a-kind custom homes and La Caille single family villas starting at $1 million along with two highly rated golf courses by Arthur Hills: The Preserve and the Lakes Course. Residents can drive their own golf carts around the 1,800-acre complex, to the lagoon-style solarium pool, spa, golf course, clubhouse, tennis courts and restaurants. They also have private access to the beach. Sweet. Quailwest.com
Also in Naples, Tiburon’s two championship courses by Greg Norman, Black and Gold, are centerpieces for WCI Communities’ upscale gated neighborhoods offering condos, villas and single family homes priced from the $100,000s to about a million. Citrus Hills Quail West Tiburon residents have access to a 350-member private golf club and a 30,000 square foot Mediterranean-style clubhouse containing three dining rooms, private members’ rooms and pro shop. There is also shuttle service to the beach. Just because Gold is the venue for PGA Tour’s Shark Shootout, doesn’t mean it’s the most difficult. Black tends to be tighter with more trees and forced carries over water while Gold’s greens are slightly larger and feature more roll-up approaches making it easier for women with a good chipping game.
Tiburon is also home to the Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, Naples. The hotel’s “Golf FORE Two” package starts at $679 including two rounds of golf, cart and overnight accommodations. A “Hassle Free Package” gives you complimentary use of TaylorMade clubs, two sleeves of balls and a golf glove. Tiburon.com; wcicommunities.com
RTJ Golf Trail, the Gold Standard for driving vacations
Playing the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in Alabama could be the perfect golf winter high. After all, the 26 courses on 11 sites were purpose-built to make it easy for you to drive from north to south in Alabama, play designer courses and stay at fine lodgings with no more than about two hours between places. RTJ courses are generally considered excellent tests for better golfers requiring a lot of carries to elevated big undulating greens — not your classic bump and run greens. But each course has multiple tees making it playable for most. With the exception of Ross Bridge and Lakewood Golf Club where green fees run between $90 and $136 including a cart, green fees run from $45 to $64 without cart — a good deal considering the caliber of the tracks.
There are eight highly rated hotels and resorts affiliated with the Trail such as the Renaissance Birmingham Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa where balconies overlook the third longest golf course in the world at 8,191 yards. There is the restored historic Battle House Renaissance Mobile Hotel & Spa named on the as one of the 500 “Top Hotels in the World” by Travel & Leisure. And on Mobile Bay, you’ll love the elegance of the gracious waterfront Grand Hotel Marriott Resort, Golf Club & Spa in Point Clear close to Lakewood Golf Club’s Dogwood and Azalea courses on the RTJ Trail. Winter packages include Winter Magic Special for $150 giving you golf with a cart at Ross Bridge and Oxmoor and use of practice facilities. You can also book three days of unlimited golf for $135 with unlimited range balls (except at Lakewood and Ross Bridge). And if you buy a day at Cambrian Ridge, Highland Oaks or Silver Lakes, you get a day free. rtjgolf.com
The Perfect Fall Getaway, Bermuda
And here’s an idea: go where the action is to Bermuda. Check into the Fairmont Southhampton Princess Resort, a perfection in pink and white and take in the PGA Grand Slam, golf ’s shootout between the winners of the year’s four majors taking place this year October 18-19 at Port Royal Golf Course. Watch New England’s own Keegan Bradley compete with fellow PGA players including Charl Schwartzel of South Africa, and Rory Mcllroy and Darren Clarke of Northern Ireland. Originally designed by Robert Trent Jones, Port Royal was recently renovated with the government pumping more than $14 million into the project. Under the direction of the Roger Rulewich Group, new bunkers and a pond were constructed, the course was lengthened to 6,842 yards, and greens were resurfaced with Tiff Eagle.
The Princess, sitting high on a hill above the brilliant turquoise sea, has its own 9-hole gem just out the door. With elevated tees and several lakes, it is a fun course for all levels of play. Bring enough golf balls: a dozen can set you back $70. Also know dining out can easily run you $100 or more and there are no rental cars. Most travel via taxis, bus, ferries, mopeds, bicycles and motor scooters which have room to balance your bag. www.portroyalgolf.bm
Spa La La
Get pampered, steamed, massaged, wrapped, relaxed and smoothed at the waterfront Ritz-Carlton Spa in Naples. Treatments like the Bamboo Breeze Swedish Massage, the Gulf Stone Massage, Hawaiian- inspired Lomi Lomi which gently works your tired muscles or the Sea Side-by-Side indulgence for two provide the perfect escape from stress and travel. Muscles sore and tired? You gotta love the Ritz Spa. Their “Rejuvenate You” package starts at $499 per night for room, spa treatment, lunch for two and use of the driving range. Treat yourself to dinner at Lemonia, a Mediterranean Grill serving contemporary Italian Cuisine or dine al fresco at the Poolside Grill. A “Golf Fore Two” package at the Ritz-Carlton starts at $279 for room, two rounds of golf at Tiburon including golf cart, club storage and tax. Ritzcarlton.com
The Perfect Fall Getaway: the Carolinas
Nestled among the perky peaks of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Appalachians, Asheville, NC, is one of the country’s hippest cities. Many artists call it home, inspired by the region’s natural beauty. The energized downtown has sidewalk cafés, trolleys, galleries and a wonderful group of art deco buildings. It also has the Biltmore estate. Created in 1895 by George Vanderbilt, the 250-room Biltmore House resembles a French chateau. This 8,000-acre playground has plenty to discover. Tour the house, the gardens, the winery and the new Antler Hill Village. Go biking, take a carriage ride and try your hand at fly fishing or sporting clays. Take a river float trip, horseback ride or a Segway Tour. Hey, you can even enroll in the two-day Land Rover School. Dine in the Bistro on dishes prepared from fruits and vegetables grown on the estate’s own farms and book a room in the elegant on-site hotel.
The Vanderbilt Package gives you three nights accommodations, valet parking, estate admission, tour of Biltmore House, breakfasts, dinner daily in the Dining Room or Bistro, and a grand royal tea. Do you deserve any less? biltmore.com. Another Ashville option: stay in the sprawling 510-room Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa with its craggy stone facade, world-class spa and golf course. Groveparkinn.com Golf is available nearby at the Grove Park Inn course and Mount Mitchell Golf Club, a player friendly par 72, with no blind shots and knock-out scenery.
Perfect Touring Car for Snowbirds
The Porsche Cayenne, a very classy station-wagonmeets- SUV is so good, some say it’s what has kept Porsche in business during these rocky economic times. Enjoy great performance, amazing road holding abilities, efficient use of space and comfortable sport seats front and back with lots of adjustment possibilities. Mileage? Like many SUVs, not so great. Sorry. The Cayenne Turbo is top-of-the-line model at about $107,000 while the Cayenne is $48,200. porsche.com.
Perfect sassy & flirty golf fashions
No more boxy Bermudas, baggy shirts that make you look like you just escaped from the jungle or hanging shads. Shi-Golf apparel from designer Kelly Su is a young hip line of golf attire that gets the links look just right — the black argyle sweater with a v-neck and large pink or blue diamonds for example or the sassy wrap hooded dress with the flirty skirt. Bermudas are low waisted, clingy while the sleeveless v-neck shirt is trimmed at the bottom with a fun ruffle border. Fabrics are techy, breathable while the fit is tapered and sexy. Shi-Golf attire can smoothly go from green to cocktails. You may buy them Shi-golf if you don’t play the game. shi-golf.com
Perfect Sports Glam Timepiece
The time is right. The Sport Class XL from Guess ($800) comes in a white ceramic case with rose and golf accents while inside the case is the way-cool watch you’ll want to wear everywhere. The band is white ceramic links — really more like a bracelet, the white dial is surrounded by mother of pearl, and the movement is typically precise because it is after all, Swiss. We’re talking elegance plus comfort. Guess.com
A perfect light-weight stand women’s golf bag with kicks
With names like Margaritaville, Muffy, Jungle Jane and Zsa Zsa Zebra, you’ve got to expect something wild and wonderful in the world of golf bag design. No doubt about it: if a golf bag could be called sexy, it’s the Zsa Zsa Zebra by Birdie Babe with a zebra print accented by solid bright lavender accents ($180). Birdie Babe bags are lightweight stand bags that fit well on a cart with the pockets facing the right direction. The price is good too at about $160-$189. Check their web site and you might get free shipping, free headcovers and a discount. birdiebabegolf.com
The Perfect Fall Drink with Alcohol:
Pomegranate Martini
2 oz citrus vodka
1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
1/4 oz pomegranate juice
1 oz simple syrup or Cointreau
**Shake all ingredients well with ice and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with thin slice of orange or lemon peel**
The Perfect Fall Drink without Alcohol:
Cider Spice Cocktail
3 tsp. grated orange peel
3 crushed cinnamon sticks
3 tsp. whole cloves
1 whole nutmeg crushed
3 cups unsweetened cider
6 cinnamon sticks and orange slices for garnish
Tie orange peel, 3 crushed cinnamon sticks, cloves and nutmeg into a double thickness square of cheesecloth and tie with a heavy string. In a medium pan, simmer cider with spice bag for at least 20 minutes. Ladle into mugs and garnish each with a cinnamon stick and orange slice.
About Katharine Dyson
Katharine Dyson is a regular contributor to the New England Golf Monthly column: The Perfect Life.
Related posts:
- The Perfect Life: September 2011
- The Perfect Life – Live the Dream
- Living the World of Perfect
- Perfect Golf Labs.com
- New England Golf Life By The Bay
