Riviera Nayarit
by Steve Ellis

   I admit to some apprehension before my recent trip to Riviera Nayarit, midway down Mexico's Pacific coast. But from the start, the concerns many of us may feel about travel to Mexico were quickly put to rest, in spectacular fashion. I felt completely safe at all times, the food was inventive and delicious and the accommodations, spas and service were among the finest I've ever experienced. Even the golf was world class.

    Punta Mita is a gated resort and residential community 40 minutes from the Puerto Vallarta airport. It's a self-contained vacation oasis with two Five Diamond luxury hotels, the Four Seasons Punta Mita and St. Regis Punta Mita, and two oceanside Jack Nicklaus courses, the Bahia and Pacifico. I stayed at the Four Seasons Punta Mita, which has a well-deserved reputation as one of the brightest stars in the Four Seasons family, quite a feat to say the least. I also visited the equally chic St Regis for drinks on the beach and a superb dinner in Carolina, its Five Diamond restaurant.

    The Nicklaus courses at Punta Mita are two of Mexico's best, designed to be fun for the casual golfer and a challenge for more accomplished players. Pacifico even has an "optional" hole with the world's first natural island green, accessible only at low tide. And there is more spectacular golf at the El Tigre course just a few miles away. Other championship options in Riviera Nyarit include a third Nicklaus course and designs by Tom Weiskopf and Greg Norman.
    My next stop was the Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit, yet another of the region's Five Diamond resorts. The Grand Velas is all-inclusive, which is even more extraordinary considering their world class spa and superb restaurants, two of which have Four Diamond ratings.
    Indeed, "diamonds" are sparkling brightly at Riviera Nayarit.

rivieranayarit.com

Sweet Home Alabama
by Bruce Levinson

Mobile, Alabama. Drawing a blank? You haven't been there, you're pronouncing the name wrong (it's Mo-BEEL), and you don't associate it with anything—certainly not great golf, great down home cooking, and great attractions. Well, pack the clubs and prepare for a destination that has a charm and character all its own.

    I could have stayed right on the Gulf of Mexico, where the opulent Grand Hotel Marriott Resort is known to pamper its patrons in a style reminiscent of the finest four-star Caribbean lodgings. However, I wanted to be in the heart of downtown, and chose the historic and gracious Battle House Hotel, which perfectly melds the new and the old. It put me within walking distance of the beautifully-restored Saenger Theatre movie palace, the A&M Peanut Company (where I bought incredibly fresh nuts in bulk), and Three Georges Southern Chocolate (where I would leave in bulk—and happily so.)
    Golf? I played the Azalea course at the Lakewood Club, as well as Magnolia Grove, part of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail (an incredible collection of 468 holes of championship golf on 11 different courses across Alabama). Both are challenging, beautiful, and host a wide variety of native flora and fauna. Seeing a magnificent live oak completely swallow my errant tee shot was a sight to behold, easing the pain considerably.

Mobile has a number of one-of-a-kind attractions, none of them more aweinspiring than the USS Alabama, a 45,000 ton World War II battleship, the likes of which they just don't build anymore. (The adjacent museum has a world class collection of military aircraft.) Equally impressive is the Hank Aaron Childhood Home and Museum, located next to the Mobile BayBears minor league ballpark where real baseball and nascent talent are florishing in a fun and intimate setting.

    Mobile also offers glorious food in casual settings. Callaghan's Irish Social Club, an unassuming corner joint in an otherwise completely residential neighborhood, serves up extraordinary cheeseburgers. But my culinary life would not be complete without some finger-licking ribs from Saucy Q Bar B Cue, and the blackened catch of the day at Wintzell's Oyster House.
    Mobile, Alabama? Absolutely.

mobilebay.org

Swinging through India
by Andrea DaRif

    With the world's fourth largest and second fastest growing economy, India is enjoying unprecedented prosperity in industries from film to software. Golf is no exception. The sport has a rich heritage in the country, going back to 1829, when the first golf club outside the British Isles was established in Kolkata. Now it is once again on the upswing.

    In New Delhi, The Oberoi reflects a spirit of tradition and cosmopolitan flair. Convenient to shopping and tourism, the luxury hotel overlooks the historic Delhi Golf Club, its fairways dotted with ancient monuments. Ananda Spa, perched high above the Ganges River in the majestic Himalayas, is renowned for its mix of ancient and modern rejuvenation therapies—and guests can enjoy a round of eco-friendly golf on the challenging 6-hole, par-3 course.

    Some of the best golf in India is found in the area around Bangalore—known as the Silicon Valley of India. The 18-hole course at Eagleton The Golf Village, a self-sufficient golfing oasis, is considered one of the best new courses in the country, while the five star Leela Palace makes a perfect base for a round at the famed KGA Golf Course, redesigned by Peter Thompson.

thaigolfguide.com

Samba and Golf in Brazil
by Colin Sheehan

      Brazil has everything the discerning globetrotter might desire—accented by exotic beaches, samba music, the annual Carnival festivals and, of course, the potent caipirinha, a national drink made from cachaca, sugar and lime. And golf in the 2016 Olympics. Golf had never really factored into Brazilian itineraries, but in recent years a quiet yet sudden transformation has been underway, thanks largely to the impressive designs of American Dan Blankenship, a former shaper for Pete Dye. His best designs—Buzio, Terravista and Comandatuba—are exceptional resort courses showcasing Brazil’s tropical coastlines and exotic flora. A visit must begin in Rio de Janeiro, one of the great cities of the world.

     Guests of the Hotel Intercontinental may schedule a round at Gavea, a must-play course and Brazil’s oldest and most exclusive club. A trip north to Buzios, near a seaside resort town, is also highly recommended. And Hotel do Frade, three hours to the south, should not be missed—the beachfront resort boasts a scenic course memorable for its fragrant scent of wild honeysuckle and the aguna patrolling the fairways. A flight north is necessary to call at the Hotel Transamerica, a beachfront hotel on the island of Comandatuba. Its Ocean course, the best course in Brazil, cuts back and forth between the beach and palm forest, and features massive waste bunkers, an obvious Dye trademark. Elsewhere in Bahia, golfers should try Terravista, especially since its new course—built along the crumbling cliffs 50 feet above the beachbreak—is every bit as good as Comandatuba. Direct flights are available on Varig Airlines from New York, Miami and Los Angeles.

varig.com
braziltourism.com

Big Hitters in the Dominican Republic
by H. K. Pickens

A favorite destination for golfing cognoscenti is the Dominican Republic, which has become one of the hottest spots to tee off in the Caribbean. And little wonder. The country has an outstanding array of world class golf courses and exclusive resorts set amidst breathtaking white sand beaches and vistas of unspoiled natural beauty. Casa de Campo in picturesque La Romana boasts three courses designed by Pete Dye, including the legendary Teeth of the Dog and the newer Dye Fore, a 7,770-foot masterpiece featuring a 300-foot deep river gorge.

     Punta Cana Resort & Club, a spectacular beachfront enclave created by Frank Ranieri, is home to the La Cana course. Designed by P.B. Dye, it is a brilliant mix of visual splendor and “Dye-abolical” layout. A 15 foot waterfall and indigenous coral formations distinguish the challenging course at Guavaberry Golf & Country Club, designed by Gary Player, while Playa Grande, a Robert Trent Jones layout, is considered the Pebble Beach of the Caribbean, with ten holes laid out along stark oceanside cliffs. And the luxurious Cap Cana Resort features Punta Espada, designed by Jack Nicklaus, yet another course generating great buzz.

casadecampo.com
puntacana.com
guavaberrygolf.com
capcana.com