Golf Travel News December 23, 2024

Golf Travel News December 23, 2024

The winter months are the perfect time for getting in some golf travel to warmer climes. This installation of Golf Travel News has several to consider:

• Cherry Hills Recognized by Golf Inc With Clubhouse of the Year and Golden Fork
• Caledonia Golf and Fish Club Climbs Golf Magazine’s ‘Top 100 Courses You Can Play’ Rankings
• Bobby Jones Golf Course Named NGCOA’s 2025 Jemsek National Course of the Year
• Casa de Campo Resort and Villas Announces Lineup of Winter Golf Events
• Camiral Golf and Wellness named the PGA National Golf Academy for Spain

Cherry Hills Recognized by Golf Inc With Clubhouse of the Year and Golden Fork

Historic Denver Golf Club continues to celebrate the opening of its new clubhouse.

Denver, CO – Cherry Hills, one of America’s most historic and revered golf clubs and site of Arnold Palmer’s lone U.S. Open victory in 1960, continues to celebrate the opening of its newly renovated clubhouse by being recognized by Golf Inc. with Clubhouse of the Year and Golden Fork honors in 2024.

The historic clubhouse, originally constructed in 1923 by local Denver architects Merrill and Burnham Hoyt, was recently recognized among the Best New Clubhouses of the Year in the November/December 2024 issue. Cherry Hills joins other top facilities, including Promontory Club in Utah and Desert Mountain in Arizona.

Golf Inc. annually recognizes The Best New Clubhouse of the Year, including private, public, and the best new renovation.

Today, as members and guests enter the new clubhouse, they are greeted by a massive open hallway that flows toward large picture windows with familiar views of the Rocky Mountain vistas. The clubhouse architect, Mark Finlay, was trusted with completing a grand space that appropriately honors a club and membership that has hosted three United States Opens, two PGA Championships, three United States Amateurs, and a host of prestigious men’s and women’s national championships.

Earlier this year, the new Cherry Hills clubhouse was also awarded first place in Golf Inc’s Golden Fork Awards. “The ninth annual award recognizes the top golf facilities leading the way in dining at golf courses and clubs. Whether casual or elegant, modern, or traditional, this year’s Golden Fork honorees have two things in common: happy members and guests and strong F&B revenue growth,” Golf Inc. said.

For more information, visit www.CHCC.com.

Caledonia Golf and Fish Club Climbs Golf Magazine’s ‘Top 100 Courses You Can Play’ Rankings

PAWLEYS ISLAND, S.C. – Caledonia Golf & Fish Club has risen to No. 76 on Golf Magazine’s biennial list of the “Top 100 Courses You Can Play,” moving up an impressive eight spots from its previous ranking. 

Mike Strantz’s first solo design, Caledonia masterfully blends South Carolina’s Lowcountry beauty with the late architect’s vivid imagination to deliver a course that players from across the nation flock to. 

“Being recognized by Golf Magazine as one of America’s top public courses is a tremendous honor,” said Bart Romano, PGA, Director of Operations for Caledonia and its sister course, True Blue. “The ranking is a testament to Mike Strantz’s visionary design and to our team’s ongoing commitment to delivering an exceptional experience to every golfer who steps onto the course.”

Caledonia has long been a standout on the Myrtle Beach golf scene, offering a layout that is both visually striking and a delight to play, culminating with the unforgettable 18th hole that requires an approach shot over water to a green that resides in the shadow of the course’s stately clubhouse.

This latest accolade adds to Caledonia’s extensive list of honors, reinforcing its place among the nation’s best golf destinations. Caledonia is also ranked among “America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses” by Golf Digest, and Golfweek has ranked it among the nation’s top 100 resort courses and as a top 5 layout in golf-rich South Carolina. 

Less than a mile from Caledonia, its sister course, True Blue, offers a contrasting but equally memorable Strantz design. True Blue features expansive fairways framed by dramatic waste bunkers and imaginative greens complexes. It is also ranked among Golfweek’s Top 100 Resort Courses and South Carolina’s top five public layouts, solidifying its status as one of Myrtle Beach’s most acclaimed designs.

To discover why Caledonia continues to captivate golfers from across the nation, visit CaledoniaGolfandFishClub.com and begin planning an unforgettable golf experience.

Bobby Jones Golf Course Named NGCOA’s 2025 Jemsek National Course of the Year

ATLANTA, GEORGIA – Bobby Jones Golf Course, managed by Bobby Jones Links (BJL), the golf industry’s leading client-centric, boutique management company, is proud to announce the BJL-managed Bobby Jones Golf Course in Atlanta has been selected as the 2025 Jemsek National Course of the Year.

Regional winners were chosen from the East, Midwest, South and West sections of the United States. Bobby Jones Golf Course was named South Region Course of the Year, and from these regional winners, the NGCOA Board of Directors chose the acclaimed Georgia property as the 2025 Jemsek National Course of the Year.

The NGCOA’s Jemsek National Course of the Year Award recognizes a facility that epitomizes exceptional course quality and management excellence, makes important contributions to its communities and the game, and is a model of operations to its peers.

As the result of a $33 million redevelopment project that began in 2011, the course was transformed from a poorly conditioned, obsolete, and underutilized property into a facility that not only features a unique reversible 9 hole layout designed by the late Bob Cup and a state of the art driving range, but is now an integral part of the local golf community and a shining example of how a course can enrich the lives of people throughout a community. For example, through its PGA Hope program, a free initiative that teaches golf to active-duty military and veterans, BJGC has made a significant impact in the lives of countless service people – with four different six-week clinics that are free to veterans and active-duty military.

The Foundation’s focus on junior golf is exemplified by BJGCs’ PGA Junior League program, which had more than 250 children participate last year. The weekly matches were on Sunday afternoons, which is prime real estate for tee times, demonstrating the course’s commitment to junior golf. More than 6,000 juniors have come through the course in the past five years and the Youth on Course program allows juniors to play the course at any time for $5.

The facility’s Dan Yates Putting Course and Cupp Links, a five-hole par-3 course, can both be played free of charge, as can the practice putting green and chipping green. Bobby Jones Golf Course also has the only outdoor publicly accessible range in Atlanta using Trackman Range technology, which debuted there in 2024. The property’s centerpiece – the Murray Golf House – serves multiple roles. It is the clubhouse and is home to the Georgia State Golf Association, Georgia PGA Section and Georgia Golf Hall of Fame. Boone’s restaurant was originally designed to be a grab-and-go food center but has turned into an upscale experience that features American cuisine with beautiful views of the course and the Atlanta skyline.

Each year, the NGCOA recognizes the most outstanding members of the past year, and the individuals and organizations that have helped preserve the tradition of the game while embracing the challenges and opportunities of the golf business. The winners will be recognized throughout NGCOA’s Golf Business Conference 2025, being held January 20-22, 2025, in Orlando, Florida.

To learn more, visit BobbyJonesLinks.com and BobbyJonesGC.com. Visit GolfBusinessConference.com for NGCOA Golf Business Conference 2025 event details.

Casa de Campo Resort and Villas Announces Lineup of Winter Golf Events

Select Spots Remain in Exceptional Roster of Tournaments at Celebrated Caribbean Destination

(LA ROMANA, Dominican Republic) – Casa de Campo Resort & Villas – one of GOLF Magazine’s “Top 100 Golf Resorts in the World” and the Caribbean’s leading luxury destinations – announces its lineup of premier golf events and tournaments for the 2025 winter season highlighted by exceptional golf, first-class accommodations and unparalleled luxury amenities.

The legendary seaside resort is home to a trio of acclaimed Pete Dye-designed layouts: Teeth of the Dog, Dye Fore and The Links. Since opening in 1971, Teeth of the Dog is widely recognized as the No. 1 course in the Caribbean. Starting in January of 2025, it will undergo a restoration project led by Jerry Pate Design. The project will involve a complete regrassing, restoring the greens to their original size, and reshaping bunkers to honor Dye’s design. The course is expected to reopen by December 2025. 

Throughout the restoration period, the resort’s two other acclaimed courses will come into focus and continue to welcome golfers. The Links showcases Dye’s genius for creating thrilling green complexes and golf course architecture aficionados call Dye Fore “the most underrated course in the Caribbean.”

The 51st Casa de Campo International Pro Am, taking place Jan. 3 – 8, is a must-attend event for golf professionals and amateurs alike. Teams will consist of one professional and three amateurs and compete on the challenging courses of The Links, Dye Fore, and Teeth of the Dog. Accommodations include five nights in hotel rooms and villas, two complementary replay rounds on Dye Fore or the Links and starts at $4,399 (per person, double occupancy).

Continuing the Winter Pro-Am series, the 41st Annual Caribbean International Pro Am I will be held Jan. 10 – 15 next year. This premier winter pro am featuring teams of one professional and three amateurs offers golfers the opportunity to showcase their skills on the world-class courses of The Links, Dye Fore, and Teeth of the Dog. In addition to tournament play, guests will have golf included on their arrival day and will receive complementary replay rounds on Links and Dye Fore. Rates start at $4,399 (per person, double occupancy) and include accommodations for five nights.

Wrapping up the winter season is a new edition of the renowned Casa de Campo Winter Pro-Am Series. The 38th Anniversary of the Annual Caribbean International Pro Am II will take place Feb. 25 – March 2. With work on Teeth of the Dog underway, this will be the first event without access to the famed course. The event will be contested on three championship courses: The Links, Dye Fore, and nearby La Romana Country Club. Teams will consist of one professional and three amateurs. Starting at $4,399 (per person, double occupancy), guests will enjoy accommodation for five nights in hotel rooms and villas in addition to complementary replay rounds on Dye Fore or Links.

For each of the above events, Casa de Campo additionally offers an array of fully appointed villas perfect for golf groups and families. The villa options range from three to 11 bedrooms with stylish living areas, a private pool as well as endless creature comforts. From secluded Garden Villas highlighting the area’s abundant flora to the tranquil splendor of the Caribbean coast in an Oceanfront Villa, each style offers contemporary designs. 

For more information on Casa de Campo Resort & Villas please call 800.877.3643, email [email protected] or visit: www.casadecampo.com.do/. 

Camiral Golf and Wellness named the PGA National Golf Academy for Spain

(Girona, Spain, 18 December, 2024) – The golf academy and practice facilities at Camiral Golf & Wellness, Spain’s No. 1 golf resort*, have been named the PGA National Golf Academy for Spain.

This reputable designation places the 36-hole venue, an hour north of Barcelona, among an elite global network of PGA Academies recognised for their exceptional standards in coaching, innovation and world-class facilities.

With state-of-the-art infrastructure and a team of highly skilled PGA teaching professionals, the European Tour Destination is hailed as having some of the best practice facilities on the continent, drawing Tour players, national teams and amateur golfers wanting to hone their skills and fine-tune their game.

Duncan Rougvie, Head of Commercial at The PGA, commented: “Camiral Golf & Wellness, with its rich legacy dating back to its origins as PGA Catalunya, has a deep-rooted connection with The PGA. As Spain’s No.1 golf resort, it perfectly aligns with our vision for PGA National Academies, which are dedicated to delivering excellence and accessibility to golfers worldwide.

“As the only PGA National Golf Academy in Spain, Camiral Golf & Wellness enjoys a unique status within The PGA’s exclusive network. This partnership solidifies its place as a destination of choice for PGA Members and avid golfers seeking to combine luxurious hospitality at one of their two onsite hotels with world-class training facilities and expert coaching.”

Visitors to Camiral Golf & Wellness can now enjoy an elevated golfing experience at the newly designated PGA National Academy located at the resort’s Golf Hub. 

“As one of the largest training facilities in Europe, the Golf Hub offers expert coaching from our team of trusted PGA Professionals – Enric López, Oriol Camacho, Phillipe Tourtrol and David Guarch – alongside cutting-edge technologies such as Trackman Range and GEARS swing analysis” said Flavio Papa, Director of Golf at Camiral Golf & Wellness. 

“Golfers can also take advantage of a double-ended grass tee driving range with target greens, that can accommodate up to 130 players, ten covered hitting bays, and a 2,000 square-meter putting and chipping green with five practice bunkers.”

He added: “Becoming a PGA National Academy is a mark of quality that distinguishes Camiral Golf & Wellness as a world leading golf training hub and we are committed to delivering an immersive and premium golfing experience for players of all abilities.”

In addition, Camiral Golf & Wellness now offers over 8,000 global PGA Members the opportunity to create bespoke coaching programmes for both professional and amateur golfers, pairing luxury hospitality with the five-star facilities and industry leading technology in the picturesque setting of Catalonia, Spain.

Situated just outside the culinary capital of Girona, Camiral Golf & Wellness is home to the five-star Hotel Camiral, a member of The Leading Hotels of The World portfolio, and the four-star LAVIDA Hotel. The resort features a wide array of dining options, including the newly opened seasonal Origin restaurant and the reimagined Camiral Bistro. Guests can also access the award-winning Wellness Centre, which offers next-generation recovery technologies designed to optimise performance and relaxation for golfers.

For more information about Camiral Golf & Wellness, please visit www.camiral.com