GOLF DIGEST ANNOUNCES ITS PICK OF THE 75 BEST GOLF RESORTS IN NORTH AMERICA
Scottsdale, Ariz. – Troon Golf,® the leader in upscale golf course management, development and marketing, is thrilled to congratulate nine of its managed-courses that were recognized on Golf Digest’s list of “The 75 Best Golf Resorts” in North America, featured in the magazine’s November 2004 issue. According to Golf Digest, from the Bahamas to Daufuskie Island, South Carolina, “dazzling settings are and always will be what define the great places of the game.” Additionally, the finest golf resorts in North America are those “which are most accomplished at marrying a sensational location with the best in lodging, dining and golf.” Troon Golf’s recognized properties follow…
Up five spots from last year, at No. 12, is The Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North. Located in the high Sonoran desert in Scottsdale, Arizona, Troon North® Golf Club stands as the hallmark of the desert golf experience, stretching through the natural ravines and foothills in the shadow of Pinnacle Peak. Both the Monument and Pinnacle courses are accessible for resort guests, and their consistent 4½ star ratings helped to secure this facility’s spot on the list.
For the first time this year, Golf Digest included resorts not only in the United States but those throughout North America. A result of this expansion is the first time inclusion of One&Only Ocean Club/Atlantis on Paradise Island in the Bahamas, at No. 25. Both facilities enjoy access to the 7159 yard, par 72, Tom Weiskopf designed course, which sits on the island’s eastern peninsula, where crosswinds challenge even the most experienced of players, and spectacular views abound.
Holding its place at No. 30 on the list is The Phoenician in Scottsdale, Arizona. The resort’s award winning 27-holes of golf, with tiff eagle greens and lush fairways, provide a perfect blend of challenging sport and uncommon beauty. The Phoenician recently completed a $1 million golf course renovation where the tees were laser leveled to an almost mirror smoothness; and the bunkers were completely refreshed with new sand. Combining playability with aesthetic beauty, The Phoenician’s USGA championship facility is comprised of three memorable nines, each named for its surrounding landscape – Canyon, Desert, and Oasis.
Both Loews Ventana Canyon and The Lodge at Ventana Canyon, Nos. 38 and 40, respectively, are recognized on the list. The Canyon and Mountain courses, managed by Troon Golf and shared by both facilities, are nestled against the dramatic backdrop of Tucson, Arizona’s beautiful Santa Catalina foothills. These par 72, Tom Fazio designed courses, meander through mystical desert canyons and arroyos…inviting golfers to bask in the wild splendor of the Sonoran terrain.
Making its Golf Digest list of “The 75 Best Golf Resorts” debut at no. 49 is Daufuskie Island Resort & Breathe Spa in South Carolina. The 190-room resort imbues the grandeur of the South, especially in the pre-Civil War Melrose Mansion with its 52 newly renovated suites, which overlook the Atlantic Ocean. Thirty-six holes of signature golf is the resort’s centerpiece, with the Melrose Course, a Nicklaus Signature Course, featuring a links-style layout where the last three holes play along the Atlantic shoreline. The Bloody Point course, a design from the former partnership of Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish, is set along the Mungen River Highland and coastal marshes, with a view of Savannah across the water.
Also making the list in Tucson, Arizona is The Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa. Up nine spots from last year, coming in at no. 58, The Westin La Paloma carefully blends the coveted Southwestern resort lifestyle with the fragile terrain of the Sonoran Desert. Lush turf-grass fairways share the space with stoic saguaro cacti and other indigenous flora and fauna. La Paloma is an early high-desert signature masterpiece by Jack Nicklaus. His three nine-hole layouts – Hill, Canyon, and Ridge – leave golfers awestruck by their beauty and challenge in a formidable landscape.
The Westin La Cantera Resort in San Antonio, Texas is no. 63 on this year’s list. An idyllic country retreat for business golfers and leisure-minded guests alike, the Resort Course, a Weiskopf/Morrish design, plays host to the Valero Texas Open; and the Palmer Course, a signature design by Arnold Palmer Design Company, offers a great challenge to new and experienced golfers alike.
Seventy-two holes designed by Lawrence Packard are the highlight of The Westin Innisbrook Golf Resort, no. 74 on this year’s list. With daring challenges and incredible beauty drawn from crisply maintained fairways, daunting bunkers and water features, the highly ranked Copperhead and Island courses have earned the resort its reputation as a world-class luxury golf destination. Highlands South and Highlands North round out the Innisbrook courses and create a memorable experience for golfers at any level.
“We congratulate each of these properties for receiving this prestigious recognition from Golf Digest,” stated Dana Garmany, Troon Golf chairman and CEO, “and we challenge them to continually strive for excellence in delivering the TROON GOLF EXPERIENCE.sm”
In ranking these golf resorts, Golf Digest balloted nearly 800 members of its Course Ranking Panel who assigned scores of 1-10 (1 “very bad” 10 “absolutely perfect”) to more than 400 highly regarded resorts in North America. After the highest and lowest scores were discarded and an average rating was obtained, the score was multiplied by 10 to achieve a ranking on a 100-point scale. A destination had to be named on at least 20 ballots to be included among the top 75.
Headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, Troon Golf manages operations at more than 140 courses located in 27 states and 13 countries. Additionally, 31 Troon Golf facilities enjoy a Top 100 ranking by national or international publications. Troon Golf properties include The Westin Turnberry Resort, Ayrshire, Scotland; Talking Stick Golf Club, Scottsdale, Ariz.; Maderas Golf Club, San Diego, Calif.; Lake of Isles, North Stonington, Conn.; Vista Ridge Golf Club, Erie, Colo.; Kooindah Golf & Country Club, New South Wales, Australia; and Bearwood Lakes Golf Club, Berkshire, England.