Golf Travel News – January 12, 2024
In golf travel news this week are items from Caledonia and True Blue, Pebble Beach, Sea Pines, Nemacolin and Casa de Campo Resort and Villas.
The fourteenth at Caledonia is a 415 yard par 4.
Caledonia Golf and Fish Club and True Blue Golf Club Earn Prestigious Platinum Award from the Association of Golf Merchandisers
Myrtle Beach, S.C. – Caledonia Golf & Fish Club and True Blue Golf Club have earned the prestigious 2025 Platinum Award from the Association of Golf Merchandisers (AGM), marking another national honor for the two golf facilities. The coveted distinction recognizes the Top 100 golf shops worldwide, celebrating excellence in merchandising, customer service, and retail operations across public, private, resort, and off-course golf facilities.
The AGM Platinum Awards are regarded as the pinnacle of achievement in golf retail. Winners are selected through a rigorous review process conducted by an impartial panel of judges, evaluating factors such as merchandising innovation, promotional strategies, operational excellence, and customer satisfaction. The honor reflects Caledonia and True Blue’s unwavering commitment to delivering an exceptional shopping experience for golf enthusiasts.
“This recognition is a testament to the dedication of our teams at Caledonia and True Blue,” said Bart Romano, PGA, Director of Operations for Caledonia and True Blue. “Our mission is to provide not only outstanding golf but also a retail experience that matches the quality of our courses. Earning the Association of Golf Merchandisers’ Platinum Award and being ranked among the Top 100 golf shops worldwide is an incredible honor and reinforces our commitment to excellence.”
The 2025 AGM Platinum Award winners will be celebrated during a special ceremony at the PGA Show in Orlando, Florida. The event is scheduled for Wednesday, January 22, 2025, at 10:00 AM on The Retreat Stage, Hall E.
Caledonia Golf & Fish Club and True Blue Golf Club are both ranked among America’s Top 100 Resort Courses by Golfweek and among the top 5 public layouts in golf-rich South Carolina. Their golf shops continue to set a high standard by offering premium apparel, equipment, and accessories, alongside personalized service that enhances the overall experience for players.
For more information about Caledonia Golf & Fish Club and True Blue Golf Club, please visit CaledoniaGolfandFishClub.com or TrueBlueGolf.com.
Tee Off Behind The Pros At Pebble Beach Resorts
During the 2025 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am (Jan. 30-Feb 2), the world’s top golfers like Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and reigning champ, Wyndham Clark, will take on the legendary Pebble Beach Golf Links. But this iconic course isn’t exclusive to the pros. Imagine stepping onto the same greens right after them, soaking in the same breathtaking views and experiencing the same exhilarating challenges. With the resort’s Fairway Escape Package, golfers can make the most of their stay and play at Pebble Beach Resorts.
Available for bookings from Feb. 3 to March 31, the Fairway Escape Package includes:
Three nights at The Inn at Spanish Bay
One round at Pebble Beach Golf Links
One round at Spyglass Hill Golf Course
One round at The Links at Spanish Bay
As an added bonus, guests can enjoy exclusive discounts on extended stays, including 25% off a fourth night and 50% off a fifth night. Returning guests are treated to even more perks, with a complimentary fifth night and a $200 resort credit.
THE SEA PINES RESORT TO HOST ‘LIGHTHOUSE INVITATIONAL’ IN MARCH 2025
Top three golf courses on Hilton Head Island featured in amateur team event; open to all golfers
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (Jan. 7, 2025) – The Sea Pines Resort will host its annual Lighthouse Invitational — a two-person team competition for men and women amateurs —Sunday, March 2 to Wednesday, March 5, 2025.
The tournament showcases Hilton Head Island’s top three ranked courses, all part of The Sea Pines Resort: Heron Point by Pete Dye, Atlantic Dunes by Davis Love III, and top-ranked Harbour Town Golf Links, home of the RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing.
Harbour Town Golf Links, also designed by Dye, in consultation with Jack Nicklaus, is ranked in the top 25 resort courses in the U.S. by Golfweek and listed among Golf Digest’s Top 100 Public Courses. Harbour Town Golf Links places a premium on finesse, imagination and shot making. Its’ collection of par 3s is among the finest in the world, while the 18th hole is considered one of the most feared par 4s in all of golf.
The Lighthouse Invitational will feature one round at each course, plus exclusive resort privileges and amenities. Competitors in the Lighthouse Invitational will participate in and receive:
Opening night reception
Putting contest at Harbour Town Golf Links
Scheduled receptions and dinners
Daily breakfast and box lunches
Unlimited range privileges with available practice rounds
Tee gift package
Awards ceremony following completion of final round
The entry fee for each player is $1,699, plus lodging.
Tournament participants are required to stay at the resort for three-nights and will receive a preferred discounted rate per night for lodging at either The Inn & Club at Harbour Town or a two-bedroom deluxe villa in Harbour Town.
“This is truly the ultimate golf experience,” said Klinton Talmadge, Golf Sales Manager, The Sea Pines Resort. “To think that the PGA TOUR will arrive here for the RBC Heritage only six weeks after the Lighthouse Invitational provides an indication of the quality of this opportunity.”
Registration for the 2025 Lighthouse Invitational is now open. For more details, or to register for the event, visit Lighthouse Invitational, call (843) 842-1864, or email Klinton Talmadge at [email protected].
Nemacolin’s Mystic Rock Course Boasts Elite Tournament Pedigree
A large scoreboard looms off to the left of the green and fairway on the 18th on the Mystic Rock Course at Nemacolin, Pennsylvania’s premier luxury golf resort destination. It serves as a reminder that for a few years some of the best players in the world made their way down that fairway during the 84 Lumber Classic, a PGA Tour event that was played there from 2003 to 2006.
That scoreboard also symbolizes that Mystic Rock, the first Pete Dye golf course to open at Nemacolin in 1995, is at its core, a tournament venue. While the 7,526-yard layout no longer stages a PGA Tour event, it continues to play host to high-level tournaments, including prestigious college and pro events. It’s a course that will test every part of your game, especially your accuracy off the tee. But it also will reward excellent play, with plenty of scoring opportunities.
Looking back on the 84 Lumber Classic (84 Lumber was founded by Nemacolin’s late owner Joseph A. Hardy III), you can tell that this Pete Dye-designed Mystic Rock was a formidable challenge. In the tournament’s last two years, the winning score was just 14-under par by Jason Gore and 2003 Open Champion Ben Curtis, respectively.
Laid out among rock outcroppings on naturally rolling terrain of lakes, streams, and fescue, Mystic Rock has great flow to it, with a couple of crescendos and a fantastic finishing stretch. It’s right in front of you, for the most part. And while the length jumps out at you, it’s nothing for today’s scratch and plus handicaps, especially when conditions are firm. For the rest of us, there are four other sets of tees, ranging from 4,848 yards to 6,831 yards, so everyone can compete on it.
Dye, of course, was known for his demanding designs, but he certainly gives golfers a handful of breaks at Mystic Rock. The 409-yard first hole, though, no pushover, eases you in with a wide fairway. Hit that fairway on this dogleg right, and you will have just a wedge into a receptive and relatively flat green.
By the second hole, it already starts to get tougher.
“It’s definitely more challenging from the back tees,” says Director of Golf Operations Chris Anderson of the 473-yard, par-4 second. “There’s a lengthy forced carry over a rock ravine or you have to hit into a narrow spot on the left side of the fairway. And it is a tough second shot with a newer green and the bunkers on the left.”
Once you get to the green, it’s not that difficult, because in general, the greens on Mystic Rock, as opposed to the newer course at Nemacolin, Shepherd’s Rock, are less severe. Some of them, however, are multi-tiered, like the one on the next hole, the 231-yard par-3 third. While that seems like a long way — and it is for most players — it is 178 yards for resort guests, which still poses a challenge, of course.
Speaking of length, the yardages on a couple of the par 5s at Mystic Rock certainly stand out. The fifth is 598 yards from the back tees. And the 11th is 634 yards if you play it from the back, bottom tee (which is not used that often). The dogleg right 11th is a hole that you need to play a few times to get a feel for it. The tee shot is somewhat blind, and there are two large fairway bunkers out to right followed by a lake that runs along the right side after that all the way to the green.
But despite the length of those two holes, the par 5s are definitely scoring opportunities. College players and professionals routinely hit these holes in two shots.
At this year’s Falling Rock Classic at Nemacolin, a Tri-State PGA Section event, back-to-back champion Mike Van Sickle (son of award-winning golf writer Gary Van Sickle) rallied for the win by eagling all four par-5s on Mystic Rock. Anderson believes it might be the first time that feat has been accomplished ever in a sanctioned event in the Pittsburgh area (which would include majors at Oakmont Country Club).
Another point of interest regarding the par 5s is that the fifth has alternate greens — one on the left next to a pond and bunker, and one perched up on the right. They change them on the third and fifth day each week. The right green was not used during the 84 Lumber Classic.
The key to surviving the front nine, perhaps, is getting through the 476-yard par-4 ninth, the no. 1 handicap hole. It is a narrow fairway with a blind second shot. You have to be accurate and long.
The other hole with two greens is the par-3 12th, which plays entirely over water. The two greens used to be one wide green on the 12th, but after the first year of the PGA Tour event, they were separated to make the targets more difficult. The majority of the pin locations are available on the left green, Anderson says. And the right green has rocks, water, and a pot bunker in front of the putting surface. Because it is all carry, both tournament contestants and resort guests can rack up some high numbers on 12 if they wind up re-teeing or dropping on a more forward tee after finding the water.
Anderson’s favorite hole, and perhaps one of the last great chances for birdie, is the 13th. This dogleg right with water on the right side of the approach, is under 400 yards from the tips and features beautiful bunkering in the fairways that really frames the hole.
Once you get to 14 and 15, two par 4s that play over 460 yards, you need to be playing your best. The 16th is a par 5 that is just 525 yards from the back tees. It is gettable in two, of course, but the better birdie chance for most players is to try to play to a short wedge third shot, Anderson says.
The par-3 17th might be the 16th handicap hole, but when the wind is blowing, it’s anything but easy. With water down the entire left side, a green that slopes to the left, and a bunker right, this 204-yard hole can be particularly intimidating, especially from the tee on the left, which brings the water more into play.
Finally, we’re back to the 18th, the no. 2-handicap hole on the course. The modifications included a series of bunkers down the right side of the fairway and bunkers that guard the green. If you don’t know the hole, you are tempted to hug the right side of the fairway off the tee to set up a shorter approach on this dogleg right. But the fairway slopes right, directing balls on that side into those fairway bunkers, which can set up a difficult approach. The best bet is to aim left toward the scoreboard off the tee.
So, what’s the key to tournament success at Mystic Rock?
“It’s not only finding the fairways, but controlling where you hit it in the fairway,” Anderson says. “Obviously, you don’t have to take the driver out on every hole. If you are spraying the driver, you’re not scoring. There’s too much trouble on the edges.”
By trouble, Anderson means the rough, fescue, fairway bunkers, and of course, penalty areas.
How does Mystic stack up against the rest of the championship courses in the western part of the state? It might not have the history, of course, of Oakmont, but it’s right there,” says Anderson.
“I think we hold up pretty well,” Anderson says. “It’s quiet. You’re in the trees, the mountains, the rocks. There’s a little bit of elevation change, and it’s pretty serene.”
Not a bad spot at all, even if you’re not in contention.
Casa de Campo Resort & 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.”
Rosewood Castiglion del Bosco’s Campo del Drago Restaurant Awarded Second Michelin Star
• Ristorante Campo del Drago becomes one of only two restaurants in Italy to earn two Michelin stars in 2025.
(Montalcino, Italy – December 10, 2024) Rosewood Castiglion del Bosco, Tuscany, has been awarded a second Michelin star for its signature dining venue Ristorante Campo del Drago.
The prestigious award means the restaurant is one of only two in Italy to receive two stars in the MICHELIN Guide 2025.
The restaurant is part of the Rosewood Castiglion del Bosco resort, comprising a five-star luxury hotel, award-winning winery and Italy’s only private golf club.
The destination, featuring 42 luxury suites and 11 private villas nestled around an ancient hilltop village and medieval castle ruins, was recently highlighted as the leading hotel in Golf World’s new Top 100 Resorts in Continental Europe ranking.
Led by Tuscan-born Executive Chef Matteo Temperini and Maître D’ Maikol Calosci, Ristorante Campo del Drago offers a refined celebration of Tuscany’s culinary heritage. Ingredients sourced directly from the estate’s organic gardens and surrounding countryside inspire innovative dishes that perfectly complement the estate’s award-winning Brunello di Montalcino wines.
Mirko Marchi, Managing Director of Rosewood Castiglion del Bosco, expressed his gratitude for the accolade. He said, “We are deeply honored by this recognition. Achieving a second Michelin star highlights the passion, dedication, and skill of our team, who tirelessly strive to offer a culinary experience that is both authentically Tuscan and uniquely sophisticated. This award is a testament to their commitment to excellence.”
Situated within the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Val d’Orcia, Rosewood Castiglion del Bosco is part of a 900-year-old, 2,000-hectare estate that combines world-class dining, winemaking, and leisure.
The estate’s 62 hectares of organic-certified vineyards produce some of Tuscany’s most esteemed Brunello di Montalcino wines, completing the immersive Tuscan experience.
In addition to its five-star hotel and winery, the estate is home to The Club at Castiglion del Bosco, featuring Italy’s only private golf club. Designed by Tom Weiskopf, this exclusive 18-hole course has been ranked among the Top 10 in Italy by Golf Digest and is accessible only to resident hotel guests and club members.
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