The allure of Pebble Beach, likethe waves that crash upon itsshores, is steady, strong and relent-less. For nine decades, golfers havebeen drawn to the breathtaking vistas of Carmel Bay, what famedauthor Robert Louis Stevensononce labeled “the most felicitousmeeting of land and sea in creation.”

And while the acclaimed creation ofJack Neville and Douglas S. Grant atPebble Beach remains America’s crownjewel of golf, a higher-priced version ofSt. Andrews, if you will, there are morethan enough additional choices in andaround Carmel and Monterey, Calif., tomake it a superb destination, even ifthe choice is made to never step foot on17-Mile Drive.

The newest gems on theMonterey Peninsula are

Bayonet and Black Horse,courses built in 1954 and1964, respectively, on thegrounds of the Fort OrdMilitary Base. In the late

1990s, as part of the DefenseRealignment Closure in which manymilitary facilities were downsized orturned over to private enterprise, thecourses were purchased by the town ofSeaside, and in 2005 the property wasleased to the Seaside ResortDevelopment Corporation.

The company poured some $13 mil-lion into an extensive renovation thatwas completed late in 2008. Golf coursearchitect Gene Bates kept much of therouting intact at both courses, but hiswork in removing trees and clearing outdense undergrowth resulted in the cre-ation of spectacular new views ofMonterey Bay. The old Bayonet Coursehad the reputation of being the tough-est course on the Peninsula, thanks tolow-hanging trees along both sides ofholes that made pitching back into thefairway often the only play followingwayward tee shots, and while Bayonetstill offers plenty of narrow driving cor-ridors, Bates removed the forebodingsense of claustrophobia and allowednew ground to be bathed in sunlight.

Following the No. 1 handicap hole,the par-5 eighth that customarily playsjust short of 600 yards, Bates createdwhat might become known as one ofthe state’s toughest approach shots.From the middle tees, the dogleg-rightninth plays to about 445 yards with asecond shot to a green sitting some 50feet above fairway level. It unquestion-ably is the highlight of the round forany double-digit handicapper whoreaches this green in two.

Black Horse allows for more roomoff the tee, but its green complexesmight be more difficult. There areplaces where a player can use a putterfrom a collection area just off the green,or a wedge—or both when the first deci-sion backfires and the ball comesrolling back to your feet.

What is immediately noticed on theBlack Horse is the unique design of thebunkers. They have small peninsulasand inlets, created by hand and main-tained the same way. In conjunctionwith a property that offers so manysweeping vistas, the bunkers are visuallystunning as well.

The new management acknowledgesthe courses that have become famousthrough their use in the rotation of thearea’s PGA Tour event—Pebble Beach,Spyglass and Poppy Hills—form a strongdrawing card for visitors from around theworld. The aim is to fit in underneath thattop tier, and prices have been set

DESTINATION

Golf Getaways | The mecca of American golfP

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MontereyAs one of the world’s pre-eminent golf destinations, Pebble Beach maintains a special place in American golf loreBy Rich Skyzinski

The bunkers at Black Horse were created byhand and are maintained the same way.

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accordingly. For what it costs to playPebble Beach, a player can get three orfour rounds on Bayonet or Black Horse.

“There are people who come to thearea to play the Pebble Beach Resortcourses and that is with good reason,”says Dick Fitzgerald, project director forSeaside Resort Development. “We wantBayonet and Black Horse to serve as thatnext level of more moderately pricedplaces to play. The wholesale enhance-ments to Bayonet and Black Horse arestaggering and golfers will discover twochallenging, strategic and well-condi-tioned layouts that will rapidly emergeas must-play courses on the MontereyPeninsula.”

Over at Pebble Beach—inside the “forest,” as the locals say—are four well-known courses all open to the public: Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill, theLinks at Spanish Bay, and Poppy Hills,created by the Northern California GolfAssociation in 1986 as the country’s firstcourse built by a state or regional golfassociation. [Note: Because of the popu-larity of these courses, starting timesoften are reserved weeks or months inadvance. Therefore, visitors are advised

to handle starting times in con-junction with their travelarrangements, i.e., well inadvance.]

There is no argument thateach of these offers a memo-rable golf experience. The firstfive holes at Spyglass windthrough seaside dunes and arenothing short of magnificent;Spanish Bay was created withfirm turf and fescue grasses,designed to replicate a trueScottish links; Poppy Hills is afine test of golf and the mostaffordable of the lot; andPebble Beach speaks for itself.Not only are the views fromPebble Beach known to golfersaround the world, but historyhas been made there as well.Two of golf’s greatest shots

were struck at its famed par-3 17th inU.S. Opens played there: a 1-iron byJack Nicklaus that hit the flagstick inthe final round of his win in 1972, andTom Watson’s 71st-hole pitch-in fromthe deep rough in 1982.

Since much of Carmel and Montereyis high-end, without question the bestvalue a golfer can find on the peninsulais at Pacific Grove Golf Links. For lessthan $50, this unpretentious municipalcourse, located on perhaps the area’spremium piece of property, is not to bemissed. First-time players often don’tbelieve this is a municipal course, andits heritage belies that, too; one ninewas designed by H. Chandler Egan, atwo-time U.S. Amateur champion andone of the game’s top amateurs at theturn of the 20th century, and the secondnine was created by Neville, a co-designerof Pebble Beach. Bunkers are few andthe greens are small, a joyful trip back to the time when golf was a simplergame.

Before Spanish Bay and the coursesat Bandon Dunes in Oregon, PacificGrove might have been the closestthing to an actual links in the U.S. Still,with its spectacular water views, thismight be the course that makes youreturn to Monterey.

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Views of Monterey Bay are frequentfrom Bayonet and Black Horse.

From O’Hare, United has non-stop flights to Monterey,Palm Springs and Spokane;American offers non-stop service to Monterey and PalmSprings; Spirit flies non-stop toMyrtle Beach.

From Midway, Southwest fliesnon-stop to Spokane.

Virtually all airlines charge forchecked baggage, but many air-lines waive these fees for certainmembership levels of their fre-quent flyer program. Check withyour airline to see if you qualify.

Do not overpack. Even for air-lines that waive baggage fees fortheir frequent flyers, most willcharge for overweight baggage. The maximum weightfor golf clubs at AmericanAirlines is 70 pounds, but it is 50pounds for many others. The feefor oversize baggage can be$100 or more.

When traveling outside the 50states, have a valid passport,even if it is not required.

Before you leave, check thelong-range weather forecast atyour destination so you are ableto pack appropriately.

Items to consider packing inyour golf bag: extra socks; sunscreen; bug spray; a rain suit;an umbrella; Band-Aids.

— Amy Parker

TRAVEL TIPS

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DESTINATION

Golf Getaways | A love for the outdoors

For the golfer whose outdoorinterests include hunting andfishing, it takes a bit of planningand traveling in order to getsufficiently away from the hubbubof big-city life. It’s not as easy astossing the gear in the car andmaking a 30-minute drive.

Though there are good spots for theoutdoorsman within Illinois and eachof the neighboring states, primeterritory is far from where we callhome. In an expansive part of theWestern United States, defined roughlyas an area west of Minnesota and northof Iowa, the upper portion of theContinental Divide is remote butspectacular. The most difficult questionto answer is: How do I get there?

When it comes time for golf,Circling Raven Golf Club, located onthe Coeur d’Alene Indian Reservation,about 25 miles south of the city ofCoeur d’Alene, Idaho, is not to bemissed. This is a terrific golf experiencewith players being presented with anunending variety of shots uninterruptedby any signs of city life. Golf coursedesigner Gene Bates was given afabulous piece of property and crafted18 holes acclaimed by virtually everymajor golf publication. Golfers on theincoming nine sense that they have thegolf course to themselves because nohole can be seen from another.

In the picturesque city of Coeurd’Alene, the hub of activity takes placeat the lakeside resort of the same name.Its golf offering is what a resort course

is supposed to be: well maintained andfun. Though on the shortish side—fromthe middle (tan) markers there are twopar 3s less than 125 yards and threepar 4s less than 300—there is noshortage of pretty views. The par-3 14thfeatures a floating green, moved via aset of underwater cables so the holecan play to various distances.

Perhaps the best course in the areais Indian Canyon Golf Course, whichsits almost adjacent to the SpokaneAirport. It’s a good idea to toss acamera in the bag because players arecertain to pull it out a couple of times around this tour through hillsides covered in 80- to 100-foot-tallponderosa pines. The course is run by Spokane’s Park and RecreationDepartment and is one of the best valuesyou’ll find anywhere. Be forewarned:Players who like to walk and carry theirclubs are in for a good workout.

Further to the southeast, Sun ValleyResort, in Idaho’s Sawtooth Mountains,stakes its claim as the first American skiresort. Back in the 1930s, AverellHarriman, chairman of the Union PacificRailroad, was looking to create a great American resort fashioned after some of the grand alpine resorts ofEurope. He enlisted the services of Count

Felix Schaffgotsch to find the perfectlocation for his resort, to be reached bytrain, of course. The Count was about

to end his searchwhen he heard aboutthe old mining townof Ketchum, Idaho.Upon reaching theKetchum Valley,Count Felix wasoverwhelmed by thearea and wired his employer, saying:“This combines moredelightful featuresthan any place I have ever seen inSwitzerland, Austriaor the U.S. for a winterresort.”

The green at Coeur d’Alene’s 14th hole(right) is in a new location daily, butthere’s less water to deal with atCircling Raven’s par-5 17th (below).

UpperRockiesWith tranquil lakes and an abundance of wildlife, Idaho offers a true outdoors experienceBy Rich Skyzinski and Wayne Mills

The Count’s enthusiasm spread toHarriman, who rushed to join him, andwithin days purchased 4,300 acres ofwhat was soon to become Sun Valley.After a frantic seven-monthconstruction schedule, Sun ValleyResort opened for the winter in 1936.

The resort was an instant success.Local wildlife was seen sharing themountain with European nobility andHollywood royalty. Clark Gable, ErrolFlynn, Claudette Colbert, Bing Crosbyand Gary Cooper were all regulars inthe lodge, while world champions,including Don and Gretchen Fraser,Gracie Carter Lindley and AndyHennig used the mountain forOlympic training. Ernest Hemingwayfirst visited in 1939 and returned many

times, writing “For Whom the BellTolls” in room 206 of The Lodge.Eventually Hemingway would move toKetchum, where he died in 1961 and isburied there.

Sun Valley has been benevolentlyowned since 1977 by Earl Holdings,who also owns Sinclair Oil.

Although originally envisioned as awinter resort, Sun Valley hasblossomed into a wonderful, warm-weather destination as well. Golf hasbecome the centerpiece of the summerin Sun Valley and the centerpiece of the golf is a sumptuous new 58,000-square-foot clubhouse that wasgiven an unlimited budget and thenexceeded it.

The golf course offerings are verygood and getting better. The 18-hole

Trail Creek Course, ahighly regarded 1970sRobert Trent Jones, Jr.,design, plays mostly inthe valley along andacross the rushingwaters of Trail Creek.

The real stunner is the newly opened first nine holes of the magnificent WhiteClouds Course. Designedby former Jones associateDon Knotts, WhiteClouds winds its way upsome 400 feet onto thehillside and providesstunning views of theBald Mountain skislopes and the townsand valleys below. Thereare few vistas in golf thatcan match those fromWhite Clouds. The backnine will play backdown to the valley floorand along Trail Creek aswell. When WhiteClouds is complete, itpromises to be one ofthe best golf courses inthe West.

When the golf clubshave been put away inexchange for rod andreel, it won’t take long to

realize this state is an outdoorsman’sparadise.

Want proof? Idaho lakes and rivershave produced records for rainbowtrout (37 pounds), northern pike (38pounds, 9 ounces) and chinooksalmon (42 pounds).

Idaho offers some 21.6 millionsquare miles of wilderness, whichcontains some of the country’s besthunting opportunities. Approximatelytwo-thirds is public land and a newstate Fish and Game program, AccessYes!, is providing additional land everyyear.

The season opens in October forNorth Idaho’s deer, elk and moose.Bear season runs from late summerthrough October, then again in thespring.

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DESTINATION

Golf Getaways | Fun in the sun

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P lanning a golf getaway to theCaribbean isn’t as easy as it mightsound.

For starters, some islands offer onlya few courses and the quality often is sus-pect. Doing your homework and doingit thoroughly is required in order toplan a reasonable itinerary.

Additionally, it hardly is convenientor inexpensive to hopscotch one’s wayaround the Caribbean in order to playsome of the best courses. It mightsound like fun to play in the Bahamasone day and Puerto Rico the next, but alittle research shows that to be imprac-tical; it’s the equivalent of flying fromChicago to Salt Lake City.

One more consideration to keep inmind: Although a getaway fromChicago might sound idyllic when theleaves start to fall and there’s notice-ably less daylight, hurricane seasonofficially lasts through November.Gentle island breezes are one thing;gale-force winds and needing a weatherradio are another.

DOMINICAN REPUBLICThere’s all the golf anyone would

want on one island.Cap Cana is an exquisite resort with

six golf courses planned. Jack Nicklausis scheduled to design three of them,and his first creation there, PuntaEspada, is considered a must-play site.Eight holes were routed along the

Cap Cana in the DominicanRepublic is home to aChampions Tour event.

With the proper planning, golf in the islands is a hands-down winner

By Rich Skyzinski

The Caribbean

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The 16th at Brown Deer Golf Club

shoreline and magnificent water viewsare provided from virtually every step onthe property. Punta Espada was the firstcourse in the Dominican Republic to beselected for a PGA Tour-sanctioned event;the Champions Tour is in the midst of athree-year agreement to play the CapCana Championship there.

Casa de Campo generally is regardedas the premier golf destination in theCaribbean. Pete Dye’s acclaimed Teeth ofthe Dog can play as long as 7,471 yards,and with seven holes playing along aseries of rocky coves, it is a brilliant andmemorable golf experience. The par-415th is one of the world’s best oceanholes. Two other courses here, Dye Foreand the Links, feature dramatic elevationchanges and, in places, are more reminis-cent of inland layouts more commonlyfound in the British Isles. Parts of DyeFore sit some 300 feet above the ChavonRiver and offer postcard panoramas ofboth the turquoise Caribbean and thesurrounding mountains.

Nick Faldo was provided a stunningpiece of property at Roco Ki with whichto work. At the Faldo Legacy Course,there are holes routed through a lush jungle, others that help to frame fourlakes, and several that command unfor-gettable shots on cliffs pounded by thecrashing waves. The 18th, with two shotsover ocean inlets, might be one of thebest finishing holes in the Caribbean.

JAMAICAHalf Moon Resort packs a good one-

two punch: The golf course is includedon the 2009 ranking of best courses inthe Caribbean and Mexico by Golfweek,and Caribbean World magazine namedthe resort the best in the Caribbean.Robert Trent Jones, Sr., designed thecourse and it recently was renovated byRoger Rulewich. Golfers of any skill levelwill enjoy the course—tees start at 5,100yards and go up to 7,110—that was thesite of a PGA European Senior Tour eventin 2003 and ’04.

Located just minutes from the Ritz-Carlton Golf & Spa Resort, the WhiteWitch is an attractive mix of holes routedover mountainous terrain, through thickand lush forests, and dramatic waterfront

terrain. It helps to be agood putter here becausethe greens generally are fastand designer Robert vonHagge built some severeundulation into many ofthem.

The course associatedwith the Breezes atRunaway Bay offers a moremoderately priced 18holes. Expect to find goodconditions regardless of theseason. Caddies are a bighelp, particularly with thegreens, and unlike many new courses cre-ated along jagged cliffs and unforgivingparts of the waterfront, golfers seldomlose a ball here. The course, which offerssome very long par 4s and challengingpar 3s, is only minutes from the resort,and another plus is that green fees areincluded in the cost of the resort.

PUERTO RICOThe Dorado Beach Resort has four

courses from which to choose, but thestandouts are the East and West, andeither represents a can’t-lose proposition.There are additional similarities: Both

were opened in the 1960s, both weredesigned by Robert Trent Jones, Sr., andwithin the last decade both underwentchanges that resulted in noticeableupgrades. The par-5 fourth on the East isone of the world’s best holes. It is a double dogleg and there are two waterhazards that golfers must negotiate. Butdepending on conditions, an accom-plished player can try to carry one orboth, thereby cutting up to 100 yards offthe length of the hole. There are dozensof ways to play the hole, providing golferswith an unlimited number of strategicoptions.

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From the DominicanRepublic: Cap Cana(above) and Casa deCampo (right).

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DESTINATION

Golf Getaways | Perfect spot for a road trip

S election is not a problem in theMyrtle Beach golf market.Rather, too many options and toolittle time is the dilemma mostgolfers face.

The Grand Strand, an 80-milestretch of coastline from Georgetown,S.C., to Southport, N.C., hit a peakwith 120 courses in 2001. That totalhas come down to just over 100, withall but six open to the public, after arash of closures from 2005-07 in favorof redevelopment.

Courses vary from inexpensive layouts frequented mostly by locals to layouts ranked among the best in thenation with green fees that reach $200,and there is variety and quality in thenorth, south and central Strand.

The Dunes Club is the second-oldestcourse on the Strand and the onecourse that actually abuts the AtlanticOcean. The clubhouse sits along thedunes backing the beach, and theocean is behind the green on the par-3ninth hole. The Robert Trent Jones layout opened in 1948 and featuresslightly elevated greens that put anemphasis on approach shots. The firstfour holes on the back nine make outstanding use of the terrain, andthere are few holes in golf as entertain-ing as the 13th: a U-shaped par-5 witha daunting second shot over water. The

Stretching up and down theSouth Carolina coastline,the golf options along theGrand Strand are endless. By Alan Bondin

Top: The Dunes Club winds its wayaround, alongside the Atlantic Ocean;Right: The Founders Club highlightsnatural areas.

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MyrtleBeach,S.C.

Dunes Club is perhaps the course mostsuited for tournament play in the area,having been the site of an LPGA major,the PGA Tour Q-School final and the season-ending Champions TourChampionship from 1994-1999. It issemi-private but can be accessed by visitors through more than 50 affiliatedhotels and golf package providers.

Tidewater Plantation and Golf is oneof the most stunning courses on theEast Coast. Several holes run along theIntracoastal Waterway or surroundingtidal salt marshes in the Cherry Groveinlet. The Ken Tomlinson design, witha layout assist from Rees Jones, has apair of dramatic par 3s that back up toeach other along a marsh, and par 5sthat are reachable but not without risk,including two that curl around themarsh.

True Blue Plantation is one of themore treacherous and dramatic courseson the Strand. It was one of two courses in Pawleys Island designed byinnovative architect Mike Strantzbefore he died of cancer, along with ahighly acclaimed sister course,Caledonia Golf & Fish Club. Thecourse has dramatic bunkeringand requires precise shotmak-ing, and has an unusual five par3s and five par 5s, includingthree that are at least 599 yards.

Leopard’s Chase Golf Club inSunset Beach, N.C., is one of thelatest creations of local architectTim Cate, who has designed anumber of courses on the southcoast of North Carolina. It’s anattractive layout made difficultby a multitude of bunkers andfast, undulating bentgrass greens.It features ornamental grassesthroughout, with bouldersembedded with seashells liningthe walls of many water hazards,and a waterfall near the 18thgreen.

The Founders Club ofPawleys Island was designed byThomas Walker on the site of theSea Gull Golf Club. Players whoare not hitting out of sand aredriving on it as every hole is

surrounded by vast waste bunkers. Cartpaths are needed only around tees andgreens, and each hole has five tee boxesthat often are islands amid naturalareas. Many fairways were shaped toinclude changes in elevation, whilemounding and pot bunkers add to difficulty.

The Barefoot Resort Dye Club is thetoughest of the four high-end coursesthat opened simultaneously in 1999,and might be the most difficult courseon the Strand. It is plenty long, and, intypical Pete Dye fashion, is visually imposing off the tee with wastebunkers on nearly every hole, count-less pot bunkers, water hazards, wetlands and mounding throughoutthe layout. High native grasses lurk onthe periphery of holes and many fairways are elevated with troublebelow on both sides.

Alan Bondin covers golf for the MyrtleBeach Sun.

No. 8 on the South course atThistle Golf Club

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DON’T BE FOOLED. Golf courses in theMyrtle Beach area compete with eachother for rounds from vacationinggolfers.

But the willingness to cooperate inthe midst of the competition is whathas allowed the Grand Strand tobecome a golf mecca.

The marketing cooperative, MyrtleBeach Golf Holiday, is what binds thelayouts.

It includes 78 of the area’s nearly 100public courses, as well as about 90accommodations providers and golfpackage providers that combine roundsand beds for visiting players.

Golf Holiday’s budget to promote andmarket the area reached approximately$8 million in 2008, primarily throughmember contributions and somematching state funds.

Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday got itsstart in 1963 when a handful of courseand hotel operators formed GolfHoliday. It merged with anothermarketing company and became MyrtleBeach Golf Holiday in 1967.

One of its founders, Cecil Brandon,

served as the volunteer executivedirector of the cooperative for threedecades.

In addition to marketing andpromoting the area, Golf Holidaystages several events including the26-year PGA Tour Superstore WorldAmateur Handicap Championship,which was sponsored by DuPont for19 years and has attracted at least3,000 golfers every year since 1991.

Golf Holiday sponsored andconvinced Golf Channelprogramming executives to film andair 12 episodes of the 2008 show“Road Trip: Myrtle Beach,” a reality-type program that followed theadventures of a golfing foursomecomposed of former PGA Tourmember Charlie Rymer, musiciansJosh Kelley and Mark Bryan, andfemale touring professional PerrySwenson.

Competition and cooperationbetween courses in Myrtle Beachcontinue to keep it among the world’smost competitive golf markets.

— Alan Bondin

A COASTAL GOLF MECCA AWAITS

DESTINATION

Golf Getaways | Winter paradise

D ino. Ike. Arnie. Bob. FrancisAlbert. All used to flock to theSouthern California desert fromacross the country in search ofperfect conditions, whether theybe for golf or martinis on theveranda.

It’s true, some of the quaintness isgone from Palm Springs. The tradeoffis, golf abounds in this oasis, especiallyduring the peak tourist season fromJanuary through April. The courses,style, and class the 1950s elite enjoyedare still available to the modern

traveler. Visitors simply have to knowwhat they’re looking for and where tofind it in the modern, grown-up andgrown-in Coachella Valley.

La Quinta Resort has five golfcourses available to guests, includingthe iconic PGA West Stadium Courseand the Nicklaus Tournament Course,both of which serve as venues for thefinal stage of PGA Tour qualifying. TheStadium Course, generally consideredto be Pete Dye’s pièce de rèsistance,has been softened over the years. Butthe insidious landforms, unevenfairways and some of the world’sdeepest bunkers still ensure thesternest test of golf. The Nicklaus is afine example of the Golden Bear’sdesign principles employed in a desertlandscape. Instead of carrying abarranca or pond, the fairways and

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By Matt McKay

greens are sandwiched betweentraditional sand bunkers and thetraditional look of the ancient desert.

The La Quinta Mountain Course, run-ning along and through the Santa RosaMountains, is just right for players wholike a rugged, natural terrain. The DunesCourse offers two of the desert’s mostmemorable holes: the 191-yard, par-3 sixth—jokingly called the easiest par5 in the valley—and the 433-yard, par-4 17th, a dogleg left around a largepond. Resort guests also have access tothe PGA West Greg Norman Course.It’s likely the most playable course inthe rota, with fewer forced carries andhardpan desert beyond the turf.

Built for and recently added to theBob Hope Classic rotation on the PGA Tour, SilverRock in La Quinta isworth pointing out because of itsbeauty, challenge, significance to thetour, and its proximity to other golfresorts hidden within La Quinta, PalmDesert and Rancho Mirage. The golfcourse is set at the base of the SantaRosa and Coral Mountains, andwanders through several outcroppingsand exposures. There are plans for afuture second course, hotel, andclubhouse.

The JW Marriott Desert Springs inPalm Desert speaks to the days in the1980s when Palm Springs became the Coachella Valley as othermunicipalities became involved inlarger destination developments. Thereare two 18-hole Ted Robinson-designedgolf courses. The Palm course, whichsits more on the front of the property, isthe more popular course, featuringpicturesque holes and dramaticwaterscapes. The Valley Course’sdominant feature is landforms that, forthe most part, have been positioned tohelp the resort player have a great timein a timely manner.

Built in 2007, the casino tower inIndio, owned and operated by theCabazon Band of Mission Indians, isaccompanied by the Clive Clark-designed Eagle Falls Golf Course inFantasy Springs, Calif. A traditional, wall-to-wall turf course set in the desert,

Clark’s wide fairways are offset by well-positioned, punitive bunkers andnative grasses lining the playing areas.Recovery shots and big benders mustavoid this grass or be prepared to sufferthe consequences. The par-5 18thfeatures a grand waterfall feeding a pondthat protects the left side of the fairwayand green.

Owned and operated by the AguaCaliente band of Cahuilla Indians, theSouth Course at Indian Canyons Resortwas renovated in 2004 by CaseyO’Callaghan and features awe-inspiringviews of the San Jacinto Mountains. The North Course, formerly CanyonCountry Club, now is part of the resort. A

traditional 1950s course, the William Bell layout wanders through the mid-century modern houses of SouthPalm Springs.

Indian Wells Resort, the former homeof the Skins Game, offers two courses, theCelebrity and Players courses, with fourhotel properties on the resort grounds(Hyatt Grand Champions, RenaissanceEsmeralda, Miramonte, and IndianWells). The Celebrity Course wasredesigned in 2006 by Clark and isfamous for its garden-like setting. ThePlayers Course, updated by John Foughtjust three years ago, utilizes wide fairwaysto take players out into the desert beforereturning to the shadows of the resortbuildings.

Matt McKay is a freelance writer based inPalm Springs, Calif.

Left: The PGA West Greg Normancourse; Above: The 10th hole atSilverRock Resort.

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aul Hindsley knew he wanteda place in Palm Springs, Calif.,where he and his familycould, for several weeks

during the winter, escape the bone-chilling Chicago air.

Drawn by warm weather, stunningscenery and first-class golf amenities,Hindsley looked at several propertiesin the area. Owning a home outright,however, felt like too large acommitment. And time shares had anegative stigma to the 49-year-oldinvestment banker.

Then a friend suggested fractional

living, which allows co-owners to ownluxury homes at a fraction of a soleownership cost. Unlike time shares,fractional interests are secured by adeed to a specific home; the interestcan be mortgaged, sold or willed justlike any other real estate purchase. It is a growing industry in populardestinations such as mountain orbeach resorts, and Southern Californiahas proved to be a popular choice toChicagoans.

After familiarizing himself with thefractional concept, including the ongoing investment plans, the reserva-tion system, access to golf and sale sce-narios, Hindsley purchased a one-ninthinterest in a freestanding villa at theResidence Club at PGA West in LaQuinta.

“Traveling great distances to warmweather locations from Chicago makes ithard to own a property and dedicate the

time and resources to make it a truehome,” says Hindsley. “The fractionaloption is a great step, particularly if youbelieve you will be able to get away in thewinter/spring three-five weeks a year.”

Dean Poulos, owner of Homer’s IceCream in Wilmette, also opted for frac-tional living at PGA West as a respitefrom the Windy City’s brutal winters. Hecompared the residence club’s amenitiesto a four-star hotel and relishes the flexi-bility of use and lack of cleaning andmaintenance responsibilities. Also, theweather and access to golf are huge pluses for Poulos and his wife, Sandy.

“The Palm Springs area,” he says, “hasincredible weather with no humidity,beautiful scenery and amazing golf

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ChicagoAverage daily low in January: 18°F

By Chelan David

courses.” And, naturally, there’s the luxuryof being able to play those courses inJanuary or February—in shorts.

According to Ted Lennon, presidentof Lowe Destination DevelopmentDesert Operations, fractional living hasgained momentum in golf communitiesduring the last couple of years. With res-idential real estate off in most placesaround the country, it has proved to beattractive since it requires less capital.

Says Lennon, “It is affordable luxuryand offers the flexibility that secondhomeowners seek.”

At Stone Eagle, a 700-acre private golfcommunity in Palm Desert, anotherPalm Springs suburb, the fractional own-ership program consists of three fullyfurnished homes. Prices start in the high$200,000s for two-bedroom residencesand go up to the high $400,000s forfour-bedroom residences. Conciergeservices at the resort include pre-arrivalgroceries and reserved starting times atthe Tom Doak-designed golf course.Owners can select three scheduledweeks in-season and any other time ofthe year subject to availability.

Reservation policies for fractionalowners vary from property to property,but many, such as the Residence Club,have a rotating selection priority. “Webelieve the fairest way to allocate time isthe use of a rotating priority system,which moves owners to the front of theline,” explained Marc Bailes, owner ofthe Residence Club’s corporate legalentity. “Once there, that owner willthen drop to the end and work back tothe beginning.”

During mid-summer, Hindsley sendsin his request for the specific time periodshe would like to stay at the villa and, byAugust, knows which weeks will bedesignated as his. Last year, his first fullyear at the Residence Club, he had noproblem making reservations for theweeks he wanted.

“We don’t expect that to happen everyyear, but we believe the combination of the reservation system and nine members per villa will enable us toreceive at least two of our priority weekseach year,” he said.

The three-bedroom villas at theResidence Club consist of 3,300 square

feet and are fully furnished. While it’s acomfortable fit for Hindsley, his wife andtheir four children, he also enjoys thepreferential pricing and starting times atfive available golf courses. Some of thecourses are challenging; others are suitable for his 11-year-old son and hiswife, who only play occasionally.

So far he is happy with his purchase.“Our plan is to maintain this fractionalownership until we expect to be able tospend materially more time, or materiallyless time, in a winter home.”

For most buyers, fractional owner-ship represents a lifestyle choice ratherthan an investment opportunity.However, in the midst of a flagging economy, with the traditional real estatemarket struggling mightily, parkingmoney in a fractional interest can poten-tially lead to dividends down the road.

Bailes says that fractional ownershipworks best in areas in which sole ownership of homes is expensive, suchas La Quinta, Calif., Aspen and Vail,Colo., Park City, Utah, and New York

City. In many of these areas, the priceof fractional interests has increased.

Joining the Residence Club was alifestyle choice for Hindsley and his wife.

“In the financial sense, we view theResidence as a neutral investment,meaning we did not join the club withthe expectation that the value couldincrease or decrease materially,” hesaid. “Importantly, the high quality ofthe villas and the attraction of the LaQuinta area made us comfortable thatthese assets would continue to be indemand over time, and thus the invest-ment would not materially decline invalue over time.”

Chelan David is a freelance writer based inSeattle.

NOVEMBER 2009 C H I C A G O DISTR ICT GOLFER | 27

The Stadium Course at PGA West is one ofthe courses ResidenceClub members can play.

Palm Springs, Calif.Average daily high in January: 70°F

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