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America's Best Resorts
GOLF MAGAZINE's Gold Medal Resorts 2004-05
We are pleased to call to the podium this glittering array of 25 Gold Medalists for 2004-05. Veteran travelers likely will agree with most of our choices, which are based on an extensive GOLF MAGAZINE reader survey. We have included readers' comments at the end of each entry so you can compare notes with other golfers. Whether you've visited before or are planning your first trip, you can't do better than these resorts. For golfers, they're golden. The American Club
Kohler is Wisconsin's Oz: an unexpected wonderland less than an hour's drive north of Milwaukee, the American Club is the resort's showcase hotel and the only Midwest resort hotel ever to earn the AAA Five Diamond award -- 19 years running. The club's four Pete Dye masterworks are the Meadow Valleys and River courses at Blackwolf Run and the Irish and Straits layouts at Whistling Straits. The Straits, an unforgettable track with monstrous dunes and cavernous bunkers, snared this summer's PGA Championship only two years after opening in 1998. Of the 10 restaurants on the property, a must-visit is the Immigrant Room & Winery Bar, where the new Cheese Room offers more than two dozen varieties of local fromage. When in Wisconsin... You Said It: Excellent shape with excellent staff.... Heaven on Earth.... Treated like royalty.... A better option for East Coast residents than Bandon Dunes.
Bandon Dunes Golf Resort Bandon, Oregon There are only 26 letters in the English alphabet, and nearly every possible combination has been used to describe Bandon Dunes. Put simply, Tom Doak's Pacific Dunes and David McLay Kidd's Bandon Dunes courses are flat-out two of the best courses on God's green earth, ranking second and ninth, respectively, on GOLF MAGAZINE's Top 100 You Can Play. A third course, by Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore, is taking shape. But don't expect any superfluous resort amenities, as Bandon is about golf the way Bali is about beaches. If you are looking for action beyond a friendly nassau, look elsewhere. There isn't much around, and the accommodations are serviceable if a bit sparse. But the food is hearty and the drink ample. This is pure golf for the purist. You Said It: Not a lot of nightlife, but who needs it?... A must for any serious lover of the game.... A minimalist resort -- just great golf. The Boulders Resort & Golden Door Spa Carefree, Arizona You've got to love a town called Carefree. Worries are in short supply at the expansive Golden Door Spa, with its 22-page treatment menu. Two Jay Morrish-designed courses, North and South, are pure target golf but they're about right for most resort guests from the second sets of tees. The boulder formations here are stunning, and 160 adobe casitas conjure Fred and Wilma's Bedrock. Enjoy striking Sonoran Desert sunsets at the Latilla restaurant then witness the desert dwellers come alive on a special tour using night-vision goggles. These folks think of everything. You Said It: Visually beautiful.... Outstanding service and golf.... Value in midsummer is excellent. The Broadmoor Colorado Springs, Colorado We should all be so vibrant at age 86. Opened in 1918, this grande dame, with its pink, stucco facade, still reigns in the Rockies. Today the East and West courses are a mix of holes by Robert Trent Jones Sr. and Donald Ross. Arnold Palmer and Ed Seay's Mountain Course is closed for renovations until 2006. The task of resurrecting it falls to Jack Nicklaus, who won the 1959 U.S. Amateur on the East course. The resort is big -- 700 rooms and suites -- yet retains an intimate charm. There are 11 restaurants; make sure you have at least one meal on the patio at Charles Court, overlooking the glimmering lake between the Broadmoor's main towers. You Said It: The whole place is stunning.... Spectacular vistas, superb service, outstanding golf.... You never have to leave. The Coeur d'Alene Resort Coeur d'Alene, Idaho Repeat visitors know that Coeur d'Alene is more than just the place with the floating green. A recent facelift stretched Scott Miller's wildflower-infused design to a stout 6,757 yards. While renting a pontoon from the resort's marina is an idyllic way to enjoy Lake Coeur d'Alene, golfers look forward to the trawl out to the floating 14th green, which changes position daily. Indispensable caddies, free quickie massages before teeing off, and a driving range with floating balls you hit into the lake all make for a memorable outing. You Said It: World-class service.... One of the most beautiful views one could imagine.... Will return soon. Four Seasons Resort Aviara Carlsbad, California
Aviara is a favorite of the golf-nerdy Carlsbad cognoscenti and though the resort offers just one course, it is a beaut: Arnold Palmer tore a page from Alice in Wonderland, crafting a layout that bobs and weaves through the most vibrant flora this side of the Rose Parade. Set on a hilltop looking over Batiquitos Lagoon and within sight of the Pacific Ocean, the 329-room resort is pure Southern California swank. Restaurant Vivace is one of the San Diego area's finest eateries, serving fresh fare (try the grilled Baja swordfish) with a Northern Italian flair. The game room downstairs is decked with pool tables, foosball, tabletop shuffleboard and games for kids -- both big and little. You Said It: Golf holes had character.... Manicured beyond belief.... Staff members went out of their way to give us a private, guided tour of the gardens.
Four Seasons Resort Hualalai Ka'upulehu-Kona, Hawaii The crispy opakapaka meuniere with caramelized Maui onions and roasted macadamia nuts may be reason enough to go to Hualalai. The Pahu i'a restaurant is hands-down the best on the Big Island. The golf course is a winner, too. Home of the Champions Tour's season-opening MasterCard Championship, the Jack Nicklaus-designed layout is a visual contrast of green grass on black lava. Nicklaus's courses can be penal, but this one seems parental: fair, but quick to punish misbehavior. The small beach is not the stereotypical Hawaiian white strand, but there are plenty of pools, including King's Pond, carved from lava rock and stocked with more than 3,500 fish. Snorkeling gear is complimentary. You Said It: There is no other hotel in the world that treats you like No. 1.... The golf course is beautiful.... Very rewarding.... The service is off the charts. Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North Scottsdale, Arizona Arizona is so overrun with golf courses that it is saying something special to proclaim the two courses at Troon North the best public-access tracks in the state. Add a Four Seasons resort and this is about as can't-miss as they come. There are 210 guest rooms in 25 casita buildings that meld tastefully with the scenery. The Monument course, designed by Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish, is as demanding as it is gorgeous. The Pinnacle course is tighter with dramatic elevation changes. Monument ranks 21st and Pinnacle 58th on GOLF MAGAZINE's Top 100 You Can Play. The Acacia restaurant is divine, particularly the 18 oz. rib eye with lyonnaise potato and peppercorn sauce. You Said It: This is golfer's paradise.... attentive staff had an excellent memory for names.... Service was extremely high and not obtrusive. Grand Cypress Golf Resort Orlando, Florida You Said It: The villas were perfect for a group.... Excellent family facility.... Much more than golf and Mickey! The Greenbrier White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia The place just ain't the same without old Sam. Before his passing in 2002, "Slammin' Sammy" Snead was the man around here the way Santa's the man at the North Pole. Rest assured, The Greenbrier has bounced back; falconry, trap, skeet and wingshooting (in season) and a Land Rover Driving School are just a few of the diverse diversions. And then there's the golf, three championship tracks headlined by the Greenbrier Course. Originally built in 1924 and redesigned by Jack Nicklaus in 1977, it is the only resort course to have hosted both the Ryder and Solheim Cups. Accommodations include some 500 guest rooms, 40 suites, 100 guest houses, four estate houses and the famous 112,000-square-foot Cold War bunker for hiding members of the U.S. Congress in case of a nuclear attack on the Capitol (open for tours but not overnight stays). You Said It: Southern charm.... Nice mountain course layout.... Well-groomed grounds.... Excellent stay.
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