Paradise Found – Chateau de Chailly France

Paradise Found – Chateau de Chailly France

Part 2 of Edward Kiersh’ s travels to France during the Ryder Cup week

Not touching a golf club for days, and about to go mad, I finally arrived at Golf de Chailly sur Armancon, a 16th Century castle turned inviting resort. Along with offering a seductive hammam spa, tennis, swimming, gorgeous suites, and two restaurants, the course is both bedeviling and a delight.

Golf de Chailly sur Armancon

While most of the fairways are wide open, and perfect for relaxed rounds, there are several holes that present taxing challenges, mainly due to cavernous bunkers, dramatically contoured, elevated greens and numerous water hazards. It’s also visually exciting, set amid rich farmlands, and popular with beautifully attired, highly serious French female players. Stay at Chailly for two days. It’s a paradise for finding vineyards, la cuisine Francaise, and several fun holes that will long be remembered.

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How to Survive Without Golf in France

How to Survive Without Golf in France

By Edward Kiersh

Though the hillsides are covered with vineyards, and not golf courses, the scenery in this rich part of France is captivating especially if the traveler makes it a point to visit small, 16th and 17th century hill towns. One must-see gem is Flavian-Sur-Ozerain, not far from Dijon. Here the aging buildings and cobble-stoned streets seem to be relics of a long-vanished past. All is tranquil, a perfect escape from time.

Flavian-Sur-Ozerain

Once I left here it’s on to Dijon and the road of Burgundy’s Grand Crus. There are so many caves or wine producers along the road side it’s impossible to determine where to stop.

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‘Golf Fore Kids’ – 17th Annual Chelsea Hotel Charity Golf Classic

‘Golf Fore Kids’ – 17^th Annual Chelsea Hotel Charity Golf Classic

By Dave Finn

Earlier this week I had the tremendous privilege of participating in the 17^th Annual Chelsea Hotel Charity Golf Classic at Wooden Sticks in Uxbridge, Ontario.  Not only did I get the opportunity to play at one of Canada’s premier golf courses, the tournament raised over $100,000 for a very worthy cause.

Wooden Sticks – Hole #17 inspired by TPC Sawgrass 17th hole

Fearsome Threesome

Tournament Organizer and Director of Public Relations for the Chelsea Hotel in Toronto, Tracy Ford told me that:

“We have raised $1.5 million net for the following charities – Special Olympics and Habitat for Humanity (when we were part of the Delta Hotels chain and it was their charity of choice) and then from 2013 to present, it’s SickKids Foundation.  I chose them when we made the transition and had the opportunity to choose our own charity.”

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Southern Arizona Golf – Tin Star to Tin Cup

Tin Star to Tin Cup

Desert Sands to Lush Fairways – Historic Southern Arizona Golf – Tucson to Tubac

by Michael Cunningham

Riding by horseback in the 1880’s from Tucson to the Mexican border site of Tubac, Arizona was a two-day journey. Ancient mountain ranges, multi-limbed 40-foot Saguaro cacti miraculously staking their rightful place on the dry desert floor, endless reminders of the severity of the journey.

Gunfight Reenactment in Tombstone

Chiricahua Apache Indians, under the leadership of Cochise and Geronimo, were orchestrating relentless raids on early colonizers. In the 1880’s, southern Arizona was truly the ‘wild west’ a land of adversity and conflict a time of desperados and law enforcers.

‘Tin Stars’ the likes of Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson and Pat Garrett were “faithfully” serving out justice while improving the employment opportunities for morticians throughout the state.

How is it that within the generation of these mainstays of notoriety that a golf course would be developed. But in 1899, the prestigious Phoenix Golf and Country Club was constructed [the course’s permanent site was established in 1920]?  With desert sand as fairways and oil to “level” the putting surface the dawn of golf in Arizona had commenced.

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Escape to Nature – where to golf, explore and unwind in Costa Rica

Escape to Nature

Where to golf, explore and unwind in Costa Rica

By Jane Finn as published in the Summer 2018 Issue of Travel Life Magazine

¡Pura Vida! ¡Pura Vida! In Costa Rica, whether you’re traversing a mountain range, hiking in the jungle, relaxing by the water or ordering shi-frijo for lunch, you’re bound to be the recipient of this distinctive Tico greeting. Two simple words that translate as “Good Life” but how do you define it?

Is it dangling on the precipice of a volcano, zipping above the treetops, hearing the roar of a waterfall or playing a round and spotting an animal in their native habitat? Is it meeting new people, savouring the flavours of a region, volunteering or a combination of all or some of these pursuits?

Whether you’re traveling solo, as a twosome, ‘fore-some’ or family, in Costa Rica you can immerse yourself in nature, get grounded and rediscover the essence of who you are.

For me, ¡Pura Vida! means doing more of what you love to do. Walking your happy path, wherever it may lead. For now; we’ll focus on the magical, mystical Pacific Coast.

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L’Albenza Golf Club in Bergamo Italy

Saying a Few Prayers Might Just Slay This Devil

by Edward Kiersh

Bergamo Italy – 3378 yards, extremely-tight fairways, and countless blind shots to microscopic greens all add up to pure deviltry, a par-seeker’s Hell.

So how does one prepare for the undulating fairways, sharp doglegs, and Alpine streams that complicate and doom even the best of shots?

Before heading to Bergamo’s L’Albenza Golf Club, once home to famous European Tour player Constantine Rocca, extreme measures might be necessary.

Walls Psgiacomo – Courtesy of Visit Bergamo

In intriguing Bergamo, an often-ignored, medieval-walled, “upper city” between Milan and Venice in northern Italy, that may well mean invoking golf’s gods—praying to them and asking for a blessed touch on L’Albenza’s dauntingly-slick, treacherously-sloped greens.

It’s unknown if Rocca, a runner-up at the 1995 British Open at St. Andrews believed in such saintly intervention, but before tackling L’Albenza’s 27 holes it’s best to get a good night’s sleep in the “upper city’s” boutique Gombit Hotel—and to find some heavenly inspiration in the towering Santa Maria Maggiore church.

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