Golf & Travel....

SPA RESORTS:

THE PERFECT 19TH HOLE

From coast to coast, we’ve found five of the best places to combine golf and a great spa. Whether you want to head to Florida or California, resorts like The Diplomat Resort & Country Club, The Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club, and Ponte Vedra Inn & Club in Florida, as well as California’s La Costa Resort and Spa and La Quinta Resort & Club, all offer the perfect 19th hole for golfers. Enjoy that massage.

THE DIPLOMAT RESORT & COUNTRY CLUB

The first phase of the largest and most expensive beach resort ever to be built in Florida was just completed. The Diplomat Country Club combines 60 elite guest rooms, a 155-acre golf course, a world-class European-style destination spa, 8,000 square feet of function space, yacht slips, tennis courts, and two restaurants. The 1,000-room resurrected beachfront Diplomat Resort, including 209,000 square feet of meeting and convention space is soon to follow, with completion scheduled for fall of next year.

The new $600 million Diplomat Resort & Country Club replaces the 40-year-old Hollywood landmark that was imploded to make room for the new sophisticated upscale haven. The Mediterranean-styled country club offers an exclusive less formal atmosphere, making it an ideal setting for a golf and spa vacation, as well as special parties and corporate meetings.

The Diplomat Country Club’s 18-hole golf course was redesigned by the renowned Joe Lee. Nestled amongst hundreds of 50-year-old trees and other vegetation, it boasts four par five holes, including one of the longest in South Florida (570 yards). Surrounding lakes affect 12 holes, while prevailing crosswinds and 16-foot mounds pose additional obstacles.

The two-story 30,000-square-foot Diplomat Spa--connected to the guestrooms by a second-story bridge--features avant garde spa treatments, nutritional specialists, and custom classes. Guests enjoy private locker rooms, saunas, steam rooms, whirlpools, loungers, and vanity areas. The upper level contains a weight training and cardio studio with the finest equipment.

There are 16 treatment rooms offering a variety of face and body treatments and services, ranging from massages to thalassotherapy baths. There’s also a Spa Salon with separate manicure and pedicure studios and a Spa Boutique of exclusive products. Guests can also relax in the Garden Lounge or by the secluded outdoor spa pool.

Tennis enthusiasts welcome 10 lighted clay courts, including a stadium court. Players of all levels will benefit from programs designed by former Wimbledon champion, Fred Stolle.

THE NAPLES BEACH HOTEL & GOLF CLUB

Located right on the beautiful white sand beach overlooking the Gulf of Mexico, The Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club offers the peaceful ambiance of "Olde Florida" and great modern golf and spa facilities. Newly renovated, the 53-year-old, family-owned and -operated resort offers a championship par-72 course with golf school, new tennis center, seaside restaurant and bar, deli, gift shops, pool and free Beach Klub 4 Kids.

This December marks the opening of the resort's exciting new Clubhouse and full-service Spa, including a golf shop, golf lounge & restaurant, and two ballrooms.

Upon the grand opening, The Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club will soon become Southwest Florida's only resort to offer a full-service spa and fitness center, 34,000 square feet of meeting space, a championship golf course, clubhouse, and tennis center, all on an incredible beachfront site overlooking the peaceful waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

The clubhouse project comes on the heels of more than $14 million in renovations that have already been completed on the venerable 53-year-old resort. That project included extensive refurbishment of the resort's 318 guest rooms, existing indoor and outdoor meeting space, and common areas.

The new facility at The Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club will be known simply as "The Clubhouse & Spa." But, it will be far from a simple clubhouse. In addition to a golf pro shop and lounge, it will house 22,000 square feet of meeting and banquet space in the form of a grand ballroom, junior ballroom, and additional breakout rooms. including two private board rooms. The ballrooms will open onto a dramatic, ceiling-to-floor glassed-in prefunction area that overlooks the golf course and tropically-landscaped, outdoor function space.

To relieve post-meeting or event stress, The Clubhouse will offer several options. Guests can retreat for a leisurely meal or refreshing beverage to the new complex's restaurant and lounge. Or they can "work out" their tensions on some of the state-of-the-art exercise equipment in the fitness center. But, perhaps the most popular de-stressing option will be utilizing The Clubhouse's full-service spa.

The Spa at The Clubhouse will offer a steam room, sauna and whirlpool. In addition to the men's and women's locker rooms, there will be nine individual rooms for enjoying a range of services, from massage and skin treatments, to hair and other beauty applications.

Home to numerous national, state, professional and amateur tournaments, the course at The Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club, constructed in 1929, was one of the original golf courses in Florida. Over the years, it has been completely rebuilt and was renovated several times. Recent renovations, under the direction of golf course architect Ron Garl, were completed October 1, 1998, and include the redesign of four holes. A huge 4,500 square-foot putting green was also added to enhance the new look. The course has been the site for some of the most outstanding competitions in the state, including the Florida PGA and Florida Seniors Open.

The Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club is located on the beautiful Gulf of Mexico and occupies 1,000 feet of sandy, white beach. The 318-room resort has been family-owned and operated for 53 years by the Watkins family and caters to the casual tourist, the seasonal visitor and to meetings and conventions. A whole host of activities, including tennis, sailing, windsurfing, paddleboating, and swimming, can be enjoyed while staying at The Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club. The Beach Klub 4 Kids, offering many exciting supervised activities, is complimentary for resort guests. Four restaurants are available to enjoy delectable cuisine, including Naples' only beachfront restaurant, H.B.'s on the Gulf.

For information or reservations, call 1-800-237-7600 or visit their website (www.NaplesBeachHotel.com).

PONTE VEDRA INN & CLUB

Golf has been a way of life in Florida’s Ponte Vedra Beach since the Inn & Club introduced the first course to the area in 1928. Today Ponte Vedra and Ponte Vedra Inn & Club is recognized as one of the nation’s great golf destinations. Though the Spa was built a bit later, it has become almost as popular as the golf.

A great golf destination starts with some superior golf and the Ponte Vedra Inn & Club has been satisfying visiting golfers for more than 70 years. The Inn & Club’s golf amenities include: two 18-hole championship courses (Ocean Course and Lagoon Course); three putting greens; a pitching/chipping green; a practice bunker; a complete pro shop; a fleet of new carts; a teaching staff (including private lessons and the Ponte Vedra Golf Academy); club storage, cleaning and repair; the golf club restaurant; a ‘19th hole’ lounge; and much more.

Originally designed by the famous British architect Herbert Strong in 1928, the Ocean Course was inspired by traditional Scottish links design, with undulating fairways dotted with earth mounds and pot bunkers. The course was renovated by Robert Trent Jones in 1947 and again by Bobby Weed in 1998.

The first nine of the Lagoon Course was built by Robert Trent Jones in 1961 and the second nine was designed by Joe Lee in 1977. Water is definitely the dominant feature on this course, with a mosaic of lakes and lagoons coming into play.

After a day enjoying the Inn & Club’s golf, the Spa awaits. Originally open in 1987, popularity led to new and larger quarters in 1996. It is the most complete luxury spa in northeast Florida, with 10,000 square feet of space, as well as a huge outdoor patio.

The Spa provides the best of American and European pampering philosophies. The range of disciplines practiced include: massotherapy; hydrotherapy; and aesthetic refinement; as well as the personal beauty services of hair care, make-up, and nail care. More than 100 specialized pampering services are featured.

The interiors were designed to convey the casual elegance of simple beach houses of the 1930s and 1940s. There are five massage treatment rooms and five facial treatment rooms, as well as a wet room, beauty salon, a manicure/pedicure room, two private relaxation rooms, a dining room, and a large coed hot tub on the private patio. Past high-profile Spa visitors have include First Ladies Barbara Bush, Nancy Reagan, and Lady Bird Johnson, as well as former Miss America, Mary Ann Mobley and her husband Gary Collins.

For information or reservations, call 1-800-234-7842 or visit their website (www.pvresorts.com).

LA COSTA RESORT AND SPA

Some resorts boast great golf courses, while others claim the most wondrous of spas or restaurants. There are other resorts that lead the field in tennis instruction and facilities or that have top-notch meeting facilities. There is a place, however, that has all of these things and more--La Costa Resort and Spa, the legendary “total resort” located in the heart of Southern California.

This 400-acre luxury resort offers two 18-hole PGA championship golf courses, renowned men’s and women’s separate spas, a 21-court Racquet Club, exercise gyms, seven restaurants and lounges, heated swimming pools, and perfect year-round climate.

La Costa’s South Course features the imposing par five 17th hole, which is a true test of driving ability that plays straight into a prevailing Pacific breeze. The North Course consists of classic golf holes winding up and down a picturesque coastal canyon. The La Costa Golf School is heralded by all levels of players, from beginners to PGA TOUR professionals. Home to the PGA TOUR’s Tournament of Champions format for 30 years and then the Mercedes Championships, La Costa is now the site of the new World Golf Championships-Andersen Consulting Match Play Championship.

Long renowned for its health spa, La Costa Spa offers a variety of programs, with each aimed at revitalizing the vacationer by providing immediate benefits and the foundation for a long-range fitness program. Spa amenities include the use of saunas, whirlpool baths, rock steam rooms, and Roman pools. Treatments include massages, facials, manicures, pedicures, and a slate of exceptional European body treatments. The spa’s famous herbal wrap is one of La Costa’s most popular skin care and relaxation treatments.

In addition, the resort offers a choice of several swimming pools, sun decks, and a water complex that features a scenic koi-filled lagoon and cascading waterfall. La Costa’s Conference Center offers 50,000 square feet of meeting and exhibition space, including the twin-level grand ballroom. Accommodations options include deluxe rooms bordering the golf courses, Racquet Club, Spa, or courtyard, one- and two-bedroom suites, and two-, three-, four-, and five-bedroom executive homes. Additional amenities include Camp La Costa for children, the Lobby Lounge and Tournament of Champions Lounge, entertainment, a beauty salon, shopping, and much more. Guests can choose from five restaurants, including a gourmet seafood restaurant and Ristorante Figaro, offering Northern Italian specialties.

For information or reservations, call 1-800-854-5000 or visit their website (www.lacosta.com).

LA QUINTA RESORT & CLUB

Dwight D. Eisenhower chipped and putted on its challenging greens. Greta Garbo escaped to this legendary hideaway for a rendezvous with her companion, John Gilbert. Robert Wagner spent his summer vacations there as a kid. For many years, Kevin Costner reenacted his “Tin Cup” days at the resort’s Lexus Challenge Hosted by Raymond Floyd. Today’s vacationers will find an unparalleled golf and spa destination.

Built in 1926 and located in a spectacular setting among orange and lemon groves at the base of California’s Santa Rosa Mountains, La Quinta Resort & Club guests have access to four golf courses, including the famed TPC® (REGISTERED MARK!!) Stadium Golf® (REGISTERED MARK AGAIN!!) Course at PGA WEST™ (TRADEMARK MARK!!) and Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course at PGA WEST™ (TRADEMARK MARK AGAIN!!), as well as the La Quinta Resort Mountain Course and La Quinta Pete Dye Dunes Course. All four courses are within ten minutes of the resort.

La Quinta Resort’s Golf Services department arranges for tee times, clinics, individual and group instruction, and tournaments, as well as securing professional tour players for group outings. Guests also can obtain golf instruction from the renowned Jim McLean Golf School or the Dave Pelz Short Game School--both on-site at PGA West. Inclusive golf packages feature deluxe accommodations, breakfast, use of other resort facilities, golf carts, and range balls.

Opened just last year, the 23,000-square-foot Spa La Quinta™ (TRADEMARK MARK) provides the perfect 19th hole for golfers. Available exclusively to resort guests and members, Spa La Quinta features 19 massage treatment rooms, a full-service body salon, seven facial rooms, nine wrap rooms, three inhalation rooms, and two steam rooms. An adjacent 4,000+-square-foot fitness facility and movement studio will open soon.

Spa La Quinta caters to golfers with treatments like the PGA West Golf Massage, which places concentration on the hands, arms, shoulders, and lower back. They even offer a three-night/four-day “Golf & Spa Package,” which includes: casita accommodations; breakfast daily; two rounds of golf; choice of two massage treatments; choice of one wrap treatment; one signature La Quinta Celestial Shower™ (TRADEMARK MARK!!) (a traditional Swiss shower in a private outdoor setting); choice of one manicure or pedicure; unlimited use of fitness center; and a welcome gift.

La Quinta Resort & Club features Spanish Colonial-style casitas and boasts 640 rooms and suites. In addition to unmatched golf and spa facilities, guests enjoy a premier tennis club (23 courts of varying surfaces), 25 private pools, 38 whirlpool spas, and The Plaza--two stories of shops and restaurants surrounding flowers, waterfalls, and winding paths. Along with golf and spa packages, a wide range family packages are also very popular.

For information or reservations, call 1-800-598-3828 (1-760-564-4111 in California) or visit their website (www.laquintaresort.com).