From sipping champagne at the Old Course Hotel to a beachfront massage at Jamaica’s Half Moon, a look back at a few of my favourite adventures off the golf course.
If you’re like me, you travel to discover more than just great golf. It’s an opportunity to seek out unique experiences, meet new friends and create lasting memories. In the first of a two-part series, here are a few of my favourite — and highly recommended for 2013 — Après Golf experiences.
Snorkelling in Roatan (Honduras)
The view while snorkelling in Roatan, Honduras
Just a few metres off the shore of Roatan, one of the Bay Islands in Honduras, there’s a prime stretch of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Under the steady guidance of Captain Al and his first mate, Moses, who offer snorkeling tours from the laid-back Upachaya Eco Lodge and Wellness Resort, we were introduced to this stunning Caribbean reef and its kaleidoscope of ocean life, including coral fish, spiny lobsters, barracudas, and stingrays. A truly breathtaking experience. To find out more about golf and other attractions in Roatan, see our Canadian Golf Traveller feature story: Pete Dye Introduces Golf to Roatan.
Relaxation Half Moon-Style (Jamaica)
The Fern Tree Spa private oceanfront cabana. (Image: Half Moon Resort)
The private cabana at the Fern Tree Spa is cantilevered over the ocean. With the louvered doors pulled back, there’s nothing between you and the endless ocean view. The breaking waves lull you into a state of complete relaxation as you indulge in a deep tissue massage. It’s pure bliss and the perfect way to pamper yourself after a round of golf at Half Moon Golf Course. For more on Half Moon, see our feature story: Tee Off in the Jamaica Open at Half Moon
A Picnic at the Top of the World (Whistler)
The Peak 2 Peak gondola between Whistler and Blackcomb. (Image: Whistler Tourism)
Whistler in the summer is a revelation. You can golf any of four championship courses in the morning and glacier ski in the afternoon. The less adventurous may prefer to catch a ride to the mountain peaks and simply revel in the view. Getting there is half the fun. Be sure to keep a look out for bears and their cubs on the trails below as you ascend to the Roundhouse Lodge in the Whistler Village gondola. From there, you can transfer onto the Peak 2 Peak Gondola to Blackcomb Mountain. Or, for ultimate bragging rights, switch over to the Peak Express chairlift to reach the snow-topped Whistler Summit, where, from 7,089 feet, you can take in the stunning view of the Coast Mountains. For Canadian al fresco dining at its best, bring along a picnic to share at the top of the world. For another great Whistler experience, read our story: Pamper Yourself at Whistler’s Scandinave Spa
The Old Course Hotel, St. Andrews (Image: Old Course Hotel)
Sunset over the Old Course (St. Andrews, Scotland)
Ensconced at The Old Course Hotel’s Road Hole Bar, with a glass of Veuve Cliquot in hand, we settled in to watch the sun set over the Royal and Ancient clubhouse and the famous Old Course. The perfect end to a perfect summer’s day.
Salmon Fishing off Vancouver Island (British Columbia)
Canadian Golf Traveller publisher Sharon McAuley, with her prize Chinook salmon. (Image: Brian Kendall)
At Vancouver Island’s Campbell River, the self-proclaimed “salmon fishing capital of the world,” you can tee it up and cast your line all in the same day. If you think making a birdie is fun, just wait until you experience the thrill of reeling in an 18-pound Chinook, then savouring your fresh catch — and your fish tales — over dinner at Painter’s Lodge or April Point. Read the full fish tale in our Canadian Golf Traveller story: Teeing It Up and Reeling Them In on Vancouver Island.
