 |
FEATURES |
|
Cruises for Golfers
by Karen Misuraca
Long gone are the days when cruise ships offered golfers just a spot on the stern from which to pop balls into the sea. The larger ships now have golf academies with resident pros, computer analysis and instruction, simulators, and--best of all--golfing excursions. An onboard pro puts foursomes together and takes care that your clubs are stored, cleaned and delivered to you. Tee times, escorted transportation and awards parties are part of the package.
Some barges and smaller ships put together golf cruises where passengers can play nearly every day. One of the first cruise lines to cater to golfers, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line offers "Golf Ahoy" play at more than 41 courses, before, during and after cruises in the Caribbean, Mexico, Australia and Indonesia. Golfers on Holland America Line ships can play at more than a dozen courses in the Caribbean; on the North Yukon excursion in Alaska, a round of golf at latitude 60 degrees north is a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. The Nicklaus-designed Cozumel Country Club near Cancun was designed specifically for cruise passengers. Carnival makes several stops a week there, along with such other lines as Disney, Holland America and Celebrity.
Wine, Dine and Golf in France
The impeccable Le Phenicien barge moves elegantly along the Rhône, the Petit Rhône and the canal of Camargue to Avignon, Arles, Les Baux de Provence and Aigues-Mortes, where passengers play at such beautiful courses as Ballesteros-designed Pont-Royal; Grand Avignon, Servanes, the private Nimes-Campagne, and La Grande Motte. For the intimate group of 18, private tasting at a Châteauneuf-du-Pape cellar, charming villages of Provence and the Camargue, bike rides and gastronomic adventures are also on the menu.
 Links Around the World
Voted the World's Best Small Ship Cruise Line, Silversea Cruises caters to golf addicts who want to play every day with their Silver Links 365 Golf Programme. Offering Callaway clubs, a PGA pro gives private video lessons onboard, complimentary clinics and demonstrations and organizes putting contests. For passengers on the
Silver Shadow and Silver Whisper, tee times at as many as 100 ports are set up, for play at such famous courses as Wentworth, Royal Guernsey, Royal Portrush, Royal County Down and K Club; Chateau des Vigiers in Bordeaux; Royal Antwerp in Belgium, Valderrama in Spain, throughout Europe and at most of Silverseas Caribbean ports.
Golf in the Gloaming
With just eight passengers onboard, the intimate barge, Scottish Highlander, plies the Caledonian canal between Fort William and Inverness, through the Great Glen and along the shores of Loch Ness, to Cawdor, Urquart and Invergarry Castles. On the golfers' itinerary are Royal Dornoch, Nairn Golf Club, Fort Augustus and Newtonmore. Luscious Scottish salmon, venison, pheasant and partridge are on the menus; and non-golfers can play tennis, trod the moors or go trout fishing.
Clouds of Glory
Kalos Golf provides a variety of golf-oriented cruises, making it easy for passengers to play some of Europe's most spectacular tracks. The uber-luxurious, 64-passenger Sea Cloud, the largest private sailing ship ever built, glides in glory from Nice to Rome on the Riviera and along the coast of Spain, Lisbon to Barcelona, with golf outings to Valderrama, Penha Longa, the Nicklaus layout at Montecastillo; Sotogrande, and El Saler. The glamorous 96-passenger Sea Cloud II windjammer sails to golf courses in the Baltic, and also to the Riviera and Spain, while the River Cloud barge cruises along the Danube and to Budapest, Vienna, Nuremberg, Munich and Prague, ports that are nearby some great golf, including Gut Larchenhof, the only Nicklaus Signature course in Germany; and to Golf Club Jakobsberg near Koblenz. Kalos Golf will also make all the arrangements for cruising in Ireland n the River Liffey to Royal Portrush, Portstewart and Royal County Down, an itinerary that ends in Scotland, with stops at Machrihanish, Royal Dornoch and Kingsbairns.
 Crystal Cruises
Golf Club Dell'Ugolino in Florence, Monte Carlo Golf Club, Ste. Maxime Golf Club in St-Tropez and Réal Club de Golf el Prat in Barcelona are top attractions for golfers on Crystal Cruises. Players are feted at welcome receptions where they meet other players and the celebrity pros, and are paired up for their rounds of golf. Onboard fun includes clinics and putting contests, and the final party where prizes are awarded--the prize for a hole-in-one is a Crystal cruise for two. The Crystal Symphony Golf Theme Cruise through the British Isles is a dream trip, with play at St. Andrew's Jubilee Course, Gleneagles, Royal Dornoch, K Club, Royal Belfast and Waterford.
Playing Onboard
The Princess Golf Academies aboard Princess ships are outfitted with the "V1" digital coaching system and golf simulators featuring world-famous courses from St. Andrews to Pebble Beach. Nike clubs and equipment are available for play at such stunners as Mahogany Run on St. Thomas, Sandals Golf Club on Jamaica, Jolly Harbor in Antigua, Cozumel Country Club and other clubs in the Caribbean. Passengers on Princess ships in Hawaii can play at Kaanapali, Kauai Lagoons, the Kona Country Club and at Ko'olau Golf Club, a rainforest track that has been touted as the most difficult course in the United States. On a Golden Princess cruise to Mexico, players get in their rounds at El Tigre in Puerto Vallarta, El Cid in Acapulco, and at Cabo del Sol in Baja. And, golf is available in nearly every port on the Grand Mediterranean itinerary.
|
|
|
|
