The Castle Course
St Andrews, Scotland (above)

For golfers, the Old Course at St Andrews is the first thing that comes to mind when discussing Scotland. But The Castle Course, the first new tournament standard golf course built in St Andrews in 100 years, is giving the old man a run for his money.

The St Andrews Links Trust gave architect David McLay Kidd, the Scot behind Bandon Dunes in Oregon, the commission of a lifetime. Set to open this summer, St Andrews’ seventh course is built on a rather unpromising cliff top site to the east of town. It is marked by big greens, wide fairways, and spectacular views of the old town and St Andrews Bay.
Five sets of tees — instead of the four in the original plan — means that The Castle can be stretched for tournament play. However, it is a walking course, an aspect that the Trust believed was sacrosanct to the project. Because of the occasionally severe, undulating nature of the layout, there will be no self-drive carts on the course; however, carts driven by regular caddies will be allowed.

Thanks to McLay Kidd’s hard work, interest in the $21 million course is increasing exponentially. More than 1,000 golfers have already booked tee times ahead of the June 2008 opening. To book a customized trip to The Castle Course, please visit www.oldcourse-experience.com.

Oberoi Bali
Bali, Indonesia

A drumstick-shaped Indo-nesian island north of Australia, Bali gets much attention from Travel + Leisure, the Travel Channel and other frequently flying media outlets for its picturesque waters and moss-carpeted cliffs. But look beyond the surface, and you’ll find a mystical, spiritual retreat (in the mornings, you awake to the mullahs’ call to prayer). Bali is also known for amazing indigenous cuisine, a potent mix of Indian, Middle Eastern, Chinese and European. At the Oberoi Bali, a secluded resort on Seminyak Beach, you can eat lunch by the lotus pond, kick back in one of the thatched Balinese huts, or float in the infinity-edge pool that disappears into the Pacific. For more information, please visit www.theoberoi-bali.com.

Hilton Pyramids Golf Resort
Cairo, Egypt

When was the last time you shanked one into a 4,000-year-old pyramid? That’s a possibility at the Hilton Pyramids Golf Resort in Cairo, Egypt, where the 27-hole Dreamland Golf Course (designed by Karl Litten) overlooks the Great Pyramids of Giza, the oldest and largest of the three pyramids in the Giza Necropolis (built circa 2500 B.C.). Elsewhere on the property are seven restaurants, lagoon-style pool with swim-up bar, fitness center, and seven meeting rooms that can accommodate 10-400 people. And all guestrooms come with balconies that offer views of the golf course and pool. For more information or to make a reservation, please visit www.hiltonworldresorts.com.

Mandarin Oriental Prague
Prague, Czech Republic

Dating back to 6 A.D., the country counts Bohemians, Roman Emperors, princes, kings, and communist leaders as supporting characters in its history. Today, the country formerly known as Czechoslovakia is a free state, and capitalism has given “The City of 1,000 Spires” new life. Prague has one of the world’s most well-preserved collections of architecture: Gothic churches, Art Nouveau facades and Romanesque rotundas, with Frank Gehry’s Dancing House adding a flash of contemporary zeal. Make your reservation at the Mandarin Oriental Prague, a 14th Century Dominican monastery-cum-99-guestroom hotel. Winter worriers need not fret: the spa has heated limestone floors. For more information please visit www.mandarinoriental.com.

Singita Private Game Reserve
Saba Sands, South Africa

Those thinking that this wildlife-littered getaway is just lions, tigers and bare essentials would be wrong. Singita Private Game Reserve in Saba Sands is one of the chicest respites on the planet — last year it was named best hotel in the world by Travel + Leisure. Singita is comprised of five luxury lodges, each complete with its own wine cellar. Breakfast and lunch are served on the lower deck overlooking the savanna and Sand River. Five-star private dinners (an example being chilled watermelon, red pepper gazpacho, and chermoula marinated tiger prawns with avocado salsa) are served in your lodge. And of course, keep an eye out for zebra herds from your private alfresco Jacuzzi. For more information please visit www.singita.com.

Emirates Palace Abu Dhabi
Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Vanity Fair described Dubai, the great, big desert megapolis in the United Arab Emirates, as “a country a 12-year-old boy would build if he were handed billions.” Distractions include Dubailand, a 55-square-mile amusement park, the Mall of Arabia, a 5.6 million-square-foot shopping center featuring the world’s largest Starbucks, and for golfers The Montgomerie, the popular 265-acre course designed by Colin Montgomerie. If you want your accommodations to be over the top as well, choose the nearby Emirates Palace Abu Dhabi. Constructed for a mere $3 billion, the hotel features 302 guestrooms, solid gold flagpoles, and 1,002 Swarovski crystal chandeliers. For more information please visit www.themontgomerie.com and www.emiratespalace.com.

Fairmont Acapulco Princess
Acapulco, Mexico

When it comes to Mexico, travel magazines spend much of their ink on Cancun and the burgeoning Mayan Riviera. But Acapulco is making a return from its Carter-era heyday (think That 70s Trip). We recommend the Fairmont Acapulco Princess, spread across 480 acres aside Revolcadero Beach. The resort, a 15-story doppelganger of an Aztec pyramid, features an open-air lobby with fountains, five free-form swimming pools (including a saltwater lagoon), and gardens featuring 750-plus plant species and shelter to an assortment of tropical birds. And don’t forget your clubs: the Ted Robinson-designed course is a stunning 6,400 yards of coconut palms and water hazards. Add it all together, and you have the one of the Top 25 Golf Resorts according to Golf Magazine. For more information, please visit www.fairmont.com/acapulco.

Sonoran Suites
Scottsdale, Arizona

Sonoran Suites has the American West covered. Kind of. While the golf vacation provider doesn’t reach every red sand-covered nook, it does offer great golf travel packages to the best courses in Scottsdale, Tucson, Palm Springs, Las Vegas and San Diego. Scottsdale is the most popular location for Sonoran Suites, with top-of-the-line courses like We-Ko-Pa, Troon North, The Boulders, Eagle Mountain as well as over 50 other courses in the Valley of the Sun. The stay-and-play packages, which accommodate every skill level and budget, start as low as $99 per player, per night and include luxury condo accommodations. For more information, please visit www.sonoransuites.com.