Calling golfers who love their wine and food

 

Calling all lovers of luxury, Tasmanian food and wine, and golf. 

How about three nights at delightful Country House, dinner, Pooley wine experiences and the chance to play two of the best golf courses in Tasmania? 

The the inaugural Prospect Epicurean Open from April 19-22 might be of interest. 

The experience includes a three-night stay at Prospect Country House - just across the road from owners the Pooley family's cellar door - and rounds of golf at 7 Mile Beach and Royal Hobart Golf Club.

From seasoned low handicappers pros to weekend enthusiasts, the event is designed for golfers of all skill levels. 

After the golf, participants can retreat to the heritage comfort of Buscombe's Restaurant and Prospect Country House in the Coal River Valley for a five-course degustation dinner, Pooley wines, and the quiet of the very pretty 1830s estate.

Mathew Goggin's 7 Mile Beach (above) is one of Australia's newest top-rated courses and participants will be led by pro golfer Scott Laycock and John Davis from Tasmanian Golf Experiences. 

Davis will also host the 18 holes at Royal Hobart Golf Club. 

The experience includes all transfers, accommodation, curated meals, Pooley wines, green fees and pull buggies included. All you need is a toothbrush and your golf clubs. The price is $3,150 person.

For full details email Lisa Pooley at lisa@prospectcountryhouse.com.au or check out https://prospectcountryhouse.com.au/

Củ Chi: From war zone to luxury golf resort

The world moves on. 

For many folk the name Củ Chi is synonymous with the Vietnam War (which the Vietnamese call the American War). 

  

The tunnels of Củ Chi are a huge network of connecting tunnels located south of Ho Chi Minh City. 

The Củ Chi tunnels were the location of several military campaigns during the war and were the Viet Cong's base of operations for the decisive Tet Offensive in 1968. 

Now Củ Chi is building a reputation as a world-class golf resort with the opening of Vinpearl Golf Léman, a newly opened 36-hole facility. 

Located just an hour's drive from central Ho Chi Minh City, Vinpearl Golf Léman is set amid the waterways and greenery of Củ Chi. 

Covering more than 200 hectares, the project consists of two courses, North and South and is being promoted as being among the longest and most strategically designed courses in Asia.

The course is designed to reflect the natural landscape and includes over 200 bunkers, undulating fairways, and finely contoured greens. 

Complementing the course, Vinpearl Golf Léman offers a modern clubhouse, a premium pro shop with international golf brands, and a restaurant and  convention centre with capacity for nearly 700 guests. 

"Vinpearl Golf Léman has been developed with modern facilities, a distinctive design, and a scale ranking among the most strategic in Asia," says says Nguyễn Thu Phương, southern operations director of Vinpearl. 

"We believe it will soon become a host venue for national and international tournaments, contributing to raising Vietnam's profile on the global golf map.

"The opening of Vinpearl Golf Léman adds another international-standard course to Ho Chi Minh City, providing golfers with a comprehensive venue where sport is combined with high-quality leisure experiences. 

"It also marks a strategic step in Vietnam's journey to become one of the region's leading golf destinations, on par with Asia's most renowned golfing hubs."

Vinpearl Golf operates international-standard golf courses in Vietnam at Hai Phong, Nam Hoi An, Nha Trang, Phu Quoc, and Cu Chi and also manages the Cape Wickham Golf Links in Tasmania. 

See https://vinpearl.com/vi/vinpearl-golf-leman

Golf lovers get a swinging new Sydney facility

Calling all golf fans.

Want to get your game back in shape?

Swing City, a new generation, state-of-the-art golf and entertainment venue in Norwest, Sydney, developed by Mulpha Australia in partnership with golf operator Avid Sports, was officially opened this week.

Swing City comprises a 40-bay range with individual hospitality seating, state-of-the-art ball tracking and gaming technology, a licensed restaurant, undercover and outdoor al fresco dining, corporate function facilities, 18-hole mini-golf, and other amusements.

It is designed for a broad audience, ranging from beginner to serious golfers, corporate, family and social groups.

“Swing City is a game-changer, for golf range-play, and for sporting and hospitality facilities in Norwest and the broader Hills district," said Mulpha CEO Greg Shaw.

“It offers a broad range of golf, leisure and entertainment facilities in a family-friendly environment to meet the growing demand in the area while making golf fun, easy and accessible for a broad range of players.

"Importantly the Swing City concept will appeal to all ages and demographics and vastly broaden the use and community benefit of public facilities that have often been under-utilised or utilised by only a small segment of the community."

New air links help boost Central Vietnam as a golf destination

Vietnam is staking a major claim in the golf tourism space as visitors return to Asia at great pace.

Vietnam Golf Coast (VGC) is a freshly rebooted destination marketing organisation that links the best signature golf layouts in Central Vietnam.

The region includes courses like Sir Nick Faldo signature design at Laguna Golf Lang Co (below), Europe Ryder Cup star Luke Donald’s layout at Ba Na Hills Golf Club (above) and other layouts designed by the likes of Robert Trent Jones Jr, Colin Montgomerie, Jack Nicklaus and Greg Norman.

Blue-chip tournaments and events are cornerstones of the plan to see Central Vietnam cement its status as one of Asia’s "must-visit" golf destinations in 2023.

“Asia’s top golf destination is not just recovering following the pandemic: it’s getting even better,” said Gary Dixon, general manager at Ba Na Hills Golf Club, one of the driving forces in the VGC.




This resurgence is reflected via several major golf events slated for 2023.

These include the Asia Grand Final of the Faldo Series - the only global amateur series for boys and girls - which will be contested at Laguna Golf Lang Co in April.

Central Vietnam will also roll out the welcome mat for the global golf industry as Danang, its largest city, hosts the Asian Golf Industry Federation (AGIF) and Asian Development Tour (ADT) over the course of the year.

“Many golfers won’t have been in Central Vietnam since 2019,” said Adam Calver, director of golf and destination marketing at Laguna Lang Co.

“We already had five great championship courses here at that time. Now, with the addition of two additional courses (laid out by Trent Jones Jr. and Nicklaus) we have seven.”

The drawcard is high-quality golf combined with beautiful beaches and luxury resorts like Banyan Tree Lang Co and Angsana Lang Co.

The courses reflect local history with the Golden Bridge at Sun World Ba Na Hills a 150-metre-long pedestrian bridge (below) that is one of Asia’s most photographed landmarks.

Danang International Airport is currently Vietnam’s third busiest aviation hub.

In late March, national carrier Vietnam Airlines resumed its popular route between Danang and Tokyo, Japan’s capital. 

The coming months, meanwhile, will witness a ramping up of services between Danang and tier-one Chinese cities including Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Chengdu.

Other new routes launched so far in 2023 include services linking Danang with Taipei in Taiwan and Macau. There is also a link between Danang and Vientiane, the capital of Laos.

“Demand is surging once again,” said Dixon. “Before, I would have said that anyone serious about golf travel should be coming to Vietnam at least once in their life.

"With world-class courses opening all the time, I would revise that to say that you’d need to return every few years to do the place justice.”

The perfect place to chill out for a day or two in Tasmania

It is hard to imagine a more idyllic location for a country retreat than that enjoyed by Laid Back Manor in southern Tasmania.

Surrounded by forests and bordered by a rivulet occupied by platypuses, this couples cabin is located in the Pelverata Valley, which is so off the beaten track that many Tasmanians would struggle to place it on a map.

We are just 30 minutes from Hobart but in a world of tranquillity on one of the island state's roads less travelled.

Laid Back Manor can be found between the hamlets of Pelverata and Kaoota (neither of which has so much as a village store) on the border of the Huon Valley and Kingborough.

The sounds here are those of wild birds, the sights of wild country - and a range of local wildlife, including possums, pademelons and spotted quolls.



Laid Back Manor was created by a couple of born and bred Tasmanians - hands-on duo Kylie Quilliam and Adam Marthick - and is much more than just a place to chill out for a night or two.

As well as being close enough to Hobart to be a base for exploring the capital of the Apple Isle, the property is also home to an 18-hole pitch-and-putt course, a weddings and venues site and, soon, a massage and yoga centre.

Within a short drive you can find wineries, cider producers, art trails and spectacular waterfalls, along with roadside honesty stalls selling local produce.

The pleasures here are simple ones; a luxurious bed (one of the most comfortable I have tried) dominates a well-equipped cabin with excellent kitchen facilities and a well-thought-out bathroom with excellent shower.

 


There are enough kitchen gadgets to keep the fussiest cook happy; from nutribullets to a convection microwave.

Inclusions feature wifi with unlimited data (although it was a little temperamental when I stayed), that glorious bed, electric blankets, hot water bottle, reverse-cycle air-conditioning and an outdoor swinging couch with cushions, heated blanket and overhead heating - perfect for summer slumbers, or night-time wildlife spotting.

The kitchenette has a hot plate, that convection microwave oven, air fryer, toaster and kettle, as well as an espresso machine and coffee pod machine.

Chopping boards, all cutlery and crockery, glasses and pots and pans are provided, along with umbrellas for rainy days and other necessities of life like cooking oil, salt and pepper, tea bags, sugar sachets and an emergency jar of chocolates.

There is even a golf buggy that the less mobile can use to explore the golf course and creek bank.  

 


Walkers will find plenty of rugged native bushland through which to trek, while bird watchers have a wide range of species to spot.

There is firepit right on your doorstep should you fancy dining al fresco, and while there is no TV or sound system, the changing light reflecting on the trees at night proves mesmerising. Bring a book. 



The pitch-and-putt course is essentially a very small golf course with no fairways, so every shot is either a pitch, chip or putt.

You can play an 18-hole circuit over 10 small, but challenging, greens. Each hole is a par three, varying in distance from 29 to 86 meters and it takes around 45 minutes to complete a round.

Kellaway’s Creek passes through the course and is in play on multiple holes. Adam has plans to hold monthly competitions here.



Adjoining the golf course (clubs and balls are provided, along with scorecards) there is a sculpture garden with some of the artworks lit up at night - and there is also an in-ground trampoline for more active visitors, as well as a pet duck that is happy to be hand fed.

I particularly enjoyed sitting on the banks of the creek, trying to spot trout (success!) and the platypus (failure).

The events area can cater for groups of up to 30 guests with a moveable marquee available on-site.

Retreats and workshops, team building exercises and acoustic music performances can all but catered for.

A superb spot to chill out for a day or two and the owners are on hand if you need them, but you can also opt for complete privacy should that be your preference.

For details and bookings see www.laidbackmanor.com.au.    

# The writer was a guest of Laid Back Manor.

    

 

      

Enjoy a weekend wine experience at a world-class golf course in Tasmania

Halliday Wine Companion is launching the inaugural Halliday Barnbougle Cup in Tasmania from May 14-16. 

The luxury weekend will pair fine wines with a stellar golfing experience, offering guests the opportunity to play on Tasmania’s Barnbougle courses by day and dine on fresh, locally-sourced produce by night.

Guests will enjoy a four-course food and wine masterclass complete with matched highly rated wines and expert insights from host and Halliday tasting team member, Ned Goodwin, MW. 

Goodwin (below) is a former dux of the Len Evans Tutorial, Japan’s first Master of Wine and ex-sommelier of the Michelin-starred Veritas restaurant in New York. Tickets retail for $1350 per person.

Barnbougle is located on the north-east coast of Tasmania and is home to two of the top-100-rated courses in the world: Barnbougle Dunes and Barnbougle Lost Farm.

There’s plenty on offer for non-golfers looking to enjoy the weekend away, too. Golf may be replaced with other experiences including wellness treatments at Barnbougle’s Spa 180, or a trip to one of the region’s award-winning cellar doors. 

Packages include a Halliday welcome pack, 2 x nights accommodation at Lost Farm Lodge; 

18 holes on Lost Farm – or 60-minute Taster Treatment at Barnbougle's Spa 180; 18 holes on The Dunes – or 60-minute Relaxation Treatment at Spa 180; casual dinner on Friday evening in the Sports Bar, including Halliday-rated wines; four-course dining experience at Lost Farm Restaurant matched with highly-rated Halliday wines; boutique spirit tasting and breakfast and lunch daily. 

For more information contact the Barnbougle reservations team at reservations@barnbougle.com.au or phone (03) 6356 0094.