Sports Illustrated moves into the resort business

Sofitel? Hyatt? Hilton? Or Sports Illustrated?

Yes, you read that right.

Sports Illustrated wants to be more than a magazine for sports fans. It also wants to be a resort brand, Travel Post and the Nashville Post reported.

In an example of cross promotion, Sports Illustrated Resorts says it is "bringing a whole new game to college towns and fan-favourite destinations across the country". The US that is.

The promotional guff says: "Picture multiple stories of legendary amenities and signature spaces that deliver game-day vibes in an iconic setting. Whether cheering for your team or enjoying time together, this is an escape into a world where sports reign supreme - and your favourite season never ends."

Travel + Leisure Co. this week announced announced that its new Sports Illustrated Resorts brand will expand with a new opening in Nashville, Tennessee, next year.

The new property, which was previously an apartment block, has a prime location on Music Row in the heart of midtown, convenient to downtown Nashville.

The hotel will offer amenities such as a resort-style outdoor pool, a quick-service dining venue and an exclusive lounge for members. Other highlights will include a signature fitness centre.

"Nashville is a city where the thrill of game day and the energy of live entertainment go hand in hand," said Geoff Richards, chief operating officer at Travel + Leisure Co., said in a statement. 

"With this new resort, sports enthusiasts can enjoy that same excitement at a resort built specifically for them, offering a place where game-day culture meets iconic sports storytelling."

Nashville is home to the Tennessee Titans NFL team, the Nashville Predators ice hockey team and Nashville SC soccer team..

Travel + Leisure Co.'s Sports Illustrated Resorts brand is also set to break ground on a new property in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, in spring 2026.

The brand's US debut comes on the heels of a venture in the Caribbean, where the iconic magazine lent its name to a resort in Cap Cana, Dominican Republic. 

Ironically, the magazine has recently laid off staff and reduced publication dates.  

James Halliday announces his retirement

James Halliday AM, Australia's most influential and longest-serving wine writer, today announced his retirement.

Just a month after giving up his weekly column in The Australian newspaper, Halliday issued a statement saying that he will be stepping back from his wine writing and tasting commitments.

"As James steps into this new chapter, he will be using this time to compile a lifetime of wine memories – a project that we look forward to sharing," Wine Companion magazine announced.

"His contribution to the Australian wine landscape is unparalleled, and we would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge his monumental career."

.A co-founder of Brokenwood in the Hunter Valley and founder of Coldstream Hills in the Yarra Valley, Halliday is recognised as having been a major figure in the Australian wine industry for over four decades.

He worked as an author, critic, wine judge and business owner - and his ratings could make or break a wine producer.

“Late last year I made the decision that I was going to seriously cut back on my work commitments,” he said in a statement.

“Having turned 85 I wanted to fully focus on what I want to do, and that is writing about 50 years of great wine dinners I’ve attended or staged.

“This work has no deadline, has no space constraints, and is something that has been simmering in my mind and heart for the past half-decade as my ‘swansong’.

“Recent health issues have made me wish even more for this to have my sole attention.

“So, while my fondness for writing is undiminished, and with my family’s support, I will be quiet on the wine media front until I can share the birth of my last child.”

Halliday wrote his last column for The Weekend Australian on April 6, handing over to Nick Ryan and founded the Halliday Wine Magazine. His annual Halliday Wine Companion is the bible of the Australian wine industry.

Golf courses in Tasmania ace national list

Tasmania may be the smallest state in Australia, but it is home to three of the best five golf courses in Australia, Golf Australia magazine's latest national rankings for 2024 show.

Royal Melbourne's west course took top spot, while another Victorian course, Kingston Heath, was second.

Then came Cape Wickham links on King Island (image) , followed by two Barnbougle courses outside Bridport in the state's north-east.

"Cape Wickham is one of the most visually perfect courses I’ve ever played," said judge Steve Davis."The dramatic views combined with pure surfaces makes it a world-class links course.”

Barnbougle Dunes was ranked fourth, ahead of its younger brother, Barnbougle Lost Farm.

Judge Peter Robertson described Barnbougle Dunes as “the Tasmanian course that started it all. Still one of the best in the country and some of the best-value golf on the planet.”

Judge Adrian Logue said of The Lost Farm: “There really is something about Lost Farm that entices the player into thinking they’re a chance of making a good score. Certainly, great shots are rewarded but the punishment for a poor shot at the wrong time is just as able to cruel a whole round.”

 
The magazine said 163 courses across Australia received votes from its judges over a two-year rolling ranking period.

Other Tasmanian courses to make the list were the Tasmania Golf Club near Hobart Airport at 73,  Royal Hobart Golf Club at 67, "mini" course Bougle Run at 40 and Ocean Dunes on King Island at 17. .  
For the full list see https://www.golfaustralia.com.au/feature/ranking-australias-top-100-courses-for-2024-604333

When a little research might have been a good idea

The first thing you are taught in journalism is to do your research.

Check names, ages and facts.

So it would seem strange, then that a new US-based luxury consumer travel magazine about to launch would choose the name of a magazine that already exists.

Even more peculiar when that magazine publishes in another language and is aimed at the funeral industry. 

OLTRE is to be published by the Global Travel Collection, which bills itself as "the world's largest collection of luxury travel advisors".

ÓLTRE is an Italian word meaning “beyond,” “over,” or “above.” Sometimes "something beyond".

The new magazine plans to publish quarterly, and to be "collectible".

But that might depend on what the good people at the other - long-established - Oltre in Italy have to say.

They are not hard to find. Just go to https://oltremagazine.com.

Oh. And there is also an online Oltre magazine, based in the Netherlands, that sells fashion items. You'll find them here: www.oltre.com/en_NL/oltre-magazine  

No possible confusion, then, when people go looking for OLTRE online.