The ultimate golf and spa travel guide: Kirimaya Golf Resort Spa, Sofitel Krabi Phokeethra Golf and Spa Resort, Klub Golf Bogor Raya, The Vines Resort & Country Club & Peppers Moonah Links Resort
A golf and spa getaway can provide a complete holiday for couples and families. DAVID BOWDEN travels the region to bring you his big five golf and spa destinations designed to suit enthusiasts to a tee.
Many regional golf courses today offer a one-stop travel destination delivering comprehensive luxurious resort living, pampering spa retreats and recreational options for all the family. So, while golfers unwind and work their way from tee to tee, spa-lovers can loose themselves in fabulous body rejuvenation treatments. And when you're done with the me time, take together time into the evening with gourmet dining, a vibrant nightlife, entertainment and many more options.
Kirimaya Golf Resort Spa
WHY GO Nestled in the hills near Khao Yai National Park, Kirimaya Golf Resort Spa (Tel: +66 44 929 999, www.kirimaya.com) is a comfortable two-hour drive northeast of Bangkok. With its championship Jack Nicklaus-designed course, luxurious spa, cool climate and scenic setting, Kirimaya is designed to give you peace of mind and total relaxation. Located at an altitude of 350 metres, the mild weather ensures outdoor activities beat the heat of the lower central plains.
TO DO The exclusive 18-hole championship golf course - touted by Nicklaus as one of Asia's top three courses - enjoys panoramic views of Khao Yai's lush mountain terrain. With five tee positions to choose from, there's a game available for everyone - high handicappers, professionals, ladies and amateurs. The ladies course is 4,875 metres long while the tournament course is a challenging 7,115 metres. After a round of golf, head to the resort's Mayaspa where a rich treatment menu includes the signature foot massages.
For sure golf is the main attraction, but there's also a slew of activities for the family. Visit Khao Yai National Park, where you may recognise the Haew Suwat waterfall featured in the movie The Beach, or for a safari experience try the resort's tented pavilions, lavishly furnished and featuring spacious open deck ponds and sunken baths.
WHY GO Enjoying a prime setting on Klong Muang Beach in Krabi, the Sofitel Phokeethra Krabi Resort's (Tel: +66 75 627 800, www.sofitel.com) elegant Colonial and spacious design combines western luxury with traditional Thai architecture.
TO DO Just a chip shot away from the Andaman Sea, the hotel boasts three restaurants, five bars, a 7,000 metre square swimming pool, a fitness centre and a children's playground. The
ultimate indulgence awaits you at the in-house Le Spa. Try the highly recommended Le Spa Parisian Beauty Ritual or opt for soothing, traditional Thai spa therapy.
The nine-hole course is deceptive as it looks compact from the first hole but weaves through the foothills with the fourth, sixth and eighth holes barely discernable from the first tee. While just 1,369 metres, the par 28 course offers holes distanced between 95 metres and 265 metres. All holes are par three except for the par four, fourth.
From the first tee, drive southwards but not too far as balls can drop into the water off the beach. Intelligence and accuracy are of course paramount as the course contains hard-to-read breaks. 
Klub Golf Bogor Raya
WHY GO Elegant, sophisticated, yet rustic Klub Golf Bogor Raya (Tel: +62 251 827 1888, www.bogorraya.co.id) is the epitome of Indonesia's lush hillside greenery. Designed by leading Australian course Architect, Graham Marsh, aged pine trees line the signature 18th hole and are studded throughout the course.
TO DO Play the entire course to truly appreciate and understand why Golf Digest ranks the par 71 course as Indonesia's fourth best. Dine at the Tondano Restaurant and get in a bit of shopping at the pro shop. If you're looking for some downtime, take in a massage and reflexology session or sweat it all out in the sauna. And later cosy-up in your comfy Javanese-inspired rooms for a bit of rest and relaxation.
For more extensive spa treatments head to the Oasis Spa at the adjoining Novotel Bogor Resort (Tel: +62 251 827 1555, www.novotel.com). Indulge in a signature two-hour Bogor Discovery which includes a body massage, scrub and herbal bath. Take advantage of the cool evenings with a walk around Novotel's tropical gardens.
The Vines Resort & Country Club
WHY GO There are many courses close to the Perth in Western Australia and the Mediterranean weather ensures a favourable climate year-round. The Vines Resort & Country Club (Tel: +61 8 9297 0777, www.vines.com.au) is surrounded by the magnificent Swan Valley wine region and has hosted Australia's most expensive golf classics. Its name rolls off the lips of many a visitor for its picturesque 36-hole layout and idyllic bush land setting, home to many roaming kangaroos.
TO DO The Graham Marsh and Ross Wilson-designed course is considered one of Australia's best and Western Australia's premier championship course. Both the Lake and Ellenbrook courses feature large bunkers, grassy hollows and strategically-placed lakes. Test yourself at both the par 72, 6,494 metre-long Lake course and the par 72, 6,561 metre-long Ellenbrook course.
Just minutes from The Vines, spend a day of absolute indulgence at the Chakra Tanning & Beauty Day Spa in the Novotel Vines Resort Hotel (Tel: +61 8 9297 3000, Email: res2@vines.com.au). The spa makes use of Pevonia products and offers treatments such as waxing, massage, tanning and beauty therapies. If you're with your partner, book the couples' room for some extra privacy.
And the fun doesn't stop there! Explore local wineries, taste gourmet food, visit art galleries and take advantage of the Resort's many facilities including tennis and squash courts, an outdoor swimming pool, a terrace barbeque area and a well equipped gym. Round up your day with a glass or two of local Western Australian wine as you watch inquisitive kangaroos grazing on the Resort grounds.
WHY GO Melbourne has earned an enviable reputation as Australia's premier city to indulge in food and wines. Several wine regions are close to the Victorian capital and although Yarra Valley is the best known, Mornington Peninsula is a must-visit region producing premium
red and white wines thanks to the cooler climate of southern Victoria.
TO DO Peppers Moonah Links Resort (Tel: +61 3 5988 2000, www.peppers.com.au) at Mornington Peninsula is one of Australia's most unique leisure resorts combining two 18-hole championship golf courses, an endota spa, which dishes up organic body treatments, facials and massage therapies, and luxury accommodation options.
The ultimate destination for golf aficionados, the Thomson, Wolveridge and Perrett-designed course is home of the Australian Open and features ancient dunes covered with shrubby tea trees. Ever-present sea breezes can be an obstacle as you manoeuvre the course but the fairways are wide and forgiving. There are two link-styled courses covering 196 hectares - the very challenging Open Course and the friendlier Legends Course. In 2003, the Open Course became the first purpose-built course to stage the Australian Open. At 6,783 metres, it's one of the country's longest courses and handicapped players merit an extra eight strokes here just to return par. The Legends Course is a tribute to past Australian golfing legends and has more generous fairways and gentler putting surfaces. According to course architect Ross Perrett it's a fun course but no push over.
A trip to Peppers is incomplete without a spa experience at the endota spa featuring five fabulous treatment rooms and two spas for soaking. Try the signature Drenched treatment which lathers you in a blend of hot aromatherapy oils, honey and clay. Bliss seekers will enjoy the Be-All-End-All treatment involving a four-hour session of body cleansing, exfoliation, massage and facial.
Mornington Peninsula is also famous for fishing, boating, horse riding, bushwalking, historic parks and food and seasonal wine festivals. You can also take a day trip to
the charming nearby towns at Portsea and Sorrento.
The Finder & MANILA SPECIAL Get in the swing with golf and spa packages at Dusit Thani Makati, Philippines. Mention The Finder for a 10 percent discount on all a la carte treatments and selected spa products. Tee off for golf with Dusit's best rates and one round of golf (18 holes) per stay. Tel: +62 2 238 8888, www.Dusit.com Valid until November 30.
Posted on Oct 2011
