My arrival to Sunny Hill, a ‘rural city with no neighbors,’ was a bit cloudy but the rest of the visit was all sunshine!

Sunny Hill Resort & Golf Courses is only 123 miles from my childhood home at 2 Florence Street in Binghamton, New York. Why it took me five decades to find it I will never know but I am happy I did. Let me tell you why. My first sense of Sunny Hill was driving past the ‘Top of the Hill’ driving range and thinking that Einstein must have come up with the name since it was perfect. As I drove into Sunny Hill, even though it wasn’t completely sunny overhead I felt completely bright within. What is great about the ‘East Coast Golf Journey, is that I am discovering golf resorts close to home right in my own back yard. Granted, the whole East Coast is my backyard since I live in Florida and have land to build a summer home  on Mount Prospect, not far from where I grew up, in Binghamton . If you are from the Metropolitan New York-New Jersey area or Upstate New York and Pennsylvania here is the top-of-the-list option for a ‘Drivation,” a vacation near home that you can easily drive to. Actually Sunny Hill is centrally located for the entire Northeastern United States. Enough of the logistics, let me tell and show you why there is a magical vacation awaiting you at Sunny Hill.

With the present day Nicholsen owner & operating family—Wayne, Gail and Gary from left-to-right.

This is not a five-star resort but it is a resort with five stars—Gary, Wayne, Gail, Aunt Flory and You! Why you? I was the newest member of the Nicholsen family. You are the next.  Gary, Wayne, and Gail are the children of Mae and Arnold Nicholsen who transformed a dairy farm to the foundation of today’s family and golf resort. Aunt Flory is Mae’s sister and a gem to meet at age 97. You will meet her later and hopefully in person soon as she is a vintage woman in all regards.

With the Theil family from New Hampshire in the spacious and modern Garwayne Dining Hall.

I arrived mid afternoon after the lunch hour. Gail was very accommodating and saved a lunch for me. That shrimp scampi was as tasty as all the other meals I enjoyed in the Garwayne Dining Hall, which is named after Gary and Wayne. I met father Erik and son Christian Gundersen who literally arrived hours before at JFK from their home in Norway. The 8 unit Arendal guest lodging is named after  the hometown in Norway of founder Peter Nicholsen who purchased the land in 1920. There is a strong Norwegian and Viking presence epitomized with the Viking Obstacle Course and an annual Race Weekend. I met Thor, Gail’s husband, and I think he is a viking—tall, big, strong a man as I have ever seen. I know what you are wondering—the boys got something named after them, what about Gail? Lake Loree, a 15-acre recreational paradise for the young and old kids alike, was created and named after Gail Loree Nicholsen, seven years before the new dining hall arrived at Sunny Hill.

CLICK here for a VIDEO INTERVIEW with Sunny Hill guest Joe DeAngelis.

First green on the Sunny Hill course with the Edmonton and tennis courts in the background.

I was having such a good time I almost forgot about the golf- not! Remember this is Andy’s Golf & Travel Diary, where one is traveling to the golf wherever it may be! After enjoying my special lunch and checking into my room at the Edmonton, I grabbed my clubs and walked 200 yards to the Sunny Hill golf course clubhouse. I could have just as easily pitched a ball to the first green as the front nine encompasses most of the resort buildings. The back nine was added in 1989 and with the acquisition of Thunderhart, a nearby 18-hole championship layout, in 2005 Sunny Hill became the only family operated resort in New York State with 36 holes of golf. The onsite course is a beginner type course with a par of 66 and the longest hole, the 425-yard par-5 13th. It is perfect for beginners and the occasional golfer like Joe DeAngelis in the video interview above who only plays golf when he is up from Long Island at Sunny Hill.

CLICK here for a VIDEO INTERVIEW with Kevin Smith, the Director of Golf at Sunny Hill.

With Kevin Smith, the Director of Golf at Sunny Hill, in a very special place, the 5th tee at Thunderhart.

Thunderhart will challenge any golfer’s game with a variety of holes and one very special hole—the highest, with the best view—the short par-4 5th hole. On that tee is a monument to Bill Gressick the PGA of America Golf Professional at Pleasant View Golf Course from the very first day of operation in the Fall of 1968 and for the next 15 years thereafter. Pleasant View, while quite appropriate, was Thunderhart’s original name, but not Viking enough for the Norwegians of Sunny Hill. The Nicholsen’s are improving the golf experience on Thunderhart’s second nine with the addition of several fairway bunkers. There is lodging at Thunderhart making it the ideal secluded get-away golf trip for good friends, men or women or both that want a more intimate golfing experience. Do you know who else was there on opening day to hit the first tee shot at Thunderhart? The one-and-only-one, the Squire, Gene Sarazen. Wow! One departing golf shot, Director of Golf Kevin Smith has created a NIKE hot spot at Thunderhart. See him for the best deals on NIKE apparel and equipment!

Gary Nicholsen, Mr. Patriot, with Cyvelle `Tinker` Nicholsen at the Lake Party Friday night.

The first time I met Gary Nicholsen was when he was the Master of Ceremonies for my first evening meal in the Garwayne Dining Hall. With this being the last night for the week-long visitors, it was revival-like to celebrate the past week and get pumped up for the Friday Night event—the Lake Party—complete with music, hotdogs, beer, soda, ice cream, “Just for Fun” rides and Fireworks. “Just for Fun” rides? Yes, there’s the real-sized Monster Truck, Fire Truck, Paddy Wagon with the Munsters front end, the Bumble Bee Thing and so many military vehicles that they have to have a separate night for them. I can’t tell you how much fun I had down at the lake party. I had never had a ride in a firetruck before and my father was a city fireman for 25 years. I do remember Dad taking me to the station and letting me sit in the back of the hook-n-ladder—my Kramer experience (Seinfeld Episode 117, The Secret Code). The fireworks, choreographed to patriotic songs like America the Beautiful, God Bless America, Neil Diamond’s Coming to America and Bruce Springsteen’s Born in the USA were inspirational and spectacular to say the least. Gary Nicholsen, in my opinion, is Mr. Patriot and the Sunny Hill Resort is Hometown, USA!

CLICK here for a VIDEO INTERVIEW with Wayne Nicholsen, Snowmobile Hall of Fame Member.

Snowmobile Hall of Fame member Wayne Nicholsen in front of a tribute area in Armae Hall at Sunny Hill.

There is a twist here in that most people head south in the winter to find summer yet Wayne had a summer job in the north and stayed to enjoy sports like snowmobile racing. With an introduction from his older brother Gary, the public face of Sunny Hill, raced for enjoyment and the thrill it generated within him. Thirty years later, 25 years with sponsor Ski-Doo, Wayne Nicholsen was inducted into the Snowmobile Hall of Fame in St. Germain, Wisconsin in 2011. Humble, like his sister Gail and brother Gary, he readily accepts the sport’s highest honor with a great sense of gratitude, pride and amazement. With their children involved in the business and their spouses too and even grandchildren, the whole Nicholsen family has the same perspective when you share a story or a compliment about Sunny Hill. They, as much as their guests, know and appreciate what a special place it is, especially in today’s world of electronic gadgetry and living in the next moment. Life will always be about the spirit behind the curtain and living in the present moment, something you can surely do at Sunny Hill.

CLICK here for a VIDEO INTERVIEW with Aunt Flory at Sunny Hill Resort.

We are both well seated for an interview with dear, precious & beautiful Aunt Flory at Sunny Hill.

There were many highlights in my visit to Sunny Hill. The present day story of and my visit to Sunny Hill would not be complete without meeting 97-year old Aunt Flory. Mae’s sister is an incredible person. What a precious person is the lady who sat on my lap for the interview! Quite outspoken and to the point, you will have to meet her in person, if you haven’t already, to know what I mean! What an insightful interview she gave me though I had to edit the 15 minutes or so down to only two or three. Sunny Hill is a family place and what family doesn’t cherish their nonagenarian!

There is a bell outside the dining hall that is rung by the children at Sunny Hill every day as a signal that it is time for dinner. It reminded me of my Mom opening the door and yelling that it was time to come home for supper. The bell was taken from the one-room schoolh0ouse that Arnold Nicholsen attended as a child. It rings loud and clear. I think it is appropriate that the video interview above with Aunt Flory ends with children ringing the bell. Maybe that is the ultimate story of Sunny Hill? Aren’t we suppose to become childlike in our older years? The connection and sharing that takes place at Sunny Hill may be Story No. 1. What a wholesome, beautiful, human activity we all can benefit from doing more of.  I concur with the sentiments of guest Francis Pabst from Ramsey, New Jersey who wrote in a poem—”Take me back, if you will to that sweet Sunny Hill.” God Bless our great country, Aunt Flory, the entire Nicholsen Family and the Sunny Hill Resort in the Great Northern Catskills!

With Christian & Erik Gundersen & Gary Nicholsen (far R) at dinner the first night.

Enjoyed riding in the ‘Just for Fun’ Fire Truck, though unlike Kramer, I did not get to drive!

This looked like fun but I think I am too tall.

Kevin Smith, now nicknamed Swoosh, is the NIKE Man!

Boy I wanted to ring that bell too! Note the NIKE Thunderhart shirt!

Sunny Hill, always gracious and welcoming. Come back soon or go for the first time! I will see you there!

With brothers James (L) and John (R) who are always in constant motion serving their customers that it was hard to get this picture with them!

When I look for a good golf resort I want a great golfing experience, a bit of golf history,  and a place to have fun. Cronin’s Golf Resort in the Adirondack Park, with its fourth generation of ownership and operation, is all that and more. You will come, you will stay, you will golf and you will make great memories with family and friends, even if it is your first visit like mine was. Like the Adirondack Park, a cabin at Cronin’s is a bit rustic but it is clean and comfortable and your choice of location- off the 18th green or on the bank of the mighty Hudson River is pretty sweet. You will not meet nicer people than, brothers James and John Cronin and their wives Jeanie and Val respectively. Well, I lied there. The rest of the gang from Mo (Maureen) the bartender, to vacationing couples Lois & Tom and Jeanne & Bob, to Rob, the guy I played golf with and allowed me to interview him, they were as nice as James and John. Visiting Cronin’s Golf Resort was a one-of-a-kind fun experience, one I hope to repeat next year, like all the regulars who come back year after year. If you want to experience the Adirondacks, stay and golf at a very reasonable price, this is the place to do it!

You meet the nicest people on the golf course and at Cronin’s that is true to ‘the nth degree.’ I met Rob Riedinger, a man who shows his talent by example in terms of woodworking and home design in the Lake George area. Playing golf with him was an exceptional experience.

CLICK here for VIDEO INTERVIEW with golfer Rob Riedinger at Cronin’s Golf Resort.

Meeting Rob Riedinger for the first time on the first tee. Rob is an exceptional person with a great golf attitude!

There is really no other promotion needed for Cronin’s or the Adirondacks other than this man’s simple, honest and thoroughly experienced testimony in the video interview linked to above. I was impressed with he and his wife’s decision 13 years ago to leave the rat race to raise his family in a wholesome, outdoor, and intimate manner. I identified with his love of the game of golf and the reason why he loves golf—”it’s purely mental, an internal struggle and you don’t have to fight with anybody other than yourself.” I learned a lot about the Adirondack Park—the bubble and 46 peaks. Most importantly I learned more about James and John and how they run and operate Cronin’s Golf Resort. If you lose a club there it will be returned even if it is next season. Like finishing every hole by listening for the sound of the golf ball falling into the cup, Cronin’s leaves no detail of customer delight to chance.

The golf course has many timeless features such as this deceptive bunker on the par-4 dog-leg-left 7th hole.

The face of the business today is brothers James and John Cronin but the golfing legacy of Cronin’s Golf Resort goes back to their grandfather Patrick Cronin, the keeper of the green (forerunner of today’s golf course superintendent) at Glens Falls CC, a 1912 Donald Ross design. Influenced and inspired by the Scot who served an apprenticeship with Old Tom Morris in St Andrews, Patrick designed the front nine of the Cronin Golf Resort course in 1930. His son Robert, James and John’s father, purchased the property in 1945 and added the second nine in 1965. Robert, an  accomplished golfer, would demonstrate the game to young James and John by shooting 31s on the first nine and reach the par-5 fourth hole in two shots. Something neither son, even with teeing up the second shot in the fairway, could duplicate, even to this day. After father Robert became ill and retired, the youngsters took over the operation in 1998 and have never looked back. By reinvesting the profits back into the golf course,they raised several green complexes to be insulated from the whims of the at times vigorous and destructible Hudson River.

CLICK here for VIDEO INTERVIEW with owner/operator James Cronin.

James, after getting a little sun working the golf course, and his wife Jeanine at the bar having fun with their guests, including me!

Father Robert studied turf management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst with noted golf course architect Geoffrey Cornish. Son James also studied at UMass Amherst which is about a 3-hour drive from Cronin’s. That would become the apparent division of golf responsibilities between the sons, although with a lot of overlap. James would take care of the condition of the golf course while John, who studied in the PGA of America program, would take care of the swings of the golfers and together, with family and employees, do everything else. I remember my first conversation on the phone with John who ended it with “come and we will treat you like a farm animal.” James is outgoing, hard working and hilarious though attentive to all the guests at Cronin’s. You can pursue whatever your style of fun is at Cronin’s as long as “your happiness does not come at the expense of anyone else.” You can party at Cronin’s or you can find a quiet place along the Hudson and meditate in your own way. I did laugh when the beer delivery truck driver asked a relevant question in his mind— “does anyone ever play golf here or do they just drink?” I guess we can do both together and separately at Cronin’s.

CLICK here for VIDEO INTERVIEW with owner/operator John Cronin.

John with his hickory clubs. I can’t wait to return and talk more about them and golf history with John.

Brother John is the quieter version of brother James though with the same big heart, love of golf, Cronin’s and especially the guests. John is an accomplished golfer and turned pro at the age of 19. He worked his way up the PGA of America apprentice program for seven years in Florida before returning home to run the business with James when their father became ill. He studied under some great golf professionals on his way up in the golf business including Dr. Gary Wiren, noted amateur golfer, educator, author and swing aid specialist. John is a historian of the game and a collector like me. He brought out some hickory clubs with markings I had never seen before. What impressed me most about John can be seen in his video interview above. His respect and attention to the customer. Notice that in the video there was no hesitation on John’s part to leave the interview and address his customer needs at the counter. He will surely delight you too. Notice too, by his comment, that the golfer is paying for his round after playing it. You can trust you will be treated like family at Cronin’s Golf Resort.

I used the term ‘the nth degree’ and think it apples to Cronin’s Golf Resort in terms of an infinite experience with lots of golf, fun and interesting people. I feel like one of the ‘Cronin’s Chronies’ now. As such, I bestow upon James and John the title of  ‘First Rate & Honorary, ‘to the nth Degree’ Golf Resort in the Adirondacks.’ They are Adirondack Golf at its Best!

Between local golf leagues and resort guests there is always someone interesting to meet in the barroom.

Mo (Maureen) the bartender makes a fun place even more fun!

My cabin was right off the 18th green. Cronin’s is located in the heart of the Adirondacks tourist area only an hour from downtown Albany.

Coach Matt, a Sen Foley look-a-like, with his junior golfers on the Cronin golf course.

Ladies feel welcomed and like playing golf at Cronin’s Golf Resort.

Lovely Lady Gardener Lucy is the reason the grounds are so beautiful at Cronin’s.

Cronin’s Golf Resort, you can’t beat it anywhere in the Adirondacks for value, golf and fun!

Shaftesbury Glen is part of the The Glen Golf Group along with Heather Glen, Glen Dormoch and Possum Trot.

Doesn’t the best golfing experience occur when you go to place that is comfortable, you are engaged by the golf courses and you meet the nicest people? I had that happen to me when I rolled into the Shaftesbury Glen Golf & Fish Club located in West Myrtle Beach, South Carolina on the tale end (I tell tales right?) of my inaugural 5-week, 8-state, 4,231-mile ‘East Coast Golf Journey.’ First of all, I stayed in a Shaftesbury Suite in the Castle Clubhouse right on the golf course. The experience reminded me of Muirfield Village when I stayed in the Jones Villa with the Memorial Garden right outside my door. Not a lot of golf courses offer this option and it is a real treat! I stayed in the Ben Hogan Suite at Shaftesbury Glen.What better way to start a golfing vacation then to be warmly welcomed, then drop your stuff off in your suite and walk a few steps to the first tee? Okay two birdies in the first four holes and a 38 on the first nine holes played is a good start too. I am sold on Shaftesbury Glen Golf & Fish Club and I have not even caught a fish yet!

The par-3 15th at Shaftesbury Glen. Well bunkered elevated bent grass greens make for an exceptional golfing experience. If you can’t make putts here, you can’t make them anywhere Mr. Sinatra.

I met Ryan McCarty, the Director of Operations, at Shaftesbury Golf & Fish Club in the pro shop and later interviewed him in front of the Scottish Castle that is a clubhouse downstairs and five Shaftesbury Suites upstairs. The suites are large! He spoke of owner Paul Himmelsbach and how he caddied as a young lad at Winged Foot Golf Club and brought that type of golf course design to South Carolina. The ownership group of brothers Paul and Jack along with Marvin Arnsdorff started with Heather Glen and Glen Dornoch. Later they converted Himmelsbach family farmland into the Shaftesbury Masterpiece of generous and manicured fairways leading to well-bunkered elevated bent grass greens. Ryan grew up playing golf in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and moved to Myrtle Beach to be in the golf business year round. Though second in the title, the fishing in the Waccamaw River, behind the castle clubhouse is reported to be as good as the golf by golfers and fisherman alike.

CLICK here for a VIDEO INTERVIEW with Ryan McCarty, Director of Operations.

The fairway of the dog-leg-left par-4 2nd hole on the Red Nine. When I think of Heather Glen I think of Tranquility.

After the early morning interview with Ryan (can you tell I was a bit mellow in the interview?), I headed east to play Heather Glen and Glen Dornoch. To play Heather Glen, named the Best New Public Golf Course in 1987 is an extraordinary experience. The golf is tranquil, surreal and challenging but it is the Scottish charm in the atmosphere that will bring me back there. There’s a sense of connection not only with the game of golf and its history but with people. People like Sam Patrick, a beloved friend of owner Paul Himmelsbach. Paul remembers  Sam and shares his spirit with those of us who never met him with a picture and tribute in the pro shop. Sam, a Scot would great golfers in a full dress kilt and give them a hearty welcome with his Scottish accent. A trip to Scotland with Sam and a visit to Royal Dornoch is what inspired Paul’s second course Glen Dornoch. Sam was part of Heather Glen for over 20 years since it first opened to nearly his passing in 2010. The picture remains and so does his spirit at Heather Glen and across Highway 17 at Glen Dornoch.

The green at the par-3 8th on the Red Nine. Hard to pick a favorite hole at Heather Glen but if I had to this is it because I had a deuce here!

I like the plaque on the par-3 4th hole on the White Nine and the memorabilia in the clubhouse for Jim Whelehan’s phenomenal feat. From Rochester, New York he came down on a golfing holiday with the Glens Group and beat all recorded odds by scoring two aces, same hole, same club, same ball, same day on March 1st, 1992. Assuming there were 17 other holes in between the same ball is what is remarkable to me. I played 36 holes in one glorious day (Heather Glen & Glen Dornoch), 8 par-3s and nary an ace. Though I did deuce the long White 8th and par the impossible 17th while being mesmerized by the vast lowlands and the waterway at Glen Dornoch. You know you are good when they have to time stamp your aces on the Hole-In-One plaque in the clubhouse. My consolation prize that day was time stamping my two scorecards. No plaque needed Paul, though tradition has spoken and said “I did the Glens!”

CLICK here for a BEAUTY VIDEO of Glen Dornoch Waterway Golf Links & Wildlife too!

Cruise ship coming by the 18th green at Glen Dornoch.

Glen Dornoch is right on the Waterway which is the Intercoastal Waterway, a.k.a “The Ditch” where I call home in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. Beauty wise, it certainly is no ditch, rather it is an enticing blue passage that links the Atlantic Ocean to the Waccamaw River. Never more beautiful than the stretch near Glen Dornoch. The golf course immediately adjacent to the Waterway include the 8th green, 9th hole, 16th green and the 17th and 18th holes. As exceptional as those views are, my favorites are from above on the tee on the downhill straight-away par- 5 8th hole and from the elevated fairway of the par-4 16th green. Wildlife is abundant here with deer, squirrels and even a woodpecker (see above video) saying hello to me and making my visit to their home special. You will likely see a cruise ship pass by within pitching distance. Big boats passing by is a bit unusual but the nautical feel definitely enhances the golfing pleasure. The 9th & 18th double green complex sits right out in front of the clubhouse with the Waterway as a backdrop. Don’t miss spending some time rocking in the rocking chairs on the veranda and taking in the million-dollar view.

Outside the Shaftesbury Castle Clubhouse with my friend Mitch Laurance.

After some Golf Channel and a restful night of sleep in the suite, I felt inspired to put on my knickers and grad my hickory play set and look for a match. Was it mere coincidence that I met my old (as in long time) Mitch Laurance in the pro shop at Shaftesbury Glen Golf & Fish Club? Or by simple Scottish fate that the golf gods would bring together two lads wearing knickers and brandishing hickory-shafted drivers? No Academy Awards to be given here though the clubs certainly look vintage and deserving like those in The Greatest Game Ever Played. We met and headed to the first tee to put a peg in the ground.

CLICK here for a VIDEO of Hickory Golf played by Mitch & Andy.

Mitch’s gem of a driver, a Jack Whie Sunningdale Special which he drove almost as well as Bobby Jones himself!

Before sailing that feathery down the first fairway courtesy of the Sunningdale Special Express, the voice of hickory golf himself, spoke of his connection to golf history through playing hickory golf. Who can dispute him who yields an authentic 100-year old club created by Jack White same as the driver used by Bobby Jones during his Grand Slam year of 1930.

Sporting my blue and gold checkered knickers I followed the master with a smash of my own. Right down the pretty goes our first tee shots. Hickory golf at its best, two grown men in knickers playing a twosome at Shaftesbury Glen Golf & Fish Club, a.k.a. Hickory Golf Central of the Southeast United States.

I managed to corral the popular golf radio host under a tree for an interrogation of his life, my life and more importantly more insight into Myrtle Beach’s top golfing destinations known simple as the Glens Group—Heather Glen, Glen Dornoch, Shaftesbury Glen Golf & Fish Club and the Glen-less in name only Possum Trot Golf Course.

CLICK here for a VIDEO Interview with Mitch Laurance, Biography & Shaftesbury Style!

With Mitch Laurance (other knicker guy) and Hugh Royer III in front of the new South Carolina Golf Center.

If you have ever listened to or certainly if you have ever met Mitch Laurance you know him as an interesting guy with a cadre of looks, voice inflections and stories to quickly communicate his love of life and golf, especially hickory golf. His Curriculum Vitae includes Woodstock, working on production of Saturday Night Live the first five years of the show, including filling in on stage when needed, then moving to LA to become an actor, which is what brought him to golf.

With a twin brother and a younger brother growing up on Long Island he played all sports, especially baseball but never golf. An actor friend relentlessly encouraged him to try golf and he finally gave in. His friend said he would pick him up at six-thirty the next day to go golfing and Mitch’s response was to question the time since it would be getting dark at that time. He was immediately hooked by his inability to get the ball up into the air. He learned how to and after playing in the Crosby Pro-Am for 16 years and being a regular on the celebrity golf circuit he brought his game back east. Once an actor, always an actor, even though he was up and early for hickory golf at Shaftesbury Glen.

Instructor Hugh Royer, III working with junior golfer Haley Cleary.

Before I left Shaftesbury Glen I met Hugh Royer III, a former PGA TOUR player and renowned instructor. Even though the state-of-the-art teaching facility of the South Carolina Golf Center was still under construction, I was hoping to edge my way in for a “Learn to Golf the Write Way” lesson where I receive needed professional help in return for a featured story about the experience. Understandably that did not happen as father Scott Cleary and his golfing daughter Haley had awaken at 3:45 am over in Lexington, South Carolina and driven 125 miles for a morning of instruction with Coach Hugh. The interaction of student, instructor and father was magical. I could understand why they had come so far as Haley was having fun as juniors in high school do and what I overheard instruction wise seemed brilliant to me. I still don’t understand why I didn’t get priority though, my swing needs a lot of help, her swing looks flawless.

Hugh Royer Jr. was inducted into the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame in 1989. Photo Credit: Georgia Golf Hall of Fame.

Hugh’s father, Hugh Royer Jr. played on the PGA TOUR for 14 years, coached golf at Columbus State and was the block from which Hugh was a chip. The elder Royer, a member of the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame,  won the prestigious Western Open in 1970 while the younger Royer won the Western Amateur in 1987. Both tournaments were first organized by the Western Golf Association starting in 1899. In all that time only Junior and the Third have been a champion father and son combination. Hugh was giving his lesson to Haley in between phone calls with family about his father’s condition. Son left right after his lesson commitment to be with his father who passed on a few days later after a short illness. Life is like golf, sometimes there is a good swing, a good shot played and then a bad bounce at the end. My heartfelt sympathy goes out to Hugh and the Royer family.

Long ago, sports psychologist and noted author, Chuck Hogan gave Mitch a life tip that has stuck with him ever since—‘How you do one thing is how you do everything.”

With that I will close by noting that the folks at Shaftesbury Glen Golf & Fish Club present an immense golfing experience. Staying in their Shaftesbury Suites in a Scottish Castle within a pitch of the first tee box of an impeccable golf course with bent grass greens is unmatched in the Myrtle Beach area. They did that one thing right. Add Heather Glen and Glen Dornoch Waterway Golf Links and you can image the rest!

Played Heather Glen, Best New Public GOlf Course in 1987, with my new friend Brian Gallen.

Dual hole-in-ones, dual membership in Hole-in One Club by Jim Whelehan!

Dinner with my friend Sir Charles at Crab Catchers made for a special ending for a special ‘I did the Glens’ day! The food and atmosphere was even better!

Nature prevails at Glen Dornoch…

When I saw this woodpecker do his thing I could only laugh at myself. With a clear mind my next shot was pure, right down the middle, long and true! Why do we beat our heads against the wall. Just let it happen!

Golf is like life and it is all natural beauty at Glen Dornoch. Nature is saying to me- come back and see me again!

Crady’s Eclectic Cuisine is a nice little place I came across in Conway, SC- tasty homemade lunches and desserts!

That’s all folks!

Royal Isabella is all grown up with La Casa and 20 Casitas and more to come!

Royal Isabela, Heaven on Earth with more to come. I first saw her as a baby toddler back in 2011. Now she is all grown up, a young beautiful woman, with a magnificent future in front of her. Royal Isabela is no different than the highly acclaimed graduate at a commencement exercise. You can see the doctor, the engineer, the lover of life within a vibrant, young and engaging entity of destiny. Three years ago when I visited Royal Isabela she was the location, the golf course and the visionary people building the finest golfing destination of the Caribbean Cosmos. Today our Isabela has gone well beyond where she was then. Royal Isabela is now a ‘home,’ a place to be one with yourself, your mate and nature. There are 20 casitas ready to host you. There is fine dining at La Casa as delectable to the appetite as the setting and views are to the golfing experience. With the spirit of the native Taino present on the land and sea and within you once there, she is Heaven on Earth. Yet she is only beginning, there is more to come, even more intimacy to come than I found on these first two visits. There is more there, past, present and future, than even I could fathom during my two cherished visits. Let me reminisce with you and take you back with me to Royal Isabela to experience all her delights and promises.

The Taino Indian face carved in the rock wall makes the turn to Royal Isabela. You are getting close and can feel her presence.

Whether you fly commercial into San Juan or a private jet into nearby Aguadilla there is a point where you turn the corner on Route 2 and the most beautiful part of all the 300 miles of Puerto Rican coastline lies before you. Where the beautiful blue waters of the Atlantic Ocean transition south to the Caribbean Sea, Isabela sits royally on the cliffs high above the surging waters. She knows her destiny is to welcome guests and share her heritage, peacefulness and beauty with them in a meaningful way. A century ago you could have arrived to this area via the national railroad through the Guajataca Tunnel. Today, take a right at the Taino Indian face carved in the rock wall. Welcome to Royal Isabela!

Like any other ultra highly acclaimed resort it is the people that make the difference at Royal Isabela. The people behind the scenes with the vision and the people one meets face-to-face in the course of a luxury vacation.

Good to see Stanley again and catch up on Royal Isabela’s last three years and her future plans!

For me, and likely for you when you visit, lucky are we who get to meet both. This isn’t going to come out sounding right, but like the golf course, owner Stanley Pasarell,  General Manager Joaquin ‘Tito’ Lopez, Director of Golf Miguel Suarez and Golf Course Superintendent Dean Vande Hei have all gotten better with time! It was good to be with old friends. Stanley looks fantastic and is beaming as any loving parent would be as Isabela continues to grow and mature. Tito, the man behind the scenes is managing better than ever as is evident with your visit to Royal Isabela. All one needs to say about Miguel is that this was the 7th Puerto Rico Open edition of the PGA TOUR on the Enchanted Island and this young man has competed in all seven. With regard to Dean, all one needs to see and play is the golf course in her Open links style condition and you will feel his loving contribution to Royal Isabela.

CLICK here for a VIDEO INTERVIEW with Stanley Pasarell and Dean Vande Hei.

CLICK here for a VIDEO INTERVIEW with Miguel Suarez.

Stanley’s brother charlie was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2013. I have yet to meet him but feel I know him through Stanley and Royal Isabela.

Can you tell I love these guys and this place?

This return trip, staying in the new casitas, upon reflection, was like the difference of visiting friends for dinner and an evening together versus being an exchange student and staying with a family for a few months. Casita No. 15 was my home for a few nights embedded in the golf links and a few steps from fine dining at the Restaurant at La Casa and the wet and wild beach below. Let’s focus on the accommodations, restaurant and golf for now. My interesting and seductive descent to the beach early my last morning there will be the subject of another story.

Plunge pool with an ocean view in each casita!

The casitas are immaculate, perfectly designed and incredibly comfortable. And the view of the Atlantic Ocean from every one is breathtaking. Whether it is opulent functionality or functional opulence it is a sensational experience to reside in the casita neighborhood at ‘Heaven on Earth.’ There is a circular course within each casita- from a bed so comfortable that it must be what it is like for an angel to sleep on a cloud, to the high tech living area, out to the deck with an inviting lounge chair for an afternoon nap, to being immersed in the refreshing private plunge pool, to returning inside via the shower room and through the lavish bathroom back to the open bed space. Second time around there is the door to the swimming pool, lap pool, beach, tennis court, golf course or La Casa. One of the finer, if not the finest, place I have ever stayed and I have stayed in quite a few!

Flashback to 2011 visit. With my buddy Pedro Amengual, golf writer Mike Bailey, Stanley and Tito at a local restaurant. FYI Mike won our match that day but I evened the series in Texas… Match No. 3 TBD…

Three years ago there was only golf and not a bed or plate on the property. Actually that is not true as I stayed with Stanley on my first visit in an existing house that was retrofitted into an office and lodge by the front gate. I also ate at The Grill at the Pro Shop with a beautiful view of the golf course. I still remember sitting there three years ago after playing the first nine eating a tasty panini. But let me tell you that the culinary delights at Royal Isabela rival the casita and golfing experience. It is true that the chef goes out to their farm and garden each morning to see what is ready to harvest. They do cook real food with real heat just in time for your watering mouth to be satisfied.

With Pastry Chef Katiria Nieves Diaz and Chef Jose Carles Fabregao. There food satisfies my hunger and is part of Royal Isabela’s fascination and inspiration!

While playing golf with Stanley he took care to point our the tropical fruit trees in the 5th fairway that bear heart-shaped Corazon. He spoke of their unique taste and evidently picked a few and snuck them into his golf bag sort of like my Dad up at Ely Park. Growing up there was always something in season to be picked- raspberries, apples, mushrooms, you name it! The next morning the ultimate host surprised me with Corazon hearts prepared for me to taste! They were exquisite with a mango-pineapple-pear taste and texture. At the end of the article I have attached a six pictures of the savory and succulent dishes prepared by Chef Jose Carles Fabregao and Pastry Chef Katiria Nieves Diaz. But of course, like sleeping in the bed in the casita, plunging into your own private pool, playing the golf links and absorbing the intimate comfort of Isabela, you will want to taste these and other dishes for yourself.

Aerial view of 17th green. Photo Credit: Royal Isabela (I can’t get as high as John Denver!).

Last, and of course first, in my mind- the golf, the golf, the golf! When Hollywood makes the Royal Isabela movie entitled ‘Heaven on Earth’ I want to play the part of Hervé Villechaize but instead of calling me ‘Tattoo,’ call me ‘Golf Redo Anytime Andy.’ The Tee, The Tee, The Tee! Seriously it is a vision of mine! What can I say but what I said when I first saw, played and experienced the Golf Links at Royal Isabela? I only infrequently use comparisons to other golf courses and always like to go beyond the words ‘awesome, spectacular and incredible’ with more details and texture to my experiences. But you may have experienced two golf courses either in person or while intimately watching others play them on television or seen them in golf picture books. The Golf Links at Royal Isabela, in my opinion, are similar to a combination of Pebble Beach Golf Links and the Old Course at St. Andrews. There I have said it without regret or offense to anyone because it is true.

CLICK here for a VIDEO INTERVIEW & Tour of the Golf Links with Stanley Pasarell.

Did I mention the sunsets on the links were spectacular and romantic for an evening walk upon arrival?

The land, the cliffs, the proximity of and the view of the ocean is similar and even more natural and undeveloped than Pebble Beach. The golf course design, especially on the second nine, albeit only six years old, rival the grounds at St. Andrews. After all haven’t both been in existence the same length of time? Stand on the fairway of the 5th hole near those Corazon heart trees and laid out below you is a V-shaped gorge that centers the beauty of the Atlantic ocean like a vase overflowing with pure blue joy. Take a moment to do a full 360 at the point by the double 12th & 14th green as slow as you can opening each eye as wide as you can. And then do it again with your eyes closed and feel the ocean breeze gentle on your face. Have one day at Royal Isabela of golf, dinner and remember those sights and feelings before you close your eyes in the comfortable bed of a casita and I guarantee you your life will never feel the same.

My apology as I went off a little bit there but I was back at Royal Isabela in my mind as I am writing this. Golf is interchangeable with life for me. Not the sport (and it is a sport) but the inward searching expanse that golf offers to anyone who is open minded enough to view the game as I do. The name of this website should really be ‘Andy’s Golf, Life & Travel Diary.’ Hopefully the subtitle “Inspired by Golf & Life and Sharing My Experiences & Insight” will suffice for the limited digits of the title.

I digress no further at this point on my idiotic, I mean idyllic, life.

Sunrise along the future golf holes on the beach at Royal Isabela.

Royal Isabela is old enough now to have a past, present and future. As far as golf goes you can see her future through that same V-shaped gorge that we see the ocean through on the 5th hole. One day the links and the golfer will continue down that gorge and play three seaside holes, Nos. 6,7 & 8 before reemerging to finish the first nine on the Stanley-Charlie, you choose which green to play, par-5 hole (which is now No. 6) that brings you back to the clubhouse area. The second nine, all links and ocean side on the cliffs, remain the same and the current Nos. 7, 8 & 9 become warm up holes which in of itself is a  master design gem by golf course architect David Plaff and brothers Stanley and Charlie. Those three holes- a memorable dog-leg-right par-4, a strong straightaway par-5 with a green tucked right and protected by water and the island green par-3- are themselves a golf course in miniature. David, Stanley and Charlie didn’t take credit for the complete design. On the scorecard Mother Nature herself is credited. What a design foursome!

CLICK here for a BEAUTY VIDEO of Royal Isabela- the Golf Links, La Casa & View from Casita No. 15.

As far as the future at Royal Isabela, the culinary creations at the Restaurant at La Casa are as unlimited as what the ground can grow. If you are looking for a beautiful place to call home there are 29 homesites embedded amidst the links with a mind sure to preserve the views and sensitive intimacy of Royal Isabela. In that case La Casa truly becomes your home.

Like the migratory ‘Atlantea Tulita’ butterfly that disappears and then reappears at Royal Isabela I hope one day to make my way back to her loving arms. There is no doubt in my mind that she will have blossomed even further. Once onsite and in her enveloping presence she will take me some place new, within and outside myself. I think that is Isabela’s promise. There will be renewal, awakening and inspiration in each guest on every visit.

It has now happened to me twice!

CLICK here to see my 2011 article on my first visit to Royal Isabela.

Pictures below of the culinary delights to be found at Royal Isabela:

Carazon heart fruit was tasty, Note bite taken before picture!

Two massive shrimp like these make a meal! One wonders about the origin of the nickname. There are big shrimp too!

Cordillera Coffee-Crusted Rib Eye, Served with Yucca and Plantain Gratin and Sautéed Organic Chard.

Local Snapper with La Casa Grove Citrus Sauce, Accompanied by River Farm Chayote Slaw and Warm Gatehouse Garden Heirloom Tomato Salad.

Puerto Rican Farm-Raised Rack of Lamb with Acerola Mint Sauce, Served with a Tomato, Eggplant and Zucchini Tart.

For dessert Apple a la Royal Isabela mode!