Take a Swing at Unlimited World-Class Golf and Bring the Kids...Orlando World Center Marriott Resort Golf Package is a Big Hit

ORLANDO, Fla., Jul 31, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Bring the entire family and take a swing at world-class golf on the 18-hole championship Hawk's Landing Golf Club, located right outside the atrium lobby of the Orlando World Center Marriott Resort. From $249-$409 per room, per night now through January 1, 2009, the golf package includes:
-- One night's deluxe accommodations at the Four-Diamond Resort
-- Unlimited daily golf for two
-- Kids 15 and under play free with parents after 3:00 pm and get free club rental
-- Breakfast buffet for two in Solaris restaurant
Wrapping around the resort's 200 tropical acres, the par-71, 6,600+ yards course, with four sets of tees, brilliantly engineered by Robert Cupp Jr., offers players the opportunity to walk this green masterpiece. The layout challenges the heart and soul of every player with strategically placed bunkers and water hazards on 15 holes, including the entire back nine. The Bill Madonna Golf Academy, led by Bill Madonna, one of Golf Magazine's Top 100 Teachers, and his skilled team of professionals are ready to help any family member "par-fect" their game. Hawk's Landing Golf Club is also a Callaway partner and features an award-winning golf shop with the latest equipment, a driving range and an extensive practice facility.
There is something for everyone at this family-friendly vacation destination. The resort is home to one-million gallons of liquid refreshment encompassing the adventurous lagoon-shaped pool with its 106-foot curvy waterslide, secluded spa pool, indoor pool, two children's pools and six whirlpool spas. Experience the full service Spa, Har-Tru lighted tennis courts, basketball and volleyball courts and 10 diverse restaurants and lounges including a food court, and a Starbucks(R) for families on the go.
The Orlando World Center Marriott Resort is located 1.5 miles from Walt Disney World(R) and just minutes from SeaWorld(R) Orlando, Discovery Cove(R), Aquatica(TM), and Universal Studios(R) Orlando. For more information or reservations, call 888-99-WORLD and ask for rate code GOF, or visit www.worldsbestvacation.com.
Packages are based on availability and commissionable to travel agents.
SOURCE: Orlando World Center Marriott Resort

Sea Trail Golf Resort in North Carolina Boasts Top 100 Golf Course

The Jones course at Sea Trail Golf Resort & Convention Center, located in Sunset Beach, N.C., was named one of the top 100 courses along the North Carolina coast by the North Carolina Golf Panel. The Panel’s rankings were reported in the April issue of Business North Carolina magazine in a special section spotlighting the state’s 100 best courses.

Sea Trail's Jones Course is ranked number 64 among the state's Top 100, making it a part of a prestigious list that includes Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club, the site of the 2006 U.S. Women's Open and the renowned Pinehurst No. 2.

"We are very excited to be included in Business North Carolina's Top 100" said Tom Plankers, President of Golf at Sea Trail Golf Resort & Convention Center. “It’s important to us that our guests and members know Sea Trail is ranked with the best North Carolina has to offer. We make every effort to offer a great golf experience and it is gratifying to see that the panel members appreciate our effort.”

The Jones Course debuted in spring 1990. Its namesake, Rees Jones, has earned the nickname “The Open Doctor” for his redesign of courses that were preparing to host major championships. He has remodeled seven U.S. Open venues, five PGA courses, three Ryder Cup sites, and one Walker Cup course. Jones, who is the son of the “father of modern golf course architecture,” Robert Trent Jones, skillfully applied his knowledge and experience in the design of his course at Sea Trail.

The Business North Carolina rankings are based on survey results from the North Carolina Golf Panel. Panel members can only vote on courses they have played.


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About Sea Trail Golf Resort & Convention Center
Sea Trail is a 2000-acre golf resort and residential community with three courses of distinction and the largest convention facility on the North Carolina coast.

A popular location for meetings and conventions, Sea Trail has over 60,000 square feet of meeting and function space. Sea Trail was the host site for the 2003 and the 2007 Governor’s Conference on Tourism.

The recreational heart of Sea Trail is its three courses designed by Dan Maples, Rees Jones and Willard Byrd. Other amenities include a Village Activity Center with indoor and outdoor pools and whirlpools, an on-staff licensed massage therapist, supervised children’s activities and Magnolias Fine Food & Spirits. Sunset Beach, known for its extraordinary beauty and serenity, is a short drive east of Sea Trail. In addition, a huge variety of entertainment, shopping, nightlife and cultural opportunities are just south of Sea Trail along the Grand Strand.

Sea Trail is located in Sunset Beach, N.C., which is between Wilmington, N.C. and Myrtle Beach, S.C. More information is available online at www.seatrail.com or by calling 888-675-9237.

Web Site: http://www.seatrail.com

Contact Details: Sea Trail Corporation
80 Mill Pond Rd.
Sunset Beach, NC 28468
888-675-9237

Sun Valley Resort Announces Opening Date for White Clouds

SUN VALLEY, Idaho -- Sun Valley Resort – North America’s first ski resort and home to a large array of upscale, family friendly amenities – announces it will open its new White Clouds Golf Course on Monday, Aug. 11.

Tee times are now being accepted and can be booked by calling 208-622-2251.

Additionally, Sun Valley will open “The Clubhouse” on Wednesday, Aug. 20. A beautiful, 58,000-square-foot stone and wood structure, The Clubhouse will serve as both the pro shop for Sun Valley’s two golf courses in summer, and the Nordic Ski operations in the winter. It also contains a restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating on The Clubhouse’s three-sided deck. Deck views include the surrounding mountains, the new practice facility and the new 18-hole putting course.

Designed by Donald Knott, a longtime chief architect for Robert Trent Jones Jr., the White Clouds Golf Course is an “Alpine links” design which rises up 300 feet from Sun Valley’s mile-high-plus base. However, the elevation changes occur primarily between the holes on White Clouds, which enable panoramic views and lessen blind shots to virtually nil.

Sun Valley, which has its own airport (SUN) and offers commercial and private jet service, will also unveil a new, 25-acre practice facility and 18-hole putting course named Sawtooths (patterned after the Himalayas putting course at St. Andrews), likely in September.

The Sun Valley Pavilion is scheduled to open Aug. 3 and will be home to the Sun Valley Summer Symphony, the world’s largest privately funded, free-admission concert series.

The existing Trail Creek Course at Sun Valley – named after the creek that traverses the course seven times – is a parkland-style design with narrow fairways bordered by beautiful Cottonwood trees. Originally opened in 1937, the course was redesigned by Robert Trent Jones Jr. and Knott, his lead architect, in 1978-79.

For more information about Sun Valley Resort call 800-894-9941 or visit www.sunvalley.com.

About Sun Valley Resort

There can only be one original ski resort and since 1936 Sun Valley has held that distinction. Born out of a desire to bring the mystique of the European ski resorts to America, Sun Valley quickly became a phenomenon without peer on this continent or any other.

America’s first destination resort, where the world’s first chairlift was engineered, Sun Valley was built to enchant the nobility and celebrity of the day. Today the patina of old world charm blends beautifully with everything modern, easily accessible with non-stop daily air service.

Originated in 1936 by Union Pacific Railroad, Sun Valley is located in the Northern Rockies region of south central Idaho and is open year-round with four distinctly beautiful seasons. There are more outdoor recreations here than any other destination resort in the U.S.

Sun Valley Resort is privately owned by the R. Earl Holding family, owners of Sinclair Oil Corporation. Sister properties include Snowbasin Ski Resort, Grand America Hotel, Little America Hotel and Towers, all SLC, UT., Westgate Hotel, San Diego, CA, Little America Flagstaff, AZ, Little America, WY, and Little America, Cheyenne, WY.

MEDIA CONTACTS

Dan Shepherd, Buffalo Communications, 703.891.3320, dshepherd@buffalocommunications.com

Rob Thomas, Buffalo Communications, 330-696-1476, rthomas@buffalocommunications.com

Innisbrook Offers New Family Walking Course

Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club is reaching out to families this summer with tremendous values on their spacious, condo-style suites, and the opening of a new 9-hole family walking course. In partnership with NIKE, the Fox Squirrel family walking course was created for all ages – no golf skills required. This 9-hole, par 32, 850 yard walking course, will open at 4 pm each afternoon (beginning Memorial Day Weekend) at no charge to resort guests, providing the perfect option to get the whole family together to relax and enjoy the great summer weather. Guests can also play miniature golf, take daily golf and tennis clinics (junior clinics are offered as well as adult) and sharpen their putting skills on a 9-hole natural grass putting course. This new family recreation area also offers shuffleboard, basketball and beach volleyball and all of these activities are offered at no charge. Families are also sure to love the NIKE Golf & Tennis Shop offering a complete line of junior’s golf, tennis and resort wear and accessories, as well as club rentals for adults and juniors of all ages from toddlers to teens for a nominal fee. Kids can even keep their Nike golf ball at the end of the day as a souvenir of a great time together.

“It’s all about keeping families together and creating great summer memories,” stated Innisbrook’s Managing Director Chuck Pomerantz. “Our suites are like having your own condo for your stay so you’re very comfortable and you’ve got our new complementary family recreation area that will make having a great time together truly effortless.”

Staying in a cramped hotel room will no longer be a consideration with Innisbrook’s Sweet Spot vacation packages starting as low as $149 per night for a comfortable suite with a full kitchen and private balcony or patio overlooking the golf courses and natural landscape). This special suite rate is available from May 22 – October 1, 2008.

In addition to all the fun in the new Family Golf and Recreation Center, resort guests can soak up the summer sun with swimming in one of six pools at the resort, including the Loch Ness Monster Pool with two winding waterslides, cascading waterfalls, sandy beach areas for castle building and poolside games, music and dining. Bike riding throughout the resort’s wooded 900+ acres is always a family favorite as well as lakeside fishing, jogging, a stroll down the Nature Walk, or tennis on any of 11 Har-tru clay courts, lighted for evening play. Innisbrook’s four championship golf courses are always a guest favorite including Copperhead, the PGA TOUR players’ favorite courses to play in Florida, and the newly renovated Island course. Junior golfers play for FREE with a paying adult all summer long.

If adults are looking for 18 holes of championship golf or a tennis match on their own, or maybe just some quiet time poolside, the kids are sure to enjoy CAMP INNISBROOK for supervised fun for ages 3-11. Activities include games, arts and crafts, swimming and special activities at the Loch Ness Monster pool, golf and tennis clinics, nature explorations, Tye-Dye parties, and much more. When making reservations be sure to ask about special themed weekends at the resort as well as the popular July 4th Sweet Spot package including a delicious barbeque and an amazing fireworks display.

Innisbrook is also just minutes from local attractions, such as Busch Gardens Amusement Park and beautiful area beaches including Caladesi Island – the #2 rated beach in America. To make you summer reservations at Innisbrook call 800-456-2000, or visit the web site at www.innisbrookgolfresort.com.

Situated on 900 wooded acres of rolling hills and 70 acres of lakes on Florida’s Gulf Coast near Tampa, Florida, Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club is located just 30 minutes from Tampa International Airport and gorgeous Gulf Coast beaches. Innisbrook features 72 holes of championship golf, 620 spacious guest suites and rooms, four restaurants and three bars, the Innisbrook Golf Institute, 11 tennis courts, fitness and racquetball center, six heated swimming pool complexes, a nature preserve, and three conference halls with 65,000 square feet of meeting space. Innisbrook is owned and managed by Salamander Hospitality, a privately owned and operated company based in Middleburg, VA, just outside Washington, DC and built upon a uniquely entrepreneurial approach to the hospitality business. For additional information call (727) 942-2000 or visit www.innisbrookgolfresort.com.

Dominican Republic Golf Resorts

In the massive new Cap Cana residential and vacation development in the Dominican Republic, the first of three Jack Nicklaus Signature courses, Punta Espada, is open, and a second, Las Iguanas, opens later in 2008. Punta Espada has already hosted a PGA Champions Tour event. Eight holes hug the oceanfront, with views of miles of dazzling white sand beaches and a busy new marina. The $500 million master plan includes the largest inland mega yacht marina in the Caribbean, a village of boutiques and restaurants, a luxury spa, tennis complex, beach club, polo grounds, casino, Trump Farralon estates, a Ritz-Carlton resort hotel and residences, and more.

Golf Resort News

The 18-Hole Prospector Golf Course, designed by Palmer Course Design Co., is part of Suncadia, a new 6,300-acre resort community in Roslyn, Wash., 80 miles from Seattle. The Inn at Suncadia opened last August with 14 guest rooms, four suites, and 5,000 square feet of meeting and event space, accommodating up to 150 people. www.destinationhotels.com

The upcoming grand opening on September 9 of Rosen Shingle Creek is big news in Orlando. The 1,500 guest rooms and suites will feature 32-inch, flat-screen TVs with connectivity panels for laptop, iPod, and other devices. The TVs feature NXTV technology for setting up restaurant reservations, spa appointments, or tee times, as well as access the Internet to view meeting schedules. The technology also allows guests to use broadcast messaging if attending a convention, and for accessing an e-mail address issued during their stay. The resort's 250,000 square feet of meeting space includes a 95,000-square-foot, column-free ballroom. The 13,000-square-foot Spa at Shingle Creek will have nine treatment rooms. Golfers can tee off at the resort's David Harmon — designed, 18-hole, par-72 course, which opened in December 2003. www.rosenshinglecreek.com

In Brewster, Mass., ClubCorp-managed Ocean Edge Resort & Club on Cape Cod is embarking on a complete redesign of its 18-hole PGA Championship golf course by the Nicklaus Design Group. The redesign will begin with the back nine, leaving the front nine playable until it's their turn. www.oceanedge.com

The 330-room Celtic Manor Resort, 90 minutes from London and 30 minutes from Cardiff, Wales, well known for its three championship parkland golf courses, has been awarded a 5-Wave grading (equivalent to a five-star rating for a hotel) from the British International Spa Association for its Forum Spa. The Forum Spa has 16 treatment rooms. A satellite spa, The Clarins Health Spa, opened in January in the two-story lodge clubhouse with six treatment rooms. The resort's conference center has 24 meeting rooms accommodating from 10 to 170 people, as well as the Caernarfon Suite, which can accommodate 1,500. www.celtic-manor.com