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Play Time
Whether your sport of choice is GOLF, TENNIS, or CYCLING, there are athletic adventures aplenty — to partake in or to watch — at top spots around the world. Here’s where and why to get in on the action. BY MICHAEL KAPLAN
Few things reveal more about an athlete’s character and prowess than the skills he or she brings to mano a mano sports. The men and women out there on their own, with no teams behind them, relying solely on their wits and skills to win, personify competition in the purest sense.
For those of us who appreciate the sense of accomplishment that comes with breaking personal bests at golf, cycling, and tennis, striving to model ourselves after Phil, Lance, or Monica as we go for the gold with no backup and no safety net if we choke, here is a look at what’s new, where to train like a pro, and where to watch the pros.
GOLF
WHAT’S NEW Golf is an unabashedly old-fashioned sport. We love its traditions and customs. But even the most die-hard classicists know that new technology can enhance a player’s approach to the great game. In fact, it’s no coincidence that the average golfer’s handicap has dropped by two strokes since the early 1990s. Technological innovations account for at least some of that. For example, GPS-driven tools, which include the highly touted SkyCaddie SG5 and the extremely versatile Garmin Approach G5, allow players to ascertain optimal approaches to holes on thousands of courses around the world. Hybrid clubs from companies such as The Bobby Jones Golf Company come outfitted with weight- and angle-adjustment capabilities. And even the lowly golf ball, via makers such as Srixon and Titleist, has benefited from esoteric fixes such as enhanced dimple designs and cutting-edge core and cover materials.
That said, a bag full of high-performance equipment gets you only so far. To really up your game, you’ll need to get out there and swing it.
DO IT At Sea Island Golf Club (seaislandglc.com), located off of a picturesque stretch of Georgia coastline, specialized coaches help you to focus on improving specific aspects of your game. Guests get to play the resort’s spectacular Seaside course, which benefited from a renovation at the hands of star designer Tom Fazio. It’s a tough 18-holer, with a challenging back nine that will become increasingly manageable over the course of your stay there. Specialized instructors who’ve worked with tour pros such as Davis Love III and Lucas Glover focus on your short game, your long game, and your mental game. “We run every player through an assessment, find out what they want to work on, figure out how much they want to improve, and set realistic plans,” says Eric Schneider, vice president of golf operations at Sea Island. “We don’t do golf schools; our programs are individualized in their approach.”
Other spots where you can live the good life while honing your golfing skills take you from the oceanfront of Hawaii to the desert sands of Arizona. Maui’s Wailea Golf Club (waileagolf.com), situated in one of the world’s most beautiful locales, houses three excellent courses and features a branch of the well-regarded David Leadbetter Golf Academy. A few days of instruction at La Costa Golf Academy at La Costa Resort and Spa (lacosta.com) in Southern California will prepare you for successful rounds on their two championship-caliber courses. The Boulders Golf Club (bouldersclub.com) in Scottsdale, Arizona, offers a variety of instructional packages that range from hour-long tune-ups to three full days of intensive training. And in San Diego, The Grand Del Mar’s top-notch golf program will really get your game going (see page 15 for more information).
WATCH IT To see professional play at its finest — and, no doubt, to be inspired to further improve your own skills on the course — you’ll want to attend the Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia. Unfortunately, those tickets are more difficult to snag than 50-yard-line seats at the Super Bowl. On the upside, sports-travel operators such as Premiere Sports Travel (sportstravel.com) and Roadtrips (roadtrips.com) offer Masters packages that can get you so close to Phil Mickelson that you’ll hear the whoosh of his drives. An alternative is to attend the Ryder Cup, a competition in which all-star teams from Europe and the United States play against one another. The Ryder Cup takes place every other year, with venues alternating between Europe and the U.S. Tickets are available via a lottery system. rydercup.com
In the Swing
Plaid pants and polo shirts are always par for the course, but check out this season’s newest patterns, prints, and updated color palette. PHOTO SHOOT PRODUCED BY WILLIAM KISSEL
GET IT CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Puma San Jose visor, $16, puma.com; Antigua golf cap, $15, antigua.com; Tehama polo shirt, $65, argyle sweater vest, $85, and pleated dobby-textured shorts, $50, tehamainc.com; Smith Optics square tortoise Interlock Spoiler sunglasses, $139, smithoptics.com; Footjoy Icon MyJoys custom men’s golf shoes, $270, footjoy.com/myjoys; Walter Genuin women’s golf shoes with kiltie, $450, and golf gloves, $28, www.walter-genuin.com; Callaway FT9 Driver, $450, and NO1 colored club grips, $20 each, available at Compugolf Dallas, compugolfcenter.com; Miura CB-301 forged iron golf clubs, from $1,600, miuragolf.com; Miura by Sun Mountain SL 3.5 golf bag, $225, sunmountain.com; Ruletwentyone pocket towel/ball cleaner, $10, ruletwentyone.com; Footjoy FJ Icon sport saddle men’s golf shoes, $250, footjoy.com; Antigua women’s Desert Dry performance polo shirt, $55, antigua.com; Walter Genuin belted vest, $250, and printed loop capri pants, $250, www.walter-genuin.com
TENNIS
 WHAT’S NEW
Few sports have more aerobic health benefits than tennis. It’s a game that keeps you looking good and thinking clearly, as split-second tactical decisions whiz at you with every swing of an opponent’s racket. The action is fast-paced, and athleticism is a definite requirement. Maybe that’s why so many of us are glued to the set as the pros duel it out during a Grand Slam tournament. And if the pros’ rackets are relatively new, you may be surprised to see the taper of their grips. Back in the days of Jimmy Connors, racket grips commonly measured 4 ½ or 4 inches. Now, though, according to Tennis magazine, grips of 4 ¼ are much more popular. As reported in the magazine, the smaller grip allows players to “snap [their] wrists into ground strokes with more ferocity than Alex Rodriguez smacking a home run.”
DO IT
To get a tennis-playing advantage, check in at The Phoenician (thephoenician.com), a 250-acre resort in Scottsdale, Arizona. Beyond its 1,100-squarefoot suites, The Phoenician boasts 11 tennis courts with surfaces that include grass and Prestige Plexicushion. “We put you in a tennis package that includes an hour of one-on-one instruction daily, and you can use our automated ball machine that has seven settings from beginner to pro. Then we set you up to play against someone at your skill level,” says tennis director Yaz Tavatli, explaining that he has a pool of locals who can come in and compete against The Phoenician’s guests. “We offer lessons that include video analysis. You and your instructor watch the tape together in order to figure out what you need to keep working on. We also create a fitness agenda that allows you to deal with any deficiencies.”
If Arizona is outside of your travel plans, no problem. Notable tennis schools/resorts are scattered across the United States and beyond. At Caneel Bay (caneelbay.com) in the Virgin Islands National Park on St. John, the tennis lessons are guaranteed (if you don’t like them, you get your money back), and the facility’s play match-up program comes with the promise that, with 24 hours notice, you’ll be paired with a suitable opponent or else be offered a 30-minute hitting session with one of the resort’s pros. John Newcombe Tennis Ranch (newktennis.com) in New Braunfels, Texas, takes things a step further: It offers a fantasy-camp component that provides guests with the opportunity to square off against former Grand Slam winners. Back on the East Coast, don’t let the name of Kiawah Island Golf Resort (kiawahresort.com) fool you. Tennis is serious here at the South Carolina resort. Former touring pro Roy Barth is a hands-on director who augments guests’ lessons with professional doubles exhibitions.
WATCH IT
Pro tennis of a higher caliber — in fact, of the highest caliber — can be seen at any one of the four matches that comprise the game’s Grand Slam. They are the Australian Open beginning in January, the French Open beginning in May, Wimbledon beginning in June, and the U.S. Open beginning in late August. Travel specialists such as Grand Slam Tennis Tours (grandslamtennistours.com) and Steve Furgal’s International Tennis Tours, Inc. (tours4tennis.com) — both of which are United States Tennis Association Official Travel partners — can arrange for you to see any or all of these. Alternatively, you can check out Grand Slam-qualifying matches free of charge.
What a Racket
Looking style-savvy on the court might not get you to Wimbledon, but a dash of color and some street-smart accessories couldn’t hurt.
GET IT CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM LEFT: Fila Novaro sneakers, $70 each, full-zip knit Heritage jacket, $65, coordinating pants, $55, and cami tank, $50, fila.com; Christian Roth Space Race sunglasses, $350, christian-roth.com; RLX Ralph Lauren airflow jersey polo, $85, Polo Ralph Lauren argyle vest, $185, and sport cap, $30, ralphlauren.com; Lacoste limited-edition aviator 101 sunglasses, $250, and Lacoste Greek Island collection sunglasses, $150, lacoste.com; Bally leather sport bag, $1,195, bally.com; Puma Cell Kosmos men’s sneakers, $140, puma.com
CYCLING
 WHAT’S NEW
Sooner or later, nearly everybody learns how to ride a bike. But there are those who grow up and turn a simple ride into a sport, a hobby, a way of getting where you’re going while achieving a workout in the process. And is there anything quite like the feel of the wind blowing past as you pedal your way along an open road? One way to make sure you ride as often as you like is to get a bike that is portable and easily stowed. To that end, you might do well to check out the latest generation of folding bikes. These ride with the toughness of a standard bicycle but collapse small enough to fit in your office coat closet or pass muster at airport check-in. Manufacturers such as Dahon and Bazooka do a great job of creating bikes that have equal parts convenience and ridability.
DO IT
You can enjoy cycling while cruising exceedingly scenic turf, eating Michelin-starred food, and sampling from bottles of wine that make oenophiles envious. DuVine Adventures (duvine.com) puts together trips that imbue biking with the most alluring elements of traveling. One of the more challenging jaunts — and, therefore, an expedition that will be likeliest to improve your skills on two wheels — begins with a flight to Milan and centers around a bike tour of Italy’s wine-intensive Piedmont region. After being transported from the airport to the picturesque village of Aqui Terme (remember to check out the ancient thermal springs there), you are outfitted with a Wilier road bike — which has been cleaned, oiled, and loaded with snacks and water — and sent off to spend the first couple of days doing 13-mile loops around the town (longer rides are available for the heartier among us). Riders are followed by a chase van in case anyone needs a break, and trainers are on hand to help improve your cycling skills.
“Guests are told how to ride uphill more efficiently and when to switch gears for the best effect. We teach you about form, position, how to place your feet on the pedals correctly,” explains Andy Levine, president/founder of DuVine Adventures. “You also learn when and how to draft, which is incredibly important and a lot of fun. Drafting is something that pro cyclists do all the time; it involves getting behind another rider and using him to shield the wind or resistance. It can make or break your ride and keeps you from losing your energy.”
Because great bike journeys can be about more than good food and wine, here are a few other options for intrepid cyclists looking to explore the world on two wheels: Backroads (backroads.com) puts together cycling trips to exotic locales such as Costa Rica and Morocco. For those with a desire for Asian exploration, Kumuka Worldwide (kumukaworldwide.com) offers a 186-mile cycling tour along the mostly flat terrain of Cambodia. Closer to home for many, and taking in the byways of New England, Bike the White’s 20- to 50- mile days are all about small inns and scenic vistas (bikethewhites.com).
WATCH IT
A biking trip that combines riding with watching is offered by companies such as Ciclismo Classico (ciclismoclassico.com), which takes travelers to the Tour de France and organizes rides that allow for viewing of the race’s various stages. After seven days of channeling your inner Lance Armstrong, while perhaps watching Lance Armstrong, you’ll finish up with a group dinner and toasts to Tour de France competitors.
On a Roll
Whether you’re taking it to the trails or hitting the streets, this cycling gear is designed to keep you moving in style.
GET IT CLOCKWISE FROM CENTER LEFT: Pearl Izumi women’s Elite Red II sneakers, $185, and Elite Ltd full-zip jersey, $100, pearlizumi.com; Deuter Hydro Lite 2.0 backpack, $59, deuterusa.com; Klean Kanteen 27-oz. sports bottle, $18.95, containerstore.com; Rapha half-zip jersey, $155, and cycling cap, $40, rapha.cc; Giro Ionos helmet, $230, giro.com; Deuter bike bag III, $29, deuterusa.com; Pearl Izumi P.R.O. Ltd bib short, $165, pearlizumi.com; Smith Optics PivLock V90 max sunglasses, $119, smithoptics.com; Acumen Ergo Plus heart-rate monitor, $69, acumeninc.com; Vetta V100HR wireless speed-and-cadence computer, $120, vetta.com; Rapha Criterium gloves, $130, rapha.cc; WHEELS AND BICYCLE CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM LEFT: Mavic Cosmic Carbone SL, $1,200 per pair, Bontrager Race X Lite, $520 per pair, Mavic Ksyrium EL 09 Silver/M10, $650 per pair, Easton EA90 SLX, $750 per pair, Reynolds Attack, $1,200 per pair, Cannondale Super Six 2 bicycle, $4,299, all from Bicycles Plus, bicyclesplustx.com
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