SHORT HILLS, N.J. — Jan. 25, 2006 ââ?åÂ" When Tiger Woods rented out the entire Sandy Lane Hotel and Golf Club in Barbados for his 2004 wedding, the five-star resort apparently took it as license to strut an attitude as a destination for the rich and famous. And indeed, if you are celebrity or VIP, you’ll have one of the times of your life. But as Golf Odyssey reports in its February issue, ordinary guests may find their experience to be quite different.
Golf Odyssey, a monthly international newsletter for the high-end golf traveler, neither accepts advertising from golf courses, resorts or restaurants, nor courtesy discounts or gifts. Hence, the editorial insights, combined with the publication’s proprietary rating system, gives readers the opportunity to make informed decisions on where to go, when to travel, what courses to play and where to stay and dine.
In the same issue that showcases its new graphic design, Golf Odyssey warns subscribers about a heretofore universally hailed Sandy Lane, No. 3 on Forbes.com’s list of the top 10 "World’s Most Expensive Resorts" for 2005. Golf Odyssey carefully outlines a list of the most egregious service glitches and snubs encountered. "With such mesmerizing golf as well as the resort’s spectacular rooms, wonderful dining, gorgeous beach, and sensational spa, Sandy Lane should receive our strongest recommendation. Yet our praise comes only with red flags waving: behind all the fabulous facilities and A-list glitter lies a resort with serious service shortcomings," Golf Odyssey reports.
Conversely, in a review in the same issue of the new southern Oregon course, Bandon Trails, Golf Odyssey editors rave about the layout and wrote that it "cements Bandon Dunes’ position as the single best place to play golf in the world. If you haven’t been to Bandon, go." Bandon Trails earned an overall score of 88 (out of 100) compared to Sandy Lane’s 84. Published monthly since 1992, Golf Odyssey (http://www.golfodyssey.com), based in Short Hills, N.J., travels the globe anonymously to review premier golf destinations and resorts from well-known and traditional golf vacation spots, such as Sandy Lane, to recently discovered treasures.
To date, Golf Odyssey has reviewed more than 900 courses and 500 resorts spanning nearly 30 countries. Its primary area of coverage consists of North America, the British Isles, Mexico and the Caribbean. In recent years, the newsletter also has reviewed prime golf destinations throughout Australia, New Zealand, Europe and Asia.
In early 2005, Golf Odyssey was acquired by David Baum, who is a former Goldman Sachs partner, golf enthusiast and a longtime subscriber to the newsletter. Now publisher and editor-in-chief, Baum, in October, acquired The Golf Insider, effectively merging two of the industry’s pre-eminent, upscale golf travel newsletters. A standard year’s subscription is $98 for 12 issues. More information on Golf Odyssey is available at http://www.golfodyssey.com/ .
Contact:
Karen Moraghan
Hunter Public Relations
908/876-5100
kmoraghan@hunter-pr.com
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