Golf tourism in Thailand is expected to reach 60 billion baht in value for the first time in 2012.

Currently, 65% of Thailand’s golf tourists are from Europe and 15% are from Australia. With an increasing number of flights from Australia to Thailand, more Australian golfers will be expected in Thailand. The golf tourist spends approximately 100,000 baht on average, which is three times more than the typical tourist.

Thailand is attracting European and Australian golf tourists in their thousands, this is largely due to the fact that the cost of a golf vacation in Thailand is around half when compared with the popular golf destinations of Ireland, England, Scotland and the USA. Besides the cost, other major factor attracting golf tourists is the excellent year round weather, something that most of the other destinations cannot compete with.

Golf vacationers from Australia are attracted to Thailand as the winter months down under are among the Low season months in the country, namely from May to September. This ensures that the country has a good influx of tourists even during the low season.  Europeans prefer to take their golf vacation during the months of November to March, their winter months. This ensures that Thailand golf tourism is active throughout the year entertaining guests from both hemispheres.

Golf tourism from Korea and Japan is also on the rise and 2012 is expected to be a bumper season for golf resorts across the country.

The fact that Thailand is being recommended as the preferred golf vacation destination by leading travel magazines like Travel & Leisure, U.S.A. and Conde Nast Traveler, UK, adds to its inviting allure. Phuket is being claimed as a leading golf destination and is among the top island destinations for a vacation. Thailand is proving to be the perfect golf vacation destination.

Winning international golf awards adds feathers to its brimming cap. The International Association of Golf Tourism Operators has proclaimed Pattaya as the best Golf destination in Australasia and Asia for the year 2012. Thailand had won the prestigious award in 2010 too; The Siam Country Club, Pattaya was awarded the most well maintained resort award in the region.

Golf tourism in Thailand is on the rise and is expected to take a huge slice of the International Golf Tourism pie during 2012.

“Golf tourism is gaining popularity in Thailand. Golf tourists are attracted to the superb golf courses and facilities in Bangkok and Phuket,” commented Jarrat Beaumont, Group Sales Director of Castlewood Group, a commercial real estate developer based in Singapore.

The 8over8 luxury hotel, a project by Castlewood Group, will be situated in Phuket, near the beautiful Bang Tao Beach and Laguna Resort. It will be scheduled for completion by the first quarter of 2013.

Not surprisingly, a number of golf courses were designed by top notch golfers, such as Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Greg Norman, Graham Marsh, Thomson, Wolveridge and others.

The courses represent some of the most beautiful, challenging and exciting layouts of any course to be found in Asia, and to top that, superb hospitality, services and facilities  will make your round of golf highly enjoyable and all at a reasonable price.

Here are some of the Golf Courses, one can enjoy in and around Jakarta:

1.  Jakarta Golf Club, East Jakarta

The course demands thoughtful, accurate and patient approaches to shot making. Located in Rawamangun, East Jakarta, just thirty-minute drive from downtown Jakarta, the course was first established in 1872 and called Batavia Golf Club before its name was changed to Jakarta Golf Club.

Official Website: www.jakartagolfclub.org

2. Padang Golf Halim I & II, East Jakarta

Padang Golf Halim or Halim Golf Course started as the Air Force’s first golf course. It is now most popular for its challenging course and low fees. Lakes used as part of the irrigation system, large, mature trees, bunkers and tricky greens are all part of the enjoyment.

Official Website: www.golfhalim.tripod.com

3. Riverside Golf Club, Cibubur, East Jakarta

Ninety hectares of stunning countryside was specifically selected to fuse the pleasure of golfing with the enjoyment of nature’s beauty. Designed by Greg Norman, one of the best professional golfers in the world, the 18 Hole Championship course integrates seamlessly with the dramatic topography and ambiance of the natural setting.

Official Website: riverside-golf.com

4. Royale Jakarta Golf Club, Halim, East Jakarta

Introduced as one of five great new golf courses in Asia, the Royale Jakarta Golf Club is designed by Bob Moore Jr. & JMP Group. With its green paradise concept of expansive meadows decorated with Sea isle Supreme Paspalum in every area of its 27 holes, combined with beautiful purple carpets of exotic plants and the calming beauty of the lake waters that will fulfill both the challenging golf and visual serenity, all result in a new and exclusive golfing experience.

Official Website: www.royalejakarta.com

5. Pantai Indah Kapuk Course, Damai Indah Golf, North Jakarta

As one of the world -class golf course of Damai Indah Golf, Pantai Indah Kapuk Course is designed by one of the best golf course designer, Robet Trent Jones Jr. The 72-par, 6,048-meter golf course is designed by skillfully integrating the natural beauty of the coastal wetlands to create playable golf rich with strategic variety.

Official Website: www.damaiindahgolf.com

6. Senayan Golf Klub, South Jakarta

Senayan Golf Club (Klub Golf Senayan), formerly known as Kebayoran Golf Course, is situated on the edge of Jakarta’s business district and over a period of thirty five years has been established as not only a part of Indonesia’s golfing tradition, but also a significant part of Jakarta’s sport and business culture. The course layout is challenging and renowned for its “tight”, tree lined fairways. It’s a true test for golfers of all levels.

More Information at our destination: Senayan Golf Club

7. Pondok Indah Golf & Country Club, South Jakarta

Pondok Indah Golf Course offers golfers a location where the architect has seemingly done little to disturb the natural harmony – where the golf course blends into its environment as though it had always been there. Such a paradise is rare. It is even rarer to find one located conveniently in the heart of a major city.

Official Website: www.golfpondokindah.com

8. Matoa Nasional Golf, South Jakarta

Located in the quiet and secluded area of Ciganjur, South Jakarta will give you the fresh natural air, without the long drive. The course also equipped with other features such as driving range, luxurious restaurant, conference room, swimming pool, and locker room with sauna.

More Information at our destination: Matoa national Golf

Official Website: www.matoanasional.net

9. Padang Golf Kemayoran, Central Jakarta

The great thing about Padang Golf Kemayoran is that it only takes five minutes to reach from Ancol Kemayoran toll road by car. The clubhouse provides golf carts, club rental, pro shop, driving range, putting and chipping green, restaurant and VIP rooms. The 18-hole course has a par 72 ranking for a total playing distance of 6,494 meters.

More Information at: http://www.golfnesia.com/golf-kemayoran

10. Padang Golf Pangkalan Jati, South Jakarta

Carrying the motto “Challenges among natural atmosphere” Padang Golf Pangkalan Jati or Pangkalan Jati Golf Course is pleasantly situated between Depok and Jakarta. Encompassing a total area of 40 hectares with an actual natural river running through, the course is designed by Indonesia’s own designer in 1976 and started operations in 1979.

Official Website: http://www.golfpangkalanjati.com/

The challenging Gary Player Golf Course at Sun City plays host to the Nedbank Challenge with previous winners include the current world number three Lee Westwood (2010), one of golf’s all-time greatest players Ernie Els (1999, 2000 and 2002) and current world number seventeen Sergio Garcia (2001 and 2003) are just some of the great golfers to have graced this magnificent golf course in recent years.

Mahlatini already have golfing packages available at the Leopard Creek Country Club in South Africa, which again has been greatly influenced by South Africa’s legendary golfer, Gary Player, who designed one of the world’s most challenging and foremost golf courses. The course is designed using innovative landscaping techniques; lakes and streams have been diverted through the course to create scenic vistas and providing golfers with one of the most challenging golf courses in the world. The resident crocodiles, hippopotamuses and snakes add a completely new dimension to 18 holes of golf.

As well as two of the leading golf courses in South Africa, Mahlatinis current golf portfolio includes golfing resorts in Mauritius and Kenya. In Mauritius they have the impressive Belle Mare Plage golf course, this golf course was designed by another influential South African golfer, Hugh Baiocchi. The golf course is situated along one of the islands most beautiful islands. Every hole on the golf course has its very own distinct characteristics and every hole is built to exact USPGA golfing standards.

The travel agent has found that more and more travellers are incorporating golfing holidays into their travel itinerary and combining them with an African safari. Whether you’re an experienced budding golfer or are completely new to the sport, Mahlatini have discovered a great rise in their customers selecting opting to combine the adventure of an African safari with the relaxation and luxury of a golfing holiday. Malcolm at Mahlatini states “there has been a rise in our customers combining African safaris with golfing holidays. The customers most popular combination is a safari holiday around Kruger National Park combined with a golfing holiday at the internationally acclaimed Sun City Resort.” (Gary Player course) Malcolm places the rise in this unusual combination down to one reason. “The recent success of the British golfers around the world has given a significant rise into our customers wanting to add a golfing holiday to their itinerary; everyone wants to be the next Rory Mcilroy or Lee Westwood.”

You can get in touch with Mahlatini by liking them on Facebook or by following them on their Twitter account http://www.twitter.com/mahlatini and http://www.facebook.com/mahlatini. For more information on African safaris or with help booking your holiday, please visit the company’s website, http://www.mahlatini.com, or visit their blog for the latest Mahlatini news at http://www.mahlatini.com/news.

Unintentionally and to his own surprise, Mark Siegel did just that. Only six years after he bought Golfasian, a fledgling Bangkok-based golf tour operator, the New York-raised entrepreneur has turned the company into the largest and most successful dedicated inbound golf tourism business in South-East Asia.

Unlike the superstars of tournament golf – Nicklaus, Norman, Player, Crenshaw, Montgomerie et al – who have capitalised on their names and status to develop multi-million dollar golf-related businesses, Siegel’s only previous connection to golf was as an enthusiastic mid-handicap player.

In fact, he had come to Thailand in 2005 “to live in peace and to work on my golf game” after taking early retirement from a career in the electronics industry that began in California and for 15 years embedded him in Japan and, after a stint back in California, in Singapore.

Golfasian, which was launched in 1997 as an adjunct to a golf book highlighting 200-plus courses in Thailand, was bringing just 600 golf tourists to the kingdom a year when Mark Siegel bought the company.

“The business had no employees, no assets and the owner didn’t want to be in the golf tourism business. He had gone down that path only because people who read the golf book began asking to come to Thailand to play golf,” he explains.

The rest is history.

Just two months after his purchase, a former golf pro who he engaged to run the business decided to quit, leaving Siegel between a rock and a hard place. He initially ran the business from his apartment, acting as owner, driver, marketer and general dogsbody.

Just six years later, in 2011, Golfasian brought 5300 golf tourists, who played 25,000 rounds, to South-East Asia. Current projections suggest numbers will reach 6000 this year and perhaps 10,000 in the not-too-distant future.

Perhaps of greater importance is that Golfasian has played a major part in Thailand’s surge to become the world’s third major inbound golf tourism market and the clear leader in Asia. Along the way the kingdom has become a premium – in terms of quality rather than price – international golf destination

Mark Siegel’s success in marketing golf tourism defies the maxim that successful businesses are usually only developed by those whose career was forged in the same industry. Not only did he not have a background in golf, he had no marketing experience.

Despite this, a focused and highly effective marketing emphasis has been the engine that has propelled Golfasian to the top of its game.

Siegel was instrumental in the formation in 2009 of Golf In A Kingdom (www.golfinakingdom.com) a destination-marketing group of which the top golf courses, hotels and resorts are members and that handles an estimated one-third of all foreign golfers who visit Thailand.

He attends major golf trade shows around the world – including the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando in late January – regularly organises trips for international journalists and editors, is an active member of the International Association of Golf Tourism Operators, personally assesses and reports on courses and destinations in his monthly e-newsletter Asian Golf Nation and has perhaps the most comprehensive website of any golf tourism operator anywhere.

“Marketing is the key to our success,” he observes. “Most people involved in golf tourism know us, government tourist bodies in the countries where we send golfers know us and we have invested heavily in our own staff [now totaling 25 in Thailand and Vietnam with another 10 expected to be hired in the next year].

“We have our own vehicles and our own drivers who speak good English. We don’t contract any of this work outside the company. If a group wants to stay longer at a course, have a few drinks afterwards or whatever else, our drivers will wait and make sure they get back to their hotel or where they need to go.

Because of this, we are able to give personal guarantees to customers. It’s what differentiates Golfasian from broad-based tour companies.”

The internet has also been important. “We decided at the outset to develop a web presence on our own and at one point had three people developing websites,” he explains. “Now, we have the Golfasian website (www.golfasian.com) and 24 feeder websites alerting golfers to hundreds of courses in five countries. The time and money we invested in the internet has really paid off. Now, a search for ‘Thailand golf’ ranks Golfasian as number one – without any advertising.”

A trend towards multi-country golf trips has resulted in Golfasian this year adding southern China, Laos and Myanmar to its already-tantalising menu of destinations.

“Myanmar is especially attractive. On one course there are 1000-year-old stupas and the status of golf there has been enhanced by an Asian Tour event held each year in Yangon,” he says.

Two or three different destinations can actually be less expensive than going to one destination. “Usually, the second destination is cheaper than the main destination, so the total cost of the trip is less,” he explains.

Despite economic woes in Europe and the United States, Mark Siegel is upbeat about the future of golf tourism to Asia. “The recession is working to our advantage,” he notes. “When times are good, wealthy people go to the most luxurious locations.

When things get tighter, they go to less premium locations that may not be as glamorous at first sight as other places, but offer great value for money and a memorable experience. Thailand is such a place.”

Siegel also believes South-East Asia is benefitting from the so-called ‘Arab spring’ because snow-bound European golf tourists, “who have to go somewhere,” are by-passing emerging, competitive golf destinations like Morocco and Turkey and turning to known established alternatives, especially Thailand.

Visit www.golfasian.com for more details.

They join an elite group of golf courses and resorts throughout Thailand, the world’s third most popular international golf tourism destination after Spain and the United States.

Established in 2009, Golf In A Kingdom has become the most successful marketing program of its kind in Asia, with an estimated one-third of all golf visitors to Thailand playing at its member courses.

In welcoming the new resort members, Golf In A Kingdom president, Mark Siegel, said the additions were further testimony to Thailand’s pre-eminent position as a golf tourism destination in Asia and the key role Golf In A Kingdom played in highlighting its best golf destinations.

“Despite economic uncertainty in Europe and North America, golf tourism in Thailand is continuing to grow and is likely to reach a record 600,000 arrivals in 2012,” he said. “Inbound golf tourists will spend an estimated $US2 billion in Thailand this year and Golf In A Kingdom is helping to maintain the sector’s growth.”

Situated on a secluded cove on Phuket’s south-western coast, Le Meridien Phuket Beach Resort boasts its own pristine secluded beach and is just minutes from the island’s main tourist centre of Patong. Offering a full array of land and sea sport facilities, top-level international restaurants, pampering spa programs and a children’s discovery centre, the popular resort has 470 rooms and suites.

This year it is celebrating its 25th anniversary, during which time it has become a “home away from home” for many local and foreign guests.

Last September, the second phase of a room enhancement program was completed, which transformed 154 Superior Garden and Pool View rooms into new Deluxe rooms featuring modern and refined décor. Four new Oceanfront Deluxe Suites and six new oceanfront Grande Suites were also opened.

In 2010 and 2011, the five-star resort was named by readers of Australia’s Holiday With Kids magazine among the top 10 family holiday resorts in Asia and last year was included in Expedia’s Inside Select list, an annual award that recognises the best hotels as judged by the booking group’s customers.

Visit www.lemeridien.com

Veranda Resort & Spa at Cha-am is located on the finest beachfront between Cha-am and Hua Hin, 180 kilometres south of Bangkok. The region has been a favourite royal and aristocratic retreat since the 1920s when King Rama VII built a beachside palace in the area. Today, it is a popular seaside destination for local and foreign visitors who are attracted by the superb location and numerous local attractions, including golf at Golf In A Kingdom member courses Banyan Golf Resort and Black Mountain Golf Club.

The 118-room resort has eight different room categories and is set in five acres of Feng Shui gardens with water features, mature evergreen trees and tropical palms.

Veranda’s Chiang Mai property in northern Thailand is a magnificent boutique property with 69 rooms offering stunning views over the mountainous landscape.

Both Veranda properties are members of the MGallery collection of boutique hotels and resorts in, currently, 44 worldwide locations.

Visit www.verandaresortandspa.com

Four stunning suite types names after the original settlers range from 70-135 square meters with the two Louis Leonowens Suites having 5.5 x 2.5 metre private pools.  Tiled verandas, cane shades, rattan furniture and free standing Victorian baths are reminders of days gone by, and blend with modern facilities including outdoor gardens showers, flat screen televisions and the all important wi-fi access.

A range of bespoke dining options include the Library Bar, Parlor, Wine Cellar, Dining Room, Kitchen and Private Dining, using organic ingredients from the Hotel’s garden.
Recreation facilities include the Spa, Gymnasium and Swimming Pool.

The 137 Pillars House Golf experience features the Royal Chiang Mai Golf Course which is set in a valley and surrounded by a magnificent mountain range with waterfalls, streams, and an abundance of lush foliage.

Tee-off in style, and return to 137 Pillars House for a refreshing High Tea on the lawn, before indulging in a muscle-soothing Thai massage at The Spa or in the gardens

The 137 Pillars House Golf Experience includes:

>          Round trip airport transfers by limousine

>          Two nights accommodation in a luxurious Rajah Brooke Suite

>          Complimentary fruit basket and bottle of wine on arrival

>          A sumptuous daily breakfast

>          Round trip transfers from the hotel to the golf course

>          Two rounds of 18 holes at the Royal Chiang Mai Golf Course, including Tee-off fees and a          golf cart, and a caddie per person  (tip not included)

>          A refreshing High Tea on The Lawn at 137 Pillars House

>          A 60 minute muscle-soothing Thai massage

Prices are as follows:              30/12/2011 – 15/1/2012          16/1/2012 – 30/4/2012

Single Player/Occupancy                   Baht 34,400 (USD 1,150)                   Baht 23,880 (USD  780)

Double Player/Occupancy      Baht 42,700 (USD 1,425)                   Baht 32,180 (USD1,070)

Additional nights are available at best available rate for applicable dates, and are inclusive of accommodation and breakfast.  All rates are subject to applicable service charge and Government taxes.

For more information and reservations, please contact 137 Pillars House on:

Email:              stay@137pillarshouse.com

Website:          www.137pillarshouse.com or www.slh.com/137pillarshouse

Facebook:       www.facebook.com/137pillarshouse.com

Designed by The Nicklaus Design Group, the 6,734-yard, par 72 layout at the Cozumel Country Club provides challenges for players of every level of skill while preserving the surrounding mangrove marshlands and tropical rainforest. Founded with an ecological commitment, the course blends the requirements for championship golf with consideration for the environmental concerns for the site.

The tournament package includes a two-night stay at Presidente InterContinental Cozumel & Spa on May 4 – 5, tournament green fee, transportation to and from the Cozumel Country Club, an awards dinner, a welcome cocktail and gift bag, and an evening putting tournament. Activities for non-golfers also are available.

Be the first “Hole in One” on a designated par-three hole and drive away in a brand-new car. Other prizes will be awarded for “Closest to the Pin” and “Longest Drive.”

The complete tournament package is US$444 for individual golfers; US$519 for individual golfers sharing a room with a non-golfer; and US$559 for two golfers sharing a room.

A handicap index is required as provided by either the USGA, the Mexican Federation of Golf or as verified by the player’s home course golf professional.

Activities also are available for non-golfers including snorkeling and scuba amidst the world’s second-largest coral reef. The resort’s on-property Dive Shop, a PADI Gold Palm Five-Star Dive Center, offers certified dive trips every morning from its exclusive pier.

Golfers and non-golfers also will enjoy discounts on services in the resort’s Mandara Spa.

For reservations and information, visit www.intercontinentalcozumel.com/english/golf/ and click on the Golf tab.

The Palms Golf Course ‘$10,000 Hole in One Competition’ takes place on Sunday, January 29, 2012, at the coastal golf course, located only 800 metres from Port Stephens’ famous beaches.

Open to members and non-members, including women and juniors of all levels, the $10,000 Hole in One competition is a two person, best ball competition with prizes for first, second and third. Entry to the competition is $37 per person. All entry money raised on the day will go towards supporting the efforts of charity Autism Action, which provides therapy and respite to families living with autism.

There are no handicap restrictions on the day and the course, which has a quiet family friendly atmosphere, is suitable for all ages and players of all golfing abilities. The Thirteenth Hole is the jackpot hole but watch out for several well placed water challenges and sand bunkers.

Where: The Palms Golf Course, Port Stephens, corner Nelson Bay Road and Cromarty Lane, Bobs Farm, NSW

When: Sunday, January 29, 2012

Cost: $37 per player

Bookings: Contact 4982 1670 palmsgolf@bigpond.com or www.palmsgolf.com.au to register a tee time

Information about accommodation and attractions in Port Stephens is available via www.portstephens.org.au.

Voted one of the “Top 100 Golf Resorts” by Condé Nast Traveler, this Biscayne Bay hotel’s signature course offers stunning views of seven saltwater lakes, a subtropical lagoon and glimpses of the area’s indigenous wildlife, while providing a unique playing experience for even the most seasoned golfer. Considered to be one of the most beautiful and challenging par-72 courses in Florida, Crandon Golf Course has also been recognized as one of America’s top 75 upscale courses by Golf Digest.

In addition to being a golfer’s paradise, this Miami golf resort’s luxurious amenities include:

• A 20,000-square-foot Mobil four-star luxury spa with 21 treatment rooms and a full-service salon
• Complete Wellness and Fitness Center with state-of-the-art equipment, personal trainers and innovative classes
• Two outdoor heated swimming pools with ocean views: a zero-entry, family pool with water cascade and a tranquil adult pool surrounded by a lush, tropical landscape
• Beach and poolside cabanas
• Four stellar dining venues incorporating global flavors, including the only oceanfront Mexican restaurant in Miami — Cantina Beach
• The Cliff Drysdale Tennis Center — the largest tennis facility at any Ritz-Carlton property
• Supervised Ritz Kids® recreation program
• An abundance of water recreation activities, including windsurfing, sailing and kayaking

To plan the ultimate vacation at one of the premier Miami golf resorts, visit http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/KeyBiscayne/Golf/Default.htm.

Tiger Tour bookings are available directly through the participating resorts. Booking and itinerary information are available here.

Golf is a Tiger Tour centerpiece — Cape Kidnappers GC and Kauri Cliffs GC are the two highest-ranked resort courses in the entire Asia-Pacific region — but the March 2012 itinerary has been devised to include the best New Zealand has to offer, from the glacier fields of Milford Sound in the very south, to 90-mile beach in the sub-tropical north.

Exquisite accommodations and service levels are a given: The Farm at Cape Kidnappers (www.capekidnappers.com), The Lodge at Kauri Cliffs (www.kauricliffs.com) and Matakauri Lodge are among the most feted hotel properties in the world. However, it’s the interstitial activities on offer (helicopter trips, ocean sailing, horseback riding, art and winery tours), coupled with the extraordinary ecological grandeur of New Zealand, that make The Tiger Tour a cohesive, one-of-a-kind experience.

Some might even call it a bargain.

“It is true that the per couple cost, which is approximately US$26,000, would be significantly higher if you priced out all that we’ve included in The Tiger Tour,” said Ryan Brandeburg, director of golf at both Cape Kidnappers and Kauri Cliffs.

“There’s no doubt it’s expensive. It may well be the most expensive golfing holiday on offer anywhere in the world. But as with The Tiger Fund, it’s about delivering an optimum return on investment. For the golf holiday-maker of means, someone with a sense of adventure and vision, someone who appreciates the finer things with service levels to match, The Tiger Tour delivers a return that is unrivaled.”

Robertson started Tiger Management Corp., also known as The Tiger Fund in 1980, with US$8 million in capital. By 1998, its holdings had climbed to $22 billion. After closing his Tiger Fund in 2000, Robertson used his own capital, experience, and infrastructure to support and finance up-and-coming hedge fund managers. By September 2009, Robertson had helped launch 38 new hedge funds in return for a stake in their fund management companies. Apart from these Tiger Seeds, a considerable number of analysts and managers Robertson employed and mentored at Tiger Management have gone their own way and are now running some of the best-known hedge fund firms, known as Tiger Cubs.

Robertson and his family first ventured to New Zealand in 1978, and have since adopted the island nation as a second home. Their long fascination reached a new level of ardor with the 2000 opening of Kauri Cliffs GC, in the Bay of Islands, near the tip of the North Island. The Lodge at Kauri Cliffs debuted soon thereafter, followed by the Tom Doak-designed Cape Kidnappers GC, in 2004, in the wine region outside Napier. The Farm at Cape Kidnappers opened two years later, while Matakauri Lodge was unveiled in the South Island resort Mecca of Queenstown in 2010.

“This tour is my attempt to bring others the very best of New Zealand by unlocking some experiences that might normally take spending a lot of time here to ever uncover,” Robertson said. “It is a unique and personal tour and one that I feel excited to share, as it is full of my own ‘inside’ experience and knowledge gleaned over many years here.”

The Tiger Tour includes much that is well known and been repeatedly feted by the world travel press:

• The Lodge at Kauri Cliffs was rated the 6th best hotel in the world, according to the 2011 Condé Nast Traveller readers’ poll, and the #1 Lodge in Australia and all Pacific Nations on the magazine’s 2012 Gold List.
• In 2010, The Farm at Cape Kidnappers was named to Travel+Leisure‘s “World’s Top 50 Hotels”; it, too, earned Golf List status from CN Traveller for 2012.
• Not 12 months post opening, Tatler Magazine had named Matakauri Lodge to its list of the top 101 hotels in the world.
• The GOLF Magazine World Top 100 features both Kauri Cliffs (#80) and Cape Kidnappers (#33). No two resort tracks in Asia-Pacific rank higher.

Yet The Tiger Tour does reveal much of the Robertson family’s personal touch.

• Robertson’s son Jay personally oversees all three lodges in the resort group.
• The lodge decor at Kauri Cliffs and Cape Kidnappers both bear the imprint of Robertson’s late wife Josie.
• The family’s EC-130 helicopter provides dramatic bird’s-eye tours of the New Zealand landscape, while also conveniently linking resort guests to Auckland International Airport. [Link here to a podcast interview with EC-130 pilot Rianne Cole.]

At Cape Kidnappers, the Robertson family has assembled one of the largest nature preserves in New Zealand, enabling and protecting a thriving community of endangered species, including kiwi birds. The kiwis on site at Cape Kidnappers are the focus of one particularly popular guided walking tour for guests of The Farm — another Tiger Tour feature. The Cape also happens to be home to the largest mainland gannet colony in the world.

“The natural environments the Robertson family and our staff work so hard to foster are integral to The Tiger Tour and everything we do at all three resort locations,” said Brandeburg. “They are as important, in our view, as the luxury accommodations and golf experiences, which are obviously admired but also adhere to the same high environmental standards.

“It’s our view that New Zealand itself represents, to visitors, exactly this sort of natural experience. I don’t want to get all post-modern, but it’s part of the New Zealand ‘brand’. And so we feel our efforts and The Tiger Tour specifically are entirely consistent with, if only a small part of, the country’s commitment to placing beauty and sustainability directly beside luxury.”