TheVirginia Explorer
Getaways
Female-Friendly
Top: The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort
allows resort visitors plenty of opportunities to
unwind. Bottom: The Boulders offers a host of
amenities, including a spa café.
GOLF TRAVEL, LIKE THE
GAME ITSELF, TENDS TO BE
DOMINATED BY MEN. The classic
male bonding trip has been around as long as
men have hunted and women have gathered.
But the dynamic is changing. Women are
an increasingly important part of the golf
travel market.
When sizing up a resort, a woman’s
priorities—apart from a well-groomed golf
course designed to challenge tigresses and
novices alike—generally go beyond what
men have in mind. A welcoming, courteous
staff is important. So is the chance to relax
in a beautiful place. A top-flight spa with a
range of body and facial treatments is vital.
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So is a fitness gym. The food—fresh, eclectic,
well-prepared—must be good. Post-round
sightseeing, shopping, cultural outlets and
outdoor adventures are nice extras.
Here are 12 resorts nationwide where
every woman can unleash her inner diva.
THE BOULDERS,
A WALDORF ASTORIA RESORT
Carefree, Ariz.
Dropped into a netherworld of huge granite
boulders extruded from the earth 12 million
years ago, The Boulders, a 36-hole hideaway
located 20 miles north of Phoenix, sets the
pace for target-style golf in the Sonoran
Desert. The South Course, with its gold and
red tees both rated for women, is the more
visually eye-catching of the two layouts. Slim
fairways are threaded through a stunning
rock-strewn landscape punctuated by cacti.
T ease novices and nervous types into the
o
game, the Golf Academy at The Boulders
offers female-friendly instructional programs
hosted by LPGA-certified teachers.
Meanwhile, the 33,000-square-foot
Waldorf Astoria Spa features invigorating
therapies infused with desert ingredients for
soul-stirring renewal. The fitness cent