Enjoying a round on Ojai’s venerable golf course is one of many activities afforded to guests.
TOP: OJAI VALLEY INN & SPA; TURNING STONE RESORT CASINO
its tables overlooking the sixth fairway on the
South Course, is exceptional (theboulders.com;
480-488-9009).
KIAWAH ISLAND GOLF RESORT
Kiawah Island, S.C.
A pristine barrier reef island located off
the coast of Charleston, S.C., Kiawah is a
90-hole Low Country goliath that famously
hosted the 1991 Ryder Cup Matches
and the 2012 PGA Championship on its
epic, Pete Dye-designed Ocean Course, a
purist’s delight that is walkers-only until
noon. But Kiawah also puts out a fluffy
welcome mat for women. The centerpiece
of the resort is The Sanctuary, a deluxe
West Indies-themed hotel that could pass
for a grand old Southern mansion out of
Gone With the Wind. The guest rooms and
dining options are exceptional.
Osprey Point, Kiawah’s top venue for
women, was originally conceived as a private
club. The well-groomed course, routed
around four natural lakes and fingers of
brackish marshland, showcases Tom Fazio’s
trademark playability. Here, landing areas
are generous, forced carries are rare. It’s
a sweetheart from the Carolina tees at
4,746 yards, but a bit firmer test for better
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players from the Kiawah tees at 5,394 yards.
After the round, the resort promotes dozens
of guided adventures, from salt marsh
kayaking and night beach walks to back island
birding (kiawahresort.com; 843-768-2121).
OJAI VALLEY INN & SPA
Ojai, Calif.
Tucked away in the T
opa T
opa Mountains
two hours north of Los Angeles, Ojai, a
favorite retreat for Hollywood stars, is
one of southern California’s most tranquil
hideaways. The resort’s golf course, a Golden
Age classic designed by George C. Thomas
in 1923, rambles across rolling terrain,
its fairways creased by barrancas, dotted
with burly oaks and backdropped by sheer
mountain palisades. Walking is encouraged.
Adjacent to the refurbished Spanish
Colonial-style hotel, which offers suites
with wood-burning fireplaces, is Spa Ojai.
Spanning 31,000-square-feet, the spa is a
white-washed emporium where treatments
combine the therapeutic effects of cleansing
mud, dry heat, inhalation therapy and
guided meditation. At the Artist’s Cottage
& Apothecary, guests can blend fresh herbs
and essential oils to create their own lotions,
scrubs and creams. Ojai artisans will help
guests design a batik sarong, assemble an
herbal wreath or paint a watercolor. Jimmy’s
Pub, a casual 19th hole named for Jimmy
Demaret, the resort’s touring professional
from 1948-52, pairs thin-crust brick-oven
pizzas with excellent Central Coast wines
(ojairesort.com; 855-697-8780).
Luxurious accommodations are just one of many
upscale attractions at Turning Stone Resort Casino.
TURNING STONE RESORT CASINO
Verona, N.Y.
A destination resort built by the Oneida
Indian Nation in upstate New York west of
Albany, Turning Stone has quietly emerged
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