Established in 1965, the resort became a hangout for Hollywood entertainers and sports celebrities who came for the golf and pampering. Had I visited La Costa back in the 60s I might have rubbed shoulders or teed off with the likes of Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, Dean Martin, Clint Eastwood, Mickey Mantle or Yogi Berra.

Although La Costa has retained its Spanish mission style of architecture, myriad fountains and splendid garden plantings, management completed a $50 million dollar renovation in 2012. A good part of the reno budget went towards polishing and updating the classic Dick Wilson-designed Champions Course (formerly the North Course). Highlights include bent grass greens, Bermuda fairways, and new forward Express Tees to encourage high handicappers. It was the arrival of the PGA Tour’s Tour of Champions on 1969 that put La Costa on the world golf map. Indeed the Champion’s list of champs includes Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Lorena Ochoa and Karrie Webb.

The resort’s other South Course has also had a “fairway lift,” including four renovated holes. The traditional-style tract with postage stamp greens, mature trees and plenty of pesky water crossings is certainly a challenge, albeit a very pleasant way to lose golf balls.

La Costa is Southern California’s only Gold Medal Golf Resort according to Golf Magazine (2012). For outstanding friendly service I’d give it a platinum award.

Jack of the helpful Golf Squad

“You must be Anita Draycott,” said a fellow wearing a green apron as I approached the third green. I assumed he was a marshal and immediately I wondered what golf sin I had committed. Was I playing too slow? Did I drive my cart into an environmentally sensitive area? My past golf encounters with marshals have generally not been positive. However, here a La Costa Resort and Spa the resident rangers roles have been reinvented. Fellows like Jack are now known as part of the Golf Squad and they are here to help you. They’ll search for shanked balls, repair divots, rake bunkers, pull out their range finders to give you the yardage. They’ll even help you read your putt. Jack, a retired marine, will also tell you where to find the best Italian restaurant or give you driving directions to the nearest Target store. What a concept!

This proactive approach makes for a win/win situation: the golfer appreciates the positive tips and assistance and the pace of play is faster.

Jack assisted me on several holes. He fished my ball out of the river and he even offered me a lollipop. Tell that to the marshals back home!

After my round, I headed to The Spa where there’s no lack of intriguing treatments. The Bamboo Massage, for example, starts with a sugar scrub exfoliation followed by a full body massage during which the therapist uses heated bamboo sticks and oil infused with safflower, sesame, avocado and jojoba. The heat and shape of the bamboo allows for deeper tissue work, fascia stretching and acupressure. The therapist also gives you a bit of a drumming to improve circulation.

Although La Costa was named in the Top Ten Family Vacation Spots by the Travel Channel in 2012, there are plenty of sophisticated indulgences. At the new Adult Edge Pool you can enjoy a fresh berry muddled mojito, poolside pedicure or tuck into a shady private cabana and switch on a flat screen television. As the sun sets, guests gather around the fire pits for gourmet nibbles and innovative cocktails.

Dinner at La Costa’s Blue Fire Grill, where chef Greg Frey Jr. showcases the resort’s own garden produce and herbs as well as the best from local organic famers and fishers, is the way to end an idyllic day. Try his lusty cioppino, an heirloom tomato broth brimming with crab, scallops, mussels and house-made Andouille sausage. You might spot Robert DiNero or Oprah.

It’s good to know that the folks who came up with the idea of creating the first resort spa in America are constantly re-inventing and improving their brilliant concept. At La Costa hedonism is alive and well.

La Costa’s lovely gardens and fountains

The White Cliffs of Etretat

Most Canadians don’t consider France when looking for a golf getaway.  But you might be surprised to know that France boasts about 600 courses, more than the rest of continental Europe put together. You need not speak French. A green is a green, a slice is a slice, a birdie is a birdie. You’ll find some of the most scenic fairways along the coast of Normandy where you can combine your passion for the game with visits to the D-day Beach memorial sites. And this being France, you’ll never be far from a gastronomic feast.

 The White Cliffs of Etretat

I took the train from Paris to Le Havre and rented a car. First stop was the spectacular Golf d’Etretat, established in 1908. From giddying elevated tees on number ten you must launch your ball into the wind gusting from the English Channel to a fairway that leans toward the sea.  From there it’s a climb to the green and a million-dollar view of the chalky white cliffs (France’s equivalent to those of Dover, England) and the church spire in the town of Etretat.

Unlike the North American “conveyor belt” mentality, French golf is an unrushed, civilized affair. Lunch break back in Canada is about as exciting as a burger stop at Wendy’s; in France expect gourmet fare, fine china and crisp linen. At the Etretat clubhouse I tucked into a bowl of mussels steamed in apple cider and savoured the view that inspired the likes of Claude Monet and Victor Hugo.

Gourmet Golf, Deauville

La Barriere in Deauville

From Etretat it’s a pleasant drive to the posh seaside resort town, Deauville, where Coco Chanel began designing clothes. I checked into the Hôtel du Golf Barrière, a palatial grande dame built in the half-timbered style typical of Normandy.

Two world-class architects, Tom Simpson and Sir Henry Cotton, combined their talents to create Barrière’s 27 fairways—the Red, White and Blue nines. It’s a delightful romp around the countryside with views of Deauville and the English Channel. The 18^th is a strong uphill par-four with its green just in front of the hotel’s inviting terrace.

Normandy is not a wine-producing region but its epicurean bounty includes vast quantities of cream and butter, famous cheeses such as Pont-l’Evêque and Camembert and an abundance of seafood, often smothered in rich sauces. This sort of diet calls for a good digestif.  Calvados—Normandy’s apple-perfumed brandy—slides down so well that the Normans often ingest it twice during a heavy meal: halfway through dinner, when it is known as the trou (hole) Normand; and after coffee.

The following morning I took a swing at the Golf Barrière de Saint-Julien, another 27-hole gem in the midst of the rolling Pays d’Auge countryside. Nearby, in the famous cheese town, Pont-L’Evêque, I dropped into the Père Magloire Calvados distillery for a free tour and tasting.

Lest We Forget

Wartime remembrances at Omaha

About an hour’s drive south of Deauville, Golf d’Omaha Beach offers two 18-hole courses, La Mer and Le Manoir. Designer Yves Bureau took full advantage of the precipitous seaside location on the English Channel where wind is always a factor.

As part of the D-Day 50^th anniversary, each hole is named after a war hero or battle. On the Omar Bradley signature sixth of La Mer there’s a genuine German concrete bunker behind the sand bunkers. You won’t forget this par-three set high on the cliffs overlooking the D-Day landing beaches.

On this Normandy coast you’re never far from the sobering reminders of the heroic Canadian, American and British WWII soldiers who stormed the beaches and eventually liberated much of Europe from Nazi Germany.

The Caen Memorial Centre receives about 400,000 visitors per year. Officially opened in 1988, the Centre explores the history of the 20^th century with insightful displays and newsreels explaining the events that precipitated World War II.  A wedding dress made of a silk parachute and other artifacts leave poignant memories. Outdoors you can stroll around the American and Canadian Peace gardens.

Nearby, the Juno Beach Centre at Courseulles-sur-Mer is the only Canadian museum on the D-day Beaches. A bit of history: On June 6, 1944. 14,000 of the 135,000 allied troops who landed in Normandy were Canadians. The ten-week campaign resulted in more than 18,000 Canadian casualties; of these, approximately 5,500 were killed and most are buried in the cemeteries at Bény-sur-Mer and Cintheaux.

Up until June 6, 2003 there was no place commemorating Canada’s major contribution. The Juno Beach Centre was created by a group of Canadian Second World War veterans, widows and children of vets to perpetuate the memory and boost awareness of our country’s integral role in achieving peace. It’s easy to find; the local traffic signs incorporate the Canadian flag.

If, like me, you’ve got family who played a part in World War II, you may purchase a brick and have it engraved with the soldier’s rank, name, decorations and whatever other information you’d like to add. The bricks are mounted on the walls of several kiosks located at the entrance to the centre. During WWII, my father, Clifford Draycott, served as a bombardier in the Royal Canadian Air Force. He flew 30 missions and returned home with a bunch of medals and some souvenir shrapnel. My Dad never liked to talk about the war or his involvement but I think he’d be happy to know there’s a brick with his name on it overlooking Juno Beach.

Surprising Normandy

The scenic port of Honfleur

Most North Americans equate Normandy with the D-Day battles and the paintings of the Impressionists. But here are a few things you might also discover while swinging your way along this scenic stretch of France.

*At Giverny, Monet’s well-known and well-painted garden, the artist lived with 2 women and 8 children and was the scandalous talk of the town.

* La Coronne in the centre of Rouen is France’s oldest inn, dating back to 1345. It’s where Julia Child discovered sole meunière and fell in love with French cuisine. It’s also where Joan of Arc was burned alive at the stake.

*In 1608 Samuel de Champlain set sail from Honfleur to discover Montreal. Take a stroll around picturesque town and enjoy a seafood lunch overlooking the harbour at Le Bistro du Port .

* In Pont’ L’Eveque (home to divine smelly cheese of the same name) rent a Citroën Deux Chevaux (2CV) convertible from Eugene’s Tours and cruise the Pays D’Auge countryside.

* Visit the Dieppe Memorial to learn about Operation Jubilee, the allied raid of August 19, 1942, where many Canadian troops lost their lives.

* Normandy’s most famous spirit is Calvados, made from apples, but Fécamp is home to Bénédictine, the elixir created by a monk.

* Cook a recipe from Claude Monet’s notebook with Régine Boidin in Le Havre.

*Book a room at Hôtel Villa Lara and view the Bayeux tapestry (depicting the battle of William the Conqueror) steps away.

Favourite car of the French

It’s about this time every year that I get a craving to visit Manhattan. The store windows are all gussied up, daffodils and tulips are in full bloom and spring is in the air.

My husband and I are just back from a few days in The Big Apple and I’m happy to report that you don’t have to be related to Donald Trump or the Rockefellers to have a wonderful time. From freebies to bargains to a few well-deserved indulgences, here’s where to save and splurge in the city that never sleeps.

All prices approximated in U.S. dollars.

The “Cheap Thrills” Save List 

Star Spangled Pig

In the heart of West Greenwich Village (314W. 11^th Street) The Spotted Pig, a local hangout, specializes in seasonal British and Italian fare. Veggie lovers will appreciate the numerous veggie sides and appetizers. Shoestring fries and roasted Brussels sprouts are insanely good, as are the burger topped with Roquefort cheese and smoked haddock chowder. The Pig may be the world’s least pretentious restaurant to have earned one Michelin Star. It’s open for brunch, lunch and dinner on a first-come first-served basis.

All Tarted Up

House-made sweet and savoury tarts (about $7 each) are yummy at Once Upon a Tart (135 Sullivan Street), as are the mac and cheese and chicken potpie. Everything looks “good enough to eat,” including the seasonal window displays.

Caffeine Buzz

I’m a self-confessed coffee snob who goes out of her way to find the best brews in whatever city I’m visiting. If you’re in Little Italy, get your java jolt at Caffe Reggio (119 MacDougal Street).

New in the lower lever of Rockefeller Center is Blue Bottle where they do great espresso-based drinks as well as divine drips.

Around the corner at the Chelsea Market, once the original Nabisco factory and home to the world’s first Oreo cookies, try an award-winning latte at Ninth Street Espresso where the barista quips he’s made it into GQ’s list of where to get the best coffee in America.

When Harry Met Brisket

Manhattan’s Lower East Side is filled with landmark eateries that ooze with New York chutzpah. In case you ever wondered where Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks sat during the famous, “I’ll have whatever she’s having” orgasm scene in the film When Harry Met Sally, there’s a sign hanging over their table at Katz’s Delicatessen, established in 1888. Folks line up six deep at the counter where the cutters hand carve the pastrami, corned beef and brisket. A pile of cucumber dills comes with the whopper sandwiches (about $16 each and enough for two). Katz’s made New York bad-boy chef Anthony Bourdain’s list of “13 places to eat before you die,” published in Men’s Health magazine.

Make Yourself At Home

I discovered City Lights B & B years ago and it remains one of my top New York finds. This superbly run registry, with properties all over the city, offers the comfort of a real home and the chance to live like a New Yorker for as little as $120 per night. We just stayed in a brownstone at East 65th and 5^th Avenue. The apartment slept four and was full of interesting art and books. How nice to have a fully equipped kitchen to prepare snacks, coffee and cocktails. Or perhaps a loft in Soho or an apartment on Times Square is more to your liking. Hosted or unhosted, you receive a set of keys so you can come and go as you please. Note: there is a three-night minimum and the earlier you book the more choices you’ll have.

Choose your Hood

Pick your neighbourhood (Soho, Little Italy or Coney Island, for example) and take a free stroll with a resident New Yorker Big Apple Greeter. This non-profit organization began in 1992 and now has about 300 volunteers who will welcome visitors in up to 22 languages. A walk around Central Park, for instance, could reveal such hidden delights as the 1871 carousel, John Lennon’s Imagine memorial garden and the largest Gothic cathedral in the world, St. John the Divine. Try to arrange a month in advance and bring your walking shoes. The greeters are enthusiastic and indefatigable. No tipping but the organization does accept donations.

Carnegie and Caviar

How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice, as the old adage goes…or take a one-hour tour ($10; $8 for seniors and students) with a docent and learn how Andrew Carnegie came to build the famous music hall which escaped the wrecker’s ball twice. See the box where Carnegie installed a cot in case he dozed off during Tchaikovsky’s premiere performance in 1891. The Rose Museum is full of treasures such as Benny Goodman’s clarinet.

Take a peek and perhaps indulge in a caviar and vodka tasting at the ornate Russian Tea Room nearby.

Midnight Munchies

Chow down at the Great New York Noodletown (28 Bowery in Chinatown) where many of the city’s finest chefs feast on delicacies such as salt-baked squid, scallops and shrimp in the wee hours (open ‘til 4AM) when their kitchens finally close. Zero ambiance but a great meal for about $10.

The “you only live once” splurge list

 Tea with F. Scott and Zelda

No trip to New York is complete without a visit to The Plaza Hotel (managed by Fairmont), Manhattan’s Grand Dame overlooking Central Park. Afternoon tea in The Palm Court, complete with a pianist, an exotic selection of teas, bite-sized savoury sandwiches, warm scones and decadent pastries is not to be missed. In honour of the upcoming movie, The Great Gatsby, and the fact that F. Scott and Zelda were regulars in these vaulted halls, the Plaza’s Fitzgerald Tea for the Ages starts at $60—more if you go for the gin-infused brew as was F. Scott’s preference or a coupe or two of champagne.

Worn in the U.S.A.

The city’s Meatpacking District is full of designer shops and boutiques such as the Jean Shop selling

what GQ Magazine dubbed “the Cristal of the denim world” for about $300. For extra bucks you can have them custom washed and distressed to suit your personality.

Mediterranean Diet

Lyon-born chef Daniel Boulud currently operates eight stellar eateries in Manhattan. His latest Boulud Sud (20 W. 64^th Street, across from the Lincoln Center) celebrates the flavours of the Mediterranean, from the south of France to Spain, Italy, Morocco, Turkey and Greece. With plenty of small plates and dishes for sharing, it’s a wonderful way to graze the Med. My recent dinner included crispy artichoke hearts, harira soup, a lusty Greek salad and chicken tagine. You must save room for the innovative desserts, such as frozen grapefruit givré or Moroccan mint chocolate pavé. It’s the perfect spot to refuel before or after a performance at Lincoln Center. If you can’t get to New York, head to the recently opened Café Boulud in the flagship Four Seasons Hotel Toronto.

Royal Portrush

Recent triumphs have skyrocketed Northern Ireland to super-star status in the world of golf, aided in no small part by the trio of golf champions born and raised there. Rory McIlroy took the US Open in 2011, the PGA Championship in 2012 and briefly and held the title as the world’s number one golfer in 2013. Graeme McDowell won the US Open in 2010 and Darren Clarke walked off with the British Open trophy in 2011. These three chaps have become ambassadors, not only for the game but also for their homeland where golf reigns supreme.

This past fall, I headed over to the Emerald Isle to check out its fairways, from the “jewels in the crown,” Royal County Down and Royal Portrush, both regularly ranked in the world’s top 20, to some of the lesser-known tracts where Rory, Darren and Graeme honed their games.

The Dunluce Links Course at Royal Portrush, though generally considered easier than Royal County Down, is certainly no walk in the park. This is Darren Clarke’s home course. It’s also where Rory McIlroy shot a record-breaking 61 back in July 2005 during his amateur years. His scorecard is on display in the clubhouse. The course, re-designed in 1947 by H.S. Colt, was the first host to the Open Championship held in Ireland. You won’t likely forget the notorious par-three Calamity Corner, with its green perched precariously at the edge of a cliff and requiring a carry over an enormous ravine.

After the round, the inviting smoky smell of a peat fire lures visitors into the Bushmills Inn, a snug place to stay and explore the northern Causeway Coast that winds from Limavady to Ballycastle.  Just west of the Royal Portrush Golf Club, the Strand Course at Portstewart Golf Club is a classic links layout with most of the holes played atop high sand dunes above the Antrim Coast. The first hole with its elevated tee and dogleg to the green is considered the best opening fairway in Ireland.

Switch your spikes to walking boots, fortify yourself with a famous Ulster fry breakfast—eggs, potato farls, grilled Irish bacon, mushrooms, tomatoes and wheaten-bread toast, then head to The Giant’s Causeway, a World Heritage Site and geological marvel. You can hike among the 40,000 six-sided basalt columns formed by cooling lava about 60 million years ago. Legend has it that Irish giant Finn MacCool built the Causeway as stepping stones to his sweetheart on Hebrides Island in Scotland. Not for the faint of heart is the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge swinging high above the sea out to a tiny salmon fishery.

After the trapeze act, you’ll be ready for a tour and some Irish elixir at Old Bushmills, the world’s oldest licensed distillery, where they’ve been producing the “water of life” since 1608.

Portrush and Portstewart are quintessential links courses and that’s what most North Americans want to play in Ireland. But sometimes even single handicappers need to give their egos a boost by hitting some parkland courses that feature conditions more similar to what we are used to playing, i.e. less gale force winds, no dunes or pesky gorse.

Nick Faldo overlooks Lough Erne

One of the best modern designs is Lough Erne Resort by Sir Nick Faldo, whose statue overlooks at the first fairway. Lough Erne was voted “Golf Resort of the Year” in 2010 and “Best Hotel” in 2011 by the Irish Golf Tour Operators Association. Located on a spectacular peninsula between two loughs (lakes to us) it’s no surprise that water comes into play on 11 holes. Rory McIlroy is Lough Erne’s Touring Professional and represents the Resort in worldwide tournaments. He set the course record here of 68.

Creature comforts at the hotel, the first five-star in Northern Ireland, include an authentic Thai spa, sumptuous rooms with huge claw-footed tubs and a terrific array of restaurants and bars. However, if you want to experience a one-of-a-kind pub in the woods, ask golf director, Lynn McCool, for directions to The Ceili House. A place like no other, it’s decorated from floor to rafter with bric-a-brac—from John Wayne in The Quiet Man posters to squeeze boxes to glowing pot stoves. As the Guinness slides down and the dance floor revs up, owner Tom McGowan might make an appearance dressed as a leprechaun and you might find yourself rocking and rolling wearing a fireman’s hat. You might find McCool herself strumming her bodhran drum.

Dungannon's new Darren Clarke-designed 9th

For a bargain round (£20) on a pleasant parkland course where Darren Clarke learned to play, head to the Dungannon Golf Club.  Founded in 1890, it’s one of the original founder clubs of the Golfing Union of Ireland. Clarke, now an Honorary Life Member, officially opened the new Clubhouse back in June 2000.  The new signature 9^th hole, named the “Darren Clarke” features a fairly narrow, ribbon-like crescent shaped green, which is completely protected from the tee by a pond. After your round visit the Members Lounge that is festooned with Clarke memorabilia and photos.

If you’re keen to play where Rory learned to strike the ball, head to Holywood, just outside of Belfast with views of Belfast Lough and the famous yellow cranes, named Sampson and Goliath.

Neither Holywood nor Dungannon will knock your socks off but they will restore your confidence to tackle more great links tracts.

In the heart of a fishing village about 30 miles south of Belfast, the Ardglass Golf Club is an impressive sight. The fairways are impeccably maintained and the posh clubhouse was formerly a castle. On a clear day you can see the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea. Beware of hole number two: your tee shot must carry a cliff and a canyon and that’s the easy part!

Further south is the lively seaside resort of Newcastle, surrounded by the heather-clad Mountains of Mourne. By now you’ve had lots of practice and will be ready to take a swing at the famous Royal County Down Golf Club,

Ireland’s best course and one of the world’s top 100.

It’s interesting to note that the majority of Northern Ireland’s best golfers grew up playing local, lesser-known courses. Kevan Whitson, Club Head Professional at Royal Country Down speculates that playing these courses with kinder slope ratings allowed the boys to attain lower handicaps and scores, thus allowing them to enter more competitions.

At Royal County Down prepare to meet the beauty and the beast.

“It’s one of those rare courses where you could feel a perfect handshake between the hand that created the land and the hand that shaped into a golf course,” wrote Tom Coyne, author of A Course Called Ireland. Narrow ribbons of fairways wind their way through daunting sand dunes surrounded by beautiful, yet penal gorse and heather.

Ironically, of Northern Ireland’s crown jewel was originally laid out in 1898 by the legendary Old Tom Morris from St. Andrews. The enthusiastic yet parsimonious Country Down Committee commissioned Old Tom to travel from Scotland “for a sum not to exceed £4” to advise on a second nine holes.” Today, the green fee is £180 and golfers need to book months in advance. Since this is a bucket list course for many, I suggest you shell out an additional £40 for a senior caddie. Most of them are entertaining characters who can help you navigate the slick greens, blind tee shots and idiosyncrasies that make Royal County Down both daunting and divine. For many, hole number nine is golf ecstasy requiring you to drive your ball over a high hill covered in gorse down to the fairway eighty yards below. Royal County Down can be exhilarating or excruciating, but you’ll never forget it.

Where to Stay

Lough Erne Resort

Set on its own 600-acres peninsula, Lough Erne has 2 championship courses, The Faldo Course and Castle Hume. Rory McElroy deems it a great place to play and stay.

Glassdrumman Lodge

A Wee Dram at Glassdrumman Lodge

Nestled in the foothills of the Mourne Mountains, the 10-bedroom Glassdrumman Lodge, run by the Hall family will give you a very warm welcome. It’s minutes from Royal County Down and several other courses. Ben is your host, while his brother, Jonny, rustles up gourmet breakfasts and dinners in the kitchen. You must try their Irish wheaten bread.

Culloden Estate & Spa

Overlooking Belfast Lough this five-star property was originally built as a palace for the Bishops of Down. The hotel concierge can arrange for golf at several nearby courses, including Holywood and the Royal Belfast, the oldest club in Ireland, founded in 1881 and designed by Harry Colt. Don’t miss lunch or tea in the splendid Victorian clubhouse.

Polo as it was meant to be played. Love the boots!

There was never a dull moment at Casa de Campo. Here are but a few of the sporting life highlights of this Golf Road Warrior.

1. Shooting traps and skeets at the Safari Club. No one was more surprised than me when I shot that fluorescent orange thingy in the sky into smithereens. Thank to assistant shooting instructor, Hermogenes Guerrero, my Beretta was smokin.’

Golf Road Warriors take a shot at skeets

2. Scoring the first goal at the donkey polo event. It was hilarious chaos and the most fun you’ll ever have on your ass with a broom.

Rosita and I score the first goal in donkey polo

3. Almost nailing an ace on Dye Links, the perfect warm-up course here at Casa de Campo.

4. Sunset, shrimps and Chardonnay at the Marina aboard one of the mega yachts courtesy of Marine Trading Services.

5. Watching a real polo match and coveting those knee-high leather boots and the superb horsemanship.

6. Learning some meringue hip swivels on Minitas Beach.

7. Enjoying a deep-tissue golf ball massage with Celeste at The Spa.

Where are we? Caribbean or Tuscany?

8. Playing 63 holes of Pete Dye-designed golf without leaving the property—from seaside tees at Teeth of the Dog to dramatic Cliffside fairways teetering over the Chavon River.

9. Being transported to a replica of a 16^th century Tuscan village, Altos de Chavon, complete with 5,000-seat amphitheatre—only ten minutes from the beach.

10. Basking in the warm hospitality of our Casa de Campo hosts. Gracias.

Jose Valdez

1. Oldest employee? Jose Valdez has worked in various capacities at Casa de Campo for 32 years. He has chauffeured and grilled lobsters for Michael Douglas, Elizabeth Taylor and Billy Crystal (but not at the same time or villa).

2. Average winter temperature? A balmy 29 C/85F by day; 20C/69F at night.

Casa Ola for sale or rent

3. Cost of Villa Ola (see photo)? A cool $13.5 million U.S. or from $4,000 to $6,500 per night, depending on the season. Zillion-dollar view.

4. Number of cigars smoked on the golf course by Warrior Jeff Wallach? One fat one purchased after our factory tour at La Flor Dominicana, hailed by Cigar Aficionadoas “the most creative manufacturer in the cigar business.”

GRW Wallach takes a puff

5. Cost of a four-hand massage at The Spa? $240 U.S. for 80 sublime minutes.

Digna reigns as Lago's Smoothie Queen

6. Number of breakfast smoothies whipped up by the ever-beaming Digna at Lago restaurant over the span of her 23-year career here? “Mucho amiga.”

7. Number of employees at Casa de Campo? 25,000 at both the resort and sugar mill.

Fancy a cold one?

8. Number of beers consumed monthly? 8,000, many of them the country’s own Presidente.

9. Number of skeets nailed by Warrior Jeff Neuman? Six. Not bad for a guy who had never fired a gun.

10. Number of Ibuprofens swallowed this week by Golf Road Warriors? Lost count.

At Casa de Campo it seems that if you can dream it they can build it.

Merengue anyone?

Back in 1971 when Pete Dye and his Dominican crew were hired to carve a golf course out of coral rock with primitive sugar cane tools who knew his Teeth of the Dog masterpiece would stand the test of time and still rank as number one in the Caribbean and 42^ndworldwide?

View of the Dye Fore Chavon nine from Altos de Chavon Tuscan-style village

Fast-forward to 1976 when Casa de Campo’s head honcho and visionary Charles Bluhdorn (credited as being the father of the DR’s tourism industry) decides that Casa de Campo should have a village dedicated to the arts. He hires Italian set designer Roberto Coppa, who had worked with director Federico Fellini, to create a 16^th century replica of a Mediterranean village. Once again the Dominicans prove they are up to the task. Masons, carpenters and blacksmiths handcraft each stone, doorframe and artistic detail under Coppa’s direction. The result is an enchanting village and art colony complete with coral cobblestones, towers, turrets, fountains and bougainvillea cascading from wrought iron balconies.

In addition to the restaurants, boutiques and art galleries, Altos de Chevan boasts a vibrant Artists in Residence program with international students of fashion, ceramics, photography and more bringing their creations to fruition at the Altos de Chevan School of Design, affiliated with Parsons School of Design in New York.

Frank Sinatra opened the 5,000-seat amphitheatre

And what 16^th century Mediterranean village would be complete without a 5,000-seat Roman style amphitheatre? Frank Sinatra inaugurated it in 1982. More recent entertainers have included Julio Iglesias and Sting.

I had a wander around Altos de Chavon after tackling Lagos (Lakes), the newest nine at Dye Fore. Once again Mr. Dye has created a totally different playing experience. It’s flatter than and less dramatic than the Chavon and Marina nines but you need to bring your best aim to this game in order to avoid three lakes and some strategically placed fairway bunkers.

From La Piazzetta restaurant’s patio, (I recommend the lasagna and lamb chops), there’s a marvelous view of the Chavon opening holes and the river far below. I had a peek into the Archaeological Regional Museum and the Church of St. Stanislaus, consecrated by Pope John Paul II in 1979. It’s a popular venue for weddings.

Casa de Campo offers so many attractions and activities it should have its own zip code. I can only wonder what will they dream up next?

La Cana miixologist Rafael presents the Halito

No one works up a thirst like a Golf Road Warrior, especially after a day of sporting life that includes 18 holes of golf on Dye Links, shooting skeets and a ridiculously rousing match of donkey polo. (See Jeff Neuman’s story titled “Does this burro make me look fat?).

In the name of research some of us have sipped our way through the Casa de Campo cocktail list under the tutelage of Rafael Correro, mixologist at the Cana bar.

But we warriors needed a drink to call our own. Hal Phillips suggested the addition of passion fruit to the mojito and behold, the “Halito” (not to be confused with halitosis) was born  (see recipe below).

The Halito (makes one Hal of a drink)

seeds from one small  passion fruit

2 oz white rum

handful of fresh mint leaves

2 tbsp sugar

splash of soda water

lime

Muddle sugar, mint and rum in bottom of a glass. Add ice and top with a splash of soda water. Serve with a sprig of mint, a generous squeeze of lime.

I’ll take the credit for discovering the Dominican’s answer to Viagra. They call it Mama Juana and it’s a secret blend of herbs, bark and roots marinated in a bottle of rum, red wine and honey that’s purported to be an aphrodisiac.  It’s also supposed to have health benefits that include liver cleansing. I’m taking a bottle home.

Jenny introduces us to the Dominican Viagra and liver cleanser, all in one bottle

When the Dominicans say “it’s a pleasure” it sounds to my ear like “eat’s a playsure.” We spoiled guests hear this many times per day here at Casa de Campo and the line is always delivered with a genuine smile.

Order a drink, request a wake-up call, thank your masseuse and you’ll inevitably be told, “eat’s a playsure.” I’ve come to love those three words because the folks here a Casa de Campo take real pride in making guests feel happy and special. It’s not a vibe I get very often in my hometown of Toronto.

Today I spent an indulgent afternoon at the Spa. My masseuse Celeste greeted me in the reception area where I’d chilled out with chamomile tea and a view through the glass wall of a zen-like bamboo and rock garden. She led me through a secret Mediation Garden and into the Water Sanctuary where I had 30 minutes to use the steam, sauna and hot and cold plunge pools before my Golf Massage.

My masseuse Celeste and her golf balls in the Meditation Garden

After about two minutes into a massage I usually know if my masseuse has the magic touch or if he/she is just going through the motions. Celeste most definitely was blessed with a heavenly touch. She used her own talented hands plus a couple of golf balls (Noodle brand) to stretch and relax my prime golf muscles, namely back, shoulders, hips and legs.

Next came a unique spa experience. The Casa de Campo Spa offers signature body exfoliations and wraps using your choice of fruits, herbs and essential oils. From neck to toes I was exfoliated with a mixture of coarsely ground Dominican coffee mixed with coconut oil. I showered off that aromatic blend and then enjoyed a hydrating massage with a “lotion” made from aloe from the Meditation Garden, plus my choice of fresh fruits and herbs. I selected avocado (rich in vitamins A, B and iron), passion fruit (good for skin elasticity), mango (hydrating) and apple (helps with sunburn), ylang ylang (for its anti-aging nutrients). The fruit salad was whipped up in a kitchen blender. After 36 holes of golf under the strong morning sun, my parched skin was now hydrated and silky.

Pillar Rosario, manager of the Casa de Campo Spa, told me her goal is to take Spa guests on a journey to the extraordinary. Mission accomplished and “eat’s been a playsure.”

Fruit salad massage lotion fresh from the blender

Casa de Campo is a 7,00-acre vast playground. Guests are provided with golf carts to go to and from the restaurants, beach, golf courses and activity centres. GRW Jeff Wallach is on his way to a nap after 18 back-breaking holes on The Links

A suite at Casa de Campo comes with a vehicle that resembles something the Jetsons might have driven