Enjoying golf the Fairmont way The Montrealer June 1, 2012 8124 I recently had the pleasure of touring Le Diable and Le Géant, the two Station Mont Tremblant courses that are also offered in Fairmont Tremblant golf packages. Course Manager Gary Yee was my guide; and he shared his enthusiasm for the courses and the game of golf. Before setting out, Gary showed me the chipping and bunker practice facilities, and the driving range with the covered tees that provide shelter in the rain and shade from the sun. “We offer group and private lessons, and we use the V1 Digital Coaching System to show golfers how they can improve or correct their swing.” Tremblant Golf uses Taylormade for their rental clubs, and the pro shop purchases all new club sets each spring to ensure that renters have the most up-to-date clubs available from the manufacturer. Le Diable is a Championship Course, meaning that in fulfills the requirements of having: the necessary length, a degree of difficulty to challenge proficient golfers, and the course manicure must also be maintained to professional standards. “Le Diable is an Arizona design” explains Gary as we drive alongside in our GPS-equipped cart. “We have lots of waste sand bunkers on the right side of the fairways. The front 9 is fairly flat, and is pretty accessible for good golfers. Each tee has five sets of tee decks, with the back tees giving a course length of just over 7,000 yards. Holes 12 – 16 are fairly mountainous, before leveling off again to finish the back nine. It plays at 9 – 9 ½ in full season on the stimp meter with a fast roll.” Le Diable hosted the famous Skins Game in which John Daly impressed everyone with his powerful drives. Jean Chretien and Bill Clinton engaged in friendly but competitive round at le Diable. The 535 yard #15 is a par 5, but Gary assures me that because of the downhill slope; “It plays like a par 4.” By contrast, Le Géant is a full mountainous course designed by Thomas McBroom and opened in 1995, and is rated by Score Magazine as one of The Top 100 Public Courses in Canada. “This is a scenic course – with fantastic views of the mountains. It’s a great course for couples to play, it’ll challenge you – but is not as difficult as Le Diable. Because of the trees bedside the fairways, you do have to hit the ball straight.” Gary continues; “It’s such a picturesque course that I always suggest that people bring their camera when they play le Géant.” Golf packages can be booked when making your Fairmont Tremblant reservations, or with the concierge when you arrive. For more information about Le Géant and Le Diable: www.tremblant.ca Enjoy! Golf at the legendary Fairmont Château Montebello Located between Montreal and Ottawa, the unique Fairmont Château Montebello is the world’s largest log structure. It offers a wide range of sporting activities, including an outstanding golf course. After an invigorating day of golf, enjoy a gourmet dinner in the Aux Chantignoles dining room. During the construction of what is now Fairmont Le Château Montebello, the members of The Seignory Club had commissioned Stanley Thompson to design and build one of his signature courses for the club membership. Veteran golf pro Sylvain Courcelles has recently been hired to manage Golf Operations. “While it’s not a particularly long course at a Par 70, it is a challenge because of the terrain. Thompson placed many of his tees at a high elevation, looking down towards the green; giving the false sense that you’re closer to the green than you actually are. For example – there’s almost a hundred foot drop from the Number 6 Tee down to the green.” Continuing, Sylvain notes; “The tee placement also provides some spectacular views, especially 4th which has a terrific view of the hotel and the Ottawa River. The 9th is our signature hole, and there’s no room for mistakes. No matter how good you are – it’s a challenge to get onto the green.” The golf services include: restaurant and bar, Pro Shop, club and shoe rental, memberships, practice green and driving range, and clubhouse. You might be interested to know that Fairmont recently invested $2.5 million in a new spa facility overlooking the Ottawa River. Golfers have a choice of several Golf Packages, including a mid-week package with attractive rates that can also include dinner; and a Golf & Dine package that includes golf and a Table D’Hote dinner or outdoor BBQ in season, for just $119 per person Golf in the beautiful Charlevoix region at the Fairmont Manoir Richelieu The Carlevoix Region on the North Shore of the St. Lawrence has been a favourite tourism destination since the 19th Century. The only 5 Star resort in the area, Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu plays a major role as the hub of summer activities; especially golf. The hotel’s biggest attraction is its 27 hole golf course, with its spectacular scenery and challenging terrain. Several years ago, millions of dollars were spent on upgrading the existing 18-hole Le Manoir Richelieu Golf Club plus the addition of nine more holes designed by noted Montreal golf course architect, Darrell Huxham. With spectacular panoramic views of the Charlevoix countryside and the St. Lawrence River, this is one of Quebec’s finest courses and has, not surprisingly, garnered a host of award recognitions from some of North America’s top golf journals. During the 1999 renovations, Fairmont built a Multi-Sports Centre that also includes a fully equipped Spa with 22 treatment rooms, saunas, exercise facilities with floor-to-ceiling panorama windows, an indoor saltwater pool and… la pièce de résistance… two outdoor heated pools open all year! At the end of the day, enjoy Manoir Richelieu’s Four Diamond culinary excellence with a gourmet dinner in the resort’s signature restaurant, Le Charlevoix. And if you have any energy left, The Casino de Charlevoix is just across the entranceway to the resort, or through an underground tunnel. For reservations at Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu, please call: 418-665-3703 or online: www.fairmont.com/richelieu