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Articles Tagged ‘Charleston hotels’

Ocean Course to Oahu: A Kiawah golfer’s top places to play

Thursday, July 10th, 2008

Mattowenheadshot_2Contributor Samantha Chapnick touched base recently with Matt Owen, public relations director for Kiawah Island Golf Resort and two other Southern resorts. When he’s not working,
he’s running marathons, spending time with his wife (Kelly) and their
two white boxers, golfing, or keeping up with European soccer.

If you were a player of Tiger Woods’ caliber, what might be your favorite course (other than your own)?

Well, aside from there not being any players of Tiger Woods’ caliber, I’d have to say it has always been my ambition to play either Augusta National or St. Andrews in Scotland.

For a golfer at your level (10-12 handicap), what are your two favorite places to play and stay and why?

Of course, aside from our spectacular courses at Kiawah, my two favorite places to stay and play are the Hawaiian islands and Las Vegas. The Big Island’s scenery is just unbelievable, and on Oahu, Ko’olau Golf Club has some of the most spectacular holes you’ll ever see. Now, why Las Vegas? Because there’s no other place I’d rather hang out with buddies. I’ve played lots of golf out there and it’s a blast. The course, however, is irrelevant. It’s Vegas, baby.

Oceancourse_2Do you have a favorite moment in golf?

Actually, I birdied four holes in a row on The Ocean Course once, and then hit the pin on my tee shot on the famous 17th. Not only did I miss a hole in one, I rimmed my birdie putt and my streak ended.

Can you give us one or two tips to help players on one of your courses?

If you take on The Ocean Course, the best piece of advice I can give anyone is to listen to the caddies. They really know what they’re talking about. Wind does strange things to a golf ball, as well as a golf swing.

Have you ever played "Teeth of the Dog?"

I have not, but Pete Dye’s reputation precedes him. I’m sure it’s a beast to play.

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Beach vacations: ‘champagne tastes on a beer budget’

Wednesday, May 21st, 2008

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By Marie LaPlante

With both of us working full time while trying to keep up with the ruminations and daily activity level of our 3-year old, we tend to look for the laziest vacations possible -– which by our definition means the beach. After 3 years of traveling with our daughter, we have it down to a science.

Now, not every family looks for the same thing in a beach vacation –- our family definitely has champagne tastes on a beer budget. We also try to avoid crowds (or, in my husband’s case, any human contact whatsoever). So we tend to travel off-season, when we can get low rates at hotels we otherwise couldn’t afford. Admittedly, this is much easier to do since we don’t yet need to work around school schedules — though I like to think my daughter will get into Harvard even if she misses a week of second grade … and our vacation savings can go right into the college fund!

So we take our summer vacation in September and our spring break in February or May -– and we’ve been able to stay at some great places:

Kiawah Island, South Carolina: our favorite thus far. Kiawah Island is right outside Charleston, which is one of the most charming cities I’ve visited. And the island has a lot to offer families -– you can rent bikes and ride right on the beach, follow dolphins in a boat down the Kiawah River, and see babyLaplantekiawah alligators and other wildlife at the Nature Center. My husband enjoyed golfing the Ocean Course and I spent some much needed time at the spa.  We went in mid-September –- it was still hot and we got a great off-season rate at The Sanctuary. And from Chicago, it was only a 1.5 hour flight –- bonus!

Amelia Island, Florida: a good alternative to your standard Florida beach –- this is outside of Jacksonville. We went in April and got off-season rates at the Ritz-Carlton, which had a great kids program, bonfires on the beach -– complete with s’mores and pirate stories — and a ‘Pirate Tuck In’ that my daughter loved.

San Juan, Puerto Rico: This was our way to test traveling internationally with our child, without leaving the states. We stayed about 45 minutes outside San Juan at El Conquistador, which is a huge hotel/villa complex on a cliff. It had stunning views, but you had to take a boat to a private island to enjoy the beach -– which would be great for older kids, but a pain with our then 1-year old. We stuck to the pool.

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Marie is a full-time working mom to Karis, her pony- and princess-loving 3-year-old.

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Charleston’s Spoleto Festival opens May 23

Wednesday, May 14th, 2008

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By Thurston Hatcher

Before the serious summer humidity starts bearing down on Charleston, and locals flee to the beach and the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Spoleto Festival lands in the South Carolina Lowcountry like a second holiday season.

For residents, the electricity’s palpable as the international artists and arts enthusiasts descend on the city’s historic district for two weeks in May and June.

For visitors, Spoleto offers an enticing mix of everything from classic opera and chamber music to cutting-edge drama, dance, jazz and performance art, with this elegant city as its otherworldly backdrop. And nearly all the 120+ performances are within walking distance from the major Charleston hotels and restaurants.

The lineup for Spoleto 2008 — May 23 to June 8 — includes operas "Amistad" and "La Cenerentola" (by Rossini), the Boston Ballet, Laurie Anderson, London-based cabaret company 1927’s "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea," and "Monkey: Journey to the West" by Paris’ Theatre du Chatelet — described as a cross between "The Lion King," Cirque du Soleil and "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon."

If you’re aiming for a premium seat at the opera, prepare to pay upwards of $100 or more. But there are plenty of more affordable options across the Spoleto lineup.

Plus, the city of Charleston holds its own Piccolo Spoleto Festival, which simultaneously offers up a complementary a mix of local, regional and touring performances at even more affordable prices.

Even if you’re not that into the arts, it’s worth planning a Charleston vacation just to catch the Spoleto Finale, where you can relax on the lawn, sip a little wine, listen to the Spoleto Orchestra and catch some fireworks at Middleton Place, an awesome 18th-century plantation on the Ashley River.

For a few unforgettable hours, anyway, you can live like Charleston royalty.

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Thurston Hatcher is an Orbitz editor who lives in Chicago but spent 10 years in the Lowcountry — about six decades shy of qualifying as a true Charlestonian.

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