Golf just doesn't get any better than in Tucson, where golfers have a wide array of courses to choose from which present a myriad of challenges for all handicaps. Some of Tucson's courses are rated among the top 75 Resort Courses by Golf Digest magazine and ranked in the Top 10 of International Golf Resorts by Conde Nast Traveler magazine.

Where To Tee Off

In Southern Tucson, the Arizona National Golf Club, Forty Niner Golf Club and The Lodge at Ventana Canyon are excellent choices for an enjoyable golf vacation.

The Arizona National Golf Club, rated one of the Top 100 Courses in the US by Golf Magazine, is an 18-hole, par-71 course situated along the northeast foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains.

In addition to the Golf Magazine designation, the Arizona Republic has recognized Arizona National Golf Club, which is home to the Arizona Wildcats, as the Top Golf Course in Tucson. Panoramic views of mountain vistas, giant saguaros and nine natural springs provide the backdrop for this Robert Trent Jones, Jr. designed course. The 6,785-yard course meanders among the foothills of the mountains, across shady mesquite lined arroyos and craggy rock outcroppings to provide classic desert-style golf challenges.

The golf club provides practice facilities and a state-of-the-art teaching and instruction facility where golfers can warm-up or improve their skills. The double-ended, full length driving range offers turf hitting surfaces and bunkered target greens. Bermuda grass putting and chipping greens are also available.

The Forty Niner Country Club, a semi-private course that has hosted both PGA and LPGA tour events, is an 18-hole, par-72 course nestled between the Catalina and Rincon Mountains.

Mesquite, giant cottonwoods, eucalyptus and weeping willow trees provide a serene and peaceful setting for this traditional William Frances Bell designed course. The 6,641-yard course stretches out along a wooded riverbed. Its rolling fairways, lined with an assortment of desert shrubbery, provide serious and casual golfers a myriad of challenges. Practice facilities, a full-length driving range, putting and chipping areas, are available for pre-game warm ups to members and non-members, there is a daily fee for non-members. Private, semi-private and group instructions are available upon request.

The Lodge at Ventana Canyon, featuring two 18-hole, par-72 championship Tom Fazio designed courses sculpted into the Santa Catalina foothills. Listed at number three on the Top Ten List of Golf Courses in the Southwest, The Lodge at Ventana Canyon has received numerous accolades including Arizona's Best Resort Course (1995) from Golf Digest, Top 50 Golf Courses (1997, 1995) from Links Magazine, One of America's Best Golf Courses (Mountain Course 1996, 1994-1992; Canyon Course 1996, 1994, 1993) from Golfweek and Top 25 Best Golf Resorts (June 1997) from Condé Nast Traveler.

Winding through the canyons and arroyos of this fabulous 600-acre high Sonoran Desert preserve are the Mountain Course, a classic desert style course with many changes in elevation and several elevated tees, and the Canyon Course, which winds through Esperro Canyon. The lush Sonoran desert foliage and roaming wildlife such as deer, roadrunners, rabbits and bobcats provide an unforgettable golfing experience from the first through 18th hole. Its practice facilities include a full swing area, short game range, sand bunker and two full size putting greens.

Where To Stay

Both on and off the golf course, Tucson caters to all your vacation needs.In addition to Hotel, Bed and Breakfast and Golf Resort accommodations, luxurious condominiums and executive estates are available for leasing on a weekly or monthly basis throughout the area. Many of these homes, come with internet access; cable television; fireplace; outdoor swimming pool and patio; Jacuzzi; and preferred rates and tee times to nearby golf courses. Others, like The Casitas at Sabino Springs Luxury Golf Condos, which is situated 150 yards away from the Clubhouse at Arizona National, are either a short five or ten minutes drive away or within walking distance of one or more of Tucson's golf courses.

If you enjoy gazing across the horizon, then Casitas at Sabino Springs is just the place for you according to homeowner, Bill Anderson. “Our guests can enjoy spectacular views of the lush fairways and majestic mountains while sitting on their private patio.” Each luxury condo includes two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a full kitchen, a dining area and a great room, washer/dryer, 3 flat screen televisions.” For those wanting a daily workout, the Casitas' exercise facility features a pool; hot tub; and spacious air conditioned workout room inclusive of 3 different types of stair steppers, 2 treadmills, 2 stationary bikes, a sit-up bench, a back and abdominal machine, and a Paramount Fit 3000 fitness center machine with 4 weight stations.

Whether you are an avid golfer or simply want to enjoy a well-deserved vacation in the beautiful, sunny Tucson foothills, luxury condos and executive estates offer a luxurious alternative for the comfort of one's own home.

Top Restaurants for Great Meals

Tucson's nightlife offers the perfect setting for a memorable dining experience at the end of the day. For fine dining in Southern Tucson, Anthony's in The Catalina's; Café Terra Cotta; Mama Louisa's; Saguaro Corners Restaurant and Texas T-Bone Steak are popular choices with locals and tourists.

Anthony's in the Catalina's 6440 North Campbell Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85718,

520-299-1771; Anthony's, which has been rated one of the Top Ten Restaurants in the Tucson area by Restaurant Row, offers a traditional Continental cuisine in an romantic setting. Situated on a hill above the city, guests can enjoy the spectacular view of the city's lights on a clear night or nature's heavenly beauty as bursts of lightening light up the skies on a stormy night. Reservations are recommended.

Café Terra Cotta 3500 East Sunrise Drive, Tucson, AZ 85718, 520-577-8100; A Tucson tradition for 15 years, Café Terra Cotta, which has been rated one of the Top Ten Restaurants in the Tucson area by Restaurant Row, offers a Southwestern-style cuisine. Terra Cotta's menu changes weekly to coincide with what foods are available in local markets. Some of the featured entrees are mesquite-smoked lamb chops served with a mint and papaya salsa, pork adobado in a dry spice marinade garnished with black beans and a hot-sweet apricot-chili conserve or grilled swordfish.

Mama Louisa's Italian Restaurant 2041 S Craycroft Road Tucson, AZ 85711 520-790-4702; Mama Louisa's Italian Restaurant features Italian and seafood cuisines in a casual yet romantic atmosphere. This award-winning restaurant has a full-service bar, off-premise catering, and is wheelchair accessible.

Saguaro Corners Restaurant 3750 South Old Spanish Trail, Tucson, AZ 85730, 520-886-5424; Saguaro Corners Restaurant, which has been rated one of the Top Ten Restaurants in the Tucson area by Restaurant Row, provides dinner guests with a spectacular view of desert vegetation and natural wildlife through its floor to ceiling picture windows. Saguaro Corners' diverse menu includes hamburgers, seafood, steaks and vegetarian dishes. Reservations are recommended.

Texas T-bone Steakhouse 8981 E Tanque Verde Rd Tucson, AZ 85749 520-760-8599; The Texas T-bone Steakhouse is a popular choice for families. In addition to its signature T-bone steak, the country-style steakhouse rounds out its menu with chicken and fish entrees for those wanting an alternative to beef.

1. Per capita, New Zealand contains more bookshops and more golf-courses than any other country in the world. The image of New Zealand as ‘just a sporting nation’ is actually false. New Zealanders are intelligent too.
2. Per capita New Zealand has more sheep than any other country in the world. (The Japanese tourists go crazy over them.) In recent years the highest number of sheep the country had was some 70 million in 1981. The sheep population, however, has dwindled since then, so that by 1999 there were only around 45 million. That’s still around 11 sheep per man, woman and child.
3. New Zealand is the first country to see the sunrise, and consequently was the first country to see in the new Millennium. That’s officially correct only because the first place in the world to see the sunrise each day, the Chatham Islands, belongs to New Zealand. The three islands making up New Zealand itself are some 45 minutes behind the Chathams.
4. New Zealand has the most southerly railway station, vineyard and pub in the world. These are all in the South Island. The most southerly capital city in the world, Wellington, is in the North Island.
5. This same capital city, Wellington, has more restaurants per capita than any other city in the world - including New York. Either Wellingtonians are a hungry lot and eat out frequently, or else there are plenty of restaurants that don’t do very well.
6. Auckland, which some New Zealanders (mostly Aucklanders) consider should be the capital city, has more boats per capita than any other city in the world. Auckland has several fine harbours, and of course, the Americas Cup was hosted there with great success in the past.
7. Per capita, New Zealanders have more access to the Internet than any other country in the world. This is not to say that every New Zealander has broadband, or even good access to the Net. Some enterprising New Zealanders have found their own way to get access, with more or less success. And Wellington gets in on the act once more: it’s the most wired city in the world - per capita.
8. Per capita, New Zealanders have the second highest rate of car ownership in the world. Fortunately, New Zealanders are spread over the land fairly thinly, so there are still plenty of places where you can drive for miles without seeing another car.
9. New Zealand was the first country in the world to give women the vote, to adopt the eight-hour working day, to operate a tourist board and to introduce the retirement pension. Unfortunately, these great gains have been eroded somewhat over the last few decades. Women, of course, still have the vote - in fact, New Zealand has had two female Prime Ministers - but many people work longer hours for less money now. With the advent of retail weekends, where shops are expected to be open at all hours, many people in retail have lost their right to any sort of proper weekend. And the retirement pension, which used to be set at 60, is now up to 65 - and may climb higher. For better or worse, people in New Zealand are just living longer.
10. The Lord of the Rings trilogy was filmed entirely in New Zealand, in spite of concerns from the American producers, in spite of the fact that the director, Peter Jackson, had never directed one film of that scale before, let alone three, and in spite of the fact that they all said it couldn’t be done. ‘They’ were wrong as usual. New Zealanders aren’t the sort of people who give in easily.

In Singapore, the cable car is used to commute one from the summit of Faber Mount on the Singapore Island to a low hill on Sentosa, a famous resort island just off the southern part of Singapore.

The cable car resembles a carriage which hangs from a strong steel cable suspended in the air. It moves along the cable with other cars on pullers turned by electronic motors. Each cable car is painted with eye-catching color and can seat up to six persons.

Through the glass window of the cable car, passenger gets a breathtaking view of the modernized city of Singapore, harbor bustling with workers, and some tiny islands off the coast of Singapore.

As the cable car is hung so high in the air, ships on the sea appear to be small boats or the boats like toys. You can view workers on the ships in the dockyard below busily moving cargo from the ships to the shore or from the quay on the waiting ships by looking through binoculars or a telescope. On sunny day, the sky above is beautifully blue and the sea below looks crystal blue.

Passengers have adequate time to capture a magnificent view during a trip to Sentosa Island as the cable car moves at a leisurely manner. When reaching the island, the visitor can walk round viewing some interesting sights or swim in the artificial lagoon. The visitor can also take a bus to travel round the island if he or she is not eager to walk. Golf lovers can have a round of golf course on this island.

After spending some memorable times on the island, you have to take a cable car back to Mount Faber. The return trip is equally enjoyable and interesting as during the trip to Sentosa Island.