Instead of playing in the usual member-guest tournament this spring at your club, consider heading to the Caribbean in April for the annual Casa de Campo Spring Shootout that features three of the Dominican Republic’s top golf courses, including Pete Dye’s world-famous Teeth of the Dog. The 54-hole stroke play event is open to all amateurs with a handicap—male and female.

After a practice day on Sunday, April 21, the tournament will be conducted the following three days among 10 flights of men and 6 flights of women golfers. Winners from each flight will compete in a shootout over Teeth of the Dog on Wednesday, April 24, until four players—two men and two women—remain. They will battle over the Dog’s diabolical 9th hole until individual champions are crowned.

Participants also will enjoy a first-night cocktail party and dinner, awards banquet and numerous prize drawings. Rates start at $1,705 per player for a four-night stay that includes a range of enjoyable elements:

• Golf Lodge or Elite accommodations
• Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily
• Drinks at all Casa de Campo hotel bars and restaurants
• Unlimited drinks at the Oasis Bars and beverage carts during tournament rounds
• Unlimited green fees, carts, range balls and club storage
• Tournament entry fee
• Gift pack
• Round-trip transfers from La Romana, Punta Cana or Santo Domingo airports
• Tax and service charge

It’s not a bad way to experience Casa de Campo, which is widely recognized as one of the Caribbean and the world’s top golf resorts. In addition to its golf courses, the resort offers luxurious accomodations, tennis, shooting, polo, deep-sea fishing from its marina, spa, yacht club and beautiful beaches.

Complete details on the Spring Shootout and Casa de Campo are available at www.casadecampo.com.do.

British actor Ben Miller waxes poetic on the charms of Guadeloupe where he films the BBC series, “Death In Paradise”

Most of us are envious of television stars for obvious reasons. But add to the list being sent to the lovely Caribbean island of Guadeloupe to film a hit comedy, and the envy really sits in. Such is the case with Ben Miller, who stars as Scotland Yard Detective Inspector Richard Poole, who is posted to fictional St Marie initially to catch the killer of a police colleague in the BBC series, “Death In Paradise.”

While his character likes virtually nothing about Guadeloupe (the St. Marie in the series), Miller is an unabashed fan as he states in no uncertain terms in a recent article written for Mail Online, the news site of U.K.’s Daily Mail. “In stark contrast to Richard, I love everything about Guadeloupe, where the show is filmed,” the actor writes. “I knew nothing about the island before I signed up for the role so the first thing I did was search for it on Google, and up popped these wonderful photos of a tropical Eden. Actually, I have to say that the photos online of Guadeloupe don’t really do it justice because there’s so much more variation to it than just white beaches and palm trees.”

Miller goes on to offer a complete travel guide to the sights, sounds and attractions of Guadeloupe, as well as other nearby islands he visits. His only serious lament was the failure to see Sir Mick Jagger on the beach at Mustique.

To read the complete article, click here.

There’s no doubt that Jamaica’s Appleton Estate knows how to make world-class rum. After all, the distillery has been rolling out the barrels since 1749. But now Appleton has created what it’s billing as “the world’s oldest barrel aged rum” to mark the 50th anniversary of Jamaican independence.

This special hand-blended concoction was produced from a selection of rums that had been aged in American oak barrels for at least half a century. Each barrel was laid down with the expressed intention of it contributing to a unique product that would celebrate the ratification of the country’s constitution in 1962.

Appleton Estate’s special edition of golden rum comes in a handcrafted crystal decanter with etchings representing Jamaican national symbols. Also included is a commemorative booklet detailing the rum’s history as well as the country’s long journey to full independence. Limited to only 800 bottles, each is priced at a hefty $4,520.

The commemorative edition is described as “a deep mahogany sipping rum, with powerful notes of cinnamon, toasted oak, almond, maple and vanilla combined with a hint of orange peel – the latter being a hallmark of all Appleton Estate Jamaican Rum.”

Visit www.appletonestate.com for more information.

Headquartered at the Los Suenos Resort and Marina in Costa Rica, the Landon Marine Group are very clear about their mission. Working on behalf of boating enthusiasts in Costa Rica and Panama, the company stands behind its motto: “Live life like you mean it.” This company’s quality line of yachts and range of services makes good on this promise, and none more so than its innovative fractional ownership program, which makes dreams of owning a luxury yacht easier to achieve . Add to that the allure of Costa Rica, with its near-perfect waters for cruising and world-class sport fishing, and Landon possesses the ideal model for continued success.

Landon Marine Group (LMG) and its fractional yacht program at Los Sueños Marina represent four respected yacht manufacturers — Riviera, Grady-White, Azimut and Marquis—with yacht choices ranging in size from 18 to 95 feet. The firm also operates from Marina Papagayo, Marina Pez Vela and Banana Bay Marina in Costa Rica, as well as Brisas de Amador in Panama.

LMG was founded in 2001 by Eric Landon when he retired after 35 years in the aviation industry, many as a Boeing 747 captain. According to Landon, his aviation background applied perfectly to the boating industry. “There’s only one way to fix a problem—the correct way,” he says. “I’ve always felt the most important part of owning a boat is having a strong service department willing to look after the problems as they arise and be accountable for their work. We have achieved this with taking time to hire and train good technicians.”

That philosophy is reassuring to a yacht owner and has helped the company gain acceptance for its increasingly popular Yachtshare program, which began when Eric & Heidi Landon were looking to own a new yacht but didn’t want to tie up the capital required. Based on proven fractional ownership approaches for vacation homes and jets, it made sense to purchase a yacht with partners and split the operating and maintenance expenses, particularly since very few mariners use their yachts on a regular basis. When word spread there was a way to own a luxury boat in Costa Rica at a fraction of the cost of full ownership, Yachtshare blossomed. Now, in addition to setting up fractional ownership—usually involving one-eighth or one quarter shares—LMG maintains and crews the yachts, handles all maintenance and upkeep, pays all bills and renews permits. That leaves an owner with just one task—enjoying the yacht.

It’s important to note that the fractional ownership for each yacht is structured as a legal corporation that makes each owner a shareholder of the corporation. This translates into legal ownership of a share that can be transferred.

The presence of the Yachtshare program is a boon for any boating enthusiast wanting to cruise and fish the exquisite waters of Costa Rica and adjacent Central American countries. LMG’s variety of operational locations adds easy access and service features that further enhance the boating experience. The Los Sueños Marina, for example, is one of four government-sanctioned marinas operating in Costa Rica and is recognized as the ultimate full-service port for luxury yachts and sport fishing boats. LMG’s northernmost location, Marina Papagayo, is just a 30-minute drive from the international airport in Liberia and has been called “the newest treasure of Costa Rica’s North Pacific Coast.” Marina Pez Vella offers services rivaling those of any five-star resort marina, while Banana Bay Marina sits on a deep gulf at the edge of a tropical rainforest in Golfito.

Combine a creative fractional ownership program, range of services and lush tropical locations, and it’s the perfect time and place to consider fulfilling the Landon Marine Group’s ideal of living life like you mean it. For more information on the Landon Yacht Share fractional ownership program, find them at www.LandonMarine.com.

If you come anywhere close to a beach these days, you’re going to notice a trendy new sport taking hold: paddle boarding. It is rapidly emerging in popularity all around the world, from the most remote and isolated getaways to the trendies, most luxurious resorts. Paddle boarding is the wave of the future.

It started back with the kings of the Hawaiian Islands, who used the boards specifically for training and exercise purposes. Now, the kings and queens of Hollywood have adopted the sport.

Jennifer Aniston has made quite a few splashes in the news while spiritedly guiding her paddle board through glassy blue waters on numerous occasions. Aniston has never led women astray; from how to maintain beautiful hair to the basics of a healthy diet, she has served as a competent source for workout and beauty trends. And again she leads her followers into friendly waters. No doubt the dedicated masses will follow her lead down this paddle boarding road. And they should, since paddle boarding is a great workout!

Surfers have long been admired for their outstanding physiques, and paddle boarding gives you a similar workout, without the brutal ten foot waves to navigate. Paddle boarding is in essence a leisurely way to surf. You can lie on it and paddle in a swimming motion or standup and use a long curved paddle to propel yourself forward.

Be advised that paddle boarding is most successful in calmer waters. So, next time you find yourself on the beautiful sands of Costa Rica, or in the Caribbean, make sure you bring a paddle board along, as no luxury vacation is complete without one.

Check out other celebrity paddle boarders maintaining their hot bodies with this trendy new sport.

Gisele Bündchen, longtime supermodel for Victoria’s Secret, wife to football star Tom Brady and new mother to their child, has found such a place in Costa Rica. An advocate of living a healthy lifestyle that nurtures a person both inside and out, she used Costa Rica as inspiration when developing her personal line of skincare products called Sejaa.

The promotional video for Sejaa was filmed mostly in Costa Rica, in what Bündchen considers a peaceful environment, so as to embrace the true essence behind Seeja. In the video, Bündchen can be seen living her tranquil Costa Rican lifestyle: riding horseback along the beach, sitting poolside at her home, meditating, and even practicing Tai Chi.

Take a peek:

It’s easy to see how attractive such luxurious getaways can be. Costa Rica in particular has gained a reputation as being the ideal place to find and restore personal wellbeing to an otherwise hectic life. Stunning beaches and crystal-blue waters offer the perfect platform for peace and tranquility while an endless supply of nature, wildlife and outdoor activities offer fun and adventure, if that’s more of what you seek.

Indeed, Costa Rica’s charm lies in its ability to be whatever you need it to be. For Bündchen, it’s a serene paradise where she can work on her personal wellbeing and spirituality and enjoy time with her family away from a hectic LA lifestyle. Her second home in Costa Rica is where Bündchen can breath and relax.

Other celebrities and high-profile people have turned to Costa Rica to find their own slice of paradise as well. Most recently, Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon found enchantment in the Northern Province of Guanacaste, joining the ranks of Sting, Harrison Ford, and others who have come to call Costa Rica home, at least for a little while. And several Costa Rica beaches were recently voted “Best of Latin America” in Trip Advisor’s 2012 Travelers’ Choice Awards.

What about you? Where will you find your peaceful retreat? Perhaps Costa Rica holds a piece of paradise for you as well.

But talk to anyone who has visited here or, better yet, ask someone who has decided to buy a vacation home in Costa Rica what it is they love the most, and chances are you’ll hear one answer repeated again and again – the spectacular sunsets. Locals and visitors alike make it a point to catch the 30-minute window of opportunity where, each evening, the sun puts on a natural art show.

Whether your Costa Rican vacation home is perched on a colina (hilltop, in English) or opens out directly onto a white sand beach with nothing but ocean as far as they eye can see, each evening sky provides a new canvas for the sun to paint the most amazing sunset you’ve ever seen.

We found ourselves enjoying this beautiful display just last night while staying in one of the beachside villas of the Del Pacifico Club at the Alma Del Pacifico Hotel. We were mesmerized and didn’t move until the sun had disappeared below the horizon. What’s more, we were assured that we were in for much more during our stay.

We’ve decided to put the theory to test, and we’ll let you know the results. We think the chances are good, though. After all, it’s a spectacular sight, but as the locals will tell you that – by Costa Rican standards – it’s just another day in paradise.

“It was a full-bore Lamborghini hot rod, a monstrous thing that weighed over 5,000 pounds with bulletproof glass and twelve cylinders with a top speed of 125 miles per hour and a .50-caliber-machine-gun behind the driver’s seat…”

That is the way Hunter S. Thompson described the Jeep he found himself behind the wheel of in 1976, as he blazed through the world. In 1976 that “hot rod” cost him $150,000. Being a lover of fast and furious automobiles, Thompson would no doubt be intrigued by Icon’s new design, the Icon Bronco. The price tag of this new Bronco is comparable to what Thompson’s cost him in the 70’s; a steal given it‘s over thirty years later. Perhaps it doesn’t have the bullet proof glass or the machine gun that Thompson’s had, but it’s probably fair to say that few of us need that kind of armor in this world. However, what is does have entirely makes up for it.

The Icon Bronco carries a Ford-sourced Coyote 5.oL V8 (currently found in the new Mustang GT) cranking out 412 hp, an Aisin Warner five-speed manual transmission, an Atlas II four-wheel drive transfer case, Stoptech brakes, Eibach coils, and Fox Racing shocks. This bad boy also has all-LED lighting (inside and out), keyless ignition, stainless steel trim elements, and the stunning Volcanic black powder coat exterior. No airbags, but more awesome than you can handle.

It has been seen rumbling into garages such as Jay Leno’s in LA. Where Leno jokes that the only off-roading anyone does in LA is when they plan on getting a DUI. This Bronco would be in much better hands with an owner who intends to use it as it was meant to be used: in the back country terrains of exotic and remote locations. Or as a lovely accessory at the summer or vacation home where terrains are unexplored and vast; a luxury among luxuries.

Without a doubt the Icon Bronco is going to take you not necessarily where you need to go, but rather where you want to go. Dare I say…where no man has gone before. Well, it’s the truth. And that’s what it was designed for, for the durable and adventurous spirit. The kind of person whose curiosity can only be cured by doing. Whose desire to explore is bigger than the mini-van in the driveway. So, get in…buckle up…and bare down.

Or in Thompson’s words, “Buy the ticket, take the ride”.

Watch the making of the Icon Bronco:

About Icon: Icon is the company founded by Jonathan Ward and born in response to the direction he’d seen the collector market heading, as demands and expectations on classic cars grew to expect modern performance married to classic styling.The result is ICON, a vehicle without peers for a journey without boundaries. Classic styling, modern performance, and timeless utility, nurtured by the support of enthusiasts and patrons who look for an extreme expression of design and utility. More at Icon Online.

“He was here as a possible partner,” top sources informed Guardian Business. “He is looking at how the resort can brand some of its items, especially in terms of various forms of technology, but also in areas like airlift. His brand name has deep recognition.”

Indeed, there are countless ways that the $3.5 billion mega project could benefit from such an alliance.

Robert ‘Sandy’ Sands, senior vice president of administration and external relations at Baha Mar, could not confirm nor deny this week’s meeting.

The British magnate is worth an estimated $4.2 billion and famous for a number of high-profile companies. He is perhaps best known for the Virgin Records music label, Virgin Mobile, Virgin Atlantic Airways, and Virgin Galactic. The latter plans to supply suborbital spaceflights to high-net-worth individuals, essentially trailblazing both space tourism and the commercialization of the final frontier.

This week, international media reported that phase one of the world’s first commercial port for sending tourists and payloads into space, known as Spaceport America, is approaching completion in New Mexico.

While Baha Mar’s guests might not blast off into space anytime soon, the fact remains that Virgin Group has strong interests in a number of major industries, including food and beverage, aviation, consumer electronics, films, mobile phones, jewelry and cosmetics.

According to top sources, the exact nature of the proposed partnership has yet to be established. But beyond any material benefit would be the considerable prestige and cache that comes from partnering with such a figure. The charismatic tycoon is also known for his larger-than-life exploits, thirst for life and world record attempts.

In 1991, for example, Branson crossed the Pacific in a balloon, covering 6,700 miles.

Branson stopped by the Baha Mar construction site on Monday on his way to Freeport. The mogul travelled to The Bahamas’ second city to take part in a charity aimed at saving the shark population.

Known for his casual demeanor and humility, the airline owner reportedly flew to Freeport using SkyBahamas, one of the county’s two national carriers.

Baha Mar, slated for completion in December 2014, continues to attract a great deal of attention from the high-net-worth community. Earlier this month, Guardian Business reported how the mega-resort on Cable Beach has sold well over $100 million worth of elite residences to international investors in just three months. Asian, European and Middle Eastern investors have shown the greatest interest in these residences.

Baha Mar has sprinkled 307 homes within the Hyatt, Mondrian, Rosewood and casino hotels. When the resort opens it will unleash more than 2,000 new hotel rooms into the Bahamian market.

The project will have more than 2,000 feet of beachfront, an eco-water park, a Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course and a 200,000-square-foot convention center. Baha Mar is being constructed by China Construction America and financed through the Export-Import Bank of China.

By Jeffrey Todd
Source: Nassau Guardian

Asheville, NC – The continuing expansion and evolution of fractional ownership is the basis for the launch of The Fractional Journal, an online publication dedicated to collecting and featuring current and relevant news on developments and activity in the fractional industry. The site is updated regularly and access is available to all readers at no charge at www.thefractionaljournal.com. In addition to staff-generated content, The Fractional Journal also invites submissions of relevant items and welcomes commentary from industry experts.

The Residences at Capella, a luxury private residence club in Cabo, Mexico

Currently most recognized as an option for vacation homes and business jets, fractional ownership—also known as shared ownership—has become a tool in developing other market segments as well, including boats and yachts, recreational vehicles and exotic cars. Another approach growing in popularity are private residence clubs, which offer fractional ownership in desirable destinations, many of which come with the amenities and services of luxury hotels.

In general, the fractional concept involves ownership of a share of an expensive asset, where the costs of maintenance, operation and other services are also shared. For example, a $1 million vacation home in a desirable destination would be shared by 10 owners, each of whom paid a set amount for deeded ownership of an individual portion of the property. A monthly fee paid by each owner covers all other related expenses inclusive of a property management company. A reservation system allocates usage, with owners generally able to use the property as much as they want. The primary advantage is the reduced cost of purchase as opposed to whole ownership, along with shared operating costs.

Avanti Air is just one of the fractional jet ownership operators featured in The Fractional Journal

“Fractional ownership is not really a new thing when you consider how long families and friends have shared vacation homes,” says Mark Peterson, publisher of The Fractional Journal. “The concept of shared ownership has become more practical and makes greater financial sense in the current economic and social climate.”

Ongoing expansion of the fractional industry is anticipated by observers and participants. “We are looking at a complete redesign of modern life,” explains John Grant, author of The Green Marketing Manifesto. “Fractional ownership, where products are pooled and shared, will explode.”

Submissions and article suggestions can be sent to The Fractional Journal via email to editor@thefractionaljournal.com. Accompanying high-resolution images are requested.