Southern California's No. 1 Source for Golf
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"Although golf was originally restricted to wealthy, overweight Protestants, today it's open to anybody who owns hideous clothing" |
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 The inn features classic Moorish-Spanish architectural bones with graceful columns and archways and exposed ceiling beams throughout the main building that houses the hotel lobby, golf shop, restaurants and boutiques. Lovely pocket gardens with burbling fountains and several patios and green spaces invite you to spend as much time relaxing outside as inside. To add to its elegance, Rancho Bernardo Inn owner-operator JC Golf nears completion of a $25 million renovation that may very well bring a fifth star to its four-star rating. In our book, Rancho Bernardo Inn gets a "4-G" rating: great grounds, great golf, great grub and great guest rooms. Here's why: Great groundsThe inn's renovation brings together all the luxury amenities that business and leisure travelers, as well as event planners, insist on these days. A new 27,000-square-foot conference center (complete with a ballroom) adds to the existing 15,000 square feet of meeting space, allowing for the staging of banquets, weddings and business functions for up to 1,000 people.Also added is a 2,500-square-foot pool (bringing the number of pools to three) surrounded by seven cabanas, perfect for the serious business of laying about. The remodeled spa will offer therapeutic massage and beauty treatment cabanas within a large but private outdoor garden, with outdoor fireplaces, water features and sunning lounges. The inn cut the number of tennis courts down to a couple to make room for the spa expansion. Still, that's plenty for those who prefer to whack fuzzy green balls rather than dimpled white ones. Comfortable furnishings and sitting areas throughout the inn make indoor lounging a viable and pleasurable option. You'll find cozy nooks (some with fireplaces) decorated with comfy loveseats and wingchairs, tapestry rugs, antiques, original paintings and game tables - all designed to make guests feel at home. Even as a guest, you'll feel like one of the locals in La Bodega, a sports bar with a neighborhood pub vibe, thanks to a long bar with tall stools, several flat-screen TVs, billiards table, darts, club chairs - and, yes, friendly locals who will chat you up. Great golfThe course has undergone two redesigns/renovations since opening in 1962. In the most recent project, Schmidt-Curley Design resculpted the bunkers and added a fourth set of tees. Even with the modernizations, traditionalists can appreciate original designer William F. Bell's straightforward layout that provides fun challenges without excessive trickiness. The classic tree-lined fairways are set off by pretty views of the San Pasqual Valley foothills.Ensuring the visually lovely golf experience is the attentive service overseen by director of golf Erik Johnson. A marshal regularly drives up to groups and offers cold water, chilled towels and even sunscreen from a specially outfitted cart - the better to rejuvenate golfers whose petals might be wilting a bit on a toasty summer afternoon. The golf staff also addresses the issue of slow play with a gentle but firm hand, with the starter noting the free drop opportunity if your ball ends up in the narrow culvert that snakes through portions of the course. Playing times for each hole are noted on the scorecard and large clocks posted at some of the tee boxes let golfers know just where they stand from the time they started their round. Great grubThe fine-dining restaurant dubbed El Bizcocho truly takes the cake as possibly San Diego's best gastronomical experience. Wunderkind chef Gavin Kaysen (he's not yet 30) this year was voted best new chef by Food & Wine magazine for his style of putting playful twists on traditional French cuisine (scallops presented in a broth with peas and bacon, for instance). It's an experience not to be missed, nor a tête-à-tête with sommelier Eric Brehm, who knowledgeably relates the virtues of any of the 1,600-plus varieties of wine available in the inn's cellar.The casual-dining Veranda Grill delights with a thoughtful brassiere menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Living up to its name, Veranda boasts an actual veranda, complete with two outdoor fireplaces, from where you can enjoy baby-blue-and-pink skies dotted with hot-air balloons. Great guest roomsEach of the inn's 287 rooms has been remodeled to achieve a home-away-from-home intimacy with features such as super-duper comfortable platform beds, wall desk/workspace, new chairs or a loveseat, marble spa-style shower and vanity, and a separate bathtub, along with today's everyday necessities: a 42-inch, flat-screen TV and WiFi.Each room offers a patio or private balcony with views of the valley, the golf course or one of the many gardens. Some rooms have a wood-burning fireplace and adjoining courtyard. Living in a lap of luxury like this, who cares about leaving to visit nearby San Diego Zoo, Wild Animal Park, Petco Field, Balboa Park or Gaslamp Quarter? Rancho Bernardo Inn is located at 17550 Bernardo Oaks Drive in San Diego. Call (877) 517-9340 or visit ranchobernardoinn.com. |
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