I have recently taken up golf. By recently I mean two summers ago, after my father died and my mother found herself without a partner, she talked me into substituting. I finally had my first lesson, or week of lessons, on an elder-hostel trip with her to a ski/golf resort last week. I am hooked.
I spoke to a work acquaintance today, my first day back from vacation, with whom I have swapped ski stories over the years. I mentioned my recent vacation and my new off-season passion. "Oh yeah," she said. "Skiers LOVE to golf. I find that my first day on the golf course in the spring gets me started imagining the next season of skiing; and my first day on the slopes each winter gets me psyched for the next season of golf."
It seems she is right. When I search academic databases for articles about the connection there is no dirth of information. All of the biggest and best ski areas offer first class golf courses in the off season. Clearly, a slope side condo is going to have more appeal if there is a reason to occupy it on weekends year round.
While most of the articles I found dealt with the issues of year-round resort design and management, one described a golf event that goes on at an Italian resort while the snow is still on the ground! It seems that at the Rein resort in Taufers, Italy a charity golf event was held on February 23, 2008. According to the journal Turf Professional, "Contestants used bright orange balls on a nine hole course specifically built for the event."
Call me crazy, but the idea of playing golf in the snow with skis on just makes my insides quiver. The only thing that could make it better would be a hot toddy bar between the 9th and 10th holes.
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