The Latest in Luxury Resort & Real Estate News

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Poipu Bay Golf Course Celebrates Grand Re-Opening

(KAUAI, HAWAII) -- Tee times are now being accepted at Poipu Bay Golf Course, which just reopened Dec. 16 after nine months of a major greens renovation.

Poipu Bay, former home of the PGA Grand Slam of Golf adjacent to the Grand Hyatt Kaua'i Resort & Spa, was shut down in April to install Seashore Paspalum, a warm-season turf that requires less water and chemicals to maintain excellent conditions. The course also enhanced more than a dozen bunkers and tee boxes and made improvements to the 21,000-square-foot clubhouse.



"We're excited for our guests to play the course and experience the new greens," said Poipu Bay's director of golf Craig Sasada. "The greens look absolutely pristine. Not only are they eco-friendly, but they will provide a faster and more consistent roll for our players."  
Poipu Bay - a Robert Trent Jones Jr. design - was ranked No. 5 out of more than 90 courses in Hawaii in the September issue of Golf Magazine, which ran its biennial "Best Courses You Can Play" by state list.

Together with the Grand Hyatt Kaua'i it has been ranked as one of the best golf resorts in the world by national publications. The oceanfront resort features lush gardens with manicured lawns, six restaurants and six lounges, a water playground with a river pool, waterfalls, a 150-foot water slide, a saltwater lagoon, tennis and the award-winning Anara Spa.

Australia's Monaco Oasis on the Block

(GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA) -- Wondering what $5.5 million can buy you along Australia's exclusive Gold Coast? One luxurious new option on the market called Monaco Oasis can be bought for $5.4 million, including about one-half acres of awesome Australian riverfront living.
Influenced by European decorative traditions, this multi-million-dollar residence has lured celebrities such as Alan Jones, radio broadcaster and TV personality, as well as other high-net worth individuals, to soak up the atmosphere and stay a while.

The current owners Karen and Roger Cartwright purchased the home in February 2000 and demolished all but the original 1960's 25-meter salt-water pool. During the three-year construction of the new residence, the empty pool enticed international skateboard superstar Tony Hawk to perform some of his famous airborne revolutions while touring Australia.

Pru Hux, Coldwell Banker GC Property Group who is marketing the property with Associate Tory Hirst said: "This home is located in Millionaires Row, Broadbeach Waters, Gold Coast (East Coast). Facing due north, it has an impressive (295 feet) of river frontage to the rear and Albert Park across the street, what a location."

Hidden behind a double set of ornate gates the driveway leads to a 1,076 square-foot garage and formal entrance where you will find yourself standing, on entry, on a glass floor over a pebble stream. The sweeping staircase averts your eyes upwards to the soaring celings, decorative cornices and architraves, exquisite paint finishes on the walls and expansive windows with river, pool and garden outlook.

The residence comprises 4 double bedrooms all with private en-suite bathrooms, dressing room and private balconies. The guest suite also includes a kitchenette. Expansive and elegant open plan living and formal dining areas are located off the main foyer and on the western side is a media lounge. There is also an executive study with its own entry and custom-designed cabinetry.

The kitchen is finished with counter tops of granite in desert storm, metallic lacquered cabinetry, and a splashback handcrafted from sand and glass. Croatian sandstone adorns the floors and polished limestone and marble are featured throughout the home.

The terraces lead to beautifully manicured grounds which consist of a large thatch-roofed, entertaining pavilion complete with sound system and LED lighting plus a second smaller pavilion by the pool with a glass floor elevated over a fish pond which is fed by the rock waterfalls.

"We expect a lot of interest in this residence," Hux added. "171 Monaco Street was created by impeccable craftsmen and built with such outstanding quality. Its classic architecture will stand the test of time."

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