Three holidays for sports lovers
From taking a swing on Donald Trump's golf course in Scotland to playing Andy Murray's former coach at tennis, it's time to head outdoors, says Chris Carter.
Golf in Scotland
Donald Trump's revamped golf hotel, Trump Turnberry, is as subtle as his presidential campaign, says Linda Macdonald in The Daily Telegraph. On arrival, you drive past a statue of a Roman general that looks as if he has a golf club perched on his shoulder. On closer inspection, it turns out to be a sword, but "it aptly illustrates Trump's gladiatorial attitude when it comes to his Scottish golf empire".
While things calm down a bit in the bedrooms, the bathrooms are "pure Liberace". Still, Turnberry isn't just about golf. There's a spa with "indulgent" treatments, an infinity pool and plenty of activities from archery to air-rifle tuition for young adults. But essentially, "this feels like a bling-tastic dormitory for boys who play golf".
Doubles from £469 in high season see Turnberry.co.uk.
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Horse riding in Devon
The best way to explore Dartmoor, "a wild country of mists and stories", is on horseback, says Sasha Slater in Harper's Bazaar. The place to go for that is Liberty Trails. The company is run by Dartmoor native Elaine Prior, who breeds and keeps the horses, which are "eager and beautiful" and enjoyed exploring the glories of the national park as much as we did. But years spent on the Cte d'Azur has also taught Prior a thing or two about creature comforts.
Her guided trails strike the "perfect balance between adventure, culture and luxury". A morning's gallopingover windswept grassland was rounded off with a "lavish" picnic beside a picturesque stream. It's "no wonder the Qatari royal family use Liberty Trails when they fancy exploring Devon".
From £250 per person per day, including lunch, based on four people riding Liberty-Trails.com.
Tennis in Greece
If the Wimbledon championships has inspired you to dig out your old tennis racket, head to the Messini Beachclubin the Greek Peloponnese. Facing you across the net is none other than Andy Murray's former coach, Mark Petchey. Don't worry if you're a bit out of practice "I haven't held a racket for six years", admits Tom Chesshyre in The Mail on Sunday. But despite the baking heat, a private lesson with Petchey is the highlight of the trip. Expert instruction is provided on each shot: forehand, backhand, serve and volley.
But better still, you are given "ample opportunity to hone your new swings without dropping to your knees". If you can drag yourself away from the courts, there's also an "excellent" 50-metre swimming pool, keep-fit classes and organised bike rides into the nearby hills.
From £480 per person see Neilson.co.uk.
Afternoon tea in Wimbledon
Now that the hordes of tennis fans have departed, it's time to reclaim a table at some of the wonderful restaurants to be found in Wimbledon Village. It is, says Paula Ellis in Cond Nast Traveller, "a little enclave of quaintness in a gentrified corner of London, beside a village green and a duck pond".
Tennis greats Boris Becker and Novak Djokovic have been spotted at The Ivy Caf, which opened last month. Formerly a bank, the building was more recently the Sugarpova sweet shop owned by Maria Sharapova, "whose line of confectionery got Wimbledon kids high as kites". It serves afternoon tea, both savoury and sweet, and the good news is that you don't need a reservation, you can just walk in.
The Ivy Caf, 75 High Street, Wimbledon
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Chris Carter spent three glorious years reading English literature on the beautiful Welsh coast at Aberystwyth University. Graduating in 2005, he left for the University of York to specialise in Renaissance literature for his MA, before returning to his native Twickenham, in southwest London. He joined a Richmond-based recruitment company, where he worked with several clients, including the Queen’s bank, Coutts, as well as the super luxury, Dorchester-owned Coworth Park country house hotel, near Ascot in Berkshire.
Then, in 2011, Chris joined MoneyWeek. Initially working as part of the website production team, Chris soon rose to the lofty heights of wealth editor, overseeing MoneyWeek’s Spending It lifestyle section. Chris travels the globe in pursuit of his work, soaking up the local culture and sampling the very finest in cuisine, hotels and resorts for the magazine’s discerning readership. He also enjoys writing his fortnightly page on collectables, delving into the fascinating world of auctions and art, classic cars, coins, watches, wine and whisky investing.
You can follow Chris on Instagram.
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