Tavistock Cup - Albany Bahamas?

[Jaeger Kovich]

Someone invited me down to the Tavistock Cup in March 14-15 at Isleworth (Tiger's old home course). For the first time there are now 4 clubs involved instead of the same 2, Isleworth and Lake Nona. Queenwood the DMK design in Surrey, England and the brand new Albany Bahamas are bringing teams loaded with stars.

Having never heard anything about Albany before 2 weeks ago, how did a golf course with Ernie Els and Tiger Woods' names attached to the super luxury resort fly under the radar?... Bellow is some info I found on the tournament website.

ABOUT ALBANY 
Albany is a new luxury resort community created by Tavistock Group, Tiger Woods and Ernie Els. Nestled
among approximately 600 oceanfront acres on the southwestern end of New Providence in The Bahamas,
Albany is conveniently located seven minutes and five miles from Nassau’s international airport. Albany
features an array of residential offerings and amenities for all members of the family, including a well-
appointed boutique hotel, a 71-slip mega-yacht marina, an Ernie Els-designed golf course, a fitness
center and spa, an adult pool and bar, a family water park, a kids’ clubhouse and casual and fine dining
restaurants. Albany's deep-water marina is being designed and built to aesthetically rival the great resort
ports of the world. For information about Albany, visit www.albanybahamas.com.

http://www.tavistockcup.com/index.shtml


1. Why is Tigers name on the resort?

2. Has anyone seen the course?

3. Anyone here going, or has ever gone to the Tavistock Cup?

4. Would Isleworth be interesting to walk around for 2 days?

[Bill_McBride]

The players will be more interesting than the golf course.

[Jonathan Webb]

2011 Tavistock Cup Teams are posted:

http://www.tavistockcup.com/teams.shtml

Jaeger - I worked and continue to help work on the Albany Development and would be glad to answer any questions that I can.

If someone will be so kind to send me a PM on how to post pictures I will try and share some images of this luxury resort community.

[JR Potts]

Jäger:

I've played Isleworth probably 20 times and still find it to be one of the best modern golf experiences I've had.  Nothing about it is traditional but it is a great place.  The course is a big golf course with very interesting green sites, a lot of risk reward driving and one of the most challenging sets of par 3s I've ever played.  The course is surrounded by sothebys artwork and the houses surrounding the course are beautiful...and set back.

I think it's a great place and anyone who gets the chance to go, definitely should.

[Dean Stokes]

So this is really just becoming the Tavistock Club Team Championship now.....might as well just let teams enter now that have 4 players who's handicaps total less than +6.....The Medalist, Bears Club and Dye Preserve could all walk away with this event as could Whisper Rock I guess. Any more?

[K. Krahenbuhl]

So this is really just becoming the Tavistock Club Team Championship now.....might as well just let teams enter now that have 4 players who's handicaps total less than +6.....The Medalist, Bears Club and Dye Preserve could all walk away with this event as could Whisper Rock I guess. Any more?

Do you really think those clubs could walk away with it?  Did you look at the lineups of the teams playing?  Nobody is walking away with anything against those guys.

[JR Potts]

Kyle - how dare you let facts get in the way of a perfectly good post.

No team of six fantasy players plucked from all eras of golf would "walk away with it" against this team:

Els, Immelman, Clarke, Poulter, Rose and Woods;

Or any team in the field for that matter (although I must say, Isleworth's team is looking pretty terrible with Janzen on it)

[Dean Stokes]

So this is really just becoming the Tavistock Club Team Championship now.....might as well just let teams enter now that have 4 players who's handicaps total less than +6.....The Medalist, Bears Club and Dye Preserve could all walk away with this event as could Whisper Rock I guess. Any more?

Do you really think those clubs could walk away with it?  Did you look at the lineups of the teams playing?  Nobody is walking away with anything against those guys.

Let's think....Bears Club - Els, Donald, Allenby, Nicklaus!, Villegas, Baird, Lovemark and I may have missed some....

Medalist - Dustin Johnson, Marino, Fowler, Norman!, Wetterich, Parnevik, Jacobson,Turnesa, Baker Finch! and I may have missed some there......and reportedly one other fairly famous golfer who built a home nearby recently!

Whisper Rock - Mickelson, Ogilvy and many more I believe......

[Carl Nichols]

So this is really just becoming the Tavistock Club Team Championship now.....might as well just let teams enter now that have 4 players who's handicaps total less than +6.....The Medalist, Bears Club and Dye Preserve could all walk away with this event as could Whisper Rock I guess. Any more?

Do you really think those clubs could walk away with it?  Did you look at the lineups of the teams playing?  Nobody is walking away with anything against those guys.

Let's think....Bears Club - Els, Donald, Allenby, Nicklaus!, Villegas, Baird, Lovemark and I may have missed some....

Medalist - Dustin Johnson, Marino, Fowler, Norman!, Wetterich, Parnevik, Jacobson,Turnesa, Baker Finch! and I may have missed some there......and reportedly one other fairly famous golfer who built a home nearby recently!

Whisper Rock - Mickelson, Ogilvy and many more I believe......

I don't see how any of those teams is better than Els, Immelman, Clarke, Poulter, Rose and Woods.  If you could sit Immelman, you have 5 of the top 30 in the world. 

[Brian Noser]

So this is really just becoming the Tavistock Club Team Championship now.....might as well just let teams enter now that have 4 players who's handicaps total less than +6.....The Medalist, Bears Club and Dye Preserve could all walk away with this event as could Whisper Rock I guess. Any more?

Do you really think those clubs could walk away with it?  Did you look at the lineups of the teams playing?  Nobody is walking away with anything against those guys.

Let's think....Bears Club - Els, Donald, Allenby, Nicklaus!, Villegas, Baird, Lovemark and I may have missed some....

Medalist - Dustin Johnson, Marino, Fowler, Norman!, Wetterich, Parnevik, Jacobson,Turnesa, Baker Finch! and I may have missed some there......and reportedly one other fairly famous golfer who built a home nearby recently!

Whisper Rock - Mickelson, Ogilvy and many more I believe......

You Put Nicklaus!, Baker Finch! on there like they are going to be scared of them. It is not fantasy golf you don't get to pick them up in their prime....you forgot Whisper Rock has Gary McCord!

[Dean Stokes]

So this is really just becoming the Tavistock Club Team Championship now.....might as well just let teams enter now that have 4 players who's handicaps total less than +6.....The Medalist, Bears Club and Dye Preserve could all walk away with this event as could Whisper Rock I guess. Any more?

Do you really think those clubs could walk away with it?  Did you look at the lineups of the teams playing?  Nobody is walking away with anything against those guys.

Let's think....Bears Club - Els, Donald, Allenby, Nicklaus!, Villegas, Baird, Lovemark and I may have missed some....

Medalist - Dustin Johnson, Marino, Fowler, Norman!, Wetterich, Parnevik, Jacobson,Turnesa, Baker Finch! and I may have missed some there......and reportedly one other fairly famous golfer who built a home nearby recently!

Whisper Rock - Mickelson, Ogilvy and many more I believe......

You Put Nicklaus!, Baker Finch! on there like they are going to be scared of them. It is not fantasy golf you don't get to pick them up in their prime....you forgot Whisper Rock has Gary McCord!

Pardon my humor Brian! hence the excalmation mark! As I showed above...Els may play for Bears Club who also have Donald, #3 in the world, Villegas/Allenby (both top 50 in the world) and several other good tour pros.

[Dean Stokes]

So this is really just becoming the Tavistock Club Team Championship now.....might as well just let teams enter now that have 4 players who's handicaps total less than +6.....The Medalist, Bears Club and Dye Preserve could all walk away with this event as could Whisper Rock I guess. Any more?

Do you really think those clubs could walk away with it?  Did you look at the lineups of the teams playing?  Nobody is walking away with anything against those guys.

Let's think....Bears Club - Els, Donald, Allenby, Nicklaus!, Villegas, Baird, Lovemark and I may have missed some....

Medalist - Dustin Johnson, Marino, Fowler, Norman!, Wetterich, Parnevik, Jacobson,Turnesa, Baker Finch! and I may have missed some there......and reportedly one other fairly famous golfer who built a home nearby recently!

Whisper Rock - Mickelson, Ogilvy and many more I believe......

I don't see how any of those teams is better than Els, Immelman, Clarke, Poulter, Rose and Woods.  If you could sit Immelman, you have 5 of the top 30 in the world.  

Immelman, Clarke and Woods......very scary right now! I can't remember seeing Clarke or Immelman play last and Tiger plays a couple times a year and doesn't really perform.

[Bill_McBride]

Jäger:

I've played Isleworth probably 20 times and still find it to be one of the best modern golf experiences I've had.  Nothing about it is traditional but it is a great place.  The course is a big golf course with very interesting green sites, a lot of risk reward driving and one of the most challenging sets of par 3s I've ever played.  The course is surrounded by sothebys artwork and the houses surrounding the course are beautiful...and set back.

I think it's a great place and anyone who gets the chance to go, definitely should.

Ryan, is that 20 rounds since the big remodel, or did you play before and after?

I played one round before and would be hard pressed to describe more than three or four holes, that's how bland it was to me.

[JR Potts]

20 rounds since.  I never played it before Smyers came in and I have no idea about the course beforehand.

[Bill_McBride]

20 rounds since.  I never played it before Smyers came in and I have no idea about the course beforehand.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

[Jaeger Kovich]

Thanks for the responses. Not sure if Im gonna make it down yet. I never really expected a whole lot out of Isleworth, but it would be cool to see the course tiger called home, and try to figure out what can hold his and other tour pros interest, at least once.

I'm routing for Queenwood. Anyone else going?

[Bill_McBride]

Thanks for the responses. Not sure if Im gonna make it down yet. I never really expected a whole lot out of Isleworth, but it would be cool to see the course tiger called home, and try to figure out what can hold his and other tour pros interest, at least once.

Long course with a great practice area and very good security.

[Gary Slatter]

I though Joe Louis created the Albany Club for the people without pedigree who couldn't get into Lyford Cay.

[Jaeger Kovich]

Thanks for the responses. Not sure if Im gonna make it down yet. I never really expected a whole lot out of Isleworth, but it would be cool to see the course tiger called home, and try to figure out what can hold his and other tour pros interest, at least once.

Long course with a great practice area and very good security.

HAHAhA! Queenwood has excellent security too! Although surprisingly not that long, practice facility is also an A+.

[Brad Tufts]

Still would like to know the answer to Jaeger's question #1....how did Tiger get involved?

Seemed to happen under the radar....

[Dean Stokes]

Still would like to know the answer to Jaeger's question #1....how did Tiger get involved?

Seemed to happen under the radar....

I am certainly not 'in the know' but i have known for years that he was involved in a Bahamas project that also has Els name on it......I think that because it was put on hold for several years due to the downturn that most just forgot about it. I know someone who went down to see it and said it is 5 star......absolutely beautiful. Don't know much about the course though although the photos look good on the website.

[Bruce Katona]

If memory serves, I spent some time on this project with my former employer.  Terrific parrcel of land with a beachfront section with 30'-40' cliffs above the ocean.  Outstanding location adjacent to Lyford Cay and very close to the international airport.

I looked at the land plan and it doesn't look like what i remember, but, there was proposal for equestrian facilities back then; about 10 years ago.

[Jaeger Kovich]

Still would like to know the answer to Jaeger's question #1....how did Tiger get involved?

Seemed to happen under the radar....

I think we have been answered by the lack of responses.

[Andrew Cunningham]

I can't comment on Tiger's direct involvement in the development of Albany (other than being a friend of Mr. Lewis) but I've been told he had nothing to do with the Ernie Els design but I don't think that any kind of revelation.  I've toured the course a couple of times but will be playing it for the first time next week.  Overall the resort and marina are very impressive and collectively set the bar for residential communities in the Caribbean.

Andrew

[Jonathan Webb]

The below link provides a detailed description of Albany.

http://issuu.com/tavistock/docs/albanywelcomebook_dec2010_issuu?mode=embed&layout=http%3A%2F%2Fskin.issuu.com%2Fv%2Fdark%2Flayout.xml&showFlipBtn=true

Anyone else besides Jaeger attending the Tavistock Cup next week?