Latest news with #GregNorman-designed
Los Angeles Times
19-05-2025
- Los Angeles Times
A Luxurious Wedding Hideaway in the Central Florida Wetlands
Spread across 500 acres of palm-lined grounds, The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes is expansive in feel while still being quietly tucked away from the surrounding city. With natural wetlands surrounding it and carefully maintained lawns throughout, the setting blends the calm of a nature preserve with the refinement of high-end hospitality. Its design of sun-warmed stucco, broad colonnades, and shaded arcades calls to mind the relaxed elegance of a Mediterranean estate, though it's located just a short drive from Orlando International Airport. Couples planning a wedding here will find a wide range of options. Outdoor ceremonies might take place beneath the trees in the Citrus Garden or beside the lakeside gazebo as the sun dips low. Receptions can then move to the open-air Palm Courtyard or into the spacious Plaza Ballroom, which fits up to 600 guests beneath high ceilings and warm, ambient lighting. For smaller gatherings, Whisper Creek Farm offers a more rustic atmosphere, though nothing about it feels rough or unfinished. Each space is managed by a dedicated events team, who handle logistics with an intentional focus and improvisational ease. Guest rooms and suites reflect the same understated luxury. Interiors are dressed in soft neutrals and organic textures, with many rooms opening out onto balconies that look across the lake or the golf course. For those planning longer stays, multi-bedroom residences with full kitchens and private pools are also available nearby. The 40,000-square-foot Ritz-Carlton Spa gives couples and guests space to unwind, while the Greg Norman-designed golf course adds another way to relax among the beautiful natural surroundings. Dining at the resort is thoughtful and varied, from upscale Southern cooking at Knife & Spoon to more relaxed options overlooking the garden. Knife & Spoon is also available for a full buyout for wedding receptions. Whether it's a single day or a full weekend of events, The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes lends itself well to a wide range of celebrations—quietly elegant, spacious without ever feeling impersonal. Beyond its world-famous theme parks, Orlando offers a surprising blend of luxury, nature, and romantic charm for weddings and honeymoons. From serene garden venues and grand resorts to vibrant nightlife and warm weather year-round, couples are drawn to Orlando for its accessibility, variety, and festive spirit. Whether you're planning a sleek ballroom wedding or an intimate elopement by the lake, this Central Florida city offers something for every love story. October through April brings milder temperatures and lower humidity—ideal for outdoor weddings and honeymoons. Summer is popular but tends to be hot, rainy, and crowded.
The Age
21-04-2025
- General
- The Age
My suburb's gated enclave is known as the Toorak of the West. It wants to secede
I was an RAAF baby. You don't have to feel sorry for me, but it did kinda suck. By decree, RAAF families got bounced around the country every few years with the carefree malevolence of a Bond villain stroking his cat, ignorant of a 10-year-old introvert's terror at once again having to fit into a new friend group. I saw my fair share of different states, schools and RAAF bases: Sale, Canberra, Richmond (NSW), Laverton and Point Cook. The last, built in 1912, and Australia's very first Air Force base, was by far my favourite and eventually became my home suburb. Every RAAF base is its own little gated fiefdom, a self-sufficient universe manned by soldiers, where outsiders aren't allowed in. At that time in 1996, the population of Point Cook was 580, of which 552 were at the airbase. My life was sealed-in but had a vibe of plenty – shops, cinemas and swimming pools merged with the dozens of picture-book homes. Dad remarried there in the local church, while my stepdad later worked at the RAAF Museum. Family fringe benefits for this starry-eyed 10-year-old once included an interstate ride in a Hercules C-130 military transport plane. But a radical change came to those sleepy grasslands that were once home to the Bunurong people of the Kulin Nation. The telltale rumble of air traffic became less frequent, replaced by the sounds of nail guns and other power tools, as budget house-and-land deals birthed concrete slabs and their protruding wooden ribs, replicating across the fields, from the freeway to the sea. Back when a housing deposit wasn't equal to the GDP of a small nation, first homebuyers came in their droves to the affordable bayside suburb just off the Princes Freeway, about 22 kilometres south-west of the CBD. Like some emirate that had struck oil, Point Cook's population exploded from little more than nought to 66,781 at the 2021 census, making it Australia's biggest suburb by population. It's predicted to keep growing to about 82,000 by 2040. But not all of Point Cook is egalitarian. Within the megasuburb lies Sanctuary Lakes, a manicured enclave with aristocratic airs that the blue-collar Werribians call the 'Toorak of the West'. It has twice been knocked back by Wyndham council in its attempts to become an official suburb, a status surely befitting its waterside mansions and long, winding fairways. Built around a 60-hectare man-made lake (Melbourne's largest) and a Greg Norman-designed 18-hole private golf course, the commercial housing estate was a gleaming Valhalla of abundance to this starry-eyed teen. So when the opportunity arose years later for a mate and I to score a prized waterfront rental on one of Sanctuary Lakes' gated man-made islands (conveniently linked to land by a road bridge), we jumped at the opportunity – even though neither of us had a job.
Sydney Morning Herald
21-04-2025
- General
- Sydney Morning Herald
My suburb's gated enclave is known as the Toorak of the West. It wants to secede
I was an RAAF baby. You don't have to feel sorry for me, but it did kinda suck. By decree, RAAF families got bounced around the country every few years with the carefree malevolence of a Bond villain stroking his cat, ignorant of a 10-year-old introvert's terror at once again having to fit into a new friend group. I saw my fair share of different states, schools and RAAF bases: Sale, Canberra, Richmond (NSW), Laverton and Point Cook. The last, built in 1912, and Australia's very first Air Force base, was by far my favourite and eventually became my home suburb. Every RAAF base is its own little gated fiefdom, a self-sufficient universe manned by soldiers, where outsiders aren't allowed in. At that time in 1996, the population of Point Cook was 580, of which 552 were at the airbase. My life was sealed-in but had a vibe of plenty – shops, cinemas and swimming pools merged with the dozens of picture-book homes. Dad remarried there in the local church, while my stepdad later worked at the RAAF Museum. Family fringe benefits for this starry-eyed 10-year-old once included an interstate ride in a Hercules C-130 military transport plane. But a radical change came to those sleepy grasslands that were once home to the Bunurong people of the Kulin Nation. The telltale rumble of air traffic became less frequent, replaced by the sounds of nail guns and other power tools, as budget house-and-land deals birthed concrete slabs and their protruding wooden ribs, replicating across the fields, from the freeway to the sea. Back when a housing deposit wasn't equal to the GDP of a small nation, first homebuyers came in their droves to the affordable bayside suburb just off the Princes Freeway, about 22 kilometres south-west of the CBD. Like some emirate that had struck oil, Point Cook's population exploded from little more than nought to 66,781 at the 2021 census, making it Australia's biggest suburb by population. It's predicted to keep growing to about 82,000 by 2040. But not all of Point Cook is egalitarian. Within the megasuburb lies Sanctuary Lakes, a manicured enclave with aristocratic airs that the blue-collar Werribians call the 'Toorak of the West'. It has twice been knocked back by Wyndham council in its attempts to become an official suburb, a status surely befitting its waterside mansions and long, winding fairways. Built around a 60-hectare man-made lake (Melbourne's largest) and a Greg Norman-designed 18-hole private golf course, the commercial housing estate was a gleaming Valhalla of abundance to this starry-eyed teen. So when the opportunity arose years later for a mate and I to score a prized waterfront rental on one of Sanctuary Lakes' gated man-made islands (conveniently linked to land by a road bridge), we jumped at the opportunity – even though neither of us had a job.
USA Today
07-03-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Greg Norman-designed short course opens at Mexican resort
Greg Norman-designed short course opens at Mexican resort Mandarina Golf Club, a Greg Norman-designed nine-hole short course, has opened at the resort and residential community Mandarina in Riviera Nayarit, Mexico. The course is set within the Flatlands, a 10-acre valley between the Sierra De Vallejo Mountains and the Pacific Ocean beach. The new short course also features a bonus hole, and there is a comfort station between Nos. 5 and 6. Norman designed the course to be friendly enough for family outings and events, with the option to approach each green with a lofted or rolling approach. Holes range from 60 yards long up to 160 depending on tees played, and the total length is 1,230 from the back tees. 'Mandarina's course offers something truly different – every hole tells a story,' Norman said in a press release announcing the opening. 'We created a course that's approachable yet exciting, offering both leisure and a touch of challenge in a setting you won't find anywhere else.' Mandarina was developed by RLH Properties, a public company based in Mexico City. RLH Properties' previous projects include Andaz Mayakoba, Banyan Tree Mayakoba, El Camaleon Mayakoba, Fairmont Mayakoba, Four Seasons Mexico City, Mandarina Polo & Equestrian Club, One&Only Mandarina, Rosewood Mayakoba, Rosewood Residences Mayakoba, Fairmont Heritage Place Mayakoba and One&Only Mandarina Private Homes.
