I had just played one of the worst rounds of my life, and frankly, I did not
care.That’s because what followed was a wine tasting at Domaine de
Beaurenard in the Chateauneuf-du-Pape region in southern France. Standing among
racks of oak barrels in a “cave” surrounded by fields of luscious Syrah,
Grenache and Mourvedre vines, I sampled several vintages of reds and
whites.
Then my golf partners and I toured a nearby chocolate factory, where
we learned how cocoa beans are made into bonbons and bars. We then took a
peaceful drive through the Provencal countryside—past vineyards and fields of
red poppies that look right out of an Impressionist painting, and through
villages with quiet cafés and outdoor markets.
Indeed, the non-golf
activities are the primary attraction of this weeklong Perry Golf cruise
through Provence aboard Le Phenicien, a tidy yet sumptuous vessel that
accommodates just 18 passengers. There are three rounds scheduled, and for every
fairway, there is a sight like Avignon, home to Palais des Papes (Palace of
Popes), where the Papacy resided for much of the 1300s. Or Arles, where Romans
built magnificent monuments and Vincent Van Gogh created some of his best-known
works. Or Aigues-Mortes, a charming 14th century city from which Saint Louis set
sail on his Crusades. Or Pont du Gard, an aqueduct bridge built by the Romans in
the first century.
Provence has become synonymous with the good life, and I
could see why after just one day, the one that began with that disastrous
round at Golf de Pont Royal, a tight, hilly Seve Ballesteros design that
features lots of ravines and water hazards.
But after the wine tasting,
chocolate sampling and the country drive, we arrived at Le Phenicien, which was
docked on the Rhone River just outside the ramparts of the medieval city of
Avignon. As I settled into a chair on the sun deck of the 127-foot vessel and
sipped a crisp blanc, the round had long been forgotten, replaced by more
pleasant memories. By dinner, expertly prepared by Thierry, our on-board chef,
golf had been thoroughly obliterated from my consciousness.
