Troon Golf & Travel - July/August 2011

SUN VALLey, Idaho

BeND, Oregon

Ernest Hemingway (and later his son, Jack) understood the possibilities of Silver Creek, south east of Sun Valley. Today it’s considered one of the world’s great spring creeks. Silver Creek’s nutrient-abundant waters flow consistently cold and clear, sustaining lush aquatic vegetation and a plethora of bug life that supports rich populations of brown and rainbow trout. The fish are very particular;

FOR BOTH
SPORTS,
IT’S WHAT
HAPPENS
“BETWEEN THE
EARS” THAT
SEPARATES
SUCCESS AND
FAILURE.

Few venues offer the fly-fishing opportunities and first-rate golf courses that are available in greater Bend, Oregon, roughly 160 miles southeast of Portland. Stay at the Pronghorn Club ( pronghornclub.com), which features 2-, 3- or 4-bedroom luxury homes with full use of pool and spa facilities. Native rainbow trout swim in the Crooked River, an intimate canyon stream east of Pronghorn; rainbows and bull trout can be stalked in the Metolius, a fabled spring creek in the Cascade Mountains to the west; and in the best-known Oregon river, the Deschutes, you’ll fish for some of the hardest-fighting rainbows you can imagine. Healthy runs of reel-rip-ping steelhead arrive in the Deschutes each fall. Deep Canyon Outfitters (deepcanyonoutfitters. com) can hook you up. You’ll want to tee off at the Nicklaus Signature Course at Pronghorn, a 7,379-yard desert-style layout that offers sweeping Cascades views at every turn. Or the newer Tom Fazio course with its famous par-three hole with its green built atop a series of caves.

NeW SOUTH WALeS, Australia Sydney boasts one of the most beautiful harbors in the world, and beneath its dancing waters other beauties lurk—namely tuna, kingfish, Australian salmon and tailor (a spe- cies similar to American bluefish).

Justin Duggan (sydneyflyfishing.
com.au) leads trips on the harbor,
where you’ll search for baitfish
thrashing on the surface, cast your
fly into the melee and hold on. As the
Brits say, these fish pull some serious
string! There are many fine tracks
around New South Wales. Two good
options—both north of Sydney—are
Kooindah Waters (kooindahwaters-
golf.com.au) and Riverside Oaks (riv-
ersideoaks.com.au). Kooindah, a Top
100 choice in Australian Golf Digest’s
round-up, was designed by Ross Wat-
son and blends in seamlessly with
the surrounding wetlands. Riverside
Oaks, current site of the Australian
PGA Championship, offers an excep-
tionally well-manicured layout along
the banks of the Hawkesbury River.
Both courses have adjacent resorts
with a range of lodging options.

photography by allen kennedy NAPLeS, Florida

but if you land a 20-inch brown here, you’ve got a right to brag! Silver Creek Outfitters ( silver-creek.com) knows the river. After fishing the morning hatch, head back to Sun Valley for a round at Elkhorn Golf Club ( elkhorngolfclub.com), a 7,214 yard track designed by Robert Trent Jones and RTJ II. The route takes you around the base of Dollar Mountain and serves up consistently breathtaking alpine views. For lodging,contact the Sun Valley/ Ketchum Chamber & Visitors Bureau ( visitsunvalley.com).

For anglers, Naples is ideally situated—near the Everglades, the 10,000 Island region and Pine Key. A host of species are available here, but fly-fishers focus on snook, redfish, tarpon and sea trout. The tannic waters of the Everglades allow you to sneak up on fish in the tangle of creeks and coves. Long casts are not necessary, but you’ll need to be fast, and you’ll need to apply pressure to keep your quarry out of the mangroves! Captain Jeff Legutki ( naplesfloridaflyfishing.com) knows the swamp and the sea. The water that holds such abundant sport fish can play havoc with an errant drive, but you should brave the hazards and play Panther Run Golf Club ( playpantherrun.com), a Gordon Lewis design a little east of Naples. (The course takes its new name from the nearby Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge; it was formerly the Golf Club at Del Web.) The Naples, Marco Island, Everglades Convention & Visitors Bureau ( paradisecoast.com) highlights lodging options.