From a business perspective, it is hard to fully grasp this one … but it certainly is interesting.

Dutch Docklands is a company that essentially builds land where there is no land. Based in the Netherlands (appropriately) the company had signed an agreement with the government of the Maldives to develop 5 floating islands which will include a convention center, some 200 luxury homes, a boutique hotel and a golf course.

The islands are to be connected by a series of underwater tunnels (see representation in photo). In other words you would tee off on one hole, play that hole and in some cases more than one hole on a manmade island and then the “cart path” will lead you underwater to the next island where you will resume your game.

Now before you decide that this is more theme park than golf course, you should know that the highly respected, icon of golf, Troon Golf, will be serving as “technical advisor” on this project and one would presume, will later provide the facility management.

Considering that most golf courses need both destination traffic and local traffic or local members to keep them going, it’s hard to imagine that a golf course located in the middle of the Indian Ocean isn’t going face financial challenges, especially in view of the fact that the developers have the cost of not just buying the land, but creating it.

When this engineering feat is accomplished, with all its exceptional components, it may not be the cheapest place to grab a round of golf. Nevertheless, if you play, you will surely want to try this unique course, which leads me to think that an India timeshare resale might be an ideal option for great rates on vacation accommodations that put you in the right corner of the world to try what will no doubt be one of the most unusual golf courses ever built.

K.J. Choi’s win over David Toms in the first playoff hole of The Players Championship, on the par-3 17th at TPC Sawgrass was a well-earned victory for Choi. The Pete Dye designed TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course challenges all who play it. Nevertheless, for dedicated golfers it is a course that goes on the bucket list. And the nice thing about the Stadium Course and its championship companion course, Dye’s Valley, is that they are open to the public to play.

Plan a St. Augustine Timeshare Vacation and Play TPC Sawgrass

If you own Bluegreen timeshare or can make an exchange for Bluegreen’s Grande Villas at World Golf Village, then you are already set for a golf and timeshare vacation of a lifetime. Or, with a Bluegreen timeshare resale or timeshare rental, your golfing dreams can be your next vacation reality.

Staying at Bluegreen’s Grande Villas timeshare puts you onsite in a one or two-bedroom timeshare villa overlooking the 17th and 18th fairways of The Slammer and The Squire championship golf course and in a great place for playing the adjacent King and Bear, or trying your hand at TPC Sawgrass, only 15 minutes away.

Yes, playing Sawgrass is definitely a golfing must-do. So here are our best playing tips for when you tee it up on this legendary course:

Number 17, with its island green, is widely known as a treacherous hole and playing it well involves a bit of luck. But attention to the wind will be key in helping you keep your ball dry (note: in 2010 recreational golfers inadvertently hit over 120,000 golf balls into the water on this challenging hole).

Now brace yourself, because number 18 is actually the most difficult hole on the course. It’s 447 yards bordered by a water hazard from the tee to its oddly shaped, tiered green. Forget aiming for the pin, the green is too tricky. Instead, aim your approach for the general area of the middle tier and consider allowing yourself a mulligan.

In the end, remember you played TPC Sawgrass for bragging rights to say you did it and when the round is done, you’ll be heading back to relax at Bluegreen’s Grande Villas at World Golf Village.

Related news from The Timeshare Authority blog:

Play Timeshare Golf, Perhaps Wind up in the World Golf Hall of Fame

Club Intrawest is a one of the top resort clubs in North America, with 18 popular resorts from Sandestin, Florida to Whistler to Zihuatanejo, Mexico to the Big Island in Hawaii. Each of the 16 Intrawest timeshare resorts offers a signature attraction, whether that is beach, skiing, golf, or properties such as those in Orlando that are situated at the heart of some of the world’s most popular vacation attractions.

Club Intrawest Vacation Club Membership

With Club Intrawest timeshare membership, you don’t have to choose between owning timeshare at a ski resort or on the beach. Club Intrawest timeshare or resort club members own vacation points, called “Resort Points,” that enable them to enjoy vacations both at Club Intrawest resorts and at all of the Club Intrawest networked resorts. Your vacation club membership makes it easy to enjoy both. All Club Intrawest resorts are part of RCI timeshare exchange; many are also affiliated with Interval International timeshare exchange as well. With Club Intrawest timeshare, you even have the option to use your vacation club points for hotels and cruises.

When you buy a Club Intrawest timeshare resale, you are purchasing the benefits of timeshare ownership (or in this case vacation club membership), but you are buying timeshare from a current owner, typically at a great savings to you. And you may be surprised to learn, but Club Intrawest timeshare is also available as timeshare rental, too.

Hilton Head is known for both its beautiful beaches, and its great golf. With over 20 courses in the immediate area, you can spend many happy hours with a golf club in your hand when you plan a Hilon Head timeshare vacation.

Yes, of course you want to play Harbor Town Golf Links, where the pros play, (see: Plan a Hilton Head Timeshare Vacation and Play Where the Pros Play) but let’s look at four other Hilton Head golf courses you should add to your ‘must play’ list:

Old South Golf Links

Located just across the bridge in Bluffington, Old South Golf Links is built on the fringes of the marshlands surrounding Hilton Head Island. Playing 6772 yards from the tour tees, this course is a true links design. The best playing tip for this course might be to consider your club selection carefully. The proximity to the marshland tends to make this soil rather spongy, meaning that the first club you pull out of your bag may not be the best choice.

Arthur Hills Course at Palmetto Dunes Resort

Water, water everywhere! The Arthur Hills course at Palmetto Dunes Resort is 6651 yards of challenge. Relax and enjoy as your play this course, you will understand it better the more times you play there. And repeated rounds of golf on this Arthur Hills course will make you better prepared for anticipating the hidden hazards of this course, surprises you just won’t be expecting.

The Arthur Hills course at Palmetto Dunes Resort, a meticulously maintained course, was selected as the 2009 South Carolina Course of the Year by the Lowcountry Golf Course Owners Association.

Heron Point course at Sea Pines Resort

Heron Point at Sea Pines Resort is a contemporary Pete Dye design. This course calls for visualizing your shots and utilizing your best course management. But like many Pete Dye designs, Heron Point offers you options. Play it safe or take a risk… the choice is up to you.

Look for dramatic angles and shifting elevations on this 7,103-yard layout.

Oyster Reef Golf Club

The Oyster Reef Golf Club is a true, old South course. If you have heard off-putting things about playing conditions, relax, this course has come back strong.

In 2000, after a failed attempt to swap out the grass there, Oyster Reef was passed from owner to owner, and for a while, showed real signs of wear and tear. But those days are in the past. Playing at over 7,000 yards with a 139-slope rating from the tips, Oyster Reef is considered one of the most pleasurable courses to play at Hilton Head.

This course was named by the Low Country Golf Course Owners Association as the “2006 Golf Club of the Year” and has been named as one of the “Top 75 U.S. Golf Resorts” by Golf Digest.

Hilton Head Timeshare Resales and Rentals

Okay, that takes care of where you will play on your Hilton Head Island vacation, but where will you stay? Hilton Head timeshares offer great opportunities in timeshare resales and timeshare rentals. One great answer is to simply think Marriott.

Marriott offers EIGHT Hilton Head Island timeshares on or near the island, including Marriott’s Barony Beach Club Timeshare; Marriott’s Grande Ocean Timeshare; Marriott’s Harbour Club At Harbour Town Timeshare; Marriott’s Harbour Point Timeshare; Marriott’s Heritage Club Timeshare; Marriott’s Monarch At Sea Pines Timeshare; Marriott’s Sunset Pointe Timeshare and Marriott’s SurfWatch Timeshare.

Tee it up. Your options don’t get better than this.

This weekend’s pro golf competition includes The Heritage Golf Tournament at Harbour Town Golf Links. The PGA Tour players are all in town at Hilton Head for the tournament and in many cases, they have brought along their families.

Why do so many of the Tour Pro families show up at this particular tour stop? Because for family vacation fun paired with great golfing, you just can’t beat Hilton Head.

Hilton Head Golf

The players will battle it out on the par 71 course originally designed by Jack Nicklaus and ‘touched up’ in 2000 by Pete Dye. It’s a course that the pros often describe as fun to play, in an event that allows them to wind down a little from the pressure of the Masters.

For recreational golfers, focus on avoiding the water, get mentally prepared for greens on the small side, and watch out for the par 4s!

Hilton Head Timeshare Vacations

A Hilton Head timeshare vacation not only means golf, it means plenty of water sports, the beach, historic lighthouses, quaint shopping, and unique restaurants. It also means your choice of nearly a dozen great Hilton Head Island timeshare resorts including Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort Timeshare and Marriott’s Barony Beach Club Timeshare.

With eight fantastic Marriott Hilton Head timeshares, you decide to exchange for a different resort each time you visit. And don’t forget great timeshare resales and timeshare rentals at the Player’s Club Timeshare and the Royal Dunes Timeshare.

Check The Timeshare Authority blog tomorrow, when we will take a closer look at four other great Hilton Head golf courses.

The World Golf Hall of Fame & Museum has now joined with the National Hole-In-One Association to create the World Golf Hall of Fame Hole in One Registry.

This golf registry allows recreational golfers to memorialize their hole-in-one by recording it with the Hall of Fame. Their accomplishment will then be on display at the World Golf Hall of Fame Museum in St. Augustine, Florida. This means that golfers can see the magnificent moment of their hole-in-one memorialized for posterity right alongside the hole(s)-in-one made by many professional golfers.

Doug Burkert, President of National Hole-In-One Association explains, “… we believe each one (golfers who make a hole-in-one) deserves recognition from the World Golf Hall of Fame. More than 100,000 holes-in-one are made across the United States each year and we hope that many of those golfers will support the Hall of Fame by registering and sharing their stories.”

Amateur golfers may register as many holes-in-one as they like and will be able to look up their name and their accomplishment alongside the holes-in-one of tour pros. Legendary golfer Nick Price says, “I can still remember my favorite hole-in-one on the 17th hole during the final round of the 1988 Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. I think it’s wonderful that my shot will be next to shots from fans all over the world.”

World Golf Hall of Fame and Florida Timeshare

Those who love the game of golf and appreciate its legendary history will enjoy both touring the World Golf Hall of Fame and playing its championship courses. Bluegreen Resorts Grande Villas at World Golf Village is one of several excellent Florida timeshare destinations to consider when planning a trip to the World Golf Hall of Fame in St. Augustine.

Located adjacent to the museum, Bluegreen Resorts Grand Villas timeshares at the World Golf Village offer you tournament quality playing conditions on both the Slammer & Squire and the King & Bear, with timeshare units overlooking the 17th and 18th fairways of the Slammer & Squire.

The LPGA Tour’s RR Donnelley Founders Cup, played at Wildfire Golf Club at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa in Phoenix, Arizona is only a week away. Scheduled for March 16-21, the pro-am will take place on Thursday, with the first round of play to commence on Friday March 18.

This exciting LPGA golf event not only features the competitive play of the top names in women’s golf, but just as importantly, this event is played without a purse… with all proceeds going to fund the Girls Golf program supported by the LPGA and the USGA. In 2010, LPGA USGA Girls Golf served more than 6,600 girls in the US.

In addition to helping fund the future of the next generation of women to play the game, this special tournament honors the women who paved the way for women’s professional golf. LPGA Founders Louise Suggs, Marilynn Smith, Shirley Spork along with LPGA and World Golf Halls of Fame members, Nancy Lopez, Patty Sheehan, Betsy King, and Pat Bradley will make special appearances at the tournament with Bradley, King, Sheehan, and Lopez playing an 18-hole exhibition match on Friday. This unique tournament will enable fans to see today’s stars while also watching some of the legends of the game.

And the following week, when the hospitality tents are gone and the LPGA Tour is headed to its next tour stop, guests and timeshare owners will be other enjoying the same challenging golf course the pros were playing only days before. Marriott Golf manages 59 golf courses at 43 locations, all of which are at or near a Marriott resort or Marriott timeshare. As Claye Atcheson, Vice President, Marriott Golf explains, “The entire team at Marriott Golf, from the property level to corporate, is very excited to showcase our first-class golf courses and resorts to the world, while challenging the game’s best golfers in three high profile championship events. …we are excited to host the new RR Donnelley Founders Cup event at Wildfire, where we expect players and fans alike to have an amazing experience.”

Marriott’s Canyon Villas at Desert Ridge Timeshare Resales

Marriott’s Canyon Villas at Desert Ridge timeshare is adjacent to Desert Ridge Marriott Resort and Spa. These spacious timeshare villas offer two-bedroom units with fully equipped kitchens. In addition to enjoying great golf at the Wildfire Golf Course, timeshare owners who vacation at Canyon Villas often find themselves enjoying the famous Desert Ridge Spa with its nearly 50 special treatment rooms.

On property, there’s also a lap pool, pool with waterfall and a lazy river for relaxing when you come off one of the best resort golf courses in the country.

Previous The Timeshare Authority blogs in this series:

• Marriott Timeshare and Ritz Carlton Timeshare Hosting PGA and LPGA Golf Events
• Ritz Carlton Club Timeshare and Fractionals, Luxury the Affordable Way
• Marriott Timeshare and PGA Tour Golf at Doral Resort

Next week, professional golf heads to one its most popular events at an equally popular resort and timeshare destination, the Doral Golf Resort & Spa in Miami, Florida and Marriott’s Villas at Doral (Miami). Scheduled for March 10-13, the World Golf Championships – Cadillac Championship, is one of four World Golf Championships sanctioned and organized by the International Federation of PGA Tours.

Played on the famed Blue Monster at Doral, this par 72/7,266 yard course can be a humbling experience for even the best golfers. Last year’s champion, South African golfer, Ernie Els shot a 270 (-18) to take home the trophy. But let the wind kick up, as it so often does at Doral and you’ll see scores creeping higher, like the 278 with which Tiger Woods won in 2007.

But windy or calm, for both for the pros and for recreational golfers, visits to Doral Resort just keeps getting better. Recent upgrades and amenities in place or soon to be completed at the resort include:

• The new Jim McLean Signature Course.
• Upgrading the Great White and Gold golf courses with TifEagle greens
• Forming a partnership with the PGA Tour’s TPC to rename the Blue Monster: TPC Blue Monster at Doral
• The $5 million renovation of The Spa at Doral
• And the Bossa Nova lobby bar, Latin-inspired steakhouse, featuring a new executive chef

Marriott’s Villas at Doral Timeshare Resales and Timeshare Rental

Marriott’s Villas at Doral timeshares are spacious 2-bedroom, 2-bath timeshare villas, with your choice of golf course or lake view. Villas have dining areas with full kitchens, washers and dryers, and either a private balcony or patio. Marriott’s Villas at Doral timeshare resales offer a truly affordable option for vacation ownership at sunny Florida, year-round destination, where the golf is always outstanding and the nearby nightlife of Miami Beach is legendary. Now throw in the beautiful beaches of south Florida and you have a vacation destination that is perfect by almost everyone’s standards.

Marriot Golf and Marriott Timeshare

This is the second great golf/great Marriott timeshare combination we’ve looked at this week, and we still have one more to go with the LPGA’s RR Donnelley Founders Cup, taking place March 16-21 at Wildfire Golf Club at the beautiful JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa in Phoenix, Arizona.

Follow these links to read the first two posts in this series on Marriot Golf and Marriott Timeshare:

• Ritz Carlton Club Timeshare and Fractionals, Luxury the Affordable Way
• Marriott Timeshare and Ritz Carlton Timeshare Hosting PGA and LPGA Golf Events

Following up on Marriott Timeshare and Ritz Carlton Timeshare Hosting PGA and LPGA Golf Events, our blog post on Monday, here is more information about the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain in Marana, Arizona, where Marriott Golf hosted the World Golf Championships – Accenture Match Play Championship last week.

Televised on NBC, maybe you caught some of the head-to-head excitement that is part of match play, but no matter how closely you were watching the golf, you also were bound to notice this amazing championship golf course and the elegant Ritz-Carlton resort built there. Jack Nicklaus designed the Dove Mountain courses. The courses play at elevations ranging from 2,300 to 3,200 feet. Nicklaus created 27 holes, all offering great personality, and plenty of challenges. The 9-hole Wild Burro course is said to be Nicklaus’ favorite nine at Dove Mountain.

Wild Burro is a par 36, 3,897-yard course that offers amazing views of the Tortolita Mountains and a unique, panoramic view of the Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain Resort from the fifth green. The Saguaro course is a 3,894 yard, par 36, nine holes that offers vistas of the Saguaro cactus forest and typically provides the front nine for the World Match Play Championship. Finally, the dramatic Tortolita course is a par 36, 3,955-yard course, winding along the base of the mountains. Tortolita is played as the back nine for the Match Play Championship. After golfers work their way through the fifth through eighth holes, (played as twelfth through seventeenth in 18-hole play) wandering through the canyon, a grassy hillside stadium becomes the perfect finishing hole for tournament play.

After a Round of Golf, There is No Better Luxury than the Ritz Carlton Club Dove Mountain

Ritz Carlton Club offers two types of vacation ownership. Home Club Membership and Portfolio Membership both afford you the opportunity to enjoy fabulous luxury properties without the responsibilities of sole ownership.

Home Club Members enroll in The Ritz-Carlton Destination Club by purchasing a fractional deeded interest in real estate at one of the Club locations. They gain both access to their home club residence for between 21 and 35 days annually and access to The Ritz-Carlton Experience Collection, which includes over 70 Ritz-Carlton hotels worldwide.

Ritz Carlton Portfolio Club members have extreme flexibility in how they enjoy their vacation ownership experiences, choosing when and where they travel, how long they prefer to stay, and the size and type of accommodations they prefer on a vacation-by-vacation basis. Portfolio Membership includes access to the 10 Ritz Carlton Club locations in the Ritz Carlton Club Collection as well as the 70 Ritz-Carlton hotels around the world, all through points based ownership .

Perhaps best of all, is a very important detail that many people don’t realize: you can buy Ritz Carlton Club resales or savor the luxury a little at a time in a Ritz Carlton rental. This means great golf and resort luxury at its best … at prices that will surprise you with their affordability.

What do golfers and golf lovers want? They want the opportunity to see the legends of the game along with its rising stars playing competitively and to perhaps, play the same courses golf’s great players get to play. And it may surprise you that the key to fulfilling both of these wishes lies in a Marriott timeshare.

Marriott Golf is hosting three professional Tour events in 2011, and each one of them combines a championship golf course (or courses) and a Marriott or Ritz Carlton (Marriott affiliated) owned or managed timeshare or vacation ownership resort.

Over the next few days here on The Timeshare Authority blog, we will look at each of these resorts and the opportunities for you to stay there, play there, to perhaps be there to see the PGA Tour and LPGA Tour players compete, and to become a Marriott timeshare or Ritz Carlton Club owner or renter.

Great Golf, Great Timeshare Resorts

If you missed the excitement last week at the PGA Tour’s World Golf Championships – Accenture Match Play Championship, you also missed the spectacular views of the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain in Marana, Arizona and its 27-hole course designed to blend subtlety into the foothills of the Tortolita Mountains.

The 2011 Accenture Match Play Championship was a surprising tournament that saw many of the biggest names of the game checking out early, with Thomas Bjorn defeating Tiger Woods in the first round and Rickie Fowler beating Phil Mickelson in the second round…but as golfers understand better than anyone else—that’s match play and that’s golf!

But there are still two more exciting professional events coming up quickly at Marriott timeshare venues: the World Golf Championships – Cadillac Championship, to be held March 10-13 at Doral Golf Resort & Spa in Miami, Florida, and the LPGA’s RR Donnelley Founders Cup, taking place March 16-21 at Wildfire Golf Club at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa in Phoenix, Arizona.

Marriott Golf and Marriott Timeshare

Marriott Golf manages 59 golf courses at 43 locations in 12 countries. Marriott timeshare (Marriott Vacation Club) offers 53 timeshare resorts worldwide, and the Ritz Carlton Club offers 10 primary Ritz Carlton Destination Club locations in the United States and the Caribbean. Look for great opportunities in Marriott timeshare resales, Marriott timeshare rentals, and Ritz Carlton Club resales. And follow The Timeshare Authority blog this week as we take a closer look at each of the three tour stops that are also Marriott or Ritz Carlton resort very desirable destinations.