Looking for something special for a Winter break away, then look no further than the Hyatt Regency Coolum Hotel which is situated on Australia’s beautiful Sunshine Coast. Surrounded by 150 hectares of natural bushland, rainforest, a private beach, and set at the base of Mount Coolum, this Sunshine Coast resort boasts a multitude of options.
From the moment you drive through the front gates, you immediately start to unwind. You are met by genuinely friendly staff that does everything for you. Check in and then sit back while being driven to your room in one of the many shuttles that operate around the resort. There are no vehicles inside the resort other than shuttles and you quickly get used to the relaxed pace and start to walk or bike everywhere.
Accommodation ranges from single King rooms through to the Ambassador villas, with the most popular being the Lake Front Golf Villas which are overlooking the lake and 18th fairway. These deluxe 85-sq.-metre villas offer fully equipped kitchenette, washer/dryer, marble ensuite, furnished balcony or patio, work desk and fast Internet access. Bedroom suite includes king bed, adjoining room with king or two single beds, plus a bathroom with dual sink, tub and separate shower.
Located at the heart of the resort is the Spa which includes the reception, retail boutique, salon and gymnasium. The Spa provides guests with indoor and outdoor relaxation areas, 25 metre lap pool, aqua-aerobics pool, outdoor unisex spa, lavish men’s and ladies’ lounge with steam, sauna, relaxation lounge and outside access to the pools and most treatment rooms offer private courtyards. A daily sauna and plunge in the ice pool is a perfect way to ease into cocktail hour at the village square.
The main village square boasts a number of eateries (the pizzas are great), bar, bottle shop, newsagency and a large resort style pool. It acts as a central hub for most activities and meeting place. Often there is live entertainment during school holidaysIf you fancy more restaurants or a spot of shopping then Coolum is 5 minutes drive north and Noosa is only a 20 minute shuttle bus trip away. Other local attractions include Eumundi markets, Australia Zoo, the hinterland towns of Montville and Maleny and for the energetic there is always Mt Coolum to climb.
Perhaps the key attraction at Hyatt Coolum is the Robert Trent Jones Jr designed 18 hole championship course. Home to the Australian PGA Championship, the 72 par, 6263 metre course offers contrasting landscapes, from coastal holes adjoining the Pacific Ocean to manicured fairways that weave their way through native bushland. Master architect Robert Trent Jones Jr first visited Hyatt Coolum in 1988 when he crafted the original 18-hole championship course. His return to the Hyatt Coolum at the 2005 Australian PGA Championships was a land mark event in the subsequent redesign.
The new layout, sited around a mature rainforest and designed to conserve water resources, now includes two par three, two par four and two par five holes that blend with the existing hole 2, 3 and 9 to become a new “front nine”. The back nine (holes 10-18) has also been refreshed during the redevelopment.Mr. Trent-Jones Jr described his vision for the new course as a place where the natural beauty of the landscape collided with the natural beauty of a great game.A key feature in RTJ II courses is their “playability”.
The company’s design philosophy calls for a course that caters to all levels of play, from the average golfer to the world’s best players. For example a low handicapper can choose to take an aggressive line of play in order to secure an eagle or birdie but their chance of making the shot will be reduced through the strategic placement of bunkers and natural hazards.
As a part time golfer I can attest to the challenging nature of the new layout. The problem lies in not making a shot but in actually making that difficult shot. Then full of self confidence and bravado you set about challenging the natural flow of the course only to donate many balls to the rough and lakes that flow through the course. “I might take the driver out of their hand and put the nine iron there instead,” Mr. Trent Jones-Jr said. “There are 14 clubs in the bag and the driver is only one of them. The objective of the game still remains the same.”
The Hyatt Regency Coolum is about one and a half hours drive north of Brisbane. Sunshine Coast airport is about ten minutes away and is serviced by Virgin Blue, Jet Star and Tiger airlines. There is a shuttle bus to the resort.
For either a short break or a longer holiday, Hyatt Regency Coolum has everything you need to totally unwind. The author has been going there for holidays for almost 15 years and still looks forward to each return visit.