CordeValle is one of those resorts that make guests feel welcome. Really, really welcome.
But first you have to find it, because it’s hidden. Really, really hidden.
“We love our secluded feel,” said Jeff Holland, director of sales and marketing at CordeValle. “Our guests and members appreciate the quietness and beauty of the property. It almost feels like you’re in Napa.”
An 85-acre winery and vineyard on property add to that feel, but it’s the five-star golf and luxury at the 1,700-acre Rosewood Resort on the eastern slope of the Santa Cruz Mountains in San Martin that grab your attention. To get there, get off Highway 101, pass several agricultural fields, locate the understated gate, drop your name, drive several hundred yards to the front lobby before being whisked to one of the resort’s 45 villas or bungalows, most sitting hillside above the ninth fairway.
CordeValle opened in 1999 during the dot.com boom, but its off-the-beaten-track aura has gradually changed in recent years, largely because of the resort’s Robert Trent Jones Jr.-designed golf course that held the PGA Tour’s Frys.com Open from 2010-13 and will be the site of the U.S. Women’s Open in 2016.
“Winning the bid to host a national championship is a fantastic feeling,” Holland said about the U.S. Women’s Open. “The exposure will put CordeValle on a new plane of courses that people will want to see and play.”
The 7,360-yard course blends into the environment, with an added 150 feet of elevation changes requiring players to maneuver seasonal creeks, rustic meadows, oaks, sycamores and well-positioned bunkers. And with no lengthy treks between most greens and tees, the course is walkable, with caddies available to enhance the experience and help with the layout’s nuances.
The ambiance at Rosewood CordeValle reflects the beauty of its surroundings in a California Craftsman-meets-Europe kind of way. The exterior look is uniform from the clubhouse and golf shop to the guestrooms, and the interior decor takes its cue from the colors and textures found in the surrounding hills and mountains to give everything a calming and natural feel.
The golf course and 4,100-square-foot clubhouse are the centerpieces of the resort, with the latter housing cozy meeting space, conference rooms, a cigar room and three dining venues – the One Iron Bar, Lion’s Peak Grill and Il Vigneto. All dining locations utilize the region’s fresh produce and on-site vineyard, with American, Mediterranean and Italian cuisine highlighting the menu options. The resort also features Sense, a luxury spa that focuses on body revitalization, in addition to a fitness room, outdoor pool and tennis center.
“We’re becoming known for our good golf,” Holland said, “but the overall package is pretty outstanding.”
