Teaser | Vicarious | Fall 2025

RELENTLESS! 2026 Lamborghini Temerario

CARAGE 2026 Aston Martin Vantage Roadster

FIRST RIDE 2025 BMW F 900 R

ROADSIDE CHIC Manoir Hovey, Quebec

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CONTENTS

12 14

Editor In Chief Contributors

16 DRIVER'S SEAT

Mastering The Nordschleife

24 DISCOVERED

Anticosti Island

ROADSIDE CHIC

PIN HIGH Golf As Life

DRIVE

FIRST DRIVE 2026 Audi Q3

FIRST DRIVE The Audi Driving Experience

PIN HIGH Golf As Life | Royal Turks and Caicos Golf Club 36

FIRST DRIVE 2026 Hyundai Palisade

60 GAME CHANGERS Kristen Keenan

FEATURED CAR 2026 Lamborghini Temerario

RIDE

FIRST RIDE 2025 Honda Gold Wing 50th Anniversary

RIDER'S SEAT 2025 BMW F 900 R

ROADSIDE CHIC Los Jardines de Abama Suites & Villas 32

DISCOVER

FEATURED REGION New Zealand’s North Island- Part One DISCOVERED The Extremes of The Baja 1000- Part One

OUR TEAM EDITOR IN CHIEF JEFF VOTH

DISCOVERED Alberta Uncovered: A Journey Together

110 FROM THE TABLE 112 CORKSCREW 116 CIGAR LIFE 120 GEAR UP! 123 TIME ZONE 126 BUILDING SPEED

jvoth@vicariousmag.com EDITOR AT LARGE MATTHEW NEUNDORF mneundorf@vicariousmag.com SENIOR EDITOR DAN HEYMAN dheyman@vicariousmag.com TRAVEL EDITOR AT LARGE STEVEN BOCHENEK CONTRIBUTORS BRIAN MAKSE DAN HEYMAN EMILY ATKINS HUNTER GUINDON IAIN CRAWFORD JEFF VOTH JEFF WILSON JESSICA JEAN MARTIN MARK HACKING MATTHEW BUBBERS MATTHEW KEITH MATTHEW NEUNDORF MICHAEL LORÉ SCOTT PATRICK COWAN STEVEN BOCHENEK DESIGN & LAYOUT JENNIFER ELIA DIRECTOR OF NEWSSTAND CRAIG SWEETMAN ADVERTISING INQUIRIES advertising@trqmedia.com PUBLISHER TRQ MEDIA INC

Ayrton Senna And Nigel Mansell

130 CARAGE - BEYOND RARE

2026 Aston Martin Vantage Roadster

138 TRAVEL EDITOR'S LETTER 139 NEXT TIME IN VICARIOUS

COVER PHOTO 2026 LAMBORGHINI TEMERARIO

“The 2026 Lamborghini Temerario charges forward with electrified fury." Go to page 66 and read the full review!

EDITOR IN CHIEF

JEFF VOTH

“I am not designed to come second or third. I am designed to win.” – Ayrton Senna

AS THE LEAVES TURN TO COPPER and crimson and the air takes on that unmistakable crisp edge, driving in Canada becomes something else entirely. It’s not just about getting from A to B; it’s the season of detours, of choosing the long way home because the light is golden, the road is empty, and the engine note sounds somehow richer in the cool air. Fall invites us to slow down and lean in at the same time, which is exactly the balance we’ve aimed for in this issue of VICARIOUS . We open with a car that makes any route feel ceremonial: the Aston Martin Vantage Roadster. Top down, scarf on, the Vantage turns a simple two-lane into a celebration of speed, design and that complicated human impulse to chase beauty before winter settles in. We paired the car with roads where map lines twist like vines, and the result is a story about joy: practical? Not particularly. Memorable? Absolutely. From British elegance we pivot to Italian theatre. Dan Heyman dives into the Lamborghini Temerario, a model that demands your pulse rise to meet it. Dan has a knack for cutting through the spec sheet and finding the true character of a machine, and here he lands on what matters: the Temerario is less about lap times than the delicious courage it coaxes out of the driver. It’s a reminder that sometimes our best selves show up when our right foot does.

Two wheels get their own spotlight with Matthew Neundorf’s ride on the 2025 Honda Gold Wing 50th Anniversary. Half a century of kilometre-crushing refinement distilled into one quietly confident grand tourer. Matthew captures what Wing devotees already know: comfort and composure aren’t luxuries, they’re the point. If fall is the season for long goodbyes, the Gold Wing makes sure every one of them stretches for hundreds of kilometres. Adventure, of course, isn’t only found on paved ribbons. Steven Bochenek takes us to the ragged edges of the Baja 1000, where the landscape and the race both conspire to test your limits. It’s dust, grit, midnight repairs and sunrise triumphs, the kind of story that leaves you scrubbing sand from your imagination and wondering, secretly, if you could do it, too. We also slow the pace with an interview by Kristen Keenan that lingers on craft, character and the roads that shape us. It’s the kind of conversation that stays with you on a quiet drive, long after the engine’s cooled. In a similar spirit of heritage and hands, we tour Correnti Cigars, Canada’s last handmade cigar factory, where history lives in the scent of leaf and the rhythm of tradition. It’s a portrait of perseverance and pride. Finally, a playful nod to racing legends: our Ayrton Senna and Nigel Mansell LEGO feature pays homage to speed, rivalry and that famous ride back to the pits, proof that even in the fiercest competition there’s room for grace (and a bit of fun with 799 little bricks). Fall doesn’t ask for permission; it simply arrives and reminds us to make it count. See you out there, windows down, eyes up, taking the long way as often as possible. Jeff Voth

“... it’s the season of detours, of choosing the long way home because the light is golden, the road is empty, and the engine note sounds somehow richer in the cool air. ”

CONTRIBUTORS

JEFF WILSON

MATTHEW NEUNDORF

Jeff Wilson is a producer with the Emmy-nominated production company Echo Bay Media, known for travel productions like Departures , Descending , Into the Rising Sun , and Over the Horizon , enjoyed around the world on Travel Channel, National Geographic, Netflix, and Discovery, to name a few. The team’s adventures have taken Jeff to Sudan, Djibouti, remote islands in Papua, and motorcycling across the Jordanian desert—although producing a culinary series in a 12th-century French château was decidedly more comfortable. Jeff’s passion for travel is only surpassed by his love of machines. He has spent the past dozen years sharing his award-winning photography and writing about cars, trucks, and motorcycles in several notable online and print publications. When not behind the camera or keyboard, Jeff is happiest behind the handlebars of a motorcycle or the wheel of a sports car, exploring places he’s never been, and immersing himself in local culture and cuisine.

Matt’s happy place is being behind the bars of a motorcycle, panniers dutifully packed with camping gear, and days of winding roads ahead. One part gear-head and one part wanderluster, Matt was naturally drawn to the world of automotive and motorcycle journalism to relay the stories of his travels and the machines that ferried him along the way. Matt has been working in the industry, mostly part-time, for two decades. He cut his editorial teeth working at The Truth About Cars and has been a contributor for The Toronto Star , Gear Patrol , Bike Exif , CraftRad Magazine and, of course, here at VICARIOUS . Born in Scarborough, Matt and his wife have recently moved to Northumberland County and thanks in large part to the amazing, undulating roads that surround them, are never moving back.

MATT BUBBERS

Matt Bubbers is a car critic and columnist who, for the past decade, has covered cars, culture, public policy, the auto industry, and the (increasingly electric) future of transportation for The Globe and Mail and Sharp magazine. His work has also appeared in a variety of publications throughout the U.S. and Canada, including CAA , Hagerty , Sotheby’s , Jalopnik , AutoTrader , Autoweek , and, of course, here at VICARIOUS . His story about tracing the route of the Targa Florio through Sicily was nominated for a National Magazine Award in 2013. This job takes him to far-flung places to drive far-flung exotic cars—often around racetracks, over sand dunes, or across frozen lakes. When not travelling on assignment, he’s at home with his family in Toronto, trying (but mostly failing) to maintain a garage full of needy old cars and an impulsively purchased motorcycle. Yes, he knows he has the best job in the world—and no, he doesn’t have a favourite car.

BRIAN MAKSE

Brian Makse has spent the better part of the last three decades making cars go fast around racing circuits—and teaching others how to do the same. When not sampling cigars or setting questionable speed records on the Autobahn, he can be found explaining to his YouTube subscribers why his latest automotive dynamics theories make perfect sense. His path from BMX racer to motorsports champion to cigar aficionado isn't what anyone would call normal—but then again, normal people don’t typically win dozens of wheel-to-wheel races and then have the audacity to write about it. When he was born, Brian’s mother drove a small-block Chevelle and his father a vintage Rolls-Royce, which explains both his need for speed and his taste for quality. He writes about cigars like he drives: occasionally brilliant, frequently wrong, and always entertaining.

EMILY ATKINS

STEVEN BOCHENEK

Emily is happiest behind the wheel, preferably of something quick. A journalist since the age of about 8, she's been writing about cars for 15 years, funding her passion for racing. Emily competes whenever she can and has racked up numerous road racing championship trophies in her beloved #17 1994 Eurospec M3. Her journalism career has spanned three continents and numerous subject areas including logistics, waste management and insurance claims, but the best parts have been writing about cars for (among others) The Globe and Mail , Toronto Star , Automotive News Canada , CAA , Fleet Management magazine and Canadian Automotive Fleet magazine, and of course, VICARIOUS ! Emily lives in eastern Ontario and when she's not at the wheel or writing, she spends her free time singing in her band or outdoors skiing, cycling, kayaking and taking photos of the natural world.

Steven Bochenek (b-KEN-ek) is a veteran marketing writer who went freelance in 2003 (aka got gloriously fired from a prominent international agency) then expanded his writing into automotive and travel features. He joined the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada in 2011 and has published hundreds of pieces in multiple publications including VICARIOUS magazine. His work has been lauded in many advertising/marketing and automotive journalism award shows. Steven has been a part-time professor of advertising and marketing at Torontonian Colleges since 2010. In his spare time, he likes to play the piano and sing. And travel.

DRIVER'S SEAT

MASTERING THE NORDSCHLEIFE THE 73 TURNS THAT DEFINE A LEGEND

Story

Matt Bubbers

DRIVER'S SEAT

“WELCOME TO THE NORDSCHLEIFE for the first time drivers,” Ricardo Sanchez calls out over the radio as we make our way through the famous main gate and onto the most fearsome and famous racetrack in the known automotive universe. If you’re reading this magazine — and you are — the circuit in rural Germany needs no introduction. Passing through the main gate, palms sweaty on the wheel of a showroom-fresh BMW M4 Competition — the rear-wheel- drive model, which sadly isn’t available in Canada — I can’t help but notice a neon orange ambulance parked on the right and a flatbed recovery truck on the left. “Just follow me,” says Sanchez, who will be my guide to the 20-kilometre- long track for the duration of the BMW M Nordschleife Driving Experience. It’s a two-day course that costs €4,590 and includes two nights in a hotel at the track, meals, instruction, and the use of an M4 Competition. Drivers have come from all over the world for this. Our group of roughly 70 includes participants from Sweden, Japan, Canada, the U.S., Switzerland, Hungary and elsewhere. Some have done this event with BMW dozens of times. For others — like me — it’s their first time driving the track, a true bucket-list experience. “This is Tiergarten, we take it at 240 km/h,” Sanchez says as calmly as if he were narrating a how-to guide for knitting. Tiergarten is the first corner after the main straight, where our M4s will be hitting their 255 km/h limiters. There’s a big high- speed compression with deep scars in the pavement where cars have bottomed out, followed by a series of increasingly tight corners that serve as a braking zone where drivers must bring the car back down to a sane speed without losing control. Easier said than done. Luckily, for this first lap, Sanchez is taking it slowly, talking us through exactly how to position the car and keep all four wheels off the grass. If the name Ricardo Sanchez sounds familiar, it’s because he won the Gran

Turismo Academy competition the year after the inaugural winner, Jann Mardenborough. Jann got a Hollywood biopic, but Sanchez has had an equally impressive racing career. More important right now, as we begin to navigate the 73 turns of this impossibly complex circuit, is that Sanchez is patient, clear, and reassuringly calm — even as we start to pick up the pace. The morning is spent learning the track section by section, something that’s only possible because BMW has rented the entire Nordschleife. Sanchez takes us through a half-dozen corners, then we turn around, go back, and run them again. Each run gets a little quicker, as our fearless teacher narrates the turn-in and braking points and any landmarks or bumps to watch for. “After the crest, touch the brake, off the brake, back to the power to put some weight on the rear — and now we brake hard, brake hard, behind me, behind me, go in, go in, go in,” he calls out over a double crest into the treacherous blind left at Schwedenkreuz. Most of the eight drivers in our little group are still learning whether the corners go left or right at this point, but by our

"Drivers have come from all over the world for this. Our group of roughly 70 includes participants from Sweden, Japan, Canada, the U.S.,

Switzerland, Hungary and elsewhere."

second afternoon we’re flying over the first crest at over 220 km/h and just tapping the brakes before peeling into the blind left, then braking hard for Aremberg. (Learning the convoluted German names of all the corners is nearly as difficult as the driving.) Before dinner, we string together a few complete laps. Despite my ham-fisted driving, the Nordschleife has a beautiful flow to it. Get it right — find the groove — and each corner leads perfectly into the next. Get it wrong, miss the groove, and it’s hard to get back into rhythm. “It takes 100 laps just to know where you’re going,” Sanchez warns at our first dinner together. Adding to the already immense challenge, he explains, is that the Nordschleife changes from year to year, as sections get repaved and curbs replaced. Frank van Meel, head of BMW’s M division, has a deep affection for the place. “I have held multiple roles in chassis development and engineering during my career and have been lucky enough to do quite a few laps on the Nordschleife over many years,” he wrote in an e-mail. “At first, there’s no denying how intimidating it is, especially when surrounded by other drivers who are more familiar with the track. It’s a difficult track to master and it

takes a lot of laps. However, as you start to memorize the layout and get faster and faster, driving the Nordschleife becomes more thrilling, exciting, and certainly more fun.” His words ring true on day two, when we get up and do it all over again. Not that I was anywhere near memorizing every bit of the track, but — thanks to Sanchez and some teenage years spent playing too many video games — I had a fuzzy mental map of the circuit. I knew which turns were coming up, braking and turning when Sanchez did in front. Our whole group was noticeably faster, braking harder, getting on the throttle sooner; we were all more comfortable and clearly having more fun as well. But as the speed increases, so does the danger. The narrowness of the track becomes more apparent, heightening the sense of speed. After Bergwerk, there’s a long, fast uphill section that skilled drivers can take almost flat out. The corners are mostly blind; you can’t see the exit until you’re already committed. Through Mutkurve and Klostertal it’s a leap of faith — trusting the car will stick and that there’ll be enough road. (Mutkurve translates as “Courage Curve” for a reason.)

DRIVER'S SEAT

"Adding to the already immense challenge, Sanchez explains, is that the Nordschleife changes from year to year, as sections get repaved and curbs replaced."

Left: Green Group's teacher and BMW M instructor Ricardo Sanchez. Right: Sanchez showing drivers where to position their cars through the banked Karussell corner.

Bottom left: Karussell corner.

I came to really love the car’s neutral balance and sense of predictability, feel, and precision. Of course, we all had to leave DSC on, but it was borderline miraculous how the car soaked up rough bumps and ruts under hard acceleration with big lateral g-forces without ever feeling snappy or stepping out of line. After two days, each car needs a fresh set of Michelins, but BMW’s 523-horsepower coupe never broke a sweat. “When it comes to track days at the Nürburgring, our customers are always impressed that they can actually drive a series-production M3 or M4 on the Nordschleife at full speed for several days in a row without problems or concerns,” wrote van Meel. “There are not many manufacturers or vehicles that can offer these capabilities, and it demonstrates in an impressive way how much motorsport DNA is inside our vehicles.” Of the 70 or so participants at this particular running of the BMW M Experience at the Nordschleife, I’m told six or seven of them had “incidents” over two days. I never saw any of them, and apparently only sheet metal and egos were damaged, but it shows just how treacherous the Nordschleife is — and how much BMW lets guests push their cars. Two days would be plenty to learn almost any other racetrack, but at the Nordschleife we only just scratched the surface. It takes a lifetime to learn and perfect all 73 turns, Sanchez says, which explains what has kept drivers from all over the world coming back to this 20 kilometres of pavement for nearly 100 years. Now that I’m back home, I’m already thinking about how to get back there.

There’s roughly a metre of wet grass and a metal guardrail on the outside of the corner; this is what passes for a runoff area in a section where — I dare not look down — we could be doing around 150 km/h or more. Equally surprising as how little runoff there is and how beautiful the whole circuit can be. In the morning, fog drifts through the Adenauer Forest section and toward the bridge at Breidscheid. Colourful and ever- changing graffiti covers much of the track surface. Trees lining nearly all of the circuit are lit up in shades of red and yellow for fall. It’s as pretty as it is unforgiving. Sanchez continues narrating: “High speed, to the left, no braking,” he calls out through the blind Lauda-Links. It’s where Niki Lauda had his terrifying near-fatal crash during the 1976 German Grand Prix; the incident that finally ended Formula 1 racing at the Nordschleife. I’m still no fan of the M4’s snout-nose design, but on such a treacherous circuit

"Two days would be plenty to learn almost any other racetrack, but at the Nordschleife we only just scratched the surface."

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DISCOVERED

ANTICOSTI ISLAND CANADA’S HIDDEN GEM FOR ADVENTURERS

Story and Photography

Jeff Willson

DISCOVERED

"Hidden in plain sight, Anticosti Island is Canada’s best- kept wilderness getaway."

ADMITTEDLY, WATCHING THE brand-new Toyota 4Runner get loaded into a steel container, then hoisted onto a ship in the Quebec town of Havre-Saint- Pierre left me with an uneasy feeling. A larger port – several hundred kilometres west, in Montreal – has become notorious for people’s prized SUVs making their unexpected departure from Canada to unknown points overseas, making this scenario a troubling sight. Plus, having already enjoyed the 1,700 km drive from southern Ontario with the Toyota, I’d grown quite attached to the green truck. I needn’t have worried though. Several hours later in the village of Port-Menier, a deckhand unstrapped the truck and drove it out, good as new and ready for the rest of my adventure on Anticosti Island. Hidden in plain sight, Anticosti Island is Canada’s best-kept wilderness getaway. With an area of nearly 8,000 square kilometres, it’s 40 per cent larger than the entire province of Prince Edward Island, yet remarkably few Canadians have ever heard of Anticosti, let alone know its location in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. It’s a shame that

more adventurers don’t know about the island since it’s a wonderfully wild and truly unique place to explore. On the other hand, the very fact that it’s so unknown proved to be part of what made exploring the island so special. Those who do make the journey are presented with a vast natural playground without throngs of tourists, where finding accommodations even during a summertime long weekend is no problem. Driving around the island for days, visiting its most fascinating sites, I encountered very few fellow travellers and only occasionally ran into friendly SEPAQ workers – the folks who manage and maintain Quebec’s provincial parks and wilderness areas. Imagine emerging from the woods to discover Baie de la Tour: kilometres of spectacular white beach framed by towering cliffs, lapped by turquoise waves, and utterly absent of any

other souls. There are few places on the planet where you can drive to within a few metres of a scene like this and find it vacant on such a warm, sunny day. The island is filled with such places to explore, or simply sit in quiet awe of the natural beauty and collect one’s thoughts. Earlier in the season, the volume of water cascading over Chute Vauréal would have been thunderous, but it was merely a trickle during my visit. Even still, watching it plunge 76 metres to the canyon floor below is quite the spectacle. (For perspective, that’s 25 metres taller than Niagara Falls.) A brief stop to admire the crystalline Jupiter River revealed schools of trout and salmon, some as thick as my thigh, lingering in the pockets and pools of the swift-moving water, making me lament having forgotten my rod and reel. This must have been what life was like here in the 1500s when Jacques Cartier first sailed along Anticosti’s shore. Despite a few earlier settlers using this place for logging, Anticosti Island has long been a recreationalist’s paradise. In 1895, French chocolatier Henri Menier purchased the entire island and set about constructing the village of Port-Menier, with many of the town’s buildings still in use today. Although he hoped to profit from a seafood cannery and the harvest of local minerals and timber, Menier’s real intent was to create a hunting and fishing utopia for himself. He introduced a number of animal species to the island with the likes of bison, caribou and elk proving unsuccessful. White-tailed deer, on the other hand, flourished without any predators, and the original group of 200 animals brought over in 1896 has grown to an estimated population of 160,000, outnumbering the island’s human residents 800 to 1! The abundance of deer is evident almost immediately upon arrival, with many of them sauntering around, largely unbothered by their human cohabitants. Each day, a few regulars would arrive at the door of my bed and breakfast looking for morning sustenance (and often receiving lettuce, carrots or other goodies from the innkeeper).

DISCOVERED

Cute as they are, the deer are somewhat destructive. Once dominated by balsam fir, the forests on Anticosti have largely transitioned to white spruce since the deer have a penchant for tender fir sprouts. What’s more, during our visit, the tap water was under a boil order due to contamination from the deer population. Efforts to manage their numbers have resulted in the island becoming very popular with hunters, who are all but guaranteed success. Hunting is not only important for population control, but it also serves as the island’s primary source of revenue. When driving throughout the island, it’s crucial to keep a watchful eye for deer, since they could dart out at any time and rearrange my Toyota’s nose. And while the primary road – the Route de l’Île d’Anticosti – is well maintained with regular grading and broad swaths of brush cleared on either side, the offshoot paths vary from decent gravel to rugged, rocky tracks. For the most part, the 4Runner Trailhunter’s offroad prowess was overkill, but a couple of flat tires reinforced the importance of serious all-terrain rubber when exploring places as remote as this. Fortunately, with a patch kit and the Trailhunter’s highly effective on-board compressor, the punctures were no more than a mild inconvenience. Otherwise, it was great having a rig that could tackle any trail we encountered.

The cold gulf waters surrounding Anticosti are frequented by a dozen or so different types of whales, and during the ferry ride from Havre-Saint-Pierre to Port-Menier, visitors are often treated to a show from the giant mammals. But it’s also a nautical zone that’s earned the dubious moniker as the Graveyard of the Gulf, with the rocky shoreline and fearsome reefs having claimed more than 400 ships over the years. Today, besides the collection of lighthouses in varying states of repair, the Wilcox , a minesweeper, and the Calou , a

"The serenity of the place makes it well worth the effort to get there.”

fishing trawler, are both vestiges of a part of the island’s history that’s more solemn and sobering than the natural beauty. The journey to Anticosti Island isn’t an easy one, requiring either a costly ferry ride or a flight, which surely explains why so few adventurers make the trip. The rewards for those who do range from spectacular natural beauty to a recreationist’s paradise, and the serenity of the place makes it well worth the effort. Anticosti Island is an exceptional, unique experience, but let’s just keep it our secret, alright?

“There are few places left in the world where you can truly feel this

alone, and this alive.”

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Ground Clearance: 9.2 in (234 mm) Approach / Departure Angles: 32° / 24° Wheels & Tires: 18-inch bronze-finished alloys with 33-inch Toyo Open Country A/T tires Gross Vehicle Weight: 2,950 kg (6,504 lbs) Fun Fact: The 2025 4Runner Trailhunter is designed and built specifically for overlanding, co-developed with ARB and engineered to handle multi-day expeditions right off the showroom floor.

ROADSIDE CHIC

WHERE TO STAY

ROADSIDE CHIC is all about finding those hidden gems—the places that provide a perfect balance of comfort, luxury, exceptional service, and the opportunity to do as much or as little as you want.

This season, ROADSIDE CHIC explores the beauty of slowing down. From the lakeside elegance of North Hatley, Quebec, to the volcanic allure of Tenerife, and the boutique charm of Picton, Ontario, each destination captures autumn’s golden rhythm; where comfort meets discovery, and every stay tells a story.

Story and photography: Matthew Keith

Manoir Hovey, Québec Nestled in the serene hamlet of North Hatley, Québec, Manoir Hovey is an open invitation to slow down and escape the busyness of life. A historic estate set along the shores of Lake Massawippi, it is steeped in rich history that reflects its regal heritage. From the original 19th-century architecture to the modern spa and accommodations, Manoir Hovey is a tranquil retreat in every sense. The hotel presents a picturesque harmony of old and new, blending timeless charm with contemporary comforts. Whether reading in one of the estate’s refined common rooms or enjoying a fireside chat in the beautifully kept gardens, every moment encourages relaxation and reflection. With 52 rooms and suites, each individually designed and tastefully appointed, guests are assured of a quiet and restorative stay.

"Manoir Hovey blends the intimacy of a

country inn with the polish of the world’s most exclusive hotels.”

Activities at Manoir Hovey shift with the seasons, offering fresh opportunities year-round. Boating, hiking, and cycling appeal to those seeking adventure, while the surrounding landscape of Lake Massawippi provides a dynamic backdrop for exploration. For those preferring rest over activity, the estate’s spa is an inviting sanctuary. From the Nordic spa experience and tailored treatments to the year-round heated pool, it offers an ideal setting to rejuvenate body and mind. Dining at Manoir Hovey is equally remarkable. Le Hatley Restaurant, housed in the main estate, defines understated elegance. Rooted in locally sourced ingredients and refined pairings, each dish reflects the region while celebrating culinary artistry. The restaurant’s blend of historic atmosphere and modern refinement, combined with sweeping views of Lake Massawippi, sets the stage for an unforgettable evening. For a more casual yet equally sophisticated experience, Le Tap Room

Bistro offers seasonal dishes with rustic flair. Styled after a traditional European public house, it delivers warmth, comfort, and refinement in equal measure. Its inviting décor and lively atmosphere make it the perfect setting for a relaxed evening of good food and laughter. At the heart of Manoir Hovey is its renowned staff, whose reputation for hospitality is as distinguished as the estate itself. Professional, attentive, and genuinely warm, they ensure each guest feels both welcomed and cared for; whether arriving for dinner or settling in for a weekend escape. Manoir Hovey is a rare gem that blends the intimacy of a country inn with the polish of the world’s most exclusive hotels. With its lakeside setting, historic character, and exceptional service, it delivers an experience that lingers long after the stay has ended.

“Every moment at Manoir Hovey

encourages relaxation, reflection,

and an escape into timeless elegance.”

North Hatley, Québec, Canada manoirhovey.com/en/

ROADSIDE CHIC

The atmosphere throughout Los Jardines de Abama is deliberately low-key. Three heated pools shimmer among manicured gardens, and attentive staff move quietly between loungers with cool towels and cocktails. Guests can take a short shuttle to the beach club below, or enjoy a walk through landscaped pathways lined with bougainvillea and palms. Service is professional, warm and intuitive, the kind that anticipates a need before it’s voiced. And then there’s the golf. The resort sits alongside Abama Golf, an 18-hole championship course designed by Dave Thomas that many consider one of Spain’s most spectacular. Carved into the cliffs with sweeping ocean backdrops, its fairways cascade down the slope toward the sea, punctuated by more than 20 lakes and thousands of palms. It’s a course that challenges seasoned players while offering breathtaking scenery at every turn. Guests of Los Jardines enjoy preferred access, along with use of the practice facilities,

Story: Jeff Voth

Los Jardines de Abama Suites & Villas Set high above the Atlantic on Tenerife’s sun-drenched southwest coast, Los Jardines de Abama Suites & Villas combines residential calm with resort-level polish. It’s part of the Abama luxury community, an enclave of terraced villas, immaculate fairways and ocean views that stretch toward the island of La Gomera. The impression, on arrival, is one of space and serenity. This is not a typical hotel, but rather a sculpted hillside of contemporary architecture where every balcony seems to frame the sea. Each of the one-, two- and three- bedroom suites or villas features a full kitchen, open-plan living areas and vast terraces; some with private plunge pools. Interiors are airy and modern, with pale wood, crisp linen and soft natural tones that echo the volcanic landscape outside. Whether it’s breakfast in the morning sun or an evening glass of Malvasia wine under a sky brushed in pink, the private outdoor spaces invite guests to linger.

“It’s where golf meets the sea, design meets stillness, and guests rediscover the simple luxury of time well spent.”

clubhouse, and coaching staff. For those who prefer to spectate, many villas overlook the greens, offering front-row views of sunrise tee-offs and sunset finishes. Beyond golf, the broader Abama Resort adds layers of luxury, Michelin-starred dining at M.B. and Kabuki, tennis and padel academies, and a quiet confidence that comes from knowing everything you might need is contained within reach. It’s the sort of place where days unfold slowly and deliberately: a morning round, an afternoon swim, an evening spent watching the horizon fade from gold to indigo. For some travellers, Los Jardines de Abama’s location, set apart from the busier resort towns, might feel remote. But for those who come seeking space, privacy and the freedom to move at their own pace, that distance is its reward. Los Jardines de Abama Suites & Villas isn’t about spectacle; it’s about refinement and rhythm. It’s where golf meets the sea, design meets stillness, and guests rediscover the simple luxury of time well spent. C. Emilia Pardo Bazán, 4, 38687, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain www.abamahotels.com/es/hoteles/tenerife/ los-jardines-de-abama-suites-and-villas

“Los Jardines de Abama isn’t about spectacle; it’s about refinement, rhythm, and room to breathe.”

ROADSIDE CHIC

The Royal Hotel Set in the heart of downtown Picton, Ontario, The Royal Hotel is where heritage meets modern indulgence. First opened in 1879, this lovingly restored landmark has become the beating heart of Prince Edward County’s contemporary renaissance. Step through its arched doorway and the old-world charm is immediate; wide plank floors, high ceilings, and restored brickwork, but so too is the design precision of its rebirth. It feels like a dialogue between centuries: Victorian bones with a 21st-century soul. Every corner tells a story. Behind the historic facade lies a quietly confident blend of craftsmanship and comfort. The Royal’s 33 guest rooms are a master class in understated elegance with linen drapes, sculpted oak furnishings, locally commissioned art, and bathrooms dressed in marble and brass. Each space feels curated rather than decorated, equally suited to a spontaneous weekend escape or a long exhale after the drive from Toronto or Ottawa. Mornings begin slowly here. Downstairs, the café hums to life with the hiss of espresso and the scent of croissants still warm from the oven. By midday, the restaurant transforms into a lively culinary stage. Executive Chef Albert Ponzo, formerly of Le Sélect Bistro, orchestrates a menu that celebrates County ingredients with European finesse. House-made pastas, line-caught fish, and vegetables from The Royal’s own Edwin County Farms speak to a philosophy of sustainable luxury. It’s an embracing connection between soil, season, and plate. Out back, the courtyard terrace is a study in relaxed refinement. Glass lanterns hang from iron beams, casting an amber glow over marble tables as evening descends. The wine list reads like a love letter to the region, with thoughtful nods to France and Italy alongside bottles from nearby wineries such as Closson Chase and Norman Hardie. It’s the kind of place where a second bottle feels less like indulgence and more like good judgment.

The Royal’s wellness spaces add another dimension to the experience. The spa’s Finnish-style sauna and plunge pool contrast hot and cold in rhythmic sequence, while the adjoining fitness studio mirrors the calm minimalism found throughout the hotel. For those who prefer gentler pursuits, a stroll along Picton’s Main Street reveals independent galleries, boutiques, and cafés, all within a few steps of The Royal’s front door. Venture further and Prince Edward County unfolds in cinematic layers; rolling vineyards, windswept beaches, and farm roads that seem to stretch toward eternity. Sandbanks Provincial Park is twenty minutes away, offering dunes that rival those of Lake Michigan, while the village of Wellington beckons with fine dining and

Story: Jeff Voth

“The Royal Hotel feels like a dialogue between centuries; Victorian

bones with a 21st-century soul.”

artful calm. Yet most guests find themselves drawn back to The Royal by nightfall, settling into the lounge’s velvet banquettes beneath soft brass light, cocktail in hand, while the soundtrack of gentle conversation carries into the evening. For all its polish, The Royal Hotel is not about ostentation; it’s about presence. It’s a place that understands what true luxury means today. Time, authenticity, and an attention to detail that feels both deliberate and effortless. Whether you arrive in a vintage convertible or the latest EV, the hotel offers not just a room but a rhythm; one that slows your pace, sharpens your senses, and reminds you that the journey is meant to be savoured.

“Chef Albert Ponzo turns local harvests into poetry, one plate at a time.”

247 Picton Main St, Picton, Ontario, Canada www.theroyalhotel.ca

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GOLF AS LIFE

Story I

Michael LoRé

GOLF ISN’T JUST A GAME. Nor is it solely a sport. It’s a lifestyle. It’s an obsession. It’s a way of life. From its earliest roots in Scotland to today’s technology-backed iterations, golf represents something unique to each person who has ever picked up a club. Golf can offer a much-needed reprieve from the modern-day rat race. It can provide valuable quality time among family and friends. It can scratch a competitive itch, especially for former athletes. It can be a never-ending quest for perfection. Ultimately, golf is the great equalizer. Whether your annual salary is $3 million or $30,000, you’re a famous actor or Kindergarten teacher, or are from Toronto or Timbuktu, golf doesn’t discriminate. Golf is man vs. nature. Nothing more. Nothing less. I first started playing in high school, not only because I wasn’t good at baseball, but because I knew golf would be a valuable tool later in life, regardless of what profession I got into. Hardly a new or unique perspective, I’m glad I picked up that old set of Spalding Executives from my friend’s father and began my life-long relationship with golf. Like many, the game has periodically come in and out of my life, but it’s always there in the background. Golf triumphantly returned to the forefront for me personally and professionally over recent years. Golf granted us an escape from so much uncertainty during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic and we haven’t looked back. As spring arrives in 2025, golf is more popular than ever. Not only is the game growing, but it’s evolving and changing. Your stereotypical golfer of yesteryear is now the minority, with influences injected into the sport, culture and fashion from far beyond the clubhouse. Golf is cool. Golf

is young. Golf is diverse. Sure, some still believe golf should be played at a country club with tucked in collared shirts and stiff khakis, but opportunities created by venues including Topgolf, Five Iron and PopStroke are introducing millions of non-golfers to the sport in once-unimaginable ways. One side isn’t right, nor is the other wrong. Your relationship to golf is just that— yours—and it may differ from someone else’s. At the end of the day, we’re all trying our hardest to conquer the unconquerable, one stroke at a time.

ABOUT MICHAEL LORÉ Michael LoRé is an award-winning journalist based in New York City. With more than 15 years of experience as a writer and editor, Michael has worked

for daily newspapers, pro sports teams/leagues and online media startups. Having covered anything and everything from the World Series to surfing in Bali, Michael has honed his focus to covering and promoting the two sports he played growing up and is most passionate about: soccer and golf. A better writer than athlete, Michael’s work can be seen in publications including: The Guardian, PGATOUR.com, GOLF. com, Forbes SportsMoney, MyGolfSpy, Robb Report, Kingdom Magazine, Essential Golf, AZ Golf Insider, and Travel + Leisure . During his time covering golf, Michael has interviewed some of the game’s biggest stars including Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, Michelle Wie West, Justin Thomas, Xander Schauffele, Annika Sorenstam, Collin Morikawa, Lydia Ko and Bryson DeChambeau. Even more fortunate to travel the world to play some of the best courses on the planet, Michael has hacked it up at St. Andrews, Pinehurst, TPC Sawgrass, Cabot Cape Breton, Bay Hill and Kapalua.

to help bring you back from the brink with five of the next six holes par-4s. The back 9 starts with a pair of par-5s sandwiching a par-3. Next, the 172-yard 13th is a blind shot over water with a target flag to aim at for an added challenge. Look, I’m not going to say it’s the best track ever, but if you’re expecting Augusta National conditions, you’ll be very disappointed. Like the city it calls home, Vanny is tough and gritty. The pace of play typically isn’t the best either, but, if anything, it gives you more time to enjoy the surrounding scenery. As Erik Anders Lang says in an episode of Adventures in Golf: “Nobody’s perfect. Why should you want your golf course to be?”

Van Cortlandt Golf Course (Bronx, N.Y.)

Summer used to be my favorite season. I couldn’t wait until the end of the school year when we’d drive down to the Jersey Shore and spend the next two-plus months at our little beach bungalow. There’d be days a shark sighting couldn’t even get me out of the water. I’m obviously exaggerating, but the point is that I was such a water baby. My AIM screen name was even beachbum82486. But as I’ve gotten older and haven't been as fortunate to get to the beach as much (and it seems to be hotter and more humid than ever in the Northeast), summer is slowly falling down my personal rankings. Fall is definitely in season. I know lots of people are excited about football’s annual return, but while you stay glued to a TV for “seven hours of commercial-free football,” I’m frolicking in fall foliage on the golf course. Nothing beats a crisp fall morning surrounded by a cacophony of colour on the course. As I’ve written about in previous columns, it takes real dedication to be a golfer in New York City. But, oh, is the payoff worth it this time of year. I especially felt that on a fall day in the North Bronx playing Van Cortlandt Golf Course. Known as “Vanny” to locals, this track is actually very significant in U.S. golf history. Opened on July 6, 1985, Van Cortlandt is the first public municipal golf course in the county, and has welcomed the likes of Babe Ruth, Willie Mays and The Three Stooges. You want to start on a positive note because you face the No. 1 handicap next, measuring 619 yards from the tips. Any fairway miss and you’re in big trouble with trees galore on both sides of the fairway. I appreciate foliage, but that doesn’t mean I want to be lost in it! An easy par-3 is next

"I know lots of people are excited about football’s annual return, but while you stay glued to a TV for “seven hours of commercial-free football,” I’m frolicking in fall

foliage on the golf course."

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Royal Turks and Caicos Golf Club (Providenciales, Turks and Caicos) I didn’t go on family vacations growing up. Before you start feeling bad for me, we did still spend summers at the Jersey Shore, which was obviously amazing and provided some of the most cherished moments of my life. But after recently selling our little beach bungalow, we decided it was time to take our first official family vacation. Knowing we had to set the bar high with amenities and activities galore—coupled with the fact that my mother hadn’t flown in 40+ years—we needed a location that not only checked all of the boxes, but didn’t cause her too much anxiety by being cooped up in a plane for long. So we agreed upon Alexandra Resort in Turks and Caicos. It was all-inclusive with any type of cuisine you could think of, situated upon Grace Bay Beach, one of the top beaches on the planet, and was less than four hours away. I couldn’t wait to relax on the beach and by the pool, but my brother had other ideas.

"I protested because I didn’t want to have to lug my clubs, but decided that minor inconvenience was worth the chance to play one of the top courses in the Caribbean with my brother and father"

"Rebranded in 2021 to reflect its history with Turks and Caicos, Royal Turks and Caicos is a well-maintained, tropical track reflecting the natural terrain of the island."

He got bit by the golf bug during the pandemic like millions of Americans and is OBSESSED. So naturally, he wanted us to pack our sticks along with our bathing suits and get in a round. I protested because I didn’t want to have to lug my clubs, but decided that minor inconvenience was worth the chance to play one of the top courses in the Caribbean with my brother and father. Located in Providenciales, the main island in the Turks and Caicos archipelago, Royal Turks and Caicos Golf Club has been named Best Caribbean Golf Course the past three years by USA Today 10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards. First conceived in 1989 by the Turks and Caicos Water Company in an effort to further promote tourism to the island, the course then known as Provo Golf Club welcomed its first golfers on November 7, 1992. Rebranded in 2021 to reflect its history with Turks and Caicos, Royal Turks and Caicos is a well-maintained, tropical track reflecting the natural terrain of the island. What the course lacks in bunkers and waste areas (approximately 30), it makes up for in palm trees with approximately 2,500. Be wary of water hazards and thick vegetation that can gobble up golf balls if you stray too far from the fairway, turning your relaxing vacation into frustration. Nothing a drink on the beach can’t fix! I don’t remember what I shot, though I recall playing better on the front 9 than the back, but I will always remember a memorable afternoon as a family.

PAIRED FOR THE COURSE WHAT’S NEW IN GOLF APPAREL AND ACCESSORIES

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Ralph Lauren U.S. Ryder Cup Polo Bear Hoodie

TaylorMade R7 Quad Mini Driver As much as golf is a game of personalization, it’s equally as much a game of what’s trending. I bet you’ve seen more L.A.B. and zero- torque putters recently than you’d probably care for. The 7-wood has also become a bag staple replacing the 4-iron, especially for high handicappers. The latest trend is the mini driver. A cross between a conventional driver and fairway wood, mini drivers like the TaylorMade R7 Quad Mini ($479.99) with four movable weights have taken the game by storm, offering more accuracy and versatility whether off the tee or fairway. Even FedExCup champion Tommy Fleetwood is a fan.

[Insert details on Ryder Cup result here] Jokes aside, since this was written months before print—and the 45th Ryder Cup was contested—it’s hard to predict the future, but what I can predict is that the Ralph Lauren U.S. Ryder Cup Polo Bear Hoodie ($79.50) will be one of the highly sought after pieces at Bethpage Black. The iconic bear which debuted in 1991 is representing the U.S. Team in his best Ralph Lauren attire standing in front of the infamous Bethpage Black warning sign. A 2025 U.S. Team Ryder Cup logo on the right sleeve commemorates the event that I’m sure you—and hopefully I—will be flaunting for months to come. Sun Day Red Osprey You can never go wrong with a clean white shoe on or off the golf course. After releasing the Pioneer Magnolia and Pioneer Cypress spiked golf shoes, Sun Day Red released its first spikeless golf shoe: The Osprey. Available in four colourways, this versatile shoe was designed to offer all-day comfort and versatility with a minimalistic look. As Tiger Woods’ go-to shoe for off-course activities, including TGL, The Osprey ($160) offers out-of-the-box comfort, a drop-in MVA midsole and variable omni- directional traction pattern in a true-to-size fit. If it’s good enough for Tiger, it’s good enough for me!

Penfold Golf Ryder Cup 1927 Collection The Ryder Cup is defined by history and prestige. To honor that, as well as its own legacy, Penfold Golf introduced the Ryder Cup 1927 Collection ($25-295). Featuring Sunday bags, backpacks, shoe bags, headcovers, pouches and ball markers, all products are available in both U.S. Team and Europe Team colours and feature the 1927 Ryder Cup logo in honor of the event’s inaugural playing; coincidentally, Penfold was founded the same year. Everything but the ball markers are part of Penfold’s partnership with British Millerain, the original pioneer of waxed canvas, renowned for its unmatched quality and durability. These minimalistic, high-quality collectibles are a can’t miss.

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