The second showed an image of Beyoncé alongside a caption that said the tour would take place in 2025.
The tour announcement was preceded by several hints that Beyoncé was gearing up to make a major announcement.
The singer performed songs from "Cowboy Carter" for the first time at the Christmas Day NFL game Halftime show, which was streamed live on Netflix under the title "Beyoncé Bowl."
The announcement of the tour comes after Beyoncé's Christmas Day Halftime performance during the NFL game streamed on Netflix.
Netflix
Following the performance, the singer dropped a now-deleted video that teased an announcement on the date "1.14.25" with the caption, "Look at that horse," referring to the lyric in her song "Sweet Honey Buckiin'."
Then, on Sunday, Netflix shared a post directing viewers to revisit the "Beyoncé Bowl." An audio-less clip from the performance was captioned: "Tonight seems like the perfect night to rewatch Beyoncé Bowl on Netflix."
Beyoncé's own announcement followed. It's unclear when the singer will release more details regarding the tour, such as dates, locations, and when tickets will go on sale.
The announcement came as the music industry gears up for the Grammy Awards, where Beyoncé is nominated for 11 awards — the most nominations of any artist this year. Among the awards she is in the running for is album of the year, an award the 43-year-old artist has yet to take home.
Fans have speculated online that Beyoncé may share further details about the tour during or after the awards ceremony, depending on how the night goes.
Alternatively, the Super Bowl could offer her another chance to make an announcement. She first teased "Cowboy Carter" in a Verizon commercial during last year's game.
Beyoncé performing during her 2023 "Renaissance" world tour.
However, as fans will know from the documentary concert film "Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé," which chronicled the creative process behind bringing her 2023 world tour to life, a Beyoncé tour is not something that happens overnight.
As the singer revealed in the documentary, the tour was the culmination of four years of planning and dedication.
The "Renaissance" world tour saw Beyoncé perform 56 shows across Europe and North America.
Scottie Scheffler found himself in a precarious position after his opening tee shot on the 18th hole in the second round of the Pebble Beach Pro-Am on Friday. But the star golfer managed an epic par save.
Scheffler pulled his tee shot into the beach but didn’t see it land. He either could have taken a penalty drop 40 yards forward from the end of the tee box, or walk 300 yards or take a chance he could find his ball.
"I just (hit) a low pull, I hadn’t been driving it very well all day and this was a hard tee ball today, being mostly off the left. And I thought the way it looked like from the tee box, I was like, ‘Well I guess we should go up there and look,’ because I didn’t see it splash, I didn’t see any rocks, I knew there was sand there. So, I was like ‘Might as well go look,’" Scheffler said.
Scheffler was lucky enough to find his ball, and then came the next task: hit off the beach back onto the course and get it over the cliff.
Scheffler was just hoping to find grass.
"I think the unpredictability was the most difficult part. I was really just trying to get it out over the rocks and anywhere up there on grass I would have been pretty happy about, obviously. Saved me a couple of shots there being able to find my ball in the sand," Scheffler said.
He was able to find some grass in the fairway that left him about 180 yards out, but even though he was out of the sand, this shot wasn’t any easier.
"I mean, that was a really hard shot. I was in between clubs and I had to chip a 6-iron in there from 180 (yards out), with the wind you can obviously see it blowing off the left there, so it was a pretty tough shot, just glad to get that on the green," Scheffler said.
Scheffler said he isn’t feeling all the way himself yet after his first two rounds.
"(My game) feels good, I’ve limited the mistakes and I feel like I haven’t been swinging it as well as I could be, so I think there maybe just a little bit of rust there, a little bit of timing my swing, but it’s good to be getting back into competitive golf, and nice to be out here at Pebble," Scheffler said.
Scheffler’s injury required minor surgery, but he is now back in action after one of the most dominant seasons in PGA Tour history.
Scheffler won seven PGA Tour titles, while winning The Masters for a second time in his career. He also represented the United States at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games and won a gold medal after a late surge.
Scheffler also became the first player since Tiger Woods in 2009 to hold the No. 1 ranking for an entire calendar year.
The star golfer is 2-under through four holes to begin this third round, leaving him 9-under par as of the time of writing.
The third round of the Pebble Beach Pro-Am continues on Saturday.
Days after competing in his and Tiger Woods' joint simulator league in Jupiter, Fla., McIlroy drilled an ace at Spyglass Golf Course at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am on Thursday.
On the par-three 15th, McIlroy took a wedge from 119 yards out and hit a dart right at the hole.
And that's not hyperbole - McIlroy dunked his golf ball right into the hole without a bounce.
It was the second hole-in-one the four-time major champion has hit on tour. His first came in 2023 at the Travelers Championship in Connecticut.
McIlroy is ranked third in the world, behind Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele.
It's McIlroy's first event of the new PGA season. He started his first round on the 10th hole, so the ace got him to three-under through six on the day.
It's a nice start to the season for McIlroy, who is hoping for better fortunes this year than last. McIlroy owned the U.S. Open lead late last year with a chance to snap his decade-long major drought. However, after he missed six feet worth of two putts on the final three holes, Bryson DeChambeau stole the trophy from underneath him.
That came just months after Cameron Smith squeaked out a win at the Open Championship the year prior over McIlroy in the final round.
McIlroy has been participating in the aforementioned TGL, which started earlier this week. McIlroy, Woods, Justin Thomas and Collin Morikawa are all team captains, with other PGA stars like Wyndham Clark, Patrick Cantlay, Hideki Matsuyama and Max Homa all playing.
Shooting Star is an exclusive club and golf course in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
Courtesy of Shooting Star
Shooting Star in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, has been ranked as a top golf course in the US.
The golf club requires an invitation and has a long waitlist for membership.
From the golf course to the clubhouse, here's a look inside the private mountain oasis.
Nestled beneath the Grand Tetons in one of Jackson Hole, Wyoming's most expensive neighborhoods, PGA pros tee up at one of the most celebrated golf courses in the US, ranking no. 1 in Golf Digest's best in Wyoming and earning a spot on the top 100 US courses in 2023 and 2024.
I'm talking about Shooting Star, a members-only club in Teton Village. You have to be invited to join, and a representative of Shooting Star told Business Insider in September 2024 that the club had an extensive waitlist.
It's also not cheap. Shooting Star didn't share its current membership price with Business Insider, but when the club opened in 2009, it had 189 members and a $100,000 membership fee.
On a trip to Jackson Hole, I got an exclusive tour of the club, and it felt like a millionaire's playhouse. Take a look inside.
Welcome to the ultra-exclusive Shooting Star of Jackson Hole.
The golf course at Shooting Star in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
Courtesy of Shooting Star
Shooting Star's history dates back to the 1930s when the Resor family created Snake River Ranch, now known as the largest working cattle ranch in Jackson Hole.
Shooting Star owner and operator John Resor transformed a section of the ranch into an exclusive golf course, club, and residential community. It was a $130 million project.
Shooting Star is in Jackson Hole's Teton Village neighborhood.
Shooting Star is in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
Google Maps
Roughly 22 miles from the town of Jackson, Shooting Star is sandwiched between Snake River Ranch and Jackson Hole Resort.
The 1,300-acre space has a clubhouse, a golf course and shop, a pool deck, a barn, and residential lodges.
A wide view of the property.
Courtesy of Shooting Star
When I toured the property, I thought the clubhouse looked like a luxury ranch. The expansive building overlooked the golf course and a 25-meter lap pool.
The clubhouse opens to a grand foyer with a Western aesthetic.
Inside the foyer.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
I spotted realistic paintings of cattle at Snake River Ranch and an animal skull on the foyer walls.
I also noticed a range of natural textures, from the wood floors and ceiling moldings to the leather seats in front of the large stone fireplace.
Outside, the 18-hole golf course looked like a painting.
A view of the course.
Courtesy of Shooting Star
I'm no golfer, but it was instantly clear why Golf Digest ranked this a top 100 course in the US.
The 250-acre course looked dynamic, with aspen and evergreen trees dotting hills parted by ponds and streams. It was designed by Tom Fazio, who also designed Donald Trump's golf clubs in Westchester, New York, and Pine Hill, New Jersey, as well as multiple courses at the exclusive Vintage Club in Indian Wells, California, where Bill Gates purchased a home for $12.5 million in 1999.
The golf course blended in so seamlessly with its surroundings that I thought it was a naturally occurring landscape, but the land was actually reformed with a design goal of making each hole unique.
According to a Shooting Star brochure, the process included moving 2 million cubic yards of dirt, planting more than 2,500 trees, and carving out 50 acres of lakes.
For a handful of PGA pros, including the golf club's director Ben Polland, Shooting Star is more than a home course — it's a day job.
From the course, I could see the resident cabins and lodges.
Next to the clubhouse, the Alpine Barn is used in ski season.
The Alpine Barn at Shooting Star.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
In the winter, Shooting Star becomes a skier's haven, and the Alpine Barn is the hub.
Inside, there were nearly 200 lockers. During ski season, the barn shows movies and serves complimentary food. A shuttle takes skiers to the nearby Jackson Hole Mountain Resort to hit the slopes, but there's also a track around the course's perimeter for a short run.
Back inside, the second floor of the clubhouse houses a fitness center.
Exercise equipment in the fitness center.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
The 2,400-square-foot facility had smart cardio equipment with large screens overlooking the swimming pool and barn. A handful of workout studios offered classes like yoga and pilates.
Outside, there were also tennis and pickleball courts.
The spa was on the same floor.
A peek inside a treatment room.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
I stepped into one of the six treatment rooms and thought it felt serene.
Limestone and wood moldings texturized the walls. There was a fireplace, cozy seating, and two treatment beds.
Natural light poured in from the window at the back of the room. There was a gigantic stainless steel tub in front of it. I thought bathing in there with a view of the course and surrounding Tetons would be a dream.
The spa bathroom had amenities akin to a luxury hotel.
Amenities inside the bathroom.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
I spotted glass jars containing toothbrushes, toothpaste, razors, hair ties, eye drops, and over-the-counter pain and allergy medication.
Back downstairs, there was a restaurant with indoor and outdoor dining.
Outdoor dining at Shooting Star.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
The dining room had a wood-burning fire pit inside. Out on the patio, members could dine right next to the golf course.
Before I headed out, I got to check out a miniature version of the property inside the clubhouse.
The miniature version of the property.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
The property feels vast, so seeing it all planned out on one table helped me better understand the course and development.
I left with a sense of what it might be like to be a member of such an exclusive club in an epic location.
The reporter took a 15-hour ride on Amtrak's California Zephyr, an overnight Superliner train.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
I spent 15 hours in a sleeper car on an Amtrak Superliner train going from Denver to Salt Lake City.
For $400, I stayed in a private cabin, which had two seats during the day and two bunks at night.
The 23-square-foot space was cozy and full of space-saving hacks that made it feel larger.
Taking a sleeper train from Denver to Salt Lake City was more expensive than flying or driving — and it took a lot longer. But for a locomotive enthusiast like me, it was worth it.
In January, I took a 15-hour ride through the American Southwest on Amtrak's California Zephyr, an overnight train. I paid $400 to stay in a private, enclosed 23-square-foot space with two chairs and two bunks — also known as a roomette.
I found that 23 square feet is plenty of space for me to feel comfortable on a long journey. And with an efficient arrangement and a design that seemed to prioritize relaxation, I was far cozier than I am on flights and road trips.
On a cold morning in early January, I boarded the California Zephyr at Denver's Union Station.
The entrance to the reporter's sleeper car on the California Zephyr.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
Amtrak's Superliner is a two-story train fleet that runs on routes west of Chicago and New Orleans, including the California Zephyr. The cars are roughly 30 to 50 years old, and Amtrak plans to replace this fleet and others in the 2030s, Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari told Business Insider.
For now, the train line is investing $28 million into interior renovations on long-distance trains, including new carpets, LED lighting, and a seating makeover in coach, communal, and sleeper cars.
Roughly 76% of the Superliner sleeper cars have been updated, and the rest are scheduled to be completed in 2025.
I was lucky enough to ride in a newly refreshed Superliner.
My ticket included lounge access, priority boarding, and three meals on board.
Inside the dining car.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
A roomette accommodation is a step above coach seating and a step below a bedroom, which is twice as large and includes a full private bathroom. Two steps above, a bedroom suite joins two bedrooms, providing four beds and two bathrooms with showers.
The train also has family bedrooms, which sleep two adults and two kids, and accessible bedrooms with two bunks.
My ticket also included access to a first-class attendant who took meal reservations, offered turndown service, and fielded questions and requests.
My roomette was on the first floor of the double-decker train.
A hallway leads to the reporter's room in the sleeper car.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
I skipped the coach passenger line to board, stepped onto the train, and placed my luggage in a shared storage space where each passenger was allowed two suitcases.
Then, I walked down a short hallway to my room, which had a sliding door that locked from the inside.
Inside, I found two cushy recliners facing each other beside a wide window.
Two views inside the reporter's room.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
The roomette sleeps up to two people. During the day, the room was set up with two seats, which reclined to form the lower bunk. The upper bunk could be pulled down to reveal the cot.
Next to one of the chairs, there was a shelf below a tall mirror. There were multiple hooks around the room that I used for jackets and accessories.
I could tell the seats were new. They were wide and cushy with no signs of wear. But just to make sure, I asked Magliari how a passenger could tell if they were in an updated sleeper car.
"Doing away with the blue fabric is the biggest giveaway," he said. "If you see gray, vinyl seating, then you know that you are in a fresh room."
Magliari added that the new seat cushions and upholstery provide more lumbar support than the older models.
The sides of each headrest contained room controls.
Room controls in the roomette.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
There were lighting, speaker volume, and temperature controls, as well as one outlet and a call button for the attendant.
Between the chairs, a pullout table had two foldout leaves for extra space.
The pullout table folded out.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
There were cupholders on either side of the table — each holding a complimentary water bottle. However, the holders were too shallow to contain the bottles when the train shook, causing them to fall over during turbulent stretches.
"The cupholder size is a challenge we've faced. Beverage shapes and sizes change over time," Magliari told BI, alluding to the rise of brands expanding circumference like Stanley and Yeti.
A thin closet stood above a small trash can next to one seat.
Amenities inside the roomette.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
Inside the closet, I found some hangers and fresh linens.
The sleeping car shared four bathrooms and a shower.
A peek inside the shower.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
My booking didn't include a private bathroom. The shower and three of the bathrooms were on the first floor. I never had to wait in line to use the restroom, and I noticed they had been cleaned since my last visit a couple of times during the ride.
At night, I slid the chairs into bed mode.
The reporter's roomette is situated with a lower bunk.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
After dinner in the dining car, I reclined both seats to be flat, forming the bottom bunk. The bed was wider and more comfortable than most train bunks I've slept on. The pillows were thick and fluffy, and the plush blanket had a luxurious feel.
The highlight of the 23-square-foot roomette was the expansive window.
A view of the train passing through Colorado.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
A 23-square-foot room may seem small, but the wide, comfy seats, impressive space-saving hacks, and views outside the expansive window made it feel large.
The PGA Tour announced on Thursday that the Genesis Invitational will be moved to a different location due to the Los Angeles wildfires that plagued the region.
Riviera Country Club, where the tournament is played, was a part of the evacuation zone. The course is located in the Pacific Palisades, which was one of the parts of Los Angeles that was decimated by the deadly wildfires.
It’s unclear where the $20 million signature event will be played. But the PGA Tour said events would begin on Feb. 10 with the tournament itself starting on Feb. 13.
The course was not damaged in the wildfires that have left more than two dozen people dead and burned more than 12,000 structures.
"The PGA TOUR’s focus continues to be on the safety and well-being of those affected by the unprecedented natural disaster in Greater Los Angeles," the organization said in a statement. "We are grateful for the life-saving efforts of first responders and the tireless work being done to put an end to the tragic wildfires.
"In collaboration with Genesis, The Riviera Country Club and TGR Live, and out of respect for the unfolding situation, we have determined that The Genesis Invitational 2025 will be played at an alternate location the week of Feb. 10-16. A venue update and additional tournament information will be provided in the coming days."
Tiger Woods, who is the host of the tournament, said this week he wasn’t focused on the event.
"We’re trying to just figure everything out and make sure that everyone is safe, and we have meetings scheduled going forward," he said, per the Los Angeles Times.
"But as of right now, we’re not really focused on the tournament. It’s more about what we can do to help everyone who’s struggling, who’s lost homes and had their lives changed."
Daly was lying in a hospital bed in the post, and the location said he was in Tampa, Florida.
Daly, 58, is a fan favorite and known for his appearance and attitude on the golf course.
Daly dresses in colorful attire on the golf course, and is always seen having a cigarette in his hand on the course. He revealed that he hates water, and that he used to drink 12 to 20 Diet Cokes a day to replace it, in an interview a few years ago.
Daly went to the University of Arkansas on a golf scholarship, and qualified for the 1986 U.S. Open as an amateur. He turned pro in 1987 following his career at Arkansas, and joined the PGA Tour in 1991.
Andrew Taylor, 70, left the US to retire in Malaysia a decade ago.
He now lives in a two-bedroom condo in Kuala Lumpur, the capital city, that costs about $620 a month.
"I probably would not be retired if I were still in the US," Taylor said.
At 60, Andrew Taylor retired and left the US to move to Malaysia.
Taylor, who used to do administrative work, started thinking about retirement when he was in his mid-50s. But the high cost of living in the US made it feel like a pipe dream.
Taylor moved to Malaysia from the US a decade ago.
Andrew Taylor
He started considering retiring abroad, and it was through his then-partner — who lived in Penang, a state in the northwestern part of Malaysia— that he first learned about the Malaysia My Second Home, or MM2H, visa program. The MM2H program was introduced by the government in 2002 to attract foreigners to retire and live in Malaysia.
The conditions for the visa have been tightened over the years.
Based on the most recent rule changes announced in 2024, there are now three different categories: platinum, gold, and silver. Depending on the category of visa they apply for, applicants are required to have minimum bank deposits of between $150,000 and $1 million and also buy property in Malaysia. The validity of the visa ranges from five years to 20 years. Because Taylor got a visa under an earlier version of the visa rules, he wasn't required to purchase property in Malaysia.
Having visited multiple times before, the idea of living in Malaysia appealed to him. He said he saw the visa program as something that could help him retire much earlier.
In late 2014, he applied and was approved a few months later. In 2015, Taylor packed up his bags and moved from Washington, DC — where he'd lived for 40 years — to start the next chapter of his life.
Creating a dream apartment in the city
It's been 10 years since Taylor arrived in Malaysia. He spent seven years in Penang before moving to Kuala Lumpur, the capital city, three years ago.
The apartment has two bedrooms.
Andrew Taylor
He's been in his current rental — a two-bedroom condo — for about five months.
Taylor said his previous unit was on two floors, and he had to climb 20 steps to reach the bedroom. "I'm 70, and the stairs are irritating to me now, so I want it to be all on one floor," he said.
He said it took just one weekend to find his apartment, which was about 2 miles outside the city center. The view of the city immediately caught his attention.
"I'm on the 22nd floor, and I can see the Twin Towers. I can see all the major towers in KL, and it's just a beautiful view. I think if I'm going to be in KL, that's what I wanted," Taylor said.
The view from the windows of his apartment immediately caught his attention.
Andrew Taylor
His rent costs 2,800 Malaysian ringgit, or about $620, each month. It's a two-year lease with an option for a third year. Unlike his previous apartments, he opted for an unfurnished unit this time.
"I really never liked the furniture in the apartments that I was renting," he said, adding that he'd always been interested in interior design. Most of his furniture is sourced locally.
"It's sort of eclectic," he said, describing his apartment. "I have oriental carpets and things like that, but with modern furniture."
His apartment block is part of a five-building condo development, which offers amenities such as a pool and a gym.
His rent is 2,800 Malaysian ringgit, or about $620, a month.
Andrew Taylor
This is Taylor's fifth apartment in Malaysia, and he says he plans to continue renting and riding around the city on his Vespa for the foreseeable future.
Lessons learned along the way have contributed to his decision. The first place he moved into after arriving in Malaysia was on the 35th floor of a building in Penang.
"The landlord said, 'Oh, they'll never build in front of it.' Well, yes, they built right in front of it immediately," he said. "If you buy a place, it's just harder to move on."
An analysis published in March of last year found that a single person would need to earn $96,000 a year to live comfortably in many major US cities. It comes as no surprise that more and more Americans are being priced out of the US.
An AARP survey of 8,368 people conducted in January 2024 found that 1 in 5 Americans 50 and over reported having no retirement savings. More than half of them also said they didn't think they'd have enough money to keep themselves afloat in retirement.
It's a sentiment that Taylor shares. "I probably would not be retired if I were still in the US," he said.
The pool at Taylor's condo in Kuala Lumpur.
Andrew Taylor
In contrast, the MM2H visa has made Malaysia an attractive destination for expats.
As of January 2024, there were 56,066 active MM2H pass holders in the country, Malaysia's minister of tourism, arts, and culture, Tiong King Sing, said during a parliament session, according to the local paper The Star. Chinese nationals formed about 44% of pass holders, followed by those from South Korea and Japan. There were 1,340 pass holders from the US. The ministry didn't respond to a request for comment sent by BI.
'Pretty similar' lifestyles in both countries
While Taylor's lifestyle in Malaysia is "pretty similar" to the one he had back in the States, he said, the lower cost of living means his money can go further each month.
"I would say I used to try to keep my budget to $2,000. Now it's a little bit more than that. I would say $2,500 is what I live on now," Taylor said, adding that he didn't think he could live on the same amount back in the US.
He has a basic health-insurance policy that costs 340 Malaysian ringgit each month.
"There are other much better policies, but I went with the cheap option," Taylor said. He says it covered only hospitalization and related costs.
He also said he was satisfied with Malaysia's healthcare facilities.
"You don't have to wait long for an appointment or wait long at your appointment," he added.
"I've never felt safer anywhere. Where I lived in my last place outside D.C., sometimes I would hear gunshots from outside my window, and that just is so foreign here. There's nothing like that," he said. "I've never ever felt any uncomfortable feeling when I'm out, even alone walking around."
These days, Taylor spends his time filming YouTube videos about what it's like to live in Malaysia.
He said, however, that such a drastic move might not be for everyone — especially for those who have children, grandchildren, or even older parents. It only worked for him because he had loose family connections.
Looking back, Taylor said he'd learned not to be afraid of living outside his comfort zone.
"My family thought I would last about six months, and then I would come back," he said. "Ten years later, and I'm still here, and I have no intention of ever going back to the US."
Have you recently relocated to a new country and found your dream home? If you have a story to share, contact this reporter at [email protected].
Scottie Scheffler withdrew from The American Express on Monday, missing his second consecutive tournament due to injury.
Scheffler, 28, underwent minor surgery to repair a glass puncture in his right hand suffered on Christmas.
The world’s No. 1 player was preparing for Christmas dinner when he hurt his hand, which forced him to miss the beginning of the PGA Tour season at The Sentry in Hawaii, a signature event.
"After consulting with my medical team, I have made the decision to withdraw from next week's American Express tournament to give my injury more time to heal," Scheffler said in an Instagram post.
Scheffler is hopeful of making his 2025 PGA Tour debut at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, a signature event that starts Jan. 30.
The star American golfer is coming off an historic season, where he won nine times worldwide.
Scheffler won seven PGA Tour titles, while winning The Masters for a second time in his career. He also represented the United States at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games and won a gold medal after a late surge.
With his strong showing in 2024, he became the first player since Tiger Woods to win PGA Tour player of the year in three consecutive seasons, since Woods did in 2005-2007.
Scheffler also became the first player since Woods in 2009 to hold the No. 1 ranking for an entire calendar year.
With Scheffler dominating the competition, he set a record for prize money won in one season. He won $25 million for winning the FedEx Cup, making his total prize money for the 2024 season over $54 million.
The American Express tournament is in Palm Desert, California, and is scheduled for Jan. 16-19.
Fox News’ Ryan Morik and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Debbie Welsch moved to Bali after being laid off from her job
Debbie Welsch.
Eight years ago, Debbie Welsch moved to Bali, Indonesia, after being laid off from her job in Los Angeles.
Welsch wanted to escape the rat race and live a simple life where she'd be free from constantly thinking about money.
Last year, her mother — now 81 — joined her in Bali. They live across the street from each other.
Debbie Welsch never thought she'd be retired and living in Bali, Indonesia, across the street from her mother.
Eight years ago, in 2018, Welsch was laid off from her dream job as an interior designer for a developer in Los Angeles. Although she managed to secure some contract work after — sometimes even making $100 an hour — she was always worried about not having enough money.
"Everything just seemed like I was not moving my life forward," Welsch, now 55, told Business Insider.
Debbie Welsch moved to Bali from California in 2018. A few years later, her mother joined her on the island.
Debbie Welsch.
It reminded her of her struggles in 2012 when she was forced to shut down her home improvement business because of the financial crisis.
Back then, Welsch had to lease out her house because she couldn't afford her mortgage. She then started living in a room she rented from a friend.
Over the years, anxiety kept Welsch from moving back into her own home even as her financial situation improved.
Welsch renovated the villa she rented in Bali, Indonesia.
Debbie Welsch.
This time, being laid off made her realize she had an unhealthy relationship with money, one in which she would always worry about not having enough.
Several hypnotherapy sessions helped her let go of her fears, but Welsch knew she needed a fresh start — away from the rat race — if she wanted to change her life.
The idea of leaving the US started to take root, and by the end of the year, Welsch had sold almost everything she owned to move to Bali.
Trading LA for Bali
Welsch had considered various locations before deciding on Bali.
"I actually looked at the Yucatán in South Mexico. I looked at Costa Rica, I looked at Tulum," she said, adding that none of the places appealed to her because "the vibe just wasn't there."
The villa was dark and dingy before the renovation.
Debbie Welsch.
But Bali was different: Welsch had been there for vacation multiple times before, and she always loved the pace of life on the island.
"The vibe, the energy, the local Balinese culture is so soothing to me. I feel comfortable," Welsch said.
Before she made her decision, Welsch thought it'd be a good idea to visit a friend who was already living in Bali with her husband.
"I spent three weeks just trying to live as a resident versus a tourist, just to see where I would live, what I would do, all that kind of stuff," Welsch said.
Welsch overhauled the villa, adding new floor tiles and installing a bathroom upstairs.
Debbie Welsch.
Within six months of that trip, Welsch was back on the island — this time for good.
"When I came here, I felt safe, and I felt like it was where I needed to be, even if it was for a few years," she said.
"I didn't need a big house or anything like that — the bigger the house, the more maintenance required," Welsch said. "I also wanted to be close by to the cafés and things like that."
The revamped kitchen was brighter and more airy.
Debbie Welsch.
Through word of mouth, she eventually found the perfect one-bedroom home in Seminyak, just an eight-minute walk to the beach.
Welsch's lease was for 10 years, and she preferred to keep the amount she spent on rent private.
With permission from her landlord, she was also able to renovate the villa.
"It was all just concrete — gray concrete floors, gray concrete walls. It was dingy. There were no windows in the back, and there was no breeze coming through," she said.
Now, Welsch lives in her villa alone with her dog, while her mother lives in the house across the street.
Debbie Welsch.
Welsch spent six months transforming the entire villa, adding new floor tiles, and even installing a new bathroom upstairs.
"It just needed a lot of work," she said.
Her mother followed in her footsteps
In February 2023, Welsch's mother, Linda Puzio, decided to join her in Bali.
Puzio — then 79 — had just been laid off from her job as a legal secretary in Palm Springs.
Even though her daughter had been trying to convince her to move for over a year, Puzio said she finally relented due to financial reasons.
"My boss retired, and I didn't have a job anymore. All I had was my Social Security to live on," Puzio, now 81, told BI. "I couldn't live in Palm Springs anymore. My rent was going to be $1,500 a month. My Social Security is $1,900 — that meant I had $400 for car insurance, gasoline, food, clothing, electricity, things like that."
Now, the mother-daughter pair spend a lot of time together.
Debbie Welsch.
It made more sense for her to move to Bali, where the cost of living was much lower.
Now, Puzio lives in a house across the street from her daughter, and the two of them get to spend quality time together.
"She's like my best friend. If anyone's going to hang out with me morning, noon, and night, it's her," Welsch said. "She's in her senior years and needs support, and I have the opportunity to help her with that, just making sure she's taken care of. But there's also a reciprocal thing. I have family here now, so it works well for us."
Living a simple island life
Welsch and her mother aren't alone in their decision to retire abroad.
The cost of living — inclusive of rent — in Bali is 52%lower than in Los Angeles, per Numbeo, a platform that uses crowdsourced data to compare the cost of living in major cities across the world. A person would need around $2,400 in Bali to maintain the same standard of life that they can have with $5,000 in LA.
As much as Welsch appreciates her life in Bali, there are still things that she misses about LA.
"In LA, I had a lot of friends, and there's always an art gallery to go to or just a gathering with my friends and sleepovers — all that stuff. I miss the connection with my friends there," Welsch said. "Even if you have friends here, you're still living an independent life."
She also misses her other family members — like her brother and nephews — and some of the beaches in LA.
Welsch says that living near each other has enabled them to take care of each other in a foreign country.
Debbie Welsch.
However, Welsch doesn't think that she'd go back to living there, although her mother feels differently.
"I'll go back in a heartbeat, because why? It is OK here and all, but I moved here when I was 79. I really kind of am set in my own ways, in what I want and what I like. I'm used to certain things, and I miss them," Puzio said.
However, both of them are happy where they are. Living a simple life in Bali has allowed Welsch to stay present instead of constantly worrying about money like she used to.
"I can just be, instead of waking up and going, 'OK, how am I going to make money or what's the money situation in my life?' Money is the first thing I'd think of when I wake up, and money's the last thing I'd think of when I go to sleep. It's not like that anymore," Welsch said.
"I'm satisfied with a basic life, not being fancy, dressing up, going out, looking a certain way, having a certain car," Welsch said. "We don't have to worry what people think."
Have you recently relocated to a new country and found your dream home? If you have a story to share, contact this reporter at [email protected].
Hovland is looking to have a bounce-back year in 2025 after failing to win a single tournament in 2024. He won three times in 2023 – the Memorial Tournament, BMW Championship and Tour Championship – and built momentum toward 2024.
He nearly won the PGA Championship last season but finished in third. Hovland finished tied for 12th in the FedEx Cup standings with Sam Burns.
In 114 events played in his PGA Tour career, Hovland has six wins and five runner-up finishes. He has earned more than $31.3 million.
He’s not the only golfer who may miss the start of the year.
Scottie Scheffler is already set to miss the first signature event of 2025. He needed surgery after he injured his hand on broken glass.
"Small glass fragments remained in the palm, which required surgery. He has been told that he should be back to 100% in three to four weeks," Scheffler’s manager Blake Smith said, adding that Scheffler has officially withdrawn from The Sentry.
Scheffler's next scheduled tournament is the American Express, which begins Jan. 16. This year, the Sentry is labeled a signature event, the first of eight.
After one of the most historic seasons in golf in 2024, 2025 will not get off to an ideal start for Scottie Scheffler.
The reigning PGA Player of the Year and No. 1 golfer in the world will miss next week's Sentry tournament after he underwent hand surgery.
In a statement released Friday, Scheffler's manager, Blake Smith, said Scheffler "sustained a puncture wound … from broken glass" in his right hand on Christmas Day preparing dinner.
"Small glass fragments remained in the palm, which required surgery. He has been told that he should be back to 100% in three to four weeks," Smith said, adding Scheffler has officially withdrawn from The Sentry.
Scheffler's next scheduled tournament is the American Express, which begins Jan. 16. This year, the Sentry is labeled a signature event, the first of eight.
Scheffler's injury comes months after he completed one of the greatest seasons the PGA has ever seen. He kicked off his season with four top 10 finishes in his first five tournaments. Then, he kicked into another gear. He had four wins and tied for second in his next five events. He won the Arnold Palmer Invitational, The Players, the RBC Heritage and the Masters.
His season took a wild turn in May, though, when he was arrested while headed to the second round of the PGA Championship at Valhalla. He spent time in a jail cell before casually shooting a 66 later in the day. He finished tied for eighth in the tournament.
Scheffler then won the Memorial and Travelers in June and then won Olympic gold in Paris. Including the Olympics, Scheffler posted eight wins, two second-place finishes, 17 top 10 finishes and zero missed cuts in 20 events. His seven victories in PGA events are the most since 2007.
With a $25 million payday from winning the FedEx Cup, Scheffler’s prize money for the 2024 season was over $54 million, by far the most ever won in one season.
Competition for the New York City affordable-housing lottery is stiff: On average, there are 450 applications received for each rental unit.
urfinguss/Getty Images/iStockphoto
For some New Yorkers, winning the NYC housing lottery is the only way they can afford to stay in the city.
But competition is tough: There are about 3.5 million applications each year.
Those who have won say it often took multiple applications and months of waiting before they heard back.
Louis Ciprian, 29, moved around New York City a lot when he was younger.
His father died when he was 11, and Ciprian and his mother fell on hard times. At 15, he entered the foster care system. For the next couple of years, he bounced from place to place and even graduated from high school while living in a homeless shelter.
After college, he started couch surfing, living with different roommates while looking for a more permanent place to call home.
In 2022, he started applying for the New York City affordable housing lottery, which is run by the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) and the Housing Development Corporation (HDC).
Louis Ciprian won the NYC housing lottery for an apartment in the Bronx earlier this year.
Louis Ciprian.
Two years later, in July, Ciprian finally received the call that he'd been waiting for: He won the lottery for a one-bedroom apartment in the Bronx, where rent is $1,481 a month.
He was thankful and relieved.
"To be able to get an opportunity like that where I'm paying rent that is affordable and not going to hit more than 30% of my income, it's an amazing feeling," Ciprian, a customer success manager at a real estate technology company, told Business Insider.
NYC is experiencing a severe housing affordability crisis.
From 2022 to 2023, rents in NYC increased seven times as fast as wages, a Zillow and StreetEasy analysis found. Even tech workers — who make an average of $135,000 annually — can only afford 35% of rentals in the city.
For those still in NYC, the outlook is far from rosy. Over the past decade, the city grew by nearly 800,000 people, but only added 200,000 new homes, mayor Eric Adams said in a speech in December 2022.
Not only that, the city has also lost some 100,000 apartments — many in wealthy neighborhoods — because New Yorkers keep consolidating multi-family buildings and turning them into one- or two-family homes.
A 2023 city housing and vacancy survey found that only 1.4% of NYC apartments were available to rent last year, and over 40% of all renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent.
For many New Yorkers like Ciprian, winning the housing lottery is their only hope of securing an affordableapartment in an increasingly expensive city.
While the application is free, each household must meet specific income requirements to qualify for an apartment. But winning the affordable housing lottery is a feat in itself.
The HPD receives about 3.5 million applications a year, Natasha Kersey, an HPD representative, told BI.
On average, there are 450 applications received per rental unit.
With competition so stiff, it is not uncommon for people to apply for multiple apartments offered in the lottery.
Nkenge Clarke, 30, told BI previously that she had sent out over 130 applications before she finally succeeded in her bid.
Nkenge Clarke won the NYC affordable housing lottery. Now, she pays about $1,000 in rent for her Chelsea apartment.
Nkenge Clarke.
"It took me maybe over a year before I started hearing back from different properties that I applied to," Clarke said. "Some of them I ended up not qualifying for, some of them I didn't provide enough documentation for."
Now, she pays about $1,000 in rent every month for a one-bedroom apartment in Chelsea, a neighborhood on the west side of Manhattan. The timing was impeccable; her previous landlord was looking to raise her rent had she renewed her lease.
"This place literally came just in time, like a few months before my second-year lease ended," Clarke said.
Clarke says she had sent out over 130 applications for the affordable housing lotteries.
Nkenge Clarke
While the process took a lot of paperwork and patience, it was well worth the effort, she added. After all, living in an affordable apartment in the heart of the city was like a dream come true.
Stabilized rent in an ever-expensive market
Interested parties can apply for the affordable housing lottery online via the Housing Connect portal or by mail. Once the deadline passes, all applications are combined to create a pool from which the lottery is conducted, Aileen Reynolds, the assistant commissioner of housing opportunity at HPD, told BI.
Josh Ayala won the NYC housing lottery in 2023.
Josh Ayala.
A computer algorithm randomizes all the applications and assigns everyone a number, known as a lottery log number. That number, she added, dictates the order in which the developers have to contact the applicants.
While it helps applicants get a sense of where they stand, it's not a perfect science since there might be people who applied but do not qualify for the apartments.
It can take any time between weeks to months for an applicant to hear back, Reynolds said.
"I was like, wait, what? I totally forgot I applied to this," Ayala, 26, told BI in August.
Thankfully, it all worked out for him; He signed the lease for the apartment within a month of the viewing. Now he pays $2,345 in monthly rent, which is stabilized.
"Around COVID-19 time, people were moving into apartments, and for one year, it was a great price. But the next year, the landlord would just increase their rent exorbitantly," Ayala said. "I didn't want that to happen to me, so I wanted something that was more secure, too."
Knowing that his rent is stabilized gives him peace of mind, Ayala said.
Josh Ayala.
Likewise, rent stabilization was the main reason Brynne McManimie and Peter Romano started applying for the housing lottery.
In 2021, they lived in a $2,600-a-month apartment in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. They had gotten a good deal on their lease due to the pandemic, but it didn't last long.
Peter Romano and Brynne McManimie applied for the affordable housing lottery after their landlord raised the rent.
Matthew Dunivan Photography
"After a year, our landlord raised our rent by like 25% and it made us very nervous about staying in that apartment," McManimie told BI in June. Their new rent was going to be $3,300 a month, and they decided it was too expensive for them to afford.
But luck was on their side: Within a month of applying for the housing lottery, they were contacted about a one-bedroom unit in Brooklyn.
McManimie and Romano now live in a $2,800-a-month apartment in Brooklyn,
Brynne McManimie and Peter Romano
The couple ended up signing a two-year lease. Now, they pay $2,800 in monthly rent.
"Since it's rent-stabilized, they can't raise it like a ton," Romano told BI. "Which is honestly really attractive to us, given what happened with our last landlord."
The income and household eligibility criteria for the lottery apartments only apply at the initial stage.
The couple says that they were lucky to have won the lottery so soon after they started applying.
Brynne McManimie and Peter Romano
"Folks only need to qualify based on house size and income at the time they move in," Reynolds said.
'Native New Yorkers deserve to stay here'
But the housing lottery isn't without its criticism.
For years, the city's "community preference" policy dictated that half of new affordable apartments must first be offered to those already living in the area.
However, in 2015, three women filed a lawsuit against the city, saying that the policy reinforced segregation.
After almost a decade, the city finally agreed to settle the lawsuit in January. Under the terms of the settlement, the city will reduce the percentage of affordable houses set aside for those already living in the same community to 20%, down from the original 50%, per court documents. In May 2029, it will drop to 15%.
"Although the preference has been reduced, the outcome allows us to preserve it and continue to do our work by advocating for New Yorkers that need more housing at deeply affordable levels," Kersey said.
Ceronne Mitchell won the NYC housing lottery in 2023.
Molly Stromoski for NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development
Still, NYC residents do get priority in the affordable housing lottery — although applicants don't need to be US citizens, Reynolds said.
In the meantime, the housing lottery will still be one of the best ways for New Yorkers to stay in affordable apartments in the city.
Rent for Mitchell's one-bedroom apartment in Queens is $1,600 each month.
Molly Stromoski for NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development
"As much as I'm for the housing lottery, I think that it does suck that as a native, sometimes the only hope and dream of staying in the city affordably is this route," Ceronne Mitchell, who pays $1,600 a month for her one-bedroom lottery housing apartment in Queens, told BI previously.
"Native New Yorkers deserve to stay here, and I'm always proud when one can," she added.
Sales at Kohl's fell in Q3, which CEO Tom Kingsbury called "frankly disappointing."
I visited a Kohl's store in New Jersey to see how the chain plans to bounce back.
The store's layout showed how Kohl's is centering its partnership with Sephora to boost sales.
In 2018, Kohl's was hailed as a "winner of the retail apocalypse," boasting strong sales over its struggling counterparts like Sears and JCPenney.
Now, Kohl's is feeling the strain. Its third-quarter earnings report found that net sales decreased 8.8% and comparable sales fell 9.3%. .
"We are not satisfied with our performance in 2024 and are taking aggressive action to reverse the sales declines," CEO Tom Kingsbury said in the report.
Kingsbury announced he would step down as CEO effective January 15 and will be replaced by Ashley Buchanan, a Kohl's board member and CEO of Michael's.
On Thursday, Kohl's also announced it would close 27 underperforming locations by April as the brand continues to build on its "long-term growth strategy."
I visited a Kohl's store ahead of the holidays in December, one of the busiest shopping seasons, to see what Kohl's was doing to boost sales.
Representatives for Kohl's did not respond to a request for comment.
At the Kohl's store I visited in Clifton, New Jersey, Sephora was prominently advertised with its own branded entrance.
Kohl's.
Talia Lakritz/Business Insider
Kohl's has more than 1,150 locations in 49 states. While there are Kohl's stores in the greater New York City area, including in Brooklyn and Yonkers, there aren't any in Manhattan.
Kohl's announced its partnership with Sephora in 2020. By 2023, 910 Kohl's locations had added Sephora stores, and the retail chain built 140 more Sephora stores at Kohl's in 2024.
In 2023, Sephora sales at Kohl's totaled $1.4 billion, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. Sales are projected to hit $2 billion by 2025.
A sign advertised an ongoing customer appreciation event with extra sales.
Sales at Kohl's.
Talia Lakritz/Business Insider
Kohl's Rewards members and Kohl's cardholders received extra discounts.
The entrance I chose led me into the juniors section, which was strategically located right in front of Sephora.
The junior's section at Kohl's.
Talia Lakritz/Business Insider
The juniors section sold flared leggings, bralettes, and other styles popular with Gen Z.
Sephora seemed to serve as the centerpiece of the store with prominent placement in the middle of the aisles.
A Sephora location at Kohl's.
Talia Lakritz/Business Insider
The Sephora was constructed like a store within a store, similar to smaller shops located in a mall.
With celebrity beauty brands laid out in colorful displays under bright lighting, I felt drawn into the small-format Sephora like a moth to a flame.
Inside the Sephora at Kohl's.
Talia Lakritz/Business Insider
The aisles were full of makeup brands like Selena Gomez's Rare Beauty and Fenty Beauty by Rihanna.
An assortment of fine jewelry with lab-grown diamonds was displayed around the corner from Sephora.
Jewelry at Kohl's.
Talia Lakritz/Business Insider
On a June earnings call, Kingsbury said the retailer had removed some jewelry from stores to make room for Sephora locations since jewelry sales had been steadily declining.
He said Kohl's planned to add more accessories like jewelry back into stores in time for the holidays and place them near Sephora in an effort to boost sales.
There were also cheaper jewelry options nearby, such as Lauren Conrad's LC line.
Lauren Conrad's jewelry line at Kohl's.
Talia Lakritz/Business Insider
The items ranged between $7 and $15, while most of the fine jewelry items displayed nearby cost around $100.
I was impressed by the wide selection of dresses at Kohl's, ranging from office looks to black-tie gowns.
Dresses at Kohl's.
Talia Lakritz/Business Insider
Kingsbury told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in September that Kohl's locations with more space for dresses were "performing better" than other locations.
To me, the black-tie dresses in particular made Kohl's feel more like a department store than a big-box retailer.
Kohl's featured inclusive sizing, with sections for women's plus size, women's petite, and men's big and tall.
The big and tall men's section at Kohl's.
Talia Lakritz/Business Insider
Kohl's also carries a line of adaptive clothing designed for accessibility. I appreciated how the store catered to a wide customer base.
However, much of the store felt understated in comparison to Sephora.
Flannel shirts at Kohl's.
Talia Lakritz/Business Insider
Women's flannel shirts were on sale for $24.99 — the same as they cost at Target, but more expensive than Walmart, where similar shirts cost between $5 and $15. I also didn't find the clothing displays particularly engaging compared to Sephora's luminous shelves and eye-catching photos.
The selection of home decor at Kohl's didn't seem as large as I've seen at big-box retailers like Walmart and Target.
Home decor at Kohl's.
Talia Lakritz/Business Insider
The items were organized by color, which I found visually appealing. I also enjoyed the wooden roof displayed over the home decor section, which made it easy to spot and identify from a distance.
Kohl's Q3 earnings report found that home decor was a "key growth area" that experienced a "strong collective performance" despite the overall slump.
I was puzzled by a housewares section that featured aisles of slow cookers, vacuums, and suitcases next to each other.
Housewares at Kohl's.
Talia Lakritz/Business Insider
Centering the juniors and jewelry sections around Sephora's beauty products made sense to me, but these items all seemed like they belonged in different parts of the store. Perhaps it was a space issue, or maybe Kohl's is still playing around with store layouts that drive more sales.
Kohl's hopes to replicate the success of its Sephora partnership through another partnership with Babies "R" Us.
The Babies "R" Us baby registry at Kohl's.
Talia Lakritz/Business Insider
In October, Kohl's launched a digital baby registry service through Babies "R" Us to boost sales of baby gear, which has been a top seller.
On the Q3 earnings call, Kingsbury said that while Kohl's had "benefited" from opening Babies "R" Us shops in 200 stores, these additions were still "unable to offset the declines in our core business."
In a section titled "The Toy Box," boxes of Hot Wheels tracks, Lego sets, and Mr. Potato Heads were piled on the floor.
Toys at Kohl's.
Talia Lakritz/Business Insider
This could have been a stylistic choice, but it did make me think of Business Insider senior correspondent Emily Stewart's story about how store aisles crowded with boxes are a sign of the retail apocalypse.
As I headed toward the checkout counters, I saw a self-pickup section full of orders — another method of increasing sales.
Self-pickup at Kohl's.
Talia Lakritz/Business Insider
Kohl's launched self-pickup in all of its locations in 2022.
The line for staffed checkout counters was about 10 customers deep, but there was no line for self-checkout.
The checkout line at Kohl's.
Talia Lakritz/Business Insider
The staffed checkout counters may have had a longer line because of people making returns.
It remains to be seen if Kohl's strategies will help the brand avoid further decline and closures.
Kohl's trading post at the New York Stock Exchange.
Richard Drew/AP
By leaning into partnerships with Sephora and Babies "R" Us and thinking strategically about store layouts, Kohl's hopes to drive enough business to sustain its core brand and reverse its sales slump.
Although the mountains were not yet covered in snow, my room — which has a starting rate of nearly $1,000 a night during the winter ski season — seemed like a peaceful place to rest after an active day of gliding through powder.
When I arrived at the Four Seasons Jackson Hole on a muggy day in early September, I imagined it covered in snow.
Guests ski in the winter at the Four Seasons Jackson Hole.
Courtesy of Four Seasons Jackson Hole
The 63-year-old hotel chain has a luxurious reputation and 133 locations worldwide, each designed to reflect its destination.
"There's a sense of place at every Four Seasons," Kim Cole, the director of public relations for the Four Seasons, told Business Insider.
Cole added that the company describes the Jackson Hole location's aesthetic as "modern mountain chic," catering to hikers, bicyclists, and skiers in the winter.
After checking in, I explored the room with the typical peak-season guest in mind.
The author's room key card was wooden with mountain etchings.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
The hotel has 106 guest rooms and 18 suites. The starting rate is $525 in the offseason and $995 in the peak winter season. BI received a media rate for a one-night stay.
There are also 31 Resort Residences on-site, built to serve large groups. These residences have kitchens and as many as five bedrooms. Starting prices range from $4,200 to $11,000, depending on the season.
Cole told BI that in the winter, guest rooms are typically booked with active guests who participate in winter sports, so I imagined how the room would feel as a skier.
I thought my 550-square-foot room blended traditional cabin nostalgia with midcentury modern luxury.
Inside the author's room.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
My room had a king-sized bed, a full bathroom, and a private balcony.
Renovated by Wimberly Interiors in 2022, the guest rooms were designed to bring the outside in, with metal accents, stone finishings, and a soft, earth-toned color palette. This nature-inspired trend, known as biophilic design, gained traction in 2024.
The bed was plush with warm, fluffy bedding and dense pillows.
The guest room's king-sized bed.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
The king-sized bed sat between mixed material nightstands with edgy lamps contrasting classic wooden shutters.
With one king-sized bed, the room sleeps up to three adults (or two adults and one kid). The room can also be arranged with two double beds, increasing the maximum occupancy to four adults (or two adults and two kids).
The nature-inspired headboard was a mesmerizing statement piece.
A close-up of the headboard.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
The headboard was the standout piece in the room. A cherry wood frame juxtaposed a bright, white image, giving it a midcentury modern look.
The image was a textured carving of trees that I could feel when I brushed my fingers over the branches. A light bar glowed beneath the board, making it easier to see the details of the monochrome image.
The bed was so comfy that I didn't want to get up — and with smart controls on the in-room tablet, I didn't have to.
The tablet had a stand beside the bed.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
The tablet on the nightstand served as the room's control center, commanding everything from the TV to room service. This amenity was added in the 2022 remodel.
The tablet would be especially handy after an exhausting day on the slopes.
The other nightstand held an eclectic shelf of books with a warm white color palette.
Books line the bottom shelf of a nightstand.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
Few things are more relaxing on a snow day than cozying up with a good book.
Luckily, my room had a small selection of biographies, historical literature, and novels ranging from realistic fiction to young-adult fantasy.
Publishing dates for these books ranged from 2003 to 2020, but I thought they looked much older. They were all sleeveless with a white or off-white binding.
Across from the bed, a large TV was mounted above a stone fireplace.
A view of the room from the bed.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
Rustic drawers were to the left of the fireplace, while a modern sitting area was on the right.
I noticed all the seating in my room was soft and cushy, which seemed ideal for sore bodies after an active day.
The room also had a private bar with gold trimmings.
The bar and its offerings.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
The bar had an espresso machine, neutral-toned ceramic mugs, and Four Seasons branded water.
Beneath the bar, a cabinet hid the mini-fridge. It was stocked with alcohol and snacks like peanut M&Ms and gummy bears, which were available for an extra cost.
In the marble bathroom, the oversize tub had a bendy shower head that made me feel like I was in a spa.
The bathroom felt large, with a double sink vanity, a sizable shower, and a separate toilet room.
The other side of the bathroom.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
The mirrors and vanities were replaced by Wimberly Interiors in 2022.
Across from the bathroom, a spacious walk-in closet held bathrobes, a safe, and some classic, upscale amenities I've only seen in ultra-luxury hotels.
Inside the walk-in closet.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
I spotted old-school amenities like a shoe horn and shine brush, which I've seen more often in high-end European accommodations than in the US.
The ample size of the bathroom and closet made the room suitable for up to four guests.
The private balcony seated one on a comfortable lounge chair.
A peek at the balcony.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
I spent some time on the deck, but since I imagined it would be less enjoyable in the cold, I appreciated that there were sliding glass doors to enjoy the view without the low temperatures.
Out there, I had a view of the ski lifts traveling up and down Rendezvous Mountain.
Rendezvous Mountain is seen from the author's balcony.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
From the balcony, I spotted the slopes towering over the resort's courtyard.
Looking down, I pictured the green courtyard in a blanket of snow as bundled-up skiers got their bearings before hitting the slopes.
Kai Trump, the granddaughter of President-elect Trump, had a little fun on the golf course when she interviewed two-time Masters winner Scottie Scheffler during the LIV-PGA showdown on Tuesday
Speaking with Scheffler ahead of his and Rory McIlroy’s exhibition match against LIV Golf stars Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka, Kai asked Scheffler about his May 2024 arrest when he was charged with several offenses, including second-degree assault of a police officer.
The incident took place as Scheffler was attempting to enter Valhalla Golf Club, site of the PGA Championship, before the second round on May 17.
Kai began the interview asking, "Scottie, you’re too nice, but how was jail?"
"You know, honestly, it was a bit boring," he said with a laugh. "There’s not really much to do in there. I was in a cell by myself and just kind of sitting in there looking at the walls. So, it was a little boring."
Kai, who has captivated golf fans with her vlogs on YouTube following Trump’s successful bid for the White House, then made a lighthearted joke at the expense of Tiger Woods, who had his own run-in with law in 2017.
"I mean, orange is not a bad color though – on you, honestly. You pulled it off just like Tiger Woods," she joked.
Scheffler quipped back, "I prefer the burnt orange a little bit more than the jail cell orange."
The charges stemming from Scheffler’s arrest were later dropped. An internal investigation also found that three Louisville Metro Police officers violated police policy when they failed to have their bodycams activated.
Detective Bryan Gillis received "corrective action" for his role.
Police were investigating the death of a volunteer, who was hit by a bus just outside the golf course, when the Scheffler incident occurred.
Rory McIlroy and Charles Barkley had some playful banter while the Northern Irishman participated in "The Showdown" golf match with Scottie Scheffler against LIV Golf stars Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka.
As McIlroy walked down the fairway, Barkley asked how much he eats during a round. McIlroy was eating a power bar while the Basketball Hall of Famer chatted with him.
Barkley laughed and responded that he was on a diet.
For what it’s worth, the former Philadelphia 76ers star has admitted to taking Mounjaro to help with his weight loss and deal with Type 2 diabetes. Mounjaro, which is a brand name for tirzepatide, helps with weight loss by curbing appetite and improving how the body breaks down sugar and fat.
"I started at 352 [pounds] and I’m down to 290," Barkley has said previously. "I’m starting to feel like a human being, not a fat a-- anymore."
McIlroy and Scheffler ended up defeating their LIV Golf counterparts. They only needed 14 holes to do it.
The format was one point for a six-hole four-ball match, one point for a six-hole foursomes match and one point each for singles over the last six holes.
"I'd love to have another opportunity," DeChambeau said. "It was a bit of a pillow fight for us."
McIlroy and Scheffler each won $5 million in paid cryptocurrency.
Fox News' Scott Thompson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy were taking on Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka in a two-on-two in Las Vegas Tuesday.
The latter two players defected from the PGA Tour to LIV about 2½ years ago, and McIlroy long lamented the players who had done so before recently doing an about-face.
Leading up to the match, DeChambeau cracked a joke about McIlroy's choke job at the U.S. Open as the two shared the driving range together.
McIlroy bogeyed three of his final four holes and missed two putts that were both inside of three feet. DeChambeau took advantage with his legendary bunker save to win his second U.S. Open.
McIlroy admitted he wanted to "go up against Bryson and try to get him back for what he did to me at the U.S. Open."
"Well, to be fair, you kind of did it to yourself," DeChambeau replied.
The event features a combined 13 major championship victories from the four golfers — five from Koepka, four from McIlroy and two apiece from Scheffler and DeChambeau.
Scheffler and DeChambeau were paired up with one another for last year's Ryder Cup on Team USA.
Bryson DeChambeau pulled off one of the great golf shots after his up-and-down from the bunker on 18 at Pinehurst No. 2 this summer to win the U.S. Open — but he knows he got some help.
McIlroy bogeyed three of his final four holes and missed two putts that were both inside of three feet. DeChambeau took advantage with his legendary bunker save to win his second U.S. Open.
The two golfers will be on the links on Tuesday in the "LIV vs. PGA" edition of "The Match," where frenemies DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka will team up against McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler.
McIlroy and DeChambeau hit the range beside one another earlier this week, where McIlroy admitted he wanted to "go up against Bryson and try to get him back for what he did to me at the U.S. Open."
DeChambeau, though, didn't let him slide that easily.
"Well, to be fair, you kind of did it to yourself," DeChambeau hit back.
McIlroy took the crack on the chin as the crowd burst out in laughter.
In speaking with Fox News Digital over the summer, Dechambeau couldn't help but admit that he thought about that day at Pinehurst "every day."
"The bunker shot is amazing, but there’s a couple shots I hit during the course of that week. The back of No. 8, I hit it over the green twice, and I get up-and-down twice. I win the tournament because of that," DeChambeau told Fox News Digital back in August. "If I don’t get that up-and-down, I may not win the tournament. It’s actually the culmination of the whole week and how things progressed that led to it being such a memorable week."
"You never want to lose a championship that way. You want to see someone make a putt and do something crazy and cool. But I can tell you, there was a battle between us. It was definitely LIV vs. PGA for sure," DeCheambeau added.
Had DeChambeau not knocked down that par putt on 18, DeChambeau and McIlroy would have faced off in the first aggregate playoff in U.S. Open history.
Well, maybe McIlroy can get some sort of revenge this week at Shadow Creek.
The couple — from Brisbane, Australia — had long been interested in Japanese culture and its way of life, having visited the country multiple times over the years.
In 2023, they finally decided to take the plunge. With their four kids all grown up, they were soon-to-be empty nesters — it was now or never to follow their dreams.
The couple's love affair with Japan started with Deborah, who studied Japanese at university in the '90s.
NekoAshi Japan.
"We knew that Japan had an issue with akiya, and because we really love the Japanese lifestyle, the people, the culture, and the old traditional houses, we thought, why not?" Jason, 51, told Business Insider. "Everyone else seemed to be following their dreams. Why can't we?"
A lifelong connection to Japan
The couple's love affair with Japan started with Deborah, who studied Japanese at university in the '90s. After graduation, she moved to Tokyo for five years, where she worked as an English teacher. For three decades, she also practiced karate.
Her love for Japan eventually rubbed off on Jason.
However, it was during the pandemic that the couple first learned about akiya, or abandoned houses, in Japan.
In recent years, the Japanese government started offering incentives — such as renovation subsidies and even free properties — in an effort to lure residents to these "ghost towns."
"I'd actually looked at foreclosed properties years and years ago, wanting to buy a property in Japan before the word 'akiya' had become popular. But I was in a position where I had young children," Deborah, 52, told BI.
Now that their youngest is 18, it made sense for the couple to start planning for the next stage of their lives, including retirement. That's where buying an akiya comes in.
"We wanted a project. Like the word 'ikigai,' we wanted to be able to get up and say, that's our passion now. We've raised kids, we want to go there as much as we can and just tinker," Deborah, a business analyst, said.
They were looking for a project to work on as they were transitioning into retirement.
NekoAshi Japan.
However, since Japan's borders were still closed at the time, the couple did most of their initial research online. They joined Facebook groups and spoke to like-minded people to learn more about the process.
They knew they wanted to be outside the city and close to nature. While browsing online listings, they put together a list of potential houses they wanted to see in person once travel resumed.
"We were sort of matching them against what we are looking for — something old, very traditional," Jason, a construction workplace health and safety inspector, said.
In November 2022, after the borders opened, they jumped on a plane to Japan for a quick visit.
In April 2023, they returned to the country for a six-week trip, where they drove around and looked at all the houses on their list.
The idea was to restore the akiya to its former glory but with some modern amenities.
NekoAshi Japan.
It was in Mitocho, a small town near Masuda city, where they found the perfect akiya — a traditional Japanese house constructed in 1868, during the Meiji era. Masuda city is about a two-hour drive from Hiroshima, and a 90-minute flight from Tokyo.
"We drove over there, and when we saw it, we just knew that was the one, and we didn't look anymore after that," Deborah said.
The property had been vacant for 12 years before they came along. The couple was told it had served as a sake brewery until the early 1900s.
In order to inspect the property, they had to fill out a couple of forms for the local akiya bank. An akiya bank is a database maintained by the local municipalities for abandoned or vacant houses.
The akiya had been a sake brewery at some point in the past, and the couple found a sign — as well as other sake-brewing instruments — while cleaning up the property.
NekoAshi Japan.
"They were very serious," Deborah said. "It was all in Japanese. We had to fill out a form with all our details, our families, what we do for a job, all that stuff. And then another form about our intentions and what we want to do with the house."
A retirement project
The couple paid 3.5 million Japanese yen, or $23,000, for the akiya in August 2023.
It was a 7LDK, which in Japanese housing terminology means that the house has seven bedrooms, a living room, a dining area, and a kitchen.
There are about 300 houses in their village, and their akiya is situated along a street leading to the community center. There's also a 7-11 across the rice field from their akiya.
So far, the couple has fixed up the front of the house by tidying up the garden, as well as adding a new gravel driveway and car park. They've also restored the kitchen, and gotten rid of the old toilet in favor of a modern bathroom.
The couple paid 3.5 million Japanese yen for the akiya.
NekoAshi Japan.
"The intent is to bring the house back to its former glory with one or two modern touches," Jason said.
While they were prepared for the challenges of fixing up the old house, they were surprised by the amount of wildlife they encountered, including both spiders and snakes.
"And we've got monkeys, we've got centipedes, we've got bears, and killer hornets too. I was chased by one inside the house, so that was really scary — even though it makes a funny story now," Deborah said.
The language barrier was also a bit of a challenge for Jason, even though he's taking Japanese classes now.
"I can't really speak Japanese, whereas Deb can. So it puts a lot of pressure on her too," Jason said. "It's not like being in Tokyo or Kyoto where a lot of Japanese speak English."
The couple splits their time between Australia and Japan.
NekoAshi Japan.
The couple expects to spend the next few years chipping away at this project. They have also started documenting their restoration progress on their YouTube channel.
"We've got no urgent timeframe, and we're not trying to make money out of the property. We don't want to Airbnb it or anything like that. This is for us," Deborah said.
The couple still lives primarily in Brisbane, where their jobs are based. They plan to continue splitting their time between Japan and Australia until they fully retire in "hopefully five to eight years," Deborah said.
Integrating into the local community
When they're back in Australia, the akiya sits empty, but Jason said they've installed cameras around the property so they can monitor the yard.
The couple has also become friends with the real-estate agent who handled their akiya transaction — so much so that he even drives by their property once a week just to check on it on their behalf.
The couple say it is their responsibility as akiya owners to be heavily involved in the local community.
NekoAshi Japan.
Building relationships with their neighbors and the wider community has been the key to the success of their akiya project.
"We've got a good support network there, but that doesn't just come along. You've got to work at that," Deborah said.
She added that they've been involved in the local community since day one, and even joined the neighborhood association.
In September, they traveled from Australia to Japan to join their neighbors in cleaning up the local river.
NekoAshi Japan.
It's also why the local akiya bank was so invested in knowing why the couple wanted to buy the property, Jason said.
In recent years, foreigners have been snapping up these old, abandoned homes, in part due to the low price tags and the lack of restrictions on foreigners purchasing property in Japan. For many of them, it's more affordable to own an akiya in Japan than to own real estate in their home countries.
"In most cases potential buyers are asked their intentions before attending a viewing or submitting an application," Alex Shapiro, the cofounder of Blackship Realty, a Tokyo-based real-estate agency, told BI.
The local municipal governments may prioritize potential buyers who intend to live there, contribute to the local community, and pay local government taxes, he said.
However, each local government sets its own rules, Sami Senoussi, the cofounder of Akiya Heaven, which offers consulting services for akiya purchases, told BI.
"Some rural communities, especially those with aging populations, impose stricter guidelines in an effort to preserve the character and culture of their towns," he said. In more urban areas, including Tokyo, it's less common, he added.
Additionally, potential buyers may also be asked to demonstrate that they have the financial capacity to fund the renovations, especially if the akiya in question requires significant repairs, he said.
Indeed, while buying an akiya may be relatively affordable, the cost of fixing the house up can balloon quickly, Jason said.
"There's a lot of time, effort, and money that needs to go into them. And commitment — you can't just turn up in the community and play no part. You've got to put an equal amount of time into the house as much as you've got to put it into the community, and forge those relationships," he added.
Have you recently relocated to a new country and found your dream home? If you have a story to share, contact this reporter at [email protected].
