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Golf Holiday Ideas
If you are looking for golf holiday ideas then there are two possibilities, either you are looking for a pure golfing holiday or to combine your golf holiday with some other activities possibly for other members of the family.
If you are a golf enthusiast and your enthusiasm is not shared by everyone in the family then it can be difficult to balance their competing needs with the time to squeeze in a few quality rounds of golf. Therefore I would consider looking at mountain holiday ideas where there are some great golf courses but also lots of other adventure activities for the rest of the family including lots of spa resorts and hotels that might appeal to (dare I say) the female contingent. Also there are lots of other adrenalin stimulating activities like kayaking and rafting.
If, on the other hand, you are looking to combine your golf with a traditional beach holiday then find some golf holiday ideas for some resorts with great golf courses nearby that go beyond the traditional Algarve.
Best Golf holiday Resorts in the Mountains
Best Golf holiday Resorts by the Sea
Insuring your Golf Clubs on holiday.
Choosing a Specialist Golf holiday company
Best 50 Holiday Golf Courses
UK & Ireland Top 50 Golf courses
1 Royal County Down
2. Turnberry
3. Royal Birkdale
4. Ballybunion
5. Muirfield
6. Carnoustie
7. Royal Portrush
8. Kingsbarns
9. St Andrews Links
10. Lahinch
11. Royal St George's
12. Royal Dornoch
13. Royal Porthcawl
14. Portmarnock (Old)
15. Sunningdale
16. Royal Troon
17. Doonbeg
18. Woodhall Spa
19. Ganton
20. Waterville
21. Gleneagles
22. Royal Lytham & St Annes
23. European Club
24. Royal St Davids
25. Walton Heath
26 Pennard
27. Carne
28. Nairn
29. Tralee
30. Royal Liverpool
31. Aberdovey
32. Cruden Bay
33. Nefyn & District
34. Ashburnham
35. Mount Juliet
36. North Berwick
37. Druids Glen
38. Formby
39. Loch Lomond
40. The Island
41. Prestwick
42. Royal Aberdeen
43. Machrihanish
44. Saunton
45. Hillside
46. County Sligo
47. Gullane
48. Ballyliffin
49. Western Gailes
50. Rosapenna
European Top 50
1. Valderrama
2. Morfontaine
3. Les Bordes
4. Halmstad
5. Sotogrande
6. El Saler
7. Son Gual
8. Dolce Chantilly
9. Le Golf National
10. Sporting Club Berlin
11. PGA de Catalunya
12. Biella
13. Barseback
14. Kennemer
15. Hamburger Falkenstein
16. Koninklifke Haagsche
17. Crans-sur-Sierre
18. Falsterbo
19. Sperone
20. Old Course, Vilamoura
21. Furnas
22. Royal Zoute
23. Castelconturbia
24. Fontainebleau
25. Seddiner See
26. Las Brisas
27. Victoria Course, Vilamoura
28. I Roveri
29. Miklagard
30. Troia
31. Moscow Country Club
32. Praia D'El Rey
33. Eindhoven
34. San Lorenzo
35. Bad Griesbach
36. Domaine Imperial
37. Ljunghusen
38. zur Vahr Bremen
39. San Roque (Old)
40. Villa d'Este
41. Oitavos
43. Pevero
44. Geneva
45. St Germain
46. National
47. Emporda
48. Club de Campo Villa de Madrid
49. Rungsted
50. Penha Longa
Rest of World Top 50
1. Pebble Beach
2. Royal Melbourne
3. Kingston Heath
4. Bandon Dunes (Pacific dunes)
5. Cape Kidnappers
6. Bethpage
7. New South Wales
8. Whistling Straits
9. Casa de Campo
10. Fancourt
11. Kauri Cliffs
12. Cabo del Sol
13. Shadow Creek
14. Barnbougle Dunes
15. Bandon Dunes
16. Durban Country Club
17. Royal Adelaide
18. Kiawah Island
19. Hamilton
20. Nine Bridges
21. Kasumigaseki
22. Spyglass Hill
23. Kawana
24. Highland Links
25. Paparauma Beach
26. Pinehurst (No. 2)
27. Royal Westmoreland
29. Sun City International Resort
30. Spring City Golf & Lake Resort
31. Playa Dorada Country Club
32. Emirates (Majlis)
33. Saujana Golf & Country Club
34. TPC Sawgrass (Stadium Course)
35. Gulf Harbour Country Club
36. Our Lucaya Resort (Reef Course)
37. Doha Golf Club
38. Metropolitan
39. Kapalua
40. The Montgomerie
41. Mission Hills (Norman Course)
42. Jockey Club
43. Arabella Country Estate
44. Turtle Bay Golf Resort
45. Innisbrook Resort (Copperhead Course)
46. Le Touessrok
47. Sea Island Resort (Seaside Course)
48. Princeville Resort
49. Kennedy Bay
50. Belle Mare Plage Golf Resort
Choosing a Specialist Golf Holiday Company
Your golf holiday is a very important event. You have a passion for golf and this
may very well be the realization of one of your life long dreams. It's your vacation
and you have worked hard for it...don't you deserve a trip which is absolutely perfect
and provides you with fond memories enough to last a lifetime? Arranging an international
golf trip without professional help is not a simple thing. For the same reasons most
of us go to a mechanic when our car breaks down and a doctor when we aren't feeling
well, the path to a successful golf trip is best handled by a qualified specialist.
Any
golf holiday involves the coordination of a myriad of details. On an international
golf trip the details multiply... the entire process becomes increasingly difficult
to coordinate due to differences in time. You will need to determine the availability
of the various golf clubs you wish to play (each with its own rules and regulations
concerning visitors). You must find and reserve the most suitable hotels and book
a car rental which will be large enough for golfers, luggage and clubs. You need
to determine driving distances and be certain of driving directions to be sure you
make that starting time. The list of details is endless.
If you choose to make your
own arrangements, be prepared for a frustrating experience which will be very time
consuming. It is less than likely that you will be successful in obtaining the courses
you want to play and for all your trouble, you could end up with a nightmare of a
trip which is not what you wanted at all. And to whom will you turn when you discover
you have no hotel reservations or a golf club can find no trace of your booking?
The
way to avoid all of these problems is to use the services of a professional golf
travel company which can take care of all of the details. Selected carefully, the
right company will provide you with a trouble free trip where all you have to worry
about is your golf game. How do you go about selecting the right company? The following
few pointers will set you off in the right direction....
1.Look for a company which
specialises exclusively in golf travel.
Golf travel is probably one of the most highly
specialized areas of the travel business and it takes a dedication to the subject
not found among generalist, to handle a trip properly.
2.Find a company that has at
least 5 years experience in golf travel.
It takes at least that long to build the
local contacts and relationships needed to get the job done.
3.Check into the company's
reputation and track record.
Although past performance can be no guarantee of the
future, better to go with a company that has established a good, solid reputation.
4.
Compare Brochures and Advertisements for professionalism.
Poorly prepared promotional
material including brochures, advertising and web-sites, could be an indication that
a company is less than professional in its approach to business and may not be professional
in planning your trip.
5.Is the company a member of any professional associations?
Membership in professional and trade associations is usually an indication that a
company abides by that organizations code of ethics and business practices. Check
your travel company out with the associations they claim to belong to.
6.Check with
the tourist board of the country you plan to visit.
Tourism is very important to any
country and every tourist office wants it's overseas visitors to have a good experience.
Although tourist offices are not allowed to show an preferences or favouritism in
recommending travel companies, they should let you know of any which may have a poor
record for client satisfaction.
7.Check with friends or others who may have taken
a similar trip before.
There is no better indicator than personal recommendation.
Any company which has satisfied others, should be able to satisfy you.
8.Ask for references.
If
a company is proud of it's past performance record they will have no hesitation in
providing you with references.
9.Be wary of addresses that are P.O. Boxes.
Although
it's not necessarily so, a company using a post office box rather than a street address
may be a part-time company, operated from the kitchen table of somebody's home.
10.Ensure
you are protected from the potential insolvency of your travel company
Look for protection
from ATOL if the trip involves flights, check you get an ATOL booking reference with
your confirmation, you can also check that there ATOL protection is up to date.
11.Ask
your chosen golf travel company if they have local overseas offices in the countries
you are visiting.
Most do not, instead entrusting their clients to a representative
agent, a third party, middleman who may represent many different companies. With
little or no control over their representative, your golf travel company may just
be hoping that everything works out okay for your trip.
12.Don't let price alone be
the deciding factor.
If you are comparing the proposals of other golf travel companies,
price alone should not be your guide. Compare the different itineraries very carefully
looking at the various hotels which may have been offered and the types of rooms,
the type of car rental and what is included, any other services which may be offered.
Can
all that has been proposed be delivered, or is there a bait and switch game being
played? Do you feel comfortable with the lower priced company and their reputation?
Good value is important, but if a price seems too good to be true, it probably is.
Following
these few guidelines together with a good dose of common sense, should help you choose
a company which is reputable, experienced and will provide you with a dream trip
rather than a nightmare.
