Bournemouth
David McKevitt, Product Manager UK Tours
I have recently returned from
Bournemouth after visiting the area to negotiate more great rates and exclusive special offers.
A popular tour destination within the UK, I can see why more and more of you keep returning to the sunny coastal town.
While I was there I stayed at the
Queens Hotel 3*. This friendly and welcoming hotel is proving very popular amongst our golfing groups thanks to its great service and the fact that it is less than a 5 minute stroll to some fantastic nightlife (I can certainly vouch for that!).
Bournemouth is a golfing Mecca and with many local courses to choose from, a package can be tailor made to suit your budget and the golfing challenge required. On my recent trip, I visited
Meyrick Park Golf Club, a course ideal for all levels of golfer. Located centrally in Bournemouth,
Meyrick Park starts of with a tough opening long par 3; I just wish I used a wood instead of an optimistic 5 iron! Next was
Ferndown Golf Club - my personal favourite - a superb prestige course with no ordinary holes on the full 18. For me
Ferndown certainly has the “wow factor”, and must be included in your itinerary if you truly want to be spoilt! Finally a trip down to Bournemouth would not be complete without a round at the
Isle of Purbeck Golf Club; the coastal views alone make for a terrific scenic round of golf!
Costa Brava
Edouard des Fontaines, Product Manager Spain & Portugal
I have just recently come back from a trip to
Costa Brava and I must say I was overwhelmed. The standard of accommodation and golf on offer makes this destination, in my opinion, the best value for money golf holiday in
Spain.
I arrived on a Thursday night and checked in at the
Park Hotel San Jorge 4* in Platja d’Aro. It’s a charming hotel which is about a 15 minute stroll to the centre of town. The hotel has its own 2 small beaches (they are not private, but public access is almost impossible if you are not a resident of the hotel) and all the rooms are sea view.
On Friday morning, I set off to the
Emporda Golf Resort, which has 2 stunning courses, the Links and the Forest. Both courses are of equal standard, although I preferred the Forest as the long right to left doglegs suited my draw game perfectly. The resort also has a contemporary hotel on site with a great spa. After golf and a great club sandwich at the clubhouse, I spent the afternoon driving around the area, and visited the beautiful medieval town of Pals.
On Saturday, I played the stunning
Golf d’Aro, which sits on top of a mountain, overlooking the whole coast. The golf course is only 15 minutes drive from Platja d’Aro and is a great test of golf. There are a few holes on the edge of cliffs where your drives must be straight, as I quickly found out! I then drove back to the hotel and after a couple of hours spent at the spa, made my way to Platja d’Aro to enjoy the numerous bars and restaurants on offer.
On the last day, I checked out of the hotel and drove 35 minute to the
PGA Golf de Catalunya, which is in my opinion, one of the best golf complexes in Spain. There are 2 courses - The Red and the Stadium. I played the latter, which has held the Spanish open this year, and I must say it is a true masterpiece. My favourite hole was the 3rd, a long par 5 with water all the way down the left hand side and around most of the green. On site, you can also find the
Melia Golf Vichy Catalan 4* Hotel, which is ideal for a short break.
I then made my way back to Girona airport, which is only 8 km away from the PGA Golf de Catalunya; it could not have been more convenient. You can also fly to Barcelona, but it will take you about 1h30 drive. All in all it was a very hassle free break, with minimal driving and fantastic golf.
USA Golf Trip
Michael Birch - Offline Marketing Manager
The 7 day trip consisted of 6 rounds of golf around the Miami and Florida region of the USA.
The courses played were -
This golfing break gave me the opportunity to play some fantastic golf courses, designed by some of the great players in world golf and experience first hand how the Americans do golf.
The highlight for me was playing The King and The Bear at the PGA World Village. This is a true golfing experience - one of the only jointly designed courses by Nicklaus and Palmer and, in true American style, an over the top delight. The course itself is a mix of great looking open holes with water at every turn, the 14th being the signature hole, where I proceeded to stick in the lake. The fantastic clubhouse and facilities match its grand status with photos of the great men in their prime. Located close by is the PGA Golf Hall of Fame, a great attraction for all golf lovers, loads of golfing memorabilia and some great interactive features. It even has a replica of the 17th at Sawgrass for visitors to have a shot at, again I put the ball in the water.
As part of the trip, we visited the home of the PGA in America. This includes 3 courses and 35 acres of teaching facilities for budding professionals. We were fortunate to play the Wanamaker course, named after the USPGA trophy, with greens like Astroturf and some tricky pin positions, this made for quite a challenge. The venue is also home to the Ryder Cup which we were lucky enough to see in their museum, this provided plenty of jibes on its return and residence back in Europe in 2010.
The Westin Diplomat,
Ginn Reunion and
Hammock Beach are all large complexes that would appeal to a mix of golfing groups and families. They are all very different in their layout and style; my pick would have to be the
Ocean Course at Hammock Beach, with holes 9 and 18 running alongside the beach, you would never tire of playing there week in, week out.