Celtic Manor
This will be the venue for the Ryder Cup in 2010, marking the first time the Cup has been played in Wales. The matches will be played on the Resort’s new ‘Twenty Ten’ course which opened in 2008. This course is the first specifically designed to host the biennial event and includes no less than 6 signature holes. The course has only one fairway crossing, and there are open views of the 16th, 17th and 18th holes, which are situated in an amphitheatre. The spectator capacity will be 50,000. Please note the 2010 is closed from 18th May to 10th June due to The Wales Open.
Book a golf break here from £133
The Belfry
Designed by Dave Thomas and Peter Alliss, the majestic fairways and carpet-smooth greens of The Brabazon form a world-famous stage on which some of golf’s exhilarating dramas have played out. It’s the spiritual home of the Ryder Cup, and the only UK venue to have held the prestigious competition 4 times. The perilous lakes on the 10th and 18th have tested some of the greatest players including Woods, Ballesteros and Faldo.
Book a golf break here from £169
The Grove Resort Hotel
In 2006 The Grove staged the World Golf Championship, attracting the world's leading golfers and more than 100,000 visitors over the four day event. World No.1 Tiger Woods won the championship by a record eight shots for his sixth successive strokeplay title.
The Grove celebrates its fifth anniversary this season and since opening has been ranked in Golf World's Top 100 Courses in the UK and achieved a consistently high rating in the prestigious Peugeot Golf Guide, which judges the leading courses in Europe.
Book a golf break here from £225
The Gleneagles Resort
The PGA Centenary Course, created by Jack Nicklaus, is a modern classic. Even for a champion and acclaimed golf architect like Nicklaus, The PGA Centenary Course was a challenge. Set in the heart of Scotland, it was always destined to be a great course. In fact Nicklaus himself described the course as "The finest parcel of land in the world I have ever been given to work with". In 2014 this course will host the Ryder Cup.
Book a golf break here from £279
Royal Birkdale
Padraig Harrington was the deserving Open champion here in 2008. Royal Birkdale, one of Britain’s finest golf clubs, is located at the heart of England’s Golf Coast (Southport). It’s a magnificent links golf course that has hosted the Open on 9 occasions, and is recognised as one of the best golf courses in the world. For many golfers it is, quite simply, the best of all the great golf courses to have staged The Open Championship. The above rate includes 1 round on the famous Royal Birkdale and 1 round on Hesketh, another local gem.
Book a golf break here from £309
The Turnberry Resort
Venue for the Open Championship 2009 - Hotel & Aisla Course Open August 2009
Long regarded as one of the finest courses in the world, the Ailsa came to international prominence with the famous duel between Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson over the four days of the 1977 Open. It was then, in brilliant sunny weather, that a capacity crowd was treated to an exhilarating display of golf from two of the best golfers the world has ever known.
The ninth is arguably Turnberry's trademark - the remote tee is set on a rocky promontory on the edge of the sea, the drive across the corner of the bay with a glimpse of the site of Bruce's Castle. The narrow path to the tee and the tee shot itself are not recommended to those of a nervous disposition!
Book a golf break here from £399
May Day! Our Top 10 May breaks UK
Image: De Vere Slaley Hall
9.
Durley Dean Hotel 3*, Bournemouth
from £109 - 1 in 8 Stay & Play FREE
Play Meyrick Park & Queens Park
1 night's dinner, bed & breakfast and 2 rounds of golf:
from £109
Feedback from the fairways
At Golfbreaks.com we’re proud of the service we provide our clients and nothing makes us happier then hearing from our golfers how much they’ve enjoyed their golf break. Sometimes it’s nice to blow your own trumpet, so here is a selection of good feedback we’ve received only this week:
Many thanks to everyone who sends us feedback, postitive or otherwise, as it really helps us know where we’re doing well.
- “This is the first time I’ve used Golfbreaks.com and I will definitely be using their services again. I would not hesitate to recommend them.” John Waugh
Visited Formby Hall Golf & Spa Resort, Lancashire
- “This was the second trip that I have booked with Golfbreaks.com. The first was for 8 people and this last one for 20. I would like to compliment the professionalism of your whole team. As previously, everything ran like clockwork – from the airport transfers to the tee times. Many thanks – we will be back for another trip in 2010.” Jim Cooper
Visited Hotel Vila Gale Ampalius, Algarve
- “Another fantastic weekend, thanks to Golfbreaks.com. This is the 8th time we have used Golfbreaks.com and we have never been disappointed.” Dean Cherry
Visited De Vere Dunston Hall, Norfolk
- “An excellent golf break at exceptional vale. We will definitely be booking with Golfbreaks.com in the future.” Jon Salmon
Visited Foxhills Hotel and Resort, Surrey
- “Golfbreaks.com delivers hassle free golf breaks at great venues for unbeatable prices.” Robert Taylor
Visited Forest of Arden, Warwickshire
Nick Liddle – Product Manager France
Edouard des Fontaines- Product Manager Spain & Portugal
How many times have you and your golf buddies discussed amongst yourselves
"...which are the most challenging European golf courses?" This has always been a hot topic of conversation amongst the Golfbreaks.com staff - do you rate them by difficulty (yardage, slope, hazards etc)? Do you rate them by the amount of competitive European tournaments they have held? Or does it just come down to personal opinion?
There is no right or wrong answer, so we have compiled our own
European Top 10 Most Challenging Courses. It was with the help of one of our partner websites
Top 100 Golf Courses of the World that we determined the rankings of our chosen top 10 courses. Your feedback would be appreciated, not only on our list but also if you think we have made any glaring omissions! Feel free to write in to us at
sales@golfbreaks.com.
1.
Royal Zoute Golf Club (Belgium) Take a golf break here from £315 -
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Designed by the legendary Harry Colt, (whose other projects include Sunningdale, Wentworth and St Andrews), this links is top class. It navigates through sand dunes, hawthorns and pine forests and is rated highly in the Top 100 European courses. With very strong winds and extremely tricky greens, don’t expect any favours!
2.
PGA Golf de Catalunya (Spain) Take a golf break here from £275 -
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Only 8 km from Girona airport, the 2 golf courses on this complex are world class. The Stadium course, which hosted the Spanish Open last week, was voted the 3rd best course in Spain in 2009 just behind Valderrama and Real Sotogrande. When compared to these high calibre courses, you can play it for a third of the price.
3.
Golf du Médoc, Les Châteaux (France) Take a golf break here from £319 -
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This gem is just 20 minutes from Bordeaux and is listed as the 12th best course in France.
It hosted the French Open in 1999 and you can understand why - with its thick heather, fast greens and measuring just under 7,000 yards, you have to bring your ‘A’ game!
4.
San Lorenzo (Portugal) Take a golf break here from £215 -
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Our team vote San Lorenzo as one of the best courses in Iberia, and we agree. Winding around the Quinta do Lago lagoon, the scenery is stunning with amazing views. The 18th hole is a highlight – it’s a classic risk and reward finish. The key to scoring well is to be straight and to not let yourself be distracted by the amazing landscape on offer.
5.
Oitavos Dunes (Portugal)
Take a golf break here from £315 -
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Recent host to the Portuguese Open, this course is a mixture of links and parkland layout. It's set on the cliffs of Quinta da Marinha, so you’ll be lucky if the wind plays no part during your round, and the last 2 holes are a famously tough finish. The breathtaking views of the Atlantic Coast coupled with the Portuguese pine forest make this a beautiful choice on the Iberian penninsula.
6.
Praia d’El Rey (Portugal) Take a golf break here from £189 -
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Once again the Lisbon Coast has delivered in producing one of the finest coastal golf courses around. Previously voted as the 13th best course in Europe, its proximity to the Atlantic shoreline along with its beautiful rugged landscape make for a tough (and beautiful) round of golf and an extraordinary sense of freedom. Located an hour from Lisbon, it’s well worth the drive.
7.
Montecastillo (Spain) Take a golf break here from £199 -
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Only 15 minutes from Jerez airport, this Jack Nicklaus signature course is an absolute masterpiece. Former multiple host of the acclaimed Volvo Masters, this 6,600 yard track tests every aspect of your golf game. With its frequent dog legs, water hazards and undulating terrain, you will experience different emotions on every hole.
8.
Golf de Seignosse (France) Take a golf break here from £245 -
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This is a truly outstanding course that is always in pristine condition. Winding its way through the magnificent forest clad landscape, Seignosse is only an hour north of Biarritz. Elevated tees, narrow undulating fairways and hilly terrain all combine to create this Southern French masterpiece.
9.
La Reserva de Sotogrande (Spain) Take a golf break here from £339 -
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La Reserva is the newest addition to the great golf courses on the Sotogrande estate. "La Reserva is the toughest course I have played in Spain, and by far the greatest!" were the words of one of our senior sales agents who played there recently. Its large undulated greens and impeccable condition make it a true joy for any golfer.
10.
Golf de Belle Dune (France) Take a golf break here from £219 -
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This is one of our best-selling courses in France and in our opinion one of the most challenging. Set in a protected nature reserve it's a mixture of parkland and links. The first few holes will lull you into a false sense of security, but around the turn the links style holes with a wicked cross wind can destroy your game. It’s also great value for such a good course.
Official partner: Rewards4Golf
– turn your everyday shopping into golf rewards
Golfbreaks.com is pleased to announce that we are now the official partners of Rewards4Golf. Simply register your credit or debit cards on their secure website and you can earn points every time you spend money at over 200 online and 3,000 high street shops. These can then be redeemed to get FREE golf products such as golf balls, clothing or even a new driver (if you aren’t lucky enough to win one in our TaylorMade R9 Driver giveaway.