Golf Travel Articles - January 2010 Golfbreaks.com Newsletter

Fore! Our Top Tips for 2010

Happy New Year

After the Christmas rush, January is a time to take stock of the year that has just passed, to start making plans for the year ahead and, for the gamblers amongst you, a time for predictions!

2009 was another great year for golf. Highlights included a return to Turnberry for the Open and an exciting culmination of the race to Dubai with Lee Westwood eventually taking home the prize fund. There was also the return to form of Tiger Woods,
but we’ll have to wait and see how his fortunes fair in 2010! Despite the economic downturn, golf was very much still on the agenda for 2009 with over 130,000 of you choosing to book your golf breaks through Golfbreaks.com.

So what can we look forward to in 2010?

The main highlights will be The Open at St Andrews in July, and the highly anticipated Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor. Find out how to win tickets. We’ll also be looking forward to the Golf LIVE event at Stoke Park in May. This new concept in golf events gives you the chance to get up close and personal with Pros like Colin Montgomerie, Paul Casey, Retief Goosen and Ian Poulter. It’s all about interaction, education and entertainment and we can’t wait!

All this and we hope to get out onto the golf course as much as possible and are positive you will be the same. To help inspire you out onto the course, here are our top golf breaks tips for 2010

1. Book now or regret it – our most recommended venues for 2010

These offers will fly off the shelves, so book now for the best tee times

Venue	Location	Offer Description
The Belfry 4*	Warwickshire	Visit our most popular golf resort in the UK from only £79 per golfer in January and February. Includes 1 night’s B&B and 2 rounds. This is fantastic value for a superb golf break
De Vere Carden Park 4*	Cheshire	Book before end of Feb and 1 in 10 golfers stay and play for free, normally 1 in 16. Exclusive to Golfbreaks.com. From £99
Qhotels Forest Pines 4*	Lincolnshire	This is one of our most popular destinations with groups. Get 1 in 16 free here. Breaks from £99.
Best Western Ullesthope Court 4*	Leicestershire	Book before Feb and each 4-ball will receive 12 Srixon Balls. From £75. Save £75
Hotel du Golf International de La Baule 4*	Brittany, France	This is one of our most popular golf resorts in France. Find out why from only £199 per golfer.
InterContinental La Torre Golf Resort 5*	Murcia, Spain	Visit before the 31st March 2010 you will receive money off at the resort, free buggies and 12 TaylorMade Burner balls per golfer. From £239.
Hotel Almenara 4*	Malaga, Spain	Fast becoming one of our most popular golf resorts in the Costa del Sol, as well as the golf you get free entry into their award winning spa. From £175. Save £70

2. Great value and great golf - be tempted to tour - our top 5

Location	Description	Package Details
Bournemouth	Enjoy high quality golf courses and lively nightlife	Stay 2 nights at Queens Hotel 3* and play Crane Valley, Moors Valley and Queens Park from £155
England’s Golf Coast	Play some of the best championship links courses in the UK	Stay 2 nights at Hilton Blackpool 4* and play Lytham Green Drive, Blackpool North Shore and Knott End from £215
Wales	Host to the 2010 Ryder Cup, there is no better time to play some of their fantastic courses	Stay 2 nights at Marriott St Pierre 4* and play Marriott St Pierre Old Course, Cottrell Park and Bryn Meadows from £215
Scotland	Experience the home of golf with one of our great value and classic tours	Stay 2 nights at Ramada Ayr 3* and play Lochgreen, Glasgow Gailes and Irvine Bogside from £209
Ireland	Great golf, great craic and plenty of Guinness – need we say more about our Irish tours?!	Stay 2 night's at International Hotel 3*, Kerry and play Kileen and Mahoney’s Point from £195

See all our fantastic golf tours

3. New Destinations

The world is a golfer’s oyster, with stunning courses to be found on every continent. Treat yourself to a golf break of a life time and some of our newest recommended countries:

Country	Description
USA	The Americans know their golf, so why not visit the golfer’s Mecca of Myrtle Beach from only £205 per golfer
South Africa	Experience the beauty and challenging courses of the Garden Route from only £245 per golfer
Turkey	A rising star in the golf world, visit Turkey and enjoy the all inclusive hotels, fantastic golf courses and weather of the Belek region. Breaks from £289
Cyprus	Known as the ‘year round Island’, you’re almost guaranteed short sleeve golf weather whichever month you visit. Visit here from £229
Morocco	Enjoy some unique culture as well as challenging courses of Marrakech, or why not try El Jadida and the Magazan Beach Resort for a relaxing golf break. From £265
Italy	Famous for fast cars and good food, Italy also has some fantastic golf courses. Visit the beautiful Emilia Romagna region on a golf break from only £199.

See all our fantastic golf destinations

Golfer’s Gift Pack giveaway – free golfer's gift pack worth over £100

After the success of our 2009 Golfer's Gift Pack promotion, we have once again teamed up with TaylorMade adidas Golf, one of the leading golf brands in the world, and golfshake.com, Europe’s leading score tracking, handicap and game analysis website.

Book a golf break for a group of 8 or more between now and the 28th February 2010, for travel anytime during 2010 and you will receive our golfer’s gift pack worth over £100.

Each pack contains at least 12 TaylorMade Burner balls, a favourite among professional and amateur golfer's, a Golfbreaks.com shoe bag and towel, and 3 months’ FREE premium membership for your whole group to golfshake.com, giving all golfer's even more incentive to book early in 2010.

It’s up to you how you use the pack; it could be a prize on your trip for the longest drive or nearest the pin, alternatively you could share it among the whole group or keep it for yourself.

Pack details:

Groups of 8 – 15

• 12 TaylorMade Burner balls
• Golfbreaks.com shoe bag
• Golfbreaks.com towel
• 3 months’ premium golfshake.com membership

Groups 16+

• 24 TaylorMade Burner balls
• Golfbreaks.com shoe bag
• Golfbreaks.com towel
• 3 months’ premium golfshake.com membership

See all our special offers, and book a group golf break today

A Beginner’s Guide to Le Touquet

With championship golf courses, great nightlife and less than an hour’s drive the ‘other’ side, no wonder Le Touquet is our most popular French destination. But for those who haven’t been there, what is so great about Le Touquet and why should you consider going there?

Location

This small coastal town is located in Northern France in a region called Pas-de-Calais. Created in 1876 by the owner of the French newspaper, Le Figaro, it instantly became the holiday destination of wealthy Parisians.

Upmarket boutiques, luxury hotels and casinos were an attraction to the incoming Parisians. Today much has stayed the same whilst not forgetting delightful local restaurants and lively bars.

Our recommendations: Le Globetrotter Pub (the best pub in Le Touquet), La Matisse Restaurant and Chez Pérard (Seafood Restaurant)

How to get there

The most popular method is travelling by Eurotunnel. This rail service departs Folkestone and arrives in Calais just 35 minutes later. For a more relaxed crossing, consider the P&O Ferries sailing from Dover to Calais.

Golf

Golf d’Hardelot: Les Pins & Les Dunes make up this famous golf club. The courses are located 3 minutes drive from one another and both have their own clubhouse. Although relatively short, Les Pins, rated 83rd in the Golf World European Top 100, is an absolute gem. Les Dunes is arguably a lot more challenging with blind shots, dog legs and is significantly hillier.

Golf du Touquet: La Mer is the more famous of the two 18 hole golf courses, listed 47th in the Golf World European Top 100. Designed by Harry Colt, this true links is a real test of golfing ability. La Foret is the second course onsite yet still a very good challenge.

Golf de Belle Dune: 30 minutes down the coast, Belle Dune is cheaper than the previous two clubs. Half links and half parkland, this course is a real favourite.

Other courses include the links Golf de Wimereux, only 20 minutes from Calais, the Challenge Tour venue Aa Saint-Omer and Nampont Saint-Martin with its two 18-hole courses, Les Cygnes and Le Belvedere.

Where to stay

Whether you’re on a budget or looking for something more up-market, there are plenty of options.

2* hotels: Hôtel Red Fox is our most popular hotel, conveniently located in the centre of town. Other options in the town centre include Le Windsor Hôtel, Hôtel Equinoxe, Hôtel Les Embruns. and the charming Nouveau Caddy Hôtel, highly rated for its personal service. Stay here from £189, save £35 - exclusive to Golfbreaks.com

3* hotels: Located just outside the town, Le Manoir Hotel is the perfect golfer's retreat situated right next to the Le Touquet Golf Club. With its lovely restaurant and comfy bar area with snooker, this is consistently a best-seller. Stay here from only £179, save £50 - exclusive to Golfbreaks.com. The recently renovated Le Bristol Hotel is our town centre alternative and is exceptional value for money!

4* hotels: The sumptuous Hotel Westminster is elegant, luxurious, has a Michelin starred restaurant and a cocktail bar. Stay here from £229, save £25 - exclusive to Golfbreaks.com Choose also from the modern Holiday Inn Resort, the central POL Hotel and, just outside the town, the Mercure Grand Hotel.

So what are you waiting for?

Organising a trip to Le Touquet couldn’t be easier, and with more EXCLUSIVE offers than any other Tour Operator, look no further than Golfbreaks.com. Find out more information about our fantastic Le Touquet Golf Breaks

Ryder Cup Special – a Europe & USA head to head

The Ryder Cup is coming to the UK in 2010, and I’m sure it will be as dramatic and as gripping as Ryder Cup competitions past. Why not walk in the footsteps of the Ryder Cup champions on a fantastic golf break and relive the action yourself. Whether you pick the UK, Europe or decide to cross the pond to the USA, you’re certain to have some fantastic golf.

Europe

The Belfry – The Brabazon Course - hosted Ryder Cup in 1985, 1989, 1993 & 2002

This iconic golf resort has seen more Ryder Cup competitions than any other, and it really is the spiritual home of the Ryder Cup in the UK. Think of the 1985 Ryder Cup when Sam Torrance secured Europe’s first Ryder Cup victory in 28 years by making an 18-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole. Or in 1989 when the Ryder Cup ended in a draw for the only the second time in its history. And who can forget the famous singles domination by the Europeans in 2002, followed by McGinley being thrown into the lake after securing victory?

Relive these classic Ryder Cup moments on a golf break here, and play the most famous match play holes in the world – including the reachable par 4 10th and the unforgettable experience of playing an approach to 18 in front of the hotel. Book before 18th January and take advantage of a 2 night bed & breakfast and 3 round special of £269.00 – 18 holes on each course.

Follow in the footsteps of champions at The Belfry

Valderrama – hosted Ryder Cup in 1997

Known as the Augusta of Andalucía, this fantastic Spanish course was designed by the legendary Robert Trent Jones Snr. In 1997, it was the first time the Europeans had played on home soil outside the British Isles as Seve Ballesteros captained the team in his native Spain. The match also marked Tiger Woods' Ryder Cup debut. The European Ryder Cup Team didn't need to mount a final-day comeback to win the 32nd Ryder Cup Matches, but the hosts did have to withstand an American rally that fell short of a miracle. The final drama to determine either a tie or an outright European victory came down to the final two players left on soggy Valderrama: Scotland's Colin Montgomerie halved with Scott Hoch, conceding a 15-foot par putt for Hoch and sealing the victory for the Europeans.

Experience this exclusive Spanish golf course for yourself this year, with a superb 3 night bed and breakfast golf break staying at Hotel Almenara and playing Valderrama, Almenara and La Reserva from only £489. Save £65.

Follow in the footsteps of champions at Valderrama

The K Club – The Palmer Course – hosted Ryder Cup in 2006

The stunning Palmer Course witnessed one of the most emotional Ryder Cups to date with the Europeans once again romping to victory around this punishing golf course. Luke Donald held his nerve on the 17th green to beat Chad Campbell and ensure the hosts retained the trophy. It was left to Swede Henrik Stenson to knock in the decisive putt and take Europe past the winning post, and Darren Clarke broke down in tears after beating Zach Johnson in fine style.

Enjoy a golf break to remember at this stunning golf resort, which boasts the Smurfit, another superb course, and a 5 star luxury hotel fit for the world’s elite golfers. Breaks start from £199 and include free buggies and club hire.

Follow in the footsteps of champions at The K Club

Celtic Manor – The 2010 Course – to host the Ryder Cup in 2010

The next European Ryder Cup event will be played on the 2010 Course at The Celtic Manor Resort. This course is the first ever built specifically for golf’s most prestigious tournament. It opened in 2007 and measures a robust 7,493 yards off the back tees and has a par of 71. Set in the dramatic Usk Valley this golf course will provide your golf game with variety and challenges. It includes six signature holes and was designed to test even the best golfers. We have no doubt it will provide a great setting for the rivalry to continue...

Play here first – golf breaks to the Celtic Manor Resort, including a round on the 2010 course start from £104.

Follow in the footsteps of champions at The Celtic Manor

Other well known UK courses that have hosted the Ryder Cup include Southport & Ainsdale, Royal Birkdale and Royal Lytham & St Anne’s. Visit our England’s Golf Coast tour page and play one of these spectacular courses in 2010.

USA

Kiawah Island Golf Resort- Ocean Course - hosted Ryder Cup in 1991

One of the most well known Ryder Cups of all time – the “War on the Shore” was made famous by legendry players such as Ballesteros, Faldo and Langer going toe-to-toe with O’Meara, Couples and Calcavecchia. It culminated with Langer famously missing the crucial putt against Hale Irwin and handing the cup to the USA. There are few venues in World golf that can match this for history, quality and an unforgettable golf break. Enjoy a golf break here and play the Ocean Course that this was battled out on from £739.

Follow in the footsteps of champions at Kiawah Island Golf Resort

PGA National – Champion Course - hosted Ryder Cup in 1983

This blast from the past sees another USA victory on home soil, though they didn’t have it easy. All square at 8-8 going into the singles, and despite Seve’s famous 240 yard 3-wood out of the bunker, the USA hung on for victory through the now infamous “Bear Trap” on the back 9. Having also hosted the US PGA, and now hosting the annual Honda Classic, the Champion Course is a real must play. Packages start from just £395 - a great value price to play a historic and famous course.

Follow in the footsteps of champions the PGA National

Pinehurst Resort – Pinehurst Number 2 - hosted Ryder Cup in 1951

Sam Snead and Arthur Lacey captained their respective sides at this illustrious venue. Snead described the course as his favourite and no wonder, as the US steamrollered their European counterparts, with only 2 of the 12 matches played in the tournament reaching the 18th hole. Pinehurst Village remains one of the most prestigious and high quality golf resorts in the world, with 8 outstanding golf courses on site, and number 2 as the jewel in its crown. It isn’t cheap and tee times aren’t easy to come by, but believe us it is worth every penny.

10 reasons why Golfbreaks.com is your number 1 choice for 2010

1. Choose from 950 stunning venues across the UK & Ireland, Europe and Worldwide – we’re Europe's largest golf travel company
2. 12 years’ experience organising golf breaks
3. Our expert sales team with fantastic golf knowledge
4. Our dedicated customer service team – 98% of you who booked with us last year gave us an ‘excellent’ rating for service
5. Savings on future golf breaks with our exclusive loyalty scheme Break Points
6. Over 100 exclusive offers and FREE places available right now
7. A price promise - meaning we won’t be beaten
8. We’re a trusted brand and are ABTA bonded
9. We’re first with the Pro’s – Golfbreaks.com is an official supplier to the PGA
10. Booking a group? Don’t miss our free group places all year round and fantastic Golfer’s Gift Pack worth over £100 if you book before 28th February 2010

So what are you waiting for? Explore our website or give our fantastic team a call and we’ll help you book your perfect golf break for 2010.

P.S. Book a golf break with us and pay with your MasterCard and you will be entered
into a free draw to win a pair of Saturday tickets for the 2010 Ryder Cup at The Celtic Manor Resort. This fantastic prize is courtesy of MasterCard.