Posts Tagged ‘golf trip’
Monday, September 21st, 2009
The ninth annual Dunhill Links Championship, the UK’s premier pro-am golf tournament will take place from October 1 – 4. As usual, the tournament will be played on three of Scotland’s top links courses, The Old Course at St Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns, with the final round being played on the Old Course. In 2001 the inaugural Dunhill Links Championship was played as a celebration of links golf and this is still the essence of the tournament to this day. The combination of The Old Course, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns surely incorporates all the splendid qualities of links golf. With the rich history of The Old Course and Carnoustie along with the splendid views at the newer links at Kingsbarns, it is hard to imagine a stronger mix of links golf in the entire world. The magnificent trio will once again stand to be a true and fair test of golf.
Past Open Champions Padraig Harrington (2007 Carnoustie, 2008 Royal Birkdale) and Ernie Els (2002 Muirfield) head a talented list of professionals who will be competing for the five million dollar purse. Other professionals in the strong international field will include past Dunhill Links Champions Lee Westwood and Colin Montgomerie along with rising star Rory Mcllroy and tour veterans Darren Clarke and Jose Maria Olazabal.
Along with the individual professional tournament, there is also a team competition in which the tour pros are paired with some of the world’s most celebrated amateurs. In 2001 and 2006 Padraig Harrington won both competitions! Celebrity amateurs entered into this year’s tournament include actors Samuel L Jackson and Hugh Grant, professional athletes Wladimir Klitschko and Marcus Allen, and musicians Huey Lewis and Tico Torres. With free entrance for the first three rounds, this rare combination of pro golfers and celebrities provides local fans with a unique opportunity to walk alongside and interact with their idols.
Tags: alfred dunhill, alfred dunhill links, alfred dunhill links championship, carnoustie, carnoustie golf, carnoustie golf trip, darren clarke, dunhill, dunhill links, dunhill links championship, ernie els, european golf, European Golf trip, Golf, golf trip, huey lewis, hugh grant, jose maria olazabal, kingsbarns, kingsbarns golf, kingsbarns golf trip, lee westwood, luxury, luxury golf, luxury golf trip, marcus allen, padraig harrington, rory mcilroy, saint andrews golf, samuel l jackson, scotland golf, Scotland golf trip, St Andrews, st. andrews golf trip, wladimir klitschko
Posted in European Golf Tours, Scotland Golf Trips, Scottish Golf Holidays, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Tuesday, August 18th, 2009
To most “experts” and casual fans alike, it was a foregone conclusion Tiger Woods would win his 15th major championship (5th PGA Championship) this past Sunday at the beautiful links of Hazeltine Country Club in Chaska Minnesota.
Why even watch? Tiger would surely hold on to his lead, and his competitors would surely wilt under the relentless pressure and mystique Tiger has cast upon the PGA Tour. Sure, Tiger may come up with some fantastic shots during the big pressure moments, but doesn’t this get a little boring? Certainly no need to remove yourself from your cherished mid-summer activities, just turn on ESPN or The Golf Channel before work on Monday morning and watch Tiger’s recent highlight reel. After all, Tiger was a perfect 14 for 14 when holding or sharing the lead going into the final round of a major championship.
Well, it is a good thing the engraver of the Wanamaker Trophy stuck around to see the results of the final round of the PGA Championship. And, if you were fortunate enough to trade your day at the beach for an afternoon of being a couch potato you may have witnessed one of the greatest upsets in recent sporting history, thanks to Y.E. Yang’s gutsy and ice cool performance. If only our good friend Tom Watson could have pulled off a similar and equally stunning upset, at Turnberry Ailsa last month during the 138th Open Championship in Scotland. However, we still expect another strong performance by Watson in 2010 at the Old Course, in St. Andrews.
Yang Yong-eun, known in the United States as Y. E. Yang, not only put an end to Tiger’s 14 for 14 streak. He also became the first Asian born player to win a major championship. Ironically, Y. E. Yang was able to turn the tables on Tiger by making “Tiger-like” shots with a “Tiger-like” demeanor. Chipping in for eagle on the short par 4 14th and ultimately ending the tournament with a heroic approach on the final hole. Equally impressive was the true sportsmanship and class displayed in defeat by the great champion Tiger Woods. Odds makers, analysts, experts and just about everyone gave no one a chance of passing Tiger in the final round, let alone the 110th ranked player in the world. But, that is “why they play the game”.
Tags: 138 Open Championship, 139 Open Championship, 2010 Open, 2010 Open Championship, 91 pga championship, British Open, british open packages, chaska, Golf, golf packages, golf tour, golf trip, hazeltine, hazeltine country club, minnesota, old course, open, open championship, pga, pga championship, saint andrews, Scotland, scotland golf, Scotland golf trip, St Andrews, tiger, tiger woods, Tom Watson, turnberry, Turnberry Ailsa, watson, y.e. yang, yang
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Friday, July 24th, 2009
Our staff here at Adventures In Golf felt compelled to re-publish one article from our 2002 Newsletter, given the recent Open Championship playoff at Turnberry. Back in 2002, our Chairman, Ken Hamill, played a friendly match against Tom Watson. Over the years, Tom Watson has not only been a client of Adventures In Golf but also a friend to Ken Hamill. Needless to say, our entire staff was yelling at our television sets, starting on Thursday and we never stopped until the four-hole playoff when Tom was not destined to bring home the Claret Jug. Despite the loss, we all felt that Tom played his heart out against the world’s best players and held onto the lead for all four days! A feat not held by many in the golfing community. God bless you Tom Watson – we loved every minute of the 2009 Open – well, every minute except the last fifteen! We must also take time to congratulate Stewart Cink, although our hearts and votes were always with Tom.
Spring 2002 Newsletter: Tom Watson won the British Open five times, he won the Masters twice and the US Open once. He was five times the Player of the Year on the US PGA tour and he was my opponent at Kingsbarns Golf Links just south of St. Andrews. Yes, Ken Hamill played golf with Tom Watson and his two friends – Stan Thirsk, Tom’s lifelong teacher and Bud Williamson, head professional at the Blue Hills CC in Kansas City, Missouri.
Tom and I have chatted on the phone on occasion over the years, usually in the course of our arranging links golf for him prior to his Open Championship visits. Trips to Ballybunion, Royal Dornoch and several other notable courses were planned in this way and we were debating the merits of Kingsbarns when Tom dropped the bombshell “why don’t you come over and make up a four? We’re planning to visit after the Open at Royal Lytham.” I thought it might be possible to rearrange my schedule – hell, if necessary I would have taken a substantial sabbatical to accept that invitation. But to say I was nervous would be an understatement.
Read the full article: Tom Watson at Kingsbarns Golf Links St. Andrews
Tags: 2009 British Open, 2009 Open Championship, British Open, European Golf vacation, Golf, golf packages, golf tours, golf trip, open, open championship, Scotland, Scotland golf tour, Scotland Golf Travel, Scotland golf trip, Stewart Cink, Tom Watson, turnberry, Turnberry Ailsa
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Thursday, July 16th, 2009
Turnberry Ailsa - 11th Hole
The 138th Open has started today at the Turnberry Resort on Scotland’s west coast. The build-up and ‘Phoney War’ of the past few days (during which more media attention seems to have concentrated on the tiff between former champion Sandy Lyle and Colin Montgomerie than the forthcoming championship) is now past and the ‘serious’ business has begun.
The fabulous Ailsa Course (Par 70, 7200 yards) is ready to test the world’s best players, and find out their weaknesses. Arguably the most scenically-stunning layout of the Open rota, the course now has many more teeth – in the form of additional fairway and greenside bunkering as well as more length. The 16th has undergone the most radical changes of all – a previously straight hole is now a left-to-right dogleg, making Wilson’s Burn in front of the green a greater lateral hazard than before. Expect this hole to dish out a lot of punishment!
A warm, wet Spring and early Summer has also ensured that the rough is high and fierce. Doug Sander’s comment during the 1966 Open at Muirfield: “give me the hay concession and you can keep the prize-money” comes to mind. If the wind blows at all there will be lost balls and tears before bedtime for a few players!
Tags: 2009 British Open, 2009 Open Championship, British Open, colin montgomerie, european golf tour, European Golf trip, golf tour, golf trip, luxury tour, luxury trip, open championship, sandy lyle, Scotland, Scotland exotic trip, scotland golf, Scotland golf tour, Scotland golf trip, Scotland luxury trip, turnberry, Turnberry Ailsa
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Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009
Four of St Andrews Links’ seven courses have been listed in the prestigious Golf Digest Top 100 Courses outside the USA ranking for the first time. The rankings were compiled from ballots submitted by over 900 U.S. and international golf course panelists, Golf Digest Editors and various other experts.
The Old Course (at #2) is the top course in Scotland according to the poll, finishing ahead of Muirfield in third position, the Ailsa Course at Turnberry (#5), Royal Dornoch (#6) and Carnoustie (#8). The often underrated New Course at St Andrews (opened in 1895) is listed as number 63 and the Jubilee Course (1897) has slipped in at 92nd. Entering only its second season in operation the new Castle Course has gone straight to number 65.
The poll was topped by Royal County Down in Northern Ireland. Overall, seventeen courses in Scotland populate the top 100, while the British Isles as a whole account for 42 places in the list.
Tags: ailsa, carnoustie, castle course, dornoch, exotic golf, Golf, golf digest, golf tour, golf trip, jubilee course, luxury golf, new course, royal county down, royal dornoch, saint andrews, St Andrews, turnberry
Posted in European Golf Tours, Ireland Golf Trips, Ireland Golf Vacations, Irish Golf Vacations, Scotland Golf Trips, Scottish Golf Holidays | No Comments »
Friday, April 17th, 2009
Doonbeg Golf Club is located on the Atlantic coast of Ireland in Co Clare, only 45 minutes or so from Shannon Airport and 15 miles south of Lahinch.
A first-class golf and spa resort with a Greg Norman-designed course, Doonbeg can now offer very competitively-priced deluxe bedrooms as part of its accommodation inventory. Each of the seven bedrooms has 6’6” Zip & Link beds and a large marble bathroom, plus other amenities comparable to adjacent suites. Rates start from €140.00 (room-only) in April and October.
A driving range is also now part of the facilities, while on-site fly & sea fishing is available and complimentary shuttles to/from Doonbeg village are provided for guests.
“Imagine a coastal haven… remote, yet easily accessible, luxurious yet unpretentious…where every taste is catered to and every request considered.” So says the resort’s website; perhaps you should find out for yourself?
Tags: doonbeg, exotic golf, Golf, golf tour, golf travel, golf trip, greg norman, Ireland, luxury golf
Posted in Ireland Golf Trips, Ireland Golf Vacations, Irish Golf Vacations | 1 Comment »
Friday, April 10th, 2009
Musselburgh Links in Edinburgh has been certified by Guinness World Records as the “Oldest Golf Course in the World”. The official citation states: “Documentary evidence proves that golf was played on Musselburgh Links as early as 2 March 1672 although Mary, Queen of Scots reputedly played here in 1567.”
The 9-hole course was one of the original Open Championship venues, hosting the competition on six occasions between 1874 and 1889. Threatened in recent years by potential development of the surrounding racecourse, the course now appears to have secured not only its immediate future but also a place in history. But, the strange sounds you might be hearing is the wailing and gnashing of teeth from the residents of St Andrews, who believe their little piece of heaven should really have the accolades!
Musselburgh was also home to a number of famous golfers including Willie Park – winner of the first Open in 1860 – and members of the Dunn family. Willie Dunn, Jnr won the first professional golf tournament in the United States, at the Saint Andrew’s Golf Club in 1894.
Tags: Golf, golf tour, golf trip, guinness book, guinness world records, Mary Queen of Scots, Musselburgh, Musselburgh Old, oldest golf club, oldest golf course, oldest golf course in the world, open championship, saint andrews, St Andrews
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Tuesday, April 7th, 2009
1. It is estimated that the British Isles have about 3,000 regular golf courses and 1.5 million affiliated players. According to data compiled by Golf Digest, Scotland has more golf courses per capita than any other country in the world, with about 9,000 people for each of its 550 courses. The Republic of Ireland is second in Europe, with one course for about every 14,000 people. Scotland has approximately double the number of courses per capita compared to the USA.
2. The British Pound has fallen 30% against the Dollar in the past year and the Euro approximately 15% in the same period. So each US Dollar goes a lot further.
Tags: British Isles, Golf, Golf Courses, golf tour, golf tours, golf travel, golf trip, Ireland, luxury golf, luxury golf travel, Republic of Ireland, travel, Trip, UK
Posted in England Golf Trips, European Golf Tours, Golf Packages England, Ireland Golf Trips, Ireland Golf Vacations, Irish Golf Vacations, Scotland Golf Trips, Scottish Golf Holidays, Wales Golf Trips | No Comments »
Monday, February 23rd, 2009
According to The Herald, Scotland’s leading quality daily newspaper, Donald Trump is moving full steam ahead on his Aberdeenshire golfing project. Although Donald Trump is working through some bankruptcy issues and since resigned as chairman of his former company, Trump Entertainment Resorts, he is not stopping his work on the Scotland development. This new project, called Balmedie Golf Resort, will consist of two 18-hole championship courses, 450-bedroom five-star hotel, along with numerous holiday apartments, villas, and private homes. Trump feels confident that his new Scotland project will someday host the Open Championship; a bold & aggressive statement in our opinion, when Great Britain has numerous and historic golfing venues ripe for their first Open.
Trump’s spokesman’s on the project, George Sorial, advises that given the strong US Dollar (as compared to the Pound Sterling), now is the time to move ahead. As stated by Sorial, “Contracts that were costing us a million dollars a year ago are now costing us $650,000. So we are taking advantage of the exchange rate and the availability of labour. For us it is full speed ahead.”
Adventures In Golf will be certain to update our readers on this project as more information is released.
Tags: aberdeen, aberdeenshire, balmedie golf resort, donald trump, exotic, exotic golf trip, Golf, golf resort, golf tour, golf trip, Golfing, great britain, luxury, luxury golf, Scotland, scotland golf, scottish golf trips
Posted in European Golf Tours, Scotland Golf Trips, Scottish Golf Holidays | No Comments »
Monday, February 2nd, 2009
Colin Montgomerie has been invited to captain the European team at 2010 Ryder Cup. The 45-year old Scotsman will be the 22nd golfer to captain a Ryder Cup team against the United States and the sixth Scot to have the honour, the last of his compatriots to hold the position being Sam Torrance in 2002.
Montgomerie made his first Ryder Cup appearance in 1991 at Kiawah Island and has played in a total of 8 events, being on the winning side in 1995, 1997, 2002, 2004, and 2006. In total he’s played 36 matches with 20 wins and seven halves. Unbeaten in any of the eight singles he has competed “Monty” shares the record for most singles matches won (six) and most singles points gained (seven).
Until very recently it was commonly thought that the 2010 captaincy was between Jose Maria Olazabal and Sandy Lyle (both two-time Major winners), while Montgomerie was considered a shoe-in for the captaincy role in 2014 at Gleneagles in Scotland. However, his age in 5 years time and the possibility that he might by then be out of touch with the players that will likely make up the team, seem to have forced the decision.
The odds on Olazabal being awarded the captaincy for 2012 at Medinah Country Club, Chicago have also shortened considerably.
Tags: 2010 ryder cup, celtic manor, Colin, colin montgomerie, european captain, gleneagles, Golf, golf excursion, golf package, golf tour, golf trip, great britain, jose maria olazabal, montgomerie, ryder cup, ryder cup 2010, sandy lyle, Scotland, scottish, wales
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