Posts Tagged ‘luxury golf’

2009 Dunhill Links Championship

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.

St Andrews Courses Receive Golf Digest Accolades

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.

Doonbeg – New Bedrooms & New Rates

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?

Two Key Reasons to Travel to the United Kingdom and Ireland

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.

The economy is not holding back Trump

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.

2010 Ryder Cup – US Captain Announced

Tuesday, January 20th, 2009
2010 Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor

2010 Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor

Wales will graciously play host to its’ first Ryder Cup in the fall of 2010.  The tournament will be played on the recently designed “2010 Course” located at the five-star Celtic Manor Resort.

The United States has recently announced Corey Pavin will have the honor of captaining the American squad in 2010.  Pavin, no stranger to the international competition was a member of three Ryder Cup teams 91, 93 and 95, compiling an 8-5-0 record during Ryder Cup play.  Pavin was also the assistant captain in 2006, so it appears the United States has made the right decision and will be well prepared for the 2010 tournament.

Europe is scheduled to make an official announcement in regards to the 2010 captain in the following weeks, so stay tuned for an updated blog entry.  Top candidates to lead the European squad currently include Sandy Lyle, Colin Montgomerie, and Jose Maria Olazabal, although it appears Olazabal is keen on making the European team as a player, which may ultimately exclude him from consideration.  Irrespective of Europe’s final decision, the 2010 Ryder Cup in Wales is sure to provide golfing fans with yet another dramatic chapter to this stoic competition.