The following is an interesting collection of thoughts and travel ideas from a group of well travelled golf writers, in the event they were given $10,000 to spend, what would their trip look like;

How Would You Spend $10,000 on Golf ?

TheAPosition

In this season of gift-giving, the writers at golf’s leading website offer presents to themselves-and give back to the game they love

I love links golf, have since the moment I ran a shot onto the second green at The Old Course the first time I played the old gal. What fun! And that’s where we spend the ten thousand, going to and playing the great …

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Jim Hyler, the President of the USGA is a strong proponent of cutting back on some of the manicuring of golf courses, controlling costs and playing a more hard, fast & running game. The following article by Bob Fagan is an interesting look at how we are, where we are;

Perfect Green Is Not Perfect Golf!

The Swilcan never looked better!

I was lucky. A wise elder from my club who knew the ropes organized the earliest golf trips I joined, all stateside. The game changed in 1994 when our bunch set sights on Ireland and our elder could not make the trip. His lieutenant took the wheel and did a nice job. Two truths became clear; first, international travel is more complicated than a long weekend at Pinehurst. Second, a specialized golf tour operator is worth their weight in Pro Vs!

I’ve led four international trips, beginning with my first in 1994; three with guys from my club to Scotland, Ireland and Scotland/England, and one with the wives (and a couple mother in laws!) this past October to South Africa. I enjoy the role. It earns me a pint now and again and it’s interesting to learn so much more about the counties we’ve visited. I’ll confess to a perk as well: I prefer to control my fate when so much is on the line.

If you’re thinking about volunteering to lead a group, or you’ve been “volunteered,” my experience has found three things that make a big difference:

1. Start Silly Early: Starting early pays off … literally. You’ll almost always find early- bird offers (airfare discounts typically), and nothing comes close to endearing you to your group than saving them money! If the unfortunate happens and someone has to drop out, you’ll have time to find a replacement. Early puts you at the head of the line, increasing availability for your top course and hotel choices. Time also allows you the chance to react to the fluctuations of the US dollar. If it’s headed south, a tour operator who prices in guaranteed US dollars can do you a big favor. Eventually everyone’s prices will have to go up, so again sooner is better. You can bet on a tour operator who prices daily if you think the exchange rate will improve, but like any wager the agreement cuts both ways.

2. Get Several Quotes: You never want anyone thinking they paid too much so I always get competing quotes. You can also get good ideas. It’s gospel in my view to prepare your preferences in a Word document – rather than visiting each website and completing difference forms – so the input will be identical for pricing. I try to keep my hands on this pretty close. If a member of the group is inclined to quote a different tour operator, it’s fine but I ask that I do the liaison so the input will match. The quotes always come back with apples and oranges anyway; so the last thing this needs is apple, oranges and coconuts!

There will be a lot to see in the quotes beyond the cost. How promptly was it prepared? Did the operator provide sufficient detail? Was the quote easy to read? Were terms and conditions spelled out? As you might expect, quotes will vary in spite of having all begun the same. The hotel room category alone can have real money impact on the total. You could see the same hotel, but the room overlooking the sea is going to be more than the parking lot view. This is the homework phase — not my favorite — but a bad place to make a mistake.

Be absolutely sure you pay attention to the Terms & Conditions. You need to understand the cancellation policies, payment schedules, change fees and credit card surcharges (most are charging 2% or so to pay with a credit card). And don’t overlook payment terms. Many tour operators price by the day; a number price with guaranteed US dollars. You can choose to gamble or play it safe..

I don’t hesitate to spend time with the tour operator if something isn’t clear, whether it’s a point in their quote or their competitors’. At the end of the day, I’m not after anyone’s job!

3. Answer Questions Privately: Once I’ve circled back on the proposals and made sure I understand the “fruit baskets” reasonably well, I’ll email the best and next best to the group for their review. This naturally surfaces comments and questions, and leads me back to the tour operator. I like to forward questions to the operator for two reasons: 1) the process will soon be in the their hands to finalize for reservations forms, payments, documents, etc., so the Q&A exercise serves as a handoff , and 2) they’ve got the answers! (If they don’t, you may have the wrong tour operator.)

One thing I’ve learned, the uncomfortable way, is when I forward the question to the tour operator, I’ll normally copy only the group member who asked the question rather than the entire group — even if everyone was copied on the original. Every question isn’t relevant to everyone, and truth be told, some won’t be relevant to anyone. Pretty sneaky I know, but I’m not signed on to herd cats!

The Captains; Royal County Down, Walker Cup, Portmarnock and Gullane conclude their round on the Old Course

Golf in late autumn is not something that many from overseas tend to travel to Scotland for, but for sure you may be missing a great experience! …. by necessity my personal 2009 golf season kicked off late, but threw up some great treats … let me tell you more;

During 2009 in addition to trying to carry out my “day job” at PerryGolf, almost all my spare time was consumed as Captain of the Great Britain & Ireland Walker Cup Team travelling the length and breadth of the British Isles, plus Europe and the USA, to major amateur events watching potential candidates for the team for our match against the USA at Merion Golf Club September 12-13. Simultaneously I was working on arrangements for what would be our ten days together as a team, including details of preparation, travel, team clothing, special team events (as a team send-off we were even fortunate to enjoy an audience with the Duke of York in his private study in Buckingham Palace, himself a very keen golfer and recent Captain of the R&A, prior to our departure to the USA).

While the result (16.5 USA, 9.5 GB&I) was bitterly disappointing, with so much work and effort put into it by so many people, it was none the less an extraordinary shared experience for us as a team, that none will ever forget. The USA were worthy winners under the excellent guidance of Captain Buddy Marucci, and they were unquestionably fine ambassadors for the United States. It was certainly all a very high intensity time.

So, it was a welcome quiet time in late October and early November when I had the chance of playing some golf in Scotland. And, boy, did we pick some unbelievable days.

First up mid October I hosted the Chairman of Selectors of the GB&I Team, and two members of the selection committee who I have worked with these past few years, at Loch Lomond Golf Club only 15 minutes from my home. The day began clear with blue skies, the course was simply superb, and we enjoyed a 24 hole day with a great lunch taken outside. On a fine day there can be no more spectacular place to play golf, and it more than made up for my many missed rounds there during 2009.

Later in October I was fortunate to join a number of teams playing in an event on the Ailsa Course at Turnberry to mark the retirement of the Head Greenkeeper, the almost legendary George Brown. George has overseen Turnberry Links for 24 years including the hosting of three British Open Championships (1986, 1994, 2009). This event, the George Brown Invitational, was arranged by the hotel almost unbeknown to George, and included teams comprising many whom George had dealt with over the years, from the local Club, greenkeeping association colleagues, the R&A as British Open organizers, travel companies etc. Fittingly the Ailsa Course was in magnificent condition, shirt sleeve weather, and a most enjoyable day was had by all ….. again I thought can there be any finer place to play golf!

Two days later I joined three good friends on the Old Course of St Andrews on the second last day of October. We were celebrating an unusual occurrence. During 2009 one was Captain of Portmarnock Golf Club, one was Captain of Royal County Down Golf Club, and one was Captain of Gullane Golf Club, and I was Captain of the GB& I Walker Cup Team. Brendan Cashell, Captain of Portmarnock Golf Club, despite extensive golf travels had never before played the Old Course, and thought this would be a great way to conclude his golfing year. It was duly arranged and again we enjoyed a warm and sunny day on the Old Course. My “highlight” of the round was on the Road Hole where a badly blocked drive surely had to hit the right side of the roof of the Old Course Hotel, yet a few bounces later (hotel roof, Jigger Inn, wall, and roadway perhaps … all unseen-:), and suitably covered in black tar, it reappeared well down the fairway leaving a simple six iron to the green. As we walked off the 18^th green I thought … can there be any finer place to play!

Ten days later and now moving towards mid November, I was back at St Andrews for a meeting of The Golf Industry Golf Society (GIGS), and association bringing together a number of senior people from throughout the golf industry in the UK (hotels, equipment, golf and golf event management etc) where we stayed at Fairmont St Andrews, the preferred hotel of PerryGolf in St Andrews which consistently gets excellent review by our clients. We played the newly redesigned and rerouted Torrance Course which enjoys a spectacular setting overlooking the town of St Andrews, and which has now been selected as a final qualifying venue for the British Open. The routing works well, the golf course is excellent, and again what a fantastic day … we could not believe it was to get better the next!

Following a fabulous dinner that evening in the Esperante Restaurant, we were out on Kingsbarns the following day, which almost invariably receives great accolades from our clients. A marvelous days golf in almost shirt sleeve weather, the course in exceptional condition, and looking out over a glassy North Sea as far as the eye could see. Again I thought can there be any finer place to play!

So, now my clubs will not likely reappear until the New Year … well aside of the occasional game perhaps. While Scotland cannot guarantee you these conditions in late autumn, based on my recent experiences it is surely worth a slight roll of the dice! … even if the weather doesn’t always match up you can still be sure of a warm welcome!

Nick Hunter (left), Chairman of Golf Tourism Scotland presents Colin Dalgleish, Co Founding Director of PerryGolf, with the Special Achievement Award November 5, 2009 at Turnberry Resort.

Colin Dalgleish, one of the two Founding Directors of international golf tour operator PerryGolf, has been named by Golf Tourism Scotland as the inaugural recipient of its Special Achievement Award for significant contribution to the golf tourism industry. The award was presented on November 5 at the 2009 Gold Standards Awards Dinner held at the iconic Turnberry Hotel on the Ayrshire Coast of Scotland.

Colin Dalgleish and his brother Gordon founded PerryGolf in 1984, and over the past 25 years have established the business into one of the leading international golf and travel brands to a number of worldwide destinations including the British Isles, France, Spain, South Africa, New Zealand & Australia.

PerryGolf has played an important role in the development of golf tourism into Scotland. The company was one of the first to assemble a full-time staff of highly knowledgeable golf travel specialists who acted on behalf of clients to coordinate the many options from a carefully vetted collection of golf, hotel and local transportation partners. The concept of a single source provider quickly found favor as Scotland’s popularity grew amongst American golfers. A variety of golf travel innovations followed including the creation of the first fleet of luxury 8 passenger Mercedes VIP coaches designed specifically for golfers; privately chartered small-ship golf cruises; luxury rail charters aboard the Royal Scotsman; plus exclusive programs to the British Open and the Ryder Cup. PerryGolf, through a multi year contract, also offers its clients outstanding guaranteed access to the Old Course of St Andrews, the Home of Golf.

The Dalgleish brothers grew up in the town of Helensburgh on the west coast of Scotland near Loch Lomond, playing golf from an early age with each representing both Scotland and Great Britain & Ireland at junior level. Colin attended Ohio State University for two years where he played on the golf team alongside current PGA TOUR stars John Cook and Joey Sindelar before returning to Scotland to become the first Sports Bursar at the University of Stirling, graduating from there in 1984 with a BA in Accountancy. He was Scottish Amateur Champion in 1981, and a Walker Cup player the same year, before going on to Captain Scotland 1993-96, and most recently captain the Great Britain & Ireland Walker Cup Team against the United States at Royal County Down in 2007 and Merion in 2009. He served as a Board Member of Golf Tourism Scotland 2005-2006.

The famous and iconic 17th hole of the Old Course will be lengthened ahead of The Open Championship at St Andrews in 2010. The ‘Road Hole’ will increase by some 35 yards to 490 yards. For those familiar with the set up, the new Championship tee will be constructed on the driving range of St Andrews Links Trust, the other side of the ash road that runs parallel with the 16^th hole. An increased premium will be placed on an accurate (and long) drive over the sheds. It is thought the added length will re-establish the difficulty of the approach to the green and the danger posed by the road hole bunker and the road itself. Interestingly the length of the hole has not been altered since 1900. Lets just hope the wind is not in their face!!

You may find some interesting reading on the history of the Old Course at http://www.scottishgolfhistory.net/st_andrews_oldest_golf_course.htm

Image of the Road Hole is from Europegolf.com.