If you are going to be in Northern Ireland between the 3^rd and 7^th of June this year, the arrival of the Olympic torch will be a sight to behold.

The flame will journey over from Greece to arrive at Land’s End on the 18^th of May 2012.  Here will begin the 70 day trip around the UK.

Travelers to Northern Ireland this year can expect to see the torch-bearers arrive into Belfast on the 3^rd of June; it will then be carried through more than 60 towns and villages until the 7^th of June where it will leave for Cairnryan in Scotland.

Travelling for around 12 hours per day, the torch will ultimately arrive at the Olympic Stadium in Stratford for the lighting of the cauldron at the opening ceremony.

List of destinations in Northern Ireland through which the torch will be relayed:

3^rd June –  Holywood, Bangor, Newtownards, Comber, Dundonald, Stormont, Newtownabbey, Carrickfergus, Glynn, Larne, Drains Bay, Ballygalley, Glenarm, Carnlough, Glenariff, Cushendall, Ballycastle, Dervock, Bushmills and Portrush.

4^th June – the torch will be taken across the River Bann and then on to Coleraine, Articlave, Castlerock, Downhill, Ballarena, Limavady, Ballykelly, Greysteel and Londonderry.

5^th June – New Buildings, Magheramason, Bready, Ballymagorry, Strabane, Sion Mills, Omagh, Dromore, Irvinestown, Enniskillen, Fivemiletown, Clogher, Augher, Aughnacloy, Caledon, Armagh, Portadown, Gilford, Banbridge and Newry.

6^th June – after leaving Newry, the flame will be taken to Lisburn and Belfast.

7^th June – the final leg of the relay will take in Newcastle, Dundrum, Clough, Downpatrick, Crossgar, Saintfield, Ballynahinch, Templepatrick, Antrim, Ballyronan, Magherafelt, Ballymena and Moorfields.

The Turnberry Resort and the Ailsa Course are found on Scotland’s west coast in South Ayrshire. Designer Mackenzie Ross is credited with restoring the course to championship standards when it re opened in 1951 after World War II when the property was converted to an RAF airfield and hospital. Ailsa has staged The Open Championship on four occasions beginning in 1977 with the legendary showdown between Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus remembered as the “Duel in the Sun”. Watson’s weekend of 65-65 clipped Nicklaus’ 65-66. They both birdied 18 on Sunday; Nicklaus from 40 feet… Watson from 3! The 2009 British Open was more of the same – remarkably including the same but 59 year old Tom Watson – who came within an eyelash of becoming the oldest major champion in golf history. A visit to Turnberry would include regional clubs like Royal Troon, Prestwick, Western Gailes, Machrihanish and impressive Machrihanish Dunes; plus very often St Andrews for a west coast / east coast combination.

This is one of sixteen Scotland golf course videos we’re posting on a weekly basis to start the year.   Each one provides a great sense of the respective experience which we hope will help you confirm your selections from the many available options.

I love a golf challenge…and this is certainly a challenge!  Legend Golf & Safari Resort in South Africa offers a golfing experience that must be on the bucket list!

It’s called the “Extreme 19th” and is accessible only by helicopter with the tee set 400m up on the majestic Hanglip Mountain and played to a green the shape of Africa some 400m below.  Click here to view the video of Padriag Harrington; the first person to make a Par 3.

By Denise McKee.  Denise has been with PerryGolf for over 11 years and is responsible for our South African programmes.

Many of our clients who are looking to golf in the South West of Ireland will stay in Killarney as it offers access to many of the great courses in this area.

In September last year, The Minister for the Environment awarded Killarney with the title of ‘Ireland’s Tidiest Town’; beating 821 towns and villages that entered The Tidy Town awards.

A week prior to winning this award, Killarney also received the accolade of the country’s cleanest town by the Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL), proving that the community really have done themselves proud.

It’s always good to know when travelling to an unknown destination that its residents treat the area with the highest regard.

Congratulations to Ardglass Golf Club who recently won Irish Golf Tour Operators Association (IGTOA) Links Golf Course of the Year 2011.  Located in Northern Ireland, the club is a great addition to a golf schedule in that area and for groups looking at 36 holes, it could easily be combined with a morning round on Royal County Down.  To read more on the club’s award, please click here.

By Denise McKee.  Denise has been with PerryGolf for over 11 years and is a member of our admin team.

Freedom

Having just completed a delightful three day Lowcountry Golf Cruise I thought I would take a few moments and share various observations from the experience. 

The Inn at Palmetto Bluff near Hilton Head Island is a special place. It is understated, casual, comfortable with a myriad of amenities, including an excellent Nicklaus designed golf course. In many ways it feels like a more intimate Cloister Hotel (Sea Island) experience. The May River Golf Course which sits alongside the Inn is a delight to play. Unquestionably better than a resort course as it meanders through old growth tress and alongside tidal marshes. The facility also provides an excellent caddie program in conjunction with Caddiemaster, which for me is always a strong indication of a pending superior golf experience. 

The town of Beaufort, S.C. which was the filming location for much of the movie Forrest Gump is a delightful, Lowcountry coastal river town. With a unique location which provides deep water access and mooring it has a charm and ambiance that is a delight to encounter. It is a ideal stop on a journey such as we made for it has appeal to both golfers and non golfers alike. 

It is somewhat unusual to take six people as we had on this trip,  from various aspects of the golf industry and in any given geographic region play two courses which none of the group have ever played…but that is what we did with May River and Chechessee Creek. I have heard much about this Coore/Crenshaw design over the years and was delighted to finally play it. It is a terrific walking course, challenging for all levels of golfer…one of these courses you could play every day and not get bored. It would not beat you up unduly and one that to which I would gladly return. The clubhouse, while similar to May River, in a very traditional Lowcountry style, is slightly more low key…but all very comfortable. 

One of the very interesting aspects of Chechessee Creek was their relationship with the Outpost Club  which is a recently formed Golf Society in keeping with the traditions of those in the British Isles. They are taking the concept one step farther however by building the Outpost Lodge at Chechessee Creek, adjacent to the clubhouse. The lodge has 12 en suite bedrooms and is available for both Outpost members and Chechessee Creek members to book for overnight accommodations. 

My interest is peeked from a business sense and how these two concepts will co-exist in harmony. These are challenging times in the golf industry and for private clubs in particular. Chechessee Creek for whatever reason had not gained the membership levels required as we entered the recent choppy economic waters and this relationship with the Outpost Club is certainly thinking outside the box. Both entities are attractive and appealing to different golfers in their own right. Both can deliver value and experience for people with differing needs…the challenge as I see it is how the respective memberships and staff’s work together and communicate, understanding and respecting the needs of each other, while recognizing that together they are much more viable than separately. I applaud their innovation and wish them well. 

The glue that holds this travel experience together is Freedom. She is a delight to sail on board. For a group of 4 couples, she is ideal with plenty of public space to relax and enjoy the vistas surrounding you. The crew were outstanding. The food creatively prepared and designed with the individual preferences of the passengers in mind. 

In closing, a wonderful experience that can be customized to fit the needs of the group. More images may be viewed here. Details of our Lowcountry Golf program may be viewed at our website.

While we do not offer domestic golf trips, a recent business meeting at the Pelican Hill Resort in Newport Beach was a very positive experience. The two Tom Fazio designed courses are almost 20 years old but the accommodation component only opened in 2008 and is spectacular.

I had previously attended a meeting at the resort and stayed overnight in it’s sister property but was impressed at that time with the physical plant. On this occasion I stayed at Pelican Hill for three nights and played both the North & South Courses.

The resort offers hotel rooms which they categorize as “Bungalows” and a Villa product which have 2 – 4 bedrooms in each unit. The Bungalows are spacious at over 800 square feet and provide a very well designed and thoughtful hotel experience. I did not see the interior of the Villas but understand they are also extremely well conceived.

The hotel is spread out and as a result their transportation system is extremely efficient and works very well. I never waited longer than a few minutes for a transfer within the resort and never heard a negative comment on this topic from any of the 30+ people within my group who were also at the resort.

The golf courses surpassed my fairly modest expectations. I thought they would be more contrived in design to fit into the land that Fazio had to work with, but I was pleasantly surprised. Both courses offered great vistas of the Pacific and Newport Beach. The courses were fairly typical Fazio and in good condition. On balance I probably preferred the North Course as it was more open but would not lose sleep over having to play either one again. The golf operation was good with engaged and pleasant forecaddies with each group (this is a Caddiemaster facility and did not disappoint).

Room service was also a well oiled machine with prompt and efficient delivery and clean up. Given the size and layout of the rooms room service was a good option.

I attended two group dining functions during my stay and both were well executed with good food, attentive staff and creative dining choices.

My wife used the spa as something of a professional spa-er and enjoyed both treatments although she commented that their use of the “quiet room” for dining was slightly incongruous but otherwise they delivered an enjoyable  spa experience.

The swimming pool is apparently the largest circular swimming pool in the world. Additionally it is salt water fresh and universally 3 1/2 feet deep. It was good by any measure and impressive.

My only negative was the dining room at the pool. On every occasion (total of four) the orders were mishandled, service was very slow and my sense was they were overstaffed with friendly, well dressed folks standing around. It was very out of context with the rest of the resort experience. If I were to return to Pelican Hill I would probably give this food outlet one chance to evidence improvement as the pattern was evident to me and others in the group.

In closing I have not done justice to the superior facilities that have been built at the resort. The service is very good with the one exception as noted. It is located only a few miles from  John Wayne Orange County Airport which provides excellent scheduled air access. All in all, Pelican Hill is resort worth visiting if you are looking for something in the Los Angeles area.

The recent opening of two additional golf courses in the heart of Tuscany create additional opportunities for travelers to combine golf and a visit to one of the most iconic lifestyle destinations in the world.

Villa La Massa in Florence

Less than 15km’s from the medevil city of Siena is Borgo La Bagnaia, a Robert Trent Jones, Jr. design which is the central feature of this new development. The course undulates through the Tuscan countryside with an attractive, playable feel. It only opened in September, 2011 and is moving quickly through the maturation phase. This five star resort also offers and extensive spa and multiple dining options, including a Pizzeria which is noted as one of the finest in the area, on the night we were there it was very busy with locals….always a good indication!. The nearby city of Siena, famous for it horse race through the city’s main Piazza, the Palio happens twice annually in July and August.

Cape Grace Hotel in South Africa is a popular choice while in Cape Town; it was recently voted “Best Hotel in Africa and the Middle East” by Travel & Leisure Magazine 2011.  Click here for details of the great awards the hotel has received.  

A must do while staying at Cape Grace is taking the trip up Table Mountain in a cable car; the mountain is sculpted from sandstone and rises 1086 metres at its highest point – Maclears Beacon – above the bay.  Its flat summit measures nearly 3km and provides breathtaking views over the city and its beaches.  The panorama stretches from Table Bay to False Bay and around the mountain to the Hout Bay Valley and Kommetjie.  On a clear day, you will find a beautiful view across the Cape Flats to the Hottentots Holland Mountains.  The cable car was first opened in 1929 and today transports around 600,000 people to the summit annually.

By Denise McKee.  Denise has been with PerryGolf for over 11 years and looks after our South African programmes.

Given all of the tough  breaks that Christchurch, on the east coast of the South Island has endured in recent times, it is heartening to see a new golf development proceeding according to this recent article. New Zealand is truly a magnificent country with wonderful scenery, great golf, outstanding accommodations, superb wine and most importantly populated by charming, friendly people.

I have no doubt that the recent turmoil in New Zealand has affected their tourism industry. We can only hope that more good news like this in the pipeline. The recent GOLF Magazine Top 100 poll recognized Cape Kidnappers as #33 in the World as ultimately it is the cumulative effect of small pieces of information that generally help shape travelers destination of choice.