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.

One of the features of the unique software platform that PerryGolf employs to create, manage and deliver customized trips is to constantly monitor dates when golf courses will be closed. On many occassions these are dates that are unique events and cannot be reasonably anticipated based on history.

Our system simply does not permit us to generate a proposal for a client when one of the scheduled golf courses is in conflict with a “close out” date. This is one of the many benefits you receive from PerryGolf as compared to less entrenched travel providers.

To this end, be aware that the 2013 Ladies British Open shall be played on the Old Course, St. Andrews, July 29 – August 5 with resultant course closure. Additionally as it is a non Ryder Cup year, we reasonably anticipate that the Dunhill Cup shall move to the last week of September in 2013 resulting in a three week closure of the Old Course…when combined with R & A Autumn Meeting. Plan accordingly!

A recent trip to Scotland took me for an overnight visit to St. Andrews. The weather was cold but clear blue skies were the order of the day. St. Andrews is a stunning, attractive destination for golfers and non golfers alike…even in cold weather!

As I departed St. Andrews I stopped at Kingarrock and met David Anderson. David is a fascinating and engaging personality who has a passion for Kingarrock. As many have realized a picture is worth a thousand words and on that basis, I suggest you enjoy this You Tube video . More details on Kingarrock can be found here.

Kingarrock would be a wonderful place for golfers to visit and enjoy the facilities. Allow two hours from arrival until departure to fully appreciate the experience. This may not be for everyone but if you enjoy some of the history of the game in a casual atmosphere, I would encourage you to find the time during your stay in St. Andrews.

Championship Course at Carnoustie

The Championship Course at Carnoustie has been host to the British Open on seven occasions, most recently in 2007 when Padraig Harrington won in a playoff over a gallant and deeply disappointed Sergio Garcia. Ben Hogan won here in 1953; it was his only appearance in the Open but he left a unique legacy for his play on No. 6 named thereafter as “Hogan’s Alley”. Carnoustie is considered by many to be the most challenging layout in the rota due largely to its demanding finish: No. 16 – 248 yard par 3; No. 17 – 461 yard par 4; No. 18 – 499 yard par 4. Ironically it was club member and local accountant James Wright who in 1930 designed the famous finish. His improbable stamp on one of the world’s most respected golf courses is found in the company of James Braid’s major redesign of 1926; Old Tom Morris’ extension to eighteen holes in 1870; and the original layout by Alan Robertson in 1850. Carnoustie is presently ranked World 21 by Golf Magazine.

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.

Iconic lighthouse on Ailsa Course

One of the challenges in selling travel has long been the ability to properly and fully communicate the myriad of options available during your vacation. While many golfers know the courses they wish to include, it is often helpful to spend a few moments reviewing the courses on video so that you are completely comfortable with your selection.

To aid in this process, we shall be adding many short videos of the most famous, and some not so famous links courses of Scotland over the coming months. Each one provides a great sense of the respective experience. The first video in our collection is the Ailsa Course at Turnberry…one of the most iconic settings in golf.

The videos are short in length as they are not intended to be course tours, but rather highlight the principal features and notoriety of the courses and permit each golfer to better educate themselves on the options and as a result, provide the very best possible travel experience to meet their wishes.

I hope you enjoy.

Edinburgh is a great city to visit on any golf trip; on offer are fantastic sights like Edinburgh Castle and excellent dining and shops to keep everyone happy!  In October of this year, the extensive refurbishment work started on Caledonian Hilton.  The hotel will go through many changes which will include the creation of a courtyard lounge, the relocation of the main hotel restaurant and a substantial investment in upgrading the hotels bedrooms.  The refurbishment is due to be complete in the summer of 2012; the 254 bedroom hotel will rebrand as The Caledonian, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel.

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

The Ryder Cup will be held over the weekend of 26-28 September in 2014, it was announced earlier today.  The event, which will be held in Scotland for the first time since 1973 when it was at Muirfield, will be played over the PGA Centenary Course at Gleneagles.  Scotland’s First Minister, Alex Salmond, was “delighted to have seen […] the many exciting changes that are being made to improve this already outstanding golf course.   As well as the hi-tech efforts to reduce water on the greens, the Ryder Cup teams can expect many of the changes – proposed by Jack Nicklaus – to provide a sterner test as they seek glory during the competition.”

Keep your eyes peeled for the trips PerryGolf will be offering to what always proves to be a memorable tournament!

By Keith Baird.  Keith has been with PerryGolf for over 11 years and is one of our Golf Travel Specialists.

Castle Stuart Golf Links

This is fantastic news for Castle Stuart Golf Links and, more importantly, Scottish Golf.  The Scottish Open is one of the biggest events on the European Tour and it currently occupies one of the most sought after slots on the European Tour calendar.  There was widespread speculation that if a sponsor wasn’t found, the French Open would replace the Scottish the week prior to the Open Championship.  However, it looks like the European Tour will hold out for a sponsor on the back of the success of this year’s event.  Having attended the event myself, I fully agree with the decision.

By Gary Sheppard.  Gary has been with PerryGolf for over 5 years and is one of your Golf Travel Specialists.