PerryGolf -- The Advisor Travel Newsletter


JUNE/JULY 2003		VOLUME 03 NUMBER 02

Northwest Ireland by Helicopter
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The Advisor is often asked about where to play golf on the Emerald Isle, and while playing golf anywhere in Ireland is a treat, I especially love the Northwest. It contains some of the world's most challenging championship courses located among welcoming people and hauntingly beautiful scenery. But its championship links remain relative hidden gems because, due to the rugged coast and hilly terrain over small rural roads, the driving time is the only handicap to your golf experience in this part of the world.

Links Helicopter A solution to this time inconvenience is to travel throughout your journey by helicopter, or augment your itinerary with a day of helicopter travel to play the lesser accessible courses, especially on days you wish to play 36 holes. In addition to the benefit of covering large distances in small amounts of time, this part of Ireland is especially scenic, and viewing it from the air gives you an extraordinary perspective while adding a memorable dynamic to your vacation.

Recognizing the value of affordable helicopter travel in increasing the overall experience of your international golf trips, we have developed a number of suggested and customized helicopter itineraries throughout Ireland and the United Kingdom. We take great care in choosing itineraries that maximize the benefit of utilizing helicopter travel and keeping the cost affordable. In helicopter travel you pay for time whether you are flying in it or whether it is flying empty to get to your group, so advanced careful planning can save you considerable headaches and stretch your travel dollars.

Recently I experienced an itinerary, exactly like one available for clients, that allowed us to play not only the great courses of the Northwest - Carne Golf Links, Enniscrone, Rosses Point, Royal Portrush, Ballyliffin and Donegal, but also to combine Ballybunion and newcomer Doonbeg in the southwest, in a relaxing weeks itinerary. Because of the helicopter travel we weren't exhausted from driving on days scheduled for 36 holes, in fact, we wouldn't have been able to play all the courses on our trip in a week without the shorten travel time.

Doonbeg from the air Upon arriving at Shannon Airport, our group of eight was met by PerryGolf personnel who whisked away our luggage while we were escorted to the awaiting helicopters for the first leg of our journey, Greg Norman's new, much heralded Doonbeg Golf Club, Golf Digest's choice for 2002 Best New International Golf Course.

Throughout Ireland, we work with Links Helicopters and their fleet of EC130 turbine engine helicopters, that are the most powerful in their class. These helicopters have a spacious and luxurious interior, the most up-to-date safety and computer technology, and can fly long distances without refueling.

If you have never been up in a helicopter, you are missing out on one of the great travel experiences. Unlike small planes, helicopters have the ability to really maneuver over the countryside to see up close interesting sites such as Ireland's famous Cliffs of Moher. Obviously, the greatest advantage is that the helicopter has the ability to land directly at most golf courses and accommodations during your journey. Almost as exciting, as making birdie on 18 to win your match, is the feeling you get when you step from your helicopter, feeling much like a celebrity, to the admiring gazes from fellow golfers at the course.

We arrived at Doonbeg only 15 minutes after departing Shannon, normally at least and 1 hour and a half drive, refreshed and ready to tee it up. Our luggage would be waiting for us after the round at our accommodations at Knockranny House Hotel in Westport, having been transported there by a PerryGolf VIP Golf Coach which would support our journey. The VIP Coach and its excellent Concierge Driver, Andy, would be available to transport our luggage, our group for side trips, and in the event of really bad weather, our group to courses if the helicopter were unable to fly.

Usually the jet lag sets in on the second day of a golf trip overseas, but by traveling by helicopter and having Andy tend to our luggage, we all awoke refreshed on the following morning ready for the scheduled 36 holes at two of Ireland's most scenic, and most remote courses - Enniscrone and Carne. On a driving itinerary we'd be facing more time in a vehicle than on the courses, rather than relaxed short helicopter rides.

Enniscrone and Carne were both designed by the late Eddie Hackett. Their remote locations are the only reason that they are not on more 'must play' lists. Enniscrone plays among moonscape dunes surrounded by the Ox Mountains and Killala Bay. Donald Steel recently redesigned the course and incorporated six new magnificent holes amongst the dunes. Carne, is considered Hackett's greatest triumph, but it sits in splendid isolation on a point overlooking Blacksod Bay, so is not well known to the golf enthusiast.

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