Golf Around the World

Golf holidays are becoming more popular with the golf resorts that are now available around the world. The problem was that you were guessing on the course or resort you choose or praying that the pictures online or in the travel brochure were the actual pictures and not some picture taken years ago or one that was copied and pasted to their website. Be sure your golf vacation destination is exactly what you expect. You can travel all over the world and have access to only the top of the line golf resorts and courses that have been experienced by real people instead of a phantom person who’s comment is written in the brochure or online blog.

Enjoy the best courses when it comes to parts of the “sunshine state” of Florida with courses and resorts in Jacksonville, Daytona Beach, Myrtle Beach, Miami or even the family vacation of all times in Orlando with access to golfing with Mickey Mouse. Perhaps you prefer the cooler climates that the northern states offer. You will find a wonderful selection of affordable golf packages for you and your family or your business associates. Maybe you wish to venture out of the United States; you can choose a breathtaking course and resort in beautiful Spain or Ireland, you may even choose to hit a few golf balls on the courses available in Scotland. The destination is yours to choose and the packages available make every golf vacation affordable and unforgettable.

You can find the best of golf courses and resorts available in the golfing world. Start broadening your golf experience and bring home stories that will leave your friends and co workers wishing they had come along. There is a package for every budget and every climate destination you desire. Stop putting off your golf holiday and start planning the golf game of your life. With the assistance of personal who have experience firsthand your golf destination you are sure to be amazed. Enjoy all the benefits you will have access to when you book your next golf vacation online whether for you and your friends, family or co-workers. Make that impression on your boss or potential business partner when you book a golf vacation at a breathtaking resort and challenging golf course.

Ireland Golf, Guinness, and More

You can easily imagine the rolling green meadows and parkland boasting over 350 golf courses in a land known as the Emerald Isle. There’s a reason that golfing has shot up to number six on the Lonely Planet’s guide to Ireland’s “must see/do” attractions.

As golfing has been a popular sport in Ireland nearly since its birth in nearby Scotland, Ireland golf has produced several top players in recent years, with players like Padraig Harrington, Paul, McGinley, and Darren Clark. Led by Clarke, they were part of the European team that successfully defended the Ryder cup. A young star to watch is Rory McIlory, who just turned 21, and who has already hit the World’s Top Ten. (Note: He beat out Phil Mickelson by four shots in April 2010 when he won the Quail Hollow Championship on the PGA Tour, shooting a course record 62 on the final day.)

Small wonder that there are so many good golfers as the country is punctuated with links and parkland courses from Northern Ireland to the south of the Republic of Ireland. Some of the most famous golf courses include the very exclusive Royal County Down Golf, Ballybunion, and Portmarnock.

Backspin Golf Magazine, an Irish publication, has started ranking the links and parkland courses separately. This year Mt Juliet, K Club (Palmer), and Adare topped the parkland courses, while Portmarnock, Royal County Down, and Royal Porthrush (Dunluce) headed the links list. Portmarnock has a truly privileged location, curving along a stretch of coastline on the Howth peninsula just 12 miles from downtown Dublin and has hosted twelve Irish Opens. The course has three nines -- Yellow, Red and Blue, with the latter two combined to make up the Championship course.

Even so, there are less well known ones to be savored. Kevin Markham, author of Hooked, in a recent blog describedThe Island Golf Club as “the most fun links on Dublin's shores.” As Markham put it, “Portmarnock and Royal Dublin get the hype and the awards, but there's a dash of adventure and considerably more impressive dunes at The Island.”

When it comes to adventures in Ireland, there’s a lot more than golfing, of course. When you plan your golf vacations, consider some of the other great things to do in this small jewel of an island. How about visiting a castle (and even kissing the legendary stone at Blarney Castle) or ancient abbey? Naturally after some great golf you deserve some Guinness and singing at an authentic Irish pub!

Explore the natural wonders of the Aran Islands or the lonely heath, or stroll on the banks of the Liffey and take in the Dublin architecture. My own favorite Dublin experience is the Abbey Theater, home to great dramas and dramatists. Are you more into the outdoors? For hiking, surfing, sailing, biking, Ireland offers plentiful gorgeous venues.

So get in your golf and Guinness, but don’t forget to see more of Ireland! There are some great golf packages that can put it all together for you. And on the courses, may the luck of the Irish be with you!

Historic Scotland: Home of Golf

For golf many golfers, the ultimate pilgrimage is to the land that birthed the game, Scotland, in the 1500s. While the country has been a part of the United Kingdom for just over three centuries, it has maintained its own cultural identity—including golf, whisky, poetry, and dialect. What golf trip could be better than one with all that?

Given the historical connection of Scotland with golf, it is no surprise that there are so many outstanding golf courses, with a range of styles. The Scottish dream courses for the golf connoisseur include Troon, Glen Eagles, Turnberry, Muirfield, Loch Lomond, Carnoustie, and of course the historic Old Course at St. Andrews. Even if you cannot get into these exclusive courses, venues for the British Open and the Ryder Cup, you will find many exciting golf options in Scotland. Given that it is practically the national sport (competing with soccer/football for that title), there are also many public and private courses with easy access, especially in the Lowlands

For me, the epitome of a golf vacation to Scotland includes more than golf. Given my Scottish ancestry, the perfect trip also includes nature, history, literature, and single-malt whiskey! Can you ask for more?

Enjoy Unique Landscapes

One of the truly remarkable aspects of golfing in Scotland is the integration of golfing with spectacular and unique terrains. You will find link courses, parkland courses, and heathland courses. Parkland courses are fairways are graced by old stands of trees and natural waterfalls and ponds, some laid out over rolling meadows.

A day at a heathland course with its disctinctive scrubby heather and gorse may make you feel like you are living out a novel by the Bronte sisters (remember Wuthering Heights or Jane Eyre from high school lit class?)

Connect with History and Poetry. Now of course for me there is nothing more poetic than a great golf swing. Yet when surrounded by castles and picturesque villages, I love nothing more than to explore the nooks and crannies of the region. For that, the Ayrshire area offers an exceptional experience. Not only do you have 44 golf courses to choose from , but you can also check out the historic castles and visit the home of the beloved poet, Robert Burns (of “Auld Lang Syne”).

History meets modernity in the capital city of Edinburgh, where after a memorable round of golf, one can enjoy some funky cafes and bars by night and tours of castles (including the birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots,) and ragged coast by day.attractive countryside. History buffs can head for the remains of Linlithgow Palace, the birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots.

The Home of Golf

Just across the Firth of Forth from Edinburgh lies the Kingdom of Fife. There you will find Dunfermline, residence of early Celtic kings, with an historic abbey and Piteencrieff Park—land donated by the town’s most famous emigrant, philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. And here is the Mecca of golf, the world-renowned, magnificent St. Andrews! For full details on courses, events, and more, see the official website for the St. Andrews Links, the oldest and largest golf complex in all of Europe.

If you want the experience of a life time, look into golf packages that will give you the royal golf experience! The most exclusive do require considerable advance reservations, so it’s never too early to plan. At the same time, given the extensive opportunities, it is also never too late to pack your bags and enjoy Scotland and golf!

Famous Female Golfers: Karri Webb

Golf is one of the more unisex sports available -- one where men and women (and sometimes even husbands and wives!) can comfortably compete against each other, and with practice and a well chosen course for your golf trip, each has an equal chance of winning. Today we start a series looking at the lives and times of some famous female golfers, starting with one that most of us are familiar with -- a current champion, Karri Webb.

Background

Karri Webb was born in Ayr in Queensland, Australia, in 1974, which makes her 36. Ayr is a hot, tropical place and si a very small town, so it is unsurprising that Karri got into an obscure sport (for young females) like golf.

Major Championships plays

Karri's most famous tournaments have been the 2001 LPGA Championship and the 2000 and 2001 US Women's Open. She also played the Women's British Open in 2002, the du Maurier Classic in 1999 and the Kraft Nabisco Championship in 2000 and 2006.

General info

Karri is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, and won the Vare Trophy for a low-scoring average in 1997, 1999 and 2000. In 1996, Karri Webb became the first ever player to surpass $1 million in single-season earnings on the LPGA Tour. She was the first rookie to surpass the hallowed $1m mark on LPGA, also.

Currently…

Karri is still playing as hard as ever! In fact, though her win ratios have dropped off significantly, she is playing in as many events now as she was in 1996. So don't think that you are getting to old to take on a golf package vacation … it's never too late to have a go! 2006 was one of her most impressive recent years, with 5 wins out of the 20-odd championships she played. However she regularly still places in the top 10, and she gets a couple of second places per year - enough to keep her going with the career she loves best.

And whether you're at the top of the field or not, wouldn't you love to get paid any amount to play Ireland golf and worldwide golf, all year round, instead of going to work every week?!

4 Top-Reviewed Utility and Hybrid Clubs

If you're going on a golf trip, chances are you'll be pulling these clubs out of your bag more than any other. Drivers are important for confidence (and also for a bit of mild intimidation on whomever you are playing with!), but utility and hybrid clubs are just great all-rounders. Today we check out the five clubs that get the best reviews.

Cobra 2008 Baffler DWS Utility with Graphite Shaft

Reviewers say this club comes out of the long grass extra well. It has a dual weighting system to enhance moment of inertia, and a centre of gravity so low and deep that if they improve the club anymore, it will be underground! It has a great large face area, and a fastback crown design.

Wilson Fybrid Utility

It's not at the cheaper end of the scale. But if you're willing to let reviews guide your choice of clubs for a golf vacation, it's at the highly, highly desirable end of the scale! These are said to be more comfortable than the Nikes, Ping and Callaway hybrids.. One reviewer says this has effectively replaced his 5W, and his 3, 4 and 5I, and has still had a great experience.

Taylormade Raylor Rescue with Graphite Shaft

If you want to use your Arizona golf vacation to really improve your game, you might as well give yourself a head start with this club. For those who usually slice or push the ball with clubs more than 8I, this will be a key factor in getting your ball to go just where you want it to! If the other clubs aren't cheap, this one won’t ease your budget either … but perhaps you can build the cost into your golf trip!

Nike SQ Sumo Hybrid with Graphite Shaft

Another club that everybody says helps immensely with their consistency. I think there are a lot of golfers out there who blame themselves or their inexperience for an inconsistent game. Obviously a good workman won’t blame his tools for a bad job - however in the case of golf, there are so many stories of games immediately improving by half a dozen shots that you simply can’t ignore the power of the club. The Nike Sumo is on special at various places around the net currently … look around and you should get a nice surprise on the price tag!

Great Golfing from Pebble Beach to the Napa Valley

"If I had only one more round to play, I would choose to play it at Pebble Beach. I've loved this course from the first time I saw it. It's possibly the best in the world." ~ Jack Nicklaus

I totally agree with Jack Nicklaus! From the panorama of a blue-green sea and wind-swept cypresses, Pebble Beach calls to me every year. As there is so much to do in this part of California, my wife loves to accompany me on these golf vacations, giving us an added bonus for our own relationship.

This time, as we’ve visited the sights of Carmel and Monterey often, on our latest jaunt, we chose to explore the famed Napa wine area. Spring turned out to be an ideal time to visit as the temperatures were moderate and the peak tourist season (May to October) was still a ways off.

There were so many high points that I can only share a few that really stood out on this golf trip:

What would a Napa trip be without winery tours? Sure we stopped at several boutique wineries for tastings throughout our stay, but for a deeper introduction to wine-making, we really got a lot out of our tour at a winery where we followed the grape’s journey from the vineyard to the cellar to the finished wine. I was taken enough by the Fume Blanc to buy a whole case! My wife was snapping away with her camera nonstop as the sheer beauty of the area is incredible.

Great wines mean great dining, and we were lucky to get a reservation for the highly touted restaurant in Yountville. After a day of sight-seeing, we found it very peaceful to settle into the golden sunset haze that infused the dining room as we embarked on a 9-course culinary adventure, each delicious dish carefully paired with a complementary (but alas not complimentary!) wine.

The next day as part of a golf package, I had my day on the links at the Eagle Vines Golf course in American Canyon. Designed by Johnny Miller, it only opened a few years ago with 18 holes and 7,283 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par of 72, and some of the best views you’ll ever have!

Meanwhile my wife let her inner artist out, dabbling in landscape painting with a private lesson at Alla Prima. Her surprisingly good oil rendition of a Napa hillside scene hangs on our wall as a treasured reminder of one of our best golf vacations ever. Maybe next time she’ll make it a painting of a golf course!

Tee Time

I am a dedicated golfer and although my wife is not, she still enjoys the fact that I make it a part of my routine to go on golf trips at least one weekend out of every month. She gets to vacation by the pool or spa while I get to play golf at some of the best courses there are to choose from.

We’ve taken many wonderful trips over the years and even spent time at some of the most exclusive Scotland golf courses. I’ve played in many amateur tournaments and even came close to professional status at one time but I’d rather just play for the fun of it and not for a paycheck. I get so much enjoyment from getting up early and playing 18 holes of golf before most people have their first cup of coffee in the morning.

I belong to a country club that often sponsors golf trips for the members. We usually go on four trips a year as a group and have played at some of the top courses in the country. It’s always a real honor to play on the same course that the pros play on. I’ve had the privilege of meeting some of the great golfers of our time such as Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, and Phil Mickelson.

Living at Myrtle Beach makes it possible to golf just about all year long on my home course. My wife and I also own a condo in south Florida and often travel there during the winter months when the weather is just a bit too chilly to golf at home. I have to admit I’ve enjoyed every minute that I’ve been able to spend on the golf course; it has been a way of life for me for most of my adult life and am sure I will continue to golf for as long as I’m able to hold a club.