California, Here I Come!

“I left my heart in San Francisco,” croons Tony Bennett. And indeed, nothing takes my breath away like view of the Golden Gate Bridge stretching from San Francisco to Sausalito over deep blue waters. 

 

The continuing lyrics, “High on a hill, it calls to me,” remind me not only of Twin Peaks, Russian Hill, and Nob Hill, with their legends, but also of the Presidio with its stunning view of the bay and ocean. . . and with the most gorgeous urban golf course I have had the pleasure to know. When you want to combine golf travel with an urban escape, you can’t beat San Francisco for elegance and drama!

 

Situated in the forested softly sloping hills of the former Spanish and later U.S. fort, the Presidio Golf Course might just be San Francisco’s best kept secret! While it is one of the three oldest continuously operating golf courses west of the Mississippi, it was only opened for public play in 1996 during downsizing operations. The public course is known for its challenging 18-hole, par 72 course as well as for its privileged location. Across the street from the course sits the 1897 Tudor-style clubhouse, definitely one of the most magnificent examples of early clubhouse architecture that I’ve visited in my golf travels. 

 

What makes San Francisco such an allure for golf vacations? Ask anyone who wants to combine golf while traveling with a non-golfing spouse. If you pick a great downtown hotel like the Grand Hyatt, you will be bombarded by shopping and attractions, for example:

·         Enjoy world-class shopping at Neiman Marcus, Tiffany’s, Saks Fifth Avenue, William Sonoma, and more right outside the hotel door. 

·         Be transported a world away by entering the nearby gates of Chinatown.

·         Take a ride with a cable car to Ghiradelli Square, Fisherman’s Wharf, and the Old Ferry Building for restaurants and unusual shops.

·         Relive history with a tour of Alcatraz or the Old Mission Dolores.

·         Stroll (or bike) through Golden Gate Park, and don’t miss the Victorian Conservatory or the De Young Museum (with collections of American, Asian, and African art)

·         Have tea at the historic Cliff House and watch the sunset over the Pacific

 

At night, San Francisco lights up, and romance is heavy as the fog that sometimes rolls in.  On a modest budget, consider an intimate romantic dinner just off Union Square at the Café Claude, a little bit of Paris with a little bit of jazz. If money is no object, and you want a truly memorable experience, head for Masa’s (but make your reservation early.)

 

With great golfing, city attractions, natural wonders, fantastic views, golf vacations to this beautiful peninsula offer memories of a lifetime. You’ll remember them every time you hear Tony Bennett sing his theme song!

The Ultimate in Golfing: Western Canada

One of the great things about golfing is being out in the open air in beautiful natural surroundings. Combining your golf travel with the opportunity to enjoy a fantastic natural panorama is easy when you head to Canada.

Imagine challenging championship courses combined with vistas of snow-capped mountains. Imagine picture-worthy hazards such as wild elk grazing on the putting green. You’ll find all this and more in British Columbia and Alberta golfing!

Golfing at Whistler, Home of 2010 Winter Olympics

The Whistler Golf Club boasts a course designed by none other than Arnold Palmer, as well as three others. One is right on the grounds of the fabulous Fairmont Chateau, a luxury all-season resort nestled at the base of Blackcomb Mountain. In Whistler you can play on championship designed and award-winning courses while enjoying some of the most spectacular scenery.

There is something for everyone at Whistler, which is still basking in the afterglow of the 2010 Olympics. Off the course, you can hike, fish, canoe by day and enjoy fine dining by evening. Shop ‘til you drop and then indulge in a spa treatment and be ready to enjoy the rest of what this special resort has to offer. A golf vacations specialist can help you plan the trip that fits your budget.

Discover Alberta Golfing

For a breathtaking panorama, you can’t beat the Fairmont Banff Springs experience! Stanley Thompson, Canada’s premier golf course architect, designed the original 18 holes nearly a century ago, winding along the Bow River with a view of Sulphur Mountain and Mount Rundle. An additional 9 hopes were added 20 years ago by Cornish and Robinson for some of the most memorable golf you will ever enjoy.

The Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, built in Scottish Baronial style, also knows how to create memorable family vacations, from Magic Castle holidays (with cookies-on-arrival and glow-in-the-dark bowling) to “Girls Just Wanna Golf” holidays. This legendary resort also caters to the romantics with a food and wine festival and more. And of course you’ll want to save some time to enjoy the Canadian Rockies and at the thermal spas in the surrounding Banff National Park.

Take It to the Max

When you want ultimate golfing, head for these great resorts in Alberta and British Columbia. There is a tremendous wealth of family activities, outdoor adventures, and more to compliment your golfing vacation.

To make the most of your time and money, get a professional golf vacations planner to map out your itinerary, complete with tee times and reservations for all the fun you can have while golfing in Canada!

Nothing but the Best for Your Golf Holiday

You are sitting in your office at work minding your own business and your boss walks in to inform you that you’ve been chosen to plan the company’s annual golf vacation. Wow! Where do you go from here? You love golf and have always loved the annual golf get-aways that your company offers employees but you never dreamed you would be the one planning the golf holiday. All the fun of every employee is resting on your shoulders at this point, but you also have to top last year’s golf resort. Not only do you have to pick the golf course but you have to have the itinerary for the week available to each employee traveling with the company. You know your boss is counting on you to make this company event one to remember.

The good news is that online you can have the assistance of people who have actually visited the golf resorts before posting them on their websites as well as an experienced individual arranging itinerary’s for everyone on the trip. You can shop golf package deals and book your destination rather within the United States or overseas. Try venturing into Florida for some golf in the sun or Alabama where you can enjoy the beaches and golf courses as well as beautiful resorts in the middle of a challenging golf course. Rather you want the eastern coast line for golfing or the Gulf Coast and the variety of golf courses found you can be sure that your only options will be ones that are top of the line. No more second guessing only to discover you booked hotel rooms in a rundown resort and the golf course is our ranked by the local goofy golf.

So, when your boss walks into your office and informs you that you are in charge of booking the golf vacation for the office is excited. You do not have to spend the entire plan ride biting your nails praying that you have booked a golf vacation that is better than your local golf course and an itinerary that will have everyone hoping from one wonderful event to another. Your company golf vacation is guaranteed to be one talked about for the rest of the year. Rather you are booking golf holidays for your family, friends or co workers make sure you know exactly where you are going and what you’re plans are before heading out. Online you will experience a helpful booking process and golf packages for all individuals.

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?!