The Open Returns to Royal St George’s

January 18, 2011January 14, 2011 PerryGolf Staff

The British Open returns to Royal St George’s this year. It will be the 14^th time the Championship will be played at what is the southernmost course on the Open rota. With legends of the game such as Harry Vardon (twice), Walter Hagen (twice), Sandy Lyle and Greg Norman being previous Open winners on the course, every PGA Pro in the world will be dreaming of joining this elite list.

The last time the event was held there, relative unknown Ben Curtis won the trophy, narrowly edging out superstars like Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh, Nick Faldo and Davis Love III; so anyone who qualifies this year will have Curtis’s victory in the back of their mind, knowing anything is possible.

PerryGolf will very soon be promoting an Escorted Tour to attend the Open, which will be combined with some time on the Lancashire Coast, which is home to the 3 other English courses on the Open rota (Birkdale, Lytham and Hoylake) so keep your eyes peeled for what is bound to be a special trip taking in some of the best links golf the world has to offer.

By Keith Baird. Keith has been with PerryGolf for over 10 years and is one of our Golf Travel Specialists.

Padraig Harrington

January 14, 2011 PerryGolf Staff

I came across the following story about one of Europe’s leading players earlier today. Nowadays it is rare for players to pick up their clubs without being paid a large fee or playing for a large purse, but this is a refreshing example of a top player giving back to an organization who helped him during his career. Padraig Harringon comes across as a genuine, down to earth guy and it comes as no surprise that he is the player involved in this article.

Unfortunately he didn’t win the event held over the Links at Portmarnock, but a solid round of 70 left him only 1 shot behind the winner. Hopefully Padraig’s intense winter training program pays off and he goes on to have a successful season in 2011.

By Gary Sheppard. Gary has been with PerryGolf for over 4 years and is one of our Golf Travel Specialists.

Scottish Restaurant Awards 2010

December 30, 2010December 21, 2010 PerryGolf Staff

At PerryGolf we are asked regularly by our clients for dining suggestions and this is an area we work hard to keep up to date with. The relatively new Ondine restaurant in Edinburgh is one that has been doing very well since it opened in September 2009, and it has recently been awarded the title of ‘Seafood Restaurant of the Year’ at the Scottish Restaurant Awards. This category is one of the most hotly contested given the reputation of Scottish seafood as being amongst the best in the world.

Congratulations also go to the Peat Inn just outside St Andrews who won ‘Restaurant of the Year’. This is an establishment PerryGolf clients have enjoyed for many years and it seems to going from strength to strength. Further details of the awards can be viewed here.

By Alastair Niven. Alastair has been with PerryGolf for over 9 years and is one of our Golf Travel Specialists.

New Zealand Open?

December 27, 2010December 21, 2010 PerryGolf Staff

It seems the currently homeless New Zealand Open has still not found a definite residence for 2011. The event has been staged at the fantastic Hills course just outside Queenstown since 2007, but looks unlikely to be held there again in 2011. Recently the favourite to hold the event has been Clearwater in Christchurch which is also a great course but not in such a beautiful setting. We will await the final decision with interest and hope the event will actually go ahead.

Queenstown and Christchurch are both located on New Zealand’s South Island and offer some great courses in addition to the Open venues. In Queenstown there is Jack’s Point Queenstown Golf Club (Kelvin Heights) and Millbrook; while in Christchurch there is Christchurch Golf Club (Shirley) and also getting into the foothills of the Southern Alps; Terrace Downs. Either choice makes a great destination for a golf trip or the two can be combined with the inclusion a short flight.

For further details, click here.

By Alastair Niven. Alastair has been with PerryGolf for over 9 years and is responsible for our South Pacific programs.

New Zealand Super Lodges

December 22, 2010December 9, 2010 PerryGolf Staff

I have previously blogged on how great Huka Lodge is, so I was delighted to see this great article on the Conde Nast Travel website – click here to view. Under recommended hotel and “Super Lodges” I can confirm that both Huka Lodge & Cape Kidnappers are indeed super lodges and a definite must visit while in New Zealand; the service and accommodation are second to none! The pictures just confirm how great these properties are…the best way to spend time and relax during your golf vacation.

By Denise McKee. Denise has been with PerryGolf for over 10 years and one of the members of staff responsible for our South Pacific programs

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