Castle Stuart ~ Best Overseas New Destination

November 22, 2010November 12, 2010 PerryGolf Staff

Castle Stuart, which runs along the banks of the Moray Firth in the Scottish Highlands, was recently voted the best new overseas destination by Golf Digest. The course, which was co-designed by Mark Parsinen (Kingsbarns) and American architect Gil Hanse (Craighead Links at Crail), opened in 2009 and it has already taken its place amongst Scotland’s greats. Not only has it made the Highlands a much more appealing destination, but Scotland as a whole. With Royal Dornoch (Scotland’s #3 course) and Nairn (#14) its best and closest neighbours, 3 or 4 nights in the Inverness area make for a great addition to any Scotland tour.

I recently had the opportunity to play it for the first time and loved every minute of it. Other than the fact that the rough needs some time to mature – to make it more of a challenge – you wouldn’t know it was only a new course. With reasonably wide fairways, you might be forgiven for standing on the tee and thinking it looks relatively straight forward, but with the impetus put on getting the right angles from where to approach very tricky greens, it’s definitely a thinker’s course. If you’ve been to Scotland before and you’ve played the more famous British Open rota courses, but you’ve never made it up to the Highlands, now is the time…and Castle Stuart should definitely be on your list as one of the ‘must plays’.

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

Castle Cottage Harlech

November 18, 2010November 4, 2010 PerryGolf Staff

Following the Ryder Cup this year, Welsh golf is now firmly on the map. At PerryGolf we have been putting together trips to this area for many years and feel that it has a lot to offer our clients.

When considering a stay in Wales I would advise looking at the Castle Cottages in Harlech as a great option of accommodation. The welcome you will receive in the Cottages is the same as you are likely to receive all over Wales…warm and friendly.

The 5 star accommodations, in two 400 year old buildings, are thought to have been old farmhouses dating back to 1585. The Hotel is actually built around the restaurant which offers superb dining with local Welsh produce used wherever possible. The dining area has a log fire to sit by and enjoy a meal, whilst the view outside is of Mount Snowden (the highest Mountain in Wales).

The cottage consists of 7 rooms – all en-suite – with super king size beds. All of the rooms come with TV, DVD, iPod dock and Tea/Coffee-making facilities. A nice touch to note is that each room is individually named in Welsh.

For golf in the area, courses nearby include Royal St David’s, Aberdovey and Nefyn. Within a reasonable driving distance you can also play Conwy.

Castle Cottage in Harlech is a great option for your trip to Wales and will allow you to discover some fantastic golf and scenery with beautiful food and a warm atmosphere thrown in!

By Alan Bowman. Alan joined the PerryGolf team earlier this season.

Fairmont Savoy Hotel, London

November 11, 2010October 25, 2010 PerryGolf Staff

A while ago I added a blog about the refurbishment of the famous Savoy Hotel on The Strand in London. I am delighted to report that the hotel opened its doors on Sunday the 10^th of October 2010. The 10/10/10 was projected by numerologists as a very prodigious day for romance, new projects and art – what better day to open a hotel with links to the Edwardian and Art Deco era and all its romance!

By Yvonne Shaw. Yvonne has been with PerryGolf for over 10 years and is a member of our admin team.

Donnafugata Golf Resort, Sicily

November 8, 2010December 16, 2010 PerryGolf Staff

Gary Player opened Donnafugata Golf Resort in scenic Sicily, Italy this month. An accomplished golf course designer Player has designed such courses as Leopard Creek Golf Course in South Africa and Montagu at Fancourt Resort.

This new addition is one of many design projects for Gary Player.

By Denise McKee. Denise has been with PerryGolf for over 10 years and is responsible for our Mediterranean programs

The Kings Club at the Kingsmills Hotel, Inverness

November 1, 2010October 23, 2010 PerryGolf Staff

The Kingsmills Hotel in Inverness is the perfect place to be based when playing the three great courses of the Scottish Highlands, Royal Dornoch, Nairn and Castle Stuart. The hotel has recently added The Kings Club, which is a separate building around a hundred yards from the main hotel. It is perfect for couples and groups of guys alike with luxurious and spacious bedrooms decorated in tasteful warm colours. All of the rooms are identical and all have either a balcony or a patio depending on which floor they are on.

Whilst the fact the reception area adjoins the restaurant, which I thought was slightly strange and could spoil the evening ambience (it does work well for breakfast) there’s another dining option in the main hotel, so this feature doesn’t detract too much from the quality of the Kings Club. With it being in the perfect location to commute to the golf courses, and with Inverness city centre nearby, it makes sense that almost anyone going to this area stays there. As the main hotel is only a slightly less expensive option, and with the Kings Club being so impressive, I’d urge anyone staying in Inverness to opt for the more modern and luxurious option as you won’t be disappointed.

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

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