Author: PerryGolf Staff

Northern Portugal – so much more than great golf!

PerryGolf Staff
Praia del Rey
Praia del Rey

I was lucky enough to spend some time working in the Lisbon area with one of our PerryGolf groups recently and they really enjoyed the trip.  Lisbon is a fantastic, vibrant city full of character and has a friendly, relaxed atmosphere with some great bars and restaurants.

There is also great golf on your doorstep in the shape of the outstanding Oitavos Dunes and the courses at Penha Longa.  Further north, it is also well worth taking the trip to Praia del Rey which again is a great track.  As a fan of Portugal, since my return I read the below article with interest as this would make for a fantastic addition to any trip in northern Portugal.  When thinking of golf in Portugal, most people focus on the Algarve in the south and, true it has wonderful courses, but can be busy; so if you are looking for a trip combining golf, history, culture, great food and wine, you should look no further.. and I haven’t even touched on the Port!

Click here for an interesting article on Portugal.

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

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A Day in St. Andrews

PerryGolf Staff

I’m spending the day in St. Andrews today and the atmosphere around the town is fantastic.  Everyone seems to be on a high with the Open Championship just around the corner.  It’s a relatively calm day and about 60 degrees – but most importantly, it’s raining.  Scotland has benefited from an extended period of nice weather and I believe the green staff at St. Andrews will be welcoming some rain.  The course looks to be in great shape and will certainly be playing like a true links when the Championship kicks off in a couple of weeks.  The tented village is almost complete, the grandstands are in place, and television camera stands are dotted around the course.  Now we just need to sit tight and wait on the action unfolding.

Click here for the link to the live webcam on the Old Course.

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

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Ballesteros will not make The Open Champions’ Challenge at St. Andrews

PerryGolf Staff

Although Seve is making steady progress and showing positive signs in his recovery from multiple operations to remove a tumour from his brain, he has been advised by his doctor not to travel to St. Andrews in July.

It is the 150th anniversary of the Open Championship, and a special 4 hole exhibition tournament over the 1st, 2nd, 17th, and 18th on the Old Course at St Andrews has been arranged for past champions on Wednesday 14th July; the day before the Open begins.  Seve’s doctor advised that he should not be put under any undue stress or find himself in any situations which are potentially emotional – the thought of Seve playing the 4 holes with 3 other past champions and thousands of fans following him would definitely have been an emotional situation!

It would have been great to see him attend, but I think the decision is for the best.  Fingers crossed we have not seen the last of Seve on a golf course!  He is an inspirational golfer and someone I have admired since taking up the game.

Click here for more information.

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

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Recent Weather in Scotland

PerryGolf Staff

The last 2 months have seen Scotland benefit from a surprisingly long spell of nice weather, and golf courses all over the country are reaping the rewards.  Scotland has a diverse climate and the weather is unpredictable even in the summer months, so the recent high temperatures and sunshine have been welcomed by everyone.

I haven’t played many rounds away from my home course this year, but when I have, the condition of the courses has been superb.  I’d actually say that some courses would benefit from a touch of rain as approach shots to greens can be unpredictable with the hard ground conditions.  I’m not complaining about the hard fairways though, as drives are gaining 30-40 yards in some cases.  I never thought I’d see the day when I’d be hoping for rain in Scotland…but it has arrived.

On the run up to trips I am often asked by clients what kind of weather they should expect and I generally respond with the same answer – prepare for all conditions and hope for the best.  It is a difficult question to answer as you can literally experience all 4 seasons during the same day.  Clients who have travelled in the last 7-8 weeks have definitely enjoyed some of the best weather Scotland has to offer.  I struggle to enjoy golf when it’s raining, the wind is blowing so hard I can’t put my umbrella up, and I play badly, but this has not been an issue so far this year.  Here’s hoping it keeps up!

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

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Open 2010 at St. Andrews

PerryGolf Staff

In just over 2 weeks time the Open Championship will once again return to the home of golf, and I personally cannot wait to attend.  St. Andrews is a fantastic place to spend time during any summer, but when the Open is taking place there, the entire area explodes with excitement.  Due to work commitments, I won’t be able to attend every day, but I do plan on being there for the past champions challenge and the 3rd round at the very least.  I’d say that this year’s championship promises to be more exciting than most as Tiger is no longer the dominant force that he once was and there are countless players at the top of their game. I still think he will feature on the leader board come Sunday…but he certainly won’t be winning by record margins like he has done in the past.

Graeme McDowell, Lee Westwood, and Paul Casey are the 3 Europeans that I am tipping to do well.  As for the American hopefuls, I’d say that Phil Mickelson is the favorite.  He always seems to be there or thereabouts in the majors these days and he’s also aiming to topple Tiger from the top of the world rankings.  The Open is such a great championship and usually produces some sort of fairytale story; so maybe we’ll see an outsider take the title this year.  Ben Curtis (2003) and Todd Hamilton (2004) would certainly fall into this category – so it can be done.

Regardless of who wins the Open in 2010, it is sure to be an exciting tournament and hopefully we will witness some more magic at St Andrews.

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

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