By Gordon Dalgleish
PerryGolf President and Co-Founder
As we approach the end of summer and plans start to take hold for 2019 I thought it may be an interesting exercise to share some observations on the current state of the golf travel industry.
Read more “Thoughts from a strong period of golf travel around the globe”
Once again, The Open delivered a compelling final round befitting golf’s oldest championship.
The 42-year-old Tiger Woods seized the lead – and the golf world’s attention – early in the back nine, adding fuel to an improbable comeback. Jordan Spieth fought valiantly to defend his title. Justin Rose and Rory McIlroy thrilled the locals with spirited charges on the closing holes. In all, at least a half-dozen golfers battled atop the leaderboard as the holes dwindled and the sun began to dip over historic Carnoustie, which bared its teeth via strong breezes and hole locations tucked in corners.
As the dust from another divot drifted across the hard baked links, Francesco Molinari earned the Claret Jug with a brilliant 69, capping a incredible weekend during which he never made a score worse than par. Molinari missed 12 greens in regulation in the final 36 holes and saved par every time. Known for consistent ballstriking it was this amazing scrambling that allowed him to become the first Italian golfer to claim a major championship. His victory extended a torrid run. Since missing the cut at The Players in May, he’s won three of six starts and finished runner-up twice to soar to No. 6 in the world and cement a spot on the European Ryder Cup team in September in France.
Molto bene, Francesco. Molto bene.
PerryGolf guests walked the fairways and followed the drama of The 147th Open on Sunday, enjoying a 12-day cruise that included golf at The Ailsa Course at Trump Turnberry, Prestwick and site of The 148th Open next July, Royal Portrush.
Equally spectacular is next year’s cruise through the British Isles and onward to The 148th Open on board the mid-sized luxury vessel, Azamara Journey.
The journey features golf at Royal County Down, consistently ranked top five in the world; Prestwick, site of The 1st Open and subsequent 11 championships; Royal Birkdale, where Palmer, Watson and Spieth each became Champion Golfer of the Year; K Club Ryder Cup Course, host of the 2006 matches.
Of course, PerryGolf offers multiple options for golfers interested in traveling to The Open as it returns to Northern Ireland for the first time since 1951. Choose from an array of tours and cruises catered to suit the specific needs of each guest, play golf on the most famous links in the world and experience hidden gems such as Carne and Ballyliffin, Glashedy Links – often referred to as the ‘Dornoch of Ireland.’
https://www.perrygolf.com/britishopen/british-open-golf-packages.php
Play four courses in The Open rota, including the Old Course at St. Andrews and Carnoustie, on this 6-night, 6-round Tour, available April – October 2019.
Or, look ahead and make plans to attend The 149th Open at Royal St. George’s, site of triumphs by Darren Clarke, Greg Norman and twice apiece by Walter Hagen and Harry Vardon.
It’s uncanny how The Open manages to deliver a thrilling, often unpredictable final round each year. The combination of phenomenal links, the Royal & Ancient’s excellent setup and a touch of Mother Nature provides the ultimate challenge for the best golfers in the world and thrilling action for spectators in the gallery and viewers at home. Let PerryGolf put you in the former category next year in Northern Ireland for what will certainly be a historic championship.
The 147th Open at Carnoustie begins in 10 days. Final Qualifying was held last week at Notts (Hollinwell), Princes, St. Anne’s Old Links and Renaissance in the U.K., and continued last weekend on the PGA Tour where the top four finishers inside the top 12 at A Military Tribute at the Greenbrier who were not already exempt punched their ticket to Scotland. Kelly Kraft, Brandt Snedeker, Jason Kokrak and Austin Cook earned their way into the field.
Ballyliffin’s Glashedy Links – and its sister Old Course – are popular featured options when PerryGolf visits Ireland’s northern coast. Glashedy Links proved an admirable host for the European Tour’s qualifier for The Open – the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open. Ryan Fox, Zander Lombard and Andy Sullivan added their name to the tee sheet at Carnoustie through their strong play at Ballyliffin.
The final two spots in The Open are reserved for the champions of the Scottish Open and John Deere Classic – if those players are not already in The Open field.
PerryGolf is pleased to offer an array of Escorted Tours, Custom Tours and Cruises for golfers interested in tackling the majestic links of The Open rota and sites of Final Qualifying that are sprinkled throughout the British Isles. In addition we’ll guide you through the U.K. and Ireland’s multitude of other venerable layouts, including the familiar world renowned designs and the delightful hidden gems. Every package presents attractive options in course selection and trip duration, catered to fit the specific needs of each guest.
Anyone wanting to experience the action and excitement of The Open next year as it makes a historic return to Royal Portrush, join host PerryGolf co-founder Colin Dalgleish on a 12-night, 5-round voyage from Edinburgh to Southampton, including rounds at Royal Birkdale, Ailsa Turnberry and Royal County Down. Attend the final round of The 148th Open and watch the game’s best golfers battle for the Claret Jug. (See all the details below).
https://www.perrygolf.com/golfcruising/the-open-at-royal-portrush-2019-golf-cruise-package.php
PerryGolf also delivers several other appealing options for golfers aiming to play Ireland’s best and enjoy the final round at Royal Portrush – here’s one example of such a Custom Tour: https://www.perrygolf.com/standard-quote.php/115139/The-148th-Open-plus-Dublin-Newcastle–Londonderry.html
Those wanting to brush up on their history before next week’s championship by learning more about past champions of The Open will want to tune into “Chronicles of a Champion Golfer,” which is produced by the R&A. The first two seasons are available on Netflix, and elsewhere, while the third season is currently airing on Golf Channel. We watched the Nick Pride episode recently and found it compelling. Price, a gentleman of the game, discussed serving in the Rhodesian Air Force during wartime, the impact of losing his father at a young age and near misses at The Open before he prevailed in 1994 at Turnberry.
This is the eighth time Carnoustie has played host to The Open and the links considered the most difficult in the rota certainly has carved its place in the championship’s rich, storied history.
Padraig Harrington hoisted the Claret Jug at Carnoustie most recently, defeating Sergio Garcia in a playoff in 2007. The legendary Ben Hogan won The 82nd Open in 1953 in his only appearance in golf’s oldest championship. Hogan was also the last golfer to win the first three legs of the modern Grand Slam. He was unable to play the final tournament the PGA Championship, due to a scheduling conflict and the 36-hole-per-day match play format, as he came back from a horrific auto accident.
Yet, it’s quite possible that one particular championship at Carnoustie – The 128th Open – will live forever in infamy. It was a unforgettable moment in golf history, and one, unfortunately that will always be recalled for the man who squandered the Claret Jug and not the champion who eventually claimed it.
https://www.perrygolf.com/escorted-tour/scotland-home-of-golf-escorted-2019.php
Jean Van de Velde, a unheralded French pro, played flawless golf for 71 holes that week in 1999. He arrived at the tee of the daunting par-4 18th holding a three-shot lead, needing only a double bogey to secure the title. An errant tee shot was the first of a series of mistakes that ultimately created a three-way tie atop the leaderboard and a playoff won by Paul Lawrie of Scotland. (Here’s a good trivia question to ask while having a pint with your golfing pals: Who was the third participant in the playoff?).
This evening, Golf Channel debuts “Go Down Swinging,” which projects as an excellent documentary of the events 19 years ago. You can relive the agony of the final hole fiasco featuring commentary from the inestimable Peter Alliss, below. The answer to our trivia question is Justin Leonard.
PerryGolf’s Concierge Drivers play an essential part in any Customized or Escorted Tour. They fill many roles during your trip abroad – from recommending restaurants to sharing nuggets of local history and culture while also making certain every part of the Tour from the airport to the hotel to the first tee runs smoothly on schedule. This post is the first in an ongoing series, during which we’ll profile the devoted, diligent Concierge Drivers who help PerryGolf guests, Play the Game. See the World.
One of Neil Cruickshank’s first encounters with golf occurred in 1977 at Turnberry.
Armed with a degree in hotel management, Cruickshank landed a job at the famous hotel adjacent to the course in Scotland where American legends Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus staged their epic Duel in the Sun in The 106th Open.
The evening after the final round, Nicklaus, accompanied by wife Barbara, entered the hotel’s main dining room. They received a standing ovation and hearty round of applause from the other diners and guests, Cruickshank recalls. Minutes later, Watson entered to a polite, yet somewhat muted response. Perhaps the young American had yet to fully win the hearts of Scotland; their special mutual relationship accelerated that day, however, as Watson’s second consecutive 65 nipped Nicklaus and earned his second Claret Jug. He finished his career with five, tying the modern record, and, at age 59, missed a sixth by inches at Turnberry in 2009.
The storied Ailsa Course at Trump Turnberry, as it’s known today, remains one of Cruickshank’s favorite places to take his PerryGolf clients. He’s spent the last two years as a Concierge Driver, after enjoying a long, successful career in the hotel and service industry. A golfer for 50-odd years, he’s never played the game particularly well but that hasn’t curbed his enthusiasm for rounds on legendary links like Royal Dornoch or Turnberry, which he feels is even better following architect Martin Ebert’s massive renovation in 2016.
Regardless the destination, Cruickshank, 59, enjoys his role as Tour host because of the friendships and relationships built during the week-to-10-days spent together.
“It’s two-fold,” Cruickshank said in a phone interview. “We’re making the trips a trip of a lifetime for a guy, seeing their enjoyment and excitement of the trip. We deal with all the detail. That’s all it takes and seeing all that is exciting. Meeting the new people and going back to old style hotel keeping where you are really taking care of your customers.”
Cruickshank possesses enormous pride in all portions of his native Scotland, from the rich culture to the natural beauty and certainly the golf which is beyond compare. He’s also a particularly fervent supporter of the national rugby union team and plans to travel to Japan to support them in the World Cup in 2019.
Then again, traveling is old hat for Cruickshank. Clad in a kilt, he was a volunteer greeter during the 2016 Ryder Cup at Hazeltine and ranks that as perhaps the ultimate sporting experience. The journey to Minnesota also enabled him to reconnect with former PerryGolf clients who reside in the States and have become friends through the years. It’s not unusual for Cruickshank to receive a photo text message when one is playing a top 100 layout on a particularly pleasant day, trying to make him a touch jealous – all in good fun, of course.
These relationships are the backbone of the experience for Cruickshank.
“It’s strange how quickly it does develop,” he said. “When you meet them at the airport they are so excited, like children at Christmastime or in a candy store. They are a joy to be with and that becomes infectious.”
“You get caught up with their excitement, just think about the next round of golf and talk about their previous round of golf, get to know them really quickly. There’s no barriers, away from their home environment, it’s quite amazing how much you learn about them and their family. You’re with them for big chunks of the day, really do build a bond with them.”
6 Nights, 6 Rounds in the Scottish Highlands and St. Andrews
Cruickshank relies on decades of experience in the service industry to determine the ideal agenda for each set of guests. Some might desire the fine dining options available across Scotland while others simply seek sustenance to survive until the next round of golf. Whatever their preference, his role as concierge driver demands that the clubs and luggage are always safe and secure while golfers arrive at the course well in advance of their starting time.
“Everything is labeled and I always check how many bags they have,” he said. “Many of our hotels have a golf storage. Each morning we get the clubs out and off we go. I check with the golf courses to make sure everything is in place. If caddies have been requested … we pride ourselves at PerryGolf on being one step ahead.”
The seasonal schedule (April – October due to daylight restrictions in the spring and fall) serves Cruickshank well at this point in his life. Married with three children, two of whom live in Glasgow and one who lives at home, serving as Concierge Driver on roads and in towns he knows so intimately enable him to provide a comfortable experience for all clients.
Memories lasting a lifetime are made on these trips to golf’s most hallowed grounds. Links that have tested the greatest golfers through the generations accompanied by dozens of hidden gems make every trip unforgettable and golfers anxious to return. Years like this one, which have been dry and seasonably warm, only amplify the expectations. With drivers like Cruickshank behind the wheel, clients feel confident they’ll be steered around Scotland in the best of hands.
PerryGolf is thrilled to add three exciting new golf cruises to its calendar in 2020. We’ll spend the next couple of weeks giving a glimpse of each unique, enchanting destination, starting today with a preview of our maiden cruise to South Africa, a 10-night 4-round trip offered January 21 – January 31, 2020 on the exquisite Azamara Quest. Look for more details – including pricing – on the PerryGolf website in the coming weeks.
Azamara Quest, a 690-guest luxury vessel, is intimate, yet never crowded, delivering fine dining, the full-service award-winning Sanctum Spa, live entertainment and impeccable poolside service with ample room to lounge and enjoy the view.
The South African Cruise embarks in Cape Town and returns there after visiting the fascinating ports of Port Elizabeth, Richards Bay, Durban and East London.
PerryGolf offers multiple options for travelers aiming to add South Africa to their portfolio. A visit there and it will become obvious why this diverse nation is one of the top five destinations for golfers in the world.
The Best of South Africa Escorted Tour 2019 is a 14-night, 5 round journey that is fully hosted by PerryGolf personnel throughout from February 23 – March 9, 2019. This Escorted Tour covers all the bases – golf, wine, cities and Big Game. Our 2018 South Africa Escorted Tour in November is sold out and on a wait list. We also offer Customized Tours to South Africa with travel dates of your choosing. For example, The Best of South Africa includes 14 nights (four on Safari) plus 8 rounds of golf. Of course, our customized tours can be tailored to satisfy your preferences.
With a population of roughly 3.8 million, Cape Town is the second-largest city in South Africa, trailing only Johannesburg. From wine to hiking, beaches to boutiques, Cape Town has evolved into a diverse, cosmopolitan city that appeals to visitors from across the globe. Azamara Shore Excursions can lead you to the top of Table Mountain in a cable car with a revolving floor or schedule a leisurely bike ride through the city’s streets, allowing you to see, hear and inhale all of the sights, sounds and scents of Cape Town. PerryGolf president Gordon Dalgleish visited this region in 2014 with his family and shared his thoughts and appreciation for the bustling, beautiful city and surrounding area.
Many travelers became familiar with Durban in 2010 when the city was host for the soccer World Cup. Suffice it to say the city is no longer South African’s hidden gem. Home to the Zulu people and Africa’s largest Indian population, the city is rich in culture and architecture, and the majestic Golden Mile of beaches lies east of the city center. A trip to the African Markets begins with a scenic drive down Victoria Embankment and features stops at areas devoted to the spices, herbs and beads that reveal the essence of Durban. Azamara Shore Excursions also include a beer tasting and high tea while those inclined toward cardiovascular activity can rent a bicycle and pedal at their own pace down the coast, gazing at the myriad lagoons and coves.
Port Elizabeth is a wonderful coastal town on Algoa Bay in South Africa’s Eastern Cape Province. Take a stroll down the Storms River Suspension Bridge (left) inside Tsitsikamma (aka Garden Route) National Park and perhaps catch a glance of the whales and seabirds of the region. As you wind down this coastline you’ll understand its billing as one of the most beautiful stretches in the world.
Those interested in spying big game, such as lions and rhino, can make the short ride inland to Addo Elephant National Park, where there are self-drive and safari hosts available.
Of course, golf is an essential part of the journey. South Africa has produced classy champions for generations, beginning with Bobby Locke, who won The Open on four occasions and is widely considered one of the game’s greatest putters. In 1946, Sam Snead traveled to South Africa to play Locke in 16 exhibition matches. Locke won 12 and halved two with Snead winning two. Our trip includes a round of golf at Humewood Golf Club, a challenging links that Locke considered the finest in South Africa during his era.
First and foremost on any list of South African golfing greats is the Black Knight himself, Gary Player, the nine-time major champion and one of only five men to win the professional Grand Slam. Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, Charl Schwartzel and Louis Oosthuizen have followed the path he blazed, claiming major titles in the last two decades.
Durban Country Club, established in 1922, possesses a strong reputation and has served as a frequent host of the South African Open. It’s the only course in Africa to be included in Golf Magazine’s Top 100 Courses in the World.
Pearl Valley, located on the luxurious Val de Vie Estate, has developed a terrific reputation as the best conditioned course in South Africa and ranks as one of the top 10 courses overall. Course designer Jack Nicklaus and the legendary home hero Player inaugurated the layout in 2003 and it served as host for the South Africa Open on three occasions. The 230-yard par-3 third hole is unforgettable and unforgiving as a hazard cuts into the right side of the green and a cavernous bunkers swallows errant shots to the left.
Our South African Golf Cruise is another program that showcases the diverse portfolio of golf and travel experiences that we offer. Not only does PerryGolf offer more options for couples by land and sea than any other operator, but PerryGolf Cruising alone in 2018/2019/2020 with Azamara Club Cruises features 25 of the World Top 100 courses as recognized by Golf and Golf Digest Magazines.
