So where is your favorite golf course?

The title is an often asked question of me and the simple fact of the matter is that I am not a favorites type person. Every golf course has it’s pluses; some more than others.

So if you do not have a favorite, how do you measure quality of experience.

As hard as it is, the challenge is to isolate yourself from the people you are with as invariably they have an impact on your enjoyment. Pointers I look for in no particular order would include;

Welcome of golf staff – are they trained by the airlines or a premium grocery store

Smoothness of golf operation – do your clubs get onto your cart or to your caddy with no apparent effort? or do you have to look out for yourself

Is there sufficient signage to get you to where you need to be? range, #1 tee, etc?

Is the golf course playable (challenging without wearing you down)?

Are the greens good and generally the playing conditions closer to excellent than average?

Does the golf course move at a steady pace that is enjoyable, i.e. no slow groups which the golf staff do not address

If you could answer all of the above affirmatively you are well on your way to a favorite course. Next time you play be sure to be playing with friends if you did not on your initial round.
 

About the Author: Gordon Dalgleish is the Co-Founding Director of PerryGolf, the leading provider of international golf vacations. You can find him on Google+

SHARE

Dining in Dublin…what recession?

As if to prove a point that not all prices are being reset in the “new normal” economy I read this article in the Wall Street Journal Online that references the noted restaurants in Dublin that many of our clients ask about.


 

About the Author: Gordon Dalgleish is the Co-Founding Director of PerryGolf, the leading provider of international golf vacations. You can find him on Google+

SHARE

Fifty More Places to Play Golf…

It only seems appropriate that the first book to review in this blog is titled “Fifty More Great Places to Play Golf Before you Die”, by Chris Santella. Exactly as the title suggests, Chris has reached out to various golf industry personnel for their favorites. It covers as you might expect, a very interesting and diverse range of locations throughout the world. It is well written with humorous anecdotes along with how to information for each destination. An excellent Holiday gift for the well travelled golfer…who is seeking new ideas!
 

About the Author: Gordon Dalgleish is the Co-Founding Director of PerryGolf, the leading provider of international golf vacations. You can find him on Google+

SHARE

Foursomes

An interesting article from the Wall Street Journal Online Edition that quoted yours truly regarding foursomes play;

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703746604574461621134545230.html
 

About the Author: Gordon Dalgleish is the Co-Founding Director of PerryGolf, the leading provider of international golf vacations. You can find him on Google+

SHARE

Roaming need not be expensive

Another area which has changed significantly in recent years is communications, and more specifically, communicating home or to the office when you are on vacation. I use a number of tools when travelling, each for a different purpose based on cost, reliability, etc. For the more mundane domestic US travel a cell phone is hardly a revelation. I could not recount the last time I used a hotel room phone or pay phone. My phone/PDA also delivers my voice mails as email attachments so I can easily listen to without calling my voicemail at the office (to discover I have no messages).

When travelling overseas I will buy a local SIM card for my cell phone so that I have a local number if I will be in that country for several days or expect to be making a number of local calls. It is now substantially easier to have US Carriers unlock cell phones than in the past. I called AT&T prior to a trip to Asia and they provided an unlock code within 5 days, it was very easy. Finally, for overseas travel I use Skype. Virtually all hotels have broadband internet access and I use Skype to stay in touch via video with home. It works extremely well and is no charge…the price is right. I also use Skype (their SkypeOut service) for calling back to the USA from overseas (2.5 cents/min). All in all, with the correct planning you should be able to remain in as much contact as you wish when travelling…all for a reasonable cost.

Keep an eye on Google Voice which is currently by invitation only following their acquisition of Gizmo5. I think this will be a great tool for inexpensive communications, particularly for international travelers.

The high cost of international roaming with a cell phone has recently caught people’s attention. This CNN story on the topic brings it all into perspective. You may get around these charges if you enroll in a roaming program with your cellular provider…in advance of travel!

A recent article in USA Today on Best Business Hotels also reminded me of the importance of knowing what services your hotel will reasonably provide. Our clients will mostly remain in contact with their offices while on an overseas golf vacation. A basic hotel may lower the cost of the trip but provides no support for their work requirements, such as a Business Center with internet accessed PC or printing capabilities.
 

About the Author: Gordon Dalgleish is the Co-Founding Director of PerryGolf, the leading provider of international golf vacations. You can find him on Google+

SHARE