Category: Local Knowledge

The Open Returns to Royal St George’s

PerryGolf Staff

The British Open returns to Royal St George’s this year.  It will be the 14th 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.

Royal St George's Golf Course

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.

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Padraig Harrington

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.

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The Machrie Hotel – End of an Era

Mhairi
The Machrie Hotel
The Machrie Hotel

I have read with sadness the news that The Machrie Hotel and Golf Course has entered administration.  I have spend several weekends on Islay over the years and the golf course is outstanding; a real hidden gem and example of a traditional links course shaped by nature.

On a personal note, the hospitality in the hotel was always very warm.  On nearing closing time one night in May I asked the bartender when the bar closed and he simply replied “September”.  As a result several memories are rather hazy shall we say.  The great course, coupled with the many single malt distilleries on the island, made for a great destination, so with any luck they will find a buyer soon.  You can see further details on the story by clicking here.

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

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Scottish Restaurant Awards 2010

PerryGolf Staff
Ondine Restaurant
Ondine Restaurant

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.

The Peat Inn
The Peat Inn

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.

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The Lodge at Doonbeg

PerryGolf Staff

The Lodge at Doonbeg is a ‘must stay’ property for anyone playing both the fantastic links course on-site and nearby Lahinch, and they have recently made changes to the room configurations to make it an easier place to stay for small parties.  Previously there were limited options when small parties were visiting the property due to the fact that a lot of the accommodation was in 2, 3 or 4 bedroom style cottages, however they have recently taken the decision to sell individual rooms within the larger cottages; meaning you can either have private access to the lounges (like you would in a hotel suite), or not, depending on your budget.

To simplify this, within a four bedroom lodge, you can now stay in one of the bedrooms and have exclusive access to the lounge area.  Doonbeg would then sell the other bedrooms within the cottage individually to other couples, none of whom would have access to the lounge.   This therefore gives you a couple of extra options to either have just an en-suite bedroom or an upgrade to what also includes a very spacious and luxurious suite.  These changes simply give you a better experience and makes it easier for small groups to stay at what was already a fantastic five star resort.

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

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