Luggage Restrictions

February 17, 2010January 12, 2010 PerryGolf Staff

On a trip to Philadelphia in September to watch the Walker Cup at Merion Golf Club, I had booked the flights with British Airways on their excellent business class service. Aware the luggage allowance for all airlines has changed recently, I noted BA allowed three cases up to 23kg each for Club Class; like every airline there is a hefty charge per kilo if you are over this limit. Not being particularly well organised in advance, I had to use my existing luggage and found the larger case was nearly 6 kg in weight, so before even the first (of many) pair of shoes went in I had used up nearly a quarter of my weight allowance. Clearly action had to be taken as I cannot really be bothered with two cases.

I spent considerable time researching the various options. Clearly I could have gone the ‘kit’ bag route, but my preference is a soft trolley case – however the wheel system and structure of the case can be the main part of the weight. There are new luggage sets on the market which are very light weight, but I felt they would probably not be as long-lasting and robust for the treatment they receive in airports. Also I was surprised at the huge difference in the capacity of cases – definitely go for an expandable case! I finally opted for Antlers New Size Zero range, buying the large case, 30”, expandable, only 3.2kg and has a 100 litre capacity. The medium case is 26”, 2.8kg and has a 66 litre capacity. It is also important to note that Antler include a TSA padlock which is compatible with US Security.

Now for my next trip I have 3kg/6.6lb of extra luggage to pack…think that will be allocated to more shoes…a girl just can never pack enough shoes!

By Anne Filshie. Anne is the Group Director of Operations for PerryGolf.

Stay in St.Andrews during the British Open

February 16, 2010February 18, 2010 Cameron Reid

We have limited space left to stay in the Fairmont St.Andrews during this years British Open. This is a unique opportunity to stay so close to the tournament venue and experience the special atmosphere that exists when the Championship is played at St.Andrews, the home of golf.

Our package is available for 4 nights from Monday, 12 July and includes admission tickets to the the opening two rounds of the tournament (Thursday & Friday), two rounds of golf over the excellent Torrance Course and the new Castle Course and transport by rental car throughout. You will have the opportunity to see the Past Champions Event, which is being held on the Wednesday prior to the tournament to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the first staging of the Open at Prestwick in 1860. Past Champions will play four holes over the Old Course.

Prices start from $2,895 for a golfer and $2,655 for a non golfer. For further details call our Golf Travel Specialists on 1 800 344 5257 or email to information@perrygolf.com

Hickory Golf Experience

January 30, 2010January 12, 2010 Cameron Reid

Golf from a era gone by at Kingarrock — Golf from a bygone era at Kingarrock

Ever wondered what it would be like to play golf like it was 100 years ago. Well now you can at Kingarrock, just 10 miles from St.Andrews, Scotland. The course is open in the summer months and have 9 holes specifically designed for hickory play. It is hassle free, all players are provided with five original hickory clubs, an original canvas and leather bag, together with balls and tees that represent the early 20th century golfing experience. Your “new” clubs for the day are a Spoon (3 wood), Driving Iron, Mashie (7 iron), Niblick (wedge) and Putter. The guarantee of an hour gap on the 1st tee between groups lets you experience the feeling of personal privacy. A nip of whisky or port will help get you into the spirit of the “roaring twenties” prior to teeing off while “Da Anderson” ginger beer and shortbread are the traditional refreshments after golf.

Golfers suitably dressed for the occasion!!

You may want to go one step further and make the effort to dress in clothes typical of the era!! Overall, a great experience that might just give you an appreciation of the skills required to play golf before technology took over.

Long Haul Air Economy Travel reinvented & timeless service

January 26, 2010October 6, 2014 Gordon Dalgleish

Over the years I have seen the marketing machines for airlines use various hyped expressions to describe their latest service introduction…usually it is just oversell with relatively little innovative thinking. This mornings news from Air New Zealand with their genuinely redesigned economy seat…er couch is fresh thinking indeed. I commend them on their innovation.

By definition travel to New Zealand is long haul due to it location, but the effort is rewarded when you get there. One of the truly great country house experiences anywhere in the world awaits you at Huka Lodge which just received the Tatler Award for enduring excellence. Huka Lodge holds the distinction as either the only, or one of only two places in the world to host Queen Elizabeth II on three separate occasions for a personal trip. Not something you see on many hotel brochures!

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+

London Stopover Trip

January 22, 2010December 25, 2009 PerryGolf Staff

We decided to stop off in London for a few days – so much to see and do! Fortunately the weather was perfect for sightseeing and we were quite happy to explore on foot. Our hotel was not far from the River Thames and we walked to the Millennium Bridge, taking in St. Pauls Cathedral on the way, and then along the Embankment to the London Eye. This is a must for everyone on a London trip and includes a short 4D film – the fourth dimension being atmospherics as you ‘travel’ through London.

After the Eye, we continued our walk and went over Westminster Bridge to the Houses of Parliament. London is really well sign-posted for tourists anyway, but every time we opened up our tourist map, someone would ask if we needed a hand! These were ordinary people going by and they were so helpful. We continued our walk past Westminster Abbey, found Downing Street (we could only see No 10 from the security barrier), and went onto the Horse Guard’s Parade to watch the changing of the guard. The two regiments that guard the palaces are the Household Cavalry (in red tunics) and the Blues & Royals (in blue). The horses were magnificently turned out and so patient with everyone wanting their pictures taken next to a horse. The troopers looked so young but maybe that was just me!

We continued our walk through St. James Park and up to Buckingham Palace(so many people and so many nationalities, but all just enjoying being there) and then on up Constitution Hill to Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, the Princess Diana Memorial garden and the Serpentine. London is full of statues and memorials and you could spend a day just exploring these. We were getting pretty hungry by now and found a pavement café for an excellent lunch and then heard someone say that downstairs was Prince Harry’s favourite nightclub. Setting off again, we retraced our steps through the park and down The Mall to Trafalgar Square to see Nelson’s Column and the lions. The National Art Gallery (located on one side of the square) is a very impressive building, but we didn’t have time to visit it on this occasion. Must go back!

We wanted to see a show while we were there and headed to Leicester Square and the returned ticket booths – discovering Covent Garden on our way. This was once the original fruit and flower market for London but is now two storeys of small trendy shops, stalls selling all sorts of jewellery, handbags, scarves, etc, and courtyard areas where ‘living statues’, musicians, singers and entertainers amuse the shoppers. One tiny teashop specialises in very large iced cupcakes in every conceivable flavour and with amazing decorations; we had to try them…and with a (very English) pot of tea!

Theatre tickets purchased, we headed back to the hotel for a rest before our evening ahead and to plan how we could fit in the Tower of London, Carnaby Street, Soho and China Town, not to mention shopping in Oxford Street and Harrods!

By Yvonne Shaw. Yvonne Shaw has worked for PerryGolf for over 9 years and is a member of our Administration Team.

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