A great article on airport lounge access. I have used this card for several years and it is definitely worth the cost….I was unaware of some of the underlying issues with respect to US airlines…but it makes complte sense.
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+
The hottest course on Spain’s Costa del Sol is Real Club de Golf Las Brisas. This previously very exclusive course which did not accept outside play has opened its door to PerryGolf with a very special arrangement. In terms of quality and lineage it ranks with the best on the coast. Additionally, it is close to Marbella where most of the hotels are located. It has hosted the Nations Cup and many Spanish Open’s over the years and well worth adding to your schedule while in Spain.
Another course to consider is Finca Cortesin which hosted the Volvo World Match-Play Championships in October(previously at Wentworth, near London) the publicity garnered from this event will make it a must play course.
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+
The recent edition of GOLF magazine with their 2009 rankings of their Top 100 golf courses around the world is always the subject for great debate and discussion amongst golfers. You may view entire list at;
http://search.golf.com/top-courses-and-resorts/top-100-world-courses-2009.html
One of the criticsms of the (ranking) lists are the relative inaccesibility of many of the courses, e.g. Pine Valley or Augusta National Golf Club. So with pen and paper in hand and my 25+ years of playing experience in the US and overseas I did a very simple analysis of course access of the two lists;
US Top 100 Courses – Of the Top 100 Courses, by my reckoning less than 20 permitted outside play that was not connected to a member, whether via sponsored unaccompanied or accompanied guest play. These 20 courses ranged from resort to daily fee.
On the World list, somewhere between 50 and 55 courses welcome visitor play, either because they are a resort, daily fee or a (semi) private club which accepts visitor play according to their rules.
I had no purposes to this “analysis” other than a curious observation and it supports my contention that there are many accessible world class golf courses spread throughout the globe….go and enjoy them!
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+
The recent story on pub etiquette caught my eye as I have seen the unknowing American traveler make the same mistake more times than I could count. The article has much more significance if you have witnessed the “round” ritual first hand, otherwise it is slightly obtuse. Good fun reading at http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/travel-irish-pubs-dummies/story?id=8674067
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+
There is the long standing comment about Britain and America being divided by a common language. Golf contributes it’s fair share to this confusion. Case in point, “Private” golf clubs.
In the British Isles “private” golf clubs imply they have a membership. In the U.S., a club that is designated as private probably restricts access to the course and facilities to members only. The British “private” does not, indeed most “private” courses in the British Isles welcome and are somewhat reliant on visitors for revenue.
I played at the Dunes Club in Myrtle Beach recently. The previous round was in 1984. Who needs repeat guests like me! The Dunes Club is probably one of the nicest facilities in Myrtle Beach and certainly one of the oldest. The clubhouse is on the beach and a great spot to have a drink or dinner. The course most recently hosted the Senior Tour Championship a few years ago. They have a manned security gate to protect their members from the outside world. The set up is typically that of a private club.
The twist to the story is that the Dunes Club accepts outside play. If you are a resident at one of 4 or 5 hotels you have the opportunity to play the Dunes Club on the hotels membership at a healthy greens fee. The members apparently accept this arrangement as the revenue infusion more than offsets any annoyance at unrepaired ball marks or slow play from non members. If the Dunes Club were located in virtually any other part of the U.S. the members would be appalled at this outside play…but this is Myrtle Beach and the way things are done. Which just goes to confirm you are a product of your environment.
I had not realized before how similar Myrtle Beach golf is to British golf!
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+
