Further afield

FixdePitchmark · 26-10-2023 8:55am #1

Looking for a few ideas for a golf trip.

Done UK

Spain

Portugal

Has any group of golfers tried a new country ..a nice combination of town / city / good golf quality

I'm probably suffering a bit from irish groups doing the same old algarve type holiday ..and to be honest ,playing average enough courses.

Any fresh idea out there .

I'd imagine issue is ..most other places don't have a golf / multiple golf course option near ?

But open to ideas..

TrueDub · 26-10-2023 10:21am

You could look at the Provence Alpes Cote-D'Azur region in France. Flying into Nice and basing yourselves somewhere along the Riveria, you'd have a reasonable selection of courses within a moderate distance. Naturally, that part of France isn't going to be cheap, though.

Have you looked at the US? Florida etc has the courses and weather.

Alternative suggestion: South Africa. Plenty of good courses too.

paulos53 · 26-10-2023 10:33am

I haven't been there myself but I played with a guy recently who was just back from a golf trip to Turkey. I think it was Belek that he stayed in.

He was delighted with the trip. Good selection of courses, great weather and food. Shuttle bus from hotel to courses so no hassle with transport. The only downside was the 5 hour flight

paulos53 · 26-10-2023 10:52am

This doesn't meet your requirements but it is definitely "Further afield".

Lofoten Links is a left-field bucket list course of mine. Located in Northern Norway and within the Arctic circle. Open for 24 hours a day for a few weeks in the summer thanks to the midnight sun. It would certainly help your 2am putting competitions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1QHrZPK__w

thewobbler · 26-10-2023 10:57am

If you could do a mostly midweek trip, then I believe the Netherlands is a great option. Lots of links courses, easy to get to, easy to navigate. Just not much tee time availability at weekends.

It’s on my list. As is Aberdeen and Inverness and Bandon Dunes.

Just need to tilt my group away from thinking sunset strips and golf as equal partners.

FixdePitchmark · 26-10-2023 11:04am

Yes thewobler ..I think when you get a mixed bunch of mixed golfers together ..you end up in the same spots ..and to be honest more suitable to a stag party ..golf quality also fairly poor if your being honest..

Edmundy · 26-10-2023 11:08am

Depends on a lot of things .

Going alone?

How long are you going for ?

How far are prepared to travel ?

How much you prepared to pay for a round ?

I take it that the courses must be of a good standard.

FixdePitchmark · 26-10-2023 11:24am

4 to 5 days

About 10 golfers

I'd say we would do a 3 to 4 hour flight

Round price 75 to 150 - (above if special/ once off)

And we are use to good golf here in Ireland..

Seve OB · 26-10-2023 11:54am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121285644#Comment_121285644

I’ve done a golf trip in south of France. Well at least it started out as a golf trip with 4 golfers except we turned a 4 day venture into a week long one and the ladies in our lives tagged along. So it was golf on alternate days and tourist/holiday stuff on other days. The played some super courses. Royal Mougin springs to mind (I’ll have to look that up)

we stayed in a hotel in Frejus which had a course on site, again can’t remember name so will have to look up. I did all the organisation and 17 years later the other 3 lads & their wives tell me regularly that it was one of the best holidays they were ever on.

I’m not sure it’s a great location for a bunch of lads to go just golfing/sessions. Would be great if they wanted to mix it up a bit, fine dining in St Tropez & Cannes, Perfume shopping and history around Grasse, Art in St Paul for one of the most beautiful towns you would ever visit. The glitz and glamour of Monaco & Monte Carlo and a visit over the border to the Italian market town of Ventimigla.

jaysus, I might do it again 😁

TrueDub · 26-10-2023 12:09pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121285986#Comment_121285986

Sounds like a great trip! I've only played once over there, a course in Biot which wasn't amazing but fun all the same.

Russman · 26-10-2023 12:37pm

What time of the year you thinking of going Fix ? Might be a little too late for this year and kinda off the beaten track, but there's a few decent courses just north of Malmo in Sweden. Sort of between Malmo and Helsingborg. Barseback has held the Solheim and several European Tour events over the years and is really fantastic, and there's a place called Vasatorp that has I think now 3 courses (or two and a half maybe) with amazing facilities. Its probably more then 10 years since I've been so I don't know how the prices stack up but they weren't too bad back in the day. Fly to Copenhagen, train straight to Helsingor, ferry across the sound to Helsingborg and stay there.

To stay off the beaten track, in France, there's a course called le Kempferhof near Strasbourg that's probably in my top 3 or 5 courses I've ever played, albeit 15 years ago now. Not sure what other courses are around there, we drove up from near Basel at the time. Some good golf in the south of Germany there too, we played golf in 3 countries (France, Switzerland and Germany) in 3 days which was kinda cool, while staying in a B&B over the border in Germany. Buddy of mine is a pro and was working there at the time.

Seve OB · 26-10-2023 12:40pm

Stayed and played @ Golf Hotel Valescure

played golf @ Saint Endreol @ Royal Mougins Cannes….. maybe one other game of golf somewhere but can’t remember

CalamariFritti · 26-10-2023 12:44pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058319713/further-afield

There is more to Portugal than the Algarve. Much more. Tbh Algarve is a bit overly touristy and expensive too.

Have a look at just north of Lisbon especially Obidos region. Much more pleasant experience and stunning courses.

Eldudeson · 26-10-2023 1:26pm

I've done Orlando and Myrtle Beach in 2 separate trips before and I'd highly recommend either. Orlando had direct flights but Myrtle Beach had to connect though Charlotte.

Both were package deals that had golf and accommodation included so were 6 nights with 5 rounds of golf and were very reasonable.

September is great over there as the weather is lovely and warm but there's normally a 30 minute storm in the afternoon. Golf pauses for the storm and then straight back out.

In the end, on both trips, we would play the package round in the morning and then pay to play in another course in the afternoon. There's great deals to be had if you go on the right websites. Ended up playing 9 rounds on both trips and as you have to play with buggies because of the heat, you were never overly tired.

dickdasr1234 · 26-10-2023 2:23pm

VIETNAM

Dublin72 · 26-10-2023 8:19pm

Look at Slovakia. Cheap flights into Bratislava and good quality golf courses in the region. Look at golf mates on YouTube. They have being releasing weekly videos from courses there that all look fantastic. Weather, I think they are from September, looks great.

I'm looking into going here in September 24 or 25.

Ally McIntosh · 30-10-2023 8:35am

Fix, you could spend your whole life arranging a completely different UK trip on the kind of courses you like.

England beats Scotland, Ireland and the US as having the best golf in the world.

The Netherlands and France (around Paris, the South West or the north coast) give you the best golf in continental Europe.

You could do worse than doing a Copenhagen / Malmo trip and playing Falsterbo and Ljunghusen.

Or as said elsewhere, a Lisbon trip, going north for West Cliffs, Oitavos Dunes and Praia D’el Rey and south for Troia and the new Comporta course.

thewobbler · 30-10-2023 4:23pm

@Ally McIntosh would you know if there is ja Donegal type area anywhere in England? Ie top class golf for humble enough money?

FixdePitchmark · 30-10-2023 7:30pm

Thanks all - some class ideas , that I think most will come into play over the next 3 or 4 years.

It is shameful how little I've played in UK - and I need to sort over the next few years. They have a style we don't seem to have here. And any UK course I've been on or looked at , looks in stunning condition. I did hit Wales this year - with mixed results.

I love Donegal with a passion - everything about it - but don't say to a Donegal man - they weather is typically very bad.

To be critical of Irish golf groups - I think we lack a bit of ambition and creativity with our golf trips - and It could be a personality thing - but most lads are actually fairly happy to do the same trip again and again and again.

So - I think next trip , just to break the mold we will try Lisbon - I know not exactly dramatic, but a step away from the almost typical Irish golf trip circuit is no harm.

Any more details on Lisbon would be welcome - and if anyone wants to post any more ideas work away - will be put into the mix.

What is weather like there in say / April / May - and it must be a windy enough place ?

FixdePitchmark · 30-10-2023 7:39pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121286504#Comment_121286504

I've done both - and the last time I was there , ( I love America) - I found them areas have lost their novelty and charm . Kind of of a bizarre experience with little or no town - fairly expensive and a country fairly divided. You seem to have nothing to do in the evening except go to a shopping mall - or a bad dinning experience.

Whilst another topic - If I was doing a golf trip to America again , I'd be asking almost the same question, of a new Idea for America. Some of the more northern states for example. Or Bandon - or even West coast.

FixdePitchmark · 30-10-2023 7:47pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2057091690/lisbon-area-golf-any-recent-reviews

You can't beat Boards at times.

Russman · 30-10-2023 8:33pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121302704#Comment_121302704

There's some great golf around Lisbon, Fix. We did a trip there in 2012 I think it was, and stayed in a little fishing village called Sesimbra about an hour directly south of Lisbon (meant we didn't have to deal with the bridge or Lisbon traffic). The golf courses were all about 30/45 mins away from there. There are two brilliant courses called Aroeira I & Aroeira II in the same complex - seriously good tests, and there's a very good and very playable track called Quinta do Peru, all nearby, plus another surprisingly decent place called Montado just the far side of Setubal, maybe an hour away (can't remember exactly). I remember they were all incredible value at the time, expecially compared to the Algarve, no idea about current prices.

Ally McIntosh · 30-10-2023 9:05pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121301981#Comment_121301981

There are lots of places I could suggest that give you real quality golf but if genuinely looking for Donegal cost, try the below:

Fly in to Newquay in Cornwall, stay in Padstow and play St Enodoc, Trevose and Perranporth.
Stay in Northumberland and play Goswick, Bamburgh Castle and Dunstanburgh Castle (golf quality not quite as high as 1 but very cheap)
Cumbria gives you Silloth which is a steal. But harder to add real quality 2nd and 3rd course. Seascale your best bet and a few quirky inland courses also nearish.
Maybe even try South Wales: Pennard, Southerndown, Pyle and Kenfig and (one splash out) Royal Porthcawl all sit near each other. Move further along the coast for Tenby and Ashburnham.

If willing to spend more money, options are endless. The quality of the best inland courses is light years ahead of Ireland and a good jump ahead of Scotland. It’s the variety that makes it such a great golf course country.

Ally McIntosh · 30-10-2023 9:11pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121302942#Comment_121302942

Down near Setubal you also have Troia and the newly opened Comporta. The latter will rocket straight to No.1 in Portugal. There’s an argument for Troia being Top-3.

A lot quieter area than up on the Silver Coast though. Which may or may not suit.

Russman · 31-10-2023 9:00am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121303084#Comment_121303084

Jeez, I completely forgot about Troia !! That's the one out on the narrow spit of land in the bay isn't it ?

Further afield

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