Golf Blog

Caribbean Golf Vacation with the PGA Tour

Need an idea for a Golf Vacation?  The PGA Tour is venturing into new territory this season.  During the week of March 20 to 23, the Tour will make a stop in Puerto Rico.  From a travelers standpoint, it's the best decision they've made in a long time.

The Coco Beach Golf & Country Club in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico will play host to the Puerto Rico Open.  A compilation of the club's four distinct nine-hole layouts, designed by Tom Kite, will be used as the Open course.  The Coco Beach courses are obviously challenging enough for the best players in the world, but they also display the beauty of the Caribbean host nation. 

Near the Coco Beach club is the Gran Meliá Puerto Rico Resort.  Accomodations at the resort are luxurious as any in the Caribbean.  Suites are available from $665 per night and up and each has numerous amenities. 

The Gran Meliá resort is perfect for a family Caribbean vacation.  An amazing spa and wellness center, kids club, lagoon-style pool, lighted tennic courts, dance classes, casino, golf and tons of other activities. 

The PGA Tour stops at some great locations, but this Golf Vacation Idea may top the list. 

Traveling to England for the Open Championship

The Open Championship, or the British Open, as it's called in the United States, returns to Royal Birkdale this July.  If you're planning to make the trip, or simply "planning to plan," now is the time.

Royal Birkdale is located in Southport, England, just north of Liverpool.  Being near such an urban center as Liverpool should provide traveler with a number of choices for lodging, even at this relatively late date.

As of today's date, there are at least a couple of hotels with rooms remaining for the Open Championship week, according to AboutBritain.com:

• Holiday Inn, Haydock - Located between Liverpool and Manchester, certainly within commuting distance to the Open.  Rooms start at £135 per person.
• Britannia Adelphi - Located in Liverpool.  This hotel was first built to accomodate passengers of the Titanic.  Rooms start at £64 per person.

Both hotels were given 4-star ratings by AboutBritain.com.

As for attractions, virtually everything in Britain is within a relatively short rail trip.  In Northwest England, there are six castles, 15 gardens, two amusement parks, 54 museums, and lots of beautiful countryside, just to name a few things. 

Time is of the essence if you want to see the Open Championship and stay nearby.

Alan L. Hammond is a freelance golf and travel writer.  He can be reached via this blog, at ashwriting@insightbb.com or through Suite101.com.

Nova Scotia Spring Golf Vacation Package

If you’re starting to plan a Nova Scotia golf vacation this year, the spring special at Osprey Shores Golf Resort on the Eastern Shore might entice you to move up your trip planning to take advantage of the great getaway package rates they are offering in May and June.

For spring, Osprey Shores Resort is offering an extra 10 percent of the first night’s accommodation when golfers book any golf getaway package.  Book a two night golf package and golfers receive 20 percent off their second night of accommodation.  All golf packages include a hearty continental breakfast daily in the Clubhouse.
As a member of the Authentic Seacoast™ Family of Properties in the charming seacoast village
of Guysborough, Osprey Shores’ golf packages include a range of dining options in the village including the Rare Bird Pub & Eatery and DesBarres Manor Inn.   The Rare Bird is a true East Coast brew pub serving up sea inspired pub fare, craft ales brewed on-site and live music.   DesBarres Manor is the sophisticated sibling offering gourmet dining.  A fresh daily seasonal menu features contemporary Canadian cuisine with an East Coast flair.

Only 30 minutes from renowned Cape Breton Island, Osprey Shores Golf Resort is one of those off the beaten track courses that delight golfers with its ocean views from every fairway.  Located on a peninsula at the head of the Atlantic Coast’s largest bay, Chedabucto Bay, Osprey Shores has a unique Maritime charm that gets people back into the fun of golf.  With a wide range of recreational activities including hiking, cycling, an outdoor pool, volleyball, horseshoes, badminton, boat launch and private cove and a bonfire pit, Osprey Shores has all the ingredients for a relaxing Nova Scotia golf vacation this spring.

Northern California Golf Getaway for Mom and Dad

We love our kids, but sometimes all parents need a relaxing, rejuvinating getaway.

If golf is something the two of you have in common, the Livermore Valley Wine Country Championship At Wente Vineyards, near the San Francisco Bay area, may be just what you need.

Northern California’s premier golf, food and wine event returns to The Course At Wente Vineyards March 31-April 6, when the Nationwide Tour makes its only stop in the greater Bay Area. Besides hosting the best field of professional golfers to visit the Bay Area in 2008, the Wine Country Championship also will feature gourmet food and wine tasting each day.

Founded in 1883, Wente Vineyards, located near Livermore, California, is the country’s oldest continuously operated family-owned winery. Owned and managed today by the fourth and fifth generations of the Wente family, the winery draws from nearly 3,000 acres of estate vineyards located in the Livermore Valley and Arroyo Seco regions of California.

Visitors to the area can choose from resort accommodations at the Purple Orchid Inn Resort & Spa,  or a variety of hotels in and around Livermore.

Experience professional golf that's as good as any you'll see on the PGA Tour, without the throngs of people, all while enjoying great food, wine and a beautiful landscape.

Rocky Gap Lodge and Golf Resort

It's hard to believe, but at the base of Western Maryland's Evitts Mountain, in the Rocky Gap State Park,  sits the only Jack Nicklaus Signature Course in the state, the Golden Bear at Rocky Gap Lodge and Golf Resort.

The absence of other Maryland golf courses holding the Jack Nicklaus Signature Course distinction is testimony to the difficulty of obtaining the title.  The course has recently obtained multiple awards, such as the 2006 "Greens of Distinction," Corporate and Incentive Travel,  2007 "4-Star," Golf Digest, and 2007/2008 Zagat's "Best Places to Play."

As with a growing number of golf resorts these days, golf isn't the only thing you get.  This month, Wine Enthusiast magazine gave the resort it's coveted Award of Distinction.  The the resort's Lakeside Restaurant earned Wine Enthusiast's praise by being one of the country's most wine-friendly restaurants. 

In addition to the championship golf course and fine dining options, the popular multi-amenity resort offers:

• 215 guest rooms
• Fabulous spa with innumerable, relaxing treatments;
• Extensive meeting programs encompassing 15,000+ square feet of banquet and meeting space and numerous service options;
• Family and children's activities (horseback riding, paintball, climbing wall, rappelling, whitewater rafting, canoeing and a Scales & Tales animal program by the campfire);
• Corporate team building programs through Western Maryland Adventures;
• Special weddings programs by the lake with both indoor and outdoor settings;
• Beautiful lakeside pavilions.

For every member of the family, and most any occasion, the Rocky Gap Lodge and Golf Resort deserves a look when planning your next family vacation, golf trip, or mom and dad getaway.

Alan L. Hammond is a freelance golf and travel writer.  Contact him through Suite101.com or at his blog, Suite Golf Travel.

Winter Golf and Spa Vacation in Florida

The holiday season is rarely as relaxing as it looks from the viewpoint of July or August.  If you’re looking for a truly relaxing vacation after a hectic holiday season, and activities for the family, consider a visit to The Spa at Plantation, which opened this week, at The Plantation Golf Resort & Spa in Crystal River, Florida.

Plan your vacation to this state-of-the-art spa featuring an extensive menu of facials, Vichy shower body treatments, massage therapy, pedicures, manicures, and a full hair salon. According to The Spa, they are a certified Aveda Concept Salon/Spa, which means the spa exclusively offers 98% plant-derived Aveda hair care, skin care and makeup, in a relaxing and caring environment with an array of services.

In addition to the relaxing services, spa visitors receive access to the resort’s outdoor swimming pool and state of the art fitness center.

The spa is managed by Director Angela Oliverio, an 18 year veteran in the industry who opened her first spa, Abitare’ Paris Salon & Day Spa in 1991. The spa states that in 2007, Abitare’ was named a "Top 200 spa in the United States".

Located on Florida’s Gulf Coast, west of Orlando, The Plantation Golf Resort & Spa, in addition to the spa services, offers 27 holes of championship golf. Golfers of all skill levels will have the option of playing the 18-hole Championship Course, or the nine-hole Lagoons course.

For those travelers combining business and vacation, the resort offers 200 guest rooms and 12,000 square feet of meeting space.

With other activities like scuba diving with manatee, relaxing on a scenic boat tour, enjoying a day of fishing, or a game of tennis, each member of the family will have lots to do at The Plantation Resort & Spa.

Alan L. Hammond is a freelance golf and travel writer.  His work can be easily found at Suite101.com and at his blog, Suite Golf Travel.