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Golf Experience News from 2011

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Serving Golfers to The Iberian Peninsular since 1998

Antequera Golf Club closer due to new motorway.

Apart from the 50 or so excellent courses along the Costa del Sol there are also a few gems inland. The recently opened Malaga exterior bypass has taken Antequera Golf Club to within a 30 minute drive of the popular resorts of Benalmadena and Fuengirola. For this reason we will be proposing this excellent and spectacular course in many of our proposals in 2012.

Antequera Golf Club.

Antequera is over 6000 meters long and its Olive trees, acorn trees and natural herb plants, add to the natural environment and the special character of real inland Andalusia. In addition to the spectacular surroundings the journey inland to Antequera driving north from

Benalmadena over the Montes de Malaga and onto the Torcel de Antequera which is a massive plateau is truly spectacular.

To give you an idea of the spectacular scenery in this area click on the following link and take a bare knuckles walk on one of the world’s most spectacular treks!

“The entrances for this trail are closed but not policed. It was built in the 1920′s for hydro workers. There is no rail but there is a chain to hold onto but it doesn’t hold much weight and several people have fallen to their deaths. This is an amazing walk! This should have you on the edge of your seat possibly feeling slightly dizzy. It’s 6 minutes long and should be watched till the very end.

To intensify the experience, click on the full screen button (middle button that looks like four arrows on the lower right hand side of the screen when the player comes up). It’s enough to make you nauseous especially when you consider that it was filmed by someone who made the hike carrying a video camera while he did it.”

Extract from Angel Fire – Scariest Path

The new road means that extra care is needed by motorists returning cars to Malaga Airport as it adds a new divide in the motorway just before the airport.

Malaga’s new “Hipperronda (Super Ring) in blue.

Sterling vs Euro. Your pound goes further in 2012.

Sterling’s recent newfound strength – (hovering around € 1.20) or more correctly the euro’s weakness is helping inject even greater value into your Spanish golf holiday.

The same holiday at today’s prices (sterling equivalent) will cost you about 15% less compared to the same time last year. So the euro crisis does have a silver (sterling) that is lining!!

Monte Mayor Golf Club closes.

It is with great regret that we announce the closure for the foreseeable future of the famous Monte Mayor course in Benahavis / Estepona. It is really the first established course to close as a result of financial problems. This spectacular course was located in a very isolated area inland from Estepona.

 

It was a course golfers either loved or hated. Those who loved it were usually pretty handy golfers and those who didn’t were normal golfers. Monte as it was affectionately known had a cult following and something of a “macho” image which was reinforced by their slogan “you need balls to play Monte Mayor”.

We sincerely hope that when conditions improve that Monte Mayor will be reopened.

Mijas Los Lagos Golf Club

Mijas Los Lagos will close for the entire 2012 for a complete refurbishment. The Los Olivos course will of course remain open as usual. See the pictures below of work in progress.

From the last week ”Lagos” has this peculiar aspect due to the grass has been treated with poison to kill it and to begin reconstructions of the course. We will continue informing….

H10 Andalucia Plaza Hotel & Casino

The ever popular adult-only H10 Andalucia Plaza Hotel will reopen in February after its annual 2 month break for refurbishment.

During the month of February (all 29 days of it) the hotel is offering rooms at the cost of a half twin. In other words there is no single room supplement – you get the room as a single for the same price as if you were sharing.

Hotel Melia Marbella Banus

Golf Experience is delighted to add the 4 star Melia Marbella Banus hotel to its range of hotels in the Puerto Banus / Marbella area. Despite its name the hotel is probably the closest to the Marina in Puerto Banus and is about 50 meters from the beachfront. The hotel offers large refurbished rooms and the option of an upgrade to its “Level 1” superior rooms and service with a dedicated lounge with complementary food and drinks served throughout the day.

Melia Marbella Banus

Melia Marbella Banus – Level 1 lounge.

San Pedro Tunnel

OK – in response to numerous requests for information regarding the progress on the San Pedro tunnel.

All we can say it that it’s getting there. The final touches such as new sign-posting and hard landscaping are being put in place. It looks as if it could certainly be open by mid 2012 even at the current snail’s pace of progress. The only caveat is that we said something very similar around the same time last year. So you may draw your own conclusions.

Ryder Cup Date for your diary

The 2014 Ryder Cup will take place from 26 September to 28 September,. The bi-Annual match between Europe and the United States will take place at Gleneagles in Perthshire.

Why not plan your 2012 Golf trip in Spain or Portugal to coincide with next year’s Ryder Cup which takes place in Chicago between Sept 30th & Oct 10th. With the benefit of the time difference you can play your leisurely round of golf and then sit back and relax with your golfing friends and enjoy TV coverage of the Ryder Cup with a few drinks without missing a shot.

Golf Geo-politics

Portrush will host the 2012 Irish Open
28 June to 1 July

In an interesting move the The European Tour has confirmed that the 2012 Irish Open will be hosted by Royal Portrush, Northern Ireland, with the tournament returning to Carton House Hotel and Golf resort in Maynooth, Co Kildare, in 2013. Golf on the Island of Ireland is governed by an All-Island Golfing Union of Ireland and although Portrush is ,of course in the United Kingdom this is the first time the Irish Open will have been held in the North since the 1950’s.

Another interesting upcoming conundrum concerns RORY MCILROY’s refusal to commit to either the British or the Irish team for the 2016 Olympic Games until he absolutely has to.

Golf becomes an official Olympic sport in four years’ time and McIlroy is bound to be one of the star attractions in Rio de Janeiro. Athletes from Northern Ireland are eligible to represent either Ireland or Great Britain at the Games, putting the 22-year-old from Hollywood, County Down at the centre of a high-profile tug o’war over his national allegiance.

“Basically, if I am going to be very honest, which I usually am, whatever I say is going to upset someone,” McIlroy said when asked about his Olympic intentions.

So I may as well just say I don’t know and wait until four or five years’ time, whenever I have to make a decision. A wise decision Rory!

Joke of the month !

Beware of Slow golfers

Joe decides to take his boss Phil to play 9 holes on their lunch hour. While both men are playing excellent golf they are held up by two women in front of them moving at a very slow pace.

Joe offers to talk to the women and see if they can speed it up a bit.

He gets about half the way there, stops and jogs back. His boss asks what the problem is.

“Well one of those women is my wife and the other my mistress”, complained Joe.

Phil just shook his head at Joe and started toward the women determined to finish his round of golf.

Preparing to ask the ladies to speed up their game, he too stopped short and turned around.

Joe asked “what’s wrong?” “It’s a small, small world Joe and you’re fired”.

 

Golf Experience Spring Newsletter 2011

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Doña Julia Golf Club reopens

The once popular Doña Julia Golf Club outside Estepona has reopened after being closed for more than a year.

New investment and repairs to the course has allowed it to open in time for the Spring season.
Rates vary between €65 in high season to €45 in low season.

Malaga Airport

2010 was a record year for arrivals at Malaga Airport with over 12 million visitors using the new facility. This was the first increase in numbers since the recession raised its ugly head in 2007.

4.2 million British visitors arrived in Malaga and a staggering 588,000 Irish. This probably makes the Irish the most frequent visitors per capita to the Costa del Sol.

New Speed Limit on Spanish Motorway

The Spanish Authorities has reduced the speed limit on motorways from 120km to 110km.
This is their response to the rising cost of energy. The move is extremely controversial as the experts do not agree that such a move will increase fuel efficiency. Revenue from fines will certainly increase. You’ve been warned.

Weather

2010 was the wettest year in Malaga province since records were first taken in 1942. We suffered over 1207 litres per square metre.

The start of 2011 has seen been a vast improvement over 2010 with only a few days rain so far. One day in particular was very wet.

Where and When ?

Name this hole – and the date in March when the picture was taken and the first correct reply will get to play the course free!

Golf Experience Charity Appeal.

Recently we emailed you with our Charity Appeal in conjunction with the Gibraltar based charity A.K.I.N. (Association for Kids in Need). The appeal is in support of the rebuilding of a school in Freetown, Sierra Leone. We would like to thank all of you who have contributed so generously to this great cause.
We will let you know in the next newsletter the total amount raised.

We have concocted another easy and painless way for you contribute. As many of our golfing groups like to make the game interesting with a little flutter each day we will be asking all of our groups who come out on a trip to donate a day’s betting proceedings to the appeal. More to follow.

For those of you who may have missed the appeal or who want to revisit it please click here

San Pedro Tunnel

The powers to be have announced the opening date for the much needed San Pedro Tunnel as the end of April this year. With a bit of luck we may have it open for Easter. However we can assure you that it won’t be open until it’s open, if you get our drift!

An ill wind

As a result of the civil unrest in North Africa we expect that Spain (a safe Haven) is set to benefit tremendously from the unstable situation.

This is likely to put upward pressure on certain tourist services such as accommodation and car-hire.

Car Hire Summer 2011

As in previous years we would advise all our clients who rent cars from us during the busy summer months to book them as soon as possible. We expect that this year will see a shortage of cars again.

Our excellent Car Hire partnersEspacarhave included the Renault Megane Coupe-Cabriolet in this year’s fleet. So if you are looking for the ultimate driving experience in the sun this is it.

Renault Megane Coupe-Cabriolet

Demolition at Marbella Golf & Country Club

Marbella Golf & Country Club has finally been able to demolish the terrible eyesore of the 11 floor shell on its 18th hole. Erected in 1974 this edifice was tied up in a legal wrangle even before the first property crisis hit Spain.

It has lived trough at least 3 property bubbles but is now no more.

The 11 storey structure was intended to be a luxury hotel for a north-American hotel chain. The building, which was clearly visible from the N-340 and from the AP-7, became better known as a bird sanctuary over the years as much as a reminder of Marbella’s turbulent past.

Marbella Golf & Country Club in conjunction with the Town Hall see the demolition of the structure as part of the new image Marbella is determined to project for the future.

Le Meridian Penina Golf Resort Algarve

Golf Experience has negotiated very special rates at the 5 star Le Meridian Penina Resort which include daily golf at their Henry Cotton designed Championship course or the Resort course.

Being a guest at the resort is also one of the few ways of securing a round at Portugal’s top rates San Lorenzo course. Consult us for a competitive proposal.

Le Meridian Penina Golf Resort Algarve

Penina Resort testimonial
Seamus,

Just a quick note to say thanks for looking after us so well in Portugal. Everything went like clockwork and it was a great trip for all concerned.

It was great value and I am pleased to say that the next trip was being discussed before we even finished this one! Needless to say, your company will be our first choice going forward.

Please feel free to use me as a reference for any other groups that might be going to Penina.

Tom Moore

Golf Experience has invested heavily in a large selection of Golf Clubs for rent. This is in response to the exorbitant prices being charged by airlines to transport clubs. It is now generally cheaper and far more convenient to rent while here.

Ask us for a quotation.

Golf Jokes

We would like to have a regular Jokes section and it’s not for want of material of which we receive copious amounts daily. However suitability for publishing is often an issue.
So when we do get something deemed humorous, inoffensive and politically, gender and race correct we will pass it on. That’s a challenge!
We thought this one would just about qualify.
He left home around 8:30 to play golf with his friends. On the way out the door, he answered his wife’s”What time will you be home?”question with”Probably around 1:30 – I’ll have lunch at the club.”

1:30 came and went, 3:00 passed, 6:15, still not home, finally at about 7:00 PM he rolls in the driveway, leaves his clubs in the garage, and presents his wife with a pizza, and begins the apologetic story.

We finished our game about 11:30, had lunch, and I started home, when alongside the road I saw this attractive girl with a flat tire on her car. I stopped to help, got the tire changed, and looked around for a place to wash my hands. She offered money, but I refused, so she suggested that I at least allow her to buy me a beer.

She said there’s a tavern just up the road, and they have a restroom, you can clean up a bit. I agreed to stop, we had a beer, then another beer, then a couple more, and I realized that this girl was not only pretty, she was very friendly, and a good companion to spend time with. Before I knew it, we were in the motel next door ………. And that is why I am so late getting home.

His wife looked him right in the eye and said “Don’t bullsh…. Me, you played 36 holes, didn’t you?”

Lee Westwood and Rory McIlroy will play the VOLVO World Match Play Championship 2011

This year’s field promises to be absolutely stellar. In the last few weeks we have received more confirmations from some of the top golfers in the planet.

World number 2, Lee Westwood has confirmed he will be playing the tournament as well as young European star Rory McIlroy (World n.8). We are also awaiting confirmation from World n.1 Martyn Kaymer. The Match Play is shaping up to become one of the best events on the European Tour schedule for 2011

Here is the complete list of players (with World ranking) that have qualified and confirmed their participation:
Lee Westwood (2), Graeme McDowell (4), Paul Casey (7), Rory McIlroy (8), Ian Poulter (13), Robert Karlsson (17), Francesco Molinari (18), Ross Fischer (39) and YE Yang (43).

Hopefully we will have more great news in the coming weeks

If you wish to review tournament info in detail, please visit:www.volvoworldmatchplay.com

Spain goes 100% Non-Smoking After 2nd Attempt

The good news for non-smokers visiting Spain is that at the second bite of the cherry Spain has managed to step into line with the rest of Europe in relation to anti-smoking laws.

The previous legislation had a few loopholes resulting in a very cloudy interpretation of the law.
Now there can be no ambiguity – smoking indoors is illegal unless you end up in a Spanish jail where you are free to smoke!

Air Traffic Controllers Strike – Martial Law!

A lightening strike by Spain’s highly paid air-traffic controllers may have been the defining moment in the Spanish government’s tolerance of trade unions. Massive disruption was caused during the busiest travel week in the year in early December (incorporating 2 national holidays).

The government took the draconian step of placing the airports and their staff under martial law and anyone disobeying an instruction such as refusing to work would be court-martial led and thrown in jail.

This was an amazing decision from a hitherto tolerant government. They seem to have finally appreciated the public’s outrage. Either that or many politicians had holiday plans disrupted!
Another series of planned strikes for Easter and summer has been averted.

Jet 2 new Edinburgh – Malaga Service

Jet 2 have commenced a twice weekly service.

 

Finca Cortesin awarded by the voters with two Essential “Marbella Awards”

For the second year in the running, Finca Cortesin Golf Club has been awarded golf

course of the year in the Marbella Awards presented by Essential Magazine. Also in the Spa category, our beautiful Spa Cortesin, has won the 2010 award.

Each year, the Essential Magazine “Marbella Awards” recognize the achievements of local enterprises, and the event this year was the most successful ever.

These “Awards chosen by the people”, are voted by thousands of people on the internet, covering 13 different categories including restaurants, beach clubs, hotels, golf courses, spas, etc, are a faithful reflection of the general public’s opinion.

We thank all those who voted for us and the most sincere congratulations to all the staff of Finca Cortesin Golf Club and Spa Cortesin.

If you wish to read detailed information of the event, please visit link:www.essentialmagazine.com/home/marbella-awards.

The Pros Corner – How to align your putts

Teaching the perfect line to aim in putting is almost impossible. We all see the putts differently and only experience will tell you how to choose the perfect line.

If you take the most difficult green at your home course and divide it in 4 quarters and putt to the centre of the quarter from all the possible angles, you will learn to read the line correctly.

That is the secret of the Tour Players; they have a great knowledge of the greens because of the great job they did (and their Caddies) before the tournament. This is the way to learn to choose the correct line.

In the exercises shown in the pictures, you can see that both putts started in the desired line.

Only the break (gravity) made the ball move away from the line I selected.

Find the most difficult putt in your putting green, putt from different angles until you learn the perfect line and speed.

 

New Road Brings Alhaurin Golf Club Closer to the Coast !

                                            Alhaurin Golf & Country Club

After 3 years of building works, 2 of which was not open to traffic, the road connecting
Alhaurin Golf and Costa del Sol (La Cala de Mijas) has just re-opened.
Road works started in order to refurbish the road, shorten it slightly and make noticeable improvements regarding safety.

All this has successfully been achieved, having left a magnificent new road which makes it possible to drive up to Alhaurin Golf Club in 12 minutes, departing from La Cala de Mijas. This is a great step forward as it used to take nearly 20 minutes with the old road.

With the A-7053 just completed, Alhaurin Golf has got 4 active access roads, 3 of which are new so:

  • When coming from Mijas Costa: A-7053 (aprox. Driving time 12 minutes)
  • When coming from Marbella: A-355 and then MA-3303 (aprox. Driving time 25 minutes from La Cañada Comercial Centre)
  • When coming from Guadalhorce Valley through Alhaurin el Grande: A-387 (driving time, 5 minutes)
  • When coming from Malaga Airport: A-7 and then A-7053 (aprox. Driving time 30 minutes) or A-7 and then A-368 to pass by Mijas Village (aprox. Driving time 30 minutes).

This new access situation is without a doubt one more reason to visit Alhaurin Golf and enjoy one of the most spectacular golf courses in Costa del Sol, full of character, beauty, challenges and views. A four star hotel and La Ventilla Restaurant may also be of interest to the visitor.

Golf in the Summer Spain 2010 News and Views

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New Horizons

In order to continue our expansion in selling new destinations Golf Experience has recently gone through the lengthy process of becoming a Licensed & Bonded Spanish Tour Operator. This allows us sell a range of destinations other than the Iberian Peninsula. What it means for you the customer is that our you get the same guarantees as you would if booking through a high street Travel Agent in the UK – ABTA member or an ITAA Travel Agent in Ireland). Our Reference is C.I.A.N. 293034-2

Congratulations!

Congratulations to Graham McDowell on his great victory at Pebble Beach and to Rory McIlroy for his 3rd place at “The Open”.

The man from Portrush Co. Antrim who learned his trade at the Rathmore club (not the more prestigious Royal Portrush and who went on to take a scholarship at the University of Birmingham (Alabama) has become the first European since Tony Jacklin to win the US Open in 1970 – hard to believe!.

And while the French football team may not have covered themselves in glory in South Africa congratulations must go to Frenchman Gregory Havret for his second place at Pebble Beach. I spoke with 2 golfing clients in France on the Monday after Pebble Beach and they were totally unaware of Havret’s achievement such is the level of media coverage given to golf in France.

And while not taking from Louis Oosthuizen’s great win at Saint Andrews we salute the performance of another Irishman who will surely go on to win major titles. Rory McIlroy’s determination in fighting back up the leader board after shooting an 80 on the Friday shows tremendous tenacity and will. Well done to both players!

Finca Cortesin – Volvo World Match-Play Championship

Dates for the next World Match-Play Championship at Finca Cortesin have been announced. They are May 19th -21st 2011. Due to a very congested Tour calendar in October it has been decided to push the event back into 2011.

In the Meantime Valderrama will host the Andalucia Masters during the last week of October 2010.

The Good News – the Euro is weak!!
Sterling strength makes Spanish Golf great value

Every month we like to bring you some good news. While all the talk is about budget deficits and belt tightening, clients in the UK may not have noticed but Sterling has appreciated by about 20% against the Euro since our last newsletter. So while our British clients who were just about getting used to the idea of the pound being worth no more than a Euro can now exchange their pounds for €1.20. Happy days are here again!!!

This of course means that your next golfing holiday will cost you 20% less than it would have a year earlier. This not insignificant appreciation puts Golf in Spain in a very competitive position versus other destinations.

San Pedro Tunnel reaches completion

It will come as a relief to many of our clients to know that the end of the tunnelling at San Pedro de Alcantara is near. For many of you it will be open on your next trip. However we should be cautious about giving a date but don’t be surprised if it is open. The familiar and iconic Marbella Arch has been consigned to the history books at it was deemed incompatible with the new road system. Also it is suspected that the decision had political overtones, it having been erected by the controversial and disgraced former Mayor of Marbella, Jesus Gil.

It will certainly be a relief to John Hogan at the very popular Hogan Stand Bar and Restaurant whose premises have been facing onto the road-works for the last two years.

John Hogan has made the brave investment during these tough times and the almost total isolation of San Pedro to open a very impressive restaurant adjoining the very popular Hogan Stand Bar. The new restaurant serves international/Mediterranean cuisine with an Irish flavour at very reasonable prices. That bar is a great focal point for golfers who want to catch all sporting events in a very relaxed atmosphere.

 

 

Costa’s Golf Courses in great condition

This winter saw an unprecedented amount of rainfall on the Costa del Sol. Not in living memory has it rained so much. We had 3 year’s average rainfall in 3 months. The upside to this disruption is that courses did not have to rely on recycled water for their watering. Natural rain water which is rich in minerals is just what our courses needed and the grass in now so good that green-keepers are deciding that they can now skip out on usual late summer maintenance.

New Terminal 3 Opened at Malaga Airport

The new terminal (3) which is not really a new terminal but an extension of the existing terminal 2 had opened to much acclaim at Malaga Airport. While passengers from non-Schengan countries(UK & Ireland) have to do an extra bit of walking as they will arrive at the old terminal 2 everybody will benefit from the extra capacity and facilities.

Testimonial

This month’s testimonial is from Gene Dykes who visited in June with 8 friends from Pittsburg.

“Seamus,

Everybody loved the trip. One great golf course after another. Thanks a lot for making it happen.

A few random notes:

We all loved Monte Mayor – you have to admire whoever looked at that valley and decided he could build a golf course there. Spectacular holes.

Valle Romano is already a first rate course, and it will become great with a little aging.

It was nice of you to drop by to watch us tee off at Flamingos, even if I did dump my opening tee shot into the weeds. By the way, after taking aMulligan, I had my best round of the trip there with an 80. Although I liked the two layouts, Flamingos has some issues such as signage, two blind lakes in the middle of fairways, incredibly tight driving holes on the #1 holes of each course, and some very slippery steps.

Finca Cortesin was a delight and they obviously studied at the American school of Customer Service.

Everybody was pleased with my choice of the H10 Estepona Palace Hotel with its generous sized bedrooms and great food. The Port of Estepona was a real plus with its relaxed atmosphere and great choice of restaurants – just right for our group.

On Saturday, Hilary and I went hiking at El Torcal, which is very close to Antequera. Wonderful scenery! Best two hour hike I’ve ever had – and I’ve done a lot of hiking.

I chose wisely when I picked you to organize our trip, and I hope you help many more groups to discover what a great golfing experience can be found at Costa del Sol.

— Gene Dykes – Philadelphia , PA.”

Golf on the Costa Del Sol Travel Update 2010

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Well, Now that the dust is settling (ouch!) over European skies we thought we would drop you a line to update you on affairs on the Costa del Sol in the wake of this latest disaster to hit our industry.

Hero of the hour Willie Walsh.
The travel sector is one which seems to hobble from crisis to crisis – in this decade alone we have endured 9/11, various food related travel paralysis, swine flu, a recession and now a volcano. The volcano coming after the worst winter in living memory in southern Iberia was quite untimely.

However the industry is resilient if only because you the traveller love to do just that – travel.

The last 10 days have been a very stressful period with staff working flat out to cope with the problems faced by our clients. We were busy repatriating golfers overland to Ireland, UK, Norway and France. Others choose to sit tight and see the storm out. These were accommodated and taken care of and most actually enjoyed the prolonged period and some fine weather.

We had numerous cancellations over the last 10 days. Our policy has been to refund all money or to reschedule if clients could arrange new dates. Many of these groups were able to roll-over the booking to future dates. Others cancelled and rebooked immediately when the skies suddenly reopened on Monday 19th April. Most of our suppliers, the hotels, golf courses and transport companies all cooperated and in the spirit of a real disaster “played ball” by ignoring the usual stringent cancellation policies. For this we would like to thank them.

Serious questions will have to be asked about the events and the management of the crisis. The politicians, aviation experts, air traffic controllers and meteorologists all seemed to have been a little at sea in coordinating a response.

I personally feel that the travelling public owe a debt of gratitude to British Airways CEO, Willie Walsh, who single handedly seems to have convinced the other sector decision makers that enough was enough and to allow planes to fly again. Walsh, a former pilot himself had the authority and credibility to bang heads together and get things moving.

We are not so impressed by the policy of the other infamous Irish aviator Michael O’Leary whose Ryanair simply issued a statement that they were closed for business until whenever the dust settled. And when it did that they would only refund passengers the amount of their tickets in total defiance of the EU charter on Air travel. Mr O’Leary needs to realise that with flying passengers on return tickets comes responsibilities and consequences and if he needs to factor this into his pricing policy so be it.

Good Golf News

Valle Romano Golf Club in Estepona has now opened and we are delighted to say that it lives up to the hype. This Cabell Robinson (Finca Cortesin & La Reserva) designed course is setting the standard in terms of service and value for money. It is a very open course measuring 6000m off the yellows and is relatively flat although buggies are recommended due to the distances between greens and tees.

The greens are very large and undulating and the club house is among the most impressive on the Costa del Sol.

We have a great “opening” offer of €55 up to the end of September so we would highly recommend you including Valle Romano in your itinerary – you won’t be disappointed.

New Terminal 3 open at Malaga Airport

Note that you will now be arriving into the new terminal at Malaga Airport. If you have rented a car with us, the Espacar representative will meet you as you enter the arrivals hall. Do not go to the car-hire desk area. Unlike in the past he will not have your name on display but will have an Espacar logo.

If you do not see him immediately wait with the other car hire reps as he is probably out taking care of another client and will return very shortly.

We reiterate our call for clients to book their car-rentals for peak periods early this year. The shortage of cars will remain a feature throughout the year so for summer, Easter and all school breaks contact us as soon as possible.

We recommend as usual our preferred partner “Espacar” at Malaga and Gibraltar airport.

Announcing Golf Experience Morocco!

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Happy Christmas to all our clients from a warm and sunny Spain and the snow capped Atlas Mountains!

After months of planning and many visits to the “Kingdom” Golf Experience is ready to launch a range of golf packages to Morocco. Over the years we have considered sending clients across the Straits of Gibraltar to Tangiers and beyond and feel that the time is now right.

Morocco’s infrastructure has improved immensely in resent years with billions being spent improving the motor and rail network as well as a much improved air access with low cost carriers such as Easyjet and Ryanair who now serve Casablanca, Marrakesh, Tangiers and Agadier in the south.

The flying time to Malaga and Casablanca is practically the same. We are approaching the market from two different angles:

Firstly as an add-on to a Costa del Sol trip. Clients from the UK can fly into Malaga and out of Casablanca with Easyjet for example. Having crossed the Straits of Gibraltar by fast ferry (50 minutes) the journey-time to Rabat is 2 hours and 20 minutes on an international standard motorway.

By spending your last night in the capital Rabat you can play both courses at the magnificent Dar el Salam Club just outside Rabat. These Robert Trent Jones designed courses (45 holes) host the annual King-Hassan Trophy which will be a PGA European tour event this year.Previous winners include Payne Steward, Padraig Harrington and Colin Montgomery.

Secondly we have a selection of Morocco only packages based in Marrakech, combining Marrakech with El Jadida and Rabat. These will mean taking direct flights from the UK to Morocco without a stay in Spain.

Morocco has for a long time been the reserve of a francophone golfer.

However its golfing secret is fast escaping and we would love to show you this completely different and world class golfing experience.

Is Morocco for all golfers?

Some will have the idea being a Muslim country that alcohol and a lively night-life are not to be had. Nothing could be further from reality.

Alcohol is freely available and while pub-crawls may not be the order of the day there are plenty of suitable watering holes and night-clubs to satisfy even the most demanding revelers. For those with a sense of adventure and appreciation for an authentic and different golfing experience we would say that Morocco is definitely for you and that you won’t be disappointed.

Courses designed by Robert Trent Jones ( Dar Es Salam, Palmeraie in Marrakech ) and Cabell B. Robinson (Royal Fes, El Jadida, Amelkis in Marrakech, The Dunes Golf Club) are among the selection of world class course on offer. Some of Morocco’s courses date back to the 1920’s when French ruling classes indulged in the sport.

In recent years the royal family became the main patron of the sport. The courses are unspoilt by real-estate and by European standards are excellent value. The top tier courses cost €50 including a caddie. For more details on our exciting Morocco Golf Packages contact us on info@golfexperience.net

Meanwhile back in Spain

Valle Romano postpones opening.

Valle Romano Golf Club in Estepona was due to open in November as we have come to expect with openings it has been delayed for a few months. We will keep you posted as this promises to be a top 10 contender on the Costa.

Hotels Great Value

Hotels on the Costa del Sol are responding with great vigor to the economic crisis and we are now seeing great value in many hotels. Golf Experience is particularly pleased with our special “golfers” rates at the excellent H10 Andalucia Plaza & Casino in Puerto Banus and its sister hotel the H10Estepona Palace.

We strongly recommend value and quality conscious clients to take the half-board options at either of these excellent properties. For clients venturing to Gran Canaria we are also offering the 5 star H10Playa Meloneras Palace – contact us for details.


Canary Islands – Gran Canaria

And on Gran Canaria for some 5 star luxury in the winter heat Golf Experience is delighted to announce our partnership with the H10 Meloneras Palace where we have unbeatable rates at one of Gran Canaries finest 5 star hotels.

Situated in Meloneras, in the south of Gran Canaria, the H10 Playa Meloneras Palace is located on a quiet area in front of the sea and next to the Golf Meloneras. The thoughtful landscaping, and its cosy interior design make it a particularly charming hotel. Allow yourself be pampered at the Meloneras Wellness health and beauty centre.

Villa Rental

We have also taken on some new luxury Villas on the Costa del Sol for rental during 2010. So if you are interested in a family summer rental or a large villa for a group of golfers go to the self-catering section of Golf Experience or click here.

Car-Hire on the Costa Del Sol

We reiterate our call for clients to book their car-rentals for peak periods early this year.

The shortage of cars will remain a feature throughout the year so for summer, Easter and all school breaks contact us as soon as possible. We recommend as usual our preferred partner “Espacar” at Malaga and Gibraltar airports.

For those who want the absolute cheapest car and especially at other main airports on the Iberian Peninsula and indeed anywhere in Europe, Golf Experience has teamed up with CarTrawler who will find you the cheapest deal around.

Finca Cortesin Comes of Age

Great success for the VWMPC and magnificent comments about Finca Cortesin. We knew that this first year would not be easy, but thanks to the efforts of all the Finca Cortesín staff their resort has been unanimously praised by players, press and public.

The weather was wonderful during the four-day tournament and the large number of fans that visited Finca Cortesín really enjoyed watching some of today’s golf stars. Of course, we are already working to improve the presentation and the organization for the 2010 tournament.

Here are some of the comments made by players about Finca Cortesín during the week:

Paul Casey: “This tournament is fantastic. Finca Cortesín is a wonderful place and it is one of the best hotels in which I have ever been in my life, it’s truly impressive. The golf course is in magnificent condition”

Angel Cabrera: “the best of this course are the Greens, they are truly spectacular”

Lee Westwood: “the Finca Cortesín golf course is fantastic, perfect for Match Play, a course for long hitters, I suppose in any course, you have an advantage if you hit it long but at Finca Cortesin you must also hit it very straight. The par 5′s are just reachable same as a couple of the Par 4′s. The course is in perfect condition, and the greens are immaculate. It’s a course that I really like”

Sergio Garcia: “the Greens are impressive, they have nothing to envy Augusta” If you wish to view some tournament videos, please visit: www.youtube.com/volvoworldmatchplay

 

Finca Cortesin PGA Tour

Finca Cortesin is the course of the month at www.pgatour.com

The travel section of www.pgatour.com has selected Finca Cortesín Golf Club as October Course of the Month and has published an extensive article and review of the layouts main features.

We highly recommend reading it because it highlights several technical aspects of our course and compares it to some of the best creations of Robert Trent Jones.

It also refers to the hotel, it states it should really be “6 stars” and ranks it as the “best of the Costa del Sol” You can see the full article if you click on the link below www.pgatour.com

Not Just Golf in Spain!

Warm Weather Training On the Costa del Sol

The Costa del Sol has for years attracted not just golfers but every other sport imaginable to train in our excellent year round climate.

Apart from having a 3000m ski resort 2 hours from Malaga Airport the Costa de Sol is temporary home to scores of football (all forms thereof), tennis, hockey etc. teams during their off-season.

Purely from client demand Golf Experience has this year organized training camps for Gaelic Football, Tennis and Rugby clubs from Ireland and the UK and a hockey club from Holland. Golfing clients who are also involved in other sports have asked us to organize football warm-weather training camps and we have been delighted to oblige.

So positive has been the feedback that we have decided to actively develop this side of our business.

 

We are an Irish owned, Spanish based Holiday Company specialising in sports holidays to the Costa del Sol.

Our roots are in the G.A.A. and we know a thing or two about the club scene in Ireland.

The season can be long and demanding so why not kick-start it with an invaluable bonding trip to train in Spain’s sunshine coast.

Or perhaps reward a successful season with a post-season trip when everyone can relax and enjoy a few days in the sun before the long winter sets in.

Apart from training you can play golf on one of the 50 courses on this sun-drenched part of Europe or enjoy any of the many other sporting activities on the Costa del Sol.

We provide accommodation, transport, world-class training facilities and can even organise a challenge match with the local GAA Club “Costa Gaels” who are the current Spanish Champions.

Since our inception in 1989 we have catered for GAA, Rugby, Hockey, Soccer and Golf teams to the Costa del Sol. So whether you are a men’s, ladies, mixed or even a veterans team we would love to have the opportunity to put in place a memorable trip for your club.

http://www.golfinspainnow.com/blog/golf-courses-spain/gaelic-football-trips-to-spain/

 

Golf news update Costa Del Sol for September 2009

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Value Everywhere

The Costa del Sol has responded with great vigour to the economic crisis in terms of adding value and reducing the cost of golf holidays. Hotels in particular are better value than they have ever been with 4 star rooms costing as little as 30€ a night half board. There is probably no better way to get value on a golfing holiday than to take the half-board option at many of the Costa del Sol’s excellent 4 star hotel.

The Golf courses too have played their part with year round green-fees down on average by a whopping 30% over their peaks of a couple of years ago. On a less positive note car-hire prices will increase from their traditionally very competitive prices to more “normal” rates. (see next article)

Car Rental Crisis

In our previous newsletter we warned you that there would be serious problems getting cars this summer on the Costa del Sol.

The wise heeded the warning and booked their cars with us as soon as the flights were booked. Our supplier of cars at Malaga Airport respected their contract and we were able to pass on the great value and service while online companies literally doubled and trebled their prices due to the smaller fleets available this summer.

The reason for this is that the car manufacturers who usually sell to the car-hire companies on a sale and return basis no longer wish to buy back the cars after six months. Therefore the car-hire companies must finance the fleet purchase themselves and assure their disposal which, in the current economic climate is proving difficult.

This situation will continue for the next year at least so if you are travelling during any peak prior, October School break, Christmas, Easter or summer 2010 please book your cars with us as soon as possible…

Real Club de Golf Las Brisas

Golf Experience had been given access to year-round green-fees as the prestigious Real Club de Golf Las Brisas and at very competitive rates.

REAL CLUB DE GOLF LAS BRISAS was founded by D. José Banús in 1968 as Club de Golf Nueva Andalucía. He was appointed its first President until 1981.

For its design he chose the American, Robert Trent Jones, already considered one of the best golf course designers in the world. He had just finished building the golf course at Sotogrande and after Las Brisas, went on to design Los Naranjos and Valderrama.

Club de Golf la Zagaletta

Following the taking over of the management of the hitherto totally private La Zagaletta by the American Management company “Troon Golf” we expect that the courses will soon be opened to the public.

This would add 2 great new courses to the stock of excellent courses on the Costa del Sol.

Valle Romano Golf Club

The eagle eyed among you will have noticed that the “Valle Romano Golf Club” has been sponsoring the Andalucia Open for the last couple of years. This may have seemed like unusual marketing practice as the course has not yet opened.

This latest gem on the coast has had a few set-backs in recent times but is now due to open on November 2nd (the day after the Volvo Masters World Match-play at neighbouring Finca Cortesin ends). Supposedly they hope to get the crop of the World’s golfing hacks over to play it and pen favourable articles.

Outwit Michael O´Leary

Michael has indeed been hiding something, a €60 charge for transporting golf clubs!

Golf Experience believes that Michael is taking golfers for a ride charging €60 to transport your golf clubs.

Why not allow us provide you with state of the art new clubs which will be delivered to your first course and collected from you on your last day.

No need to haul your clubs all over Europe with a huge carbon footprint and contributing to O’Leary’s pension plan in the process.

For as little as €20 a day we can supply you with state of the art Callaway and Taylor-Made Clubs anywhere on the Costa del Sol.

While there may be no end to Michael’s imagination in terms of generating revenue, you too can do the sums and take the better option of renting here is Spain.

 

San Pedro de Alcantara Tunnel. (Tunnelling)

All traffic through San Pedro de Alcantara is now diverted on the sea-side by-pass.

The impact is not as bad as some had feared but it makes use of the toll road more useful for golfers needing to pass San Pedro.

The works are however causing a physiological barrier on the Costa and we are tending to book golf on the side of the works that our clients are staying to avoid any unnecessary time-wasting getting through the jam.

New 5 star Deluxe hotel opens at Finca Cortesin.

Finca Cortesin’s new 5 star deluxe hotel

Between Estepona and La Duquesa the magnificent “Cloisters” style hotel is perched on a hilltop with commanding views of the Costa del Sol’s coastline and the Sierra de Ronda mountains and of course Finca Cortesin Golf Club.

This property brings new standards of luxury to the Costa del Sol with a variety of rooms and suites.

Finally we can confirm new dates for the Volvo World March-Play Championship are October 29th to November 1st 2009.

Santana News

As of July 1, our restaurant starts a period of renovation with the appointment of a new company to run the catering service in our Club House.

After 6 years of fruitful relationship with the previous tenants, we have decided to give a different approach to this section of the business and go for a model that is more orientated to the needs of the clientele and with a more ambitious culinary offer.

This responsibility lies with Miguel Ramos, a renowned restaurateur in the Costa del Sol, with a solid experience behind him in prestigious restaurants along the Coast.

On Another Note…

It’s not often that we mention another business or person not directly associated with golf and golfing on the Costa Del Sol in our newsletter, but we would like to introduce you to the person who is behind all our endeavours online, Mr. Justin Parks.

Based in Nueva Andalucia (Marbella) Justin basically lives and breaths internet. He has supported Golf Experience now for the last 6 years and we cannot recommend him enough, even though on occasion we don’t actually understand exactly what he’s talking about and he doesn’t play golf but that makes little difference when it comes to quality and satisfaction on our part.

Regardless of whether you are based in Spain, Ireland or even the USA, Justin’s business is all online so distance is of no consequence. He can, and has, helped a multitude of businesses understand and implement their online requirements from the simplest websites to major systems and databases across a range of different needs and models and currently is working on using Social Media, things like FaceBook and Twitter, to help companies extend their reach and grow their potential customer base in tough times via alternative marketing methods.

Justin’s available to talk on skype via the user name: justin-parks , his email is justin@justinparks.com and his website is http://www.justinparks.com. If you want to catch him on the phone his number is 0034 617 325 727.

Golfers favor the Costa Del Sol

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The Pendulum Swings Back in favour of the Costa del Sol.

Our observation of traffic trends over the last few years is that there has recently been a slight shift in favour of the Algarve versus the Costa del Sol. Increased Green-fees on the Costa del Sol made the Algarve seem like good value. However the opposite trend now seems to be prevailing with courses on the Costa reducing green-fees by extending low seasons including buggy deals and other incentives. These incentives are given to us the Tour Operators and we in turn pass these on to you the golf holiday-maker through our added-value packages.

In particular some of the high end courses are competing aggressively against the middle range courses which results in great value at courses such as Almenara, Finca Cortesin, and both San Roque Courses.

On the other hand with some courses on the Algarve still charging over €60 to hire a buggy the swaying golfer is beginning to return to the Costa del Sol. It must be said that with the arrival of so many new courses on the Costa in recent years there is now real downward pressure in prices.

We see it as our primary function to identify the value on offer and pass it on to our clients. This ensures better value for money for you offering real value.

Real Club de Golf Sotogrande reopens after major redevelopment work on its greens.

Major maintenance work on the greens at Real Club de Golf Sotogrande has meant that the course had 9 holes closed for most of the. The iconic course has been closed to visitors and will remain so until September (with the exception of July).

Flamingos New. Gran Flamingos

We are getting excellent feedback from clients regarding the new 18 holes at Flamingos. Two distinctively different nines – the first nine being tight and long and the second open and very spectacular. The greens are certainly among the best on the Costa.

We would also like to take this opportunity to inform you of the opening of their third course and Driving Range, which will be running in the Autumn 2008. The third course is a par 68 executive course.

Finca Cortesin Golf CLub – Revamped Volvo World Match-play Championship comes to Finca Cortesin News.

We have just learned that Volvo will sponsor a new tour event at Finca Cortesin from 2009 for 3 years.. This event, the Volvo World Match Play Competition, will see the 20 players taking part in the Match-play event with the winner receiving prize-money of £1m.

On the other hand the Volvo Masters as we know it is moving from Valderrama to Dubai from 2009. This means that 2008 will be the last opportunity for clients to see some of the world’s best golfers competing in this world famous course.

Full press release concerning the Volvo World Match play championship can be seen by clicking on this link.

Finca Cortesin has finally removed the electricity pylons which were an eyesore – blotting what is otherwise very picturesque and challenging course.

 Ivobank PGA EuroPro Tour to visit La Cala Resort

The Ivobank PGA EuroPro Tour is delighted to announce that the Ladbrokescasino.com Masters will take place at La Cala Resort. The world’s leading developmental Tour will take place at the resort from 21-25 September as the curtain comes down on an exciting year. The event will be held on Campo Asia, one of three 18-hole courses in the complex.

Summer Car Rental and Malaga Airport.

Whether you are a regular car-renter with us or just once a year and intend travelling during the June – September period we would ask that you book your car as soon as you have confirmed your flights.

People carriers and station-wagons will, as usual be in short supply this summer.

Malaga Airport Developments

Malaga Airport’s major redevelopment continues a pace. Work is set to finish in 2010.

While queuing for car hire at the discount desks is getting longer we are happy to say that the excellent service offered by our main supplier “Espacar” continues. You will be met by the smiling Antonio or Dominic who will whisk you to your awaiting car. Once you have used this service you will never look back.

Club Hire cost analysis.

With the ever increasing cost and hassle of taking golf clubs on flights we would ask client coming for shorter periods and perhaps only playing twice or three times to consider renting sets of clubs.

We can have the latest models delivered to you prior to your first game and collected after your last round for approximately the same cost as most airlines charge for transporting a set.

Holiday rentals

If you are looking for a holiday apartment or Villa for the summer period we have a wide variety of accommodations for rental.

These range from 2 bedroom apartments to 8 bedroom villas.

Air Transport News

Ryanair have announced a new service between Birmingham and Malaga starting this October.

Delta Air lines have commenced their non-stop New York JFK to Malaga service and have already increased the frequency to 4 rotations per week. This would indicate the service is experiencing heavy load factors.

Spanish Open

Congratulations to Dubliner Peter Lawrie on his victory in the Spanish Open held at the Real Club de Golf Seville. This was Peter’s first tour victory in 175 attempts.

Young Golfers

For any of you with aspiring young sons or daughters taking an interest in the game you might show then this video clip. It’s quite amazing the how much natural talent a kid can have. What’s encouraging is that the parents don’t even have to be golfers!

http://www.sonnyradio.com/kylelograsso.htm

 

Algarve News

Oceanica Group is due to open their 2 latest courses in Amendoeira, about a 40 minute drive inland from the Algarve’s coast.

The Faldo course in The Algarve

Designed by Nick Faldo with strategic play in mind this 6,604 meters par-72 championship course demands careful positioning to score well.

Nick said: “The land at Amendoeira is dramatic and the project has the potential to be a real talking point in the Algarve. With so many courses in the region, that’s no mean feat,” pointed out Faldo, who will be non-playing captain of the European Ryder Cup team in 2008.

Nick said: “This is a very exciting project, which gives me a great opportunity to exploit my passion for design the same way I exploited my passion for playing. You have incredible views, beautiful undulating land and any time you get natural terrain like this, it is great fun to work with.”

“I like my courses to be challenging to whoever plays them. There might be easy holes in some places, but they are a challenge because you have to think about them, and that is what I am after. The best compliment you can get in the design business is when players come off the course and say ‘wow, that was a challenge,’ and that’s just what I am planning here at Amendoeira.”

Perfectly complementing the Faldo Course, whilst taking advantage of the rich valley soil in contrast to the arid hillside, Christy O’Connor Jnr’s course at Amendoeira offers no less of a challenge.

Large areas of water demand accurate play and creative shot making, and these lakes and streams are to be maintained as a wildlife sanctuary.

He explained: ‘I wanted one hole where it was just oranges—the whole of this part of the Algarve is blessed with thousands of acres of orange groves and I wanted to bring some inside the course as well.

‘I have managed to create such a hole, the fifth, which has orange groves left and right and should be a real beauty to play. There is also a huge orange grove off to the left on the fourth hole.’

Christy smiled: ‘The course also has my version of the Amen Corner, starting at the seventh. We have a lake which runs from the 9th, through the 8th and into the 7th, so it is a kind of a chain reaction and the 7th will be the first of it.
‘The 9th is a real, real key hole of the golf course, the lake running not only to the right off the tee, but also to the left of the second shot. It is almost a two-part golf hole.’

Christy says the 12th hole is steeped in modern history.

‘This hole is guarded by the same lake that runs along the 8th hole, sitting on the lake with the water this time on the right, just to give a bit of variety,’ he explained.

‘It is very, very playable and steeped in history because the main buildings for the green keepers will be here and they were the home of a famous equestrian family who won, I think, two Olympic gold medals for show jumping.

‘I just imagine myself driving down there with the buildings on the left, knowing the history, and going onto a really nice green with the river sitting at the back of it.’

But Christy plans that the history surrounding the following hole, the 13th, will reflect back over the centuries, to the time of Moorish rule in this part of Europe, which ended in 1250.

‘The 13th will again have those famous buildings on the left but I am going to try and incorporate Moorish-type walls into the green, building something that reflects the Moorish heritage of what the Arabs once called Al-Garbe, and which became the Algarve.’

Christy’s 18th hole brings the course to a fantastic finish, a gentle climb with the river running along the right hand side.

‘This hole is a humdinger,’ he smiled. ‘And once you get up here and look down on the golf course, you will feel you have been blessed.’

Golf at Christmas in Spain 2007

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We would like to take this opportunity to wish all our customers and friends a happy and peaceful Christmas.

Your continued support throughout the year has helped us maintain the growth in recent years. For this we are very grateful and promise to continue offering the high level of service you have become accustomed to. We would also like to take this opportunity to fill you in on some development with regard to golf in Spain and on the Algarve.

Costa Del Sol Developments

Flamingos New Course – Gran Flamingos

For those of you familiar with Flamingos Golf Club you will be interested in knowing that the new course “Gran Flamingos” has recently opened. We had the pleasure of playing it and must say that it represents a superb golfing challenge. Nine of the new holes are tight, even by the existing course’s standards and the other nine are “comfortable” enough. The par 73 course has probably the best greens on the Costa.

Antequera Golf Club

We have recently been enticed up to Antequera – just an hour north of Malaga to visit their Spa Hotel and Golf Course. The experience was very worthwhile. The course is wonderfully challenging parkland with spectacular views over the nearby Sierra de Ronda mountain range.

The Golf Club is anxious to attract groups holidaying on the Costa and is providing a courtesy transfer service to and from your hotel for groups of 8 and more. This will considerably lesson the cost of the day’s golf and the green-fee is a very reasonable €50.

For anyone wanting to combine a game of golf and a half day touring in the spectacular mountains inland from the Costa del Sol this Antequera is the place to go.

Monte Mayor

Monte Mayor Add a Driving Range

Fans of Monte Mayor will be happy to learn that the club has opened its new driving range.

El Paraiso Club

Since the end of the summer the very popular El Paraiso Golf Club has experienced problems with its fairways. Sizeable area of fairway have seen the grass die leaving unsightly patches. The situation has improved in recent weeks and hopefully the course will soon be back to its usual pristine condition.

Alcaidesa

The Course: The new course designed by Dave Thomas Ltd offers a variety of natural landscapes ranging from the plateau area (holes 1 to 5 & 17th & 18th) where the course has the feel of a Heathland course with wide fairways & outstanding views of the Mediterranean Sea & the local Mountain Ranges, including the Sierra Nevada, to the river valley where the holes meander along the valley & incorporate various water features / hazards.

Algarve Developments

The new Jack Nicklaus designed Monte Rei course east of Faro has now opened.

The Monte Rei golf course is a golfing masterpiece using the spectacular natural terrain of the area to determine the challenging layout which includes natural water hazards, breathtaking views and the chance to marvel at Nicklaus and nature working hand-in-hand.

Green-fees range from low season rates of €130 to high season €190 so at these prices you can expect only the best. Monte Rei is about a 50 minute drive east of Vilamoura.
However when integrated into a Golf Experience package these rates will be much more reasonable.

Villamoura

Due to increased demand for the Algarve and in particular Vilamoura in 2007 Golf Experience has contracted the Dom Pedro Hotel chain to supply rooms in 2008.

Due to increased demand for the Algarve and in particular Vilamoura in 2007 Golf Experience has contracted the Dom Pedro Hotel chain to supply rooms in 2008.

Vila Sol Golf Club

For those looking for accommodation slightly away from the marina, Vila Sol has recently opened a magnificent Hotel and Spa overlooking the golf course. Golf Experience has negotiated excellent rates for our clients and indeed at the course which we like very much.

With the increased availability of flights to Girona Airport which is an hour north of Barcelona and in the heart of a cluster of excellent courses, we have decided to commence offering this region in addition to the ever popular Costa del Sol and Algarve.

Ryanair now use Girona as a hub with direct flights from Scotland, Dublin, Shannon, London Stansted and a variety of continental European cities.
Announcing our Expansion to include the Costa Brava!

We have put together sample packages available on request which include the iconic PGA Catalunya course which is used for the European PGA qualifying tour each year. We also include the Links and Forest course at Emporda Golf and Plajya D’Aro with its spectacular views over the Mediterranean.

We have also selected quality four and five star hotels in Girona and in the sea-side resort of Platja D’Aro.

The area offers all the other excellent mix of culture and nightlife that regular visitors to the Costa del Sol expect. So for regular visitors to the Costa del Sol who are looking for a change of scenery and excellent golf we would recommend the Costa Brava.

Rental of Golf Clubs on the Costa del Sol.

Regular visitors will have noticed a growing number of airlines are charging for carrying golf clubs. While airfares are probably at their cheapest in aviation history the tendency to charge for everything means that club-hire at your destination may be beginning to makes sense.

While we appreciate that all serious golfers will always want to play with their own clubs, for the less than serious, who make up a big slice of the market, or those on a very short trip playing perhaps only a couple of times it may indeed make sense to rent on arrival.

Golf Experience has teamed up with a leading player in the club hire market here on the Costa del Sol allowing us to offer 3 day rental for as little as €60 including free delivery and collection to accommodation or golf club. www.spanishgolfclubrental.com.

Volvo Masters – Valderrama 2007

Justin Rose – winner of 2007 Volvo Masters – Valderrama

Congratulations to Justin Rose who was a worthy and indeed extremely popular winner of this year’s Volvo Masters in Valderrama. For clients coming to the Costa del Sol in October / November they could do worse then take in a day at Valderrama to see some of the world’s best players contest the Masters and as it’s the last European tour event, the Order of Merit is usually also at steak.

Tickets are easily available and very reasonably priced and the galleries are small by northern European standards so you really can get up close to some of the world’s greats. In addition for those who have never played Valderrama you get the opportunity to see one of the world’s greatest courses.

Golfing in the Andalucia Sun for the Summer of 2007

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Golf in the SUN

Now that, what the meteorologists referred to as summer, in Northern Europe has ended many of you will be looking forward to a sun golf break on the Costa del Sol.
The good news from the Costa del Sol is the increasing trend towards stable or even falling green-fees. A significant number for courses have made substantial improvements in their pricing either in terms of lower overall green-fees or a better seasonal spread whereby the high season period is being reduced in favour of wider mid and low seasons.

The downward pressure on green-fees is a result of the number of new quality courses which have opened in the last 2 or 3 years. These include:

Finca Cortesin
Calanova
El Chaparral Golf & Country Club
Santana Golf & Country Club
La Cala Europe
San Roque New.
Flamingos Championship

Some of the courses offering excellent value this autumn include, La Cañada, Santa Clara, Calanova and Real Club de Golf Sotogrande.

Golf Club Hire

With an increasing number of groups coming on shorter stays coupled with the hassle and expense of taking golf clubs on planes Golf Experience has tied up with Spain biggest supplier of club rentals to provide you with the option of leaving your courses at home.

We can supply all the latest clubs in just about any form (shaft types) and length. For as little as €60 rental for 3 days you can have your clubs delivered to your first tee-box on day one and collected after your last game.

Car Hire

This summer saw panic on the Costa as the mayor car-hire companies cut their fleets which resulted in a general shortage of vehicles. Once again our clients were well served by our excellent personalised service provided at Malaga Airport. We would urge clients not to leave their car rental reservation to the last minute, particularly if they require specific models such as automatics or people carriers – during school holiday periods.

Passenger disruption at Malaga airport has eased with the partial completion of the car-park. Once again clients can use the short term car-park for collection and drop off of rented cars.

Apartment and Villa Rentals

In addition to the wide variety of hotels which we use on the Costa del Sol and the Algarve we also have a varied selection of apartments and villas available for rental for golfers and holiday makers alike.

Christmas in the Sun

Let’s face it the winter is long and often dreary. Why not look forward to a sun break on the Costa del Sol with the family and escape the weather and all the hype.

Golf Experience can supply all the elements of a family holiday, accommodation (hotel, apartment or villa), transport and excursions. So go book those flights before they get too expensive and we will take care of the rest.

The Open

How could we omit to add our congratulations to Padraig Harrington for brightening up an otherwise dull summer on that memorable day in Carnoustie?


The Tommy Murphy Cup

And finally the other sporting highlight of the year deserving of a mention was Wicklow’s wonderful success in the Tommy Murphy Cup. Well done lads and roll on 2008!

And for those of you who don’t appreciate the significance of Wicklow winning the Tommy Murphy Cup you will no doubt have noted Ireland’s success in the Cricket World Cup.

They told us it was a difficult game but the lads in green learned fast. And how did they do it?

These are all worth a try if you haven’t already tested your metal on them.

Golf Experience Testimonial From David Scallan

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Hi Seamus,

Just a few lines to say thanks very much for a very well organized golf trip.The Flatotel,coach and the drivers were all excellent.The courses were great and the whole week was very enjoyable.Will have no problem recommending Golf Experience and yourself to any others organizing a golf trip and we will certainly be back to book another trip with you in the future.Thanks again for everything.

Kinds regards,
David Scallan.