Happy Christmas to all our Clients!
We would like to wish all our clients a very happy and peaceful Christmas.
Living on the Costa del Sol, Christmas has a habit of creeping up on you. We don’t have the usual reminders of endless Christmas marketing or scraping the frost off the windscreens to tell us that the season’s have changed. So much has happened this year and despite all the doom and gloom we are happy to say that 2012 was another good one.
As some wise person once said “change is the only constant” and 2012 saw much change not just here on the Costa de Sol but throughout Europe and beyond. These are indeed challenging times. Every new season brings new challenges and 2013 will be no different. Adapting to change and taking care of clients is our business mantra and we will continue to strive to ensure that your trips to Iberia are as enjoyable and value packed as possible.
Have a great Christmas and we look forward to seeing you soon for some well deserved golf in the sun!
Introducing Golf Experience – Ireland.
For an Irish Company based in Spain, organising Golf holidays to the Iberian Peninsula is second nature. Even more natural would be if that same company extended its range of destinations to the one it knows best – The Island of Ireland.
Golf in Ireland has never been as popular with 4 major winners, Rory McIIroy, Darren Clarke, Graeme McDowell and Padraig Harrington taking hold of the professional game over recent years and in doing so generating huge interest in their golfing roots. Ireland has nearly 30% of the links golf courses in the world.
From internationally renowned courses to welcoming local clubs in every corner of the country, Ireland is a golfer’s paradise.
The friendliness and hospitality of Irish people is legendary. Top professional golfers such as Tiger Woods, Tom Watson, Mark O’Meara and Phil Mickelson to mention just a few, all speak fondly of their golf experience in Ireland particularly the warmth of the people and our world class golf courses. Golf in Ireland has a soul like no other, experience a Golf Trip to Ireland and see for yourself.
So if you are looking for a break from the sun and to play some of the world’s most challenging courses drop us a line on info@golfexperience.net and we will revert with a proposal.
The Old Head- West Cork
Killarney GC
Throughout 2013 we will be adding some more exciting destinations to our range – watch this space.
Ballyliffin GC
Delta Air lines J.F.K. – Malaga Service
Delta Air Lines confirm that they will reinstate their successful JFK – Malaga (non-stop) service 5 days a week June – September 2013.
Delta Aircraft at Malaga Airport
Golf Experience Expands
We are happy to announce the arrival of Regina Calleja to our team of golf specialists. Regina joins Golf Experience from Los Naranjos Golf Club where she worked in reservations.
The feisty Basque is a graduate of the Les Roches International School of Hotel Management in Marbella. Her email address is regina@golfexperience.net so feel free to contact her for any golf bookings or car-hire requirements.
Regina (hard at work obviously).
Mijas Los Lagos re-opens.
Mijas Los Lagos course has reopened after being closed for the entire year. The course has been re-designed and greatly improved. All 18 greens have been rebuilt and a new drainage system installed. Previously both courses were priced similarly but Los Lagos is now being sold at a small premium over Los Olivas.
The New Mijas Los Lagos.
Wild Boars at Marbella Golf Club Resort.
One might wonder what kind of damage unwelcome visitors such as wild boars can do to a golf course. Green keepers at Marbella Golf Club Resort have been dealing with the effects of the intrusion on their course recently.
The animals tend to drink from the lakes and snuffle in the soft grass, ripping up the manicured playing surfaces.
Course managers are constantly trying new ways to prevent the boar from causing the night time damage.
However, the animals are said to be very intelligent, so making it difficult to trick them and their powerful frames make a mockery of fence lines and bush borders.
Dona Julia Golf Club gains traction!
Doña Julia Golf Club
The once popular Doña Julia having re-opened over a year ago is beginning to regain its place among the better value end of the Costa’s golf market. With average annual green-fees at or below €50 including buggy and given the overall condition and excellent lay-out of the course an increasing number of clients are requesting it.
The club’s only draw backs are the provisional nature of the club-house and the excessive amount of ghost apartment developments surrounding the course. With these provisos we give it the thumbs up!
Real Club de Golf Sotogrande
Real Club de Golf Sotogrande
Real Club de Golf Sotogrande will close its par 3, 13th hole from 08/04/13 -19/05/13 for maintenance.
Then 9 holes will be closed from 20/05/13 – 03/06/12 & 23/09/13 – 06/10/13. So unfortunately for a good part of 2013 access to the full 18 holes will be curtailed.
Fire to floods in 3 weeks
Parts of Andalucia experiences some unusual weather this since summer. Within a period of three weeks we have seen lives lost due to fire and then flooding. The line of golf courses with sprinkler systems in operation East of Marbella as far as Fuengirola acted as a buffer to keep the fires from reaching the heavily populated areas near the coast.
Fire fighting planes recharge in the Med.
Close call for many apartment owners.
Then the area North of Malaga was badly hit by torrential rain and flooding. As many as 10 lives were lost in a 3 day period.
A little (Clean) Humour.
Finally a little humour which was contributed by a reader and a Pillar of Society (hailing from Limerick) which can be published without having to be censored. Next time you have time to waste on a putting green – try this!
Ryder Cup – Unsung Heroes in their home country.
Much has been written about the extraordinary European victory in September’s Ryder Cup. While the Anglo Saxon media gave it wall to wall coverage I can t help wondering how some of Europe’s heroes hailing from countries where golf is not big news must feel.
Nicolas Colsaerts could surely stand unrecognized in the middle of Brussels’ Grand Place for days on end without being recognized by the passing “Brusselois”. Come to think of it – he may be better off that way!
Belgium’s Nicolas Colsaerts
Anchored Putting to be outlawed.
Watch this short video which explains the proposed rule change regarding the “Anchored” putting stroke.
Costa de La Luz – Cadiz – Novo Sancti Petri
During the month of February we are offering excellent value week breaks at the impressive 4 star Iberostar Royal Andaluz Hotel in Novo Sancti Petri.
Price includes:
- Half-board 7 Nights & 5 Rounds on Novo Sancti Petri
- Rental of a Renault Clio (based on 2 sharing) from Malaga Airport.
- 470 € per person sharing.
Golf Experience Publishes New Costa del Sol Golf Map.
We have just completed a revamp of our very popular Costa del Sol Golf map which had a print run of 2,000 copies.
These will be available to clients from the office or in your car when you rent from us at Malaga Airport. The new maps are clearer and more precise than its predecessor and include Golf Course GPS co-ordinates.
Our neighbours “The Golfriend’s Shop” which many of you will know well has expanded to take over the entire ground floor of its existing building (except the bank!) and now has its entrance towards the front of the Comercial centre facing the motorway. This is a considerable expansion with the shop more than doubling in size.
They stock the largest range of major Golf Brands in Andalucia. We wish them all the best for 2013.
And finally for your next family holiday – New Estepona Kart Track
Estepona municipality has just announced the launch of a major Karting Facility in the town which will be open in time for the 2013 season.