Lets all go on a winter holiday!!

Golfing holidays anyone?? Thought I would start a little thread for the travellers.. And for all the people stuck at home to envy....

Where are you going/where did you go?
Any good deals about?
Must play courses abroad?
Places not to go!!
Golf with night life?

You get the idea.........

Not a bad opening thread for a newbie...well done mate

I'll have a think about it and get a reply up on here later.

I'd be interested to hear where people have been on winter golf breaks and where might be good.
I've got MPB junior on the way in May and i suspect that will impact on golf time so i'd love to get a winter trip in early in the new year. Any ideas?

Anyone ever used this site?

http://www.golfbreaks.com/default.aspx


I have been trying to think of where to play in the winter that has courses I want to play, good weather and if very lucky some non golfing stuff I would like to see. While searching around I noticed you can get flights to the airport within driving distance of Pinehurst for around £400. That would mean you could play Pinehurst’s courses and Tobacco road on the trip. Just not sure what the winter weather usually has in store for south Carolina and don’t think there is much to do outside golfing.

I would also like to try mexico but it is a long and expensive flight to the east coast and god know how you get to the Baja peninsula which looks to have some good courses.

I guess there is always the usual Portugal and Spain but I have not really enjoyed playing there in the past.

Mac

How about Turkey? It's accessable, reasonably priced and you can get some good all inclusive deals if it's just a short, cheap(ish) break you are after.

drive

Will check it out, I remember LJ loved Turkey, the country of course and not are soon to be slaughtered feathered friends. Although no doubt he enjoys christmas dinner as well.

My Old Man raves about Turkey, and is going back AGAIN in May.

Not sure on weather during winter, but only time to avoid (as i undertand) is October, when the main of course work gets done - overseeding etc.

He is going back to the same place, Cornelia Diamond, which he says, although not 5* as we would know it (nearer a 4*), is good quality and as it is ULTRA All Incluisive teh rooms are good, and you do not want for anything food or beverage wise.

He also says that the courses are good, The Faldo (27 holes) which is on the complex, and the Atayla and Montgomerie courses, he remebers well, but says you can't really go wrong.

Flights, hotel and golf, for 7 days comes in at less than £1000

Seems a good deal to me!

JDandfries wrote:Flights, hotel and golf, for 7 days comes in at less than £1000

My wife works in the public sector (high school teacher), so £1000 for a holiday is way out of our league. 3 nights in the lake district last summer and a couple in Northumberland in the Easter break is all we could afford in 2011

(oh, and 8 days staying with my parents in the summer - wall to wall golf at my away course for just £190 subs!!!)

I'm back to Turkey again in May as well for the third consecutive year.

Good golf courses and good value for money. A bit quiet in the evenings for some maybe, nightlife tends to centre around the hotels and no "dancing ladies" in sight!

bb

I know £1000 sounds a lot but don't forget that is all inclusive so no spending money required when you get there.

Works out at £140 a day for flights, hotel, unlimited golf, food, drink so I'd say a pretty good deal.

Go on.....you know you want to

nope - given the opportunity, any extra golf money this year is going to go towards playing rounds at Royal Dornoch, Kingsbarns and Castle Stuart for the first time each this season - hopefully!

£1000 is good but I would probably have to go alone as my girlfriend does not play golf and my golf mates are either poor or stingy.

It is not that I would care going alone but as Ban says it is sometimes better to play the nicer local courses come the summer.

I have a muni membership so tend to thinl (private membership - muni fees) = cash for away days.

McLaren wrote:£1000 is good but I would probably have to go alone as my girlfriend does not play golf and my golf mates are either poor or stingy.

It is not that I would care going alone but as Ban says it is sometimes better to play the nicer local courses come the summer.

I have a muni membership so tend to thinl (private membership - muni fees) = cash for away days.

The mythical Girlfiend again, she seems to pop into almost every post from Mac!!

Take her with you to Turkey Mac...A bit of pole dancing for all those English blokes starved of any evening entertainment should get you your £1000 back and some!...

He can't get her out of school Blue

JD - I've been to Turkey (twice) and while I enjoyed The Sirene together with the Sultan and Pasha courses at Antalya golf club, I have never been so disgusted in my life with the Cornelia (it was Deluxe then, now Diamond). I wouldn't even grace it with 4* - it was more like 2*. Food was apalling, service dreadful, the whole hotel decorated in a ghastly shade of green! Did enjoy the Faldo course though, even though it had only just opened when I went and was still bedding in.

So I'd recommend Turkey (especially the Sirene) but would advise steering clear of the Cornelia! There are some interesting sights to see around the Belek area - even looking at the snow-capped mountains while lying on the beach.

And there's also Thailand - if it's not still under water!

Cornelia Deluxe and Diamond are two seperate complexes, and yes the Diamond is by far the superior of the two, hence the price difference

Tee'd up for me this one :-D
Fly out on 14th Dec, overnighting in SFO then driving down to Santa Cruz to play Pasatiempo, onward to Pebble Beach that evening and playing Spyglass Hill on the Friday then a 36 hole 4bbb (18 on Pebble Beach, 18 on the Links at Spanish Bay) on the Sat/Sun. Drive back up to SFO Sunday evening and fly down to Cabo San Lucas on the Monday (19th) and have lined up Cabo del sol, palmilla & Cabo Real for that week in between being a complete Party animal...tequilas & Latinas...marvellous!! Fly home 28th

JAS wrote:Tee'd up for me this one :-D
Fly out on 14th Dec, overnighting in SFO then driving down to Santa Cruz to play Pasatiempo, onward to Pebble Beach that evening and playing Spyglass Hill on the Friday then a 36 hole 4bbb (18 on Pebble Beach, 18 on the Links at Spanish Bay) on the Sat/Sun. Drive back up to SFO Sunday evening and fly down to Cabo San Lucas on the Monday (19th) and have lined up Cabo del sol, palmilla & Cabo Real for that week in between being a complete Party animal...tequilas & Latinas...marvellous!! Fly home 28th

Just checked the long range forecast for the area....horrendous!!

JAS

Would you like a travel companion?

McLaren wrote:JAS

Would you like a travel companion?

Mac...Are you under 25, blonde, female, with a pretty face and an athletic & toned figure?

Also noticed how I purposely avoided listing the cost....that's because I'm scared to total it all up. Suffice to say it's not what you'd call a bargain break.

One cloud on the horizon D4S....literally....there are big grumblings underground in Iceland, apparently another big eruption is imminent, I just hope it waits until after the 14th.

Can we please delete JAS's post, there really is no need for that!

JAS

yeah, a guy in the office mentioned it today and we looked on the BBC website to read up on it. Global warming, flooding, no flights etc.

Pebble Beach is quite high above the sea, I'll come and get you in a boat. Might need to spend a couple of weeks recovering after a long sail, I'll bring my clubs

Normally my winter break is Hawaii, just going to Mexico for a bit of a change this year.

By the way, if anyone's looking for a nice break in Cyprus, my villa is available at £400 a week (it's 3 bedroom - 2 doubles and a twin so it easily accommodates a 4ball), think about it, that's £100 each for your accomadation, it's got it's own private Pool. Aphrodite Hills, Secret Valley and Elea are all close by. PM me if you'd like more details.

Welcome back JAS Whicker When do you work? ahhh life on the road, bats in the boot like a travelling mariachi man Oh and pub singer

LadyPutt wrote:And there's also Thailand - if it's not still under water!

Things are gradually drying out LadyP. Bangkok being the worse hit so golf there a bit limited. A lot of people have moved out of Bangkok and moved to the popular golfing venues at Pattaya and Hua Hin, so accommodation may be in short supply.

I know she has had a fair few mentions on here in the last few days but as my girlfriend matches your description can we both come? You will realise I am more fun than hot girl anyway.

McLaren wrote:I know she has had a fair few mentions on here in the last few days but as my girlfriend matches your description can we both come? You will realise I am more fun than hot girl anyway.

JAS look closely at the laminated picture, there's probably a copyright in their somewhere

McLaren wrote:I know she has had a fair few mentions on here in the last few days but as my girlfriend matches your description can we both come? You will realise I am more fun than hot girl anyway.

Mac, behave.

You visit golf courses to observe the architecture, read/lecture about golf architecture, email fellow 606ers to voice your disapproval of their opinions, glory hunt Woods, Man United and watch F1, play computer games, like WWF, read the Socialist Worker, trawl jumble sales looking for golf balls and have an unhealthy obsession with pre-pubescent wizardesses, but worst of all you consider Mirka Federer to be "attractive".

Show me a "hot" girl who'd be interested in that.

Super

Cannot argue with that other than to say I do not watch WWF.

I used to love The Two Ronnies, really miss that show for entertainment value but the Mac/S_R show pushes it pretty close for laughs.

You need to work on the name though guys, not quite got the same ring to it

It's a good night from me and a "down with capitalism" from him.

super_realist wrote:It's a good night from me and a "down with capitalism" from him.

To be fair to Mac SR makes him out to be a big jumper wearing, sandals type of guy, with unwashed hair and huge piercing through his lip. wonder what the dress code is at Mac's course

To give Mac his dues, he takes it all very well and is a pretty good sport(unless you offend Mirka!!)

super_realist wrote:It's a good night from me and a "down with capitalism" from him.

Its a Daily Mail from me and a Guardian from him.......

s_r,
Going back to the thread about what image do 606v2'ers conjure up in one's mind, I should have offered that you remind me of Charlie Adam; a few niggles here and there, perfectly capable of picking up a yellow or two, sometimes perhaps in the same game, but equally capable of the deft dead ball delivery and able to conjure up a defense-splitting pass when least expected.

Like calling Mac "a pretty good sport" when we know the next delivery will be a real zinger to test even the bus he sometimes parks in front of his goal.

Diggers wrote:

super_realist wrote:It's a good night from me and a "down with capitalism" from him.

Its a Daily Mail from me and a Guardian from him.......

Was about to write something about reading the daily mail but then remembered. People don’t really read the daily mail they just use it as an implement to increase the level to which they are seething on that day.

I bet you all wish I read the guardian but truth is I only really use the recipes in it, particularly Hugh Fearnly whittingstall.

kwinigolfer wrote:s_r,
Going back to the thread about what image do 606v2'ers conjure up in one's mind, I should have offered that you remind me of Charlie Adam; a few niggles here and there, perfectly capable of picking up a yellow or two, sometimes perhaps in the same game, but equally capable of the deft dead ball delivery and able to conjure up a defense-splitting pass when least expected.

Like calling Mac "a pretty good sport" when we know the next delivery will be a real zinger to test even the bus he sometimes parks in front of his goal.

Funny you should say that Kwini, He's younger than me, but grew up no more than a few miles away.

I hope for your sake you dont look like Charlie Adam SR. Also he's a bit of a lard bucket for a footballer.
I actually bought and read a Guradian the other day as the stall at the station didnt have a Times. Its really not a very good paper, shame really. Even the Independant is better.

Thankfully I don't look like him Diggers.
He is indeed a bit portly too.

I like how you mispelt The Guardian, it used to be well known for its spelling mistakes.

JAS - have you played Pasatiempo before? I hear great things and may have the opportunity to play it in April. If you haven't played it already would appreciate your view after your upcoming trip. I am told that in the States it is the course which prides itself on still being true(est) to the good Doctor's design etc.
Enjoy - sounds like a great trip.

No1hacker - by the way if you want top quality golf courses and aren't too fussed about outrageous nightlife you cannot beat Turkey. Most hotels are all inclusive which works well for golf trips! If you do go play The National, oldest and most interesting of the courses I've played put there. Apart from Montgomerie would be happy to play any of the courses again.

Hi Puligny,
Yes played it last year on my way to Pebble, got paired up with a couple of locals which was useful (I got their number so this year I'm playing as a members guest rather than a visitor - considerable saving!!). I thought it was a cracking test, no 2 holes remotely the same. Overall, the card suggests it's not excessively long but I do remember quite a few long 2nd shots. Some really stand out holes especially on the back 9 (11 & 16 particularly). Having said all that....it's after your ball is on the green that the fun really begins. My putting isn't great for my handicap but it's not bad either (average 32/33) but I was putting well on that trip (the rounds before and after were 30 & 31 but at Pasa I was 39 putts!!
It's got some good history, it is often stated that it was after playing Pasatiempo that Bobby Jones decided that Dr McKenzie was the man to build Augusta National. Dr McKenzie's house overlooks the 6th fairway, there's quite a bit about him in the clubhouse too as there is about a local member who carved out a bit of career on the ladies tour (Julie Inkster no less)

I could post some pasa photo's if anyone is interested?

Ah yes, it's a bit of a Doak-fest as well ain't it Mac?

drive4show wrote:I used to love The Two Ronnies, really miss that show for entertainment value but the Mac/S_R show pushes it pretty close for laughs.

You need to work on the name though guys, not quite got the same ring to it

What about the 'Mac & Mabel Show'

Noshankingtonite wrote:

drive4show wrote:I used to love The Two Ronnies, really miss that show for entertainment value but the Mac/S_R show pushes it pretty close for laughs.

You need to work on the name though guys, not quite got the same ring to it

What about the 'Mac & Mabel Show'

Bravo NST.