Global Sports: A tour of the golfing world

Saturday, October 29, 2011

A tour of the golfing world

By Betty Johnson


The beauty of golf as a sport, lies in the fact that amateurs can play on the same courses as the world's top professionals and that alone makes it unique. These days, there are more world class venues than ever before and it pays to take your time in obtaining golf vouchers before planning which of these you want to visit.

No golfing holiday would be complete without a trip to the home of Golf itself. While St. Andrews golf trips offer a choice of several venues, it's the Old Course itself that attracts the bulk of visitors. In order to play at the Old Course you need to enter into the ballot system and hope that your name is drawn out. However, a visit to this part of the world is worth it from an overall golfing perspective and with other, top quality venues here besides, St. Andrews golf has plenty to offer.

Aside from those courses that have held the British Open, venues for the biannual Ryder Cup between the USA and Europe are also extremely popular and Celtic Manor in Wales is now highly sought after. The Twenty Ten course is part of a massive complex that provides hotel and other facilities and Celtic Manor golf is now moving up the list of requirements for every amateur golfer.

If you're looking to play some Celtic Manor golf, you will need to book well in advance in order to avoid disappointment and at the same time, it pays to look out for package deals which may include use of the hotel and other facilities and could provide golf vouchers which would reduce the cost of your Celtic Manor golf green fee.

If you're travelling outside of the UK, Portugal and Spain are probably the most visited countries in the world from a golfing perspective. If you're looking to play your golf in Spain, Valderrama is arguably the best of the venues here. Designed and opened in the 1970's, when the course held the 1997 Ryder Cup, it received glowing tributes from qualified judges such as Nick Faldo and Severiano Ballesteros.

Of the many reasons why golf in Spain and Portugal is so popular, the weather undoubtedly has a major influence. With near perfect conditions and well kept courses you can play almost every day of the year if you wish. The weather helps to make the Algarve a top golfing destination and among the best courses here, you will find that Villa Sol, Quinta do Lago and Monte Rei always come highly recommended.

Beyond the UK and Europe, the intrepid golfer can be rewarded with an almost limitless supply of top quality courses, each of which are more than happy to welcome visitors and societies by prior arrangement. Trusted golf periodicals regularly publish reviews and included in the list of venues that score well every time are the Augusta National, home of the US Masters and the first major event of the golfing calendar, the Royal Melbourne in Australia and the Gary Player country club in South Africa's Sun City.

Wherever you're looking to play, it's vital to plan your trip in great detail with regards to venues, particularly if you are making your own arrangements outside of package tours. Look out for golf vouchers that can help you save money on fees, equipment and accommodation and of course, don't forget to take your handicap certificate with you. In many ways, the world is your golf course and this unique aspect of the sport has opened up some top venues for you to enjoy.




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