The Daytona Beach area has been home for me since 1997, and one of the reasons I’ve been here for 20 years is because I love the combination of small town feel with big city amenities that are unique to Volusia County and its 500,000 residents. The beaches are uncrowded, restaurant and hotel prices are low, traffic is light and there’s plenty to do. If great golf, beautiful beaches and the Daytona International Speedway aren’t enough to satisfy you, Orlando and its many resorts and theme parks are only about an hour away.
Come visit my home town, you’ll enjoy it. Drop me a line when you do and I’ll be happy to answer any questions you have about places to visit in the area!
Daytona Beach Double Feature is One of Florida’s Best Golf Packages
3-Night, 2-Round Deal Features Outstanding Golf and a Prime Location
Two of Central Florida’s most popular courses have partnered to create the Daytona Beach Double Feature, a value-laden package that delivers outstanding golf and perks that have made it one of the Sunshine State’s best.
The 3-night/2-round deal starts at $298 and features golf at LPGA International’s acclaimed Hills Course and Halifax Plantation Golf Club. Golf groups will also enjoy accommodations at the newly remodeled Homewood Suites, daily breakfast and dinner and drinks each night for groups staying-and-playing during the week.
A 4.5-star design, the Hills Course is one of Florida’s best public courses. The Arthur Hills layout has hosted the LPGA’s ADT Season Ending Championship, NCAA Championships and the finals of the LPGA Qualifying School, allowing golf groups to walk in the footsteps of some of the LPGA’s greatest players.
Halifax Plantation plays through centuries old live oak trees and a pine forest while treating players to a 4.5-star round of golf. The layout has no parallel fairways, giving players the opportunity to enjoy Bill Amick’s classic design and the land’s natural beauty.
The accommodations at Homewood Suites, which enjoys an ideal location across from Daytona International Speedway, feature a kitchen and living room, providing golf groups ample room to hangout and enjoy the camaraderie that is an essential part of a great buddies trip.
What happens off the course is an integral part of a successful golf trip, and few destinations in America can come close to matching Daytona Beach’s offerings, starting with 23 miles of pristine Atlantic Ocean beaches.
Golfers can enjoy the thrill of a great round in the morning and the exhilaration of a guided tour around Daytona International Speedway, highlighted by the opportunity to experience the track’s 31-degree high bank corners for themselves.
Throw-in scenic parks, deep-sea fishing, Ponce Inlet Lighthouse, world class dining and night life, among countless other activities, and it’s not hard to see why Daytona Beach is poised to become a destination of choice for golfers.
It’s official. Foot Golf has come to Orlando. Hawk’s Landing Golf Club at the Orlando World Center Marriott has added one of the country’s fastest growing sports to its impressive list of amenities, which already includes an 18 hole Bob Cupp designed golf course that winds through the 200 acre property, a golf academy run by top 100 instructor Bill Madonna, a huge modern practice facility with chipping greens practice bunkers and covered hitting bays, and that’s just at the golf club.
Waitaminute – what the heck is Foot Golf? Simply put, if you combine soccer with golf, you get foot golf. The resort has laid out a course with 21-inch holes that blend in with the existing golf course so that it doesn’t interfere with golf, and players kick a soccer ball around the course while avoiding sand and water just like golfers do until they hole out. Foot golf is played with a regulation soccer ball and players can play 6 or 18 holes. Play is scheduled every Tuesday and Saturday after 4:30PM and costs $25 for adults and $12.50 for juniors and includes soccer balls and golf carts to ride around.
If Foot Golf isn’t for you or you would rather play regular golf, Hawk’s Landing Golf Club is a fantastic choice. Despite being wrapped around the huge resort complex, the 6600 yard par 71 layout never feels like it was shoehorned into a tight area around the other resort amenities. This course was not an after thought and wasn’t built to just say they had a golf course at the resort. Hawk’s Landing Golf Club is a focal point at the Orlando World Center Marriott. While you are well within the resort boundaries and many of the resort’s rooms and facilities are visible from the course, it still almost feels like you can disconnect and get away when you play a round of golf here. They’ve found a nice balance between golf and the rest of the resort.
Speaking of the rest of the resort, here’s a short list of the amenities that await resort guests and members:
Hawk’s Landing GC – 18 hole Championship Bob Cupp designed golf course
Bill Madonna Golf Academy and learning center
Falls Pool Oasis – ranked one of the “World’s coolest hotel pools” by Forbes, a pair of 200-foot slides, splash zone for kids with zero entry pool and playground, 564000 gallon main pool, poolside bar and grill
The GRID – Gaming Recreational Interactive Destination – Where gamers can play everything from the classic arcade games to XBOX, PlayStation, Wii, iPads and more
4000 sq/ft fitness center open 24 hours a day, including Cybex equipment, 21 cardio machines and free weights
Spa, offering all the usual services such as aromatherapy, mani/pedi, facials, massage, private spa pool, whirlpool and steam room
Over 2000 guest rooms with premium bedding, down comforters, high speed wired and wireless internet. Rooms range from about 500 sq/ft to the 1875 sq/ft Presidential Suite and even more luxurious International Suite
9 Restaurants offering food choices from all over the world
The Orlando World Center Marriott is an impressive property. Given its stature among Orlando’s best resorts with guests coming from all over the world to visit, you would think the locals couldn’t help but feel a little left out. However, Hawk’s Landing offers memberships! For a price, local residents can enjoy all the resort’s facilities whenever they want. Now that sounds more like it! Too bad I don’t live closer or I might have taken a hard look at that for myself!
As a vacation destination, Orlando is a worldwide family favorite. When listing Orlando’s best resorts, the Orlando World Center Marriott always seems to be in the top 5. The top notch accommodations, extensive amenities and prime location close to all the theme parks and nightlife makes this place a winner in my book.
Hilton Head Island has long been one of the most popular and beloved vacation destinations in the United States, but have you visited the island lately? They are upping their game and ready to impress. Some say Hilton Head Island is too expensive, but if you think that you simply aren’t looking hard enough. While Hilton Head Golf Island offers plenty of upscale, premium golf experiences, there are also some fantastic deals available without having to skimp on quality.
#10 Jones Course, Palmetto Dunes
“Spring is the peak season for golfers to visit Hilton Head Island to experience our world-class golf courses, stunning Lowcountry scenery and amazing culinary offerings,” says Cary Corbitt, President of the Lowcountry Golf Course Owners Association and Vice President of Sports and Operations at Sea Pines Resort. “Many resorts have made significant upgrades and improvements – totaling more than $200 million – to both their golf courses and accommodations to make everyone’s golf experience here truly memorable.”
If you are searching for a great value for a buddies golf trip or even a family getaway, you need to take a serious look at Hilton Head Island. Below are just seven reasons why you should visit the Carolina Low Country this spring.
#16 Fazio Course – Palmetto Dunes
7 Reasons to Visit Hilton Head Island This Spring
Hilton Head Golf Island’s territory includes over 30 golf courses on and around the island, including championship designs from legendary golf course architects like Jack Nicklaus, Robert Trent Jones, George Fazio and Pete Dye.
Hilton Head Golf Island’s courses and resorts have earned top 10 rankings in seven categories by Golf Digest, including “Best Buddies Trip Destination,” “Best Accommodations,” “Best Couples Trip,” “Best Courses,” “Best Food and Drink,” “Best Weather” and “Best Value.” Hilton Head Island also was named the International Association of Golf Tour Operators’ Golf Destination of the Year for North America for 2016.
The PGA Tour stops by Hilton Head Island every spring to play the RBC Heritage at Harbor Town Golf Links. The PGA Tour pros love spending a week on Hilton Head Island. It’s always ranked one of their favorite tournament stops every year.
Hilton head Island is easy to get to. It’s less than an 8 hour drive up or down I95 for millions of people, and Savanah/Hilton Head International Airport (SAV) is very convenient for those traveling by air. SAV has daily non-stop flights on JetBlue from Boston and New York City, and Allegiant Air flies non-stop from Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Baltimore, Pittsburgh and others. 14 other locales offer non-stop service to SAV from Chicago, Detroit, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, Philadelphia and Washington D.C.
There’s much more to do than just golf! To start, Hilton Head Island is home to 8 of the world’s top 100 tennis resorts and boasts over 500 public and private tennis courts. Then there’s world class inshore and offshore fishing and boating and kayaking, miles and miles of beaches, bike trails, nature walks and bird watching, plenty of art galleries, shopping and dining.
The weather is fantastic. You’ll be at the very southern tip of South Carolina, near the Georgia border. With an average low of 57° and an average high of 75°, you are more likely than not to get great weather when you visit. March, April & May are the best months, with average temps in the low 60s to mid 70s.
It’s not as expensive as you think. In fact, it’s pretty cheap! Take Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort’s “Birdies and Beer Getaway” package for example – Guests enjoy four days/three nights in a two-bedroom villa at the Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort, and three rounds of golf on the resort’s three championship courses: Robert Trent Jones Oceanfront, Arthur Hills and George Fazio. Starting at $180 per golfer/per night, the promotion features breakfast and beers via a resort gift card. Also offered: two hours of court time per day per villa at the Palmetto Dunes Tennis Center, range balls, dining and pro shop discounts, and preferred rates and priority access to all resort activities and amenities. $180 per night at a high quality resort like Palmetto Dunes is hard to beat!
#16 Hills Course – Palmetto Dunes
For additional information about rates, restrictions and other package inclusions, or to receive a quote, visit: www.hiltonheadgolfisland.com or call (800) 523-3373
Club Glove has long been known for making high-quality products. The fanatical attention to detail and durability they build into their travel cases is almost legendary. If professional tour usage is any indication of quality, Club Glove is king of the hill. 90% of PGA Tour pros use Club Glove to protect their golf clubs.
For years I’ve used a hard plastic travel case from a rival brand and have been happy with it, but despite the durability of hard cases, the weight and size are drawbacks. I am only able to fit a small carry bag with the driver removed in the plastic case, and it weighs in at about 46 – 48 pounds with only a lightly loaded bag inside. Most airlines limit weight to 50 pounds before charging you extra, so excessive weight is a constant problem when traveling with golf clubs.
Recently I traveled to Antalya, Turkey to represent Team USA in the World Amateur Golf Championships and as part of the package I received a sweet new custom staff bag. Because of the size of the new bag, I needed a new travel case to fit it in. That’s where Club Glove’s Last Bag comes in!
The Last Bag from Club Glove is their top of the line golf travel bag. This premium large collapsible bag weighs about 11 lbs unloaded and accommodates nearly any golf bag and up to a 47″ driver, plus still has room for additional gear and accessories. Here are the specs:
Club Glove Last Bag – Specs
51″ H x 19″ W x 16″ D • 86 linear inches
Single piece burst proof construction made with Invista™ Cordura® 1000 D water resistant nylon up to 3x stronger and lasts up to 5x longer than standard polyester
1600 D ballistic nylon base reinforcement
Reliable and durable YKK® zippers and ITW Nexus® Buckles
Patented high-impact plastic wheelbase with integrated support and super high rebound 70mm 78A inline skate wheels with bearings for smooth and quiet transport (U.S. Patent #7,188,714 and # 7,219,902)
Patented adjustable restraint device to secure golf club set (U.S. Patent #6,901,979)
2 exterior shoe/storage pockets with nylon shoe bags
ID card holder
Made in the USA
Real World Testing
Specs are nice and all, but how does the thing perform when being tossed around by disaffected airline baggage handlers? The bottom line is this: If you are anything like me, you’ve spent a lot of time and money putting together a set of golf clubs that look great and help you perform your best. I personally have about $3500 worth of custom made equipment to protect when I travel, so I don’t want to throw my clubs in some cheap $25 travel case you can pick up at Walmart.
When I first received my Club Glove Last Bag, I was impressed with the thick cordura nylon and solid construction, but I was a little worried that my huge 9.5″ Burton staff bag would fit. My fears were misplaced however, because the bag fits inside easily. I picked the bright yellow color to make it easy to spot in airport baggage claims, and it also matches this website’s logo color. When packing my clubs I usually weave a couple extra towels back and forth between the irons to prevent them from banging around against each other too much. I then fit the golf bag’s rain hood on it, then slide it into the travel case.
In my opinion, one critical accessory for this travel case is the Club Glove Stiff Arm. The Stiff Arm is a metal pole with a plastic cap on top that expands and protects your clubs, should the soft-sided travel bag be dropped on its head. Simply place it in your golf bag and expand until you get a tight fit against the rain hood. The Stiff Arm extends past your driver and three wood to absorb any impacts, giving your clubs additional protection. When you buy on Amazon they send you the Stiff Arm free.
Once packed, the entire thing closes up nicely without much room to spare. The compression straps on the side of the bag allow you to take up that extra space for a nice tight fit. After adjusting the straps, it all felt very tightly packed and solid. The heavy-duty YKK zippers glide nicely and installing a standard TSA lock to secure the zipper ends was no problem. Once packed the bag weighed in at 46 pounds fully loaded, giving me some wiggle room for the airport baggage weight limit.
My trip from Florida to Turkey and back included layovers in New York and Istanbul both ways, so that meant that my golf clubs would be handled (or mishandled) by airport staff at least 8 times. Getting the clubs through the airport to the check-in counter was a breeze. The large rollerblade wheels roll smoothly, the beefy grab handles are easy to use and the hard plastic skid plate allows the bag to negotiate curbs and escalators with ease.
When I arrived in Antalya, Turkey I was happy that my bag arrived without any signs of wear and tear other than a bit of dirt and dust. The bag was intact and all my clubs were ready to go. After the return trip the bag showed some signs of tampering, but it was just the TSA that had opened it for inspection. It turns out that they rummaged around quite a bit because my lock was in the bottom of my golf bag instead of attached to the travel case, and some of the clubs were not in their usual position.
After traveling over 13,000 miles and being tossed about and handled by various baggage handlers, airport security, customs agents, bus drivers and golf course attendants, the Last Bag stood up to the abuse and came out smelling like roses. The fact that there was no damage or appreciable wear to the bag and its contents is testament to the build quality of Club Glove products.
In the end, the Club Glove Last Bag lives up to its name. If you are in need of a solid, high quality golf travel bag, this is the last bag you’ll ever need. The $299 MSRP may be a bit steep for some, but considering the investment you are protecting I think it’s worth it. This bag is tough as nails, easy to transport and functions perfectly. It even integrates and attaches to Club Glove’s other fantastic travel luggage to form a train for easy transport. If for some reason the Last Bag is not big enough for your bag, you can even get the Last Bag XL for those huge old-school staff bags. For more info, visit www.clubglove.com
Several years ago the Mosaic Company, the world’s largest combined producer of potash and phosphates, was about to reclaim 16,000 acres of land near Fort Meade, Florida that had been mined for nearly 100 years for phosphate. Instead, Mosaic CFO Richard Mack proposed building a golf resort. When Mr. Mack invited the design teams of Bill Coore & Ben Crenshaw (and later Tom Doak) to tour the area, they were stuck by the unique assortment of dunes, elevation changes, sand and native grasses that distinguish the property from your typical Florida landscape. It is estimated that the mining process stockpiled 15 million cubic yards of sand. The land sat untouched for over 50 years, and what nature gave back was a spectacular collection of dunes, lakes and sandy soil on which to build golf courses. Tom Doak famously said about the property: “”If you parachuted me into Streamsong, and you gave me 75 guesses as to where I’m at in the world, my 73rd guess might be somewhere in Florida.”
Streamsong Resort opened in January of 2013 to rave reviews. The Coore & Crenshaw designed Red course is ranked fourth in Florida (#18 in the US) and the Tom Doak designed Blue course is number six (#24 in the US) on Golf Digest’s Best in State Rankings. Both courses were built and opened at roughly the same time. In fact, Doak and Coore collaborated on the overall routing of both courses and even shared the design of some holes on each course, the details of which seem to be closely guarded. Because of the collaborative effort and clever routing of both courses, players can play some unique non-traditional six or twelve hole loops, including six holes on the Red and six on the Blue.
Streamsong Blue #13
The Courses
The Red course measures 7148 yards (74.2 / 130) from the longest tees and 5184 from the shortest, giving everyone a course that is challenging but fair. I found the Red course to be a little more forgiving, with shallow bunkers, fewer forced carries and greens that were flatter and featured prominent chipping and run-off areas. The Blue course stretches to 7176 yards (74.1 / 131) from the back tees and down to 5531 from the gold tees. The Blue course has larger, more undulating greens and deeper bunkers, but like the Red course, it generally offers plenty of space off the tee. The relative lack of trees and exposed elevations of both courses means that the wind is always a factor, especially when playing from, over or around any of the large dunes that dot the landscape. My first round on the Blue course in late January was negotiated in constant 30 mph winds with gusts into the 40s. The terrain tends to play hard and fast, giving golfers many options for approach shots along the ground. For example, on the 18th hole of the Blue course my playing partner Jay and I waged a “closest to the pin” contest for fun from 125 yards out in the fairway. With our putters. The contours of the hole and the shape of the green gives you the option to run the ball up along the ground, and we both managed to get the ball on the green. Many holes on both courses set up the same way.
Streamsong Red #17
These Boots Are Meant For Walking
During peak season from January 1 to April 15 Streamsong is walking only. They have an experienced roster of professional caddies available at all times. (At additional cost) During the summer months when temperatures usually hit the mid 90s, golf carts are available, but the use of a forecaddie is mandatory. This walking-only policy may turn away some visitors, but Streamsong believes walking is by far the best way to appreciate the subtleties of the golf courses while keeping the turf in excellent shape year-round. Of course those with physical disabilities are allowed to use a cart, and caddies are not required when walking but highly recommended. Most of them have lots of experience on both layouts and are of great assistance in plotting your way around the course.
Architecture
Almost as striking as the dramatic landscape is the architecture at Streamsong. The golf clubhouse is a modern looking structure designed by Alberto Alfonso. It sits between the dunes and next to a lake that golfers must carry the ball over on both courses at one time or another during the round. The building has everything you need, and nothing you don’t. Besides the pro shop and 4500 square feet of conference space, the steak and seafood restaurant Fifty-Nine and and outdoor terrace, the clubhouse also has twelve guest rooms that served as the only on-site accommodations when the resort first opened.
Streamsong Lodge
Since opening in January of 2014, the Lodge has become the center of off-course activities at Streamsong Resort. This 216 room luxury hotel sits on the shores of a pristine private lake teaming with wildlife and stocked with bass. The horseshoe shape of the building gives every room a great view of the lake, outdoor fire pits and beautiful infinity pool. AcquaPietra, the 7000 square foot subterranean grotto-style spa with seven bathing pools and and nine treatment rooms will help melt away stress and treat those aches and pains.
AcquaPietra Spa
Dining
With four top notch restaurants on site, you’ll never leave hungry. SottoTerra features traditional Italian cuisine, P2O5 serves traditional Floridian favorites like oysters, conch chowder and fried chicken, and is named after the chemical symbol for phosphate. Finally, take a short elevator trip to the rooftop grill of Fragmentary Blue to enjoy Sriracha glazed chicken skewers, buffalo pork rinds and other casual fare while having a drink and enjoy the views that go on for miles in all directions.
Off Course Activities
The virtually untouched lakes and streams surrounding Streamsong offer some of the best bass fishing in the state, and guided tours depart from the docks just a short walk away from the Lodge. For shooting sports enthusiasts there’s also a well designed Sporting Clays course led by certified instructors just a short drive away on property. For large groups, there is 18,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, but who expects to get any work done at a place like this?
What makes Streamsong Resort so unique is the location and topography. Situated just over an hour from Tampa and about 90 minutes from Orlando, it is close enough for a quick weekend trip, but the property itself is so remote and isolated that you don’t feel like you are that close to any civilization. Some people have compared Streamsong Resort to Bandon Dunes in Oregon or Cabot Links in Nova Scotia, and perhaps the comparisons are valid in terms of remoteness, but to me comparing repurposed phosphate mines in rural Florida to true seaside links land isn’t fair. Bandon and Cabot are on the coast, but Streamsong is over 40 miles from the Gulf or Mexico and the weather is much better!
The Future is Black
Where all these resorts do compare however is in the accolades they have received. In just a few years Streamsong has managed to get everyone’s attention and rank highly in many golf industry rankings. Both courses sit in the top 20 nationally in rankings from Golfweek, Golf Digest, Golf Magazine and others. But if you thought Streamsong would rest on their laurels, you were wrong. 2016 Olympic course designer Gil Hanse was recently announced as the architect for a third golf course that will start construction this summer with an anticipated opening in 2017. The new Black course will have its own clubhouse and dedicated practice facility and be located a short distance away from the Red and Blue courses. The terrain for the Black course isn’t quite as dramatic as the original two, but there is no shortage of interesting land forms and vegetation to route a course through. There are also rumors about a fourth course in the future. With 16,000 acres to work with and given the stellar golf Streamsong has produced so far, perhaps the comparisons to Bandon Dunes will continue – Minus the ocean breezes and rain of course.
Fragmentary Blue Restaurant
At Streamsong Resort, the course designers proved that you don’t have to move tons of dirt and sand to make beautiful and playable golf courses. The leadership team also proved that when executed properly, a piece of seemingly useless land can be transformed into a place people really want to go. In many respects, Streamsong is a collection of contradictions. It’s remote enough that you could never find it by accident, but close enough to Tampa and Orlando for a day trip. The golf is played on foot with caddies, but valet service and complementary shuttles transport guests to and from the course. The post modern architecture of the clubhouse and lodge clash with the unkempt wilderness that surrounds them. The land that sat untouched by humans for decades now attracts people from all over the world.
Streamsong Resort is a must-visit for all golfers. The courses are among the best in the US, the accommodations and dining are excellent, the amenities are a perfect complement to the golf and the service is exceptional. Stay and play packages range from $139 to $199 per person depending on the time of year and size of your group. For more information visit http://www.streamsongresort.com/
There are thousands of golf courses in the UK, meaning that no matter where you live you will always be within a short distance of somewhere good to play. Occasionally, good is not enough: you want the best. And we don’t blame you. That’s why we’ve created this list of the top 5 UK golf courses, so you don’t have to.
When you’ve checked out our top 5, make sure you head over to the Gamola Golf Course Finder to find fresh, quality courses in your local area.
Woodhall Spa (Hotchkin), Lincolnshire
The Hotchkin Course is in impeccable condition, with a stunning landscape of majestic trees, rich heather and gorse. Visuals aside, the course is challenging due to its tight fairways, rough and giant sized bunkers. The clubhouse offers great facilities and magnificent catering for afterwards.
St Andrews (Old), Fife
Scotland’s finest, St Andrews old course is rich in history as one of the oldest golf courses in the world, and the course where ladies golf began. Its 17th hole, the Road Hole, is one of the most famous holes in the world. The course itself is challenging, with various humps, bunkers and ripples hidden among the great expanse of land. St Andrews is a course to be played at least once, preferably more.
Royal Birkdale, Merseyside
Royal Birkdale has a rich noble history and has hosted many championships in the past. Each hole runs through stunning landscapes of sand dunes and heather, and the course itself is extremely challenging due to tight fairways, deep bunkers, rough greens and sea gathered wind. The course itself is in excellent condition and each hole is varied, suiting the course to all players.
Royal Birkdale is famous for hosting many championships and its stunning course. Navigating through sand dunes, heather, narrow fairways and rough in the blustering wind is no easy feat, making the course challenging but rewarding for players of all abilities. The course is kept pristine, providing a gorgeous view for dining in the clubhouse.
Royal County Down, Newcastle, NI
Set in the Murlough Nature Reserve, the scenery surrounding Royal Country Down is breath taking. Towering over stands the Mourne Mountains, while the fairways are lined with purple heather and golden gorse. The course is challenging, demanding great accuracy and strategy, or perhaps just a caddie’s knowledge.
Murfield Golf Club, East Lothian
Murfield is a world famous golf course, known for hosting major championships both nationally and internationally. Unlike traditional links courses, Murfield routes around a hill, giving little protection from the Scottish weather. The course is tough, but good shots are rewarded fairly. Both the course and the clubhouse are immaculately kept.
In recent years we’ve seen a huge boom in ride-sharing companies like Uber, Lyft and a few others that let regular folks like you and me use your car in your spare time to offer people rides for money. It’s like a taxi company with a diverse fleet and direct to consumer payment system. The idea has spawned similar business models for home sharing vacationers with services like Airbnb where people can turn their extra bedrooms into a hotel or rent their entire home to travelers, and spinlister.com for bicycle sharing.
GimmeClubs.com
Now that peer-to-peer sharing concept is coming to golf with www.gimmeclubs.com. Gimmeclubs.com is an online marketplace for golfers to rent out their golf clubs to others that don’t have any or may not want to travel with their clubs. Unless you play golf seven days a week, chances are your clubs sit in the house or garage collecting dust for most of the week. Why not let them make money for you by renting them out?
How many times have you played golf with rental clubs? At most courses the rental club offerings are underwhelming, beat up and poorly fit to most golfers. What if you had an option to pick your rental set from a wide variety of local golfers that take care of their sticks? That’s the allure of a system like gimmeclubs.com. The concept is still in the concept stage, but the founder plans to go live in the coming months (late 2014)
So How Does It Work?
Gimmeclubs.com will be the hub that connects golfers with each other to rent clubs or make their clubs available for rent. The lister will set up a page for their clubs with pictures and descriptions, and they name their own price for rental, with gimmeclubs.com taking a percentage as the middle man. The lister can even set up a calendar of days that their clubs are available and unavailable.
Renters can search for clubs using parameters like location, brand, shaft flex and shaft type and can send messages to the renters to make arrangements. Rentals can be daily or weekly and the renter accepts responsibility for the clubs while they have them. Damages to the set will be paid for by the credit card on file, and gimmeclubs.com will also provide insurance to cover damage up to $2500.
Using a review system to rate your experience from both sides of the transaction helps to keep things honest and ensure the best possible results for future transactions. As a bonus, you can earn a free sleeve of Titleist golf balls for every five referrals.
Who Is This For?
GimmeClubs.com can be a great way for casual golfers to make a few extra bucks while their clubs sit idle, and if you are like me and have several extra sets laying around, why not have them making money for you instead of collecting dust in the garage?
For travelers, you can save time and money by leaving your clubs at home on your next trip. Baggage fees are going up and golf travel cases are a pain to drag around the airport. If you could find a good quality, properly fit set of clubs to rent at your destination, wouldn’t that be the better option? The money you spend to rent clubs will be offset by the savings in baggage fees and less hassle when traveling.
Log on to www.gimmeclubs.com and sign up! The next time you travel to central Florida, I’ll be happy to rent you my clubs!
As far as golf destinations go, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina has been one of the most well known places to go in the United States for decades. This beach community on the east coast has evolved over the years to become a top notch location for golf fanatics and family vacations. While someone looking for a high-end experience can certainly find everything they want, I think Myrtle Beach’s sweet-spot lies somewhere between the mid range guys trip to low cost family vacation. My focus here is on the mid-range golf getaway, and nobody does it better in Myrtle Beach than Mystical Golf.
Myrtle Beach Golf – The Mystical Way
Claude Pardue, President and CEO of Mystical Golf has given golfers three very unique and totally different golf courses to choose from, and combined with accommodations at the Sea Mist Oceanfront Resort, they have created maybe the best Myrtle Beach golf package available. More on that later. I took a trip recently to play the courses and see what the Myrtle Beach golf experience was all about. It was my first trip to the area, but I know it won’t be my last.
The Witch
The Witch Golf Club was our first stop, and it made an immediate impression. The interesting thing about the three courses of Mystical Golf is that each one has its own theme that set it apart from every other golf experience in Myrtle Beach. Designed by Dan Maples, The Witch golf course is set in a swamp, and the holes are spread out over 500 acres with 4000 feet of bridges connecting the holes together. Playing this tricky and visually overwhelming course takes you through deep cypress swamps and dense forests, and you are likely to see plenty of wildlife along the way, including alligators, snakes, deer, black bears and even a bald eagle if you are lucky. The clubhouse looks like a creaky old haunted house, and sits at the high point of the property, right where you would expect a witch to reside. TIP: Buy a yardage book and play the course twice. This course is easier to negotiate once you have seen it once due to some of the doglegs and semi-blind shots you’ll face.
The Wizard
The second Mystical Golf offering is The Wizard. Another Dan Maples design, (Maples designed all three courses) The Wizard transports you to Ireland with a links style course with pot bunkers, huge mounds and gently rolling terrain. The clubhouse resembles a castle ruin and helps set the mood as soon as you walk in the huge, heavy wooden front doors. The wizard’s castle clubhouse is the kind of structure I would have expected to see at Disneyworld, not in South Carolina, but the idea is brilliant and fun. The Wizard greets you with wide fairways and large bent grass greens that roll fast and true. Every hole presents you with a distinct line of play, and if you deviate from that line you are very likely to encounter deep rough, deep bunkers and huge grassy mounds that make your task much harder. This wide open links course doesn’t offer much shelter if the wind blows, and it often does. This course was a blast to play and turned out to be my favorite of the three. TIP: Stay out of the sand on this course and you’ll have a good day. Check the weather forecast and try to visit The Wizard on a calm day, as the wind can turn this track into a beast.
The Man -O-War
Continuing with the themes for each course, the Man-O-War course uses a nautical theme, with the clubhouse set on stilts over the lake like a wooden boat house. Even the tee markers are metal tie down cleats like you would find on the docks. Located across the 100 acre lake from The Wizard, the Man-O-War course is pretty flat, with large bent grass greens. Having a nautical theme of course means that you’ll find water on every hole, as the 100 acre lake winds in and out and between holes. Mercifully the water isn’t in play on many of the holes unless you hit a shot way off line, but on certain holes (like #9 and #18) you can’t bail out because the water is everywhere. With a slope rating of 141 from the back tees, there is nowhere to hide. Fortunately, Dan Maples gave you some chances for birdies with short par fours and a few reachable par fives. The Man-O-War was the perfect course to finish my trip on. TIP: Play conservative, keep it dry and you’ll have a good day. Most golfers play their best later in a trip, so if that is the case for you, play this course last as it is the most challenging of the three.
Pro Play II Package
So, how much will it cost you to visit these courses for yourself? Much less than you might imagine. Called the Pro Play II package, rates start at only $264/person for three nights and three rounds of golf. That’s not a typo! You can play all three courses and stay three nights at the Sea Mist Oceanfront Resort from $264 up to $416 per person, double occupancy, depending on the time of year you go. I challenge you to find a better deal anywhere on the stretch of coastline the locals like to call the “Grand Strand”
Available through June 1, 2014, the package includes three nights’ accommodations at the Sea Mist as well as:
• Welcome cocktail at the Sea Mist Tavern
• Traditional Low-country Oyster Roast (Wednesday only)
• $10 dinner voucher at Sea Mist’s Grille and Tavern
• Daily breakfast at the Sea Mist’s famous buffet
• Sea Mist golf hat
• Complimentary lunch, range balls and two beers at the course each day
• $15 gift card toward a golf shirt at any Mystical Golf clubhouse
• Instant replay round for cart fee only
Sitting on 15 acres of seaside property with easy access from Myrtle Beach International Airport, the Sea Mist features oceanfront and ocean view efficiency condos, hotel rooms, suites, bungalows and cottages. Highlight amenities are nine pools (one indoor), two huge outdoor Jacuzzis, two indoor Jacuzzis, a movie theatre, superb dining and more.
Why it Works
The great thing about this trio of courses from Mystical Golf is that it is a pure golf experience, and golf is the only focus. There are no banquet hall, meeting facilities, hotels, condos or homes on any of the golf courses. There are no PGA pros giving lessons and holding clinics even. The spartan clubhouses for each course go along with the theme of the course and have an intimate and purpose-built feel. Each clubhouse has a pro shop with plenty of logo golf apparel, snack bar, eating area and locker rooms. That’s it. You can eat anything you want at the snack bar, as long as it’s a hot dog, cheeseburger or sandwich. If you want grilled salmon or lobster tail, there are plenty of restaurants around town. This philosophy ensures that the focus remains on a great golf experience and keeps costs down by not offering those extra services that people really don’t want.
Mystical Golf got it right with their three unique golf courses. They are lots of fun to play and give you more variety from course to course than just about any place in the USA. people coming to Myrtle Beach to play golf can look at these courses as the model for a pure golf trip.No fluff, just good golf.
If you are looking for a cheap golf trip that doesn’t sacrifice on quality, the Pro Play II package is hard to beat. For more information about Mystical Golf and these three fantastic Myrtle Beach golf courses, visit www.mysticalgolf.com and for more info on the Pro Play II Golf Package, visit the Sea Mist Oceanfront Resort website.
At some point in every golfer’s life, he or she learns about the great courses and golf destinations of the world. We all dream of taking a historical pilgrimage in our respective sports. Tennis players want to go to Wimbledon, football fans to Cowboy Stadium or Lambeau Field. For baseball fans it’s usually Yankee Stadium or Fenway Park, and many Soccer fans dream of going to Wembley Stadium or Estadio Azteca. The great thing about golf is that we often get to play on the same venues as the pros, which isn’t the case with most other sports. For example, every serious golfer I know wants to some day take a trip to the home of golf and play the Old Course at St. Andrews. Last month my friend and fellow golf blogger Tony did just that. He spent a week with friends at St. Andrews and played most of the courses in the area.
I too would love to take a trip to St Andrews, or any number of other fantastic golf destinations. The problem is, most of us simply don’t have the cash laying around. A week long golf trip can run from $500 to well over $2500, depending on where you go. There are however, plenty of ways to save up your pennies to one day take that great golf trip. With that in mind, we’ve compiled ten ways how you might be able to scrape together enough money to make your dream golf trip happen!
Cut out the Starbucks! Personally I don’t understand why people willingly pay upwards of $5 every morning for a cup of coffee, but just think about how much you can save if you cut back to maybe twice a week, instead of having it every day. You could save over $500/year just by scaling back your fancy coffee & caffeine fix by drinking a Diet Coke in the morning instead, which contains about as much caffeine as a cup of that precious mocha latte.
Cook! If you eat out regularly, you are probably aware of how expensive it is. Dinner and a few drinks at a restaurant like Chilis or Olive Garden usually runs me between $20 and $30. Surely you can eliminate one $25 meal at a restaurant per week right? If you do you’ll save over $1000/year.
Walk! If you normally ride in a golf cart when you play golf, try walking for a change. Golf cart fees usually range from $12 to $24 for 18 holes, and if you play once a week that’s $50 to $100 per month. In 2 months you can save enough to buy a push cart like the fantastic ClicGear push cart that I use when walking. Walking will also get you in shape, and you’ll need it if you plan to go to St Andrews, because they don’t typically allow the use of motorized carts anyway.
Play more cheap golf! It’s nice to play well maintained golf courses, but they are also more expensive. Get to know your local municipal golf course, and play there more often. You’ll save quite a bit of money on greens fees, and chances are your scores will be pretty much the same even if the greens aren’t perfect. You can also take advantage of tee time services like GolfNow.com to get good deals and save 20% to 60% on tee times. Let’s face it, if you want to save up for that guys or gals golf trip next summer, you’ll need to make sacrifices.
Stop Smoking! OK, now I’m getting personal. Forget about the health concerns or the difficulty of quitting – no smoker will argue with me when it comes to the financial impact of smoking. A pack of cigarettes costs between $4 and $8 in the US, depending on where you live. Forbes.com estimated that the average cigarette smoker could save $200 to $900 a year by quitting. Add to that the inevitable added cost of healthcare, insurance premiums and even dry cleaning, and it could be significantly more. I’ll step down off my soapbox now.
Spend less on equipment! If you are saving for that golf trip to Pinehurst with your buddies, you probably shouldn’t be spending $499 on that new driver that promises 10 more yards. Look, if every new club on the market lived up to its promises, we’d all be hitting it 400 yards off the tee by now. Besides, that $499 driver will likely be just as good six months later when it goes on sale for $299. Another way to save a few bucks is by recycling golf balls. The pros on the PGA tour switch to a new golf ball every three to six holes. You can probably go 36 holes or more with the same golf ball, assuming you don’t plop it in a lake on the way. It’s OK to be uncompromising and insist on playing only with a Titleist Pro V1, but maybe for a season while saving up you can buy the $25 second hand balls instead of brand new ones for $50. Remember Shooter – New golf balls sink in the water just as fast as second hand ones do.
Chill out on the betting! I love a good money game as much as the next guy, but if you are trying to save up for that trip to golf heaven you might want to drop the stakes on the weekend Nassau down to more reasonable levels. Most golf games involve small amounts like $5 or $10, but loses can add up pretty quick over the course of the year. You may even come out in the black over the course of the year, but the money you are taking is probably coming from the guys that will accompany you on the trip, so give them a break too and try cutting the stakes in half until you’ve saved enough to make your trip.
Carpool to the course! Gas prices are going up. If you have a regular weekend foursome, why not try to carpool to the course and save a few bucks on gas? This way you only have to drive every fourth weekend, and more time with your buddies means more time for trash talk and gloating! This works better in the USA where everyone seems to drive SUVs (or land-yachts as I like to call them), but it may not work too well if you live in the UK and drive a small car. Even if one person picks up another and you can manage to take two cars to the course instead of four, you’ll be doing your wallets (and the environment) a favor.
Sell some old clubs! Do you really need 6 backup drivers and 12 putters? You may not think your old clubs are worth much, but one man’s trash is another man’s treasure! I recently sold several clubs on eBay, and when all was said and done I had raised over $1000. It adds up pretty quick. Every one of the clubs I sold were of value to me and I didn’t want to see them go, but it was becoming increasingly unlikely that they would ever find a place in my bag again, so I sold them. Easy money.
Open a golf savings account! Many banks these days offer free online savings accounts. This is a perfect way to keep track of your fundraising efforts. You can transfer money from your regular checking and savings accounts to the online account and watch it grow as your dream golf trip becomes more and more of a reality. Check companies like Chime to set up an online account with no fees and start saving!
If you play this game long enough, it’s inevitable that you’ll go on a golf trip. With the economy in a recession and money being tight, it can be hard to put money away for such trips. But there is always a way to save a few extra dollars. Using the suggestions we’ve already talked about combined with your own efforts and discipline, that golf pilgrimage you’ve always dreamed about can become a reality in no time! If you have any other suggestions for way to save, feel free to share with us in the comments below! Happy saving!
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European golf is enjoying a renaissance period, and the professional game has seen European golfers contend and win the majority of majors in recent years. At the centre of this boom period is Northern Ireland, providing three recent major winners. However, Balearic Island Majorca is building a reputation as a golfing resort to rival any in Europe and those further ashore. Sitting beautifully in the Mediterranean, this island offers a fantastic location to play competitive golf, either on holiday or on a short break. Majorca is one of the most popular holiday resorts in Europe, offering diverse holiday options.
Majorca sits just off the East coast of Spain, with Africa to the South and France to the North. Short flight times from the UK, and other areas of Europe make the island perfect for a golf holiday. Cheap Holidays to Majorca allows you to explore this diverse Island and its rich golf heritage. With 21 courses adorning the island’s beautiful landscape, a round of golf is never far away. The majority of the courses sit near the capital city of Palma, with six courses less than ten miles away from the airport. Five courses in the north and west of the Island use the beautiful scenery to create breath-taking backdrops.
The golf courses in Majorca meander naturally through its semi-tropical terrain, taking full advantage of viewpoints to create memorable rounds of golf. However courses on the Island provide tests to all ranges of Golfers, most notably Championship course Son Gual. This course has recently been awarded with the coveted IMG Prestige Programme award, displaying its heritage as one of the world’s finest courses. With only three courses in Europe receiving the award, Son Gual is confirmed as Majorca’s premier golfing address.
Son Gual has green fees of €150 to match its exclusive championship status. The course is located around 15 miles from Palma, and offers a testing but fair assessment of your golfing abilities. Ian Woosnam has compared the greens to Augusta National, detailing the quality of the course. The course offers wide fairways that sit naturally in its rolling landscape. The course is manicured daily, so expect to find fast greens and unblemished bunkers. When on yourCheap Holiday to Majorca you may not have the resources or time to book into San Gual. Other recommended courses on the island include Son Muntaner course that displays Majorca in all its beauty, or there is Poniente that has fantastic facilities.
Golf is just one of the activities that you can undertake whilst visiting the island of Majorca, the Island is a diverse location offering a variety of activities. Its cosmopolitan capital city Palma delivers fantastic food and drink in a busy environment. If you wish to relax further head to the north of the Island, the town of Pollensa offers authentic Majorca in abundance with its relaxing port. If you are thinking about visiting Majorca, Golf can be central to making your decision! Join the European golfing revolution.
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