Buzzin Golf

For amateur golfers there are now everlasting possibilities when it comes to short breaks or holidays abroad to play golf until the sun goes down.  As golf holidays & travel has become more widespread, so tourism has become more and more important to the economy of every country in the world.

Golfing holidays Europe is the most popular destination. Excellent facilities and pristine golf courses now litter Europe.  From France to Turkey, Bulgaria to the Spanish Islands. The choice has never been greater.

A quick day trip across the English Channel and you can be playing golf in France, enjoying some fantastic golf courses with beautiful views, enjoy some French cuisine and back home for supper.

France is large country that offers the golfer different options. A quick journey by train or ferry and you can drive to golf courses in Northern France in next to no time.  Or maybe you fancy a couple of days in or around the capital city of Paris.  The Alps offers probably the most beautiful backdrop of any golf course in France.  While southern France offers warmer climates and more time to relax.

If you are looking to getaway then you can be enjoying the Mediterranean Sea views within two-and-a-half hours.  Portugal, Spain and the Spanish Islands are cheap and easy to get to, especially this time of year.

Spain has always been the most popular resort for golf holidays in Europe; and with offers right now as little as £139 for three nights and three rounds, that’s not surprising.

Outstanding prices like these are currently available for Roda Golf and Beach Resort which is located in the Costa Calida’s Mar Menor.  It is on Spain’s south east Mediterranean coast and enjoys 300 days of sunshine a year it is the perfect location for a winter golf break.

Or maybe you fancy a golf holiday at the Hotel Almenara with its 27 holes of championship golf. The Almenara also offers no less than three 9 hole courses; Los Pinos, Alcornaques, and Los Lagos – each with their own unique challenges.

There are 1000s of great offers right now.  The best deal I could find was three nights and one round of golf at the Aroeira Resort.  The resort has two courses to choose from and is located 40 minutes east of Lisbon in a quite rural part of the Costa Azul. The Aroeira Resort apartments include wonderful views of the golf courses. Most apartments feature their own private garden with porch or balcony.

Golf holidays in Europe have never been so popular, and never been such good value.  Take a look and see just how cheap it really is.

After the last two long, cold winters it has been relatively mild with just the odd few days being too bitter or wet for golf in the south of England.  But it takes more than mild weather to get me playing in December & January throughout the winter months. Friends tell me golf is an all-year-round game; and for them it is, but not for me.

I love a round of golf, but as much as I enjoy the game itself, I equally enjoy the relaxation, the fresh air, exercise, walk amongst countryside as an alternative to work and stress, the quiet over the madden crowd… and the sunshine and warmth on my skin. Equally, I prefer to play in a polo shirt, sunglasses and a cap rather than jumper, Gore-Tex waterproofs and a woollen hat.

Everyone agrees the perfect round of golf includes sunshine and a warm day.  But for me it’s more than an optional ingredient.  It’s as obligatory as several birdies, spectacular drives, and nothing more than 18 two-putts.  That’s a perfect round of golf as far as I’m concerned.

So relatively speaking, yes it is mild for this time of year, and this morning the sun was bright.  But the Mediterranean is where I want to be playing golf in Janaury, February and March.

Average temperature in The Algarve for this time of year is 15°C, increasing to 16°C in February, 18°C in March and steadily rising until a peak of 28°C in July and August. And though 15°C may not be overly appealing right now to some, it comes with more of a guarantee than the English weather.

The Algarve has been one of the most popular resorts for UK golfers for some time now; and due to the law of supply and demand, there are now more golf courses in this beautiful region of Portugal than ever before.  As well as choice, this also results in some great Algarve golf deals with offers for as little as £95 per person for a three nights, two rounds and bed & breakfast break.

Plenty of golf courses with a backdrop overlooking The Mediterranean, how can anyone not prefer to experience the sun, sea and relaxation on offer.

With flights only taking approximately two-and-a-half hours from London to The Algarve, gorgeous food, great accommodation, and top golf courses such as Parque Da Floresta, Tivoli Lagos, Penina, Tivoli Marina Portimao, Tivoli Carvoeiro, Pestana Carvoeiro and Val do Lobo, some with adjoining hotels.  What are you waiting for?

You may have all heard the story about how one of the new crop of young Japanese golfers who was making his first appearance at the British Open was heard to ask why the championship isn’t played in the summer only to be told, it was summer!

The winter months divide amateur British Golfers between those that play all year round, however cold or wet; and those who prefer to escape the winter with a holiday or golf break to warmer climates such as Turkey, Canary Islands and the Mediterranean.  Letting family and friends know your preference well in advance is a good idea when it comes to receiving Christmas presents.

Buying new golf clubs is an obvious choice for any keen golfer and in the main I am fortunate that most of my family know my clubs of choice.  Every golfer has particular fancies when it comes to which make and model he or she believes suits their ability and style.

The good thing about buying Christmas presents for a fellow golfer in the family is there are plenty of small inexpensive and useful presents such as golf gloves, socks, tees and of course golf balls.  But as for receiving golf clothing, well that might depend on your current plans as to whether you prefer a t-shirt and shorts or jumper and waterproofs.

Fortunately for golfers, we have had a mild winter in the south of England.  The north-east and Scotland have had snow but nothing on the scale of the last two winters where golf courses were closed over several weekends between December and February. Today is bright and dry, with nothing more than a breeze.  Perfect winter day conditions to play a round of golf; out in the fresh air, away from any family feuds and walking off any over indulgencies from the festive period.

For me, the worst thing about the winter months is not so much the cold, but the dark nights.  Like many golfers, it’s difficult to find the time during the day to play enough golf, so I have to play at the weekends with everyone else trying to book a tee time before mid-afternoon.  It’s not long before we will notice lighter evenings and the possibility of playing nine holes or even squeezing in a quick round in the evenings; and with it warmer weather.

Until then, you take your choice to play throughout the year through whatever weather, keep to the driving range, or book a mid-winter holiday break.

Yesterday Luke Donald became the first golfer to officially win the US PGA & the European PGA Tour Money List in the same season.

Donald added the European Order Of Merit, or Race to Dubai as it has become known, by finishing third in the Dubai World Championship yesterday.  The only player that was able to stop him was Rory McIlroy.  But he failed to win the event and finished 10 strokes off the lead following a poor final round. The event was won by Spaniard Alvaro Quiros, by two shots with an excellent 19 under.

The US PGA & the European PGA Tour Money List awards are given to the player who wins the most prize money over the course of a season. At his peak, Tiger Woods managed this feat in unofficially by winning European tour titles on an invitational capacity.

But for Luke Donald to achieve this twin award officially means he had to agree to play a minimum of 13 tournaments on the European tour and no less than 15 tournaments on the US PGA.

This massive achievement comes at the end of a great year for Luke Donald who, for the first time in his career was ranked world number 1. But without wishing to take the shine off what is truly a great achievement, I find it a little bit at odds that the number 1 ranked golf player and the winner of both the US PGA Money List & European Order Of Merit goes to someone who didn’t win a single Major in 2011.

There’s no doubting Luke Donald is one of the best golfers in the world right now.  But I want a number 1 ranked player to be the best in the world, someone who wins, a true champion, like Tiger Woods was in his prime.  Not a ‘steady Eddie’ who hardly ever three-putts.

While many pundits are still suggesting Rory McIlroy is the next Tiger Woods, It is Luke Donald that will celebrate Christmas after winning £4.19m in the US and £3,632,685 on the European Tour this year.

Rory McIlroy wins the Hong Kong Open to keep alive his contest with Luke Donald at the top of the European Tour’s Race to Dubai.

Rory McIlroy made an impressive comeback in the fourth and final round to win the Hong Kong Open today and with it keeps the pressure on Englishman Luke Donald for the coveted European Tour’s Race to Dubai championship.

Rory McIlroy won with a final round of 65 by two strokes with a 5 under score.  The 22 year old from Northern Ireland was delighted to seal the victory and told reporters:

“It is very special to win this. No matter how prestigious tournaments are, this is one of my favourites and I’m really happy to win it,” he said. “To be able to win a golf tournament when you are not at your best is something. Tiger Woods did this all the time. This is a great win, to come from behind and to be able to draw level and then close it out.”

There has been much pressure on the young Irishman’s shoulders since he turned professional in 2007 and eventually won his first major – the US Open – earlier this year.

McIlroy beat off challenges from France’s Gregory Havret who finished second, two strokes behind, and Sweden’s Peter Hanson on 9 under. Ian Poulter was looking to retain the title he won in 2010 and shot a good final round to finish joint fourth on 8 under with Scotland’s Richie Ramsay and Thailand’s Pariya Junhasavasdikul.

After failing to win the Hong Kong Open, Ian Poulter told reporters:

“It’s disappointing obviously. I came to defend and I’ve come up shy. I thought I had a chance when I got to 9 under, but I just flushed it on the 15th. It was a costly bogey at the wrong time,”

Last week Lee Westwood announced that he would be joining the US PGA Tour next year which I assume is to give him a better chance to win either the US Open or The Masters.  By doing so Westwood may forfeit the chance to win the Race to Dubai, based on the highest prize money on the European Tour in a given season, but the US is where the big money is.

If like Lee Westwood you are looking to win your share of prize money then why not check out the golf betting competition at BettingExperts.

They are offering a massive a £5,000 in a free to enter competition.  The competition covers all golf tips for major, minor tournaments including PGA and European Tour during the competition date. The top ten golf tipsters with the highest profit (measured in units) on golf shares the prize pool, which will be paid in free bets & prize giveaways. Tipster with the most overall gets the first prize.