Golf Destination Wedding Plan for 2014

Couples who love the same sports have many opportunities to enjoy their leisure time together. Golf is one of the best choices because anyone can participate and enjoy it. Looking for some golf vacation destinations could be so considerable for couples who are planning for a memorable and fun wedding, who love golf at the same time.

There are a lot of ideas you may consider to achieve a very memorable wedding. You can take it to some beautiful golf resorts that have the advantage of being near a gorgeous coastline, or beautiful beaches that line the coast, or directly on a couple’s favorite fairway. You should consider a golf vacation destination that offers an award-winning golf experience for players that are of any level of expertise.

Below are some suggestions to achieve a fun golf-themed invitations and favors:

The couple may use a golf cart as their getaway vehicle and give the invited guests a golf-themed wedding favors. Bride and groom who plan a small, intimate destination wedding may regard a golf club as a give-away or a round of golf ball with a print of the couple’s name.

In fact, it is easy to integrate golf into an overall wedding theme. There are a lot of ways for awesome "save the date" cards and invitations. Start it off right with guests by sending green invitations. For the attire, it would always depend on the theme of the wedding. For this occasion, attire may be eccentric or delicate. The bride might want to wear a traditional white dress with a touch of some green accents in her dress and bouquet. For her soon-to-be husband, a matching green tie would be very fitting as well. Dresses in a vibrant shade of green for bridesmaids add some golf-themed touch to the event, while groomsmen may wear green vests and a little touch of green on their suits. Or the wedding party may be dressed with actual golf clothing, and if happened that the weather is sunny, they may wear golf visors and decorate the venue with golf clubs. To top it off, the flower girl can use a golf ball basket to hold her rose petals. And the ring bearer may be dressed something like a golf caddy.

A wedding at a golf club does not just allow the couples and their guests an experience of a golf vacation package but as well enjoy an amazing ceremony among the dazzling fairways of a golf course or any of the golf vacation destinations that a golf lover couple would want to go to. 

How to do Southwest Ireland RIGHT by Mike Leary!

Take ir from a guy who's been doing guided tours to Ireland for over 20 years.... here's Mike Leary's ideas on how to do Ireland right...

My favorite golf destination in Ireland by far is the Southwest.  A mixture of it all awaits you there!  Great accommodations, championship golf, authentic pubs, fantastic restaurants and shops but most of all the Irish people with their genuine knack for making you feel like you’ve come home.

Let’s take it piece by piece....

Accommodations: 

Personally I love the Malton Hotel in Killarney.  This beautiful property, formerly the Great Southern Hotel, is located in the heart of Killarney and is moderately priced.  The hotel has good size rooms, great food & beverage and one of the most important amenities, a fantastic pub for that after golf or late evening libation.  The atmosphere is pure Irish!  The hotel is conveniently located in the heart of Killarney and just across the street from the train station for effortless access to Dublin or other regions of the Emerald Isle.  In my opinion, the best value for accommodations in all of Ireland.  

Golf:

Killarney Golf & Fishing Club:  Whether you want to play the Killeen course (home of the Irish Open) or the Mahony’s Point course, Killarney golf & Fishing Club, located on the outskirts of the town is a great venue for a day of golf where staying close to home is a priority.

Ballybunion:  The Old Course at Ballybunion combines a mixture of beauty and difficulty that will have you telling tales of great shots or talking to yourself as to why you ever took up the game.  Regardless, a trip to the southwest is not complete without playing the Old Course.  Additionally the Ballybunion Cashen course provides a chance of revenge against Ballybunion.  While the Cashen course does not require the long ball, the smaller, elevated greens demands a great deal of accuracy.

Tralee:  This Arnold Palmer design is a tale of 2 nines.  The front nine has challenge holes with some beautiful views, too many golfers are lulled into a false sense of confidence with dreams of a beautifully filled out score card that will be displayed to everyone you know back home.  Well, the back nine will bring you to your knees and have you curse that the fact that you ever thought you could tame this monster.  The elevations, tight fairways and tricky greens will bring you to your knees. 

Waterville:  A true links course stays consistent in hole design throughout all 18 holes.  Many golfers leave Ireland stating that Waterville is the course they like preferred over all the rest.  Waterville was the site of the first transatlantic cable connection from the US to Europe.  Samples of the cable laid across the Atlantic are displayed in the clubhouse along with great photos of Tiger, Payne, Mark O’Meara and others as they used Waterville as a preparation site for many  Open Championships.

Old Head:  If you could find a stretch of coastal property to build a championship course that provided the best views in all of Europe, it would be Old Head.  Situated on a 3 mile long peninsula just south of Cork, this course will take you at least 1 hour longer to play than others simply because of the beauty of every hole.  It will be a toss up on your scorecard as to how many shots you hit vs. how many pictures you took.  When you finish a round at Old Head you will immediately want to inquire about a replay.   With that in mind, the course has created an overnight package, staying at the Lodge at Old Head with two rounds of golf included.  To top off this great golf venue, the marine village of Kinsale is close by and provides a fantastic afternoon or evening of shopping, dining and sightseeing. 

There are numerous sightseeing opportunities in the southwest including the Dingle Peninsula, the Ring of Kerry, the Blarney Castle along with many more.

A golf adventure to the southwest of Ireland is one that you will not forget and will want to repeat!

Click here for a great example of how to do Southwest Ireland right  This special includes 5 nights, 3 rounds with rental car, and is good now through September of 2014 for only $1399 per person! - feel free to call Mike Leary at 888.985.9165 for local advice, and a customized itinerary!

Sea Pines Resort - Play Where the Pros Play

Play where the Pros Play - Stay and play at the Sea Pines Resort, home of Harbour Town Golf Links, site of the RBC Heritage each year. Also play the other 2 onsite courses, Heron Point and the Ocean Course.

This Spring, stay 3 nights, and play 3 rounds on these great tracks, and we will also include a $100 voucher to be used onsite at the property. Contact Mike Alfano or Craig Gordon at 888.765.0745

The Florida Swing – PGA Tour-Tested Courses Everyone Can Play

The PGA Tour makes five trips to Florida every year, with four consecutive events in March and THE PLAYERS Championship in May. All are held at terrific courses, but unlike some others on the Tour’s schedule, all five courses are also open to the public.

On its annual golf barnstorm across the United States, the PGA Tour visits several iconic courses that practically reach out and tease fans through their televisions -- Augusta National, Muirfield Village, Colonial, East Lake.

They tease because unless you have serious connections, you and your buddies don’t have a prayer of playing the courses.

But every March, the Tour makes its Florida Swing, a four-week junket from South Florida to Central Florida that isn’t a tease at all. The courses that Tiger Woods and Co. have played and authored so many memorable moments on are all accessible to the masses.

Between the Florida Swing and one more return visit in May to the PGA Tour’s signature course, there are five tracks in all that should be on any golfer’s must-play list. The pros don’t visit any state more times than they visit Florida, and their playgrounds can be yours.

Here’s a look at all five.

PGA National Resort & Spa, Champion Course, Palm Beach Gardens (home of The Honda Classic, Feb. 28-March 3)

The PGA of America is based in Palm Beach Gardens, and its flagship resort features five courses and an acclaimed golf school, not to mention great restaurants and the spa. One could spend a week there without leaving the grounds.

Golf Digest recently named Palm Beach as one of the top destinations for a buddies’ golf trip, and among its recommended courses was PGA National’s Champion Course, home of The Honda Classic.

The course was originally designed by Tom and George Fazio for big tournaments (the 1983 Ryder Cup was played there) and got a facelift in 1990 from Jack Nicklaus. Holes 15-16-17, two par 3s and a par 4 weaving through water, are nicknamed The Bear Trap. The pros are happy to escape with three pars, and so should vacationing amateurs.

Doral Golf Resort & Spa, TPC Blue Monster, Miami (home of the World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship, March 7-10)

Venerable Doral has hosted the PGA Tour for more than a half-century at the famed Blue Monster, whose name says it all.

The course is getting a facelift after this year’s Tour event, as developer Donald Trump bought the resort and has hired respected architect Gil Hanse to renovate the course. In some parts it will be more “Blue”, with bigger greens but also expanded water hazards.

“Doral can be the absolute best,” Trump told the Associated Press last year. “We are going to do this really right.”

Trump, for all his brash outspokenness, has an excellent track record in building great courses. Will be fun to see what becomes of the Blue Monster in 2014, for both the Cadillac Championship and the public.

Innisbrook Resort, Copperhead Course, Palm Harbor (home of the Tampa Bay Championship, March 14-17)

Among the hustle and bustle of north Pinellas County is an oasis in Innisbrook, a woodsy  resort with four championship courses including a gem in the Copperhead Course.

The Copperhead is a beast for the pros at 7,300 yards/par 71, but many have singled it out as their favorite Florida layout on Tour. There’s water, of course, but scoring is more incumbent on working the ball left and right and judging the various elevation changes that are rare for the area.

Innisbrook also features the Island course, which has hosted many pro events over the years and is strong enough to be a headliner. Except Copperhead is just down the street.

Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club, Orlando (home of the Arnold Palmer Invitational, March 21-24)

Bay Hill is in the heart of Orlando, just of I-4 and Sand Lake Road, having been built well before many of the attractions and vacation spots around it. The great Arnold Palmer first played the course in 1965 and then bought it in 1976, and ever since then it has been The King’s winter home.

Palmer’s fingerprints are all over the place, which is classy without being showy, respectful of the game without being suffocating. Gentlemen are asked to remove their hats before entering the clubhouse, like many finer clubs, but a starter’s loudspeaker welcomes guests to the first tee, like many municipal courses. The on-site Lodge is cozy, with Palmer photos and memorabilia spread throughout. (Visitors must stay in the Lodge to play Bay Hill.)

The course has been tweaked often and lengthened over the years by Palmer, assuring a good test for the pros. Amateurs should approach it like the owner – hitch up the pants and swing hard.

TPC Sawgrass, Players Stadium Course, Ponte Vedra Beach (home of THE PLAYERS Championship, May 9-12)

PGA Tour commissioner Deane Beman had a vision in the late 1970s to create a great golf course, not only for pros but for spectators. The “Stadium” concept was born, and golf fans have been treated to great theatre at TPC Sawgrass’ famous Players Stadium course ever since.

For the public, it’s on the short list of absolute must-plays in American golf. The par-3 island green 17th hole is the star attraction and the calling card – tell a friend that you played the Stadium course at TPC Sawgrass and they’ll first ask what you did on 17. Ideally, your ball(s) won’t be among the 120,000 fished from the lake annually.

Visitors will find that 17 is just one of the relentless tests on the Pete Dye layout. From the tips, the Stadium course plays to a USGA slope of 155 – the highest possible.

PLEASE CONTACT GLEN PARIZO AT 888.333.6103 OR EMAIL - GLEN@GOLFZOO.COM TO BOOK ANY OF THESE FANTASTIC PROPERTIES.

Enjoying Valentines Day and Golf

Couples who love to play golf should be looking forward to this perfect opportunity to spend their time on a golf vacation trip. Even though there are plenty of great vacation spots to celebrate Valentine’s Day, golf vacation destinations are still at the top of those lists. 

If you are planning to make this Valentine's Day the best celebration among your usual golf play dates, planning ahead of time is the first step. Choose the best golf resort with the best golf vacation packages for couples. Golf resorts with state-of-the-art amenities and accommodations are very attractive. There are golf resorts that pamper couples by preparing wines and chocolates in their hotel rooms, while others offer spa treatments for couples only. Most golf resorts are also maintaining stimulating activities for couples to enjoy such as canoeing, hiking, swimming, and shopping at local malls. These activities encourage closeness among lovers.

Next, make sure to choose the golf trip that suits you and your significant other's style. If you both love the beach, then golf resorts near stunning beaches is the perfect choice. For newlyweds, it is a perfect honeymoon location. You have both the luxury of enjoying the game while feasting your eyes with beautiful blue waves. If you both love a calming and relaxing golf experience, numerous golf resorts have private balconies for couples to enjoy the scenic view of sunset in the countryside. 

Lastly, choose the golf resort that offers the perfect golf experience without compromising your budget. Make sure to check ahead of time for golf vacation promos and discounts since most golf resorts have various golf vacation packages like Wedding Day Packages, couple golf packages and Valentine’s Day Packages. Most golf vacation packages offer 2 nights stay and 1 night free stay to luxurious Penthouse while others offer free amenities like free access to fitness center and golf lessons.