Time for Tee
When it comes to golf, no two courses are the same, so broaden your horizons and travel further afield to play on some of the top courses around the world, writes Tracy Hargreaves
Visiting different courses gives a golfer an opportunity to gain experience and improve their skills. So, we’ve put together a few suggestions of some of the places to book for your next golfing holiday.
In 2019, Royal Portrush (Dunluce) Northern Ireland will welcome The Open Championship for the first time since Max Faulkner won over the Northern Irish links in 1951. If you haven’t played it before, make sure this is the year to give yourself an idea of what the world will face in 12 months time.
Quinta do Lago in Portugal has been at the forefront of international golf since its creation. The award-winning resort has three courses, all of which are exceptional and are among the world’s golfing elite, having been named Europe’s best golf destination at the World Golf Awards in 2015 and 2016.
St Andrews Links in Fife, Scotland, sits among some of the most spectacular scenery in the British Isles. It is probable that golf was played here back in the 12th century and as such the old course is the oldest and most iconic golf course in the world. It remains a public golf course open to all and has been described as a course like no other.
Australia might seem a long way to go for a game of golf, but The West Course at Royal Melbourne Golf Club is generally acknowledged as the best in the country. Founded in 1891 it has played host to numerous national and international tournaments. The course has wide open fairways playable for the average golfer yet requires skill to drive the ball into dangerous corners to get close to the flags.
The Royal Birkdale, Southport, is one of the favourites on the circuit. It can be a completely different experience playing when the wind is bad as it blows in off the Irish Sea, but that’s what makes it so challenging. It has held more championship and international events since World War II than any other course in the world.
There are not always clubs where you can drop in for a game, fortunately at Pebbles Beach Resorts in California, you can, if you can afford it. An awe inspiring course, you will hear the sound of the waves as it routes along the craggy headlands that drop abruptly into Camel Bay. It will be a game you won’t forget in a hurry.
