Escape the January blues with one of Golfbreaks’ stunning worldwide holidays and make 2020 the year you finally book the trip of a lifetime...
Make Your Dream Golf Holiday A Reality
Now is the winter of our golfing discontent, when our normally lovely courses are often looking under the weather, while grey skies and low temperatures make our favourite sport distinctly less appealing.
The Christmas break is already a memory, and we golfers need something to look forward to.
A little research can uncover some great deals on flights, with a good number of major airlines including free carriage of clubs.
It’s time to pack up that flight bag and head to sunnier climes further afield for some serious swing therapy.
This is a Ryder Cup year, and the European Tour’s season really hots up with several tournaments in the Middle East, which therefore seems a great place to start.
The famous Dubai backdrop at Emirates GC’s Majlis course
The UAE is home to a fantastic and ever-growing collection of remarkably varied, top-quality courses.
Here, you can follow in the footsteps of your golfing heroes by playing at Emirates GC, home of the Dubai Desert Classic, Jumeirah Golf Estates, which hosts the DP World Tour Championship, or a few miles down the coast at Abu Dhabi GC, where the year kicks off in style with the HSBC Championship.
Jumeirah Golf Estates, home to the DP World Tour Championship
Each of these courses offers a spectacle of exciting and superbly manicured golf, and the supporting cast includes some equally strong designs such as Dubai Creek, Saadiyat Beach and Yas Links.
Low-season flights offer particularly good value, and it’s not just the golf that draws families and golfing groups to this amazing country.
Along with guaranteed sun, the hotels, water sports, restaurants and shopping facilities are among the best in the world.
Related: UAE Golf Destination Guide
As well as being an ideal holiday destination with so much to see and do, South Africa also offers remarkable value for money.
With no jet-lag to worry about, this is a country where the great outdoors is a way of life.
Alongside the golf, there are wildlife safaris, golden beaches, vineyards, barbecues and a wealth of leisure and sporting activities.
Perhaps its best-known resort is Sun City, with two fabulous Gary Player courses.
In 2020, it will host the 40th consecutive Nedbank Golf Challenge.
The trophy is adorned with the names of many golfing legends and is currently held by Tommy Fleetwood.
Player was also responsible for the three lovely layouts at Fancourt, midway along the nation’s south coast, where the Links course is widely regarded as the best in the country.
There are three glorious courses at Fancourt in South Africa
The same architect also designed beautiful Leopard Creek on the edge of Kruger National Park, which each year hosts the Alfred Dunhill Championship.
This makes it the perfect location for golf and safari.
Other wonderful courses include two Jack Nicklaus designs at Pearl Valley and Simola, as well as historic Durban Country Club.
The American dream Arguably the greatest golfing destination of the lot in terms of variety and strength in depth is the USA.
In California, Pebble Beach is one of the most iconic courses in the game.
And while many of the nation’s most famous courses are private, this and the host of the 2021 US Open, Torrey Pines near San Diego, are open to all.
Up in the hills, Palm Springs is a lively city that is home to a terrific selection of courses, including no fewer than six at PGA West.
To the south, Florida is the ‘sunshine state’ and is packed with golf of every size, shape and description, with something to suit all tastes and budgets.
Plenty of courses host PGA Tour events, such as Bay Hill (the Arnold Palmer Invitational), Innisbrook (the Valspar Championship) and, most famously of all, TPC Sawgrass, home of the Players Championship.
The PGA National Resort at Palm Beach hosts the Honda Classic and has five top-notch courses to choose from.
Talking of variety, further up the eastern seaboard in South Carolina is Myrtle Beach, home to a staggering 80 courses.
Hilton Head Island has a full holiday’s worth of golf, including Harbour Town, while the Ocean course, host of the dramatic 1991 Ryder Cup, is one of five on Kiawah Island.
Kiawah Island’s Ocean Course is stunning
Each of these fantastic destinations has its own share of bucket-list courses, and a popular option is to combine a few rounds with actually attending one of the tournaments in the area.
Related: USA Golf Destination Guide
Each also offers far more than golf, so is ideal for a family holiday with something for everyone.
What could be more exciting for a golfer than booking a sunshine trip with a tried-and-trusted tour operator to sample some of the amazing courses the pros get to play?
With so much incredible golf on offer, the biggest problem is deciding exactly where to go.
Happily, golfbreaks.com is the perfect place to start.
USA Golf Destination Guide
Golf in the USA offers incredible variety and…
UAE Golf Destination Guide
The United Arab Emirates has become a major…
Mauritius Golf Destination Guide
The stunning island is home to some truly…
For more information on all of the destinations featured here and many more, contact Golfbreaks, the golf travel experts. Visit golfbreaks.com or call 0845 678 2400
For more travel guides and all the latest golf news, check the Golf Monthly website and follow our social media channels @golfmonthlymagazine on Facebook and @golfmonthly on Twitter and Instagram
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