Let the Majors Begin
It's August and we should be done with the Majors by now but instead we are just ready to kick off the 2020 Major Season with the PGA Championship at TPC Harding Park August 6 – 9, 2020. There has been a lot of talk around the Golf Away Tours office (ok, on zoom and telecoms unfortunately) about what to expect and we are going to share TJ’s in depth analysis of what to expect (Tommy Fleetwood again like your Players Championship pick TJ?!?!?) so you can be ready to win your pool.
Speaking of pools, keep an eye out for the 2020 Golf Away Tours U.S. Open and Masters pools. These pools will be free to enter and there will be some great prizes so look for all the details in upcoming issues of the newsletter.
Other than TJ’s insightful PGA analysis this month we will be looking at:
It is so hard to believe we are in August already! Enjoy the rest of the summer and we hope this provides some interesting back deck or dock reading for you in between rounds of golf. Stay safe and we look forward to speaking with all of you in the near future.
We believe that you will find this newsletter to be great value in its content and that it will enhance your golf lifestyle. If you ever find that what we offer is not for you, simply click 'unsubscribe' at the bottom of any email. Also, be assured that your privacy is important to us! We want you to know that we will not sell, rent, trade, lease, or give your contact info to anyone.
Speaking of pools, keep an eye out for the 2020 Golf Away Tours U.S. Open and Masters pools. These pools will be free to enter and there will be some great prizes so look for all the details in upcoming issues of the newsletter.
Other than TJ’s insightful PGA analysis this month we will be looking at:
- A destination & off course experiences guide for the San Francisco / Pebble Beach area – a very popular destination as a short getaway for many of our clients.
- You will remember we ran a contest last month for those who wanted to share their favourite first tee (or any tee) stories with us. All submissions were entered into a random draw for a prize pack from Golf Away Tours and congratulations go out to Clayton Mackay who won the draw (his prize pack is on the way). As luck would have it, his story also took place at St Andrews on Hole #1 and we will be sharing that story with you.
- Since the 1st hole at St Andrews was already featured as last months hole of the month, we decided to keep the west coast theme going and will feature the 18th Hole at Pebble Beach as our hole of the month. Arguably the most famous finishing hole in golf, playing that hole is on many golfer’s bucket lists and we’ll give you all the history of the hole (and it may surprise you a bit).
- Wasn’t “The Open for the Ages” a fantastic show on the Golf Channel? What a great tribute to St Andrews and its history of hosting the Open Championship. Well done by Jack holding off Tiger down the stretch to get the win (take a look for the next showing on the Golf Channel if you didn't get a chance to see it – what a great show!). With this show top of mind we decided to keep the 150th Open Championship Experience trip details in this newsletter as we look forward to that trip in 2022. Remember, we now have very limited space left so let us know if you're interested so we can get you booked into this trip of a lifetime.
It is so hard to believe we are in August already! Enjoy the rest of the summer and we hope this provides some interesting back deck or dock reading for you in between rounds of golf. Stay safe and we look forward to speaking with all of you in the near future.
We believe that you will find this newsletter to be great value in its content and that it will enhance your golf lifestyle. If you ever find that what we offer is not for you, simply click 'unsubscribe' at the bottom of any email. Also, be assured that your privacy is important to us! We want you to know that we will not sell, rent, trade, lease, or give your contact info to anyone.
PGA Championship Preview | Monterey Peninsula & San Francisco area |
| On August 6 the 2020 Major Season kicks off with the PGA Championship at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco and we couldn't be happier to see it tee off. In March, the Players Championship (arguably the 5th Major) teed off only to be cancelled after round 1 as the world came to understand just how serious an issue the Covid-19 virus was for our health. In March, we also ran TJ's first ever tournament preview for the Players in the newsletter. TJ let us all know Tommy Fleetwood was the man. We will never know if he would have won but he was in second last place some 20 shots behind when the tournament was cancelled. The consensus between Matt and Ron is that, despite the strong position he was in after round 1, Tommy was likely not coming back to win the event..... Well, TJ is back with his insight (take it for what it is worth!) and no matter what you decide to do with the information, we hope you enjoy the return to major championship golf on August 6th. | A trip to Pebble Beach is on almost everyone golf lovers bucket list. Pebble Beach is one of the most iconic courses in the world and features some of the most dramatic scenery you will find on anywhere. When combined with rounds at Spyglass and the Links at Spanish Bay you have a true golf lover's dream trip. Or is it? To really make it into the trip of your dreams is there anything else you want to add on to make the trip your perfect getaway? The Monterey Peninsula offers may great opportunities to explore off the course and adding a stay in San Francisco, or a trip to Napa Valley, can take your trip from great to the trip of a lifetime. Whether it is site seeing, outdoor activity, fine food and wine or great sporting events this amazing region of the United States has so much to offer that the world class golf will only be part of the memories you have from your vacation. |
Most Memorable Tee Shot
Contest winner and story
Congratulations to Clayton Mackay for winning our random draw of all entries we received about memorable tee shots. His memorable experience also took place on the 1st hole at St Andrews and there is actually a bit of a lesson in the experience for all of us.
Here is his story of that memorable day.
My most memorable story took place on the first hole of St. Andrews. 12 years ago, I went to Scotland with my two sons. David, just turned 40 and his brother Mike 39. This was a gift from my wife to celebrate Dave's 40th birthday. We rented a house outside of St. Andrews overlooking the village. Plans were to play Kingsbarns, Old Course, New Course, Castle Course and we opened with a game at Carnoustie. We had been warned that we needed handicap cards or letters for the tour. The morning we scheduled to play the Old Course, it was very foggy and rainy, so we practiced at the indoor range. Were running a bit late arriving to meet our caddies and play. Up until now, no one had asked to see our forged letters (as given at the time no one was a member of a course). David was the last to go to the starter and he was immediately asked for his letter proving his handicap. Nervous, he began to search through his bag, and he didn't hear the starter say "or whatever bogus letter you brought with you". I almost collapsed laughing and immediately hit my tee shot into the burn. Great day and time for us all.
Other than the shot into the burn (something Ron can definitely relate to!!), this sounds like a great start to a great day and what a great itinerary for the St Andrews area. Clayton and his sons played many of the great courses in the area and must have had a fantastic trip.
The lesson for all of us in this story is that the starter at most of the courses are pretty good at being respectfully lenient around the handicap letters but we always HIGHLY recommend you have proof of handicap in the form of your GAO / USGA app, or some other proof of handicap, whenever you travel (but especially in Scotland and Ireland) just in case you get that starter that is a real by the book person.
Thanks to Clayton, and all the rest of you who sent in entries, for sharing your stories with us and we hope you all have many more memorable tee shots in your golf and travel future.
Here is his story of that memorable day.
My most memorable story took place on the first hole of St. Andrews. 12 years ago, I went to Scotland with my two sons. David, just turned 40 and his brother Mike 39. This was a gift from my wife to celebrate Dave's 40th birthday. We rented a house outside of St. Andrews overlooking the village. Plans were to play Kingsbarns, Old Course, New Course, Castle Course and we opened with a game at Carnoustie. We had been warned that we needed handicap cards or letters for the tour. The morning we scheduled to play the Old Course, it was very foggy and rainy, so we practiced at the indoor range. Were running a bit late arriving to meet our caddies and play. Up until now, no one had asked to see our forged letters (as given at the time no one was a member of a course). David was the last to go to the starter and he was immediately asked for his letter proving his handicap. Nervous, he began to search through his bag, and he didn't hear the starter say "or whatever bogus letter you brought with you". I almost collapsed laughing and immediately hit my tee shot into the burn. Great day and time for us all.
Other than the shot into the burn (something Ron can definitely relate to!!), this sounds like a great start to a great day and what a great itinerary for the St Andrews area. Clayton and his sons played many of the great courses in the area and must have had a fantastic trip.
The lesson for all of us in this story is that the starter at most of the courses are pretty good at being respectfully lenient around the handicap letters but we always HIGHLY recommend you have proof of handicap in the form of your GAO / USGA app, or some other proof of handicap, whenever you travel (but especially in Scotland and Ireland) just in case you get that starter that is a real by the book person.
Thanks to Clayton, and all the rest of you who sent in entries, for sharing your stories with us and we hope you all have many more memorable tee shots in your golf and travel future.
Hole of the Month
18th Hole, Pebble Beach Golf Links
Is there a more famous golf course in the world than Pebble Beach? An argument can be made for St. Andrews, or even Augusta National with all of its TV time, but the public access Pebble Beach course with its coastal holes and unsurpassed beauty may be the most coveted course in the world to play. No other course offers more time on the coast than Pebble Beach and few courses offer as much major tournament history; most recently the 2000 U.S. Open.
At Pebble Beach it is easier to find a non-signature hole than to select a single signature hole. However, it is difficult to pass on the most famous finishing hole in the world. With the Pacific Ocean crashing into the rocks the entire left side of this dogleg left hole it is the most recognizable and one of the most beautiful holes anywhere. Few thrills are greater than launching a tee shot over the ocean towards an emerald green fairway and that is exactly what you are able to do here. The approach shot is protected on the left side by a long bunker that stands as a buffer between the green and the ocean. Truly one of the greatest holes in the world, this hole is a thrill from start to finish.
Interestingly, the Par-5 18th was an afterthought!
At Pebble Beach it is easier to find a non-signature hole than to select a single signature hole. However, it is difficult to pass on the most famous finishing hole in the world. With the Pacific Ocean crashing into the rocks the entire left side of this dogleg left hole it is the most recognizable and one of the most beautiful holes anywhere. Few thrills are greater than launching a tee shot over the ocean towards an emerald green fairway and that is exactly what you are able to do here. The approach shot is protected on the left side by a long bunker that stands as a buffer between the green and the ocean. Truly one of the greatest holes in the world, this hole is a thrill from start to finish.
Interestingly, the Par-5 18th was an afterthought!
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We Take You Around The World,
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(416)-466-4653
[email protected]
We Take You Around The World,
To Play The Game You Love!
