Golf Away Tours Monthly Newsletter
February 2021
February 2021
We are in the middle of a long, dark, and cold Canadian winter which, in normal years, would mean many of us would be down south, or counting down the days for our trip south. It is safe to say though that this is far from a normal Canadian winter but that doesn’t mean there isn't a light at the end of the tunnel.
Reports from the Canadian government continue to show momentum building in the drive to get Canadians vaccinated with the most recent reports suggesting as many as 20MM Canadians may be vaccinated by June, and that every Canadian wanting a vaccination will be able to do so by September 2021. If we can achieve this level of vaccination, it is great news for everyone as we all look to get back to a more “normal” life that, for many of us, includes golf travel.
We have been seeing a distinct increase in the number of calls we have been getting over the past few weeks from people looking for that much needed getaway. Many continue to look at Canadian options (and there are many great options there you can see by following this link to past articles) but we have also seen a steady increase in the number of people calling us to look at a fall 2021 getaway oversees for an end of the golf season trip.
2020 saw all overseas trips postponed due to the pandemic and we are very happy to report that all our suppliers were willing to work with us, and re-book all our clients which is great news, but that also led to a VERY busy season in 2021. We have a lot of trips already booked all around the UK, Ireland, Portugal and Spain however, we are also finding it increasingly difficult to get times for those of you looking to book something at this later date.
That is not to say all is lost though – there are still great destinations, and courses, waiting for you if you want to get overseas this year so we wanted to spend some time in this newsletter looking at some of the options available to you.
Also in this newsletter you will find:
2021 is looking like a much better year in golf travel (it is a low bar that was set!!) and we are excited to have turned the corner on 2020 and to be talking to many of you about how we can make your golf travel plans come to life. We have said it before, and we will say it again - talking golf, and golf travel, is our passion so call us anytime and we would be more than happy to share that passion with you.
Stay safe, stay healthy, enjoy this month’s newsletter and give us a call when you're ready to build your golf getaway, we’ll be happy to bring it to life for you!!!
The Golf Away Team
Reports from the Canadian government continue to show momentum building in the drive to get Canadians vaccinated with the most recent reports suggesting as many as 20MM Canadians may be vaccinated by June, and that every Canadian wanting a vaccination will be able to do so by September 2021. If we can achieve this level of vaccination, it is great news for everyone as we all look to get back to a more “normal” life that, for many of us, includes golf travel.
We have been seeing a distinct increase in the number of calls we have been getting over the past few weeks from people looking for that much needed getaway. Many continue to look at Canadian options (and there are many great options there you can see by following this link to past articles) but we have also seen a steady increase in the number of people calling us to look at a fall 2021 getaway oversees for an end of the golf season trip.
2020 saw all overseas trips postponed due to the pandemic and we are very happy to report that all our suppliers were willing to work with us, and re-book all our clients which is great news, but that also led to a VERY busy season in 2021. We have a lot of trips already booked all around the UK, Ireland, Portugal and Spain however, we are also finding it increasingly difficult to get times for those of you looking to book something at this later date.
That is not to say all is lost though – there are still great destinations, and courses, waiting for you if you want to get overseas this year so we wanted to spend some time in this newsletter looking at some of the options available to you.
Also in this newsletter you will find:
- A chat between TJ and Alan Maloney from Mount Falcon Estate in Ballina, Ireland as they discuss not only the amenities at this world class resort, but also the unbelievable golf to be found on the north west coast of Ireland.
- In our destination guide, we will look at Mont Falcon Estate and everything it has to offer plus some of the other exciting side trips you can take in this wonderful region of Ireland.
- Our hole of the month will feature the 16th hole at Enniscrone Golf Club, a tough par 5 hard by the sea that is the consensus signature hole at this amazing links course.
- Valentine's Day, one like no other, is this month (in case you forgot!!!) and as we tried to come up with creative ideas for our better halves, we stumbled upon an interesting article we wanted to share with you. It has a few interesting ideas to make the day more special, even in the middle of a pandemic, and might score you some points with your special someone.
2021 is looking like a much better year in golf travel (it is a low bar that was set!!) and we are excited to have turned the corner on 2020 and to be talking to many of you about how we can make your golf travel plans come to life. We have said it before, and we will say it again - talking golf, and golf travel, is our passion so call us anytime and we would be more than happy to share that passion with you.
Stay safe, stay healthy, enjoy this month’s newsletter and give us a call when you're ready to build your golf getaway, we’ll be happy to bring it to life for you!!!
The Golf Away Team
Fall 2021
Destination Ideas
It is obvious there is a pent up demand to travel (or at least have travel booked that we can look forward to.....). We are definitely seeing the trend as there continues to be an increase in the number of people reaching out to us to get a booking in place for their next golf getaway. Many continue to look at Canadian options (and there are many great options there you can see by following this link to past articles) but we have also seen a steady increase in the number of people calling us to look at a fall 2021 end of the season overseas golf getaway.
Every day it gets more booked up in at the "big ticket" destinations however, if you are really flexible on your dates and exact courses you play, you never know what we might be able to pull together. This month though, we wanted to look at a few of the great golf destinations that may not be in the "big ticket" category but are top destinations, not only for us, but also for the many clients we have arranged to visit them over the past few years.
There is a huge golf world out there waiting for you to explore it (with the bonus that some of these places have a bit more availability in what is going to be a very busy golf year) and we wanted to highlight a few of our favourites to you.
Destination Ideas
It is obvious there is a pent up demand to travel (or at least have travel booked that we can look forward to.....). We are definitely seeing the trend as there continues to be an increase in the number of people reaching out to us to get a booking in place for their next golf getaway. Many continue to look at Canadian options (and there are many great options there you can see by following this link to past articles) but we have also seen a steady increase in the number of people calling us to look at a fall 2021 end of the season overseas golf getaway.
Every day it gets more booked up in at the "big ticket" destinations however, if you are really flexible on your dates and exact courses you play, you never know what we might be able to pull together. This month though, we wanted to look at a few of the great golf destinations that may not be in the "big ticket" category but are top destinations, not only for us, but also for the many clients we have arranged to visit them over the past few years.
There is a huge golf world out there waiting for you to explore it (with the bonus that some of these places have a bit more availability in what is going to be a very busy golf year) and we wanted to highlight a few of our favourites to you.
TJ chats with Alan Maloney from Mount Falcon Estate
Ireland is undeniably one of the great destinations in the golf world, and rightfully so with great links and parkland courses dotted all over the island, world class accommodations, friendly hosts and almost unlimited off course dining and activities.
If those are the marks of a great trip (and safe to say they are many of the key factors) then Mount Falcon Estate could very well be epitome of a great Irish golf vacation.
Opened in 2006, Mount Falcon was the youngest ever hotel to win The AA Hotel of the year when they won the award in 2010. In 2015 the Hotel was named the best Manor House Hotel in Ireland.
TJ sat down (virtually) to speak with Alan Maloney, owner and manager of the Mount Falcon Estate, about how they consistently achieve these high accolades and also what the Estate, and the Mayo region, offer for the avid / discerning golf traveler.
Destination Guide
Mount Falcon Estate
Famous for luxurious accommodation and award-winning food, Mount Falcon Estate offers rest and relaxation in many forms:
- Indulge in the fabulous Spa & leisure centre.
- Learn to fish on the Estate lake or catch the elusive wild Atlantic Salmon on their private stretch of the River Moy.
- Take flight with their Falcons, walk with the Hawks and learn about the nature of the wise Owls.
- Give archery a shot or hit a flying target on the Clay Shooting range.
- Fine tune your drive on the 9 bay golf driving range.
- Unwind with walks & cycles on 3 km of forest trails or meet their gardener and his busy bees in the Kitchen garden.
Hole of the Month
Enniscrone Golf Club, 16th Hole
North West Ireland is one of the great golf travel destinations in the world, full of natural beauty and rigged terrain. If there is a course that better embodies the essence of this region than at Enniscrone Golf Club, we can't think of what course that would be.
Enniscrone is one of Ireland’s finest links golf courses set in scenic splendour in Killala Bay in County Sligo. This championship venue provides golfers with the ultimate golf vacation experience – dramatic dunesland, an inspired design concept, superb greens all year round and breathtaking views.
A highlight to your round at Enniscrone will be the Par 5 16th Hole - The Long Bank.
A Pandemic Valentine's Day
What's one to do....
We have a wide and varied group subscribed to our newsletter, so it is impossible to say exactly what everyone has in the way of Covid challenges at the moment but, it safe to say life is not like it was last Valentine’s Day!!!
Depending on where you live, you may be lucky enough to be able to do the dinner out at a fancy restaurant with caviar and champagne flowing thing or, if you’re like those of us in Toronto, Skip the Dishes might be on your speed dial. At either end of that spectrum, or anywhere in the middle, some creativity and thoughtfulness can go a long way with your better half on this special day and we found an article that might help you knock Valentine’s Day out of the park!!!!
With full credit for this article going to Good Housekeeping magazine (we never would have come up with all these ideas!), take a look and maybe you will find an idea to brighten up a dark February evening wherever you live.
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