Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Top Golfing Holiday Destinations

Golfing holidays are a particularly popular way of taking a short break. Combining one of the world's most popular past times with the exploration and enjoyment of new experiences, destinations can be found around the world.

Although golfing was once seen as an old fashioned sport, in recent years it's become popular with far more than the once exclusive clubs of the past. A key fact to its popularity is that now that restrictions of gender have disappeared into the annals of the past, the sport can be played by anyone - regardless of age, fitness or even ability, there's a place for you on the green.

For those starting out in the sport then the local golf course is probably the best place to go. However once you've learnt the ins and outs of your local course, you'll soon hanker for a new challenge - a new course with new holes and new opportunities to practice the art. If you live in the UK then perhaps you'll also be looking for a course you can play without worrying about the rain. If so, you're in luck.

Golf tourism has boomed massively over the past few years and its rare to find a luxury resort or prestige hotel that doesn't boast a golf course. Some of these are among the most regarded in the world; these are the kind of places where you'll be able to book a short weekend break and play some of the best golf of your life, sampling a bit of local flavour at the same time.

Here are a few of the most popular destinations for taking golfing holidays:

The United States:
Golf may have started in Scotland but frankly, no country has embraced the sport more than the US. Perhaps the epitome of this dedication is the golf courses of Las Vegas; each day thousands of gallons of water needs to be pumped in over miles and miles of pipe to keep the course green in the arid Nevada desert. From the sky, they each appear as an oasis of lush turf in the middle of an otherwise barren landscape. Although the big hotels and the casino's have their own greens, one of the best destinations is the Shadow Creek golf course. Littered with waterfalls, creeks and artificial mountains its world renowned for its beautiful 18th hole.

The UK
If money is a problem then its important to note that you can find some of the best golf courses right on your doorstep. The weather and the overall terrain may be very similar but the overall design is unparallelled at the UK's best golf locations. Nowhere is this more true than the Links at St Andrews in Fife. Golf has been played on this course since around 1400 and its renowned throughout the world as the 'home of golf'. The largest golfing complex in Europe, this Scottish retreat sees people from around the world visit for an unforgettable golfing holiday.

Spain and the Costa Del Sol
Outside of St Andrews, Europe's best golfing destinations are probably found in the Mediterranean retreats of the Costa Del Sol. With excellent all year round weather and with the famously laid-back but sophisticated local culture, Spain offers a good medium between the United States and a domestic holiday for UK residents. Although the mainland has a lot of good courses, the Costa Del Sol's greens are the ones that have secured their golfing reputation. In the east of the island lies El Parador, founded in 1925 by the Spanish royal family and combining parkland with links style holes. The course is suitable for all levels but still poses a challenge for experienced golfers.

John Daniel writes article for Travellers-club and for more information on Golfing holidays he recommends you to visit: travellers-club.co.uk/

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