Fed up with the rain wrecking your game? Why not practise your swing abroad and take in some sights while you're at it? Mark Roddendescribes 10 of the best golfing holidays for all budgets and standards
1 Vilamoura, PortugalThe Algarve is among the most popular destinations for Irish people who fancy a golfing holiday, and Vilamoura is one of the safest bets when it comes to combining sunshine with good golf.
This resort (www.oceanicogolf.com) is favoured for both weekend and week-long breaks because of its proximity to a number of first-class courses. Green fees range in price from €55 to €135 and the best time to travel is between March and May and between September and November.
The region will be boosted further by the opening in September of two new courses, designed by Nick Faldo and Christy O'Connor jnr, at the nearby Amendoeira golf resort.
Ryanair flies daily from Dublin and twice-weekly from Shannon to Faro Airport, which is about a 30-minutes drive from Vilamoura. Aer Lingus has regular flights to Faro from Dublin, Cork and Belfast.
Fly for Golf has seven-night packages that include transfers and rounds of golf at five different courses. Prices are from €623 per person plus flights.
Tony Heverin Travel offers an extensive range of tailor-made packages to the resort, which include four- and five-star accommodation.
Foreign A Fares has a seven-night package in September, which includes hotel accommodation, transfers and three rounds of golf. Prices are from €489 per person plus flights. Killester Travel has one-week deals in five-star accommodation from €1,200.
2 Murcia, SpainWhile the Costa del Sol is a favourite for Irish holidaymakers, the southeastern region of Murcia is also developing as a golf-holiday destination.
Easy accessibility and cheap flights make Spain attractive, and Murcia is home to one of the top-rated golf resorts in the country. La Manga Club (00-34-968-175577, www.lamangaclub.com) boasts three championship courses, practice areas, a pitch-and-putt course and an academy.
The region itself has about 50 golf courses, while Jack Nicklaus is in the process of constructing seven courses in the area to make up the Jack Nicklaus Golf Trail, which will add to Murcia's appeal.
Ryanair flies from Dublin and Shannon to Murcia-San Javier Airport, about 25km from La Manga Club. Aer Lingus flies to Alicante airport, about 120km away.
Fly for Golf offers a seven-night package to Las Lomas village, La Manga, including three rounds of golf. Prices are from €539 per person plus flights.
Cassidy Golf also offers one-week deals, which include three rounds of golf and car hire. Killester Travel's week-long trips start at €1,200.
3 Costa Brava, SpainNorth of Barcelona, this area of Catalonia offers some excellent courses, including those at the PGA de Catalunya (00-34-972-472577, www.pgacatalunya.com), as well as good scenery and value.
Ryanair flies to the nearest airport at Girona, while Aer Lingus flies to Barcelona.
Cassidy Golf has seven-night packages to the area, including three days of golf. These are priced from €699.
Foreign A Fares has a six-night deal in October, which includes four days of golf. Transfers are included and prices are from €699. Flights are extra.
4 Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, AlabamaDefinitely for the more serious golfer, this trail allows you to play a number of Robert Trent Jones snr-designed courses in the Alabama region. The trail (www.rtjgolf.com) offers 468 holes on 26 courses at 11 different sites.
There is a lot of travelling to isolated areas involved, but the golf offers a fantastic challenge. Green fees start from as little as $43 (about €28), and there are a number of golf resorts and spas along the trail to choose as your base.
Delta Air Lines flies direct from Dublin to Atlanta airport, which is 230km from Birmingham and 255km from Montgomery.
Fly for Golf offers tailored packages of three or four nights in a number of different towns in Alabama, with two or three rounds of golf at the various courses involved. Prices from €1,049 per person.
5 Champions Golf Academy, Myrtle Beach, South CarolinaThe Champions Golf Academy (00-1-843-3991551, www.championsgolfacademy lbc.com) in South Carolina could be a good option for improving your game while taking in some beautiful sights.
Irish residents Peter and Helen Donaghy teamed up with former PGA tour player Hugh Royer III to set up the academy in this sunny resort. It officially opened in April and serves as a learning centre for golfers of various levels.
Their nine-month gap-year programme is aimed at aspiring golfers aged 17-21 who are hoping to pursue the game in college, and they also offer one-, two- and three-day coaching courses for golfers of all levels. The academy is located beside the Jack Nicklaus-designed Long Bay Club and is complete with practice greens, short- and long-game areas, driving bays, psychologists and modern video technology. Lessons can be tailored to suit your level.
Myrtle Beach is about a 45-minute flight from Atlanta, and can be reached from Dublin with Delta Air Lines. US Airways flies from Dublin to Philadelphia, which is about a 1½ hour flight from Myrtle Beach.
The excellent beaches are a draw for non-golfers too, but with 120-plus courses and weather that allows you to play practically all-year round, it is a hugely popular destination for golfers.
Cassidy Golf offers tailor-made seven-night packages to Myrtle Beach, including three rounds of golf with car hire. Prices are from €1,350 per person.
6 Biarritz, FranceThis coastal town in southwest France will be familiar to rugby fans but it is also home to a number of quality golf courses. And the area offers a lot more than just golf, including a number of beaches, but the downside is that accommodation can be expensive.
The Biarritz Golf Pass (00-33-559-037180, www.golfpassbiarritz.com) allows you to play five rounds on five different courses for €240-€300, depending on the season.
Ryanair flies from Dublin and Shannon to Biarritz.
Fly for Golf offers a seven-night package, including five rounds of golf in the region at Moliets, Biarritz le Phare, Seignosse, Arcangues and Makila. Prices are from €594 per person plus flights.
Cassidy Golf does tailor-made packages, starting at about €1,000.
Killester Travel has a week-long deal in five-star accommodation, including five rounds of golf. Prices from €1,200 per person sharing.
7 Dubai, United Arab EmiratesDubai is an emerging destination for Irish golfers. Although accommodation is expensive, the weather, service and range of courses, all in a unique setting, offer something different.
One round on the leading courses will cost between €75 and €160, and November to March is the peak season for travel.
Etihad Airways fly direct from Dublin to Dubai International Airport, while you can also get there with one stopover with Air France, British Airways and KLM.
International Sports Travel offers a range of packages for a number of courses, all of which include flights, transfers, seven nights in Dubai and four rounds of golf. Prices from €1,029 per person sharing.
Fly for Golf offers a five-night package, which includes three rounds of golf in The Emirates, Dubai Creek and The Montgomerie, including airport transfers, from €849 per person plus flights.
8 Sandy Lane, BarbadosFor a luxury, long-haul holiday, try the Sandy Lane Golf and Spa resort in Barbados (www.sandylane. com). The complex has three picturesque courses, including the Country Club, which hosted the 2006 World Cup of Golf. Green fees are €100-€130 for hotel guests, depending on the season, with a reduced rate for groups.
Non-golfers can make use of the spa facilities, lounge by the beach or take part in a number of water-sport activities.
Cassidy Golf and Foreign A Fares have a seven-night trip via London to Bridgetown, Barbados in October. This includes four rounds of golf and costs €2,690 plus taxes.
Killester Travel has a similar deal with unlimited golf or four spa treatments from €2,950 per person sharing.
9 Orlando, FloridaOrlando is another well-liked location for Irish golfers, with direct flights from Dublin and Shannon with Aer Lingus and the falling value of the dollar making this a much-sought-after location.
Fly for Golf has a seven-night package, including three rounds of golf at Celebration, Panther Lake and Hawks Landing. Prices from €729 per person plus flights.
They also feature the Sawgrass resort (00-1-904-2857777, www.sawgrassmarriott.com), home to the Players Championship. A five-night package starts at €865 per person. Killester Travel has a 10-night deal for Sawgrass from €1,995 per person sharing.
Cassidy Golf has deals for €779, which takes in a week of golf. International Sports Travel also offers tailored packages to many of the 100-plus courses in the area.
10 Novo Sancti Petri, SpainThis resort (www.golf-novosancti.es), located in sunny southern Spain, is made up of the first two courses, designed by Seve Ballesteros, and another 18-hole course at Campano Golf Club. Standard green fees are €60-€75 per round.
Elsewhere in the Cadiz region are other top courses such as Valderrama, Montecastillo and Sotogrande.
The course is 60km from Jerez Airport, which Ryanair flies to from London Stansted.
Cassidy Golf is offering seven-night deals, including three rounds of golf. Golf is at Nova Sancti Petri, Los Lomas and Montecastillo. Access is 90 minutes from Seville with transfers. Prices from €829 per person.
Tour operators
Fly for Golf
061-2044 44 www.flyforgolf.com
www.flyforgolfteetimes.com
Tony Heverin Travel
01-8746443, www.golfholidays.ie
Foreign A Fares
021-4278999 www.foreignafares.ie
Killester Travel
01-8336935 www.theflyinggolfer.com
Cassidy Golf
01-8725000 www.cassidygolf.com
International Sports Travel
01-8061753, www.istsports.ie