The Travelling Golfer

18/10/2024

Spectacular golf and sunsets in Baja California Mexico. Courses we played included Danzante Bay, Quivira, Querencia, Diamante Dunes, Solmar Links, Cabo del Sol, Campestre and Puerto Cortes. What a line up!!!!

17/10/2024

17/10/2024

Quivira GC, Baja Peninsula Mexico, famous cliffside 7th hole, par 3

14/06/2024

Our fabulous Women’s 2025 UK Tour is now open for bookings. On this fully escorted women’s tour you will play the most famous courses in England and Scotland, including courses that have hosted the Open Championship - play Royal Birkdale, Royal Lytham & St Anne’s, Turnberry, Carnoustie Kingsbarns and more. You will stay in the heart of St Andrew’s for 3-nights and go in the ballot for a game on the Old Course. Transport is by a private luxury bus, starting in Windsor and finishing in St Andrew’s Scotland. There are rest days between the golf so you can enjoy some sightseeing along the way. Accommodation is hand picked and ideally located, including historic hotels and a night at Royal Lytham & St Anne’s Dormy House. You will be escorted throughout by Sue Semmens. The tour is limited to 12 lucky women only. Book now! Visit www.thetravellinggolfer.com.au to find out more

The Travelling Golfer takes you and your friends to the special golfing destinations in the world w

15/05/2024

Does anyone recognise this clubhouse? It’s taken on the 9th hole of a US Open course. Home of the 2025 Open.

14/05/2024

It’s not easy to get to the small Caribbean Island of Saint Lucia from Australia, but this brand new course is not just ‘any old course’. Its ocean holes are the most dramatic you will find anywhere in the world .. and anyone who follows our travels know, we have seen a lot of amazing golf holes. So when Peter was invited to rate it for Golf Magazine USA, we jumped at the chance … well we flew, ferried and drove a heck of a long way to get there. Was it worth it? I think the photos answer that with a resounding YES. The heroic carries over oceans and beaches are simply awe inspiring. Acclaimed golf architects Coore & Crenshaw believe it is “the most visually dramatic course we have ever created” Unfortunately it will be a very private course, so chances of the public ever playing this course are slim. We are one of the lucky few.

11/05/2024

Today we played the famous ‘Teeth of the Dog’ at Casa de Campo resort in the Dominican Republic. It is a classic Pete Dye course that opened in 1971.
Playing on the “Teeth’s” seven oceanside holes is pure fun — the Par 3’s in particular have a magical charm about them, having been manually carved out by local labour back in 1970.
When the course first opened it must’ve been miles ahead of what we called golf at that time. It was always Dye’s personal favourite course and his final resting place is behind the 8th green. Renovations are planned for 2025 and we just hope it retains its original simple charm. It is after all considered a ‘National Treasure’ and was single handedly responsible for putting the Dominican Republic on the golf travellers ‘must play’ map!
The name ‘Teeth of the Dog’ comes from the sharp coral rock found along the ocean shore.

09/05/2024

Pete Dye and friends at ‘Teeth of the Dog’ Golf Course Casa de Campo Dominican Republic. Hey, ya gotta love the hats! 😂

06/05/2024

The Westin Resort Punta Cana sits ‘right on’ an idyllic beach and has several jaw dropping golf courses in easy reach. Waves crash and pelicans dive for fish as you tee off … it’s distracting in the best possible way. We have played 3 courses here and it’s tough deciding our favourite. Possibly Punta Escada with its numerous ocean front holes and stunning white rocky landscape but Corales is all class and is well known as a PGA tournaments venue. Here are some photos but they don’t do justice to the actual beauty and colours you see with your own eyes.

05/05/2024

You might not think golf when heading to Costa Rica - it’s best known for its forests, wildlife, beaches and eco resorts. But golf often takes you to some special places. In this case it took us to the Papagayo Peninsula Costa Rica where a dramatic golf course winds its way over and around this forested peninsula. The 1,400-acre Papagayo Peninsula is surrounded by water on three sides, carpeted by dense forest teeming with wildlife, fringed with uncrowded beaches and home to a luxury resort. To minimise damage to the environment the course was only allowed to be built on tracts of former sugar cane fields, reducing any forest destruction. It strives to be an eco-friendly course and is a certified environmental sanctuary recognised for achievements in conservation and environmental protection. As you play your round you can expect to hear the sounds of howler monkeys, bump into iguanas, spot one of over 100 species of native birds and see native coatis at play. This Arnold Palmer designed course has dramatic views and elevation changes, fairways lined by dense forest and long winding cart paths that sometimes take you kilometres between holes. It is a privilege and a joy to play this unique and beautiful course.

26/04/2024

Today The Travelling Golfer took on raccoons and iguanas as they played Crandon GC on the barrier island of Key Biscayne south of Florida. The course is set in tropical forests and mangrove swamps and has numerous salt water lagoons, it is everglades like - teeming with wildlife and bird life, all with Miami skyline backdrops. As you step on the tee you need to be careful you don’t step on a grass green iguana, and the pesky raccoons pilfer your cart whilst you concentrate on your putts. There are plenty of water carries, tight dog legs and bunkers trying to distract you from the wildlife. Whilst we putted on the 17th green, a raccoon stole Heather’s backpack from the cart and took it into the mangrove swamp. We took chase and eventually retrieved the mud covered pack from the mangrove swamp, but only after receiving a few mossie bites. By the time you finish a round on this course, you feel really ‘challenged’.
The course has hosted numerous Senior PGA Championships and Tour Events, and will shortly be undertaking a major renovation. The starter promised us “ you will enjoy playing this course”, he must have told us 5 times. He was right! You certainly know you’re in Florida playing here.

30/03/2024

Golf is booming in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
We’ve seen the best players in the world tackle these courses in tournaments such as the Race to Dubai and Dubai Desert Classic …. so we were keen to test them out ourselves. Okay, we might’ve lost a ‘few’ balls 🙄 but they were still fun to play. There were plenty of huge bunkers and sandy waste areas (as you’d expect on courses built in a desert landscape) but there were also large water hazards (more surprising in a country where it never rains .. but they can literally make ‘anything’ here so there you go 🤔) Yas Links and Saadiyat were classy, the 9 hole Yas Acres was great fun, the water hazards at Dubai Creek swallowed our balls, the huge bunkers at Jumeirah Earth were ridiculously BIG and the front 9 at Dubai Hills was quality. The clubhouses were modern and classy, as are the dining options.
Dubai and Abu Dhabi are the biggest growth areas in the world, the pace of construction here is relentless, particularly around the golf courses themselves. It is extraordinary to see. There are sightseeing options too - a visit to Burj Khalifa , the tallest building in the world is a must do, plus the desert safari experience. And for some culture, there is the Louvre in Abu Dhabi, plus there are theme parks, sports events and more.
Dubai and Abu Dhabi are worthy of a standalone golf trip, especially with an Oman add on. Best times to travel there are October to April when the weather is milder. A quick stopover on the way to a European summer holiday often means you’re landing in the heat of their summer (daytime temperatures up to 50 Celsius 😥), making golf an unlikely activity. But don’t forget, there is always the option of night golf for the diehard golfers.

The Travelling Golfers recently attended an AGTC conference in Abu Dhabi, and did reconnaissance trips to the golf courses and hotels in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. It’s a great time to contact us if you’re considering a golf trip there.

30/03/2024

Now that’s an aiming point! On the 5th hole at Dubai Hills GC you simply aim at the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa at 828 metres. I wonder what came first?

24/10/2023

Good times and lasting friendships made on our recent Best of England Tour with Mark. With such quality golf courses played, look out for this tour in the future.

16/09/2023

The Travelling Golfer Mauritius tour is underway and it could be the most idyllic place in the world to play golf. It has all the ingredients… good golf, warm temperatures, beachside luxury resorts, great food and lovely people. The famous Ile Aux Cerfs GC, located on its own tropical island, was always a ‘must play’ and the new La Reserve GC is absolutely world class. Can’t recommend Mauritius highly enough.