Minnesota Wild & Golf

I'm going to be hosting a "Golf & Hockey" trip to Phoenix in March when the Minnesota Wild plays the Phoenix Coyotes. We'll stay in a first class golf resort, play 4 rounds of upscale golf and attend the Wild-Coyotes game.

Details are still being worked out... if you wish to receive details, let me know... dick@gatewayexpress.com

... or visit www.golf-vacation.com later his month.

Dick

Minnesota Golf ???

It's April in Minnesota and snow still adorns the landscape. Damn! Last year I had 4 rounds in the bag by April Fools Day. Finally, it's melting fast but there is promise of more to come.

Brown ground is only about 1 week away, but green ground is at least 3 weeks off...

I'm heeding my own advice and heading for Arizona next week. Take a look at my remarks in the last post regarding a great deal at Gold Canyon. I'm headed there!!!!!!!!

(c'mon along!)

Cheers,

Dick

Minnesota Golf? Not Yet, Pal.

Do any of you snowbirds recall what green grass smells like?

This has been a helluva winter for sure! It's a tormenting time of year - feels like spring for a few days, then -oops- another snowfall. And it's back out to the driveway with the snow shovel. Even for those of us that had a chance to go south for some mid-February golf, that trip seems to be many months ago! Despite having daylight until 7:00 now, we are still about 4 weeks from playing at home. And the turf sucks for the first two weeks that the courses are open!

How about a spring trip to Arizona? In April, the prices go down and the weather is fabulous. You have sat through my rantings about how great a bargain the Gold Canyon Golf Resort is. (See my earlier post.) And, it is! But the bargain gets even better in April. Already a "deal" at about $650 for 3 nights/four rounds, you can get the same package for around $580 in April and May. Check out the details.


Cheers,

Dick

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Winter Golf in Arizona, California and Nevada

Well, now that our November Special at The Doral is over it's time to think about your winter golf getaway.

Prices for this winter are very reasonable given the soft economy, so if you're going this year now is the time to contact your travel agency... or hopefully, my golf travel agency.

Some of the "best buys" this year are in and around Las Vegas (including Mesquite, NV) and the San Diego area. And, although Phoenix area golf is still a bit pricy, we do have some "sleepers" - great tracks that are a little lesser known thus better bargains.

And for the umteenth year, our Gold Canyon, Arizona package is a fabulous bargain... especially if you want to sneak away right after the Holidays.

My blog readers get Free Advice! I, with my 24 handicap, have screwed up rounds of golf on dozens of these great courses. Whether you ever book a trip with my agency, I'm okay with sharing my knowledge of what courses and resorts are overpriced and what ones are true bargains. Just send your questions to dick@golf-vacation.com. (just copy & paste)

Cheers,

Dick

'tis the Season for the Leaf Rule!

Several years ago, comic actor Leslie Nielson did a golf video focused on two principals:

1. If you suck at golf, you're in good company since over 95 percent of recreational golfers shoot in the high 90's or triple digits.
2. You need to make the Rules of Golf work FOR you. In other words, Cheat!

An example of the latter takes the Leaf Rule one step further... anytime you have a "lost" ball, declare it a "stolen" ball and take no penalty. Here's how it works... Eventually, your lost ball will be found by someone who will make no attempt to find it's rightful owner... making it a STOLEN ball. Thus, No Penalty!

Well, it's still hot in sunny Minnesota but the leaves are soon to fall so get the balls from your shag bag - the ones you won't care to waste time looking for!

And, start thinking about winter golf escapes! My golf travel company - Gateway Golf Vacations - has a great November Special at the famed Doral in Miami. Also, we are already getting orders for winter golf at the Gold Canyon Golf Resort near Phoenix... many from returning clients we've sent there numerous times before. It's a terrific value! Here are the details.

Happy Ball Hunting!

Dick

Super Golf Bargains in Spring!

For Northern States Golfers, this is a tormenting time of year.... snow's gone, spring SEEMS to be here (feels like spring one day; feels like winter the next!) we can hear the clubs screaming at us from the basement!

But, here in Minnesota, the courses won't open for a few more weeks - and when they do, the conditions are ugly... brown grass with winter residue clearly present; barren trees; goose poop everywhere; raw, windy days when 60 degrees feels more like 40. Sounds enticing, doesn't it?

After Easter, pricing for many of our golf vacations is greatly reduced. For example, our Gold Canyon package, a spectacular bargain at the regular winter price of $598.50 (3 nights first class casita, 4 rounds of 4-Star and 41/2-Star golf and many extras), goes down to an incredible $472 from April 5 until May 5.

Florida prices also go way down... Stay & Play Doral for nearly half the winter rate. Same thing at PGA National Resort, World Golf Village and others. See more on Spring Discounts!

Time for a Spring Tune-Up?

Cheers,

Dick

Winter Golf Trips to Arizona and Nevada

Well, now that our November Special at The Doral is over (we do still have several clients headed there for Thanksgiving Weekend) it's time to think about your winter golf getaway.

Prices for this winter are very reasonable given the soft economy, so if you're going this year this is the time to contact your travel agency... or hopefully, my golf travel agency.

Some of the "best buys" this year are in and around Las Vegas (including Mesquite, NV) and the San Diego area. And for the umteenth year, our Gold Canyon, Arizona package is a fabulous bargain... scroll down a few posts for more on that.

My blog readers get Free Advice! Whether you ever book a trip with my agency, I'm okay with sharing our knowledge. Just send your questions to dick@golf-vacation.com.

One final - totally unrelated - note: I know many of you share my "love" (HaHa) for United Airlines. You need to watch this from You Tube!

A musician named Dave Carroll recently had difficulty with United Airlines. United apparently damaged his treasured Taylor guitar ($3500) during a flight. Dave spent over 9 months trying to get United to pay for damages caused by baggage handlers to his custom Taylor guitar. During his final exchange with the United Customer Relations Manager, he stated that he was left with no choice other than to create a music video for youtube exposing their lack of cooperation. The Manager responded : "Good luck with that one, pal". So he posted a retaliatory video on youtube. The video has since received over 5.5 million hits. United Airlines contacted the musician and attempted settlement in exchange for pulling the video. Naturally his response was: "Good luck with that one, pal".

Taylor Guitars sent the musician 2 new custom guitars in appreciation for the product recognition from the video that has lead to a sharp increase in orders. Here's the video.

Cheers,

Dick

Gold Canyon, Arizona: The Value Gets Better & Better!

Those of you know that follow this blog regularly know that I "heart" the Gold Canyon Golf Resort which is in the foothills of the Superstition Mountains just east of Phoenix. It is perhaps the absolute best dollar value of any package we sell at Gateway Golf Vacations!

Despite the fact that I totally imploded last time I was there, it is still my favorite golf venue if you leave out Hawaii and Cabo San Lucas! Of course the difference is $$$$$$! If cost is no object, I'm at one of those two destinations in heartbeat! But, of course price IS crucial - especially these days. So, here's my take... If given the chance to play Troon North or Gold Canyon's Dinosaur Mountain course in The Valley of the Sun on someone else's dime, I might go with Troon. I say "might" because, having played both, I would put them on an absolute par.

But, since I'm a little short on friends that will "pop" for my greens fees my choice is to pay $260 at Troon North or $140 at Gold Canyon (prime season rates)... okay, let me think about it!

It's all about location! Gold Canyon is such a value because it's in the boonies where land is cheap. But, for the savings, I'll take the 35 to 40 minute drive from the airport! My only hesitation, when advising our golf clients, is that beyond the restaurant and the sports bar at the resort, you need to go a long way back toward the city for any dining and nightlife.

So, about my Gold Canyon Meltdown... playing a big money game (like a buck a hole!) an opposing player - such a friend - got into my head with penalties on quite obscure rules violations. I let it get to me and the grip tightened a little more with each shot.... not only that day but the rest of the trip. Anyone out there who knows the feeling?

Cheers,

Dick

Is Winter Nearly Over?

Here it is still December and I'm so sick of shoveling the driveway that I could... well, you get the idea!

To make matters worse, as a "seller of golf travel", I have to watch our golf clients pack up and leave for places like Cabo San Lucas, Maui, Phoenix, San Diego, Palm Desert and more! Whatta dastardly trick that is being played on me. As I'm writing this, another client has just emailed an acceptance of our proposal for a Pebble Beach golf trip in late February. I have offered to "escort" these two couples, but...... (well, nice try!)

The good news for those of you not as hand-cuffed to your desks as I seem to be, the prices for golf trips (as with all travel) are very good! Because of the shaky economy, hotels, golf resorts and golf courses in the south have reduced prices and deposit requirements to stimulate bookings. Our #1 trip over the years, the Gold Canyon Golf Resort, (pictured here) is offering our clients 2008 prices for the 2009 season.

A lot of our golf clients who normally "lock in" during the fall have been holding off but are now going ahead. It's a combination of the winter blahs and the realization that they are not as worried about their job status or portfolio status as they were a month or two ago.

As one of them put it (so elegantly), "The hell with it. Life is too short to worry about it. We're going!" If you feel the same, check out my site for some good ideas!

OK, so I gave you the sob story at the top of this... I will be going to Grand Cayman in late January. Not my favorite golf venue... but, I won't be shoveling snow off the greens before putting!!!!

Cheers,

Dick

Well, Midwest Golfers... It's About Over!

It's been a fun summer of golf but now it's time to think about heading south for a winter escape! So many of our clients are planning to do so. With the economy woes, many are putting off their planning for now. But as Newton once said, "Every action has an equal and opposite reaction". With bookings being soft hotels, golf resorts, car rental companies and airlines are trying to stimulate sales with some great incentives:

- A World-Class Resort in South Florida is offering a November (including Thanksgiving weekend) "Stay & Play" for about the room cost alone!

- Our #1 resort package (Phoenix) is selling Winter 2009 at last year's price for those that book by December 31.

- Several hotels on our "Golf-Around" packages are offering a 4th night free, room upgrades and other amenities.

- Our principal car rental company is quoting SUV's and mini-vans (required equipment for golf groups) at prices well-below the last few years.

We in the Minneapolis area were treated to the US Women's Open at Interlachen Country Club... some of our local clients will be "seeing the gals" again at the LPGA Safeway International in Arizona - right across the road from where they will be playing when not watching the tournament.

 

After being thrilled by the match between Tiger & Rocco at the U.S. Open, several of our clients will take their turn at Torrey Pines! One of our most popular golf vacation packages at Gateway Golf Vacations consists of 3 rounds at Torrey Pines and 3 nights lodging at the Sonoran Suites at Torry Ridge. 

Check out all of our golf vacations at www.golf-vacation.com and get those travel bags ready!

Cheers,

Dick