Latest Great Golf Articles

The Top 20 European Golf Resorts is this year’s first instalment of our Great Golf Top 20 Categories. In each edition of the Magazine we will introduce a list of 20 Golf Resorts that are considered candidates for that particular field. As the year progresses we will be asking our readers to vote for the winner of each category. The first edition of 2018, will be the “100 Greatest Golf Resorts”, in which the winners of each category, as well as an overall winner, will be announced. To vote go to www.greatgolfmagazine.co.uk

With Barcelona as its pulsating, vibrant capital, famous for its architecture and gastronomy, the region of Catalonia has traditionally been less popular among golfers than other Spanish Costas. Now, all that is changing… The last time I was in Barcelona, I was pick-pocketed. I had only been there six hours, just enough time for a shower and a drink.     That sort of welcome is enough to make you take to your heels and head straight back onto the plane home. But I didn’t. Instead, two old soaks helped me up and a local teenager walked me back to my apartment apologizing on behalf of the city.     “We are not like that,” he said. “Catalans are better people and we want you to enjoy our city.” LAS RAMBLAS.  In fairness, we had been warned about pickpockets before arriving. Las Ramblas is the main tourist strip in Barcelona, full of locals nibbling on tapas in between cigarette drags and tourists ordering beers in ridiculously oversized jugs. At night, the neon lights come on and

In the past travellers often had to choose between a resort with great golf or with a great spa – often pitting husband against wife, not a great way to start a holiday! Now all that has changed… Want some fantastic golf and a bit of pampering? No problem, just jump the pond to Turnberry Isle, Miami. It’s home to arguably the best courses in South Florida and a nearly £2 million new spa, offering complete wellness immersion.     Located north of the city, Turnberry offers 122 tropical hectares for guests to enjoy a golf and wellness retreat in a Mediterranean-style setting. The Autograph Collection hotel is celebrating 50 years of being one of the area’s top resorts and favourite celebrity haunt, attracting sports stars like Muhammad Ali and Arnold Palmer, artists like Andy Warhol and even world leaders like President Bill Clinton and Prime Minister Tony Blair. And this past May, I joined the ranks of those who have stayed at the iconic property.     There are nearly 400 roo

The Bahamas… where breath-taking beaches, turquoise seas and stunning golf courses feel like a dream but are actually a reality; a rather exclusive reality, but one worth exploring if you can, as Clive Agran discovers... Mention you are going to the Bahamas, then stand back and watch the predictable reaction of friends and family as they exhibit an unattractive mix of astonished disbelief and undiluted envy.    The fact that these inoffensive islands, lying just off the southern tip of Florida, have come to be synonymous with self-indulgence, extravagance and high-living is perhaps partly due to the popular perception of them as a tropical tax haven providing a perfect playground for the super-rich and hugely famous.     The advent of the Abaco Club certainly does nothing to alter this image as its unashamed upmarket appeal is to the fabulously wealthy seeking luxurious exclusivity. Peter de Savary, the Club’s founder, knows what the well-heeled want – he has created a strin

Great Golf Launch Apps for Golf Resorts. Great Golf Media have now launched their first dedicated booking APP to follow on from targeted editorial and a “Call to Action” booking system The first recipient for this unique App is Domaine de Crecy in France. The App is available on Google Play and will soon be added to Apple. This bespoke APP allows golfers to book accommodation, golf, book a table in the restaurant, read up on the resort, check images, weather, location and much more. Also, included is a dedicated weekly news update service provided by the Great Golf team which contains the latest information and offers. In effect, the App works as a combined form of booking system and updated news/press releases. The App is available to all resorts on a low monthly cost making it an invaluable tool for both potential customers and the resorts. To view the Domaine de Crecy App, just go to Google Play and search Domaine de Crecy. For more information contact info@great

Gone are the days when a golf holiday was by default Spain or Portugal. Golfers are now keen to look at new destinations, to boldly go where no golfer has gone before. Bavaria is one such interesting place… At slightly shy of one hour and thirty minutes flying time from London, Munich is a short hop from the UK. Clean, safe and full of cultural surprises, there’s a lot here to like. The city, and indeed the region of Bavaria, is a contradiction in terms. Munich is a variable cornucopia of contrasting images. A trendy metropolis of art, technology and all-round innovation, this is also historic Bavaria – land of the Lederhosen, good beer and stunning scenery. Bordering Austria and the Czech Republic creates a very unique region that has a lot to offer those keen to try something new.     I am, unfortunately, here at the wrong time of year to experience that most famous of Munich events, the Octoberfest. The world’s largest beer festival is a veritable homage to the regional beer

Winner of the Maui Jim / Shangri La Resort Competition Announced. In association with Great Golf Media, the winner of what must the best Golf Competition of 2017 has been announced.  The amazing prize for two includes 10 Nights’ accommodation at the Luxury Shangri La Rasa Rai Resort in Kota Kinabalu Malaysia. The winner and their companion will be staying in the Premier Ocean Wing with daily canapés and cocktails at the Ocean Wing Courtyard and exclusive breakfast at the Oceanico Restaurant. Also included is Golf at Dalit Bay Golf & Country club and Luxury Spa treatments. The competition was managed by Great Golf Media who joined the Maui Jim team on their stand at the BMW Championship at Wentworth this summer. The result was an amazing uptake from the public keen for a chance to win the holiday of a lifetime while also having the opportunity to experience for themselves the high quality of Maui Jim sunglasses. The lucky winner was chosen by Maui Jim Sales Dire