South Africa - the No.1 Golf Vacation Rental Destination?Written by Darren Cronian
As courses in Europe and USA become more exclusive and expensive, South Africa, an overnight flight with no jet lag, offers a great new alternative for a winter break. Cape Town has seen a huge increase in tourism and has more recently been ranked in top ten most popular cities in world.As a PGA professional Brendan has played many courses around world for both business and pleasure but Cape Town is destination he has chosen for a second home. As a golfer access to and quality of courses was a critical factor in my selection. Having produced some of best players in world South Africa has a great history in golf and has much to shout about. New courses, sponsored and designed by some of biggest names in game are opening up on monthly basis. This only goes to reinforce country's commitment to become a number one golfing destination. Some of most stunning courses are in and around Western Cape and Cape Town provides ideal base to explore these. You can play on links course at Atlantic Beach with Table Mountain as your backdrop, or drive down kikuyu fairways at Stellenbosch, winelands on your doorstep beckoning you to call in for a tasting on your return from 18th. The courses are uncrowded and are all generally available to visitors. You will find locals welcoming and willing to cater to all your needs. Caddies, usually a luxury even to best of us, are widely available and provide not only invaluable advice on how best to play course, but give you a unique insight into culture of this diverse nation. Brendan’s personal favourites and not to be missed on any visit to this great city are Royal Cape which is a majestic park land course and oldest golf club in South Africa dating back to 1885. Erinvale which has held The SA open for a number of years. Designed by Gary Player, it is a great test of golf for all standards with stunning scenery. The type of golf course that even if you don't play your best, you still can't help having a great time. Another one not to miss out on would be Clovelley. It is a very picturesque and challenging course. Despite being relatively short in modern day terms, it still offers a great test and is one of Nick Price's favourite courses.
| | Equitours: Worldwide Horseback Riding Adventures Change World Perceptions of the American TravelerWritten by Adrienne Heald
If you’re weighing pleasures of tourism against discomfort of going abroad at a time when our country seems widely abhorred, you might want to consider savoring a new way of traveling: on horsebackIf you’re weighing pleasures of tourism against discomfort of going abroad at a time when our country and culture seem widely abhorred, you might want to consider savoring a new way of making an entrance into that picturesque Provence village. Leave trains, cars and tour buses to others. What really elicits a warm welcome from locals abroad is arriving in town on horseback. “Anywhere in world – Iceland, Tierra del Fuego; France, India – local people greet riders in an overwhelmingly open and friendly way; there’s an instant rapport,” says Bayard Fox, founder of Equitours, oldest and largest riding vacation company in United States. “Horses aren’t just a great passport to some of most beautiful spots in world, they are a passport to hearts of people everywhere.” Fox, who, with his wife, Mel, has spent better part of twenty-five years taking Americans to every part of globe on equestrian vacations, is no stranger to chilly foreign relations. A former CIA operative from Cold War era, he’s spent years living in Paris, riding with nomadic tribes in Iran, and posing as a big game hunter in Central Africa, all to gather information for U.S. during 50s and 60s. His knowledge of foreign cultures is enormous; and his experience has been invaluable in carefully choosing world’s best riding tours in places that highlight natural beauty, cultural interests, and riders’ safety.
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