The recent Seve Trophy, pitching the best British and Irish players against the cream of Continental Europe, brought to mind the great dilemma that faces all travelling golfers – to go abroad, or to not go abroad?
With cheap air fares and many resorts in the Euro zone slashing their prices of late, budget is less of an issue than it used to be so the sunny climes of the Med can now be weighed up against the easy access of courses in the UK. To help you decide whether to dig out your passport or not we’ve pitted, matchplay style, five of the most popular destinations from good old Blighty against some worthy rivals on the Continent.
MATCH 1
St Andrews, Scotland Vs Valderrama, Spain
HISTORY: The Old Course gets the first strike in with its unrivalled golfing history. It’s where the game began 500 odd years ago and is widely regarded as the ‘home of golf’.
Valderrama on the other hand was only completed in 1974 but has been rated as continental Europe’s top golf course; the so-called ‘Augusta of Europe’.
FEATURES: The Old Course has many features known by golfers the world over – the Swilcan Burn and its trademark Bridge, the Road Hole and its famous bunker and the Royal and Ancient clubhouse where the laws of the game are laid down by the powers that be.
Valderrama hits back with its famous 17th and the treacherous lakeside green, but is this enough to get one over on one of the most famous golf courses in the world.
TOURNAMENTS: St Andrews is nigh on unbeatable in this respect. The Open Championship is arguably the most important championship in golf today and it visits the Old Course at St Andrews every five years.
Valderrama does have an impressive tournament CV though, hosting the 1997 Ryder Cup, where Europe, led by Seve Ballesteros, clinched a memorable victory. Valderrama has also played host to the WGC American Express Championship, the Volvo Masters and the Andalucía Masters.
CHAMPIONS: Valderrama has the major championship history and if course time on its side in this category and as such will take some beating. Champions at St Andrews include the likes of James Braid, Bobby Jones, Sam Snead, Seve Ballesteros and the two greatest players to ever pick up a golf club, Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus.
While some great players have won at Valderrama it is hard to beat the list of champions from the Old Course. Winners at Valderrama include Tiger Woods, Mike Weir, Bernhard Langer, Colin Montgomerie and, er, Mike Harwood.
VERDICT: Although Valderrama is a modern great, nothing compares to the legacy and the unique experience of playing the Old Course, St Andrews.
Score: GB&I 1 / Europe 0
MATCH 2
Portmarnock Golf Links, Ireland Vs San Lorenzo, Portugal
HISTORY: It would be tough for any golf course on mainland Europe to compete with the classic links of GB & I when it comes to history. Portmarnock Golf Links near Dublin is steeped in history with golf having been played here for a century.
Although San Lorenzo is one of the more established golf courses on the Algarve it simply can’t compete with Portmarnock on this score as it was only built in 1988.
FEATURES: Portmarnock Golf Links is routed in and around enormous dunes and very much follows the natural lay of the land, as all classic links courses should.
San Lorenzo hits the front in this category though with its 18 magical holes laid out in the unspoiled southeast corner of Quinta do Lago, bordering the Ria Formosa Nature reserve. It was rated the best course in Portugal by the very discerning Golf Digest magazine. While the classic links courses are the blueprints for all that followed San Lorenzo serves up an eclectic mixture of styles, taking you on a journey through magnificent pines, lakes, and private villas before whisking you out to the coastline and back.
TOURNAMENTS: Portmarnock Golf Links hits back having hosted many top class amateur and professional events, including the British Amateur Championship, the Walker Cup and the Irish Open.
San Lorenzo hasn’t staged any professional tour events of real prestige but don’t let that fool you as this has become the must-play course on the Algarve.
CHAMPIONS: Champions at Portmarnock include Ben Crenshaw, Bernhard Langer, Seve Ballesteros and, most recently, Michael Campbell.
San Lorenzo has none of note.
VERDICT: Despite its lack of big-name tournaments, San Lorenzo’s sublime setting, amazingly enjoyable layout and the fact that it is by far Portugal’s most popular course gives it the edge over its older Irish rival.
Score: GB&I 1 Europe 1
MATCH 3
Celtic Manor, Wales Vs La Manga, Spain
HISTORY: The first Celtic Manor course was built in 1992 with the resort completed and opened in 1999. The famous Twenty Ten course was then added to its already impressive ranks in time for the 2010 Ryder Cup which was one of the most dramatic matches in recent history.
La Manga, meanwhile can trace its roots back to the 1970s and is arguably the Continent’s first stand-alone golf resort…Europe for once edges it in the history department.
FEATURES: Thanks to the Ryder Cup, Celtic Manor’s Twenty Ten Suspension Bridge, the immense hotel standing sentinel over the resort, the distinctive clubhouse and complex of three world-class golf courses have become internationally famous.
La Manga has been voted Europe’s top golf resort twice and gives Celtic Manor some stiff competition here. It too features a renowned hotel and residential village, three elegant championship courses and outstanding practice facilities.
This one is too close to call!
TOURNAMENTS: Celtic Manor staged the 2010 Ryder Cup, the Wales Open and the celebrity packed All Star Cup.
La Manga has hosted five Spanish Opens, the European Ladies Team Championship, the Spanish PGA, Seniors, Ladies and Junior Championships and the Ladies European Tour Q-School.
The sheer quantity of tournaments held at La Manga is impressive but Celtic Manor lands the killer blow here with the 2010 Ryder Cup.
CHAMPIONS: Celtic Manor champions include, most notably, Europe’s Ryder Cup team, along with Wales Open Champions Graeme McDowell, Robert Karlsson, Ian Poulter and Paul Lawrie.
La Manga champs include the great Arnold Palmer and Bernhard Gallacher but can they compete with a winning Ryder Cup team?
VERDICT: La Manga is a brilliant venue but Celtic Manor’s sheer all-round brilliance makes it the winner here.
Score: GB&I 2 Europe 1
MATCH 4
The Belfry, England Vs Aphrodite Hills, Cyprus
HISTORY: Built in the 1970s, The Belfry claims to be the spiritual home of the Ryder Cup having hosted it a record four times.
Aphrodite Hills may be a nineties child but in its short life it has really over-achieved, winning numerous prestigious travel press and industry awards.
FEATURES: The Belfry boasts three championship courses which have been sculpted from 550 acres of lush North Warwickshire countryside. The Brabazon’s 10th and 18th are iconic holes that any golfer worth his salt would love to play.
Aphrodite Hills only has one course but it’s a cracker and its 7th hole, a par-3 across a ravine, has become a talking point among golfers worldwide. It’s phenomenal 5-star hotel, brilliant apartment complex and comprehensive dining options make it a world-class destination.
TOURNAMENTS: The Ryder Cup was held at The Belfry in 1985, 1989, 1993 and 2002. Whether this was down the excellence of the course or the PGA being headquartered there remains in question. It’s also hosted the English Open, British Masters and Benson and Hedges International Open while Aphrodite Hills meanwhile continues to host the, er, Glenfiddich International Team Cup.
CHAMPIONS: The Belfry can boast The European Ryder Cup team in 1985, 1989 (tied) and 2002, Lee Westwood, Paul Casey and Jose Maria Olazabal to name but a few. You won’t have heard of any of Aphrodite Hills’ collection so I won’t bore you with the details!
VERDICT: There might be screams of “cheat” with this controversial result, but Aphrodite Hills’ superior resort facilities give it a valuable half with The Belfry who history dragged it back from the brink of defeat.
Score: GB&I 2.5 Europe 1.5
MATCH 5
Gleneagles, Scotland Vs Vila Sol, Portugal
HISTORY: Vila Sol’s fabulous 27-hole golf area, designed by the architect Donald Steel in 1991, occupies a valley beautifully sculptured by nature.
However, Gleneagles takes an early lead as it can trace its roots back to 1924 when the hotel was built by the Caledonian Railway Company up on the stunning Scottish moors.
FEATURES: Vila Sol’s resort is solidly 5-star with charming surroundings and three superb loops of 9 holes. The 6th on the Prime course is the resort’s signature, an astounding par-5 with numerous lakes that threaten all around.
However Gleneagles is one of the world’s most famous 5-star resorts with three legendary courses in one of the world’s most beautiful locations – and it’s even hosted the G8 Summit of world leaders. With two James Braid courses and the new PGA Centenary by Jack Nicklaus at Gleneagles it was always going to be a struggle for Vila Sol.
TOURNAMENTS: Vila Sol was chosen to host the Portuguese Open in 1992 and 1993, but Gleneagles just has too much in the bag. It’s hosted the Scottish Open, Scottish PGA/Johnnie Walker Classic, Women’s British Open, Curtis Cup and is due to stage the Ryder Cup in 2014 which will be played over its Jack Nicklaus-designed PGA Centenary Course.
CHAMPIONS: Ronan Rafferty and David Gilford won the Portuguese Opens at Vila Sol in 1992 and 1993.
Gleneagles strikes for home with champions like Ian Woosnam, Craig Parry, Jesper Parnevik, Paul Casey, Thomas Bjorn and Adam Scott. Unfortunately for Vila Sol this was never a match it was going to win.
VERDICT: Vila Sol put up a good fight, but Gleneagles is almost in a class on its own.
Final Score: GB&I 3.5 Europe 1.5
Chasing the sun is all well and good and golf on the continent certainly has its merits but the history and quality of the courses in Great Britain and Ireland just shades this closely fought match.
For information on UK golf breaks, Irish golf tours and European golf holidays please visit www.yourgolftravel.com or call 0800 043 6644.
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