Golfing trips abroad

Bamberdele21

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We are looking to get away in January. All fairly new to the game and never done it abroad as a group.

Please recommend us somewhere decent in Europe that has an airport very close by and prices that aren’t going to have us remortgage.

We are all between the ages of 30-40. We enjoy our beers a lot. Some of the chaps would only make it if done on a budget. A Friday - Monday thing sounds about right otherwise lads might come home divorced.

Any help appreciated. Websites. Contact details etc

Cheers
 
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rudebhoy

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You are going to struggle getting decent weather in Europe in January. Canaries probably your best bet. Or wait till April/May and go to Belek.
 

sunshine

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Based on your budget and priorities, eastern Europe probably fits the bill. Tallin, Prague, Budapest, somewhere like that
 

Sports_Fanatic

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Weather will be a challenge but the following are options that I expect will be relatively cheap that time of year before they warm up:

Le Touquet - North France is effectively a golfing town with Le Touquet and Hardelot courses being very nice. Weather won't be much different to UK but will feel abroad with menus etc.
Costsa del sol - should be dry and maybe 15 degrees so t-shirt weather but expect resorts are quite quiet. La Cala resort is worth a look if you want three courses in once place and happy to travel into town. Or stay Belamadina and get transfers/hire care to courses (lots of choice) but as said could be quieter. Flights into Malaga which i expect would be pretty cheap currently although you'll have the fee for taking clubs or hiring over there.
Or La Finca further up near Alicante is a nice golf/spa hotel with a small town fairly close but again quiet.
Not been but the other one would be Algarve - Villamoura looks like the destination of choice for most with loads of courses. Again 15 degrees i guess but still pleasant if not hot.

Anything else feels further a field so either high cost to get sun or still cold e.g. Turkey at that time of year.
 

Slab

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Weather will be a challenge but the following are options that I expect will be relatively cheap that time of year before they warm up:

Le Touquet - North France is effectively a golfing town with Le Touquet and Hardelot courses being very nice. Weather won't be much different to UK but will feel abroad with menus etc.
Costsa del sol - should be dry and maybe 15 degrees so t-shirt weather but expect resorts are quite quiet. La Cala resort is worth a look if you want three courses in once place and happy to travel into town. Or stay Belamadina and get transfers/hire care to courses (lots of choice) but as said could be quieter. Flights into Malaga which i expect would be pretty cheap currently although you'll have the fee for taking clubs or hiring over there.
Or La Finca further up near Alicante is a nice golf/spa hotel with a small town fairly close but again quiet.
Not been but the other one would be Algarve - Villamoura looks like the destination of choice for most with loads of courses. Again 15 degrees i guess but still pleasant if not hot.

Anything else feels further a field so either high cost to get sun or still cold e.g. Turkey at that time of year.

Looks like plenty useful info there... but can I take issue with the highlight. t-shirt in 15 degrees are you mad, its 24 with me right now and I've got a hoodie on!
 

Banchory Buddha

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Looks like plenty useful info there... but can I take issue with the highlight. t-shirt in 15 degrees are you mad, its 24 with me right now and I've got a hoodie on!
In January 15° will feel like summer. That's t-shirt weather that time of year for sure, and there will be little wind remember
 

CliveW

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Not been but the other one would be Algarve - Villamoura looks like the destination of choice for most with loads of courses. Again 15 degrees i guess but still pleasant if not hot.

Anything else feels further a field so either high cost to get sun or still cold e.g. Turkey at that time of year.

We stopped going to The Algarve mid February because the conditions of the courses was poor due to overnight frosts. Belek, where we go now, has an average minimum temp of 7 degrees and max 15 degrees at the same time of the year. Incidentally we have been in Florida in April and had frost delays.
 
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Sports_Fanatic

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Looks like plenty useful info there... but can I take issue with the highlight. t-shirt in 15 degrees are you mad, its 24 with me right now and I've got a hoodie on!

Ha, it's not always as advertised either. Remember being there is April reading a leaflet about how they had three days of rain a year. Yep, that was the third day of rain on just that extended weekend let alone rest of the year and it was heavy.
 

Highslice

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If the beers are as important to the trip as the golf (sounds like they are from the op) then you might find a purpose built golf resort a bit too quiet for you, especially in January. You might need to base yourself in a resort town and then travel to the nearest course daily.
 

Sports_Fanatic

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Out of interest, for those going to Turkey do you go for a week or is it a genuine option for a 3 or 4 day break. Think I only ever see the full week packages so don't consider it an option currently.
 

Banchory Buddha

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Out of interest, for those going to Turkey do you go for a week or is it a genuine option for a 3 or 4 day break. Think I only ever see the full week packages so don't consider it an option currently.
Give Bilyana a ring, tell them what you want, they're all screaming for custom just now, they'll make a trip to suit.
 

CliveW

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Out of interest, for those going to Turkey do you go for a week or is it a genuine option for a 3 or 4 day break. Think I only ever see the full week packages so don't consider it an option currently.
We go to Belek for the week as it is a five hour flight from Edinburgh which is a bit too much for a couple of days. If we are going anywhere for a weekend we would normally look towards Portugal, but not at the beginning of the year as courses are definitely not at their best.
 

Mel Smooth

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I've sat on a beach here in January in just a pair of shorts (costa blanca), if the sun is shining, then you will be warm - cold on a night though.

We happened to play Alicante last weekend, couple of vlogs linked below. Now for that time of year, a city base would be fantastic, you'll have lots of choice of accomodation, and places to eat, guaranteed to find something that suits your budget, and you will have the vibe of the city.
The course at Alicante is Seve designed, and you have some other quality courses nearby (Alenda and Font Del Llop both great tracks - and cheap to play) alicante was 40 euros for me last week, and i know I can currently get on the other two, with a buggy, for two people at a twilight time for under 100 euros - if you want to travel up to Benidorm there's a tram link, and if you want to play some top end courses, La Finca and Las Colinas are only about 45 minutes from Alicante airport. Also you have El Plantio, literally ten minutes from Alicante airport - another great course that isn't expensive to play - we've vlogged that as well, so I'll bang the links in below. As you'll know, the airport is well served from all over the UK, so you wont have any problem finding cheap flights.

Happy to offer anymore information and help if it's something you'd like to pursue.

course vlogs --->

Alicante front nine
Alicante back nine

El Plantio front nine
El Plantio back nine
 
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