True Links - The Best of Scottish Links 2014

True Links Best of Scottish Links

True Links Best of Scottish Links This tour has both the golfer and non-golfer in mind.

Starting in historic Edinburgh and St Andrews before heading to Northern Scotland.

No-one who travels here can fail to be struck by a sense of being somewhere different. The sheer atmosphere of these northlands makes a big impression.

The Northern Scotland region is of the most stimulating places in Britain to play a round of golf, with many varied links courses including Royal Dornoch the ‘St Andrews of the North’ and other top100 rated courses in the such as Castle Stuart and Cruden Bay. The tour finishes at Turnberry; a fabulous golfing destination and also consistently recognized as one of Europe’s finest spas.

The Travelling Golfer is happy to have this tour for any number of people, this is a great self-drive tour or plenty of fun with a large group. Our guided tour will commence on the 5 of July to the 18th July 2014.

Itinerary Day 1 Arrive in Edinburgh, transfer to Apex Waterloo Palace Hotel (2 nights).

Day 2 Golf: Today you’ll play North Berwick Golf Club a Club steeped in tradition dating from 1832, providing generous hospitality and a testing golf challenge. The course is a traditional links, which like St Andrews, starts and finishes at the clubhouse within the town Non-golf: Edinburgh sight-seeing including Edinburgh Castle, Scott Monument and the Royal Mile.

Day 3 Golf: Today you’ll play at St Andrews Old Course the home of golf. The Old Course is the most historic course in the world and is regularly ranked in the top 5 on the planet. Note: In the unlikely event our entry in the ballot to play the Old Course is unsuccessful, another St Andrews course will be played.

Non-golf: Travel to St Andrews, afternoon at leisure to walk through this fabulous old town including the university, old castle, cathedral and graveyard. Stay in St Andrews Golf Hotel (2 nights), excellent central location.

Day 4 Golf: Today you’ll play Kingsbarns Golf Links.

Located 7 miles south east of the ’home of golf’, the game has been played on the site since 1793.

Non-golf: Visit to Falkland Palace and lovely gardens

Day 5 Drive to Aberdeen, touring including Balmoral Castle, Royal Deeside (magnificent countryside with gardens and castles) and Crathes Castle.

Overnight at Mercure Ardoe House Hotel.

Day 6 Golf: Today you’ll play at Trump International Golf Links, a course which opened to rave reviews. Donald Trump himself declares it is “the best course in the world” Non-golf: Morning exploring Aberdeen then drive to Cruden Bay during the afternoon. Stay at Kilmarnock Arms Hotel (2 nights).

Day 7 Golf: After breakfast you will play Cruden Bay Golf Club. Although this is not a long course ( at 6,300 yards par 70 ), it weaves through sand dunes and kisses the sea on many of its magnificent 18 holes. You’ll need to be very careful!

The fourteenth hole is only a 250yard into the wind blind par 3!!

Non-golf: Visit Slains Castle, view puffins, Pitmedden Garden & Museum Day 8 Touring day to Dornoch, visit Glenlivet distillery, Cawdor castle, Nairn and then to our hotel at Dornoch, the Royal Golf Hotel (3 nights).

Hopefully, we will be in time to catch the Dornoch Pipe Band in the Town Square.

Day 9 Golf: Today you’ll play at Royal Dornoch Golf Club, which winds along a piece of linksland unmatched in the Scottish Highlands. It is consistently rated amongst the top golf courses in the world.

In addition to being one of the finest and most enjoyable tests of golf anywhere, Dornoch is also the home of legendary golf course designer Donald Ross. After having played Royal Dornoch, you will quickly understand much of the inspiration for many of his famous courses.

Non-golf: Relaxing day, wondering the streets of Dornoch. Visit the 13th century Dornoch Cathedral and the Historylinks Museum..

Day 10 Highlands touring day. Tour through the spectacular Highlands countryside. Visit the Glenmorangie Scotch malt whisky distillery.

Day 11 Golf: Drive to Inverness for golf at Castle Stuart.

Home of the last two Scottish Opens, this course is known for the Rumple. Many links courses are known for their uneven or 'rumpled' fairways.

Fairways can be flat in areas and 'rumpled' in others with differences in 'lie and stance' of tactical significance. Greenside rumple can disturb the release of an approach to a 'short pin' from certain angles.

After golf you’ll motor south through the ‘Great Glens”, past Loch Ness.

Non-golf: Morning looking around Inverness, then drive through the Great Glens, past Loch Ness to Fort William. Overnight at Nevis Bank Inn Hotel.

Day 12 Road to the Isles touring day, then on to Turnberry and stay at the magnificent 5 star Turnberry Hotel.

Turnberry is the world’s original golf resort with over a century of hospitality and tradition (2 nights).

Day 13 Golf: Today you’ll play at Turnberry, nestled within 800 acres of estate with views overlooking the Irish Sea and across to the Isle of Arran. Home to four Open Championships, Ailsa has shaped some of the most remarkable moments in the tournament's history.

Non-golf: Visit the beautifully restored Culzean castle and gardens.

Day 14 Depart for next destination.

Post Trip Add-on Tour through the Lakes District & Liverpool, watch The Open Day 1 Tour through Lakes District, visit Beatrix Potter Museum and House (Overnight Windermere) Day 2 Cruise on Lake Windermere then drive to Liverpool (Liverpool for 2 nights) Day 3 Sight-seeing eg The Beatles Story / Titanic Museum OR watch the last day of The Open at Royal Liverpool Golf Club.

Day 4 Depart for next destination.

Post Trip Add-on Machrihanish Day 1 Today, we detour back around the Road to the Isles’ and head south to Machrihanish. We stop along the way in the village of Oban for a Whiskey tour at Oban Distilleries and visit McCaigs Tower, Crarae Gardens and Inveraray Castle along the way. Stay at Ugadale Hotel (Located right across the street from the Course).

Day 2 Today you’ll play a morning round at Machrihanish Dunes. This “new” course is situated on pristine links land protected by the Scottish government, and offers you a rare opportunity to craft golf shots just as the men of Scotland did centuries ago.

Machrihanish Dunes encourages creativity and imagination. For the golfer who accepts the challenge, the reward is a truly unforgettable experience..

Day 3 Today you’ll play at Machrihanish Golf Club, which is famous for it’s exceptional first hole.

It requires the opening shot of the round to carry the Atlantic.

It is a tough start, particularly into a breeze!

Day 4 Depart for next destination.

Golf Clubs & Course Overview North Berwick Golf Club a Club steeped in tradition dating from 1832, providing generous hospitality and a testing golf challenge. The course is a traditional links, which like St Andrews, starts and finishes at the clubhouse within the town, having wound its way along the Firth of Forth. There are stunning views over white sandy beaches, islands and across to the hills of the East Neuk of Fife.

Royal and Ancient St Andrews Old Course St Andrews is unquestionably the birthplace of the modern game. The town's famous Old Course, the oldest continuous golfing field in existence, has been in action since at least 1457 when the game was banned from its common ground by King James II.

Kingsbarns Opening in 2000 to unprecedented levels of international acclaim, Kingsbarns is a remarkable links achievement that stretches along one and a half miles of Fife coastline just outside St Andrews. Covered in a sublime dune scape and with outlooks across the North Sea from every hole, the site appears ideal for golf, yet the virgin land here was devoid of any natural feature, clay based and mostly unsuitable for the game.

Trump International Golf Links Donald Trump himself tells us this is the best course in the world! It is pretty good but you make up your own mind‌

Golf Clubs & Course Overview Cruden Bay Golf Club Cruden Bay is situated on the east coast of Scotland 23 miles north of Aberdeen and 8 miles south of Peterhead.

It is claimed that golf was played in the village of Cruden Bay as early as 1791.

The course is not overly long, but fun and funky…

Royal Dornoch Golf Club Dornoch Golf Club was formed in 1877, and became Royal in 1906 courtesy of King Edward VII. The course is generally regarded as one of the best on the world, and a wonderful site for the Open championship but for the remoteness of the site.

Castle Stuart Golf Club Castle Stuart has been conceived to be for the Highlands - a beacon reaching out to golfers throughout the world.

Come and experience ‘The Rumple’.

Turnberry This par-70, 7,211-yard championship course is one of golf's storied places. Its first three holes pose a fairly tough opening, particularly when the wind blows from the direction of its namesake, the brooding isle of Ailsa Craig, 11 miles out to sea. From the 4th to the 11th, the coastal scenery is magnificent and the course is demanding.

Accommodation Overview Apex Waterloo Palace Hotel A luxury 4 star boutique hotel lies at the east end of Princes Street, placing you close to Waverley train station and some of Edinburgh’s finest shopping districts and attractions. Rooms and suites feature complimentary Wi-Fi and local calls, combining extra convenience with class.

St Andrews Golf Hotel Close to Old Course golf course, this welcoming hotel with lovely views and stylish bedrooms is well-located for the beach and the shops of St Andrews.

St Andrews Golf Hotel has a pub and a restaurant that offers views of the coast, local produce and good breakfasts. Bedrooms have luxurious toiletries and free Wi-Fi access.

Ardoe House Hotel Mercure Aberdeen Ardoe House Hotel and Spa is a 19th century mansion house set in 30 acres of tranquil countryside. This 4 star Aberdeen hotel is 3 miles outside the city centre, and has 109 traditionally decorated guest rooms with satellite TV and internet access throughout. Enjoy sophisticated dining in Blairs Restaurant or a nightcap in Soapie's Lounge Bar. The spa has luxurious treatment rooms as well as an indoor heated pool and fitness room.

Kilmarnock Arms Close to the heart of Cruden Bay and steeped in history. With Bram Stoker a regular visitor in the late 1800's this small but perfectly formed 14 bedroom hotel prides itself on locally sourced traditional fayre with a modern twist.

Accommodation Overview Royal Golf Hotel Located on Royal Dornoch's First Tee, The Royal Golf Hotel is a Scottish Golfers' Paradise providing a traditional Highland welcome.

Many of the 22 en-suite four star and individually styled bedrooms overlook both the golf course and Dornoch Firth beyond. All rooms are well equipped with direct dial telephone, flat screen televisions incorporating free view channels, hospitality tray and complimentary toiletries to ensure a comfortable stay.

Free Wireless internet access is available throughout the hotel including all of the bedrooms, the bar and Conservatory restaurant.

Nevis Bank Hotel The Nevis Bank at Fort William is a modern Inn on the banks of the River Nevis and at the entrance to Glen Nevis, one of the most beautiful glens in the West Highlands of Scotland.

Turnberry Resort Turnberry, A Luxury Collection Resort, Scotland is located on the stunning Ayrshire coast, offering elevated views over the Irish Sea, Ailsa Craig and mountains of Arran and Kintyre. First opened in 1906 as the world's first golf resort, the Turnberry Hotel quickly established itself as the premier destination for social and sporting events. The five red star resort underwent a multi-million pound renovation programme prior to hosting the 2009 Open on its legendary Ailsa golf course and becoming part of Starwood Hotels & Resorts much acclaimed Luxury Collection.

Machrihanish Overview The Ugadale Hotel (Machrihanish Add-on) Once regarded as the pinnacle of luxury accommodation in the west of Scotland, The Ugadale Hotel has been restored to its former glory and now serves as the centrepiece of The Village at Machrihanish Dunes. In its heyday Imagine waking up in the morning to views of the sparkling Atlantic and the Hebridean islands of Islay and Jura out your window, enjoying a hearty Scottish breakfast, and then making your way to the first tee .

Machrihanish Golf Club The course is set in wonderful dunes in the small village of Machrihanish, which is situated on the western side of the remote Kintyre Peninsula.

The course is famous for it’s wonderful opening hole across the ocean.

Machrihanish Dunes Set hard against the Atlantic Ocean on Scotland’s west coast, the award winning Machrihanish Dunes shares breathtaking views and a majestic dune-scapes with the neighbouring Machrihanish Golf Club, a world-top-100 course laid out in 1879 by Old Tom Morris himself.

More than 100 years later, renowned present-day golf course architect, David McLay Kidd, realized a longstanding dream to build a second course at Machrihanish. This “new” course, situated on pristine linksland, offers you a rare opportunity to craft golf shots just as the men of Scotland did centuries ago….

Flights The Travelling Golfer is a licensed travel agent and can organise flights at an additional cost. Please do not hesitate to call or e-mail with any questions.

Package includes:

Pricing

• • • • • • • • •

•Price from per golfer, twin sharing guided tour $7920AUD • Price from per non-golfer, twin sharing guided tour $4877AUD •Single Supplement $2,917AUD

2 Nights Apex Waterloo Palace Hotel 2 Nights St Andrews Golf Hotel 1 night Ardoe House Hotel 2 nights Kilmarnock Arms Hotel 3 nights Royal Golf Hotel 1 Night Nevis Bank Inn Hotel 2 Nights Turnberry Hotel All green fees as detailed in the itinerary.

Return transfers to all Golf Courses and activities as per itinerary.

*All pricing is subject to change, availability and currency fluctuations.

Payment Instructions A 20% deposit is required to secure a booking. Payment can be made by: 1.

Package excludes: • • • • • •

Airfare, visa fees, airport taxes Entrance fees to attractions Personal items, meals (other than those mentioned), gratuities .

Meals, drinks, laundry Travel Insurance Airfares

Bank Transfer: Please deposit funds into “The Travelling Golfer Trust A/C ” BSB: 083269 Account Number: 13 066 2440 Please quote your Invoice number.

2. Credit Card: (2.5% credit card fees apply) VISA or MasterCard. Phone Peter on 0438573271 The balance of payment is due 65 days before departure. In the case of non-payment of the balance by the due date, The Travelling Golfer will treat the booking as cancelled unless advised to the contrary.

For more information call or e-mail Peter +61 438 573 271 peter@thetravellinggolfer.com.au

Ian +61 439 388 600 ibg@optusnet.com.au

Travel Insurance It is highly recommended you obtain Travel Insurance at the time you make payment for your travel. Travel insurance should protect you against any medical expenses arising from sickness or injury during your travels and against any loss of or damage to your belongings. It should also provide cover against trip cancellations and flight delays, and offer 24 hour emergency assistance.

You can apply for "AIG Travel Insurance" or "QBE Travel Insurance" through The Travelling Golfer website.

The benefits each policy offers is slightly different. You must read the Policy documents carefully to ensure they are providing the benefits that best suit your circumstances.

In summary, both policies provide*: Unlimited overseas medical expenses Unlimited cancellation costs Unlimited emergency expenses $2,500,000 legal liability *Note: the policy wording differs with each plan AIG also provides up to $3,000 worth of cover for golf clubs automatically on its single or multi trip plans. The excess is $100 per claim.

QBE provides automatic cover of $3,000 on golf clubs only on its multi trip plan. You would need to pay an additional premium (3% of items value) if you wish to cover your golf clubs on their single trip plan. QBE's excess is $200 per claim.

To obtain a quote from AIG To obtain a quote and read the full PDS/Policy terms and conditions, and apply for cover over the internet, please click on the following AIG link: AIG Insurance- Get a Quote If you have a pre-existing medical condition or health disorder you wish to cover you will need to contact AIG assessors on 1800008473 to establish whether they will provide cover for it. If you have any questions regarding the policy please contact AIG customer service on 1800017682.

To obtain a quote from QBE To obtain a quote and read the full PDS/Policy terms and conditions, and apply for cover over the Internet, please click on the following QBE link: QBE Travel Insurance- Get A Quote If you have a pre-existing medical condition or health disorder you wish to cover you must complete a Travelers Medical Appraisal Form.

If your application is approved you will be advised of any restrictions, excesses or additional premiums that may apply. If you have any questions regarding the policy please contact QBE Customer service on 1300555017.

Terms and Conditions Tour Rates Tour prices are set as a guide only and may vary due to currency fluctuations and component cost increases. All rates advertised are accurate at the time of publication and are subject to change until receipt of payment in full. The Travelling Golfer reserves the right to adjust our tour cost as necessary. Any surcharges will be passed on in respect to currency fluctuations unless full payment has been received and no changes are made to your booking The tour price is for the package as detailed in the itinerary only. If changes are requested to the itinerary, then an administration fee of $100 plus any additional costs incurred will be charged, on top of the tour price.

Payment Methods A 20% non refundable deposit is required to secure a booking. Payment can be made by: Bank Transfer: Please deposit funds into “The Travelling Golfer Trust A/C � BSB: 083269 Account Number: 13 066 2440 Please quote your Invoice number.

Credit Card: (2.5% credit card fees apply) VISA or MasterCard. Phone Peter on 0438573271 In the case of non-payment of the balance by the due date, The Travelling Golfer will treat the booking as cancelled unless advised to the contrary.

Cancellation Policy The deposit is non refundable.

The balance is due 65 days before departure and is non refundable.

Notifications of cancellations must be forwarded to The Travelling Golfer in writing or email as soon as possible. peter@thetravellinggolfer.com.au There is no refund for cancellation for unused services on or after the tour commencement date.

Note: Airlines have their own cancellation terms and conditions.

Terms and Conditions Airfares & Taxes Internal airfares where included in the tour itinerary are based on the base airfare available at time of costing. Airfares are subject to tax increases until the tickets have been issued and paid in full. Once your deposit has been paid in full, and the internal airfare sectors have been ticketed by The Travelling Golfer, you will avoid any increase in internal airfares and or taxes. All internal airfare and tax increases during the booking process will be passed onto the client until paid in full.

International airfares are not included in the tour itinerary, however we can assist with all of your international travel arrangements. All airfare bookings are subject to individual airline terms and conditions.

Airlines have their own luggage restrictions. If you do not adhere to these limitations excess baggage fees may apply and are at your own expense.

Changes to Tour The Travelling Golfer endeavours to perform all tours in line with the published itinerary, but reserves the right to change or substitute where necessary for reasons outside of our control including but not limited to: acts of nature, road and or weather conditions, local holidays, strikes, war, civil disturbances, advice by government authorities, breakdowns, medical or custom regulations, cancellations, delays, tender unavailability, we will substitute (at the nearest possible standard) an alternative where possible.

Revision Fee Changes to your tour reservation might not be possible. Should you request a change and we are able to accommodate it, you will be subject to any charges imposed by the airline or tour suppliers. In addition, we reserve the right to charge a $50 revision fee for any change made after the deposit is paid. A change in name or departure date may constitute a cancellation, and the corresponding penalties may apply

Travel Information Smart Traveller The Australian Government's travel advisory and consular assistance service.

Visit http://smartraveller.gov.au Passport https://www.passports.gov.au Australian passports are valid for travel into and out of Australia regardless of the length of remaining validity. An Australian passport remains valid until the expiry date. However it is the right of any country to control entry into their borders and this is usually done via visas or ensuring sufficient validity remains on the visitor’s travel document. Entry requirements are decided by foreign governments and are not something that the Australian Government can influence. You need to ensure that your passport has adequate validity to meet the entry requirements of the countries you intend to visit (or transit). Some countries require travellers to have at least six months validity remaining on their passports beyond the period of intended stay, and immigration authorities may refuse entry if you arrive with less than this. Airlines and passenger shipping lines may refuse to carry you if your passport has inadequate validity. Before travel you should contact the Embassy, High Commission or Consular representative of all the countries you will be travelling to identify each country’s passport validity requirements. If you are unsure, it is safest to renew your passport prior to travelling. https://www.passports.gov.au

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