Winter Golf
Hand on heart, it might not be very fun to pack the golf bag and play through the 18 holes at the local golf course when the calendar shows cold, wet, and watery days in November. Of course, there is also the option to practice putting indoors at a golf center. But that might be a bit of a challenge that removes the enjoyable element for an experienced golfer.
But there are solutions for that. I Denmark, there are perhaps four or five specialized travel agencies that also send golf enthusiasts on winter holidays with drivers, fairway woods, and golf balls in their luggage. One of them is mulligangolf.dk, run by former sailor Valdemar Bandolowski, who today has created a small travel agency where it is understood that fees are paid for selected golf courses and extra baggage is allowed when there also needs to be space for the golf bag.
Today, Valdemar Bandolowski sends golf tourists to exotic destinations around the world. To winter-open courses in Spain and Portugal, the Caribbean, and not least to Asia, where trips to Cambodia and Vietnam are particularly popular. Trips where there is space for both beginners, experienced players, and those approaching the elite.
“Of course, it is more fun to play golf when the sun is shining. And when it takes place in beautiful, exotic surroundings. But one of the things we try to do a bit differently, so it’s not just about golf, golf, and more golf, is that we, for example, try to combine some of our group trips with opera in Verona with our own guide in the form of opera singer Elsebeth Dreisig. On our trip to Cambodia and Vietnam, we also spend time visiting the Angkor Wat temple and exploring the significance of the coastal city of Da Nang during the Vietnam War,” says Valdemar Bandolowski.
Gripped by Golf
When Valdemar Bandolowski came ashore and collected his trophies and medals at his villa in Dragør, he worked for many years as a lawyer in Copenhagen. That golf would come to mean almost as much in his life as sailing, well, that was actually a bit of coincidence. “I had tried to play a couple of times before. Mostly when we traveled around the world for match races. There was always someone who wanted to go out and play golf if there was a decent course nearby. But it was only once, when I had just finished a major work assignment, that I truly got hooked on the sport. I had bought a new boat in Annapolis near New York and sailed it to the Caribbean, where an acquaintance invited me out to play. It was an eye-opener. And I became completely captivated by the game,” he tells.
For the next three years, he played 18 holes every single day. Without getting tired of it. And he also began to plan his trips according to destinations where it was possible to play in beautiful surroundings. “After such a trip, my good friend Erling Brodersen, who until 1997 was director at Spies Rejser, asked if we should create a travel company focused on golf trips. And so we did. We are not the largest travel company in the world. But we are specialized, and I still travel around to play new places and gather inspiration for new destinations for the about 2,000 customers we send on golf trips each year.”
Four Fantastic Destinations
Together with Valdemar Bandolowski, we have found four fantastic destinations that are perfect travel goals when winter's snow and sleet close down golf in Denmark. Also vacations that are not just about golf.
New Year's Trip to Cyprus
In fact, you don’t have to travel far if the urge for a round of golf becomes too great. So once the Christmas duck has been enjoyed, it might be a good idea to consider a New Year’s vacation in Cyprus. It is simply Europe’s warmest spot in winter. And you can celebrate the New Year with other golf enthusiasts at Korineum Golf & Beach Resort, located right by the coast. The trip includes five rounds of golf as well as a grand New Year's party with champagne and a dance orchestra.
Price range including green fee: from about 12,000 DKK.
If One Week Isn’t Enough
Many seniors who have left the workforce are very happy with an extended golf vacation under warmer skies. Mulligan Golf increasingly arranges long stay vacations in Spain, Portugal, Florida, and Thailand. For example, south of Alicante in southeastern Spain at Hotel Envia Almería Spa & Golf, where you have free golf during your entire stay and free buggy on the five weekdays of the week.
Price range: from about 17,000 DKK for 28 nights, including a rental car for the entire period and flights with baggage and golf bags.
Exotic Cambodia and Vietnam
Group trips to the Far East are a popular travel destination. Not least because of the included trips to two of the top scorers on UNESCO's World Heritage list: Angkor Wat temple in Cambodia and Vietnamese Hoi An, which many consider the most beautiful city in the world. There are of course plenty of opportunities to improve your handicap on beautiful golf courses with both caddies and buggies. It is a trip where you stay in five-star hotels and have great cultural experiences in store. And a journey where Valdemar Bandolowski himself participates as a tour leader.
Price range including green fees: just under 29,000 DKK for 14 overnight stays.
Departure November 2024.
South American Adventure
Golf on the South American continent guarantees grand experiences. For example, with a tour in three fantastic countries: Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil. Besides golf at the famous Club de Golf del Uruguay, it is a trip filled with both great culinary and cultural experiences. In Argentina, it’s all about juicy steaks and an evening show that teaches participants to decode the mysteries of tango. There are nature experiences such as a flight visit to the majestic Iguazú Falls on the border with Brazil. The trip ends with a couple of rounds of golf at Copacabana and Ipanema.
Price range: from just under 30,000 DKK.