Chip Butties Golfing

15 Feb 2018 Decision Time-ish

Matt at Golf Kings has come back to me with a proposal for Montecastillo. I have been very impressed with his approach. He has been much more proactive and helpful than the fellow at Golf Breaks.

This is the current offer:

• Departure 13 or 14 April 2019 x 7 nights all-inclusive in twin rooms with daily golf after 12:00. Cost £775  pp.
• Single room supplement would be £45 per person per night = £315 pp.
• Supplement to play golf before 12:00 would be £15 per round.
• Buggy is mandatory before 11:00 and the cost if prebooked is £40 or 45 euros paid locally.

This is almost £60 cheaper than the GB offer, which is partially offset by the slightly more expensive surcharge for morning golf.

Matt has also taken the trouble to check with the Caddymaster at Montecastillo and listed some potential tee-times for a group of 12 during that week. I won’t bother to list them here as they are subject to change, but the list seems to indicate not many spaces even now.

Matt is advising that we book the land package as Montecastillo is very popular.  He is asking £50 per head to a maximum of £600 (equivalent to 12 people). However, unlike Golf Breaks, we would not lose any money for cancellation. In the event that flights were not available at an acceptable cost or sufficient tee-times were not available we have two options:

1. Transfer the booking to another destination
2. Receive a complete refund

I have this guarantee in an email from Matt.

Flights

We can’t book flights yet as the airlines haven’t released schedules for next April, but Golf Kings would be alerted as soon as flights are released for booking and see what deals are available. Matt reckons we would be looking at £250-300 return plus transfers.

There are two options for airports: Jerez and Seville. Jerez is the closer of the two by some way, but the only airline that flies from the UK to Jerez is RyanAir departing from Stansted. BA and EasyJet both fly to Seville from Gatwick.

Matt is open to mixing departure airports within the group.

Rounds of Golf

It’s very unlikely we would be able to play seven rounds at a rate of one per day. My suggestion is that we try to get five rounds booked during the week on non-travel days. Anyone who wishes to play more rounds I am sure could be accommodated. Once we know arrival and departure times, options for play on the day of arrival or departure will become clearer.

Action

I would like to make a booking as soon as possible to guarantee our place at Montecastillo.

Even if you have already given me a firm yes (that’s Tom, Colin, Bernie, Doug and Malcolm G), please can you reconfirm that you would like to be included in this booking given the expected cost as outlined above.

I am happy to pay the deposit myself and collect from people afterwards.

Remember, you will still have a chance to pull out once we know flight options and definite prices. It may also be possible to add people later, but this would be subject to availability.

Please indicate whether you prefer morning or afternoon rounds, or a mixture, and whether you want a buggy (obviously 1 between 2).

Please respond asap.

12 Feb 2018 Firm Proposal

We have received excellent recommendations for Montecastillo (details are listed in the 06 Feb update). So I have decided to make this the final offer on the table. Date of travel will be the weekend of 13/14 April. This means that the schoolteachers (I know of three, there may be more) will be able to come as they will be on Easter break.

These are the people who have given a firm “yes” at this time:

• Roger and Gia Cavanagh
• Tom and Gill May
• Colin and Cindy Bedford
• Bernie and Sue Deacon
• Doug and Ann Mason
• Malcolm and Linda Grover

Some of the “Bachelor Butties” have expressed an interest in the trip. I don’t think we can turn them down, so if two of you are prepared to sleep together that’s fine. I have also requested the cost of a single supplement.

I have been dealing with Golf Breaks, but it turns out that they won’t organise flights; so I have contacted Golf Kings. I was impressed with my first phone contact with them. They are emailing me with their proposal.

There is no deadline yet for a final decision, but if you do want to come please let me know as soon as possible. Cost from Golf Breaks will need to be confirmed as their quotes are only good for 7 days. I don’t know what the Golf Kings policy is.

Montecastillo are offering seven rounds of golf. Even, if we were really keen, it would be hard to play seven and I know that some of you don’t want to play that many anyway. Golf Breaks are saying there will be a £10 supplement to play in the morning. I don’t know whether Golf Kings will be doing the same, but please let me know or post in comments whether you have any preferences.

We’ve also been told that buggies are a pretty good idea at Montecastillo. Somebody said €42 per buggy was the cost last time they were there. I will try to find out more in due course.

Questions and comments can be posted at the bottom of the page, but you can ping me direct if you wish.

07 Feb 2018 One More Option

Aphrodite Hills, Kouklia, Cyprus

This will be the final option that I add without further discussion among the Butties.

• Travel: Sunday 14 April 2019
• 7 nights all-inclusive and 4 rounds of golf (2 on Aphrodite Hills with shared buggies, 1 on Elea Golf Club, 1 on Secret Valley)
• Twin Deluxe or Garden View Room
• Price includes return airport & golf transfers (based on one flight arrival and departure time)
• £959 (based on 16 golfers)

Links

Hotel, Elea Golf Club, Secret Valley Golf Club, Trip Advisor

06 Feb 2018 More Options

Apologies, I forgot to copy and paste the travel dates for the Pastana Delfim and El Rompido. I have added them to the descriptions.

Update at 17:13: golf at Barcelo Montecastillo is included in the price for rounds played after midday. To play before that time there will be a £10 supplement per round. There is no way that we could play 7 rounds at a rate of one per day, so a more likely scenario is 4 or 5 morning rounds with 2 or 3 afternoon rounds for those who wish.

Barcelo Montecastillo, near Jerez, Spain

This is a resort that several other CLGC members have stayed at and recommended.

• Travel: Sunday 14 April 2019
• 7 nights all-inclusive and 7 rounds of golf (tee time from 12:00, £10/round to play before midday)
• Superior Twin Room
• Price includes return airport & golf transfers (based on one flight arrival and departure time)
• £829 per person or £899 for 7 morning rounds

Links

Resort, Trip Advisor reviews

Robinson Club Quinta da Ria, Portugal

• Travel: Sunday 14 April 2019
• 7 nights all-inclusive and 4 rounds of golf (2 on Quinta da Cima, 2 on Quinta da Ria)
• Twin Room
• Price includes return airport & golf transfers (based on one flight arrival and departure time)
• £1,079 per person

Links

Hotel, Quinta da Ria, Quinta da Cima, Trip Advisor reviews

Initial Entry 05 Feb 2018

I have had a chat with Golf Breaks. The brief was:

• 2nd or 3rd week April 2019
• all inclusive
• preferably closer than Turkey
• 5 nights plus 3 rounds or 7 nights plus 5 rounds
• numbers 8 to 16 golfers (I am guessing not all who have expressed an interest will come)

The rep I spoke to said that there is also a semi-exclusive option offered by some places that includes breakfast, dinner and drinks from 17:00 to midnight. I imagine that there will be some restrictions on the kind (expensiveness) of drinks. They have already come up with two suggestions, which I have described lower down the page.

I have allowed comments on the page so please ask questions and make suggestions.

People Expressing an Interest

I hope that I have partners’ names correct.

1. Roger and Gia Cavanagh
2. Tom and Gill May
3. Colin and Cindy Bedford
4. Bernie and Sue Deacon
5. Matt and Karen Hewitt
6. Doug and Ann Mason
7. Richard and Carol Spratt
8. Graham and Tracey Cheshire
9. Mike and Kath Wingfield
10. Malcolm and Jane Hurst
11. Mike and Gill Smith

Competitions

This is supposed to be a fun holiday, so I am not proposing that there should be a substantial fund for prizes. £10 per person for a five-round holiday has been suggested. This is something that we can decide later.

Golf Breaks First Suggestions

The prices quoted may change if we don’t make a decision quickly. I am NOT suggesting that we do make a quick decision, just want you to be aware of the possibility. I have asked Golf Breaks to confirm whether the “1 in 8 stays and plays free” that they show on their site will apply.

Pestana Delfim, Alvor, Portugal

• Travel: Saturday 13 April 2019
• 7 nights all-inclusive and 5 rounds of golf (Alto, Silves, Gramaco or Pinta)
• Room: Classic Twin Garden View
• Price includes return airport & golf transfers (based on one flight arrival and departure time)
• £699 per person

Links

Pestana Delfim, Pestana Alto Golf & Country Club, Gramacho, Trip Advisor reviews

Comments

My initial impression about this hotel based on a cursory examination of comments on Revoo and Trip Advisor is negative

Precise Resort El Rompido, Costa de la Luz, Spain

• Travel: Sunday 14 April 2019
• 7 nights’ semi-all-inclusive (SAI) at Precise Resort El Rompido and 5 rounds of golf (North or South Course)
• Twin room
• Price includes return airport transfers based on one flight arrival and departure time (Faro Airport)
• £765 per person

OR

• 5 nights SAI with 3 rounds
• £555 per person

Links

Precise Resort El Rompido, hotel’s own site, South Course, Trip Advisor reviews

Comments

Guests’ comments suggest a better hotel than Pestana Delfim, but repetitive food seems to be a popular refrain.