7 minute read
Globetrotting Gems
Travel There & Back outlines North American and North Atlantic spots to ponder and play
BY BOB SHERWIN • CG STAFF WRITER
Ever wonder how your golf game would hold up if you took it on the road?
Michelle Cypher can make that happen. She coowns the Kennewick-based company, Travel There and Back, with her husband, Michael Cypher. For nearly a decade, they have been sending Northwest golfers off on global road trips.
The couple, which moved their agency to Kennewick from Monroe a year ago, have intimate knowledge of many of the world’s best courses and how to get folks on them. Their top five most requested global golf destinations are Scotland, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Mexico and Canada.
“Rightfully so, Scotland comes to mind first, but Ireland is right up there,” Michelle said. “They have some really awesome courses.”
________
SCOTLAND
Of course, St. Andrews’ Old Course, the venerable “Home of Golf,” is where just about every golfer would love to play. Dating back to the early 15th century, The Old Course is one in a seven-course complex that includes Eden, Balgove, Strathtyrum, Castle, Jubilee, and The New Course, which opened 130 years ago (1895).
Worldwide demand is always high to play The Old Course. The best way to get on is entering a lottery-like drawing during a two-week period every August. If you are fortunate to ‘win’ a tee time, “you can contact us, and I’ll build the rest of your trip,” Michelle said.
She added that her agency works with a Scottish company that, given enough notice in advance, also can secure Old Course tee times for her clients.
“We also have great, great options if you can’t get on The Old Course,” she said. “In that area, there are a ton of courses within an hour’s drive. There’s Carnoustie. Kingsbarns is growing in popularity, it’s close by and easy to do. Then there’s Inverness up in the Highlands, where there’s really great golf. Cabot Stuart is really good.”
Other affordable seaside courses in the County of Fife close to St. Andrews to consider are Crail, Lundin and Leven Links and Scotscraig. All are among the 20 oldest courses in the world and designed by St. Andrews’ Old Tom Morris.
She can also plan side trips to locations such as Loch Ness or the Culloden Battlefield in the Highlands and the scenic Isle of Skye on the northwest coast. Plus, “there’s no shortages of castles. There’s a lot of history to explore.”
Not to mention scotch to consume.
________
IRELAND
The name of the game in Ireland is links. “It’s the home of one third of the world’s natural links courses,” she said.
There are two general areas for Irish golf. One on the east coast, in and around Dublin, and one out west. Dublin has some outstanding links courses within 30 minutes of downtown, such as The Island, Portmarnock, and Royal Dublin.
Then, head west, where it just gets better as you drive. Just remember to stay on the left side of the road.
Michelle advises golfers to consider Adare Manor, in the fanciful, thatched-roof city of Limerick, which serves as a gateway to the west. Adare Manor is a parkland course that had a recent $125 million revitalization and was thus rewarded with the 2027 Ryder Cup. The course, along with its modernized mid-1800s castle and hotel, will shine during that competition.
From Limerick, you can go south to Castlemartyr, or to a relatively new (yet immensely popular) Old Head course on a spectacular peninsula. You can kiss the Blarney Stone in that direction and pick up some crystals at the Waterford factory.
Due west is the quintessential Irish town of Killarney, which leads to the picturesque Ring of Kerry. You can find outstanding courses such as Tralee, Waterville, and Ballybunion, then onto Dingle Peninsula.
Further north along the Irish west coast is venerable Lahinch, just 10 miles from the Cliffs of Moher and close to the Aran Islands.
“The Aran Islands are kind of the heartbeat of the Celtic culture in the Gaelic language,” Michelle added. “Then up further you have the Connemara (Golf Links) with abbeys and forts and a beautiful drive along the Wild Atlantic Way.”
“There and Back” can guide you around the entire archipelago.
________
NORTHERN IRELAND
Northern Ireland is its own country on the northeast corner of the island. It’s part of the United Kingdom, about a two-hour drive from Dublin to Belfast up the east coast.
There are two courses that stand out. Royal County Down, considered the No. 1 golf course in the world, and Royal Portrush, which hosted the 2019 Open Championship. Each May, Royal County Down also has a system for assigning tee times. As for Royal Portrush, you might need to sharpen your game a bit to get on this summer. The 153rd Open will be held there again July 17-20.
One alternative that Michelle recommends is Ardglass Golf Club on the Irish Sea. “It’s just gorgeous,” she said. Another recommendation is Hollywood Golf Club, where Rory McIIroy learned the game.
There are plenty of places to visit as well, from the Titanic Museum in Belfast to the Giant’s Causeway, a World Heritage site that features about 40,000 peculiar round basalt columns formed by an ancient volcanic eruption.
You can read our deep dive into Ireland in the April 2024 issue located in the Past Issues section at CascadeGolfer.com.
________
MEXICO
Michelle’s focus has always been on Cabo and the Baja Peninsula. “It has all three landscapes, mountains, desert and ocean,” she said. “Just beautiful.”
“There are courses designed by Jack Nicklaus, Tom Fazio, Greg Norman, and Robert Trent Jones. There’s a lot of golf opportunities there, especially for us on the West Coast. It’s so quick and easy to get down there. When it gets cold here, we go to Mexico to get some golf in.”
Another recommendation is Loreto Bay Golf Resort, overlooking the Sea of Cortez. The community boasts a long history of protecting its natural environment, birds and wildlife. It was declared a national park by the country in 1996 and a World Heritage Site in 2005.
Even if you don’t play well, there are birdies galore.
There’s TPC Danzante Bay, a spectacular Rees Jones design. Pueblo Los Cabos and Cabo Del Sol are both Nicklaus designs. There’s also Cabo Real, a Trent Jones, Jr. layout. Plus, Solmar Golf Links (designed by Norman), just to name a handful of quality course options.
________
CANADA
Like Cabo and Baja, Michelle said we are also fortunate to live in the Northwest, within close proximity to Canadian golf courses. She has steered many of her clients to quality courses around Vancouver and Whistler.
“Living here, there is so much to do in British Columbia,” she said. “Plus, there’s very good wine there and it’s not lacking for views.”
Some of the most spectacular views anywhere are along the Sea to Sky Highway to Whistler. You can choose from any number of mountainous, fir-lined courses like Nicklaus North, Fairmont Chateau, Big Sky and Whistler GC.
Michelle has had a long partnership with travel specialists in Vancouver and can set folks up anywhere for golf and fun.
She also gets requests for other parts of Canada, such as the magnificent natural settings near Jasper, Alberta, far-off Nova Scotia, and the popular Cabot Cliffs.
Golf season generally goes from May to October. It’s always nice to see that area of the country not white, but green.
________
Visit TravelThereAndBack.com to connect with these golf travel-fitters and plan your 2025 voyage.
______________________
