A Guided Tour Of Two Hundred Bunkers

June 17th, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

A Guided Tour Of Two Hundred Bunkers

Golf has been referred to in the past as a good walk, spoiled by the interruptions. Golf has been described in various other ways too, some of the colourful being by the golf widows who only occasionally see their partners return victorious from the course. If this sounds like you, then you may have heard of Jack Nicklaus. He is a world champion at golf, having been voted as Golfer of the Century. Unfortunately it doesn’t appear as though I was nominated for the honour, but then Jack does tend to sink more balls than I do. In fact, mine seem to have an aversion to the little holes scattered across the course, unless of course they have sand in them.

Besides being a world champion golfer and ambassador for the sport, Jack is well known for being an excellent designer of golf courses, and has recently become introduced to a new audience through his recent television adverts for Polaris. Whether or not you’re interested in buying property overseas, if you’re a golfer like me, or perhaps a slightly better one, then what Jack has done over there might well be of interest. Believe it or not, he has designed nine new golf courses specifically for one resort! That’s a staggering 162 holes in the ground for me to miss. On the upside, that also probably means a good couple of hundred sandy bunkers for me to become horribly familiar with too.

I have some neighbors that live near me, as neighbors tend to do, and they seem to live in Spain more than they do here. I can understand that - they always seem to come back happy and tanned, and it makes me wonder why I don’t do the same thing. When I look out of my window at rows of other houses all soaked with cold rain and bathed in grey gloom the idea of moving to a sunny resort like Spain does have its appeal, but then, it always seems to be other people that actually get on and do these sorts of things. For me though, what really caught my attention was the fact that some companies, like Polaris World that advertise on television, have made golf the real focal point.

The golf course near me recently got flooded. We have a torrent of rain for a couple of days and the whole place became a pond. It’s dried out now, but for weeks the whole place was damp and boggy, and a fairly unpleasant place to play. Golf isn’t traditionally a messy sport. If you want to come home caked with mud you either play rugby or take up mud wrestling. Golf is a nice clean sport. Not at my local course it hasn’t been - just walking around you get filthy, and if you end up digging up the rough or wandering from sandy bunker to grassy embankments you end up needing to throw your entire outfit in the wash after a round.

So that’s what made me think that moving to Spain sounds like a great idea. Imagine it - nine golf courses, endless sun, beautiful views, guaranteed good weather. Sounds like a dream. Maybe those neighbours of mine have got the right idea. But then there’s the hassle of moving over there and it all is so difficult, I wonder whether it’s worthwhile. But amazingly, I recently found out that many of these companies that deal with overseas property actually offer free trips over there to have a look and see what it would be like. They’ll even throw in a round of golf while you’re there. A free trip to Spain? A round of golf on a Jack Nicklaus course - it’s all sounding very tempting. I may even start to consider what I’d look like with a tan and a smile.

I’ve been aware for a long time that with property prices in this country on the rise that my house would be worth a fair sum. After I started taking these adverts more seriously, and checked out the prices, I couldn’t believe what I could get for my money over there. I could sell my house and buy two luxury apartments in Spain, or a fabulous villa. Straight away I started fantasizing about my own pool somehow, I am starting to like the idea of getting wet, but not due to the rain.

It’s surprising how quickly images start to build in your mind of lazy summer days even in the winter, or rolling golf courses crying out for you to have another go today, blue rolling oceans and vast mountain ranges. It starts to make my suburban semi look a bit cold, bleak and small. Not to mention crowded. I almost feel as though the tan is starting to appear just by thinking about it. The houses themselves look very stylish, with a contemporary design coupled with traditional colours, materials and features. It’s a bit like living the fantasy without the inevitable bad bits you assume will haunt you. I wonder if I would miss the rain and grey skies?

I’m certainly very tempted to consider the idea of a free trip - after all, I have nothing to lose. I may even find that the more clement weather improves my golfing game. Perhaps I may even meet old Jack and challenge him to a round. The only thing that puts me off is the hassle, but then, it’s only once, and the satisfaction of having made it will be more than worth it. The adverts are certainly targeting this country a great deal, and it sounds as though they know what they’re doing. Like many people, I work from home which means that relocating means little more than moving all my gear. Except for my winter clothes; I won’t need them any more of course!

Looking for quality (http://http://www.valuvillas.com) golfing properties. Find them here at (http://http://www.valuvillas.com/pages/506/Polaris-World-Golf-Developments.html) Polaris Golf Spain. Superb selection, cheap prices and free inspection trips from selected UK airports. Why not buy abroad today?


Play Golf Without Clubbing Mother Nature (TheStreet.com)
It might not help your handicap, but you should look into these eco-friendly items at the golf course.

Calvert Approves Golf Course Purchase (Washington Post)
Calvert County commissioners narrowly approved the $3.65 million purchase of Chesapeake Hills Golf Course in Lusby on Tuesday.

English-only golf rule upsets Korean-American audience (San Jose Mercury News)
The LPGA imposed a rule this week that, by the end of next year, South Korean golf starts must speak English well or face suspension, upsetting many fans.

Eagle Valley plays its best golf of the season at Delta (Vail Daily)
DELTA, Colorado — It's all starting to come together for the Eagle Valley golf team. On Wednesday, the Devils compiled their best performance of the season. Three Eagle Valley players cracked 80, and the Devils finished in second place with 233 strokes at Devil's Thumb Golf Course in Delta.

Golf Tidbits: Ladies, study that English (Lexington Herald-Leader)
A story earlier this week announced to the world that the LPGA Tour is going to make all of its players learn how to speak English or face suspension. The announcement came in a story published on Golf Week magazine's website. This policy brings about many questions. Is this policy legal? What will the suspensions entail? Why now? The last question might be the most obvious to answer. ...