A Few Comments from our Clients - 2004

Golf Holiday to Spain and Portugal
Happy New Year Didn't use any of your hotels but the courses [Castro Marim and Islantilla] were good & the procedure to receive & exchange the golf vouchers was hassle free. Thanks for all your help & we will be contacting you later in the year to book somemore golf.
Angela Doherty, Breckenham, Kent, UK, December 2004

Golf Holiday to Marbella, Costa del Sol
Overall, [Atalaya Park] hotel was fine although I don't really understand why it has so many stars (at least based on decor). I didn't really sample that much of anything outdoors as it rained every day that I was there.

Would highly encourage anyone that goes there to get a car as the hotel itself is not really near anything. It's about a 15-20 min walk each way to the nearest gas station or bank as the hotel didn't have a convenience store or ATM on site. That said, they had shuttle service to the golf course (which was a godsend) and also to Marbella itself.

Atalaya golf courses were fine. The Old Course was closed much of the time that I was there but did get to play it on the Monday. I think I prefer the New Course as it has more varied hole structure. New Course had a few holes that were down hill or over water which I liked. Old Course looked more flat with wide fairways and not many trees or obstacles. I was grateful that the golf course offered the reduced rate for the hotel guests. I think it was EUR20 per round (excl cart or buggy).

My teacher for the golf lessons was Fernando Vega and I would recommend him highly. It was just me and one other English lady for the whole week so I got plenty of attention. The last day we got to play 10/11 holes together with the instructor. Thankfully, the golf school driving range was covered so we were able to practice despite the rain. I found the golf lessons to be very good value (would have been the case with more instructees as well).

There seemed to be plenty of other courses around. We played La Alcadeisa on the Wednesday. It was about a forty-five minute drive. I really like the course. The 13th hole tees off overlooking the Rock of Gibraltar in the distance. Make sure you bring plenty of balls as some of the fairways are very tight and there is a ton of shrubbery all around the course. Very challenging.
Jonathon Evans, London, England, December 2004

Golf Holiday to Carvoeiro, Algarve
We had a great time in Portugal. The weather was mostly kind to us which always helps a golf vacation. As regards the courses, both Gramacho and Pinta were enjoyable. Pinta was more of an overall challenge and balanced course. We really enjoyed this course and would replay it in the future. I thought the Gramacho course had about 9 good holes and nine rather ordinary holes that had been shoehorned into the available space 5, 8, 9 and 17 in particular. Our accommodation and location at Pestana Palm Gardens was first class. The restaurant and shop were being refurbished but this was not a problem. The town of Carveirho is close by with many places to eat. Our townhouse was spotless and appeared recently decorated and had all the appropriate kitchen utensils. The desk staff were very helpful in setting up other golf tee times. By means of this we also played Palmares and Penina. Palmares was great (although extremely windy!) with some exhilarating holes. Penina was tough but fair, if a bit stuffy. Another factor in our favour was the emptiness of the courses and region in general at that time (Dec 8-15). Most people were waiting for the Xmas holidays I think. We look forward to a return trip.
Timothy Hawkes, Liphook, Hampshire, UK, December 2004

Successful holiday to Estepona, Costa del Sol
Many thanks for your email. All in all Holiday was a success, but specific comments as follows.

1. Hire car arrangements no problems. Nearly new vehicle, well prepared

2. [Caledonia Golf] Hotel. Fantastic apartment, and all public rooms great. The only let down was the food, which I can only describe as very poor. 'Hot dishes' were all cold, and there was very limited choice, even the gala Christmas dinner was a severe disappointment. Staff at the hotel were all friendly and helpful Golf.

Thought the Los Aqueros course was fantastic (three rounds) and also enjoyed the La Canada course. On the other hand didn't like Estepona (Temporary greens on two holes). and would not wish to play there again
John Stevenson, UK, December 2004

Golf Holiday to La Cala, Costa del Sol
We had a very good week. Weather was outstanding. Some feed-back:
1. Your arrangements were excellent. No problems with vouchers, tee-tomes etc.
2. Car was uncleaned and worn.
3. Standard rooms at La Cala are to small for golfers. The management unhelpful with upgrade. East wing should be half-priced compared to west wing of hotel because of lack of afternoon sunshine.
4. The surroundings of the resort are a mess. Construction going on at a scale that is disturbing to both golf and general impression. We will not be going back to La Cala.
5. I am sure we will return to you and "www.golfholidaysonline.com" in the future (what have you got in Florida for 2 weeks end of this year?).
Einar Brekkan, Sweden, December 2004

Great Holiday in Costa Blanca
We had a great holiday, we played as you know, first Alicante it was wery windy but we liked the course, a god course to begin with. then we played Las Ramblas and we did not like it at all even the good shots did end out bad, not a course we will recomend to anyone. then we played El plantio and a super golf course everything was just perfekt.. the last day we played La finca again a super course the last 2 golf courses was some off the best we have ever played, do recomend to everyone. one thing we misses a little bit was directions to the courses it was not good, and should be made better. but we had a great trip.
Kim Rasmussen, UK, December 2004

Golf Holiday to Torremolinos, Costa del Sol
Thank you Casey for all your help, will probably do similar holiday next year and will come back to you again.
Matthew Carmody, Sunbury, UK, December 2004

Friendly Clubs in Costa del Sol
We thoroughly enjoyed the golf and found all the clubs to be very friendly and helpful. In terms of suitability for a family of moderate standard golfers, Los Arqueros was probably a little too difficult and very up and down. We also played Estepona and El Paraiso which were excellent and more forgiving. I would recommend either of these, particularly El Paraiso.
Ronnie Hinds, Edinburgh, Scotland, December 2004

Great Holiday in Costa Blanca
We had a great holiday and the golf was good as well.
The worst course that we played was Villamartin which was quite surprising because the last time I played it it was in very good condition. The tees were like sand pits and the greens were not much better, it took us 2hours 45 mins to play 9 holes and we had no chance of playing the back 9 because it was going to get dark. We did complain but it was a waste of time.
Luckily we played Villamartin on the first day and the courses got better and better as the week went on. Las Ramblas was a real test but very enjoyable (because it was the only day that I won), some fantastic holes.
La Finca was great the course was in excellent condition and I was pleased that I had booked it twice in the week.
Bonalba, fantastic course and set up, the greens were excellent.
El Plantio was probably my favourite course of the week because of set up, and excellent golf holes, the par 3 at the top of the mountain was a real test in the strong wind 157 yards (3 iron and short).
Alicante was a real surprise, almost in the middle of the city but what a great course. All in all a great week and I have to say the service that I received from your company was excellent. I have two properties at Villamartin and look after rentals for several others www.villamartinholidays.com and www.pinadagolfrentals.com (this one I am just starting so that I can market other owner's properties.) I have already passed on your web site details to 2 clients one for Feb and 1 for September.
Brian Baker, Rotherham, South York, UK, November 2004

Low handicappers enjoy golf in Costa Blanca
We really enjoyed the golf. As low handicap golfers (4,4,6,8) we appreciated being allowed to play from the back markers, which made both La Finca and El Plantio an excellent test of golf as both are close to 7,500 yards. The greens in la Finca were a bit on the slow side, based on reputation we had expected them to be fast. The greens in El Plantio were excellent. We lost our way going to El Plantio and we missed our tee time by 45 minutes. However, the staff at El Plantio were brilliant and on arrival got us started at the 10th tee without any bother. Also it was obvious that cost of green fees at the both courses was higher than you charged us which was nice. We'll do it again.
Tony Hewitt, Ireland, December 2004

Enjoyable golf in Vilamoura and Quinta do Lago
We enjoyed the golf. The courses were in good condition. The Old Course was very slow which was disappointing but the weather was good so added value. Thank you for your seasonal greetings and a happy new year.
Janet Gosden, Farnham, Surrey, UK, November 2004

Unlimited Golf in Algarve
We thoroughly enjoyed our stay in the Algarve. The [Dom Jo‹o II] hotel was extremely good - especially its location on the beach, and being within walking distance of the old town of Alvor: which meant the threat of drink driving was not a problem (not that we are alcoholics) - a but a couple of Scotch's before dinner and a flagon wine with it put you well over the limit. The [Carvoeiro Pinta and Gramacho] golf courses were excellent and the organisation was very good. The weather was also vey kind to us - we had virtually wall to wall sunshine all week. All in all very enjoyable, and will no hestiation in recommending you to others. Meanwhile, all the very best to you and your colleagues for 2005.
Ken Hay, UK, November 2004

Golf Holiday to Crystal River, Florida
My brother Ken and Chris Green, enjoyed there golf holiday. They say all the arrangements of the car, [Plantation Inn] hotel, and golf were excellent. And we shall get back to you later in the near future to book another holiday.
Clifford Hale, Frodsham, Cheshire, UK, November 2004

Course Master delivers above and beyond
As you may or may not know Scott and I encountered a few problems with our flights and luggage, that being said everything that Course Master promised was delivered and beyond. Jim even came to meet with us at Estepona after hearing about what happened and offered to help in anyway that he could, he even made time to share a couple of beers and a few tales of golf in Spain, this in itself coupled with the hospitality we received at the courses you booked for us made a potentially nightmare of a weekend top class. As two people new to the game your course selection was spot on. We would definitely use Course Master again, many thanks Jim.
SEAN PEARSON, U.K. (Nov/04)

Golf on Costa del Sol
The courses were all good. We were rained off Los Flamingos on the first day but the course itself was fine. San Roque was the best course followed by Almenara. We liked Monte Mayor even though some of the holes were a bit contrived. All courses were in reasonable condition and were fine.
Michael McCusker, UK, October 2004

Golf holiday to Pals, Costa Brava, Spain
Meant to contact you before to say it was great - and weather much better this time!
DR MARGARET BUDGEON, U.K. (Oct/04)

Golf Holiday to Puerto de la Duquesa, Costa del Sol
Please excuse the lateness of reply but my computer has not been 'very well'. All the party enjoyed the holiday and the accommodation [at Monte Duquesa] and would like to thank you for taking care of us whilst we were in Spain.
Christine Barker, Leeds, UK, October 2004

Impressed with courses on Costa del Sol
Firstly thank all your team for putting every thing into place at short notice, we were extremely impressed with the service and have already passed on your details to friends and golfing partners. With regards to the courses [Estepona, Los Arqueros, Marbella Golf] again extremely impressed, also some what surprised about the low amount of players on all three courses, maybe we where just lucky. To sum up, great holiday, great golf, great food, great wine and far too many Paracetamol.
STEVE HUBBARD, Market Harborough, Leics, U.K. (Oct/04)

Great time in Crystal River, Florida
Just to let you know that we had again another wonderful golf holiday. The weather and accommodation was great, also the most important the golf [at Plantation Inn Course] was very good.
CLIFFORD HALE, Frodsham, Cheshire, U.K. (Nov/04)

Good Golf in Mallorca
Holiday was, as ever, great (i.e. out on the golf course.....and not in the office). The [Marina Portals] hotel was fine, nothing particularly special about it but I would recommend it (rooms were ok, if a little bit small, breakfast good etc.). Location is a little quiet (especially in Nov), but quite nearby is a marina with some bars, restaurants (and very big yachts :-)

Courses: Bendinat - good course, quite difficult. Many tees where the fairway is quite tight. Condition of the course could be better, but there was some heavy rain before we arrived.

Poniente - easier course, very flat. Fairways quite wide, open etc.

Son Termens - very interesting course...up in the hills. They strongly recommend a buggy (unfortunately no buggies were allowed when we played :-). First few holes are nothing special, but then it starts to climb up into the hills. Between holes there is sometimes quite a walk up to the next tee. Some very interesting holes (over ravines etc.) and the views from the highest holes are spectacular. All in all, I'd happily go back to play most of them again.
IAN McTIGUE, Switzerland (Nov/04)

Learning to Golf at Alhaurin
I thought the [Alhaurin] hotel was v nice and the restaurant v good (not expensive) so accomodation was excellent. The golf course is v challenging. Worth playing once. Fortunately friends (inc 2 golf professionals) warned me that Alhaurin course was v difficult so we played elsewhere on the other days so I think it is worth pointing out to clients just how challenging the course is. We all had av enjoyable trip - so thanks.
LANYING BURLEY (Ms), Ware, Herts, U.K. (Nov/04)

Brilliant Golf on Costa Blanca
The golf was brilliant. As for the courses, La Finca and Bonalba are the two best courses. La Sella is a wonderful course also. Oliva Nova was not in good condition though. The harsh summer had taken its toll. Temporary greens, bad fairways and no rough (just dirt) made the course difficult to enjoy. Overall it was a great holiday and we'll be back again. I'll also make sure to book through yourselves.
KEVIN SHALLY, Donabate, Co Dublin, Ireland (Oct/04)

Especially enjoyed La Quinta Golf
Thanks for arranging the golf for us. We had a fantastic time. La Quinta was a fabulous course and after playing on the Saturday, we played it again on Monday before we flew home. Fairway, and in particular the greens were in excellent condition (although it didn't help me much!). Los Naranjos was a lovely course from tee to green but every green had been pitch forked and covered in sand. Also, the round was very slow and took us over 5 1/2 hours to complete! I would definitely recommend La Quinta. Not only was it a lovely course but the facilities were excellent and staff very courteous. Not sure if I would recommend Los Naranjos as greens were obviously being treated so cannot really comment on them and although we were in no particular rush, 5 1/2 hours was too long. We also heard other people complaining about the slowness. Sorry to be negative about Los Naranjos but La Quinta more than made up for this. All in all we had a great time and I will definitely use and recommend you in the future.
PETER DUNTHORNE, U.K. (Nov/04)

Ladies Group Holiday to Costa del Sol
[Atalaya Park] Hotel was great, [Atalaya] golf courses were fantastic, we had the best time. Thanks again for all your help
ELAINE BUTLER, Littleborough, Lancs, U.K. (Nov/04)

Good Courses
Good courses [Santa Clara, La Cala South, Alhaurin, Torrequebrada], no problems, good organised. We will book soon for another trip
MR VAN DER HOLST, Holland (Nov/04)

Very pleased with recommended courses
I did not have a chance of contacting you upon my return but we had a lovely time and we were very pleased with all the courses [Estepona, Alcaidesa, Santa Maria, Rio Real] that were recommended to us. I will certainly contact you the next I plan a further golf trip.
STUART KLEIN, UK (Oct/04)

Played Baviera twice
Yes we very much enjoyed the holiday. the courses were good. played Baviera twice. Interesting combination of 2 9 hole courses with some very difficult water carries. Cabopino was the best both testing and lovely to view. Santana was over priced and a bit uninteresting. all the organisation was splendid. hope we do it again.
CHRISTOPHER WEEKES, U.K. (Oct/04)

Alvor Atlantic Villas and Unlimited Golf on Carvoeiro Golf
We have now returned after a fantastic holiday week in Algarve. It is always with a little excitement that I use a new internet travel agent for the first time, as I don't know what to expect, but this trip has really exceeded all our expectations. I want to thank you for a very good arrangement. The villa was very good with a lot of space for three couples with three bedrooms each connected to a bathroom, and besides kitchen, dining and living room. The unlimited golf [at Carvoeiro Pinta and Gramacho] worked perfectly and we got all the tee-times that we wanted. Also the personnel both at the hotel and the golf courses were very nice and helpful. The weather was also showing its best side with the sun shining from a clear blue sky all the time we were there.
MATTS LUNDSTROM (Nov/04)

Golf holiday to Puerto Banus
Thanks good holiday. PYR does its job perfectly, Berlingos were large and gutless but did the job. Particularly enjoyed the second course La Duquesa, fabulous par 3s', greens not quite as nice as the first course [Estepona]. Thanks again for your help, Happy to be a reference for you anytime should you need it.
IAN TRAYNOR, Woodley, U.K. (Nov/04)

Wonderful golf east of Malaga
Got back a few hours ago - should have been yesterday but the plane broke down and we had to stay an extra night. The golf was wonderful. The courses [Parador, Baviera, Guadalhorce, Añoreta] were ideal and, most importantly from your point of view, each booking went without any hitch whatsoever - very pleased and we will be wanting you to sort out our tee times for next year - we will probably play the same courses as we really enjoyed them all but a week later than this year. I suppose that I should confirm the dates as soon as possible although I expect that you will not be able to book the tee times for at least six months from now?
GEOFF WILLIAMS, Warrington, Lancs, U.K. (Nov/04)

Golf in Algarve
Thanks for arranging everything. we had a great time. loved the courses especially Vale do Lobo Ocean and Vilamora Victoria. everything went like clockwork.
IAN GRENFELL, U.K. (Nov/04)

Good Week in Costa de la Luz
We returned yesterday from our holiday, and we are very satisfied. The area was great, no rush on the course, pleasant people and very nice weather. The [Dunas de Doñana] apartment was OK, we wished there was a little bigger kitchen, but that is because we like to make our own food. I think we will be back next year. So again thank you very much for your good service.
TOVE SOLHEIM, Norway (Nov/04)

Excellent Fuss Free Smooth Package to Quinta do Lago
HI MY NAME IS KEVIN BOYLE AND I HAVE JUST RETURNED FROM PORTUGAL FROM A HOLIDAY ARRANGED BY YOURSELVES. FIRSTLY MAY I THANK YOU FOR A EXCELLENT FUSS FREE SMOOTH PACKAGE AND MAY I SAY I'LL BE RECOMMENDING YOUR COMPANY TO ALL MY FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES.
KEVIN BOYLE, Liverpool, Lancs, U.K. (Oct/04)

Enjoyed all the courses in Vilamoura
Just a quick note to say that everything went smoothly for our holiday. The [Vila Gale Ampalius] hotel was ideal and we enjoyed all the courses [Laguna, Pinhal, Old Course, Vilasol] we played.
SANDRA CACKETT, Edinburgh, Scotland, U.K. (Oct/04)

Enjoyable golf at Malaga
Thanks very much for your help in booking the [Añoreta, Guadalhorce, Parador] golf courses. All three were very different, very enjoyable and very friendly. We especially enjoyed Añoreta - and the nudist beach at Parador! We would be happy to recommend your services in the future and to use you again.
JOHN KNOWLES, Wigan, Lancs, U.K. (Oct/04)

Great holiday on Costa del Sol
We had a great holiday, [Parador, Miraflores, Lauro, Mijas Los Olivos] courses and people all great.Your organization and directions were super first time to play Lauro without getting lost these last 12 years.
KENNETH BARWELL, Porthmadog, Gwynedd, U.K. (Sept/04)

Excellent golf holiday to Costa Blanca
The golf holiday in Spain was excellent, and thanks to your company everything went smoothly at the [Bonalba, Alicante, La Marquesa] golf courses, from directions to booking in. I will certainly use your company again next time we take a golf holiday abroad.Many thanks again for helping make a memorable holiday.
BRIAN WOOD, Manchester, Lancs, U.K. (Oct/04)

Superb Golf on La Finca
Thank you for your note, everything went very well. All the courses [El Plantio, La Marquesa, La Finca, Villamartin, Las Ramblas] were of a good standard, particularly La Finca which was superb. Hope to speak to you again next year.
TOM FRAME, U.K. (Oct/04)

‘Everything was just perfect !’
BART VANDEWEYER, Erembodegem (Oct/04)

Alicante a pleasure
Yes it was very enjoyable. Alicante (as ever) was a pleasure to play and in great condition Bonalba was also very nice (even though a thunderstorm interrupted the round) Alenda was a little disappointing due mainly to the condition of the course. Although the greens were quite good the fairways were in a very poor condition. Organisationally the bookings were spot on. Thanks for your help.
BILL WOODALL, U.K. (Oct/04)

Good time in Costa del Sol
We had a good time in Spain and the arrangements through yourselves worked out very well. I shall be pleased to work through you again.

A number of comments; La Cala - they had wild boar damage of the fairways but offered us a free buggy as a concession which was very much appreciated. Well done to them.

San Roque - very nice and course good

Los Flamingos - VERY VERY POOR greens. No concession , no acknowledgement by staff of the issue and we shall not be going there again. The visitors book was covered in similar comments from other people over previous weeks. We felt they should have alerted people to it beforehand and should have been offering at least 50% off green fees or free buggy.

Miraflores - fine short course but excessive building is very intrusive.
DECLAN YOUNG, Ireland (Oct/04)

Enjoyable Golf at Villamartin
My son and I enjoyed our three days at Villamartin enormously. Each day we were paired with two other golfers and we particularly enjoyed meeting players from other countries. Many thanks for your excellent service.
PATRICK LUKE, London, U.K. (Oct/04)

Alhaurin very demanding
Alhaurin golf is a demanding course, it is very hilly, all the fairways were marked with lateral hazards even if there were no water - it is impossible to find your ball if you hit outside the fairway. It is out from the coastal area and quite high, so even it was a sunny day, morning was quite chilly up there. It think it is a too difficult course for a vacation golf, I would not return there.
PAULI VAINIO, Finland (Oct/04)

Expensive drinks at Vilasol
[Vila Gale Ampalius] Hotels do not want to know your requirements the night before, they will only order the bus when your party is ready to go. You can then wait 30 to 45 minutes for the bus to arrive.. A bit frustrating. Senior suites were provided as requested on the top 3 floors.

Quinta do Lago North - Very Good. Did not like them continually chasing to ensure the groups were on time. Spoilt the enjoyment of the course.

Pinhal - Played twice. VERY busy, and is being overplayed. The greens have suffered compared to last year.. So busy tee times were running 20 minutes late on our first game. Would not play again.

Old Course - Excellent

Vila Sol 1 to 18 Good. Some greens disappointing. The over whelming memory from Vila Sol is the price of the drinks in the club house!! 8 people, food and drink £150!!!
JOHN WHITEMAN, Newport Pagnell, Bucks, U.K. (Oct/04)

High standard of courses in Algarve
All the courses we played were of the highest standard and there is always a happy face to greet you when you turn up at the course. In the time I've used Course Master [5 or 6 now] I think I’ve only had 1 problem and that was the fault of the course, but it was put right straight away with no problem. On the courses we play and I’ve played about 21 on the Algarve and yet to find a bad one if I’ve any complaint it would be the prices they are getting a bit silly at some of the courses. On the vouchers you could look at the directions you put for Morgardo as there is now a new road put in up to the complex. The ones we played were Floresta good course we always play this one I think you need a buggy although you have to stay to path. Morgardo this is fairly new but it’s going to be very good not bad for walking but I like buggies. The second course they are building there was no sign of it in April but now all the greens are down and the fairways marked out this also looks like being a good one when it opens. Salgados plenty of water but nice to play it’s not as bad as it seems from the pictures this one is good for a walk as it's very flat. I know you didn't book this one for me but Boavista is a great one to play it's only about 2-3 years old but it’s turning into one of the best down the East side of the Algarve and the Par 3 6th is a great hole.
PAUL NEALE, U.K. (Oct/04)

Golfing holiday in Almeria
The overall we very satisfied and not reasons to complain. [Melia Golf Almerimar] Hotel was quite good, clean and reasonable service - met our expectation. The Almerimar city also nice, a lot of bars and nice restaurants too. Visited a few places, beaches and so on. Golf course itself OK, not perfect but met our expectation. What we disliked the most was the way they run the course itself. Quite disorganized, long waiting times at first and consequent tee-offs, no buggies available, people far above 36 HCP (of course not helping). Simply - a kind of mass-golfing. It was our first visit to Spain for Golfing, so I think that next time we'll be a bit more 'selective'.
MIROSLAV ZAJAC, Switzerland (Oct/04)

Great Week in Florida
We had a great week for golf and in the main weather with only the Monday being wet.

General Comments: Accommodation: The standard was fine albeit the property is somewhat dated compared to the picture presented on the Plantation Inn website. It was cleaned everyday for usÊand we have no complaints in respect of the standard.

Golf: Plantation Inn is a good base camp and a nice park course to warm up with. We had three of our days at World Woods which can only be described as fantastic! I played the Belfry in May this year and I rate World Woods above this which creates some perspective for you. The only issue was that having played it 3 times, returning to the Plantation Course on the Saturday was a bit of an anti-climax but only because World Woods was so good.

On our spare day, we booked to play Silverthorn, a private course closer to TAMPA. It was a good day out butÊthe course condition was poor and I would not recommend it to any other party travelling or Golf Master Holidays. Nothing to do with you though!

Hotel Service: Staff were excellent, always polite and courteous. We had an issue on arrival in that the Condo was not ready (22 hours of travel and you want your bed!) and the hotel would not initially accept our voucher for breakfast included although this was sorted out by day 2 of the week.

Vehicle: We had a mini van for the week which was new, very spacious and comfortable. It was ideal for 4 people with Golf luggage. One issue at the airport in that we had to pay an extra $6.99 per day for each additional driver i.e. only one covered on the rental base cost which we hadn't appreciated. We still considered this good value and would not hesitate to take the service again.

Resort: Crystal River is a small place with limited night life on offer (unless you like heavy metal and country karaoki). It was though a good base camp with access to all other areas easy because of the excellent road links over there. All the local restaurants offered high quality, low cost food and we all took full advantage gaining several pounds in the process. If there's a shortage of Steak and Ribs over there at the moment then we are possibly to blame!

Overall a 8/10 from the lads. We had a great time and considered the package to offer a quality product atÊexcellent value. Thanks for your efforts in setting us up. We hope to be travelling with you again next year and are working on the domestic permissions already!
IAN SANDERSON, Preston, Lancs, U.K. (Oct/04)

Penina Golf and Hotel Excellent
Thank you very much for organising the holiday. Everything went smoothly and the [Penina] hotel and golf were bothÊexcellent. I will definitely consider using your company for future vacations involving golf and have no reservations in recommending your service to others.
OWEN McCABE, York, Yorkshire, U.K. (Oct/04)

First class in Vilamoura
Just back from Portugal, [Vila Gale Marina] Hotel first class, Golf [Vilamoura Pinhal, Laguna, Old, Millennium] first class. Great doing business with you. Thank you for your help.
PETER ORANGE, Nottingham, U.K. (Oct/04) The Fairham Golf Society

Enjoyable holiday in Marbella
Enjoyed the holiday very much. Golf courses [La Quinta, Monte Mayor, Flamingos] were excellent -- very different from what we see here in terms of layout & design. Westin [la Quinta] was a bit "out of the way", which forced us to dine in the in-house restaurant more than we would have liked. Restaurant was mediocre unfortunately. Car rental went very smoothly. Despite your good directions, it was still a chore to find the car rental location, as you can only access it "air-side". After dealing with some lost luggage, we instinctively walked through security and had to find our way back in to get our car straightened away. Thanks again.
PAUL McKINNON, U.K. (Oct/04)

Cascais is Unspoilt
Got back from Cascais on Sunday, had a great time. Cascais is unspoilt, quiet and in our eyes a very traditional Portuguese town, lots of good restaurants and plenty to do and see. The Vila Gale Hotel was better than we expected, the pictures don't do it justice! We played golf at Quinta Marinha and Estoril which you booked for us. They were both good courses, the only drawback being that they only have (according to them!) three buggies at Estoril and it was, shall we say quite hilly! (A near 5 hour walk). We drunk a lot after, in the interests of recuperation of course, and slept well that night. Thanks again.
PETER JACKSON, Altrincham, Cheshire, U.K. (Oct/04)

Excellent trip staying at San Roque and Montecastillo
Overall the trip was excellent. However, some specific observations: September and early October is an absolutely perfect time to travel to Spain--very warm and not too crowded. This is our second time to San Roque; very fine accommodations, excellent restaurants and very close to a number of great golf courses. It is also very easy to get to and from Malaga via the toll road. However the resort was practically empty. Montecastillo was also excellent and our room looked right over the 18th fairway. Spectacular! I would certainly return to both resorts. You should know that Montecastillo was right beside the Jerez Formula 1 Speedway and the week we were there the racers were practising. At times on the course it was a tad noisy. All of the courses were terrific--San Roque Old ( I also played 9 holes of the New, which was a little hillier and more challenging); Monte Mayor (see below); Sotogrande La Reserva (not in as great shape as I was expecting); Alcaideisa; Montenmedeo (way off the beaten track, but good) and Montecastillo (the classic "resort" course...I enjoyed it the most). Monte Mayor is a mountain course and was way over our heads. Every shot was tricky. It really is only for very good golfers. High handicappers find it very frustrating. Some of the courses were undergoing repair or seeding (I am told in anticipation of the November/December crowds). On balance, for a trip of that quality (resorts, golf, hotel, expensive meals) I didn't think it was out-of-line. I have given your co-ordinates to a number of colleagues and acquaintances. Hope all is well with you, and thank you again for your assistance.
RICHARD CLARK, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (Sept/04)

Hole in one at the Parador
Whole of the golf party really enjoyed the golf, super courses Alhaurin and Mijas, Parador was getting some major redevelopments to it, but still did not spoil it. No problem with the vouchers. One of our lads achieved a hole in one at the short 17 at Parador, some of the other lads are speaking about booking for next year. And with everything running smoothly you can expect them getting in contact to book courses for their next trip. Thanks for all your help and our party would be more than happy to recommend your company to any other parties.
ALAN CHALMERS, U.K. (Sept/04)

Enjoyable golf in Costa del Sol
The golf was very enjoyable. Very well organized with no problems regarding tee off times , bookings or voucher acceptance. The only disappointment was Torrequebrada golf course which was not in good condition and frankly below "par" on the flip side both Monte Mayor and Alcaidesa are to be recommended. [Westin la Quinta] Hotel was great.
CHRIS HEMUS, Bethesda, Md, USA (Sept/04)

Challenging golf in Costa Blanca
Had great time. Thanks for organising golf. Las Ramblas was fantastic, a real challenge. Alicante was very good. Never played course like that before. Put 2 balls on 4th floor of apartment block! La Finca was very good. Villamartin was also good but greens a bit poor. Overall thought Las Ramblas was best, a real challenge. It had everything and I used every club in my bag!!
JASON HICKMAN, Nuneaton, Warwicks, U.K. (Sept/04)

Great time in Vilamoura, Algarve
Thank you for enquiring about our trip to Portugal. We had a great time, the weather was ideal for playing golf and the people were very friendly. The only drawback for us was the fact that we were given twin beds, having had requested a double!! Dom Pedro self catering apartments were ideal especially for me as I am vegetarian and the Portuguese specialise in catering for meat and fish eaters.
EILEEN FINNEGAN, Gerrards Cross, Bucks, U.K. (Sept/04)

Redressing causes disappointment
In response to your enquiry, I would confirm that Benabola was great but The Flamingo was very poor due to the fact that the greens had just been redressed. I would recommend that, in future, you find out when each of the courses are doing this and not use them at that time to avoid any disappointment. Monte Mayor and La Cala were fantaastic but La Quinta was a little disappointing. On the whole we had a great holiday and we will definitely be booking with you again in the future. I have stayed in the same apartments previously and requested them again as they are very clean, well appointed and ideally situated for restaurants and the beach etc. Thank you for efficiency and your help with the booking - everything ran as clockwork.
MIKE BAILEY, Preston, Lancs, U.K. (Sept/04)

La Cañada the surprise of the holiday
We had a good time and liked all the courses [Estepona, La Cañada, Atalaya Old, Lauro]. The surprise of the holiday was La Cañada - we both really enjoyed playing it and thought it was in very good condition - particularly the greens.
SARAH SHAW, U.K. (Sept/04)

Great Vacation in Vilamoura
In response to your latest e-mail, we had a great vacation. I can't say enough about the Tivoli Marinotel in the Algarve. It truly is a five star hotel and that's where the action is happening. We had access to 27 golf courses plus our own golf schedule. We did not know this, but the hotel provides a free shuttle to all golf courses in the Algarve. The prices of the golf carts was steep at 85 Euro, we walked four of the six golf courses. Quinta do Lago had a strict dress code, you must have belt loops on your shorts. I failed the code and rescheduled the next day. All golf courses we scheduled worked out great, if you golf early you have the courses to your self. We really liked Quinta da Ria and the Old Course. The harbor behind the Tivoli was great, all the restaurants were within walking distance from the hotel. Great food and good wine. The boats in the habor were a special treat. So here is the final. It's the people in Portugal that made our trip so great. Portuguese people, not to generalize, are the most accommodating and friendly people we've encountered. We played golf in Spain and it was good, but it can't hold a candle to Portugal. As we checked out of the hotel, I advised them we had been to Spain but we liked Portugal better. The girl at the desk said Portugal people have a saying "two Spanish people make the same noise as twenty Portuguese". Thank you for your help with our trip.
JED KELLY, Colorado, USA (Aug/04)

Fanastic golf on Costa del Sol
Just returned from Marbella where you booked us four rounds of golf [ on La Quinta, Monte Mayor, Atalaya New, Los Naranjos]. I would like you to know that everything went fantastic and thank you. We shall be contacting you later in the year to arrange the golf next year.
-- Irving Nattrass, Tyne & Wear, UK, June 2004

Golf on Mijas and Torrequebrada
Our holiday was a great success. Course Master vouchers worked a treat. Pity about the golf, although I won some of the money!! I will pass the word about your company to my friends. Thank again for your help.
-- Mrs Pat Shields, UK, June 2004

Good holiday to Lisbon’s Estoril Coast
Thank you for organising such a good holiday. We particularly liked all the courses we played, especially Oitavos and Penha Longa. We look forward to more such trips in the future Regards,
--Norman Selley, London, England, June 2004

Good Holiday at Puerto de la Duquesa, Costa del Sol
The holiday was very good. The [Monte Duquesa] apartment would have been big enough for 4 people. The only problem was that there was building work going on in the house. The marina of La Duquesa is quite nice with lots of restaurants and bars. However don't expect anyone to speak Spanish there. It is a pure English place. The two courses we played on were both very good. La Canada has some really nice holes (17 &18). On the 17th (par 3, ca 160 yards) you have nothing between you and the green except for a valley and a lake. The 18th is even better. You are standing on one side of the valley while the fairway is on the other. You have to carry over 200 yards or you ball is lost forever. On the first 2 rounds we both managed to get to the other side with our first ball. On the third round... well it was good we had a couple of lake balls with us:-) Estepona was good as well. The only thing I didn't like was that you couldn't take your buggy on the fairway. That might not be a problem in spring but when we played the temperatures were already quite hot. Apart from that it was a very nice course with a very nice course guide by a company called Course Masters. Ever heard of them? The most impressive hole is probably the 10th. You are standing on a hill looking down on dog leg to the left and a big lake next to the fairway. The green itself is on a small island. It is very easy to overhit that hole and end up in the lake. Next time I would probably go a bit earlier in the year as it was already getting very hot (the first two days were ok, we even had a bit rain Êin the night which cooled the air down). Regards
--Immo Benjes, Surrey, UK, June 2004

Good golf in Costa del Sol
Thank you for all your assistance re the golf courses [Cabopino and La Cala North] and car hire you booked on my behalf. ÊEverything went very smoothly and to plan. Thanks again
-- David Wilkinson, Manchester, UK, June 2004

Foursomes’ Golf Holiday to Vilamoura
All enjoyed the holiday (weather a bit disappointing this year) please find comments below:
Car Hire very good Faro airport very good
[Vila Gale Marina] Hotel as always excellent
Vlla Sol 9/10 Laguna 8/10 Millenium new but 9/10 Pinhal 8/10. All courses are very good
Service by Course Master. Excellent thanks to Ron
Comments Unfortunatley departure flight from Exeter was 9 hours late, will change to Flybe next year. All golf good value for money. Very happy with all aspects (but since introduction of Euro all more expensive)
-- Colin Farrelly, Plymouth, UK, June 2004

2003 Hole in One Contest Winner sponsored by Course Master Golf Holidays
What a wonderful holiday! Other than the beds being as hard as rocks, which they seem to be in a lot of European countries, the hotels were very comfortable, the staff extremely friendly and helpful, and the locations and the food superb. My favorite was the one in [Vila Gale] Estoril,(the [Vila Gale] Albacora was a close second). With the train right across the street and so incredibly inexpensive, we used it a lot. We took it to Lisbon, Belem and Caiscais and we drove to Sintra. We found out on arriving in Lisbon, with the help of a French speaking gentleman, that you can buy 1 day, or 5 day passes (and probably weekly or monthly) that allow you to ride all forms of transportation. bus, tram or metro for around 3 euros/day for the two of us. There are little kiosks in the main squares where they can be obtained. You probably know this but we didn't and it is excellent information for travelers. We didn't have any trouble with the driving but we were unsure of parking in some cases, because of course, we didn't know what some of the local signs meant. The other thing you might point out to people is that they change the number of the national highways frequently, and that once you get on the highway you keep going through each round-about unless you see a sign telling you otherwise. We kept getting lost until we figured that one out. We are used to round-abouts because we lived in England for a couple of years but they are signed differently. The Portuguese people were wonderful. On 2 occasions when we were uncertain of our position and couldn't understand what they were telling us, they jumped into their cars and led us to where we needed to be. The biggest problem we had was finding our hotel each time. We never did find some of the signs you told us to look for, so I picked up the local maps and will attach them to this, so if you have others staying in any of these locations you can include the maps in your package. The golf courses were excellent, particularly Quinta da Ria. Not only was it beautiful but absolutely immaculate. The sand was a little different being beach sand and including the shells and really difficult to get out of with any accuracy but I loved that course. The only thing that could have been improved for me was the speed of the greens. They were pretty slow as was Quinta de Cima, but maybe they were new courses, which would explain that. The course I was the least impressed with was the Robert Trent Jones one which I had really been looking forward to. I found it very poorly laid out and poorly marked around the green. We never knew which side to go off on for the next Tee and as a result we walked miles between green to tee. The fairways were only average although I did like the greens: with their multi-levels they were fun to read and very fast. I think, other than for the very young or for those with extremely light carry bags, that a cart could be recommended on both Vale da Pinta and San Lorenzo. Anything that has a triple switchback for a cart to get up is pretty steep walking. Most people would be too tired to hit the ball by the time they made it to the tee. By and large I really enjoyed all the golf. San Lorenzo was an experience I would never have because I just won't pay $244.00 for a round of golf, but it is an incredible course and I can certainly see why it is the # 1 in Portugal. With water on 16 holes and the ocean view on some of the others it is really beautiful, but for whatever reasons I still enjoyed Quinta da Ria the most. At this moment in time there is a lot of construction going on around Pinta and in a couple of places you have to go through construction zones to get to the next tee and that is not signed well. Fortunately we were with a British couple who had played it a couple of times and knew where they were going. The thing that amazed me the most was that there was no one on the courses until 10:00 am. We virtually had the courses to ourselves. It was wonderful! You did an excellent job of planning this for us. I liked the fact that you gave us a taste of both rural and urban: that all areas were easy to get around in; and that all areas were close to some amazing and historical places. I left feeling like I didn't get enough of either the golf or the sightseeing, so that was a pretty good balance. I will certainly recommend you to anyone we know who might be contemplating a golfing holiday and I can't thank you enough for enabling us to have such an amazing trip.
-- Barbara Simonson, Comox, BC, Canada, June 2004

All-inclusive holiday to Marbella
Transfers - Waiting at the airport on time. Pick up from the hotel on time. Excellent service
Hotel: [Don Miguel Hotel] Rooms good standard. Food was buffet style, varied daily. Excellent for our needs i.e. 12 guys easy to please!! not sure if it is ok for honeymoon couples or like.
Atalaya Park Old course - good society course. New course - bit tight and hilly. would not recommend for high handicap golfers. Because the tee offs were early, could not take the shuttle bus, but taxi was only 20 euros (between 4 and including tip) did not work out to expensive.
Fred Collins, Hornchurch, Essex, UK, June 2004

Good Golf Holiday in Vilamoura, Algarve
Transfers:Transfers from Airport and too and from the golf courses were very good.
Hotel: [Vila Gale Marina] Hotel was excellent.
Golf courses: Millenium was excellent. Laguna was not quite so good. Pinhal was good. Old Course was slightly over rated. Vila Sol was excellent.
General Comments: The whole thing went smoothly and was well organised. This is the second time we have used you and would be happy to do so again.
- Mark Wilshee, Bishops Storford, Herts, UK, June 2004

Vilamoura Golf Holiday
Its been a bit hectic so I've not had the chance to thank you for a truly excellent vacation and all the party were very impressed. I've completed the questionaire in below and will be talking to you again later in the year to organise next years trip Thanks again
- Alan Hawkins, Tyne & Wear, UK, June 2004
Car Hire: Car was almost brand new Ford Focus estate and excellent although it was a bit tight for 4 people plus clubs and luggage
Hotel: Ron, I dont know how you did it or if it was the [Vila Gale Ampalius] hotel but the rooms or should I say suites were world class. The hotel gave us two senior suites that were on two floors with a Kitchen, dining area, bathroom and large lounge area with sky TV downstairs and two large bedrooms with individual ensuites upstairs again with TVs. It had a great location and the food was good quality. My clients were so impressed they want to stay in the exact same suites for next year.
Golf courses: Vila Sol was a truly magnificent Course with great greens and technically challenging, Pinhal was very narrow with every fairway lined with trees, so it would have suited golfers with a lower handicap as any wayward shots were severly punished. But all our party still thoroughly enjoyed the course
Service by Course Master: All the items offered by Course Master more than met our expectations and I have since recommended you to two other parties organising future tours

Golf Holiday with Tuition at Penina, Algarve
Faro/Car Hire: Excellent. Car was ready, speedy processing, I was on my way very quickly.
Hotel La Penina, Portimao. Excellent room, lovely view, very good service from courteous and helpful staff. Not cheap, but value for money.
I had two hours tuition a day from Jose Lourenco at La Penina golf clinic. He was really excellent, concentrated on swing, kept things very simple and communicated very well, with a very pleasant and patient manner. I felt I understood what to do a lot better than before. I played on the La Penina Resort and Academy courses, which were absolutely fine for a non-handicap player such as myself. Nice courses and not too busy so I didn't feel at all pressurised. I kept off the Championship couse but didn't feel deprived in any way. Again, value for money. I already pointed out that the directions from Faro were out of date and they have been updated. I had a delightful week, practising and playing golf all day, enjoying the excellent pool afterwards and exploring the neighbourhood in the evenings. I would recommend Alvor, only four kilometres away, for its wide variety of good restaurants, especially those specialising in fish. All in all, a very relaxing and refreshing break.
Robert Low, UK, June 2004

Interesting courses near Alicante
I was going to write to you anyway to thank you for the excellent service provided by you in just the booking of the courses only. i would have no hesitation in contacting you again and indeed we passed your name to several people in both uk and spain during our visit. The cost quoted and paid was accurate andÊprovided a saving over the green fee shown in the pro shop at the course. The courses played were as follows:
villamartin.....excellent first class course, club house facilities, changing rooms need improvement.
La marquesa.....appeared to be a flat course on arrival, but showed some interesting holes, with the best greens of them all. Directions to course are not totally adequate as sign posts seem to disappear through the town. ( excellent switch from compamor which was under repair as you advised)
Las ramblas.....you either like it or hate it ,good tight course not for the faint hearted. need a good supply of balls if your game is not on song. Hilly course with great views. need to be fit or buggy.
La finca.....well worth the extra green fee, whole area will make this a great course, if not international. Buggy needed as long walk between holes, but the course was in first class condition.
With regard to course master, every thing was as booked, the voucher system was accepted by every course without question. thanks for your help and advise.
Paul Clack, UK, June 2004

Challenging golf in Costa Blanca
Our trip to Spain to play golf was very well organized and for that we would like to thank you very much. Las Ramblas was a very challenging course, it was in o.k. condition, all tee shots needed to be placed carefully with little room for error. Alicante golf was a very well kept course. It took us over six (6) hours to play, our tee time was delayed because of the tournament and we only finished at well after 9.00 p.m.. The two Spanish gentlemen we played with tried to get us through the bad group in front of us but course marshall would not agree. Villamartin was not well maintained. It was probably the poorest of all six courses. Bonalba was a good course. Alenda, perhaps the most beautiful course, set on a hill just like BonalbaÊit was an excellent course well laid out andÊalways a great view. La Fince was well maintained. Set in a valley with water to cross on many holes. It was the onlyÊcourse that asked for the handicap certificate. Ê We checked on Campoamar Golf Course as we were staying in Torrevieja and you were right to suggest we not playÊthis course. Nine holes wereÊunder repair and two of the other holesÊhad their greens under repair. It would be a good course to play another time.
To rate them. Most challenging........
Las RamblasÊ
Alenda
Bonalba
La Finca
Alicante Golf
Villamartin
Hopefully that helps you . Regards,
-- Phillip R. Griggs, Oakville, Ont, Canada, May 2004

Enjoyed golf in Costa Blanca
The Administration of the golf bookings was excellent. I will look forward to dealing with you again. Brief COmments on the GOlf COurse Las Ramblos:- Least impressive of the courses played, Course was not in very good condition at all. Alicante:- Excellent as usual a little dissapointed that two of the Greens were under reconstruction but still great value La Finca:- Nice course, some very well designed and different holes but a little expensive compared to the other courses La Sella:- Very Impressed with La Sella, A little Jewel of a course. Alenda:- Nice course which will get better as it matures over the next few years Altea [Don Cayo]:- The course was ok but the Staff seemed a little hostile as if we werent wanted there Overall we enjoyed our Golf and woul probably play all the courses again with the exception of Las Ramblos. Thanks for your help
-- Bill Woodall, West Midlands, UK, May 2004

Comments on Costa del Sol courses
Thank you for your email we very much enjoyed our holiday in Spain. Thought the Miraflores was the best out of the three but unfortunately weather was not kind to us that day. Very well maintained course, interesting and some tight holes. The Parador we didnt think was on the same standard as the Miraflores not as well maintained and bunkers were in a poor state. The Lauro was again a very nice course when we eventually climbed the mountain to get to it! No complaints! We would definately use your company again, everything went according to plan - vouchers/tee times. Thank you.
Andrea Hughes, Wales, UK, May 2004

Impressed by the organisation
Thanks for arranging everything for us. It all went very smoothly. The rest of my party were very impressed by the organisation, the golf courses andÊthe savings we made on green fees. MirafloresÊwas a nice course, well kept. Not too tricky but with some challenging holes. One of our party got a hole in one on the parÊthree 13th. Laura Golf, Long journey from base but worth the trip. A bit tougher than Miraflores but most rewarding. Nice restaurant with great lunchtime Tapas. Alhaurin, We played it twice. I thought it spectacular but some of the party felt very intimidated by some of the holes. Try to play beyond your capabilities and you will be punished. A buggy is essential unless you have the stamina of a mountain climber. Take lots of balls. All three courses had the most courteous staff both in the club houses and on the courses. Thank you once again. I am sure to use your company again and will recommend it when I can.
Phil Bowdler, UK, May 2004

Carvoeiro Golf Courses Excellent
The [Pinta and Gramacho] courses were excellent with very warm welcoming staff who did their utmost to accommodate your requests. The greens were the best that I have ever played with superb fairways to match. Although, not essential, the buggies with GPS tracking made club selection easier and this contributed to 2 very good rounds. All in all, we had a great time and look forward to next year Cheers
Andy Winstanley, Leicester, Leics, UK, May 2004

Very enjoyable golf in Costa del Sol
Enjoyed all the courses, all very different La Cala (north) very tight, long and undulating,they give GPS very useful if playing for the first time. Santana excellent course greens best I have played on. no clubhouse yet but being built, fruit trees lining the course. Mijas Los Olivos some good holes but pretty short a lot of second shots not more than a seven or eight iron,course not in the best of condition, certainly the worst of the four wa played.Capopino very friendly atmosphere extremely tight opening six or seven holes very narrow firways,the third hole you will never forget, lovely views, greens good the ball wouldn't stop rolling even though it was raining. All in All very enjoyable Best Regards
-- Tony Jones, UK, May 2004

Exceptional courses in Costa del Sol
The holiday was fantastic - The [Don Miguel] Hotel was great and all of the courses [Santa Maria, Atalaya New, La Quinta, Atalaya Old] were exceptional. We will definatley be booking our annual golf trip next year through yourselves. From initial contact of booking to changing a tee off time for the last day at the last minute the whole process was seamless from my end. Thanks very much to your team for being able to change the tee off times on the last day and being so prompt when calling back Thanks very much
-- Glyn Wiseman, High Wycombe, Bucks, UK, May 2004

Excellent service
we had a great holiday. Thought Quinta was a bit poor for the money it cost. we played A & C courses. A wasn't too bad-well established, but the C course was not really what we expected (we nearly left after 2 holes on it). Reasonably well maintained but in the opinion of my playing partner (the pro) it wasn't worth the effort!! (I tend to enjoy my golf wherever I play so it doesn't really affect me). Monte Major was excellent from start to finish. We were picked up at the car park, dropped off at the pro shop. Buggies were included in the price. It felt like we were special to the people there. The course was fantastic, very very difficult (I lost 12 balls) but like Gary said 'now this is what golf should be like'. We will definitely visit there again. Hope this is useful. Thank you for your excellent service, I will contact you before my next golfing holiday. Best wishes
-- Paul Jones, Coventry, UK, May 2004

Superb courses in Mallorca
Had a great holiday, all the courses superb especially Son Vida it was in excellent condition considering the 3 days rain it had taken prior to our outing, the staff were also very helpful. Santa Ponsa has improved greatly since the last time I played it (2001) much better maintained, greens super-fast. Ponente is a really tight course lots of trees and water, a bit of a free for all at the first and took 3 hours for first 8 holes and 5 hours 30 mins. for the round. All in all very good service at all the courses and no problems with the tee times. We may be going back next year, if so I will certainly be using your services again. Many thanks
-- John Roan, Glasgow, Scotland, May 2004

Costa Blanca Golf a great experience
Played 3 courses.
1.Villamartin was very enjoyable and well maintained ,fair course. It is quite forgiving but challenging which makes it attractive to a visitor.
2. La Finca was magnificent and in immaculate condition. You do need to hire a buggy as the distance between greens and tees is quite long. While more expensive it was well worth the visit. Suggest you give directions fromm n332 turning at Carrefour. We found easily from this route and it was well sign posted. There seemed to be quite a lot of 2 balls and 3 balls on the course which makes it difficult for 4 balls to keep up with the team ahead or ahead of the teams behind if they are less than 4.
3. We also played Las Ramblas on spec. We had fun but I'm not sure about it as a golf course. Virtually all holes are blind and it is anything but forgiving- you cannot afford to leave the fairway at all. Bring lots of balls. Took in excess of 5 hours to play due to extremely slow play. Having said that I would play it again just to see if I could do better. There were some extraordinary holes. Course was not in as good a condition as the two above. The road sign posting to the course was very poor and we found it very difficult to find. All in all a great experience and we will come again.
-- Larry Kelly, Ireland, May 2004

Foursome enjoyed all-inclusive golf holiday in Marbella
Just a short note to thank you for an extremely well organised golf holiday. Everything went very smoothly and the [Don Miguel] hotel was ideal. Many thanks once again. Kind regards,
-- Gordon Watt, Salisbury, Wilts, UK, May 2004

Quinta da Cima a Favourite
Thank you we had a wonderful time golfing in Portugal unfortunately it was all too short. I can assure you that all the courses that we played were in super condition and as ever all the people were helpfull and very friendly. We will be back next year. My special reccomendation would be Quinta de Cima which was absoutely fantastic. Any one who plays golf will love this course. Do you play golf? If you are a golfer you should treat yourself and go and play at Quinta de Cima. Many thanks for your help, I look forward to doing the same next year. Best regards
-- Alan Warland, Oxford, UK, May 2004

Majorca a great island for golf
Thanks for your recent bookings, our golf weekend went beautifully Majorca is a great island for golf and would recommend Son Vida Golf course to anyone. We played it twice and Poinente in the middle, the latter not near the class as Son Vida witch can test any handicap. All our tee times where spot on and we will certainly use course master next year. Regards.
- Charlie Duffy, Glasgow, Scotland, May 2004

Challenging golf in Algarve
The bookings were fine thank you. I have played both courses before. Castro Marim is a great course, quite hilly and challenging for a mid-handicapper like myself. Golf buggies are recommended. The condition of the greens was wonderful. Part of the charm of the course is the small club house. They are building a new one and I hope it retains some of the cosy character of the original. Vilamoura Laguna is nice too but heavily used. The two 'watery' loops, 4/5 and 12/13/14 I think, are particularly interesting. The tees were a bit rough. Laguna is well priced compared to the other Vilamoura courses. Hope this helps. Rgds
- Adrian Whyte, Bushey Heath, Herts, UK, May 2004

Enjoyed Costa del Sol Courses
We really enjoyed the courses we booked with you [La Cala North, La Cala South, Mijas Los Lagos] everything went to plan. We would like to thank you for your help in arranging our golf on this holiday Kind Regards
-Eddie Taylor, Port Talbot, West Glamorgan, UK, May 2004

Good golf in Alicante
We had a great few days, thank you. My only comment is to congratulate you on the wonderful way you organise your service. It was wonderful to feel totally confident that the booking and payment were being administered correctly, and we loved the friendly e-mails. Thank you for everything you did. ÊWe will have no hesitation in recommending you to all our golfing friends and we look forward to booking with you again next year! Kind regards
-- Lee Ricketts, Bath, Wilts, UK, May 2004

Comments on Algarve Golf Courses
Thank you all your help. Everything went smoothly regarding the vouchers etc.. Comments on the courses, Pinhal and Millennum were both in good order but preferred lies (one or two fairways at Millennium had been cored and sanded). Alto - I would never go back, the greens are ridiculously fast and everyone is crowned / sloping making it imposible to put. I have never three putted so much before and at one point was ready to give up (fortunately I played Millenium after this and returned back my normal standard. This course is amounst a new Villa complex and does not offer anything like the standard of the older courses. Kindest regards
-- Dave Sinclair, Edinburgh, Scotland, May 2004

Golfers opting to carry do so at their own risk!
Both courses [Palmares and Parque da Floresta] were excellent but Floresta ought to come with a health warning! Those golfers opting to carry do so at their own risk! Unless you are very young and very fit (which we are not), you definitely need a buggy - we decided to carry! They were both very different to our home course at Girton which is very flat parkland. However, we enjoyed them both and would love to play them again should we get back to the Algarve. Yours,
-- Brian Baxter, Cambs, UK, May 2004

Good fortnight’s holiday at Penina, Algarve
Having been at Penina on several occasions I new what to expect and I was not disappointed. Everything was excellent thankyou so much that we are thinking of returning in Sept to continue my wife's golf lessons. Regards
- Jim Clark, Barlborough, UK, May 2004

Mallorca courses excellent
The 3 courses we played [Santa Ponsa, Poniente, Bendinat] were excellent.They more than exceeded our expectations. We are already planning next years trip so hopefully will be in touch once finalised to book future tee times. Regards
-- David Ross, Co.Durhan, N. Ireland, May 2004

Marbella Golf Club exceptional
Can I just say thank you for your help,everything went very smoothly as far as the bookings were concerned.All courses played [Mijas Los Lagos, Parador, Marbella, Monte Mayor and Los Arqueros] were in great condition and very welcoming and a special mention must go to Marbella Golf and Country Club which was exceptional. Kind regards
-- Steve Donnigan, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, U.K., May, 2004

Golf courses arrangements were first class
Excellent time was had by all. Golf courses arrangements were first class. General comments were that they were tough - generally quite narrow. We used buggies on all 5 days.
Ranking as follows (Best first)
Cala North
Capopino
Alhaurin
Miraflores
Cala South (excellent condition but simply too narrow)
We would play the first 3 again. We are already planning for next year - would you consider organising a package to the Algarve along exactly the same lines? Thanks,
- Iain Pittman, UK, May 2004

Great golf in Mallorca
It was great. we played each course [Son Vida, Andtratx, Bendinat] three times. all three courses are great, especially andratx is really a hype. unbelievable difficult., but really interesting. must-play for everyone making holidays on mallorca bendinat could be in a better condition, the greens aren`t so perfect than on son vida and andratx. but it`s also a great course with a lot of spectacular tees- driving over canyons down to the fairways. organisation was perfect, we played all courses between 3,5 and 4,5 hours all the best
-- Jeurgen Michelberger, Germany, May 2004

Great time in Algarve
We all had a great time (the golf not that good) we had no problems at any of the courses we played [Parque da Floresta and Salgardos] all the staff very helpful and the courses were in excellent nick. The only down side these days are the costs but there's nothing you can do about that. thanks again
-- Paul Neale, Gloucester, England, May 2004

Successful Weekend at City West near Dublin
The overall holiday was a great success and everybody enjoyed it. I am also planning another trip around September time so will be contacting you to see what offers are available at that time Thanks for all of your help Best Regards
-- Andy Lyons, UK, May 2004

Estepona Golf in Great Shape
Sorry for the delay. Holiday went fine and courses (Estepona Golf) was in good condition. We have courses in same shape maybe on July. Golf season is just beginning here in Finland. Best regards
-- Pekka Tolvanen, Finland, May 2004

Good time in Algarve
All went to plan after we sorted out the first round of golf at Vila Sol because of our late running flight. [Vila Gale Marina] Hotel was very comfortable and we all had a good time. Our round at Quinto do Lago was particularly slow on Saturday (almost 6 hours) as think they slightly "overload" the course. Thanks again for your help.
- J Thompson, UK, April 2004

Benabola Apartments in Puerto Banus
We truly enjoyed our stay in the apartment,everything was very well organized.The parking garage under the apartment was really great.The only thing that was a bit disappointing was the fact that there was no wheelchair access/ramp to the street level, as my husband has difficulty with steps.Even so,it was great and we had a lovely stay.
- Terry van Keulen, Spain, April, 2004

La Cala and Santana enjoyable
La Cala was is great condition, as usual and all of my party thoroughly enjoyed their round. One of them enjoyed La Cala so much that he intends to take his wife to the hotel for a holiday. We were all impressed with Santana, especially as it has only been open for 4 months. I agree that it was quite forgiving and that some of the holes were very interesting. Thank you once again for all your help!
- G Cope, Glasgow, Scotland, April 2004

Holiday went like Clockwork
We had absolutely no problems and the holiday went like clockwork. The Coursemaster vouchers were readily accepted at all locations, cars, hotel and courses with no fuss. Even the weather was benign, we had gloriously sunny days and temperatures of 27 degrees C. It would be churlish to complain at all, but cudgeling my brain to find anything even insignificant, here are some thoughts. Cars -- nothing at all, fast service in collection and slick operation in returning us to aeroport - maybe a better road map would have been useful!
Vila Galé Nautico] Hotel -- Good quality 4 star, single rooms were very good, Multinational TV liked. Reckon we heard a singer in the bar who could become an international star (although this may have been the brandy talking!). Breakfast buffet maybe marginally less selection than last year in Dom Pedro but perfectly adequate. Sunny location, good swimming pool.
Courses. The only disapointment was the time taken to play a round at the Millennium Course, 5 and a half hours, maybe more. We will cross this one off our list in the future.
The big surprise and delight was Morgado de Requengo, a great course in a beautiful setting. A big change to find the only cranes surrounding the course were the winged type! We reckon we'd like to spend a whole day there playing twice!. Courses. It was a surprise that we were never asked for our handicap certificates, even though lots of statements in magazines, etc. including your briefing, to the effect that they would be required. Last year we were asked to show certificates at all courses bar one - Vale deLobo, and that was the course where we had the slowest round!
- W Leslie, UK, April 2004

Las Ramblas Breathtaking
We had a very nice game of golf at villamartin the course was in good condition and the staff very pleasant,however the course at las ramblas totally eclipsed it ,absolutely breathtaking,by far the most interesting course i have ever played,every hole presented a different challenge,and although are scoring was not very impressive we thoroughly enjoyed it,and would highly reccomend it to anybody else visiting the area in search of a different challenge.The only critism was that the course did not have a course planner,which we thought would have further added to our enjoyment,perhaps you could look into it as i am sure it would be of considerable benefit to any first time visitors....also very much looking forward to further golfing adventures through your company.Yours sincerely
-- R J Wigman, UK, April 2004

Magnificent courses in Costa del Sol
Hello, I should have sent my comments to you a long time ago, but here they are anyway...
If you remember, I was on a trip to Costa del Sol last october (organised by my wife, Thérèse Comiré). Unfortunately, at that time of year, it was more the Costa del water (it rained 6 out of 9 days) !. Nevertheless we played on four magnificent courses. First, let me tell you that when I showed my Course Master's vouchers, I was very well greeted and we had no trouble whatsoever with the reservations. As for the courses, here are my comments :

ESTEPONA: the friendliest, no-fuss course. Very attractive and cosy clubhouse. Good conditions, no spectacular holes except the nice signature hole (10th) and the longest hole in Spain (# 3) : 568 metres from the white tees !

ALCAIDESA : WOW ! The course I had dreamed about ! It was just as in the pictures I had seen on the Internet. Try and keep your concentration on that magnificent links course, with the sea and Gibraltar in the background. That was the day we had sun... too bad the course was soggy with the heavy rains, because it seemed well-groomed (the greens were top shape). The surroundings are also impressive, with an upscale community all around the course. Very small clubhouse (at least the pro shop), but friendly.

MONTE MAYOR : HOW DID THEY DO THAT ? Very impressive, (even the car ride to get there). Same as Alcaidesa for the concentration problems... tough to play, it is difficult to judge distances and slopes with accuracy. BEAUTIFUL clubhouse, but the welcome was a bit on the cold side.

CABOPINO : that is the course that I chose to replace Sotogrande, which was not available. I did not regret my choice, even though we played Cabopino in horrible weather conditions (the play at Valderrama, where they had the Volvo Open, was suspended that day...). It was the most interesting course, golfwise : nice variety of holes :Êhills (the third hole is VERY impressive : a 300 meter drop from the tee-off to the fairway), water, trees, wind, everything was in play. And even with the rain, the course drained very well. We were well greeted, even though they were surprised that we insisted on playing. So, all in all, a very nice golf vacation. If I organize another golf trip in the areas where you can book us up, be sure we will call you. Thank you again for your services.
-- Michel Sainte Marie, Quebec, Canada, April 2004

Note : I have taken some pictures of the courses. Here are a few that you may not have in yout picture bank...

Monte Mayor

Alcaidesa

Estepona clubhouse

Cabopino

Fantastic All-inclusive Golf Break for 12 in Marbella
Our group has just returned from our golf holiday in Marbella. We had a fantastic time, much of which was due to your organising ability. Thank you very much. We enjoyed ourselves so much that having told our friends at the golf club all about it we will certainly want to do the same trip again next year. The only difference is that there will be around 40 of us wanting to go... Many Thanks once again
- Glan Richards, Carmartenshire, S Wales, April 2004

Courses Excellent in Costa del Sol
...We enjoyed the golfing holiday very much and we found all of the courses [Alhaurin, Parador, Monte Mayor, La Cala South, Los Naranjos, La Cala North] excellent and very enjoyable. Thanks to your very good booking service we had not one problem with our tee times and every thing went like clockwork and I again would like to thank you very much. I have recommended your service to some of my friends who will be making use of it in the near future Yours
- Derek Britton, Bradford, England, April 2004

First Class Golf on Mallorca
We all had a very enjoyable holiday - the golf was first class! - Thanks again!
SON VIDA - Nice mature course - well maintained -would play again
BENDINAT - very interesting course with some tight fairways - very enjoyable and a good test of golf - buggy is a must!
PONIENTE - wide fairways - some very long holes- not as good as Son Vida and Bendinat - would probably not play again --Interesting Club House...Thanks
- Bob Allport, Sunderland, England, April 2004

Algarve Golf Enjoyed by All
Everything worked out very well. Car hire was excellent and the pick up area is close to arrivals. Overall the courses were fine. I was a little disappointed with the condition of the Old Course. There was preferred lies and it looked a little worse for wear. I was very impressed with the changes made to Pinhal as it is a number of years since I played it. I would go as far as saying that it was more enjoyable than the Old Course. Overall, the course of the week nomination goes to Quinta Do Lago South. The week was really enjoyed by all and the weather was fantastic. Many thanks for all your help.
- Martin Kelly, Dublin, Ireland, April 2004

Golf on the Estoril Coast, Portugal Excellent
Everything went extremely well, even the weather was fabulous. Both courses were excellent. I particularly liked Estoril as it was not quite as busy as Quinta da Marinha, but the latter was on the Saturday. Thank you for your assistance and be sure I will be passing on details of your booking service to all my golfing colleagues. Best regards
- Keith Lewis, UK, April 2004

Unlimited Golf in Badajoz, Spain
I would like to thank you for your service before we left, booking and payment of hotel and car. The {Confortel Badajoz] hotel is very nice and well located if you like to play golf, i recommend my friends and business contacts to go there. The golf course is verry well maintained so it‘s a pleasure to play there and the "unlimited golf" that you offer I like very much. Thank you
Micke Hansson, Osterskar, Sweden, April 2004

Enjoyable Golf in Algarve
just thought i would let you know i really enjoyed my golf and the service that you provided was excellent,on arrival at the courses they recognised the course master company itinary details and everything went smoothly, i had played most of the courses before and found them in very good condition as always,if you do pass feedback to the courses i could only pass two comments for improvement. on boavista course my group and many others i spoke to were dissapointed with the greens due to the fact that they were so hard you could not land you ball on the greens as they were not holding and the hardness made the putt's very fast that most groups of golfers were taking several minutes to clear the green causing long delays. on the vilamoura ( old course ) the play was very slow in general , i do not like to be rushed but the average wait between each shot was about 5-7 minutes ,still i didn't mind as the sun shone all week. As for your sevices i will definately be using them again in the near future and we be recommending your company to many fellow golfers. best regards from london
- Andrew Robinson, London, England, April 2004

First Class Golf in Mallorca
Just back Monday night from the holiday and it was first class. Everything went according to plan. The buses were bang on time and were very luxurious although we didn't have much time in them as the courses were not very far away. The first course (Bendinat) was a real test as it is very hilly (and none of us are spring chickens) but the sensible ones took a buggy ie me! The boys were hoping that the next two would not be quite so punishing. Poniente and SonVida were both excellent courses and everybody thoroughly enjoyed them. All in all everyone was delighted and I'd like to thank you very much for your excellent service. I dont think we will be organising the next holiday, although it's not out of the question, however we will be recommending your services to whoever decides to do it. Once again thank you for everything Ron and all the best for the future. Regards
- Dougie Storm, Nairn, Scotland, April 2004

Costa Blanca Golf Courses
The Alicante course was very good,(blazing sunshine)and relatively easy to play, apart from a lot of water. Alenda,is a diffent story, Very hilly, difficult to keep the ball on the fairway, also we had very strong winds to contend with.
- D Gibbs, UK, April 2004

Great service from Course Master
Every thing went very well. Transfers, [Pyr Marbella] hotel, [Los Arqueros, Marbella, Santa Maria] golf courses all superb - don't think we had anything to complain about, except I wish I could hit a ball straighter, longer and more consistently! Once again, thanks very much for all your help, thanks to all at Course Master, what a great service you offer. Somebody else will be organising next years trip, but I'm sure they'll start the same way as I did, with an exploratory e-mail to you. Best wishes,
- Brian Watson, Leeds, England, April 2004

Atalaya Park very friendly
Mum and I had a lovely holiday at the Atalaya Park Hotel. Found everyone at the hotel very friendly and the service excellent. The hotel was a little “tired” in places but that is understandable given its size. We were very pleased with our room and found the hotel to be clean and well run. The food was fine, though not outstanding, but they are working on one of the restaurants at the moment. Overall we had a very relaxing stay, enjoyed all the amenities and would certainly stay again at that price. It particularly suited us to go when we did as the hotel was so quiet. Thanks very much,
- Wendy Osmond, UK, April 2004

Comments on golf in Costa Blanca
We played 3 courses: Villamartin, La Finca and Alenda. All of them had good greens and fairways but Villamartin had some construction work going on so it was a little bit messy between the holes. A lot of tees also missed grass. Maybe it still a little bit early. They have to work a bit on La Finca if they want it to take a place among the best courses in Europe.
- K Söderling, Stockholm, Sweden, April 2004

Good golf in Costa Blanca
We had a wonderful time. Looking forward to next time.
- M Nyquist Johansen, Oslo, Norway, April 2004

Challenging golf in Mallorca
We had a great time in Mallorca. The weather was fine and the golf courses were nice and in good condition. All together we played 5 courses which was Bendinat, Son Vida, Son Antem East/West and Santa Ponsa. Bendinat and Son Vida were both short but funny courses, where you easily could get into troubles. They both had very good greens and good fairways so we enjoyed playing them. Santa Ponsa was a long challenging course with great greens. Son Antem East and west were the best courses regarding layout, but the condition of the courses were not very good. thanks again for booking the greenfee and if we are going to Mallorca again next year I will contact you again.
- Jesper Køie Rasmussen, Copenhagen, Denmark, April 2004

Mallorca Golf
We played Pula golf course (which was the one you helped us with). We had expected it to be in a better condition. It seemed in a lot of places to be a course under repair, or not yet ready. Since we had heard that there used to be big competitions there we thought it would be finer. We also played Son Termens, which was a very nice course regarding the finish of it; good greens and everything well kept. Then we played Santa Ponsa-not in a top condition but fairly good, and Poniente, also not in a top condition but with a lovely atmosphere.
- C Florén, Sweden, April 2004

Eastern Algarve Courses are a Pleasure
Both courses where great. I have played Benamor before and it is always pleasure not crowded and in good condition. As for Quinta da Ria first time on this course and what an experience, fairways and greens in excellent condition and the views of the Ria Formosa national park where breath taking. As for your service every thing went like clockwork, will use you in the future and will also be telling my friends.
- S Ledger, Sheffield, England, April 2004

Rio Real rated best
The four of us had a great time. Many, many thanks for your help in arranging our golf. Your service was great. My three colleagues rated Rio Real as the best course with Los Naranjos next and La Quinta third. Because of recent rain La Quinta was quite wet in places.
- B Owen, UK, April 2004

Buggies expensive on Costa del Sol
We had a great time the only comment I would make is whether they will price themselves out of market. Buggies are exceptionally expensive particularly as most courses there are very hilly and older people need them. We are planning for September 25th and will contact you as soon as certain things are finalised.
- K Barwell, Porthmadog, UK, March 2004

Perfect Costa del Sol Holiday
Thank you for a perfect holliday, even the veather vas very nice, sunny and the temperature vas between 21c and 26c degree cellius. Your vouchers were accepted everywhere without delay. Everybody was wery nice and helpful. A big star to Estepona golf and to all their employees, but it is not fair to favour anyone : Europa rent a car, the apartment, the key was at the right place, La Durquesa Golf, Alhuarin Golf , all the places were perfect. I will recommend your company to my friends and I will use your company again. Thank you so much for a wonderful week. Kinds regards.
- Hans Moeslund, Denmark, March 2004

Recommended golf courses in Costa del Sol
The week went very well thank you. We only had people added to our group at Alcaidesa. Unfortunately San Roque had been top dressed so there was sand everywhere (still a great course though) and at Almenara one of the nines that we played the greens had been holitined (like putting on a digestive biscuit). We would recommend Los Flamingos to anyone, turned out to be the best course of the week. Probably because they were the best greens. Los Aqueros is just the toughest track in the world....excellent. We are going to drop Torrequebrada and Almenara next year, Torrequbrada - just too much of a pay and play course and we had to wait ages on every tee. 5 hour plus round! Hopefully replace them with Sotogrande and Santa Clara. Thanks for all your help.
- S Markham, Horsham, West Sussex, England, March 2004

Pleased with Everything
We are very pleased with the [Pyr Marbella] hotel, the 4 golf courses [Parador, Marbella, La Quinta and Cabopino] and everything you included in our package. We will strongly recommend your company to others. And of course we will be back next year, and we will be more peaople next time.
- Jan Rafn Jensen, Norway, March 2004

Terrific Courses
Just a note to let you know that we really enjoyed our trip, dated 23. 03. 04. The courses [Alhaurin, Lauro, Parador] were all terrific and everything went very smoothly.I think you may well here from us again. With thanks.
- K P Shivers, Kettering, Northants, UK, March 2004

Four Day Costa del Sol Break
With being a first time customer of Course Master and this being my first non UK golf holiday, I have to admit I was unsure of the success in using a service such as yourselves to book the course tee times we wanted to play.I can say with confidence and enthusiasm that the service we received was excellent. We were all pleased with the welcome we received from the courses we booked through you and the quality of the golf clubs was exceptional. As a short 4 day break we decided to not book a game on our first day to allow us the oportunity of doing something else or allowing for time delays with flights etc. when we arrived we decided to play a the Parador, which as it turned out was the poorest game of the stay. The poor reception we received and the lack of organisation with start times, this left you feeling unsure for future standards and the course although ok was not to the standard you would expect in this region of spain. (anyway it was nothing to do with you but might be of interest for the future)
Estepona - This was a wonderful course to play, it had a variety of holes both challenging and tempting and the back drop to a number of the holes distracted you totally away from your game. The weather had apparently been attrociously wet the previous week and still a bit wet in places but did not distract away from the golf, so full marks to the staff in keeping the course in such good condition. Although a shortish course it offered enough of a challenge that we all enjoyed our game and would definately return now we know the layout. The one area of criticism is on the directions, they were a bit vague and unless you know the area and been there before it was a devil to find due to the smallest of exit from the main road and poor signing. (we drove past it twice before being given directions) I would suggest if possible more detailed directions.
Marbella - Millionaire golf. There was only a two ball in front of us and some of the best scenery money can buy, and this is with out probably the most beautiful golf course I have had the pleasure playing on. But CHRIST it was difficult. A course planner is a must as is a bag full of balls, it appeared if you can't see the direction you are going then it was a water related hole. (the pressure is telling) Having said this, apart from one nearly crying with frustration, we all thought it was the best kept, best managed, most interesting and most desired course we have played anywhere and we would ALL like to return to play it again now we know what to expect. Simply fantastic. Only critisism, could not get anything to eat afterwards! but this didn't seem to matter to anyone.
Mijas Los Lagos - A very good course, well run, friendly helpful starters and very well kept grounds. This was probably the most user friendly course of the week and offered a sensible challenge to differing standards of golfer but still not easy needing good course management. If returning I would use this course as my first round to settle everyone in feeling comfortable for the week ahead. this would be my reccomendation to anyone going to the area.
Areas of improvement - Directions - more detailed plans of directions to the courses would be useful for visitors to the areas Course planning - The sale of course planners would be useful when making arrangements and could be posted out with the vouchers. I hope my comments are of interest to you and thank you for the help in arranging our short break.
- A Hughes, Telford, Shropshire, UK, March 2004

First Class Apartments at Palm Gardens, Algarve
We had a great holiday. The apartments were first class, car hire was excellent and the golf courses were good. If I was to be extremely critical I would complain a little about the building work on the Palm Gardens resort which got on our nerves when we stayed around the bar / pool area. Also the building work around the Pinta course was not good. The people at the Palm Gardens were first class and booked extra golf and changed tee times for us. They were very helpful in getting cabs etc etc. Once again we had a great time and all I have been asked is when do we go again. So, thankyou for all your efforts the administration was again first class.
- D Collins, Southampton, England, March 2004

Hole in One at Torrequebrada
I recently dropped you a line to say everything was perfect and thanks for your help. Both courses were very challenging and in great condition.One member of our party even managed a hole in one at Torrequebrada.
- G Woodward, Swinton, Manchester, England, March 2004

Great time on All-Inclusive Holiday
We had a great time this is the third time we have been with you on this holiday and everything ran perfectly. we will be booking again for next year very soon.
- D Prince, Failsworth, Manchester, England, March 2004

Great golf in Algarve
Yes the holiday went very well. The arrangements you made for us were first class, we encountered no problems with our bookings and as the weather was sunny with cloudless skies I was almost convinced you had arranged that too. Due to your organisation from the beginning I have had no reservations about passing your company on to several of my golfing partners who are also looking to play golf abroad. Again thank you for your handling of the golfing arrangements.
- R Seggie, Walton on Naze, England, March 2004

Great weekend in Vilamoura
Great weekend, what was strange was the fact that you struggled to find accommodation at that time. Whilst there though, we found the resort to be very quiet generally. Don't know if the weather had something to do with it. The only issue we had was that the hotel didn't run a shuttle to the two golf courses, this could of been because we booked courses to far out ? therefore had to use taxis. Next time we will check with you . All in all excellent. Many thanks.
- C Catterick, Peterborough, Cambs, UK, March 2004

Enjoyable golf in Cost del Sol
Thanks for doing the bookings, everything went well. All the courses were in excellent condition but Lauro was a bit far away up in the hills. They have now added a third 9 holes making it a 27 hole loop. Marks out of 10 I would give it 7. For La Quinta, Rio Real and Marbella I'd give them all 10. For a high handicapper like me (26) Marbella was very difficult. Once again thanks for your help and looking forward to the same next March.
- P McGonigle, Coventry, UK, March 2004

La Cala out of this World
Thanks for e mail re golf holiday. thoroughly enjoyed all courses but thought La Cala North was out of this world .will be going back there sometime.1st few holes at Cabopino a little tight but enjoyable.
- J Wildsmith, Doncaster, UK, March 2004

Great holiday in Mallorca
Holiday was great. Weather was mainly dry and good for golf. All arrangements made by your company were first class particulary road directions. All golf courses very good especially ANDRATX. Hotel rooms very good FOOD superb All inclusive did not work for us but would use hotel again.Thanks for all your help. Please keep me informed of any future deals.
- G Burch, UK, March 2004

Good golf in Western Costa del Sol
Thank you for your message. We thoroughly enjoyed the break although it would obviously have been improved by the weather. I hope the following is constructive feedback on the courses Alcadaisa - We really enjoyed this - no issues Duquesa - We really did not like this course at all. It was as though you were playing on a building site, particularly the first nine holes and the course conditions were very poor. Sotogrande - This was a hard course but really interesting and I am sure it will be one of the finest in a few years time as it is obviously very new. Almenara - We enjoyed Lagos & Pinos but didn't get on very well with the other course, which I can't remember the name of. All in all we were golfed out by the end - we were happy with the bookings and car hire etc it all worked very well. I hope that this is helpful and if there is anything else I can offer please let me know.
- Terri O'Shea, UK, March 2004

Great time in Costa del Sol
Thank you for your e mail. We had a great time. La Quinta and Marbella were two courses that we had not played before, they will definitely be onour agenda for next year, we had played the others before. Will be in contact for our trip next year. Thanks.
- Ursula O'Reilly, Clontarg, Dublin, Ireland, March 2004

Enjoyable golf on Costa del Sol
Most enjoyable break, the weather was excellent. The courses [Alhaurin, Miraflores, Mijas Olivos, Torrequebrada] were all in good condition and a joy to play, though i did think that Mijas is a bit on the expensive side and very busy. Thanks for organising, and probably do same again next year!
- A Podd, Kelvedon, Nr Colchester, UK, March 2004

Golf at Estepona and Alcaidesa
We did play once in Estepona Golf and once in Alcaidesa Golf according Your reservations. Estepona Golf was very wet, Alcaidesa OK. We know very well the personnel and clubs from our numerous previous visits. I did reserve tee times to other play days/clubs directly via e-mail, which succeeded as well.
- O Seppälä, Finland, March 2004

Successful golf holiday in Puerto Banus
Thanks for your e-mail I would certainly like to comment. The trip was very successful and almost everything ran to schedule - the only problem being trying to locate the golf courses over the first two days. The accommodation [at Park Plaza Apartments in Puerto Banus] was exceptional as were the staff at reception and on all of the courses we played. We will certainly be paying another visit and would have no hesitation in using Coursemaster again. Many Thanks.
- B Tuck, St Helier, Jersey, CI, March 2004

Brilliant Algarve Holiday
Holiday was brilliant,weather fantastic. Hotel: Room very good worth the upgrade to sea view. Service excellent, just to mention hotel probably only 1/3 full, which was good for us. Dining, we only ate breakfast at hotel which was a good standard. Courses: The Laguna and Millennium complex, both courses were in good condition, greens were fast and true, and the clubhouse firstclass. Pinhal:Everything was first class, my favourite. Vila Sol: This is a difficult one, no doubt the course is probably regarded the best of the ones we played, however on our arrival we found that their computers had crashed losing many of the booked tee times of people playing the course, not ours. So they had to squeeze people onto the course, which had a knock on effect whilst playing the front 9, we were literally pushed around by the rangers to get us to the 10th tee by a certain time. However having gone through10 golf was played at a more steady rate allowing us to enjoy the course. The course had many areas roped off due to renovation which allowed free drops, good for us. Greens were very good. To sum up i think we were just unlucky on the day we played, as i feel Vila Sol without any of the above is definitely a golfers course which when played under normal circumstances would be highly enjoyable. Just to mention again about the hotel, it's about 20 meters from the beach a superb location. I took my young lady who was very apprehensive about going on a golf hols.She went with us for one round,then discovered that the hotel ran day or 1/2 day excursions to the local tourist places,she loved it and did not want to come home. I just thought i would mention that from the non-golfer point of view. On the whole package,BRILLANT we will be going again next year unless you can come up with something November/early Dec. Sorry to go so long. Regards and Thanks again.
- D Sedgman, Downham Market, Suffolk, UK, March 2004

Unlimited Golf Package in Algarve
Excellent holiday. Thanks again for your efforts. Will probably look again in October.
- D Shellard, Rochdale, Lancs, England, March 2004

Cabopino was good value for money
All three courses [La Cala North, Cabopino, La Quinta] were in good condition and worth the visit. The best value for money was Cabopino mainly due to the buggie being included in the price. My one comment would be that the general price on the Costa del Sol is expensive and if they get too greedy, they will find non villa owners will go elsewhere i.e. Portugal, France etc. I will be happy to recommend your Company to my friends as I believe you were able to offer a cheaper deal than dealing direct.
- Grant Hills, UK, March 2004

Brilliant Golf in Marbella
The golfing holiday was brilliant. Thanks For all your hard work.
- R Evans, New Romney, Kent, England, March 2004

Hospitality very good at Plantation Inn, Florida
All the arrangements for the hotel and the car was fantastic. Each time we go to the Plantation Inn , the hospitality we receive is very good. They look after us on the golf course and anything else we might want Thanking you.
- C Hale, Frodsham, Cheshire, England, March 2004

Algarve Group Golf Holiday
Thanks for organising the holiday, it all went without a hitch and with almost perfect weather. I don't think there's anything that could be improved upon regarding the holiday. I will probably be in touch later this year to organise something for next year, also do you do holidays to the murtle beach area?
- G Langridge, Coldfield, West Midlands, England, March 2004

Fantastic Golf Holiday
Thank you for your interest, we had a fantastic holiday, and the weather was hot and sunny. Of the courses we played the only one we did not like was Alhaurin, it was a scenic course but not very user friendly, most fairways hit from the tee resulted in a lost ball, as most of the fairways sloped severely and it was very difficult to get a ball to stay on them, I am a 12 handicap and lost 11 balls. I would not play there again and I would not recommend it to anyone. Once again I would like to thank you for your help putting the package together, I will use Course Master again, and i will recommend you to anyone i know looking to book a golfing holiday.
- S Harradine, Clifford, West Yorkshire, UK, March 2004

Enjoyable courses near Alicante
We really enjoyed the courses around Alicante, played them for last 2 year now, so we are moving on. Only this week iIe-mailed Ron for a quote on the Algarve for spring 2005. Anyway thanks for your efforts Carol, I will be sure to recommend your site for fast and efficent service.
- B Naylor, Stannington, Sheffield, UK, March 2004

Wonderful Trip to Algarve
I thought I would drop you a line to say thank you for organising a wonderful trip, which was enjoyed by everyone. My thanks need to be extended to all at Course Master as I had to communicate with them after we decided to arrange for pick ups from the golf courses at the last minute. Once again many thanks and if necessary I will certainly recommend you to friends.
- P Howlett, Sanbach, Cheshire, England, March 2004

Golf Holiday at Don Miguel Hotel, Marbella
Just a few lines to let you know we all had a great time, and we will definitely be booking with you for next year.
- J Campbell, UK, March 2004

Comments on Costa del Sol golf courses
Golf courses.
San Roque old course. Great course great experience San Roque new Course. Terrible condition. Walked in after 1 hole and they let us play the new course instead. Should not be open to the public Almenara good course need a buggy though Santa Clara reasonable course Los Flamingos very good course - very interesting
Service by Course Master. Very good
General Comments Will use again.
- R Murphy, UK, February 2004

Seamless Holiday
Just wanted to say thanks for organising our holiday recently - everything went seamlessly and we all enjoyed it immensely.
- P Waller, New Wanstead, London, UK, February 2004

Great golf courses in Costa del Sol
Yes thanks everything was superb. The golf courses were great, Monte Mayor is everything you believe it should be, challenging, dramatic and good fun a must play course. La Cala was superb. Excellent condition with super fast greens. If I had 1 criticism of it it would be that too many of the par 4's are the same. tee from an elevated tee onto a fairway then hit to an elevated green. Became a bit monotonous. Santa Clara is fantastic. Beautiful condition, superb facilities. I would reccommend this one. Mijas was a nice golf course. The busiest that we played and it looked a little bit tired! It is still a great challenge and well worth playing. We arranged another 2 games whilst out there. We played Rio Real which was as good as you get in my opinion. Fantastic condition, suitable for all levels of player, and it's an easy walk. The other course we played was a brand new course called Santana. Absolutely fantastic. It will undoubtedly become one of the best courses on the Costa. Fantastic condition, great greens. A real challenge. Another course that is walkable. This is a must play golf course. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you and your staff for arranging the golf.
- D Wyse, Stoke Bishop, Bristol, UK, February 2004

Happy with the Week in Spain
We are very happy with the week in Spain, thankyou for the possibility to change from Don Miguel to Atalaya Hotel, your representative organised very well this move. We will give to our golf friends your address for future travels. Thanks again to the Course Master organisation.
- D Bouger, Saint Andrew des Eaux, France, February 2004

Golf School holiday at Alhaurin
Everything was first class we had a wonderful week thankyou .- the [Alhaurin] hotel is beautiful - absolutely no complaints!!!! Thanks for everything.
- Susan Battersby, Lagos, Portugal, February 2004

Good Golf Holiday in Costa del Sol
We really enjoyed our golf holiday. Flamingos: we all agree that the course was in great shape. The best of the courses we played on this trip. The staff at Flamingos was magnificent. We had a great day at Flamingos. San Roque new course: great layout, but the fairways, and especially on hole one was really bad. The greens were brown, but really not so bad as they looked. We ranked this course to be in the worst condition of them. Good staff. Monte Mayor: really a spectacular course. It was also in good shape. We were a little disappointed with the caddymaster. He was not in a good mood this day. But all in all...a good day at Monte Mayor. Ranked 3. Los Lagos: at Mijas Golf they have a great staff. Los Lagos we think had not so good fairways, but good greens. Ranked 4th. Los Olivos: great condition on Los Olivos. Nothing bad to say about this course. Again...great staff. Ranked 2. We had great weather the whole week. Hopefully we can come back to San Roque and try the course in better condition. As I was told it had rained a lot the week before we arrived, so that might be the reason too the bad condition on San Roque, and that it was a new course. I wish that someone could have told us upfront that it was in that condition. Then we had played the old course instead. But all in all...a great week. And thank you for your help.
- Knut Fjerstad, Trondheim, Norway, February 2004

Very Satisfactory Service
Thank you for securing the tee times that were requested. If asked about securing golf venues abroad I will have no hesitation in recommending your service, as my service with your company have been very satisfactory.
- R Seggie, Walton on Naze, UK, February 2004

Even the Weather was Good
Just to let you know that the holiday at the Hotel Delfim in Alvor, Portugal, January 2004, was excellent. All the arrangements you made worked out perfectly, even the weather was in our favour. We will certainly use your services again and have recommended you to all our golfing friends. Thankyou again.
- G Lloyd, Thornton Hough, Wirral, UK, January 2004

Eight weeks of golf
Thank you for you message. The only problem was we only stayed for eight weeks!Should have stayed longer. Re: golf.....it was great. I enjoyed my lessons [at David Leadbetter, Carvoeiro] very much. Carlos was an excellent, patient instructor. I learned a great deal. I played the Gramacho and Pinta courses which I found challenging. If I have any concerns about Portugal Golf it is the price.....The euro is high and I found the price of golf limited me to the amount I was able to play. Ninety euros per round certainly will limit many Canadians holidaying in Portugal..Other than that. Good weather, great accommodations and wonderful people...... I do hope to visit and golf again in the near future.
- T Morin, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, January 2004

Super Holiday in Vilamoura, Portugal
Car hire (Faro Airport) was first class. Car was pristine and on return we were immediately shuttled to the airport. Could not be faulted. Dom Pedro Golf [Hotel] (chosen by customer from options) Service helpful and friendly. Breakfast adequate, room OK for two guys but would not have been acceptable should there have been a lady in the room. Bedroom OK but bathroom decidedly "tired" ..... Golf courses. Played Millennium, Laguna, Pinhal and Old. Given the time of year the greens were excellent. Certainly seems good value for money to me (perhaps not if we had paid the full asking green fee). Could not fault Course Master at all, most of my friends could not believe what we paid. Excellent service would certainly use the company again.
- E Ewart, UK, January 2004

Comments on Golf
Santana - good. La Cala - good/poor service. Monte Mayor - good/great service. Service by Course Master - well organised.
- Rob Page, UK, January 2004

Costa del Sol Golf
The courses [Santa Maria, Rio Real, Santa Clara] were in fantastic condition and the weather was great. I play a lot of golf in both Spain and America and I must congratulate you on the way you organised the courses at short notice in a very professional way. I will be in contact in the near future to use your company again.
- M Honey, UK, January 2004

Good Golf in the Eastern Algarve
All arrangements went smoothly, no issues. At full price Benamor was expensive (70 Euros = £50). At your price (approx 50 Euros = £35) it was acceptable. Two of us found the course easy, however one of us struggled. Something to test all abilities I think! Course wasn't crowded. Clubhouse food and atmosphere was good; also this was the only place we could find baked beans in January!! I would still play it again, especially as I did well!! Castro Marim at 37 Euros = £26 represented a bigger challenge and more value for money. Interesting mix of short holes and testing drives. If we play again we'll probably get a buggy, very hilly. Would definitely play again. Clubhouse food was expensive and we didn't eat there. Hope this is of help.
- K Bowden, UK, January 2004

Great All-Inclusive Holiday
Just got back from 2 week all inclusive golf holiday at Don Miguel Hotel. Thanks for organising it, we had a lovely time and everything went great. Will be going again next winter for certain unless you have anything better to offer.
- Tony and Pam Worrall, Burnley, UK, January 2004

Top of the Pops was Almenara
Top of the pops for us was Almenara which was in superb condition and proved a great test of golf. Monte Mayor was perhaps too difficult although the conditions on the day didn't help (rained all day). Marbella, which we play every year, was disappointing as they put us off forward tees and the course was in poor condition. Alcaidesa was also a bit disppointing with the course looking quite ragged in places. Altogether great fun but the award for best turned out course, best test of golf, and best v.f.m. all go to Almenara - 9 out of 10.
- P Jones, Hawarden, Flintshire, UK, January 2004

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