Golf Vacations 1-2-3

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With a life of its own, golf can bring out the best and worst in people – from proud achievement to intense frustration – but always determination to master the course. The challenge is what makes golfing so much fun, and playing on ‘new’ golf courses even more so. A golf vacation provides this opportunity. Golfers can visit exciting places with family or friends, while playing on different courses.

Still, extra details need coordination when planning a golf vacation, which can be time-consuming. Prearranged vacation packages are a great alternative if they include the option to play at more than one golf course and offer discount tee times at those courses. Without careful vacation planning, the costs of playing golf may be higher than anticipated and preferred tee times may not be available.

Golf Packages

Locating international golf courses and scheduling tee times can be tedious and costly when premium rates are charged for independent coordination. The smart alternative is selecting from personalized golf packages that offer various hotels and courses at lower than premium rates. In Cancun and the Riviera Maya, Mexico, and in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, RedGolf® offers personalized golf packages as affordable and easy as 1-2-3.

Here’s how it works:

1.) Schedule tee times at one or more listed golf courses:

Cancun:

• Cancun Golf Club at Pok-ta-Pok (Robert Trent Jones, Jr. design)
• Hilton Cancun Golf Club (Aoki Corporation's Pedro Guereca design)
• Moon Palace Golf Club (Jack Nicklaus design)
• Riviera Cancun Golf Club (Jack Nicklaus design)
• Playa Mujeres Golf Club (Greg Norman design)

Riviera Maya:

• Riviera Maya Golf Club at Bahia Principe (Robert Trent Jones Jr. design)
• El Camaleon Golf Club at Mayakoba (Greg Norman design)
• Playa Paraiso Golf Club at Iberostar (P.B. Dye design)
• Playacar Golf Club (Robert Von Hagge design)

2.) Book hotel rooms at one of our affiliated hotels or golf resorts – with or without selecting golf courses:

Cancun:

• Hilton Cancun Golf & Spa (family golf resort)
• Moon Palace Golf & Spa (family golf resort)
• Cancun Palace (family resort) near Moon golf course
• Le Blanc Spa Resort (adults-only hotel) near Moon, Riviera Cancun, & Playacar golf courses

Riviera Maya:

• Playacar Palace (family golf resort)
• Aventura Spa Palace (adults-only hotel) near Moon & Playacar golf courses

Dominican Republic:

• Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana (family golf resort – Jack Nicklaus course design)

OR choose from one of our prepackaged golf vacations or golf packages that are periodically offered.

3.) Reserve, book & pay:

Select the ‘Book Now’ option on our website or send an email to booking@redgolf.com with your preferences. Include your full name, email address, telephone number and:

For golf courses:

• Golf course name
• Play dates & tee times
• Number of golf players & age of children playing
• Number of golf rounds
• Additional requests

For hotels:

• Hotel or resort name
• Arrival & departure dates
• Number of rooms needed
• Number of room guests & age of children
• Additional requests

For golf packages & specials:

• Name of package or special
• Additional golf courses & rounds requested
• Golf course-hotel transportation requested
• Additional hotel nights requested

After verifying hotel and golf course availability, we'll email you our PayPal account information so you can pay securely online.

Tell us what you want, and we’ll do the work for you. It’s that simple.

Coming Soon! More golf courses, hotels, resorts, golf packages, plus a customized online reservation system.

Young Mexican Golfers Dream Big

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(Sophia Sheridan)

For talented young Mexican golfers aspiring to play in the LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association), becoming a professional golfer is not just a dream. Five young Mexican women were invited to play in the first tournament of the 2011 LPGA Futures Tour season getting a taste of the possibilities. Known as “the road to the LPGA,” the LPGA Futures Tour has been recognized as the developmental tour for women’s professional golf since 1999.

With many professional golf courses across Mexico, it’s an ideal sport to learn, but it’s also a luxury sport, and most Mexican youth don’t have the finances to invest in a golf career after completing their education. Impulsando al Golf Profesional Mexicano (IGPM)* [Advancement of Mexican Professional Golf] helps bridge the gap. Developed four years ago to help young Mexican golfers rise to LPGA Tour player status, the organization provides economic support and professional resources to help Mexican youth improve their golf game.

This year, five young Mexican women supported by IGPM were invited to play in the first 2011 LPGA Futures Tour, Florida’s Natural Charity Classic: (1) Lili Avarez, (2) Tanya Dergal, (3) Marcela Leon, (4) Pamela Ontiveros, and (5) Sophia Sheridan. All were present except for Tanya Dergal, who had already committed to playing in the KIA Classic qualifier. Of the four women who participated in the first LPGA Futures Tour of the season, Sophia Sheridan demonstrated outstanding plays, overcoming various challenges with skill and determination.

Kicking off the 2011 LPGA Futures Tour season on March 21-27, Florida’s Natural Charity Classic was held at Lake Region Yacht and Country Club in Winter Haven, Florida. Other tournaments on the 2011 tour schedule include 16 tours in 13 of the United States and one in Mexico. The same four Mexican players will participate in the second tournament - the Daytona Beach Invitational – on April 1-3, as they strive to obtain their 2012 LPGA Tour card.

For many golfers throughout the world, golf is not just a sport but a way of life and the road to success – and is no longer just a dream thanks to the professional development programs of organizations like Mexico’s IGPM and America’s LPGA. Although amateur golfers may not participate in the big leagues, they can still take a dream golf vacation, and play on championship golf courses throughout Mexico.

* Impulsando al Golf Profesional Mexicano AC (IGPM) is a Mexican non-profit organization established in 2007 by Rosalba Papacostas and Marina Villasana to help young Mexican women achieve their professional dreams. To raise support for aspiring Mexican LPGA golfers, IGPM hosts a fundraiser pro-am tournament before the LPGA Futures Tour season begins (this year on January 24, 2011 at the Mexico City Country Club). Mexican sports celebrities and government officials play an 18-hole tournament together with male and female professional golfers, such as the best Mexican golfer of all time, Lorena Ochoa.

Taking that Great Golf Vacation

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What makes a day of golf for players and spectators so much fun? (Yes – fun!) The specific highlights may be different for everyone, but in general, players find the skill and challenge of hitting a tiny ball along a long stretch of land across natural obstacles into a small hole while surrounded by nature a tantalizing escape. Many spectators find it equally riveting except, rather, watching the players attempt to master nature while indulging in their natural surroundings and maybe a beer or cocktail.

A day at the golf course is truly a breathtaking escape in more ways than one: Hold your breath and hope to hit a ‘birdie,’ or hold your breath while taking in the scenery and waiting to see that much-anticipated perfect stroke. Various golf courses are akin to some of the world’s most beautiful parks: masterful works of nature and environmentally conscious design – complementing the inherent characteristics of each region. In Mexico’s Cancun and Riviera Maya, the tropical plants, rainforest, mangroves, cenotes (cavernous wells), Mayan ruins, and blue sea make the courses awe-inspiring…

…and unusually challenging.

Course variations are one of the aspects that make golf so enticing: attempting to master the game on a different course each time, since no golf course is alike in skill level, strategic design, or landscaping. The only constants are the standard game features, such as the teeing ground, rough, fairways, hazards, putting greens, and usually 18 holes. The diversity of course design is what makes a golf vacation so appealing: traveling to a new environment and enjoying the indigenous attributes of each course – not to mention other tours and attractions.

A golf trip can make a great family vacation, friends’ vacation, or boys’ vacation for the obvious and not-so-obvious reasons, depending on your travel destination: championship golf courses and luxury hotels, plus world-class Mayan and Caribbean spas or natural wonders like jungles and cenotes. Many attractions and activities are available in Cancun and the nearby Riviera Maya, from snorkeling and scuba diving to shopping and horseback riding, so everyone can enjoy a golf vacation - even if they're not golfers.

Top 5 Golf Travel Considerations

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Golf travel can be great fun, but vacation planning can be time-consuming and costly given the need to research and coordinate hotel rooms and tee times. One of the fastest and most cost-effective methods of planning a golf vacation is through a golf travel expert who can arrange golf packages that include the hotel, golf courses, and sometimes even golf carts and transportation.

Since a golf vacation offers the opportunity to play all year long in warm climates, many travel destinations have recognized their ability to yield excellent golf courses; have contracted with leading golf course designers; and are subsequently increasing in popularity. With 200 golf courses, Mexico is one of them; 16 are in the state of Quintana Roo and more are under way.

Offering some of the finest luxury hotels and championship golf courses in Mexico ― expanding soon to the Caribbean, Central America, and South America ― RedGolf® can help you plan a smart golf vacation.

Top 5 Points to Consider:

1.) Golf Resorts

Look for a variety of prescreened, luxury hotels that provide (or partner with) leading travel golf courses and include a quality spa, fitness center, beach club, kids’ club, and travel tours to accommodate family members and non golfers.

2.) Golf Courses

Select from some of the world’s finest championship golf courses. Designed by famous professional golfers and architects, many are built alongside the rainforest, lagoon, ocean, and white sand beaches of Cancun, Cozumel, and the Riviera Maya.

3.) Course Selection

The frequency that travelers want to play golf will influence the number of golf courses selected and the amount of play time invested. For casual golfers, one or two courses may be sufficient; for serious golfers, a different course each day may be preferred.

4.) Book Tee Times

Booking tee times ahead of schedule is common, at least one week and up to 60 days in advance, depending on the popularity of the golf course. We recommend booking discount tee times early at Riviera Maya and Cancun golf courses.

5.) Plan Flexibility

Golf travel can be expensive, so reduce costs (not quality) by combining golf courses with a luxury hotel of your choice. With lower hotel room rates and discount tee times, planning a golf vacation just became more convenient and affordable.

Cancun: Not Just for Spring Break

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Taking a Cancun vacation in the spring is not just for spring breakers. With incredible diversity consisting of cultural traditions, Mayan history, and abundant nature, a Mexico vacation has more to offer than just nightclubs and party boats. Once a Mayan empire, the Yucatan Peninsula ― home to Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Cozumel, and Tulum ― is filled with cultural and natural wonders that awe both young and old alike.

Tours & Attractions

Just beyond the party center of Cancun’s hotel zone and Playa del Carmen’s La Quinta Avenida (5th Avenue) lie the rainforest and tropical jungles, nature reserves and eco parks, lagoons and mangroves, white sand beaches and blue sea of the Caribbean, tropical fish and a colorful coral reef, and ancient Mayan ruins and cavernous cenotes (natural wells). With so much to see and do, this region is well suited not only for an adult vacation but also for a family vacation.

It also happens to be one of the best places for a golf and spa vacation with the family and offers some incredible golf vacation packages. Most travel destinations in Mexico provide hotels with a wide range of accommodations and amenities that are suitable for everyone, from luxurious beach resorts to minimalistic youth hostels, depending on individual preferences. The culture’s affinity for children, easygoing attitude, helpful people, warm hospitality, affordable activities, and educational tours result in nothing less than a fun vacation.

Hotels & Resorts

A number of Cancun hotels and Riviera Maya resorts combine championship golf courses, world-class Caribbean spas, and kids’ club activities so everyone in the family can enjoy themselves. Children’s supervision and babysitting services at more upscale resorts allow mom and dad to have time for themselves while the kids enjoy supervised games and activities. Dad can spend the day at one of the region’s professional golf courses while mom indulges in some relaxing and reinvigorating spa treatments.

Which resorts offer these services? One of the most efficient methods of finding one is through online selection. Leading luxury hotels, golf resorts, and golf courses listed on the RedGolf® website give travelers the option to choose from prearranged vacation packages or to mix and match the hotel with golf course(s) of their choice. Since hotels and courses are prescreened, vacation planning is verified and simplified. Personalized vacations and personal attention for travelers is what makes us unique.

Marvelous Mexico – More than a Tourist Mecca

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Mexico is a natural wonderland filled with incredible variety, ranging from natural opulence to cultural diversity. Although the country has received much negative publicity for drug-gang violence, the situation is more discriminating and less visible than presented. Mexico is a large country, consisting of 32 states (31 plus a Federal District), with many fascinating, fun places to take a safe vacation, especially the southeastern region in the Yucatan Peninsula.

Travel Types

Favorable for various types of travel, Mexico can accommodate for a luxury vacation, nature travel, responsible tourism, adventure tours, visits to archaeological sites, or for a golf and spa vacation. Most can be combined, especially in destinations like Cancun and the Riviera Maya where vast areas of wild nature still exist, providing a feast for the senses.

Endangered animals, plants, and marine life, such as howler monkeys, mangroves, coral reefs, and sea turtles are nationally protected, offering opportunities for travelers to learn about the environment while hiking, zip lining, kayaking, jet skiing, snorkeling, and diving.

Scattered throughout the countryside are mountains and jungles, cenotes (cavernous wells), underground rivers and caves, the rainforest and mangroves, lagoons and canals, white sand beaches and the blue sea, nature parks and reserves, and archaeological sites of Aztec and Mayan ruins, such as and Tenochtitlan and Chichen Itza respectively.

Ecotourism

Mayan ruins and cenotes have even been incorporated into some of the region’s golf courses designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. (Cancun Golf Club & Riviera Maya Golf Club), Aoki Corporation (Hilton Cancun Golf & Spa), Robert Von Hagge (Playacar Golf Club), and Greg Norman (El Camaleon Golf Club), although there are many magnificent golf courses throughout Mexico.

What makes them so special is the creative integration of natural obstacles: winding fairways and rolling hills, lush greens and topical plants, mangroves and wetlands, sea channels and cenotes, white sand traps and ocean views. Golf course designers conscientiously and beautifully blend indigenous natural and cultural elements into their courses.

This is no accident. Since Mexico’s countryside is being negatively impacted by human encroachment and pollution, nature conservation is vital to preserving the ecosystems that support all mankind. For this reason and the amount of land required to develop a golf course, Mexico reinforces environmental responsibility in course design.

With so many natural attractions and the importance of their continuation on man’s survival, a Mexico vacation today is about more than just tourism.

Who is RedGolf® Anyway?

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RedGolf® Travel is the first golf travel company in Mexico to provide golf vacation packages in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico (Cancun, Isla Mujeres, Playa del Carmen, Cozumel, and the Riviera Maya), for travelers from the USA, Canada, and Europe. Established in 2010 in Cancun, Mexico, RedGolf® is owned by ESTREGA S.C., a Mexican tourism and travel company that has been developing quality tours since 2000.

Golf Vacation

This innovative travel branch of ESTREGA S.C. delivers convenience to travelers through personalized golf vacations and discount tee times for golfers who want to play golf year round at professional golf courses in warmer climates. Conveniences include accommodations at luxury hotels in some of the finest travel destinations worldwide and tee times at some of the most competitive championship golf courses for tourists.

Personalized travel is exemplified by the golf packages featured on the RedGolf® website. Travelers can choose between (a) scheduling discount tee times at listed golf courses, (b) reserving vacation packages at various luxury resorts and one or more golf courses, and (c) matching one of the listed luxury hotels with one or more listed golf courses.

Golf Partners

During its 10-year history, ESTREGA S.C. has distinguished itself from other travel companies by offering this type of personalized travel and quality service. Part of its success is due to the cultivation of business partnerships with reputable wholesale travel companies in the USA, Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, Europe, Scandinavia, and Asia.

One partner of RedGolf® is the E-Travel Solution Affiliate program which increases reservation and travel options for customers while keeping prices low. This partnership provides affiliate companies with access to 350 experienced travel professionals in Cancun, Playa del Carmen, and the broader Riviera Maya region with expertise in quality travel services – a hallmark of the company.

To supplement the company’s existing success, RedGolf® plans to expand its golf vacation services into the Caribbean, Central and South America, and other areas of Mexico, such as Puerto Vallarta and Los Cabos.

Classic Finish at Mayakoba Golf Classic

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It was an extraordinary day for a golf tour at an extraordinary golf course in the Riviera Maya, Mexico. This past Sunday, February 27th, the Mayakoba Golf Classic had its final round of the PGA tour after three days of intense competition at El Camaleon Golf Club. Located on the tropical grounds of the Fairmont Mayakoba resort, one of three Mayakoba resorts in the Caribbean region of Mexico, it is one of many professional golf courses near Cancun.

Golf Winners

Tension filled the air as players and spectators made their final pass along this exceptional 18-hole, par 72, golf course designed by Greg Norman. RedGolf® followed two pairings of professional golfers through the entire course - Levin, Lyle, Quinney; and Wagner, Stroud, Gates - watching Levin (CA, USA) and Wagner (NC, USA) ultimately reach a tie at 17 under par, resulting in a playoff where Wagner won by one stroke. John Cook (FL, USA) finished third, and Chris Stroud (TX, USA) finished fourth.

El Camaleon Golf Course at Mayakoba

El Camaleon golf course is not only ideal for golfers but is also enjoyable for spectators. Certified by Audubon International for its environmentally friendly design, the course incorporates the rainforest and mangroves with winding sea channels passing through lush tropical vegetation. It is a place to enjoy tropical nature and the Caribbean Sea, while strolling along paved pathways and crossing wooden bridges, ultimately relaxing at the modern club house over a meal and cocktails.

Golf Vacation

Mayakoba resorts and its facilities have much to offer professional and amateur golfers, and are well-equipped for family travel, including a world-class Mayan spa. Avid golfers can enjoy a family vacation, bringing the wife and kids, golfer and non-golfer friends alike, since golf resorts offer a wide variety of vacation activities, such as water sports, beach games, nature tours, and kids’ clubs with children’s activities to keep everyone entertained.

The beautiful weather, exquisite nature, and luxury resort may have offered some consolation for the non-winners of the tour although probably not sufficient for their labors. Still, it was a beautiful day with sunny, partly cloudy skies, moderate wind, warm temperatures, and lower-than-normal humidity. The weather, nature, and amenities of many of the Playa del Carmen resorts make this an incredible place for a dream golf vacation.

Mayakoba Golf Classic and Sustainable Tourism in the Riviera Maya, Mexico

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John Daly, Charles Howell III, and Boo Weekly are just a few professionals participating in this year's Mayakoba Golf Classic, the only PGA Tour in Mexico. Held at Mayakoba's El Camaleon Golf Club in Playa del Carmen, the event made history in 2007 as the first PGA Tour to be held outside the United States.

It kicked off this Wednesday, February 23rd, with the Pro-Am competition in which Lorena Ochoa, Mexico's most successful professional golfer played. The first round of the PGA tournament began this morning, Thursday, February 24th, with the final round being held Sunday, February 27th. All four rounds of the Mayakoba Golf Classic will be broadcast on the Golf Channel.

Highlighting a growing trend towards sustainable tourism, travel companies in the Riviera Maya are offering visitors ecotourism options, such as activities on soft white sand beaches and the clear turquoise blue sea, where snorkeling and diving along the world's second largest coral reef - the great Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System / the Mayan reef - are favorite pastimes, in addition to golfing at world-class courses like El Camaleon at Mayakoba.

To read the complete article from the Mexico Tourism Board, visit PR Newswire.

Youth Golf Tournament: Yucatan Cup IV 2011

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Mexico has always been a country that honors and nurtures its youth, and golf is no exception. With the country’s lush tropical landscaping, famous golf professionals have been drawn here to design signature golf courses. As a result, golf has become quite popular among both male and female professionals, amateurs, and even youth.

To encourage participation in the sport, golf tournaments are routinely held throughout Mexico. Most recently, the Children’s National Committee of Youth Golf (CNIJ - Comité Nacional Infantil Juvenil de Golf) and the Mexican Golf Federation (FMG – Federación Mexicana de Golf), Mexico’s equivalent to the PGA, supported the Yucatan Cup IV 2011 for children and youth.

Attracting 230 registered players, this 3-day tournament was held in the colonial city of Merida on February 4-7, 2011, at the Yucatan Country Club and the Yucatan Golf Club. For children up to age 13, tournaments were held at La Ceiba, a par 72, 18-hole golf course at the Yucatan Golf Club designed by architect Felix Mier y Teran and Vicente Erosa.

For youth age 14 to 18, tournaments were held at El Jaguar, a par 72, 18-hole signature golf course at the Yucatan Country Club designed by the legendary professional golfer, Jack Nicklaus. It was recently named the Best New Private Golf Course in Mexico. The country club is also Latin America’s first Jack Nicklaus Academy of Golf.

Congratulations to these gifted young players and aspiring golf stars!

Winners by age category:

Ages 14-18

Female Winner: Gabriela Lopez, player for Club de Golf Mexico

Male Winner: Gustavo Arizpe, player for El Camaleon Golf Club

Ages 12-13

Female Winner: Ana Paula Ramirez

Male Winner: Camilo Mexsen

Ages 10-11

Female Winner: Isabella Fierro

Male Winner: Daniel Trasvina

Ages 8-9

Female Winner: Maria Jose Ramirez

Male Winner: Jose Cristobal Islas

Ages 7 & Under

Female Winner: Ariel Gonzalez

Male Winner: Mauricio Miranda

Thanks to the support of the Association of Southeast Golf Clubs, this tournament had broad national representation and has been the most successful tournament yet. Association President Roberto Kelleher thanked the Mexican Golf Federation for enabling Merida to be the tournament headquarters:

"Every year this event becomes more relevant, and every year we see the best advocates of this sport in our country. It is an enormous pleasure to see the development of golf in Mexican youth and the rising stars of the sport."

Negra Modelo Golf Tour in Mexico

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Although primarily known as a popular vacation destination with affordable vacation packages, Mexico is growing in appeal for its professional golf courses and golf tours.

Mexico’s only PGA Tour, the Mayakoba Golf Classic, may be recognized worldwide, but a less internationally known Mexican golf tournament is now in full swing. One of the country’s many professional golf tours ― Gira Negra Modelo (Negra Modelo Tour) ― launched on January 25, 2011, in the Spanish colonial town of Queretero.

Continuing in Merida February 16-19, 2011, the 8th annual Negra Modelo Tour takes place at Jaguar, a Jack Nicklaus signature golf course at the Yucatan Country Club. The golf tour consists of 10 stages that will be played in several Mexican cities, including Monterrey, Veracruz, Guadalajara, Puebla, Tijuana, Leon, Culiacan, and Mexico City.

Merida, the capital city of Yucatan state, is only a 4-hour drive from Cancun and the Riviera Maya in the neighboring Mexican state of Quintana Roo. The colonial town of Merida is considered a cultural center in the Yucatan Peninsula and contains many examples of Mexico’s traditional Spanish architecture, including historic Mexican haciendas.

Many interesting natural and cultural attractions exist throughout Mexico, including some of the world’s most fascinating golf courses. Just as the country prides itself on its challenging courses, it also takes the sport quite seriously. The Negra Modelo Tour features some of Mexico’s rising golf professionals playing on some of the world’s finest golf courses, many of which are open for traveler enjoyment.