More Good News for Golf in The HIghlands

Following on from the recent announcement about new confirmed Heathrow flights to Inverness there was more good news today with the confirmation that KLM will be flying daily into the Highland capital from mid May 2016.

The press release confirmed that Royal Dutch Airlines is set to expand its medium-haul network with daily flights to (and from) Inverness, marking the airline’s 4th Scottish destination and 17th UK destination. The route will form part of KLM’s new summer schedule for 2016.

Commencing on the 17th of May 2016, the daily flight will connect Inverness to KLM’s awardwinning hub Schiphol, in Amsterdam. The airline will offer a number of connections to its worldwide network of over 150 destinations from Scotland, including Montreal, Beijing and Hong Kong. All flights will be operated by KLM Cityhopper, using Fokker 70 jet aircraft, carrying up to 80
passengers.

The flights are scheduled tod eaprt from Amsterdam at 0945 arriving local time at 1025 - on the tee at Castle Stuart for Midday! - departing at 11am for the return leg.

Fares start from £79 return in economy including all taxes. Flights are open for sale now on the airline’s website www.klm.com,

The launch of the Inverness service further cements KLM’s position as the UK’s regional airline of
choice and brings the total of Scottish airports served by the airline to four, including Edinburgh,
Glasgow and Aberdeen, providing a choice of more than 100 weekly flights to incoming Scottish golf passengers.

KLM’s decision to introduce services out of Inverness airport follows a strong business case put forward by the airport and our decision to position KLM as the key intercontinental airline for the regions. The research showed significant support for business and leisure sectors for the commencement of the route.

Warner Rootliep, General Manager of Air France-KLM UK & Ireland said: “Demand from Scotland
continues to grow and KLM has always invested in its Scottish network and local relationships in the
region. We are happy to strengthen our presence in Scotland and are confident this news will be
well received. Our experience of being the UK’s largest regional long-haul carrier means we are
best placed to understand the needs of local communities and regional businesses and we know
that the service we will provide out of Inverness will perfectly answer the needs of the people of
Northern Scotland.’

A spokesperson for the Scottish Incoming Golf Tour Operators added, "This has been a great few weeks for golf travel in and around Scotland with the new routes from Heathrow and Amsterdam to Inverness and the less high profile confirmation of the permanent Ferry route between Ayrshire and Argyll. Access to and easier travel around the country is essential for sustained growth and new routes usch as this are of great benefit to our aims of increasing our share of the glocal golf market."

Scott Armstrong, VisitScotland Regional Partnerships Director, said: “This daily service, flying
directly into Inverness, is fantastic news for the Highlands. It not only links Inverness to one of the
world's major aviation hubs - unlocking the potential for growth in our long-haul and emerging
markets - but creates further opportunities for our European visitors, many of whom are repeat
visitors, to fly directly to the north of Scotland.

“VisitScotland’s objective is to see our country connected into every global airline network and
alliance, which is key to growing the visitor economy. This new service from KLM will further
enhance the promotion of the Highlands as a must-visit destination where visitors can explore
distinct and beautiful landscapes and discover the world-renowned North Coast 500 route."

Fairmont St. Andrews to commence a £10m refurbishment programme in January 2016

Fairmont St Andrews, the five-star, award winning hotel at the ‘Home of Golf’, will undertake a multi-million pound interior refurbishment programme over the next 18 months to further elevate its prestigious facilities.

The resort hotel, which was recently awarded ‘Winner of best large hotel with 50 rooms or more’ at the 2015 Scottish Golf Tourism Awards will see the capital investment offering guest stunning new interiors for all of the public areas as well as all bathrooms and suites. 

The Fairmont St Andrews features heavily in most if not all of the programmes of the members of the Scottish Incoming Golf Tour Operators Association and the news of the developments is good for operators offering the visitor to St Andrews an even more memorable luxury experience.

The result will see the existing atrium area transformed with new features including the installation of a stunning bespoke lighting sculpture by renowned designer George Singer. The renovation will marry modern interior design with St. Andrews’ legacy as the ‘Home of Golf’ and will draw on the skills of local artisans and workers.

Commencing in January 2016, the refurbishment programme has been planned to maximise the experience for leisure, corporate and event guests at one of Scotland’s leading hotels and will be carried out in phases so as not to interrupt normal business at the hotel. The refurbishment will begin with the re-modelling of the Kittocks Den Bar, the lobby and the atrium followed by the corridors and bathrooms.

John Keating, Fairmont St Andrews general manager said, "We are committed to ensuring the hotel remains one of the most prestigious resort properties in Europe and therefore are continuing to invest to ensure our bedrooms and facilities exceed guest expectations."

The 520-acre estate has commanding views over the Tay Estuary, the North Sea and the St Andrews medieval skyline as well as boasting two championship golf courses and impressive conference and event facilities. The hotel is a major draw for US, Chinese and European guests who consider St. Andrews one of the most significant golf locations to visit, as well as an in-demand venue for business meetings and private milestone events.

Opened in 2001, the hotel has helped greatly to boost the local economy not only providing additional high quality accommodation but also in adding 36 holes at a time when St Andrews and Fife most needed it. Since then the hotel has continued to reinvest in adapting and upgrading ensuring that the visitor experience improves year on year. The hotel being so close to the old town has become a permanent fixture on the itineraries of many returning golf trips and is widely used by SIGTOA for their clients.

You can find out more about your golf trip to St Andrews and The Fairmont on the SIGTOA website

Royal Troon Open 2016 Ticket Prices Released

The R&A have today released details on prices and ticket information for the Open 2016 to be held at Royal Troon,

As ever the members of the Scottish Incoming Golf Tour Operators' Association have a host of great packages available for the 145th Open Championship and these include accommodation, season tickets, corporate hospitality and transfers. Clients will also be able to enjoy golf over some magnificent Ayrshire links golf courses and enjoy a Taste of Ayrshire in the abundance of restaurants in the area.

We are in the process of compiling the SIGTOA Guide to Troon 2016 which will feature recommendations on where to stay, play and enjoy the 19th Hole in the historic seaside town. Keep an eye open on the website and Facebook for more information.

The announcement from The R&A highlights new ticket and pricing options including a new twilight ticket offering entry to the course from 4pm onwards on Thursday and Friday of Championship week for £25. A limited number are available and spectators are urged to purchase in advance.

Tickets for the Championship are now on sale with the price of an adult daily ticket, purchased before 31 May, changing to £60, which is £10 less than in 2015, and £80 thereafter.

Weekly tickets, valid from Sunday 10 to Sunday 17 July inclusive, are available for £230 before 31 May, a saving of £95 on the daily ticket prices for the full week and £10 less than in 2015, and £260 thereafter.

Children aged under 16, who are accompanied by an adult, receive free entry to The Open. For youths, aged 16-21, a daily ticket costs £25 before 31 May and £30 thereafter.

You can be sure of a great week in Troon next July; SIGTOA members can help you make it even more memorable.

More great news for Scotland's golfing calendar with the announcement that The Solheim Cup will be played at The Gleneagles Hotel in 2019 after the Ladies European Tour voted to stage the event in Scotland, the Home of Golf for the third time in its history.

The event is regarded as the biggest tournament in women’s golf and will pit the best female professional golfers in Europe against their United States counterparts, attracting a huge worldwide audience and media profile for the host country.

And now, just five years on from hosting what was dubbed the “best-ever” Ryder Cup in September 2014, The PGA Centenary Course at Gleneagles will be the venue for the biggest event in women’s golf following Scotland’s successful bid.

Commenting on the news that the Ladies European Tour’s Board voted in favour of Scotland, The Right Honourable Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister of Scotland MSP, said: “This is tremendous news, not only for golf tourism and events in Scotland but for Scotland as a whole. As a nation we take a huge amount of pride in welcoming major events to our country and in women’s golf they don’t come any bigger than The Solheim Cup.

“The outstanding success of 2014 still looms large in the memory and I am delighted that Gleneagles and Scotland will once again play host to a major international team golf event. It will help cement Scotland’s reputation as the Home of Golf and the perfect stage for major golf events and help inspire a new generation of children to take up the game invented in their home country.”

Ronnie Pook from Scotland's Incoming Golf Tour Operators added, "The hosting of events such as The Solheim Cup certainly help us in promoting Scotland as a premier golf destination and the Solheim reinforces that Scotland is the very best destination for golfer of both sexes. SIGTOA members look forward to not only inviting visitors to watch the event but also to continue to build the number of femalse golfers visiting and playing golf in Scotland"

Scotland’s bid, which was led by the EventScotland team within VisitScotland’s Events Directorate and backed by The Scottish Government, was submitted in August and received huge support from stars across the golfing, sporting and media spectrum.

Following the initial submission, a delegation from the Ladies European Tour visited Gleneagles as part of an official site inspection, where they met key partners who will be involved in the staging of the event including VisitScotland, The Scottish Government, Gleneagles, Perth & Kinross Council, Transport Scotland and Police Scotland. To show the nation’s support for the bid, they were also welcomed at The Scottish Parliament by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Minister for Sport, Health Improvement and Mental Health Jamie Hepburn.

Bernard Murphy, Managing Director of The Gleneagles Hotel, said: “We are extremely proud to be chosen as the host venue for The 2019 Solheim Cup. Gleneagles has a great history of holding major international events and we are delighted to be able to add The Solheim Cup to that list. We look forward to welcoming the teams and spectators from both sides in 2019 to take part in what we are sure will be yet another memorable event.”

The Solheim Cup has grown in stature since it was last held in Scotland at Loch Lomond in 2000. The event at Gleneagles is expected to attract more than 100,000 spectators as well as being screened to hundreds of millions of homes across the globe.

Much like The Ryder Cup in 2014, Scotland will look to capitalise on the legacy associated with hosting such a major international sporting event. A key focus will be looking to drive participation in the game, with a particular emphasis on junior and family participation.

The event will also add to Scotland’s already impressive portfolio of world-class golf events lined up in future years, which includes The Open Championship in 2016 and 2018, the Senior Open Championship in 2016 and the Ricoh Women’s British Open in 2017 in addition to the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open and Ladies Scottish Open on an annual basis.

It will also take place just a year after the recently-announced inaugural European Golf Team Championships at Gleneagles in 2018, which will see professional men and women golfers compete for the first time in the same competition.

Mike Cantlay, Chairman of VisitScotland, added: “Hosting major international sporting events is a key strand in our National Events Strategy, The Perfect Stage, and the fact that we can now add The 2019 Solheim Cup to an already envied list is fantastic news for Scotland.

“Golf is one of our key drivers for inbound tourism and hosting The Solheim Cup in 2019 will ensure that we continue to play on the world stage when it comes to major golf events. We are looking forward to once again welcoming spectators from Europe and the US and showing the world how Scotland embraces major events.”

Solheim Cup Returns to Scotland

More good news for Scotland - The Home of Golf with the announcement today that The Solheim Cup will be played at The Gleneagles Hotel in 2019 after the Ladies European Tour voted to stage the event in Scotland for the third time in its history.

The event is regarded as the biggest tournament in women’s golf and will pit the best female professional golfers in Europe against their United States counterparts, attracting a huge worldwide audience and media profile for the host country.

And now, just five years on from hosting what was dubbed the “best-ever” Ryder Cup in September 2014, The PGA Centenary Course at Gleneagles will be the venue for the biggest event in women’s golf following Scotland’s successful bid.

Commenting on the news that the Ladies European Tour’s Board voted in favour of Scotland, The Right Honourable Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister of Scotland MSP, said: “This is tremendous news, not only for golf tourism and events in Scotland but for Scotland as a whole. As a nation we take a huge amount of pride in welcoming major events to our country and in women’s golf they don’t come any bigger than The Solheim Cup.

“The outstanding success of 2014 still looms large in the memory and I am delighted that Gleneagles and Scotland will once again play host to a major international team golf event. It will help cement Scotland’s reputation as the Home of Golf and the perfect stage for major golf events and help inspire a new generation of children to take up the game invented in their home country.”

Scotland’s bid, which was led by the EventScotland team within VisitScotland’s Events Directorate and backed by The Scottish Government, was submitted in August and received huge support from stars across the golfing, sporting and media spectrum.

Following the initial submission, a delegation from the Ladies European Tour visited Gleneagles as part of an official site inspection, where they met key partners who will be involved in the staging of the event including VisitScotland, The Scottish Government, Gleneagles, Perth & Kinross Council, Transport Scotland and Police Scotland. To show the nation’s support for the bid, they were also welcomed at The Scottish Parliament by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Minister for Sport, Health Improvement and Mental Health Jamie Hepburn.

Ronnie Pook, Chair of the Scottish Incoming Golf Tour Operators' Association, said: 

It's great new that another major event of this calibre is coming to Scotland. All the coverage that goes with hosting tournaments like this one, The Ryder Cup, Scottish Open and of course The Open itself all add to the mystique of Scotland as a must place to visit. As Tour Operators we are all very aware of the increased number of women golfers playing in Scotland whether with partners and family, in mixed groups or all female parties. It is great that the Ladies game is going to take centre stage in Scotland.

The Solheim Cup has grown in stature since it was last held in Scotland at Loch Lomond in 2000. The event at Gleneagles is expected to attract more than 100,000 spectators as well as being screened to hundreds of millions of homes across the globe.

Much like The Ryder Cup in 2014, Scotland will look to capitalise on the legacy associated with hosting such a major international sporting event. A key focus will be looking to drive participation in the game, with a particular emphasis on junior and family participation.

The event will also add to Scotland’s already impressive portfolio of world-class golf events lined up in future years, which includes The Open Championship in 2016 and 2018, the Senior Open Championship in 2016 and the Ricoh Women’s British Open in 2017 in addition to the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open and Ladies Scottish Open on an annual basis.

It will also take place just a year after the recently-announced inaugural European Golf Team Championships at Gleneagles in 2018, which will see professional men and women golfers compete for the first time in the same competition.

Mike Cantlay, Chairman of VisitScotland, added: “Hosting major international sporting events is a key strand in our National Events Strategy, The Perfect Stage, and the fact that we can now add The 2019 Solheim Cup to an already envied list is fantastic news for Scotland.

“Golf is one of our key drivers for inbound tourism and hosting The Solheim Cup in 2019 will ensure that we continue to play on the world stage when it comes to major golf events. We are looking forward to once again welcoming spectators from Europe and the US and showing the world how Scotland embraces major events.”

Visit the Open Championship with Best of Scotland Holidays

Fife based SIGTOA members Best of Scotland Holidays have shared this 2016 Royal Troon Open Championship package with us. 

• Royal Troon Golf Club, Troon, Ayrshire  
• 14th-17th July 2016
• 5 nights Accom; Full Breakfasts;
• 3 Dinners; 4 Packed Lunches; All
• Travel from Glasgow to Troon;
• Open Golf Season Ticket & VAT

Price: £1399 per person

The Open will return to the Ayrshire coast in 2016 when the 145th Championship is played at Royal Troon and it will be the ninth time that the Championship has been held over the famous links, most recently in 2004 when veteran American Todd Hamilton overcame three-time major champion Ernie Els in a play-off.

For the first sixty years of The Open’s history, the Championship’s visits to south west Scotland were confined to Prestwick, Troon’s next-door neighbour. In 1923, all that changed: The Open came to Troon for the first time, and since then it has become a regular venue having hosted the Championship on eight occasions - 1923, 1950, 1962, 1973, 1982, 1989, 1997 and 2004.

Best of Scotland Holiday's package is based in Glasgow, not far from Royal Troon, and you will travel by Golflink train to Troon. Your hotel stay will be in the Glasgow Jury’s Inn Hotel, a few minutes’ walk from Central Station.

The four star Glasgow hotel is also a stone’s throw away from a plethora of restaurants and bars, a three minute walk from St Enoch shopping centre and just around the corner from The Arches, a unique bar, club and arts venue located beneath Glasgow’s Central Station.

All of the 321 rooms are en-suite and come with complimentary toiletries, a flat screen TV, free Wi-Fi, air conditioning and room service available 24 hours. To ensure a comfortable night’s sleep, the rooms are equipped with large soft beds, with extra pillows and linen available on request.

Enjoy the best of both worlds - staying in Scotland's vibrant city of Glasgow and experiencing the greatest golf spectacle in the world, The Open at Royal Troon!

Included in your package price is:

• 5 nights’ accommodation sharing a twin/double room in the 4 star Jury’s Inn Hotel, Glasgow (13th - 17th July)
• Full Scottish Breakfast daily
• 3 dinners in your hotel (simply advise the hotel which nights you would like to dine)
• Packed lunches for the four championship days (14th - 17th July)
• Return standard class rail tickets (Glasgow Central station to Troon, approx. 55mins on the four championship days (14th - 17th July)
• Season ticket for the 2016 Open Championship (14th - 17th July)
• VAT @ 20%

Best of Scotland Holidays cane can change any of the above, except the dates/hotel, and custom build a package to suit your needs. Why not play on some of the great golf courses in the west of Scotland while you are there? We will book your tee-times for you. Prefer to have a rental car instead of the train? No bother, we will organise this for you.

Find out more about Best of Scotland Holidays

2016 Troon Open Packages from Morton Golf

With the majority of the golf season now over for most Scottish visitors it might be time to take a look at what's going on in 2016.

The Open Championship return to Scotland again, this time to the Ayrshire coast and the wonderful Royal Troon Golf Club.

Most if not all of the members of the Scottish Incoming Golf Tour Operators will be offering packages and bespoke solutions to the Open Championship. Here's a sample of what's available from Morton Golf

British Open at Royal Troon / 2016

Four night package includes:

• 4 x nights' accommodation in a 4* Glasgow hotel 
• Full Scottish breakfast
• Official tickets for 4 championship days of the British Open 
• Transport by private coach to and from the British Open ( Thursday to Sunday ) 
• Trip Information summary including sightseeing guide to Glasgow 
• All bookings subject to availability
• Deposits required to confirm bookings
• We recommend all clients take Travel Insurance

Seven night package includes :

• 7 x nights' accommodation in a 4* Glasgow hotel 
• Full Scottish breakfast
• Official tickets for 2 championship days of the British Open 
• 3 x rounds of golf ( courses may be selected from Prestwick, Dundonald Links, Kilmarnock Barassie, Western Gailes ) 
• Transport by private coach to and from the British Open ( Thursday to Sunday ) - airport transfers not included
• Trip Information summary including sightseeing guide to Glasgow
• All bookings subject to availability
• Deposits required to confirm bookings
• We recommend all clients take Travel Insurance

Find out more about Morton Golf Holidays 

Tributes Paid to Martin Roy

Members of the Scottish Incoming Golf Tour Operators Association, like the rest of the Scottish golfing world in Tayside, have been expressing their condolences following the death last week of Carnoustie’s award-winning caddie master Martin Roy.

Martin Roy was a fixture beside the first tee of the championship course for more than quarter of a century and in that time carried a bag for many a famous face and helped thousands of SIGTOA clients get the most from their round at the Championship Links.

Born in Glasgow, Mr Roy was brought up in Carnoustie and played golf from a young age before starting work at Carnoustie Golf Links in 1984

He was awarded the Caddie Master of the Year title from Golf Tourism Scotland in 2008 and 2011 (picture)  and he was inducted into the Professional Caddie Association of America’s Hall of Fame, becoming the first non-American caddie master to be bestowed the honour.

Martin devoted his life to Carnoustie and was known to go that extra mile to ensure a visiting golfer had the very best experience during their visit with up to 9000 caddie requests fulfilled every year.

Gary Wilkinson representing SIGTOA said,

“Martin Roy will be much missed by tour operators and their clients alike and the members of SIGTOA extend their sympathy to his family at such a difficult time. He was not only a work partner but a friend to so many of us and he will be greatly missed”

New Website for Scottish Golf Tour Operators

The new SIGTOA website went live this morning in sync with the opening tee shot of Australia's Rod Pampling at The Open in St Andrews.

The new site is being developed in a couple of distinct phases and has been built to emphasise the benefits of using a specialist golf tour operator for trips to Scotland.

This week there are thousands visiting the Open utilising the services of tour ops and SIGTOA felt that the new site would give an opportunity to positively promote the role of a travel expert in building affordable packages that work. The first phase addresses this and will be followed by a strong B2B resource to support agents and overseas buyers. We hope you like Part One

View the site here

Gourmet and Golf in Scotland

Your golf vacation to Scotland is, of course, based around playing some of the finest links and parkland golf in the world but if you can combine the trip with world class wining and dining why would you not?

SIGTOA members all put together itineraries that take into consideration the preferences of visitors not only on the course but off it as well. So if you fancy playing the best golf courses and following it up with top restaurants then we have a golf tour operator or two who can help you with that one.

Here's just one example from Morton Golf Holidays. You can visit the members' website pages to find out more.

Gourmet & Golf Tour – Scotland Golf Tours

Why not combine playing at some of Scotland’s top courses with eating at some of our top restaurants? Find out how Morton Golf Holidays can help!

Scotland has a wide range of restaurants using the very best of Scottish produce. There are 15 Michelin one-star and 1 two-star restaurants in Scotland. In addition there are many, many others than get rave reviews. Morton Golf Holidays can tailor a golf and gourmet tour to suit. Get in touch with us to find out more about our Gourmet and Golf Tours. Here is a flavour of what we could do.

Michelin Star Tour

Day 1 –  Arrive into Edinburgh met by a driver and transfer to an Edinburgh Hotel for 2 nights - Dinner at Martin Whishart *

Day 2 – Golf at The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers (Muirfield) - Dinner at The Kitchin*

Day 3 – Golf at The Royal Burgess Golfing Society  After golf transfer to Gleneagles Hotel for 2 nights - Dinner at Andrew Fairlie**

Day 4 – Golf at the PGA Centenary Course, Gleneagles – venue of the 2014 Ryder Cup - Dinner at The Strathearn Restaurant

Day 5 – Golf on The Old Course, St Andrews. After golf transfer to The Old Course Hotel for 3 nights - Dinner at Sangsters, Elie*

Day 6 – Golf at Kingsbarns - Dinner at the Peat Inn*

Day 7 – Golf at The Castle Course - Dinner at The Road Hole Restaurant, The Old Course Hotel

Day 8 – depart for home

* Michelin 1 star
** Michelin 2- star

Find Out More from Morton Golf