Euro-Dollar parity, good for golf in Europe.

[Adam Lawrence]

Ah Mark R.,

Alhambra!  Tricia and I spoilt ourselves rotten and stayed there for two nights last year! Just unforgettable.

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,60691.0.html

Cheers Colin

Granada is my favourite Spanish city. You still get a free tapa with every drink in the bars, and if you pick the right bar that'll mostly be extremely good seafood. The restaurants on the hill of the Albaicin, across the valley from the Alhambra, are a great place to eat dinner -- the views when the sun goes down are out of this world.

[Colin Macqueen]

Adam, This is the clip I meant to illustrate!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqfkMgVaOeY

Cheers Colin

[Adam Lawrence]

Did you stay in the Parador Colin?

[Alfonso Erhardt]

Bill,

Are you driving around Spain? End of August can become quite crowded as people return home from the holidays!

What wineries are you visiting in Rioja? (I assume you are there for the wine!). I could help you with a couple of interesting visits if you are interested.

Regards,

Alfonso

[David_Tepper]

The U.S. $ gets even stronger!

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/sterling-pinned-20-month-low-095822071.html

[Terry Lavin]

Seitz,

I've had a couple awesome vacations in Spain. Madrid and Seville are superb. Toledo is worth a tour. The Alhambra is spectacular. And Marbella, on the Costa del Sol, near Valderrama is phenomenal. Have fun!

[Colin Macqueen]

Did you stay in the Parador Colin?

Yes Adam we did.... hence the utterly spoiled phrase!
Cheers Colin

[Mark Chaplin]

Some of you regular visitors to the UK/Ireland need to look at nesting tickets. I'm paying £1050 to fly to NY, San Diego and back from San Francisco in BA business class and Anerican Airlines First for the domestic leg. As flights are valid for a year you could fly USA-UK in August. Return on the UK/USA outward ticket in August. Next July fly the return leg of your UK/USA ticket to here then fly the return leg of your original USA/UK ticket back home to the USA. With a little advance planning you could save hundreds in zoo and literally thousands in business.

[Eric Smith]

Why that is morally unconscionable, eh, Sir Sheehy!

[Bill Seitz]

Bill,

Are you driving around Spain? End of August can become quite crowded as people return home from the holidays!

What wineries are you visiting in Rioja? (I assume you are there for the wine!). I could help you with a couple of interesting visits if you are interested.

Regards,

Alfonso

We are indeed going to Rioja for the wine (and the scenery too, I suppose).  My fiancee is a big Napa fan, and I've gone with her the last two years, and I've really enjoyed the tastings. We are staying in Logorono.  I'm not familiar with it, but I'm told it's right on the main square (or at least one of them), so there should be some places around there to check out.  Recommendations are welcome!  Feel free to message me.

[Mark Chaplin]

Brian nesting is quite simple. If you flew 3 times a year New York to London and the tickets were $1500 return JFK-LHR but only $750 LHR-JFZ you'd do the following;

Trip A - return ticket JFK-LHR fly first leg say 1st Feb. $1500

Trip B - return LHR-JFK 7th Feb returning from JFK to LHR say 1st Jun. $750

Trip C - return LHR-JFK say 7th Jun return from JFK say 1st Sept. $750

Trip A - the return leg of the original ticket to JFK from LHR on 7th Sept.

Total cost for three returns $3000, saving $1500 for exactly the same flights, just needs a little forward planning. From Dublin via Heathrow to the USA on British Airways flights are usually 25-50% cheaper than starting in London.

[Sean_A]

Ah Mark R.,

Alhambra!  Tricia and I spoilt ourselves rotten and stayed there for two nights last year! Just unforgettable.

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,60691.0.html

Cheers Colin

Granada is my favourite Spanish city. You still get a free tapa with every drink in the bars, and if you pick the right bar that'll mostly be extremely good seafood. The restaurants on the hill of the Albaicin, across the valley from the Alhambra, are a great place to eat dinner -- the views when the sun goes down are out of this world.

I think my favourite Spanish city remains Salamanca...although for big cities I prefer Madrid to either Barclelona or Seville.  The place that puzzles me is Cadiz...it should be far better than it is.  One other very cool place Cuidad Rodrigo.  They have a great Carnival of the Bull. 

Ciao

[Bill_McBride]

Brian nesting is quite simple. If you flew 3 times a year New York to London and the tickets were $1500 return JFK-LHR but only $750 LHR-JFZ you'd do the following;

Trip A - return ticket JFK-LHR fly first leg say 1st Feb. $1500

Trip B - return LHR-JFK 7th Feb returning from JFK to LHR say 1st Jun. $750

Trip C - return LHR-JFK say 7th Jun return from JFK say 1st Sept. $750

Trip A - the return leg of the original ticket to JFK from LHR on 7th Sept.

Total cost for three returns $3000, saving $1500 for exactly the same flights, just needs a little forward planning. From Dublin via Heathrow to the USA on British Airways flights are usually 25-50% cheaper than starting in London.

Things must be really good at Number One!   

[Benjamin Litman]

While looking through the GolfWeek website, I came across this article, which indicates that golf tourism in Ireland--especially from the United States--is indeed at record highs:

http://golfweek.com/news/2015/jan/28/ireland-travel-us-visitors-world-/

[RJ_Daley]

For you seasoned international veterans of the currency exchanges.... would you expect a corresponding % rise in green fee, golf costs that would equalize the financial impact on one's budget?   I understand that Rep. of Ireland is Euro, and N.I. and G.B. are Pound.  I am imagining that a green fee at an Irish course that was E120-130, may rise to 200.   Would that be a correct assumption, or would the value of the current slide to parity be about a 30% savings from the Euro at its peak against the dollar?

[David_Tepper]

RJDaley -

I would be very surprised to see green fees in GB&I rise to offset the decline in the Euro & the Pound as you have mentioned, at least for the next year or two.

DT

[RJ_Daley]

Thanks David.  From what I can glean from commentators on CNBC, most think the E and $ will stay in relative parity for this year.  I'm thinking based on my personal health holding out and financials that this year may be my window for a return to Europe, GB&I.   My one and only previous trip was when there was parity in 2002 just after Italy joined the E from the Lira.  It was good value then, and I didn't return in part due to the 30% hit on exchange.   I imagine other punters like myself who dream of the chance to play golf on the "old sod" may be considering same.  But, I reckon the local golf course effect on number of rounds at slower CCFAD pace of time to play and less rounds available to  book may get crowded. 

[David_Tepper]

RJDaley -

Unless the golf courses of GB&I are overrun with foreign (American, Canadian, Australian, etc.) visitors this summer, I doubt there will be an aggressive increase in prices for the 2016 golf season. Remember, a sizable portion of visitor green fee revenue at the courses in GB&I comes from visiting GB&I golfers and golfers from continental Europe. A big increase in green fees would really hurt that trade.

DT 

[RJ_Daley]

more good to know info, thanks.