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A New Chapter for PerryGolf – European River Golf Cruises

PerryGolf Staff

As I stepped off the plane in Vienna, I knew this trip was going to be different.

Central Europe has long drawn travelers with its rich history, vibrant cities, and dramatic scenery. But this journey had a very specific purpose: to explore how PerryGolf could create an unforgettable experience blending world-class golf with the elegance and ease of river cruising along the Danube.

The Start of My Journey

Over several days, I visited a collection of exceptional courses across varied settings, from the mountains of Austria to the rolling Danube river valley in Slovakia. Each was selected with one goal in mind: to shape an itinerary worthy of a PerryGolf European River Golf Cruise, offering our guests five distinctive rounds defined as much by their surroundings as by their design. Every course felt rooted in its environment, and every round carried a strong sense of place.

Adamstal Golf Club

One course in particular left an indelible impression.

Adamstal Golf Club in Austria feels like something from a storybook. Set high in the mountains, this family-owned gem offers not just spectacular golf but genuine hospitality. The routing moves boldly across dramatic terrain, with elevation changes that reveal sweeping views at every turn. It is both exhilarating and peaceful.

Of course, the golf is only part of the journey.

Highlight of My Visit

The highlight of my visit was the halfway house, a rustic hiking hut perched atop a ridge, seemingly suspended between peaks and valley floor. Reaching it felt like discovering a hidden refuge. Inside, I was greeted by Grandma Herta, the owner’s mother-in-law and the heart of the club, who served local Austrian specialties and a cold beer with a warm smile. The setting, the simplicity, and the sincerity of the welcome made the moment unforgettable. It perfectly captured the spirit of the club. The combination of striking scenery, thoughtful course design, and heartfelt hospitality makes Adamstal a destination I cannot wait to share with our guests.

River Cruising Along the Danube

River cruising along the Danube offers an entirely different rhythm of travel. Unpack once. Wake each morning in a new capital city. Sail past vineyard-covered hillsides, medieval towns, and grand European skylines. Evenings bring a special kind of magic. One night, dining on deck at dusk while sailing through Budapest, I watched the Parliament building and Chain Bridge glow against the darkening sky. It is the kind of moment that reminds you why river cruising has become such a compelling way to experience Europe.

And as luck would have it, what began as a focused research trip turned into something wonderfully familiar. Less than an hour after boarding, I bumped into long-time PerryGolf clients, Steve and Donna Koons, who have previously traveled with us to the Mediterranean, Australia & New Zealand, and South Africa. They perfectly represent the spirit of our golf cruises: Steve eager to tee it up at every opportunity, Donna already mapping out museums, markets, and cultural discoveries ashore.

Each evening at dinner, they would reunite to share stories of their day. Golf highlights met cultural exploration, and by dessert the table was full of laughter and new friendships. That balance of meaningful golf and immersive travel is exactly what we strive to create at PerryGolf.

Our New Partnership With Tauck

After extensive exploration of the region and careful consideration of the right river cruise partner, we are proud to be launching our European River Golf Cruise program on the Danube in partnership with Tauck.

Tauck’s long-standing reputation for excellence, seamless service, and immersive destination experiences makes them a natural fit for PerryGolf. Their approach aligns perfectly with our philosophy: thoughtful itineraries, enriching shore experiences, and a level of personal service that allows our guests to simply relax and enjoy the journey.

Central Europe has revealed itself as an outstanding golf destination, where exceptional courses, storied cities, and unforgettable views come together effortlessly.

We will launch this new European River Golf Cruise program on the Danube with two initial departures in May and August 2027. I look forward to sharing more details soon and to welcoming you aboard for what promises to be an unforgettable journey.

Alex Shattuck – CEO PerryGolf

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Rio, Buenos Aires and Machu Picchu: PerryGolf explores South America

Brian Mull
After a relaxing ride on the Hiram Bingham Train, enjoy a private three-hour tour of Machu Picchu, a well preserved 15th century capital built for the emperor, Pachacuti.

The climate is temperate. The vistas are spectacular. There are beautiful beaches and dense jungles. Ruins of ancient civilizations pique the curious not far from the bustle of the world’s largest cities.

Scattered across South America are an array of activities, from entertainment late in the evening, to diverse, eclectic, world-renowned cuisine. Historical artifacts, abundant wildlife, mountain peaks and crystal coasts enchant, awaiting around every corner or turn in the road.

You may tango, of course and why would you not, if presented the opportunity?

Hacienda de Chicureo is located in Santiago, Chile.

PerryGolf, industry leader in global golf travel, continues to expand its South American portfolio, offering a trio of Cruises and Escorted Tours in 2020 to satisfy every desire in this popular, growing destination. January or November, ship or land, couples or singles, explore the Southern Hemisphere, savoring soothing temperatures and gentle breezes, enjoying a fixed itinerary that includes golf, culture, sightseeing, history and ample time to relax.

https://www.perrygolf.com/escorted-tour/argentina-patagonia-buenos-aires-escorted-2020.php

Golfers indulge on courses new and old, testing their swings and enjoying the camaraderie. These courses come in many forms, designed by an eclectic mixture of architects. On one hand is Gil Hanse’s Olympic Golf Course near Rio, designed specifically for the game’s return to the 2016 Olympics. Then, there’s Granadilla Golf Club, a tidy layout designed by English businessmen in the 19th century in the idyllic getaway of Valparaiso on the Chilean shore. Robert Von Hagge’s Buenos Aires Golf Club, on the other hand, took the professional golf spotlight in 2000 when the dynamic duo of Tiger Woods and David Duval secured the World Cup for the United States. Regardless, the venue, the golf courses in South America pose a certain challenge along immaculate landscapes against backdrops rugged and stunning.

PerryGolf guests interested in touring South America by sea, can enjoy Argentina for nine nights and four rounds of golf in late November, early December 2020.

https://www.perrygolf.com/golfcruising/south-american-golf-cruise-2020-nov30.php#fndtn-panel3

Azamara Quest is the ideal home for PerryGolf’s 2020 South American Golf Cruise.

Book by Oct. 31, 2019 and double upgrade your stateroom on the 690-guest Azamara Quest, a nimble, mid-sized luxury vessel offering all the amenities one could want at sea or in port – fine dining, live entertainment and a country club style atmosphere. The Azamara experience is built on four key pillars: destination immersion, extraordinary service, fine cuisine and wine, and wellness and vitality.

Rio de Janeiro is a sizzling destination spanning from Copacabana (Beach) to Corcovado (Mountain), whose permanent resident is the iconic Christ The Redeemer, a 125-foot statue built as a symbol of Brazilian Christianity nestled inside the Tijuca National Forest.

First suggested in 1850, the concept for the massive statue was finalized in 1920. Construction began in 1922 and was completed in 1931, paid for entirely by Brazil’s Catholic Church. Crafted from reinforced concrete and sandstone, the statue is 98-feet high and the arms are 92-feet wide, perched atop a 26-foot platform.

Buenos Aires, described by travel aficionados as the ‘Paris of South America’, is the largest city and capital of Argentina, sporting nearly 3 million residents. Known for its beefy steaks, luscious malbec wines and vibrant nightlife, Buenos Aires combines old school European style with modern Latin energy. San Telmo’s Plaza Dorrego is the regular Sunday night site for a “milonga” for those wanting to watch the tango in the street.

Machu Picchu is a unforgettable destination made even more appealing by the enjoyable ride to get there on the Hiram Bingham Train, where you’ll travel forward on the rails but feel as if you’ve walked into a snapshot from a previous era. The train is elegant and rich in charm, with its wood-paneled interiors and brass fixtures, delivering a experience from the days of luxury travel aboard parlour cars, providing a smooth ride to the enchanting ruins.

https://www.perrygolf.com/escorted-tour/brazil-chile-peru-machu-picchu-escorted-golf-2020.php

Fly fishing in Patagonia, Late nights in Sao Paulo, snowcapped views in Santiago – South America has much, much more to offer.

Want to learn more about PerryGolf’s 2020 / 2021 Golf Cruises? Join co-founder Gordon Dalgleish for a half-hour webinar at 2 p.m. EDT on Thursday, Oct. 17th by registering here: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/70245999894497548

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Dunhill Links showcases PerryGolf favorites in the Home of Golf

Brian Mull
The Old Course at St Andrews is revered as the Home of Golf and this week serves as the host course for the Dunhill Links Pro-Am.

Among those competing this week in the Alfred Dunhill Links Pro-Am are superstar professionals Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and Justin Rose, along with a fortunate collection of amateurs such as the eclectic, enigmatic, endearing actor, Bill Murray, who was seen hitting shots one-handed early in the week. The tournament, similar to the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am held on the U.S. PGA Tour each February, is the consummate combination of competition and camaraderie.

The fortunate golfers are playing three iconic courses, Kingsbarns, Carnoustie and of course the host, The Old Course at St. Andrews, final round site for those who survive the 54-hole cut.

https://www.perrygolf.com/escorted-tour/scotland-home-of-golf-escorted-2020.php

Guests of PerryGolf are quite familiar with the triumvirate, any of which can highlight an Escorted or Customized Tour to Scotland. For more than 30 years, PerryGolf has been a international leader in global golf travel. PerryGolf now offers Tours to South Africa, South America, New Zealand, Norway and beyond, however, the company, founded by two Scottish brothers, traces its roots to building custom itineraries for golfers who want to play the game in the land where it was born.

Kingsbarns is one of the only links courses built along the Scotland coast in decades.

Kingsbarns, the baby of the bunch by far opened in 2000 and Kyle Phillips’ design was adored from the outset, drawing praise from fellow architect Tom Doak. The North Sea dominates the background on each shot, the wind ripples the flag as tee shots scoot down wide, firm and fast fairways, trying to dodge devilish pot bunkers. Kingsbarns delivers the a full and frisky links experience, albeit in a modern dress.

Carnoustie, considered the most difficult course in The Open rota, crowned Francesco Molinari during The 147th Open in 2018, as he tamed the beast, holding off Tiger Woods, among others. Padraig Harrington also outlasted Sergio Garcia in a playoff at Carnoustie, which has served as The Open host on eight occasions and counts Ben Hogan, Gary Player and Tom Watson among its champions.

https://www.perrygolf.com/standard-quote.php/97781/St-Andrews-and-Muirfield.html

The Old Course will serve as The Open host for the 30th time in 2021 for the 150th edition of the championship. (PerryGolf is proud to be an Authorised Ticket Provider for The Open)

Zach Johnson and Louis Oosthuizen claimed the last two Claret Jugs at St Andrews. Dr. Alister MacKenzie, architect of Royal Melbourne and Augusta National, admired the reward of a precise tee shot on No. 16, the alternative routes to make a par on No. 14 and the intricacies of the famous Road Hole, No. 17. MacKenzie wrote, in the ‘Ideal Holes’ chapter of “The Spirit of St. Andrews” that the Old Course was the only golf course on real links land that has not been defaced by the hand of man.

In describing ideal holes it is extremely difficult to get away from the Old Course at St. Andrews. I was much enamored of the strategy of the course … but today I am still more amazed at its subtlety.”

Dr. Alister MacKenzie, ‘The Spirit of St. Andrews’

MacKenzie’s masterpiece is arguably Cypress Point, perched on the tip of the Monterey Peninsula in California on sandy soil among the cypress and the pines. When a friend mentioned it in the same breath as the indomitable Old Course, MacKenzie scoffed at him.

“St Andrews cannot be compared with Cypress Point,” MacKenzie told his friend. “St. Andrews is first class, there is no second, and Cypress Point comes a very bad third.”

The Old Course meanders through the heart of the charming town and is closed on all but four Sundays each year, adding to its allure, mystique and accessibility. On the links’ day of rest, residents and visitors are often seen sharing a picnic basket adjacent to a fairway or taking a stroll across the Swilcan Bridge, which, through the years, has been the centerpiece for keepsake snapshots and iconic photographs of legendary champions bidding golf’s oldest championship farewell.

Click a photo of your own on a PerryGolf tour, walking those same fairways with your friends and family alongside.

https://www.perrygolf.com/golfcruising/scottish-links-and-islands-golf-cruise-2021-august4.php

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Ryder Cup returns to Ireland in 2026

Brian Mull
Adare Manor will entertain 24 of the world’s best golfers in 2026.

After the Royal & Ancient enjoyed a resounding success in Northern Ireland last week as Shane Lowry won The 148th Open, the European Tour is taking its flagship event to Ireland in 2026.

The Ryder Cup is headed to Adare Manor in County Limerick.

https://www.perrygolf.com/golfcruising/irish-links-golf-cruise-2020-aug29.php

“We are delighted to announce The 2026 Ryder Cup will be staged in Ireland at Adare Manor which is a world class venue, both in terms of the golf course and the wider resort facilities,” said Guy Kinnings, European Ryder Cup director.

The Ryder Cup returns to the Republic for the second time and the first since Europe crushed the U.S. 18.5 to 9.5 in 2006 at the K Club.

“Aside from having provided three Captains over the past four editions, in addition to world-class talent such as Rory McIlroy, Irish players such as the late Christy O’Connor Jr., Philip Walton, Eamonn Darcy, Graeme McDowell and Paul McGinley are intrinsically linked with providing Europe’s winning moments over the years,” Kinnings said.

Adare Manor, owned by J.P and Noreen McManus, is a world class resort and the golf course, designed by prolific American architect Tom Fazio underwent a extensive renovation in 2016-17. PerryGolf takes guests there in late summer 2021 on our Irish Links Golf Cruise spanning 12 peaceful nights on the outstanding Azamara Quest, which provides the ideal home to tour Ireland’s beauty.

https://twitter.com/McIlroyRory/status/1154723807195779073?s=20

“I am delighted that the prestigious Ryder Cup will return to Ireland,” J.P. McManus said. “It is a wonderful tribute to the many great Irish golf ambassadors and success stories Ireland has had in golf over the years and a nice follow on from Shane’s momentous Open win on Sunday in Portrush. The nation was behind Shane, it was a great achievement and very well deserved.”

Adare Manor played host to the JP McManus Pro-Am in 2005 and 2010 and a star-studded field including Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Jon Rahm is expected to return in July 2020 and compete in the event again.

Golf is the centerpiece of any trip to Ireland. PerryGolf guests play the wonderful array of modern jewels and classic links on the island, such as world top-10 Royal County Down, Old Head and the Dunluce Links at Royal Portrush which received excellent reviews from competitors and fans alike after it served as wonderful host for The Open.

PerryGolf also offers an Irish Links Golf Cruise in 2020 that includes a round at Ballybunion Old, arguably the most famous course in Ireland prior to last week’s championship. And, if playing the Ryder Cup courses of Europe is a personal goal, test your skills at the 2022 site, Marco Simone, on our Best of Italy 2020 Escorted Tour which includes a stay at gorgeous Lake Como and four nights in Rome.

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Golf’s best end major year with The 148th Open at Royal Portrush

Brian Mull

This week, for the first time since 1951, The Open returns to Northern Ireland. The field tees off Thursday at The Dunluce Links at Royal Portrush beginning at 1:35 a.m. EDT (6:35 a.m. local time).

This marks the second time golf’s oldest championship has been held outside Scotland and England. Modifications have been made to the venerable links, which was designed by Harry S. Colt. Starting their project in 2015, esteemed architects MacKenzie and Ebert used land from the adjacent Valley course to build two new holes – the 7th and 8th – specifically for the tournament.

Francesco Molinari is the defending champion. Rory McIlroy, who grew up in nearby Hollywood, is the betting favorite and shot a course-record 61 at Royal Portrush in the 2005 North of Ireland Championship. Since his victory in 2014 at Royal Liverpool, McIlroy hasn’t finished outside the top-5 in The Open, either.

Brooks Koepka, seeking his second major title of the year and fifth consecutive top-2 finish, has loyal caddie – and longtime Royal Portrush member – Ricky Elliott on the bag. Tiger Woods hasn’t played since Pebble Beach. He’s paired with Patrick Reed and Matt Wallace and tees off at 10:10 a.m. EDT on Thursday. Dustin Johnson hopes to bag an elusive second major after a series of close calls.

Expect to see chilly temperatures in the 50s and 60s, daily rain and of course, wind. Severe changes in elevation enhance the challenge at Royal Portrush and experience is a vital tool for those hoping to hoist the Claret Jug. The average age of the past 10 champions is 35 years, 3 months. The competitors won’t be able to get away with purposely overshooting the 18th green, either. They’ll face a devilish lie in the drop zone on the 474-yard-par 4 that finishes a diabolical three-hole closing stretch that’s certain to finish The Open hopes of more than one competitor.

PerryGolf is an Authorised Ticket Provider for The Open and proud to escort guests to the final round of this year’s championship after they’ve played some of the finest links in the British Isles such as Royal County Down, Royal Birkdale and Castle Stuart. There’s time to reserve your spot on a variety of Cruises, Escorted Tours and Customized offerings available for 2020 and 2021.

The 150th Open at St. Andrews in 2021 is certain to be a special experience in the Home of Golf. On one particular Escorted Tour, PerryGolf guests will play memorable rounds on a quartet of courses that have combined to host The Open on 35 occasions and wrap their trip by attending the final two rounds of the championship. PerryGolf is also pleased to take golfers to test their game on the Dunluce Links at Royal Portrush as part of our new Irish Links Golf Cruise, which has offerings in 2020 and 2021.

https://www.perrygolf.com/escorted-tour/scotland-the-150th-open-st-andrews-turnberry-2021.php

The new, condensed PGA Tour schedule put in place for the 2018-19 season means that The Open is the final major of the calendar year. It’s been a thrilling season, beginning with Woods’ exciting victory at The Masters, Koepka’s dominant performance at Bethpage and Gary Woodland’s flawless weekend to stave off Koepka at Pebble Beach. Still, the golf world has anticipated this championship at Royal Portrush ever since it was announced. The course is in excellent condition and certain to offer a stiff test. After a practice round earlier this week, the affable American pro Rickie Fowler avoided predicting a winning score due to the uncertain conditions ahead, saying simply that any round under par would be a good one.

Enjoy.

https://www.perrygolf.com/golfcruising/the-open-at-royal-st-georges-2020-golf-cruise-package.php

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