by Russell R. Collins
Presented by GolfClubsHome.com
If you have heard of the name Jack Nicklaus then you’ll probably know something about golf. I play golf, well, more accurately I occasionally hit a small white ball with a big stick, and sometimes the ball goes in the right direction, and sometimes it doesn’t. The difference between Jack Nicklaus and myself is that he hits the ball more often, and it tends to go where he intends it to more often than me. Oh, and of course, he’s been voted Golfer of the Millennium, and I’m still waiting to hear.
One of the things that Jack is well known for, besides his expertise at playing the game, is his expertise at designing courses as well. All across the world there are golf courses that have his name on them as the designer, and they’re popular not just because of his name, but because they are so well planned to provide a broad, challenging and exciting game of golf for both the professional and the amateur alike. I just discovered recently that there is one place in Spain where an amazing nine courses have been designed by him, and all located together. It’s one of those overseas property resorts, aimed primarily at golfers. With 162 tees to start from, that sounds like a few lost balls for me, and a wonderful experience for anyone who knows their four iron from their putter.
I have some neighbours that live near me, as neighbours tend to do, and they seem to live in Spain more than they do here. I can understand that – they always seem to come back happy and tanned, and it makes me wonder why I don’t do the same thing. When I look out of my window at rows of other houses all soaked with cold rain and bathed in grey gloom the idea of moving to a sunny resort like Spain does have its appeal, but then, it always seems to be other people that actually get on and do these sorts of things. For me though, what really caught my attention was the fact that some companies, like Polaris World that advertise on television, have made golf the real focal point.
The golf course near me recently got flooded. We have a torrent of rain for a couple of days and the whole place became a pond. It’s dried out now, but for weeks the whole place was damp and boggy, and a fairly unpleasant place to play. Golf isn’t traditionally a messy sport. If you want to come home caked with mud you either play rugby or take up mud wrestling. Golf is a nice clean sport. Not at my local course it hasn’t been – just walking around you get filthy, and if you end up digging up the rough or wandering from sandy bunker to grassy embankments you end up needing to throw your entire outfit in the wash after a round.
So with the weather here so dismal, the idea of having nine brand new golf courses all designed by the world’s top golfer, all located together somewhere where it rains sunshine and the only pouring that happens is a glass of Sangria at the nineteenth. I have never considered buying overseas property because of the hassle, but then, thinking about the hassle of coping with the everyday gloom and access to just one or two local golf courses here, upping sticks and taking the plunge just once to benefit from a lifetime of endless golf and warm weather is incredibly tempting. What’s even more tempting is that I hear they’re now offering free trips over there so that you can experience it for yourself. The idea of a weekend in one of these resorts, playing a free round of golf on one of Jack Nicklaus’ designs is something that makes me wonder whether I could become the neighbour that gets the envied looks.
One of the things that has surprised me most recently is the price of these overseas property. I always imagine that they were really expensive, especially when you consider the added bonuses like the scenery, the quiet, the views, the weather and the nine golf courses. Yet when I saw the prices advertised, I could afford to sell my house here and buy a really classy villa over there with its own pool, views and more golf than I could shake a stick at.
The properties being advertised look fantastic. Of course, almost anywhere looks fantastic if you shove it next to a glorious mountain range, make sure you have a deep blue ocean twinkling excitedly on the other side and bathe the whole lot in an absurd amount of sunshine, but then, that’s the actual location you can expect to live in if you take the plunge. It’s certainly very tempting, and the more I think about it, the more I start to picture myself there. I see myself waking up in the morning with the white cotton curtains fluttering gaily in the cool morning breeze as I dance towards the windows and look out across another world. I don’t tend to dance much in the morning; I sort of lurch about a bit and stagger in a confused daze, but somehow I see myself dancing in Spain. It’s funny how a little thing like sunshine and sea can change you.
And then I have to think again about the fact that these companies are actually offering free trips to try it out! I never considered myself a potential overseas property buyer, but really, I can’t think of any really good reasons why not. I work from home myself, like many people do these days. With the increased use of technology so many people become flexible about where they work, that moving to another country is not as hard as it once used to be. The fact that all these television adverts and brochures are targeting us in this country means that they have excellent links and support, and have provided the service to so many people before that the whole process is well orchestrated. I’m very tempted – but then, you would be, wouldn’t you? Especially if you play golf better than I do.
Presented by GolfClubsHome.com
