To all:
I’ve responded to Jimmy off-line, but wanted to provide some insight into one of the more “custom” operators that originates trips from here in the states. As a PGA Professional, I’m asked frequently for suggestions on whom to work with, and GolfPac’s International department headed by Dave Turley (he’s going into his 15th season sending people to GB & I) has always received rave reviews from the people I’ve sent to him. If you would like someone to put together an itinerary for you to consider, I suggest you rely on his experience. He can be reached at 800-523-0007, or davidt@golfpactravel.com.
I once asked Dave to summarize their business for some members that I was sending his way, and he provided the following:
“GolfPac has been around since 1975 and is registered. We're also one of the founding members of the American Association of Golf Tour Operators, members of the International Association of Golf Tour Operators, members of the National Golf Foundation, and members of the American Society of Travel Agents. Most importantly, we're registered in the State of Florida as "Sellers of Travel." We always try to advise people to make sure the company they are dealing with is reputable.
”We've had the same group of representatives in the UK since 1986. An airport rep meets each group upon arrival and helps get the group off to a good start. A tour coordinator also contacts the group the first evening (either in person or by phone) to answer any last minute questions and develop a point of contact. We've found through the years that this first point of contact develops a sense of confidence for the traveler. It also opens up a line of communication that we encourage between our GB & I office and our travelers. We want our travelers to know that someone's on the ground to help them when necessary.
”When developing an itinerary, we take extra time on the front end to understand what a customer wants to get out of his/her trip. For some folks, it's all about the golf. For others, it's more about the experience of being in Ireland ... the pubs, the food, the hotels, etc. We try our best to understand exactly what they want and then create a custom itinerary (without obligation) for the group to review. I truly believe it's the time spent on the front end trying to understand what the client is looking for, that separates us from the other tour companies.”
As far as arranging a tour on your own, I know it can be done, but I provide this story. I once had a group of members from my club that utilized GolfPac for a portion of their trip, but also made several of their own arrangements for much of their vacation. Upon their return, their only disappointment was that they hadn’t used GolfPac for the entire trip, because the things that they arranged on their own didn’t match the level of what Dave’s staff had put together.
I apologize if I offended anybody with this lengthy testimonial, but since the value of this forum includes the sharing of information, I hope that my experience can help some of you in the future when arranging a trip to GB & I.
All the best,
Doug Sobieski