When golfing clients head out for a European river cruise vacation in 2019, they will have several good options for hitting the links. Starting in May 2019, AmaWaterways will tee off its new Exclusive Concierge Golf Program on the new AmaMagna. Golfers can play four top courses in Hungary, Slovakia, Austria and Germany, plus those on the Prague extension can play a fifth course there.
Guests participating in the golf program will receive: a welcome packet with a dozen Titleist Pro V1 golf balls per golfer, one pitch repair tool, course guides and a leather shoe bag; concierge service including club care; private luxury Mercedes transfers between ship and courses; a la carte lunch at each course (beer and wine included); one round per golfer at each course; one shared golf cart per round; one range token per round; and club cleaning after each round.
Available on seven-night “Romantic Danube” and “Melodies of the Danube” itineraries, starting in May, AmaWaterways’ new golf program starts at $2,399 per person plus the cruise fare. Golf program participants who’ve purchased AmaWaterways’ Prague hotel / land extension can also play the Czech Republic’s Albatross Golf Course for an additional $500 per person.
Golf enthusiasts on all Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection’s 2019 “Paris & Normandy” sailings can head out on exclusive, guided “Go Active” golfing excursions to play two of France’s top-rated golf courses. The first is Golf d’Étretat, a spectacular cliff-top course on Normandy’s Alabaster Coast. Laid out in 1908 and redesigned in the 1990s, Etretat’s stunning par-72 links combine two nine-hole loops that take players to the cliff’s edge.
The second golf excursion heads for Mont-Saint-Aignan near Rouen, a golf course ideal for beginners and veterans alike. What’s nice? These golf excursions are a great value as golf equipment rentals and course time fees are included in Uniworld’s all-inclusive cruise fare. Guests may bring their own clubs, if desired. Spots are limited, though, so book before departure.
Crystal Cruises’ “Design Your Time” experiences tap into a concierge service for one-of-a-kind private, customized tours and shoreside programs. Golfers can ask for play on many top local golf courses that are just 20 minutes to an hour’s ride from the ship. Among the courses are the Golf & Country Club Basel in Switzerland; the Kolner Golf Club in Cologne, Germany; and the Golfclub Borsa at Bratislava, Slovakia. Dozens of other course options are also available.
On seven-night Andalusian river cruises on La Belle de Cadix roundtrip from Seville, Spain, CroisiEurope will offer golf excursions for groups of 10 passengers or more. Guests can bring their own golf equipment or the line will arrange rentals. Golfers can head out to such courses as Seville’s Golf Zaudin, Cadix’s Sancti Petri Hills Golf, Puerto de Santa Maria’s Costa Ballena Ocean Golf Club, Vila Real de Santo Antonio’s Golf Quinta da Ria and Seville’s Club de Golf Hato Verde.
Avalon Waterways fielded several popular, European golf-themed cruises for 2019 and they sold out quickly; 2020 itineraries should be announced by next spring. With advance notice, A&K, Viking River Cruises, Scenic, Tauck, Emerald Waterways and other river operators can often arrange private, customized excursions for golf play, equipment rental and transport. Perry Golf, Barge Lady Cruises, European Waterways and others offer golf-themed or full-charter (for golf groups) hotel barge cruises, with play on courses in the U.K., Ireland and France.
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