Along with golf courses and accommodation, transportation is one of the
essential components of your golfing trip to Ireland. The importance of
adequate transport is often overlooked by visiting golfers but it can
certainly prove the difference between a good golfing holiday and a great
holiday.
Online Golf Travel perfectly understands the requirements of our clients
with respect to transportation and golf. Elements such as luggage and club
space, legroom and distance of journey must all be considered when choosing
a suitable option.
Your transportation options can be divided into three basic categories –
Self Drive, Chauffeur Driven and Air Transfers, all of which One Click Ireland is delighted to arrange on your behalf as part of your trip.
SELF DRIVE (click for more details) This option is generally best suited to smaller groups, comprising 2 to 4
golfers. We strongly recommend that you do not attempt to squeeze too many
people into what may appear to be a suitable mode of transport. A vehicle that
may seat four people quite easily is not at all suited to four golfers and
their clubs.
CHAUFFEUR DRIVEN (click for more details) Ideal for groups of all sizes, there is much to be said for choosing the
chauffeur driven option and we generally recommend this to our clients.
Whether using a car & driver or coach & driver, it means that you won’t have
to worry about directions, the legendary Irish roads or indulging in a
post-round pint of Guinness.
AIR TRANSFERS (click for more details) The hectic nature of some golf trips often requires faster transportation from
place to place. Helicopter transport is ideal in this respect. Whether you
wish play 18 holes at Waterville and Portrush in one day, or whether you just
don't fancy a long journey, this option, although not inexpensive, is often
the only answer.
Golfers from around the globe know all about the
merits of Irish golf and many have sampled the truly unique
experience of playing some of the world’s finest golf courses,
staying in some beautiful hotels, castles and guesthouses along the
way. Those who have visited Ireland on a golfing holiday will know
all about the joys of travelling from place to place. Whether they
decided to take a self-drive trip or opted for a chauffeured
vacation, the travelling element of the trip can often be almost as
enjoyable as the actual golf, given the breathtaking nature of the
Irish coastline and scenery in general. And while the sights by road
are wonderful, the sights by air give a totally different, yet
equally stunning perspective.
There
are times, however, when travelling by road just does not allow the
avid golfer to realise their dream trip. The age-old problem has
always been one of: “so many great golf courses but not enough
time”. The option of helicopter transportation or “Heli Golf”, as
it’s known, is a perfect option and makes the otherwise logistically
impossible, distinctly possible. Who hasn’t dreamt of playing 18
holes at Ballybunion in the morning and following that up with 18
holes at Royal County Down in the afternoon? Well, that is exactly
the kind of thing that Helicopter Golf facilitates.
Though our clients can fly every day of their trip if they wish, the
beauty of Helicopter Golf in Ireland lies in the fact that the
helicopter option need not be used every day. Our clients can also
choose road transportation for some of the trip and fly only on the
logistically difficult days.
THE MAIN PLAYERS Helicopter Golf in Ireland brings together two main
players – Carr Golf (the sister company of Online Golf Travel) and Links
Helicopters Limited. Ideally from the golfers' perspective, this special
relationship brings together the foremost Irish Golf Tour Operator and one
of the leading players in the Helicopter Aviation Industry in Ireland,
boasting the most up-to-date, luxury jet engine machines available.
ONLINE GOLF TRAVEL Based in Dublin, Online Golf Travel is one of Ireland's foremost and highly
respected specialist golf tour operators. Offering tailored golfing
vacations in Ireland and Scotland; through it's association with Carr Golf &
Corporate Travel, which was founded by legendary Irish amateur golfer, Joe
Carr, Online Golf Travel has years of experience in the Irish and Scottish
golf travel market.
LINKS HELICOPTERS LIMITED Boasting the newest commercial helicopter fleet in Ireland, Links
Helicopters has focussed on ensuring that their comfort, safety and service
levels are unrivalled in the Irish Helicopter Industry. The fleet comprises
two EC 130 jet engine machines, which can cater for up to six passengers
with golf clubs. Further details on Links Helicopters can be viewed at
www.linkshelicopters.com.
FLEET INFORMATION & OPERATIONS Founded in June 2002, Links Helicopters Limited is based at Shannon Airport
in South-western Ireland. The company operates two EC 130 jet engine
helicopters with a triple blade. Much more powerful and nimble than the Jet
Ranger, the EC 130 is the newest passenger machine to be launched by Euro
Copter and after exhaustive research; Links Helicopters has identified these
machines as being ideal for operating in the Irish market in terms of
safety, comfort, reliability and cost.
Each
machine has the capacity to seat six passengers and golf bags but is
absolutely ideal for four golfers, complete with luggage and golf clubs.
With four individual seats in the back of the machine and two passenger
seats in the front, the EC 130 offers the maximum level of comfort and
boasts the most up-to-date safety and computer technology available.
Links Helicopters Ltd. employs two full time pilots in John McDermott and
Carmel Kirby. John served with the Irish Aer Corps from 1975 to 1990, at
which point he joined the Irish Coastguard Search and Rescue unit as a
crewman on board the Sikorsky S61N based at Shannon Airport. During his time
here, John completed over 250 rescue missions and in 1999, John was awarded
"The Marine Silver Medal for Meritorious Service" for the skill and
determination shown in boarding the disabled fishing vessel "Dunboy"and
safely evacuating five crewmembers. After several years, John left to fly
commercially for a civil company where he gained vast experience of the
helicopter charter business. John is now a full time managing pilot with
Links Helicopters.
Carmel first attained a commercial fixed-wing licence in 1991 and worked for
a period with Irish Helicopters. In preparation for joining the Irish
Coastguard Search and Rescue operation, Carmel spent several months flying
to the oilrigs and platforms in the North Sea. Carmel completed over 220
rescue missions and was awarded "The Marine Ministerial Letter of
Appreciation for Meritorious Service" in 1999 for the rescue of crewmembers
from the disabled fishing vessel "Dunboy". Later in 1999, Carmel returned to
flying fixed-wing and flew commercially for Virgin Express Airlines and
Ryanair for the next three years. Carmel joined Links Helicopters in 2002
and now flies the new Eurocopter EC130 B4.
RATES & ENQUIRIES Contrary to the commonly held belief that
helicopter transportation is a luxury only to be afforded by a small
segment of the population, it is actually quite an affordable option
in many cases, particularly when the group comprises four or more
golfers.
The standard rate structure is per time in the air and this is
chargeable at € 1,600.00 per hour of flying time. And while there
may be some other costs such as for positioning and landing charges,
this depends on the particular journey.
While some may prefer a self-drive golfing vacation, chauffeur driven
transportation certainly offers many additional benefits, particularly for
larger groups and for first time visitors to Ireland.
Gone are any worries over making your tee times, fatigue caused by longer
journeys, problems with directions, trouble adapting to the less than
perfect Irish road system and concerns over driving on the left hand side of
the road. It also allows more time to savour the breathtaking scenery
offered by the wonderful Irish countryside. And for those who want to sample
a post-round beverage or two, the chauffeured option is often the only
solution.
An extensive range of vehicles, specifically tailored to suit the needs of
travelling golfers, caters for groups of all sizes. Choosing a car or small
coach and driver is perfect for smaller groups comprising 2 to 6 golfers,
while larger groups of all sizes can be accommodated in a range of luxurious
coaches.
In order to fully appreciate the fantastic experience of your golfing
vacation in Ireland, Online Golf Travel certainly recommends choosing the
chauffeur driven option and we would be delighted to arrange it for you as
part of your vacation.
SELF DRIVE IN
IRELAND While we generally recommend that golfing
groups, particularly first-time visitors, opt for a car or coach & driver,
the self-drive option is often ideal for smaller groups of up to four
golfers. Self-drive groups of more than four golfers will require two or
more vehicles to maintain maximum comfort levels.
In choosing the self-drive option, we recommend that you consider all the
factors involved; including driving on the left hand side of the road, the
often less than excellent condition of Irish roads, directions and fatigue.
We also suggest that you make sure to get a vehicle large enough for your
golfing needs.
A wide range of self-drive vehicles are suitable for groups of various sizes
(from 2 to 4 golfers) and they are classified below. While some smaller
vehicles than those profiled below are also available, these are not
recommended. Click Here for more information
There
are times, however, when travelling by road just does not allow the
avid golfer to realise their dream trip. The age-old problem has
always been one of: “so many great golf courses but not enough
time”. The option of helicopter transportation or “Heli Golf”, as
it’s known, is a perfect option and makes the otherwise logistically
impossible, distinctly possible. Who hasn’t dreamt of playing 18
holes at Ballybunion in the morning and following that up with 18
holes at Royal County Down in the afternoon? Well, that is exactly
the kind of thing that Helicopter Golf facilitates. 
