Whistler Courses open for the 2009 Season!

overlooking the 18th hole at Big Sky Golf & Country Club
This weekend in Whistler brought beautiful sunny skies, and the opening of all of the Whistler area golf courses. Big Sky Golf & Country Club, located 30 minutes north of Whistler in the Pemberten valley has been open since mid-April, and is already in great shape.
Nicklaus North Golf Course, the Fairmont Chateau Whistler Golf Course and the Whistler Golf Club all opened up on May 7th, and enjoyed fantastic weather for the opening weekend.
The season kicks off in earnest over the next week, with the back-to-back long weekends that will attract the golfers back to the most scenic golf courses in Canada.
All of the Whistler-area courses have first-rate practice faclities, available for use prior to your paid round of golf, and lessons are also available at all of the courses.
For more information on the courses in Whistler, or to book tee-times or full packages, visit GolfWhistler.com

IAGTO Dominican Republic Fam Trip

Shelley Quinn, owner of Eagle Tours located in Whistler, BC, just returned from another highly sucessful and fruitful IAGTO Super-Fam trip to the Dominican Republic.
Eagle Tours was one of approximately 40 International Tour Operators who was hosted at the event, with Tour Operators and Travel Writers from over 18 countries in attendance.
The first day, the group stayed at the Majestic Colonial or Majestic Elegance Hotel in Punta Cana. The hotel put on a fantastic welcome dinner on the beach, with entertainment and a fantastic meal.Ed Holofcener & Shelley Quinn
On the following morning, April 26th, the group was up early for the short ride to the Punta Blanca Golf Course for a round of golf, followed by lunch, and a site inspection of the newly constructed Moon Palace Punta Cana. With a new 18 hole golf course slated to open in January 2010, this property is like a small town in itself, with over 1,800 rooms, several restaruants, and expansive grounds.
On April 27th, the group headed across to La Romana, to Casa de Campo, home of the famous Dye designed Teeth of the Dog & Dye Fore courses. Fab foursome on Teeth of the Dog Since its’ opening, the Teeth of the Dog has consistently been ranked as one of the top 50 courses in the world.
The Casa de Campo Hotel had lots of charm, and we dined at Altos de Chavon, with beautiful views over the Chavon river.
The following day, we set off back to Punta Cana to play the newly opened . Roco Ki Golf Faldo Legacy Course With the Starwod Westin property slated to open in late 2010. The course is a combination of stunning ocean views, tropical mangrove forests & sea grass meadows - and it is very expansive. Sebastian Prado from Argentina on the 17th hole
Following golf, the group transfered to the Melia Caribe Tropical Hotel in time for a late dinner and bed!
Day 5, we had the delightful experience of visiting the Punta Cana Resort & Club, and touring Tortuga Bay Hotel prior to teeing off at 1:30pm at La Cana, yet another breathtaking Dominican Course. Following the round, we dined back at Tortuga Bay and were treated to more excellent food, drink and entertainment.
Day 6, another Hotel move, this time to the luxurious paradisus Palma Real Hotel in Punta Cana, staying in 'The Reserve', with fantastic spacious rooms, beautiful swimming pool and beach areas, and traditional Carribean service.
The last round of the trip for me was the most impressive... Punta Espada, the Nicklaus Designed course that many say is his best...This was a long round, but every hole offered a new breathtaking vista. On the final day, many of the group played a 6th and final round at Cocotel Golf Course, and others (myself included) opted for a well-deserved beach day.
Our final Gala Dinner was held at the paridisus Punta Cana, where various awards were presented. Congratulations to Chis Guerny, winner of the overall tournament!
Many thanks go out to the organizers of the trip, Palmera Destination Services, IAGTO, the Dominican Tourist Board, and of course all of the fantastic Hotels and Golf Courses who offered their services to our group throughout our stay.