Greece, Euro woes are the golf traveler's gain for Ireland vacations this summer

Greece and Spain’s economic struggles have weighed on the strength of the Euro, and that means one thing for travelers: golf in Ireland keeps getting more affordable.

Last year, prices came down considerably at Ireland’s golf courses and resorts, especially in the southwest region. This year, it’s the Euro slide that has added to the savings considerably.

“The Euro is down 15 percent compared to this time last year,” said Marty Carr, who operates Carr Golf, a packager specializing in Ireland and other global golf destinations. “Add that to the price depreciation of the courses and hotels, and the savings are 40-50 percent. That’s not a sales pitch - it’s fact.”

If you’re thinking about coupling Ireland with a visit to the Ryder Cup in late September-early October, check out the Aer Lingus Web site, which is offering discounted fares to Ireland if you book by May 30. After a search, I found some flights from New York to Shannon for as little as $319 each way. Summer fares I searched seemed to average closer to $400-450 each way.

For those thinking about a golf trip to Scotland, England, Northern Ireland or Wales, it’s about $1.50 to 1 pound sterling at the moment, down from a peak of about $2.15 a couple years back.

Be sure to check out WorldGolf.com’s top Ireland golf vacation packages.