Pioneer Golf: Helping golfers plan dream vacations to Scotland, Wales, England, Ireland

With literally hundreds of courses in the British Isles - both well-known and off the beaten path - booking a golf trip to the Old Country can be a daunting task.

Since 1971, Pioneer Golf has tried to ease the confusion of heading overseas by lending its authentic touch to a countless number of clients, eager to maximize the enjoyment, value and ease of their trip.

Peter Hazelton, president of Pioneer Golf, admits planning a trip overseas can be a mind-boggling process.

"Of course [it can be frustrating] because of the logistical complications that can so easily arise," Hazelton said. "Sometimes potential clients don't have a sense of relative location and can easily underestimate distance between golf courses. For others, it's not so much a matter of distance, but time."

Hazelton points out that chief amongst these barriers is the number of tee times open to the public at a number of the well-known courses.

"If they are open to visitors, it's only at certain times," he said. "For someone unaccustomed to doing this, it can become quite frustrating."

Because Pioneer Golf deals with many of these courses on a consistent basis for the past three decades, getting tee times is easier for them.

Hazelton, who has run the operation since 1981, is originally from Scotland, giving him an authentic knowledge seldom found in most other agencies. But Pioneer Golf's chief asset in the travel market is their familiarity with the grounds of the United Kingdom.

July 3, 2006

Brandon Tucker is the Managing Editor for Golf Channel Courses & Travel. To date, his golf travels have taken him to over two dozen countries and over 500 golf courses worldwide. While he's played some of the most prestigious courses in the world, Tucker's favorite way to play the game is on a great muni in under three hours.