Luxury is Paramount

Advantages: Hotels with good service, good food and luxury!
Disadvantages: A bit expensive, but worth it!

...’s own individual character and I’ll now take you on a brief tour, so get your hat and coat and come with me….. We’ll begin north of the border in Scotland. The Marine Hotel, Troon ------------------------------ This hotel is on the coast of Ayrshire about 40 minutes away from Glasgow. It is heaven for the golf enthusiast (KenJohn take note!) surrounded as it is by 20 golf courses. It has 74 en suite bedrooms, including 5 suites, together with a leisure centre. For eating there’s the Fairway’s Restaurant, and for relaxing there’s the Arran Lounge with comfortable sofas and fantastic views. The Carlton Hotel, Edinburgh ------------------------------------ This hotel is in the centre of Edinburgh, and benefits from a recent £8 million refurbishment. It is ideally placed for exploring...

SusanLesley 13.06.2001 · Read review
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Review of Marine Hotel, Troon

Dining at the Apple

Advantages: Great Food
Disadvantages: Only open five days a week

...The Apple Inn is a great little eating house on the High Street in Troon. The Apple Inn is part of the Costley and Costley Hotel chain, which also includes the Lochgreen Hotel in Troon, the famous Brig-a-Doon Hotel in Ayr, Highgrove House in Dundonald and Cochrane Inn in Gatehead, and the one in Maidens, near Turnberry, whose name escapes me (*Does search on internet* that?s it - Wildings). And I can tell you I have eaten in all of them without any disappointment. The Apple Inn is one of the smaller establishments in the Costley and Costley Empire. It is a relatively recent acquisition. On entering the inn, you will find the bar straight facing you. It is a very small bar indeed, and this isn?t really the type of place where you would just go for a drink, although there are a handful of bar stools if this is your want...

helencbradshaw 08.08.2002 · Read review
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Review of The Apple Inn (Troon)

Scotland to Ireland ferry

Advantages: Modern ship, fast crossing, comfortable seating
Disadvantages: Staff on car deck, high prices

...or Southern Scotland & the link is operated by Stena to Belfast who I have used in the past. From further north in Scotland, Stranraer is not the easiest place to get to with just 'A' type roads approaching it where you always get stuck behind several HGVs, tour buses, tractors, caravans & the odd Sunday driver, even on a weekday. Cairnryan is slightly further north & the link there is served by P&O direct to Larne which is about 30 minutes driving time to Belfast, traffic permitting. This time I chose Troon in Western Scotland close to Ayr as it meant less driving time for me to get there & it went direct to Larne. It too is operated by P&O & for this trip they use a high speed ferry which has a journey time of around two hours. P&O's website quoted £245.00, a little steep I felt but after spending the good part of 20 minutes looking at cut...

ScottishWestie 10.09.2008 (12.09.2008) · Read review
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Review of P&O Ferries

Swede P

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...There's few in the field more deserving of an Open title than the enigmatic Swede. The first of Parnevik's near misses came in 1994 at Turnberry when, after refusing to check the leaderboard, he bogeyed the 17th after thinking he needed a birdie and allowed Nick Price to sprint past him. He was again runner-up at Troon two years ago when losing out to the fast-finishing Justin Leonard and two years ago he got right into contention again before finishing fourth. Yet another top ten last year confirmed that Parnevik is one of the best links players around and after a storming season in America, where he's won twice, he should go automatically onto any shortlist. The problem this week though is that the Swede is carrying a hip injury that is affecting his swing and it's led to missed cuts in the US Open and at Loch Lomond on his last two...

Mohammed 21.07.2000 · Read review
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Review of Jesper Parnevik

Furyk Fury

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...Furyk has taken a real shine to links golf, finishing in the top four in the 1997 and 1998 British Opens and following that up with a tied tenth last year. At Troon three years ago, although never quite getting near the lead, he outscored Tiger Woods on the final day to land the each-way money and two years ago there was real disappointment as he got himself right into the shake-up before his putter went cold at the crucial time. Furyk's accurate driving and sharp short game make him an excellent Majors player but so far he has lacked that extra ingredient to actually get his nose in front. But anyone who watched him win the Doral Ryder Open earlier this year - when at last he looked in the zone down the stretch - will believe that he does have it in him. Disappointed in the US Open last month but since then he has finished fourth...

Mohammed 21.07.2000 · Read review
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Review of Jim Furyk

psssst - I Do Opium

Advantages: A richly sensual fragrance that is worthy of addiction
Disadvantages: Somewhat expensive

...within the Opium product line. In my own experience, there is no question that wearing Opium makes me feel more attractive and desirable--a situation from which Himself is satisfied to reap the advantage. After all, it was he who started the whole thing with that long-ago gift. . . . Still, as a matter of record, just because I took the fall doesn't mean I didn't notice the push! An Opium for Men is now also available--though I confess that this fact leaves me feeling a vague kinship with those members of Augusta National Golf Club and Royal Troon who express mild outrage over the possibility of having women join their ranks. © DAnneC/BawBaw, Updated 2004...

BawBaw 16.04.2003 (24.01.2004) · Read review
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Review of Yves Saint Laurent Opium Eau De Parfum Spray

5 star luxury for 3 star price

Advantages: luxurious, great value, top service,
Disadvantages: a little far out from the main square

...of the attractions, bars, restaurants and shopping is only about 20 minutes walk away (Girls beware: do not attempt to walk this in heels - high heels and cobblestones do not bode well together!) Troon metro station was also about 5 mins walk away and from there only a few stops on the metro. I arrived in Belgium by Eurostar so was able to get the metro from the Eurostar stop (Gare du midi) to troon which is on the same line and takes only about 10 mins. Rooms We stayed in a Deluxe room which was very spacious with Kingsize bed, armchair, work desk, bar fridge, coffee table, wardrobe and large bathroom with bath and shower. The room also contained hairdryer, toiletries, ironing board, tea and coffee making facilities, hi speed internet access, phone, safe ice bucket and even a speaker in the bathroom so you could listen to the TV whilst...

nat23y 08.08.2006 · Read review
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Review of Renaissance Brussels Hotel, Ixelles

GOOD WAY TO GO

Advantages: SPEED
Disadvantages: BAD WEATHER STOPS SERVICES

...I have in the last two weeks travelled with Seacat twice. The first was on Business frm Belfast to Troon driving on to Edinburgh. The Seacat service takes 2 hours and thirty minutes on this route and operates most of the year except usually January when the Irish sea can be really stormy and they would have to cancel. Here are some of the advantages,SeaCat does not carry coaches or freight so there is no queuing behind heavy goods vehicles allowing quick turn arounds reducing journey times for motorists.Which means that as I have found you are off the Catameran within 10 mins of arrival.It has taken mostly nearly 20 minutes to get off the conventional ferrys and the HSS and then you are stuck behind lorries on the slow roads from Stranraer to Ayr. This can add at least 1 hour 30 mins to your driving time to Edinburgh or Glasgow.Troon...

iainkay1 31.05.2002 (18.07.2003) · Read review
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Review of SeaCat

Losers And Winners.....Todd Who??

Advantages: Exciting tournament. Riveting viewing
Disadvantages: I lost my ?10 bet on Mickelson to win. (But I had him Each Way)

...Dateline: Sunday 18th July 2004 ~ ~ For the second year in a row the Open has thrown up a surprise American winner, who practically no one this side of the Atlantic had even heard of until he burst into the limelight at Royal Troon golf links this past week. Todd Hamilton is an unlikely successor to the British Open crown won by his equally unknown American counterpart, Ben Curtis, in 2003. Todd held off strong challenges from some of the world?s top players during todays last round, eventually triumphing after a 4-hole playoff against the 2002 Open Champion (and multiple major winner) Ernie Els of South Africa. ~ ~ Even in the USA practically no one had heard of 38-year-old Hamilton until he won the Honda Classic earlier this season, his rookie year on the American Tour. Most of his golf has been played on the Asian Tour...

the_mad_cabbie 19.07.2004 · Read review
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Review of Everything that starts with L ...

Wayward

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...Despite his huge regard for the British Open, Love's record in this event was shocking up until 1997. The damage read six missed cuts in 10 starts between 1987 and 1996 but he ended that run with a fine tied 10th at Troon, improved again to tied seventh in hostile conditions at Birkdale and matched that finish at Carnoustie last year. In truth Love's record in all four Majors was a tale of huge underachievement for the early part of his career but since his second in the 1995 Masters he's really taken off. Over the last 11 Majors his record is just about the most consistent around with a victory, a second and four other top sevens. Love has played wonderfully well for much of the year but victory has continued to elude him and he's had to suffer the frustration of three runners-up finishes. Surprisingly he missed the cut in the US Open...

Mohammed 21.07.2000 · Read review
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Review of Davis Love III