Welcome to our new series introducing the team behind Outpost Overseas. Over the coming weeks, we will be sitting down with the team to chat about their roles, favourite courses, and best advice for planning an overseas golf trip.
First up is Eleanor Kelly, our Tour Operations Administrator.
My dad plays golf but he never actually tried to push me into it as a kid. As a teenager, I got curious about what he was up to every Saturday, so I asked for some lessons and I was instantly hooked. As I got older and started playing in county events, I knew working in golf was the ultimate goal.
During my final year studying Celtic at the University of Edinburgh, I spotted a tweet from David’s UKGolfGuy account advertising a role at his new travel company. I knew it was a long shot since as I still had six months of uni left, but I reached out anyway. The initial timing was not quite right, but a couple of months later David got back in touch to encourage me to apply for a new Administrator position. I was offered the job on my very last day of classes. Two and a half years later, it is incredible to see how my life has changed.
Every day brings something different, but they are generally split between our current and upcoming trips, and future trips (i.e. for the following year). Current trips means those on the ground, and usually involve dealing with amendments and additional requests we’ve received from the client. Upcoming trips cover everything from final payments to restaurant bookings and transport co-ordination. Future trips involve building itineraries, availability checks and making the bookings.
One of my absolute favourite parts of the job is the research we do for our international trips. We build both hosted and bespoke trips to pretty much anywhere in the world. I’ve looked everything from hot springs in Iceland, white-water rafting in New Zealand, to cooking classes in Spain. Every trip we do is unique and I love learning about all the golf destinations available worldwide. This range of tasks means there’s always something to do, and it certainly keeps things interesting!
I was very lucky to play Morfontaine a couple of years ago and it was the most incredible experience. I was part of a larger group, and we had the whole site booked for the day, so were the only people there. We played the 18-hole Grand Parcours in the morning, then had a wonderful French lunch in the clubhouse. We then played the 9-hole Vallière course in the afternoon, and that was probably the most fun I’ve ever had on a golf course. It is such a beautiful place and the peaceful nature setting combined with the excellent courses makes it a truly special place.
The second hole at Portsalon. My dad’s family is from Donegal and Portsalon was where I experienced links golf for the first time. The entire course is amazing but the 2nd hole stands out, with one of the best views in golf from the tee. It’s a challenging hole, but I always know the minute I step onto the tee that I’m going to enjoy the next few hours, no matter the score at the end.
Tara Iti would be my ultimate bucket list course, the setting is just out of this world, and I think a trip to New Zealand should be on anyone’s bucket list. A course a little closer to home that I’d love to play is Lahinch. I’m a big fan of Old Tom Morris courses, and to combine that with an Alister MacKenzie design makes this a must-play for me. Watching the Walker Cup there has only cemented its place on my bucket list and I’m determined to visit it someday!
North West Golf Club. Donegal has a special place in my heart, and on my last trip there I had the chance to play it. It’s one of the founding members of the Golfing Union of Ireland, and its 18 holes date back to 1891. It shares similarities with St Andrews, in that it is relatively flat land, with humps, hollows and hidden run-offs, and the course design is nearly unchanged from its original.
It’s a fun, quirky course, and the par 3 16th (Fairy) is the standout hole for me. Only 90 yards but surrounded by pot bunkers, it provides an exciting challenge for golfers of all abilities, and is a prime example of how it isn’t always length that determines the difficulty of a course.
I think there’s very few places that could top Valderrama for a post-round experience. The clubhouse has so much history, with a large focus on the legendary 32nd Ryder Cup, and the patio offers views across the golf course and out to the Mediterranean Sea. It’s the perfect spot to enjoy the Spanish sunshine after playing a notoriously challenging course.
Mix it up. Don’t just focus on the blockbuster courses, as there are so many underrated courses out there. You know that the experience at the Old Course or Royal Portrush will be amazing, but it’s often the lesser-known courses that our clients go home raving about.
I am a huge international rugby fan, specifically the New Zealand All Blacks, but I will watch almost any top tier game that is on. The best thing about the golf season winding down is that the rugby season is just kicking off, and there is nothing better than spending a cold winter’s day watching matches back to back. I’ve been a season ticket holder at Murrayfield and travelled to Dublin, Cardiff, and London for matches. I would love to go on the next Lions tour to New Zealand in 2029, and maybe I’ll get some golf in too!
Eleanor and the team are always on hand to help build your perfect itinerary. Drop us a line at golf@outpostoverseas.com to start talking through ideas for your next journey.
