From Our View

Well, it certainly has been an interesting few weeks. I know many of you are wondering what is going to happen down the road. One of the questions that we've been asked is whether people are still spending money on golf and travel.

Admittedly, there will be a segment of people that will reduce these types of expenditures. There is also a segment of people that will continue to do what they have always done. The travel industry has been growing for many years and has easily recovered from 9/11. It will certainly continue to grow into the future as well.

In fact, if you like to travel, there is no better time than right now to book a trip. Why? Well, for years, the travel industry has been growing and it looked to continue that way for the foreseeable future. With that in mind, travel companies made plans to meet those future demands. For example, cruise lines continued to commission new, exciting and larger ships. They added more ports. They added more itineraries. Guess what? Those aren't going away. So, in an attempt to keep the ship booking full, the cruise lines have dropped prices and have created fantastic packages. Many lines have even dropped the fuel surcharges that they added a couple of years ago. There are exceptional travel deals to be had for those that know how to take advantage of it.

It's the same reason that Warren Buffet is going on a spending spree at the moment. While people are panicking and selling off shares, Warren Buffet is scooping up bargain basement stocks because he knows they are undervalued at the moment and will eventually rise again.

If you were already planning a trip of some kind, you could decide to cancel it, or you could get a fantastic deal that you never thought was possible before. Your choice.

It's like our business. You can choose to hide or you can choose to find a way to grow. Instead of looking at the "doom and gloom", we choose to focus on the positives and continue to move forward. We sincerely believe that a good business can continue to succeed - it just has to adapt.

Okay, it's September. Schools back in for all of the kids everywhere. Summer is almost over, but that doesn't mean it's time to stop playing golf. The weather is still good and the courses aren't as busy (probably because all of the kids and university students are all back in school). Now is the perfect time to golf. Now is also the best time to get a new Driver or a new set of clubs. Why?

We have new pricing on all of our golf equipment and it bodes well for all. All pricing has been reduced, so there isn't any excuse not to get some new equipment. Whether you are just playing at your local course, or taking a golf trip somewhere, now is the time to order your new custom fitted golf clubs.

As they say, "See you on the first tee!"

Well, it's almost Labor Day, and that usually means that Summer is almost coming to an end (at least for most school kids). Like many families, that means one more trip before school starts and that's exactly what I did. We just spent 4 fantastic days on the Oregon Coast and all I can say is, it was beautiful. Large beaches, spectacular sunsets, fabulous seafood meals. What more can one ask for?

Just because it's past Labor Day doesn't mean your golf or travel adventures have to end. For those who can still travel without kids, now is the best time as most travel companies offer some of their best deals if you travel between Labor Day and mid-December. This is also "shoulder" season for many golf courses and you can get fantastic values. The courses are in excellent condition, but you don't have to pay the full high season prices. So now is also an excellent time to book that golf outing or trip that you want.

On another note, all of this travel just shows that it's great to be in this business. I've been able to travel more than I ever have before, get great deals, golf in places that I never thought I would and most of all, meet new people. If you want to know more about how you can combine your love for golf and travel with a fantastic business, you owe it to yourself to look at our website and speak with an Associate.

Bye for now!

Well, it has been a while now since the last entry. Been so busy (both at work and in life) that time just goes flashing by.

First thing I want to talk about is Travel. If you didn't read it in my last blog posting a few months back, you'll see that we recently added travel booking to our services. What exactly does this mean?

1. You can now book your trip, vacation or getaway with us for yourself, your friends or your family. Why us? We provide you with the competitive pricing of online self-serve websites, but provide the personal contact and attention that only a live person can give you. We can usually match or beat any price you see on the Internet.
2. Secondly, as a Member of our company, you not only get the best possible pricing, but you get part of the agent commissions back for booking the trip, thus, saving you even more money.

I recently booked a hotel stay for my wife and myself and the price I got was lower than on any other website. Better yet, when the commissions are paid out, I'll get some of that back and will ultimately have saved even more. We deal with the largest companies and can find you the perfect vacation or getaway. Take a look at our website and see for yourself.

Secondly, for those of you who are still considering starting a business, we have done a bit of research on what is available and it is not a pretty sight. Once you dig through all of the hype, smoke and mirrors, and find the truth, it's a little bit discouraging. Do the research yourself. Not all is bleak though. We've put together the best program for golfers and travelers. Unlike other travel programs that take your money and don't give you anything in return except the chance to spend more money on the premise that you will save money, we ACTUALLY give you trips, golf products and trips, as well as show you how to save money. And we don't give you some worthless travel coupons that cost you hundreds to redeem. Our trips don't have hidden fees or other surprise charges, and all of them even include the taxes. If you are going to run a business, you need to have a great product and our product package is second to none.

Time sure flies when you are having fun. Isn't that how the saying goes? After my last posting, I headed off for a 10 day jaunt to the Caribbean, which included a 7 night cruise . It was a fantastic time! If you have never been on a cruise, you need to find a way to get on one. You get to visit different places, but get to unpack once and have everything taken care of for you - meals, entertainment, room service, and much, much more. The best part is we are making it easier and easier for you to take a cruise. Needless to say, I've been extremely busy since I've been back. We've been working hard to give our Members more and more.

When you become a Member with The Golf & Travel Club, you not only become a member of a fantastic organization, where you can run your own business, you can choose fabulous cruises and golf trips (depending on your membership level) just for coming in. As well, in a short time, we will be offering travel services where you can book trips and cruises for yourself and save money. You even have the opportunity to book travel for friends, family and other people and earn the perks of being a travel agent.

All this travel and golf is very exciting. I hope to have some pictures up soon, so be on the lookout for those.