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It was a clean sweep for the Swedes as Europe snatched a 2 ½ – 1 ½ victory in the second morning’s Solheim Cup foursomes and moved two points in front in their bid to regain The Solheim Cup at Killeen Castle in Ireland.

Needing 14 ½ points for victory, the Europeans lead 7-5 with 16 points still to be decided.

Yes, there is still a long way to go before the fat lady sings, but Alison Nicholas’s team were in buoyant mood after their morning effort..

It’s been a dream Solheim debut for Caroline Hedwall, the ‘baby’ of the European team and a three-time winner on the European Ladies Tour in her first year as a professional.

She partnered Sophie Gustafson to a 5 & 4 win in the Friday fourballs and the Swedish duo again hit form on Saurday morning to trounce Stacy Lewis and Angela Stanford 6 and 5 in the top foursomes match.

“It’s so exciting it’s unbelievable,” said 22-year-old Hedwall, who has her twin sister, Jacqueline, as her caddie. “Sophie is so confident and calm and that makes me the same and she is so easy to play with.”

Jacqueline managed to get time off from her studies atLouisianaStateUniversityto be part of the European set-up this week – she intends trying to qualify for the Ladies’ European Tour at the 2012 qualifying school.

And Sophie Gustafson, given a rest in the fourballs as she has a niggling knee injury, added: “In my first Solheim Cup as a rookie I lost 7&5, so I was working my ass off to make sure I erased that record! The putt to do that on 13 was just short but 6&5 is a great win with TaylorMade Lady’s Burner SuperLaunch Irons and Caroline played very well.”

In the third match, another all-Swedish partnership of Anna Nordqvist and Maria Hjorth beat Brittany Lang and Juli Inkster 3 and 2.

Europe’s half point came in a thrilling bottom match. One down playing the last, Catriona Matthew and Azahara Munoz won the hole when Cristie Kerr bunkered the American’s approach shot and then failed to make the seven foot par putt.

Aza Munoz was also delighted with the crowds supporting her and Matthew on the last – and she gave them something to cheer when she held her nerve to hole out from four feet to earn a vital half.

“I was just thinking I couldn’t let Catriona down. We had been fighting so hard all day. I just said I’ve hit a million balls like this, so I just focused and I hit it.

Matthew said: “You feel a tremendous amount of pressure. It was kind of close all day, and we wanted to get the half a point so we could win that series. We hit some really good shots at some key holes.”

Karen Stupples and Christel Beoljon went down to the Americans Ryann O’Toole and Morgan Pressel 3&2 and was unhappy with the USA fans goading and laughing when her Dutch debutant partner left a bunker shot on 16 in the trap.

It was the Englishwoman’s second Foursomes defeat, having lost with Mel Reid on day one, and she was rested ahead of the singles match “she is doubly determined to win.”

And when asked if being paired with rookies in each of her matches added a bit more burden, she said: “A little bit, but you know what, I’m happy to take the TaylorMade Lady’s Burner SuperLaunch Irons. It’s what it is. If it means that everybody else can see thatEurope will win the session and win the point, that’s what we’re all about.”

They did just that, to the joy of Captain Ali Nicholas. “It’s been another great Foursomes for us – just fantastic to win the session again.

“Sophie and Caroline got us off to a great start, they played awesome TaylorMade Lady’s Burner SuperLaunch Irons, while Anna and Maris got their point at just the right time, straight after Karen and Christel lost and the Americans were getting louder.
“But that stopped them and what more can I say about Aza and Catriona. That was a gusty, brilliant half and it was vital for us. We wanted to win the session and to do it again means I’m very proud and pleased of the girls. It set us up for our afternoon Fourballs very nicely.”

Many clients come to us asking for advice on whether to take a Europe cruise or a land tour. Many people feel a cruise is the better choice. The answer, at the risk of being evasive is yes and no. It’s like comparing apples and oranges, and although both taste great, they are quite different.

A rather simplistic answer could be that you won’t really see Europe on a cruise ship. You’ll see piers and ports which are usually industrial areas that you will want to hurry through to catch the tour bus that will take you on a tour of the region for a few hours. So you’re back to the land tour option, and a brief one at that.

For example, a cruise of the Mediterranean stops in Rome, well that’s not true. The port of Rome is really the city of Civitavecchia which is 50 miles from Rome and takes about one and a half to two hours by bus. So, if your ship is in port for 12 hours you will be spending almost a third of your precious time shore traveling to and from the ship. You will have time to see a few, (very few if you are traveling in the summer months,) of the sights and perhaps enjoy an espresso or gelato before your bus ride back to the port.

Another popular port of call is Barcelona for usually 8 hours. The port is close to the city, but it is not nearly enough time to see and taste what this wonderful city has to offer.

Most ships give twelve hours in St. Petersburg, Russia. That only gives you time for a run-through of the Hermitage, a glimpse of Peter-Paul Fortress, a blini and then back to the ship.

Shore excursions on cruises can also be quite expensive. To spend the day in Rome could easily cost $150 USD pp. If you are taking a cruise that has several ports of call, you could be talking about spending as much on your sightseeing tours as you did on your cabin.

Now don’t misunderstand me, I love cruising! The leisurely dining, great theatricals, breakfast on the balcony, cocktails at sunset, unlimited ship-board activities, unpack once for the entire trip and sleeping in the same bed every night are all wonderful, but not, in my opinion, a way to really get the flavor and see a country. Cruises also offer a wonderful advantage to families by having programs to keep the children occupied on sea days versus trying to entertain them on a bus.

On the other hand, land tours are not the total panacea. There’s that suitcase to pack and unpack every few days and a different hotel. Depending on the itinerary, you would experience long bus or train rides between your highlighted cities. The plus side is that there will be much more time for sightseeing. and if you plan properly and in advance, free time to visit areas on your own, unhurried and in depth. A ten day tour of Italy will typically visit at least the three major cities of Rome, Florence and Venice giving plenty of time to visit museums and cathedrals, small shops and mysterious back streets as well as wonderful restaurants and trattorias. However, unlike your cruise ship, not all (if any) of your meals will be included in the price and as on-site gyms, spas, beauty salon and gracious service are not at your fingertips. Also look at itineraries closely to see how much sightseeing in included versus having to purchase optional excursions.

There is one way to combine your apples and oranges and make a nice fruit salad, which is the packaged “cruise-tour” offered by many of the best ship lines and some tour operators. This is your chance to combine the best of both. Depending upon the cruise and the area involved, you can tour an area for five, six or seven days then board your ship for a wonderful restful sail, and even make brief visits to other cities.

No matter how you travel, Europe is filled with gems, amazing history, architecture and cuisine, so you are sure to enjoy your vacation. The key is knowing what to expect in advance so you are not disappointed. Europe cruise versus a Europe tour? Well, whatever floats your boat.

Sad that you cannot afford a luxury room in a plush resort? Well, there?s no need to shelve your holiday plans just because of that. With the all new craze among travel bugs, you no longer need to dole out more than half your traveling budget on rooms. Inexpensive vacation rentals allow you to enjoy a dream vacation for a very low price.

Cheap vacation rentals are very attractive these days because:

? You can easily find the accommodation of your choice for much less than you would imagine. Your vacation rental could be a one bedroom log cabin, a condo, a flat or a 6-room villa.

? Private accommodation ensures more privacy, comfortable amenities, more space and good food ? all for a song! Most vacation rentals have their own private gardens and a huge array of amenities like washer, dryer, refrigerator, high speed internet connection, spa, fireplace, a private pool and much more. These make your stay more comfortable though inexpensive.

? Cheap vacation rentals help you save a lot of money. The convenience of a full fledged kitchen means you needn?t waste money on eating out. A good washer and dryer system is another money saver.

Unlike hotels, vacation rentals have fewer rules. It?s almost like staying at home. For instance, many cheap vacation rentals are pet friendly and they do not have prying eyes following your every move.

In the past, travelers had little choice but depend on travel agencies to find them suitable hotel rooms or vacation rentals. As a result, most travelers had to pay a hefty price even for cheap rentals. Also, there was the element of security. Travelers to a foreign country often felt safer booking with a hotel because they could not see the vacation rental or get any opinion about it beforehand. All that has changed.

Inexpensive communication tools and the internet have made it possible for people to arrange their own cheap vacation rentals. Vacation rental websites are dedicated to offering vacation rentals in a particular area. All you have to do is enter the required information in their search boxes and wait for the listings to appear. Most of the listings come with pictures and testimonials. This makes it possible for you to make an educated decision, in the shortest possible time.

But, the plethora of information on the web regarding cheap holidays and inexpensive vacation rentals can become somewhat overwhelming. So, given below are a few guidelines that help you find the cheapest vacation rentals easily.

? Many rental websites offer free services. Of course, they make their profits elsewhere. But the point is this: there is no need for you to join a paid website.

? Choose vacation rental websites that are directly associated with property managers, as opposed to individual owners. When you deal with individual owners, the risk you undertake is slightly higher. Also, there are no guarantees on timely response and security. On the other hand, property managers are only too happy to respond to your queries, make suggestions and help you find the facilities you want.

? A reputed company is always the best choice when it comes to finding cheap vacation rentals. When you go directly to individual owners, you never know whether the property really exists and whether the pictures are genuine. A reputed company will verify these for you before they list the rental.

Sad that you cannot afford a luxury room in a plush resort? Well, there’s no need to shelve your holiday plans just because of that. With the all new craze among travel bugs, you no longer need to dole out more than half your traveling budget on rooms. Inexpensive vacation rentals allow you to enjoy a dream vacation for a very low price.
You can easily find the accommodation of your choice for much less than you would imagine. Your vacation rental could be a one bedroom log cabin, a condo, a flat or a 6-room villa.
# Private accommodation ensures more privacy, comfortable amenities, more space and good food – all for a song! Most vacation rentals have their own private gardens and a huge array of amenities like washer, dryer, refrigerator, high speed internet connection, spa, fireplace, a private pool and much more. These make your stay more comfortable though inexpensive.
# Cheap vacation rentals help you save a lot of money. The convenience of a full fledged kitchen means you needn’t waste money on eating out. A good washer and dryer system is another money saver.
Unlike hotels, vacation rentals have fewer rules. It’s almost like staying at home. For instance, many cheap vacation rentals are pet friendly and they do not have prying eyes following your every move.

In the past, travelers had little choice but depend on travel agencies to find them suitable hotel rooms or vacation rentals. As a result, most travelers had to pay a hefty price even for cheap rentals. Also, there was the element of security. Travelers to a foreign country often felt safer booking with a hotel because they could not see the vacation rental or get any opinion about it beforehand. All that has changed.

Inexpensive communication tools and the internet have made it possible for people to arrange their own cheap vacation rentals. Vacation rental websites are dedicated to offering vacation rentals in a particular area. All you have to do is enter the required information in their search boxes and wait for the listings to appear. Most of the listings come with pictures and testimonials. This makes it possible for you to make an educated decision, in the shortest possible tim

Golf vacation resorts were introduced with the aim of providing players with rich golfing experience and an ultimate luxurious experience. It is not surprising, therefore, to learn that these vacation resorts are becoming the preferred choice of golfers all over the world. However, to enjoy a dream vacation a golfer must do some careful planning and consider few important tips.

Selecting a golf resort:
Choosing the perfect golfing destination while going on a vacation represents the most important step for relishing a memorable holiday. Some love the energy of a big city like Las Vegas while others love golfing in a peaceful countryside. In addition to the destination, dont forget to research about the prevailing weather conditions. A bad weather can be the biggest threat to a good golfing experience. It is advisable to visit golf courses in peak times.However, all those who are looking for cheap golf can visit private golf courses in slow times such as winter. Most golf resorts provide discount tee times during the off-season.

Vacation Package:
One needs to decide whether to opt for a golf vacation package or go without it. Many believe that vacation packages are ideal for those with a high budget. This is a wrong conception; golf vacation packages do not necessarily have to be expensive and people looking for some cheap golf can opt for them. These golf packages usually include stay in the hotel rooms, discount tee times, and carts. In most golf packages there are facilities for luxurious rooms at low rates, guaranteed tee times, discount green fees and in some cases even the drinks and entertainment. Another advantage of booking vacation package is that golfers can play at less crowded private golf courses. However, golfers might be required to adhere to certain tee times restrictions and the discount tee times are not available throughout the season.

Golfers must consider the fact that golf vacation packages are available for people with different tastes and budgets, so it is better to shop around for a fancy deal rather than choosing anything on an impulse.

Budges:
All those who are planning to go on a vacation without opting for any package must prepare in details their budget and the estimated expenses that are likely to occur in different fields such as transport, accommodation, and costs for booking tee times etc. It is recommended that golfers take special care while booking online tee times.
Some finds golf packages better suited to their needs while others prefer going on a trip without opting for any kind of packages. No matter what kind of option one chooses, it is crucial to consider the tastes and requirements of people who are traveling along with the golfer. This means that one should choose a resort that has entertainment facilities for the non-golfers or one that is nearby to some fun places and entertainment parks.