WWG Destinations
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2012 RYDER CUP CHICAGO
Join us in Chicago September 28-30, 2012 for the Ryder Cup golf matches at Medinah CC. more...
PGA GOLF PRO OPPORTUNITIES
We have partnered with many resorts (Bandon Dunes, Pebble Beach, Pelican Hill Resort etc) and destinations (much of Scotland) to offer PGA Professional complimentary places, spending money and 4% Golf Retirment Plus. Call WWG for more information on a group trip!
THE MAJORS
We have a great Pro-Am in Spain in May 2012 - you can play in "The Bullfight" at Valderrama golf club and other famed Costa del Sol courses; call for details ... The 2012 British Open at Royal Lytham & St. Annes GC in England will again prove to be a popular venue. more...
Andrew Harper Ryder Cup Program
Sep 27-Oct 1, 2012
The 2012 Ryder Cup with Andrew Harper
A Andrew Harper Members-Only Golf Travel Experience SEPTEMBER 27-OCTOBER 1, 2012 | CHICAGO, ILLINOIS THE FOUR SEASONS CHICAGO THE TRUMP HOTEL & TOWERS CHICAGO • Best Hotels Available in Chicago • Special Rates for Andrew Harper Members • Includes Free Upgrade to Ryder Cup International Pavilion Wide World of Golf customers receive a free one year Premier Membership to Andrew Harper. A Premier Membership includes 12 issues of the Hideaway Report, the leather-bound Harper Collection showcasing more than 1,000 Harper-recommended properties worldwide, unrestricted access to AndrewHarper.com, and includes all member travel benefits. Download a PDF Brochure here or call Wide World of Golf for more information. |
The Andrew Harper Program
Andrew Harper, in conjunction with travel partner Wide World of Golf, invites you to Chicago in September 2012 for the world’s most exciting golf event as America attempts to recapture the coveted Ryder Cup at beautiful Medinah Country Club. Choose between two Harper favorite hotels, the Four Seasons Chicago or Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago,and enjoy a members-only VIP golf travel experience. Kick off the weekend with Bagpipes & Blues, the official event celebrating the Ryder Cup. It’s a magnificent blend of Ryder Cup and Chicago indulgences in the shadow of the Chicago skyline that will take your breath away. More than 4,000 guests from Chicago, the United States and Europe are expected to attend. You’ll enjoy elegant food mixed with Chicago culinary favorites, and a premium bar with American and European wine, while surrounded by Chicago blues music and Scottish bagpipes. “Tartan Chic” will be the couture du jour. There will be a world-class auction of Ryder Cup, Chicago and Michigan Avenue experiences and merchandise to support the official Ryder Cup Magnificent Moments fundraising campaign benefiting two charities: Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Chicagoland & Northwest Indiana, and the Illinois PGA Foundation. U.S. Captain Davis Love III will lead his team of 12 players (expected to play: Mickelson, Woods, Stricker) against the European team, headed by Jose Maria Olazabal, and its 12 players (expected to play: Westwood, Kaymer, McDowell, McIlroy). Can Team USA return to glory on its home turf? Chicago will be a great host for the Ryder Cup…we hope you can join us! |
Package OptionsFOUR SEASONS HOTEL CHICAGO - 120 E. Delaware Place, Chicago, IL 60611
TRUMP INTERNATIONAL HOTEL & TOWER CHICAGO - 401 North Wabash Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60611
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Orgin of The Ryder CupThe Ryder Cup, one of the last greatsporting events founded on prestige rather than prize money, spans 34 competitions over 77 years. The origin of the idea to stage international matches between the best American professionals and those of Great Britain is a subject of debate among golf historians. Past PGA President George Sargent (1921–26) of the Southeastern PGA Section credited Sylvanus P. Jermain, president of Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio, for first presenting the concept in 1921. However, Bob Harlow, founder of Golf World and onetime manager of Walter Hagen, reported in 1951 that the Matches were first proposed in 1920 by James Harnett, a circulation representative for Golf Illustrated. Harnett had attempted to attract potential readers by raising funds to pay expenses for a professional match between the United States and Great Britain. Harnett didn’t get the support he needed until The PGA of America voted at its annual meeting on December 15, 1920, to advance Harnett some funds. The rivalry Harnett so eagerly attempted to develop eventually became the Ryder Cup. Regardless of who takes credit, the first informal matches were played in 1921 at Gleneagles, Scotland. Harnett, most likely with Hagen’s assistance, selected the American team. The Matches were played just before the 2,000 Guineas Match Play Championship, with the British soundly defeating the U.S. team, 9–3. Another unofficial match occurred when the R & A decreed regional qualifying rounds before the 1926 Open Golf Championship, forcing overseas competitors to make their trans-Atlantic trek earlier. With extra time on their hands, the American contingent agreed to form a team for an unofficial match against the British professionals at Wentworth. This time, the Americans’ defeat was worse — a 13½ to 1½ rout. English seed merchant and entrepreneur Samuel Ryder was a member of the appreciative gallery. Ryder was an Englishman from St Albans in Hertfordshire, who made his fortune selling penny seed packets. Before the matches at Wentworth, Ryder had engaged the British star Abe Mitchell as his personal golf tutor. Mitchell beat the reigning British Open Champion Jim Barnes, 8 and 7, in the singles, and then partnered with George Duncan in the foursomes to beat Hagen and Barnes, 9 and 8. After the matches, Ryder had tea with British team members George Duncan and Mitchell. Also joining them were Hagen and American teammate Emmett French. Duncan suggested Ryder provide a trophy and encourage the establishment of matches on a regular basis. Ryder agreed at once and commissioned the design of the gold chalice that bears his name and Mitchell’s likeness on the top. Unfortunately, Mitchell was suffering from appendicitis and could not join his countrymen at the inaugural Matches, which were held in 1927 at Worcester Country Club in Massachusetts. The United States team defeated the team from Great Britain in that historic first match, 9½–2½. The inaugural U.S. Ryder Cup team was captained by Hagen, a charter member of The PGA of America. Only American-born players were allowed to join the team, according to a Selection Committee ruling April 5, 1927, in Chicago. Joining Hagen on the team were Leo Diegel, Johnny Farrell, Johnny Golden, Bill Mehlhorn, Gene Sarazen, Joe Turnesa and Al Watrous. Mike Brady and Al Espinosa were named alternates. The British PGA team was originally set with Mitchell as Captain, but he remained home due to appendicitis. Ted Ray took over the duties, and was joined on the team by Aubrey Boomer, Archie Compston, George Duncan, George Gadd, Arthur Havers, Herbert Jolly, Fred Robson and C.A. (Charles) Whitcombe.
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The Andrew Harper Ryder Cup Hotels
FOUR SEASONS CHICAGO - The Four Seasons Chicago is a discreet, 5 star luxury hotel located atop a Bloomingdales on the corner of North Michigan Avenue and East Delaware. The hotel’s exclusive, elevated location above North Michigan Avenue showcases unrivaled Lake Michigan and city views. A true name in refinement, Four Seasons’ exemplary service and fresh contemporary surroundings remain as inviting as ever. The Spa and Fitness Club at the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago offers an array of exclusively-selected treatments designed to soothe and relax in the spa’s comforting surroundings. Access to the Fitness Club is complimentary and includes an indoor pool and whirlpool, running track, steam rooms and private lockers for all guests. Enjoy elegant fine dining featuring modern American cuisine at the award-winning Seasons Restaurant or relax by the fountain or fireplace and let the sounds of jazz melt away daily stresses at the Seasons Lounge. All 343 suites and guestrooms at the Chicago Four Seasons Hotel are located between floors 30 and 46 and boast stunning views of Lake Michigan or the Chicago skyline. Luxurious marble bathrooms and spacious sitting areas provide additional comfort and elegance to the already-refined accommodations at the Four Season hotel Chicago.
TRUMP INTERNATIONAL TOWERS & HOTEL - Housed within a 92-floor residential tower (the second-tallest building in the United States), the new, 339-room property proved to be a gilt-free exercise in contemporary good taste. An entire wall of floor-to-ceiling windows afforded spectacular views of the river, Lake Michigan, the clock tower of the Wrigley Building and the ornate spire of the Chicago Tribune building. Clad in creamy limestone, the spacious bath had a deep soaking tub and a separate showerThe hotel also offers 53 spa rooms adjacent to the 23,000-square-foot spa. The spa itself is an indulgent oasis where massages employ oils infused with gemstones! A health club comes with a 75-foot lap pool. Perhaps the most remarkable of the hotel’s amenities, however, is its restaurant, Sixteen (so named because it is on the 16th floor). Here, 30-foot windows frame the Wrigley and Tribune towers. Chef Frank Brunacci garnered a Michelin star in 2010, and while there, he fashioned an eclectic menu based on fine seasonal ingredients. The new Trump can scarcely be described as a hideaway, but the stunning glass tower is a notable addition to the Chicago skyline, and the property itself is now a worthy competitor to the finest hotels in the city.
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