I just returned from a wonderful golf trip to Iceland! I traveled with Global Traveler’s staff photographer, Christopher (Yammi) Ottaunick, Wayne Tallman on Global Traveler’s Advisory Board and tagging along was Mike Donahue, a long-time friend and fellow coach and Athletic Director at our children’s school.

This was a golf trip to check out the courses around Reykjavik for upcoming GTee golf reports in Global Traveler.  We played the GKG-Gardbaer-Kopabogur Golf Club, which was aptly described by some in our group as a “dog track.” The next day we played the Reykjavik Golf Club, followed by Korpa Golf Club and the next day Keilir Golf Club - which were all “A” courses. Our round at Korpa Golf Club was played in 40 MPH winds with averages temperatures between 60-65 degrees.

 Korpa Course

Accommodations were at the Reykjavik Grand Hotel, currently undergoing construction of a tower which is nearly complete. Dinners were spent in downtown Reykjavik nightly around 10 p.m.  - just when dinner stops being served. But 10 p.m. during the summer solstice is like noon in North America.

The Icelandic Tourist Board was not helpful, several calls were made to the Director by myself and my staff and emails were sent. None were returned. So, if you are planning to visit Iceland, you are going to have to go at it alone. We found websites, golf information and the Icelandic Tourist Board’s website very limited and useless.

We all flew from BWI on Icelandair in their business class.

Tallman and Donahue in the Chesapeake Lounge

Icelandair’s business class is a more modest version of most business classes you would fly. The seat is an older style with limited recline, but the service was good and the wines have been award winning for many years.

We ended the trip with a must-see - a stop at the Blue Lagoon, where geothermal baths and massages await the weary traveler.

Blue Lagoon

Finally, we made our way back to the Reykjavik Keflavik Airport for our return flight to Baltimore, where I enjoyed dinner in Baltimore’s little Italy. Next week, as we enter the July 4th holiday spend some time grounded with your family!

 -Fran Gallagher, publisher and CEO