ORLANDO, FLORIDA | Among the most surprising things about the global pandemic that began taking hold in early 2020 was the positive impact it came to have on golf. Especially the travel sector. To be sure, it took some time for that to happen, as golfers were grounded for much of that year and 2021. But when they were finally able to hit the road again, they did so with abandon. To the British Isles and the Iberian Peninsula, for example. The Melbourne Sand Belt in Australia and the North and South Islands of New Zealand, too. And some individuals were so psyched to take flight again that they doubled up on their bookings, embarking on multiple golf trips in the course of a year instead of just one, and stayed away for longer periods of time. The surge was so strong and sudden that industry insiders took to describing the phenomenon as “revenge travel.” “Right now, we are all riding on the crest of a wave. Demand is big, and we are trying to create more.” -- John McLaughlin, CEO and owner of North & West Coast Links Golf Ireland “...