New Orleans to Memphis Mississippi Golf Cruise 14 Night ( 15 Day) Tour with 7 golf games - 17 September to 1 October 2022
from USD 9,205 per person twin share (includes USD 4,650 pp golf package)
Cruise Prices include USD 400/Stateroom Discount for Trendsetter Golf Group
Trendsetter Travel Golf Tours Pty Ltd announces a repeat of its popular Lower Mississippi Golf Cruise departing 17 September 2022. There are 7 nights on board the 185 passenger authentic paddle-wheeler riverboat America Splendor (renamed in 2022 from original America – built in 2016) – with a total of 7 nights combined in Sheraton Hotel in Memphis and Intercontinental Hotel in New Orleans pre and post cruise. The re-naming followed a complete redesign and make-over of the ship in late 2021/early 2022 which included all staterooms, suites, lounges and dining rooms. The make-over included new colour palettes, luxurious textiles and linens, new furniture and carpets, and artwork and flourishes throughout.
While in Memphis, we visit both Graceland (a truly fascinating place even for those who don’t care much for Elvis) and the Civil Rights Museum. Our leisurely cruise up the Mississippi allows plenty of time to visit some of the famous ports such as Vicksburg, Natchez, and Baton Rouge while still providing time for golf.
Our 7 games of golf, most on top 10 ranked courses in their respective states, includes such famous names as Carter Plantation and Mirimichi. Four of the courses we play on the tour are either current regular PGA Tour stops (TPC Louisiana) or for many years regular PGA tour stops (Colonial Country Club, Lakewood Golf Club and English Turn). We now include an optional 8th game in Natchez.
We chose to sail on American Cruise Lines as it offers the premier product on the market for Mississippi paddle steamers with a near all-inclusive cruise offering. Most importantly, almost all staterooms have private balconies. And its standard size rooms are presently the largest available when cruising on the Mississippi River. Deck plans and brochures on the cruise are available on request. Standard room sizes are significantly larger than on European river cruise ships due to the much wider American Splendor as no requirement to use locks to travel the river.
Our cruise includes all meals while on-board American Spendor, wine and beer with dinner and lunch, complimentary cocktails every evening pre-dinner and post dinner while attending the shows, gratuities, complimentary (and usually fast) wifi and standard shore excursions. In addition, we include 7 nights of combined pre and post cruise hotel accommodation, including breakfasts each day. The tour includes a day dedicated to visiting both Graceland and the National Civil Rights Museum, welcome and farewell dinners, 7 rounds of golf including coach transfers, motorised carts, prize money, and drinks post golf.
Golfers with non-playing partners can enjoy their games, knowing those partners are having an equally fine time checking out the sights, or relaxing on-board. American Spendor has a limited number of single private balcony staterooms, thus offering unique value for a single traveller. On this golf cruise, we typically sell more single rooms and rooms to couples where one is a non-golfer than on any of our other golf cruises and tours.
Importantly, late September is an ideal time to cruise the lower Mississippi with early autumn golfing conditions and avoids the hot summers of the Deep South.
Time is included in both Memphis and New Orleans for independent exploring. Both cities are famous for their night life, in particular Memphis’ Beale Street and New Orleans’ French Quarter. You can of course extend your stays in both cities pre and post tour at favourable room rates in both our tour hotels.
Your tour hosts Adrienne Witteman and David Cooper, Directors of Trendsetter Travel Golf Tours, are both enthusiastic golfers, and are both longstanding members of a prestigious Sydney golf club. They have golfed and cruised extensively throughout the world.
They invite you to join them on this fantastic cruise, stopping at great ports, with long port days combined with the chance to play 7 golf games (plus an optional 8th game) all at a wonderful selection of courses.
Itinerary
Day 1 – Saturday 17 September 2022 – New Orleans, Louisiana
Arrive independently in New Orleans, a fascinating city with so much to see and do. We will be based for the next 4 days at Intercontinental Hotel, one of New Orleans’ leading hotels.
We avoid a hotel located in the French Quarter as coaches are prevented within the French Quarter. The French Quarter comprises a near square mile of historic buildings which have been transformed into restaurants, bars and many fascinating shops. New Orleans is one of the great cities of USA and will not disappoint. While not within the French Quarter, walking distance is the outstanding National World War II Museum which follows both the European and Pacific battle campaigns.
This evening we meet for drinks at 7.00 pm and have our tour welcome dinner at a private room in the historic Dickie Brennan’s Tableau Restaurant. Many (including your hosts) will choose to arrive a day earlier, particularly if flying into New Orleans that day from Australia or overseas.
Inclusions: Dinner including drinks both pre dinner and over dinner
Day 2– Sunday 18 September 2022 – New Orleans – Golf - English Turn
Today we travel half an hour and play English Turn, a private course which hosted a PGA Tour event for 17 years commencing 1989. Designed by Jack Nicklaus, a great track to play with the challenge of its famous island green on the 15th hole.
The evening is free to explore New Orleans and perhaps visit the famous French Quarter.
Inclusions: Breakfast, transfers, golf (including carts)
Day 3 – Monday 19 September 2022 – New Orleans – Golf - Lakewood Golf Club
We play the highly rated Lakewood Golf Club, a short 15 minute drive from our hotel where we have been accorded a multiple tee start. Lakewood has been rebuilt since the disastrous Hurricane Katrina. Lakewood provides great history – it was host of the New Orleans PGA Tour stop from 1963 to 1988 and includes such famous winners as Gary Player, Tom Watson, Lee Trevino, Jack Nicklaus and Ben Crenshaw. This recent change to our tour itinerary results in our playing all three golf courses which have hosted the New Orleans PGA Tour Stop from 1963 to the present day (English Turn from 1989 to 2005 and TPC Louisiana from 2006 aside from the recovery period following Hurricane Katrina).
Your evening is free to independently explore New Orleans and its many great restaurants and night spots.
Inclusions: Breakfast, transfers, golf (including carts)
Day 4 –Tuesday 20 September 2022 – New Orleans – Golf - TPC Louisiana
A highlight of our tour is a chance to play TPC Louisiana, home to the Zurich Classic of New Orleans since 2006, a regular event on the US PGA Tour – usually played in late April. A Pete Dye design, while built on a flat landscape, it can be brutal with its over 100 bunkers and 5 lakes. Post golf, there will be time to relax in the magnificent club rooms.
The evening is free to explore New Orleans and perhaps visit the famous French Quarter.
Inclusions: Breakfast, transfers, golf (including carts)
Day 5 – Wednesday 21 September 2022 – New Orleans – Depart New Orleans 1.30 pm
Check out late morning and take a short coach transfer to America Splendor at the nearby riverboat jetty arriving around 11.30 am where your rooms should be available. During an a la carte lunch in the dining room, our ship starts its journey up the Mississippi around 1.30 pm.
We sail leisurely up the river towards Houmas House Plantation Landing.
Inclusions: Breakfast, Transfer to Cruise Ship America Splendor , Lunch (drinks included), Cocktail Hour and Dinner (drinks included) and after dinner entertainment
Day 6 – Thursday 22 September 2022 – Houmas House Plantation Landing
Having berthed at Houmas House Plantation Landing early morning, we take a short 10 minute transfer by coach to play Pelican Point Golf Club, one of the leading private golf courses in Baton Rouge with a multiple tee start scheduled from 9 am. Excellent hospitality was accorded our most recent visit.
Post golf and prior to the scheduled 6 pm cruise departure, there will be time to undertake a complimentary tour of the Houmas House 1840 Plantation Complex including Mansion and gardens. In addition, there is an excellent history museum nearby. These tours are self guided and are complimentary to our tour party.
We depart early evening and sail up the Mississippi towards Baton Rouge.
Inclusions: Golf (including carts), breakfast, tour of Houmas House Plantation, Cocktail hour, Dinner (including drinks), and after dinner entertainment
Day 7 – Friday 23 September 2022 – Baton Rouge – Golf – Carter Plantation
We arrive in the early hours and berth in Baton Rouge, the state capital of Louisiana, with a most fascinating past.
After a short coach tour of Baton Rouge, we travel an hour east of Baton Rouge to Carter Plantation Golf Club. Glenn Hickey, in conjunction with Louisiana native David Toms, created the highly rated Carter Plantation Golf Club in 2003.
Inclusions: Breakfast, Transfers, Golf (including carts), Cocktail hour, Dinner (drinks included) and after dinner entertainment
Day 8 – Saturday 24 September 2022 – Natchez
After a pleasant sail up the Mississippi, we berth at Natchez around 12 noon and have 8 hours in this pleasant city until we depart that evening around 8 pm. Natchez is one of the best remaining examples of antebellum architecture as it largely avoided destruction with a relatively uneventful surrender to the Union Army during the Civil War. Our tour usually golfs at Beau Pre but this is not possible given it is a Saturday used exclusively by members. However, we have organised a replacement golf game at Natchez Golf Club (increasing tour to 8 golf games), a short distance from where our cruise ship berths. This game is optional and is offered at the concessional rate of USD 175 pp (includes green fees, carts, drinks post golf, prizes and return coach transfers). For those not taking up the Natchez golf option, there are a number of complimentary tours offered by American Cruise Line.
Day 9 – Sunday 25 September 2022 – Vicksburg
On 4 July 1863, the day immediately following the 3 day battle of Gettysburg in far-away Pennsylvania (the largest and most significant battle in American history), Confederate forces at Vicksburg surrendered to Grant’s Union Army. While the Civil War continued for another 21 months, these two events effectively ended the Confederate hopes of defeating the Union forces and forcing the Union to accept the separate nation of the Confederate States of America. The Confederates continued to fight on in the hope that mounting Union losses would cause sufficient political pressure to see the Union seek a negotiated peace (and recognise a separate Confederate State with its unique and infamous institution of slavery). The surrender of Vicksburg resulted in Union forces controlling all of the mighty Mississippi River and separated the Confederacy into a Western and Eastern part. This effectively prevented any significant amount of food and other resources being moved from the Western states of Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana to supply the Confederate armed forces.
To put the Civil War in context, at that stage the population of the USA was 1/10th the size of today but aggregate deaths in the combined armed forces of the North and South during the Civil War exceeded 620,000 (and were probably over 700,000 if deaths due to the war in the 12 months following the surrender of the armies of the Confederacy are included). This is more USA military deaths than in all other wars combined (which includes WWI, WWII and Vietnam). Much of the south still describes the Civil War as “The War Between the States”, “War of Northern Aggression” of simply the “War”.
After arriving in Vicksburg, we take a coach tour of Vicksburg and the battlefield that surrounds the town. Our tour includes a visit to the Cairo Museum located adjacent to the battlefield where you can see the partially restored iron clad battleship Cairo which was used to attack Vicksburg until sunk by the Confederate defenders. There should be time to independently explore the town of Vicksburg as the historic main street is only one block from where America Splendor will berth.
Inclusions: Breakfast, Lunch (drinks included), Guided tour of the extensive Vicksburg Battlefield Park, Cocktail hour, Dinner (drinks included) and after dinner entertainment
Day 10 - Monday 26 September 2022 – Sailing up the Mississippi River
We continue our journey heading north through the sparsely populated areas of Mississippi, Louisiana and Arkansas but all the time watching the never ending barges transporting their produce and raw materials up and down the mighty Mississippi.
Inclusions: Breakfast, Lunch (drinks included), Cocktail hour, Dinner (drinks included) and after dinner entertainment
Day 11 – Tuesday 27 September 2022 – Memphis - berths over-night
After a leisurely breakfast, we approach Memphis with a scheduled berth in down-town Memphis at 8.45 am. Today is a free day in Memphis which you can independently explore or take one of the ship’s tours which will be on offer.
Inclusions: Breakfast, Cocktail hour, Dinner (drinks included) and after dinner entertainment
Day 12 – Wednesday 28 September 2022 – Memphis – disembarkation – Golf – Colonial Country Club
After disembarking American Spendor, we transfer direct to Colonial Country Club. Prior to the PGA Tour transferring the Memphis Open to TPC Southwind, Colonial Country Club held the annual PGA Tour event in Memphis for 30 years. Perhaps its most famous year was in 1977 when Al Geiberger became the 1st player on the PGA Tour to shoot 59 and break the famous 60 figure. Perhaps just as notable, this was the year when President Gerald Ford, a golfer of renowned limited ability, shot his 1st (and we assume only) hole in one in the Pro-Am event.
Post golf, we coach back into Memphis and check into the down-town Sheraton Memphis Hotel.
The evening is free to explore Memphis and perhaps visit the famous Beale Street.
Inclusions: Breakfast, transfers, golf (including carts)
Day 13 – Thursday 29 September 2022 – Memphis – –Graceland & Civil Rights Museum
Today we have an early morning departure to Graceland, the home of Elvis Presley. We arrive at opening at 9 am and with reserved tickets, we will avoid the potential ticket queues. This is a not to be missed opportunity. We are budgetting on a stay of over 3 hours with so much to see including Elvis’ personal jet, his car collection, his burial plot (with his parents), shooting range and so many museums of memorabilia of Elvis and his time. Our coach will transfer us back to Memphis at 12.30 pm.
Following our return to Memphis, there will be time for lunch followed by an afternoon visit to the National Civil Rights Museum. The National Civil Rights Museum is a must visit venue with many compelling (and at times confronting) displays showing the civil rights movement – mainly through the 1950s and 1960s. It is built around the Lorraine Motel where Martin Luther King was assassinated in April 1968. We suggest you budget approximately 2 to 3 hours for your visit and make your own way back to the Sheraton Hotel. Our hotel is a pleasant walk through down town from the museum or you can use the tram down Main Street or take a short taxi ride.
Your evening is free to independently explore Memphis and its many great restaurants and night spots.
Inclusions: Breakfast, Transfers and entry to both Graceland and Civil Rights Museum
Day 14 – Friday 30 September 2022 – Memphis – Golf – Mirimichi
Today we travel 30 minutes to play the Championship course at Mirimichi, rated the best public access course in the Mid South and one of the best golf courses in Tennessee (currently ranked # 11th). The facility had been owned by Justin Timberlake who reportedly spent US$16 million upgrading the course.
This evening we will have our final farewell dinner in a private room at one of the leading restaurants in Memphis.
Inclusions: Breakfast, transfers, golf (including carts) and finale pre-dinner drinks and dinner (including drinks)
Day 15 – Saturday 1 October 2022 – Memphis
After breakfast, our tour ends and it is time to go our separate ways.
Inclusions: Breakfast
The Finer Details...
ALL Trendsetter clients, as part of our golf tour, will receive:
- Host services by Adrienne Witteman and David Cooper.
- 14 night golf tour includes 7 night all-inclusive cruise, 7 games of golf, coach transfers, motorised carts, prize money, drinks post golf, 7 additional nights in leading hotels, breakfast, welcome/farewell tour dinners (including drinks) and tours of both Graceland and the Civil Rights Museum.
| 17 September to 1 October 2022
– Lower Mississippi River Golf Tour (including Cruise) |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Picture Window Suite (290 sqft) (5 suites) |
Private Balcony Suite (304 sqft) prices vary by deck (48 suites) |
Large Private Balcony Suite (328 sqft) (6 suites) |
Owners Suite (445 sqft) (6 suites) |
Private Balcony (single room, 230sqft) (18 suites) |
|
| Cruise Fare (USD pp) | USD 4,555 | From USD 5,165 to USD 5,880 | USD 6,385 | USD 8,010 | USD 6,270 |
| Golf Package Golfer (USD pp) | USD 4,650 | USD 4,650 | USD 4,650 | USD 4,650 | USD 6,150 (includes USD 1,500 single supplement) |
| Total Cruise Fare and Golf Package (USD pp) | USD 9,205 | From USD 9,815 to USD 10,530 | USD 11,030 | USD 12,660 | USD 12,420 |
| Golf Package – Non Golfer Partner (USD pp) | USD 2,400 | USD 2,400 | USD 2,400 | USD 2,400 | USD 3,900 |
| Total Cruise Fare and Golf Package (non golfer partner) (USD pp) | USD 6,955 | From USD 7,565 to USD 8,280 | USD 8,785 | USD 10,410 | USD 10,170 |
Per Person Deposits – Golf Package USD 1,000 pp – Cruise USD 500 pp– Total USD 1,500 pp- Balance of both cruise fare and golf package payable 120 days from departure. Cruise deposit refundable up to 120 days from departure but subject to an ACL USD 250 pp administration fee. While Golf Package deposit non-refundable, it can be used as a credit against a future Trendsetter golf cruise programme booked within 18 months from the date of cancellation where cancelled outside of 120 days from the tour start. If cancellations occur after final payment, there is no right of any refund.
Above prices include port taxes and fees of USD 250 pp and are quoted twin share unless otherwise stated. Cruise prices subject to change until deposit paid and price locked in. Prices reflect a USD 400/stateroom discount on America Cruise Line web page pricing. ACL web page pricing is exclusive of USD250 pp in port taxes and fees.
- While both the cruise and golf package are priced in USD, as a group, all tour participant payments are to Trendsetter who will directly pay the cruise fares. You will pay for the tour in AUD with the USD amounts converted into AUD (or NZD) based upon a rate better than the best USD sell rate from the Major 4 banks available to Trendsetter Travel.
- TRAVEL INSURANCE IS COMPULSORY WHILE IN USA although it need not be purchased through Trendsetter
- American Cruise Lines General Terms and Conditions (including cancellation provisions etc) can be found on http://americancruiselines.com/general-information
The package price does NOT include golf club hire but includes motorised carts at all courses, range balls at most courses, prize money for all golf games and drinks post golf. Trendsetter has booked the courses as specified but cannot be held responsible for any cancellation/s necessitated by a change to the ship’s itinerary due to weather or any other event, or late amendment by the golf course or concern by Trendsetter at the condition of the golf course (say due to course maintenance). If such an event occurs and, in the unlikely event, Trendsetter cannot organise an alternative golf course, Trendsetter will pass through any refund available.
Contact David Cooper (0413 010 638) or email david@trendsettertravel.com.au for further information on this tour. For information on all upcoming golf cruises refer www.trendsettertravel.com.au/golf-cruises-tours/introduction-testimonials/
