With Signature Sponsors committed for the 2012 ARDA World Convention, excitement for the event continues to grow. Already over 3,000 attendees from some 35 countries worldwide are scheduled to attend, including international development organizations from around the world.

This year’s Signature Sponsors include: Holiday Inn Club Vacations, Interval International, Starwood Vacation Ownership, Hilton Grand Vacations Company, Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corp., Capital One, HSI (Holiday Systems International), ICE, RCI, ResortCom International, TimeShareWare, and Wyndham Vacation Ownership.

Howard Nusbaum, ARDA president and CEO says, “We are grateful for the support we receive from our Signature Sponsors. These companies enable us to offer high-quality speakers and events, educational sessions, and networking opportunities at the largest timeshare event in the world.”

Scheduled for the Venetian Resort Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, April 1-5, the 2012 ARDA World Convention and Exposition will bring a new, more globally focused outreach to the timeshare, fractional, and vacation ownership industry’s signature conference.

The schedule will feature several events that have become a tradition at the annual ARDA Conference, including:

• The RCI/AIF Open Golf Tournament at Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort, featuring the longest course in Nevada.
• Interval International’s annual “Party with a Cause” from which all ticket proceeds benefit the ARDA International Foundation, supporting and promoting the industry with research, education, and outreach.
• The ARDA Awards Gala, sponsored by Holiday Systems International (HSI), with formal dinner, presentation of the annual ARDA Awards, and live entertainment by comedian Tom Papa.

Visit this link to learn more about the 2012 ARDA World Convention and Exposition.

The Ayrshire Golf Company has announced plans for a £60M golf development with timeshares, to be constructed on Irvine Bay, on the coast of North Ayrshire in west Scotland.

Detailed plans for the development will  be unveiled to the public next month, with a public presentation at the  Harbour Arts Centre on Wednesday, January 11 followed by  a formal planning application to North Ayrshire Council.

Funded by Prudential insurance and investment, the development is planned to include an 18-hole par 71 golf course with clubhouse and pro shop; a 50-room hotel and spa; and 150 two-bedroom timeshare suites. Plans additionally call for a conference center and restaurant.

Ayrshire Golf director Brian Keating said, in an exclusive interview with the Irvine Herald, “The development will attract new investors and new retailers to the town. We want guests at our hotel – to be known as ‘The Ayrshire’ – to be able to visit a vibrant town centre. Our development coupled with Irvine Bay’s intentions for the town centre will do just that. We hope to be able to start work late next year after we carry out some preparatory work on the site. Some of it was in industrial use so we will need to take it back to what it was years ago.”

The golf course is projected for completion in one year, while total build out will take three to four years. Keating described the project as “high-risk” and “long term.”

With the 28th Annual Caring Chefs Event scheduled for tomorrow in St. Augustine, Florida, Bluegreen timeshare reminds you that the Villas at World Golf Village, is an ideal resort destination for timeshare owners and renters who plan to attend the event.

For 28 years, Florida chefs have been cooking it up to benefit The Children’s Home Society of Florida. In an event held at The Avenues Mall in Jacksonville, Florida, more than 50 restaurants, caterers, wine vendors, and specialty shops will offer tasting samples of their signature food and drinks. The 28th Annual Caring Chefs Event starts at 7 PM to 9:30 PM, and tickets are available for purchase.

Vesko Ivanov, General Manager of Grande Villas at World Golf Village says, “The Caring Chefs Event is a nice addition to any owner’s vacation experience. It will allow attendees to really sample some of the area’s best restaurants for dinner while helping a noteworthy cause.”

Golf and Bluegreen Timeshare

Of course, when you stay at Bluegreen timeshare’s the Villas at  World Golf Village, you are staying in a true golfer’s paradise destination. You can enjoy golf on the two championship golf courses designed by golf legends, Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer, with both courses available for year-round play. You can also tour the sports museum at the World Golf Village, the World Golf Hall of Fame®.

More The Timeshare Authority blog news about golf vacations at Bluegreen’s Villas at World Golf Village:

Play Timeshare Golf, Perhaps Wind up in the World Golf Hall of Fame

Plan a Bluegreen Timeshare Vacation and Golf TPC Sawgrass

Bluegreen Resorts - Grande Villas At World Golf Village

Much that is positive, exciting, and invigorating for the timeshare industry has been discussed these last two days at the VOIC Shared Ownership Investment Conference in Orlando, Florida, which is hosted by Interval International. And frank talk has gone on about all the challenges of the industry, the economy, and the ways (both good and bad) that the industry has engaged with consumers in the past.

But some of the most interesting insights about timeshare and fractionals comes from a simple look at the numbers. Very often in business, the numbers speak louder than the words.

Here is a look at some recent research about Interval International member/owners:

• US resident members of II own approximately 1.9 weeks of shared ownership vacation time or its equivalent and travel an estimated 22 nights per year solely for leisure purposes.
• They report household income of approximately $121,175 per year.
• Twenty percent expect to buy additional vacation time in the future.
• Timeshare owners are attracted to warm-weather locations (Florida, California, Hawaii, Arizona, South Carolina timeshares and Caribbean timeshares) and family-style accommodations.
• Most are interested in, or have a preference for, two-bedroom timeshare units. Just under ten percent prefer three-bedroom timeshares.

And this may be the most industry-relevant factor of all: 83 percent of Interval International’s US members say they are satisfied with their timeshare ownership.

As David Gilbert, Interval International, executive vice president of resort sales and marketing, says, “Even in challenging economic times, it is very encouraging to see that the appeal of vacation ownership remains strong among our members.”

This week, Wyndham Worldwide partnered with the PGA Tour event, the Wyndham Championship (still thought of by many golf fans as the Greater Greensboro Open) to bring a day of fun and entertainment to the Pediatric Patients at The Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital.

Patients, families, and staff in the pediatrics department at this Greensboro, N.C., hospital were entertained by magicians, face painters, a special lunch and story time. Perhaps most appreciated of all were the two Starlight Fun Center™ mobile entertainment units featuring a Nintendo Wii™ presented by the foundation. These gaming units are designed to roll easily next to a patient’s bedside (or anywhere else in the hospital) and will no doubt be enjoyed by many children during a hospital stay.

Wyndham Timeshare, Giving Back to Communities

Wyndham Worldwide and Wyndham timeshare have a strong history of community and philanthropic service. Wyndham Worldwide works to support the charities listed here, along with other non-profit organizations:

Associations of Hole in the Wall Camps, an international family of camps that provide life-changing experiences to children with serious medical conditions, free of charge.

Christel House International, a not-for-profit organization with the mission to help children around the world break the cycle of poverty and become self-sufficient, contributing members of their societies.

Starlight Children’s Foundation, which for more than 25 years has been dedicated to helping seriously ill children and their families cope with their pain, fear and isolation through entertainment, education and family activities.

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Next week, Bluegreen Corporation and Bluegreen timeshares will celebrate twenty years at their Boca Raton, Florida location. Marking the milestone with a weeklong celebration, Bluegreen will host a ribbon cutting on August 15, commemorating the company’s growth and success in the timeshare, resort management and real estate industries.

Boca Raton was not the original home to Bluegreen Corp, which was founded in 1966 by Harry Patten as the Patten Corporation, and was then based in Vermont. In 1996, the company changed the name from Patten to Bluegreen as it positioned itself for long-term growth in the timeshare, vacation ownership and golf industries.

John Maloney, President and CEO of Bluegreen Corporation, explains, “As Bluegreen has grown to include some 222,000 owners, over 50 resorts and an additional 4,000 resorts are available through our exchange network, we are proud to say we have achieved and maintained an honorable standard of work and ethics. I am humbled by Bluegreen’s success over the past 20 years in Boca Raton, and look forward to watching the company grow and prosper for decades to come.”

Today, Bluegreen offers dozens of popular resorts in the US, including Bluegreen Hawaii timeshares, and in the Caribbean the Blue Water Resort at Cable Beach at Nassau, Bahamas and La Cabana Beach and Racquet Club in Oranjestad, Aruba.

Tom Goetschius, RRP, a consultant and trainer for the timeshare and vacation ownership industry, has been named Senior Advisor and sales and marketing coordinator for the Tamarack Lodge Resort in Traverse City, Michigan.

To this position, Goetschius brings 25 years of timeshare industry experience that includes working with Hilton Grand Vacations; Fairfield Communities (now Wyndham); and Orange Lake Country Club.

Tamarack Lodge Fractional Ownership Opportunities

The Tamarack Lodge, located in the resort destination of Traverse City, is a luxury 29-unit property, situated on the beaches of East Grand Traverse Bay. Ownership is sold as a fractional property with one-eight shares (six weeks) for each owner, as well as more traditional timeshare sales with fixed ownership in two-week intervals.

Build and decorated in a style reminiscent of the grand lodges of yesterday, owners can select 1-, 2-, and 3-bedroom spacious units; with water views of the lake; private balconies; full gourmet kitchens with granite countertops; and much more.

This peaceful retreat offers water sports, championship golf, and downhill and cross-country skiing as well as other winter sports. The Tamarack Lodge, like other Michigan timeshare resorts is within convenient travel distance from many major metropolitan areas and affords many urbanites a venue for enjoying fresh air and a relaxing vacation with an emphasis on outdoor activities and recreation.

Do your weekend plans include watching The Open Championship (or as Americans say, the British Open) on TV?

The legendary golf course, Royal St George’s, is a par 71, 7211-yard challenge and can be one of the toughest tests in golf. This time of year, the fairways are typically firm and running and the rough is high… scary high.

Royal St George’s is known as much for its dramatic views of the coast as for the blind shots it demands of golfers. Perhaps most challenging of all is the infamous hazard on the 4th hole that seems to swallow both balls and players, surpassed only by the 15th hole, which is recognized as one of the toughest holes in Open Championship golf on any course.

Royal St George’s, located in Sandwich Bay, Kent England is a private club with only limited tee times available to the public; you can get on the list to play there, but you are going to have to patiently wait your turn. However, the area is not without England timeshare and golfing options including the Hever Golf & Country Club Hotel.

Loaded with charm and character, this resort features 27 holes of championship golf, and is less than two miles from the famous Hever Castle. The Championship Course at Hever Golf & Country Club Hotel has been a host site for European Tour Events including The Kent Open and Kent PGA Championship.

From a business perspective, it is hard to fully grasp this one … but it certainly is interesting.

Dutch Docklands is a company that essentially builds land where there is no land. Based in the Netherlands (appropriately) the company had signed an agreement with the government of the Maldives to develop 5 floating islands which will include a convention center, some 200 luxury homes, a boutique hotel and a golf course.

The islands are to be connected by a series of underwater tunnels (see representation in photo). In other words you would tee off on one hole, play that hole and in some cases more than one hole on a manmade island and then the “cart path” will lead you underwater to the next island where you will resume your game.

Now before you decide that this is more theme park than golf course, you should know that the highly respected, icon of golf, Troon Golf, will be serving as “technical advisor” on this project and one would presume, will later provide the facility management.

Considering that most golf courses need both destination traffic and local traffic or local members to keep them going, it’s hard to imagine that a golf course located in the middle of the Indian Ocean isn’t going face financial challenges, especially in view of the fact that the developers have the cost of not just buying the land, but creating it.

When this engineering feat is accomplished, with all its exceptional components, it may not be the cheapest place to grab a round of golf. Nevertheless, if you play, you will surely want to try this unique course, which leads me to think that an India timeshare resale might be an ideal option for great rates on vacation accommodations that put you in the right corner of the world to try what will no doubt be one of the most unusual golf courses ever built.

K.J. Choi’s win over David Toms in the first playoff hole of The Players Championship, on the par-3 17th at TPC Sawgrass was a well-earned victory for Choi. The Pete Dye designed TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course challenges all who play it. Nevertheless, for dedicated golfers it is a course that goes on the bucket list. And the nice thing about the Stadium Course and its championship companion course, Dye’s Valley, is that they are open to the public to play.

Plan a St. Augustine Timeshare Vacation and Play TPC Sawgrass

If you own Bluegreen timeshare or can make an exchange for Bluegreen’s Grande Villas at World Golf Village, then you are already set for a golf and timeshare vacation of a lifetime. Or, with a Bluegreen timeshare resale or timeshare rental, your golfing dreams can be your next vacation reality.

Staying at Bluegreen’s Grande Villas timeshare puts you onsite in a one or two-bedroom timeshare villa overlooking the 17th and 18th fairways of The Slammer and The Squire championship golf course and in a great place for playing the adjacent King and Bear, or trying your hand at TPC Sawgrass, only 15 minutes away.

Yes, playing Sawgrass is definitely a golfing must-do. So here are our best playing tips for when you tee it up on this legendary course:

Number 17, with its island green, is widely known as a treacherous hole and playing it well involves a bit of luck. But attention to the wind will be key in helping you keep your ball dry (note: in 2010 recreational golfers inadvertently hit over 120,000 golf balls into the water on this challenging hole).

Now brace yourself, because number 18 is actually the most difficult hole on the course. It’s 447 yards bordered by a water hazard from the tee to its oddly shaped, tiered green. Forget aiming for the pin, the green is too tricky. Instead, aim your approach for the general area of the middle tier and consider allowing yourself a mulligan.

In the end, remember you played TPC Sawgrass for bragging rights to say you did it and when the round is done, you’ll be heading back to relax at Bluegreen’s Grande Villas at World Golf Village.

Related news from The Timeshare Authority blog:

Play Timeshare Golf, Perhaps Wind up in the World Golf Hall of Fame