Pioneer Golf, Inc., specializes in private golf tours, designed for parties of four to twenty or more.  Our office is in Austin, Texas. We customize itineraries along the lines of what our clients - whether they be a group of old friends, fellow club members, or a corporate/incentive group - may specifically have in mind. Our area of specialization is the British Isles, about which we safely claim to have extensive knowledge.  

Pioneer was established in 1971 but hasn't always concentrated on golf tours. For many years, as Pioneer World Travel, Inc., we operated customized corporate incentive, special interest, and purely sightseeing groups to destinations worldwide. Over the years, many of those special interest groups had a sporting theme, such as golf.  In 1997 we began to actively market golf-specific trips to Scotland and Ireland.  For this purpose, a separate company, Pioneer Golf, Inc. was formed.  In 2000, the larger worldwide group division of the company was divested, leaving us to concentrate only on golf. It is this background as tour operators that lends itself well to what we are doing in the world of golf.

Peter Hazelton, Founder & President

Peter was born and raised in Scotland and is an immigrant to the United States.  He is a 1968 economics graduate of the University of Texas and a golfer.  Peter's own golf and British background supplement our technical expertise. Peter has spent 35 years in the tour operating industry. His early years included some guiding and plenty of traveling. He soon struck out on his own and has handled many corporate incentive trips, study abroad programs for universities, alumni trips, and general sightseeing excursions. He sold this company in 2000 with the intent to focus on his passion… golf. Pioneer Golf was started in 1997 and began to gain momentum in 2000 once its larger parent company was sold. It is now one of the largest and most reputable golf tour operators that specialize in Scotland and Ireland. Peter and his wife Laura live in Austin. They have two sons, Mark and Stephen. Stephen is a fund manager in New York.

Mark Hazelton, Vice President

Mark, Peter’s son, was also born in Scotland but has spent the majority of his life in the US. He is a graduate of the University of Texas with a Bachelor’s in Business Administration (Summa Cum Laude) and Masters (Summa Cum Laude) degree in Accounting. He is a CPA and spent seven years with Ernst & Young, specializing in International Mergers & Acquisitions, in Dallas and Washington, DC. He then spent a few years in France pursuing his first love, cycling. He owned and managed a tour operator that specialized in trips to France, specifically to races such as the Tour de France. Returning to the US at the end of 2005, he joined his father, and is responsible for most financial matters, IT, marketing, and thrashing his Old Man on the golf course. Mark is a member of the St. Andrews Golf Club and also spends his time competing in triathlons. Mark is well traveled and speaks French and Spanish.

Stephanie Emory, Vice President of Operations

Stephanie is also graduate of the University of Texas and during her time there was president of the fencing club. Thanks to her French mother, she speaks the language fluently and spent her junior year at the University of Lyon. Stephanie was actually with Pioneer World Travel (Pioneer Golf’s then parent) in the late nineties. In 2000, when that company was sold she was too (as she periodically points out). In early 2006, she was lured back to be our much appreciated head of operations. Stephanie’s many years of experience ensure that our trips always run smoothly.

Eric Weine, Sales Manager

Eric is a graduate of the University of Michigan receiving a Bachelor's in History.  He is an avid southpaw golfer always working to lower his single digit handicap.  Before landing at Pioneer Golf, Eric worked in the investment community managing research projects for hedge and mutual fund firms. He enjoys talking golf, playing golf, competing in volleyball tournaments, traveling, and spending weekends cycling around Austin.

Paul Pritchett, Sales Consultant

Cristin Neil, Trip Coordinator

Originally from Pennsylvania, Cristin has spent the past four years adjusting to life in Texas. A 2005 graduate from DePauw University (not DePaul) in Greencastle, Indiana, Cristin devoted her first year in Austin to mentoring youngsters on local golf courses for AmeriCorps. After spending the next two years in the international work exchange and specialty coffee industries, she is excited to join Pioneer Golf, a company that unites two of her passions, golf and travel. When Cristin isn’t busy tying up our loose ends, she dabbles in foreign languages (Spanish, French, and German), frequents Sing-Alongs at the Alamo Drafthouse, reads voraciously, and enjoys exploring the variety of restaurants and activities that Austin offers.

Elisha Blanco, Trip Coordinator

Elisha is a graduate of Texas State University with a Bachelor’s in Communication Studies and double minors in Business and Spanish. Having worked in the hospitality industry for a couple of years prior to Pioneer Golf, Elisha is especially fond of working to provide an easy, comfortable, and stress-free vacation for clients. Elisha loves traveling at any opportunity possible, and gets especially excited to help others plan their dream vacation. On the weekends, she enjoys spending time on various arts & crafts projects such as mosaics, painting, and sewing, getting outdoors for some fresh Texas air with activities such as kayaking, tennis, and softball, and catching as many live music shows possible – Austin is after all, the Live Music Capital of World!

Cliona Deegan

Cliona is a graduate of Goshen College where she received a Bachelor’s in Communications.  Originally from Ireland, she now resides in South Austin with her husband and son.  Before joining Pioneer Golf, Cliona spent her last two years traveling Europe.  In her spare time she enjoys spending time outdoors with friends and family.

Michael Gonzalez, Trip Consultant

Bernie Renwick, Trip Consultant

Nicole, Sales Coordinator

This website, we hope, will offer you enough information to prompt you to give us a call. We’ll then fill you in on the more subtle aspects of your proposed trip: when to go, how to go, what to avoid, types of accommodations, which courses, and so on. We'll try to instill a sense of comfort on your part, making sure you receive the very best possible attention on a personal basis. To read more click here: Our Approach.