Issue link: http://southshoremagazine.uberflip.com/i/1547562
29 TheSouthShoreMagazine.com Old Sod Travel Collection initially came about as a way to combine Casey's fondness for golf with his love of travel. In 2010, while visiting Ireland where his daughter was then studying, he started toying with the idea of starting a business that would arrange golf trips from the States to the Old Sod. The idea soon became reality and took off fast, he says: before long he was hiring staff–both here and in Ireland–to organize and execute customized trips and, soon after, branching out from focusing exclusively on golf to include broader itineraries and destinations beyond the Ireland and the United Kingdom (places like Scandinavia). At that point, Old Sod Travel became well-enough established that it enabled Casey to pivot to it full-time and away from his three-decade career in the insurance business. After weathering the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Old Sod Travel bounced right back and has continued to grow, now booking about 380 trips per year to a couple of dozen European destinations. Last year, Old Sod Travel earned recognition from the Boston Globe as the fastest-growing business in New England; a feather in the company's cap that Casey is especially proud of. "The awareness that was generated by that kind of publicity has been so significant for everyone who works here," he says, "and, of course, the third-party validation of our work that comes with it is meaningful as well." Casey partnered with Katheriona Dowling in 2012, and together they have built a company and team united by a commitment to authentic local experiences and thoughtful, personal service that makes each journey feel seamless. Their emphasis on locally owned, family-run hotels, independent guides, restaurants and experiences helps support the communities their clients visit. From sheepdog demonstrations to marriage proposals beneath the Northern Lights, they bring local knowledge and imagination to trips that are as individual as the people taking them. Old Sod Travel Collection is a specialist European travel partner for both discerning travelers and travel advisors. Our team combines firsthand destination expertise with trusted local relationships to design and coordinate bespoke journeys—from distinctive family-owned hotels and private guides to experiences tailored to each traveler. "For our advisor partners, we provide the destination expertise and on-the-ground support (we have teams across Europe and the USA) that help them deliver exceptional trips while keeping their client relationship at the center." "Every trip begins with a conversation. We want to understand how our clients like to travel,where our clients want to go, but also how they want to experience it—their interests, preferred pace and the level of comfort and service they enjoy. Do they prefer the freedom of exploring by train or the ease of a private driver and guide? Some enjoy discovering restaurants themselves, although most appreciate our local knowledge.Our destination expertise helps us ask the right questions from the outset and turn those answers into a thoughtfully planned journey that feels personal." Often, prospective clients or travel advisors may have some general ideas in mind for a particular trip; fleshing it out is where the travel consultant on the other end of the phone comes in. "For the golf trips, that can be a bucket-list type of thing that