Between dreaming and departing, what research are you doing to ensure that your next golf trip will be amazing? A creative approach and some informed decision-making will positively impact your upcoming holiday.
Imagine a Venn diagram with two circles. The first represents your next golf outing and the second represents your next vacation. Where the circles overlap you enjoy a golf holiday—that’s the sweet spot. Research will help you make the trip your best yet.
Chris Rambo, a helpful assistant at my local library and golf enthusiast, dreams about a golf holiday to Scotland. “I would narrow down the courses by checking the availability of tee times and rates,” says Rambo. “I would then look at accommodation and additional attractions in the area. I love history so I would be looking for anything historical, golf or otherwise.”
Our exchange prompted two questions: When golf is the main activity, how are you picking the most suitable courses for your group? What else is important for your holiday? There are plenty of ways to determine the ideal destination.
Let’s Be Logical
Time, effort, climate, schedules, party size, availability, transportation aversions, and budget are all logistical considerations. If there are constraints on any of these, consider the element most severely restricted first. For instance, if someone in your group won’t play in cold or wet conditions, consider desert courses like Wolf Creek near Las Vegas or Quintero outside of Phoenix. If time is a limiting factor, maybe you want to spend fewer hours traveling and see what is offered just beyond your local scene. Being realistic about non-negotiable elements is a good start for your travel plans—then you can get creative.
Socially Significant
It’s all about the people. Maybe you want to check out cult-status courses like Goat Hill Park near San Diego or Sweetens Cove in Tennessee, somewhere across the pond like Brora in Scotland, or another property you saw on social media. Maybe you want to play courses with caddies to hear the local legends or play walking-only courses for extra bonding time while strolling the fairways. Courses with lights provide for evening rounds and a totally different scene than the daytime crowd. Properties with putting or cross-country courses offer social extras, too.
Ace the Pace
How much golf is the right amount for you and at what difficulty? Maybe you would like a mix to help your handicap or to challenge yourself. Do you want to play the courses that you have seen the pros or college athletes play so you can compare scores and attempt historic shots? If you have surface preferences such as bentgrass, Bermuda, Kikuyu, or any other turf species, plan accordingly. Recently renovated courses can be great to experience, particularly if you can play them at a pace to take some quick photos or chat about before-and-after comparisons.
Excellent Extras
If members of your party are more excited about teeing up a great reservation for dinner, a spa treatment, or indulging in other amenities, make sure your golf trip is accommodating. Fun Mountain at Big Cedar Lodge welcomes families with young kids or teens and the resort has five (soon to be six!) courses. If you are wanting more of an exotic paradise with a little golf, check out Apes Hill in Barbados, home to a championship 18-hole design and the “Little Apes” par-3 course, or Kuredu Golf Club in the Maldives, which offers a driving range, several par-three holes, and lights—perfect for practicing your short game right through your jet lag. Visiting museums or catching a major sporting event is a way to add cerebral or athletic activities to your itinerary. A lively music scene is always a bonus.
Thoughtful Themes
Themes can provide depth to your golf trip. Try one of the golf trails—like the Old Tom Morris Trail in Scotland or Alabama’s Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. Pick an architect (Donald Ross, anyone?), a historical era, or bucket-list courses. Play properties in the Open rota in the UK or check out the blooming golf scene in Tasmania. (Don’t miss peeking at courses in development such as Seven Mile Beach.) Take a match-play approach and find courses suited to that format, including The Match at PGA National, one of the Florida resort’s six courses. Try regional immersion, where you choose an area and explore everything you can about the golf there. The possibilities for themes are plentiful.
With any of these research rabbit holes, the thought process will help you focus on what you love about golf holidays and what you can do without. The learning adds to the anticipation. Explore podcasts, travel guides, websites, and social media. Strike up a conversation with trusted or new golf friends—destination conversations are a great way to connect with others. When you’re at your local library, don’t hesitate to find someone to help with your research. It’s worth your effort to find, and enjoy, your next destination.
What golf trip planning tips do you have to share with other travelers? Tell us about them in the comment section.
