If you are a golfer that really enjoys the game and you want to combine your love of golf with a vacation, then this article will give you some ideas to plan the perfect golf vacation. The initial idea opens up dozens of possibilities for a family trip or a golfing-buddies trip.
Before you jump in the car or plane to start hitting golf balls in the sunshine of a foreign country or even a different state, the potential golf vacationer has to think about what the ideal golf trip will included so that you can plan the perfect golf vacation.
The same with any vacation, you have to include some key elements when planning a golf trip; how long will you be staying, how do you plan to pay for the trip, what is the estimated cost, what other extras will you include, and so forth. The most important consideration is if any of your family or friends don\’t golf, then what other activities would they enjoy. The next thing to consider is where you want to play golf; near the beach, in the mountains, or on the links of England or Scotland.
By doing some vital planning now, you will be able to eliminate any problems that may crop up to improve your chances of enjoying a problem free vacation. To start to plan the perfect golf vacation, it may be best if you jot down some ideas about an ideal golf trip to help you stay focused. The following categories will help you get started:
* Set a general time of the year for the trip (a few months in the future; a year in the future)
* Decide how many days or rounds of golf the trip will include (don\’t overdo it!)
* Calculate a range of prices for the whole trip ($1000 to $2000, $3000 to $4000, for example)
* Decide on how many people will be in the group
* Decide on who will go on the trip – non-golfing family members, just golfers, etc.
* Gather some golf trip information from magazines, the library, Web sites etc.
* Ask friends who have been on a golf vacation if they made their own plans, used a travel agent, purchased an all-inclusive golf vacation etc.
You could use your original plans to make all the travel, hotel, and golf scheduling by yourself. The following tips will help you make your own arrangements.
If you decide to drive to the destination of your golf vacation, you will be able to carry all your golf equipment in the car with you, which will solve your transportation needs. If this is the way that you decide to get to your golf site, take a minute to check that your golf club set is complete. It may sound obvious, but it would not be much fun when you arrive at a beautiful golf location, to find out that your putter is missing because one of your kids took it out of your bag to play with.
If you are not using the services of a travel agent, then you should make your arrangements by contacting a local organization in the area that you want to visit. As an example, golfers can contact the South Carolina group that specializes in golf vacations in Myrtle Beach. You can use this method for other areas as well, like golf courses in the state of Arizona. The area around Phoenix has comparable assistance as do the many golf resorts in the area.
You would first select your golf courses and then make contact with the Golf Director at your choice of accommodation. They will be able to book your tee times and your rooms right over the phone. This combines your own decisions and using the expertise of golf vacation specialists and their local knowledge.
By doing most of the planning yourself, you will no doubt have a extra challenges and work, but you and your group will have the benefit of more freedom and a sense of achievement. Remember to set your standards as high as you want and then decrease them to a controllable limit if you realize that your budget will not stretch to an overseas destination like the Bahamas, Scotland, or Spain.
After you have secured your lodgings you should plan to play golf courses that are within a realistic distance – the less traveling that you do between courses is important. As well, you should have made these arrangements at the earliest possible date to ensure that you get the best opportunities. If you wait until the last minute and then you find that you want to change your original destination, you will probably end up with unsuitable rooms and less convenient tee times. Below are some recommendations for booking your lodgings first:
* Consider a rental house instead of a hotel for larger groups
* Make sure there are enough rooms and beds for each person
* Think again about the driving time to the golf courses if you choose a rental home over hotel lodgings on or near a golf course
* Consider early morning tee times that may allow an additional 18 holes in the afternoon. Being close to the house makes the course more attractive (it saves time)
* Plan for accommodation even earlier if you plan to play golf and watch a major tournament that is taking place in the area. Combining your trip with a PGA tournament adds some extra flare to a golf vacation.
One more thing to take into consideration when you plan the perfect golf vacation; will you play one round a day, two rounds, or can you play as many as you wish? Make sure you have this detail arranged before leaving. Finally, make sure you fully understand what exactly is included in your golf vacation and what is not. Taking a few minutes to get all the details right will eradicate the small problems that you may encounter once you are at your golf destination.
Mick Euan Tait is the webmaster of Golf-Online-Tips where you will find Golf Tips for Beginners and Golf Swing Tips to improve your golf swing. You are welcome to reprint this article – but get your own unique content version here.