Tips for Planning Golf Trips

It will happen sooner or later. If you’ve been bitten by the golf bug, you’ll get to the point where it’s just not enough to play the local courses. You start dreaming about the golf trips you could take. You imagine golf vacations, and plan your travel around the golf courses you might play. It may strike you suddenly – a desire to play an amazing hole you’ve seen in a televised tournament, perhaps – or develop over time. It may just be a general notion that if you’re going to travel, you might as well check out golf courses and clubs in the area. Or you may specifically plan golf travel – a trip taken completely for the purpose of playing golf at many different courses. No matter what you decide, though, there are some things to remember when planning golf trips, whether for yourself or for a group.

Budget

Budget is always a vital component of any trip, and it’s especially important when you’re figuring golf into your travel plans. Teeing off at some of the most popular courses in the world can be a pricey proposition, but golf trips don’t have to be expensive. If there are golf clubs or courses you must play, check their availability and the greens fees before you book the rest of your vacation. That will allow you to budget for expensive clubs if necessary, or choose different courses to play.

Season

Some areas of the country are great golfing in any season – Arizona golf, for example, is perfect in any month, and Myrtle Beach golf courses are always playable. Do call ahead, though, to find out when courses will be undergoing grooming and reseeding. Playability will be affected – but on many of the best courses, you’ll still get a dynamite game – often at bargain prices.

Golf Travel Agents

Consider planning your vacation through a travel agency that specializes in arranging golf trips, especially if you’re heading to an area you don’t know well. Golf travel agents have connections, which is one of the best reasons for using a travel agent for any type of trip. When it comes to golf trips, though, those connections often translate to knowing about obscure but amazing golf courses that are off the beaten path, or special little perks that won’t be available to a player who books a tee time on his own.

Transporting Your Clubs

Your golf clubs will count as part of your travel baggage if you’re traveling by air. If you’re planning to bring your own golf clubs, always check with the airline to find out about any special rules and regulations you’ll have to follow.

You can, of course, avoid the hassle of traveling with your golf clubs by either shipping them ahead of you and meeting up with them at your destination, or by making arrangements to rent a set of golf clubs when you arrive.

Golf trips are practically guaranteed to be enjoyable for an avid golfer, but some careful planning can ensure that your golf travel goes off without a hitch.

Golf vacations are becoming more and more popular as tours and trips for families, couples, individuals and groups. Golf is a uniquely democratic sport. While it may be the sport of kings, anyone who can swing a club and afford the greens fee can play the same courses where the pros play. A baseball fan may never have the opportunity to step up to home plate at Fenway and face the Green Monster, but any golfer can step up to the tee at the Amen Corner and feel like a pro. If you’re considering a golf trip or trying to choose among destinations for the best golf vacations, consider these venues the next time you’re bitten by the golf travel bug.

Myrtle Beach Golf

On the east coast, the most popular golf vacations destination is Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Once known as the bargain basement of the golf circuit, Myrtle Beach golf has come into its own as a quality destination for the very best that golf has to offer. Overall, Myrtle Beach is known for its meticulously maintained golf courses, its golf-friendly climate and the sheer number and variety of golf courses and golf clubs where you can play. The 100-mile strip known as the Grand Strand boasts more than 110 golf courses, and every one of them offers its own unique challenges and charms.

If you’re planning a golf trip to Myrtle Beach, consider The Legends Resort, which is comprised of six award-winning golf courses. You can play the TPC, which is the only 5-star course in the area, or tee off at the Arnold Palmer designed Kings North course.

Ireland Golf Vacations

If your golf travel will take you abroad, consider a visit to Ireland to enjoy teeing off on some of the most historic golf courses in the world. Irish golf courses tend to be links courses along the coast, but you’ll also find some beautiful parklands courses if you head for the interior of the Emerald Isle. A golf travel agent can help arrange tee times at historic golf courses as well as accommodations at your choice of resort hotels or homey bed and breakfasts. The right agent who is familiar with arranging golf trips can also point you toward golf clubs that will treat you like a king and pubs where you can enjoy Irish hospitality at its finest.

Arizona Golf Trips

Arizona is another up and coming golf destination in the U.S. The two main areas for golf in Arizona are Phoenix/Scottsdale and Tucson. For family-friendly golf trips, Tucson can’t be beat. For the last several years, the U.S. youth golf champs have all come from the Tucson area, where kids are treated as real golfers rather than tagalongs to be tolerated or excluded. Phoenix is famous for its luxurious resort courses, and is the ideal destination for a top-notch luxury golf vacation.

Planning golf vacations can be a DIY exercise, but professionals can add those extra touches that make your trip especially memorable. If you’re planning some golf travel this year, consider consulting a travel agency that specializes in booking golf trips.