So you’ve decided to start planning your first golf vacation, and you’re itching with excitement. Why wouldn’t you be? Uninterrupted golfing in an amazing location with good buddies. It’s the dream.
But there’s a lot to plan and it’s understandable that you want everything to be perfect. Here are our top five tips for planning the perfect golfing holiday with friends.
1. Choose a Place
Maybe you already have a country or city picked out with a lot of options for golf courses.
Scotland, Wales, Australia, and South Africa are just a few of the most popular countries for golfing. On the home front, Florida, Myrtle Beach, or Brandon Dunes are good picks.
Once you’ve picked a destination, find a golf course with on-site accommodation. This makes the early morning tee-time so much more enjoyable and allows you to squeeze in a lot more golf.
There are tons of golf packages that include accommodation, a couple of rounds, and sometimes even meals.
2. Pick Your Group Wisely
Between four to eight people make for an excellent golfing group. If you can balance the competitive and easy-going personalities, that’s even better.
Having a variety of duos and foursomes to play with makes the games much more interesting.
On the other hand, you want to have a good time and you don’t need a huge group to do that. If you’re picking random people just to fill the numbers, you’re going to have a mismatched group with one-half concerned about fitting in their Adidas golf shoes and the other subbing out a golf kit for booze.
3. Find and Follow the Leader
There are a lot of things to plans and decisions to make when planning a golf trip. You know how it goes, ‘too many cooks spoil the broth.’
If your entire group has to discuss, debate, and vote over every small decision, nothing will get done. Designate one or two people to handle all the main planning and scheduling, while remaining communicative with the group.
Decide as a group on a golf trip budget and some non-negotiables for each person, and then put your trust in the leader(s).
4. Don’t Try to Fit in Too Much
If it’s your first time golfing with friends, it can be tempting to try to fit in as much as possible. Especially if traveling abroad, you want to go to every golf course as well as a couple of attractions and did you hear about that amazing restaurant?
Remember to take into account the distance between each golf course you want to visit and the modes of transport. Will you have enough time without feeling rushed?
Instead of over-scheduling, take it easy and enjoy yourself. Keep a few activities or courses extra on hand if you have some spare time.
5. Remember the Finer Details
You’re probably overwhelmed with finding the right courses, choosing golf bags, and making friendly-bets with your group.
Take a breath and think about the little things that could improve your experience. If you’re going somewhere fascinating, maybe plan a cultural day. Or think about organizing some daily competitions and small prizes.
Make some restaurant reservations in advance if you’re in a big group as finding space for eight can sometimes be a headache.
Get Excited About Your First Golf Vacation
The only thing left to do is pack your clubs and get ready for an amazing first golf vacation. For lovers of the great game of golf, there are few things better than uninterrupted days of golfing on a vacation. Taking the time to plan it properly using these tips, is the best way to guarantee an amazing trip.
If you’re after some more golfing tips delivered straight from the experts, head over to our site!