Golf Vacation & Travel Tips

What You Need To Know When Planning a Golf Vacation

Charting your Course for Maximum Enjoyment

For most diehard golfers, simply playing as many rounds as possible during their golf vacation leads to declaring the trip a huge success. If everything else goes well, it's just an added benefit to an already pleasurable time. With a little extra planning though, you can maximize the level of enjoyment that you, as well as your traveling companions, will have during your golfing holiday away from home.

Knowing the answer to the following questions will go a VERY long way at increasing the amount of satisfaction that you derive from your golf vacation.

• If this is a package deal, make SURE that you know such things as the number of rounds of golf included, tee time restrictions, fees included (e.g., greens fees, cart rental fees, tips/taxes/surcharges), meals provided, shuttle service availability to take you from your lodging accommodations (whether onsite or not) to the golf course, options to send your clubs ahead of your arrival time, etc?
• What items are you required to bring along with you? Spikeless golfing shoes, a full bag of clubs, a suit jacket for meals in the clubhouse, etc? Are you required to use a caddy or are golf club trolleys allowed?
• If your lodging accommodations are off-site, what additional services are available and/or included…free breakfasts, onsite or nearby restaurant facilities, room service, swimming pool/exercise room access, shelter for your pet, etc?
• What is the "normal" range of weather that you should expect during your scheduled visit? Regardless, take along the appropriate gear…a rain jacket, hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, bug spray, etc.
• If the focus of your golfing vacation is lesson-related, what skills will you be working on? What can you hope to have learned (but maybe not yet mastered) by the end of your vacation?
• What additional attractions are there onsite and/or nearby for you and your traveling companions (some of them, dare we say, non-golfers) to enjoy? You should also inquire about the range of eating facilities available; certain members of your group might have special food-related requirements.
• Are there any discount rates that you might be qualified to receive…senior and/or non-golfer discounts, off-season specials, "twilight" hour fee reductions, etc? While money might not be a main concern associated with your golfing travel adventures, few people would complain about saving a few dollars.
• If not all goes well, perhaps due to inclement weather or becoming ill, what are the refund policies associated with the airlines, golf course, lodging facilities, car rental company, etc?

Regardless if you plan your own golf vacation or you utilize the services of a golf vacation provider or travel agent, make your trip one of the most enjoyable experiences that you've ever had on the links by asking these questions, as well as any others that you might have, to people that you encounter during the planning stages. Your level of golfing enjoyment truly depends on it.

See you on the Golf Course, John "Duffer" Walsh

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