Important Considerations for Planning Golf Travel

If you love golfing and travel, chances are that you’ve considered putting them together at some point. The popularity of golf travel suggests that you’re not the only one – golf trips are among the fastest growing categories of vacation packages booked through travel agencies. If you’re considering booking your golf travel through an agency that specializes in golf vacation packages, there are some important questions to ask. The right questions can help you work out the important details that will ensure a memorable and memorable golf travel experience.

Do You Specialize in Golf Travel?

Don’t just choose any travel agency that happens to offer a golf package. Many agencies have people specialized golf vacation planners who know the industry inside out. They’ve built relationships with hotels, golf resorts and golf clubs throughout the country, which gives them an inside track on information and some negotiating mojo to get you the best deals at the courses you want to play. There’s also a good chance that golf travel pros can give you tips based on personal experience because they’re just like you – if you could bop around the country and golf at great courses as part of your job.

What’s the Cancellation Policy?

Don’t just check the cancellation policy for your hotel and travel. If you’re heading for, say, Scotland, golf tee times may have been booked as much as a year in advance and secured with a hefty deposit. It’s important to know the cancellation policy for the courses where you (or your travel agent) have booked tee times so that you know how it will affect you financially.

Can You Add to the Itinerary on a Package?

Many golf travel agents offer a number of golf packages with itineraries that include a specific number of nights, rounds of golf, specific courses and meals. Most agents are more than willing to customize your golf travel package if you want to add an extra night or pick up another round of golf at a particular course. Whenever possible, work those details out with the travel agent in advance, and he can probably get you substantial savings over anything you can arrange for yourself once you arrive at your destination.

Can You Reserve Rental Clubs for Me?

Many golfers prefer to leave their clubs at home and save the $50+ each way that airlines can charge to transport them. Instead, they rent clubs at their destination. If that’s your choice, you may want to reserve your clubs in advance to ensure that they’re available when you’re ready to play. Most golf travel agents will know which courses accept reservations for clubs and any of them can find out for you if you ask.

Those are some of the most common questions that people don’t think of asking when they’re arranging golf trips. You may have other questions. The most important thing to remember is to ask those questions. Your golf travel pro will definitely have heard the question before and probably has the answer on the tip of his tongue.

Essential Tips for Planning Group Golf Vacations

Are you taking point on planning golf trips for your group this year? Group golf vacations are fast becoming as popular as the quintessential hunting trip with the guys – but the planning for golf vacations is a lot more involved and tricky than heading out into the woods for a weekend with the guys. These tips from golf travel pros can help you plan killer golf trips that everyone in your party will enjoy.

Research is Your Friend

The Internet age has made it easier than ever to get your hands on information about golf courses and clubs outside your local area. Put in the time to read up on the various golf destinations you’re interested in visiting. There are multiple sources from which you can learn, from the club or resort’s own website to the many guides to golf courses available online. And that’s not even counting what you can learn if you pick up the phone and ask questions. The more you know, the easier it will be to plan golf trips that everyone can enjoy.

Get the Timing of Your Golf Trips Right

Scheduling golf trips for yourself is complicated. Scheduling one that includes a foursome is can be a nightmare. The easiest way to coordinate travel, accommodations and tee times is to work with a golf package planner. Before you call the planner, though, you need to communicate with your travel companions to decide what kind of play you’re looking for, whether you want to stay at a resort with on-premises golf or prefer a hotel-and-golf package that lets you play out at many different area courses, and what your general budget is. Your budget can help determine the timing, too. If you schedule your golf vacations in the off-season, for example, you may get discounts that let you play higher caliber courses that would be unaffordable during the season.

Transportation and Directions

One of the most important parts of golf trips is getting there – and getting there in time to make your tee time, or your flight, or your dinner reservations. Getting lost may be an adventure when you’re on your own, but unless you’re with a group that enjoys serendipity as much as you do, you’re likely to end up with a disgruntled and out of sorts foursome who just missed the tee time they’ve been looking forward to for months. Your golf travel agent can arrange your flights and rental cars and all, but it’s up to you to make sure you know how to get where you have to be once you get off the plane. Don’t count on the Google for directions – far too often, you’ll run into a one-way street going the wrong way or an unexpected detour. Call your destination and get directions from the airport or the hotel to make sure you get where you’re going in time to enjoy yourself fully.

Golf vacations for groups can be memorable and a lot of fun. A little bit of planning can ensure that those memories will all be good ones.