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How to Get the Most From Your Lads Golf Holiday

By: | Fri 18 Nov 2016


Whether it be a pre or post-season trip away, a stag do or a birthday celebration, all golfers come back from their golf holidays exhausted from non-stop golf and the planning and arguments that come with it. But how can you make the most of your golfing holiday with your mates?


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Have a dictator to plan your holiday

This may not go down well with the group but it is imperative that you have someone in charge. This goes right through from the planning stages to during the actual holiday.

If you don’t, you will be overloaded with opinions on where to stay, what courses to play and what formats to play on the course. Now, I’m not saying don’t put these questions out to your mates but make sure there is someone in charge to have the final say. In fact, with big groups it may be a good idea to delegate roles to your pals such as who is in charge of pairings, who picks where to eat etc. By doing this, you take away the risk of every decision becoming complicated.

Plan in advance 

Don’t leave it till the last minute to try and get a large group of you on a deal to the Algarve because it will be a struggle. This way, you give your friends time to tell their boss, girlfriend, family etc. that they will be going away. You will also find that it becomes a fair bit cheaper if you book way in advance, mainly on things such as flights.

In the planning stage, you should also look to have a multiple of four golfers. Whether it be 4, 8, 12 or even 16 golfers, it makes it a lot easier and a lot more enjoyable and you often get discount on large groups. Turning up after a night out on the town with a banging headache on the first tee, and then having to make small talk with two strangers can be a monumental task in this state. Especially when your playing partner naps for the first nine-holes.

Make sure you all get along

This sounds pretty obvious I know but make sure everyone who is coming on this jolly boys outing gets along. The last thing you need is people arguing and people who are only up for what they want to do.

Think about it. What could be worse than introducing someone to you close group when you’re hundreds of miles from home, getting far less hours sleep than usual and drinking copious amounts of alcohol, when all this new guy wants to do is disagree with everything your friend says. A close group of golfers who have been playing together for years will have an unforgettable time even if the resort isn’t the greatest.

Make the pairings fair

This is key. If you’re looking to run a pairs tournament throughout you golfing holiday, make sure the pairs are fair. Everyone is paying the same amount of money to be on this trip so it is only fair that the pairings offer everyone a chance of competing. At the end of the day, it will be much more exciting if you have a few pairs who are in with a chance of winning when they hit the turn in the final round.

Have something to play for

If you’re in a large group it may be worth having something to play for. For example, everyone could put in £10 and the winners take home the money. If you’re on the course and don’t really have much to play for, people might begin to get bored. This also adds a bit more excitement to your round. Imagine being on the final green, in the final group and having a 6ft putt to win the money, with all of your mates watching on from the back of the green.

Alternatively, if golf isn’t the main focus and you feel you’ve already thrown enough money away on flights, transfers and nights out, then why not play for a trophy of some form. This way you could make it a yearly retreat and will be a way of keeping tabs on the winners from years gone bye.

Shots or shots?

I know what you’re thinking, what on earth does he mean by that sub-heading. Well, before you go on your lads golfing retreat, you need to lay down some ground rules. Is your holiday going to be based on the nightlife side of things and enjoying the local bars and nightclubs, as well the numerous free shots and drinks deals? Or is your getaway going to focus solely on the golf and the shots being played on the course?

If this golfing holiday is going to focus on the nightlife side, I would strongly recommend making sure your tee times are early afternoon, allowing you to sleep off some of the hangover. Alternatively, if your holiday will focus on the golf, it may be a good idea to get an earlier tee off time then you can use the rest of the day to go sightseeing or laze around the pool.

Don’t get caught up researching the best bars, restaurants etc.

Sometimes when you go somewhere new you get caught up looking where to go for food, where the best bars are and where not to go. If you find yourself doing this stop. You will spend most of your day or night searching for these bars and restaurants when there is no need. The atmosphere will change night to night and you’re better off just picking and choosing at random.

If you are with a bunch of good friends you will more than likely have a fantastic night wherever you end up. Whether that be in a quiet restaurant on the outskirts of town or in clubbing until the early hours.

Make rules

Make sure everyone knows the rules before the holiday, both on and off the course. On the course this is incredibly important. There’s nothing worse than coming in off the course one group has been playing gimmies inside a putter grip, while your partner has missed three putts from this exact distance.

Off the course you can set some rules too. A simple example would be, if someone misses their tee time and their partner has to play better ball on their own, the pair is automatically deducted 5 points from their final score.

Plasters and Paracetamol

It is key that you pack plenty of plasters and paracetamol in your bag because you’re more than likely going to need them. Plasters are key for the golf side of things as it is likely you will be playing several rounds of golf over a short space of time and you won’t have played this much in a long time, especially if it is a pre-season trip. Them blister plasters will feel like heaven when you’re playing round five on your fifth day.

Paracetamol is key for several reasons. If you’re in a hot country walking round in heat you are not used to you can quickly become dehydrated and quickly develop a rather uncomfortable headache. Lots of water, as well as paracetamol will help you tremendously here. Also, it is perfect for helping shake off that initial morning hangover.

Enjoy it

Finally, enjoy yourself. At the end of the day, this isn’t the Open Championship so don’t take it all too seriously. You are on holiday with your best mates, playing the sport you love (hopefully in glorious sunshine) so make sure you enjoy the experience. You will most definitely come back with some unforgettable stories from both on and off the course.


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