What You Should Want From a Golf Holiday

With spring having finally arrived the thoughts of many of you will surely be turning towards planning a golf holiday.

On paper it sounds pretty straightforward but planning and preparation is everything. Get it right and everybody will pat you on the back. Get it wrong and nobody will be talking to you - for a long time.

Where do you want to go? How many people will be travelling with you? Will you be going with family members who don’t play golf? What is your budget? These are all vital considerations.

The first thing to do when you have decided upon which country you want to visit is to start doing some research. 

We recommend checking out Golfbreaks for starters - they offer golf breaks and holidays to suit all pockets, all with independent reviews of courses and hotels.

Do Your Research

When you have decided upon your destination, check out the golf courses you want to play. You will be able to sort out your tee times well in advance. Avoid times that will see you on the course at the hottest time of the day. People who live in Spain have siestas for a reason.

Ensure that buggies are included. Trust me when I tell you that you do not want to play golf in a scorching hot climate while carrying your own clubs. I did this once in Portugal and forgot to buy a bottle of water before setting off - I was on my knees when I came off the 18th green. If you have ever seen the film Ice Cold in Alex, you will get the idea.

Will you be given some warm-up golf balls? Are bottles of water included? 

Have a look at the food on offer in the clubhouse. Check out the menus and don’t forget to have a look at the prices. 

How far are the courses from where you will be staying? Will you have to make your own way to the course or are transfers included in the cost of your holiday?

Family Holidays

Perhaps most important of all, ensure there is plenty to keep the rest of your family occupied while you are playing golf. You do not want to be coming back to restless children and spouses. Remember that this is a family holiday and they are doing you a favour by allowing you to play golf.

What is the night life like? Is it lively? Would you prefer somewhere quiet? 

It is easy to find out what’s on offer. Try an internet search of your chosen destination and do not forget to look at the reviews of the golf courses, your hotel, the food and night life. 

What About a Golf Mate Trip

If you are going abroad with a group of fellow golfers treat them all like children - give them a full itinerary, tell them where they need to be and when, and for goodness sake remind them all to bring their passports. I vividly remember organising a trip to France and gathering everybody together in a car park in Folkestone, only to discover that one of our number had left his passport on his kitchen table. 

Let everybody know in advance how many rounds of golf you have planned, who will be playing with who, the formats you have in mind - and who is sharing with who.

Remind them that drinking alcohol in the heat while playing golf is a seriously bad idea - stick to water on the golf course. Beer can wait until you finish your round.

Be Prepared!

If you are planning to travel to the likes of Spain, Portugal, Cyprus, Turkey or Greece in the height of summer remember that it is going to be hot. Very hot. Ensure you have plenty of sunscreen - and that everybody else in your party does too.

When you are booking your holiday do not forget to find out whether you are going to have to pay extra to take your golf clubs. This can be an expensive added extra, so you might want to look at the price of hiring clubs when you get to your destination. If you are taking your clubs, make sure the carrier bag is up to the job. If you buy a cheap one the chances are that it will fall apart as it is unloaded from the plane.

When purchased abroad, golf balls can be more expensive than you would pay in the United Kingdom so ensure you take plenty of balls with you. And if the courses you are playing have lots of water it might be an idea to buy yourself a ball retriever if you do not already have one.

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