5 Golf Travel Tips to Avoid a Double Bogey Holiday
We have all been there, months of anticipation leading up to a holiday and when we arrive, we get that sinking feeling. Creative photography, misleading brochures and wishful websites can make the most average hotel or course look spectacular. Once you have landed, there is no turning back and often the only solution is to fork out and fix the mistakes that have already been made. Thankfully websites such as Trip Advisor are turning the tide but we still need to be careful.
We are here to make sure that the sinking feeling is one that you never have to feel again. Here are our top 5 methods to ensure that your golf getaway is serene rather than stressful!
1) Take Impartial Advice
There are two types of recommendation when it comes to a golf travel break, one with a vested interest and one without! If your mate of 20 years tells you a course is a cracker, chances are it is! If a website for the same course sings its own praises, take it with a pinch of salt.
The beauty of using a golf tour operator is that as soon as a venue drops below standard, we find out. Green Golf Travel have visited every venue that we sell and many that we don’t! If a venue does not cut it, we won’t send our clients there. There are hundreds of hidden gems out there that quietly ooze class. These venues will ensure the trip of a lifetime but don’t take their word for it, take ours!
As well as offering impartial advice, a golf tour operator will save you cost and hassle and will look after you, year after year. Build a relationship of trust with your golf tour operator and you need never have that sinking feeling again.
It Looked So Good in the Brochure…
2) Hotel Value is Key
When it comes to choosing a hotel, cost and value are two very different things. If you are going on a golf travel break, you are not going to be spending 14 hours a day in your bedroom! For this reason, value in your hotel comes in the form of cleanliness, access to amenities, good food and a bed. Don’t spend 80% of your golf holiday budget on a room that you will only use to sleep in.
Value has different meaning for us all but if the choice is between a top notch course and a top notch bedroom, make sure you choose the former. Golf travel memories are made on the course so save the premium 5* suite for your family holiday and share a 4* twin with a mate on your golf break.
Don’t End Up Here!
3) Avoid Mid-Morning Tee Times
Have you heard the one about the guy who teed off in Spain as a teenager and had a Zimmer frame by the 18th? The 6 hour round might like a distant nightmare, but it is a reality in many golf resorts on the continent. Unless you are a cross between Jason Day and Terry Griffiths, this type of golf will strike fear into most golfers.
There is a solution! We all like the idea of a leisurely breakfast and a 11.30 tee time but this is where the peril lies. By this time of day the course is already clogged and you will wait on every shot. Plan your night out, get to bed at a semi reasonable hour and get out on the course by 9am. As well as a 4.5 hour round, temperatures will be pleasant and the day is still young by the time you finish.
Did Someone Say 6 Hour Round??
4) Beware of Hidden Costs
Always read the small print! If a deal seems too good to be true then often it is. Areas that most first time golf travel groups fall, are transport and buggies. At Green Golf Travel we will ask you for EVERY DETAIL of what you require. This may include car hire, private transfers, evening meals, buggies or all inclusive. We are realistic about your price to avoid any hidden surprises.
Our packages will always offer the best value for what you require. A no frills golf break may seem attractive but when you end up getting stung with hidden costs on arrival, your mates will only look to one person to blame!
5) Remember to Relax!
This one applies to group organisers more than the lucky lot who just turn up and play. If you are organising a golf holiday, don’t let it take over your life! A simple way to make sure of this is to pass on the work to an expert. Booking courses, organising transfers, booking hotels, making meal arrangements, taking payments and dealing with the whims of your group are what we are here for! If you need a golf break and want to relax, you need to enquire with Green Golf Travel.
Golf is Meant to be Relaxing!
My wife and I are planning on taking a vacation to golf this summer, so thanks for sharing this. I like that you suggest reading the small print to avoid any hidden fees at golf courses. We’ll be sure to ask about things like meals and transfers so we don’t get charged for something we don’t need.