I live in hope. It’s almost a year since the world locked down as a result of the Covid pandemic. I’m not going to moan about the golf trips I’ve cancelled in the last ten months as a result - that would show a certain lack of empathy with the world’s plight.
However, I am hopeful. I’m hopeful that in the months ahead I will be able to travel beyond East Lothian in Scotland, at least to the rest of the UK. I suspect that international travel may not be on the agenda for this summer, but I am optimistic we will be able to leave our own houses before the summer is out!
So over the next few weeks I’m going to run a series of articles on golf trips to take in the UK. Some of them will be based on trips I have done myself, others from what I’ve gleaned from the internet and from my lovely Twitter followers.
But before I launch into that, a few tips for planning a golf trip. It’s amazing what a big difference getting some of these things right can make. Good luck, wherever you manage to get to in 2021!
UNDERSTAND WHAT EVERYONE’S PRIORITIES ARE
This may seem blindingly obvious but I have heard some horror stories before. A friend of mine went to Portugal thinking he was on a golf holiday and it turned out to be a hard core drinking festival with a couple of rounds of golf thrown in. It took him weeks to recover.
Another friend was destroyed on a trip to Scotland where the opposite was the problem. He was faced with 36 holes a day on some of the toughest courses in the world, and when they weren’t playing golf they were travelling many miles to the next venue. All he wanted was to stay in one place for 24 hours and have a sit-down meal!
Some people cope with an early start after a big night better than others!
So if you are organising a trip, get everyone together before you get carried away and make sure you all agree what kind of a golf trip you all want. Do people want to stay in a city or are they happy being in a resort? Are people happy playing 36 holes on some days or is one enough? Morning or afternoon tee times? Getting these things clear up front will be worth it down the line.
AGREE A BUDGET - AND TRY AND MINIMISE THE SUPRISES
Again, obvious you would think but I have heard of some massive fall-outs when some members of a trip are trying to insist on a Michelin meal when others’ budgets only stretch to a burger. Try and agree a budget up front and then plan it out. And do factor in drinks, taxis and all of the other things that add up.
I’d recommend a great app I’ve used on my last few trips, called Splittr. It lets you add in expenses for each individual member as the trip goes on and, at any stage, will give you a reconciliation of who owes who what. No more losing receipts or gettting out the calculators after the last round.
DON’T BITE OFF MORE THAN YOU CAN CHEW
One of the biggest problems I hear about is people who try to cover too much ground in too short a period of time. This happens especially for Americans desparately trying to squeeze all corners of Scotland into just a few days. Ru Macdonald runs the excellent Scottish Golf Podcast and this is one of his themes. So, if you are just doing a few days, try to base yourself in one place and travel to courses within an hour’s drive. There’s nothing worse than constantly packing and repacking a car at dawn and dusk and never feeling settled.
AND CHOOSE YOUR COURSES SENSIBLY TOO
It is worth spending some time making sure you have got the mix of courses right. For a long weekend trip I normally aim for 4 rounds in 3 days, that allows enough time for some relaxation but everyone feels well-golfed too.
Unless you are really at the top of your game I would recommend mixing up the quality of the courses a little. It’s nice to start on a slightly easier course to get everyone warmed up. Also, it’s good to have something to build up to, so if you are planning to play one of the country’s top courses then leave that until the last round if you can.
Make sure you check out what restrictions courses have so you can build the trip around any ‘must-plays’. For example, Muirfield only allows unaccompanied play on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays so, if you were planning a trip to East Lothian, you might want to look at availability at Muirfield and then work out which courses to play either side. It’s always a relief when I find courses where guests are welcome at the weekend - it makes the logistics so much easier.
IF YOU’RE GETTING A HIRE CAR - GO BIG
A relatively small point, but one worth remembering. Car hire should be really good value this year and often will be much cheaper than using taxis to get to courses. The difference in price between a nice big people carrier with tons of space and a ‘compact’ car is often negligible.
I’ve lost count of the number of times four of us have turned up at a car hire and looked in despair at the car given to us (‘But it looked so much bigger on the website’...’No sir, this is the category you booked'). So, now we always go up several sizes when booking. Don’t forget, your stuff seems to multiply in size every day of the trip, so make allowance for that too!
CHOOSE A FORMAT THAT GIVES EVERYONE A CHANCE
It’s nice to have a competitive edge to a trip. Firstly, unless you are all golfers of considerable talent, I would suggest avoiding medal play. Subjecting yourself to that kind of pressure is unlikely to make for much fun.
Also, try and find a format that builds to a crescendo. It can be a little dispiriting for a player who has a nightmare in the first couple of rounds and is left with no chance of winning after that. For our main annual trip we have a Stableford competition over four rounds but introduce a multiplier. The third rounds point are worth 1.5x and the last round double. It means that there’s a better chance of everyone having a shout in the last round and helps ratchet up the pressure.
If you are looking for some inspiration this site has plenty of different ideas to consider.
Oh, and one other thing. Pick tees that everyone will enjoy. It’s much better for the long hitters to have to play up a bit than for the short hitters never to reach a fairway. Believe me!
SHOP AROUND FOR THE BEST DEALS - ESPECIALLY THIS YEAR
Uncertainty will dominate any plans for a golf trip this year. It’s unlikely you will be able to book anything too far out. I would recommend holding fire on booking so you can be flexible about where you go, depending on what areas of the country are open for travel at any given time.
Another factor to take into account will be that many courses will be really busy with members playing beacuse they can’t get away for a holiday. On the other hand, most clubs really need green fee income to make their financial models work. The very top-end clubs will be suffering particularly this year because of the lack of transatlantic visitors, so look out for some offers - I expect that many will be trying to encourage visitors with some special deals.
Another option is to book through one of the UK-based golf travel agencies. They often negotiate good rates at clubs and accommodation and will give you the extra protection and cancellation policies that comes through booking with an agency. Also, with so much uncertainty it means that you only need to make one call if you need to rearrange everything at the last minute, rather than half a dozen!
SOME FINISHING TOUCHES
Not everyone is a fan of the ‘tour shirt’, but it does give you something to wear when you do the decorating in future! I know of some who have a more subtle approach and have tour badged headcovers or other such memorabilia. Whatever takes your fancy!
Trophies can be picked up for a reasonable cost too. We have been playing for the same claret jug for over 20 years now and while it does still have a few bashes it is now part of the ritual of the trip. We’ve even bumped into a couple of famous faces to make the end of trip presentation.
Wherever your golf travels take you, I hope this might have given you a few ideas and you have a wonderful time. I’ll be posting different UK golf trips over the next few weeks - some a little more obvious that others. I hope there’s something in there for you!
For inspiration, you can see a list of all courses reviewed on UK Golf Guy site here