Planning The Ultimate Golf Trip
Bon Appetit
Remember when we talked about ensuring the entire group
was ready to spend around the same bit of coin? This is where
it really comes into play. The last thing you want is to finish
your round each day and know a member of your group is
going another direction because they can only afford fast food.
That said, make a list of priority eateries in your destination of
choice. Also keep a backup, just in case (you never know when
a 90-minute wait is going to pop up at a joint that doesn’t take
reservations). And—we can’t stress this enough—be ready to
compromise. Palettes are varied. Take all that into consider-
ation when your inner would-be food critic starts picking a
restaurant with a random five-star online review.
that everyone stepping off the flight or getting out of the car
together will be monumentally less stressful to the opening
moments of your vacation.
If you have no choice but to arrive separately—an unavoidable
likelihood if you’re coming from different home bases—it is best
to have a predetermined meeting spot. Don’t elect to wing it and
let the opening moments of your vacation start with stress.
Course Selection
One of the biggest mistakes made by those setting the tee
sheets is biting off more than one or more of the group can
chew. It can be seen immediately after the trip begins. Tackle
the best of the best on Day One, and someone’s confidence will
go down the drain. Instead, find a healthy medium between
playability and challenge while still teeing it up at a respect-
able course. They’re all around. Those who go full-bore too
soon will reap what they sow.
Given that relatively small jumping off point, research for
all of your courses is going to make all the difference in the
world. No one travels to any of the meccas with the intention
of playing the lowest-level courses, but most are also con-
cerned about not dropping the kids’ college funds in one week.
There are deals for the big-name tracks, sure, and the more
rounds you’re playing, the better chance you’ll be able to stretch
that dollar. Keep that in mind as you’re penciling in your initial
choices and then getting everything more concrete.
When it comes to your trip’s ultimate course, it isn’t just
about money, though. If you’re going to be telling tales of a
round to end all rounds for years to come, check around to see
if it is something that everyone can truly enjoy. Reputation,
visual attractiveness, opportunity for success, multitudes of
attack—they all ring true, and must be weighed into the overall
decision. This is where your group is going to make many of
the memories. Don’t fly into it blind.
vsga.org
Final Tips
Many factors are often ignored when it comes to the finishing
touches of any successful golf trip. Don’t overlook any of these
before yours.
Don’t press your luck with time. Plan for a few extra minutes
and arrive for each round earlier then you may think is neces-
sary under normal conditions. Roll a few putts, snag a beverage,
shoot the breeze with the starter, whatever. It doesn’t matter.
Rarely has a golfer not benefited from showing up six minutes
before he or she was supposed to tee off on No. 1.
On the course, one of the best pieces of advice you may
hear—as difficult as it may be to enact—is to put your ego to bed
and actually enjoy the round. This may mean playing forward
tees or shelving the driver or not trying to fly every approach
over water. Playing smart will do wonders to your game when
playing multiple rounds over the course of a few days.
Most important—have fun. Not everything goes according
to plan, but you can always find a way to enjoy a golf vacation.
Now get out there and plan a trip to remember.
J A N UA RY / F E B R UA RY 2 0 2 0 | V I R G I N I A G O L F E R
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