Planning a golf trip with friends can be daunting, fun, and stressful. Sometimes it can feel like you're herding cats. Yet, it can become one of the best experiences of your life.
The key is taking the extra time to plan out all the details. In this guide, I'll give you a good starting point to plan out your next great golf trip.
Step 1: Who's Going On the Trip?
This step may seem simple but can change the dynamic of the trip. The hardest part is knowing who will commit to a golf trip.
We all have that one friend that sounds interested in doing something but bails at the last second. A good tip for this is to plan the trip out in groups of 4.
Since this is how you'll end up booking your tee times, it lets you start small. Then, once you get the first group of four together, you can try to add another four players.
Step 2: Figure Out Where to Go
This step is probably the most fun part of the process. With so many options and destinations out there, figuring out where you want to go offers endless possibilities. But, keep in mind, this decision could alter the players that attend the trip.
Finding a place that fits the experience that you'd like, while also making sure it makes sense financially for everybody involved is a tough balance at times. Talking through the financials surrounding the trip when discussing potential locations is a great starting point.
While a trip overseas to play in Scotland and England may sound great, it usually limits who would be able to attend. Remember to not get too carried away when checking off courses from your bucket list.
Step 3: Decide on Transportation to Your Destination
Before you book those tee times, this step is likely the most important part of the planning stage.
Are you planning on driving somewhere a few hours away?
Or do you need to fly to your location?
How are you going to transport luggage and clubs to where you are going?
Knowing how you are going to get to the location needs to be decided and planned before anything can be booked.
With a travel plan in place, you can start to put it in action after you've booked your tee times and rooming accommodations.
Step 4: Book Those Tee Times!
With a destination picked and travel and transportation planned, you can book your Tee Times. This is usually the first expense of the trip that needs to get paid as some courses and resorts require a deposit.
The rest of your trip itinerary revolves around the tee times you can get, so, make sure this is done before booking rooms, flights, car rentals, etc.
Step 5: Get Your Rooms Booked
Some of the best golf trip experiences don't happen on the golf course. Enjoying every aspect that the facility has to offer is something that shouldn't be overlooked.
From delicious dining options to playing a putting course that a destination may offer is a great way to end a long day of golf. If this isn't an option for your trip, finding a hotel, Airbnb, or house rental nearby would be your next best option.
Bonus Tip: Take a Caddie
One last tip that I can't recommend enough would be to take caddies at the facility that you are going to if that is an option. It is an added expense, but the on-course experience is second to none.
The knowledge that the caddies possess about the course, and the stories they share about the property or other groups that they have caddied for, is worth every dollar.
A Golf Trip Without a Plan is a Wish List
I've been lucky enough to have been on several great golf trips, and this formula is the best starting point to bring everything to fruition. Some of my personal favorites so far include Bandon Dunes, Pinehurst, Kiawah Island, and Sand Valley. As mentioned in step 5, staying on-site at these places elevated the experience of all my trips.
You're not planning a trip to the Moon and back, but like that golf trip, planning every step is crucial to get the most out of your experience. Check out our site for more great articles, golf tips, and to explore a golf experience in Lake Geneva, WI.