Top 5 Golf Travel Tips

1. Research, research, research

Get on the web, scour magazines and talk to friends to find out all you can about the destinations you’re considering. Obviously, evaluate the courses you’ll be playing, but pay close attention to the weather. Many times packages are priced extremely low because it’s the rainy season or its hotter than a blast furnace.

2. Use a packager

I’m certainly not against putting a golf trip together by cherry picking the web and creating a list of courses at a destination and finding a great deal on a hotel, but, guess what, somebody has already done all the work for you–golf packagers. There are some great ones out there like Premier Golf, Carr Golf and The Art of Golf Travel. (see my complete list below).

3. Book early

In recent years there’s been a trend towards waiting to the last minute to swoop down on some awesome deal. However, with golf packages, the sooner you get in on the deal the better.

4. Schedule smart

Don’t overload yourself on golf. You need to understand your physical limitations and golf can also be mentally draining. Try to include other types of recreation, shopping and dining in your itinerary. If your spouse is accompanying you, head to the spa.

5. Use a top of the line golf travel bag

If you’ve got an expensive set of clubs (and most decent sets are expensive these days) don’t try to save money with a cheap travel bag. Get one from a respected manufacturer like Club Glove, Datrek, Izzo or Ogio.

My Top Five Golf Package Specialists

If you want experts to coordinate your next great golf excursion. Check out one of these top notch firms that have been planning and executing successful golf trips for decades:
Premier Golf
Carr Golf
Haversham and Baker Golfing Expeditions
The Art of Golf Travel
Golf Trip Junkie

International Golf Package Specialists

The Old Course Experience-St. Andrews
Golfscape Luxury Golf Travel
La Haute Couture du Voyage (France)
Tobs Kenya Golf Safaris (Kenya)
Celtic Golf (Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales)
Wales Golf Vacations (Wales)
Golf International Inc.
Kalos Golf
SGH Golf
Golf Vacations to Ireland
Golf Holiday Italy

My Top 20 Favorite Golf Resorts in North America

1. Pinehurst Resort, Pinehurst, North Carolina
2. Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, Naples, Florida
3. American Club, Kohler, Wisconsin
4. The Lodge and Spa at Cordiillera, Vale, Colorado
5. Bandon Dunes, Bandon, Oregon
6. The Greenbrier, White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia
7. Kiawah Island Resort, Kiawah Island, South Carolina
8. PGA National Resort and Spa, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
9. The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island, Florida
10. Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, Big Island, Hawaii
11. Barton Creek, Austin, Texas
12. Lodge at Pebble Beach, Pebble Beach, California
13. The Cloister, Sea Island, Georgia
14. One& Only Palmilla, Los Cabos, Mexico
15. Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge Resort, Jasper, Alberta, Canada
16. Reynolds Planation, Ritz Carlton Lodge, Lake Oconee, Georgia
17. The Broadmoor, Colorado Springs, Colorado
18. Fairmont Banff Springs Resort, Banff Springs, Canada
19. Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay, Half Moon Bay, California
20. Inn at Spanish Bay, Pebble Beach, California

My Top Ten Favorite International Golf Resorts

1. The Grove, London England
2. Turnberry Resort, Ayrshire, Scotland
3. Old Course Hotel, St. Andrews, Scotland
4. Gleneagles, Perthshire, Scotland
5. Celtic Manor Resort, Wales, England
6. Penha Longa Hotel & Golf Resort, Sintra, Portugal
7. Fairmont St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Scotland
8. Mission Hills Resort, Shenzhen, China
9. Dona Filipa Hotel, Algarve, Portugal
10.Windsor Hotel Golf and Country Club, Nairobi, Kenya

My Top Five Favorite Airline Booking Sites

1. Cheapoair.com
2. Momondo.com
3. Kayak.com
4. Airlineconsolidator.com
5. Orbitz.com

The Big Three: Links to Official Sites of St. Andrews, Pinehurst and Pebble Beach Golf

St. Andrews, Scotland
Pinehurst, North Carolina
Pebble Beach, California

Top 5 Favorite Golf Course Designers (Pre-Modern Era)

1. Donald Ross
2. Dr. Alister Mackenzie
3. Old Tom Morris
4. Stanley Thompson
5. Robert Trent Jones Sr.

Links to Tourism Offices for International Golf Destinations

England
France
Ireland
Italy
Portugal
Scotland
Spain
Wales

Some of My Favorite Courses I’ve Played Around the World

Bay Hill, Orlando, Florida
Abaco Club, Bahamas
Ailsa Course, Turnberry, Ayrshire, Scotland
Atlantic City C.C., New Jersey
Ballyliffin, North Irleand
Blue Monster, Doral Resort, Miami, Florida
Boulders Resort, Scottsdale, Arizona
Callaway Gardens Resort, Pine Mountain, Georgia
Camp Creek, Panama City, Florida
Carne Golf Links, No. Ireland
Celtic Manor, 2010 Course, Wales
Chambers Bay, Washington State
Champion Course, PGA National Resort, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
Copperhead, Innisbrook Resort, Palm Harbor, Florida
Corales, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
Desert Mountain, Scottsdale, Arizona
Donegal Golf Club, No. Ireland
Enniscrone, North Ireland
The Grove, London, England
Harbour Town Golf Links, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Jasper Lodge, Alberta Canada
Keystone Resort, Keystone, Colorado
Kingsbarns, Scotland
Lake Nona, Orlando, Florida
MetroWest, Orlando, Florida
Mission Hills Resort Faldo Course, China
Mission Hills Resort Olazabal Course, China
Mount Kenya Safari Club, Kenya
Mid-Ocean, Bermuda
New Course, Grand Cypress Resort, Orlando, Florida
Ocean Course, Kiawah Island Resort, South Carolina
Ocean Links Course, Amelia Island Plantation Resort, Florida
Old White Course, Greenbrier Resort, West Virginia
Pinehurst No. 2, Pinehurst, North Carolina
Pinehurst No. 8, Pinehurst, North Carolina
Rosapenna, No. Irleand
Royal North Devon, SW England
Royal Porthcawl, Wales, England
Salish Cliffs, Tacoma, Washington
Seaside Course, The Cloister, Sea Island Resort
Silverado Resort, Napa Valley, California
Southern Hills, Tulsa, Oklahoma
Seaview Resort, Atlantic City, New Jersey
St. Enodoc’s Church Course, SW England
Sun Valley Resort, Idaho
Teeth of the Dog, Casa de Campo, Dominican Republic
Thompson Course, Banff Springs Resort, Banff, Canada
TPC Stadium Course, Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
TPC San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas
Tranquilo Golf Club, Lake Buena Vista, Florida
Trilogy Golf Club, Ocala, Florida
Trump Ireland, Doonbeg, Ireland
Vale do Lobo’s Royal Course, Portugal
Victoria Hills, Deland, Florida
Waldorf Astoria Golf Club, Orlando, Florida
Wild Dunes, Charleston, South Carolina
Windsor GC, Nairobi, Kenya
Winter Pines, Winter Park, Florida

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