How to Organize the Perfect Golf Trip to the UK or Ireland

How long has it been since you daydreamed about FINALLY going on that big golf trip with all of your best friends?

A. Less Than 24 Hours
B. Less Than 12 Hours
C. Less Than 1 Hour
D. Talking About It Now

You get the point. For most of us the dream trip is almost always somewhere in the back of our minds.

What’s stopping you from making your dreams reality?

SOME REASONS WHY GOLF TRIPS NEVER HAPPEN: Who is going to organize it? Who do we call? What courses do we play?  How do I get the best deal?

Golf Trip Experts

Here at Golfbreaks.com we have organized many golf trips in the past, both for our customers and for our golfing buddies. So it’s about time that we pass on our experience to you about how to organize a successful UK or Irish vacation. Hopefully we can encourage you to make the trip and play the wonderful golf that we are blessed with this on side of the pond.

Here are our top tips…

1. Set Your Dates

If you’ve been to the British Isles before you’ll know how important it is to get the dates right, especially if you are visiting Ireland or the West Coast of Britain, both of which can be magnets for the wet stuff. You’ll find the best weather between mid-May and mid-September, although this is not to say that April and October won’t also throw up some wonderful golfing conditions (October especially, in recent years). The advantage of a Spring or Fall trip is that the green fees are typically a lot cheaper at this time of year; however, you do run a greater risk of getting the wrong side of an Atlantic depression. But then, what would links golf be without a 25 mph cross wind to test us!

2. Choose Your Group (…carefully)

Typically you will have a core group of friends who have either agreed to come with you on the trip or are interested, and then a wider group to whom you throw out an invite. The first rule is make sure you get 100% commitment from whoever agrees to come on the trip, as last minute dropouts can cause logistical headaches and be expensive when advance payments have been made to secure a booking. Our recommendation is to ensure that you get a deposit payment from everyone on the trip, which will in turn get their buy-in.

The second rule is to pick your group wisely and make sure that they are the types that you can spend all day and night with, put up with their on-course habits, and won’t give you any surprises when you are on a night out and they’ve downed their sixth pint of the Black Stuff! A British Isles trip is one that you have been planning and looking forward to for months, so make sure you bring your A Team.

3. Agree Your Budget

Agreeing your budget with the group allows you to make decisions about which courses to play, as typically the more renowned the golf course, the higher the price tag. It is not to say that you might not want to push the boat out and raise your budget when you see the courses on offer (after all you may not be in the British Isles again for a while), but a budget will help you establish your golf itinerary with the group and not get swayed by “the committee”. If you are on a tighter budget, our recommendation is to play one or two of the big names on your trip (like Kingsbarns or Turnberry) but then focus on the lesser known hidden gems…. which can be just as good… if you know where to go!

Remember that budget also defines what accommodation you can afford to stay in; by staying in a friendly 2-3 star hotel, it will allow you more budget to spend on the golf (which for many is the point of the trip). However, make sure everyone in the group is in line with your decision (as a massage and spa after a round is very appealing to some, and this often comes with the 4-5 star hotels).

4. Now Start Researching… It’s not all about the Big Names!

You probably have a few courses on your must-play list. That’s a good start as you can now base your trip around them – it will define which destinations of the British Isles you go to and how much budget you have to play other courses. Fortunately, Scotland and Ireland are peppered with classic, timeless courses that are slightly off the beaten track, but provide you with an amazing golfing experience and a wonderfully warm welcome from the members. It is not all about the big names – good things come to those that search. If you don’t know where to go, then ask for advice (Golfbreaks.com can certainly help you on this).

5. Match the Golf to the Standard of Your Group

Another important factor to keep in mind when selecting courses is to match the standard of your group to that of the course. Links golf and Championship length inland courses can be tough – extremely tough – especially when the wind is up (remember the 2015 Open Championships?). So unless you are a single-digit handicapper or you enjoy coming out backwards from your fourth pot bunker of the round, then include a few sub 6,500 yard courses on your trip. This will put the smile back on everyone’s face… golf is meant to be enjoyed, right?

Don’t, however, think that by shorter you are playing a lesser course or compromising in some way; Scotland and Ireland are peppered in abundance with fantastic, shorter designs from golfing royalty such as James Braid, Old Tom Morris, and Willie Park, Jr. To be sure, these are inspirational courses too, they just made them slightly shorter in those days!

6. Book in Advance

Booking your vacation in advance is important if you want to play any of the big name courses, as the plumb tee times do get booked up in the peak months. Hotels rooms also get snapped up, especially in the popular golfing towns like St Andrews and Killarney. Therefore we would recommend you make your booking at least three months in advance of your travel date, and if you are a large group, push that out to six months. Remember to also book your flights in advance, as prices will escalate rapidly as you approach your departure date (flight booking data indicates that long-haul flights are typically at their lowest four to sixth months out from departure).

Don’t worry, however, if you do suddenly have a gap in your schedule or impulse to golf in the British Isles, you can always find accommodations and great courses to play at the last minute if you are flexible with your itinerary (and your group is not too big).

7. Talk to a Tour Operator

“Of course you would say that” we can hear you saying, but really, golf tour operators have excellent knowledge of the golfing landscape and can recommend the perfect itinerary to suit your budget and golf requirements, including amazing courses that you might never have heard of.

They can also save you hours of time in researching and booking multiple tee times, trolling accommodation sites, and securing ground transportation and flights. The latest Google research states that people visit over 30 websites when booking vacations, and that is for an average vacation, not a multi-component golf trip. So if time is money, then using a tour operator equals big savings.

If is often thought that tour operators charge a premium for their services. Some may, but at Golfbreaks.com we actually aim to save you money compared to you packaging the trip yourself. We can do this because we have strong relationships with the hotels and golf courses that we work with and, based on the volume of business that we have given them over the years, we have secured very good rates which we then pass on to our customers.

8. There is More to Life than Golf…?

We have great golf over here in the UK and Ireland, but we also have a rich culture and history, so factor in some time to see the sights (including castles, distilleries, museums, highland games and Nessy!), as well as getting out and sampling the local brews, cuisine, and nightlife. We’d also recommend a sightseeing day in Edinburgh or Dublin when you fly in, or taking a day off golf to explore the area, relax and re-charge.

These can often be some of the best moments of the trip.

9. Plan Your Itinerary… and factor in some slack

Distances in the UK may seem small compared to the States, but the roads to the courses are typically single lane (and often off the beaten track), so the likelihood is that it will take you longer to get there than you were anticipating. So factor some extra time into your itinerary, as you don’t want to miss that all important tee time.

Good planning will lead to a stress free trip, and it will also mean that you can arrive early, have a cup of coffee and enjoy a bacon roll (if you haven’t heard of those yet, we’re guessing you can surmise that they are good).

10. Should I Drive?

In the UK and Ireland, we drive on the left hand side of the road. But don’t be put off, as you do get the hang of it (and the roundabouts) very quickly, and a GPS will successfully guide you to your destination. Renting a car is also the cheapest way for a group to get around and it obviously gives you the freedom to explore the countryside and be flexible with your schedule. However, make sure that you rent a large enough vehicle to take you, your luggage and clubs; an SUV or small van should be fine.

Now, if you still don’t like the idea of driving yourself or want to sit back and relax, then why not get someone else to do the driving for you? Chauffeur driven mini-buses are popular with golfing groups. As well as being a stress-free way to travel, they allow you to enjoy a few post round pints… and then have a snooze on the way home. Plus your driver will no doubt entertain you with some great stories and insight into the local culture. The downside is that you’ll pay a bit more for the service, but it is well worth considering.

The final option is to book transfers and taxis to all your destinations, either in advance or while you are on your trip.

If you are sticking to one destination during your trip, this can work well, but if you are doing a lot of traveling then we would steer against it. Note: Uber has not yet reached many areas of the UK and Ireland!

11. Be prepared… 4 Top Tips!

Getting prepared for your trip can mean a lot of things, but here are few good tips:

• Bring the right clothing… yes it sometimes rains over here and when the sun goes in it can get cold, so wet weather gear is essential as well as layers of clothing that you can easily shed or put on. Also throw a tie into your bag, as you never what invites you might get, especially if it is to the R&A’s clubhouse!
• Ensuring that you have checked your entry and visa requirements goes without saying. Typically visas are not required by US and Canadian citizens but make sure that you visit the relevant UK and Irish websites.
• We use Pounds (UK) and Euros (Ireland) which is currently good news for US travelers as the dollar is very strong against these currencies – another great reason for organizing a trip!
• And finally, you’ll need a travel plug to charge your many devices, and bring adaptors to deal with our 240v. You wouldn’t want your GPS to be out of juice as you hit Ballybunion’s first tee!

So there you have it. What’s now keeping you from organizing that long awaited trip to the British Isles? And if you’d like some help, then we at Golfbreaks.com would be delighted to organize it for you… and save you time and money.

You can contact our Golf Vacation Specialists at usa.golfbreaks.com or by calling 1-855-699-5853 toll free.

One thing we know for certain is that you won’t be disappointed; the golf over here really is that good!