This is my fourth year playing college golf–and through lots of trips, and many mistakes, I’ve become a much more prepared traveler and golfer.
Hannah preparing to hit a shot into the green at Tangle Ridge in Dallas, Texas.
From Georgia, to Florida, to Texas, I’ve made several trips all over the country to play the beautiful game, but I’ve come to understand that attempting to take a golf trip can be a downright nightmare.
The Southwestern Women’s Golf team pictured at the national tournament in Greeneville, Tennessee.
Between choosing the right equipment to bring, to traveling with clubs, and dealing with green fees, a lot can go wrong while planning and preparing for a trip centered around playing golf.
Here are some helpful tips for taking a golf trip:
1) Choosing the right course. It is absolutely imperative, before you book a flight or plan a trip anywhere, that you get the right information about the courses you plan on playing. Make sure you do your research on the kind of course you want to play, especially considering green fees can be pricey. In addition, you don’t want to show up at a course expecting to play only to get turned away because the course is private, or because you aren’t meeting the dress code. Call the pro-shop at the courses you plan on playing to get general information, and visit the course website to figure out if the course fits your needs and skill level.
2) Timing is EVERYTHING. Once you have the where of your trip figured out, the next important step is when. Many golf courses have waiting lists for tee-times-and most courses will turn you away if you don’t have a pre-set tee time. Find a time that works for all members of your group, and then start setting up tee times by calling the courses. The earlier this happens, the better!
A little bit of Southwestern College golf team bonding at the World’s Largest Porch swing in Hebron, Nebraska.
3) Be prepared for the worst of weather. Although you may have set your trip for mid-August, you never know when a massive rain storm will move in. Bring the right gear–this includes rain gear, like rain suits and umbrellas, and winter gear, like winter gloves and extra layers. And of course, be prepared for beautiful weather by knowing the dress code at the courses you plan on playing–many courses WILL turn you away if you’re not dressed appropriately. Don’t let the weather ruin your golfing experience, just come prepared to deal with all types.
4) Golf clubs are a pain. If you’re driving to your destination? No problem-your golf clubs will be fine in the trunk. However, when it comes to flights with golf clubs, this can be a nightmare of a situation. Make sure you have a traveling caddy for your bag. These containers will protect your golf clubs; they are made of hard plastic with heavy duty fasteners. They range in price anywhere from over $200 to about $50. You can either check your golf clubs as your second bag, or you can ship your clubs with services like ShipGolf, who provide services to ship clubs for golfers overnight.
Feeding a few ducks during some off-time from a tournament outside of Atlanta, Georgia.
5) It’s all in the details. There are so many loose ends when it comes to taking a golf trip. Keep yourself in check by calling in advance to make sure you have directions to the course, hotel, and arrangements for a rental car if needed. Be packed beforehand to make sure you have all of your golf gear. Preparation in advance eliminates any panicking later on.
Where is your favorite golf course? How did you make the trip there easier? Share below in the comment section!
This article is written by Hannah Watkins – writer, traveler, and grand-scale dreamer – as well as a senior studying communications at Southwestern College in Winfield, Kansas.
She is an avid golfer and enjoys spending time with her pug named Cookie.
Hannah is currently completing an internship with VentureTime Travel and she hopes to someday work in the Public Relations field.
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