Planning the best golf vacation requires making sure you take care of the details of your trip that occur before, during and after your time on the course. Finding a great golf course is only a part of planning the ideal trip – you also need to make sure your accommodations, dining and evening entertainment is fun and affordable.
Using PlayYourCourse, you can contact local golf professionals who can help you put together the perfect golf vacation that you’ll tell your friends about for years to come.
If you’ve got your travel plans narrowed down to a few potential destinations, or even if you know exactly where you want to go, it’s a good idea to make contact with a local golf professional before you book. The local pro talks to the tourists she teaches, eats at the restaurants in the area, knows where and when to get the best deals, and has the inside scoop on the best nightlife options.
Hitting lessons with a coach (vs. working with a backboard or ball machine) include frequent breaks that help you recover – from a cardio and muscular standpoint. A hitting lesson also lets you receive short, deep and wide balls. A qualified hitting partner will be able to place balls where you need, even if the shots you hit aren’t under control. Teaching professionals learn the footwork and ball placement control necessary to chase students’ balls and return them with accuracy, as well as at the right speed.
Make sure you get to and from your golf vacation in the most convenient way possible. A local golf pro might be able tell you about highway shortcuts, airport shuttles, ground transportation coupons and more. He can also tell when rush hour traffic is worst and where to park if you’re going to evening events.
While you might get the cheapest hotel deals by booking online, that doesn’t mean you’ll avoid potential problems with less-than-stellar accommodations. A local golf pro hears all the horror stories and rave reviews from her guests and can give you booking advice. Many golf courses also have coupon or discount programs set up with local hotels. Some of these are limited and not advertised, doled out at the golf course’s discretion.
Asking a golf pro for recommendations for après golf activities gives you two benefits. First, you’ll learn where the locals wine, dine and dance. Second, golf pros know where the best deals are and often have discount arrangements at local eateries. A golf course concierge might also have a list of children’s activities to give families looking to keep their kids entertained while mom and dad are golfing.
A golf pro wants your lesson business, so booking a lesson or two before you arrive will get the instructor more interested in making sure you’re happy with your total vacation experience. She might arrange for free driving range balls, early bird cart discounts or other gifts or freebies. You might even get a courtesy discount on pro shop purchases. If you’re playing at a resort, ask about bundling discounts at the spa, hotel restaurant and the tennis facility. Don’t wait until you arrive to arrange range practice, lessons and rounds. Use PlayYourCourse to research various facilities, then contact the pro at the one (or ones) you want to play. Tell the pro what you’re looking for in a vacation, that you want a lesson from him and that you’re interested in any other suggestion the pro has for taking your golf vacation to the next level.
Search PlayYourCourse.com to find a golf coach near you.