Golf Travel: From Takeoff to Tee-Off

And then there are golfers.

We want to know: Where are we playing?

Golf has an interesting way of taking you places. It can lead you to the red-rock landscapes of Southern Utah, the beaches of Hawaii, the desert resorts of Arizona or the legendary links of Scotland and Ireland. A golf trip might mean spending four days playing as many courses as your legs will tolerate, watching the world's best players compete or simply sneaking in a morning round while the rest of the family enjoys the resort.

That's what makes golf travel so much fun. You don't have to build your entire vacation around the game—but you certainly can.

And you don't have to be a scratch golfer to have an incredible golf vacation.

When Golf Is the Vacation

There is something wonderfully simple about a vacation where the biggest decision of the morning is which course you're playing.

Golf resorts make that especially easy. Many combine accommodations, dining and resort amenities with one or several courses, allowing you to unpack once and spend several days playing without constantly changing hotels or driving long distances between rounds.

For a group of golfers, that can mean a new course every day, dinner together in the evening and perhaps a little friendly competition along the way. For couples, it could mean a morning tee time followed by an afternoon at the pool, spa or beach.

And if you consider 36 holes in one day a perfectly reasonable vacation activity, I'm not here to judge.

Some golfers have a particular course in mind before they ever start planning the trip. Maybe it's Pebble Beach, TPC Sawgrass or the Old Course at St Andrews. Others simply want to spend a few days somewhere beautiful with excellent golf.

Either way, sometimes it makes more sense to choose the golf first and build the vacation around it.

Golf Can Take You Around the World

One of my favorite things about golf travel is that some of the world's greatest golf destinations also happen to be incredible places to vacation.

In the United States, you can escape winter among the desert courses of Arizona, play beside the ocean in Hawaii, experience the dramatic red-rock scenery of Utah, head for the golden California coast or explore the seemingly endless golf options of Florida.

Then there is international golf.

Scotland, the birthplace of the game, offers historic links and courses golfers have dreamed about playing for generations. Ireland combines spectacular coastal golf with beautiful scenery, history and plenty to experience after the clubs have been put away. Spain and Portugal pair golf with beaches, sunshine, food and culture, while Mexico and the Caribbean offer resort courses where ocean views can become part of the game itself.

A golf trip doesn't have to be a choice between playing and exploring. Spend the morning on the course and the afternoon discovering the destination. Add local restaurants, historic sites, beaches or a few days in another city.

You're not simply traveling somewhere to play golf.

You're experiencing a destination through golf.

What Do You Mean Not Everyone Likes Golf?

This may be one of the most important things to know about golf travel:

Not everyone has to play.

Many of the best golf destinations are also full-service resorts with pools, spas, beaches, restaurants and activities that have absolutely nothing to do with chasing a little white ball around for four hours. That makes them excellent choices for couples and families where enthusiasm for golf isn't exactly shared equally.

One person can head to the first tee while someone else spends the morning at the spa or pool. Everyone meets again for lunch, an afternoon excursion or dinner.

Golf can simply be one part of the vacation rather than something everyone has to participate in.

That flexibility also makes golf travel surprisingly well suited for couples. Play together if you both love the game, or mix a round or two into a trip built around other experiences. Destinations such as Hawaii, Scottsdale, Palm Springs, Mexico and the Caribbean make it especially easy to combine golf with the ingredients of a more traditional getaway.

A golf vacation and a romantic vacation don't have to be two different trips.

Leaving It to the Professionals

Some of the best golf vacations involve watching someone else play.

Attending a professional tournament is completely different from watching one on television. You can follow a favorite player for several holes, settle in near a green and watch group after group come through, visit the practice areas and see just how good professional golfers really are when you're standing only a few yards away.

And if you're considering building a vacation around professional golf, don't overlook the LPGA.

The LPGA Tour provides opportunities to see many of the world's best female golfers compete throughout the United States and internationally. The Chevron Championship, U.S. Women's Open, KPMG Women's PGA Championship, Amundi Evian Championship and AIG Women's Open make up the five women's major championships, giving golf fans some incredible events to build a trip around.

Then there's the Solheim Cup, where top players from the United States and Europe compete as teams. Held every two years, the event has a very different atmosphere from a traditional stroke-play tournament, with team competition, enthusiastic crowds and national pride all becoming part of the experience.

Men's professional golf offers plenty of travel opportunities as well, from regular PGA Tour events to The Masters, PGA Championship, U.S. Open, The Open Championship, The Players Championship and Ryder Cup. Some require significant advance planning, while others can be incorporated more easily into a weekend getaway.

The tournament doesn't necessarily have to be the entire vacation either.

Imagine traveling to Scotland for the AIG Women's Open, adding a few rounds of your own and then spending several more days exploring the country. Or attend an LPGA tournament in Florida and then turn it into a family vacation. Watch the professionals in California one day and attempt to imitate them on the course the next.

Results may vary.

A Little Planning Goes a Long Way

Golf vacations come with a few logistical questions that aren't part of the average trip.

Do you bring your own clubs or rent them when you arrive? How far is your hotel from the courses you want to play? How early can tee times be reserved? Will you need a rental car? And if you're playing several courses, does staying at a golf resort make more sense than staying in town?

There isn't one answer that works for every trip.

If you're playing several rounds and are particular about your equipment, traveling with your own clubs may be worth the trouble. If you're only playing once during a larger vacation, arranging a rental set could be considerably easier. For an international trip, transportation between courses and the logistics of hauling clubs from one destination to another become even more important.

The season matters too. Arizona can be a fantastic escape when courses at home are covered in snow, while summer opens up destinations farther up north and throughout Europe. If you're traveling for a professional tournament, the event determines your dates and the rest of the vacation can be built around it.

Where you stay can make just as much difference. Thirty minutes from an attraction may not sound bad on a typical vacation.

Thirty minutes from a 7:30 a.m. tee time feels considerably farther.

Sometimes paying more to stay at the golf resort is worth the convenience. Other times, staying in town provides better access to restaurants, sightseeing and nightlife while still keeping several courses within reach.

What Would Your Golf Vacation Look Like?

A golf trip doesn't have to mean seven days in Scotland playing legendary links courses.

Although I'm certainly willing to help with that.

It might be a long weekend playing among the red rocks of St. George, a couples getaway to Hawaii with two rounds worked into the itinerary, a winter escape to Scottsdale, a family vacation where one morning happens to include golf or a trip built around watching your favorite PGA player compete.

Maybe there's a course you've wanted to play for twenty years.

Maybe you and your spouse want somewhere beautiful where you can golf in the morning and sit beside the ocean that afternoon.

Or maybe your group chat has been talking about taking a golf trip for three years and someone finally needs to actually plan it.

That's where I can help.

As your travel advisor, I can help bring together the destination, accommodations, transportation, tournament travel and experiences away from the course so your vacation works for the golfers and the people who would rather leave the clubs at home.

Sometimes deciding where to travel next really can be that simple.

Pick a course. Pick a tournament. Pick a destination.

Then let's build a vacation around it.

Dream. Pack. Go.