May 12, 2017 8:32 am

By World of Golf London Master Professional, Jon Woodroffe

There is no better way to enjoy our great game than with a bunch of friends or like minded people, on a golf holiday in the sunshine. Especially when the weather at home is horrible!

In this respect, a golf holiday during the autumn or the spring can be just the ticket. Although we are late spring at the moment, this is the time you should be thinking of getting a break booked for the autumn.

To help with your research, here are my seven tips.

1. 1. 1. If you are squeezing a quick trip in without using too much of your annual leave, consider how far you want to travel, not only in the air, but also transfer time when you reach the country you will be playing in.

 

1. 1. 2. Check the weather as far as you can. The further you go the better the weather by and large, but also the higher the cost.

 

1. 1. 3. Look for an area or resort that has several courses nearby, if possible with different terrains and challenges to make the trip more varied. Playing the same course 4 times in 4 days is like playing your home club and I don’t care how lovely the course is, that sounds a bit dull to me.

 

1. 1. 4. Remember you are only on the course for 4 to 5 hours out of 24. Unless you are aiming to be in bed by 9 ready for an early tee time the next day, look for a resort with good night life nearby.

 

1. 1. 5. Book early, especially if you are drawn to the old favourites of southern Europe. Some of the new kids on the golf holiday block like Turkey, Morocco and Egypt have now lost favour and people are flocking back to Spain and Portugal. Demand is up and as you can only fit a finite number of people on a golf course, tee times are flying out the door like the proverbial hot cakes.

 

1. 1. 6. Book with a reputable, experienced tour operator. I have used Your Golf Travel for many years and they are able to get excellent prices and the service is the best.

 

1. 7. Take your clubs or hire? This is a matter of choice based on how precious you are about your own golf clubs. If you need to use your own as they are fitted to you or nothing else will do then fine, but carriers like Easyjet are merciless in their ability to charge, currently £70 for the pleasure of throwing your clubs into the hold. I would suggest you look at www.clubstohire.com you pick up a set of quality clubs of your choice at the airport, hand them back on your way home and the cost varies from £32 to £55 depending on the quality of the clubs you choose, less hassle and cheaper.

So in summary, get booking soon if you want to be striding down an Iberian fairway this autumn. There is so much choice, but take your time, do your research, speak to the professionals at Your Golf Travel and then don’t forget to pack your sun cream and your golf glove and have a few days to remember this autumn. You’ve earned it.

 

Categorised in: Tip of the month, World of Golf London