Well – let me run this past you for a second. I am a great believer in expanding your  horizons and travelling is a great way to do this, added to the fact that you will be improving you game by playing on new courses that you are unfamiliar with makes it all the more challenging.

So what is the best way to go about researching a golf vacation package?
Obviously the Internet is going to play a big part because you can determine what the price bands are going to be for each specific category that you are interested in such as:

Country to visit.
Time of year to travel.
Average weather conditions.
Accommodation levels and types.
Self catering, bed and breakfast, evening meal or all inclusive golf vacation.
Golf courses to be played and number available.
Facilities for the none golfer.
Overall leisure facilities.
Evening entertainment and restaurants.

These are just the main categories to consider when doing your research however remember that discounts are available to you when you travel as part of a large group (where you enjoy the benefits of economies of scale) and you want to play at non-peak times or travel in the off-season.

Once you establish a price from one supplier you can then try and get a price reduction from another supplier for the same golf vacation. Due to fact that the Internet allows you to search in your own time and make the price comparisons yourself you do not feel under any obligation or pressure.

There never has been a better time to go on a golf vacation and not only enjoy yourself playing golf on new testing courses you will meet new people and enjoy the culture as well. You will also get the relaxation that you would get from a ‘normal’ vacation as well.

Another reason for this is that the US dollar can go further in many countries than it does in others due to the difference in foreign exchange rate fluctuations. A three course meal in Argentina does not cost the same as it does in the USA (in dollar terms) and a golf vacation package is no different.

The ability to be able to book a vacation on the Internet has also meant that ‘middle men’ are cut out allowing you to take advantages of discounted rates of more than 50% of the value.

If you are the more adventurous type you can also book your flights and connecting travel independently as well and this will be discounted in addition. If you also choose travel out of peak season the prices will be lower although you do run the risk of inclement weather conditions.

There are many places that will also do a price match or better so if you do find a vacation that you like the look of you can contacted other companies that you can find on the Internet and ask them if they can beat the price you have found.

There are some aspects that you need to consider first before you get your bargaining head on and get too excited.

If you are travelling with a larger group you will get bigger discounts than travelling with two or less. This is because of economies of scale. You may find that there is single person room supplementation if you are planning to travel alone.

It is worth siging up to some specialist travel companies mailing lists or subscribing to their news letters so that you can be notified via email when the offers come up as they do tend to go quite quickly.

There are many places that a cheap golf vacation can be found in from Indonesia to Europe and back across to the USA so do not place restrictions on what is possible before you have even tried.

Once you have caught the bug you will be suprised as to how many people do book golfing vacation packages and swear bu them as the best way to combine a break and enjoy our favorite sport at the same time.

1. All food, wine and locally manufactured spirits and beers within certain restricted times. You must check with the resort upon arrival as this differs from country to country and even resort to resort.

2. All leisure facilities such as sauna, jacuzzi, massage, steam room and gymnasium facilities. This should extend to sports facilities such as tennis and squash.

3. Unrestricted use of all the courses that are available on the resort. You will have to adhere to the booking policies especially at busy times of the year. Access to the club houses and the 19th holes.

4. Unrestricted access to evening entertainment such as shows, cabaret and musical venues. Not all resorts have this time of evening entertainment so, as usual, check beforehand.

5. Golf cart (buggy) service and golf club usage – note that this does not extend to golf shoes and clothing as this should be the responsibility of each golfer.

6. If the resort is a beach golf vacation you should have access to the beach that should be within walking distance from the main building. On the more exclusive resorts there may be a private beach area that you should have access to as well.

7. Accommodation should be free of any further supplements payable after the holiday has been booked and paid for. Items such as showers, hairdryers and wash room facilities and maid services plus laundry services should also be in the price.

You should not be in a situation whereby, once you have paid for your golf vacation you should have to part with any additional cash outlay other than trips taken outside the golf resort. These tend to be something that the owners have no control over and are decided upon by yourself without any coercion from resort staff. As always make sure you understand the small print and are fully aware of what is included in the golf vacation package before you sign up to an all inclusive golf vacation.

Previous article: What To Consider When Planning A Golf Vacation

So, you log on to the Internet and start looking at all the golf vacation deals available and you are bewildered, you just do not know where to start. This article aims to put in to some sort of perspective the task in from of you by breaking down the separate things that you need to consider before you open up your computer again.

Which Country Do You Fancy Playing In?

Whether it is a Caribbean golf vacation that you like the look of or a long trip to chance your arm at an Ireland golf vacationthere are many countries these days that you can play golf in. However, you need to look at what time of year you want to go and what the weather is forecasted to be like at that time. Do not take this for granted.

The Cost v Your Available Budget

Playing golf in an exotic country may look good on paper and get the taste buds going but in comes at a price. The price of the long haul flights may eat in to your budget in addition to the fact that the travel duration can mean you could be travelling for 2 to 3 days of your allocated trip time.

The Type Of Courses In The Resort And The Level Of Difficulty

Some resorts may have the perfect solution for a non-golfer but what are actual courses like to play. What level of difficulty are they? Is there more than a single 9 hole course to play. You do not want to find that you have no challenges left after having played 3 rounds of the same course only 2 days in to your trip.

The Type Of Accommodation

It is no fun being on a self-catering trip only to find that there is no convenience store for 10 miles from which to get your food and supplies. You need to consider, in conjunction with your budget constraints, what type of accommodation rating you want and the level to which meals and the golfing facilities are included in the price. An all inclusive golf vacation may be the answer if you need to put a ceiling on the funds available. At least you will know that you are covered for most of the expenses.

The Facilities Available To Non-Golfers

If you want to make this a vacation that includes your family you have to look at what they are going to fill their time doing whilst you are on the golf course. What facilities are available for them to use. Does the resort have a health spa, gymnasium, tennis court, squash court, swimming pool or beach handy for them to use and is this included in the cost?

As you can see, when you start to look at your options it can sometimes raise more questions than answers however if you do not address them beforehand you can quite easily find yourself being on a golf vacation that did not tick all the boxes that you expected it to. A little time spend in the planning of the trip will mean that you know what to expect before you get there and can enjoy the vacation accordingly.

Previous article: Golf Vacation – Your Passion And A Vacation – A Hole In One.

So what is included in a golf vacation? Is it only for golfers? Does a golf vacation package  cater for the non-golf player?

In this article I hope to answer all these questions and, in doing so, provide effective and efficient information that will help you determine if a golfing vacation is for you and your family.

Let us be clear straight from the outset – most golf resorts do cater for the non-golf player. This will put your mind at ease straight away because if you are playing and you have the slightest thought, in the back of your mind, that your family is going to be bored, restless and not enjoying their vacation it will affect your vacation also.

As a general rule many golf vacation packages will include the full use of all the resorts facilities within the cost. These resorts have many amenities based around an active theme so you will find many sporting activities run on a daily basis as well as having many sports facilities available.

Relaxation is also the intention and the things that you should look for are sauna, wet room, steam room and massage facilities. Fully equipped gymnasiums with aerobic machines, free weights and weight machines. Indoor and outdoor swimming pools and jacuzzi areas. Peaceful garden settings with walking routes and on-route shelters.

Beach golf vacation resorts are also available and should provide standard beachside facilities with free towel and lounges within walking distance from the main resort areas and living accommodation.

From a golfing perspective you need to ensure that buggies are included in the price of the vacation or if they are not you can at least rent them out at a reasonable rate. Full and half-size clubs sets should also be available if you ever need to make use of them.

Last, but certainly, not least the actual golf course (or golf courses) needs to be challenging enough for you without being too demanding so much so that Tiger Woods would struggle to hit a decent score on them.

Depending upon where you want to go in the world you must check the weather reports for the time of the year that you want to go. The last thing that you want is to pay all the extras to accommodate your golfing experience only to find that at the time of year you go it normally has the heaviest rain showers and winds. I know this is an obvious thing to state but just because a resort is advertised as a golf vacation it does not mean to say that it can cater for the golfing all year round.

Previous article: Golf Vacation