Ireland, what a great place!!

Scotland on a Budget?

For a lot of golfers, one "bucket list" trip has to be a visit to Scotland, the "home of golf". I was fortunate enough to recently fulfill this dream, and in many ways it was the best trip of my life!

It's relatively easy these days to search the Internet and find a tour operator who will take care of all the arrangements for you...you just pay, and away you go. However, these tour operators do not do this for free. If you are willing to take the time to do the research yourself, you will receive two major benefits: The satisfaction of a fully personalized trip, plus the potentially large savings associated with doing the legwork.

The first resource that I used in planning my trip was the Book "Golf in Scotland:...." by Allan Ferguson......I can't recommend this book enough! It can be found online through his website fergusongolf.com, or through Amazon. I used his special offer to buy two books, and was also sent a large road map of Scotland, which we used extensively throughout the trip. (I also purchased the UK GPS maps for my Garmin, but the road map still was still a very useful tool!)

Here is a list of suggestions that I think will assist you in organizing that most memorable trip!:

• When flying to Scotland, try to avoid a stopover in London. In Canada, I used Air Transat to fly non-stop to Glasgow. Perfect way to start the trip, and it wasn't any more expensive. (I will admit I did spend an extra $300 for first class service on the way over, since it was an overnight flight and I wanted to be as rested as possible for the first day!)
• Book your rental car as far as possible in advance, especially if you MUST have automatic transmission. Unfortunately, I ended up with a standard and adapted reasonably quickly, but it was an interesting experience sitting in the right side of the car trying to remember how to drive a standard!). I used the many search engines on the Internet, and did find what I thought was a reasonable price.
• Don't try to cram everything into your trip!! Many times we saw small groups of golfers travelling around in minibuses or minivans, obviously trying to rush around and play as many courses as possible in a short time. In my opinion, they lost that opportunity to actual stop and enjoy what was going on.
• We decided to spend an entire week in St. Andrews, and it was the best decision of the trip. There were six of us (two couples and two single golfers), and I found us a three bedroom flat which was the perfect size! The cost to rent the flat was just over $45/person per day...a LOT less expensive than staying in a hotel or B&B. We had a kitchen, dining room and living room, plus a garden area just for us in the back! From our flat, we were only a two minute walk from the main streets in St. Andrews, and less than a ten minute walk to the first tee of the Old Course.
• Staying for a week in St. Andrews also afforded us the opportunity to ballot for a time on the Old Course, instead of paying extra for many of the other ways to play. We were there in August, and one of our groups received a starting time on the third day of balloting, and the other group played on the fourth day. With so many other courses available in St. Andrews, we didn't have to worry about playing. When one group played the Old Course, the other group simply played another of the outstanding course in the area.
• Another note about balloting.....if pressed, we still would have been able to play the Old Course even if we weren't successful with the ballot. If you go early in the morning to the starter's hut, you can get put onto the waiting list and you will more than likely get out to play. When our groups, went out, we had other people join us to complete our groups, and we enjoyed sharing the experience with them 
• Nothing beats the experience of playing the Old Course, and it is best experienced  with a caddie. Don't skimp on this one of a lifetime experience!
• That being said, it is absolutely true that the New and Jubilee courses provide similar experiences, without the hefty price. We purchased a three day pass, which allowed us to play those two courses as well as the Castle course. All provided us with EXTREMELY memorable experiences!
• Use the Ferguson Book to select other courses to play! Even though the courses may not be as well known, they do provide authentic Scottish golf without the additional costs associated with the other more famous courses. We decided to pay the extra money for the Old Course, and wait until until our next trip to play other famous courses. 

Myrtle Beach (2)

Continuing on from my first post on Myrtle Beach, here are some other suggestions for a fun filled and value packed golf trip:

• Another route that I have used for accommodations is vrbo.com. Many of the "hotel/resort" accommodations in Myrtle Beach are individually owned, and the resort is run by a property management group. Typically, the property management group keeps up to 50% of rental income, so many unit owners are willing to offer prices on vrbo.com that saves you money, and lets them keep more of it. A win-win situation! Another to factor to take into consideration is the amount of time that you actually plan to spend in your unit. If you are willing to forgo ocean view/front units, you can find even better deals!
• Also, if you are willing to take the chance and book your accommodations at a later date, you will find that even more discounts are available. To the owner, a week lost in rental can never be recovered. During the winter off season, it is also possible to rent a unit for the month, sometimes at a price that is around the cost of two weeks rent. Maybe you could turn that vacation into a longer one, or find someone else to use it during the time you aren't there.
• Myrtle Beach encompasses a LARGE region, so consider the location of your accommodations with respect to your golf. For example, if you plan on playing mostly golf courses in the north, consider booking your rooms in North Myrtle Beach. 

• How are you going to be getting to  Myrtle Beach? In the last few years, more and more airlines have started flying there. Especially, the budget no-frill airlines are making their mark. During the past year, I have used both Spirit Air and Direct Air to Myrtle Beach. A non stop flight from Niagara Falls cost me about $150 return, and a non stop flight from Detroit cost me less than $100 return! Of course, the caveat of using these no frill airlines are the many extra charges for golf clubs/luggage. Be creative, and consider the possibility of using fewer pieces of luggage for a larger group. It can be done!
• If you fly down, use the internet resources to scour for the best rental car deals. One of the advantages with rental cars is that you can usually cancel a reservation if you later find a better deal. Be careful, however, in selecting the proper size car for the trip...you want to make sure that your selected vehicle will handle all of your clubs!
• Driving to Myrtle Beach? Over the past few years, the highway system through North Carolina has been dramatically improved for those arriving from the north (Interstate 77). If you haven't driven there in a few years, you will be pleasantly surprised. Also, driving opens up the possibility of playing some great golf courses along the way. Tot Hill Farm is a spectacular golf course located near Asheboro, North Carolina. It was designed by Mike Strantz, the same architect who designed Caledonia Golf Club in Myrtle Beach.

Myrtle Beach

No mention of the term "value golf" is complete without the mention of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Personally, I have visited Myrtle Beach multiple times per year for the past twenty five years. The combination of golf, food, shopping, entertainment, and the Atlantic Ocean makes for an irresistible combination for me!

If you are considering a trip to Myrtle Beach, here are some facts and tips to possibly help you enjoy a memorable and, hopefully, economical trip:

• The prime time seasons for golf are the Spring (March to May), and Fall (September to November). However, golf is played year round. Summers are extremely hot and humid, and Winters can be very cold (occasionally, you may even encounter snow!).
• For the value golfer, you may want to consider the transition periods between peak and off seasons. Specifically, I think that the period between Thanksgiving and Christmas represents the best time to enjoy a value filled trip. The number of golfers/tourists is probably at its lowest point, so deals can be had! Late February is also another good option. If you want to ensure warm golfing weather, you may want to consider the time right around Labor Day. Many children are back at school by the middle of August, so the number of tourists drops off at this time. But, be prepared for some potentially hot and humid time on the course!
• Unless you ABSOLUTELY have to play certain course in the area, or have a large group requiring multiple tee times, you may want to hold off on booking those tee times. Outside of the peak seasons, there are more than enough golf courses available to play. Some of them advertise specials in the Myrtle Beach Sun News newspaper, and most of them can be booked at a discount through Tee Times Desks found at the major golf stores in the area. One online service that I would certainly recommend is Myrtle Beach Golf Desk. There are numerous specials available for booking combinations of courses, and their people are very helpful and knowledgeable....call them if you have any questions. Plus, their prices INCLUDE golf carts and taxes!
• A lot of times, the golf packages offered by hotels are not as good as they appear. Often, there are surcharges to play the better courses, and sometimes these surcharges can be way out of line! Also, many of the golf packages do NOT include golf carts, which are generally $20 to $25 a round. For the best value, consider booking your rooms separately from your golf. Or, at least, take the time to investigate what the cost of golf is separately, using the suggestions above, before you jump at the golf package. At one time, golf packages were a great deal. Unfortunately, many hotels now are using people's desire for an easily arranged trip to effectively overcharge for them.

I will be posting other information on Myrtle Beach, but hopefully the above will assist you with your next trip to  "The Beach"!

Who is the Value Golfer?

If you enjoy golf and travel (like me!), then you can be a Value Golfer! A VG is one who loves to golf , and

• is unwilling to pay some of the the top prices demanded by many resorts.
• is willing to forego a little luxury, in order to either extend a vacation or save for an additional trip.
• will gamble with the weather, in exchange for increased value for their vacation dollar.

If you can afford and are willing to pay top dollar, there are many outstanding golf resorts around the world that will provide you with the ultimate golf vacation. Pebble Beach, Pinehurst, Sea Island, The Greenbrier, The Homestead and However, there are many other options that can also give you tremendous pleasure, along with excellent value. And, for the same money as that one spectacular vacation, it could be possible to instead have multiple enjoyable trips!