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7 most useful upgrades to your golf trip

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A golf trip to Ireland or Scotland is a special experience. However, there are many ways to make that trip extra special by considering some additions to the itinerary. In this article we explore the 7 most useful upgrades that you can add to your golf trip, that will make the trip a home run.

1. Luggage Shipping. Many would consider shipping their golf clubs ahead of their trip to be a luxury. Well, in light of the post pandemic staff shortages in airports, and the significant demand for travel, this is one sure way to guarantee that your sticks make it to your destination safely. We recommend “Luggage Forward” for this purpose. They have a significant number of years of experience in international shipping and we trust them to deliver, literally. We highly recommend that you take a visit to www.luggageforward.com and see how easy it is to book your next shipment.

2. This is a follow on from the first point, and if you decide not to ship with Luggage Forward, we strongly recommend that you invest in an Apple Air Tag for your golf bag. This tiny device acts as a GPS tracker, pinpointing your golf bag to within 50m by using Bluetooth technology. In light of the scenes of baggage halls stacked with golf bags this year, this device will come in very handy if you are being told that baggage handlers do not know where your clubs are. Showing them the location of the tag on your phone, will certainly change the conversation.

3. Take a caddie. This might sound like a no-brainier, but a significant number of visitors to the UK and Ireland do not invest in a caddie. There is no question that a caddie will improve your overall experience. Yes they will carry your bag, have the obvious golf course knowledge, and will be able to read greens for you, but there is so much more to be enjoyed. Most caddies have more than a story or two to tell and are only too happy to share them. This camaraderie is the essence of the game of golf. They will be only too happy to share the history of their golf course, the town and region and will help put their club into better context for you. I say their club, as most of the caddies in Ireland and Scotland will likely be members at that club, and you can’t get more experienced than that.

A helicopter over The Burren

4. For those with the means, utilising a helicopter for even part of your trip can make a huge difference to the experience. There is the obvious timesaving factor by not having to travel by road, which can open up multiple benefits in and of itself. If you wanted to play 36 holes in a day and there is a distance between the courses, this is the way to go. It is also a fabulous way to see the countryside and coastline. A helicopter trip past the Cliffs of Moher before your round at Lahinch, or over the Mourne Mountains before eighteen holes at Royal County Down, is simply spectacular. Helicopters can also be the best way to traverse these islands. So, a round at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland in the morning, followed by Royal Troon in Scotland in the afternoon becomes infinitely do-able. Playing Portmarnock in Dublin in the early morning, followed by Royal Birkdale in Liverpool in the afternoon, a piece of cake. Heli-golf is very accessible and well worth your consideration.

5. The benefits of taking a day off in the middle of your itinerary cannot be underestimated. As well as giving the body a rest, it will allow you and your group to do something completely different. How about a distillery tour of Bushmills, a walking tour of Edinburgh’s Old Town, a Beatles experience in Liverpool or a visit to the Home of Guinness in Dublin. We highly recommend that our guests take advantage of their trip to grab at least one or two cultural experiences while on their golf trip on this side of the pond.

6. These islands are full of golf history, St. Andrews is the “Home of Golf” after all. So when you are here, why not take in a visit to the R&A Golf Museum in St. Andrews. A visit to the “New Clubhouse” in the town is also well worth a stop. If you want to really take a step back in time, why not take on the hickory golf challenge at Kingarrock just outside of St. Andrews, to see how our forefathers played the game. There is so much history acorn these islands that you are sure not to be too far from a unique experience.

7. A great way to upgrade your golf trip is to add a 9-hole or additional 18-hole round to the itinerary. Amazing courses such as Cruit Island in County Donegal can easily be added to your day when paying the likes of Rosapenna, Ballyliffin or Nairn & Portnoo in northwest Ireland. Similarly, there are many courses around the UK & Ireland that offer fabulous 36 hole experiences without leaving the property. The Old Course and Cashen Course at Ballybunion, The Dunluce and Valley at Royal Portrush; Hillside and adjacent Royal Birkdale, the double at Royal Dornoch with the Struie, or pick any of the St. Andrews courses. Whatever additional round you choose, the experience will be awesome.

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7 Tips for Planning Your Golf Vacation to Ireland

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Ireland is one of the world’s top-rated golfing destinations and home to a quarter of the world’s natural link golf courses. No wonder, then, that it’s often a top pick for those looking for an excellent golf vacation destination. If you’ve clicked on this article, you’re likely planning a vacation to this magical island, and you will want to choose The Consummate Pro.

However, it’s never a good idea to wing any vacation. This is especially the case if this is your first international vacation, golf vacation, or your first visit to Ireland. The best vacation plans are carefully made ones.

Read on to learn seven ways to make your Irish golf vacation the best it can be.

 

1. Get Ready to Walk a Lot

Unfortunately, most Irish golf courses don’t have golf carts available for the average person to rent. The ones that the courses do have often go to people with medical conditions only. If you truly need a golf cart, it’s usually required that you get a doctor’s note beforehand.

Any other players will have to walk. If you’re not used to this, you may want to get your legs ready for the work by getting in some exercise in the months before your trip. If you can’t afford or don’t want caddies, you may also want to ensure your arms can carry your bag around.

Also, remember that you can ease any grumpiness at the situation by admiring the beautiful scenery around you.

 

2. Channel Your Inner Minimalist When Packing

Speaking of your golf bag, you probably don’t want to fill it to bursting point. This is especially true if you’re taking a long tour with many different courses. It will be a lot easier to get your golf bags and other baggage between a few different locations if you pack light.

Try bringing a few outfits, a smaller number of clubs, and of course some rain gear to protect you against the elements. Also, while it is important to pack carefully, remember that each golf course will have a pro shop. You should be able to find anything that you forget in any of these.

 

3. Don’t Book Too Many Hotels

Another thing to minimize during golf trips is the number of hotels you stay in. It can be tempting to book several hotels when visiting multiple golf courses, especially if they’re far from each other. However, you can easily stress yourself out with constant packing and unpacking. As us about using “hub” hotels where you can easily access one, two or more courses for a single base.

Also, Ireland isn’t as big as you may think. It doesn’t take too long to get from one course to another. There’s also a lot of beautiful scenery that you can enjoy during your drives.

 

4. Caddies Can Be a Great Choice

Hiring a caddie can get you more than just someone to carry your gear. Your caddie will most likely be from the local area. As such, they can tell you about all the great local shops, restaurants, and other venues. They will fill you in on the history and are usually just great fun to be around.

Your caddie should also know the course you’re playing very well and can give you specific tips on how to play it. Beyond that, caddies can make great conversation partners. This aspect can be an especially great benefit if you’re traveling alone.

 

5. Do Your Research—Thoroughly

To have the best international vacation in a country, you must know that country. You need to understand the climate, where everything is, and the best travel routes. This will save you from unexpected long journeys and poor weather.

You especially need to do this if you’re DIY-ing part of your Irish golf trip rather than booking through us. Still, even with the latter option, you’ll want to think about planning some of your meals and free time activities. You should also try not to book your vacation during the low season (November – March) unless you hate crowds and are flexible.

 

6. Book Everything Well in Advance

As this article mentioned, Ireland is one of the top-rated golfing destinations. This means that the most popular courses, hotels, and so on will fill up fast during the high season. Thus, if possible, you want to ensure you get everything reserved at least twelve to 18 months in advance.

We will advise you of what needs to be booked well in advance. Many elements, like transportation, can get booked up well in advance. Services like caddies also need to be given consideration. Don’t leave things too late as demand for Ireland is really high every golf season.

 

7. Remember to Relax

Unfortunately, when golfing around Ireland, it can be very easy to forget that you’re on vacation. You could become stressed while trying to rush to a specific location. You also might become highly competitive when playing against your friends.

It’s important to stay alert and notice when you’re taking your vacation too seriously. When you do, remember that you came to Ireland to relax, and if you get too worked up, you won’t get very much out of your vacation as you’d like. Then, you need to take a deep breath and relax.

 

Consider One of Our Golf Tours for a Golf Vacation You Won’t Forget

To sum it all up, planning carefully in several areas and preparing well is vital. However, after you’ve taken care of all that, get out of your own way and enjoy yourself! It’s foolish not to do so in a gorgeous country full of beauty, history, and great golf courses.

Consider our tours while planning your Irish golf vacation. We have several package options in different regions of Ireland that include breakfast, transportation, and accommodations. Email us today for a free price quote.

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How to Plan the Perfect Golf Trip

by with No Comment News

Did you know that golf was first invented in the 1740s? Ever since then, golf has remained a very popular sport worldwide. Today, there are hundreds of fantastic golf courses that can be found in just about every country in the world. However, the core of the best links golf is to be found in Ireland and Scotland.

If you love golf and are thinking about going on that big golf trip, you might be wondering how you should prepare yourself. After all, what should you bring and what should you consider so that your trip can go as smoothly as possible? Keep reading and learn more about how to plan the perfect golf trip below.

 

Choose the Right Season

Choosing the right season is very important if you want to go on the perfect golf trip, especially to Ireland or Scotland. This is because some golf courses are closed for several months out of the year for various reasons. The last thing you want to do is plan a huge golf trip only to get to the golf course and find out that it’s closed and will be closed for many months. This is where using an experienced operator such as us comes in.

When choosing the right season, you will also want to be aware of what location you plan on visiting. For example, if you plan on going to Ireland or Scotland for your golf trip, you should expect that those courses will likely be closed during the winter. This is because the winter season there is usually when  the worst of the weather is and it will make it impossible to golf there.

 

The Details

Instead, during the shoulder months of say April and October, you might find it more beneficial to travel. Keep in mind, however, that these golf courses may not be in peak condition, but will be much less expensive compared to the prices the rest of the year. During the summer, you should have a much easier time choosing a golf course since many more of them will be open and available.

During the summer, golf courses will be in prime condition, but will be busier and more expensive. Just keep in mind that the temperatures will start to warm up during this time which but the climate is never going to be unpleasant. But as long as you come prepared, this should be perfect for your golf trip.

More than that, choosing the right time of the year to go on a golf trip will help narrow down your options for golf courses.

 

Pack the Right Items

If you plan on traveling transatlantic to your golfing destination, you’ll want to double-check that you bring all the right items with you. Of course, your clubs are the most important items, but you should make sure you bring plenty of supplies of balls, appropriate clothing etc.

Most likely, you should bring a hat with a brim with you as well, especially if you’re going during the summer. A hat will help keep the sun off your face and keep your skin from getting baked in the sun. You may also want to consider bringing some all-weather golf gloves with you as well since they can help you grip your clubs better if it rains and they will help keep the sun off the backs of your hands as well.

 

What You Need to Know

You may want to consider bringing some non-golf-related items with you as well. For example, sunscreen is a must, even in Ireland! Even if you plan on going somewhere that is often cloudy like Scotland or Ireland, the sun can still pierce the clouds and leave you with surprising sunburn. You may also want to think about if you plan on doing anything else other than golfing on your trip. Fortunately we will provide you with a full pre-departure checklist to ensure that everything is covered.

 

Don’t Forget About Your Budget

While planning an Ireland or Scotland golf trip can certainly be fun, you also can’t forget about your budget. If you forget about your budget, you might regret going on a golf trip in the first place. Plus, you won’t be able to enjoy your trip as much if you’re spending more money than you planned to spend.

To figure out your budget, write down what you would prefer to spend on your trip. You can come up with a reasonable number by calculating the price of various things such as travel costs, the cost of getting access to the golf course, hotel costs, and so on. Once you have your budget planned out, it will be much easier to follow it as you will have a better idea as to how much everything costs.

Once you do that, you should be ready to go on your golf trip.

 

All About Planning a Golf Trip

Planning a golf trip doesn’t have to be difficult, but there are certain things you will need to keep in mind. For example, considering the time of year is very important. Besides that, you should also think about what you’re going to bring on your trip and what kind of budget you want to follow.

To learn more about golf and golf courses, click here.