Step 2 – Getting into the details

​You’ve decided on how many people are taking the trip and when / where you want to go - now it's time for the fun part!!!

Now we are getting into important details and we recommend look at your trip using the following 3 steps, in order:

1. Golf Courses

2. Accommodation

There are so many options for all 3 of these key details that it can be confusing, so we put together a simple primer to help you think through what really works for your personal trip.

What courses do we want to play?

Depending on where you are planning to go, you may have many options or just a few but no matter what, the decision will be critical in planning the rest of your trip.

This is the key element of the planning because golf is why you are going (for the most part….). Making great decisions at this point will make the trip a memorable one that everyone will enjoy.

• ​A few key things to consider include:
• Do we want a bunch of courses in one area to minimize travel or are more spread out course choices ok?
• Are you planning around a specific course (or 2) that you absolutely MUST play?
  • You won an Old Course time and need to build around that very specific round
  • You absolutely need to play Pinehurst #2
  • You read “A Course Called Ireland” and need to play Ballybunion Old or Lahinch

• How many rounds (in total and per day) do we want to play?
• Do we play every day or do we want days off for more sight seeing?

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Once you get those general thoughts in place, there are more details to consider:

• Are you looking to play all the “top courses” – well known, famous courses 
• Do you want to explore a mix in some hidden gems (we can help with those recos) that offer a more laid-back atmosphere and price?
• What time of day do we want to play (early so we can sight see in the afternoon, late so we can “sight see” late into the night before)?

A lot of questions to answer but no matter what you are looking for there is a course rotation for you and, with a little research or a quick call to us, you can work out the perfect rotation.

​Next.....

What type of accommodation do we want? ​

Now that you’ve decided on your courses (or the “must have courses” at least), you can start to think accommodations. In this area, options are limitless. Everything from inns to hotels to villas to castles may be available to you depending on where you are going.

The key things we suggest you consider are:
Location – do you want to be in the middle of all the action, close to the courses, in a quiet out of the way location etc.
Quality of accommodation – using a hotel analogy, are you looking for 4*, maybe 5* deluxe or is simple and clean all you need?
Amenities – what types of things do you need to make you trip memorable? Rooms with views of St Andrews Old Course, spas, suites or basic rooms, self catering options, on site restaurants etc.
How many different places do we want to stay in – depending on the courses selected, you may need to move around to a couple, or a few, different hotels but you may also have the option to stay in 1 place but face some significant commutes.

Often time we hear “the hotel isn’t too important because really, all I do is sleep there”. That may be true for some people but keep in mind how much time you will be golfing (or doing other things) and you may be surprised how much time you actually will be spending at the hotel. A perfect hotel, or other accommodations, can really enhance a trip. Accommodations that don’t have all the amenities and / or location you prefer may save a few bucks and seem like a good deal but is it really.

Really spend some time thinking through what you need in your accommodations – it will make a big difference in your overall experience.

​and finally....

What type of transportation do we want?
 
Now that you know where you are going and where you are staying, you need to be able to get around. Simplistically, there are 3 main options you can consider:
 

1. Self Drive (ie: rental vehicle)
2. Transfers (private, or not, transfers to and from your locations)
3. Private coach and driver

 
All 3 offer pros and cons and here is a general outline of what can expect with each option.

Self Drive Rental:
We have all done this, so we all know the drill. It is often, although not always, the cheapest option however a couple of things you may want to keep in mind include:

• How far are some of the drives we will be taking and am I comfortable with that amount of driving (as an eg, it is about 3 hours from Dublin to Portrush, same Edinburgh to Dornoch or Halifax to Cabot)?
• Can I get a rental large enough for the group or will we need multiple rentals (and you always need a larger vehicle than you think – remember people plus luggage plus golf clubs!!)
• Do we need multiple drivers (extra drivers often cost extra money)?
• Are we comfortable driving in a new / different country (maybe on the opposite side of the road)?
• Drinking and driving – dinners and long nights at the pub may require a DD….

Transfers:
Transfers can be arranged for each individual segment where some type of drive is required. This combines the advantages of not having to self drive while not the full expense of a dedicated coach and driver.

Some key considerations:
How central are my accommodations to golf?

If you are in St Andrews just playing St Andrews courses and maybe Kingsbarns and Carnoustie, you may only really need a driver to get to St Andrews then back and forth 2 days of say a 6 or 7 day trip. This might meet your needs if all you plan to do is spend the balance of you time exploring and enjoying St Andrews.

Conversely, if you plan to stay in St Andrews, but also have rounds at Kingsbarns, Carnoustie, Aberdeen, Gleneagles and Dumbarnie, it may cost more (or only a bit less) for all the transfers as it would for a dedicated coach and driver and the flexibility that brings.

Dedicated coach and driver
Having a driver at your beck and call seems to many like a luxury but it actually can be quite economical and practical, especially for groups of 6 or more.

Some key considerations include:

• Is it really that much more expensive than the other 2 options? In a larger group the cost is split across more people and it may actually be not that much more expensive than 3 or 4 rental vans or individual transfers.
• Having a local, and usually very personable and friendly, driver adds great value to the trip with interesting stories about the places you are traveling and some awesome recommendations of site and food.
• They will always be ready in the morning to take you to your round and there when you finish. They might even run an errand (did someone say beer run..) to help you out while you play.
• Yes, you can enjoy some beverages, cards or whatever during some of the longer drives you may need to take (depending on your course and hotel copies of course).
• While there are time limits to how long they can drive per day you often you can at least get dropped off for dinner somewhere and then only need to figure out how to get home (and the driver will have reco’s for that as well!!).

As you can see there are pros and cons to each transportation option and quite frankly the choices you have made to this point (country your visiting, courses, hotels etc) will be key considerations as you decide on what type of transportation you choose.

**Click HERE for a great 2 part blog on what to expect on your first trip to Ireland and Scotland, written by Matt after his first time over to play links golf!**