If you’re looking for a week of organised fun, competitive but friendly golf and a genuinely relaxing atmosphere, then you should probably take a look at an amateur golfing competition break. You can play 72 holes like a pro – with rounds from Thursday to Sunday, and plenty of other activities planned along the way to ensure you get the most out of the experience.
The main focus is obviously on the golf, but there is a big social side to it too and the warm, sunny weather makes it all the more enjoyable. There are many locations to choose from, including Portugal, Turkey, Corfu, the Czech Republic and even Mauritius.
Accommodation is at four- or five-star hotels in your chosen location, each hotel a stone’s throw away from the course where the competition is to be held. A typical week starts with an evening of cocktails and a welcome dinner to get the ball rolling on the first night. The next couple of days can be spent getting used to the course and conditions (or chilling) before the tournament commences on Thursday.
Every day starts with a slap-up buffet breakfast in the hotel. You can expect a midweek buffet dinner and drinks laid on by the event organisers and a gala dinner with drinks at the end of the tournament. All tournament players are generally offered a discount of up to 25% on bar bills in the hotel, which comes in handy because the combination of warm weather and excellent banter between competitors will get you in the mood for a few jars after each round.
There are several online golf travel companies that sell the complete package, including flights, seven nights’ accommodation, all meals and all four rounds of golf. Others will lay on everything but the flights. The best way to get involved is to get a couple of friends together and decide where you want to go and when. These two things are the only factors you really have to worry about, because everything else is left to the organisers!
Prices vary on location, but start at around £500 for the Czech Republic, £700 for Portugal, £1,000 for Turkey and over £2,000 for Mauritius. You can also find trips to a variety of locations in the USA, although these events tend to charge per night, and there’s more of an ‘every man for himself’ attitude with fewer activities and dinners laid on by the organisers.
One final note: if it’s your first time golfing abroad, you must remember to take out golf travel insurance. Losing clubs or having them damaged by an airline is an expensive – and heart-breaking – experience. Make sure you get adequate travel insurance cover so that you’re not out of pocket if the worst happens.
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