There are a few big reasons why golfers love going on group golf holidays. They want a chance to play the best courses with mates, a bit of sun, apres-golf, great courses, but most importantly, having fun and creating memories with friends.
Although travel has been paused lately, let’s not be too down about it. Let’s try and think ahead to when everything will surely have returned to normality. Think of it this way, you’ve just got a bigger run-up towards your next holiday. Use the below as a guide to make it bigger, better and more memorable than any other golf holiday you’ve ever been on.
So what goes into the perfect group golf holiday? Let’s think about some of the factors.
Benefits of Large Group Golf Holidays
When deciding on who you should go on a golf holiday with, the criteria might look something like this:
Must be able to play golf
Must be able to afford the trip
Doesn’t annoy the life out of me
We recommend not excluding too many friends, though, because when it comes to golf holidays, more is always merrier…
Camaraderie with mates
Organising a golf holiday can be like herding cats at times. At Your Golf Travel, we’ve helped organise groups of 50+ find their perfect holiday, which as you can imagine, takes some doing. But the pay-off is incredible. Being able to provide large groups of golfers with unforgettable holidays on exciting new courses makes it all worthwhile (as well as hearing the stories afterwards).
Group golf holidays are a great way to bring separate groups of friends together, so we would always advise keeping invitations open. What you need are committed people who you can have a good time with. Don’t worry too much about their handicap; remember you have to spend time with them off the course!
There are dozens, if not hundreds of destinations all over the UK and Europe that are perfect for large groups. An Algarve golf holiday is perfect for this, due to the many championship courses and coastal towns for apres golf.
The five-star Dona Filipa hotel can cater for groups of any size and is round the corner from Vale De Lobo and Quinta Do Lago, two excellent golf clubs.
Quite simply, our very own YGT Rory sums up the importance of having fun with your mates perfectly:
“There’s nothing more fun than being sat on the clubhouse veranda, beer in hand, watching your mates struggle their way up the final hole before joining you for a drink. Being the golfer doing the struggling while your pals jeer you from the veranda is also pretty funny if you have a good sense of humour.”
Save money
Getting a group of people to do anything is a challenge regardless of the price, but the more it costs, the less likely everyone will commit.
Same goes for a golf holiday, but unlike a drink at your local pub, getting everyone together will actually save you money.
The fact of the matter is, the more people you travel with, the cheaper it’s likely to be; on many of our packages we offer a free trip for one guests when you travel in groups of eight, 12 or 16.
Then, if you book during one of our promotions, you can also receive even more added extras like airport lounge passes, a new driver or even a separate free golf break.
The Weather
Playing Carnoustie or Royal Portrush in sideways rain is a rewarding challenge, but erring on the side of caution, we’re going to recommend you find somewhere with guaranteed sun for your big group golf holiday.
La Manga is one of the most popular golf resorts in Europe, with a variety of accommodation options including Las Lomas apartments and the five-star Hotel Principe Felipe.
Located in Murcia, it is guaranteed a whopping 300 days of sunshine a year, making it the ideal choice for groups.
The Accommodation
If relaxation is what you’re after, then all-inclusive accommodation is the way forward. If you’ve spent the past three months trying to organise a holiday for your friends, the last thing you want is people squabbling over dinner reservations. All-inclusive golf holidays take all of that stress, ensuring your whole group is catered for throughout the trip.
The Belek coastline offers some incredible five-star resorts with outstanding service and great food. Cornelia has two huge hotels and a Nick Faldo-designed course on-site, while Sueno has it’s very own nightclub, allowing you to let loose after a long, hard day on the beautiful fairways or beaches.
And while they are often more expensive than any self catering packages, your spending money is significantly less; it seems concept of eating and drinking at your will without having to pay is one many enjoy.
With large groups come more opinions, more chance of disagreements and someone not getting what they want. This usually comes when deciding where to eat or go out drinking, which is no problem with all inclusive packages, as everything is onsite and requires a lift down from your room.
Weekend Group Golf Holidays
The long weekend is a favourite with travellers around the world; three nights, four days (depending on flight times) seems to be the perfect length of time for city breaks, excursions and now golf breaks.
Thursday to Sunday are popular days to travel, but if you wanted to save on some money, how about considering Saturday to Tuesday; the courses might be a bit quieter too.
Mainly though, these three night, four day packages are perfect for experiencing all the golf, enjoying a local night out and keeping your friendships intact.
Hangover + Hungover Friends + Early Tee Time = Bad Golf
Flight bookings for groups
Booking flights can be a very tricky part of a golf holiday abroad, we endeavour to make this as simple as possible with a dedicated flight booking team at Your Golf Travel.
Our Group Flight Booking Service includes –
- Complimentary Holding Period – secure flights to ensure they don’t go or move up in price for your group
- Low deposit – secure the best flights at preferred deposit terms rather than paying in full with selected airlines
- Dedicated group reservations team with more than 30 years of aviation experience
- Flexibility – access to preferred cancellation and changes terms
- Extended Quote Holding Service – secure flight prices for longer
- Financial Security – ABTA & ATOL Bonded
- Preferred Group Seating facilities
- Complimentary Name Changes
- YGT’s bookings are made directly with the airline, giving our customers access to preferred deals and flights
- Advanced group fare options when travelling
- Booking with Group Golf Travel experts so you are assured of the best options for your golf holiday
* subject to individual Airline policies and conditions
Top 3 group golf holiday destinations
At this stage your group golf holiday is looking a bit more structured, we have a large group heading to an all inclusive resort for a long weekend.
But where to?
Turkey
At risk of sounding like a broken record, Turkey really is the mecca of all-inclusive golf holidays, with Belek home to some simply outrageous five star resorts.
The effortless luxury is incredibly appealing to all golfers, with the plush resorts, championship courses and welcoming locals all coming at an affordable price.
Cornelia Diamond is certainly up there with the best that Belek has to offer, and for a group holiday, has it all.
Spain
Telling your mates you’re planning a group golf holiday to sunny Spain, close to the Andalucian coastline and you’ll get to play at one of the region’s best courses, is sure to make you popular.
Montecastillo is able to offer everything Andalucia has built its reputation upon; the Jack Nicklaus designed course, met with a five star hotel and an enviable location are all perfect for large groups.
Want to sample a snippet of what it’s like at Montecastillo? Check out the 17th from our Greatest 18 series
The Algarve
Despite being one of the most sought after golf destinations in Europe, the Algarve isn’t actually renowned for all-inclusive golf holidays, however is great for groups.
Sao Rafael Suites provides fantastic accommodation in a central Algarve location, just 35 minutes from Faro Airport and amongst many of the region’s top courses, including Morgado Golf & Country Club.
Morgado’s golfing pedigree shouldn’t go unnoticed; host of the 2017 Open de Portugal and home to three amazing courses, the venue is perfectly set up for large groups looking for both quality and variety.
So you have some inspiration on where to go, but how will you make it interesting? We have some ideas…
Best games for a group golf holiday
That first round of a golf holiday is one of life’s little pleasures. The early morning wake up call and the scramble to get down to reception to make the transfer from the hotel. Arriving through the gates of a championship golf course you’ve seen on TV before and trying to justify yet another bag tag or pitch mark repairer.
The format you play on your holiday is important too. There is often a mix of high and low handicappers so match formats that accommodate all playing abilities tend to lead to increased enjoyment for all.
Ryder Cup Matchplay
Every Team Europe fan would have drawn inspiration from the 2018 Ryder Cup at Le Golf National; Thomas Bjorn and co orchestrated an outstanding victory with domination throughout the weekend.
Why not create your own Ryder Cup?
If you take our advice and have three days to play, split into two teams and have the first two days as Fourballs/Foursomes and finish with singles.
In time for the last night of your holiday, the losers can get dinner or drinks to celebrate their victory and the end of your trip.
Texas Scramble
This is a fantastic format for getting the most enjoyment out of the week. It takes the pressure off each individual which often brings out the best in everyone’s game and still allows for some friendly competition. Ideally, you would hope to be under par for each round so why not stick with the same teams all week and award the team with the lowest aggregate score with a bountiful prize?
For more information on Group Golf Deals simply call free on 0800 043 6644.
