Ever dreamt about booking a golf vacation to The British Isles, but don’t know where to start? Halcyon Golf Travel makes it easy to book golf trips across the pond that hit the best courses with itineraries bespoke to you.
In this post we explain how to decide on an itinerary for your golf vacation to The British Isles. We then outline to process of how to put your plan into action and book your dream golf vacation with Halcyon Golf Travel.
How to choose where to play golf in The British Isles
The British Isles consists of England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and hundreds of very small islands surrounding mainland Britain. Although when looking at a map the British Isles look small, the roads in places are very rudimental and narrow. Travelling 50 miles here can take up to 4 times longer to drive vs driving 50 miles in the USA. When choosing which golf courses to play on your golf trip in the British Isles, you don’t want to pick places that are too far apart.
Choose 1 “sub-region” for every 3-4 nights of your golf trip.
We recommend compartmentalising the British Isles into sub-regions and choosing 1 sub-region per 3-4 days of your golf trip. This will help keep your travel time to a minimum whilst on vacation, giving you a chance to enjoy your evenings, explore the towns you visit and avoid having to check in to a new hotel every couple of days.
Trying to play all the bucket list courses in Scotland, Ireland or England in one golf trip isn’t something we recommend (unless you have a full month to travel!). You’ll find yourself spending the majority of your trip in the car / coach rather than enjoying your time exploring the country!
The best way to start planning a 1 week golf vacation to The British Isles would be to pick 2 courses on your bucket list. See which regions they’re in, and pick 2 other golf courses in each sub region.
Here are the main sub-regions within The British Isles and the top 3 golf courses* in each region.
*Remember, there’s plenty of other golf courses well worth visiting in each region. Sometimes hidden gems and courses off the beaten track provide a much more authentic experience at a much lower price. A travel expert from Halcyon Golf Travel will be able to guide you through all the golf courses that you could play on your dream golf vacation.
Main sub-regions within The British Isles and the top 3 golf courses
East Lothian
Muirfield
North Berwick
Gullane #1
Fife
The Old Course
Kingsbarns
Carnoustie
Aberdeenshire
Royal Aberdeen
Cruden Bay
Trump International
The Highlands
Royal Dornoch
Castle Stuart
Nairn
Ayrshire
Trump Turnberry (Ailsa)
Royal Troon
Prestwick
West Coast Isles
Machrihanish
Machrihanish Dunes
The Machrie
Ballybunion
Old Head
Tralee
Dublin
Portmarnock
The Island
County Louth
West Coast
Lahinch
Enniscrone
County Sligo
North West
St Patricks Links
Ballyliffin
Narin & Portnoo
Northern Ireland
Royal County Down
Royal Portrush
Portstewart (Strand)
North West / Liverpool
Royal Birkdale
Royal Liverpool
Hillside
Sunningdale
Hankley Common
St Gerges Hill
Kent
Royal St Georges
Royal Cinque Ports
Princes
Ganton
Hollinwell
Alwoodley
Worked example
“I’ve never been to the British isles before and I have time for a 7 night trip. The top 2 courses on my bucket list are Royal Dornoch and Royal Troon”
For a 7 night trip, we recommend visiting a maximum of 2 x sub regions
Royal Dornoch is in The Highlands (Scotland). Using the chart above, whilst you’re in The Highlands you should also play Castle Stuart & Nairn. Staying in a hotel in Inverness means you never have more than 60 mins to the golf course.
Royal Troon is in Ayrshire (Scotland), so whilst you’re there you should also play Turnberry and Prestwick. By staying at a hotel in Troon, you never have to travel more than 40 mins to the golf course.
The drive from Inverness to Troon is 4hrs30mins. Today you might choose not to play golf, but instead enjoy the travel day by stopping off at at Ben Nevis whisky distillery, Urquhart Castle and Loch Lomond National Park (Yellow dots on the interactive map below).
Now you have a world class 7 night, 6 round golf itinerary which only requires 1 hotel change and keeps travel time each day to a minimum. You’re also utilising your travel day by stopping at cultural points of interest and giving yourself chance to recharge your batteries for 3 more rounds of golf.
How to book a golf trip to The British Isles with Halcyon Golf Travel.
At Halcyon Golf Travel we understand no two groups are alike. We love working with our customers to create bespoke golf trips to the British Isles and making the process as stress free and easy as possible.
Below we outline the stages you’d typically go through when booking a golf trip with Halcyon Golf Travel.
The tour planner form gives you the option to select one of many example itineraries, which you can choose to personalise. This option takes about 1 minute.
Alternatively, you can choose to build your own custom itinerary. The form gives you the option to pick your own golf courses, trip duration and hotel preferences & locations. It also asks you questions which helps us personalise your itinerary such as your propensity to travel, proximity to towns/cities and the nature of your group (Guys golf trip, couples trip, family trip etc). This option takes approximately 2-4 minutes to complete. The more information you can provide us, the more accurate the quote is that we provide you.
2. Get your quote
We aim to send you a personalised quote within 24 hours, however this can take up to 48hours during busy periods and over weekends. We send the quote in an email, and also include a link to a digital itinerary. This includes images, videos, local restaurant guides and terms & conditions.
Please bear in mind that the Halcyon Golf Travel team are located in The British Isles, which is the GMT / BST time zone (5 hours ahead of New York). This means we’re always close by to assist you and answer calls whilst you’re actually on vacation.
Here’s what your quote will look like when you receive it.
3. Travel consultation
When you receive your quote, you’ll also receive an invitation to book a video/phone call with a golf travel expert. This isn’t a compulsory part of the booking process, but one we highly recommend. This gives us the opportunity to hear exactly what your dream golf trip looks like. This helps us to make personalised recommendations which will enhance your travel experience. You’ll also be able to ask questions about your golf vacation and discuss alternative travel destinations with your dedicated golf travel expert.
These calls typically take anywhere from 15 to 45 minutes, depending on the complexity of your golf trip and how much time you have! You’ll be able to schedule as many of these calls as you wish with your golf travel expert.
What might you talk about on this call?
-What does your dream golf trip look like?
-Who is attending this golf vacation to the British Isles?
-What golf courses will you play? We might be able to bring some hidden gems to your attention you hadn’t heard of before.
-When will you come on your golf trip? What months are best to visit The British Isles?
-What hotel will you stay in? What hotel facilities are important to you?
-What type of restaurants do you like? What towns have these establishments?
-How many rounds of golf will you play? Are 36 hole days possible/ encouraged?
-What standard of golfer are you? What courses might you enjoy more (or less)?
-Which golf courses are essential to take a caddy? What is the caddy fee / expected tip?
-Which courses allow the use of golf carts? Will you need a medical certificate?
-Would you like to do any sightseeing? What days could you squeeze in a whisky tasting or a tour of a castle?
-Are there any non-golfers coming on your trip? Would they like a separate sightseeing itinerary creating?
-Which airport is best to travel to? Should you bring clubs with you, or ship them to your first hotel?
-What should you pack for your British Isles golf trip?
FYI- Engaging in this travel consultation does not mean you’re obliged to book your golf trip with Halcyon Golf Travel. These calls are FREE and you aren’t on the hook for any money until you return your pre trip agreement and pay a deposit.
4. Updated Quote & itinerary refinements.
After your travel consultation, Halcyon Golf Travel will follow up with an updated quote to reflect any changes discussed during your call. We’ll also double check with your chosen hotels & golf courses that they have availability on your preferred dates.
At this point, you will have the personal contact details of your dedicated golf travel expert. You’re able (and encouraged) to message and call them with questions and queries and make as many further alterations to your golf trip as you like. You can even schedule group video conferences with your whole group.
5. Deposit
After we’ve presented you with your final itinerary, we’ll send you a pre-trip agreement for you to sign. This includes all of your trip inclusions (and exclusions), tee times, terms & conditions and your payment schedule.
For trips falling within 12 months, the standard deposit amount is 40%. We reduce the initial deposit to 10% for golf trips more than 12 months away, but this depends on the specific itinerary and our payment terms with the corresponding suppliers.
The deposit can be paid by bank transfer or credit card via a secure payment link. We accept all major credit cards, including American Express.
6. Pre trip
In the run up to your trip we maintain communication by sending periodic emails with travel information such as packing tips, dress codes at the golf courses you play, and also restaurant & sightseeing guides for the areas you’ll be visiting.
Before you pay the outstanding balance on your golf trip, we’ll email you a form for you to complete. This requests the contact information of all travellers, handicaps (if required by the golf clubs), caddy requirements and flight information for all travellers. This ensures everything and everyone is organised before you travel.
Final payment is due 90 days before day 1 of your golf trip. This again can be paid via bank transfer or credit card.
In the final few weeks before your trip your dedicated golf travel expert will contact you to make sure you’re ready for your trip. They’ll run over the final details, make sure you’re ready and make dinner reservations and arrange extra sightseeing for you, should it be required. All of your reservations, pickup times, important phone numbers etc will be updated on your digital itinerary, so you have all the information you could possibly need in one convenient place.
7. During your golf vacation
Your dedicated golf travel expert, who by now you’ll have spoken to at least a couple of times, will maintain contact with you throughout your trip. So if you need to make last minute changes, need local recommendations or find yourself in a spot of bother, you always have somebody to call and help you out who’s located in the same time zone as you.
If you’re eager to start the planning process for your British Isles golf trip, or you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to contact us at info@halcyongolftravel.com