Solo Golfcation???

Quote:

Originally Posted by dpgator33 

I would like to do a golf getaway this year, but I know that the guys I play with (when I do play with other people, which isn't terribly often) would never do it.  I was thinking about maybe Myrtle Beach or Phoenix/Scottsdale, or if I could find the right place maybe even a summer trip to Canada or Wyoming, somewhere peaceful and scenic even if there may be only a handful of courses nearby.  

 

Anyone do a solo trip like this?  Any thoughts, suggestions, etc???

Oh yeah, are there also any golf locales with services that match people up for lodging, to possibly cut down on some expenses?

This would be a great opportunity to do a golf school.  They are usually at nice courses and you can get total golf immersion.  I did that once and had a great time.

Golf school is a great idea. I've seen stay and play packages that offer instruction and tee times.

I went to Myrtle Beach last year and they do golf packages with the hotels.  I played several nice golf courses for 25-60 dollar range, and a couple great ones around a hundred bucks.  Well worth the trip and the scenery. 

I did a solo golf holiday in November.

Pinehurst, Kiawah & Hilton Head, did tourist stuff on the Outer Banks and Charleston too.

Not a cheap option though. Always got paired with someone - apart from the day it rained when there was a no show.

Easy enough to meet people in bars, Pinehurst was the best for this. Hilton Head I think would have been good, but was Thanksgiving so a bit strange. Kiawah very family/couple oriented.

Golfers are usually friendly types and will hang around for a beer afterwards. As long as you're prepared to sit at a bar and chat to strangers you won't go short of company.

Depending on your age there is the option of staying in hostels which always have a good social scene and usually will have single rooms as well as the dorms. Canada had particularly good ones (or did 10 years ago).

If you're going solo, and you're on a budget, packages and golf schools are not the cheapest way to go. You can fly cheap to most of the destinations you mentioned with Spirit airlines being worth a look. Then for a place to stay, you really just need a bed, so book somewhere like red roof inn or even a Super 8. Look for deals online (Hotwire, Expedia?), read some reviews and just make sure they're not located far away in a bad area. Rent a small car for a few days, not expensive. Finally, the best thing about being a single is your ability to get last minute tee times at good prices, and there's usually a slot for a single to play at most times. Again, look around at various tee time websites for specials.

This is all assuming you're really on a budget, and just looking to play, not get instruction. A little leg work on the computer putting things together yourself should serve you well. Good luck.

Here are some of the ways I try to find decent boarding while minimizing prices:

• Priceline - I use the auction option. In this website - http://biddingfortravel.yuku.com/ - you can find the bottom price/night for each star rating of hotel.
• vrbo.com or homeaway.com - Mostly for houses, there are options for condos/apts.
• airbnb.com - The surcharge is steep, but once you've directly deal with the owner, the second time is much cheaper. Still, some bargain finds if you are willing to share in a house.

Keep in mind, there was a NYTimes piece where it details how Expedia tends to point people to more expensive options. Also don't shop on a Mac, ha ha , some sites up their prices because Mac owners usually spend more.

I tend to try and stay away from hotels/corporate like places and prefer homier, less generic - the last two options are good in that regard.

Bandon dunes in Oregon, 3-4 of there golf courses are in the top 25 on golf digest, its absurd. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by dpgator33 

I would like to do a golf getaway this year, but I know that the guys I play with (when I do play with other people, which isn't terribly often) would never do it.  I was thinking about maybe Myrtle Beach or Phoenix/Scottsdale, or if I could find the right place maybe even a summer trip to Canada or Wyoming, somewhere peaceful and scenic even if there may be only a handful of courses nearby.  

 

Anyone do a solo trip like this?  Any thoughts, suggestions, etc???

Oh yeah, are there also any golf locales with services that match people up for lodging, to possibly cut down on some expenses?

If you do a summer trip, keep Colorado in mind too.  You can't do much better than some of the mountain courses in Summit or Grand County.  Lots of lodging options too, since they are also winter ski destinations.  Play two courses at Keystone, 27 holes at Breckenridge, The Raven at Three Peaks in Summit County.  Keystone is a resort and has some sort of stay and play packages.  

Then a little ways northeast to Grand County (Winter Park is best for lodging) and you have Headwaters, Grand Lake, Pole Creek (my favorite), Grand Elk.  I've played all except the River Course at Keystone and The Raven.

I believe that all of them have websites if you Google the name.  I'm taking a summer trip there myself this year, meeting my brother and playing as many as possible.  

You can get good breaks on green fees at most of those courses if you buy the Colorado Avid Golfer Passport (can be ordered online- again Google it).  Two rounds at Pole Creek will pay for the passport.  Something else to consider anyway. 

Depends on what you are looking for.. I did a tour of lots of the Mt. courses in North Carolina had a blast

This may sound off-the-wall, but consider going up the John Deere Classic in July. You could catch a golf tournament and get in some reasonably priced golf, probably with less humidity than in Florida. Quad Cities Airport handles regional flights.

The tournament is held at Deere Run GC in Silvis, IL, (near Moline) and was originally known as the Quad Cities Open. http://www.johndeereclassic.com/

It's been nicknamed the Midwest Major, and ended up last year in a playoff in which Zach Johnson edged Troy Matteson. The two bumped Steve Stricker out of the limelight - Stricker was trying for his fourth consecutive Deere win. All three golfers, and several others on the leader board, had Illinois or Iowa connections.

Anyway, it's a major tournament, but lots of reasonably priced hotel rooms were available. My wife and I drove up and really had a good time.

Area also has several very nice public and semi-private courses. Very interesting is Arsenal Island Golf Club, on the grounds of the Rock Island Arsenal military base, which is located in the middle of the Mississippi River. Arsenal Island's was built and refined from 1897 through 1906, and has lots of classic design features - including back-to-back par 3s on Nos. 16 and 17. http://www.arsenalislandgolf.com/

Note: Deere Run is a TPC course, but the public can play on a space-available basis. You'd have to contact Deere Run to see when play might be open after the tournament.