Where to golf trip solo for 1 week?

[PhilsRHman]

I've done the solo trip to Myrtle and if you're going in the summer, it could be a real winner. The courses are charging off-peak rates, and as a single your best best is to have a list of 4-5 places you want to play each day and call the night before to see if they've got any last-minute deals. Since you can't really book tee times as a single too far in advance, that will also give them a chance to pair you with twosomes, etc. The other advantage to Myrtle is that you can likely go 10-deep on your list on any given day and still be within a 20 minute drive of where you're staying. The knock on Myrtle in the summer might be the hotel rooms, which are pretty high because it's family season.

Love the idea of heading up into the Canadian Rockies, but when I was there, I found the courses were more of an opportunity to relax and enjoy the environment, less about hardcore golf, and I think you'd get more out of that trip with some buddies. You'd also be hardpressed to spend a week there on your budget.

Depending on where you live, have you considered Mississippi? I bet you could get some great deals down around the coast because not only is it their down season but their business is way off because of the oil spill. If you like gambling, there are casinos there and in Tunica, although they're several hours drive apart.

All in all, I think Myrtle would offer a pretty good option and there's enough golf that you could play 36 a day without a problem.

[Uncle Peter]

I had that exact option, and I chose Myrtle Beach. 8 great courses in a week for $450.

Yup, Myrtle Beach 100%, without a doubt.

[kurtbayne]

If you live in FL and want to do it now - as a NW resident, I would recommend checking out puget sound and elsewhere west of the cascades, although interior BC might be nice if the altitude is high enough to offset the heat.

The good thing about west WA in general and in the summer in particular is what it DOESN'T have that so many other places in the US have.

PLANTS AND ANIMALS - we have no chiggers, no-see-ums, scorpions, stinging ants, biting flies, poisonous snakes or spiders, poison ivy and poison oak, snapping turtles, alligators, etc etc. We technically have some hornets, although I've never seen any at a golf course. And we have the occasional mosquito, although I've never had to put mosquito repellent on, ever. Some courses suffer from duck shit and goose shit, depending on the water and time of year. Also if you go in the bushes you might get nettles or blackberry thorns.

WEATHER - the west NW has quite a lack of sun from mid-Oct thru mid-June (our biggest disadvantage) but the summer and early fall is great. No hurricanes, lightning storms, hurricanes or severe wind, hardly any rain at all, let alone big rains or flooding. And lastly, basically no heat or humidity. If the heat gets above 80-85, the locals generally consider that too hot and go inside and bitch. At my home course at Camano Island, WA (sort of a rain shadow about an hour north of Seattle) I've played golf almost every day this year, and have not needed an umbrella or a golf glove (although my grips were slippery for a few holes a couple of times). I've never put on sunblock while living in the NW. Or mosquito repellent. However, I should put some skin lotion on but I'm lazy.

In other words, if the law allowed it, you could generally play most of our courses pretty much naked and barefoot and be reasonably comfortable and happy. Well, since you haven't done much naked golf, I would say you could certainly play without a sunburn if you played with socks, boxer shorts, and a floppy hat. Or surf slippers, beach shorts, tee shirt, floppy hat. I bet some courses would let you play with that. A typical summer golfer could play a typical round without a drop of sweat.

If you wanted specific cheap and/or good courses, just call a few local golf pros and you'll get recommendations.

I forgot: Western BC (vancouver and the western islands) are also excellent this time of year. Their weather is worse than OR/WA during the rest of the year but somehow during the short time of July/August, BC really shines, and you get the experience of being in a different country without 90% of the hassles that go with it.

[MFFNike]

To those that recommended Myrtle Beach,

I am from Texas and sick of my weekly round in 104 degree heat. I have 3-4 days off in September and am looking to take a trip solo (I could even go Wednesday - Sunday and play Thurs/Fri/Sat).

I am a high handicapper obviously, but play quickly. Would you guys still recommend Myrtle to me?

If I do it, I would fly into Florence, rent a car, and drive to Myrtle Beach, and make the tee-times as a single walk-on the day before. Do you guys have any suggestions if I go this route, or other suggestions entirely?

Thanks,
MFFNike