Think About the Game


Before you pick up the telephone to make reservations for the golfing vacation of your dreams, stop and think about the important details of your personal dream.

Ask yourself the following questions, and remember there are no right or wrong answers. The only penalty comes from not asking them at all.

1. What kind o f a golf course and resort do I want to visit? Do you want to go to an easy course where you can boost your ego by shooting the lowest score of your golfing career? Or would you rather visit one of America's most difficult courses, where your score will climb into the stratosphere but, oh, what stories you'll be able to tell at the 19th hole when you return home?

2. Is price an object? The courses in this book, all of them above average,

range from as low as $10 per round to $150 and more. It's all golf, and there are some classic challenges and gorgeous locations at the less-expensive courses; it's up to you to decide whether a brand name is worth the extra cost.

3. When I spend the night, do I require a luxurious resort setting, or is a clean Motel Cheapo acceptable? There are many advantages to staying at a world-class resort, especially if you are in mixed company (golfers and nongolfers) or if you plan to stay in one area for an extended period of time and want to make use of other amenities. And, as I will point out in Chapter 3 on hotels, a luxury resort is not always that much more expensive than a strip motel if you plan to play golf at the resort's course. You'll have to do the math yourself, based on your own preferences and plans.

4. Must I travel in high season? The warm spring of Florida and much of the South is a huge lure to frostbitten northerners. But sometimes it seems as if the entire state of New Hampshire is in line in front of you at the tee ... and airline, auto rental, hotel, and greens fees are at their highest.

5. Am I willing to spend a little bit of time to save a lot o f money? If so, read on; you'll find all the information you need to make the most of your money and time on a golfing vacation.