Road Trip v Basing Yourself Somewhere

[Scott Warren]

When taking a golf trip, what do you prefer and why?

[Tom_Doak]

At this point in my life, I'd rather have a home base [or two] than drive to a different spot every other day.  But I never would have seen nearly as many courses if I'd always preferred that approach.

I do think that most Americans make a mistake by trying to see all of Scotland [Troon, St. Andrews, Muirfield, and Dornoch!] in one trip.  Which football coach told his players when they got to the end zone to "act like you've been there before" ?  In Scotland, you should plan on the assumption that you're going to go back again ... because once you've been there, you'll surely want to.

[Michael Goldstein]

Staying somewhere for a while is definitely the best for learning about GCA.

That said, I'm looking forward to another road trip.....

[Jud_T]

hence Bandon...

[Sean_A]

I prefer one location, but tow is okay if working back toward home.  The thing is, you have to go where the courses are.  For younguns out there, don't fall into the inevitable trap by playing all the big guns first.  Do your best to hit the wee courses in the corners of the world while you are young.  Making these awkward treks get less and less appealing with age even if the courses are well worth the effort.  It tends to be a time issue and once things in our lives are bedded down time is of utmost value.  Save some of those easy to hit big guns for later years - I wish I would have.

Ciao

[Cory Lewis]

I've always been a road trip guy because it seems no matter where I go, there is always someplace to see away from the main attraction.  A perfect example is Lawsonia on a trip to Whistling/Blackwolf.  I am overjoyed I made the side trip to Lawsonia because it was such an amazing golf course.  That road trip was much more satsifying then staying at Whistling for another round would have been.

[jeffwarne]

I've always been a road trip guy because it seems no matter where I go, there is always someplace to see away from the main attraction.  A perfect example is Lawsonia on a trip to Whistling/Blackwolf.  I am overjoyed I made the side trip to Lawsonia because it was such an amazing golf course.  That road trip was much more satsifying then staying at Whistling for another round would have been.

It depends upon where you go.
In Aiken that's the route I go but those are short trips.
If there are 5-10 compelling courses within a half hour sure. (several areas of Scotland,Dublin, Portrush)
In remote Ireland or Scotland, that won't work as well.

a mix of the two can work well (often with good planning you can stay 2 nights at a time  in the same place even on the worst of schleps.
The key for me is no backtracking.

I crack up when I see some of the tours or ProAms fellow pros or members have been scammed on.
They spend 1/2 their day on a bus retracing the same route every day being based in a"partner Hotel" (i.e. provides the best kickbacks to operator and the staff wears kilts)
18 holes daily and 3-4 hours of driving- all to stay in the same castle which happens to be in the center(but has 5 star service ), but not actually near any of the courses
How hard exactly is it to grab your bag and go?

Nothing better to me than staying in a B&B (or better yet a dormy)across the street from the club, eating at the club, and staggering home to bed.
and do it all over again the next day just down the road.

I'm not really there to study courses-I'm there to play them, but often will schedule the same course twice if compelling or if it's at a point where some in the group may need a break while others have second go.

I will say I'd like to rent house in Dunfanaghy or Portsalon and supplement multiple rounds there with a few road trips (very affordable)

[Steve Salmen]

I used to go to Scotland for two weeks every year and put 1200-1500 miles on the rental car.  I thought it was great and would have a fantastic time traveling around the country, playing new courses and my favorite old ones.  Now that I've played most places there, I stay in one place and may make an overnight trip.

My one regret is on my only trip to Machrie, I got in fairly late, played 36 the next morning and split.  That's the place to take 2 or 3 of the most relaxing, non hurried days.

[Steve Lang]

  just go to Southern Pines, stay & play package at almost anywhere, unpack once saturday night, play 2 a day Sunday through next Friday, with a contingency 9 on Tues and Weds, farewell round Saturday morning, head out of dodge.. redo for 25+ years with optional years in Ashville or HH low country or Crossville, TN.. 

if first venue is more than 45 minuntes away, you do replay, otherwise however you feel like it. 

in early years we played a different course AM/PM, always consuslted the locals (Jay & Judy at the Fairway Motel), prepared lunches the night before, in later years it was condo condo, take break between rounds, stocked kitchen and bar, fewer bets to determine dinner venue ... the threat of John's BBQ or Western Sizzler make some weak on closing holes..

[Eric Smith]

just go to Southern Pines, stay & play package at almost anywhere, unpack once saturday night, play 2 a day Sunday through next Friday, with a contingency 9 on Tues and Weds, farewell round Saturday morning, head out of dodge.. redo for 25+ years with optional years in Ashville or HH low country or Crossville, TN..  

if first venue is more than 45 minuntes away, you do replay, otherwise however you feel like it.  

in early years we played a different course AM/PM, always consuslted the locals (Jay & Judy at the Fairway Motel), prepared lunches the night before, in later years it was condo condo, take break between rounds, stocked kitchen and bar, fewer bets to determine dinner venue ... the threat of John's BBQ or Western Sizzler make some weak on closing holes..

Steve,

Would you believe Crossville is my hometown? I am at my office in The Golf Capital Of Tennessee at this very moment staring out the window on this cold rainy day. I assume you play Stonehenge, Dorchester, etc. at FFG when here? Ever play Lake Tansi? Our Pro of 35 years, Aubrey King retires at the end of the year. Really fun golf course with excellent bluegrass turf.

[Ian Andrew]

I've made six trips to the UK now.
I feel as long as you have the stamina and a partner to share the driving ... always choose the road trip.

There is too much great golf to see and enjoy.
I find I enjoy the scenery "in between" too.

[jeffwarne]

I find I enjoy the scenery "in between" too.

+1

[Brent Hutto]

My last trip to the UK was my second time to the south coast of England. This time around, no traveling at all. Straight shot (by train) from Gatwick to the coast, stayed in Deal for a week, caught a ride back to London with Tony M. and spent a day there before coming home.

If/when I get to return it will be a similar arrangement. Maybe stay in the south again, maybe go to Dornoch or St. Andrews or somewhere else. But do my airplane+train+car+whatever journeys all in one go and park myself in the same B&B for a few days. Even if there are some day-trips of considerable distance involved to particular golf courses it's much more relaxing to stay settled and get into a local rhythm.

Then again my reason for these trips has evolved to be 90% a relaxing, golf-centered lifestyle for a week or so and 10% seeing multiple courses and so forth. Plus when I find a course I really love, there's nothing better than playing it several times in one trip.

[PCCraig]

Scott,

I think it depends on what you want to see or experience. Scotland or Ireland, where I think it pays to not rush around for a week in a coach bus, is a lot different than Wisconsin where you might be limited being based out of Green Bay

Then again, certain parts of the States could act as great "home bases," a few obvious choices would be Boston, New York, Chicago, Charleston, or San Francisco. You could see a whole lot of great golf if you stayed in one of the above and limited yourself to a 5 hour drive radius.

[John Kavanaugh]

The real key is taking advantage of everything you can get.  Like Pat Craig says, if you are in Boston, New York, Chicago, Charleston or San Francisco you need to gobble up every single course that will give you access before your gig is up.  It would be like signing an NBA contract and getting married.  The ideal situation is to get an early tee time at a AA course, grab a bite and then hit up a AAA for the not so desirable late afternoon tee time.  You have to keep moving or your real life just might catch up.

[Jason Topp]

When scheduling I am always tempted to move from place to place but consistently prefer staying at one location. 

Great courses are worth repeat rounds and an attempt to see everything results in missing a feel for location and the subtelties of a venue.  One can experience the fun of travelling from place to place by driving to a course and back rather than migrating.

One of my goals is to experience a golf week at one of the clubs over there in order to really experience a particular club. 

[PCCraig]

The real key is taking advantage of everything you can get.  Like Pat Craig says, if you are in Boston, New York, Chicago, Charleston or San Francisco you need to gobble up every single course that will give you access before your gig is up.  It would be like signing an NBA contract and getting married.  The ideal situation is to get an early tee time at a AA course, grab a bite and then hit up a AAA for the not so desirable late afternoon tee time.  You have to keep moving or your real life just might catch up.

Who said anything about access? You're just like Melvyn when he brings up Old Tom in every one of his posts, regardless of the topic. Not every thread's common denominator is private club access. Assuming you based yourself in any one of the cities listed above, you could see quite a lot within a day's drive, access or not.

[John Kavanaugh]

Pat,

This is the original question: "When taking a golf trip, what do you prefer and why?" How can this question be valid if you do not consider where you can play either through access and/or cost.  It goes unsaid.

Look, I understand how temptation works and am not going to judge anyone succumbs to it.  My favorite story in the history of GCA was when one famous poster gained access to Chicago Golf but was not allowed in the clubhouse.  He went on to post how it was one of the worst experiences in his life.  Through the balance of the universe it became one of the best of mine.

I believe this thread is worthless without knowing the background of each poster so we can determine their choices based on their access or price point.  There is nothing wrong with a golfer playing the best course he can for the lowest price.

It's like me bragging about how I have never cheated on my wife in our 30 years of marriage.  Sounds like quite a feat until you meet me and see why.

[Anthony Gray]

   I prefer a place where I can find my potential fifth wife and is full of danger. My last trip was to Thailand and he sure did look like a girl.

[Kalen Braley]

I don't think there is any right or wrong answer to this.  This question has been asked before on GCA.com and the answer is pretty much "do whatever floats your boat".

As for me, I'm the explorer type and I love getting on the road and seeing new things. Driving to and fro is half the fun for me, (as long as its generally not more than 3-4 hours at a time).

Others love to take it slower and marinate in one spot and hit the local bars at night or whatever....more power to them, its all good.

[John Kavanaugh]

   I prefer a place where I can find my potential fifth wife and is full of danger. My last trip was to Thailand and he sure did look like a girl.

I thought you were in treatment for that.  How important do you think it is for the addict to remove himself from the source?  Can any of us reasonably expect a golfer who can access SFCC, Cal Club and Olympic to choose just one if he is in San Francisco knowing he may never return?  What have you learned about why people make these kind of choices?

[Bill_McBride]

Probably my best golf trip was June 2008 when our party of 8 spent five nights in Dornoch followed by five in St Andrews.  Stayed in private apartments in both places, walked to the first tee in under ten minutes.   The only regret was not visiting North Berwick.  

I have had great trips both ways.  My first trip over I traveled with my brother.  We spent two nights in St Andrews, two in North Berwick, and three in Painswick for an early Buda Cup.   I'd rather spend at least three nights somewhere so you get a couple of full days with no traveling.

The one thing I regret about my golf travel is taking so little time for non-golf activities.....

[Anthony Gray]

   I prefer a place where I can find my potential fifth wife and is full of danger. My last trip was to Thailand and he sure did look like a girl.

I thought you were in treatment for that.  How important do you think it is for the addict to remove himself from the source?  Can any of us reasonably expect a golfer who can access SFCC, Cal Club and Olympic to choose just one if he is in San Francisco knowing he may never return?  What have you learned about why people make these kind of choices?

  Actually my treatment came after my trips to Thailand and was well needed. I would say the answer comes down to how much some one likes to travel and experience different cultures. I don't relate to the golfer that goes to NGLA and doesn't have the lobster. Its part of the total experience. Or passes up the kibi at The House of Como after a round at Victoria National. Taking a photo on the Swilcan Bridge is a vital part of a round at TOC. Portrush without The Giant's Causway is a wasted trip. Sieze the day.

  Anthony

[John Kavanaugh]

   I prefer a place where I can find my potential fifth wife and is full of danger. My last trip was to Thailand and he sure did look like a girl.

I thought you were in treatment for that.  How important do you think it is for the addict to remove himself from the source?  Can any of us reasonably expect a golfer who can access SFCC, Cal Club and Olympic to choose just one if he is in San Francisco knowing he may never return?  What have you learned about why people make these kind of choices?

  Actually my treatment came after my trips to Thailand and was well needed. I would say the answer comes down to how much some one likes to travel and experience different cultures. I don't relate to the golfer that goes to NGLA and doesn't have the lobster. Its part of the total experience. Or passes up the kibi at The House of Como after a round at Victoria National. Taking a photo on the Swilcan Bridge is a vital part of a round at TOC. Portrush without The Giant's Causway is a wasted trip. Sieze the day.

  Anthony

Lucky you, I have missed out on so much by being what can be called "to cool for the room".  I love to travel but hate tourism.  Someday I'm gonna wish I had bought that camera.

[Michael Goldstein]

Anthony, +1