The weather is cold, the fairways are unfair and the greens are starting to look like browns at your local golf courses. Those are all signs that it’s time to start planning your spring golf trip with buddies to Myrtle Beach. With more than 100 golf courses to choose from, the Grand Strand is the perfect place for a group getaway so your party can soak up plenty of golf and off-the-course fun. Here’s a five-step checklist for planning your spring golf trip to Myrtle Beach:
1) Pick a date: As obvious as it sounds, this first step could be a real deal breaker if everyone's not on board from the start. Send out a group e-mail with a list of possible dates, the more the better, and have others scratch out the ones that are no good for them. Once you've eliminated the weeks of everyone's conflicts, you should end up with a handful of dates to choose from, which gives you all the info you need to proceed to the next step and find the best available deals for your golf buddy trip.
2) Ask your friends individually and privately how much they are willing to spend for the golf getaway. No two estimates are likely to be the same, but at least you can get a ballpark idea to get started. Be sure their estimates include lodging, meals and entertainment as well as greens fees because you can save your group a lot of money by buying in bulk. Some golf packages include accommodations, meals and discounts to local attractions, dining and shopping. Also have them submit a list of courses they would like to play to help narrow your search. Once you've got this info in mind, it's time to shop.
3) For your one-stop spot for booking a Myrtle Beach golf getaway, stick with myrtlebeachgolf.com. Not only do we have agreements with local courses that allow us to purchase tee times in bulk at wholesale rates, we are also affiliated with area resorts, hotels and golf villas that offer golf groups discounted room and board. The web site allows you to peruse all the major courses and accommodations and find the best combination of price and value. MyrtleBeachGolf,com also allows you to put together your own package, so you can do Myrtle Beach on the cheap or get the best bang for your group's bucks.
4) After combing the web for info, put together three possible package options to present to the group. Granted, all are not likely to agree on the same package – some will prefer to play different courses and stay at different accommodations – but at least you will get a idea about which options are most popular among the group. As soon as you can get a consensus among the players, collect a deposit amount for each golfers or put the amount on your credit card and collect from the each golfer in your group, if you trust them as far as you can hit a 9-iron.
5) After booking your spring buddies golf trip, begin checking on transportation options. Several airlines fly direct to Myrtle Beach from major cities in the Midwest and Northeast, so much so that it might be cheaper for members of your group to carpool to a common airport to make the best possible flight. Some might prefer to drive the distance to Myrtle Beach, which is fine for saving a few bucks could ultimately cost you a couple of days on the course. Be sure make a list of everyone's estimated arrival time for pick-up planning.
(posted 12/1/14)