Travel Tips

5 Tips for Saving Money on Golf Vacations

Locations in this article:  San Francisco, CA

Golfer puttingIt doesn’t matter if you’re a steel worker or the owner of the steel mill; nobody likes to pay retail for their golf vacations.

Right now, that’s not too hard. The economy has golf courses and resorts wheeling and dealing for your business. But that’s not going to last forever.

So, whether your budget is Myrtle Beach or Pebble Beach, and whether the economy favors you or the hospitality industry, Craig Better of Golf Vacation Insider suggests five ways to save on your golf vacations.

1. Play during off-peak times and seasons.

Golf courseJust like airlines and hotels, nearly all golf courses have flexible rate structures to optimize utilization. Even on weekends in high season, rates can begin to drop as early as 11 a.m. to help ensure that the tee sheet remains full. To find out if a particular golf course offers these stepped-down rates, ask if it offers mid-morning or “twilight” rates when you call to make your tee time. In addition into to paying a lot less for the same course you’d play at say, 9 a.m., it will possibly be less crowded.

Just remember that, on most public courses in America, 18 holes of golf takes at least four hours, so make sure you can finish before dark. For example, the famous Spyglass Hill and Spanish Bay golf courses in Pebble Beach, California, offer twilight rates representing a 30-35 percent discount off their rack rates, but in the summertime, “twilight” doesn’t start until 5:30 p.m.

Visit our Golf Travel section for more advice.

2. Check course Web sites and/or join email newsletters.

Golf greenYou might not think there’s anything to gain by visiting the Web site of a course you’re already familiar with. But that’s often where you’ll find its best, last-minute offers and deepest discounts. Unlike using other media outlets, it costs a golf course very little time and zero dollars to advertise specials on its own site. Likewise, many courses and resorts have realized the value of email marketing and are willing to offer discounts to those people they don’t have to reach in the traditional (i.e. more expensive) ways.

Take San Francisco’s Half Moon Bay Golf Links, for example. The regular green fee at each of its highly regarded courses is $185, but if you join its e-Club newsletter, you’ll get automatic discounts of 30-60 percent.

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3. Join discount clubs and state associations.

In most U.S. states (and some international destinations) there exists some form of a golf discount club or passbook, which provides coupons for a given set of courses. Some of them are great, such as the Golden Passport to New England Golf, which offers free weekend rounds of golf for two (including carts) at some very high-quality golf courses. Other books often feature low-quality courses, restrict play to weekdays, and tout “savings” that don’t amount to much, so choose carefully.

Golf bagJoining a state golf association (the official divisions of golf’s governing body, the United States Golf Association or USGA) can be another good way to enjoy top public and private courses for less than the published rates. Some, like the Virginia State Golf Association and Northern California Golf Association, don’t even require that you live in-state.

4. Consider staying on site or at an affiliated hotel.

Even if the room rate is higher, it’s sometimes more economical to stay at a resort or hotel affiliated with the golf courses you want to play. Let’s say, for example, you want to play the Beach and Kings’ courses at Waikoloa Beach Resort on Hawaii’s Big Island. Golfers who walk in off the street, pay green fees of $195. Resort guests, however, pay only $130. Unless you can get a comparable room nearby that’s at least $65 less per night, it makes more sense to stay on site. Hotels that have relationships with golf courses can sometimes put together attractive packages, too, and they often have “ins” with private courses nearby.

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5. Work with a packager.

Any discussion of golf and value should not leave out golf vacation packagers. Be aware, however, that it’s easier than ever to put up a Web site and say you’re in the golf travel business. The best golf packagers are highly knowledgeable about the areas they serve and offer a combination of convenience AND savings beyond what you could arrange on your own. The only surefire way to know you’re getting the latter is to obtain a price quote and then spot check the à la carte room rate and green fees yourself (yes, you have to call the properties directly). You’ll know pretty quickly whether you’re getting a good deal or just a good deal of hype.

By Craig Better for PeterGreenberg.com. Golf Vacation Insider is the online, sister publication of the Golf Odyssey newsletter. In addition to unbiased reviews of golf courses, resorts, and restaurants worldwide, Golf Odyssey informs readers about unique travel opportunities, unadvertised discounts, access to private courses, and other insider secrets. For a free trial, visit GolfOdyssey.com.

Peter interviewed Craig Better during his Sept. 12 radio show–listen here.

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