One of the best days of the golf season, if not the year, is a golf trip with your family or friends. Golf vacations allow us golf lovers to experience new locations, play beautiful courses, relax from life’s daily stresses, and bond with our close ones.

However, like most things in golf, golf trips can be expensive. If you don’t have money to “throw around” but still want to go on a killer golf trip, this article is for you!

Here are the many tips to help you book a memorable golf trip without breaking the bank.

Things to Keep in Mind When Planning a Cheap Golf Trip

Key Points

• Establishing a budget limit before trip planning can expedite location, courses, and lodging decision-making.
• Driving instead of flying to the destination lowers the cost of travel and also provides you with convenient transportation to and from the golf courses.
• Making wise decisions on food and beverages, such as buying groceries, packing your lunch, or dining at inexpensive restaurants, is ideal for those on a budget.
• By thoroughly researching cheaper golf courses online, you can find value courses to play for less.

Go With a Large Group

The larger your golfing group, the cheaper it will be to buy lodging. Whether staying at a hotel, Airbnb, or a golf course, rooming with a large group will make it less expensive.

I recommend finding an Airbnb that can sleep everyone in the group. Yes, not everyone may get their own room, but the cost of an Airbnb divided amongst the group will be less expensive than if you travel with one or two people.

Budget Ahead of Time

Creating a budget before planning a golf trip is very important if your goal is to be frugal. Knowing how much total money you’re willing to spend can help you decide where to go, what courses to play, and what lodging to book.

As you plan your trip, calculate all the total transportation costs, green fees, dinner reservations, hotels, and other activities. You may have to sacrifice some options over others, but having a budget before you plan will make it a much easier process.

Pick the Right Location

Choosing the location is one of the most important decisions when planning a golf vacation. There are several factors to consider when picking a location if you’re on a budget.

Distance: The closer the golf trip location is to your home, the cheaper travel costs will be. It’s more cost-effective to drive to closer locations rather than fly.

Golf Courses: If you want to go on an inexpensive golf trip, you’ll want a location with a wide range of golf courses that vary in price. A wide range of course options enables you to discover affordable courses that maintain excellent conditions.

Stay for a Short Duration

The more days you spend on a golf vacation, the more expensive the trip. Try to pack as much golf and activities in a shorter period. Long weekends are perfect to fit in tons of golf without breaking the bank.

Play at the Best Value Golf Courses

If cost is a concern, golfing at the most prestigious courses might be challenging. Nevertheless, with a little research, numerous excellent public courses are available within your budget.

Check each course’s website or call them directly to find their rates. You can also explore Google reviews or public forums like Reddit to assess course conditions, layout, and ratings.

Make Tee Times at the Cheapest Times

Tee times on weekdays or late afternoon on weekends are generally cheaper, so picking the right time can impact the round’s overall cost.

Instead of booking early morning tee times, try filling your mornings with relaxing activities, such as going to the beach, touring the local town, or catching up on some sleep.

Go During the Off-Peak Season

The time of year you choose to go on a golf trip will impact green fees and rates at the golf course. 

For example, if you plan to go to a northern state, it will be more expensive in the summer than in the spring or fall. If you wish to go down south, the busy season tends to be in the spring, which will cause more expensive golf.

Book Inexpensive Lodging

Finding lodging close to the golf courses to avoid extra costs on transportation is crucial. Optimal planning involves selecting the courses you want to play first, then securing lodging in a centralized location.

Depending on the number of people in your group, a hotel or Airbnb may be more affordable. For example, if you have a group of eight players, then Airbnb will be less expensive than booking four hotel rooms for multiple days.

Explore Stay-and-Play Packages

Some courses offer what’s called “stay and play” packages. Stay-and-play golf packages provide groups with discounted lodging and golf rates. 

With stay-and-play packages, you will stay in a condo-style complex at the golf course and get access to one or more golf courses throughout your trip. Some packages even include meals, drink tickets and other amenities.

Opting to purchase a stay-and-play golf package can be cheaper than booking tee times and lodging separately.

Be Wise About Transportation

A golf trip requires sufficient transportation to get the group and their clubs to and from the golf course.

First, you will need transportation to get to your destination. If you choose a destination that is within a reasonable driving distance, driving would be more cost-effective than flying. Driving will eliminate the headache of purchasing special luggage for your club, checking a bag, and purchasing a plane ticket.

Next, once you arrive, you will need transportation that fits the group and golf clubs. If you choose to drive to the destination, then the problem is solved! However, if the group flies to the destination or doesn’t have enough space in the vehicles that did drive, you will need alternative options.

Uber or Lyft tends to be cheaper than renting a vehicle. If you have a lot of golf clubs, make sure to request a car that can accommodate them all.

Prepare Your Food and Drinks

Food and drinks can be expensive when going on a golf trip, so packing your lunches and making food at your Airbnb or hotel will save you plenty of money.

At the golf course: instead of buying lunch and drinks at the course, pack your food and beverages in a lunch box.

Eating out: Opt for less expensive restaurants. Checking menu prices ahead of time can help you responsibly choose your dining adventures.

Groceries: If your Airbnb or other lodging location has a microwave or stove, try getting groceries at the beginning of your trip. Make easy meals instead of eating out at a restaurant or buying from the golf course.

Alcohol: Alcohol is one of golf courses’ major revenue drivers. Courses generally have rules against outside alcohol. If you’re on a budget, forgoing alcohol at the course when possible is recommended.

Pack Responsibly

Clothes

Most courses have dress codes that require golfers to wear collared shirts, appropriate shorts or pants, and golf shoes. Check your course’s dress code regulations before showing up to avoid making garment purchases in the clubhouse.

Depending on the location, the weather can change from day to day. Pack clothes for all conditions to prepare if the weather takes a turn for the worst. The last thing you want is to buy a rain jacket or pullover at the golf course when you have one at home.

Clubs and Balls

Even if you fly to your golf trip destination, bringing your own set of clubs will be much cheaper than renting clubs. Whether renting clubs at a course or through a third-party website, club rentals can cost you hundreds of dollars during your trip.

Golf courses in popular destination areas like Myrtle Beach or Scottsdale tend to be more challenging than your local course from home, and losing balls is a strong possibility. Purchasing plenty of inexpensive golf balls ahead of time is your best bet to cut costs on lost balls.

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Plan an Inexpensive Golf Trip Step-By-Step

Step 1: Invite Your Group

Offer an invitation to your closest golf buddies. The more people that go on the golf trip, the cheaper it will be for lodging. You can also find golf courses that offer special group rates to assist with the overall cost.

Step 2: Create a Budget

Before planning all the logistics, set a budget for yourself. Having a budget can help you make informed decisions about where to stay and where to golf. As you decide on lodging, food, and golf, keep a running total of the cost to ensure you don’t go over budget.

Important Note: Allocate additional room in your budget for unexpected costs, such as souvenirs, alcohol, toiletries, and snacks.

Step 3: Pick a Destination

Choose a destination in driving distance from your home that allows you to save money on travel. It’s also a good idea to pick a location with plenty of golf courses that range in price.

Step 4: Choose the Dates

Choose dates that have the cheapest tee times. These dates are usually weekdays or during off-peak seasons for the golf trip’s location.

Step 5: Finalize Transportation

First, decide if driving or flying to the destination will be cheaper. Next, figure out how you will travel during the trip. If enough group members drive, you’ll have cheap and reliable transportation during your stay.

Step 6: Find Tee Times

Search for quality golf courses at reasonable prices. If you’re putting in all the effort to plan a golf trip, you’ll want to play quality courses. Spend time researching online to find the best value courses in the area.

Step 7: Book Lodging

Once you have all the golf courses booked, find lodging in the center of all the courses. A central lodging location will make it easier to travel to each course.

Step 8: Pack

When packing for a golf trip, load plenty of inexpensive golf balls, gloves, and tees in your bag. It’s also smart to pack for different weather conditions so you don’t have to buy clothes during the trip.

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My Experience

Planning a golf trip takes a lot of work, but anyone can do it! I recently organized a golf trip for eight people and gained valuable insights throughout the planning process.

My top recommendations are to find a location you can drive to, spend a lot of time researching golf courses, and buy snacks and drinks at the grocery store once you arrive. It’s also crucial to create a budget and total the overall cost of travel, food, lodging, and golf as you prepare for the trip.

Most importantly, have fun! Golf trips are memorable experiences you’ll never forget. Spending money on memories is much more valuable than material items.