How to prepare for a golfing holiday

For some, golf is more than a pastime or a sport – it's a way of life. So, it’s no surprise that some people even centre their entire holiday around the game.

Playing golf brings so many benefits to players young and old. For example, it’s great exercise – you do a lot more walking than you may think on an 18-hole course – and, of course, the more shots you take, the more walking you'll do. It’s also a brilliant social sport, one where you can quickly make new golf buddies or spend time on the golf course with friends and/or family.

So, if you’re thinking of going for some pitch ‘n’ putt on your next retreat, here are some things you may want to consider ahead of your trip.

Choosing where you want to go

The Algarve is one of the world’s top golfing destinations.

You can find enjoyment on any course across the world if you’re truly passionate about golf, but there are certainly some courses which are nicer to play on. Typically, people will look for an upgrade on their home course on their holiday – whether it’s a smoother green or simply an upgrade on the weather.

But decided where to play can be difficult. It could be so big you want to play on a course used for one of the majors, such as the legendary Masters course at Augusta, or that you want to play on a top-quality links course such as can be found in places such as the Algarve and California. Doing this allows you to combine a round or two of golf with a relaxing holiday, so if you’re heading off with a travel buddy, you may get the best of both worlds.

Practice outdoors

If you're planning to go on a golfing trip, it's not the winning that counts, but the taking part (said no competitive person ever). We all want to win and improve our personal bests, especially when it's our friends and colleagues that we're playing against.

The only way to consistently improve your golf game is to practice, so you should already be using driving ranges and putting greens on a regular basis ahead of your trip.

Practice indoors

Both the weather and your schedule can limit the amount of time you get to spend on the driving range and putting greens, but that doesn't mean that you can't practice. Technological advances mean that it's easier, and cheaper, than ever before to practice in your own home, and one of the best ways to do this is with a golf launch monitor or golf simulator.

These sophisticated gadgets monitor how you strike a ball and where it would have gone, without you having to hit it hundreds of yards down a real course. You can use them to improve or even remodel your swing altogether, and some of the very best models, like SkyTrak's highly rated golf launch monitor, can cost much less than you might think when you buy from specialist suppliers like Rain or Shine.

Upgrading your equipment

One of the many great things about golf is that you don't need to invest a lot of money to start playing it. Budget sets of golf clubs can be very reasonably priced, but if you’re upgrading your course, why not upgrade your golfing equipment? If you're working on a budget, you can upgrade one club at a time, spreading the cost while still improving the quality of your woods and irons and don’t forget, you can take golf clubs with you on holiday by paying extra to put them in the hold.