Monday, October 31, 2011

Cold Weather has Arrived—Time to Plan the Spring Golf Trip

Found out over the weekend that my neighbor is planning a first-time trip to Gulf Shores & Orange Beach in the spring. By planning, I mean he wants to go—this coming spring—but he doesn’t know anything about the area other than what I’ve told him.

So of course he’s now “planning” a golf vacation. Really, that was the first topic of discussion when he told me he wanted to plan a Gulf vacation: the nine signature golf courses in and around Gulf Shores & Orange Beach and how awesome they are. As far as where he should stay, I told him it really depends on what his plans are.

If he wants to keep things pretty simple (just himself, just a quick weekend trip, etc.), a hotel might be the way to go. If he’s going solo for a longer vacation, a one-bedroom condo is another option—all the comforts of home suited to one person. Or maybe he wants to take my suggestion and make it a buddies golf trip, in which case he should go with a multi-room condo or even a beach house. I’m pushing for a Gulf-front beach house with a group of friends (myself included, given all the excellent advice I’ve offered).

Whatever he decides, he’ll have lots of options—everything from “chain” hotels to luxury condos. And no, it’s not too early to plan for spring—it’s the best way to tolerate the dreary cold of winter.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

The Advantages of Group Golf Trips

Sometimes golf is best played alone—like at the end of a bad week when you just need to blow off some steam. Some of my best therapeutic moments have been spent alone on the golf course; some seemingly impossible Monday mornings have been made easier thanks to weekends of solo golf.

But it’s also an excellent group activity, and I’ve had plenty of these experiences too. Ironically, while my job has been the cause of many much-needed solo golf outings, corporate golf outings with people from this same job have resulted in some of the most relaxing and fun experiences on the golf course (and have done much to help ease tensions at work).

Family golf vacations are also fun and a good way to visit with family members you might not get to see very often. I’ve been to several family reunions in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach, and golf is always a popular group activity. Buddy trips are another favorite. A few friends, a weekend on the Gulf, and several rounds of golf—you don’t need much more than that.

Whatever type of group golf outing you’re planning, I highly recommend visiting the Gulf Shores Golf Association website, which makes it easy to create a customized group golf package. Just look under “Plan” on the home page, and start planning.