Golf and travel go together so well. When I started golfing I simultaneously started My World Golfing Tour. Since my husband has been an avid golfer for over fifty years he was very enthusiastic about this project. So basically wherever we go we try to golf at least once.
Sometimes our trips are to golfing destinations. We’ve done a number of 4-7 day trips to places like Las Vegas, Phoenix, Muscoka Bay, Florida, etc. On those trips we take a bag of clubs but try to pair it down to about ten of our most used clubs and leave out those extra wedges and woods that are used just occasionally on the course. We take about a dozen or so golf balls and plan not to lose many! We do take some rain gear in the bags (except to desert destinations), sunscreen, etc. but eliminate all but the essentials. We’re prepared to buy anything we need like a new rain umbrella or more golf balls.
Obviously those times when the purpose of trip is site seeing we just rent clubs and do the best we can. I’ve discovered that your own clubs do make a big difference in your game. It’s hard to reach for your favourite 8 iron for that shot in the rough and find that you don’t have the right club in your bag. Once we golfed in Tuscany and realized that we had inadvertently been using each other’s clubs. Since they were labeled in Italian we hadn’t noticed until half way through the game. Surprisingly it didn’t make much difference to either of our games!
Equpt for Play Oxfords
So on the trips when we might just play a game or two I’ve learned to travel light without golf clubs. I do usually pack a glove and maybe a sleeve of balls since some places charge a lot for balls. In terms of clothing I often put a pair of black golf pants in my bag. These are the best wrinkle-free pants you can buy plus they’re lightweight, washable and can double as dress pants when paired with a pretty top.
Packing for a golf weekend holiday.
Likewise if it’s a warm destination white golf shorts are modest enough for most side trips and are washable and crease resistant. I also pack a couple of printed knit golf tops that can be worn anywhere and don’t show wrinkles or stains so can sometimes manage a couple of wearings. The golf clothes I take are so lightweight, plus they’re easy to wash in the hotel sink and will dry quickly. My shoes are Ecco hybrids that are so comfortable that they make great walking shoes with jeans. I’ve recently purchased a pair of beautiful blue leather EquptforPlay oxfords that I’m going to try on my next trip. They’re really soft and have a lot of padding inside so I think they’re going to perfect for walking and golf and they’re stylish too!
Phoenix Arizona
Toronto Hunt 9th Hole
When it comes to souvenirs I’m a lightweight having given up souvenir hunting so many years ago. I dislike a lot of clutter in my house and just don’t enjoy having little trinkets around. We also don’t normally load up on gifts for family and friends. Years ago we started taking pictures as our visual souvenirs and we would mount a few as collages for our walls. Now we make sure we get a picture of every trip on a golf course. The vistas can be quite stunning. In Tuscany we had to walk the course and needless-to-say it was very hilly. As we climbed up to each hole, dragging our bags behind us, we were getting pretty tired but the reward of a magnificent view at the top made it so worthwhile. Our phones were constantly out as we took so many picture memories. Recently a trip to Phoenix in the desert provided spectacular pictures of mountains, desert and colour. Having said all that about travel my favourite place to golf is right at home at our Toronto Hunt. The views are amazing and the change of the seasons is so beautiful. Someday I’ll put these images together in a memory book.