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 Mammoth’s Sierra Star is the highest course in California. But strokes aren’t the only thing golfers are trying to save these days. The economic downturn has made everyone a little more cost-conscious in these trying times. And there are ways to help golfers stretch their vacation dollars as summer approaches. Whether you’re planning a two-day getaway to a Southland resort, a weeklong trip to a golf destination in Northern California or the Pacific Northwest, or even a dream vacation to the British Isles, savvy travelers have options when it comes to finding the best deals. You just have to know where to look: 1. Strength in numbers Group golf outings are a great way to save money on rooms or green fees. What’s considered a group varies among hotels and golf courses, but the number typically begins at 12 to 16 people. And a group can be anything from extended families to co-workers. “We find that a lot of people from Southern California who book our group rates all belong to the same golf club,” said Trisha Larsen, director of marketing for Golf Vancouver Island. Overseas resorts readily embrace group travel. “That’s an important factor in cost,” said Paul McBride of McBride Golf, which specializes in international travel. “A group of eight is cheaper per head than a group of four, and a group of four is cheaper per head than a group of two.” Another option is to take advantage of a company that offers pre-planned golf packages that allow individuals or small groups to join others who have booked the same package. One such company, Pioneer Golf, offers a pre-planned golf package to Scotland that includes some top courses and private motor coach transportation. 2. The road less traveled Even if your golf destination is one of the world’s marquee spots, you don’t have to play the top courses in those areas. Though they may be the most famous, they’re also the most expensive. And if there’s one great golf course in the area, chances are there are several more nearby. The kingpin of the Monterey Peninsula is Pebble Beach Golf Links, but green fees are nearly $500. Other top courses include Spyglass Hill, which tops out at $340, and the Links at Spanish Bay, with a top green fee of $260. Great courses? Definitely. But nearby Del Monte Golf Course is a 6,365-yard option that hosts the Callaway Golf Pebble Beach Invitational. And, with green fees of $110, it’s more affordable than its more-famous neighbors. Even the most venerable locale — St. Andrews in Scotland — has six more moderately priced courses than the world-famous Old Course, such as the New Course, Jubilee Course and Strathtyrum Course. Visit www.standrews.org.uk for more information. Other sites to check out are pioneergolf.com and mcbridegolf.com. Another area to consider is Vancouver Island in British Columbia. Anchored by the beautiful city of Victoria, there are dozens of golf courses on the island, including 11 that are part of the Vancouver Golf Trail. “What makes Vancouver Island such an in-demand destination is, though we’re just across the border from the United States, Americans get about 30 cents more on the dollar, which provides an immediate discount,” said Larsen. For more information, visit golfvancouverisland.ca. 3. Play and don’t stay If you’re traveling to a golf-saturated area, consider staying somewhere more affordable than the resort associated with the course. Most resort courses can be played by non-guests, but the additional cost can be offset by driving to, rather than staying at, the resort. Using Pebble Beach as an example, there are more than a dozen moderately priced inns and lodges in the charming city of Carmel, which is minutes from the course. And, since golfers tend to spend most of their time outside of their rooms, there also are affordable motels. The Best Western Carmel Bay Inn, for instance, costs $129-$219 during the week. For more information on other lodging in the Carmel area, visit carmel-california.com. It’s the same with the famed Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Oregon. There are five lodging options at the coastal golf paradise, ranging from $250 for a single room to $1,800 for a four-bedroom cottage. But a mere fives miles away in Bandon, there are several lodging alternatives, including the Best Western Inn at Face Rock, which offers rooms for as low as $115 on weekdays during the peak season. Visit bestwestern.com for more information. 4. Make the first move Occupancy rates at most resorts are considerably less than 100 percent these days, and properties constantly deal with early departures and last-minute cancellations. So it’s possible that better rooms, or even perks relating to meals and other amenities, might be available. But you’ll never know if you don’t ask. When making a reservation, call the hotel directly and ask if discounts are available, such as through AAA, AARP or credit card companies. Many discounts depend on the hotel and your negotiation skills. For instance, it’s not unheard of for public school teachers to get a government rate or for eco-conscious hotels to give discounts to guests who drive hybrid vehicles. 5. Package deal Nearly every resort offers some kind of stay-and-play package, and many golf courses work with hotels. “I think with the hospitality industry as a whole, there is definitely a growing sense of how important these packages are,” said Jennifer Chiesa, a spokesperson for Half Moon Bay Golf Links in Northern California. The resort, a Ritz-Carlton property featuring 36 holes of golf, offers two unlimited golf packages. For one player, the price is $399, and for two it’s $519. The package includes an overnight stay and unlimited golf the following day. Visit halfmoonbay.com for more information. The Resort at Pelican Hill in Newport Coast offers a golf or spa experience beginning at $795 that includes an overnight stay and either two rounds of golf on either of the two Tom Fazio-designed courses, or one round and one spa treatment. Visit pelicanhill.com for more information. One of the most exceptional golf packages is offered by the 11 courses that comprise the Vancouver Golf Trail. It includes six nights of accommodations, spread among three regions of the island, and six tee times at any course. A package rate of $665 is available for people who book by the end of May. Visit golfvancouverisland.ca for more information.  The Resort at Squaw Creek (pictured), one of Lake Tahoe’s premier golf resorts, offers a seasonal golf pass for $599, in addition to a family discount that allows an adult and child under 17 to play nine holes for $45 beginning at 5:30 p.m. Visit squawcreek.com for more information.6. Be a search engine While it never hurts to get professional advice from a travel agent or someone in the industry, finding discounted rates on travel is available at your fingertips as well. Some sites on the Internet, such as budgettravel.com and smarttraveler.com, are useful tools for getting rates and information from contributors who have stayed or played at places in the region you’re going to visit. If you’re not technologically savvy, visit google.com, type in “golf vacations,” and follow the path to savings and other interesting tidbits. 7. Use local knowledge When it comes to ensuring that you’re getting the most bang for your buck, consider using an organization whose specialty is booking travel in your desired area. Name the golf destination and it probably has an organization created by resorts and courses to help promote their areas. Pebble Beach (pebblebeach.com), the Monterey Peninsula (montereypeninsulagolf.com), Lake Tahoe (golftahoe.com), southern Oregon (oregongolf.com) and Vancouver Island (golfvancouverisland.ca) all have sites devoted to marketing their golf resorts. “One of the things that makes us unique is that we are owned and operated by the golf courses on the Vancouver Golf Trail,” Larsen said. “What that means to the consumer is that, since we’re owned by the properties, we can get the best pricing. So, not only are we a one-stop travel shop for setting up a golf trip, but we can save you money.” There also are independent organizations that work with setting up golf vacations for individuals or groups. Golf Zoo, Pioneer Golf and McBride Golf are three that can help take the headaches out of booking travel. “If we’re selling something to the pubic, we’re going to be negotiating with the courses way ahead of time, which means we’ve already secured a golf package or tee time that an individual calling just can’t get,” said Chris Parcell, of Golf Zoo, which buys tee times in bulk and has cultivated relationships with top courses from Arizona to Florida. “There are many ways a golfer can enjoy significant savings on a trip to the British Isles,” McBride said. “Some savings are quite obvious, while other measures require a bit of local knowledge and a nose for adventure.” Many courses offer discounts on green fees if you book more than one round, and many hotels offer discounts for staying three days rather than two. There are many fine restaurants around courses such as St. Andrews, Troon and Turnberry, “but they can be expensive — especially those that play on their Old Course connection,” McBride said. “However, there are other restaurants that we recommend to our clients located on the outskirts of town or even in town that don’t get much traffic and are half the price of the tourist restaurants. You’re also likely to get better service and have more space.” 8. Be flexible with tee times Playing a round later in the day can save you money on green fees through a course’s twilight rate. As a general rule of thumb, most twilight rates begin between 2 and 3 p.m., and discounts of 25 to 40 percent are the norm. The Resort at Squaw Creek begins its twilight rate at 3:30 p.m. seven days a week, meaning non-resort guests playing on a Friday or Saturday can save nearly 50 percent (normal rates are $115; twilight rates are $60).  At the Sycuan Golf Resort in El Cajon (pictured), twilight rates often begin as early as noon, depending on the season.“Everyone seems to want to play at 7 a.m. on a Saturday or Sunday, but 90 percent of the time it’s less expensive to play Monday through Thursday,” said Parcell. While premier courses often keep their rate schedules intact regardless of time or day, most offer replay rates that allow players to play another round for a lower rate. 9. Stay close to home We’d all like to go to Scotland or British Columbia or Pebble Beach, but don’t forget the nice resorts in the Southland. From Santa Barbara to San Diego, the region offers a myriad of resorts that can save you money simply because airfare and rental cars aren’t part of the equation. One property worth a visit is Pacific Palms Resort in the City of Industry. The resort, which has two golf courses, packages itself as a business travel center and offers an array of meeting sites and high-tech wizardry. But it’s also ideal for an overnight stay, romantic weekend or golf junket. Visit pacificpalmsresort.com for more information. A nice resort in the San Diego area is Sycuan. The property features two championship golf courses, a fun par-3 layout, luxury accommodations and a spa, with a 305,000-square-foot gaming facility just a few minutes away. Visit sycuanresort.com for more information. Finally, there’s Sierra Star Golf Course on Mammoth Mountain. It’s about a six-hour drive from the Los Angeles area to Mammoth, where you can play on the highest layout in the state (8,000 feet above sea level) and choose from an array of lodging options. 10. Taking flight With a little research, there’s no reason to pay top dollar to fly to any destination. Flexibility is key. If you’re not locked into flying out of a certain airport or at a certain time, you can save money by flying out of Los Angeles International Airport. Flights later in the day can be less expensive than at peak times in the morning. The day of the week also is key. Fridays and Sundays are the biggest airline travel days, so if you can fly during the week, you can save hundreds of dollars. Internet sites such as kayak.com, orbitz.com, cheaptickets.com and farecast.com are great for scoping out the best deals. The time of year you travel also makes a difference. The best time to fly to the British Isles is April through June and October. The so-called “shoulder seasons” — the two months before peak seasons — also are good. For instance, Lake Tahoe’s peak season begins after June 14, but before then flights, as well as hotel and green fees, are much lower. ALSO SEE: Santa Barbara has variety of stay-and-play options Once the snow melts, Lake Tahoe Golf Course is a great getaway Golf travel stay-and-play directory |
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