So you’ve been appointed to the rank of Captain for your upcoming golf trip. In the time since, perhaps you’ve scoured the internet in search of answers to your numerous questions.
Seeing that you’ve landed on our corner of the web, maybe you gained some insight from the H&B Yardage Book. There we cover every topic related to golf travel planning in great detail, from St. Andrews tee times, to the benefits of hiring a Driver-Host, and the debate between Scotland vs Ireland golf trips.
During this early phase of planning, Captains will typically end up falling into one of two categories…
Some will dive into the process with gusto. They devote untold hours to research, they build spreadsheets for their itinerary, they set numerous iCal reminders to book tee times, and they read scores of golf trip reviews. All to try and pull together the 40-50 decisions and reservations required in a typical week-long overseas golf trip.
But really, who has time for that?
Since you’re reading this page, there’s a good chance you fall into the second category of golf trip Captain. You recognize that this job requires a lot of time, patience, expertise, and, in the end, can be a thankless one. All of which has led you to “hit the easy button” and enlist the service and expertise of one of the golf travel companies. Of course, this decision then leads to yet another question…
How to Choose the Right Golf Travel Company
Now, we know what you may be thinking… Here comes the self-promotion.
But before you conclude that this will be a lengthy shameless plug, here’s our promise to you:
By the end of this post, we’ll name four golf travel companies that we know to excel at certain trips. In fact, we’ll go ahead and tell you who Golf Digest thinks are the Best Golf Tour Operators right upfront.
Why would we be willing to promote our competition on our own website?
Let’s just say, we’re a little different.
Since 1991, when Sam Baker founded our company on his kitchen table, Haversham & Baker has distinguished itself from every other golf travel company for two important reasons:
- We were the first – some might say, still the only – golf travel company to adopt the belief that your time off the course during an overseas golf trip is just as important to the overall experience as your time on it. We call it the Good Life, and our steadfast commitment to this cause remains the hallmark of overseas travel with H&B.
- Every H&B Expedition is custom designed to the precise desires and expectations of your group. We don’t begin crafting your itinerary until we’ve gotten to know you, your travel companions, and each of those desires and expectations. On the surface, this may not sound all that novel, but as you’ll read further on, it really is.
But that’s enough about us for now…
Here’s a few questions to ask yourself when choosing between golf travel companies.
Are you a fit for each other?
A common mistake made by golf travel companies is believing that they are right for everyone. Because of this, many prospective travelers reach a similar conclusion:
If so many companies are a fit for all travelers, surely they must be a fit for all companies.
The fact is, this relationship is not a one-size-fits-all proposition. If you desire a first-class experience and are willing to pay for it accordingly, the company heavily promoting local B&Bs and self-drive trips is probably not the best choice. On the other hand, if your priorities are budget first and experience second, then we’ll be the first to say that Haversham & Baker may not be the right fit for you.
Of course, deciding if the relationship is good for both parties requires you to get to know one another first, before ever diving into the specifics of trip planning. Which leads to the next question…
Is their idea of custom really custom?
Have you ever noticed how some golf travel companies talk about custom planning, yet their website is overflowing with pre-packaged itineraries? It’s no secret that booking with a golf travel company will cost you more upfront than doing so on your own. But if all it takes to plan an overseas golf trip is entering your name, dates, and selecting a few courses on a contact form, what value is the company really bringing to the equation?
Why is this so important?
Because you’re the Captain.
Imagine if your group consists of a bunch of night owls and you end up with nothing but early morning tee times. If they’ve paid a premium, yet wound up with an itinerary completely ill-suited to the group, who do you think your travel companions are going to let hear about it? The company? Or you?
Our advice is simple:
Be weary of any company that fires off an itinerary without so much as a dialogue with you first.
Are they a “Jack of all trades and a master of none?”
Throughout your process of comparing golf travel companies, you’ve probably come across a few who seem to promote every destination under the sun. But just because somewhere happens to be a great destination for travel doesn’t always mean that it’s a great destination for golf travel. So when you see Scotland golf packages featured right alongside those to Sao Paulo, Santorini, or Shanghai, you might want to ask yourself…
Are all of these destinations truly great for golf?
Our expertise is golf travel to the British Isles and Spain, yet travelers still frequently approach H&B about trips to other parts of the world. Sure, we could take on these trips with ease, but to do so would be a disservice to both those travelers and our company. More often than not, companies who fail to stay in their lane deliver a product that’s merely “good enough.” Something that flies in the face of the reputation for excellence we’ve forged over the last 30 years.
Instead, we are comfortable enough in our own skin to recognize that, in some cases, someone else in the business is probably the better fit. Because as much as we love Pinehurst, Premier Golf knows domestic travel better. Several members of our team are frequent cruisers, but Kalos Golf is more equipped to navigate the high seas. We wouldn’t dream of hosting an international Father-Son or Father-Daughter tournament because we don’t organize and promote pre-planned events, yet Carr Golf has been doing it successfully for years. And despite our penchant for great wine, no one knows how to combine the vineyards of Bordeaux and Burgundy with golf better than Francois Bras at France Golf Tours.
All of which is to say, when choosing a company, don’t equate the range of destinations to the depth of expertise.
In this business, it’s really easy to be a “Jack of all trades and a master of none.”
Is it too good to be true?
So you’ve narrowed your search down to a few companies, have received itineraries from each, and one quote in particular is jumping off the page. At least on paper, the trips seem to be almost identical, yet one is significantly less expensive than the other two. It’s here that we’d suggest applying an old adage…
If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
The fact is, this business is a highly competitive one. It’s also one that operates on relatively thin margins. And while that price may be awfully attractive, it often signals that either a mistake was made – one that you’ll likely pay for later, in one form or another – or a company that needs to sell a trip in the worst way.
Proceed with caution.
Of course, your itinerary from H&B will never fall into this category. Quite the opposite. Admitting that we’re a bit more expensive than most in a highly competitive business may seem a little unorthodox, but again…
We’re different.
Explaining why Haversham & Baker is a little more expensive than other golf travel companies requires a post of its own. As mentioned earlier, it begins with our truly custom approach to trip planning, our dedication to the Good Life off the course, the hundreds of hours of research on every aspect of our itineraries, and our steadfast commitment to excellence which has delivered unforgettable memories for over 30 years. But don’t just take our word for it, listen to our travelers talk about some of those memories in the video below.
Once you’ve combined the insight on how to choose the right golf travel company, with what you’ve learned about Haversham & Baker, if you think we’re the right choice for your trip, there’s only one thing left to do…
Golf and the Good Life in Your Inbox
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For additional advice on planning your golf trip across the pond, visit the pages below, read our reviews, or have a look through our Yardage Book, where you’ll find answers to many of our most frequently asked questions.
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