So you’ve assembled your group, settled on an itinerary, and placed a deposit for your upcoming H&B Expedition. At this stage in the process of planning your overseas golf trip, a common question often rises to the forefront…
What’s next?
We call this phase of your journey Between Now & Then and, like the planning of your trip itself, we know it brings along a variety of questions. Here’s several of the important things to keep in mind as you count down the days until your Expedition.
Payments
The tariff for your H&B Expedition is generally broken down into three payments: Initial Deposit, 2nd Payment, and Final Payment. Following your Initial Deposit, your 2nd Payment is due on October 1st. In cases where your Initial Deposit was paid after September 1st, your 2nd Payment is required within 30 days of your Deposit. The Final Payment for your Expedition is calculated 90 days prior to your trip, including any fluctuation in exchange rate or alterations you’ve elected to make to your itinerary. Your Final Payment is then due 60 days prior to your departure date.
Your payments may be processed via the Members’ Clubhouse or by completing a credit card authorization form.
Field Manual
Once all of the arrangements and reservations for your golf trip have been confirmed, you’ll receive your personalized Field Manual for your Expedition. Inside you’ll find a host of helpful information related to your trip, from in-depth descriptions of the courses you’re playing to guides for packing, sightseeing, shopping, and dining at your destination. Think of it as your own personal TripAdvisor, except all of the suggestions found inside aren’t courtesy of strangers on the internet, but instead have been individually vetted by your H&B Concierge or a senior member of our team.
Dining Reservations
And speaking of the H&B Concierge, we’re often asked if and when dining reservations should be put on the books. Like every aspect of traveling with H&B, this decision is entirely up to you. Generally speaking, if you’re a large party (8 or more), celebrating an occasion, or if there’s a specific restaurant you’d like to visit, you should give some consideration to booking at least a few dining reservations. That said, we’d also suggest leaving a night or two open in case you hit the The Old Course ballot, receive a great suggestion from your Driver-Host, or just want something quick and easy after a long day on the course.
Your H&B Concierge will contact your Group Captain approximately 30-45 days ahead of departure to discuss dining reservations and all of the other Good Life aspects of your trip.
Ship the Clubs
Our Planning and Concierge teams are often asked if shipping the clubs ahead is worth the additional expense. If you were to poll both the H&B Forces and the members of our team who ship their clubs on every trip, you’d likely reach an unequivocal yes.
There’s already enough stress at the start of the trip, between packing, navigating the airport, dealing with TSA, etc. Eliminating the golf clubs from the mix is just one less thing to worry about.
The downside of shipping is that the clubs will depart roughly 7-10 days before your trip, but the peace of mind of knowing they’re already across the pond waiting for you is worth the time away and the extra cost.
Give Us a Follow
Finally, the most effective way to pass the time Between Now & Then is to follow the H&B channels on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. There you’ll find daily inspiration from our golf and Good Life partners across the pond, as well as an engaged audience of golf travelers like yourself. We promise your feed won’t be clogged with self-promotion or the latest deal of the day, but instead just interesting and entertaining content that might help the countdown clock move a little faster.
We know that the Between Now & Then portion of your journey can feel like an eternity, while also raising an abundance of questions. Perhaps you found all your answers in this guide or others within the H&B Yardage Book.
But if not, your H&B Expedition Planning Manager and Concierge are always at your disposal. If you’re unsure how to reach either, simply send an email to booking@haversham.com or give us a ring at 513-561-1500.
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