Celebrating Life's Milestones with a Golf Trip to Scotland or Ireland
You have a milestone coming. Or someone you love does.
Maybe it's a 50th birthday and you've been talking about Scotland for years. Maybe it's a retirement and the only appropriate response is links golf and a good pour of whisky. Maybe it's a 70th, and you want to do something that actually feels worthy of the number.
Whatever the occasion, more and more Members are answering that question the same way: let's get across the pond.
We've helped plan 50th anniversaries at Old Head and 70th birthdays at The Old Course. Father-son and family trips to mark a graduation. And yes, even a bachelor party or two, though those tend to be their own category entirely.
What they all have in common is this: the trip becomes the story. Not just the golf, though the golf is extraordinary. The whole thing. The dinner after the round. The moment on the first tee. The toast at the end of the last day.
We've also noticed these trips are trending younger. There was a time when a 40th birthday group would have been virtually unheard of at H&B. Today, we host several each year, as Members in their 30s and 40s decide they'd rather mark a milestone with something unforgettable than with something ordinary.
The Expedition led by Chris Smith from The Muttontown Club celebrates his 50th birthday in Ireland.
Milestones Worth Celebrating
In recent seasons, we’ve planned Expeditions around a wide range of occasions. Some of the most popular include:
Major Birthdays
Whether it's your 40th or your 75th, every major birthday deserves a proper sendoff. There's something about raising a glass at The Jigger Inn or cresting the 9th fairway at Royal County Down that makes a birthday feel genuinely significant.
Retirements
After 30 or 40 years, a weekend getaway doesn't quite cover it. A week on the links of Scotland or Ireland certainly does.
Anniversaries
Golf and the Good Life in equal measure. Some couples come for the courses. Others come for the castles and the countryside. Most come for both.
Graduations
We've helped many Members plan trips to celebrate a son or daughter crossing the finish line, often as a first experience of links golf at its finest.
Bucket List Goals
While we don't subscribe to the idea of a "bucket list," many Members choose to celebrate a lifetime love of the game by finally experiencing The Old Course, Ballybunion, or Royal Birkdale.
Tom and Matt Doherty from the Country Club of the Carolinas celebrate the former's 70th birthday at The Old Course.
Why Celebrating with an Overseas Golf Trip is Different
Part of it is the golf itself. The links of Scotland, Ireland, and England are unlike anything you'll find at home, open to the sky, shaped by the land, steeped in history. There's a reason golfers spend years working their way toward a trip like this.
But the milestone trips that stick with people aren't just about the courses they played. They're about what happened around the golf.
The dinner after playing Royal Portrush, when everyone was still amped with excitement and stories. The whisky tasting that ran an hour longer than planned. The quiet walk back along the 18th at The Old Course when nobody said anything because nothing needed to be said.
A celebration golf trip works because it pulls a group out of ordinary life and into something genuinely shared. There's no escaping to your own schedule, no one checking out early. You're in it together, from the coach in the morning to the pub at night.
And the Good Life component gives Tourists something to love just as much as the people who are there purely for the courses. The dinners, the distilleries, the coastal drives, the castles. On a milestone trip, that balance often makes all the difference.
The memories tend to have a long shelf life. Years later, at the club or around the dinner table, the stories come back the same way. "Remember the round at Old Head?" "Remember the halfway house at Turnberry?" That's what these trips produce.
Kris and Kirby Price from Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club celebrate their 40th birthdays in Scotland.
Tips for Planning a Milestone Golf Trip
Start Earlier Than You Think
For a celebration golf trip, chances are you’ve got your sights set on one of the marquee destinations. Tee times at places like The Old Course, Muirfield, Royal Portrush, or Royal County Down are limited, and accommodations near the action also tend to book quickly. For milestone trips, we recommend planning 18–24 months in advance, especially for St. Andrews tee times.
Consider the Group Dynamic
A trip built around a milestone works best when the group is right. Whether it's a tight foursome of regulars from your club or a larger gathering of old friends, the composition of the group shapes everything. Your Expedition Planning Manager will ask about this early. It's one of the most important variables in building the right itinerary.
Build in Some Breathing Room
The golf will be extraordinary. So will everything around it. Some of the best moments on milestone Expeditions happen on the day that wasn't planned. A long lunch, an unscheduled distillery stop, an early morning walk along a coastline. Don't overprogram it.
Mark the Occasion
A special dinner overlooking St. Andrews. A customized gift waiting in the room. A group photo at a course that means something. These touches don't happen by accident. Mention what you're hoping for early in the planning process, and we'll help you build them in.
Donna and John Pariseau from The Club at Cordillera celebrate their 50th anniversary at Old Head.
In Their Own Words
We’ve seen so many wonderful milestone golf trips over the years. Here are a few that stand out, in their own words:
The 70th Birthday
Hard to put into words how amazing the trip was. Staying in the Rusacks, overlooking 18, and getting to play The Old Course was a dream come true. This was a trip to celebrate my Dads 70th and I managed to shoot a 70 on The Old Course! Book the exact itinerary we did and don’t think twice.
~Matt Doherty - Country Club of the Carolinas, Providence Country Club
The 50th Birthday
Simply put if you are planning a golf trip there is only one company to use - Haversham & Baker. Connor Evers is a rockstar who had every detail of the trip planned out and executed on it all.
~Chris Smith - The Muttontown Club
The Graduation
This was a combination graduation and birthday present for our grandson (who BTW is a 1.9 index golfer). We analyzed and compared several golf trip companies before settling on H&B and I am glad we did! Every detail from start to finish was executed flawlessly resulting in a tremendous drama-free trip.
~Dave Kuhl - Boulder Country Club
Ready to Celebrate?
If a milestone is coming up, yours or someone else's, now is a good time to begin the conversation. The best Expeditions take time to build, and the marquee tee times go first.
Your Expedition Planning Manager will handle every detail, from the opening round to the final dinner. All you need to do is show up and celebrate.
Ready to Plan Your Milestone Golf Trip with H&B?
Frequently Asked Questions
Download Your Ultimate Guide to The Emerald Isle
The Complete Guide to
Ireland Golf Travel
What's covered in this free 40+ page guide:
- The best regions for golf in Ireland.
- Tips for making the most of your trip.
- Where to enjoy the Good Life between rounds.
- Lesser known courses you should play.
Plus links to over 50 additional guides and resources.
By downloading up you agree to receive marketing communications from Haversham & Baker and have read our privacy policy.
Additional Reading
Visit the Yardage Book for More Golf Travel Resources
Discover More of Golf at its Finest with H&B