There are two phrases that have derailed more golf trips than weather and double bogeys combined.
The first is: “We should do a trip.”
The second is: “I found a place that’s way cheaper.”
At first glance, the second phrase seems responsible. Mature, even. Why spend $300 a night when you can spend $175? That’s real money. Somebody in the group usually takes great pride in finding this deal. They present it to the rest of the group like they’ve just negotiated a peace treaty.
What they don’t tell you is that the hotel is 42 minutes from the golf course, 35 minutes from dinner, and directly adjacent to a highway exit containing three gas stations, a Wendy’s, and a mattress store.
Congratulations on the savings.
Now let’s talk about what it cost you.
The Cheapest Room Is Not Always The Best Value
One of the biggest mistakes golf groups make is evaluating lodging as if it’s completely separate from the rest of the trip.
It’s not.
The hotel, house, cottage, villa, resort, cabin, or whatever else you’re sleeping in becomes the headquarters for the entire operation.
It’s where everyone starts the day.
It’s where everyone ends the day.
It’s where stories get exaggerated, bets get settled, and somebody inevitably claims they would’ve shot 74 if they could just putt.
A good place to stay makes the rest of the trip easier.
A bad one turns every activity into a commute.
The Math Never Works The Way You Think
Let’s say you’ve got eight golfers.
The bargain hotel saves everybody $50 per night.
Over a three-night trip, that’s $150 each. Sounds great.
Now let’s look at the other side of the equation.
You spend an extra hour in the car every day getting to and from the golf course. Dinner becomes a logistical exercise. Half the group wants another drink but the driver is ready to leave.
Nobody can just walk down to the clubhouse. Nobody can wander into town. Nobody can walk off the course and go straight back to the room after losing 3 sleeves on the front side.
You saved money. There’s no question about that.
The question is whether it was the right place to save it.
Rental Houses Are Usually The Sweet Spot
One of the reasons I recommend rental houses so often is because they solve problems before they happen.
Nobody has to figure out where to meet. Nobody has to gather in a hotel lobby. Nobody has to pay $14 for a domestic beer because it came with room service.
Everybody is in the same place. The golf trip becomes the golf trip. Not a collection of separate hotel reservations with a tee sheet attached to it.
Some of the best golf trip memories don’t happen on the golf course. They happen sitting on a porch after sunset, replaying the day’s events for the fifth time and somehow improving the story with every retelling.
A good house gives those moments somewhere to happen.
Beware Of The Spreadsheet Guy
Every golf group has one.
He’s usually the first person to suggest building a spreadsheet.
By the end of the planning process, he has color-coded tabs, projected expenses, and a detailed breakdown proving that the group can save $38.17 per person by staying farther away.
To be clear, I love Spreadsheet Guy. Golf trips need Spreadsheet Guy. But Spreadsheet Guy has one weakness. He values things that fit neatly into cells.
Convenience does not fit neatly into cells.
Neither does atmosphere. Neither does walking back from dinner with your buddies instead of coordinating three Ubers.
Some things are harder to measure than room rates.
That doesn’t make them less important.
What You’re Really Paying For
The goal isn’t to stay at the most expensive place.
It’s also not to stay at the cheapest place.
The goal is to find the lodging that best supports the trip you’re trying to have.
Sometimes that’s a resort. Sometimes it’s a cottage. Sometimes it’s a rental house. Sometimes it’s a perfectly average hotel in exactly the right location.
The best lodging choice isn’t the one that looks best on Expedia.
It’s the one nobody complains about once the trip starts.
Final Thoughts
I’ve never had somebody come home from a golf trip and tell me, “The hotel was too convenient.”
I’ve never heard anyone say, “We spent too much time together.”
I’ve never heard anyone complain that dinner was too easy to get to.
The best golf trips have a rhythm to them. Things just work. Nobody is checking directions every five minutes. Nobody is coordinating caravans across town. Nobody is wondering why they saved $150 only to spend half the weekend in a car.
The funny thing about golf trips is that everybody remembers the golf.
They also remember everything that happened in between.
Choose your lodging accordingly.
About Fairways & Dreams
Fairways & Dreams helps groups plan custom golf trips built around how they actually travel, play, and spend time together. From destination recommendations and lodging selection to tee times and trip coordination, we handle the details so your group can focus on the golf.
Golf is hard. Golf trips should be easy.