The good news for the golf travel industry is it’s never been easier to plan trips to exotic locations such as Spain, Portugal, Ireland, the Dominican Republic and South Africa.
The bad news? You better be patient.
“Right now, we’re booking in some places into the fall of 2027,” said Tim Willerton, PGA Relationship Manager for Premier Golf. “That’s especially true if you’re planning on going with 16, 20, 24 people. You’ve got to do things well in advance.”
Willerton spoke Thursday from the Golf Travel Pavilion at the PGA Show in Orlando. The Golf Travel Pavilion featured the abovementioned destinations where PGA of American Professionals can engage with renowned golf travel operators such as Haversham & Baker, Premier Golf, IBT Golf Travel and Guatemala’s Luxury Fish & Golf, as well as hospitality experts from Omni Hotels & Resorts, the Official Hotel & Resort of the PGA of America.
Premier Golf also has an affiliation with the PGA of America as its preferred travel partner, a relationship that started in 1991. Willerton said there are other factors that have delayed golf trips to Europe until late 2027.
“The British Open will be held at St. Andrews (Scotland) in 2027 and the Ryder Cup will be held at Adare Manor (Ireland) in 2027,” he said. “So that’s closing some markets. Places like Royal Portrush have opened their bookings for 2027 in October, so you have to get in there quick.”
The days of golf-only international trips for just the guys have changed after the pandemic. Now it’s couples trip that combine other sightseeing in the area.
“We’re getting away from the guys that go, ‘Hey, we want to go to Scotland and play 36 holes a day,’” Willerton said. “Now it’s, ‘We want to go to Spain with our wives. And we want to do, you know a day at Valderrama while they’re at the wine country.’”
Willerton advises golfers not to book trips by themselves. It may save a few dollars, but cost them headaches.
“We have partners where you’re traveling, so if there are issues with hotels or tee times, we can resolve them quickly,” he said.
The International Golf Travel Market is a supporting partner of the Golf Travel Pavilion.