Many PGA Professionals have become experts in planning and coordinating golf trips for members, guests and customers. And for most PGA Members and club travel coordinators, planning golf trips begins at the PGA Show Travel Pavilion located in aisles 3,800-4,200 on the 2023 PGA Show floor.
Representatives from national and international golf destinations, resorts, tour services and travel products are assisting PGA Professionals and travel planners book golf trips for groups of all sizes at the Travel Pavilion. Golf hot spots such as the Dominican Republic, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Los Cabos, Morocco, Scotland, South Africa and Spain are all represented, in addition to many American resorts.
PGA Professionals can also connect in person with golf tour operators from companies such as Haversham & Baker, Premier Golf, Pro Golf African Safaris and Signature Golf, as well as access hundreds of golf-travel related products across multiple categories on the Show Floor.
“We always make our initial plans and explore a variety of different destinations by walking the Travel Pavilion and visiting with the professional tour operators,” said Joanna Coe, PGA Director of Instruction at Baltimore Country Club in Maryland.
“Over the years, we have developed a great group of women who love to travel and play golf. We usually go overseas once a year and travel to a couple of resorts or famous courses in the United States. We’re excited to see what new destinations and resorts are available now that we are getting past COVID. Everyone is excited about traveling again.”
Traditional golf destinations such as Ireland, Scotland and the Dominican Republic are ramping up special packages for PGA Professionals, while American destinations like Pinehurst, Pebble Beach, and resorts in Texas, Arizona, Southern California, North Carolina, South Carolina and many other states have the welcome out again after two years of COVID-19 interruptions.
“Golf travel had reached very popular heights before the pandemic, and it’s coming back extremely strong as golfers look for opportunities close by and in other countries now that things are almost back to normal,” says Don Crowley, PGA Director of Instruction at The Boulders in Carefree, Arizona, who organizes several golf trips annually.
“The great thing about the Travel Pavilion at the PGA Show is that we can meet with a large number of companies under one roof and organize trips for the next two years. We can accomplish in a couple of hours what would take several days or even weeks on the telephone and online as far as getting details and prices of various golf trips. It’s a nice time-saver for us.”