Even the biggest golfing purists, need more than golf to get the most out of a golf holiday.
Therefore there is no question that the destination obviously plays a big role – apart from the number, settings, types and quality of golf courses and the overall golfing experience there are many other things that go into making a complete holiday – cuisine, eating and drinking options, nightlife and entertainment, sightseeing attractions of consequence, climate, etc. This becomes particularly important when the group includes non-golfers or not so avid golfers who are not inclined to playing two golf rounds a day. Further many golfers believe and thankfully so, that there are many more dimensions to explore in a destination than just go and play at every golf course around. Consequently, there are several destinations, tourism boards and golf tour organizers who continually work on spicing up the golf offering by including other attractions and in many cases surrounding it with a theme.
There is an ever increasing number of themes aimed at the golf traveler – many of them factoring in the luxury element, basing it on the assumption that a golf holidaymaker belongs to the upper end of the spectrum of travel.
Some themes have really caught on – Golf & Safari in South Africa is a great example – where the attraction of seeing the Big 5 in one of the national parks or in a game reserve alongside that of playing some superb golf courses in incredible settings (some even inside the very same parks that offer the Big 5) is quite an irresistible combination – one illustration of this being the Leopard Creek golf course inside Kruger. Similarly in Kenya, where there is some excellent golf to be played in and around Nairobi which can then be preceded or followed by game viewing in the world famous Masaai Mara – what better than to combine the golf with the wildebeest migration?
Golf & Spa is another idea which was born more to accommodate the non-golfing partner accompanying – so while the golfers are away on the course, there is no better deal for the partner than to get a “commensurate” treatment in a spa of choice. With spas becoming a default option in quality hotels and resorts, there is hardly a problem with putting this together. One great location for golf & spa in Hua Hin in Thailand, which features some superb beachside resorts – the top ones being Chiva Som, the Evason – with the Six Senses Spa, Asara Villa and many others, that can be combined with golfing at excellent golf courses of the area like Black Mountain and Banyan.
Other themes gaining in popularity or coming to the fore are Golf & Wine particularly in France, Australia, California, and Argentina. Golf & Distillery tours in Scotland are a popular attraction as well, with golfing at the great links courses of Scotland interspersed with single malt tasting in the several distilleries. In Italy, the Golf & Formula one tours are gaining in popularity. Golf Cruises both on the sea and on the river are another attraction – Several set departures operate between Ireland and Scotland covering the top links – the river cruises are more common and easier to do, like on the Rhine in France or on the Murray River in Australia.
There are many other ideas and concepts available in the golf tourism landscape, some which work beautifully, some others that are a little more forced just to make it sound different. Whatever it may be, the idea that golf needs to combine with other ideas, even if it is primarily a golf holiday is catching on.
