Ultimate Guide to Golf Breaks for Beginners

The ultimate guide to golf breaks for beginners. If you have just taken up the game of golf, you’ll find some great tips and useful information on golf breaks & holidays that suit the novice golfer.

In 2017 there were 2.5 million British golfers, research led by The R&A together with England Golf, Golf Ireland, Scottish Golf and Wales Golf shows that 5.6 million adult golfers enjoyed playing golf in Great Britain and Ireland in 2023. There are a lot of golfers out there who are new to the game.

Contents

• What is a Golf Break?
• Types of golf breaks
• Best Golf Breaks for beginners in the UK
• Best Golf Holidays for beginners
• Golf Breaks can improve your game
• How to book your golf break

With golf seeing a boom in new players hitting the fairways, taking up the game as a casual hobby or looking to obtain a handicap and commit to being fully bitten by the golf bug. Golf is quickly becoming a sport more people are opening their minds to!

For many, there is a steep learning curve to go from first swing on a driving range to a day on the course, but for those who wish to enjoy a couple of days away playing golf, we here at Your Golf Travel are here to help exploring which golf breaks are the best for beginners and can enable you to learn the skills to start developing your game.

In this blog, we have looked at some of the very best golf breaks that suit new golfers, from those with 9-hole golf courses to others that set up perfectly to introduce yourself to the game of golf, with excellent practice areas, golf lessons, the best driving ranges, enjoyable and friendly courses, and welcoming clubhouses and hotels.

What is a Golf Break?

A golf break is a holiday where you combine playing at a golf course, as well as staying away from home to enjoy a night or two in a hotel while also making use of restaurants, bars, and leisure facilities to suit your every need.

A golf break is a great way to enjoy the game of golf and to learn more about it. Golf resorts have excellent practice facilities and often offer cheap golf lessons, so they are a perfect place for players who wish to improve their game, as well as those who like to make the most of their time on the golf course just as much as they look forward to relaxing during their time away from the fairways.

Types of Golf Breaks

So, you’ve just started to take up golf as a hobby. You’re dabbling in the game, hitting the ball around on the practice tee, and you’re starting to feel pretty good about it. So you decide to take your first golf break. You’re excited, and you’re sure you’re going to play like Tiger Woods, but you’re not. Why? Because you’ve only had about 10 hours of practice. Why does this matter? Because you need more time on the course. But before getting out on the course for the first time, you should know about the different types of golf breaks available.

Typically there are two different types of golf breaks available for beginners, the first being one that is played around a shorter golf course or one that has a 9-hole course attached to the main 18-hole golf course that might be better suited for more experienced players.

Another popular type of golf break for beginner golfers includes tuition as part of the package, which enables you to learn golf tips from a qualified golf professional.

Golf lessons will give you the opportunity to learn the basic golf skills you need to eventually enjoy a full 18-hole round of golf, and perhaps set your new best score ever. Of course, all of the action on the golf course will be made all the more enjoyable when you use your time away from the golf course to make use of the facilities of the golf resort which may include thermal spas, sport and leisure facilities and even local attractions should you wish to explore new places.

Once you have learned the golf skills required to improve your game, you’ll be ready to play on some of the best golf courses in the world, which luckily for us all, are ready and waiting to welcome you onto the first tee.

Best Golf Breaks for Beginners in the UK

For those who have finally decided to take up the game of golf, staying closer to home for your first golf break might be the way to go. From Cornwall’s south coast right up to the Highlands of Scotland, the UK is home to some of the best golf courses in the world and plenty of top-class stay & play golf resorts to boot.

While playing the world’s best golf courses is what we all aim for eventually, some of these may just be too difficult for beginner golfers. We all want to have fun when we’re playing golf, so which resorts, hotels and courses are the best for beginner golfers looking to head off on their first golf break?

If heading up to Scotland, the spectacular Trump Turnberry resort is perfect for a beginner seeking some award-winning luxury on their trip. Admittedly the famed Ailsa Course might be a stretch too far but the excellent Wee Links course is the perfect place for a beginner to hone their skills while enjoying the stunning scenery afforded by the Ayrshire coastline.

Best Golf Holidays for Beginners Abroad

If you fancy going further afield with your new golf mates then there are places out there that have courses suitable for the beginner golfer. Let’s take a look at the overseas resorts, hotels and courses that are the best for beginner golfers looking forward to their first golf holiday.

Golf Breaks can Improve your Game

Just taken up the game and getting lessons from your local Pro?

Did you know you can work on improving your game while on holiday?

We have teamed up with Scott Cranfield to offer new golfers a golf holiday experience where you’ll discover how to take charge of your own golf by learning the truth about how your mind and body work in every area from short game to the full swing.

These techniques will help dissolve the stress in your golf, boost your confidence, and make playing golf fun again!

During the 3 Day Experience you will learn:

How to Book a Golf Break

Decide where to go on a golf holiday

This is, for obvious reasons, the biggest decision you’ll make throughout the whole process, but don’t let that put you off. While it’s easiest to just blindly choose one of the most popular destinations, sometimes that won’t meet your criteria, whatever that might be.

So, here are things to consider when choosing where to go on a golf holiday:

How much will a golf holiday cost?

Your destination will largely be determined by your budget, so it’s the best place to start. Of course, you are able to get bargains in every corner of the globe, but let us give you some guidelines…

UK Golf Breaks

As you might have guessed, staying closer to home is the cheapest option when it comes to booking a golf break, largely due to the reduced travel costs.

The beauty about playing golf in the UK is the variety, in both style and price point, allowing you to have full control.

Some packages can see you spend a weekend at a golf resort, playing two rounds of golf and only spending £60. However, as with anything, if you want to experience the best, you’ll have to pay; Trump Turnberry, Gleneagles and the Old Course at St Andrews are examples of the upper echelon of UK golf.

If you’re wanting to keep to a strict budget, check out our Best Golf Breaks under £100.

Golf Holidays in Europe

With the risk of listing out every European golf holiday in this paragraph, let’s keep it to the most popular destination, of which the choice is varied.

One thing that is constant though is the value for money; play at Ryder Cup courses like Le Golf National, head to the best the Algarve has to offer or experience five-star luxury in southern Spain – all for under £300.

If you’re after a longer stay, rounds at more premium golf courses or the choice of all-inclusive golf holidays then these too are available for as cheap as £500 in destinations like Turkey and Morocco.

For some inspiration, take a look at our list of the Best Courses in the Costa Del Sol.

Going Long Haul

America has regions like Florida and South Carolina which are populated with some of the most famous courses in the world, South Africa boasts venues like Pinnacle Point and Fancourt and then the Caribbean offers all-inclusive luxury in destinations like the Dominican Republic and Barbados.

The added bonus of our long haul golf holidays is that many of them come with flights, leaving you with nothing else to focus on than your golf.

Decide when to go on a golf holiday

With price out the way, now you should think about when you want to travel, because contributing factors like the weather, how busy the courses are and availability all change depending on your travel dates.

The rule of thumb is usually that travelling during peak season you’ll experience the resorts at their very best, but pay a premium, while off-season will see you pay less but might not get the high temperatures of the summer months.

Destinations like the Algarve and Andalucia benefit from nearly 300 days of sunshine per year, which makes it easier to choose your travel dates, while the unpredictability of the UK climate leaves many playing a guessing game outside of June, July and August.

Decide how long to go for

The final consideration for your destination choice are the flight times. This may not seem the be all and end all of your holiday, but if you have a 10-hour flight each way for a four-day trip, you have to ask is it really worth it?

Of course, if you are flying, the best times are to arrive early morning and leave in the evening, giving your arrival and departure days enough time for golf, but with budget and practicality in mind, you may have to compromise.

My suggestion is that if you’re on a long distance flight, you stay for a longer period of time so you don’t feel like the majority of your getaway was spent on a plane and if it’s a shorter journey, get out there as early as possible and book a late flight home.

Decide how to travel to your destination

Decide what accommodation options you would prefer

With the golf the top priority on golf holidays, and rightly so, it’s easy to neglect the importance of clean, practical and suitable accommodation.

For instance, it’s unlikely you’ll decide you want to stay in a hotel and then see which golf courses surround it, but instead the other way round.

That said, if you’re travelling in a large group, you may be more comfortable in a self-catering apartment or villa than in an all-inclusive hotel? Destinations like Pestana Carvoeiro offer brilliant self-catering villas at outrageously good prices, while El Rompido has an amazing five-star hotel with everything on site; choose wisely.

Do you want to take your own clubs?

If you’ve ever learnt to drive, you’ll remember the transition from your instructor’s car to your own. Despite passing, your car feels unfamiliar and perhaps you might stall it once or twice in the first couple of weeks, which is normal.

That’s the same concept as using someone else’s or hiring clubs on a golf holiday, that stall could be a shank, and worse still it could be on the first tee. While it can sometimes be cheaper to hire clubs, taking your own is our advice, especially if you’re having a wager with your mates.

Book a long-haul golf holiday with us and our preferred partner, British Airways, and get free club carriage when you fly.

How to get to the golf courses?

You’ve finally landed at your destination, your luggage was collected without any hassle and you’re now ready for your golf holiday.

But how will you get to your hotel?

This is another 50:50 decision for you to make and one that, once again, will probably depend on a few things.

Decide on after-golf activities or outings

Unless you choose one of our unlimited golf packages, you will come across free time on your trip, some of which is probably unaccounted for.

Many of you will hit the beach or sunbathe by the pool, but most golfing regions offer much more away from the fairways.

When planning activities, be conscious of your group and understand that not every activity will be a crowd pleaser, especially if the ages of golfers vary.

In the evening, perhaps go for dinner and then drinks, so if anyone wants to tail off and be fresh for the morning tee time, they can.

Lastly, weigh up if you actually need to go seeking bars and activities; golf resorts around the world are becoming so advanced and are more like little villages, especially those in Turkey.