Take that trip

[marfau23]

This post isn't about writing an in-depth review about a bucket list course. It's not about travel tips, booking agents, or accommodation recommendations. It's about THAT trip. The one that you've always wanted to go on with the person who introduced you to the game or the friends you gained from a random course pairing you up with someone. In two words, this post can be summed up by two words: DO IT.

 

My dad introduced me to the game when I was 5-6 years old. The golf course grew to be a place where we would go to spend uninterrupted time together. It was the place where we could have conversations that just didn't seem to get off the ground anywhere else. It was the time that we needed to bond as father and son. The time that we spent on the golf course was instrumental to my personal development and I was extremely lucky to be able to share that with him. As I went off to college, the time on the course became less and less (went to school in a different state). Every time I came home, we were back out on the course every chance we got and I loved every second of it. My senior year, I knew that I was going to have about two months between graduation and when I would start my new job to do really whatever I wanted without any real responsibilities. I decided that I was going to finally do it. I was going to take that once-in-a-lifetime golf trip (we will come back to this later) and I was going to bring the person responsible for introducing me to the game. 

 

I started doing some research and stumbled on Scotland Golf Tours one night (not a plug but they did a fantastic job). I built up the dream trip to Scotland with all of the courses you see hosting The Open or the Ryder Cup. We're talking Carnoustie, Troon, Turnberry, Gleneagles, Prestwick. The works. At the end, the website asked for my email to get the quote and I begrudgingly obliged. I wasn't expecting much from it but just wanted to see what we were looking at. I woke up the following morning to a follow-up email with some different package options, pricing, etc. I really didn't think much of it at the time but over the next couple of weeks, it kept creeping into my head until I eventually pulled the trigger and put some of the little I had saved into a deposit (unbeknownst to my Dad). I will never forget the conversation when I broke the news to him that I was taking him to Scotland. It was my way of saying thank you for everything he had done over the years and a way to build some memories that would last a lifetime.

 

Fast forward a few months and we finally get to Scotland. The first day was mainly getting caught up on sleep, figuring out how to drive on the left side of the road, and enjoying a few beers in the local pub. The second day, we played Prestwick (take a caddy for this one) then went back to the accommodations in Troon (right across from the course). It was still relatively early so we headed to the bar that was run by the hotel. The carefree conversations that we had while sipping a few glasses of scotch are memories that I'll never forget. Some topics mattered (what my next step in life was going to look like) and some topics didn't (why I was a grandpa for enjoying peaty scotch) but they were all memorable. The next few days, we played incredible course after incredible course during the days while exploring the towns (mainly Troon and St Andrews) at night. It was absolutely the trip of a lifetime.

 

It is funny looking back at it. I had dreamt of this trip my entire life and looking back at it, I more vividly remember the lunch in the Turnberry lighthouse at the turn than I remember the shot I hit on the Postage Stamp (skulled the hell out of it; unknown whether it has been located to this day). The most memorable moments were the conversations and experiences that I got to share with my Dad rather than the individual holes we played. If you are thinking about planning a once-in-a-lifetime golf trip with family, friends, or loved ones, I have two pieces of advice:

1. JUST DO IT! The memories that you make are worth every penny you spend.

2. It doesn't need to be once-in-a-lifetime. 

 

We are currently planning on taking a second "once-in-a-lifetime" golf trip. If you have any suggestions, please comment below! Hope this post moves the needle for someone that's been sitting on the fence. Thanks all!