An annual golf junket is one of the most anticipated weeks of the year. Good times on the course and revelry with friends without the responsibilities of home life make the trip something many talk about throughout the year.

It’s almost foolproof.

But alas, there are silent saboteurs capable of turning your trip from the best week of the year into merely a really good time.

After years of experience, as a group leader and an observer of trips in Myrtle Beach, here are five situations that can partially sabotage a trip:

– We mentioned revelry with friends and we all enjoy it, but there can be too much of a good thing. Closing down one of Myrtle Beach’s famed night spots can derail a day of the trip and if we are being honest, it could be longer depending on how quickly you recover. Nothing wrong with having a couple cold pops late into the evening, but don’t overdo it.

– The complainer. Golfers typically travel with friends but on occasion a less than desirable will sneak into the group. Root this guy or gal out as quickly as possible. Few things wear on your nerves more than a chronic complainer, the guy who finds fault with everyone but himself. You don’t want to listen to it and neither does anyone else.

– Less than 10 percent of golfers keep a handicap, so most of your guys likely don’t have a real index, leaving you in a position of having to assign strokes, a difficult task that can lead to the complaining we reference above. The easy fix: make everyone on your trip open a USGA handicap account and enter all his or her scores. People will enjoy monitoring their handicap and it will make your job as group leader infinitely easier.

– Speaking of handicaps, make sure the rules of competition, the stakes and who is competing are clearly identified before play starts. Things can get ugly in a hurry when people are arguing about who should’ve gotten a stroke on No. 14 and how much money was lost. These types of disputes happen more often than you think, and they are completely avoidable with good communication.

– This one is entirely subjective and intended more for Myrtle Beach newcomers but be aware of how far apart your courses are. The overwhelming majority of groups don’t mind a commute, but you don’t want to be surprised. Make sure you ask how much time you will spend traveling to and from each course, another problem good communication can eradicate.

These are five easily avoidable problems that will go a long way toward making your next Myrtle Beach golf trip is the best one yet.