The tee times have been booked, everyone has paid the balance, and the only things left to do before your Myrtle Beach golf trip are the last-minute trash talk and travel.
At least that’s the way it looks from the outside, but if you are a group leader, there are always a couple late boxes to check to minimize onsite stress and maximize the good times.
With that in mind, here are five minor suggestions that could make your next trip just a little better.
1. Most groups have some sort of competition and handicaps are involved. Hopefully your guys maintain an index via GHIN, but there are always a couple stragglers. Make sure handicaps are set in advance of your trip. My group even prints scorecards with dots to ensure there is no confusion. Nobody wants to be haggling over strokes on the first tee, and it’s an avoidable problem.
2. Speaking of scoring, it’s never too late to utilize an app-based system allowing everyone to enjoy a live leaderboard. I’d recommend Golf Gamebook ($79.99 for a gold membership), which takes away the need for dots on the scorecard and eliminates the possibility of faulty math by someone in your group.
3. This one is simple, but if your group plays for a trophy each year, make sure the holder of your group’s version of the Claret Jug brings it back to Myrtle Beach. This year’s winner wants to celebrate with the trophy!
4. Confirm arrival and departure dates. Sometimes guys decide to come in the night before or leave right after your final round. You don’t want them asking you about securing an extra room night two days prior to the trip or haggling with someone about whether you get money back if you leave a day early.
5. This may not be for everyone, but I’d highly recommend planning pairings for each day prior to your trip. For starters, it builds excitement in the run up to the big
week, but, just like handicaps, you don’t want to have to worry about who is playing together when you could otherwise be hanging out with your buddies having fun.
If you want a sixth reminder, I’d tell everyone not to talk about politics because no matter how right you think you are, you aren’t changing anyone’s mind.
(Myrtlewood PineHills Course pictured top, and River Hills Golf Club pictured right, from our Instagram Account)
