The peak of golf season across North America will soon be upon us, and no doubt many are beginning to dream of planning the perfect golf vacation. To help golfers get the most enjoyment from their trips, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts gathered its golf team to offer sage advice. According to these professionals, the best place to start is with a simple phone call.

“With so much information available online, I think people forget you can get the best information from the person sitting at the desk,” said Paul Adams, Director of Golf at The Fairmont Southampton’s Turtle Hill Golf Club in Bermuda. “When considering a new destination, it’s always best to have a quick chat with the golf director at the resort. He or she can provide course tips, dining recommendations and ideas for non-golf activities.”

Guests at Fairmont Grand Del Mar near San Diego, California have exclusive access to The Grand Golf Club; where Director of Golf Shawn Cox agrees the Club Professional is a great place to start.

“They will be able to provide travelers with insights you just can’t find online,” said Cox. “Understanding the course maintenance and tournament schedules or the typical weather for a certain time of year can make a huge difference in a trip. Also, if the guests are playing multiple courses, the golf professional can offer insight as to available daylight and travel times between courses, which might help smooth out the itinerary.”

Making such research easier, the concierge teams at the various Fairmont properties are well versed in the intricacies of the local golf courses. Travelers can gather such valuable information and often can book all of their golf rounds with just one phone call.

Planning ahead is also strongly advised. While guests certainly can embark on an impromptu golf junket, travelers tend to get the best pricing and availability if they book in advance, especially when considering an iconic destination like Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies. 

Steven Young, Director of Golf for Fairmont Banff Springs advises guests interested in booking a trip to such a destination at least six months in advance.

“Courses like the Stanley Thompson courses at Fairmont Banff Springs and Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge are in very high demand,” said Young. “If the success of the trip rests upon playing these courses, travelers need to make those arrangements early. And, the sooner the better.”

In fact, all of the Fairmont experts agree that purchasing a package is typically the best way for guests to ensure themselves of playing the best courses at the best values. Another way to save is by booking rounds during the week rather than on the weekends. And, the group also strongly suggests one person act as the single-point of contact for each aspect of the trip.

“You can divide and conquer,” said Adams, “But it is usually best if one person is responsible for each aspect of the trip – resort and golf reservations, ground transportation, restaurants, etc. That way everyone has a job and they know the group is counting on them to get it done. Otherwise, people sometimes put off tasks until the end and it makes things more challenging.”

Finally, Fairmont’s experts say it is important to remember no trip goes off exactly as planned and often that’s what makes for the best memories. And, while true golfers wouldn’t think of skipping a tee time, it’s often best to avoid really early starts in case the “making memories” portion of the trip runs late the evening prior. 

To learn more about Fairmont’s golf properties and golf vacation packages, visit www.fairmont.com.