Step 1: Choose Your Destination

The first decision is also the most exciting. Do you want the lush tropical fairways of South East Asia, the dramatic alpine scenery of New Zealand’s Queenstown, or the familiarity of Australia’s own championship courses? Each region offers something distinct.

South East Asia (Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia) offers exceptional value, world-class facilities and warm weather from November through April. Courses are generally well maintained, caddies are included as standard, and the combination of golf, culture and cuisine is hard to beat.

New Zealand delivers a premium, uncrowded experience with courses that take full advantage of the scenery. Greens fees tend to be higher, but the quality is consistently outstanding and the pace of play is relaxed.

Australia, particularly Western Australia and Queensland, suits golfers who want excellent courses without the long-haul flight. Perth offers links-style courses alongside parkland gems, while the Sunshine Coast delivers resort golf in a stunning coastal setting.

Pro tip: Think about what matters most to you: value for money, bucket-list prestige, good weather, easy travel? Rank those priorities before you start researching destinations.

Step 2: Decide on Duration and Number of Rounds

Most serious golf travellers aim for between five and ten rounds over a seven to ten day trip. Any fewer and it doesn’t feel like a proper golf holiday; any more and fatigue starts affecting your game and enjoyment.

A sensible structure for a seven-night trip is two to three rest or sightseeing days built in alongside five to six rounds. This gives your body time to recover, lets you explore the local culture and prevents the trip from feeling like a relentless grind.

If you’re travelling with a mixed group where not everyone golfs every day, plan non-golf activities around the same days. This is especially easy in destinations like Vietnam’s Da Nang or Bali, where there is plenty to do off the course.

We have a variety of golfing trips you can select from or if you have your own ideas, please reach out and we can customise your own tour schedule.

Step 3: Set a Realistic Budget

Golf holidays vary enormously in cost. A week in South East Asia with quality accommodation and five rounds can be done from around $2,500 per person, whereas a New Zealand or premium Australian trip for the same duration might run to $4,000 to $6,500 per person.

The main cost drivers to account for are: flights, accommodation, greens fees, caddie fees and tips, meals and drinks, transfers and internal transport, equipment shipping or hire, and travel insurance, which can manage for you. Don’t underestimate on-course spending as drinks, snacks and pro shop purchases add up over a week.

Budget: Speak to Golfing Getaways about what your golfing holiday plans. We can create flexible tours based on your own needs and budgets.

Step 4: Book Your Accommodation Strategically

Booing with Golfing Getaways takes away the hassle of arranging hotels and accomodation. We can book accommodation of your choices, organise the best and most convenient places to stay for your Golf tour. You do have the freedom to stay where you want and where you stay has a significant impact on your experience. Golf resorts that have their own course or courses on site eliminate transfers and make it easy to play early morning rounds before the heat of the day. They also tend to have facilities designed with golfers in mind: bag storage, drying rooms, early breakfast service, club cleaning.

If staying off-resort, aim to be within 20 to 30 minutes of your primary courses. Long daily transfers eat into your energy and enjoyment, particularly on back-to-back playing days.  Again, speak to cone of our golf tour planners if you have any questions regarding booking accommodation or planning where you want to stay.

Step 5: Sort Your Equipment and Packing

Decide early whether you’ll travel with your own clubs or hire at the destination. If your trip involves multiple flights or tight connections, hiring can remove significant stress. See our separate guide on travelling with golf clubs for a full breakdown of the decision.

Whatever you decide, make a packing checklist well in advance. Golf shoes, gloves, sun protection and appropriate course attire are the items most often forgotten or underestimated.

Step 6: Understand the Local Golf Culture

Golf culture varies meaningfully from country to country. In Thailand and Vietnam, caddies are not optional and are part of the experience. In New Zealand, self-drive buggies are the norm. In Japan (if you ever venture there), there are very specific etiquette protocols around pace of play and course behaviour.

Research the local customs before you arrive. Knowing what to expect means you’ll feel comfortable from your first round rather than spending the first day figuring things out.

Final tip: Use a specialist golf travel operator like us at Golfing Getaways. A good operator has pre-negotiated rates, knows the best courses in each destination, can handle the logistics from start to finish and will have solved every problem you haven’t thought of yet.