Golf trips to top British courses are selling out this year and next

Travelers planning a golf vacation to a well-known UK course may need to act quickly.

Some of the UK’s top venues are sold out not only this year, but also at the spot (or tea time) in 2023. This is partly due to the growing confidence in overseas travel among wealthy Americans.

Travelers are fascinated by the chance to tee off at the venue where some of the game’s top players play, and the close proximity to each other makes Scotland a particularly hot ticket.

Scottish Gordon Dalglish, who runs a US tour operator Perry Golf There has been less than 40 years of demand from Americans who want to play luxury courses in the UK, such as the seaside town of St Andrews east of Edinburgh and the old course of Muirfield.

“These are courses that fill up much faster than I’ve seen in 38 years. Some are already full,” he told CNBC by email.

PerryGolf has almost sold out 2023 spots to play the old course that wants to host Tiger Woods at the 150th British Open in July.Star Said in a tweet He added that he had withdrawn from the US Open next week due to health problems and was planning to prepare for an event in the UK.

According to Dalglish, travelers book their trips months earlier than usual, especially those who are ready to accumulate and spend cash during a pandemic.

“Looking at the typical demographics of American golfers, perhaps at middle to late ages, they have much more money and less time than two years ago,” he told CNBC. rice field. on the phone.

Now even the famous people who have the money to burn are turned away, Dalgleish said.He said an “A-list businessman” would contact him, but “just don’t understand it.” [bookings] Not available. “

Estimated About 67 million people According to the R & A that governs most of the Rules of Golf in the world, in 2021 he played a 9-hole or 18-hole course in the world, setting a record high.

There are seven courses in St Andrews, “Old course“Golf sports are said to have started about 600 years ago. Jack Nicklaus won the British Open, or” Open “in the 1970s and 1978, with the 700-year-old Swirkhambridge and 7 feet. Deep sand trap hell bunker.

The best way for international travelers to take an old course is through an authorized provider. Like other companies, including Scotland-based DP & L Golf, US companies Perry Golf and SGH Golf are on the list.

However, if you are ready to take the risk, the old course will manipulate the tee time ballot 48 hours before play. With half of the spots allotted in this way, the lottery system “allows golfers in the area to still have the opportunity to play.” According to the website.

Another option is to go solo. A single golfer who appears on the day of play may be grouped with two or three other players.

Ian Murphy, an Englishman who lives in the south of England and says he takes three or four short golf vacations a year, recommends contacting hotels and tourist offices. Visit scotland Check if they have tea time available. Otherwise, he said it would be possible to absorb the atmosphere without playing the old course.

“You can actually walk around the golf course, which is about as good as playing it,” he said. “You can spend 30 minutes just by staying in a lovely guesthouse in St Andrews and watching people tee off on the old course. [and] Have lunch at the clubhouse. “

Due to the lack of pandemic-related international bookings, Murphy, who has played the old course three times in the last two years, is also encouraged to book an out-of-season tea time. What’s more, he said going high summer does not guarantee sunlight, as the weather in Scotland can be unpredictable.

Playing card turnberry

Playing card turnberryLocated on the west coast of Scotland, the first course to host the 1860 British Open is a favorite of American club pro Kyle Phelps.

“It’s a challenging layout, but if you play well, you’ll be rewarded. The scenery is amazing and the fact that the half-baked house is a lighthouse is absolutely spectacular,” he told CNBC by email. rice field.

According to the club’s website, some weekend spots are sold out, but the course has tea time available this summer.

The lighthouse is located in the ruins of Turnberry Castle in the 13th century, and Phelps, head golf pro at Rhode Island Country Club, said that part of the charm of the Scottish course is that its terrain is well-maintained in the United States. Said it was different. ..

The course may include a vast band of heather vegetation, in addition to burns and streams. According to Phelps, a double green (with two holes instead of one) and a small, deep pot bunker, unlike a shallow sand bunker.

The Trump Organization has owned Turnberry since 2014 and claims to have spent £ 200m ($ 253m) on its restoration. Ownership is not without controversy. A few days after the attack on the US Capitol, the R & A that organizes the British Open said: No championships will be held in the club While it is owned by the former president’s company.

Muirfield

It dates back to 1744. Muirfield The British Women’s Open Championship will be held in August. According to reports, the summer teatime in 2023 is full, but the representative told CNBC that it was “high demand” from May to September, but still some during this period and in April and October next year. He said there was that slot.

Clients of Perry Golf’s 6-night tour can take several top courses, including: Royal Troon Golf ClubSet to host the open in 2024, Carnoustie Golf Links — Where golf legend Ben Hogan first played Lynx Golf in 1953 — and Kingsbarns Golf LinksWhere American swimmer Michael Phelps made the “Monster” 153 foot putt in 2012.

According to Dalglish, the cost of such a tour, including airfare and costs, could be approximately $ 12,000 per person. “Our demographics are people who are members of multiple clubs spending a lot of money to join a club … and that’s just part of their lifestyle,” he explained.

Kyle Phelps said staying in one hotel and being able to play at many venues is the best part of golf in the UK.

“On long weekends, you can play Old Course, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns,” he said. “In the United States, that’s the equivalent of playing Pine Valley, Melion, and Pebble Beach in a row.”

Another high-demand course is one of Murphy’s favorites. Royal Dornock In the Scottish Highlands in the northeastern part of the country. Far north, according to Murphy, the sun sets about an hour later than London, allowing you to enjoy “spectacular” views longer.

“The views of Dornoch Firth and the North Sea are amazing. The town itself is a beautiful Highland Scottish town with an old cathedral,” says Murphy. The course is “also in the center of the village, so it’s in the center of the community.”

However, due to “unprecedented demand”, reservations for the club’s “championship course” have been closed this year, according to the club’s website, and are advised by golfers. Register online for future availability..

Marker Links

Just outside Aberdeen in northeastern Scotland Marker LinksAccording to Murphy, a “hidden gem” with a “warm and friendly” environment.

“It’s on the coastline, with views of the ocean’s oil rigs and wind turbines in the background,” he says, calling it a “nice, quirky little golf course.”

Nine miles from Aberdeen Airport, bookings for this summer start at around £ 130.

Castle Stuart Golf Links

Close to Inverness Airport Castle StuartOpened in 2009, it was designed by the late developer Mark Parsinen and architect Gil Hanse. Both are American.

Murphy likes the course of the service. “Everyone knows your name from the moment you arrive … Arrival, check-in, dining at the clubhouse, a trip to the driving range, the first tee, the man servicing you along the way … It’s similar to American service, but at a personal level, “he said.

This course is currently promoting packages for October and November. Golfers are advised to check availability by email.