| k"> | | | | writer, there are examples in my upcoming free |
| "What If You Could... Have the perfect group golf | | | | Ebook. Additionally, this book will take you through |
| vacation, save money and have a sensational | | | | setting up and conducting the whole event from |
| time setting it up? Instead of buying the | | | | scratch. |
| package, design your own optimum, | | | | Follow up emails get commitments and solicit |
| personalized vacation. | | | | recommendations and special requests. Armed |
| Remember last year? | | | | with all this, you will select the ideal house, set up |
| You waited all year to get together with your | | | | tee times, and arrange rental vehicles. Further |
| friends for your annual golf vacation. It was | | | | emails from you will ask what food, snacks and |
| supposed to be perfect, but you bought the | | | | beverages they will want for the outing. Here is a |
| package and your outing turned out to be | | | | good time line: |
| simply adequate. You all had such high hopes, but | | | | -5 months: Announce. |
| you had to take what the package provided. | | | | -3 months: Receive all commitments and solicited |
| Sound familiar? Have you been on the receiving | | | | recommendations. |
| side of a less than perfect golf vacation? In all | | | | -3 months: Let everyone know when to fly in to |
| fairness, most golf packages are good. Some are | | | | coordinate travel. |
| great. But they truly are packages designed for | | | | -2 months: Arrange house, tee times and rental |
| the mass market with little flexibility and no | | | | cars. |
| individual flair. | | | | -1 month: Receive all food, snack, and beverage |
| A standard golf vacation package provides lodging | | | | requests. |
| and one round of golf per day, including a cart. | | | | -1 month: Confirm house, tee times and rental |
| The lodging usually means motel or hotel | | | | cars. |
| accommodations with two people per bedroom. In | | | | -1 week: Finalize food and beverage list. |
| most cases, you can choose from several | | | | Zero hour: Have the time of your life. |
| different courses, and select your advance tee | | | | 2. House with a full kitchen. This allows several |
| times. They will even throw in a continental | | | | things: |
| breakfast. The prices are fair, but varying from | | | | - Preparing your own evening meal. Every group |
| the standard package starts adding cost in a | | | | has at least one chef. |
| hurry. | | | | - Rehashing the day as a group (yes, this includes |
| Again, the package will yield a good to | | | | an appropriate amount of trash talk and begging |
| great vacation, but we need to discuss the | | | | for strokes on upcoming rounds.) |
| perfect vacation. Envision this: | | | | - Having evening entertainment as a group. We |
| -A beautiful vacation house with a separate bed | | | | watch a sports event on TV, watch videos, play |
| or bedroom for each person. | | | | cards, tell tales and get caught up, or all of the |
| -Gourmet dining each evening. | | | | above. |
| -As much or as little golf as you want, where you | | | | - Getting sandwiches, snacks and beverages |
| want and when you want. | | | | ready for the next day. |
| -Evening entertainment. | | | | 3. Shopping List. In my free Ebook I provide a |
| -Maximum camaraderie. | | | | sample shopping list and sample emails to send |
| I have been setting up this type of annual golf | | | | requesting input. Your various emails to the group |
| vacation for my old high school and college friends | | | | should provide a fill in the blank type of |
| since 1988. Over those 18 years, we have refined | | | | requested reply. You will ask what they want for |
| Our Event to what we think is the perfect annual | | | | breakfast, what they want for sandwich lunch, |
| outing. Our first few years were terrific even | | | | what they want to drink for the week, and any |
| though we had to keep the costs down. Each | | | | snacks they like. |
| new year improves on the last. | | | | 4. General Schedule and Assignments. Your first |
| We have settled on a full seven days, Saturday | | | | year will be a terrific learning experience. Your |
| to Saturday. In general, we schedule 36 holes per | | | | chef will emerge and others will gravitate |
| day, and modify that day by day to wind up with | | | | to where they are needed. Putting together a list |
| an average of about 27 holes per day. Our | | | | of what needs to be done and having volunteers |
| smallest group was five gents one year, and the | | | | will work just fine. Over the years, you will find |
| largest group was sixteen. The perfect group size | | | | what works best. |
| is eight, but anywhere from six to twelve works | | | | Think about bringing a laptop and uploading each |
| great. | | | | day’s results on your website so that the |
| We buy most of the food and beverages the | | | | unfortunate people that did not make the trip can |
| day of arrival to support breakfasts, snacks, | | | | live vicariously by following the daily action. If you |
| sandwiches between rounds, and gourmet | | | | don’t have a website, a free blog will work |
| evening meals for the entire week. | | | | about as well and will be much easier to update. |
| Your perfect group golf vacation is not going to | | | | An idea that our group has not yet acted on is |
| be identical to ours, but the general organization | | | | having a masseuse come in one evening later in |
| will be. There is going to have to be a go to | | | | the week to help our aging muscles. |
| guy that organizes the event. My guess is that | | | | You will have almost as much fun setting up this |
| will be you. You will need to: | | | | event as you will have during your vacation. I set |
| - Get the ball rolling early. | | | | up a little eight page website with history, photos, |
| - Have everyone stay in the same house that | | | | schedule, past scores, etc. to hold |
| has a full kitchen. | | | | everyone’s interest and attention |
| - Get the shopping list together ahead of time. | | | | throughout the year. An example is in my free |
| - Have a general schedule and loose assignments. | | | | Ebook. |
| 1. Get the ball rolling. Pick out a window of time | | | | Building your own special vacation not only allows |
| and get the word out to everyone you think | | | | you to really tailor your outing to your |
| might be interested AND not interested (next | | | | group’s tastes, but also allows you all to |
| year, they may be). I send a fun, whimsical email | | | | get together as a true group for a great week of |
| about five months ahead of a proposed block of | | | | camaraderie. As a bonus, it should wind up being |
| time. It is written such that the wives enjoy the | | | | less expensive! Once you set your own up, I |
| comedy as much as the guys. If you are not a | | | | doubt you will ever buy the package again. |