How to Plan a Great Golf Bachelor Party
Got an upcoming wedding for a good friend? You might find yourself in the position of having to plan a golf bachelor party. Whether you’re looking for the classic guys weekend that includes golf, or focused entirely on a golf weekend, you want to achieve the right balance for you and your guests.
We readily admit that planning a golf themed bachelor party is no small feat, but if you’re going to do it you might as well do it right. So here are some things you should keep in mind as you take this project on:
Cost Concerns and Affordability Tips
Great Destinations for a Golf Bachelor Party
Advice on Organizing your Group
What to Do and How to Make it Special
How Much Do Golf Bachelor Parties Cost?
A golf bachelor party is a great combination of celebration and activity. Your guests can fill their day going tee to green, then catch up with the group for post round cocktails and see where the night takes you. While golf bachelor parties might cost more than a beach house, the opportunity to play with best friends creates golf memories that last a lifetime. Where you intend to create these memories is of key consideration, as this will be your primary driver of costs. There are plenty of regional golf vacations you can do to save on air fare, or you can max out with a true bucket list golf course.
Other factors can increase the price as well, such as shipping your golf clubs or checking them at the airport (here are some golf travel cases to protect your clubs in transit). If you want to stay in a city and commute out to the golf course, transportation is also a factor as you may need to rent cars. Or if you are staying at a golf resort, the premiums for food and beverage might raise an eyebrow or two. We’ve attended several bachelor parties at rented houses on golf courses. There’s no better way to relax than on your back deck overlooking the course you just played. Plus, with a rental house from vrbo everyone can bring their own party supplies and avoid expensive clubhouse bar prices.
Tips for Making a Golf Bachelor Party Affordable
Fortunately, many golf course destinations recognize that cost is a factor and will often work to make it more affordable, especially for large groups that can fill their tee sheets. Once you figure out your ideal destinations (more on this later), spend some time calling ahead to determine any incentives, deals, or special offers that can control costs and add value for your group.
The time of year matters as well; prime golfing season (typically May through early September) can be significantly more expensive than playing in the off-season when courses are desperate to fill the tee sheet and far more accommodating to large groups that can help with that cause. If you do have to go during prime season, ask about replay rates, which can be an affordable way to get an extra round at half the cost of the original tee time.
Once you’ve figured out the right course for your group, there are other techniques you can leverage for cost control. Instead of booking reservations at an expensive restaurant, consider hiring a private chef to come and cook for you. This is a great move, especially if you are renting a house for your group. The money you’ll save by providing your own beverages (and avoiding uber rides or the private limo) can more than make up for the price a private chef might charge.
What Type of Golf Bachelor Party Are you Throwing?
Ultimately, your golf bachelor party is going to be pricey, but booking in advance and working with course managers or a golf travel planner can keep it in the realm of the possible. You know your friend group better than we do, so you should also know how much everyone is willing to commit to a weekend of golf while celebrating the groom. Who you choose to invite (more importantly, how many people confirm their attendance) and how much you have to spend will be the single most informative factor of the style of golf bachelor party you should be planning.
Great Destinations for a Golf Bachelor Party
You may or may not have a spot in mind, but let’s talk about golf bachelor party destinations just to make sure you’ve considered all your options. We’ll break this category down into subsections: Golf Focused Destinations, Golf Friendly Destinations, and Golf Optional Destinations.
So many golf courses, so little time…
Golf Focused Destinations
If golf is the featured and primary activity for your weekend, then resorts might be your best bet. In no particular order, here are four to consider (and one unique golfing experience).
Pinehurst Golf Resort - the Home of American golf features nine championship courses and a luxurious resort experience
Bandon Dunes - if you want an immersive links experience without international travel (and are willing to pay for it), look no further than Bandon Dunes Golf Resort
The American Club, Kohler, WI - with over 1,000 bunkers on Whistling Straits (one of 4 Pete Dye courses at the resort), you’ll have a full appreciation for Dustin Johnson’s unfortunate blunder in the 2016 PGA Championship
Streamsong, Lakeland FL - a golfer’s golf resort with diverse terrain, demanding holes, and uniquely creative greens
Robert Trent Jones Trail, AL - nothing says golf bachelor party like road tripping through Alabama, and fall scheduling gives you an opportunity to experience SEC football at its finest to boot
If you want to get even more golf-centric and budget isn’t of much concern, check out our list of bucket list golf courses that would make for an unforgettable weekend.
Golf Friendly Locations
If your group is pro golf but you only want to play a round or two, you’ve got more options to consider. Nightlife and other activities are key considerations in this list.
Scottsdale, AZ - go in February for the Waste Management Phoenix Open (the PGA Tour’s most raucous party, by far), stay through Sunday for Super Bowl viewing
Biloxi, MS - if you want to gamble but are tired of Vegas, the Palace Casino Resort offers world class wagering and very attractive golf packages as well
Charleston, SC - the low country offers good eating and plenty of nightlife, and a 40 minute drive to the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island
The Greenbrier, WV - The Old White TPC Course is mountain golf at its finest, and the resort features a classy new casino for guest’s inner Bond
San Diego, CA - guests can more than scratch the golf itch with Torrey Pines and other area courses, while others can enjoy sun and sand year round
Golf Optional Locations
Pleasing golfers and non-golfers can be a challenge, but these destinations offer entertainment, sports, and plenty of professional night life to choose from.
Myrtle Beach, SC - practically invented for bachelor parties, MB is a masterful experience for golfers and non-golfers alike with amazingly affordable accommodations at the Barefoot Resort
Las Vegas, NV - what happens in Vegas is up to you and your guests, including bountiful golf options
Miami, FL - take your party talents to South Beach for bars, beaches, three professional sports franchises, and year round golf opportunities.
New Orleans, LA - whether you’re going for Mardis Gras in late winter or Jazz Fest in the spring, NoLa features TPC Louisiana which hosts the Zurich Classic in late April
Tampa, FL - there’s Gasparilla Pirate Fest in January and some of the best bars and entertainment year round; golf enthusiasts also have the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook within 45 miles of the airport
Seem like a lot of work? Of course it is. But there’s good news…you can use GolfTrip.AI to plan your trip. Answer a few queries and their AI technology will give you personalized itineraries in seconds, taking the hassle out of golf trip planning.
Organizing Your Group
Step one is finding out who the groom wants to celebrate his bachelor party with, and step two is finding out who wants to (or can) come to support them. If you've ever been included in bachelor party planning, the thought of the ensuing email chain might already have you in a cold sweat. Depending on your level of host-with-the-most energy, you can try to find a weekend that works for the most people. Skip the email blast reply-all hassle and create a shared calendar where everyone marks their availability. Or use SurveyMonkey, a free tool perfect for the not-so-tech savvy. Keep it simple by offering a few options, then pick the weekend that works best for the groom and his VIPs.
On the other hand, you can play bachelor party czar and pick one weekend and leave it at that. But before you do, we recommend checking with the chosen destination to make sure you don’t leave yourself in a pickle, especially if the desired courses don’t have enough tee times for your party.
And remember to consider cost, especially for younger parties. This is just a classy move, and the right thing to do for your groom who probably wants to celebrate with as many good friends as possible. The best advice we can offer here is to be realistic. You might have all graduated together, but you should be able to guess that the father of three getting his PhD might have less financial leeway than the single guys or DINKs (dual income, no kids couples) on the guest list.
Every great golf bachelor party requires a great guest list.
What to Do During Your Golf Bachelor Party
Admittedly, stroke play might be a little tame for some groups, so you can always spice things up out on the course with some high-stakes golf betting games. Wolf seems appropriate given the occasion, as does making it easier/harder on the groom by singling him out as the permanent wolf.
Keep in mind that you can't golf all day, so you'll need to figure out where you'll all be showing off those hard earned polo shirt/golf glove/raccoon eye tan lines. Your off-course activities will largely be dictated by the types of people in your group. Maybe golf will only play a small part in the bachelor party (gasp), in which case, you'll need to fill your time with plenty of other activities. Nothing is worse than having a group of hungover guys laying around in rented accommodation bored out of their minds.
There's no need to go overboard here, and there's certainly no real difficulty involved with finding things to do. Do some googling, make reservations well in advance, and book a fleet of ubers or some stretched out automobiles to get your party safely about town so everyone can cut loose and be part of great memories forever.
Golf Gifts to Make the Memories Last
Everyone loves a good memento, and your party will get a kick out of personalized golf gifts to remember the occasion. Custom polos (in different colors, especially for team-based golf competition) are an obvious choice, and helpful for recognizing new friends in late night situations. Creative types might enjoy designing a logo and printing it on golf ball markers or custom golf balls. You could also go simple and elegant and get some engraved golf tools or custom golf barware for the group. The groom will get a kick out of seeing these items in their friend’s houses (and their own) for years to come.
Final Thoughts on Your Golf Bachelor Party
Whether you're part of a huge group of high rollers, or a small cohort of best friends, a golf bachelor party is definitely within your reach. Remember to not get frustrated with all the group chat and email chain notifications, because your friends are only as annoying as you let them get. Lead the group as best you can, listen to their ideas, and hell, you might even ask the groom himself what he wants to do. Nothing stops a group argument faster than "it's Andrew's party, he wants to do XYZ".
With a little bit of planning, some research, and a ton of patience, your great golf bachelor party will set the high water mark for all the subsequent events to come.
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