Thinking of joining a golf trip on your own? Read this first

There is a sentence I hear surprisingly often.

"I'd love to come, but I've got nobody to go with."

It is understandable.

Golf is social, and most of us are used to arranging trips with people we already know.

Four friends agree on some dates, somebody finds a hotel, somebody else books the golf and eventually everybody meets at the airport.

But there is another way to travel.

And I think golfers sometimes miss excellent experiences simply because they assume a golf holiday requires them to arrive with their own group.

It doesn't.

Someone has to be the new person

Every group of golfing friends started with people who did not know each other.

It is worth remembering that.

The first tee can feel intimidating when everybody is unfamiliar.

But golf solves that problem remarkably quickly.

Within a few holes you know who hits driver whenever possible.

You know who is frighteningly good from bunkers.

You know who says "that's gone" before every ball lands safely in the middle of the fairway.

And you know who has brought enough golf balls to supply the entire group for a month.

By the end of the round, you already have something in common.

You have shared the same course.

A hosted trip changes the dynamic

Travelling independently to a hotel and hoping to meet some golfers is one thing.

Joining a hosted trip is very different.

There is already a structure.

The golf is arranged.

The group has a common purpose.

There is a host.

People know when and where they are playing.

There are natural opportunities to spend time together without feeling as though you have to introduce yourself to strangers in a bar.

That matters.

Especially on the first day.

My role on a trip is not simply to talk about golf swings.

I am also there to host the experience.

I want the golfer travelling on their own to feel just as much a part of the group as the two friends who arrived together.

Your handicap is probably not the problem you think it is

The second concern is usually golf ability.

"What sort of standard are the other people?"

The underlying question is generally:

"Am I going to embarrass myself?"

Golfers are extraordinarily good at worrying about this.

My answer is simple.

These trips are for people who enjoy golf.

They are not trials for the Ryder Cup team.

There will always be different standards in a group.

One person might be a single-figure golfer.

Another might play off 24.

One golfer might hit the ball 250 yards.

Another hits it 180 but keeps finding the middle of the fairway.

That is golf.

And as a coach, differences in ability do not bother me in the slightest.

Everybody has something they can improve.

You might actually learn more from a group

Something interesting happens when golfers travel together.

They watch each other.

That can be more useful than people realise.

You might see another golfer deal with a difficult lie differently.

You might hear a piece of advice I give somebody else and realise it applies equally to you.

You might notice that the person scoring well is not necessarily hitting spectacular shots. They are simply keeping the ball in play and avoiding expensive mistakes.

There is a great deal of learning in golf that happens without standing on a lesson tee.

A trip gives us time for that.

You also have permission to have your own space

Joining a group does not mean you have to become inseparable for seven days.

That is equally important.

Some people enjoy sitting together after every round.

Others like an hour to themselves.

Someone might use the spa.

Someone else will be on the putting green.

Another person will almost certainly be having a nap while insisting later that they were "just resting their eyes".

A good hosted holiday allows both things.

Company when you want it.

Space when you do not.

Golf is an unusually good way to meet people

There are not many sports where you can spend four hours with somebody you have only just met and have a perfectly natural reason to talk.

Golf gives you that.

There is time between shots.

There are shared frustrations.

There are good shots to appreciate.

There are bad shots that everybody politely pretends not to have seen.

And there is always another hole ahead.

The game creates conversation without forcing it.

That makes golf travel particularly well suited to people travelling independently.

Do not wait for the perfect group

I understand why golfers put trips off.

Your usual playing partner cannot make the dates.

Another friend does not like flying.

Somebody's partner has already booked a family holiday.

Before long, another year has passed.

If there is somewhere you want to play, I do not think you should necessarily wait until three other diaries happen to align with yours.

Come on your own.

The golf is organised.

I will be there.

Other golfers will be there for exactly the same reason you are.

By the second round, you may wonder what you were worried about.

And by the end of the trip, you might have found the people you travel with next time.

Travelling solo? You are very welcome.

All Simon Buckley hosted golf holidays are designed to create a friendly small-group atmosphere. If you are interested in a trip but unsure about joining on your own, get in touch with Simon and have a conversation before you book.