Overlooked Preparations for Overseas Golf Trips

The H&B Yardage Book is a valuable tool, designed for anyone who is planning an overseas golf trip, whether you intend to travel with us or not. There you’ll find nearly 100 different guides dedicated to the topic of golf travel in Scotland, Ireland, and England.

If you’re in the final countdown to a journey across the pond, our guide to caddies and the golf trip packing list are certain to be useful. If you’re headed to The Home of Golf, the same is likely true for the best 19th holes in St. Andrews.

Despite the best of planning for Ireland and Scotland golf tours, there are some preparations that simply get overlooked in the process. Of course, when you travel with H&B, preparedness is a top priority. These sometimes forgotten details are covered extensively in the materials and communications our travelers receive before departure.

While it’s impossible to match the level of preparedness afforded by the H&B Field Manual, we’re here to help you cover some of the basics. Here are just a few of the often overlooked preparations to cover before your upcoming journey.

Ship the Clubs

We examined in another guide the reasons to ship your golf clubs for a trip to Scotland or Ireland.

If you’ve made the wise decision to follow this advice, it’s not as easy as rolling up to the UPS Store with your clubs. You’ll need to make a booking with your company of choice roughly 7 to 10 days in-advance. If you wait until the last minute, it will cost you a pretty penny for expedited service. Or worse, if there’s not enough time for the clubs to arrive, you may have to drag them with you to the airport.

Check the Passport

Your passport is an obvious necessity for any overseas golf trip, but it’s the details inside which can sometimes trip up travelers. First off, if it has been a while since you traveled abroad, do you know where your passport is located? If not, take a moment and find it now…

Now that you’ve found it, open up your passport and check the expiration date. Has it expired? If so, you’ll obviously need to get it renewed right away.

In addition, if you’re traveling elsewhere in Europe, you’ll want to ensure that your passport is valid beyond your return date. The United Kingdom and Ireland only require that your passport is valid through the dates of your trip, but you’ll need much longer to visit many other countries in Europe.

For example, the Schengen Area - which includes France, Spain, and 24 other countries - requires that your passport is valid for 3 months beyond your intended return date.

Our advice: Give yourself 6 months to be safe.

Prepare Your Game

Of all the frequently overlooked preparations for Scotland and Ireland golf tours, failing to prepare your game is arguably the most impactful. After all, you’ve invested plenty of time and money into your trip. You want to be proud of the scorecards when the trip is done.

But links golf is an entirely different brand than the one we play here in the states. We suggest spending spend some time to learn how to play links golf before you depart. At the link above, you’ll find a number of helpful videos produced by our our dear friend, the late Paul Ramee, PGA of Bull’s Bridge Golf Club. Each video covers a different stroke-saving shot that you’ll likely need during your upcoming journey.

Get Your Handicap Card

Some of the marquee golf courses in Great Britain and Ireland will ask for proof of your handicap before your round. Like your passport, this is one credential that you don’t want to leave home without.

If you have a valid handicap from your club, download the GHIN app to your smartphone and save a copy of your handicap card. If you don’t have a valid handicap, you’ll want to establish one right away, especially if you have tee time at The Old Course at St. Andrews.

Make Your Dinner Reservations

Where you’ll eat after your round is a commonly overlooked preparation for golf trips across the pond. One that can lead to quite a bit of stress and disappointment if unprepared.

If you’re traveling in a party of four or more, it’s a good idea to put at least a few dining reservations on the books ahead of your trip. Many popular or smaller restaurants may be unable to seat a larger party without advance notice.

But when you enlist the service and expertise of Haversham & Baker, you have the H&B Concierge at your disposal. They’ll guide you to some of the best dining options in the areas your visiting. They’ll also ensure that your restaurants of choice match your itinerary from a convenience standpoint, as well as the desires and tastes of your group.

Pack Electric Adaptors

The United Kingdom and Ireland generally use the Type G plug for electricity, which is a different shape than the Type A and B plugs used stateside. To use your U.S. plugs overseas, you’re going to need an adaptor. You’ll also want to ensure that all of your electric devices can handle 220v current, otherwise it won’t be a working device for long after you plug it in overseas.

Many of the premier hotels across the pond now have USB charging ports in the room, but like the plugs themselves, this feature is far from universal. And naturally, this is only helpful for USB charged devices. If you intend to use anything that plugs in the old fashioned way, pick up an adaptor or two in-advance of your trip.

Bring Cash

Throughout your golf trip, you’re going to need some good old paper money. This is especially true for caddie fees. As noted in the guide to caddies mentioned above, your greenbacks are absolutely worthless to them.

ATMs are readily available in the U.K. and Ireland, and are generally the best way to obtain some Pounds or Euros. But if you’re heading from the plane straight to the course, it may be a good idea to obtain some of the local currency before your departure.

In the jet-lagged euphoria of arriving overseas, it’s easy to forget to hit an ATM in the airport or en route to the course. You won’t need much – just enough to handle your first caddie fee, and maybe a little extra for safety.

These are just a few of the commonly overlooked preparations before a golf trip to Scotland and beyond. Of course, there are many more where this came from, but if you check-off these preparations before departure, you’ll certainly be ahead of the game.