Golfing abroad: Getting cheaper tee-times

[BrizoH71]

We're heading back to Crete on holiday mid-September. It's our third year on the trot, and I'm considering for the first time taking my clubs with me to get in a couple of rounds at the newly refurbished course that is nearby.

It's the only course on the island (that I know of!) and so it commands a premium... €85 a round, which for me is a pretty steep price to pay, if you book your times through the club itself. Has anyone gone abroad and managed to secure a cheaper tee-time than advertised at any courses they've played? If so, any tips on negotiating a better price... I'd maybe play three times over the two weeks which would set me back €240 in total as there is a slight saving to be had on booking multiple rounds, but with added costs of carriage of clubs via airline and transfer suppliers it will be a costly exercise.

I've looked into club hire rather than taking my own, and over the piece it wouldn't save me any money. The dates we are going are only a few weeks before the end of the holiday season, so I'd imagine things would be starting to die down a bit for visitors and tourists.

Cheers for any advice. :thup:

 

[mashleyR7]

My experience is that its this.

I've never managed to get rounds cheaper by booking while you're there and I've played in Dubai, Majorca, Spain and the Canaries. They have you by the balls really, as its nice and sunny and you want to play golf. In Majorca last year I paid £100 for the round and £50 for club hire. I got some free balls and tees by chatting to her nicely but that was it and that was an OK course, but it was busy!!

I've researched all the destinations above and never found a decent website that offers the opportunity to book rounds at any discount. Even when travelling to Abu Dhabi last year with ABTA (the association of British travel agents, i.e. the people who send destinations 1,000's of customers) we could only negotiate very small discounts.

I'd keep an eye of your golf travel and golf breaks to see if the destination you want features on there as they sometimes have good deals. I'm currently trying to find a way of getting cheap rates at La Manga for May but not having much luck so looking at 60-80 euros a round.

If there's only ne course on Crete I'd guess you've not got much chance apart from smiling nicely to the person serving you!

 

[IanM]

It's a few years since I played Crete.

It wasn't up to much, but after 5 days of sitting by a pool I was so desperate for a round I hired clubs and would have paid whatever the asked!

And I tried to book direct to the Algarve this year as we know it so well... but one of the big firms still got me a better price than I could get myself!

 

[Golfmmad]

We're heading back to Crete on holiday mid-September. It's our third year on the trot, and I'm considering for the first time taking my clubs with me to get in a couple of rounds at the newly refurbished course that is nearby.

It's the only course on the island (that I know of!) and so it commands a premium... €85 a round, which for me is a pretty steep price to pay, if you book your times through the club itself. Has anyone gone abroad and managed to secure a cheaper tee-time than advertised at any courses they've played? If so, any tips on negotiating a better price... I'd maybe play three times over the two weeks which would set me back €240 in total as there is a slight saving to be had on booking multiple rounds, but with added costs of carriage of clubs via airline and transfer suppliers it will be a costly exercise.

I've looked into club hire rather than taking my own, and over the piece it wouldn't save me any money. The dates we are going are only a few weeks before the end of the holiday season, so I'd imagine things would be starting to die down a bit for visitors and tourists.

Cheers for any advice. :thup:

You can sometimes book through your Hotel if they have a deal with the golf club.

The trouble is our winter is their busy season, especially in Gran Canaria where I've recently come back from. I absolutely love Anfi Tauro golf out there but it was over £100 a round - with club hire and a buggy that they insist on, was just too much when only over for a few days.

 

[gjbike]

I was in Mexico a couple of months ago price for a round was 200 US dollars booked out tee time on the Golf now app for 78 US dollars for a two ball including buggy and food just download the app and give it a try when you get there forgot to say our tee time was 11:00