Scotland is the home of golf, and for good reason. With more than 550 courses packed into a country roughly the size of South Carolina, it offers the highest concentration of world-class links golf anywhere on earth. For a group of golfers, a Scotland trip is the ultimate bucket-list adventure — but planning one can feel overwhelming. This guide walks you through everything you need to know.

When to Go

The Scottish golf season runs from April through October, but timing matters enormously for a group trip. May, June, and September are the sweet spots. You get long daylight hours — in June the sun is up until nearly 10pm, meaning you can play 36 holes in a day — combined with the best chance of dry weather and firm, fast links conditions.

July and August bring the warmest temperatures but also the largest crowds and highest green fees, especially around The Open Championship. April and October are shoulder season: fewer crowds and lower prices, but a real chance of cold, wet, and windy conditions. For most groups, late May to mid-June is the ideal window.

The Courses Every Group Should Consider

Scotland's courses cluster into a few key regions, and smart trip planning means picking one or two regions rather than trying to crisscross the whole country.

The Fife Coast (St Andrews): This is the spiritual heart of golf. The Old Course at St Andrews is the must-play, but securing a tee time requires entering the daily ballot or booking well in advance. The surrounding area offers Kingsbarns, Carnoustie, and the other St Andrews links courses — enough world-class golf to fill an entire week without driving more than 45 minutes.

The East Lothian Coast (near Edinburgh): A more compact alternative, home to Muirfield, North Berwick, Gullane, and Archerfield. Easy to reach from Edinburgh airport and tightly clustered, making it excellent for groups who want less driving.

The Highlands (Inverness area): Royal Dornoch, Castle Stuart, and Nairn offer remote, dramatic links golf with fewer crowds. This region rewards groups willing to venture further north with some of the most memorable golf in the country.

The Ayrshire Coast (near Glasgow): Home to Trump Turnberry, Royal Troon, and Prestwick — the birthplace of The Open Championship. A strong choice for groups flying into Glasgow.

How Many Rounds Should You Plan?

The most common mistake groups make is over-scheduling. Scotland's links courses are physically demanding — most are walking-only, the wind is relentless, and the rounds are long. Playing one round per day is plenty for most groups. Ambitious groups might play 36 holes once or twice across a week, but trying to play two full rounds every day for a week will leave everyone exhausted by day three.

A typical week-long trip includes five to six rounds across seven days, leaving room for travel, rest, and non-golf experiences like a whisky distillery tour or a day in Edinburgh.

Where to Stay

Accommodation in Scotland ranges from iconic golf resorts to charming local guesthouses. The Old Course Hotel in St Andrews offers luxury directly on the links. For groups wanting value, the area is full of bed-and-breakfasts and self-catering cottages that work well for buddies trips. Renting a large house or cottage for the group is often the most cost-effective and social option, giving everyone a place to gather in the evenings.

Getting There and Getting Around

Most groups fly into Edinburgh or Glasgow, both of which have direct flights from major US cities. From there, the key decision is transportation. For groups of eight or more, hiring a minibus with a driver is the best option — it eliminates the stress of driving on the left side of narrow roads after a long round, and it means everyone can relax. Smaller groups often rent vans, but be prepared for the adjustment to left-side driving.

What It Costs

A Scotland golf trip is an investment. Green fees at the premier courses can range from $200 to over $400 per round, with the Old Course at the higher end. Add accommodation, flights, transport, caddies, and dining, and a week-long trip typically runs between $4,000 and $10,000 per person depending on the level of luxury. Booking through a specialist who can secure group rates and navigate the tee time systems often saves money compared to booking everything individually.

The Tee Time Challenge

This is where Scotland trips get complicated. The most coveted courses — particularly the Old Course at St Andrews — use ballot systems and release tee times on specific schedules, sometimes a year in advance. Group tee times for eight or more players require careful coordination and early booking. This is the single biggest reason groups choose to work with a golf travel specialist rather than going it alone.

Let Fairway Trips Handle the Hard Part

Planning a Scotland golf trip involves dozens of moving parts: securing ballot entries, coordinating group tee times across multiple courses, arranging transport, booking accommodation, and timing everything around the famously unpredictable weather. Our AI builds your complete Scotland itinerary in seconds, and a dedicated golf travel specialist handles every booking — negotiating group rates and navigating the tee time systems so you don't have to. Start planning your Scotland trip free today.

Pinehurst is the cradle of American golf. Tucked into the sandhills of North Carolina, this historic resort village has hosted more championships than any other site in the country and offers a concentration of world-class golf unmatched in the United States. For groups planning a domestic golf trip that rivals an international destination, Pinehurst is the answer. Here is everything you need to know.

Why Pinehurst?

Few destinations offer what Pinehurst does: ten golf courses on a single resort property, plus dozens more in the surrounding Sandhills region, all within a short drive of one another. The crown jewel, Pinehurst No. 2, is a Donald Ross masterpiece that has hosted multiple U.S. Opens. But what makes Pinehurst ideal for groups is the sheer density of quality golf combined with easy logistics — you can play a different championship course every day without ever needing to drive more than a few minutes.

The Courses

Pinehurst No. 2: The legendary Donald Ross design and the centerpiece of any Pinehurst trip. Its crowned, turtleback greens are among the most difficult and iconic in golf. This is the must-play.

Pinehurst No. 4: Redesigned by Gil Hanse, No. 4 is a dramatic, modern complement to No. 2 with bold bunkering and sandy waste areas. Many golfers rank it among their favorites on the property.

Pinehurst No. 8: A Tom Fazio design built for the resort's centennial, set on rolling terrain with a more secluded, natural feel.

Pinehurst No. 10: The newest addition, a Tom Doak design that opened to rave reviews and has quickly become a highlight for groups seeking the latest in modern course architecture.

Beyond the resort, the surrounding Sandhills area offers acclaimed courses like Pine Needles, Mid Pines, and Tobacco Road — all worth adding to a longer itinerary.

Where to Stay

The Pinehurst Resort offers several lodging options, from the grand and historic Carolina Hotel to the more intimate Holly Inn and the golf-focused Manor. Staying on the resort gives groups easy access to all the courses, dining, and the famous Pinehurst village. For groups seeking value, nearby Southern Pines offers additional hotels and rental homes, often with access to the Pine Needles and Mid Pines courses.

Best Time to Visit

Pinehurst is playable year-round thanks to North Carolina's mild climate, but spring (March through May) and fall (September through November) offer the best combination of comfortable temperatures and excellent course conditions. Summer brings heat and humidity, while winter is quieter and more affordable, with the occasional cold snap. For groups, spring and fall are the prime seasons and book up early.

What It Costs

A Pinehurst golf package is more accessible than an international trip but still represents a premium experience. Green fees range from roughly $200 to $450 per round depending on the course and season, with No. 2 at the top end. A typical three-to-four-night package with multiple rounds, lodging, and dining runs between $1,400 and $5,000 per person depending on the courses played and the level of accommodation. Resort stay-and-play packages often bundle rounds and lodging at better rates than booking separately.

Getting There

Pinehurst is wonderfully accessible. It sits about 1.5 hours from Raleigh-Durham International Airport and roughly 2.5 hours from Charlotte. For East Coast groups, it is often drivable, eliminating flight logistics entirely. This accessibility is a big part of what makes Pinehurst such a practical choice for a group golf trip — less travel hassle, more golf.

How to Book a Group Trip

Pinehurst's popularity means tee times — especially on No. 2 — book up well in advance, particularly for groups. Coordinating multiple rounds across several courses, securing a block of rooms, and timing everything for a group of eight, twelve, or more takes planning. A golf travel specialist can secure group rates, lock in tee times, and handle the logistics so your group simply shows up and plays.

Plan Your Pinehurst Trip with Fairway Trips

Based just a couple of hours away in Charlotte, we know Pinehurst intimately. Our AI builds your complete Pinehurst itinerary in seconds — courses, lodging, dining, and a day-by-day schedule — and a dedicated specialist books every detail and negotiates group rates. See a sample Pinehurst itinerary or start planning your own trip free today.

Anyone who has ever organized a group golf trip knows the truth: the golf is the easy part. It is the planning — the endless group texts, the spreadsheets, the chasing down deposits, the courses that never email back — that turns a dream trip into a months-long headache. Here is a step-by-step playbook for planning a group golf trip that everyone enjoys, including the person organizing it.

Step 1: Lock Down the Group and the Dates First

Before you research a single course, nail down two things: who is coming and when. Nothing derails a trip faster than trying to plan around shifting headcounts and open-ended dates. Send out a simple poll with two or three date options and ask for a firm commitment. Set a deadline. The group will naturally shrink to the people who are genuinely serious, and that is exactly who you want.

Step 2: Set a Realistic Budget Range

Money is the most common source of group tension. Get it out in the open early. Agree on a per-person budget range before you start planning, so you can filter destinations and courses accordingly. A trip to Scotland and a trip to Myrtle Beach are wildly different financial commitments, and it is far better to know your group's comfort level upfront than to lose people when the final bill arrives.

Step 3: Pick One Destination, Not Five

Indecision kills group trips. Rather than debating endlessly, propose two or three destinations that fit the budget and let the group vote. Once a destination is chosen, commit to it. The goal is momentum — every week spent debating is a week closer to courses booking up.

Step 4: Don't Over-Schedule the Golf

The most common rookie mistake is cramming in too much golf. Thirty-six holes a day for a week sounds heroic in the planning stage and feels brutal by day three. Plan one quality round per day for most groups, with maybe one ambitious 36-hole day. Build in rest, good meals, and at least one non-golf experience. The trips people remember fondly are the ones that left room to actually enjoy themselves.

Step 5: Handle the Money Smartly

Collecting money from a group is a thankless job. Make it easy on yourself: collect a deposit upfront to secure bookings, and use a single shared payment method or app to track who has paid. Be transparent about costs with a simple shared document. The person organizing should never be left fronting thousands of dollars and chasing reimbursements.

Step 6: Book Early — Especially Tee Times

Premier courses book up months in advance, and group tee times for eight or more players are the hardest to secure. The moment your dates and destination are locked, start booking. Tee times, accommodation blocks, and group flights all get more expensive and harder to find the longer you wait.

Step 7: Designate One Point of Contact

Every successful group trip has one person who owns the logistics. Trying to plan by committee through a 47-message group chat is a recipe for chaos. Whether it is you or a professional, having a single point of contact who holds all the bookings, confirmations, and details keeps everything from falling through the cracks.

The Easier Way

Here is the honest truth: all of this is exactly why we built Fairway Trips. The seven steps above represent dozens of hours of work and a fair amount of stress. Our AI handles the research and itinerary building in seconds — you describe the trip, and it produces a complete plan with courses, hotels, flights, and dining. Then a dedicated golf travel specialist becomes your single point of contact, booking every detail, securing group rates, and managing the logistics from start to finish. You get the trip without the headache. Start planning free today and see how easy it can be.

Myrtle Beach calls itself the Golf Capital of the World, and the numbers back it up: more than 80 courses packed along 60 miles of South Carolina coastline, year-round playability, and pricing that makes it the best-value golf destination in America. For groups, no other destination combines this much golf, this much nightlife, and this little logistical hassle. Here is everything you need to plan a great Myrtle Beach trip.

Why Myrtle Beach Works So Well for Groups

Three things make Myrtle Beach the default choice for buddies trips. First, sheer supply — with 80-plus courses competing for play, tee times are easier to secure for large groups than almost anywhere else, even in peak season. Second, value — green fees run a fraction of what comparable-quality courses charge elsewhere, and lodging ranges from affordable condos to oceanfront resorts. Third, the off-course scene — restaurants, sports bars, and entertainment up and down the Grand Strand mean the evenings are as much a part of the trip as the golf.

The Courses Worth Building a Trip Around

Caledonia Golf & Fish Club: Widely considered the crown jewel of the Strand. A Mike Strantz design carved through centuries-old live oaks on a former rice plantation, finishing with one of the most photographed closing holes in the Southeast. If your group plays one premium round, make it this one.

True Blue Golf Club: Caledonia's wilder sibling, also by Strantz, just across the road. Big, bold, and visually dramatic, with sandy waste areas everywhere. Many groups play Caledonia and True Blue on back-to-back days.

TPC Myrtle Beach: A Tom Fazio design with tour-level conditioning and a true championship feel. A great anchor round for groups who want the TPC experience without TPC Sawgrass prices.

The Dunes Golf & Beach Club: A classic Robert Trent Jones layout along the ocean, host to PGA Tour and Senior events over the decades. Old-school Myrtle Beach golf at its finest.

Barefoot Resort (Love, Fazio, Norman & Dye courses): Four name-designer courses on one property in North Myrtle Beach, which makes it perfect for groups who want variety without driving. The Love Course is the standout.

Tidewater Golf Club: Holes overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway and saltmarsh, regularly ranked among the most scenic courses in the state.

Where to Stay

Myrtle Beach lodging breaks into three styles. Golf-focused condos at places like Barefoot Resort or World Tour put you next to the courses with full kitchens and multiple bedrooms — typically the best value for groups of 8 or more. Oceanfront resorts along the Strand give you the beach experience, with the trade-off of driving 15 to 30 minutes to most courses. Beach house rentals in North Myrtle Beach or Surfside work brilliantly for big groups that want a home base for cookouts and card games. For most golf groups, condos near the courses win on convenience and cost.

Best Time to Go

Myrtle Beach is playable twelve months a year, but spring (March through May) is prime time — ideal temperatures, courses in peak shape, and the famous March golf-trip energy when the Strand fills with groups. Fall (September through November) is the insider's pick: summer crowds gone, courses recovered, and rates that drop noticeably. Summer means heat, humidity, and afternoon storms, but also the lowest-priced premium tee times. Winter golf is entirely doable, with package prices at rock bottom.

What It Costs

This is where Myrtle Beach shines. Green fees at mid-tier courses run $50 to $90; premium courses like Caledonia and TPC Myrtle Beach run $150 to $250 in peak season. A typical 4-day, 4-round group package with condo lodging lands between $700 and $1,400 per person — a third of what a comparable Scotland trip costs. Stay-and-play packages that bundle lodging with rounds are the standard way to book here and almost always beat piecing it together yourself.

Getting There

Myrtle Beach International (MYR) has direct flights from over 50 cities, and the destination is an easy drive from much of the East Coast — about 3.5 hours from Charlotte, which makes it the closest world-class golf trip for Carolinas groups. Most groups rent a couple of SUVs or a van; everything on the Strand is a 10-to-40-minute drive.

The Group Booking Reality

Because Myrtle Beach runs on package deals, the booking challenge isn't availability — it's optimization. With 80 courses, dozens of lodging providers, and endless package combinations, groups routinely overpay or end up on tired courses simply because sorting the options takes hours. The difference between a good Myrtle Beach trip and a great one is course selection and sequencing: pairing a marquee round like Caledonia with strong value plays, keeping drive times short, and timing tee times so nobody is rushing.

Plan Your Myrtle Beach Trip with Fairway Trips

Myrtle Beach is in our backyard — it's one of the destinations we know best. Our AI builds your complete Myrtle Beach itinerary in seconds, selecting the right mix of premium and value courses for your group and budget, and a dedicated specialist books every tee time, condo, and dinner reservation. Tell us your dates and group size, and see your trip take shape instantly.