Golfbreaks Pro Travel Guide 2023

Pro travel guide 2023

Welcome 3

Meet the team 4

Join our club today 5

Why book with us? 7

Join us on a Pro inspection trip 9

6 steps to Golf Pro Travel 10

Professional perks 13

What’s in it for me? 14

What trips can I run? 15

Why run a coaching break? 17 How to run a coaching break? 18

Example itinerary 19

How to markup your coaching break 21

How to market your breaks 25

&

Hear from the Pros - UK breaks 33

France & Italy packages 35

Portugal packages 37 Spain packages 39

Hear from the Pros - Coaching breaks 41

Further afield packages 43

Dubai/Abu Dhabi packages 45

Mauritius/South Africa packages 47

Hear from the Pros - Long haul breaks 49 USA packages 51

Tournament packages 55

Hear from the ProsTournament experiences 57 Group Golf Giveaway 59

A warm welcome

2023 is set to be an exciting year for Pro Travel at Golfbreaks, as we launch our new Pro Travel Club, an exclusive community offering PGA Professionals extensive benefits and rewards for booking with us.

With over 14 years experience looking after PGA Professionals travel needs, we are perfectly positioned to create bespoke packages for you and your members with our dedicated team of experts to guide you every step of the way. Whether it is a coaching, leisure or tournament experience break, with our extensive partnerships you will benefit from the best rates in the market and exclusive Pro Travel packages at some of the world’s top golfing venues.

Is 2023 the year you join the hundreds of PGA Professionals we already work with, offering travel to their membership and creating a lucrative additional income stream? If so, we look forward to working with you over the next 12 months and welcoming you to our Pro Travel Club.

Head of Pro Travel

bfoster@golfbreaks.com 07471 034 852

Ben Foster

Meet the Golfbreaks Pro Travel team

Here to guide you every step of the way, and plan the perfect golf break for you and your guests.

James Martin

Senior Business Development Manager, UK South & Europe

Handicap: Professional No. years in the industry: 17 Favourite course: Sunningdale Old Course

Best Resort for Pro Travel: Aphrodite Hills, Cyprus

Dream Fourball: Moe Norman, Steve Elkington & Fred Couples jrmartin@golfbreaks.com 07849 083 479

Joe Bowrey

Shaya Ghambari

Handicap: 2 No. years in the industry: 18 Favourite course: Royal Dornoch

Best Resort for Pro Travel: Carden Park

Dream Fourball: Jonny Wilkinson, Liam Gallagher & Miguel Angel Jimenez jbowrey@golfbreaks.com 01753 752 880

Handicap: 28 No. years in the industry: 10 Favourite course: Real Club Valderrama

Best Resort for Pro Travel: Amendoeira Golf Resort

Dream Fourball: Tiger Woods, Diego Armando Maradona & Marie Curie sghambari@golfbreaks.com 01753 752 880

Pro travel guide 2023

Sales Account Manager

Travel Coordinator

Join our Club today

Since launching our dedicated Pro Travel team 14 years ago, we have found that PGA Professionals are constantly looking for ways to diversify their revenue streams and increase their income, particularly through the quieter winter months when golf courses are often closed.

Taking members away on breaks is very lucrative, as well as a great way to engage and entertain your membership. On average, the PGA Professionals we help, earn more than £1,500 per trip, by taking a small group of members away and getting to play some of the world’s finest golf courses.

Sign up to our Pro Travel Club today to access the following benefits:

• £500 credit to use against your bookings with us*

• Access to Pro Inspection trips

• A dedicated team of Pro Travel experts

• A personal one-to-one service

• Educational Pro Travel guides

But hurry, membership to the Pro Travel Club is limited to the first 500 PGA Professionals that sign up. Call the Golfbreaks Pro Travel experts to join the club and become part of a thriving community of like-minded PGA Professionals.

*T&c’s apply. £500 credit is divided over a 2 year period (2023 & 2024). £250 can be used against a booking made in 2023 and £250 can be used against a booking made in 2024. Credit cannot be rolled over

Why book with us?

Market Leader with 25 years’ experience

We have a proven track record in the golf travel industry sending over 200,000 golfers on a break each year.

Dedicated Pro Travel team

Our Pro Travel team offers a personal one-to-one service from start to finish from a team of experienced travel experts.

Choice of over 2,500 venues

With over 2,500 venues available worldwide, and a host of Pro Travel preferred venues, we have the perfect break for all tastes and abilities.

Pro Travel Club

PGA Members who join our exclusive Pro Travel Club receive £500 credit to use against their bookings with us.

Breakpoints

We are the only golf travel company that offers PGA Professionals rewards simply for booking their breaks through us.

The best rates, knowledge and customer service

Our combination of excellent rates, detailed knowledge and outstanding customer care are unrivalled in the marketplace.

ABTA and ATOL bonded

All of our packages are ABTA and ATOL bonded, so you can book with total confidence.

Trustpilot

Rated excellent on Trustpilot based on over 4,000 reviews.

Join us on a Pro Inspection trip

As a PGA Pro, you’ll also receive exclusive invitations to join our team on inspection trips to new Pro Travel venues, allowing you to experience them first hand before offering them to your customers.

It’s the perfect way for you to get to know our team, explore new venues and spend time with fellow professionals with an interest in group travel.

From popular Pro Travel destinations such as Spain & Portugal to up and coming venues further afield, you’ll be sure to learn a lot from your time away with the Golfbreaks team.

6 steps to Golf Pro Travel

At every step of the cycle our dedicated team at Golfbreaks will be on hand to assist you.

1 2 3

Research

Talk to your clients and understand what they are looking for in a pro-led golf break

Promote

Advertise the package to all your clients, gather interest and spread the word

Create

Speak to one of the experts at Golfbreaks and let them put the perfect package together

Sell

Turn that interest into commitment and fill up your spaces, taking deposits as you go

Mark-up

Consider the services and tuition you will offer and add your margin in accordingly

Deliver & enjoy

You’ve done all the planning, now enjoy the experience with your clients

I organise multiple trips both in the UK & overseas. These trips have been a valuable part of my business, particularly during the winter months. My members love the chance to play in a warmer climate, and I have large groups that travel. The financial returns on these are superb.

Tim Coxon Head PGA Professional Mickleover Golf Club

Professional perks

As a golf professional, Golfbreaks offers you an exciting range of benefits to help broaden your income... and your horizons.

Increase earning potential

Travelling to a warmer climate allows you to teach off-season, creating year-round income potential.

Off-season Income

PGA Professionals who work with us can make in excess of £1,500 by taking a group of members away on a short break.

Build client loyalty

Golf breaks are a great way to develop long lasting relationships with your customers and engage with your members.

Broaden your horizon

Add travel and residential golf breaks to your skill-set to broaden your offering as a golf professional.

What’s in it for me?

Head of Pro Travel at Golfbreaks, Ben Foster, shares his insight on why, as a PGA Professional, you should be getting involved in taking groups away if you aren’t already.

Here are my top 5 reasons for getting involved in travel.

Additional income stream

Generating an additional income stream for your business through taking groups of members away is easier than you think. Whether it is a coaching break, escorted trip or a tournament experience, adding value to a break by attending and offering your services to your group can be very lucrative.

Member retention

As a PGA Professional, offering travel as a service to your members is another reason for your members not to move elsewhere. Offering a club trip every year, whether it be in the UK or abroad, helps create camaraderie and a great atmosphere amongst members.

Add value to your offering as a PGA Professional

Running golf breaks with your members or organising their trips adds significant value to your offering as a PGA Professional and helps further strengthen your position within your club.

Create customer loyalty

It is easy to turn members into customers for life with golf travel. Looking after them at every step of the trip and making sure they enjoy their time away is a great way to build long lasting client relationships.

Raise funds for a larger project

Are you looking to raise funds for a larger project? It could be anything from building a new swing room to upgrading your TrackMan. Taking groups of members away is a great way to fund large purchases and not have to worry about how you are going to pay for them. Find

To find out more about how Pro Travel can benefit your business, get in touch with the dedicated Pro Travel team at Golfbreaks. Our Account Managers cover the whole of the UK and would welcome the chance to discuss your ideas face to face at your home club.

What trips can I run?

Coaching

Coaching breaks are an excellent way to engage with members and generate an additional income stream for your business.

Captain’s Away Weekend

PGA Professionals can take the hassle out of their Captain organising their annual away weekend.

Competition

PGA Professionals can add a competitive edge to their trips by running a Ryder Cup style event, often teaming up with a fellow Professional.

Leisure

A relaxed break away with members is an excellent way to build relationships and client loyalty for PGA Professionals.

Tournament Experience

From The Masters to the DP World Championship in Dubai, we have a range of tournament experience packages available.

Get in touch with our Pro Travel team for expert advice on planning your next members break away. 01753 752 880 golfbreaks.com/en-gb/ golf-pro-travel

Coaching breaks are a great way to add another revenue stream to your business. It offers you a great source of winter income, builds bonds with your members and helps cement that relationship and loyalty towards you as their Pro. If you’re not already involved then travel is definitely a service you should be adding to your armoury.

Steve Carter Head Professional Walmley Golf Club

How to run a coaching break?

Whether you’ve run coaching trips before for your members or have been thinking about getting involved, the below guide sets out exactly how to run the perfect coaching break for your members to Amendeoira Golf Resort in Portugal, our number one selling Pro Travel venue.

Stay

Amendoeira Golf Resort has everything you need to run the perfect trip. The resort itself is one of the finest in the country and has been previously voted “Portugal’s Leading Golf Resort” at the World Travel Awards.

Only 40 minutes from Faro airport, it is perfectly placed for a short overseas coaching break.

The resort offers a mix of modern apartments and villas and is on the doorstep of arguably two of the most prestigious golf courses in the Algarve. The elevated clubhouse benefits from extensive panoramic views over both courses making it the perfect spot to sit and unwind with your group after a hard day on the fairways.

Play

With 2 x 18 hole courses on-site, the crown jewel at the resort is the eponymous Sir Nick Faldo design (The Faldo Course), which since opening a decade ago has become a regular

feature in Europe’s top 100 courses. The signature course is complemented by Christy O’Connor Jnr’s (The O’Connor Course) enticing design, flatter in comparison to its sister course but still delivers a test to rival the very best that Portugal has to offer.

Amendoeira also boasts a 9-hole Par 3 Academy course – the only floodlit course in Portugal and is perfect for a fun competition one evening or for a knock around to hone your group’s short game.

Coaching facilities

Amendoeira is one of the best coaching resorts you can take your members to in Europe. The extensive facilities include:

• 3 putting greens

• Double ended grass driving range

• Fantastic short game area

Facilities can be reserved dependent on your coaching itinerary and packages including unlimited range balls for 2 hours are included in your package from Golfbreaks.

Example itinerary

Day 1

Arrive early afternoon with your group and check-in

Play a fun tournament on the Par 3 Academy course late afternoon or in the evening – floodlights can be added for €200 per hour

Day 2

7:00am-9:00am - Breakfast 9:00am–11:00am - Short game coaching with reserved area for your group 11:30am onwards - Play on the O’Connor course

Afternoon/evening - At leisure Day 3

7:00am-9:00am - Breakfast

9:00am–11:00am - Long game coaching with reserved area for your group 11:30am onwards - Play on the Faldo course

Afternoon/evening - At leisure

Day 4

7:00am-9:00am - Breakfast 9:00am–11:00am - Putting coaching with reserved area for your group

11:30am onwards - Play on the O’Connor course

Afternoon/evening - At leisure Day 5

7:00am-8:00am - Breakfast 8:30am onwards - Play on the Faldo course

Lunch & presentation in the clubhouse Depart for airport

Golf travel can be hugely beneficial to your business as a PGA Professional, and not just financially. There are a wealth of benefits and opportunities associated with taking groups away, and this is not limited to just taking your members abroad.

John Cheetham

PGA Professional & Director Ladies Love Golf

How to market your breaks

Here’s our top tips for marketing and delivering the “ultimate members golf break”.

Do your research

With such a pent-up demand for travel it’s important to find out where your members would like to travel, whether it be in the UK or overseas. A little effort here will ensure you decide on the best destination.

Polish your marketing

Effective promotion can help you fill your breaks easily and quickly. Send out a personal invite to interested clients, promote with posters around your club and add into your weekly newsletter and email to your membership base. Make sure you list all the relevant information with a clear call to action.

Promote your expertise

Are you offering a coaching break? Make sure you heavily promote the coaching element to your clients and members. Offering a coaching element on a break is a great way to add a point of difference to a standard golfing holiday and enables you to increase your revenue significantly, all whilst providing an exceptional service to your membership.

Lock in commitment

Once you have generated the interest ensure you lock in their commitment by taking a deposit from your clients. This will ensure you can hold the best tee time availability and rates with Golfbreaks and also makes sure that your clients are serious about going.

The higher deposit you take, the less likely they are to drop out last minute and leave you with a space to fill. Golfbreaks also offer a flexible booking policy, vital in the current circumstances giving you and your clients peace of mind when booking.

Keep in touch

Regular communication is key. Make sure you send out all the vital information surrounding your break including itinerary and final payment dates. You can create a WhatsApp group to keep everyone involved and share any smaller information over this channel. You can also offer lessons to your group before they go to brush up on their swing and promotions on last minute essentials such as balls, gloves and clothing to ensure they have everything they need for their upcoming break.

Deliver a world class golfing experience

Pay attention to all the finer details and ensure your group are having fun at all times by giving them your undivided attention whilst you are away. Make sure you have all the travel information and documents and that your clients fully understand what their break entails and the full itinerary. All that’s left is to enjoy the golf, sunshine and great company!

Follow up post trip

Ensure you follow up with your clients once you are back to gather feedback. Have your next break ready to promote to them. In the majority of cases, you will be able to fill your next trip instantly as your clients will be itching to get away with you again!

UK, Europe & worldwide

Whether you are looking to run a break closer to home such as a Captain’s or Pro’s weekend, take a short flight to Europe or go further afield to experience some of the best golf courses in the world, we have you covered with over 2,500 venues worldwide to choose from. With our expertise we can help you find the right venue with all the facilities you need for the perfect coaching break.

Sign up to our Pro Travel Club and speak to our dedicated team of Pro Travel experts for more advice on creating your next unforgettable members’ trip.

CASE STUDY

Hear

from

the ProsUK breaks

The best thing about these shorter local breaks was attracting some completely new clients. Ones that would never have considered coming abroad with us in the past. The trips last year have opened the doorway for a completely new set of golfers wanting to come away with me. It also meant couples came together and now I have the possibility of running a couples/partners trip in the coming years.

Head

Barry Newman, Head Professional at Newbury & Crookham is a seasoned traveller with Golfbreaks. As well as running multiple overseas breaks annually, Barry also runs a Pro’s away weekend in the UK.

Barry Newman

Professional Newbury & Crookham Golf Club

What made you decide to add a shorter UK break to your schedule?

We decided on a shorter break last year to keep up the momentum for our golf trips. With the restrictions on travel we decided a local, shorter stay would be a safer option.

Where’s your favourite Pro’s away weekend destination?

We had two great trips last year. One at East Sussex National, and one around North Devon. It’s very hard to pick a favourite as both were excellent destinations. Both offered completely different packages suitable for all types of groups with great golf courses at each. East Sussex had the comfort of everything being all together and a great spa. North Devon gave us much more traditional golf and some stunning scenery.

What format does the weekend take?

The format for both trips was very relaxed and simple. Best scores for each day and an overall winner for the weekend. I try hard to get the balance of relaxed golf with a competitive edge. Each prize was a monetary value to be spent in the shop or put towards the next trip.

How do you advertise the weekend breaks?

To promote these events I simply spoke to the members. We also designed a few posters with the help of the Golfbreaks team that were positioned throughout the shop and the club. Usually, I find these trips very easy to fill.

It’s about engaging and communicating what you’re doing with the members. It’s their hobby, they love playing, and they love playing new places. If you ask them on one of your trips they’re usually very happy to be invited. It’s always a great way to build relationships with the members.

How easy was the trip to organise?

As always, the trip was super easy to organise. I spoke with Joe and James in the Pro Travel team at Golfbreaks to get their recommendations, found some dates that worked and booked it. Once the dates were booked, I talked to the members to fill it up. Very easy indeed.

Where is your next Pros weekend away?

The next planned trip away is for Southport on the West coast. Playing some fantastic links courses that I’ve not played so very much looking forward to that one. I don’t think that will be the next trip though as I’m getting asked by the members for one sooner. Looking forward to trying out some new venues and golf courses in the summer.

Find out more

For more ideas on your next Pro’s away weekend get in touch with the Golfbreaks Pro Travel team.

CASE STUDY

Hear from the Pros -

Coaching breaks

Clark Baker is the owner and Head Professional at High Beech Golf Course in Loughton, Essex. Here, Clark tells us about his experience of organising and running his first coaching trip and the benefits involved.

I saw the value in offering a trip not just for my members who are better players but also my members who are still learning the game. A coaching trip was also a chance for me to organize a trip for a mixed group of members.

Clark Baker Owner and Head Professional, High Beech Golf Course

Have you run trips abroad with your members before?

Yes, I ran a playing trip in January 2 years ago and January last year as well as a coaching trip in February. We had 14 club members on the first playing trip and it was so successful that I took an additional 14 members the next year.

How did you decide on the right venue for your members?

Talking to the Pro Travel team at Golfbreaks and discussing exactly what it was I wanted to arrange. They suggested the right venue and accommodation with half-board for the right price.

What type of coaching did you offer?

Lots of structured group sessions on both long game and short game. Utilising the fantastic range facilities, practice chipping area, practice bunkers and the putting green at my chosen venue Islantilla in Spain.

What facilities did you look for in a venue for a coaching break?

Good golf courses that offered the members a truly memorable experience and encouragement that they can play these types of courses. Practice facilities that suited my teaching needs and could accommodate the size of the group. Good accommodation that was close to the course and facilities.

How did you market your trip to your clients/members?

Personal invites to my members, clients I coach and popping posters up advertising my trip around the clubhouse. Also, several of my members from previous golf trips came on the coaching trips with their wives.

What were the benefits of running a coaching break?

The trip was very profitable. It was fantastic for client relations as it allowed me to offer services that are bigger than my own facilities could provide. I was also able to build greater rapport with my members as I was able to spend time with them on and off the course. I also saw a definite increase in sales as a lot of my members realised that they needed to upgrade their equipment. Also, there were sales before the trip with members buying flight bags, luggage, golf balls and other equipment for the trip.

What did your members think of the trip?

My clients enjoyed the trip so much that the same group has booked with me for another coaching trip next year with increased numbers and interest in me running more trips.

CASE STUDY

Hear

from the

ProsLong haul breaks

Lee Cox is Director of Instruction at The Shire London. As well as coaching players of all abilities, Lee specialises in working with Long Drive Professionals. Lee has been to many of the world’s leading golf resorts and offers high end breaks to his clients.

Spending time away with clients is a great way of growing relationships. I have been taking the same people away for the past ten years or so now, and they trust me to deliver a great package. My clients have grown to trust me, and when they are looking for their new set of clubs etc, I am the go to for this. I am fortunate to have a very loyal client base, and I honestly think running breaks away has played a pivotal role in this.

Lee Cox Director of Instruction The Shire, London

How did you first get into offering overseas coaching as part of your services to clients?

I first started taking groups away about 20 years ago now, mainly to Scotland and Ireland to sample the links golf on offer. It was something I initially did off my own back to try and grow relationships with my existing clients.

What do you feel the advantages are of smaller group sizes at higher end resorts?

The advantages of dealing with smaller group sizes are obvious really, less organisational work, a more personalised feel for my clients and I am able to hand pick venues. I am able to approach my clients that I feel will best suit specific venues and tailor the breaks to them. I have built some great friendships with clients I have taken away. The higher end resorts also tend to be a little less busy too, so gives me the scope to be very flexible once onsite.

What is the best resort you have taken your clients to?

I have been very fortunate to visit plenty of fantastic resorts across Europe and beyond, from Costa Navarino in Greece to Verdura in Sicily, but for me the best resort in Europe is Terre Blanche in Southern France. Everything is top class from the moment you arrive. The two courses onsite are superb, accommodation second to none, and practice

facilities are the best I’ve seen. There is plenty to do both onsite and in the local area. I couldn’t recommend Terre Blanche enough for someone looking for a high end break away.

Are there any resorts currently on your bucket list to tick off?

I am really looking forward to revisiting Monte Rei and Costa Navarino once their new courses have opened. I have seen pictures, and the plans look exceptional. I am always looking for new venues too, so will be working with Golfbreaks for recommendations in the future.

Would you advise other PGA members to offer overseas travel as part of their services to members?

For any Pro’s looking to build long term relationships with loyal high end customers, breaks away at world class resorts are really worth exploring. The team at Golfbreaks have always been great, and do all the leg work for me. I’ve been working with them for years now, and they really understand my requirements, the process couldn’t be easier.

Tournament experiences

Create an unforgettable experience for your group with a Golfbreaks Tournament package in 2023. Experience the magic of The Masters with the ultimate bucket list trip or stay closer to home and head to Rome to watch Europe try and wrestle back the Ryder Cup at Marco Simone. Whatever tournament peaks your interest, we’ve got you covered, with packages also available for The Open Championship, Solheim Cup, The Players and the DP World Tour Championships to name but a few.

Click here for more information and to see the full line up of tournaments.

partner of PGA TOUR tournament transfers

Hear it from the Pros -

Tournament experience

Rich Pace,

Club and

Partner gives us an insight into his recent trip with a group of members to the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai. The experience of Dubai is something different to any other golfing experience your clients may have had before. They had all been to Open Championships or the BMW PGA Champs before but thought that the atmosphere at the DPWTC was something else.

Head Professional at Hornsea Golf

Golfbreaks Pro Travel

Rich Pace

Head PGA Professional Hornsea Golf Club

What prompted you to take a group to the DP World Tour Championship?

For me, the weather and location provided a great opportunity to extend the golfing season. The season ending DP World Tour Championship gives club golfers the opportunity to see and get close to the action of the some of the best golfers on the planet. Add in the high quality of golf courses that can be found in Dubai, with the (almost) guaranteed weather makes it the perfect place for a golf trip towards the end of the year.

How did you market your trip?

I used my monthly newsletter to advertise the trip, obviously sitting down with members and speaking to them is the best type of marketing as it gives you the opportunity to add the personal touch. Social media was also very important in the marketing of my trip.

What did your experience entail?

We had 3 days at the event, including both days over the weekend. We played 4 rounds of golf, including a round on the Earth Course on the Wednesday following the event, and had 9 holes of night golf at Emirates Golf Club on their Par 3 course. I put on a small event which ran for the duration of the week, playing different formats each round to keep it varied.

How is tournament travel lucrative to a pro?

It is something that a lot of golfers I know haven’t had the opportunity to experience and

DP World Tour Championship

Dubai, UAE

From £899 per amateur

5 nights, B&B - Media Rotana

3 rounds of championship golf

Montgomerie Golf Club

Emirates Golf Club - Faldo Course Arabian Ranches Golf Club

Sunday general admission tickets

Pro FREE with 7 amateurs

Return private airport transfers

Inc meet and greet on arrival

allows you the opportunity to charge for that service. I included extras like a goody bag, shirt and prizes, all of which added to the experience of watching an event.

How easy was it to arrange?

All the Golfbreaks team were great in helping me organise the trip. Having never been out there previously, they provided me with great advice on where to play and which hotels were suitable to stay in. Having the Golfbreaks Tournament team on site also made it very easy if I had any questions that popped up in the week.