Going it Alone
This method offers the most freedom, both of choice and content: maybe you'd like to play the great courses of Scotland, or even one or two of the famous English courses, or perhaps you'd like to challenge the world-renowned courses in Florida: Sawgrass, for instance. You can go just about anywhere in the world, any time you like, and you're not tied to a specific itinerary.
Fortunately, you don't need to do this alone. We have provided some resources for you: Going it Alone, Never Leave Home Without.., and What You Need to Know When Traveling to the UK.
The Package Option
This method offers a lot less freedom of choice, but is usually all-inclusive - hotel rooms, guaranteed tee times, carts, etc., not to mention significant savings if you can find the right "special" offer.
Golf packages come in all sorts of shapes and sizes from the two or three-night stay at a lesser-known resort that costs maybe a couple of hundred dollars, or so, to the exotic, all-inclusive 10-day jaunt that will set you back several thousands of dollars. There's always something available to fit every taste and budget. My single most important piece of advice is that you do not buy the first thing that takes your fancy, but shop around for that all-important special.
Specials are offered almost everywhere the year-round and can mean significant savings. For instance, at certain times of the year you can play three rounds of golf at any of the 10 courses on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail for only $45. That's $45 for all three rounds, not each. The biggest disadvantage of the golf vacation package, though, is usually the time-line. Specials like the one mentioned above are not available the year round. They are usually offered to boost business during slow times, often when the weather is not best for playing golf: hot in the South, cold in the North.
Even so, the advantages, apart from the savings, can be significant: better hotel rooms at a lower rate, guaranteed tee times on the most famous courses (a real plus), cart included in the rate, and so on. Another advantage is that the courses are rarely crowded so you can take your time and enjoy the moment.
It all really comes down to personal preference: You can Go it Alone and go anywhere you like, and any time you want, and the responsibility is all yours.
