Golf Travel for Women

Gone are the days when golf was a male-dominated sport. Today, more women than ever are playing the game and they are also traveling farther, and in greater numbers, in pursuit of that once-in-a-lifetime experience. Most golf clubs have a lady’s membership, and most of those lady members are just as adventurous as their male counterparts, many of them even more so. This section, Golf Travel for Women, is for the ladies that not only love their golf, but love to travel too.

Over the past several years I’ve traveled extensively in my own quest for the ultimate golf destination/vacation. It wasn’t until the other day, however, that I realized golf travel for women represents a completely different set of goals, needs and problems. That being so I’ve put together a list of of travel tips that should make your experience so much the better. Some of the tips are somewhat commonsensical, others you may not be quite so well aware of. If you have some tips of your own that you’d like me to include, please send them to me at golftravel.guide@about.com. Here's the list:

• 5 Travel Tips for Women Golfers

How about travel gear for women golfers? Well, selecting golf travel gear for women is very much a subjective process and not one usually taken on by a man. However, I never was backward and coming forward so I thought I'd have a go (big smile). Please forgive my temerity. The following is a link to a section of Golf Travel for Women where you'll find some products I think you'll like:

• Golf Travel Products for Women

So what, exactly, is the traveling lady golfer looking for? My first thought was: how the heck would I know? My second thought was: I'd better find out. So, after numerous interviews with some of the more serious lady members at several local golf clubs in my area; endless consultations with my wife, Jo; on-going, clandestine observations at airports, hotel lobbies and golf course clubhouses; and some plain-old poking around in places no man should ever dare set foot; I have come to the following conclusions:

• Lady golfers do like to travel at least once or twice a year.
• Courses must cater for lady players. That means, among other things, that there must be rental clubs available for ladies (it seems that ladies find it even more of bind to travel with their clubs than do many men).
• The course layout must be challenging. In other words, the placement of the tees must take gender into account but not be patronizing.
• There should be food available in the clubhouse.
• There must be complimentary transportation to and from the course.
• A world-class spa is a must, and so is a well-equipped fitness center.
• The dining experience must be exceptional – fast food is not an option.
• There has to be a comfortable gathering place for that all-important evening drink and a chat.

Now, for me, all of the above represents a rather special challenge: how to cater to my lady readers? Well, ladies, that’s going to take some time for me to figure out, so please bear with me. In the meantime, I’ll make a start by guiding you toward some of the grand resorts I’ve visited where I know you’ll find what you need. The links listed below I can personally recommend as being very lady golfer friendly:

• High Hampton Inn & Golf Club, Cashiers, NC
• Marriott Sawgrass Resort & Spa, FL
• Marriott's Doral Golf Resort & Spa, Miami, FL
• LaPlaya Beach and Golf Resort, Naples, FL
• JW Marriott's Camelback Inn Resort & Spa - Scottsdale – Arizona
• The Westin Mission Hills Resort & Spa – Palm Springs
• The Boulders Resort & Golden Door Spa, Scottsdale, Arizona

And I’ll be adding to the list as time goes by.