Travel Stories By The Golf Planet Holidays Team · Golf-travel specialists since 1981 · Published 13 June 2026 At a glance What is the best golf holiday for a couple where only one of us plays? A resort with a strong spa, pool or beach alongside good golf, so the non-golfing partner has plenty to […]
What couples actually want from a golf holiday
Most couples who book with us fall into one of two camps. Either both of you play, in which case the question is whether the courses are good enough to be worth the trip and whether there is a day off built in. Or one of you plays and one does not, in which case the resort matters more than the golf, because the non-golfing partner has to want to be there too.
For the both-play couple, you want walkable golf, a hotel you do not have to leave between rounds, and somewhere to eat that does not require a 40-minute drive. For the one-plays couple, you want a spa, a pool or a beach within reach, a town worth a wander, and ideally golf you can both finish at roughly the same time so the day still feels shared. Be honest with us about which of you plays, and how much. It changes the recommendation completely.
Where we send couples: our two picks
For a both-play couple wanting warmth and a short hop, the Western Algarve is hard to beat. The golf is concentrated, the standard is high, and you are never far from the sea. Quinta do Lago – North Course is the kind of course both halves of a golfing couple come home talking about, and there is plenty around it for an easy day off. The wider Portugal offering, from
For the couple where one plays and one wants a spa, a pool and somewhere beautiful to do nothing, we point people at the South of France. Terre Blanche Hotel Spa Golf Resort is built for exactly this: serious golf for one of you, a full spa for the other, and a resort neither of you minds being stuck at. It is not the cheapest option, with the region from
What a society or group trip actually needs
Group golf is a logistics problem dressed up as a holiday. The golf is the easy bit. The hard bits are: getting consecutive tee times for 8, 12 or 16 players so nobody waits two hours; rooms that match what people paid for, so the man in twin number four does not feel short-changed; transfers that turn up; and a single person who knows the whole plan when something moves.
That is the part organisers underestimate. When you book direct with a resort for a group, you become the switchboard. Every change, every dietary request, every late flight comes to you. The reason societies use a tour operator is not the price. It is so that one named specialist holds the whole thing, and you get to play in your own trip instead of running it.
Where we send societies: our two picks
For a buddies trip built around volume of golf in the sun, Spain and specifically the Costa Del Sol are the workhorses, from
For a society that wants the trip to feel like an event, Belek in Turkey is our pick, from
Tee times, rooming and the society day
For a group, the three things to get right early are the tee sheet, the rooming list and the shape of the big day. On tee times: tell us the group size and we block consecutive slots so the field goes out together and finishes together, which matters as much for the bar afterwards as for the golf. Leave it late and the good morning slots are gone.
On rooming: decide your singles, twins and doubles before we price, and decide how you are splitting the single supplements. Groups that sort the money rules up front never fall out over rooms. We give you one rooming list to fill in and we hold it.
On a group trip, most groups like to make one round the big one, with their own competition and a presentation back at the bar afterwards. That side stays in your hands. What we do is set the day up around it: a course good enough to be the centrepiece on the tee sheet, the slots held together so the group plays as one, and the transfers and timings sorted so it runs smoothly. The other days can stay loose. One honest caveat: the bigger the group, the earlier you need to commit, because resorts release group space well ahead and the best ones go first.
Closer to home, and one point of contact
Not every couple or group wants a flight. For a UK weekend, Scotland from
Whichever way you go, the same thing holds for both couples and groups: one named specialist, a real golfer, handles your trip from first enquiry to your last round. We are a UK tour operator with PTS and IATA protection, and when we add flights to your trip it is ATOL protected with your money safe until you travel. You pay nothing to enquire, our Google reviews sit at 4.9, and we reply promptly. Tell us who is playing, how many of you there are, and what the non-golfers need, and we will come back with a plan.
Frequently asked questions
Do you only book the golf, or the whole trip?
The whole trip. We are a tailor-made golf tour operator, so we handle hotels, tee times, transfers and rooming, and we can add flights too. When we book flights your trip is ATOL protected with your money safe until you travel. Golf is ground-only and tailor-made around what your couple or group actually wants.
How far ahead should a society book?
Earlier than most people expect. Resorts release group space and group tee times well ahead, and the best courses and the good morning slots go first. For 12 to 16 players, committing early is the difference between consecutive tee times and a scramble. Couples have more flexibility, but popular spa resorts still fill in peak months.
Do we have to pay anything to enquire?
No. There is no payment at enquiry. You tell us who is playing, how many of you there are and roughly when, and your specialist comes back with a plan and a price. You decide from there. We reply promptly and you are dealing with a real golfer throughout.
Can you plan a trip where both of us play but we still want a day off?
Yes, and we encourage it. For a both-play couple we build in good walkable golf plus a half-day or full day that has nothing to do with par, whether that is a spa, a beach or a town worth exploring. The Western Algarve and Portugal more widely suit this well, with golf concentrated enough to leave time for the rest.
Are you ABTA protected?
We hold PTS and IATA protection, and when your trip includes flights it is ATOL protected, with your money safe until you travel. We are a UK tour operator and have planned tailor-made golf trips since 1981. Our Google reviews sit at 4.9 across real customers.
Come and play with us
Wherever you're travelling from, you're welcome on a Golf Planet hosted tour — a small group, a host with you from the first tee to the last, and every round, transfer and dinner taken care of. You just bring the clubs.
