I’m not talking about your best swing, but I am talking about what I think golf holidays will be in the future. In short, it’s back to the future!
Before the creation of low-cost flights and being able to fly pretty much anywhere for just a couple of days, we used to take holidays for longer and take them at a slower pace…The holiday was a great recharge and not just a change of scene. We took more time to explore and experience the destination. The holidays were predominantly self-drive and Europe was the key destination for British golfers.
With long-haul flights probably becoming more expensive (as well as the likelihood of a Health Passport becoming necessary to travel from one continent to another) and the concern regarding Covid-19, I think that golfers will look closer to home for their holidays – perhaps taking their car (or the exceptional train service available pretty much throughout Europe these days) and taking in three or four venues or a prolonged stay at just one or two. I also think smaller hotels will be back in favour as space and intimacy necessarily comes back into fashion. And holidaying in Europe allows us to get back home quickly if we need to.
As well as being more “hygienic”, these longer and slower holidays in smaller resorts are also far more environmentally friendly with the “environmental” cost of one long self-drive (or train) holiday being a fraction of the environmental cost of a few short breaks. The financial cost will be less too as the cost of flights will inevitably increase as airlines decrease their destination schedule and optimum use of their fleet.
Of course, we’re spoilt for great golf, culture, food and accommodations in Europe so we won’t be sacrificing quality. Perhaps there’s a lesser chance of guaranteed sunshine but the benefits of a slower and longer holiday far outweigh the need of playing golf in 80 Fahrenheit.
So my prediction is that France will be a winner – and with 18 golf courses among Europe’s Top 100 it’s perfect for golf – and we’ll be taking more two- and three-week holidays in Southern Europe.
All this will take take time but there’s never been a better time to reconsider where and how long to holiday for while keeping care of ourselves, our neighbours and our planet.
Chantilly (pictured above and below), just two hours south of Calais, is a great starting point for a touring and exploring holiday with horse-racing, polo, several outstanding golf courses, medieval towns, Renaissance chateau and a lively food scene all set amid beautiful French countryside.
