Saturday Saturday, July 05, 2008

Frequently Asked Questions

Am I guaranteed a specific tee time when I book?

When do I pay for my tee times?

If I book as a party of two or three golfers am I guaranteed to play without strangers joining our tee off locally?

What happens if the golf course is closed during my stay because of bad weather conditions?

What happens if one of the courses changes tee times later due to a members competition?

How do I know if the courses we book are in good condition or have recently had maintenance done on them which may effect our enjoyment?

Can we book buggies prior to play?

Do I need to have a min handicap allowance for certain golf courses?

Can I book tee times as a single golfer?

How far ahead do I need to book to get good tee times?

 

Am I guaranteed a specific tee time when I book?
There are no guarantees we can book tee times, to exactly what you have requested, however, booking early increases the chances of obtaining the best times obviously. We will let you know the tee times, before you financially commit to paying a deposit.

When do I pay for my tee times?
You pay your tee times once we have confirmed the times back to you by phone or email, at the outset of the booking. You are required to pay a deposit of £50 per person and then the balance 10-8 weeks prior. If you are booking within 10 weeks, you will be required to pay the full monies owing.

If I book as a party of two or three golfers am I guaranteed to play without strangers joining our tee off locally?
Golf courses do not guarantee your tee time is exclusive to you, unless you are booking in four balls. However, the reality is that generally speaking 3 ball bookings do not have extra persons joining on to your tee time. Two ball bookings in prime golfing months like March, April, October and November can be subject to joining up with other pairs to make up to a four ball, thus you are not guaranteed to play as a two ball. For many months, this will not be an issue.

What happens if the golf course is closed during my stay because of bad weather conditions?
If the course is closed because of rain etc... you can claim back the green fee paid less the booking fee. However, you need to keep the green fee voucher and ask the golf club to write a note to you, that the course was closed, which then you can send on to us by post, to make your claim.

What happens if one of the courses changes tee times later due to a members competition?
Occasionally, private golf clubs will change tee times originally confirmed, because of members competitions, or even major Tournaments like the Portuguese Open. We will then advise you and you can either change courses or days and or accept different times on the same day as originally booked.

How do I know if the courses we book are in good condition or have recently had maintenance done on them which may effect our enjoyment?
Golf courses will inform us of the dates of hollow - tining, over-seeding etc and we will let you know of these, when you book. Sometimes these dates are not available and known when you book, but are notified at a later stage. We will, consequently then inform you at a later stage and you can have the option of changing the course originally booked. We cannot guarantee golf courses will always be in perfect condition and there has to be an air of understanding that conditions can vary due to weather conditions, a lot of rain or a lack of rain can effect conditions of course. Occasionally a course will offer a special green fee rate, because they feel their course is not perfect or is perhaps operating with 1 or 2 temporary greens. We will then pass on that reduction to you.

Can we book buggies prior to play?
Some courses have more buggies than others, many courses are loath to confirm buggies in advance, whilst others have no problem booking buggies. As a consequence, because there are so many mixed policies amongst courses worldwide we do not offer a pre bookable buggy service, however, we will provide you with email addresses or phone numbers of golf courses so that you can make your buggy booking directly.

Do I need to have a minimum handicap allowance for certain golf courses?
Some courses have minimum handicap requirements which we will advise at time of booking, eg Vilamoura Old is 24 for men. Mostly, however this is not an issue.

Can I book tee times as a single golfer?
Bookings for single golfers can be reserved in advance (but not always) normally the booking will be tied up with another 2 or 3 players so you will not be playing alone. We cannot guarantee the standard of the other players in this situation. Normally, we recommend single golfers book their golf locally and do not pre-pay.

How far ahead do I need to book to get good tee times?
This varies from course to course and on the time of year. The most sought after courses are in the Algarve and Turkey these days and the months of October, November, March and April are always extremely busy. To get good tee times for these periods you do need to book often 6 months in advance, to avoid disappointment. However, generally speaking because of the huge development of golf courses opening in the last 10 years it is much easier now than it was 10 years ago because the choice is so much wider.