Your All Inclusive Golf Vacation

Many people in the UK play golf whether on the weekend, occasionally with friends or perhaps in tournaments at their local golf course. Golf has seen a massive surge in popularity over the past decade, partially due to the influx of younger, exciting professional golfers such as Tiger Woods, Justin Rose and Rory McIlroy.

Whether it is just the occasional game or you are taking your golf skills seriously, playing on a variety of courses and experiencing different surfaces and conditions is key to increasing your overall ability. An ideal way to accomplish this is by going on a golfing holiday with friends. Not only do you get to experience new courses that test your mettle but you get to enjoy (hopefully) the better weather abroad.

There are some things you need to be aware of when playing golf abroad though. Firstly you will likely be flying and so you’ll need a decent golf bag to protect your clubs in transit but also to carry them when you arrive. There are specialist golf travel bags that protect all of your clubs, including a hard top to protect your club heads.

A good case will serve you well but that won’t always protect your precious – and no doubt expensive – clubs. Baggage handlers are notorious for being less than careful when loading luggage on to the plane. This means that you could end up getting your clubs at the other end but find that they are damaged in some way or lost. Claiming compensation is obviously the first thing to do but can take many weeks to resolve. There is a way though that you can prepare for the worst and be covered for this kind of incident.

Golf Travel Insurance is just like having any other insurance; it protects you and your clubs whilst on holiday. This specialist policy will make sure that if your clubs are damaged or lost then they can be replaced instantly, saving your holiday from total failure. There are other expenses that can end up costing a lot of money or time, such as personal injury.

There are plenty of times on a golf course that you could get injured whether it’s a muscle sprain or getting hit by an errant golf ball. Knowing you are covered for medical costs if you become seriously injured is a reassuring feature of golf travel insurance. Likewise if you cause harm to another person or their property then you are covered for this too.

So if you’re contemplating a golfing holiday then getting golf travel insurance or golf club insurance is a good way to take the worry out of your holiday and lets you concentrate on playing the game of golf.

Purchasing a set of golf clubs is a big investment for the future andif you are just starting out then it may be wise to go for a mid-range priced set. However, if you are at an advanced level then you may want to consider buying a more expensive but higher quality set of golf clubs to help you improve your game.

In order to improve your game and progressfrom beginner level to an advanced level you must have a sound understanding of how each different set of clubs work and when you should use an iron over a wood for example. If you don’t know this then here are a few points worth noting down.

One type of club is the Wood. Woods are often easier to master than Irons (see below). When buying a set of clubs you will have a driver (or 1 wood), along with two more fairway woods that may include a 3 and/or 5 wood. A 4 wood may be purchased and is useful to have in the bag and professionals are even known to have an 11 wood available to them.

The Driver is the most difficult of the woods to get accustomed to as it is the longest club (around 45 inches), and as it is longer it is harder to fully control if you are not used to playing with it. Driver clubheads are made out of titanium or steel. Steel clubs are cheaper to buy but purchasing titanium clubheads will add power to your drive and give you more distance.

Fairway Clubs are made out of the same material as the Driver clubheads. The reason they are called ‘Woods’ is because prior to the 80’s the clubheads were made of wood but modern day technology has meant that they have improved them using the titanium alloys and steel.

The other set of clubs are known as the ‘Irons’. A 3 iron is usually one of 8 clubs you will find in the set. Irons offer more loft than woods so if you are playing uphill then a 2 iron may be better to use than a 5 wood even though they both offer around the same distance. Each club has less loft than the next one up; so a 3 iron has less loft than a 4 iron.

These are the two main types of clubs. Alongside these you have putters, sand wedges and others that will help you improve your game.

You should protect your investment and get golf club cover as a part of any golf insurance policy you take out.

Normal travel insurance is great when you are going on holiday as it covers you against most problems you are likely to encounter whilst away. However, if you are travelling abroad with your golf clubs then a standard travel insurance policy will often not provide adequate cover if they were lost, damaged or stolen.

Top quality golf clubs are not cheap to replace so you want to ensure that the necessary protection is purchased before you travel abroad with them. With specialist golf insurance.

If you are new to the sport and need to hire some equipment whilst there, then golfers insurance can cover you for a set amount. The same goes for green fees which can quickly add up if you golf every day; this is also covered when you choose specialist golfers insurance.

Golfers need to ensure they have the added benefits in case they have their golf clubs stolen or damaged. The added benefits are also useful in case you hit a wayward shot and you cause injury to someone or damage to a property. This can easily happen as you probably don’t know the course as well and accidents can easily happen so it is always better to cover yourself against these potential problems.

Whether you are playing golf or not, golf travel insurance is extremely important as not having it can result in huge hospital bills if anything happens whilst on holiday. Injuring yourself or becoming ill are the most common ways holidays can take a turn for the worse and having travel insurance will help you recover without having to pay a lot of money on healthcare.

Travel insurance covers you against all possibilities from delay of your flight, misplaced baggage or even serious injury. All this gives you the peace of mind that allows you to concentrate on having a fantastic holiday whether you are golfing in Spain trying to break your personal records or lying on the golden beaches in the South of France.

As travel insurance is not a legal requirement, some people choose not to purchase it just to save money. This is not advisable and with many policies available at great prices there is no excuse not to have it especially when you consider the repercussions of an accident, loss, theft or damage to your clubs.

Golf clubs are a necessary purchase if you’re serious about playing the game of golf. Luckily there is a wide range of different brands that cater to beginners with clubs that are very forgiving on your shots and are both affordable and well built. Even so once you have your set of clubs you’ll need to take good care of them to ensure that they last you a long time or at very least until your skill level dictates you upgrade your set.

The first thing you’ll need is a good, sturdy golf bag; this not only gives you somewhere to store your clubs but also can protect your valued investment. A full size golf bag should have reinforced walls; this prevents any crumpling which could bend the shafts of your clubs. Many bags will have multiple pockets for storing golf balls, tees, gloves and any other items like your car keys; this is good as you will be able to empty your pockets of items that may affect your swing and freedom of movement.

A protective covering in the form of a hood or lid to your bag will protect your clubs from the weather as at some point in every golfer’s career they will get caught out in the rain. Water can be bad for the iron in the club heads as over time this can lead to rusting. Also if the water gets down into your bag then it can damage the rubber grips which can be tricky and expensive to replace if they are damaged.

Another way to protect the heads of the clubs is by buying head covers, these come in a variety of materials and styles to ensure that the clubs are again protected from the weather but also from knocking into each other and causing damage that way. Many golfers will normally have novelty covers for their drivers but you can get covers for all your clubs some of which are made of neoprene that is flexible enough to fit any style of club head.

One final measure for those who play golf a lot is making sure you and your equipment are covered from public liability and injury to yourself or equipment damage. Just like how you would protect your car by taking out car insurance, golf insurance can cover any loss, damage or theft of clubs as well as other factors such as personal damage or property damage. If you are serious about your investment in your golf clubs and equipment then protecting them with golf equipment insurance is as important as cleaning or getting a decent golf bag, if not more. You may also want to consider a golf travel insurance policy as well.