It’s you and your three best buddies standing on the 18th tee box of your local course that you play every single week. You’ve been playing the course so often this year that you could probably draw a map of it on the back of a napkin. There's nothing special there and nobody's really calling it the home of golf, like Pinehurst Resort! Out of nowhere, one of your friends mentions, “I’m getting bored of this place. We should take a trip!” You start thinking about it, and everybody seems to like the idea, but the question that everybody’s thinking is, “How the heck do we pull off a golf vacation?” Well, let me help you out with that.

Courses: Where should I play?

One of the first things you need to ask yourself is, “Where do we want to play golf?” Maybe you guys want to head to Myrtle Beach in South Carolina which is known as one of the best golf destinations in America! Maybe you want to hit a bucket list course and play Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, CA or get crazy and go play the Old Course in Scotland.

Depending on where you live, there could be a thousand different courses near you, like there is in Northern Michigan where I live. This can make it difficult to pick just one course. So because you’ll probably play multiple rounds of golf, a variety of courses is a must when planning your buddies trip. Pick your courses strategically. You might start your Friday afternoon round with a short course and narrow fairways, and then by Sunday, you'll be ready for one that has wide-open fairways and not a lot of places to miss! Here’s a guide to the golf destinations that have the most courses per capita, so that you’re able to take full advantage of your surroundings.

If you don't know how to narrow your options down, do a little research. Find courses that were designed by guys like Pete Dye, Tom Fazio, or Robert Trent Jones (designer of 468 holes of championship golf in Alabama). If you're struggling to decide a general area you want to travel to, maybe figure out the next step first and come back to your courses.

Tip to save some $$$: Look for hidden gem golf courses. Not every golf resort or major course in that area is worth the green fees you’ll pay. Finding a solid public course to play at is much easier than you think and some of the best public courses are ones that you'll never forget. Check out this guide to public courses in Central Oregon and this one for public courses in Arizona.

BONUS TIP: Depending on where you’re located in the country, look at planning your trip in an offseason. Up in the North, that may be in the spring or fall. But out West or down South, that might be early November. A lot of courses will have offseason rates or significant discounts.

Lodging: Where should I stay & what should I eat?

If you're traveling for a golf trip with your buddies, you're going to most likely need a place to stay, whether it's for one or two nights. You'll need a place to kick back and relax after a day of play, and there are a few different options that you can choose from.

The Resort Stay

One simple option that you have, depending on the courses you're playing, is to stay at the golf resort where you’re playing. Most of the time, nicer golf resorts have a stay-and-play type golf package where if you stay there, you'll get discounts on your rounds of golf. If you're not afraid to drop some serious dough, this is definitely the best option. You get to stay on the club property and every amenity is available to you as guests. From dining to being able to ride your cart from your cabin down the trail and through the pines to the first tee box, the bonuses are aplenty. If you pick the right place, you can even hit the spa to get that end of the day massage! If you choose this option, make sure to make your reservations and tee times as early as possible because they do book up fast.

The Off-Campus Stay

The other option is to stay off-site. Maybe you're not playing golf at a resort or you don't want to pay that much for lodging. This is always a solid option for anybody planning a golf weekend. One thing to consider when choosing an off-site location is the distance from the golf course to your place. Personally, I like to stay within 20ish minutes of the golf courses. That way you have time in the morning to get to the course, hit a bucket of range balls, and still able to make your tee times without having to be up before the sun rises. Another perk to staying off-site is that you can manage your own food. While this may be a turn-off for some, I think there's nothing better than heading back to your place after a long day of hitting birdies and sinking par putts, throwing some burgers or steaks on the grill, and enjoying food and drinks with good company.

Tip to save some $$$: Try to find somewhere you can stay for free. A friend’s cottage. Your Aunt Diana’s ex-husband’s house. Anywhere you can crash for free or have somebody host you saves you a lot of money in the long run. If you can’t do that, find an Airbnb or VRBO. Those always end up being cheaper than individual rooms or staying at the resort's lodge.

BONUS TIP: Instead of spending twelve bucks on a hot dog and a beer at the course’s clubhouse or restaurant, pack some lunch! Make some sandwiches before you head out in the morning, throw some Arnold Palmer's in the cooler, and have a small tailgate before you head back out for your second round.

Style of Competition: How should I play?

So, you've decided where to play. You've booked your lodging reservations. You even have food plans nailed down. Now it's time to choose how you're going to play your rounds of golf. You could easily just play stroke play or not keep score and just have a good time, but where's the fun in that!? One of the best parts is walking away with pride knowing you kicked your other friends’ cans all weekend. There are a million different ways that you can play, all depending on how many guys you have. For the sake of this article, let's assume there are four of you playing four rounds. The way you play each match is totally up to you.

Pro Tip: Try to have everybody's handicap established before the weekend. That way it's more fair and competitive for everybody. 1. Best Ball: Each player plays their own ball for every hole, and the teammate with the lowest score on the hole records that score for the team. This is the most common way to play. 2. Scramble: Each player hits from the tee box. You play the best ball out of the two tee shots and both teammates hit from that spot again until the ball is in the hole. 3. Worst Ball Scramble: The exact same as the above, BUT you play the worst shot from each teammate rather than the best. This one is by far the toughest way to play! Enjoy at your own risk.

We normally break down the weekend by rounds and for each hole you win, you receive one point. Then, points will carry over for a total that is calculated over the entire weekend.

• Round 1: Player 1 & 3 vs Player 2 & 4
• Round 2: Player 1 & 2 vs Player 3 & 4
• Round 3: Player 1 & 4 vs Player 2 & 3
• Round 4: Randomize the teams and enjoy the round because there's no way anybody isn't sore at this point in the weekend.

Say you don't want to randomize that last round and you want to keep the competition as fair as possible - there is a way to do that. For each round, you can break the course up into three individual matches happening. It looks kind of something like this...

• Hole 1-6: Player 1 & 3 vs Player 2 & 4
• Hole 7-12: Player 1 & 2 vs Player 3 & 4
• Hole 13-18: Player 1 & 4 vs Player 2 & 3

Well, you're finally there. You've got your food settled. Bets made. Courses booked. And lodging reserved. While you may not be a Jack Nicklaus on the course or be making the PGA tour anytime soon, you certainly are in for a treat. If you're lucky, now it's time to go and enjoy one of the best weekends of the year! Don't forget to reach out to a Golf expert here on Curated for free, personalized advice and recommendations. Shoot straight, friends!