Like in many more serious walks of life, Covid came through the UK and Ireland’s golf travel industry like a wrecking ball, with a crushing effect on the courses, hoteliers and transportation providers that are propped up by North American golfers traveling east.
Livelihoods were on the brink. I was in the middle of it myself. Two whole seasons — 2020 and 2021 — of rescheduling trips for patient clients and incredibly understanding suppliers, who all worked to make sure dream trips were realized, albeit two years later in some cases.
On the ground, 2022 wasn’t much better. While most golfers went ahead with travel plans, barely a week passed where there wasn’t some sort of testing hiccup: calls hours ahead of arrival with reports of a positive Covid test; the isolation measures that came with it. Added to that, we were basically cramming three years of trips into one — serious stress in itself.
Since those dark days at the dawn of the decade, the industry has roared back like never before. Green fees at marquee courses have risen 10 to 15 percent year over year (a story for another time), with little or no sign of the demand dropping off. The golf travel industry is predicted to be worth a stunning $42 billion by 2030. So what are the implications for your buddies trip? In short, very small windows of opportunity. Such is the gold rush for tee times among tour operators that booking windows for 2027 will slam shut much sooner than you think.
By the time you read this, overseas travelers may have already missed the boat at bucket-listers like Portrush and Royal County Down. West coast Scotland, featuring World Top 100s Trump Turnberry, Royal Troon and Prestwick, might still be for the taking — but call your tour operator of choice now, because by the end of Q2 in 2026, much of 2027 will be sold out on one of golf’s most sought-after triple threats.
The overriding message is that for the most in-demand venues, you now need to plan 18 months ahead. Still banking on a 2026 trip? There is one place you can go and play World Top 100 courses every day, stay in world-class accommodations, fly direct from anywhere in the U.S. and be blown away off the course: England. And no one is talking about it.
Next time.
Discover England, Scotland, Ireland and beyond in 2027 and beyond with 8AM Travel. Contact discovery@8amtravel.com today.
