We all like to talk about the things we do right. It’s human nature.
You made the right investment, the NFL parlay you placed was genius, and of course your decision to buy a couple rental properties, prior to interest rates and the market exploding, was the work of a man with true vision.
Conversely, most of us prefer to avoid discussing mistakes. Not us.
In the interest of making your next Myrtle Beach golf trip the best one yet, we are revealing the five most common mistakes group leaders make in hopes that you can avoid these pitfalls.
● For grizzled Myrtle Beach group leaders, this one is obvious, but for our newbies: please keep track of the distance of courses from your accommodations. Some groups don’t mind a drive of any length, but others do. If you are staying in the heart of Myrtle Beach and playing in Pawleys Island one day and Brunswick County the next, you have a pair of 30+ minute drives on consecutive days. That might work perfectly, but make sure you are aware of potential miles traveled before booking.
● For groups that use the handicap system to level the playing field, don’t mandate that everyone plays from the same set of tees because it makes things easier. Adjusting handicaps based on the tees played isn’t difficult, especially if you use the USGA GHIN app. If most of your group plays from the blue tees, don’t force the less skilled to move back. That’s a burden they shouldn’t be asked to bear, and it happens too often.
● If your group visits Myrtle Beach in the peak spring or fall seasons and you know you want to play 36 once or twice, please pre-book your second round. Good luck walking into the pro shop after finishing your morning round and asking what time your group of 16 can play again on an April or October weekend. Not gonna happen. Pre-book that second round during the most popular seasons.
● We all enjoy the latitude a golf trip offers, and as a group leader you don’t want to strangle that freedom with an overly structured itinerary. That being said, if your group eats together, have an idea about where you want to go. Allowing the group to debate among a couple options is okay, having everyone make suggestions is a recipe for chaos. Being a good group leader means straddling the line between democracy and a (fairly) benevolent dictatorship, and that’s certainly the case when it comes time to make dinner plans.
● Plan early. You don’t need to be a hyper, type A personality to effectively lead a golf trip, and the first step is getting a jump on the planning process. Avoiding the first four mistakes on this list is made easier when you don’t procrastinate.
A Myrtle Beach golf trip is always a great time, but as a group leader, you want to avoid in-trip stressors, and by avoiding these common mistakes, you will have taken a big step toward that goal.
