8 Man Golf Trip Early April - FL, AZ, or NV?

[rp4golf]

On 5/27/2021 at 1:31 PM, hartrick11 said:

I am planning a trip and am looking for some advice, here are the parameters:

• Eight people, six of us in the 6-9 handicap range, two in the 12-14 range; Thursday-Sunday trip in early April (likely next 3/31-4/3 or 4/7-10). Looking to play 36 Friday, 18-36 Saturday and possibly sneak a round in on Thursday/Sunday for those with flights that work
• Limiting to direct flights from where everyone lives (San Diego/NYC/Boston), and hopefully sub-2 hr drives to our destination once we land. Tampa, Phoenix, Vegas, Orlando all seem to work 
• Budget is not unlimited but we aren't super focused on it, willing to spend
• No connections to private clubs
• For Tampa any insight on World Woods/Southern Hills/Juliette Falls/Others would be great. Also not opposed to the idea of a Streamsong or Innisbrook just to make things easier for planning purposes
• For AZ we would be looking to do Greyhawk/Southern Dunes/Wekopa (I have previously done TPC/Troon/Gainey) but open to others if there are better options
• I have zero insight on a Vegas or Orlando itinerary, so am curious about the logistics of where courses are compared to the strip/wherever you stay in/around Orlando

As has been mentioned, Vegas and Orlando are basically "tourist golf" locations. For the most part overpriced, for the golf and the lodgings, for what they are. Sure, there are decent courses, but for what they cost I kinda doubt you'd be writing home about any of them - while logistics really shouldn't be an issue as you can get an Uber anywhere in any major metropolitan area.
Orlando as a whole is more Disney-oriented, and personally I wouldn't do it unless it was a family trip.
Vegas is Vegas, and personally I'd rather play Mesquite/St.George as the golf is better (IMHO) and the motels and such cater more toward golfers.
Tampa, other than World Woods (which has 36 holes of great golf, plus a 3 hole practice/warm-up course) which I've always found memorable, there are a lot of other courses in the greater Tampa-St.Pete-Clearwater metropolitan area ... and it just depends on your budget.
Same with AZ, I've played the courses you mentioned and would do so again.

Years ago a group of buddies and I put together a trip for a week to Florida, where we all flew into one location, and had rented a bus. We'd get up in the morning and meet for breakfast, and play a course, load up and catnap during a couple of hour drive to the next location, go out to dinner (and or a nudie bar) before retiring semi-early, get up in the morning and do it all over again - made kind of a tour of the state out of it and played everything from TPC Sawgrass, to the Blue Monster, to Bay Hill, to Copperhead, to World Woods, and others (7 courses in 7 days). ... It was epic.

Edited June 8, 2021 by rp4golf

[mci711]

2 hours ago, rp4golf said:

Not really sure what is hard to understand. Other than Streamsong and Sawgrass no 1 course in Florida is worth making a trip for. 

Edited June 8, 2021 by mci711

[hartrick11]

Appreciate all the insights (and the FL banter)! In the end we decided on AZ. Now I am wondering, what are people's thoughts on GolfZoo (or other similar sites if applicable)? I reached out to them for a quote, but in my past AZ trip we did an AirBNB and booked courses on our own without too much hassle. I'm thinking I will just end up doing it on my own again but wondering if I am missing anything...

[vallygolf]

44 minutes ago, hartrick11 said:

Appreciate all the insights (and the FL banter)! In the end we decided on AZ. Now I am wondering, what are people's thoughts on GolfZoo (or other similar sites if applicable)? I reached out to them for a quote, but in my past AZ trip we did an AirBNB and booked courses on our own without too much hassle. I'm thinking I will just end up doing it on my own again but wondering if I am missing anything...

This depends on you and your group.  I personally see no reason you should use a service.  Some where, some how, that service has to get paid.  Usually it is in the form of a mandatory round at a real stinker of a course, or other overpriced accomodation.  Courses around AZ (like other parts of the country) arent hurting for play, so there isn't a huge incentive to give services a price break for the business.  Do a quick search to look for deals online and then book over the phone and see if you can get the same deal for your group.  If Wekopa is on the docket, a wekopass will be useful as it will pay for itself for each group that goes out....x2 if you play 18.  Only one pass needed for a foursome.  Book as soon as possible as the tee sheets are full.  Vrbo or airBnb are no brainers for a big group.

[Abh159]

15 hours ago, hartrick11 said:

Appreciate all the insights (and the FL banter)! In the end we decided on AZ. Now I am wondering, what are people's thoughts on GolfZoo (or other similar sites if applicable)? I reached out to them for a quote, but in my past AZ trip we did an AirBNB and booked courses on our own without too much hassle. I'm thinking I will just end up doing it on my own again but wondering if I am missing anything...

 

For just 8 people I wouldn't bother with a service. All you need is one (maybe two) houses/condos and two tee times. If you're booking far enough out (which it sounds like you are since the trip is 10 months away) there shouldn't be any reason you can't get back to back tee times at every course you want to play. 

[Golferpaul]

On 6/2/2021 at 11:25 PM, DanMN said:

You really can’t go wrong with the AZ weather and variety of courses that time of year. 
 

Just to throw one other option in - Reynolds Lake Oconee. Weather would probably be better in the latter part of April (I was there the last weekend of April this year and it was great for golf), but not a deal breaker early in the month. ATL flights are easy from anywhere, and it’s not much further than Tampa-Streamsong. Plenty of courses for variety and rental villas, although you do have to drive between the various courses and lodging. 

I agree on Reynolds.  I did a week long trip there with a group in early May and it was wonderful.  Four really great courses and the rental houses are quite affordable.