1 car vs 2 for 2 couples(2 golfers total) scotland. Size needs

[juicegoose]

Traveling in June with another couple. Only two of us are playing golf but it'll be 4 people in a car with two golf bags and probably 2 additional bags total. 

I know sizing of cars in the UK is smaller then here in the states. 

What class vehicle would work? Most everything i'm finding answers on is for larger groups. 

 

Thanks.

[Hawkeye77]

With two sets of clubs and luggage for four our family was fine with the Rover shown below.  I wouldn't underestimate the number of bags - only two more total bags/pieces of luggage for four people besides the golf bags?  Doubtful.  Still had to take the drivers and three woods out of the bags, and luckily our Club Glove travel bags folded over and relatively flat.  I'd opt for some sort of small minivan for comfort.  One of the rental agencies kept trying to suggest we absolutely needed two vehicles (William Wallace) when emailing, lol, just wouldn't give up on four people and any combination of golfers need two vehicles - we got this when we arrived in Edinburgh and the type car we had reserved looked too small with all the bags near it so the rep (Sixt) took me for a walk about their lot and helped me find something that would work.  We had two golf bags, the golf travel bags, three modest sized rolling carry ons, one large checked bag, three backpacks and a couple of misc. "totes" of the three ladies (wife and two daughters).  

 

Edit:  at the time our bags were Sun Mountain 2.5 bags so very small profile.  If you've got big golf bags, and want a little more sense of comfort I'd opt for a normal mini-van that has fold flat third row, or maybe they'd let you take the third row out.  Ours had fold flush in the far back, I believe and a deep well, if you have a row of seats in the way then an SUV won't work at all.  I'd stay away from the "saloon" wagons.

 

 

Edited March 16, 2022 by Hawkeye77

[Hawkeye77]

Tired of editing, lol.

 

I'd hop to on those reservations.  I reserved a couple of months ago for our trip to Ireland in June.  Last weekend I went in and tried to upgrade our vehicle to an automatic because I'd omitted that and kept meaning to correct it and . . . can't!  Can only get an automatic in a smaller vehicle now and the vehicles with automatics are now drastically limited vs. what they were.  Travel is definitely up and whether a supply or demand issue rental cars are at a premium for cost vs. pre-COVID.  No idea on Scotland, but guessing there are the same pressures.

Edited March 16, 2022 by Hawkeye77

[ND2005]

Agree with above, large SUV or minivan/van. 

 

We had 4 people. Me and my wife are light packers. My mom is decidedly not. My dad is a light packer but has a hard shell golf travel case and a bigger bag. 

 

We had to go van, the company didn't have any SUVs that could fit it all without folding one of the back seats down. 

 

Also another vote for automatic. I know how to drive stick but it was one other thing to have to deal with while adjusting to the opposite side of the road. 

[milesgiles]

two small cars will be a lot cheaper than one big one and youll be a lot more flexible with the non golfers

 

you will easily get two golfers and two sets if clubs in anything apart from the really tiddly city cars 

[hammergolf]

The question is do you have two drivers who are comfortable driving in the right hand chair, on the other side of the road, on very narrow roads? Looking online, I doubt you would save money if you hired two compact cars instead of renting one bigger car. As Hawkeye said you should be fine with a midsize SUV and wouldn’t need 2 cars. 

[hammersia]

7 hours ago, hammergolf said:

The question is do you have two drivers who are comfortable driving in the right hand chair, on the other side of the road, on very narrow roads? Looking online, I doubt you would save money if you hired two compact cars instead of renting one bigger car. As Hawkeye said you should be fine with a midsize SUV and wouldn’t need 2 cars. 

It’s the correct side of the road. Might as well learn to drive on the correct side of the road some day.

[sabram]

3 hours ago, hammersia said:

It’s the correct side of the road. Might as well learn to drive on the correct side of the road some day.

Correct or not, a lot of Yanks have trouble adjusting.  For me it becomes second nature by the second day.

 

In any event, for four people with clubs and luggage I try to get a mini van. They have so much room, you never have to worry about fitting everything in.

 

Once in Scotland for three players we got this nice BMW wagon. I liked it so much I bought one when I got home.

 

 

at North Berwick

[hammergolf]

8 hours ago, hammersia said:

It’s the correct side of the road. Might as well learn to drive on the correct side of the road some day.

I do it at the very least once a year for a couple weeks. Not to mention I lived in the UK for 8 years and my mother was British. There are 163 countries that drive on the right side of the road, and 76 that drive on the left side. 

Edited March 18, 2022 by hammergolf