“Let your golfers know that what they’re seeing in terms of demand for golf at home is what we’re seeing here, and what resorts everywhere in the country are seeing,” Simonds says. “You’re going to need more lead time, and you might need to down-size that group from 36 to 16 , or split it into two or three trips. “If you can’t get into your first or second choice in 2022 , take that as a chance to try someplace new – book a 2023 trip, and in the meantime intro-duce your golfers to a new destination that might become another great option. It makes you look good to show that you’re able to offer plenty of great options for your golfers.” Best Practices: Travel Tips for COVID’s New Normal P GA Magazine asked a group of PGA Profes-sionals from around the country for their travel best practices that have helped them host memorable trips over the past 18 months. What follows is their advice for planning and executing golf getaways that will show the value you bring to your golfers and your facility. PGA Professional Milton Carswell (center) has led trips to many destinations, including this getaway to Sea Island for a group of members. Plan Ahead and Involve New Golfers Milton Carswell, PGA Head Professional, Stone Oak Country Club, Toledo, Ohio Golf travel is a regular part of the experience for members at Stone Oak Country Club in Toledo, Ohio. PGA Head Professional Milton Carswell has kept the tradition alive through the pandemic, making some useful tweaks to ensure safety and enjoyment. With a busy summer season, talk of travel doesn’t usually start with Stone Oak’s 240 -plus member families until the fall. But Carswell now starts the process earlier, and keeps multiple options open. “It used to be that we’d book a trip, and I’d have some members that waited until a couple days before we left to book their flights hoping to get a last-minute deal,” Carswell says. “Now I’m educat-ing them on really planning ahead. We’re hoping to do trips in February and either March or April before our season starts because we’ve seen that golf trips can be safe and fun right now.” Carswell and his members are discussing trips to destinations in Mexico, but are also looking at backup plans for Florida in case international travel becomes more difficult over the winter. He’s also exploring venues within driving distance for members looking to spend less. This month, Carswell is taking members to the Northern Ohio PGA Section Pro-Am in Las Vegas. He took a group to the pro-am last November as the club’s first travel experience during the pan-demic, and the trip was a success. “Normally for the Vegas Pro-Am we have the full Las Vegas experience, but last year we did things dif-ferently,” Carswell says. “One of the members got a suite, and our group just hung out there instead of going out at night. It was actually really great to just order some pizzas, watch some games and feel like we had our own little home base instead of going from casino to casino. It really put the focus on the golf and hanging out with your friends.” Carswell is also expecting to start traveling with groups of women from Stone Oak, including Ryder 80 | November 2021 | www.pgamagazine.com (password: PGAmag007)