Holiday Golf Travel

“Over The River And Through The Woods To Grandmother’s House We Go …” (Lydia Marie Child, 1844)

Some ninety two million Americans will be “on the road” between December 23 and January 1 for the holidays—and ninety one percent of those, the US Bureau of Transportation Statistics says, will take personal vehicles. Six percent of trips are by air, while the remaining two to three percent are via bus, train, ship, or other mode.

Visits with the relations tops the list or reasons for travel at 43 percent, while an unlucky eight percent are on business. The remainder presumably are headed to DisneyWorld, a warm beach or on a luxury golf vacation.

The average Christmas season trip is 275 miles, but about half of holiday travelers make same-day trips without spending a night away. For those who do stay away, four nights is the average.And four nights is more than enough time for American golf holidays to places such as Florida, South Carolina, Arizona and California.

My search for travel statistics led me to a few interesting bits about foreign travel to the United States accounts for a significant amount of air and road traffic. The US International Trade Administration reports that in 2010, 63 million international visitors stayed one or more nights in the US. That’s a nine percent increase over the record volume in 2010. By 2016, that number is expected to grow to 81 million. North America accounts for 44 percent of this tourism, with Asia at 18 percent and Western Europe at 16%. Frankly, I’ve never really thought about the US as a “tourist” destination.

Still, given the crowded terminals and roads, a golf fan may want to wait until spring for that dream trip. If you’re planning a spring vacation, any golfer should consider making a pilgrimage to Augusta. Because tickets to the Masters are so hard to come by, getting US masters golf packages may be your best bet.