With a bit of thought, it’s possible to survive an overseas golf holiday without ruining it for yourself. Yet there are still many people who manage to screw things up better than your average politician! The following tips, from people who’ve played overseas several times before, should help smooth your path to survival.

Check up on check in!

As it may be your hotel that will be booking your golf for you remember to ask the reception staff on arrival to double check that all your arrangements are in order. That the right number of tee times have been booked for the right number of players on the right courses on the dates and at the times you agreed. Waiting until you get to the course to confirm your time is too late and you could be disappointed. And ask what proof of your booking the courses reception staff will be expecting you to present before they will let you loose on the course, they don’t necessarily have the authority to solve your problems if you don’t live up to your end of the bargain!

Don’t put your foot in it!

Luggage and golf bags occasionally go missing. So don’t pack your shoes in them. Playing with rented clubs is bad enough. Playing in rented shoes, apart from the hygiene problems, means welcome to the world of blisters. You can avoid the risk by always packing your golf shoes in your hand luggage. It’s actually a good idea to include a full change of clothes in your hand luggage, just in case anything goes wrong, and if you’re travelling with your partner, split your clothes between two cases so if one case goes missing, you still have something to keep you going. Always keep valuables in your hand luggage too.

Don’t put your foot in it - again.

Overseas golf courses do not allow golf shoes with metal spikes. It’s one of the reasons why the courses are always in such good condition. Change your spikes before you go and remember to take some spares. If necessary, you can probably get hold of some spikes at the resort, but why waste time on mundane matters when you could be out enjoying yourself?

Don’t overdo it early on.

A 3 to 4 hour flight, a night on the town and a strange bed is not the best preparation for the game of your life. You don’t want to pull a muscle on the first day and be 'hors de combat' for the rest of the week. So play yourself into the first day nice and easy. Leave the driver in the bag for a few holes, take out your trusty 3 or 5 wood and swing nice and slow. When you’ve played a few holes and loosened up a little you can take out the big gun.

Don’t handicap yourself by having no certificate.

Many overseas clubs insist on handicap certificates. Many UK golfers do not have one. Spot the problem? If you haven’t got a certificate, you need to put that right before you leave or you may struggle to get a game. If there isn’t time to get a certificate then get a written confirmation from your local pro or club secretary, stating that your playing ability is between 0 and 24. That will be accepted by many golf courses.

Solo is a no no

One-balls have no standing. You can make your own jokes up there if you like, but it's part of the etiquette of golf. It means that if you are playing on your own you are deemed to be practising on the course and you MUST let groups behind you through without delay. On a busy course you could end up standing on the side of the fairway acting as a traffic policeman and calling everyone through. Not a lot of fun. If you must play on your own, try to avoid playing before 12pm and choose a quiet course. Otherwise, you could end up in the Guinness book of records for the longest round ever played. A good idea is to stay at a golf resort, where you can arrange to pair up with other guests.

Early birds catch more than worms.

If you don’t mind playing before 8am and after 12pm you can book your tee times when you like. But a four ball of George Bush, Tony Blair, Jacques Chirac and Vladimir Putin would struggle to get a 9am tee time if they left their booking till 3 months before the day. And if they did succeed the course probably wouldn’t be worth playing on. If you really want to choose the time you play, book at least four months in advance or you could be disappointed.

Swinging in the rain

Keeping the courses in perfect condition is no mean feat and is not helped by Mother Nature at her worst. While the hotels and clubs do their best to keep the courses in tip top shape, it is not possible to guarantee the playing conditions or state of the courses will always be perfect. However, if you do have any concerns please raise them with reception, and hope that the weather man gets it right for once.

Local charges

Some local golf clubs charge a small fee for golf insurance and federation taxes, so to ensure a stress free game, pay before you play.