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I am heading down to Calabash, NC for my first golf trip the last weekend in March with my father-in-law. We are staying at the Brunswick Plantation and playing the following:

Tuesday: Carolina National
Wednesday: Brunswick Plantation
Thursday: Lockwood Folly
Friday: Sandpiper

Here are my questions:

1) Is driving down from New York the day before a bad idea?
2) What do I pack?
3) Do I bring extra clubs so I can switch out for the different courses?
4) Has anyone played these courses?

A little background: I am 31, he is 72. I play to a 33 and he plays to a 6 these days.

Thank you in advance for your help!

Weather-wise, March is a tricky time of the year. You may get a beautiful 65-70 degree day one day and it turns into a cold windy day the next. I would bring clothes to play in windy 40 degree weather and some to play in the 60s to 70 degree weather. I have not played either of the courses, but that time of year the courses will be overseeded with rye grass that can be a bit more thick and longer than you would have in the summer. Depending on the type of greens on the course they may be overseeded with rye also. Driving should not be a big problem since most of your traveling will be on a major interstate (I-95). I would think it should take you around 6 or 7 hours to get from New York to North Carolina if the weather is nice. Good luck and I hope you guys have a great time.

Wow, only 6 or 7 hours... does that include getting pulled over by various state troopers along the way??

But Pistol is right about being prepared for different weather conditions.

Also, a camera, since this is a special trip for you and your father in law, and probably lots of golf balls, so you don't run out and be forced to pay pro shop prices.

Have fun!

One of the Myrtle Beach Golf Guides stated that it would take 14 hours from NYC going at 50mph. I was figuring on 10-11 hours going at 65-75 with pit stops.

It was a best guess estimate for the travel time. I know it took me 9 hours to get from Baltimore to Augusta going 75 MPH. Hey, I'm from the south and we have no since of time...

I picked up two 36 packs of used Pro-V's from Golf Galaxy that I am bringing down with me. If I need to buy more balls I shouldn't be playing. The lady who booked our package said to plan for 20 to 75 degree weather. I asked her to be more vague.

You should have a great time and enjoy the courses. I see you are from Queens, so if you are used to playing courses like Clearview and Douglaston, you will be pleasantly surprised with the courses you play on your trip.

Fortunately, I've been blessed with friends in Nassau county so I normally play one of the Eisenhower or Bethpage courses. This year, I did have the pleasure of two 6 1/2 hour rounds courtesy of LaTourette and Marine Park. Wonderful experiences. I never played Clearview, but I heard it was worse.

Calabash is almost into South Carolina, so I'd guess you have about a 10-12 hour drive depending on traffic, weather and bladder control. So driving down the day before is a good idea. I'd leave around 6am, get checked in by 5 or 6pm, shower up and have a nice dinner, then be ready to get up early the next day to go flail the sod!

Check the weather in Calabash on www.weather.com the day ot two before you leave to help determine what to bring. If they say the high is gonna be 65, take whatever you might need if it was anywhere from 55-75°. Could be as much as a 30° temp swing from morning to afternoon, so dress accordingly - wear clothes you can take off or put on as needed (layers, like an onion! Or a parfait, if you prefer.).

Personally, I'll wear shorts and a collared shirt until it gets in the 50's, then maybe wear slacks and a light jacket down into the 40s, so for 3 days I'd have 3 pairs of shorts, 3 slacks, 4 or 5 golf shirts, a light jacket, and the requisite underwear, socks, what have you.

I hope I'm wrong, but with the late start winter seems to be getting, the end of March may be pretty stormy, and on the cool side, especially down on the coast. Make sure whatever reservations you have can be canceled with reasonable notice, unless you plan on golfing no matter what the conditions!

For what it's worth, I live in the central, northern part of NC. It took me 6 hours to get to Baltimore, and im a few hours north of Calibash. Depending on which part of NY you are driving from, you have a 10-12 hour drive, like Inconsistent said. If I were you I would leave plenty early the day before so I could be settled down and checked in to the hotel before supper time.

Thank you for all the advice on packing and what time I should leave. Do you guys pack extra clubs with you on your golf trips? Right now I play Driver, 3 wood, 11 irons and my putter. I also have a 5 wood 3 & 4 hybrid that I was thinking about bringing along? Is that too much?

By 11 irons I mean 3i -9i, and 4 wedges.

Make sure you have soft spikes in your shoes. Most courses in the US do not allow metal spikes.

I normally don't bring exta clubs on golf trips. I just pack the clubs that I am most comfortable with and play the best I can. I have played at Carolina National & Brunswick. Carolina National was great and in really good shape. Brunswick was decent, but it was really cold and it was our drinking round (our 4th round in 36 hours, so we play a Captains Choice where you deduct strokes on the final score by the amount of beers your team consumes on the course - childish I know, but traditions are traditions). If I remember, Brunswick was three 9 holes and we played two of them. There was a lot of houses lining the course (which I always love).

As far as weather, you will see all kinds in the South. We are also know for being wet that time of year, so it might not be a bad a idea to bring a second pair of shoes, just in case you get caught in some rain, you don't have to play in soaking wet shoes the next day.

As far as the drive down, just be sure to stretch at each rest stop. I am normally pretty sore the day after a 10 hour car ride. However, it is hard to put in to words how much fun a golf trip is.