Part of Lyvera Group, The Experience Golf specialises in bespoke luxury golf travel, offering tailored itineraries across Scotland, England and Ireland. A longstanding Authorised Provider of Old Course tee times at St Andrews, the company combines access to world-renowned courses with luxury hospitality and personalised experiences.

In this Q&A, Richard Payne, Director of Commercial Strategy & Golf, discusses evolving travel trends, opportunities in new destinations and the benefits of being part of a wider sports and hospitality group.

St Andrews is a bucket-list destination for golfers worldwide. How does The Experience Golf use its access to the Home of Golf to build itineraries that showcase more of what Scotland has to offer?

Securing tee times at the world's most sought-after courses is often one of the biggest challenges when planning a golf trip, and the Old Course at St Andrews is right at the top of that list - particularly for international travellers.

Our longstanding relationship with the St Andrews Links Trust means we know our allocation of Old Course tee times a year in advance, which gives us a fantastic starting point to build an itinerary around. From there, we can work with our clients to understand what else they'd like to experience in Scotland.

For some, that might mean staying around St Andrews and playing other renowned courses such as Kingsbarns, Carnoustie, and Dumbarnie, alongside the New Course or Jubilee Course. For others, particularly those who have visited before, it might mean exploring further afield, incorporating destinations such as the Highlands or Scotland's west coast, with courses including Royal Dornoch, Cabot Highlands, Royal Aberdeen, or Turnberry.

One of our biggest strengths is that we don't prescribe a fixed itinerary. We listen to our clients and work with them to create something that reflects their interests, the time they have available, and the type of golf they want to experience.

What changes are you seeing in what international golf travellers want from a trip, and how are these shaping the experiences you create, both on and off the course?

We've seen a real shift in expectations, particularly since COVID. Travellers are increasingly looking for the complete experience, rather than simply a collection of great golf courses. The quality of accommodation, dining, cultural activities, and everything that happens between rounds has become just as important as the golf itself.

We talk a lot about the experience economy within our business. People are increasingly choosing to spend their money on memorable experiences they can share with friends and family, and they're willing to invest more to make those trips special. That might mean combining championship golf with whisky tastings, castle visits, exceptional restaurants, or other once-in-a-lifetime activities.

We're also seeing the importance of catering for non-golfers travelling as part of a group. Roughly one in eight of our golfers brings a non-golfing partner, so it's essential that we're creating experiences everyone can enjoy. Scotland and Ireland are particularly well suited to this, with their rich culture, history, and hospitality. The investment that destinations such as the Old Course Hotel and Gleneagles have made in their spa, leisure, and wider activity offerings reflects that growing demand.

Ultimately, our role is to make the entire experience seamless. From the moment guests arrive at the airport, we want everything to be taken care of - whether that's transfers, accommodation, restaurant recommendations, or arranging additional activities. We offer a full concierge-style service, ensuring every element of the trip meets the same high standards.

Beyond St Andrews, which destinations do you see as having the greatest potential for The Experience Golf, and what do you look for when choosing destination and resort partners?

There are two particularly exciting opportunities for us at the moment. The first is expanding what we can offer across the UK and Ireland by combining exceptional golf with access to other major sporting events. Being part of Lyvera Group opens up opportunities to create unique itineraries around events such as Wimbledon, the Grand National, and the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Looking further afield, we're particularly excited about the potential of Australia and New Zealand, alongside destinations such as South Africa, Portugal, and Spain. These are markets with fantastic golf offerings and opportunities to combine the sport with exceptional hospitality, cultural experiences, and other activities.

Through the wider group's involvement in major sporting events, there are some really interesting opportunities to create experiences that go beyond golf. For example, Levy, which is part of Compass Group, provides catering at the Australian Open.

Being able to combine a visit to the tournament with golf on Melbourne's famous Sandbelt courses is a natural fit. Similarly, the group's involvement in sports travel creates opportunities around events such as the Rugby World Cup, the Ashes and the British & Irish Lions tours.

When it comes to selecting destination and resort partners, the most important thing is a shared commitment to exceptional service. We need to know that when our guests arrive at a hotel or golf course, they'll receive the same level of care and attention that we pride ourselves on delivering. From the welcome at reception to the first tee and the dining experience, every detail matters.

Ultimately, delivering that consistently high standard is what builds trust and encourages clients to travel with us again.

For partners looking to work with The Experience Golf, what opportunities are there to build distinctive itineraries together, and how does being part of Lyvera strengthen that offering?

Being part of Lyvera and the wider Compass Group gives us a significant advantage, particularly in terms of access to major sporting events and experiences beyond golf. Across the group, we have an extensive presence at stadiums and event venues around the world, which creates opportunities that wouldn't necessarily be available to a traditional golf tour operator.

For example, we can look at creating an itinerary in north-west England that combines golf around Southport with a Premier League football match in Manchester or Liverpool, a visit to the Grand National at Aintree, or cultural experiences such as exploring Liverpool's Beatles heritage.

Similarly, around London, we can combine golf at courses such as Sunningdale or The Berkshire with hospitality experiences at Wimbledon, Queen's, or Royal Ascot.

Our partnership with Exclusive Collection allows us to take that experience even further, incorporating stays at luxury properties such as Pennyhill Park and South Lodge, both home to Michelin-starred restaurants. It's a great example of how we bring together world-class golf, exceptional accommodation, fine dining, and major sporting events to create a truly complete experience for our guests.

The key difference is that we're not simply trying to source access to these events through third parties. Through the wider group, we're already involved in delivering hospitality and experiences at many of these venues. That gives us an opportunity to bring together golf and major sporting events in a way that few specialist golf travel operators can.

We know our clients love golf, but their interests don't stop there. Bringing those passions together, while maintaining the quality and personal service they expect, is where we see some of the greatest potential for The Experience Golf.