In the first edition of The Member Chat, our new series catching up with Golf Tourism England members, we talk to Fanny Chase, Founder and Lead Travel Curator of CHASEGOLF Travel. Her boutique company builds bespoke, unhurried golf journeys across Europe, and every itinerary is designed from scratch around the people travelling. We asked Fanny what her clients are seeking for this year. Her answer: great golf, yes, but a great deal more besides.
GTE: Are your clients still chasing the bucket-list courses, or are they open to new destinations?
Fanny: There’s definitely still demand for England’s bucket-list courses, but that’s only part of the story. Once you get to know your clients and gain their trust, they’re more than happy to step off the beaten path of the rankings, although you need real knowledge of a destination to lead them there.
In England especially, courses ranked anywhere from 10th to 70th are becoming popular with Americans, who are open to trying new courses but still want to stay in luxury hotels. With every English booking I have made recently, the hotel has been very important. England is still very much a quality destination, but my clients are now willing to experience something different within it.
GTE: England really has some great hotels.
Fanny: Yes, this summer I had a VIP group who stayed at Gidleigh Park, near Chagford on the edge of Dartmoor in Devon, and they loved having the finest suite in the house, with its own spa and hot tub. I’m a great admirer of the Relais & Châteaux brand because it translates tradition and heritage into modern hospitality better than almost anyone. Between the farm-to-table food, the sense of place and their particular atmosphere, you know you’re in one the moment you walk through the door.
GTE: What type of groups are you dealing with?
Fanny: Couples, mainly. As we speak, I have eight couples in Scotland. Four of the husbands are playing Prestwick today, while their wives, who aren’t playing, are exploring the area with a private guide.
I chose that guide very carefully. He’s lively and full of personality, and I knew the ladies would love spending the day with him. Matching the guide to the group is essential, as that’s the little extra that can make the whole holiday!
GTE: So, the guide is important?
Fanny: Enormously. The facts matter, but so does the person telling them. Clients of mine who were just in Vienna came back raving about Ferdinand, their local guide. Perhaps he was funny, perhaps hugely knowledgeable, or perhaps he simply went above and beyond, but either way he’s what they’ll remember. If I had to sum up why my trips work, it’s this: we create immersion with the host country.
“We create immersion with the host country.”
GTE: So how would you describe what you offer?
Fanny: Golf Plus. It’s a golf trip you can bring your wife on, knowing she’ll enjoy it just as much as you will.
“If you win over the non-golfers, the trip works for everybody.”
GTE: We’ve noticed food has become much more than a meal on a golf trip. Is that your experience?
Fanny: Absolutely. Golfers tend to be real foodies, so anything farm-to-table, traditional or a little unusual immediately catches their attention. If a hotel or a chef is famous for one special dish, people will happily travel just to taste it.
Drink matters too. The Americans I work with nearly always love their whisky, so in the British Isles a distillery visit is a must. Very often there’s a beautiful distillery right next door to a famous golf club, but if you don’t know it’s there, you’ll never find it.
GTE: It’s not just whisky though is it; for example, we have some great vineyards and boutique gin distilleries in England.
Fanny: Absolutely, in fact I have clients heading to Normandy right now who, on their way to the D-Day beaches, will stop at a château for a private Calvados tasting on the estate. That’s not something anyone would find on their own. For real foodies, I’ll sometimes arrange for a chef to take them round a local farmers’ market, tasting as they go, because France’s fresh markets are simply amazing.
GTE: What other experiences work?
Fanny: Showing people something they would never have found themselves. For one couple in North Devon, I added a half-day in Clovelly, where they travelled down to the harbour and had a lovely time exploring before their round. No other golf tour would take you to a tiny village like that. There’s a moment of ‘where on earth are we going?’, followed by the wonderful feeling that you’ve discovered somewhere nobody else knows about.
In the Netherlands, I build private tours around local traditions, so in a single day clients might see Delft’s famous blue porcelain, the UNESCO-listed windmills and have a Gouda cheese experience, all woven seamlessly around their golf. Kent was the same: on my own golf trip there we took in the White Cliffs, Dover Castle and Canterbury Cathedral, and we were amazed by how much the region has to offer.
GTE: Where do you see growth in the year ahead?
Fanny: Women’s groups, without a doubt. CHASEGOLF is partnering with HerGolf, an online community of women golfers that officially launches at the 2027 PGA Show in Orlando, Florida. In my experience, all-female groups want the golf, of course, but they also love fun shared experiences, such as wine tastings and activities that bring everyone together.
GTE: And your advice to golfers planning their next trip?
Fanny: Step out of your comfort zone. You already know what a typical golf trip looks like, so make the most of where you are and come home with a completely different picture of the destination.
GTE: Thank you Fanny, hope to join you on one of your trips soon!
CHASEGOLF Travel designs bespoke golf journeys across Europe, from Scotland’s links to England’s hidden gems. To find out more, contact Fanny Chase at info@chasegolftravel.com
