Golfing Travel with the Family: Woodlands, TX

by | Aug 2, 2013 | Children, Families, Family Travel, Social Media, Sports, Travel

 

IMG_2577

Amazing Golf Courses around Woodlands TX

Golfing Travel with our family ranks top of our bucket list. Sporting vacations are so fun and we are so happy that our children are willing to do family golf vacations now that they are older.  The children really caught the golf bug this year. They enjoy family putting contests so much that Santa brought clubs for all three children.

We highly recommend The Woodlands Resort and Conference Center in the Woodlands, TX for a family golf vacation. Not only does Texas have fantastic warm weather for Feb/March/April breaks, but incredibly warm hospitality from everyone you meet from the staff at the resort to the mom on the street saying hello.

Vacation let us spend time learning new things about our family. Hours in the golf cart create wonderful bonding opportunities with your children especially if they aren’t big conversationalist to start (true for our teen).  You can celebrate the nice drives and perfect putts while laughing about fun adventures such as mommy dancing the jig to avoid getting stung by the red ants on the Ladies tee.  Each hole provides the chance to teach your children about the game as well as the value of sportsmanship. Jumping up and down like Rumpelstiltskin or throwing clubs like Happy Gilmore did is not appropriate for any sport. All joking aside, precious moments on the golf course will be forever treasured.

Family Bonding Over A Nice Drive

Planning the Game:

Since our children just began to enjoy golf, we wanted to plan our leisure activities balancing instructional play with free time for new family fun. Some planning strategies that worked for us are:

  • Day one: sign up the children for a ½ day lesson and play a quick 9 holes with your husband. Spend the rest of the day at the pool or on a family bike ride
  • Day two: take your children to the driving range and the putting green for a warm up. Then, take them out for their first 9 hole round. Follow up the play with a fun reward such as yummy lunch and ice cream at The Royal Mile Grill followed by family tennis
  • Day three: repeat the schedule that works best for your family

The Courses at the Woodlands Resort:

The Woodlands Resort and Conference Center boasts a wide range of golfing options that are child friendly:

  • Panther Trail: a wonderful course for players of all skill levels
  • Oaks Trails: is a better for children because its wide open fairways makes it easier for children
  • The Performance Center: provides excellent instructional clinics for children featuring the former tour pro Susie Redmond
  • Guidelines: children go out at 1pm on weekends with a parent, during week after 11am if by themselves or anytime with a parent

IMG_2561

While Children cannot drive Golf Carts Until Age 16, It is fun to pretend

Planning Lodging and Logistics:

  • Air and ground transportation: most major airlines fly into Houston and you will need to rent a car for the 45 minute drive to the Woodlands. Plus, you will need a car to explore
  • The Woodlands Resort & Conference Center features a Tame Your Game package as well as many affordable but luxurious options (summer rates around $169).  The resort features bike rentals, volleyball, tennis, spa treatments and the amazing Forest Oasis pool. The Forest Oasis seems like a little piece of heaven for both parents and children.  On weekends, the resort provides live entertainment such as local bands, balloon art and face painting. For the teens, they offer ping-pong, karaoke and evening movies.  But, the best part is the giant water slide that even mom and dads will appreciate.

 

photo-133

The Forest Oasis Pool at The Woodlands Resort

IMG_2121

The Water Slide at the Forest Oasis Pool

 The pool has beverage service and a delicious menu complete with a children’s fare. The resort has a variety of fun restaurants but be sure to leave time to explore some of the local culinary delights.

Family Friendly restaurants:

  • Americas by the Waterway: offers American cuisine with plenty of fresh seafood
  • Grimaldi’s Pizza by the Waterway: makes some of the best brick oven Pizza in the area and kids love it
  • Uni Sushi on Market Street: designs some of the most beautiful and savory sushi creations we have ever since and the decor is just divine
  • Cafe Express on Market Street: features inexpensive but delicious family friendly sandwiches, pasta and salads

MJ 1

Unique Attractions:

For a night on the town, The Woodlands has much to offer with its extraordinary light show around the Waterway and Market Street

  • The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion: presents some of the most amazing classical artists and rock bands in the world.  The Pavilion hosts the Houston Symphony for the summer . The resort offers packages with the Pavilion.  We recently attended the Houston Symphony’s 40 year Anniversary of Michael Jackson’s music. Our whole family enjoyed dancing to “Beat It” and “Thriller”. What memories to watch our children boogie down to the music of our youth
  • Market Street: includes high-end shopping, dining, movies and outdoor concerts on the Village green
  • The Insperity championship: held late April/May at the Woodlands Country Club by the PGA benefits local Houston Charities and features many Golfing Greats. This year Nick Price,  Lee Trevino, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player showed us how to play the game at the Woodlands Country Club Tournament Course. It was quite exciting to see the big three, Palmer, Nicklaus and Player, on the tee together.

 

IMG_2555The Arnold Palmer Course at The Woodlands Country Club

We hope to bring you reviews soon on other places for wonderful family golf holidays:

  • Kingsmill Resort (Williamsburg, VA): 3 great courses, amusement park and Colonial Williamsburg
  • Reunion Resort (Orlando): 2 great courses, great water park on-site and close to Disney
  • Lake Placid, NY: golf, outdoor sports and a past site of the 1990 Winter Olympics (our favorite movie “Miracle”)

Golf travel with the family can make fantastic memories to last a life-time.  We hope that 30 years from now our children will remember the good times we had and take their children golfing.

Related Articles: