It is the dream of many golfers: to play on legendary courses while avoiding dawn wake-ups, crowded terminals and the challenge of transporting their beloved bags intact. This is why private jet hire is on the rise in the industry and Denesz Thiyagarajan, manager of Iba Group, an aviation consultancy, predicts a further increase in the coming years. In order to tailor their offerings to the golfing world, aviation companies are collaborating with elite tour operators to offer services that begin before take-off and continue on the ground, with easy access to courses and customised itineraries that allow golfers to play in multiple destinations. TCS World Travel, a company active in the world of tailor-made private flights, for example, offers tailor-made itineraries on its fleet of jets. These include Golf Around the World: 18 days from the United States to Southeast Asia to Europe, ending in Washington. Or the South America Golf Tour, 20 days to play in Barbados on the Green Monkey, designed by award-winning greens architect Tom Fazio, in Peru at the Los Inkas Golf Club, amidst pre-Inca ruins, in Brazil at the Gávea Golf and Country Club, nestled between the Tijuca Rainforest and the Atlantic Ocean, and finally in the Dominican Republic at the Punta Espada Golf Club in Cap Cana, with holes on the ocean’s edge. You stay in five-star hotels, fly non-stop with a range of exclusive services on board, including a chef, a doctor and a luggage dispatch team. And mostly small regional airports are used. Kalos Golf, again in partnership with TCS World Travel, also offers trips for golfers, in groups of up to 52 guests, travelling from green to green on Titan Airways’ Airbus A321.
Golf, after all, is a game that requires concentration, precision and timing. It is not surprising, therefore, that top players, between tournaments, when they are not making a birdie or a eagle, choose to move in the fastest way: on a plane they own, as in the case of champion Tiger Woods who owns a $53 million Gulfstream G550. Or with fractional ownership formulas.
NetJets, a pioneer of fractional ownership, for example, allows customers to own a share of an aircraft with a guaranteed number of annual flight hours and the benefits of ownership without the complexities and costs of ownership. In addition to working with professionals and ambassadors such as Scottie Scheffler, Dustin Johnson and Justin Thomas, it is also the official private jet provider of the PGA Tour and offers customers unique experiences, such as watching the champions of the Masters 2026 (this year played at Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia) up close.
But there are also other ways to fly on personal jets without buying them: the membership formula proposed by VistaJet connects 96 per cent of the world through a model based on a asset-free subscription, which passes on the purchase of flight hours without any financial or operational burdens linked to ownership, and is designed for frequent flyers (over 50 hours per year). In flight, sofa, bed, office, library, everything is customised for the athlete’s rest. “It’s like a home in the air,” says Basque star Jon Rahm, who often uses an aircraft from the Global 7500 fleet. VistaJet also offers itineraries in the Private World collection, which combine private flights, exclusive golf experiences and stays at famous resorts such as Casa de Campo in the Dominican Republic, Mandarin Oriental in Canouan, Caribbean and Laucala Island in Fiji, tournament access, personalised meetings with players such as Jon Rahm himself, and packages to events such as the Ryder Cup (in 2026 at Adare Manor Golf Club in Ireland), or the U.S. Open, at the Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York (18-21 June 2026). Among the most sought-after experiences, again, is exclusive access to Augusta National Golf Club for the Master 2026 – in this case in partnership with XO, a digital marketplace for instant jet booking – including hospitality in the Vista House retreat and meeting golfers such as Gary Player, or participation in a Pro-Am tournament alongside champions such as Phil Mickelson. In Europe, one of the most popular destinations is Tuscany with the Rosewood Castiglion del Bosco: private flight, accommodation, lessons with the pros and culinary experiences with great wines.
There is also another formula of flying with private charter jets on demand without membership, such as the one launched by the Victor platform. Says Davide Paladino, senior aviation sales leader: “Our customers choose modern aircraft with cutting-edge technology and great booking simplicity: they want to charter them as easily as they would an Uber. Thanks to the partnership with Golf Traveller, customers rent various types of jets, play on several top-ranked courses in one trip, and participate in events such as The Masters, The Open Championship or the Ryder Cup. England, Scotland, St. Moritz and even Sicily – with the Verdura Resort – are among the most popular destinations for golfers, also thanks to the flights of the Swiss company Air-Dynamic, which has organised its own Golf Trophy for the past two years. “Among the most popular itineraries organised by our concierge team is a trip to Scotland and Ireland to compete on the most famous links, including the St. Andrews Old Course,” explains Dan Hurley, co-founder of Global Charter. “Another classic is the American West Coast, with stops at Pebble Beach and Spyglass Hill, or in Oregon, at Bandon Dunes. This is how the traditional holiday trip turns into a grand golf tour: the only thing to worry about is the shot from the tee.
