A golfer taking a swing on a scenic golf course with mountains in the background. The course is rocky and has a dramatic ocean view.

Travel

Bravo Whisky Golf Goes Beyond the Links

Shaun Tolson

A bespoke U.K. and northern Europe golf expedition with Bravo Whisky Golf will assuredly include rounds on iconic and celebrated courses, the likes of which include Royal Dornoch, Sunningdale, Royal County Down, North Berwick, and Lofoten Links, among others. But this isn’t what distinguishes the golf-focused, experiential travel company from other private tour operators. Instead, that distinction is rooted in all of the adventures and activities that the company’s clientele will enjoy away from the course.

“Our stated aim from the outset was to be a breath of fresh air,” says Bravo Whisky Golf’s cofounder and principal, Neil Scott Johnson, who created the company in 2018 largely because, as he explains, the private golf travel industry “had become stale, process-driven, and distinctly unimaginative.” To counteract that trend—and, more importantly, to fill that perceived void—Johnson and his team tap into their collective “black book of connections,” as he calls them, to curate trips that marry a client’s passion for golf with their enthusiasm and interest in other areas and facets of life.

Cozy living room with a fireplace, featuring a stone mantle, a deer head mount, and antique furniture.

Given that each journey is personalized, the cost of such a getaway can vary significantly. That said, three-day expeditions start around $19,000/person based on a group size of four to eight travelers. “The key for Bravo Whisky Golf is authentically building relationships with amazing people who are willing to connect with our guests on a personal level and share their culture, heritage, or craftsmanship,” Johnson says.

Those experiences might be rooted in elements of connoisseurship, such as having the chance to fill your personal whisky cask on a remote island distillery. They could be adrenaline-inducing, with the opportunity to drive an open-top British race car through the Scottish Highlands. Or they might be more demure—touring an award-winning garden with a member of the Scottish aristocracy, for example. Or they could be strenuous, physical challenges, such as scaling a Scottish Munro alongside the youngest woman to climb Everest from two sides.

A black and white photo of a helicopter parked on a grassy hill with mountains in the background. The sky is cloudy and dramatic.

In addition to memorable experiences, a Bravo Whisky Golf expedition often includes private chartered flights and, in some cases, helicopter transfers, all of which are necessary given the remote destinations on the itinerary. For some journeys, those private flights can provide more than 24 hours of travel savings. And while such travel is both luxurious and convenient, it’s far from the compelling aspect of a Bravo Whisky Golf trip. For clients, the real takeaway is genuine exposure to a far-flung locale.

“We introduce them,” Johnson says, “to authentic places and people that reveal the true essence of a destination.” bravowhiskygolf.com

Photo credits: Courtesy Bravo Whiskey Golf