The Pure Golfer is a boutique golf experience company for those golf trips you’ve been wanting to take all over the world. They organize and create golf experiences to Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and many more destinations.
Their goal as a company is to give people the chance to play the best golf courses around the world while also finding hidden gems. The Pure Golfer is looking to build a community of golfers who seek adventure and exploration through the game of golf.
Fairway to Green’s Nathan Rarick had the opportunity to talk with Gavin Stewart, CEO of The Pure Golfer.
Nathan Rarick: What inspired you to found The Pure Golfer?
Gavin Stewart: I’d say it was a series of events that inspired me to take the leap, the year I turned forty. Starting a golf travel business was something I had wanted to do since caddying at Royal Aberdeen and St Andrews. At its core, I love having the responsibility of creating and delivering an experience for someone that they will never forget.
NR: What differentiates your trips from other golf travel companies?
G.S.: When you partner with The Pure Golfer, you get 100% of me. We go through a process that is simple and highly personalised. Also, whilst we have our core focus markets, if you can dream it, we’ll do everything we can to make it happen. The hope is that we dream up many trips together.
NR: How customizable are your golf trips?
G.S.: Every detail is bespoke, from the golf courses, to the lodgings, to the on-ground transport, to restaurants and activities. It’s all up for co-creation. If our clients want a helicopter, we can arrange that; if they are looking for ultra-exclusive courses that are sometimes off the beaten track, then we have some options that even the most discerning golfers will cherish. The Pure Golfer, on occasion, runs pre-organized tours, such as last year to The 50th Walker Cup at Cypress Point. It’s our ambition to create unique experiences for our clients around certain events
NR: What’s typically included in The Pure Golfer package?
G.S.: Everything, apart from flights and caddies (although we can reserve them). Our core markets are Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Great Britain and Ireland. That said, we have had enquiries for Greece, Turkey, Spain and Portugal, of which are excellent golfing destinations.
All of our clients have my direct line, as well as the suppliers/partners on the ground in their location.
NR: What do you think makes a golf trip truly unforgettable?
G.S.: Usually, a golf trip has been a long time coming. Whether it’s with your spouse, or with a group of friends, the anticipation and expectations are high. The booking experience is important, as are all the parts whilst on the ground, such as transport/your driver, caddies, hotels and restaurants. So many ingredients go into it. It’s important to also have space to let things happen organically.
Ultimately, it’s hard to look past the golf courses and the people you’re playing with. A few birdies help, too.
NR: What’s one mistake The Pure Golfer can help first-time golf travelers avoid?
G.S.: Doing too much. It’s easy to want to cram as much as possible into every single day; however, that usually doesn’t make for the best experience. We consider very carefully the spacing of each day, so down time can be important, as can exploring the local area and the accommodations our guests stay at.
One other consideration here is thinking about playing the same course twice, for example, if you travel all the way down to Cape Kidnappers from the USA, it’s important to play the course multiple times.
