Planning a buddy golf trip? Get there with the Hilton HHonors guest-loyalty program

A buddy trip is more than just a chance to play golf with a few friends; it's about the whole experience -- the male bonding you get when you follow 36 holes with a few at a sports bar, staying up late and playing poker, and getting up early again after three hours of sleep to play another 36 holes.

What could make a buddy trip better? Try free golf, a free hotel or both!

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About the only thing that can make that experience better is free golf, a free hotel or both.

Luckily, there's a way you can do that, especially if you're a member of the Hilton HHonors guest-loyalty program from Hilton Worldwide's 10 distinct hotel brands. Members who frequent hotels in the Hilton Worldwide portfolio can accumulate reward points quickly, which cannot only be used for free stays at everything from Hampton Inns to the Waldorf Astoria, but you can also redeem points for green fees and even golf academies.

Enrolling in the program is free and Hilton Worldwide has more than 3,750 hotels and 615,000 rooms in 84 countries. So business travelers who frequent hotels within the Hilton Worldwide portfolio, the opportunity to save up enough points to put together a buddy trip is easy. And the choices are vast.

How to put together a buddy trip

Using Hilton HHonors points to plan a buddy trip is actually pretty easy. For example, if you're just going to use points for accommodations, the choices are endless.

First off, the portfolio of Hilton Worldwide brands includes everything from the high-end Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts and Conrad Hotels & Resorts to Hilton Hotels & Resorts, DoubleTree by Hilton, Embassy Suites Hotels, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Inns, Homewood Suites by Hilton, Home2Suites by Hilton and Hilton Grand Vacations. Many of these brands have their own golf courses and academies, while others are connected to golf courses.

But let's say you want to keep it economical. Hampton Inns are perfect for that. Not only do many of them take as few as 10,000 points per night per room, but they come with a complimentary hot breakfast, wireless Internet and comfortable rooms -- the perfect place to crash after a long day of golf. The same holds true for Homewood Suites and Home2Suites by Hilton.

So once you figure out where it is you want to play golf, chances are there is a hotel nearby where you can redeem enough points for free stays.

Where you can play golf

Of course, if you really want to do it up right, you can find a resort property that offers golf. There are at least 90 properties worldwide that are affiliated with golf courses. They often offer golf packages that includes transportation from the hotels, can set up tee times and include the green fees on the guest folio.

Or if you have enough points, you and your buddies could stay at one of Hilton Worldwide's high-end world-class golf resorts such as the 36-hole Boulders Resort in Carefree, Ariz., the Waldorf Astoria Orlando (Fla.) or the La Quinta (Calif.) Resort and Club and PGA West. La Quinta has 90 holes designed by Jack Nicklaus, Pete Dye, Greg Norman and Arnold Palmer, while the Waldorf Astoria Orlando offers an outstanding Rees Jones design. And there are other golf properties to choose from as well.

Or, even if you're not using points for accommodations, you could put the points to work for green fees at certain golf courses, like Arcadian Shores in Myrtle Beach, S.C., or the challenging Payne Stewart Golf Club in Branson, Mo.

The ultimate buddy trip sweepstakes

If you haven't already enrolled in Hilton HHonors guest-loyalty program, here's one more reason: Hilton HHonors members are eligible to be entered into the Hilton HHonors Legendary Golf Getaway Sweepstakes that will award one grand prize winner a golf package for eight at the winner's choice of La Quinta, Resort & Club, The Boulders or the Waldorf Astoria Orlando.

The package includes airfare, three rounds of golf, a short-game clinic, a $5,000 Hilton Worldwide Gift Card and 100,000 Hilton HHonors bonus points for the winner and 50,000 bonus points for each friend. There also will be six first prize winners, who will be awarded a new TaylorMade R11 driver as well as 50,000 bonus points.

Now, that would be ultimate buddy trip!

August 10, 2011