The golf vacation is something of an oxymoron when it involves a family. The dedicated golfer goes for the golf, first and foremost. The rest of the family goes for the vacation part, meaning the beach and other tourist things. For decades, sacrifices have been made on both sides: The golfer compromises his integrity by lying about his intentions; and the rest of the family unit fends for itself.
We may think this is a modern phenomenon, but it isn't:
"...some come with the avowed intention of doing nothing but play golf, while others basely represent to their wives and families that they come for the sake of bracing air and sea-bathing...[The golfer], however, shakes off all domestic cares, and struts down to the club, in which, from that moment, he is practically lost to his family."
-- From the Cornhill magazine, 1867, describing a typical family vacation at St. Andrews, Scotland.