Most of us have been on trips, either with a group of friends or with a proper, organised golf society.
They can be a fun experience. Equally, they can be a complete disaster if you have not planned things properly.
So, what makes a good golf society venue?
Proximity
If you are organising an overnight stay where you play two rounds of golf, then you do not want to be asking your fellow golfers to travel hundreds of miles to get to the venue. This presents all sorts of problems - people being delayed by traffic jams, people not leaving enough time to get to the venue and arriving at the last minute and then having to rush to make it to the first tee in time. Ideally, the maximum distance should be around 100 miles.
Remember that your golfers also need to get home after the second day and the last thing they will want is a four-hour drive home after playing 36 holes in two days.
Booking
There are many ways of booking your break. You could use our travel partners, Golfbreaks, where you will always find the best deals.
Set yourself a budget and tell everybody that they will have to pay a deposit. Give them a deadline and if they fail to meet it tell them they will not be going. When the balance is due, give your fellow golfers plenty of time to meet the deadline - and make sure you have somebody in reserve because there will always be somebody who drops out at the last minute.
Courses
If you are travelling with a group of more than 24 people you should be looking for a venue that offers two courses and will allow half of your group to tee off on one course with the rest starting at the same time on the other course. Otherwise, there is going to be a LOT of hanging around waiting at the end of each round. There is nothing worse.
There are many golf resorts around the country boasting a hotel and two courses. You can use Golfshake’s extensive course guide to check them out. You can also get on the internet and do a quick search.
Before you commit yourself, make sure that you check out course reviews. You need to know that the courses are in decent condition and that previous golf societies have had a good experience. You also need to know that the courses are not going to be too difficult.
Golf societies being what they are, the chances are that you will have some golfers who would struggle horribly on tough tracks or courses with lots of water.
And while you are at it, if you have a big group, check with the pro’s shop to ask if they are prepared to let you have any prizes for free, and ask them to recommend the best holes for your nearest-the-pin and longest drive.
Do they have a starter?
Are there enough buggies? Will you be able to use a buggy if it is raining? Will you have to carry your clubs if it is damp underfoot? Are the courses susceptible to flooding? These are all things that can be sorted out in advance.
Food and drink
Like many of you, I am sure, I have had some dreadful experiences when it comes to food at a golf venue. Thankfully, standards seem to have improved but, once again, this is something you should be checking out before you go.
Read reviews, speak to the hotel and tell them about your requirements. The chances are that you will have to book your meals in advance - if you are the organiser, if you do nothing else, please ensure that you keep a note of what everybody has ordered because I can guarantee that by the time you sit down for your evening meal most of your group will have forgotten what they ordered.
Check beer and wine prices before you go - you don’t want to arrive and discover that you are being charged £8 for a pint of beer. Check with the venue to see if they will offer a group discount at the bar - most venues now do this.
Check to ensure there is an area where your group can congregate before and after your evening meal.
Accommodation
Okay, so you will only be using your bedroom to sleep in but make sure the rooms are up to standard - a visit to the venue’s website should provide you with all the answers you need. If you get wet on day one, will there be somewhere where you can dry your gear? Get prices for single and double rooms.
Weather
What happens if you get there and there is torrential rain and you all decide that nobody fancies playing golf? Does the venue have snooker tables, table tennis tables, dart boards, etc?
You really do not want to be sitting in a clubhouse for hours twiddling your thumbs.
Recommendations
Some of my favourite society venues are: Stoke by Nayland on the Essex/Suffolk border, Belton Woods in Lincolnshire, Slaley Hall in Northumberland, The Belfry near Birmingham, Celtic Manor in Wales and St Mellion in Cornwall. They fulfil all the above criteria.
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