How to organise a golf society trip abroad: the complete guide

I organise approximately 40 golf society trips per year. I've been doing it since 2010. Here is everything I've learned, in the order you'll need it.

Step 1: Fix the numbers early. Every trip I've seen go badly has started with a soft number. 'About 16' becomes 14 when two drop out and 17 when someone's friend asks to join. Set a deadline — ideally 10 weeks before travel — after which the number is fixed. After that date, additions are subject to availability and price changes.

Step 2: Choose the format before the destination. Do you want a Stableford competition or net strokeplay? Individual or team event? Are prizes required? These decisions shape the course selection. A society that wants a serious competitive format needs courses with established handicap-friendly slope ratings. A society that mostly wants to play golf and drink afterwards has different requirements.

Step 3: The destination decision. For most UK-based societies, the Algarve remains the best combination of quality, value, accessibility, and weather reliability. For societies that want something different, Belek (Turkey) offers equivalent or better course quality at lower cost. The Canary Islands work well for societies that want winter and can't justify Algarve in January prices.

Step 4: The hotel vs villa debate. Hotels are easier and usually better value for groups over 10. Villas work well for groups of 8–12 with a mix of golfers and non-golfers, but the self-catering logistics can absorb the cost advantage. My recommendation: hotel with a restaurant and pool for groups of 10+, villa for intimate groups of 8 or fewer.

Step 5: Tee time logistics. For a group of 12, you need three starting slots. Ask for times of 08:00, 08:10, 08:20 (or the course's minimum interval). Avoid split tee times where half the group plays morning and half afternoon unless you're running a formal competition — it fractures the social dynamic.

Step 6: The deposit and collection. I collect deposits at the time of booking confirmation. The deposit amount should cover any non-refundable elements you've committed to (typically hotel first night and course deposit). I recommend 20% of the total trip cost. Make clear what the cancellation terms are before anyone pays anything.

Step 7: The drinks tab question. It always comes up. My approach: set a reasonable group budget (£30pp) to cover the drinks kitty, collect it with final payments, and have the organiser manage it. Anything left over goes to a round of the local spirit at the airport.

What we do at Dormie: we handle all of this for you. Tee times, hotel, transfers, competition scoring if required, formats, prizes (if wanted), and the coordination across every element. The organiser's only job is to send us the player names and collect the money. Most of our society clients have been using us for four or more years because that arrangement works.