What fits, with guide prices
£30–75 a head, guide price
Eighteen holes
Two tee times back to back, then food in the clubhouse.
£15–35 a head, guide price
A twilight nine
Cheaper green fees late in the day and done before dark.
£20–40 a head, guide price
Driving range bays and burgers
Golf for people who do not play golf. Fine in the rain.
£15–35 a head, guide price
Crazy golf and cocktails
Indoor, competitive and nobody needs their own clubs.
Tee times back to back
Golf is played in groups of up to four. Six of you is two threes, which is better than a four and a two. Eight is two fours. Twelve is three tee times and a logistics exercise.
The gap between groups matters more than it sounds. The R&A's pace of play guidance recommends at least ten minutes between three-balls and eleven or twelve between four-balls. With three tee times, the last group starts twenty minutes or more after the first and finishes later still. Book the food for when the last group is in, not the first.
Phone the club. Do not book tee times one at a time online and hope they sit together. Ask for consecutive times, and ask whether there is a group or society package, which often bundles the round with coffee before and a meal after. Green fees split evenly. Buggies and club hire are paid by whoever uses them.
The weekday advantage
Many clubs keep society and group bookings to weekdays, and weekday green fees are often lower than weekend ones. If the group can find a shared weekday, through leave, a day off or working for yourself, it is the quiet, cheaper slot.
Twilight and daylight
Many clubs charge less later in the day. The time a twilight rate starts varies from club to club, so check before you plan around it. A twilight nine needs about three hours and has to finish before dark. Look up sunset for the date and count back.
Twilight golf is suggested from April to September. In winter, the driving range and crazy golf carry on regardless: one is under cover and the other is indoors.
If someone in the group is on shifts
This is the one outing where a rota helps. The Tuesday off that is useless for most plans is the quiet, cheaper slot here, and the page on emergency services rotas is about finding those shared weekdays.
- After nights. A morning tee time is no use to someone who came off nights at 8am. Vennado keeps the seven hours after a night shift clear, so it will not offer one. A twilight nine on a day off works better.
- After an early. Cat, a nurse finishing at 3pm, can be on the first tee by 4:30pm.
- After a long day. Someone finishing at 8:30pm has no golf left in the day. Find another date.
- On call. Leave on call counted as busy. The far end of a golf course is a long walk from the car park.
The guide to planning around night shifts covers the sleep setting.
When half the group does not play
Do not march four beginners round eighteen holes. Vennado suggests a driving range for up to eighteen of you and crazy golf for up to sixteen, and both are competitive enough to keep the golfers interested.
If you are booking a proper course for mixed abilities, read its visitor page first. Some clubs ask visitors for a handicap or set a dress code. Royal Troon's visitor information does both, and rules out denim and trainers. Ask about club hire while you are on the phone.
What to settle on the phone
- How many tee times you have, and the gap between them.
- What the group package includes, and what it costs a head.
- What happens if the course closes for weather.
- Whether the course is on its full tees and greens, if you are booking in winter.
- Dress code, handicap rules, and club and buggy hire.
- Sunset, for anything booked as twilight.
- The deposit, which the organiser collects from everyone before paying the club.
When a whole weekend lines up, a stay-and-play break is listed under weekends away: two rounds, one night and dinner.
Questions people ask
How do you book tee times for six or eight golfers?
Phone the club and ask for consecutive tee times in one booking. A tee time takes up to four players, so six of you is two groups of three and eight is two fours. Ask the gap between tee times and whether there is a group or society package, because those often include food after the round.
How long does a round take for a group?
Vennado looks for about five and a half clear hours before suggesting eighteen holes, which allows for food in the clubhouse. A group spread over two or three tee times takes longer from first tee shot to last putt than a single four, because the last group starts ten to twenty minutes or more after the first.
Is twilight golf cheaper?
Often. Many clubs charge a lower green fee later in the day, and the time it starts varies from club to club, so check the club's own rates. Weekday green fees are often lower than weekend ones as well. Vennado's guide price for a twilight nine is £15–35 a head, against £30–75 for eighteen holes.
What can we book if some of the group do not play golf?
A driving range or crazy golf. Range bays are hired by the bay and split between whoever is in them, nobody needs a handicap, and it still works in the rain. Crazy golf is indoors and nobody needs their own clubs. Both take about two to two and a half hours, so they fit a weekday evening.