Organising a golf society day near London comes down to six decisions made in the right order: lock the date early, pick a course inside the M25 that your group can actually get to, confirm numbers and a per-head budget, choose a format, sort the food, and send one clear itinerary. Get those right and the day largely runs itself. Here is the checklist we share with every society organiser who books with us at The Hertsmere, along with the timings that make each step painless.
By The Hertsmere team5 min read
Start with the date, not the course
Most society days fall apart at the diary stage, not the golf stage. Pick two or three candidate dates around three months out, put them to your group, and commit to the one with the most yeses rather than waiting for a perfect turnout. Midweek days are easier to book, usually better value, and quieter on the course. Once the date is set, everything else has a deadline to hang off.
Location matters more than organisers expect. If half your group is coming from town and half from the home counties, you want somewhere inside the M25 with easy parking. The Hertsmere sits in Elstree, about 20 minutes from London, with over 250 free parking spaces, so nobody is circling a lane looking for a verge to park on.
Confirm numbers and budget before you book
Get firm commitments, ideally with a small deposit from each player, before you confirm anything with the club. People who have paid something turn up. Twelve is the magic number for most venues: at The Hertsmere, society days start from £58 per person for groups of 12 or more, and £48 a head for returning societies, which gives you a clear per-head figure to collect against.
On budget, be honest with your group about what the number includes. A day that covers golf, food, and a couple of prizes at a fixed price is far easier to sell than a cheap green fee with surprise costs bolted on later.
The organiser's checklist
- 12 weeks out: poll dates, choose one, and get provisional numbers
- 10 weeks out: book the course and confirm the food option
- 8 weeks out: collect deposits so numbers are real, not hopeful
- 4 weeks out: set the format (Stableford is safest for mixed abilities), sort handicaps, and buy prizes
- 2 weeks out: send one itinerary with arrival time, first tee time, dress code, and postcode (WD6 3AA if you are coming to us)
- 1 week out: confirm final numbers with the club, draw the groups, and nominate a scorer per fourball
- On the day: arrive an hour early, let people warm up, and start on time
That last point about warming up is worth taking seriously. A society day often includes players who have not swung a club in months. At The Hertsmere the 26-bay floodlit Toptracer range is open until 10pm, so early arrivals can loosen up properly, and the games on Toptracer double as a pre-round competition if your group likes a side bet.
Plan the food like it is the main event
Ask any long-serving society member what they remember about a great day and the meal comes up before the golf. Decide early whether you want bacon rolls and coffee on arrival, a sit-down meal afterwards, or both, and confirm dietary requirements when you collect deposits rather than on the morning.
Our society groups eat at Script Restaurant and Bar, which serves Modern British food seven days a week from 7:30am, with a balcony overlooking the course for prize-giving when the weather plays along. It is dog friendly too, which matters more often than you would think.
Pick a course that flatters every handicap
A society field usually runs from single figures to complete beginners, so the course needs to give everyone a chance. The Hertsmere is an 18-hole Donald Steel parkland design from 1986, a par 72 measuring 6,376 yards off the whites, 6,053 off the yellows, and 5,464 off the reds at a par of 75. It is a genuine test from the back tees without being a slog for higher handicappers, which is exactly what you want when the scorecards come in for the prize table.
One last tip: appoint a deputy. Every good society day has one person who knows the plan as well as the organiser does, so the day does not wobble if you are stuck on the M25. Then relax. If you have followed the checklist, the hard work finished a fortnight ago.
Bring your society to The Hertsmere
Society days from £58 per person for groups of 12 or more, 20 minutes from London, with the course, the range, and Script Restaurant and Bar all in one place. Tell us your date and numbers and we will handle the rest.
