One person always ends up running the golf day — here’s how to make it painless, fair and worth doing again next year.
Somebody has to do it.
Every golf club has a version of this: an annual women’s section day, an away day, a section charity event. And every year, it falls to one person to make it happen — chasing money, booking tee times, and somehow being blamed if the format doesn’t suit everyone. If that’s you this year, here’s how to do it properly, without losing friends over it.
Get the money in first
This is where most golf days start to go wrong, and it’s rarely about the amount but the chasing. Set one payment method, one deadline, and stick to it. A bank transfer with a clear reference beats cash in an envelope every time; it’s traceable, and nobody has to remember who’s already handed something over.
Set the deadline earlier than feels necessary. You need confirmed numbers before you can book tee times or confirm catering, and the person who “still needs to check with her husband” a week before the day is the same person every year. A firm cut-off protects you, not just the budget.
Choose a format that actually includes everyone
This is the part that decides whether people enjoy the day or just turn up for it. A scratch competition works for four players and alienates the rest. Stableford is the standard for a reason. It lets a high handicapper and a low handicapper play together and both have a good day, because it rewards good holes without punishing bad ones across the whole round.
For group days specifically, team formats are often the better call than individual competition. A Texas Scramble, where everyone plays from the best shot each time, takes the pressure off individual performance entirely which is useful if your group includes newer golfers or people who don’t play often.
Pair or team people deliberately rather than by friendship group; it’s a better leveller, and it stops the day splitting into cliques before the first tee.
Book a realistic tee time block
Know your numbers before you call the club. A vague “somewhere around twenty of us” gets you a poor tee sheet and a frustrated pro shop. Confirm exact numbers, then ask the club directly whether they take society or group bookings, whether a shotgun start is possible for your size of group, and what their group rate looks like. Most clubs have one, but it isn’t always advertised.
Pace of play matters more in a mixed-ability group day than in any other format. Build in slightly more time between groups than you think you need. A day that runs late doesn’t just annoy players, it annoys the club, and that affects whether you’re welcomed back next year.
Sort buggies before it becomes a scramble
Buggies are one of the most common flashpoints on a group day, and first-come-first-served is usually the worst way to allocate them — it rewards whoever books earliest, not whoever actually needs one. Ask the club how many buggies they have available for your group size before the day, not on the morning, and work out allocation properly.
Some clubs will let you buddy players — pairing someone who needs a buggy (injury, mobility, simply prefers not to walk 18 holes) with a friend who’s happy to ride along, rather than splitting buggies strictly by request order. It’s worth asking players directly rather than assuming; some will want a buggy for comfort, others for a genuine physical reason, and treating both as equally valid avoids awkwardness.
If demand outstrips supply, a short list taken at the payment stage — alongside numbers and format — means you’re not negotiating buggies in the car park.
Sort catering and prizes before the day, not on it
Confirm catering timing and dietary requirements when you confirm numbers, not as an afterthought. Agree who’s paying. Is it included in the day fee, or separate on the day and make sure everyone knows which before they arrive.
Prizes don’t need to be expensive to matter. Nearest the pin, longest drive, best team score and a wooden spoon for something good-natured cover most groups well. The point isn’t the prize itself , it’s the moment at the end of the day where everyone’s included in something, not just the four people who happened to play well.
Plan for the awkward bits now
Someone will drop out at the last minute. Someone will want to bring a guest who isn’t a member. Numbers won’t divide evenly. Decide your approach to all three before the day, not while standing on the first tee working it out live. A simple rule such as a reserve list, a policy on guests, a plan for byes- takes the decision-making pressure off you on the day itself.
Nominate one point of contact for the day who isn’t necessarily you. Organising the day and running the day are different jobs, and trying to do both means you don’t get to enjoy your own event.
Say thank you — and find your successor
The organiser role has a habit of becoming permanent by default, simply because nobody else puts their hand up. A short thank-you afterwards — even just a group message — goes a long way, and it’s worth noting who enjoyed the day enough to help next time. The best group days are the ones where the job gets shared out, not shouldered by the same person every year.
Here’s a useful check list
| Check List | |
| □ | Set the date early and check it against school holidays, other club events, and your keenest players’ diaries |
| □ | Confirm numbers with a deadline — and a cut-off for late additions |
| □ | Collect the money upfront, not on the day — set one payment method and one deadline |
| □ | Agree the format before you book — don’t decide on the morning |
| □ | Choose a format that works across handicaps — not just for the low-single-figure players |
| □ | Sort buggy allocation in advance — buddy up players who need one with those who don’t |
| □ | Book tee times in a realistic block — know how many groups you actually have before you call the club |
| □ | Check the course allows society/group bookings and ask about a group rate |
| □ | Confirm catering — timing, dietary requirements, and who’s paying |
| □ | Sort prizes before the day — nearest the pin, longest drive, best team, wooden spoon |
| □ | Have a plan for uneven numbers or last-minute drop-outs |
| □ | Nominate one point of contact on the day — not you trying to do everything |
| □ | Send a short note the week before — tee times, format, dress code, what to bring |
| □ | Say thank you afterwards — and note who’d help organise next time |
Looking to take a group further afield next year? Our guide to How to Organise A Women’s Group Golf Trip covers the same principles for a trip that runs longer than a day
