Planning a Golf Trip for 8 Mates? Read This First

You drew the short straw. Somebody in the WhatsApp group said "we should do a golf trip this year" and somehow you're the one organising it. Welcome to the most thankless job in amateur golf.

I've been helping groups organise golf holidays for over fifteen years, and I've seen every mistake in the book. The bloke who books a championship course for a group where half the lads play off 28. The organiser who spends three months chasing deposits. The group that turns up at the airport and two of them have forgotten their passports.

Here's how to do it properly — whether you book through us or sort it yourself.

Step 1: Lock Down the Numbers Early

This is where most trips start to wobble. You'll have 12 people saying "definitely in" in June, and by September you're down to 7 with one "maybe." Set a deadline and stick to it. Something like: "Confirm with a £100 deposit by March 1st or you're out."

We recommend aiming for groups of 8, 12, or 16. These are the magic numbers for golf — they divide neatly into fourballs, make tee time booking straightforward, and most minibus transfers seat 8 or 16. A group of 10 is fine, but you'll often pay for a 16-seat minibus anyway.

Get everyone's full name as it appears on their passport from the start. You'd be amazed how many Daves are actually Davids on paper, and airlines don't find it funny.

Step 2: Collect Handicaps and Be Honest About Ability

Mixed-ability groups are the norm, not the exception. We had a group of 12 last month — handicaps from 4 to 32 — and we put them at Amendoeira in Portugal. Wide fairways on the Faldo course, two great layouts to choose from, and all-inclusive at the hotel. Nobody complained because nobody was losing a ball every other hole.

Courses to avoid with high-handicap players in the group:

• Son Vida, Mallorca — tight and tree-lined, punishes anything offline
• Oitavos Dunes, Lisbon — spectacular but brutal in the wind
• Aphrodite Hills, Cyprus — the gorge holes will swallow two sleeves of Pro V1s

Courses that work for everyone:

• Amendoeira (Faldo & O'Connor), Portugal — wide, well-designed, forgiving off the tee
• Quinta da Ria, Eastern Algarve — open layout, not too long, great condition
• Golf del Sur, Tenerife — straightforward layout that everyone can enjoy
• Salobre Golf, Gran Canaria — resort course designed for all levels

Step 3: Set a Realistic Budget

This is where groups fall apart. Dave wants the Castillo Son Vida at £2,275pp. Steve's budget is £600. You need to have the money conversation early and openly.

Here's a rough guide to what different budgets actually get you:

Remember: "from £Xpp" always means twin sharing in the cheapest available period. If someone wants a single room, add 30-60% to the hotel cost for that person.

Step 4: Stop Trying to Do It All Yourself

I know this sounds like a sales pitch — I work for a golf travel company, so obviously I'm going to say this. But hear me out with some real numbers.

Organising a golf trip for 8 people yourself involves:

• Researching destinations and courses (2-3 hours)
• Getting hotel quotes and comparing (2-3 hours)
• Booking tee times at 3-5 courses individually (1-2 hours)
• Arranging airport transfers (1 hour)
• Coordinating payment from 8 people (ongoing nightmare)
• Handling changes when someone drops out or dates shift (2-3 hours)
• Dealing with problems on the ground — wrong tee times, hotel issues (stress)

That's 10-15 hours of your time, and you're doing it as an amateur. We do this every single day. We know which hotels have been refurbished, which courses are in bad condition this season, which transfer companies are reliable, and which restaurants to recommend when you get there.

More importantly: if something goes wrong, you ring one number and we fix it. If you've booked everything separately, you're on hold to three different companies in a foreign language while your mates are waiting at the hotel.

Step 5: The Money Collection System

If you're the organiser, set up a clear payment schedule. Something like:

• Booking: £100pp deposit (non-refundable after 14 days)
• 8 weeks before travel: 50% of remaining balance
• 4 weeks before travel: Final balance

When you book through Golf Planet Holidays, we handle individual payments — each person in the group can pay their own share directly to us. That means you're not chasing eight bank transfers and working out who's paid what. It's one of the most popular features we offer for group organisers, and it takes a massive headache off your plate.

Step 6: Pick the Right Format for Your Group

Don't just play medal every day. Mix it up:

• Day 1: Texas Scramble (gets everyone involved, great ice-breaker)
• Day 2: Betterball pairs (draw the pairs randomly)
• Day 3: Individual Stableford (for the overall winner)

Bring a trophy. Seriously. A cheap trophy from Amazon for a tenner adds more to the trip than you'd think. Get someone's name engraved from last year. Make it a thing.

Step 7: The Non-Golf Stuff Matters

The best group golf trips I've seen include at least one evening that isn't just "dinner at the hotel." Book a restaurant in town. Find a wine tasting. Go to a market. In the Algarve, we recommend a fish restaurant in Tavira old town. In Mallorca, get into Palma for an evening — the tapas bars around La Lonja are brilliant.

And build in one afternoon with no golf. Some of the group will want to play 36 holes every day. Others will want a pool day. Let people choose — a happy group is a group that books again next year.

Last year we organised a trip for 16 lads from a club in Kent. The organiser told me afterwards that using us saved him "about a week's worth of evenings and a near divorce." His words, not mine. They've already booked for 2026.

Ring us on 01277 284284 or fill in the form at golfplanetholidays.com. We do the planning. You take the credit.