Organising a golf society outing or a corporate group day around Exeter is one of the most enjoyable jobs you can be handed — and one of the easiest to overcomplicate. Get the venue, format and catering right and the day runs itself. Get them wrong and you spend the afternoon chasing scorecards instead of enjoying the golf. This guide walks through how to plan a society or group day in Devon, from choosing a course to budgeting realistically, and explains why a relaxed nine-hole layout with a large clubhouse suits the job particularly well.
Choosing the right venue
The first decision shapes everything else. For a society day you are looking for three things working together: a course that flatters a mixed-ability field, easy access and parking, and a clubhouse that can feed and water your group afterwards without a separate trip down the road.
Mixed ability is the key phrase. Most societies and work groups contain a wide spread of golfers — a couple of low handicappers, a long tail of occasional players, and often one or two complete beginners. A long championship layout punishes that spread and slows everyone down. A shorter, walkable course keeps the field moving, keeps morale up, and keeps the day to a sensible length.
Exminster Golf Centre is a nine-hole pay-and-play course at Exminster Hill, just off the A379 south of Exeter (EX6 8GA). It plays as a par 66 over 5,112 yards using 18 tee positions, so a group can play a full 18-hole round over the nine greens with genuine variety on the second loop. Because it is pay and play with no formal handicap requirement, it is straightforward to bring along guests of any standard. There is also a 16-bay floodlit driving range (14 covered, 2 open-air) for a warm-up before the first tee. You can check dates and availability on the booking page, and it is always worth a quick call to contact the team on 01392 833 838 to talk through numbers.
Group sizes and the day’s structure
The building block of any golf day is the four-ball — four players setting off together. Most organisers plan in multiples of four for that reason, though threes and pairs work fine too. A typical society day looks something like this:
- Arrival, coffee and a bacon roll
- 20–30 minutes on the range or putting green
- Shotgun start or staggered tee times
- Golf
- Sit-down meal and prize-giving
For larger groups, staggered tee times (sending a four-ball off every eight to ten minutes) keep the course flowing. A shotgun start, where every group begins on a different hole simultaneously, gets everyone finished at once and is ideal if you want the whole field sitting down to eat together — but it needs the course booked out, so discuss it with the venue early.
Formats that suit a mixed field
The format you choose decides whether your weakest players have fun or feel exposed. Two formats dominate society golf, and both are designed to keep everyone involved.
Stableford is the default for individual play. Instead of counting every stroke, players earn points against par on each hole, adjusted for handicap — typically two points for a par, three for a birdie, one for a bogey, and zero for a double bogey or worse. The genius is that once you can no longer score on a hole you simply pick up and move on, which keeps slow players moving and stops one disastrous hole wrecking a card. The system was devised by Dr Frank Stableford precisely to stop golfers giving up after a bad start.
Texas scramble is the go-to team format. Every player in the team tees off, the team picks the best ball, and everyone then plays their next shot from that spot — repeating until holed. A common requirement is that each player’s drive must be used a minimum number of times across the round (often at least three or four times in a four-person team), so no one can simply carry the others. It is sociable, far less punishing than individual play, and gives beginners a genuine contribution. For a corporate day where some guests barely play, a scramble is usually the safest choice.
You can mix the two: a Texas scramble in the morning and an individual Stableford after lunch, or run nearest-the-pin and longest-drive side competitions alongside the main format for extra prizes.
Catering and the clubhouse
Food is what people remember. A society day lives or dies on whether the meal lands hot, on time and in one room. This is where having everything on one site matters — there is no convoy to a pub afterwards, and the kitchen can time the meal to your finishing groups.
Exminster’s clubhouse is built for groups. The restaurant seats up to 120, with a two-tier patio adding around 60 more covers overlooking the course and the Exe estuary, plus a separate function room that holds a further 60 guests with its own private area and decking. Charcombes Lounge serves breakfasts, lunches and home-cooked evening meals, and the bar is licensed late, so prize-givings need not be rushed. For the full picture of menus and spaces, see the bar and restaurant page. If your day is part of a bigger celebration — a club anniversary or a milestone birthday — the dedicated functions and events facilities can host the evening too.
Costs to budget for
Society day pricing varies by venue, season and what is included, so always confirm current rates directly. As a planning checklist, here are the lines to budget for:
| Budget line | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Green fees | Per-player charge for the round; ask about group rates |
| Range balls | Optional warm-up before play |
| Catering | Breakfast roll, sit-down meal, or both |
| Function room hire | If you want a private space for the meal |
| Prizes | Vouchers, trophies, nearest-the-pin and longest-drive |
| Buggies / club hire | For anyone who needs them |
| Deposit | Held against the booking; balance usually due before the day |
A few practical tips. Decide early whether the day price is all-in per head (golf plus food) or itemised, as it changes how you collect money. Confirm the final headcount a few days ahead, since most venues set the catering numbers and final balance shortly before the event. And build in a small contingency for late drop-outs — they always happen.
Why a nine-hole venue works so well
It is tempting to assume bigger is better, but for the vast majority of society and corporate days a relaxed nine-hole, 18-tee course is the sweet spot. The round is quicker, the walk is gentler, mixed abilities stay together, and the pace keeps spirits high. Pair that with a 120-seat restaurant on the same site and you have everything a group needs in one place — warm-up, golf, prizes and a proper meal — without anyone getting in a car between the last putt and the first pint.
To start planning your group day at Exminster, take a look at the course and booking options, explore the clubhouse catering, and get in touch to talk through dates, numbers and format.