The Brabazon course at The Belfry, Warwickshire, a leading society golf venue in England

Ranked · 10 venues · updated 2026

The Best Golf for a Society Trip in England

The English away day is a tradition: a couple of nights at a golf hotel, a course or two, a competition and a long dinner. The best venues make the logistics disappear, with multiple courses, beds and bars in one place and staff who run societies week in, week out. Here are the ten we rate most highly for a group, ranked, with our verdict on each and how to play it.

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By the GolfForKings editorial desk · How we rank · Last reviewed June 2026

Photograph: The Belfry Hotel and Resort, via Google

How we chose them

A society trip in England is judged on how smoothly it runs, not just how good the headline course is. The group wants more than one layout so the competition stays fresh, a hotel on site so nobody is driving home in the dark, a bar and dining room that can seat the whole party, and a team that knows how to handle a society of sixteen rather than a quiet weekend two-ball. That points at England's resort venues, where two or three courses, accommodation, practice grounds and clubhouses sit under one banner, and where the away day is the core of the business.

We weighed exactly that: the number and quality of courses, the strength of the on-site lodging and bars, how well the venue handles a group, and playability across a range of handicaps, because a society is only as happy as its highest marker. We have leaned toward venues with real golfing pedigree as well as group convenience, so a trip delivers a memorable round as well as an easy one. Every detail was checked at the time of writing. The order and the verdicts are our editors' view, so reasonable people will reorder the list. If you want any of these built into a costed group trip, that is exactly what our concierge does.

The ranking

The Belfry

Warwickshire · three courses · Brabazon, PGA National, Derby

The home of the English society away day, a Warwickshire resort with three courses, a large hotel and bars built for groups, most famously Sam's Bar overlooking the closing holes. The Brabazon, a four-time Ryder Cup host, gives the low markers their bucket-list round with the famous 10th and 18th, the PGA National and Derby keep the rest of the field in the competition, and the whole operation is geared to running societies. For sheer group logistics and occasion, nothing in England matches it.

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Woodhall Spa

Lincolnshire · two courses · Hotchkin and Bracken

The best pure golf on this list and the home of England Golf, with two heathland courses in the Lincolnshire countryside. The Hotchkin, with its enormous, revetted bunkers, is one of the finest inland courses in the world, and the Bracken, a modern Donald Steel parkland, is a strong, contrasting partner. Societies of sixteen or more are welcome on both, and while the lodging is more modest than the big resort hotels, the quality of the golf makes it the connoisseur's society trip.

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The Grove

Hertfordshire · Kyle Phillips · near London

The most luxurious venue here, a Kyle Phillips parkland in the Hertfordshire countryside barely half an hour from central London, with a five star hotel, spa and superb dining. A former host of the British Masters and a World Golf Championship, it is a single course rather than a multi-layout resort, but the quality, the service and the proximity to London make it the choice for a society that wants a premium short break with a touch of class rather than a marathon of rounds.

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Slaley Hall

Northumberland · two courses · Hunting and Priestman

A grand country house hotel in the Northumberland hills with two full courses, the Hunting and the Priestman, set among woodland and moorland. The combination of two contrasting layouts, plentiful accommodation, leisure facilities and a baronial bar makes it a complete society base in the north, and the scenery is a cut above the Midlands resorts. A reliable, well-equipped choice for a group exploring the north east, with Newcastle and the coast within easy reach.

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Frilford Heath

Oxfordshire · three courses · heathland

A society favourite for decades, three heathland and parkland courses, the Red, Green and Blue, on free-draining Oxfordshire sand near Abingdon. The depth of golf is the draw: 54 holes at one club means a group can play a different course each day and run a serious order of merit without moving, on ground that plays firm and true year round. The lodging is off site nearby rather than on the estate, but for variety and quality of golf it is one of the best inland society venues in the south.

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Forest Pines

Lincolnshire · 27 holes · resort

A stay-and-play favourite in north Lincolnshire, with 27 holes across the Forest, Pines and Beeches nines in a wooded setting, a spa hotel on site and a layout built around repeat rounds for groups. The flexibility of the three nines suits a wide handicap spread, and the resort runs societies smoothly with everything under one roof. Strong value and easy logistics make it a dependable choice for a group that wants plenty of golf without travelling between courses, with Woodhall Spa within reach for a bigger day.

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Forest of Arden

Warwickshire · two courses · Arden and Aylesford

A parkland resort in the Warwickshire countryside near Birmingham with two courses, the championship Arden, a former European Tour host, and the shorter Aylesford. The pairing of a serious test and a friendlier round, plus a large hotel, leisure club and dining, makes it a complete society base, and its central location and proximity to Birmingham Airport keep it easy to reach from anywhere. A solid, well-run Midlands alternative to The Belfry just down the road.

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Hanbury Manor

Hertfordshire · Jack Nicklaus II · near London

A Jacobean-style country house hotel in Hertfordshire with a Jack Nicklaus II designed course, a former European Tour venue, set in mature parkland north of London. The single course is a quality test, and the grand hotel, spa and dining give a society a touch of luxury close to the capital. It suits a group that wants a refined weekend with one good round and excellent facilities rather than a multi-course marathon, with easy access from London and the M25.

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Stoke by Nayland

Suffolk · two courses · Gainsborough and Constable

A relaxed resort in the Suffolk countryside on the Essex border, with two courses, the Gainsborough and the Constable, named for the artists of this gentle Stour valley, plus a hotel, spa and lodge accommodation. The combination of two enjoyable parkland layouts, on-site beds and good value makes it a comfortable society base in East Anglia, away from the busier Midlands and London venues. An easygoing, well-priced choice for a group that wants a quiet weekend of friendly golf.

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Rockliffe Hall

County Durham · one of England's longest courses · five star

A five star country house resort in County Durham with one of the longest championship courses in England, set in old parkland on the River Tees. The single course is a stern test off the back tees, but plays sensibly from the forward markers, and the luxury hotel, spa and dining make it a premium society base in the north east. The choice for a group that wants a special weekend with top-end facilities and a big, memorable golf course as the centrepiece.

Plan a Rockliffe Hall society trip

Resort facilities, course counts and designers verified June 2026 from the venues and leading databases; society packages, group rates and tee times vary by season and party size. Always confirm visitor access and fees directly before booking. Check tee time availability.

Plan your English society trip

Tell us the group size, the rough dates and whether you want the Ryder Cup buzz of The Belfry, the pure golf of Woodhall Spa, or a luxury weekend near London, and we will build it. One concierge secures the tee times, sorts the lodging and the group dinners, and costs the whole trip to the head, with no obligation.

English society golf questions

Where is the best golf for a society trip in England?

The Belfry in Warwickshire is the classic society venue, with three courses including the Ryder Cup Brabazon, a hotel and bars built for groups, and decades of experience hosting away days. Woodhall Spa offers the best pure golf with its two heathland courses, while The Grove, Slaley Hall and Forest Pines pair multiple courses with hotels under one roof. All are designed to take a group of sixteen for several rounds without moving base.

How big a group works for an English society trip?

England's resort venues handle societies from a four-ball weekend to a touring party of twenty four or more. The multi-course hotels split a large group across their layouts, run the competition and seat everyone for dinner, which is why society organisers favour them. Groups of eight to sixteen are the sweet spot, large enough for a proper order of merit and small enough to stay together. Book the popular weekend dates well ahead.

When is the best time for a society golf trip in England?

May to September is the prime window, with the longest days, the firmest fairways and the best chance of dry weather for an away day. Spring and early autumn offer good value and quieter tee sheets, and the heathland courses such as Woodhall Spa and Frilford Heath are at their best when the ground runs firm. England plays year round, but the resorts are busiest and the golf best in the warmer months. Always confirm conditions before booking.

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English golf news, resort updates and the society and group deals that matter. Every other week.

Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Resort facilities and designers verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.