Top Stag Party Locations for a Round of Golf

Published on 5th October 2017 by Dan Thomson

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The combination of great city nightlife and golf by the day is the epic recipe for a fantastic stag party. The United Kingdom is incredibly fortunate to have some of Europe’s finest cities for nightlife as well as some of the greatest and most historic golf courses in the world. To help the Best Man organise a great stag party for a golf loving groom, we’ve put together our top golf stag party locations:

St Andrews, Kingdom of Fife, Scotland

Starting in the far north of Britain is the birthplace of golf. St Andrews is widely agreed to be one of the greatest golfing towns on the planet with its rugged links courses proving challenging golf, very much dependent on the weather. Getting a tee-time at the Royal & Ancient Championship Old Course in the daily ballot might be a struggle so look at nearby courses that provide the same experience for a fraction of the cost.

The Castle Course only opened in 2008 and is more affordable than more well-known courses in St Andrews. Set across an cliff-top you’re sure to enjoy the spectacular views and conditions at this golfing paradise.

The town of St Andrews itself has plenty to boast for a stag night. As a university town it’s always packed with students and whilst it might not be the capital for clubbing, there is an abundance of excellent pubs and bars along the main street making for a fantastic stag night venue.

Newcastle, Tyne & Wear, England

Further down the coast is the UK’s party-central of the city of Newcastle. Boasting a plethora of night clubs, bars, restaurants, pubs and no less than 3 universities, every night “on the Toon” is a party night. The city’s residents are warm, welcoming and always up for a laugh and as such many of the bars and clubs are happy to welcome stag parties. There is accommodation available for all budgets and the city is easily accessed by train, road or airport for relatively low prices.

Golf-wise, one of the best courses to check out in the city itself is Gosforth Golf Club that is often described as “hidden gem in the leafy suburbs” of Newcastle. The 100+ year old course has plenty to enjoy regardless of whether you’re a beginner or expert, making it a wise choice for a group of golfers with mixed golfing experience. Used to the odd downpour and famous Tyneside weather, the course is nearly always open to those ready to brave the elements.

Slightly further afield the recent venue of the British Masters, Close House offers championship golf within about 20 mins of Newcastle city centre. Although the price is a bit higher than Gosforth or some of the other local courses, it is well worth adding to your golf itinerary in Newcastle

Leeds, West Yorkshire, England

Moving down the M1 is the city of Leeds. Another university city with a thriving nightlife scene, shopping, bars, restaurants and clubs – Leeds is a great and friendly place to have a stag party. Whether you’re looking for a pint of proper Yorkshire bitter or want to have cocktails at its own Sky Bar, Leeds has something for everyone.

Leeds has plenty of golf courses with large areas of north Leeds being taken up by some fantastic championship golf courses like Moortown, Alwoodley and Moor Allerton. However, for value for money check out Oulton Hall just south of the city centre that also features a luxury hotel and spa. The course is well maintained, challenging but not too difficult and importantly, it has very reasonable green fees.

Birmingham, West Midlands, England

A quick train ride or drive down the M1 further south will take you to the great city of Birmingham. A hub of culture, art, music and nightlife, Birmingham has everything from craft beer to karaoke. Whether you want to enjoy a few social pints of beer in a traditional pub or fancy a big night clubbing, Birmingham is reasonably priced for accommodation and plenty of restaurants and bars to suit.

Just located to the north east of the city is one of the country’s most famous golf resorts – The Belfry. Surrounded by over 500 acres of countryside and a world class golf course, The Belfry has hosted no less than 4 Ryder Cup events (more than any other venue in the world). The greens are carpet-like and great to putt on with tight fairways, bunkers and well placed lakes always set to make your round challenging and memorable experience.

Newport, South Wales

Our final UK option is slightly alternative in the town of Newport, Wales. Just a few miles up the M4 from Cardiff, Newport does involve a bit more transportation to get around but offers plenty of things to see and do. Why not time your stag party to coincide with a Six Nations match at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium or take advantage of country activities like clay pigeon shooting or quad biking?

For the golf, there is nowhere better in Wales than Celtic Manor. Having hosted the 2010 Ryder Cup, this superb 5 star resort has become a mecca for golfers looking to take on the three championship courses by day, and the fantastic club house bar by night. The resort boasts the first course specifically designed for the Ryder Cup and all three courses offer dramatic fairways and greens making it a brilliant stag party golf course for serious golfers.

Marbella, Malaga, Spain

Not warm enough in the UK for you? Why not consider getting your bags packed and jetting off to the south of Spain in Marbella? Marbella has everything a stag group needs with plenty of hotels, villas, restaurants, bars and clubs – the nightlife is always bubbling away with something for every stag group.

The Costa Del Sol also boasts some fantastic golf courses but our pick of the bunch is the La Quinta Golf & Country Club. The 27-hole course was designed by Ryder Cup champion Manuel Pinero and is by far one of the most scenic clubs you’ll find in the “Golf Valley of Marbella”. Ideal for stag parties is that the Pro Shop offers club rental should you not want to bring your own and have to pay hefty air baggage fees.

Vilamoura, Algarve, Portugal

If Marbella is a little too glitzy for your group of chaps then go west into Portugal to the resort and marina town of Vilamoura on Portugal’s Algarve coast. The nightlife isn’t as grand or expensive as Marbella but still has plenty of friendly bars and restaurants as well as a great casino for the small hours of the early morning.

We recommend the 5-star Crowne Plaza Hotel just a short walk from all the main attractions of Vilamoura Marina. The hotel is close to the many golf courses in the nearby area such as the world-famous Victoria Golf Course – a Par-72 championship course designed by Arnold Palmer. Beware though, if you don’t like water hazards, you may spend more of your round fishing out balls from its lakes than sinking them into the hole!