Fairway Treasures

Golf societies · England

Golf Societies in Dorset

39 golf courses across Dorset where you can play or book a society day, on one map and grouped by town, with how to find a society near you or start your own.

Golf courses
39
Most choice
Bournemouth (4)
Governing body
England Golf

Map of golf courses in Dorset

Tap a flag for the course name and its website, or tap a neighbouring county to go there.

Finding a golf society in Dorset

Most golf societies are not attached to one club. They are groups of friends, workmates or regulars at a pub who book days at different courses through the season, which is why no single list of them exists. The courses below are where they play.

The quickest way in is the pro shop. Clubs see which societies book with them, and most are happy to pass on a contact. Local golf groups on social media are the other good route, especially if you search for your own town (Bournemouth, Wimborne Minster, Christchurch have the most courses nearby).

Booking a day yourself? 27 of the 39 courses here list a website. Society packages are usually on a page called Societies or Golf Days, and midweek dates tend to be cheaper than weekends.

Golf near Bournemouth and Weymouth

Golf societies near Bournemouth

There are 25 golf courses within 10 miles of Bournemouth, including 1 over the border in a neighbouring county. The closest is Meyrick Park Golf Course, 0.7 miles away, followed by Queen's Park Golf Course (2.1 miles) and Parkstone Golf Club (2.4 miles). Most clubs list their society packages on their website, linked below where we have it.

Golf societies near Weymouth

There are 4 golf courses within 10 miles of Weymouth. The closest is Weymouth Golf Club, 1.2 miles away, followed by Wessex Golf Centre (1.7 miles) and Came Down Golf Club (4.7 miles). Most clubs list their society packages on their website, linked below where we have it.

Starting your own society

If you cannot find one that fits, starting one takes less than you would think: a handful of regular players, someone willing to book the tee times, and a format everyone understands. Our guide to what a golf society is covers how they run.

For the day itself, a Texas scramble keeps mixed abilities together, a shotgun start gets everyone in for food at the same time, and scramble vs best ball vs shamble explains the other team formats.

Golf courses in Dorset by town

Blandford Forum

  • Ashley Wood Golf Club

Chickerell

  • Wessex Golf Centre

Dorchester

Ferndown

Lyme Regis

Poole

Sturminster Marshall

Swanage

Verwood

Weymouth

Wimborne

  • Merley Park Golf Coursepar 27

Wimborne Minster

Common questions

How many golf courses are there in Dorset?

We count 39 golf courses in Dorset, taken from OpenStreetMap and matched to the county boundary. That leaves out pitch and putt, footgolf, indoor simulators and standalone driving ranges, which a society would not book a day at.

Which town in Dorset has the most golf courses?

Bournemouth has the most nearby, with 4 courses. After that come Wimborne Minster (4), Christchurch (3), Ferndown (3).

How do I find a golf society in Dorset?

Most societies are not tied to one club. They are groups of friends, workmates or regulars at a pub who book days at different courses through the season, so no single directory lists them. The quickest routes are asking in the pro shop at a course near you, since clubs see which societies book with them, and searching local golf groups on social media for your town.

What format do golf societies usually play?

Individual Stableford is the most common, because it copes with a wide spread of handicaps and a bad hole only costs you that hole. Charity and company days lean towards team formats like the Texas scramble, which keep slower players moving and make for a closer finish.

Do I need a handicap to join a golf society?

Not always. Many societies keep their own handicaps and adjust them after each event. If you want an official World Handicap System index without joining a club, England Golf's iGolf subscription gives you one, and some societies ask for that so their results are fair.

Course data © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database Licence, last updated 2026-10-01. County boundaries contain OS data © Crown copyright and database right. Missing a course, or spotted one that has closed? It can be corrected on OpenStreetMap and will appear here at the next update.