A Beginner’s Guide to Golf Hospitality

Last weekend’s Open Championship at Royal Birkdale produced one of the finishes of the year. Ryan Fox rallied down the stretch with four birdies in his last six holes, including a 12-foot putt on the last hole, to beat Cameron Young by one shot. Sam Burns claimed third place ahead of Scottie Scheffler and Tommy Fleetwood, who tied for fourth, in a final round that kept the outcome in doubt until the very last putt.

Watching that unfold from inside the ropes is a different experience entirely to catching it on television. If you’ve never sat in a hospitality suite with a drink in hand as a leaderboard tightens like that, weekends like this are exactly why it’s worth putting on next year’s calendar. This guide covers what golf hospitality actually is, what to expect, and how to book the right package, whether that’s watching the Open next year at St Andrews or getting out on the course yourself.

What Is Golf Hospitality?

Golf hospitality is a premium way to experience a tournament or a course, built around comfort and access rather than just a ticket. Instead of queuing at the ropes, you get a dedicated space to watch from, food and drink taken care of, and often extras you wouldn’t get with a standard admission ticket.

It works for a wide range of people. Corporates use it to entertain clients or reward staff. Groups of friends use it for a big birthday or a celebration. Plenty of people book it simply because they love golf and want to watch a major championship properly, without spending the day standing in a field.

Two Different Ways to Experience Golf Hospitality

It’s worth knowing there are two distinct types of golf hospitality, because they suit different occasions.

The first is spectator hospitality at a tournament, where you watch the professionals play from an elevated suite or terrace, usually with food, drink and viewing access built in. The Open Championship is the obvious example.

The second is a playing day, where you and your group actually get out on the course yourselves, often at a well-known venue, with food and drink served as you go. We’ll come back to this second type later, since it’s exactly what our ICON Golf Day is built around.

What’s Usually Included

Packages vary by venue and event, but most golf hospitality includes some combination of the following:

• Course admission with priority or fast-track access
• A dedicated viewing area, terrace or suite overlooking the course
• Food throughout the day, from breakfast through to lunch and afternoon snacks
• Drinks included, often a full bar rather than a cash bar
• Big screens or additional viewing platforms around the course
• Extras such as player Q&As, simulators, or fast-tracked access to the official shop

A Few Tips If You’re Booking for the First Time

Major championship hospitality sells out well in advance, particularly for a venue like St Andrews, so it’s worth booking as early as you can rather than waiting until closer to the date.

Check exactly what’s included before you book. Some packages cover food and drink in full, others charge extra once you’re there, and the difference matters if you’re budgeting for a client day or a group.

Think about logistics too. Smaller towns hosting the Open, such as St Andrews, have limited hotel capacity, so accommodation and travel are worth sorting out at the same time as your hospitality package.

The Open Comes to St Andrews in 2027

The Open Championship is golf’s oldest major, dating back to 1860, and no course has hosted it more often than the Old Course at St Andrews. The Old Course first staged The Open in 1873, when it was won by Tom Kidd, and St Andrews has hosted the Championship 30 times since. In 2027, it does so again, with the 155th Open scheduled for St Andrews from 15 to 18 July 2027.

The Old Course carries a weight of history few sporting venues can match. Recent champions there include Cameron Smith in 2022, Zach Johnson in 2015, Louis Oosthuizen in 2010, Tiger Woods in 2000 and 2005, John Daly in 1995, and Nick Faldo in 1990. Cameron Smith’s win came after a closing 64 that saw off Rory McIlroy and Cameron Young, one of the great final rounds anywhere in golf.

2027 carries extra significance too. It will mark 100 years since Bobby Jones won The Open at St Andrews, defending the title he’d won at Royal Lytham & St Annes the year before. A century on, the Old Course remains the venue every golf fan wants to see the Claret Jug lifted at.

St Andrews 2027 Premium Hospitality Package

For anyone planning ahead for 2027, our premium hospitality package puts you right in the middle of it, overlooking the 14th fairway and the Links, close to the 9th hole. It includes:

• Course admission with priority access
• Access to Dunes House itself, plus multiple viewing platforms across the course
• A variety of breakfast options within Dunes House
• Multiple dining experiences within Dunes House for lunch and afternoon snacks
• A full complimentary bar, including champagne, fine wines, beer, spirits and soft drinks
• Toptracer simulators to test your own game
• A Q&A session with a past or present player
• Fast-track access to the official Open Shop

Enquire today for more information.

Something Different: Our ICON Golf Day at The Grove

Earlier we mentioned the second type of golf hospitality, the playing day, and that’s exactly what our ICON Golf Day at The Grove delivers. Rather than watching from a suite, you and your group play the course itself, with food and drink served on every hole along the way.

It’s a different kind of day out entirely, built for anyone who wants to combine a proper round of golf with the same level of food, drink and service you’d expect from a major championship suite. The next ICON Golf Day at The Grove takes place on 16 September 2026.

Book your place at the ICON Golf Day at The Grove

Ready to Book Your First Golf Hospitality Day?

Whether you’re planning ahead for St Andrews in 2027 or want to get out on the course sooner with the ICON Golf Day at The Grove, get in touch with the team and we’ll help you find the right package for your group.

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