As 17 is a prime number, then 17 rounds is indeed the only way to give everyone the same number of games. However it is possible to come close to balancing the byes. In the 10 round schedule below, all players, apart from player B, have exactly 7 games and 3 byes. Player B, only has 2 byes and so gets one more game. A player's partners are all different, and a player's opponents are all different. The pairs GN and IJ never occur as partners or opponents, so the schedule is almost perfect.
Table 1 Table 2 Table 3 Byes
(D M v N F) (K G v A L) (E Q v B O) (I H C P J)
(B H v I N) (E J v C D) (O P v A K) (M G L Q F)
(O M v B D) (C F v I H) (G L v P Q) (J E N K A)
(C G v B M) (Q N v A I) (F L v O J) (D K E P H)
(E K v J N) (A Q v M F) (P L v B C) (D I H G O)
(E B v A H) (C J v N O) (G P v I D) (K Q L F M)
(Q F v C K) (P A v J H) (O E v G I) (M B D N L)
(D A v C L) (G M v H K) (F P v E N) (O J I B Q)
(J F v G B) (L M v I E) (Q K v D H) (A N C P O)
(D K v I B) (L O v N H) (P J v Q M) (E G C A F)
There are some resources here that may be of interest if your numbers change.
Hope that helps.
It seems a little unfair to me that one out of the 17 ends up serving the drinks all night! But here are my suggestions for 16 players.
The best solution I can offer is for 12 rounds:
(K H v F P) (B O v E N) (J D v L A) (G I v M C)
(L E v G M) (C P v F O) (K A v I B) (H J v N D)
(I F v H N) (D M v G P) (L B v J C) (E K v O A)
(J G v E O) (A N v H M) (I C v K D) (F L v P B)
(M N v P D) (F A v G C) (B E v K J) (L O v H I)
(N O v M A) (G B v H D) (C F v L K) (I P v E J)
(O P v N B) (H C v E A) (D G v I L) (J M v F K)
(P M v O C) (E D v F B) (A H v J I) (K N v G L)
(N L v F E) (P A v K G) (D C v O H) (J B v M I)
(O I v G F) (M B v L H) (A D v P E) (K C v N J)
(P J v H G) (N C v I E) (B A v M F) (L D v O K)
(M K v E H) (O D v J F) (C B v N G) (I A v P L)
above all the partners are different and all pairs of players oppose at least once and at most twice.
For 8 rounds you could use the following:
(J K v D E) (B H v L O) (M I v F A) (N C v P G)
(L J v P I) (N B v A C) (K H v M G) (D F v E O)
(A O v G J) (B M v D P) (C H v K F) (I L v N E)
(D H v P N) (E J v G C) (A B v I O) (F L v K M)
(B J v L K) (C O v M N) (D G v I F) (P H v A E)
(P B v F G) (H M v J I) (N A v K E) (O D v L C)
(A L v C F) (G N v J M) (E H v D B) (I K v O P)
(M O v E P) (D L v A G) (H I v K C) (N J v B F)
here the properties of the schedule are similar to the first, except that the pair BM never play in opposition.
Ian.