Advice to beginner, what club to join in Whitstable\Canterbury area

[KhalJimbo]

Advice to beginner, what club to join in Whitstable\Canterbury Kent area

Hi All

After some advice here. I've recently started playing the game and am currently having lessons but at the same time I am thinking of joining a club to get the benefits that come along with that. I have quite a few to join and am listing them below, I want to see if anyone here has any experience with any of these clubs or can even recommend any other ones to look at.

I am specifically looking for something that offers a part time\flexi membership since I won't be able to play midweek that often (the odd night in summer I can)

My options so far are:

Whitstable and Seasalter (don't think they do a flexi membership)
Faversham (don't think they do one either, but price isn't too bad)
Pentland Golf (access to Boughton & Etchinghill Golf Course - Offers a flexi membership)
Canterbury Golf Club (think they offer a flexi, they have "social memberships" listed on their site)
St Augustine Golf Club (Not flexi but full membership isn't too expensive)
Chestfield Golf Club (they offer flexi memberships)
Stonelees Golf Club (they offer flexi memberships)
Westgate & Birchington Golf Club (not sure on memberships)
Manston Golf Club (they do flexi memberships)

Now out of all of these the ones that looking around seem the nicest courses are:

Faversham
Boughton (Pentland Golf)
Chestfield
St Augustine
Stonelees
Canterbury

So I guess it's down to those five really. Does anyone have any experience with those 5 clubs? I think St Augustine might be a bit out of my league as a beginner but I still like the look of the course.

Also what sort of membership prices should I as a beginner be looking at? (I don't want to get ripped off or suckered into forking out too much that I should)

 

[Swingalot]

Re: Advice to beginner, what club to join in Whitstable\Canterbury Kent area

From your shortlist and what you say about playing only at the weekend, I would try and join a 'members' club such as Canterbury or Faversham if you can get a good deal rather than a Stonelees or Boughton, which from my experience are very very busy at the peak hours.

You should be able to get a complimentary round at some of those places if you drop the membership sec an email. I'm considering joining Canterbury as a flexi member as well, and they made that offer to me which I may well take up (when it gets warmer and dryer!)

 

[chrisd]

Re: Advice to beginner, what club to join in Whitstable\Canterbury Kent area

I haven't played them all but I'd certainly look closely at Canterbury. I played there recently and it's a great members course with the usual friendly people. I used to play in the inter club matches against them and always enjoyed the day. They also have a great driving range and some decent practice facilities.

Faversham is good but I prefer Canterbury layout
Pentland is not the best course and I think it's more costly and it stacked with pay and play and societies
I haven't played the others

 

[chrisd]

Re: Advice to beginner, what club to join in Whitstable\Canterbury Kent area

U

From your shortlist and what you say about playing only at the weekend, I would try and join a 'members' club such as Canterbury or Faversham if you can get a good deal rather than a Stonelees or Boughton, which from my experience are very very busy at the peak hours.

You should be able to get a complimentary round at some of those places if you drop the membership sec an email. I'm considering joining Canterbury as a flexi member as well, and they made that offer to me which I may well take up (when it gets warmer and dryer!)

If Swingalot is joining Canterbury can I suggest Lydd ..........

 

[Deleted member 18121]

Re: Advice to beginner, what club to join in Whitstable\Canterbury Kent area

I played Ethinghill (Pentland) recently and thought it was a fantastic course. The only other I played was the links course in Whitstable....but that was in about 1999 and enjoyed it a lot.

 

[spongebob59]

Re: Advice to beginner, what club to join in Whitstable\Canterbury Kent area

Not sure I'd class Canterbury as a beginners course.

Guess it depends just how much of a starter you are.

 

[Canary_Yellow]

Re: Advice to beginner, what club to join in Whitstable\Canterbury Kent area

I'd avoid Stonelees and Manston.

Personally, I wouldn't join St Augustines either - lots of holes very close together and crisscrossing one another in places.

Westgate & Birchington is ok, very short though. I preferred Chestfield.

Boughton is ok.

I'd choose one of Canterbury or Faversham I think.

Canterbury is a good bet.

 

[Curls]

Re: Advice to beginner, what club to join in Whitstable\Canterbury Kent area

Canterbury is a good bet.

And it's free!

http://www.canterburygolfclub.co.uk/

Don't be a bit put off that you're not a handicap golfer yet, you sound like you have the right attitude and if the pro says you can hit the ball then chances are there's worse than you that are fully signed up members It's free golf, can't say fairer than that!

 

[Swingalot]

Re: Advice to beginner, what club to join in Whitstable\Canterbury Kent area

U

If Swingalot is joining Canterbury can I suggest Lydd ..........

I heard you were going to Lydd when you get blackballed out of Ashford

 

[chrisd]

Re: Advice to beginner, what club to join in Whitstable\Canterbury Kent area

I heard you were going to Lydd when you get blackballed out of Ashford

Flippin eck, those rumours get around quickly!

 

[spongebob59]

Re: Advice to beginner, what club to join in Whitstable\Canterbury Kent area

I heard you were going to Lydd when you get blackballed out of Ashford

I quite liked Lydd.

 

[KhalJimbo]

Re: Advice to beginner, what club to join in Whitstable\Canterbury Kent area

Thanks guys, you've all definitely given me a lot to think of. For a full membership somewhere like Canterbury\Faversham or Chesterfield, that works out about £85 a month. So I guess the main thing to consider if would I spend more than that on Pay and Play courses? Thats the main question to ask now.

I'll also be sure to start popping into them and playing their courses once I have finished my lessons and get some more information from the clubs.

 

[Smiffy]

Re: Advice to beginner, what club to join in Whitstable\Canterbury Kent area

For a full membership somewhere like Canterbury\Faversham or Chesterfield, that works out about £85 a month. So I guess the main thing to consider if would I spend more than that on Pay and Play courses? Thats the main question to ask now.

Errrr......but you're not going to get an official handicap and enter club competitions etc. on a pay and play are you?
"What do I want from my golf?"
That's the main question I'd be asking.
Although I do prefer the "flexible" membership type thing that I am on at Cooden.
Course is closed at the moment, my credits are just sitting there un-used waiting for the better weather.
If I were a full member, I'd have paid £90.00 for November, December and January and wouldn't have ventured out with the course in the state it's in at the moment.
So that's £270.00 down the proverbial.