Annual subscription 2026

[simsini]

From where ?
It would depend on what the overall package upgrade was.
For me the only upgrade round here would be one of the links courses.

From Bearsted. Our membership fees are already on the mid to higher end of what they should be considering comparative courses in the area.

 

[Orikoru]

At what point does anyone here say to themselves, I'll leave my current club and go somewhere cheaper, even if I know the course isn't as good?

If there was somewhere decent nearby that was half the cost of mine (so £800-850) I'd have to seriously consider it. That'll likely never be the case though.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

From Bearsted. Our membership fees are already on the mid to higher end of what they should be considering comparative courses in the area.

Is Foxy still the pro there?

 

[Springveldt]

Yep. Seeing other people post their memberships that are under a thousand makes me weep every time.

You lot down there are paying nearly the top whack in Northumberland for your normal member clubs. Close House is about £2600 a year, you get 2 courses, top class practice facilities etc and it's hosted the British Masters.

 

[simsini]

Is Foxy still the pro there?

Yes

 

[Orikoru]

You lot down there are paying nearly the top whack in Northumberland for your normal member clubs. Close House is about £2600 a year, you get 2 courses, top class practice facilities etc and it's hosted the British Masters.

Yep. It's the same as when you look at houses.

 

[IanM]

At what point does anyone here say to themselves, I'll leave my current club and go somewhere cheaper, even if I know the course isn't as good?

Newport lost members to Llanwern last year. There's a significant difference in quality of layout and condition (in my view).

The former is £1500pa, the latter £900.

If money is tight, £600 a year is not to be sneezed at.

 

[Neilds]

Newport lost members to Llanwern last year. There's a significant difference in quality of layout and condition (in my view).

The former is £1500pa, the latter £900.

If money is tight, £600 a year is not to be sneezed at.

Nearly a new driver

 

[simsini]

You lot down there are paying nearly the top whack in Northumberland for your normal member clubs. Close House is about £2600 a year, you get 2 courses, top class practice facilities etc and it's hosted the British Masters.

To be fair, East Sussex National is only £2,000 a year for similar facilities to Close House, I just live too far away and would be concerned about too many hotel residents on the course. I'm tempted now to research membership fees for the whole of Kent and compare them based on quality of course and practice facilities. There aren't many below £1,500, and most are bang average.

 

[Springveldt]

Yep. It's the same as when you look at houses.

It's even worse for houses. You can get a mansion up here for the same price as an ex-council terrace down south.

 

[Springveldt]

Nearly a new driver

Stock shaft only.

 

[Lucifer MorningStar]

From Bearsted. Our membership fees are already on the mid to higher end of what they should be considering comparative courses in the area.

I’m surprised they’re going over the Chart Hills that’s not the easiest drive from Bearsted surely.

Does it still get really wet around 15/16 in the winter and the other low points. I haven’t played there since my Dad left it years ago. Still got some family there though and should be playing there in the summer. Always loved the opening hole back in the day in Kent Junior league teeing off above the green.

 

[Kennysarmy]

Membership was:

£1305 in 2024
£1347 in 2025

2026 not been released yet, due in April.

Last calendar year I got my cost per round down to £10.77

So based on a similar level of golf this year, even a 5% increase and I still consider it good value for money.

 

[simsini]

I’m surprised they’re going over the Chart Hills that’s not the easiest drive from Bearsted surely.

Does it still get really wet around 15/16 in the winter and the other low points. I haven’t played there since my Dad left it years ago. Still got some family there though and should be playing there in the summer. Always loved the opening hole back in the day in Kent Junior league teeing off above the green.

It doesn't get that wet anymore as the drainage has massively improved due to work that's been carried out in recent years. I really enjoy playing the course with the varied layout and how good the condition can be in the summer. If the fees increased to over £2,000 in the next couple of years though, I would potentially look elsewhere for better practice facilities. Unfortunately there aren't many courses around here that have full length grass ranges. Some of the others who went to Chart Hills live inbetween the two clubs, so it wasn't really any further.

 

[moogie]

You lot down there are paying nearly the top whack in Northumberland for your normal member clubs. Close House is about £2600 a year, you get 2 courses, top class practice facilities etc and it's hosted the British Masters.

Worse still
I was told before Xmas off ex member, his renewal last October was £2895, a group of them left and went to Tyneside

Close house dont even advertise their member fees anymore

 

[arnieboy]

To be fair, East Sussex National is only £2,000 a year for similar facilities to Close House, I just live too far away and would be concerned about too many hotel residents on the course. I'm tempted now to research membership fees for the whole of Kent and compare them based on quality of course and practice facilities. There aren't many below £1,500, and most are bang average.

We lost a few members to ESN a couple of years back. They were only there a year as in winter the championship course in particular was nigh on unplayable.

 

[Lucifer MorningStar]

It doesn't get that wet anymore as the drainage has massively improved due to work that's been carried out in recent years. I really enjoy playing the course with the varied layout and how good the condition can be in the summer. If the fees increased to over £2,000 in the next couple of years though, I would potentially look elsewhere for better practice facilities. Unfortunately there aren't many courses around here that have full length grass ranges. Some of the others who went to Chart Hills live inbetween the two clubs, so it wasn't really any further.

That’s good to hear as my memories are it used to get quite boggy in parts but couldn’t be helped due to the literally lie of the land so doing the work to combat that is great work from the club.

Makes sense then if they’re living in the Weald area and if it’s increased that much in price. That’s an overall problem for many of the Kent courses I found practice facilities are at a premium as they’re either non existent or you’d struggle to hit more than an 8 iron length shot.

 

[jim8flog]

Our discounted fees are on a sliding scale, over 25 is £1272. There used to be a discount for over 65s with a minimum of 20 years membership but that was discontinued a few years back

Intermediate 18	£304
Intermediate 19-20	£522
Intermediate 21-22	£799
Intermediate 23-24	£1087
Student Member** In full time education	£392

 

[simsini]

That’s good to hear as my memories are it used to get quite boggy in parts but couldn’t be helped due to the literally lie of the land so doing the work to combat that is great work from the club.

Makes sense then if they’re living in the Weald area and if it’s increased that much in price. That’s an overall problem for many of the Kent courses I found practice facilities are at a premium as they’re either non existent or you’d struggle to hit more than an 8 iron length shot.

Our driving range is only 150 yards, so is the same, 8 iron max. There aren't any decent driving ranges in Maidstone at all.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

That’s good to hear as my memories are it used to get quite boggy in parts but couldn’t be helped due to the literally lie of the land so doing the work to combat that is great work from the club.

Makes sense then if they’re living in the Weald area and if it’s increased that much in price. That’s an overall problem for many of the Kent courses I found practice facilities are at a premium as they’re either non existent or you’d struggle to hit more than an 8 iron length shot.

With the seemingly permanent weather change, there's many courses in Kent that used to be fine in the winter are now suffering big time with the amount of rain. Even our costal links cousins.