Cheapest English Golf Membership

[jimbob.someroo]

Hello - hope all are well!

With the WHS coming in, and us now able to enter qualifying card from each round (wherever we play), I'm considering dropping my relatively expensive (for me) membership in London, and instead playing a lot more golf with friends at other courses etc. The snag is, I want to retain a valid handicap so I can still play Open Competitions etc - I usually do 15 or so of these each year.

Separately, I'm on a waiting list for another club where full membership would be less due to the distance I live from the club - but I'm not sure if I'll get through over the next 6 months or so.

So - long story short, anybody know anywhere that I can pay to become a member, purely so I can retain a handicap. It would be nice if I actually played there once or twice too during the year (which would mean it would need to be in the South or North West), but looking at the WHS that doesn't appear to be a pre-requisite. It only suggests that you should play most of your golf at your 'home course' probably because secretaries don't really want to deal with just the admin associated with maintaining handicaps if that person isn't putting much else into the club ...

All thoughts welcome!
Jimbo

 

[Canary_Yellow]

I’ve just joined the golf club attached to my local council run course. The membership doesn’t come with playing rights, so I’ll have to pay green fees, but the membership is £48 per annum.

Tonbridge is a long way from Ealing, but must be other public courses that have a club attached

 

[fundy]

Worth looking at playmoregolf? or not need that many rounds James?

Not sure if they still do it but Trent Park (by Oakwood tube) used to do membership for £50 and then pay green fees on top

 

[jimbob.someroo]

I’ve just joined the golf club attached to my local council run course. The membership doesn’t come with playing rights, so I’ll have to pay green fees, but the membership is £48 per annum.

Tonbridge is a long way from Ealing, but must be other public courses that have a club attached

I looked at the nearest public one to me in Blackpool and you need to buy a 'course pass' as well as the handicap so cheapest works out at about £400 still I'll scout around though - that's the sort of thing I'm looking for!

 

[jimbob.someroo]

Worth looking at playmoregolf? or not need that many rounds James?

Not sure if they still do it but Trent Park (by Oakwood tube) used to do membership for £50 and then pay green fees on top

Don't really need the rounds matey. Just looked at Trent Park - that could be ideal as it's within my same county, so can still play things like County Champs and the knockouts etc! Great shout!

 

[Canary_Yellow]

Haste Hill, orikuros place is £110 if London works?

 

[spongebob59]

I’ve just joined the golf club attached to my local council run course. The membership doesn’t come with playing rights, so I’ll have to pay green fees, but the membership is £48 per annum.

Tonbridge is a long way from Ealing, but must be other public courses that have a club attached

Poult wood ?

 

[Canary_Yellow]

Poult wood ?

Yes - 5 mins from my house. Not a bad course, the bits in amongst the trees are nice

 

[fundy]

Don't really need the rounds matey. Just looked at Trent Park - that could be ideal as it's within my same county, so can still play things like County Champs and the knockouts etc! Great shout!

Just make sure you dont stay for the saturday night "club" night (assuming they still do them)

 

[spongebob59]

Yes - 5 mins from my house. Not a bad course, the bits in amongst the trees are nice

I worked in Hildenborough for a few years, we used to play there after work. Liked the 18th, nice closing hole.

 

[Canary_Yellow]

It's a good option if flexibility is required - the other local courses are all expensive if not playing every week.

 

[HeftyHacker]

I looked at the nearest public one to me in Blackpool and you need to buy a 'course pass' as well as the handicap so cheapest works out at about £400 still I'll scout around though - that's the sort of thing I'm looking for!

I think Blackpool Park GC do an affiliation membership nowadays. I think it's about 100 quid a year I think.

I only know as the person I recently bought my house off was looking to do it as work and family commitments meant he couldn't justify the full membership any more but still wanted to enter comps, keep his handicap etc

 

[PJ87]

Yes - 5 mins from my house. Not a bad course, the bits in amongst the trees are nice

Lovely course

Live in Essex but played so often as my uncle lives in pembury

Well run, and better winter tee boxes than most private member's courses

I miss playing it

 

[MrGrumtastic]

Orchardleigh near Bath is £1 for membership, with green fees on top.

 

[Mandofred]

I was assuming the poster was talking about yearly membership fees/unlimited playing.....about £1000 for us. Seen some within a hour or two that are several hundred cheaper.

 

[Canary_Yellow]

Lovely course

Live in Essex but played so often as my uncle lives in pembury

Well run, and better winter tee boxes than most private member's courses

I miss playing it

I've not come across a better run public course this side of the Scottish border! The par 3 course is great in the summer, really good fun. My oldest is nearly 5, I'm hoping he'll be old enough to walk a few holes with me next summer, he's really enjoying whacking balls at the driving range.

Some of the tree lined holes on the 18 hole course are really beautiful, I'm thinking 1st, 2nd, 9th and 10th in particular, with special mentions for the 16th, 17th and 18th. The bit down at the bottom where it's more open is a bit more bland. The greens can be a bit spongey at times, but that's not a massive problem.

It's ideal for me at the moment as I'm not able to play every week, so the flexibility of the membership with a £25 green fee is perfect, and I can play competitive golf every weekend if I want to, or equally can go and play with friends that are members elsewhere without feeling like I'm wasting my membership.

 

[PJ87]

I've not come across a better run public course this side of the Scottish border! The par 3 course is great in the summer, really good fun. My oldest is nearly 5, I'm hoping he'll be old enough to walk a few holes with me next summer, he's really enjoying whacking balls at the driving range.

Some of the tree lined holes on the 18 hole course are really beautiful, I'm thinking 1st, 2nd, 9th and 10th in particular, with special mentions for the 16th, 17th and 18th. The bit down at the bottom where it's more open is a bit more bland. The greens can be a bit spongey at times, but that's not a massive problem.

It's ideal for me at the moment as I'm not able to play every week, so the flexibility of the membership with a £25 green fee is perfect, and I can play competitive golf every weekend if I want to, or equally can go and play with friends that are members elsewhere without feeling like I'm wasting my membership.

The 18th is a card wrecker!! Love 17th is it still perm off winter tees ?

Best run council course I have ever seen

Used to pay £10 student rate when I was doing online course lol was great

Many a family meal held in the resturant over the years

 

[Canary_Yellow]

The 18th is a card wrecker!! Love 17th is it still perm off winter tees ?

Best run council course I have ever seen

Used to pay £10 student rate when I was doing online course lol was great

Many a family meal held in the resturant over the years

It's not permanently off winter tees, but because of the tree cover, it's the first one that is as it just doesn't dry out and they struggle with grass growth at the best of times.

The restaurant / bar area is nice, good fun having a beer and watching cards being wrecked up the 18th!

 

[PJ87]

It's not permanently off winter tees, but because of the tree cover, it's the first one that is as it just doesn't dry out and they struggle with grass growth at the best of times.

The restaurant / bar area is nice, good fun having a beer and watching cards being wrecked up the 18th!

It seemed to always be when we played because of what u just said due to the trees lol ironically it made it a lot harder hole!

My dad and uncle used to play every Monday but dad's knees given up and uncles health has gone so sadly it's a distant memory now

 

[spongebob59]

17, is that the short par 3.
Must go back for a game some time.