Deal breakers ?

G1z1

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So I’m am currently looking for a new club to join and yesterday I took a drive to 4 and enquired about joining. Playing them over the next 2 weeks to see what one I like best but I noticed one of them say in winter it’s play off a mat at all times even from the ruff. I am the sort of person who even if I’m bang in the middle of the fairway in winter I would rather kick my ball to the ruff than use a mat. So I’m pretty sure this will be a deal breakers for me unless this course is the best I’ve ever seen.
Got me thinking what would be a deal breaker for you to not join a club ?
 

timd77

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I’m looking for a new club to join, aside from the obvious course condition, layout, challenge etc, the main thing I want to make sure of is that weekend early to mid morning tee times aren’t a closed shop for established groups. Preference would be to be able to book in with other groups in free slots so that I can meet the other members.
 

Slab

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No cider behind the bar
Anything set higher than a token joining fee
Jacket and tie in evening
Waterlogged course
 

patricks148

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So I’m am currently looking for a new club to join and yesterday I took a drive to 4 and enquired about joining. Playing them over the next 2 weeks to see what one I like best but I noticed one of them say in winter it’s play off a mat at all times even from the ruff. I am the sort of person who even if I’m bang in the middle of the fairway in winter I would rather kick my ball to the ruff than use a mat. So I’m pretty sure this will be a deal breakers for me unless this course is the best I’ve ever seen.
Got me thinking what would be a deal breaker for you to not join a club ?
My club now does this too, it stops any confusion on what's rough our not and has resulted in the course being much better over the season. No confusion on the use of a mat. It's not the end of the world.

For me it's course condition
 

Boomy

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My club now does this too, it stops any confusion on what's rough our not and has resulted in the course being much better over the season. No confusion on the use of a mat. It's not the end of the world.

For me it's course condition

100% agree. It’s worth a little sacrifice of playing off mats through winter to get the rewards through the rest of the year. We are mats on fairways only, a few of us have fed back it should be first cut as well 1. To save confusion and 2. Extra protection for the course.
 

Lord Tyrion

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Jacket & tie in the clubhouse

Constant winter greens. One club I was at had all 18 for a spell one winter. It was pointless playing when that happened. The odd few is fine, but all 18 o_O. I left.

No booking system. Been down the turn up and play route, no more thank you.
 

Lord Tyrion

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We have a pro at my place who has to be the most non social person I’ve ever met @Cathkinbraes
A club I used to be at, hotel course, had a pro who was as miserable as could be. I took it as a challenge to get a conversation out of him, a smile even. I would go in beeming, as cheerful as anyone could be. I never got a smile but by the end of yr 2 I got him to speak. It used to make me laugh in the end, the daftness of it.

Why go into that job if you have no social skills?
 

phillarrow

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Condition of the greens - even more than the general condition of the fairways (although that matters too of course).
Ability to stay as open as possible all year round.
Less formal atmosphere - no jackets and ties in the clubhouse.
Free massages pre- and post-round? You did ask for what would be the deal breaker! ;)
 
D

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My club now does this too, it stops any confusion on what's rough our not and has resulted in the course being much better over the season. No confusion on the use of a mat. It's not the end of the world.

For me it's course condition
Really wish we would move to mats in winter, those that use them have far better courses in the summer imo.
 
D

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I'd like to say that jacket and tie was a deal breaker, but if I moved down to say Deal and got offered to become a member at Royal Cinque Ports, I'd probably not say no in the end anyway.

Only thing I know 100% would be a deal breaker would be if there was no booking system, unless it's widely known that the club is a known for millionaire's golf at all times. But on the other hand, if it was, I probably wouldn't be able to afford membership there anyway. So yes, no booking system = big no no.
 

BubbaP

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Interesting that a few are in favour of a booking system, I detest them as people book weeks in advance without knowing if they are actually going to play and if they don’t they rarely cancel! It boils my p155! ?
Perhaps you are mistaking a well run booking sytem with the one you have experienced ?
(Which to be fair sounded pretty rubbish)
 
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