Golf Club Clique's

rudebhoy said:
It's two months since I joined my club as an Academy member (which is basically a 5 and a half-day membership for beginners with coaching thrown in.)

I generally play 4 times a week. 2 games are with a mate who joined at the same time, the other 2 are on my own. I've not had any encouragement from anyone at the club to do anything else, and have no idea what rollups exist, when they are, or whether I'd be welcome to join them.

I did ask the pro before Xmas to put me in touch with any other new members who might also be looking for someone to play with. He said he would, but nothing has happened.

I'd rate my experience since joining as 5/10. I am hooked on the game, really enjoy playing with my mate, don't mind playing on my own too much, but feel the club could have done a lot more to integrate me.
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Sounds tough, however IMO the onus is on you (as well) to integrate yourself.

Sign up for a couple of club matches (when the season comes around), make an effort to put yourself out there. You can't just expect the red carpet to be rolled out, new member or not.
 
I play with a set group on a Saturday and Sunday as their start time suits me. That probably makes me part of a clique. However I'm also happy to play with anyone as we have drawn comps (playing with two guys I've not played with this coming Saturday) and often play social golf comps with a large part of the club. To be honest I'm happy to play with anyone.

However I can see how cliques are an issue, especially for new members. My club works hard to ensure all the roll up groups are inclusive and open to new members to help them integrate which has been a successful iniative
 
Break90 said:
Sounds tough, however IMO the onus is on you (as well) to integrate yourself.

Sign up for a couple of club matches (when the season comes around), make an effort to put yourself out there. You can't just expect the red carpet to be rolled out, new member or not.
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But the club needs to have the opportunities. Take my club, only low handicap teams, no drawn comps, no weekend roll ups. Other than hanging around the putting green or first tee like some billy no mates what are you supposed to do. Then you watch everyone turn up in their long term groups with no room for one more. How do you integrate yourself into that
 
Break90 said:
Sounds tough, however IMO the onus is on you (as well) to integrate yourself.

Sign up for a couple of club matches (when the season comes around), make an effort to put yourself out there. You can't just expect the red carpet to be rolled out, new member or not.
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I have to agree with this.

When I joined our place I knew no-one and it was only by totally integrating in club life that I became "known". Along with other newbies we started to play together and go to socials etc. We are now a clique of sorts I suppose but that has developed from none of us knowing any of the others. We now go away together once a year for a golf holiday.

It was a gradual process but now three of us from within that group have been club captains too.

We do try and welcome new people as much as we can but it's a two way street and people cannot be spoon-fed and led by the nose for ever. They must also make the effort to integrate.
 
Not long ago I spent 2 hours on our practice area which is adjacent to the first tee area and watched probably 80% of the people going past as single players. I'm sure a lot of them would have liked a "proper" game but there doesn't seem to be any means of arranging games with people you don't know.
I once tried to join the roll ups but was told the Tuesday one is full, the Wednesday one is for seniors only and the Friday one you wouldn't want to join anyway. So apart from when I play with my mates on Sunday just play on my own during the week.
 
Foliage Finder said:
As a fairly new member, only 6/7 months really, I've yet to really get to know many other members at my club. I've played once or twice as I've been a single on the first tee behind a pair/three ball who have invited me along, but that's it really. The members who I have played with have indeed been very friendly and willing to make concessions for the fact that I am still new and perhaps haven't got the rules/etiquette nailed, never mind the fact that they would often have to watch a tee shot topped into a ditch/sliced into the woods. The bit of etiquette where you wait until the end to play your provisional was learnt very quickly....

Do I blame the members? No, but I'm guessing each club is different and will each have their members on either end of the spectrum. My main issue is that without a handicap, I can't really play in any comps, which is where I would probably meet many more people and actually have use for the bar (not much point going in on your own after a casual round when it's likely to be empty).

I feel that a new members evening would be a great idea though. Such a thing doesn't occur as far as I'm aware at my club, and it would have been tremendously helpful. I'd still go to one now if it were to happen.
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Domt worry mate we can form our own 2 man clique in April :) :thup:
 
trevor said:
Not long ago I spent 2 hours on our practice area which is adjacent to the first tee area and watched probably 80% of the people going past as single players. I'm sure a lot of them would have liked a "proper" game but there doesn't seem to be any means of arranging games with people you don't know.
I once tried to join the roll ups but was told the Tuesday one is full, the Wednesday one is for seniors only and the Friday one you wouldn't want to join anyway. So apart from when I play with my mates on Sunday just play on my own during the week.
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But why didn't those singletons you saw ask one another "Fancy a game?" That's what we did. It's hardly rocket science.

It's the same with forum meets. The forum is pretty much like a virtual golf club. I've been to two now and have made some good acquaintances as a result. I'm also going to several others this year too. No-one asked me to participate. I just did. Nobody bit me me or made me feel unwelcome when I did attend.

At the end of the day it's really encumbent on folks to make the effort if they want to be involved and be accepted as part of the collective.
 
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Many years ago when I joined my present club there were lots of cliques when it suited them.
But it's a different story when they were a body or two short of their sweep 4ball quota, then anyone's welcome.
But turn up as a newbie when they had their full 5or6, 4ball compliment , you had no chance.





Thankfully things have now changed, after a few of my subtle hints.:rofl:
 
Break90 said:
Sounds tough, however IMO the onus is on you (as well) to integrate yourself.

Sign up for a couple of club matches (when the season comes around), make an effort to put yourself out there. You can't just expect the red carpet to be rolled out, new member or not.
Click to expand...

Not looking for the red carpet treatment, just a bit disappointed with the lack of info/engagement. I have played with a couple members who have been on their own when I turned up, and have also invited solitary members to join me and my mate when we have been going out.

I can't get a handicap until November (one of the conditions of the Academy membership), so guess that rules me out club matches?

I have had a look around the locker room and the bar, but haven't seen any real evidence of anything I can put my name down for. I will have another word with the pro about how to get involved with anything suitable. I have got time on my hands, am mad keen to play, but would rather it was with other folk and not on my own.

Social-wise, there does not seem to be much going on other than the odd dinner-dance.
 
Not sure I would say the guys that make up our group would be classed as a clique but we tend to set our max handicap limit @ 3 just to help speed our games up and keep them competitive. Nothing worse than spending the day trolling through the woods etc looking for balls.
 
HankMarvin said:
Not sure I would say the guys that make up our group would be classed as a clique but we tend to set our max handicap limit @ 3 just to help speed our games up and keep them competitive. Nothing worse than spending the day trolling through the woods etc looking for balls.
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I like it!!
Dewsweeper
 
I took up golf two years ago in my late sixties and was fortunate to find a club that has senior roll ups twice a week and comps most weekends. I found the seniors friendly and the younger weekend golfers positively welcoming. There are also groups of social golfers that play together and that will always be the case.
 
HankMarvin said:
Not sure I would say the guys that make up our group would be classed as a clique but we tend to set our max handicap limit @ 3 just to help speed our games up and keep them competitive. Nothing worse than spending the day trolling through the woods etc looking for balls.
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Remember that Hank when your hc goes up and you're a just a Shadow of your old self .:ears: :rofl:.
 
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