How many members?

[Canfordhacker]

Moving this week from a club that has two 18 hole and one 9 hole course, which has always meant that despite high membership numbers you could get a game whenever. Moving to a club with a single 18 hole course - intrigued to know on average how many members that can support without becoming overly busy. Obviously influenced by the desire to invite societies to make some cash, and how active the membership is.

New club has 437 registered handicaps, with 31 away players as well. What's it like at your club?

 

[Ross61]

Just over 500. Weekends are busy but if you book a week in advance is ok. Weekdays are normally OK to turn up and play unless a society are booked and 2 mornings a week for the seniors.

 

[Essex_Stu]

400ish. Never an issue getting a game. Couple of local clubs have 600+ and there is usually a queue on Saturday's for the 1at tee.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Have 600 members - course is busy at weekends but people find a time quite easily.

 

[Bazz]

300ish at ours, have absolutely no problem getting out.

 

[Carpfather1]

Im not sure on exact numbers but the course is always busy it's a fair size club ,the course is booked out for members only from 7am-2.30pm every Saturday for the club competion but gets busy on a Sunday with General public members ect

 

[Pearbo]

I'm sure the pro said we have 760 at ours, god only knows when they play though, if you go after dinner at the weekend as a pair we can whip round in less than 3 1\4 hours (depending on how much time I spend in the trees) on an evening in the summer you sometimes don't see anyone else when i played as a non member, there are normally around 50-60 entering the medal and stableford through the winter at a weekend, haven't had a summer as a member there yet but I hope more people play. Though I'll probably never repeat my maiden medal victory so guessing a bigger pot isn't really something I need to worry about.....


Edit. And we don't have a tee booking system, only for comps

 

[upsidedown]

650 at mine. Sat and Sun mornings very busy but millionaires golf after 3pm on Summer Sundays

 

[ArnoldArmChewer]

I think we have 550 playing members, Saturday mornings can I believe get busy but you just need to choose when you want to play trying to avoid the well known busy period(s). Otherwise never an issue getting off.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

500 ish. Apparently we're not far off full membership. Most know when the peak times and roll ups are, and the comps are published well in advance so it works well even without booked times

 

[brendy]

1000 members give or take and a fairly cramped 6400 yard 18 holer.

 

[Capella]

I was surprised to learn how few members some of the British clubs have. In Germany there is a ruling that a club can have up to 700 members per nine holes. So a normal 18 hole course can have up to 1400 members. And many come close or even exceed that number, which is the main reason that many of those clubs decided to build an additional 9-hole course, allowing them to take more members.

My club has a bit over 1000 "active" members (for an 18-hole course), but only a small amount of them play regularly all year round. My guess is that about 300 - 400 show up on a regular basis, even fewer in the winter months. On a beautiful day on a summer weekend it can get a little crowded, because that's when the remaining 600 people suddenly remember that they pay 1400 € a year in membership fees and should get out and play at least once in a while, but normally it still works out okay. No pre-booked tee times either (except for comps), you just show up on the first tee, preferably join up with other waiting players to form a threeball or fourball (duos and single players are allowed only if no one is waiting) and wait your turn. Beginners are encouraged to play at less crowded times, like on weekends or the afternoon on weekends and there should not be more than two beginners in a group.

 

[Fish]

700+ at mine, lots of movement currently going on in the area mainly due to the news of the hotel being built at The Warwickshire, this has caused an exodus of members leaving there and all clubs in the area are picking up decent numbers of new members, which in turn is causing some existing members from those said clubs to move because they feel they are/were already full, it's al happening around here currently.

 

[mikejohnchapman]

As an ex Canford member you will understand the issue of societies at the weekend. We have 300+ members but the resort nature of the club means it gets very busy after mid mornings most weekends.

 

[Dave1980]

We have around 450 members with no pre booked tee times except comps. Generally never wait more than 10 minutes on the first tee at weekends.

 

[2blue]

We are a Pay& Play with 300 members & BRS booking system for guests and visitors. Have a lot of societies & corporate groups but there are various times blocked for different members sections so all goes together pretty well. There's 70 or so on aSat Comp & 20 to 30 on a Sun.
Being retired I can pick & choose my playing times to avoid potential problems of slow play etc. unfortunately this does not apply when playing against a visiting pairs & you have to take a tee time that's mixed in with inexperienced society groups or 'wiz-kids' in buggies. Does the head in of those from our N Leeds Private Members Clubs....... 'head done in' almost happened once when they were about to accost one of the Leeds Rinos team who, admittedly are not really golfers, but have a negotiated 'recreational access' to the course..... & I interviened...... thinking in retrospect I should have taken the easy bye.... as they were a pair of to££ers