How many of you gave up?

[bobmac]

Your dad played golf and took you down to the range/club when you were a kid for a bash. You quite liked it and played junior golf for a few years.

Then you discovered wine, (wo)men and work and gave it up.

25 years later, your kids are leaving home and you're too damaged to play football anymore so you take up golf again.
Does that sound familiar?

If so, the future of golf is not the youth of today (unless you can keep them away from the bar and the opposite thingy), it's with the 30-40 age bracket. They are our future seniors.
So does your club do enough to attract them.

If you dont know, try this..............
Go onto your club's website and see how many photos there are showing the under 40's using your clubhouse/course. And are there any incentives/cheap memberships etc to attract this age group back to golf or does all the effort and money go to the juniors.

While I totally agree on encouraging juniors to take up golf, clubs must accept they also need to encourage the upwardly mobile 30-40s back to golf.

 

[patricks148]

Your dad played golf and took you down to the range/club when you were a kid for a bash. You quite liked it and played junior golf for a few years.

Then you discovered wine, (wo)men and work and gave it up.

25 years later, your kids are leaving home and you're too damaged to play football anymore so you take up golf again.
Does that sound familiar?

If so, the future of golf is not the youth of today (unless you can keep them away from the bar and the opposite thingy), it's with the 30-40 age bracket. They are our future seniors.
So does your club do enough to attract them.

If you dont know, try this..............
Go onto your club's website and see how many photos there are showing the under 40's using your clubhouse/course. And are there any incentives/cheap memberships etc to attract this age group back to golf or does all the effort and money go to the juniors.

While I totally agree on encouraging juniors to take up golf, clubs must accept they also need to target the upwardly mobile 30-40s back to golf.

totally agree with you bob

 

[Tongo]

I played my first round at 19 and have played consistently ever since, the longest break probably about 6 months. However, I am likely to be in the minority here!

 

[daymond]

You've hit the nail on the head Bob. Well it sums up my golfing history anyway.

My son in law has just joined his first club at 42 on a flexi. membership at, I think, £150 per annum and £10 per round. Not only that but he gets a Counties card so he can carry on playing other courses at reduced rates. And he can get a proper handicap and not the guestimated one 'off 8'

 

[ger147]

Your dad played golf and took you down to the range/club when you were a kid for a bash. You quite liked it and played junior golf for a few years.

Then you discovered wine, (wo)men and work and gave it up.

25 years later, your kids are leaving home and you're too damaged to play football anymore so you take up golf again.
Does that sound familiar?

If so, the future of golf is not the youth of today (unless you can keep them away from the bar and the opposite thingy), it's with the 30-40 age bracket. They are our future seniors.
So does your club do enough to attract them.

If you dont know, try this..............
Go onto your club's website and see how many photos there are showing the under 40's using your clubhouse/course. And are there any incentives/cheap memberships etc to attract this age group back to golf or does all the effort and money go to the juniors.

While I totally agree on encouraging juniors to take up golf, clubs must accept they also need to target the upwardly mobile 30-40s back to golf.

As I approach my 44th birthday, I was that very person some 4 years ago. I had already done the first 2 parts of the jigsaw for the golf clubs closest to me i.e. 1) I had decided to get back into golf and 2) I had decided I wanted to join a golf club.

I won't go into endless details about the various discussions I had with various golf clubs, but suffice to say on average, the local golf clubs seemed to be doing everything in their power to persuade me to reverse decisions 1 and 2 and go find something else to do with my time/money.

No co-incidence then that 4 years later and halfway through the 3rd year of membership at my current club, I have volunteered to help on the marketing committee to try and give the 20+ year members of the club on the committee a sneaky peak at how they appear from someone on the outside looking in.

 

[Bazzatron]

Totally agree, only now at the age of 32 can I afford to have a golf membership. 10 years ago I would've had no way of being able to pay it.

 

[Rooter]

Bob you have described me and my mates perfectly, I am now 36. Took membership at a club for the first time ever 2 years ago. To be fair, my club has a decent group of lads in the late teens early twenties, but as you say, the majority is an ever dwindling number of over 65's.

The club are always looking for new ways, and in fact thats why i joined. I am on what they call an associate membership. Full handicap and club use etc, but limited to 20 rounds a year, then discounted green fees after that. Its over half the price of full membership and the only way i could justify joining.

EDIT: I would argue however that i had much more disposable income ten years ago than i do now!!

 

[Keeno]

I agree with what your saying Bob!

I always played football growing up, wth the odd game of golf in the summer months. Was never a member anywhere but when I was 20-22 I was lucky enough to have access to a corporate membership and played about 10 times a year.

Then my Mrs fell pregnant and I never hit a ball in close to 10 years.

Chucked football and my mate convinced to get back into golf as he was looking to take it up.

Joined a 9 holer in 2011, best thing I ever done, then left end of 2012 to join my current course. Loved every minute.

I now have a grown up daughter and 9 month old twins. My wife works saturdays and so far this year I have struggled to get games in.

Sadly I may have to reassess my golf come the end of the current season,,,,, there may not be enough hours in the day to justify it! Sadly.

 

[StrangelyBrown]

While I totally agree on encouraging juniors to take up golf, clubs must accept they also need to encourage the upwardly mobile 30-40s back to golf.

Wholeheartedly agree, Bob :thup:

 

[Mastercracker]

More or less my story.

Started at 11, played until 15 then packed up and didn't hit a ball until 21. From 21 to 25 I probably played twice a year at most. Got back into it at 26 but couldn't afford to join a club until I was 29 last year. Lots of clubs round here have reduced rates but the vast majority stop at 25 and rates are on the high side round here as it is.

Juniors aside, there is virtually nobody under 40 at my club.

 

[bobmac]

.

Juniors aside, there is virtually nobody under 40 at my club.

And there lies the problem at a lot of courses.

The coffin dodg.....I mean The Committee would rather have 2 new members a year paying the full joining fee and full membership than 10-15 new members paying no joining fee with half price membership till they are, say, 40.
I am glad to see that some are giving discounted membership to some age groups

 

[Deleted member 1147]

I joined my first club aged 10 or 11, gave up playing regularly at 18 (handicap 10), left the club aged 21.
I joined a new club aged 24 and am now at another club aged 35 (handicap 5).

I wasn't one of those that practiced and let golf run my life, like some of my mates did. As such the wine, women & song interfered with golf too much.
I now play more than ever and I even practice (just started that this season as we have a big practice area).

I agree, clubs need to attract 30-35 yr olds with incentives to get back into the game. Most places with reduced rates have them for under 25's, but ignore the slightly older members in the mid-am age group.

 

[Jimaroid]

Yep, very familiar to me too. I didn't touch a club between the ages of 18 to 35 and I'm just about to turn 39. The reasons why are numerous but all simply varying issues to do with work, time, money, girls and booze.

I've joked about this before but if a club really wanted to attract 20 - 30 year old men they'd make a good start by attracting 20 - 30 year old women.

 

[patricks148]

Yep, very familiar to me too. I didn't touch a club between the ages of 18 to 35 and I'm just about to turn 39. The reasons why are numerous but all simply varying issues to do with work, time, money, girls and booze.

I've joked about this before but if a club really wanted to attract 20 - 30 year old men they'd make a good start by attracting 20 - 30 year old women.

that gets my vote

 

[Kellfire]

I picked cricket over golf in my teens and then fell away from that around the age of 20. I didn't get into golf for years after that and looking back I wish I'd just picked golf from the start.

 

[StrangelyBrown]

I am glad to see that some are giving discounted membership to some age groups

They started doing that at my gaff, just after I had turned 31 so missing out on the discounts. I had been a member for 5 years at that point, so probably cost me a grand in extra fees :angry:

 

[Craigg]

Bit of a bigger gap for me. Started playing at 16. Gave up at 22. Wife, kids mortgage etc. Now at the tender age of 48, I have returned and am keener than ever, and still putting the same pressure on myself to improve as I always did when I was younger. It's all downhill from here I'm afraid! !

 

[Piece]

I only started golf when I was 15 as my mates did it. My Dad wasn't into it at all.

Apart from 2 years in the 1980s, I've always been a nomad. In the last few years, some mates have become full-time members, but not all, including me. I hear what you're saying - it's too expensive all-in and I'd would probably join a club if no joining fee and reduced/part-time/associate membership if it was available. My local club (Hindhead) doesn't need to attract 'my type' so no discount anywhere really.

 

[Robobum]

I was looking through my county website a while back and it completely did my head in.

Applications were being invited for county coaching - which is funded, at least partly, by my county fees. The criteria excluded me - focused entirely on juniors with the loose premise of being (potentially) good enough to represent the county.

It bugged me enough for me to write to the county sec and point out that there is a huge gap between juniors and seniors and asked whether any thought was given to a mid am? Especially with that groups growing popularity with the mid am tour.

It's gone to the championship committee and I await a reply.

 

[drew83]

Out of our group this is the similar story. Played at a younger age, other "interests" took over, now with a bit more time & money to spare it's back to golf.

However, we have all agreed that membership at a single club could/would get a little boring. Same course over & over. We are in the band of pay & play.

One suggestion (IMHO) , if there was ever the option to sign up to say a county membership & get a deal across a number of clubs, this would be of interest. (maybe 3 or 4 clubs) just to add that variety.