Its actually a very hard decision now

[medwayjon]

But just getting ready to join a club again as of January.

The club I wanted to join, is lovely with a good course. However one box that I need ticked is being able to pack-up work in the spring/summer at 5 and head down for 18. I did a couple of trial-runs for this club (any excuse to go to the lovely pub in the village) and with the traffic, had 30-mins and 25-mins respectively which is a real deterrent for me actually.

My old club, which as some may know I had a fair deal of issues with the first time around, is 5-mins from work and home even at peak traffic time. The issues I previously had are said to have improved considerably nowadays, which does have an effect of pulling me back towards there.

The only negative is, if I am unhappy, I am stuck for a year.

Its really a case of taking a punt I think.

 

[thepodgster]

Or get a locker and commute by bicycle keeping clothing in a back pack

Resulting in healthier lifestyle, less carbon footprint and most of all over a 30 minute journey in peak time you'll be there before anyone in a car.

 

[medwayjon]

Or get a locker and commute by bicycle keeping clothing in a back pack

Resulting in healthier lifestyle, less carbon footprint and most of all over a 30 minute journey in peak time you'll be there before anyone in a car.

The problem there, is that it would take about 8hrs to cycle home up a hill that Wiggins would have nightmares about!

 

[thepodgster]

you live at the bottom of Alpe D'Huez or Mont Ventoux?????

You'll get used to the hill and it will become easier and easier every time

 

[Stegsie]

It's a tough one. To be honest I am in a similar predicament. For me, however, the course that is closest has won (at least for another year!)

I want to push hard to get my HC down so to me consistency and routine are the number one factor for that. With the current course being 5 mins away I can commit to getting there every weekend and a few times during the week (in the summer at least) The thought of a 40 minute commute each time put the dampeners on a change of club for me as I know that would only end up stressing me out.

 

[CMAC]

25 mins to get to a course you say you love and want to join! no brainer

 

[Foxholer]

25 mins to get to a course you say you love and want to join! no brainer

My thoughts too.

Twice the time would be different - and somewhat spoilt by the proximity of the current club. What are the negatives of the current club that make you consider other clubs? If there are none, then maybe that's different too!

 

[El Bandito]

Sneak out of work 15 minutes early:thup:

 

[medwayjon]

Sneak out of work 15 minutes early:thup:

Not always that easy self-employed, I do like a pound!

 

[Beezerk]

My course is anything from 15 to 30 minutes depending on traffic/
To be honest I don't mind it, I'd much rather play there than join a club which is closer but a poorer course.

 

[medwayjon]

Nothing wrong with the course at the place closer to me.

The issues related to difficulty in getting a game (very cliquey club at the time) and competitions being arranged in a way that always benefited the same old established cliques who have 4-balled for the last 30-years who happenned to be retired and on the committee.

These issues have been addressed to some extent now and the club has modernised. They lost many of their better golfers to other clubs, and there was a decline in membership levels. Basically they acted.

Of course the only way to really know if things are better is to try it, although the few members I know say it is.

 

[CMAC]

My course is anything from 15 to 30 minutes depending on traffic/
To be honest I don't mind it, I'd much rather play there than join a club which is closer but a poorer course.

I spent over an hour each way to belong to a fantastic club with 3 outstanding courses, worth it when you play but a pita for travel

 

[Junior]

Nothing wrong with the course at the place closer to me.

The issues related to difficulty in getting a game (very cliquey club at the time) and competitions being arranged in a way that always benefited the same old established cliques who have 4-balled for the last 30-years who happenned to be retired and on the committee.

These issues have been addressed to some extent now and the club has modernised. They lost many of their better golfers to other clubs, and there was a decline in membership levels. Basically they acted.

Of course the only way to really know if things are better is to try it, although the few members I know say it is.

If you enjoy both courses the same and one does not stand out as clearly better than the other, i'd join the closest one and give it another go. Seems to me from your post that they have bucked their idea's up !

 

[ScienceBoy]

I chose convenience over quality, in hindsight I could have gone to somewhere else and had more of a quality fun but I ended up playing a lot more golf which is just fun in itself.

The question for me was "Do I want to play golf" or "Do I want to play GOLF!"...

I chose the former in the end as it was also much cheaper.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I would travel to the furthest club. You'll still get 9-14 holes even with nightmare traffic and a full 18 on a clear run. You clearly still have concerns about your old club. Go to the other one, give it a year and let your former club move forward and reassess again