Joining a club or not?

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I don't have any experience of being a member before, so thought I'd get some input before making a decision.

I regularly play with a core group of 3-4 others, but no one seems to be interested in joining a club. Since April this year, I've splashed out over £800 in green fees. With the winter coming, so are the new membership deals around my area, where you basically pay for 12 months, but get a 18 month membership.

I'm torn between "leaving" the group I regularly play and who are also mates outside of golf, but with the green fee's stacking up, the 18 months membership for 12 months pay is a really good deal for my wallet. The club also have a scheme with 3 other clubs, allowing you to play 4 rounds at each course included in the membership if you want to mix things up.

Have you found it easy to find new friends when joining a club?

Other pros v cons about joining a club?

Why doesn't my mates wanna join? 1: They don't play as much as I do. 2: They have commitment issues. To get any sort of decision made which goes beyond the regular weekend round at the regular course is near impossible.
 
I had the same problem years ago.
My brother and I played every week once a week (plus a couple of others occasionally) but I could not get him to see the sense in golf membership. I had put my name down for one anyway (3 year waiting lists back in those times).

I suppose the difference between him and me was the fact that I also played on other days.

Whether or not you find friends at a club very much depends on you and how much effort you put in to making them as well as the set up of a club. I got to know lots of players at the club by putting my name down a single player on the booking sheets and eventually found a few groups that I could just turn up on the day and ask for a game.

I never found it a problem but I have always been a very social guy completely willing to talk to strangers. I was talking to another ex member last week and asked him why he was no longer a member - his approximate answer was " he expected the club to make the introductions for him and completely change the booking procedures to suit".
 
For me the joy of joining a club is being able to play whenever you want, whether that be for 9 hole or 18. You will make new friends/playing partners at a club but you have to just get stuck in to do that. When I first joined I kind of kept myself to myself and just played at quieter times, eventually I got involved in comps and met lots of nice people and get a regular game every Saturday morning from it. Even when moving club I just continued with the comps and now have a regular invite to a game on Saturdays

The club will most likely have a deal where you can invite people to play at a reduced rate, so you can still play with your current group from time to time. Go for it I say, if it makes financial sense and will save you money then why not.
 
Garush34 said:
For me the joy of joining a club is being able to play whenever you want, whether that be for 9 hole or 18. You will make new friends/playing partners at a club but you have to just get stuck in to do that. When I first joined I kind of kept myself to myself and just played at quieter times, eventually I got involved in comps and met lots of nice people and get a regular game every Saturday morning from it. Even when moving club I just continued with the comps and now have a regular invite to a game on Saturdays

The club will most likely have a deal where you can invite people to play at a reduced rate, so you can still play with your current group from time to time. Go for it I say, if it makes financial sense and will save you money then why not.
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Pretty much this.
Can't think of too many people who regretted taking the plunge to join a club...
 
Ha. I posted the exact same thing back in 2010 and my mates had the same issues yours do.

This was the reason I joined this forum, in fact.

The consensus was that joining a club was the way to go as you could always play with your mates as and when. You get a proper handicap and get to play in medals and inter club comps etc.

If you're lucky and you join a friendly club you'll make new friends in no time.

The club I joined was very cliquey. Luckily I knew a number of members and was introduced to new people quickly. There were times when people didn't turn up and you were relying on people you didn't know to 'invite' you to play. Let's just say they weren't very accommodating, but that's a different thread.

I'd say that if you're joining anywhere a non-comp weekend roll-up is essential. Never had it at the club I joined and it would have made it so much easier for new people to get to know other members without the pressure of it being a proper competitive round.
 
Thanks all for the input!

Based on the replies, I think it's settled. I'll ask my mates once more, and if no response (most likely) I'll just go about it myself, join the club and put on a car salesman smile trying to get a few new golfing buddies.

My mates commitment issues was also the reason I joined this place, as I've tried a gaziljon times to get golf weekends outside our area sorted. I've checked tee times, hotels, planning of transport. The lot basically and presented it, serving all on a plate, simply asking for the commitment and payment. Same story every time - complete radio silence. All that post round talk over pints about how we "should" get away and try something new, and when someone sets everything up, nada.

Joined here about a week ago or so. Next month I'm playing 2 brilliant courses down in Kent, meeting new people. Great stuff.
 
Never joined a club just on my own, always with someone.

For me the best thing about being a member is the ability to play as much as I like and 'whenever' I like. Second best thing is getting a handicap so I can play at other courses.

I would in your situation ensure/ask if they run a social roll up to enable you to get to know some other members easily. My wife, mum and son have been to a number of these and they are a great mechanism.

Hope it all works out for you.(y)
 
Oh, perhaps there might even be someone here who is a member of the club I'm thinking about to join? Mill Hill Golf Club, London. Should you be a member there, please step forward. :)
 
Lilyhawk said:
Thanks all for the input!

Based on the replies, I think it's settled. I'll ask my mates once more, and if no response (most likely) I'll just go about it myself, join the club and put on a car salesman smile trying to get a few new golfing buddies.

My mates commitment issues was also the reason I joined this place, as I've tried a gaziljon times to get golf weekends outside our area sorted. I've checked tee times, hotels, planning of transport. The lot basically and presented it, serving all on a plate, simply asking for the commitment and payment. Same story every time - complete radio silence. All that post round talk over pints about how we "should" get away and try something new, and when someone sets everything up, nada.

Joined here about a week ago or so. Next month I'm playing 2 brilliant courses down in Kent, meeting new people. Great stuff.
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I see you are in Whetstone, which club(s) are you considering ?
 
ArnoldArmChewer said:
Doh !!!! missed your last post, I have never played Mill Hill but hear its a good club/course. I am only 20 mins up the road, PM me if you fancy a game.
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I've only played it once a couple of weeks ago but the course was great. Quite a few challenging holes and superb greens! Let's hope the state of the course wasn't a one-off thing, but I doubt it!

I sure will!
 
It sounds like you are well past the tipping point whereby joining a club makes sense.

Probably it will cost you more, but you will have more opportunity to play more.

Joining the right club is tricky and hopefully you get a feel for a place by being in contact with them and spending a bit of time there before making a decision.

Clubs obviously range from cheap places who let anyone join to high end exclusive places that even just having the cash may not result in a successful application.
Try and join one that suits your demographic and you are more likely to find like minded golfers to play with. Goes without saying that enjoying the course is important.

It can be daunting to drop £1,000 or more on a golf club when you don't know anyone. But obviously you don't really know until you bite the bullet.
 
Last time I joined anywhere I was a junior so had a whole support network at the club which was amazing.

I'm now back at square as one as on 1st December were relocating to Lincolnshire and I'm looking to join a club again so have similar issue to you except I won't even have pals to have a game with here and there. But from how I've been welcomed on here by people both local to that area and from all over I reckon that's proved golfers as a whole are a welcoming bunch and am looking forward to joining somewhere meeting new people and getting back into the social fold.
 
Depending on your green fees per round and how often you play, tot up how much it would cost you in fees over that 18 month period, if the fees are more than the membership, get the membership.

Other benefits are, you will be able to play when you like and depending on how many guests you can sign in, you'll still be able to play with your mates and they'll enjoy cheaper fees to boot.
 
Grant85 said:
It sounds like you are well past the tipping point whereby joining a club makes sense.

Probably it will cost you more, but you will have more opportunity to play more.

Joining the right club is tricky and hopefully you get a feel for a place by being in contact with them and spending a bit of time there before making a decision.

Clubs obviously range from cheap places who let anyone join to high end exclusive places that even just having the cash may not result in a successful application.
Try and join one that suits your demographic and you are more likely to find like minded golfers to play with. Goes without saying that enjoying the course is important.

It can be daunting to drop £1,000 or more on a golf club when you don't know anyone. But obviously you don't really know until you bite the bullet.
Click to expand...

I've paid around £1,000 for a Spurs season ticket, so I know all about the daunting feeling, as well as the disappointments that comes with it... :)
 
Last year I bit the bullet and joined and im glad I did, none of my friends were interested in joining for varied reasons but now that I'm a member I can play when I want, have a hc, played in some medals and I'm loving it plus its a saving, if I paid and played as a single the amount of times iv played as a member it would be double my green fees, once you join your friends will more likely join to
 
I played with a bunch of mates for about 10-15 years. Just every now & again. I enjoyed it but I wanted to play more, and to get a proper handicap. So i joined a club. It was dead easy to get involved, and dead easy to find a group of guys tp play with. (Ok l dare say one or two clubs may be cliquey, but i suspect the majority are more like mine). Never regretted it. And, i never felt I'd abandoned my mates, and indeed, still play with them pretty much as much as l used to.
 
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