Joining a Golf Club

[USER1999]

Mainly the weather. Cold and wet. Swampy ground is harder to hit off. Frosty greens are impossible to play on, if allowed. If not, tempoary greens, which are circles cut in the rough with a big hole in them. Swinging wearing 4 jumpers is never easy either.

 

[Steve79]

I like the par 3 with the water on the left side of the green

you can lose a ball there though

 

[MattCarter]

I like the par 3 with the water on the left side of the green

you can lose a ball there though

Didnt tho so made it even better.

 

[znuffzz]

I'd recommend waiting til next year... winter golf can be soul-destroying!

ok I’m not sure what to expect with winter golf. I know this is a stupid question but what changes in the winter i know some places have winter tees and some won’t allow trolleys on the course. but don’t know when this all starts and if there is any other changes.

prefered lie rules

 

[viscount17]

Hello everyone my first post, the above is the best piece of advice you can give to a new golfer.
I have just finished my first year playing, my game is getting better but my handicap worse.
When i joined my club i was asked to hand in 3 cards off yellows, which i did and was given a handicap of 21(best round 92).
In comps i haven't come close to this, my best round 98 its been soul destroying with my +0.1 every sunday.
For not a big hitter, on a cliff top the white tees are a nightmare.

freshcat, you aren't thinking the right way.
this is what happens to many if not most new golfers, primarily because you forget that you aren't supposed to be playing to your handicap all the time, about one in four of all rounds. add to that playing in a comp and off the mystical *whites* for the first time and it's no surprise that things will go wrong, they will continue to do so throughout your golfing career.

just remember that while you go up 0.1 you will come down 0.4, and quite likely that your first cut will be a biggie. you will of course immediately start going back up. your handicap never will be a straight line from 21 to 0 but will have more bumps than Woodhall has bunkers.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I'd recommend joining the club asap and getting the cards in. My club holds a small social evening once every 6-8 weeks so all the new members can meet up and get to know each other along with the captain, vice, pro and members of the board. Our club has a number of greedies or roll ups at weekends which are a great way of getting to meet the regulars. Once you get the handicap our competitions are drawn so you don't have to worry about breaking into any cliques to get a competitive game.

I agree that winter golf is an acquired taste but providing you can accept the need for temporary greens from time to time especially when its frozen and that you will get bad lies and heavy contacts then make the most of it

 

[beatle]

My club has 2 tee times reserved on Saturday mornings for the captain or h/c secretary to go round with new members to get their cards signed, its a great way to get intergrated into the club and meet other members new and old.

That is a really great idea.

 

[Golfmmad]

I'd recommend waiting til next year... winter golf can be soul-destroying!

ok I’m not sure what to expect with winter golf. I know this is a stupid question but what changes in the winter i know some places have winter tees and some won’t allow trolleys on the course. but don’t know when this all starts and if there is any other changes.

Winter golf makes Summer golf all the more enjoyable!!

Golfmmad.

 

[Evesdad]

I played my first round at new club on my own, blessing in disguise as I played like I had never pocked a club up before. The weather didn't help rained all night and started again during round do ground was very heavy just could get anything airborne!

 

[mungo]

Good thread this, was going to ask similar question myself, although only just managing to break 120 so still work to be done

to add, if I may.
Does anyone find themselves getting bored playing the same course week in week out, I have a lovely club on my doorstep and aspire to become a member one day (40th B-day treat maybe) but always wonder if members of clubs feel because of the yearly subs they pay, they begrudge paying to play elswhere ?

 

[rickg]

Does anyone find themselves getting bored playing the same course week in week out,

Never...... Every time I step onto the tee, I feel like this round is going to be the one.....the perfect round.
Only manged a level par round once and even that have 5 bogies in it (and 5 birdies).

The lure of beating the course keeps it fresh for me.......I WILL have a bogy free round one day!!!

 

[USER1999]

The key to that is to a/ join a course that is a really nice one, b/ one that isn't too easy, and c/ play with different people. Golf is often as much about the company as the game itself. I play other courses about 15 times a year, but am always happy to go back to my home course. It is such a nice place to be.

 

[bobmac]

I WILL have a bogy free round one day!!!

I remember my first, it was in a medal too.
Won nothing

 

[chrisd]

Does anyone find themselves getting bored playing the same course week in week out,

No, not at all. The course is different everytime I play it as the weather is rarely the same 2 games running. My game is the same - variable! The seasons also bring various changes. Also being a member makes my two rounds a week cost under £9 a round which is good, in Kent, for a really testing course.


Chris

 

[funkyfred]

Does anyone find themselves getting bored playing the same course week in week out,

Never...... Every time I step onto the tee, I feel like this round is going to be the one.....the perfect round.
Only manged a level par round once and even that have 5 bogies in it (and 5 birdies).

The lure of beating the course keeps it fresh for me.......I WILL have a bogy free round one day!!!

The key to that is to a/ join a course that is a really nice one, b/ one that isn't too easy, and c/ play with different people. Golf is often as much about the company as the game itself. I play other courses about 15 times a year, but am always happy to go back to my home course. It is such a nice place to be.

I had similar worries when i joined my first club 18 months ago. I was a bit of a nomad and played (not often) on courses reasonably close to me.

Joining a club was one of the best decisions I have made for many years. Absolutely enjoy it everytime i go and play, I have meet some really nice people and i enjoy the competitions.

A friend ask me the same question a few weeks ago, ''dont you get bored playing the same course every week'' my responce was, No as I'm never in the same place. He has since then joined a club on some short membership scheme. He will soon get the bug.

 

[mungo]

Golf is often as much about the company as the game itself

Guess your right, I have only played 6 full rounds and in my short golfing history ( all different course's ) but have played the same 9 hole course quite a bit over the last two years, and the banter between my 3 golfing mate is always better when we re-visit the 9 hole course as we continually reminisce old duff shots and have past score cards to compare.

Think I have just answered my own question

 

[MashieNiblick]

Does anyone find themselves getting bored playing the same course week in week out

No not really. I've been a member at my place for 25 years and always find it a challenge. There is a good variety of holes and each one is a different challenge. There are even some greens which I still haven't worked out. As others have said the course plays differently depending on the weather, my game, which tees are used etc.

I think you do need to think about whether a particular course has enough to interest you playing it every week for many years. Maybe it won't if it has a lot of wide open up and down 350 yrd par 4's with big flat greens.

Mungo, I see your're in Nottingham. I haven't played in Notts but my brother (non-golfer ) lives up there and I did some research on the local courses, in case I got a chance to play on a visit. Looks like there's some great ones up there so I imagine you could find somewhere that will maintain your interest.

 

[MattCarter]

Been looking around at the clubs near where I'm going to move to and was wondering if anyone knew anything about them.

Moving to witham essex but are looking around the chelmsford area.

Have looked at and played Hyland Golf Complex which was a nice course rough was really hard to play out of tho and i saw alot of it.

But was just wondering if anyone knew of any others or best place to find out about them.

 

[The_LHC]

Been looking around at the clubs near where I'm going to move to and was wondering if anyone knew anything about them.

Moving to witham essex but are looking around the chelmsford area.

Have looked at and played Hyland Golf Complex which was a nice course rough was really hard to play out of tho and i saw alot of it.

But was just wondering if anyone knew of any others or best place to find out about them.

I used to play a lot round there, you could try the 9-hole course at Channels, that's not too long but there's some challenging holes there, especially for the beginner, not sure how much it costs now though, my Dad reckoned it was getting a bit pricey recently. I think it'll get very boggy this time of year though

Otherwise there's Bunsey Downs in Danbury, not a bad 9 hole course again, the greens were like lightning last time I was there, they've also got a very good par 3 course there built in an old gravel quarry and that's pretty tough. Go at the right times and it'll only cost you a tenner as well (that's what my Dad and I paid for 18 holes on a Saturday a few weeks back). It's part of the Warren Club's complex, so it's in pretty reasonable nick as well for a public course, it does get busy though.

You could also try Regiment Way, which is not far from Channels, I've never liked it much though, but for a beginner I shouldn't think it'll make much difference and I haven't played it for some time, so it may have improved since then, they've got a reasonable driving range there though.

 

[MattCarter]

enquired about channels but it was a bit too expensive. I’m not sure what a good price for a membership is i was thinking around the £650 mark? Is this a normal price

I have found a few around this price.