Mega Meet 2013??

I think you are approaching this in the wrong manner. It would be better to find out who is interested in meeting and if they are prepared to stay overnight then pick somewhere central to the majority once you know who is interested.
 
I think you are approaching this in the wrong manner. It would be better to find out who is interested in meeting and if they are prepared to stay overnight then pick somewhere central to the majority once you know who is interested.

You will have 200 interested, that will then whittle down to 100 once the venue is picked, will probably end up with 40-50 once money is asked for. That's before call offs for stag nights, weddings,holidays,barmitzvahs etc.
 
I think we are looking at a mega meet, again in isolation. The biggest talking point is always location. I think this needs to be looked at over a 3-5 year period. It is like discussing where the open should be.

I don't think it is fair to have it in the Midlands/M62 corridor every year, just because it is the most central location be it England/mainland Britain.It should be moved around, maybe one year central Scotland, North West, North east/Yorkshire, Midlands and the South. Some years we may have a 10 minute drive, a 3 hour drive and some a six hour drive. It is up to people if they want to go or not. Maybe every 6th year we could go to Ireland/Northern Ireland or even Wales.

I think the main attraction/decision is "is it worth it"? That is why we need to build 2-3 rounds as a meet. I think the Hillside meet (which was good) was slightly detracted as we never had a big night out, and a game the day before or the next day, which was a shame considering the other courses nearby, as well as a big night out in Liverpool/Southport being an option. However, Mike/GM are busy people so probably don't have the time to sort everything out. Maybe once a meet is arranged a local committe of 2-3 "locals" in conjunction with GM can put flesh on the bones of the one round. I'm sure we would not be short of volunteers.

If you can get 60 to go to Castle Stuart, we have hope, and I'm guessing the reason why is that there were other courses added to the weekend. Hillside would have maybe got another 20 from far flung places, if say Formby, Birkdale, S and A would have also been included.

Wise words LB, pretty much sums it up.
I Suppose it's hard to gauge what people want from the meet. Personally I'd prefer something along the lines of what you've mentioned above.

Like you say, if considerable travelling is involved it has to be "worth it" and It would be good to put a few faces to names over a few beers.
 
The Castle Stuart trip was great apart from one thing....the bloody weather.
OK it was not bad on the day we played there, but Spey Valley the day before was awful...it really was. The course was nice, but we teed off in sleet, and it never stopped all the way round. Nairn the following day, lovely course..but it piddled down most of the way round. Boat of Garten on the Monday was a real downer for me, maybe the biggest disappointment of the week-end.
I had been looking forward to playing there so much, but even as close as a week before the trip their webcam was showing the place to be covered in snow. Some of the worst greens I have ever played on, and the condition of the rest of the course left a lot to be desired. None of the courses showed themselves in the best light that week-end. I much prefer to play golf with the sun on my back, short sleeved shirt, bouncy fairways and a spring in my step, not wrapped up in plastic, needing windscreen wipers on my glasses, and too bloody cold when I eventually get in the clubhouse to enjoy a drink and a bit of banter.
I don't mind travelling for a decent track, if it's that far away I'll make a road trip of it. Hardly worth travelling 500 miles for 18 holes. But I'd much rather do it in June/July/August and stand a chance of decent weather and seeing the course at it's best than risk March/April/Oct/November. I would have loved to have made the trip up to play at Goswick, but the ONLY thing that put me off was the time of year that it was held. OK in the end you didn't have terrible weather for it, but I for one am not prepared to travel that far and risk getting rained/blown off the course. I know you can still get rain in the months I've mentioned, but statistically you stand a better chance of decent weather. The other thing about playing in the Summer months is the lighter evenings for socialising. Doesn't get dark until gone 9, nearer 10 up North and standing outside having a beer and a chinwag on a nice summers evening is great. Inverness, despite it's hidden charms, is not the place to be on a dank, wet, dark and miserable evening in March....:(
 
The Castle Stuart trip was great apart from one thing....the bloody weather.
OK it was not bad on the day we played there, but Spey Valley the day before was awful...it really was. The course was nice, but we teed off in sleet, and it never stopped all the way round. Nairn the following day, lovely course..but it piddled down most of the way round. Boat of Garten on the Monday was a real downer for me, maybe the biggest disappointment of the week-end.
I had been looking forward to playing there so much, but even as close as a week before the trip their webcam was showing the place to be covered in snow. Some of the worst greens I have ever played on, and the condition of the rest of the course left a lot to be desired. None of the courses showed themselves in the best light that week-end. I much prefer to play golf with the sun on my back, short sleeved shirt, bouncy fairways and a spring in my step, not wrapped up in plastic, needing windscreen wipers on my glasses, and too bloody cold when I eventually get in the clubhouse to enjoy a drink and a bit of banter.
I don't mind travelling for a decent track, if it's that far away I'll make a road trip of it. Hardly worth travelling 500 miles for 18 holes. But I'd much rather do it in June/July/August and stand a chance of decent weather and seeing the course at it's best than risk March/April/Oct/November. I would have loved to have made the trip up to play at Goswick, but the ONLY thing that put me off was the time of year that it was held. OK in the end you didn't have terrible weather for it, but I for one am not prepared to travel that far and risk getting rained/blown off the course. I know you can still get rain in the months I've mentioned, but statistically you stand a better chance of decent weather. The other thing about playing in the Summer months is the lighter evenings for socialising. Doesn't get dark until gone 9, nearer 10 up North and standing outside having a beer and a chinwag on a nice summers evening is great. Inverness, despite it's hidden charms, is not the place to be on a dank, wet, dark and miserable evening in March....:(

Anthony old thing, The weather was bad, I agree but thats what you get when you play next door to the UK's main Ski resort at the end of the worst winter in years.
Not Gm's fault, Castle Stuart had only just opened and i suppose there was limited dates for what was a good deal.

In Boat of Gartens defence it had been Under snow as had Spey Valley the week before. And I'm not talking a couple of CM either. at Carrbridge which is only a few miles away a Train was derailed in a 10ft drift. BOG only gets a few months of grass growing at the best of times, even in Aug the greens are not all that!

I'm not saying it should be back at Inverness and certainly not before April or after Sept.

a meet would need to be somewhere good, top 100 at least and have a few other options for extra games. Thats the main benifit of Scotland Where theres one good course,the likes of, St Andrews, East Lothian, Ayrshire, Highland and Angus.Theres half a doz almost as good close by.
 
Like has been said already there is no point in asking who is interested then finding somewhere central to them. If it is up in Fife then that would be great. Courses that I loved playing when I was living up there are:

Ladybank
Lundin Links
Jubilee course
Old Course (obviously)
Scotscraig
Drumoig (as a cheaper alternative for a knock round)
Torrance course

The list is endless and it would make a good trip as outside of the meet people arrange a game for all budgets. Like I said earlier in the thread "choose a good course at the right price and people will travel"
 
I know it sort of defeats the idea of a 'mega meet', but there's nothing to stop more than one meet being organised, then people can choose which one(s) they want to attend.

If we're talking about it not being centrally located, you can get a cracking deal at St.Mellion which has 2 courses - one of which is superb imo. (I may have mentioned this before :o)

I'd also be interested in an overseas (hot) meet as Gibbo mentioned, but people would have to be really committed because drop-outs would ruin it.
 
I know it sort of defeats the idea of a 'mega meet', but there's nothing to stop more than one meet being organised, then people can choose which one(s) they want to attend.

If we're talking about it not being centrally located, you can get a cracking deal at St.Mellion which has 2 courses - one of which is superb imo. (I may have mentioned this before :o)

I'd also be interested in an overseas (hot) meet as Gibbo mentioned, but people would have to be really committed because drop-outs would ruin it.

An overseas trip would be good, but like you have already highlighted you would get a lot of drop outs, just purely on the cost. What would you be talking for a few days abroad? Something like £400 to take in a some nice tracks. Plus spends and already you are talking over £600.

Now a trip to Scotland would be perfect. 2 nights with a 36 hole mega meet and a game the day before and you are now talking £200 with spends depending on where you play on the day before, which I think more people are likely to go for.
 
I'd be up for a 2 night, 3 round trip next year and could probably get our usual golf trip group of 8 to go along with this, I'd have to fly over anyway so not bothered where it is but you can get decent deals on Belfry/Woburn/Gullane/Carnoustie notwithstanding the inevitible arguments over who its closer to and who has to travel the furthest.

I would say the best way is for a small group of 2-3 offer their services to plan the trip & come back with dates & price, the rest can than decide whether or not this suits them and say yes or no (you are always going to get whingers who complain that its too far away, if thats the case a simple not interested would do).
 
I dont see the need for one mega meet up.
The roughy toughys up north will want it held there, the midlanders want it in the middle and the southern jessies will want it down south.
Choosing a date and a venue to suit everybody is NOT going to happen.
So just have 3
One done south, one in the middle and one up north....then just Skype the prize givings.
Everyone's happy.
And if Smiffy wants to fly to Inverness, he's welcome as is Crawford welcome in Essex. (obviously PBob will get lost wherever it's held;)
3 different venues, all on the same day and a Skype at the end.
 
Like the trip to Machrihanish, how far is that from Belfast as the crow flies ;)

Never mind how far, it would be a while by crow tho ha ha ,

i would be intrested in travelling over but it would have to be somehwere special , tho , somewhere memorable & have the WOW factor .. wanted to do hillside but finances were just not available last year , didnt even make the irish craic classic last year ..
Need to be somewhere closeish to an airport or it gets to aquward .. id love to get over & meet a few other forumers
 
Never mind how far, it would be a while by crow tho ha ha ,

i would be intrested in travelling over but it would have to be somehwere special , tho , somewhere memorable & have the WOW factor .. wanted to do hillside but finances were just not available last year , didnt even make the irish craic classic last year ..
Need to be somewhere closeish to an airport or it gets to aquward .. id love to get over & meet a few other forumers

Get yourself to Glasgow airport and you'll have options for Machrihanish, someone will be there to pick you up. £135 for 2 nights bed and awesome breakfast and unlimted golf at the Dunes and a chance at some prizes, great bargain.
 
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