Membership help

[r0wly86]

Hi all

just wanted some advice, I am getting stuck with trying to find a club to join.

I am in Twickenham

Fulwell is the closest course, just 5 mins down the road. £1950 subs and £1950 joining fee. I could justify the subs just about but think nearly £4,000 outlay first year quite steep for a course that is good but not amazing

Royal Mid-Surrey is £2,500 a year, which again for two courses and 15 mins away I could possibly stretch too, but £8,500 to buy into the shares, you get 95% back if you leave so better than a joining fee but a hell of a lot higher, think my wife would actually kill me if paid that

Camberley Heath is 25 miles away but only 25 minutes courtesy of living on the M3, £2400 subs and £2500 joining fee. Still very expensive, but closer to willing than with Fulwell, as a superior course.

Hampton Court 30 mins away, cused to play there, I enjoyed it, but their subs have gone up £400 since a charity took over to £1980 which is way too expensive for the course

Wyke Green, again about 30 mins, £1850 never played there before, heard it is a good course, nothing special

Ashford £1750 again never played there

After that there are loads of courses 30+ minutes away Royal Ascot, Wimbledon Common etc a lot of choice but no idea. I know quite afew here have played most of the courses so would be interested in what they would consider worth the money etc

Also coming from Devon these prices are eye watering. My home club is £600, Saunton is £1000

 

[r0wly86]

I should add I know Richmond Park and Silvermere in the area and are both more affordable and decent course, but have heard they can be terribly slow, and as someone who gets frustrated with slow play I feel this could really affect my enjoyment of being a member

 

[Sats]

You've got a few courses to choose from, unfortunately due to where you are the prices are going to be higher at around the £2k-4K mark. I have played Silvermere and the course and facilities there are fantastic. Slow play is due to popularity rather than a trend of snail like golfers.
Perhaps when things get a little closer to normal you contact the clubs and see which one fits you the best. Think of it as an odyssey of golf in your area.

 

[r0wly86]

You've got a few courses to choose from, unfortunately due to where you are the prices are going to be higher at around the £2k-4K mark. I have played Silvermere and the course and facilities there are fantastic. Slow play is due to popularity rather than a trend of snail like golfers.

Okay thanks, I have been to Silvermere a lot to use the range and buy my wife clubs (left handed) really enjoy the atmosphere there. It may be the one I stump for

 

[r0wly86]

PS, there's this "London Clay" thing which makes many/most Middlesex courses a bog in the winter and often closed or restricted, worth investigating where it spreads to.
Whilst other places might be more expensive, the year-round benefit might work out better.

I was looking at the Surrey heath courses, hence Camberley, but my word they make London seem cheap

 

[r0wly86]

I'm only here for 3 years or so and will then be moving again, so paying a couple of grand joining fees was a non-starter.

With just over a year's knowledge now, I would 100% go down the year-round course route and suck up the joining fee if I was living in the area permanently/long term. Playing in the squelchy mud, or the course being closed, is absolutely no fun. That's not a comment on Fulwell specifically by the way, I don't know what it's like in winter.

Well that's the other thing, we will probably move at some point, but not sure when. Which makes the decision even harder. I play next door to Fulwell at a gym's course, so on the same land. It's not usually that bad, obviously can get wet, but technically is on what was Hounslow Heath land so should drain reasonably well

 

[Ser Shankalot]

Im in a very similar position to yourself. Looked at a load of courses around London. Most have been very friendly and approachable, including quite a few of the ones OP mentioned. I (luckily I suppose given pandemic) hadn’t bitten the bullet yet as I was undecided about how much I’d play versus the annual + joining fee. Around London it’s not cheap as you noted, but I’m more central than you so anything is from 40mins to 60 mins away, so a quick round in the evening is not something to be done spur of the moment.
If you’d like more courses to look at, could add Kingswood, Burhill, Moor Park, Richmond (different from Richmond Park), Coombe Hill, Cuddington.

I’ve always wanted to play Saunton one day (go to Exmoor annually for hiking and food). I’m guessing very different challenge to Home Counties courses around here.

 

[r0wly86]

Im in a very similar position to yourself. Looked at a load of courses around London. Most have been very friendly and approachable, including quite a few of the ones OP mentioned. I (luckily I suppose given pandemic) hadn’t bitten the bullet yet as I was undecided about how much I’d play versus the annual + joining fee. Around London it’s not cheap as you noted, but I’m more central than you so anything is from 40mins to 60 mins away, so a quick round in the evening is not something to be done spur of the moment.
If you’d like more courses to look at, could add Kingswood, Burhill, Moor Park, Richmond (different from Richmond Park), Coombe Hill, Cuddington.

I’ve always wanted to play Saunton one day (go to Exmoor annually for hiking and food). I’m guessing very different challenge to Home Counties courses around here.

A bit intimidated by The Richmond, isn't a dead man's shows kind of thing, no idea what they would charge, I would imagine Burhill is quite expensive, but will have a look thanks, same with the others.

Saunton is brilliant, I am generally not a huge fan of links (a lot of boring ones I have played) but Saunton is special. When I was much younger used to be £20 with the county card, long gone are those days

 

[jim8flog]

I know it's a bit eye watering moving in that direction.

I found it a bit mind boggling moving in the other direction (many years ago) I went from looking at £600 in the Woking area to just £169 at the time.

 

[Blue in Munich]

Im in a very similar position to yourself. Looked at a load of courses around London. Most have been very friendly and approachable, including quite a few of the ones OP mentioned. I (luckily I suppose given pandemic) hadn’t bitten the bullet yet as I was undecided about how much I’d play versus the annual + joining fee. Around London it’s not cheap as you noted, but I’m more central than you so anything is from 40mins to 60 mins away, so a quick round in the evening is not something to be done spur of the moment.
If you’d like more courses to look at, could add Kingswood,

Proprietory I believe, and suffers in the wet.

Burhill,

Two courses, Old is very nice, New is "inland links", very different to the Old, divides opinion.

Moor Park, Richmond (different from Richmond Park),

Sudbrook Park, nice layout, don't know about prices.

Coombe Hill,

Very nice by reputation but I believe not cheap & will be a joining fee I think.

Cuddington.

On chalk, drains well, £2k joining fee, subs about the same, about 30 on the waiting list & growing I believe, nice layout (I'm biased) but a couple of dodgy members (before richart pipes up)...

I’ve always wanted to play Saunton one day (go to Exmoor annually for hiking and food). I’m guessing very different challenge to Home Counties courses around here.

Do it!

 

[r0wly86]

I know it's a bit eye watering moving in that direction.

I found it a bit mind boggling moving in the other direction (many years ago) I went from looking at £600 in the Woking area to just £169 at the time.

Seen St Enedoc is under £700, can try an persuade the wife to sell up and move to rural Cornwall

 

[backwoodsman]

Cant comment on most of your options but - can't say for sure but i reckon The Richmond is pricey - its the only place where I've had my "day shoes" cleaned by the steward while i was on the course, and without being asked. And i was not overly impressed with the course. Too many par 3s and you have to play over the main driveway at least twice. Ok for a day out perhaps?

And Richmond Park is a public course - although they do do a membership & comps. . Best you can say about it is that its ok for a public course.

 

[Deleted member 3432]

Seen St Enedoc is under £700, can try an persuade the wife to sell up and move to rural Cornwall

No brainer

 

[r0wly86]

Cant comment on most of your options but - can't say for sure but i reckon The Richmond is pricey - its the only place where I've had my "day shoes" cleaned by the steward while i was on the course, and without being asked. And i was not overly impressed with the course. Too many par 3s and you have to play over the main driveway at least twice. Ok for a day out perhaps?

And Richmond Park is a public course - although they do do a membership & comps. . Best you can say about it is that its ok for a public course.

Richmond Park is a pretty decent set up for the price, and in better nick than most public courses. Just feels a bit sterile to me and not like a club, which of course it isn't. Also since they moved the entrance it's double the time it take me to get there, used to be 20 through the park and now 40

 

[richart]

On chalk, drains well, £2k joining fee, subs about the same, about 30 on the waiting list & growing I believe, nice layout (I'm biased) but a couple of dodgy members (before richart pipes up)...

I know one nice member there.

Lovely course and I would definitely consider if I lived in the area.

 

[jimbob.someroo]

Hello!

Might be able to help a bit here. Currently a member of Ealing and have previously been at Camberley Heath.

In terms of local courses, there just isn't anything of the quality you're going to find on the South Coast. So the first question is; what's more important, the course (and everything involved: slow play / toughness etc etc), or the club.

In terms of clubs; Wyke Green is fine, as is West Mid (which is cheaper) and both Sudbury and Ealing are also really well thought of as members clubs. Ealing is probably objectively the best of the local courses ... and undoubtedly the best conditioned. Unfortunately, Middlesex is arguably one of the weakest counties in terms of layouts!

If you want a 'better' course, Camberley is a good option, but potentially not as 'clubby' as some others. There are obviously brilliant options such as The Berkshire / Woking / West Hill / Worplesdon / Walton Heath / Hankley / Royal Wimbledon out in Surrey and Berkshire, but realistically these will all have a £2k+ joining fee and £2k+ annual subs. Royal Ascot wouldn't be too much of a trek and might be a nice option - or further down the M3 towards Hampshire, prices drop a bit - but you've then got 40+ mins out there.

Unfortunately, as others have said, it's not as easy to do quality golf on the cheap around here.

The other option which might be of interest it to retain your membership at Saunton and then play Open Competitions and rounds as a visitor / guest at some of the courses around here. The new WHS means you can obviously put cards in from wherever, so you can stay competitive - but again, it depends if you want a 'club' or a course.

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

I know one nice member there.

Lovely course and I would definitely consider if I lived in the area.

I know a dodgy one ?

 

[r0wly86]

Hello!

Might be able to help a bit here. Currently a member of Ealing and have previously been at Camberley Heath.

In terms of local courses, there just isn't anything of the quality you're going to find on the South Coast. So the first question is; what's more important, the course (and everything involved: slow play / toughness etc etc), or the club.

In terms of clubs; Wyke Green is fine, as is West Mid (which is cheaper) and both Sudbury and Ealing are also really well thought of as members clubs. Ealing is probably objectively the best of the local courses ... and undoubtedly the best conditioned. Unfortunately, Middlesex is arguably one of the weakest counties in terms of layouts!

If you want a 'better' course, Camberley is a good option, but potentially not as 'clubby' as some others. There are obviously brilliant options such as The Berkshire / Woking / West Hill / Worplesdon / Walton Heath / Hankley / Royal Wimbledon out in Surrey and Berkshire, but realistically these will all have a £2k+ joining fee and £2k+ annual subs. Royal Ascot wouldn't be too much of a trek and might be a nice option - or further down the M3 towards Hampshire, prices drop a bit - but you've then got 40+ mins out there.

Unfortunately, as others have said, it's not as easy to do quality golf on the cheap around here.

The other option which might be of interest it to retain your membership at Saunton and then play Open Competitions and rounds as a visitor / guest at some of the courses around here. The new WHS means you can obviously put cards in from wherever, so you can stay competitive - but again, it depends if you want a 'club' or a course.

that's really helpful thank you, what's Ealing like as a club, that is also 30 minutes away, seems like I'm 30 minutes away from everything. What are the subs

 

[Blue in Munich]

I know a dodgy one ?

I expected better from you.

 

[HampshireHog]

If you rate Silvermere, and I’ll be honest I don’t rate the course and the club house, shop and range are 1st class though, have you looked at Pine Ridge. Just up the road from Camberley Heath, certainly better than Silvermere definitely more affordable than Camberley.