Membership Quandary

[Burnsey]

It's that time of year I have to make my mind up and I can't...

I've been a member of a club for two years, which was the start of my golfing journey. Gained my handicap, then started to play in comps - hang on, what are those white markers we have to play from back there and my handicap increased by 12! Started to decrease alongside lessons, then, as you do, binned the lessons and it has been up and down like a yoyo this year.

Threw the towel in about a month ago and committed to weekly lessons and 3 x practice sessions, but no course play. I am improving for sure, albeit untested, but it's a real swing change and there's a way to go.

I was all set to join a new club and thought that might reinvigorate me, but the subs are now due for both clubs and I can't decide. I should say, joining the new club would have be reduce to house membership for my current club, allowing a return to full status over the year and only a small fee. I retain my locker too, but no practice etc. I paid a joining fee, so that is not entirely wasted and there is no joining fee at the new club.

So, stay put, leave altogether, leave and retain house, join new, don't join new, join both - yes I'm an adult, but this is where I am.

I probably play 40 games maximum per year, so the cost per round is more than if I were a visitor. I am lucky to play with others and corporate events, so can always play if and when it suite.

My opinion today is to put the money into lessons, keep practicing and play as a guest maybe once a month to have some time on a course.

After typing all this, I don't even know what I am asking here, but it may help reading replies if anyone else has a clue what I am saying...

 

[rulefan]

Stay and Play.

 

[IanM]

I'm not sure what you're asking to ve honest.

But, if you take a step back and ask, "what do I really want from my golf?" that should inform the answers.

Then the lower level stuff...

If cost per game is too high, play more! Why take lots of lessons if you're not playing? What are the benefits of being a member of either club?

I've got a club membership quandary, but I better post it elsewhere!

 

[chico]

My problem is since I've moved house three years ago I've been a member at two clubs,for one reason or another none have suited. Its a right pita as both are practically on my doorstep.
I've been thinking of rejoining my old club but that's going to add an hours travel per round. My current membership doesn't expire til the end of March and it could be a break and a bit of nomadic golf for a year.

 

[Hobbit]

For me, it’s also about where are my friends. As you become more integrated in a club, your network of friends increases. You get offered games, day trips and partnering. And over time you’ll end up going out for meals with friends and their wives/husbands.

We join to play golf, competitive golf but often, over time, get far more from it. Quite how you value that against moving clubs is a personal thing. Move if you feel the need but don’t dismiss the hidden value of long term membership.

 

[Swango1980]

Quit golf

 

[Bunkermagnet]

I'm similar to Hobbit.
Ive been a member at my club for about 20 yrs now. The last 5 years has seen a big drop in the amount of golf I have played (mainly through going self employed and then at the end of '24 breaking my back. There has been many a time I have considered not renewing my membership purely on not playing grounds, but then I think about the friends i have made and the social aspect of being there and everytime I realise being a member is about more than hitting a white ball on the grass.
I have a 20min/20 mile drive each way every time I go to the club, but it not problem as I view it as part of the deal.
If I view the last 5 years on a cost to play basis, then yes my rounds would be rather expensive (compared to before), but compared to the cost of my mental wellbeing the £1500 my membership is now at is peanuts in comparrison.

I would say you can have instruction, I still do but now only about 2 or 3 times a year, but range ratting isn't what golf is about, to me anyway. Being able to escape the stresses of the world in a game with friends is more important. It's also excersize and seeing the world around you.
However, only you can answer your question, good luck in finding your answer.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

You play 40 times per year and believe it's cheaper to be a visitor? Are you sure your maths is right there? 40 is a very good number imo, I'd say you are definitely winning there in terms of value.

As has been said already, what are you looking for from your golf? It almost sounds as though you are searching for golf perfection. I'll save you some time, you won't find it. We play to enjoy ourselves and I suspect you need to change your mindset a bit. Roll back the pressure on trying to reduce your handicap, score low every time, hit the perfect shot. Just enjoy playing the game, take wins (in whatever form) as they come, shrug when you hit a bad shot. If your priority becomes practice, lessons, range........

 

[Backache]

A lot of the benefit I used to get from being a member when I was working was the ability to go up and knock around for a few holes in the evening after work.

 

[timd77]

As per my own recent thread, I’m going through a swing change this winter, practicing at the range once or twice a week, but still playing at the weekend in comps. Nerve wracking because I’m never quite sure how each shot is going to go due to the new swing. My old swing wasn’t great but I knew how to keep it in play!

My point being, just get out there and play golf. Unless you’re Rory who locked himself in a net for months to fix his swing issues without seeing the ball flight, I really don’t see the need to not do the best bit of game, which is going out in the fresh air, chatting with pals, hitting some good and some bad shots, and then hearing the ball rattle around in the hole.

 

[Burnsey]

Thanks all and some extreme comments

Yes there’s a community, but none will become my besties after being there a short time. Most members are much older.

Nothing wrong with trying to improve. Lessons are a mix of indoor trackman and course play, so no boring ranges.

Cost at the club for a visitor is way cheaper on a 49 round a year basis. I play at least 25 corporate/invite rounds a year, so will never not play.

I did say I wasn’t actually sure what I was asking, but decision is I’m reducing to house membership at my current club, which allows me to transfer to full 7 day member throughout the year. I’ll play some rounds as a visitor and see how it goes.

 

[The Squirrel]

My main thought is: how on earth is it cheaper to play 49 rounds on visitor rates than it is to be a member?

Either their visitor fee is far too low (most likely) or their membership fee is too high. Or both.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Write down all the positives you get from your membership, and that is every little positive…so include such as the smile the clubhouse staff give when greeting or serving you; that the drive to the club is fine etc, and add to the list every positive you take from the last round. Put aside the negatives from the round when you do that.

Once you have that initial list then reflect upon it and feel grateful. Then next day run through the list again…add anything new that occurs and you missed first time. Do that for a week or two. Don’t do the cost/rnd thing as that can reinforce any negativity. We can let the negatives dominate our thinking and we lose sight of what we have to be grateful for. You’ll then have at least a strong starter for ten answer to your question…

 

[Golf is fun]

A few questions and thoughts that may help or just cause more confusion.

What is the difference between the new club and your current club? What is making you think of moving?

What's the thinking behind the weekly lessons?
I assume you are struggling with the desire to get better and where club membership fits in to that. Lessons are definitely a good idea, but weekly seems a bit excessive. It's hard for anyone to make a significant change in a week, so either you'll be focusing on the same things and paying for someone to have a look over, which you should want to aim to be self sufficient at, or you are doing new things each week with unless you're an elite level athlete will just make it harder to get better. Generally you want to focus on a single change, master it and then pick the next most important change, rinse and repeat.

Ultimately to be good at golf you need to get the ball in the hole in as few shots as possible, having a swing that looks pretty like Adam Scotts is not essential to this task. This is also achieved through playing on a course, not in a simulator or at a range. No one will hit every shot perfectly, but being able to get around a score with imperfect shots (whatever that is for your level) is what you need to be doing. So whatever you do, I would not give up regularly playing a course, ultimately you will need to bring your new swing out there anyway, but if you are working on changes, focus on how well you moved for each shot regardless of the outcome, as it's easy to revert to old patterns just to get short term results.