LCVreg
Assistant Pro
Cost sadly is 80% of the problem amongst mere mortals - I know a 4 handicappetr who has a young family in Surrey who has had to give up the game solely because he cannot afford club rates!
Official Society Handicaps
- Thread starter LCVreg
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So what you are really after is the member's benefits without the members costs. Who do you think pays for the day to day running of a golf club? Who puts money over the bar in the depths of winter?
Your business model would see memberships drop further, and more clubs go out of business. Getting regular golf @ £45 a go would cost me £1800. Why be a society member when I can get all the benefits of a club at £600?
Personally, I don't see it as elitism. I see it as protecting the longevity of the golf club.
Oxfordcomma
Challenge Tour Pro
LCVReg, is there any chance you could use the quote function? It's getting a bit hard to follow who you're actually talking to and what you're on about when you answer 4 people at once in consecutive posts. 
TheJezster
Tour Rookie
Wow, bizarre thread. Interesting reading but can't see the OPs idea doing anything other than killing golf clubs. It's very one dimensional thinking by the OP.
Smiffy
Grand Slam Winner
All this talk of "The Authoritarian system", "Meteors coming to get the dinosaurs", "mere mortals", "total control" etc.
I've sussed it.
You're George Orwell aren't you???
I've sussed it.
You're George Orwell aren't you???
Simbo
Tour Rookie
U
I agree with this, elitism- my backside, all you want is to have membership benefits without the rough and smooth of being a member, when the course starts to get a little wet or the greens a little rough your society would up and off somewhere else leaving the club in the lurch. Your comment on the 4 capper giving up, that happens when you have a family, plenty guys have it happen to them, our club champion isn't joining this year for this reason.
I agree with this, elitism- my backside, all you want is to have membership benefits without the rough and smooth of being a member, when the course starts to get a little wet or the greens a little rough your society would up and off somewhere else leaving the club in the lurch. Your comment on the 4 capper giving up, that happens when you have a family, plenty guys have it happen to them, our club champion isn't joining this year for this reason.
bluewolf
Money List Winner
There are plenty of local Muni clubs that offer very cheap membership (with reduced green fees rather than pay up front). These allow you to hold a valid handicap, enter Open competitions, enter the big prize comps (race to dubai etc), and don't require a large outlay.. IIRC, Haigh Hall (near me) is less than £100 for this type of membership...
LCVreg
Assistant Pro
You are indeed lucky to get as much free golf per year for £600 - sadly, you therefore should not opinionate over the rest of the country who more than likely have to pay at least double that.
All I am trying to suggest is another way of keeping our beloved game alive and thriving which it has not been for a number of years for many reasons - if it is not elitetism that club members are vociferously protecting their own position, then what is it! - How many of you joined a golf club, and then started playing.......it is always the other way round!
All I am trying to suggest is another way of keeping our beloved game alive and thriving which it has not been for a number of years for many reasons - if it is not elitetism that club members are vociferously protecting their own position, then what is it! - How many of you joined a golf club, and then started playing.......it is always the other way round!
LCVreg
Assistant Pro
Do you know how many true munis are left? - you would be surprised how few!
LCVreg
Assistant Pro
LCVReg, is there any chance you could use the quote function? It's getting a bit hard to follow who you're actually talking to and what you're on about when you answer 4 people at once in consecutive posts.
oops - OK - experienced in Golf management, not on this Forum though!
D
Deleted member 15344
Guest
When looking at the courses you play for society and some of them being close to £200 a round im not sure how valid blaming cost of membership is - if you can afford to play in your society meets then I suggest people can afford membership
Maybe if you were a regular visitor here you'd be aware of where I've been a member and what I've paid to be a member of various clubs in the UK. So far this golfing year I've paid out £1700 in subs. But who wants to discriminate about subs? Only you.
Can I suggest you take onboard ALL of what is in a post, rather than just a few bits that either support your agenda or that you can shoot down. But to reiterate, and perhaps make it more relevant to anywhere in the UK. If I played 40 rounds a year at £45 a round I'd be paying out £1800. I'd rather take onboard the £1800 a year for club membership than play society golf. Why? Because it gives me almost unlimited access to golf, to competitions and to a membership of circa 600 that would mean I could get a game with someone at any time.
How many societies play 40 times a year? And of those societies, how many members play every game? It's cheaper to be a club member.
Anyway, back to what we finally got to the bottom of last night. You want all the benefits of a membership without all the costs and commitment.
As for you wanting to keep our beloved game alive rubbish. Societies are welcomed at the vast majority of golf clubs already. So what is your problem? Go back to your original post. You want a CONGU handicap for your own benefit, not for the club's benefit.
Or maybe go back to the thread you posted up in 2011, in which you slagged off CONGU...
Old Skier
Tour Winner
If that's in response to my query.
The official recognized handicap software - as an ex handicap secretary you should know that.
EGU? - no such animal, if you are quoting their figures you are at least 2 years out of date.
Golf courses require members in numbers to survive so without the members golf courses would close and society's would have no where to go. Although society's provide great finances for a club and are very welcome at ours and can play of any tee they are not the life blood of golf clubs.
What really annoys me about a golf club is when I can get a cheaper deal with my society's than I can with my county card. If clubs reversed that they may find more people who play in society's may feel it more beneficial to operate out of a club and get an official handicap.
Old Skier
Tour Winner
There is not a golf course in N Devon were membership is pluss of £1000 and we have two clubs in the top 100. I spend more in society golf than I do in club membership.
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Duckster
Tour Rookie
I am still failing to see why you care about having a CONGU handicap if your society one is so spot on.
It's your society, you could make up and entire new system for doing handicaps taking into account the phases of the moon or deductions for how breezey it was in the morning, why do you need the CONGU one?
It's your society, you could make up and entire new system for doing handicaps taking into account the phases of the moon or deductions for how breezey it was in the morning, why do you need the CONGU one?
D
Deleted member 15344
Guest
Because he and his society members want to also play in opens etc of which you need an official HC
DCB
Well-known member
D
Deleted member 18588
Guest
Because he wants society only members to be able to play in official open competitions organised by clubs that will, in any event, no longer exist as everyone will instead of being club members have joined societies.
I think that is it!?
Or just maybe enough of we club members will keep paying subs that will have to significantly increase so the courses can be maintained for society members to come and play for £25 a round. Oh yes and they will be able to play in the opens that the dinosaurs organise and subsidise.
The decline in numbers both taking up and staying within the game does, of course, need addressing but it will not be resolved by promoting societies at the expense of club members or by extending the handicap system to include societies, properly organised or otherwise.
Nor, it must be said, will the game benefit from discouraging societies who provide vital income for many clubs but do not have to share the responsibilities.
Old Skier
Tour Winner
Clubs offer society golf to cheap at many courses, perhaps if they had two levels of payment - society members with county cards one rate and society's without county cards another rate it might encourage more people who play to join a club.
LCVreg
Assistant Pro
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