Pay and play time

[medwayjon]

Chart hills is absolutely awesome but very, very expensive.

Kingshill is ok as a course, still needs to mature but I found the members to be a bit brash & flash which from me, is saying something.

I would go for west malling money being no object, its only the joining fee that scares me off as I wont pay one out of principle.

 

[MVP]

West malling has [****] practice facilities and they always have perforated greens. My friend is leaving there because of this. It has got friendly members and morons but it isnt a brilliant Club! Monthly medals are not drawn although the bigger comps are!
There is better value for money. nearer to you i'd suggest Kent national ..there website is down atm but i played there and its very nice!

 

[medwayjon]

Lewis, Kent National has gone bust. Course closed and the clubhouse has been sold!!!

 

[SammmeBee]

medway - not wishing to be a pedant....the clubhouse got sold and then 'they' shut the course as they just had well a 'course'.........

 

[Leftie]

Where abouts are you based Lewis and how far would you travel for your regular golf (either distance or time wise)??

 

[vig]

I am joining my Muni 9 holer as a club member and in April getting a season ticket for about £400, the savings will mean I can still pay and play other courses and not be restricted to the one course and though 9 holes its a great track in mature park land.

You are right though, clubs are asking far too much for members or new members to pay, theres one near me Wike Ridge (Leeds golf centre) which is £730 + £450 Joining fee, its the most boring track ever and always windy and more like a pub with a golf course rather than a club.

I don't know if they still do it but Leeds council used to do a season ticket that covered ALL Muni's in the Leeds area, Temple Newsom, Gotts Park, Middleton etc.. It was good VFM at the time but i'm going back 20 years so don't know if they still do it. Worth asking all the same

 

[HTL]

MVP, join Cobtree and invite us down for another South meet, do it in the summer, get buggies, sammmeBee can bring his A game and make us all look silly, Book a cheaP B & B we can hit the cider after. good times.

 

[medwayjon]

The cider bit sounds good to me!!!

 

[MVP]

MVP, join Cobtree and invite us down for another South meet, do it in the summer, get buggies, sammmeBee can bring his A game and make us all look silly, Book a cheaP B & B we can hit the cider after. good times.

Where is MIKe H??? Give this man an honor! this is the official best quote/post on the forum to date.... this man is a genius!!!!

and leftie i would travel 30min drive if the course was nice enough but id prefer a 15 miniute drive for the summer evenings after work!

 

[HTL]

Think that's problem solved.

 

[MVP]

oh yeah i didnt know kent national was bust! shall we all 'chip in' and buy it??

 

[Parmo]

I am joining my Muni 9 holer as a club member and in April getting a season ticket for about £400, the savings will mean I can still pay and play other courses and not be restricted to the one course and though 9 holes its a great track in mature park land.

You are right though, clubs are asking far too much for members or new members to pay, theres one near me Wike Ridge (Leeds golf centre) which is £730 + £450 Joining fee, its the most boring track ever and always windy and more like a pub with a golf course rather than a club.

I don't know if they still do it but Leeds council used to do a season ticket that covered ALL Muni's in the Leeds area, Temple Newsom, Gotts Park, Middleton etc.. It was good VFM at the time but i'm going back 20 years so don't know if they still do it. Worth asking all the same

Yerah they still do it, its 570 now and 370 for the one course, I don't drive so getting to temple is a prob so I play around Roundhay.

 

[Herbie]

I have just joined a club 'South Kyme' in Lincolnshire after a spell between clubs as a P&P nomad. I joined after a spell on temp membership and used that to decide if it was the club for me. The people are great, easy going, no snobbery. The course hasnt been going all that long but they are developing it well (more bunkers and trees are the current ongoing project) Its developed in the farming community and although its not a huge course it is challenging and very well kept one for its youth. Small deceptive greens, some holes that make you choose an aproach, many hazards that are set to increase.lol and if you look at the course with a long term view it has great potential to be a cracker, only time and management will tell. It has great practice area a putting green and a sweet little chipping and putting green before you set off.The thing that makes this course challenging is the wind from time to time along with the small greens. Greens themselves are very good and are still in use today.
Overall the best bit is the cost of full membership which is currently just over £500 but set to go up a little next year, but also the number of offers to new potential members to get them interested, eg I just got full membership from now till end of march for £99 including a free lesson and £10 behind the bar, then go onto full membership fee for the year on DD if I choose to.Also many comps start later than many clubs and some comps are set just for people who cannot make early starts, which suits me as my condition prevents me playing mornings if at all but definitely not mornings.
Also when you play you often get to see all the aircraft from coningsby including BBMF close up, which is nice.
Anyway Im not hear to annoy those down south struggling with clubs but to sympathise. Move up here boys.
Just google it if you want a look its a good site.

 

[medwayjon]

There really does seem to be a division in price between north & south.

There is another club I liked the look of down here but the joining fee is £1500!

 

[Smiffy]

The local club I am planning on joining in April (Highwoods) has what they call "Fairways" membership which is aimed at people who are in full time employment and as such wouldn't be able to make full use of the course.
You pay an up front fee of £250.00 and then 9 montly payments of £30.00. For this you are given 25 vouchers which you hand in at the pro shop each time you play. Additional vouchers can be purchased for £25.00 each.
As a "Fairways" member you can enter club stableford/medal competitions and knockouts. The only comps you cannot enter are trophy or cup ones. You have full use of the club and all it's facilities and there is no joining fee. You aquire an official handicap which is great.
If you do decide to go on to full membership, 10% is taken off the joining fee for every full year you have been a fairways member.
I personally think this is a great idea, and one that more clubs should look at in todays economic climate where people are leaving or putting off joining clubs because of the costs involved.
Doing it this way works out at just over £20.00 per round. If I go to the club as a visitor and pay an 18 hole green fee it is something like £40.00 per round so to me this is a "no brainer"...

 

[MVP]

There really does seem to be a division in price between north & south.

There is another club I liked the look of down here but the joining fee is £1500!

spill the beans jon!

 

[medwayjon]

There really does seem to be a division in price between north & south.

There is another club I liked the look of down here but the joining fee is £1500!

spill the beans jon!

Rochester & Cobham!

 

[OldWindy]

If I was still living nr Eastbourne I would regularly play Seaford Head - possibly one of the most interesting P&Ps around. Smiffy will know it.

 

[MVP]

There really does seem to be a division in price between north & south.

There is another club I liked the look of down here but the joining fee is £1500!

spill the beans jon!

Rochester & Cobham!

thought so! it looks like a traditional place!

 

[Leftie]

Rochester & Cobham!

Nice course and good test of golf. Played it several times over the last few years.

Not cheap though