Re-new Golf Club membership or not?

[Siren]

I paid mine without thinking about it, I know its tough economic wise however for 62 a month for me and my son for full membership is amazing value. I understand the game we play is a privilege and it is getting tougher to justify what is essentially a hobby.

I am lucky with my job I am able to work my hours over 4 days which assuming the course is open means I get to play a minimum of twice a week, couple to that the times I can just take my son up for an hour or two after school is just great.

I got to play 12 holes on sunday and nipped into the bar just for a quick one before heading home, got into the bar and 12 of the "Sunday morning" lads were sat, 4 hours later my wife came to pick me up.

I dont think you can buy that if im honest.

 

[Tommo21]

hi Tommo. Does Dunbar gc. never closed due to weather, snow frost ect.

The course was closed for a couple of days when the snow came a few days back, but thats it.

 

[Tommo21]

Tommo, I've been giving serious thought to joining Dunbar..... Do you know much about the ladies section there? How many ladies, weekend comps etc?

It looks to be ticking along fine. Plenty comps in the diary for the girls and see more ladies there than any other club I've played. Have you played there?

 

[SocketRocket]

A Club I work at is offering £100 off the membership for people that pay two months early, they also put £100 on your club card.

 

[Garesfield ACE]

Its a no brainer only 1 decision to make RENEW.............to play in comps and keep/try to reduce hcap.

 

[BLAM]

I sort of have this decision having renewed my acquaintance with golf last year after a more or less 10 year lay off. I've not joined anywhere yet and with playing being purely social an official handicap hasn't been an issue thus far. I'm aware that certain clubs and/or courses require one and so keep thinking its something I must get around to. However I also have friends that are members of various places that allow guests and in the current environment clubs seem to be much more amenable toward the idea of fees in any case, particularly in the middle of the week. If I'm honest also actually quite like playing a dozen or so courses rather than concentrating on one but don't have the time to be nomadic while playing at one club enough to warrant the membership subs.

 

[williamalex1]

The course was closed for a couple of days when the snow came a few days back, but thats it.

lucky swine, were up to our ankles in mud now but things can only get better i hope

 

[Fader]

I say renew the membership. It's only when you let it lapse will you realise not being able to roll up after work on a summers night fr a quick round and social in the clubhouse that you'll really miss it, perhaps more so than the comps side if things just purely as an escape from the world.

My only decision was whether to stick or twist on where to play. Stay with my club I been at since I started in 2011 which is £53 a month but shut for at least 2 months of the year due to poor drainage, or pay out an extra £30 a month at a new club with excellent drainage and only closes when we have the severe snow and is more accessible for those evening rounds after work. So I've moved clubs and will now be paying £87 a month, a big jump in in price but better vfm as I'll be getting more rounds throughout the year.

 

[Tommo21]

lucky swine, were up to our ankles in mud now but things can only get better i hope

I regularly take my mates from the royal down to Dunbar as I can get them on for £12 each. The general opinion is that Dunbar in the winter is as good underfoot as he Royal in the summer. Thats why I'm not renewing the Royal just now.

 

[jammydodger]

I took out a 7 months for price of 5 deal to cover the winter months and to see if I really wanted to be a member of a club again. I've hardly been up there to play and i've only managed one full round with a few half rounds thrown in. Not been to the practice ground and havn't stepped foot in the bar once. Cant see me renewing for the full amount this year (april ?) as I think its about £860ish. I just havn't got the enthusiasm to pay that sort of money out. My other option is to join the local 9 holer for £30 a month to get an official h/c to allow me to play in the odd comp or any Fire Brigade stuff that comes up. Its only £10 per round but I wouldnt get the h/c to go with it.

There are plenty of folks on here pretty local to me who i'm sure would have me over to their place and i've got plenty of mates at local courses so i'm sure i'd get enough golf to keep me satisfied.

 

[WideEyedFox]

There are 3 golfers in our house with my 2 sons playing - making the average annual membership around the £1500+ mark.

It's a fine line between locking in to 1 course with membership, or joining up somewhere cheap to get a handicap and then play-and-play locally. Playing somewhere nice as a visitor once a month at (for example) £80 a round would be £960 a year, then playing somewhere cheaper or 9 holes another weekends would give £480 (for example). Plus £100pa membership (for example) still puts us around the £1500 a year mark.

The biggest "isssue" is the entrance/joining fee. I'd sooner pay up front for 2 years membership (as in most cases the entrance fee is not far off a year's membership anyway) than drip feed an additional fee because I'm a new member. It's not very welcoming.

This year is out (due to finances), but next year I can see us joining a local club. I think if we were paid up we'd be compelled to play more knowing the only costs are fuel, drinks and lost balls.

For the 3 of us at Ladbrook Park (a firm favorite at the moment) if they did not change green fee's over 5 years would be:

Year 1 = £1683 (1120+95+143+325)
Year 2 = £1683 (1120+95+143+325)
Year 3 = £1795 (1120+143+207+325)
Year 4 = £1470 (1120+143+207)
Year 5 = £1601 (1120+207+274)

Personally I'd sooner use the entrance fee (3x325) against another year membership for myself, even if it means paying up front for 2 years.

 

[FairwayDodger]

It looks to be ticking along fine. Plenty comps in the diary for the girls and see more ladies there than any other club I've played. Have you played there?

I played the ladies open last year and really enjoyed it. I played with a girl who was a member (and very good player) so got a bit of chat about the club but I wasn't really thinking about joining then. It's a wee bit of a trek from Edinburgh and still has a joining fee.. Plus in the short term at least it'd be in addition to my current club but I'm mulling it over... Maybe join in time for next winter!

 

[louise_a]

I cant see the point in not rejoining, one round locally is a mimumum £15, once a week that makes nearly £800 a year, I have probably averaged 3 - 4 rounds a week over my first year, which works out at around £3 a round. Not to mention all the other benefits in being a member of a club.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

The one draw back about Dunbar is that when the NE wind blows you tend to lose the skin off your face.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Interesting dilema. For me, its an easy decision and I'll always be a member of a club somewhere. It is tough when its shut but it is the same for a large number of clubs around the country and I always feel I get more thanmy money's worth. Usually I play !00+ rounds per year and so it averages out around £10-12 per round and there is nowhere including municiples where I can play for that price. I get the benefit of club compeitions and matches, play with a large number of players and have an active and accurate handicap

 

[MadAdey]

I can see exactly where you are coming from as I am in the same situation. I have only managed 2 full rounds since October due to the course either being fully shut or only a few holes open. During the summer it was not much better and I only managed to play in 1 comp and that was last April. In the summer when it was open you could not get onto the course. Tuesday the seniors always have the course shut until 11:00 same with the ladies on a wednesday, then sometime the seniors will have it shut again on Thursday either for matches or exchange days with other clubs.

I work shifts so can play during the day but need to be off by 10:00 to give me enough time to play and be at work. When I am on days I can be at the course for about 5:30 giving me enough time to get a few holes in, maybe the odd full round mid summer. Nearly every weekend there is a comp on so the tee is then shut until 16:00 on a Saturday, which is not too bad if you could get your name down but normally all the seniors have nabbed the tee slots as they are up there at 8 on a Monday morning when the board goes up for entry. So not only can I not play during the week due to the seniors having the tee shut for multiple comps but they then nick all the places for the Saturday comps.....:mmm:

Is it really worth being a member any more? People are starting to leave for other places. That is not just because of the course being constantly closed but bunch of old men who are on the different committees. Before I get my head bitten off I know they volunteer and have a thankless task, I could do the same if it was not for my job adn I would love to. But when younger people do try and get on the committee they are not successful due to the AGM being held early evening so it is pretty much full of seniors as other people have to work. So they just vote around each other. Some of the things that got agreed at the last one was criminal, I just wish I could have gone to see it in person.

AND BREATHE.................

 

[Blue in Munich]

Is it really worth being a member any more? People are starting to leave for other places. That is not just because of the course being constantly closed but bunch of old men who are on the different committees. Before I get my head bitten off I know they volunteer and have a thankless task, I could do the same if it was not for my job adn I would love to. But when younger people do try and get on the committee they are not successful due to the AGM being held early evening so it is pretty much full of seniors as other people have to work. So they just vote around each other. Some of the things that got agreed at the last one was criminal, I just wish I could have gone to see it in person.

AND BREATHE.................

MadAdey, you're entitled to your point of view, and I would second you. I left my previous club for similar reasons. Architect in, re-designs a few bits and says "You need to start from the 16th to make this work". So we did, and it did work, the golfers loved it, the elderly got it voted out because it interfered with their 9 holes and lunch routine. So why did we waste the money making the changes then. :angry: They lost nearly 100 members that summer. On the bright side I have definitely gone to a better club.

 

[ArnoldArmChewer]

You have to accept the weather if you want regular competition you can't beat being a club member. Re join

 

[full_throttle]

Despite my club being closed since Nov 18th, (open for 6 days early jan), I will almost definately rejoin. It costs less than £500 and I get to play 4 times a week min during the summer, I reckon if I averaged the cost per game it would be around £4, so good value.

 

[Wolfman]

There are many clubs that have a monthly DD payment and no joining fees so easy in easy out which suits many folk in these tough financial days. My advice is find the best low cost fun place to play without a joining fee