Reducing the number of clubs allowed?

[RGuk]

I have an old school pal that currently lives in NZ and is over visiting for a few months, There is some sort of affiliation over there whereby if you're a member (can't remember what it was called) of somewhere you get to play other courses at reduced rates.
That, in my opinion would get more people into the game. I used to play all over the place but since I started back last year have only played 3 different courses (4th this week)

vig....this system is quite wide-spread around the world. Sadly, here in England, if you try and take a party (from a recognised club) of 8/12/16 to a top course, they'll simply demand exactly the same crazy green-fee that is set for all the corporate society days. I once tried to fix up a dozen single figure players day from ours to one of the Midlands best courses......not a deal in sight!!! I don't see how it would help clubs fill up, unless you think that a widespread reciprocal would encourage nomadic players to join somewhere knowing that it could help their general golfing travels..

What is flippin' crazy is that around here, most courses are empty mid-week or after mid-day at weekends....nobody bothers to go anyhwere else because of the cost. Surely if a few 4 balls went to each other's courses for £15-20 instead of £30-50 then actually all clubs could increase revenue. The premier course in Shropshire (Hawkstone Park) charges quite a price, mainly to corporate/society clients. I've never seen their courses busy... they could suck up 2,000 green fees a year from players from lesser clubs under special reciprocal....2,000 at £20 is a LOT of cash. I've never met a single player who's been there on the visitor fee???? QED....

 

[vig]

I received a letter from my course about two months ago stating that they were opening up the weekend to the 5 day members but without full priveleges, ie comps, They are worried that 5 day membership at my club, which number 54 is dwindling year on year. Revenue in the clubhouse when there are no midweek comps is dire.
I would hazard a guess that there are hundreds of clubs up & down the country that are too quiet through the week. I for one would play other courses through the week if there were reduced rates.
Clubs will start to go bust if they don't do something radical and they will only have themselves to blame.

 

[Tommo21]

My opinion….bull, total bull. Manufacturers will be rubbing their hands if this came about. Why, IMO it would mean a new set of irons with different lofts to give new progressive steps in distance. At the moment my R7s are 3 to PW which is 8 clubs. I can see a new type of set where the loft still goes from the 3 iron to the PW but at different progressions with one less club....In other words the 9 iron of the new fictitious set would have the same loft as the PW I have at present but with slightly different progressions in-between.

This would be great for the manufacturers because we would all be brainwashed into thinking we need the new progression set rather than take 2 clubs out of our existing set, and we know that will leave a length gap between two lots of clubs.

This will not save money it will cost us money. Everyone should, in theory at least, want a natural progression with each club. A 12 club rule will be the start of a 12 club distance progression with the gap between each club being slightly stretched…….in other words new clubs.

If true, it’s no wonder the manufacturers are in talks. It might help someone just taking up the sport to buy only 12 clubs. Mark my words troops.

 

[RGuk]

My opinion….bull, total bull.

Oh yes....sorry, we're on different subjects, I see where you are coming from.

You are so right.....if a plan was hatched to reduce total no. of clubs, it would be a field day for the manufacturers!

It's not going to happen though. Thank goodness....

 

[Imurg]

I need/take all the clubs I can. Played today and on one hole I was bang level with the 150 marker. Normally an 8 or a 7. But today it was into the teeth of a 20mph wind and I punched a 5 in to 10 feet.

Had I been using the even only clubs I wouldn't have had a club to play the shot - except maybe a choked down 4 iron and in that wind it was even more difficult.

If you are confident with your ability to pick a yardage, shot and club to match then carry all 14. if you struggle with choices then reducing your number will help but may hinder some shots. The more choice you have, the more variation you can come up with.

 

[RGuk]

If you are confident with your ability to pick a yardage, shot and club to match then carry all 14. if you struggle with choices then reducing your number will help but may hinder some shots. The more choice you have, the more variation you can come up with.

Nice one!

If I may be a bit self-deprecating, I'm probably the least impressive player off 12 I've ever seen. Can't putt for toffee, hit it shorter than the junior girls at my club BUT, I know my distances and on a "straight day" hit lots of greens.


PS...I just noticed your location.....you don't happen the know the name of the course just above/by the M40 (seen from s'bound) between Banbury and Bicester?

 

[Imurg]

I think the one you mean is South of Bicester and before Thame. Its Magnolia Park. Played it a few times and its a nice track. The hole you can see from the M40 is a par 5 with a pencil thin fairway and a sheer drop off one side!

I think they've hosted pro events there and its not grusomely expensive to play.

There is a course before Bicester but you can't see it from the M'way.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I think it is called a reciprical agreement (allowing you to play other courses). Royal Ascot has a number (especially with some of the other Royal Clubs worldwide) and in the old days we had arrangements during Royal Ascot when we lost access to the course for 10 days to go and play Maidenhead, Mill Ride etc for free whereby set tee times were set aside.

I actually think I prefer a full set. Distance wise the difference between clubs may only be 10 yards or so but at present I am not comfy (or capable) trying to maunfacture shots to compensate for these differences. In my youth I'd happily take distance off with a towering fade with a long iron or hit a low running hook etc but these days I'm happy just to hit GIR.

I think manufacturers will eventually make 1/2 sets as standard (with the option of buying the extras). Technically Ping already do as they charge by the club as opposed to £xx per set.

I know Royal Ascot is suffering from a decline in membership and trialling a schme to let green fees come and play (it is normally only as a members guest) at set times and following a vetting process (not sure what this involves but I'm guessing handicap certificate). Not sure I'm happy opening the club up but at the moment it is weekdays only between certain off peak times so I guess I'm at work and so it won't impact too much.

As someone who has been on the wrong end of joining fees when I rejoined a couple of years back (despite previously representing the club in matches, being a gold board winner, multi stableford and monthly stroke winner and constant user of the club and facilities) and subsequently finding out others who have either joined as new or rejoined without contributing half as much as I had, it is a contentious issue.

It is one of a clubs main revenue making schemes and I think it is pretty well accepted that if you join a private club particularly, there will be a joining fee on top of the first years subs. If that is the case I think clubs need to operate it across the board and not subjectively as there is nothing guaranteed to drive members away than finding out your regular partner is getting his golf cheaper.

I think also, given the current economic climate, us golfers at private clubs in particular will suffer as less people join and operating costs increase. There is only one inevitable way of covering that shortfall. So does my club open up to more and more societies and green fees losing the exclusiveness (i.e. accessibility to play without booking etc - we can roll up and go out anytime!) that is one of the reasons for joining a private club. Does it lower the joining fees to encourage more members or does it continue to increase prices annually and rely on the loyalty of members to pay through the nose year on year

 

[DCB]

With regard to the manufacturers selling 3-pw, they get away with that "set" because thats what we traditionally bought and have not tried to change that. Earlier this year I bought a new set of MP57s. having gone through the fitting process etc I told the chap that I only wanted 5-PW as I already had two hybrids to take the place of the 3 & 4 irons. Off he went and came back with the price for the reduced set. At first I though I had misheard him,( I was expecting a bit of bunce in there for leaving them with a 3 & 4 iron) but,he came back with a very good price indeed. It turned out that like the Ping dealers, you pay per club! not per set.

So it does pay to ask when ordering a new set from a main supplier.

 

[forefortheday]

"This would be great for the manufacturers because we would all be brainwashed into thinking we need the new progression set" (Can't work the quote thing)


Don't manufacturers do this to us anyway with their "radical new designs" of last years club?

Ok certain models may change but a lot of irons and drivers aren't exactly radically different from last years versions are they? yet we still want them.

I for one think it would encourage creativity in the game.

 

[USER1999]

Out of interest, some sort of reciprocal agreement does exist in the South. There is such a thing as a county card, which costs a nominal amount, that gets you onto any of the courses who have signed up to it for members guest rates. I found this out from golfers at Gerrards Cross GC (nice track). Burnham Beeches also subscribes. Unfortunately, Herts does not belong to the scheme, but a lot of the Southern counties do.

 

[TonyN]

They have the posters for these in one of the driving ranges I use. Although somehow, it doesn't seem right to have to spend money to save money.

Alot of clubs near me are now doing their own 2for1 deals so I am saving quite a bit on green fee's ATM

There is also a cracking club near me that only charges £10 after 3pm. And I would actually pay £25-30 because it is such a nice place. Always dead in the PM too. I cant imagine what it would be like if it was dearer!

 

[viscount17]

You can get that, with fairly severe restrictions, if you join a Crown Golf course. (I think it's max of 8 times and only midweek at any other of their courses).

It would make sense for some of the non-affiliated clubs to link up in this way even if only on a county basis.

 

[RGuk]

Out of interest, some sort of reciprocal agreement does exist in the South.

Yes, sure, we have a county book (book of vouchers).....but some clubs are too "full of it" to be included and in a small county, it's not that helpful if you want to play (in my case) in Wales, Cheshire or Worcestershire.

It IS worth getting a county book. OK, so it's £10 but you'll get that back straight away around here.

 

[Revvic]

As a new comer (13 months) to the game, a reduced start-up cost would have been appreciated (though I was, obviously, not putt off by the cost anyway.)

That being said, having just been on holiday with 6 clubs and two rounds under the belt, I would have benefitted from the full set (well, the 11 I normally have.)

I just don't have the technique yet to use 3/4, 1/2 or 1/4 swing accurately.

 

[viscount17]

There is a county card scheme but the way it was advertised at the club gave me the impression that only 10 cards were available to the club. Not being in the position to be able to hang around the club all day, by the time I saw the notice it I was way too late. tbh I haven't looked into it further but will do.

 

[Cernunnos]

Where I was a member of last year there was a county card given to us, but no-one seemed to quite know what to do with it & no-one in authority at the club seemed to explain how to use it.