Stay or leave after 34 years

[Tab373]

Hi i amthinking about leaving my current club after 34 years but would like opinions on it.
Current club is at least a 30 min drive each way I have 2 young daughters the youngest starts school in Sep. I'm a shift worker do 4 on 6 off. The other guys I normally play with are also shift worker but there shift have change and no longer match mine so apart from the odd comp have played on my own for last 3 months. Now I could probably find others to play with but the club I find is very clicky. And the main reason I'm thinking of leaving is that I got kicked out off a knockout comp this year as I was on my hols and couldn't play match until 2 days after the closing date.oppenent was last years captain. Which I would normally except but last year I had to wait at least 10 days after the closing date to find out who I was playing against due to both parties being away. It smacks of double standards as they were on the comp committee. New club I'm thinking of joining is only 10 mins from home 5 mins from the girls school I would be able to tee off between 9 and 11 and still get back to pick my girls up. But I'm worried about not meeting new people at new club.
And one more question. I currently pay quartley so paid up til Sep can I cancel my DD and join new club in sept or will I need to wait till the new year. Reason I ask is new club are bringing back a joining fee from next year and I'm trying to get around it. So should I stay or should I go.both course are about the same standard

 

[palindromicbob]

Based on your post I'd say go. Nothing but negatives listed for your current club.

Try a full pros and cons list for each and go with the one that has more positives.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Seems like a lot of reasons to go, especially the clique side of things.

 

[Tashyboy]

I would be gone in a flash. I had a fifteen to twenty year sabbatical from golf coz of the kids at Skool. It will get no easier.
Old club clicky and when it suits would deffo not work for me and what happened re the comp will always stick in your throat. I had a similar incident when I was looking at clubs to join. A member was getting arsey at a club I was looking to join on the first tee, it got very verbal and he was proper bogged off when his PP told him he was out of order. My mind was made up when the club captain was informed about what had gone off ( not by me ). The club captain who I knew, looked into the incident and found in favour of his other pal. Stuff um, I never joined and have been asked about doin my pit golf day there. Really.
Re your DD, I would keep it running til sept when the kids go back to Skool and try to do a deal at the new club. Good luck with it.
what surprised me with our pit golf day last week was listening to lads whinging about the state of there own course, but ours is a similar distance away from where some of them live. Why don't they move?

 

[JohnnyDee]

Based upon the content of your post then I too believe that pastures new are the way ahead.

 

[sawtooth]

Be careful as the grass is not always greener on the other side.If you leave your club would you need to pay a joining fee if you decide to go back?Ask the new club if there is a trial period? That would be ideal because you could see what its like before you make a final decision on leaving.

 

[virtuocity]

I'd be surprised if they wouldn't hold you to pay the remainder of the fees.

Saying that, why not just stick around until your subscription year ends and contact your potential new club, asking if there are any members who would be willing to show you round the place?

Good luck, but it sounds like you have already made your mind up.

 

[Alex1975]

If for no other reason... 5 mins from the girls school, 10 from home. The time saved is time with the family. It's gold!

 

[williamalex1]

Depends on your age, does your present club give discounted fees for over 65s with long service.
Why not try and get involved more with the council and maybe change things, these old farts won't be around forever
As Sawtooth said " the grass isn't always greener ", and you could lose your service years.

 

[Qwerty]

What's the course like as the club sounds terrible?
I'm surprised that you say the club is 'clicky' even after 34 years of being a member.
30 mins each way too.. I'd be out of there.

 

[BrianM]

If for no other reason... 5 mins from the girls school, 10 from home. The time saved is time with the family. It's gold!

This for me, can't underestimate family time.

 

[Tab373]

Thanks guys I'm 43 so been a member since age of 9 also use to only live 5 min away from current club until I moved. Course was never this clicky but have noticed a change in last 3 years. I would miss it as course in good condition as they have held a few county champs in the last few years but I'm thinking if I leave and don't like it I will learn from my mistake and just go back the following year. No joining fee at current club. Just fear of the Unknown is what has stopped me leaving in the past. I'm also thinking I don't currently play many weekend due to wife not liking the fact that sat comps take a good 4 hours plus another 1 travelling so if I join the other course I'm hoping to perhaps play a few more weekends. New club would be Taunton and Pickeridge which I know a couple people on the forum are members. Perhaps they could contact me and show me around but mainly introduce me to other members that I could get a game with. Played the course lots and like it just need to make new friends. Cheers
I think I have made my mind up.

 

[Hobbit]

I've moved 12 times in 48 years as I've moved around the UK and abroad. Most clubs are what you make of them. There is the odd exception where some behaviours are ingrained. I've never been one to play with the same people week in week out, and that is what has always helped when I've moved.

After a short while you'll have new friends, and sometimes freshening things up improves your game.

 

[Capella]

Even if you pay quaterly, the membership itself is probably done on a yearly basis, so I doubt you can get out before the end of the year. You should ask at the club's office. But even if you are bound till the end of the year, don't see that as a negative. It should give you the chance to test the waters at the new club before you make a commitment. Maybe they offer a kind of trial membership or at least you can play there a few times in open comps to get a better feel about what the club life is like down there. Just make sure you don't miss the cancellation date for the membership at your old club should you decide to leave for good.

 

[Crazyface]

"Just fear of the Unknown is what has stopped me leaving in the past."

If I am unhappy with things at work I just leave. You have to muddle though for a bit, but everything has always worked our better. Be brave, and leave. You'll find it strange at a new place, but soon you'll have new people that take your money off you.

 

[Roland]

I wouldn't worry about finding people to play with. I joined my club with a couple of mates and one dropped out quite quickly. I run a B&B so can never quite predict when I'm free to play golf and have found the roll ups at the club invaluable. I'm not retired and most of the folks in the roll ups are but they are really friendly and made me welcome once I'd asked if I could join in.

 

[Deleted member 16999]

Go, choose quality of life, less hassle at home, plus the opportunity of fitting in the odd hour for practise as it's close.

 

[Mike07]

Leave, leave, leave...

30 min is too much and meeting people at clubs is usually not an issue provided you put yourself out there.

 

[User 105]

Sounds a bit like my current place. Very clicky and some of the existing members can be pretty unpleasant to new members spoiling "their" club. It's not all members, but there definitely is an elitist element.

If the course itself wasn't as nice as it is I think I would have moved a while ago. Still thinking about joining a second club for comps as I really like competitive golf but they way it's run out my current place I just don't enjoy it.

I'm in the lucky position I can afford 2 memberships so I can get the best of both worlds. Play my existing course during the week when i want as it's quite quiet, play another course at the weekends for comps and better member integration.

 

[MadAdey]

It sounds like you have restricted yourself to just playing with a few people over the years and never getting to know a lot of people within the club. It may not be that your club is clicky, they just haven't had chance to get to know you, I would have thought after being there for so long you should know almost everyone.

Give it a chance and try to get into some role ups and meet some new people.