Subscriptions/current course closures - what is your club doing?

[Imurg]

Wow!
What area are you both (& Imurg) in?

North Bucks/Herts..

 

[Fish]

My last club was virtually unplayable from October until I left last month.
Very poor drainage coupled with the biblical rain.
Course was open at times when it shouldn't have been - they've spent this last motn reseeding massive areas that got churned up.
I'd normally plah 2, sometimes 3, times a week
Between October and March I played about a dozen or so times and was plastered in mud every time.

Best thing I did was joining Woodhall last year as a country member & rejoining in January, I played every weekend throughout the winter I think.

 

[Imurg]

Right, I'm not far away.
Getting the impression the courses round here aren't the best in winter.
Ah well, least of the worries at the moment.

Depends where you are, some drain much better than others....

 

[Deleted member 1740]

Best thing I did was joining Woodhall last year as a country member & rejoining in January, I played every weekend throughout the winter I think.

If you're not blackballed by then ??

 

[Imurg]

Northwood

I was at Whipsnade- on top of a chalk hill but there's a 40 foot layer of clay on top of the chalk.....
It was always soft in winter but this last one really showed up how poor the drainage is.

 

[Tgcgc]

Morning all
Another day, another step closer to our courses opening...get ready for some rusty swings and with social distancing, some very slow play..but ittle be good to be back....maybe as a green fee payer after all. Today at Tenterden golf course we’ve heard from our chairman. Unfortunately yet again incapable of making a decision. In a letter acknowledging that other clubs are helping their member, he goes on to say because they don’t know how long lockdown will be and the effect it has had on the club they are not in a position to offer anything, the request is effectively pay your full subs now and wait and see. This from the same man that just after the course locked down addressed members saying the club may not survive. I still don’t get why they need all the money upfront and they don’t see the need to tell us, maybe I won’t renew after all.?

 

[timd77]

My last club was virtually unplayable from October until I left last month.
Very poor drainage coupled with the biblical rain.
Course was open at times when it shouldn't have been - they've spent this last motn reseeding massive areas that got churned up.
I'd normally plah 2, sometimes 3, times a week
Between October and March I played about a dozen or so times and was plastered in mud every time.

Same as mine, and so I would’ve been leaving when my year was up in August anyway, but being furloughed has brought that forward and I’m a free man.

I’m not sure what to do once we’re allowed back out. There are 3 courses local to me (enville, worfield and bewdley pines) which all cope well in the wet apparently, but I don’t know whether to nomad it for the rest of this year in case we get locked down again, or take the plunge and join one of the above (enville unlikely due to large joining fee). Catch 22 really, nomad means missing out on the best bits of golf such as comps and being able to play as often as I like, but joining somewhere means being committed to pay the fee regardless in these uncertain times.

 

[Doodle]

My course was one of the better ones during the past winter.
But only in as much that it wasn't closed as much as others in the area.
It was still horrendously boggy & the rough was unbelievable.
If you missed the fairway, the ball was lost, if you did find it, there was no way of getting it out with anything other than a wedge.
I pretty much lost all my winter golf from Oct - March.
A shame really, because in all other respects it's a fab club, my only other real bug bear is their over use of temps in winter.

I have a course 30 - 40 mins away which is a fantastically well draining course & is a lovely course to play.
No idea what it's like as a club, but I am thinking of waiting until all this settles down & we return to normality & then look to move clubs.

 

[Deleted member 18588]

Same as mine, and so I would’ve been leaving when my year was up in August anyway, but being furloughed has brought that forward and I’m a free man.

I’m not sure what to do once we’re allowed back out. There are 3 courses local to me (enville, worfield and bewdley pines) which all cope well in the wet apparently, but I don’t know whether to nomad it for the rest of this year in case we get locked down again, or take the plunge and join one of the above (enville unlikely due to large joining fee). Catch 22 really, nomad means missing out on the best bits of golf such as comps and being able to play as often as I like, but joining somewhere means being committed to pay the fee regardless in these uncertain times.

Have only played it once but I am afraid that I would have to disagree with you on Worfield

When I played it had not been a particularly wet spell but the course was still very soft and heavy, even boggy I one or two places.

Enville is, however, an entirely different proposition.

 

[timd77]

Have only played it once but I am afraid that I would have to disagree with you on Worfield

When I played it had not been a particularly wet spell but the course was still very soft and heavy, even boggy I one or two places.

Enville is, however, an entirely different proposition.

Enville would be the number 1 choice, but I can’t see me ever being in a position to either pay £1600 up front or spread over 12 months, plus the £1400 a year membership. Would love to though!

Interesting what you say about worfield. I’ve spoken to a couple of people who said that it’s decent in the winter. I know it went down hill a few years back but it’s apparently being well run now. When did you play it?

 

[Deleted member 18588]

Enville would be the number 1 choice, but I can’t see me ever being in a position to either pay £1600 up front or spread over 12 months, plus the £1400 a year membership. Would love to though!

Interesting what you say about worfield. I’ve spoken to a couple of people who said that it’s decent in the winter. I know it went down hill a few years back but it’s apparently being well run now. When did you play it?

About 18 months ago.

 

[upsidedown]

We played Worfield back in November and tees had not been mown for ages due to staffing issues so were being cut by strimmer , greens not great and no catering or Pro . Down to less than 100 members we heard , I'd steer clear if looking for a lively clubhouse ?

 

[timd77]

We played Worfield back in November and tees had not been mown for ages due to staffing issues so were being cut by strimmer , greens not great and no catering or Pro . Down to less than 100 members we heard , I'd steer clear if looking for a lively clubhouse ?

Sounds like I spoke to the wrong people! Cheers for the heads up.

 

[Deleted member 1740]

Morning all
Another day, another step closer to our courses opening...get ready for some rusty swings and with social distancing, some very slow play..but ittle be good to be back....maybe as a green fee payer after all. Today at Tenterden golf course we’ve heard from our chairman. Unfortunately yet again incapable of making a decision. In a letter acknowledging that other clubs are helping their member, he goes on to say because they don’t know how long lockdown will be and the effect it has had on the club they are not in a position to offer anything, the request is effectively pay your full subs now and wait and see. This from the same man that just after the course locked down addressed members saying the club may not survive. I still don’t get why they need all the money upfront and they don’t see the need to tell us, maybe I won’t renew after all.?

That might not be the worst decision you make.

 

[Jokki]

We've been encouraging members to renew subs and have waived those who pay monthly the £40 admin fee and also let it be know if you cant keep the payments you can stop at anytime and rejoin as soon as you can afford it/we're open again.
We will offer up to all members who have renewed some sort of bonus but we are still working out what that will be .
We sent out another newsletter today quoting from Golf Monthly

It's really good idea!

 

[clubchamp98]

My club has said they will look at it when it’s all over ,so no guessing.
That makes perfect sense to me.

 

[Blue in Munich]

My club has said they will look at it when it’s all over ,so no guessing.
That makes perfect sense to me.

Very similar at mine. We've recently had a letter from the Chair of Finance, thanking those of us who have renewed without question (which I understand is the majority) & reminding those that haven't that we have currently lost 2 of our 3 revenue streams. I'm guessing from the content of the letter that a few have asked what will be happening re subs/extensions/refunds & the response is when we are out the other side we'll see. I consider the club to be well run, the finances are sound so I've done what I've done since the day I've joined & trusted them to run the club properly. They haven't let me down yet, and I doubt they will now.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Had an email saying we're doing ok from a financial perspective and so decisions will be made at a later date and fed out and that as a club the main priority is being ready to allow golf as soon as permitted in whatever form and having the course and facilities as good as possible for that moment. Can't argue with that and promising to know that for now everything seems to be ticking along as well as can be expected

 

[Deleted member 21258]

So far nothing has been announced at all by any, apart from one that said suck it up basically.

Kind of surprised but will wait and see, as no renewals for along time yet.

Thought I would update this a little, heard from 2 of the others. One is saying the membership year will be extended by two months and another is saying a discount against next year subs of 10%-20% will be applied(all depending on how it all unfolds).

Both very generous.

 

[IanM]

Reading the board minutes. We have 3 vacancies and 6 applications pending.

Can't see any rebates coming!