Surge of New Members

[2blue]

Now things have started to settle down and booking tee times has become less of a chore, already I am managing to book something pretty much every day.

What we are seeing, in terms of the newer members who have joined in the last twelve months, is just what sort of member the club has gained. In the main, the consensus at the club is that what we have gained in additional subscriptions we have lost elsewhere.

It seems pretty clear, with pubs and shops shut, spectator sports not allowing fans, and severe restrictions on almost every other aspect of our leisure time, members have joined our club as a means of filling their time. We are proprietary owned, so merely cancelling the monthly payment and disappearing into the ether when you’ve had enough is an option.

The result is that, whilst the club have doubtless recruited some members who will enjoy the benefits of golf club membership, I’m afraid they have gained many more who are merely coming for something to do and have absolutely no idea how to conduct themselves on a golf course, and no respect for the course, it’s staff or the members.

The worst example of the new behaviour we are having to become used to is the amount of litter strewn around the place, most notable beer bottles. When the bins are full towards the end of the day, people are leaving beer bottles on tees, in the rough and even, on occasion, in the middle of fairways. If ever I am playing late afternoon this issue is very evident.

I was very willing to cut the new members some slack. It’s always easy, after all, to blame the new guy if standards slip. But having discussed this widely with other members and club staff it is very clear that the influx of new members is at the root of this problem. The owners are in the process of identifying the culprits and terminating their memberships.

The widely held belief is that, as we slowly return to something approaching normal, many of the newer members will simply cancel their subs and return to their old routines. If they take their filth with them then they won’t be missed.

Yes, we're very much like this though its largely Societies that drink the beer on course. I think that if you sell beer on course then you should have facilities to deal with the empties. Few people will want to take them all the way round. Should do, but that's not the reality. Employ someone.

 

[Billysboots]

Yes, we're very much like this though its largely Societies that drink the beer on course. I think that if you sell beer on course then you should have facilities to deal with the empties. Few people will want to take them all the way round. Should do, but that's not the reality. Employ someone.

We’re not allowing societies or visitors at present so it’s members I’m afraid, and as the clubhouse is shut it’s beers they’re bringing with them.

 

[IanM]

I’m tempted to say the above is an excellent justification for joining fees... big ones!

But I am on a wind-up... albeit partially!

 

[2blue]

We’re not allowing societies or visitors at present so it’s members I’m afraid, and as the clubhouse is shut it’s beers they’re bringing with them.

That is bad then.... no question. Best just ban alcohol on course, employ a Marshall & remove members from course & possibly Club, who contravene. Theres a Club in Newton Aycliffe who do just that..... lots of signs on 1st tee. Looks terrible but must be necessary.

 

[Billysboots]

That is bad then.... no question. Best just ban alcohol on course, employ a Marshall & remove members from course & possibly Club, who contravene. Theres a Club in Newton Aycliffe who do just that..... lots of signs on 1st tee. Looks terrible but must be necessary.

I think that’s the way we’re heading.

As someone said yesterday, the empty bottles are lighter than they were when full, so not simply putting them back in their bags and taking them home again is laziness, pure and simple.

And the club, its staff and other members should neither have to put up with it, nor clear up the mess. I’m staggered any other golfer thinks otherwise.

 

[SammmeBee]

Maybe a new sign needed:

Would ‘new’ Members please refrain from using the bins as they are historically not big enough for modern post lockdown golf (old proper Members may use then for disposal of boiled sweets however)

 

[Billysboots]

Maybe a new sign needed:

Would ‘new’ Members please refrain from using the bins as they are historically not big enough for modern post lockdown golf (old proper Members may use then for disposal of boiled sweets however)

Grow up.

 

[SammmeBee]

Keep on them boiled sweets......when you’re done you can keep your broken tees in the tin.......

 

[Billysboots]

Keep on them boiled sweets......when you’re done you can keep your broken tees in the tin.......

You’re making some rather sweeping assumptions about me. I’m a few years from the Werther’s Originals yet.

But I know a troll when I come across one.

 

[2blue]

I think that’s the way we’re heading.

As someone said yesterday, the empty bottles are lighter than they were when full, so not simply putting them back in their bags and taking them home again is laziness, pure and simple.

And the club, its staff and other members should neither have to put up with it, nor clear up the mess. I’m staggered any other golfer thinks otherwise.

How many members you got?

 

[Billysboots]

How many members you got?

Around 600 full 7-day members and then others in different categories.

 

[2blue]

Around 600 full 6-day members and then others in different categories.

Wow that's a lot for a propriety Club that would need revenue from Societies to help cash flow. We've about 400.. have both guests, visitors & societies booking times & there's still no problem getting on.

 

[peld]

we must have had an extra 300 members since the start of 2020. Becoming an utter farce trying to get tee times. The medal last week was fully booked in 5 minutes at 8am when the times were released! As we aren't a members club (resort courses) we have constantly complained to the Director of Golf but nothing ever seems to get done. If i knew lockdown was going to be lifted as quick I wouldn't have renewed

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I’m tempted to say the above is an excellent justification for joining fees... big ones!

But I am on a wind-up... albeit partially!

...well..I believe that we are full with a waiting list of 50 or so...with a joining fee the same as our annual subs.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

we must have had an extra 300 members since the start of 2020. Becoming an utter farce trying to get tee times. The medal last week was fully booked in 5 minutes at 8am when the times were released! As we aren't a members club (resort courses) we have constantly complained to the Director of Golf but nothing ever seems to get done. If i knew lockdown was going to be lifted as quick I wouldn't have renewed

I hope that you only had about 300 full playing members beforehand...but somehow I doubt it.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I’m not talking about the odd bottle by a bin.

Do you think wine bottles left lying in a fairway are acceptable? Because that’s the level of littering I’m talking about. And it’s not my job to take a bin bag out to clear up someone else’s mess - it’s their responsibility not to leave it lying around.

Well...as a member of a members club I consider it to be one of my responsibilities to help keep the course tidy and free of rubbish...and so I find myself picking up stuff as I walk round.

We no longer have any bins on the course so I have to carry it all the way back to the clubhouse if on the back 9 or halfway house if on the front. It doesn’t please me to see rubbish dropped by others - in fact it irritates me and can anger me if it’s an empty bottle or can - but I find my anger dissipates quickly if I do what I can and pick it up - in a covid-safe way of course.

I obviously can’t and don’t pick everything up, but if we each and all do our bit to tidy up behind the careless and the fools then the course will stay tidy and the careless and fools will be less inclined to drop their rubbish.

 

[ForeRight]

Well...as a member of a members club I consider it to be one of my responsibilities to help keep the course tidy and free of rubbish...and so I find myself picking up stuff as I walk round.

We no longer have any bins on the course so I have to carry it all the way back to the clubhouse if on the back 9 or halfway house if on the front. It doesn’t please me to see rubbish dropped by others - in fact it irritates me and can anger me if it’s an empty bottle or can - but I find my anger dissipates quickly if I do what I can and pick it up - in a covid-safe way of course.

I obviously can’t and don’t pick everything up, but if we each and all do our bit to tidy up behind the careless and the fools then the course will stay tidy and the careless and fools will be less inclined to drop their rubbish.

I'm afraid I don't share your faith in other people. Since the very first lockdown finished when rakes disappeared from the courses our bunkers have got progressively worse. It is perfectly clear that often players make absolutely zero effort to clear up after themselves and expecting following members to tidy up after them is unrealistic.

This is at a members' club.

 

[Golfnut1957]

we must have had an extra 300 members since the start of 2020. Becoming an utter farce trying to get tee times. The medal last week was fully booked in 5 minutes at 8am when the times were released! As we aren't a members club (resort courses) we have constantly complained to the Director of Golf but nothing ever seems to get done. If i knew lockdown was going to be lifted as quick I wouldn't have renewed

Are we talking about Dalmahoy here? It was on my list for our trip in September, still worth a visit?

 

[chrisd]

We've hit 600 members for the first time in 20 years and are introducing joining fees for some categories soon

 

[Billysboots]

Well...as a member of a members club I consider it to be one of my responsibilities to help keep the course tidy and free of rubbish...and so I find myself picking up stuff as I walk round.

We no longer have any bins on the course so I have to carry it all the way back to the clubhouse if on the back 9 or halfway house if on the front. It doesn’t please me to see rubbish dropped by others - in fact it irritates me and can anger me if it’s an empty bottle or can - but I find my anger dissipates quickly if I do what I can and pick it up - in a covid-safe way of course.

I obviously can’t and don’t pick everything up, but if we each and all do our bit to tidy up behind the careless and the fools then the course will stay tidy and the careless and fools will be less inclined to drop their rubbish.

Covid is the fly in the ointment here. I would normally begrudgingly move someone else’s rubbish to the nearest bin.

But if anyone thinks I’m doing that when I’m not allowed to rake a bunker, use a ball cleaner or hold a flag then, frankly, they can poke it. We’re even being discouraged from picking up found balls, for pity’s sake.

So, as things currently stand, the rubbish left strewn around our course is the responsibility of one individual and one only - the lazy pillock that left it in the first place.

And I totally disagree with your final point. If we clear up after the litter louts they’ll just continue to dump it. If they had any sort of conscience they wouldn’t leave it in the first place.