Essex_Stu
Tour Rookie
The only local members club I know of is Colchester. Thats £850-£900 a year and £1k joining fee payable over a couple of years. You also need to undertake an interview to get in.
The benefit of complaining?
- Thread starter swanny32
- Start date
The only local members club I know of is Colchester. Thats £850-£900 a year and £1k joining fee payable over a couple of years. You also need to undertake an interview to get in.
swanny32
Journeyman Pro
That's way out of my league.....but then I wouldn't say I'm looking to move anyway. It would just be nice for someone who has inherited the club and all the land around it to put a bit back into the club.
HomerJSimpson
Hall of Famer
Having read your comments its crystal. You can put up with the course in the state its in and in the vain hope that some investment will be made at some point in the future and offset that against the convenience of location. You could find a decent private members club where the facilities might be better but you are going to pay for the privilege. Finally if you are really disenchanted, leave and become nomadic until money is finally invested and things improve ro you can budget to join elsewhere.
They are the stark choices. My guess is a suggestion book or letter will get dismissed out of hand and its about keeping the businesss afloat (if its struggling - hence no investment) or to keep punters turning up and making some dough. Sorry if that seems brusque or cold but just the way I see it
They are the stark choices. My guess is a suggestion book or letter will get dismissed out of hand and its about keeping the businesss afloat (if its struggling - hence no investment) or to keep punters turning up and making some dough. Sorry if that seems brusque or cold but just the way I see it
GB72
Money List Winner
I cannot see anything changing. If the investment is made in the course and staff then any owner is going to up the fees accordingly. I agree with the 'move on' opinions. I would rather be a nomad golfer and put the money aside to play a few courses a month than pay £500 a year for something that I was not enjoying or was frustrating or annoying me. Your membership may be cheap in terms of local club fees but is alot to pay for something that you are not 100% happy with.
Foxholer
Blackballed
I'd be in the 'vote with your feet' brigade.
Changes are not going to happen imo. Not enough money around at the mo!
Nomadic golf does have its benefits.
Changes are not going to happen imo. Not enough money around at the mo!
Nomadic golf does have its benefits.
DaveM
Tour Winner
Can't see any reason to stay. You say you like the social side of it. But the golf side sucks. Now as I see it. The clue as to why you join a golf club is in the name "Golf". No other real reason to join a club than to play golf simples. So if you don't enjoy it because the course is poor. Its just a waste of money. A good course may cost more but you will enjoy the golf. End of.
swanny32
Journeyman Pro
I see what you are saying, don't get me wrong the course isn't terrible, there are at worse courses around this area but some really basic things aren't being done which is frustrating me and a fair few of the older members too.
Slab
Occasional Tour Caddy
It sounds pretty terrible based on your opening post!
How much worse would it need to be for you to leave? Troughs the width of golf balls running the entire length of the fairway!
The course I was at last year would've lost me this year even if I didn't have to move for a job change. There were a number of things that were done very poorly with respect to course maintenance & some of the problems let to partially closure of the course when at the same time the links down the road (same fees) was not only open but better maintained (both muni run)
It got to the point that I would use the excuse that love of the game would compensate for failings on the course, but how long can that continue?
If I owned a Ferrari but had to drive it only on farm roads how long before I sold it or moved!
swanny32
Journeyman Pro
The moling lines have closed up at last, I dont think it helped that we had quite a dry summer last year but he definitely dug them too wide. Our greens are pretty good throughout the year with the exception of the 9th which is now tiny and almost impossible to stop a ball on. Last year the greens were 11 on the stimpmeter and very true.
There are far worse courses around here but like I said before, some things are just very much below average and the owner doesn't seem to care....or he does and the greenkeeper really is useless.
I guess I'll just have to grin and bare it until I can afford to join somewhere a little more exclusive or hope that things improve a bit.
There are far worse courses around here but like I said before, some things are just very much below average and the owner doesn't seem to care....or he does and the greenkeeper really is useless.
I guess I'll just have to grin and bare it until I can afford to join somewhere a little more exclusive or hope that things improve a bit.
daveyc2k2
Tour Rookie
Swanny stop bl***y whinging!!
In all seriousness he has a point and I can udnerstand why some of you would say to up sticks and leave but you can only imagine the course from the bad points raised here.
As Swanny said, the course is far from terrible, we just have a lazy greenkeeper, obviously this is a big thing and there are things that could do with changing but I'm sure most clubs are similar.
In respect of being a nomadic golfer, I did that for 2 years before joining Forresters, and whilst it has it's perks it's just not the same as being a member somewhere and obviously no competitions.
Also as the saying goes "The grass isn't always greener" as we discovered when playing Stoke by Nayland last week. For a wannabe championship course, it really didn't stand out and I believe work is needed there too.
So who knows, you could leave Forresters, go somewhere else and pay more money and then find that the course might be a bit better but maybe the members aren't so welcoming or you can't get involved as much as you would like.
Anyway up to you, but that's my two pennies worth.
In all seriousness he has a point and I can udnerstand why some of you would say to up sticks and leave but you can only imagine the course from the bad points raised here.
As Swanny said, the course is far from terrible, we just have a lazy greenkeeper, obviously this is a big thing and there are things that could do with changing but I'm sure most clubs are similar.
In respect of being a nomadic golfer, I did that for 2 years before joining Forresters, and whilst it has it's perks it's just not the same as being a member somewhere and obviously no competitions.
Also as the saying goes "The grass isn't always greener" as we discovered when playing Stoke by Nayland last week. For a wannabe championship course, it really didn't stand out and I believe work is needed there too.
So who knows, you could leave Forresters, go somewhere else and pay more money and then find that the course might be a bit better but maybe the members aren't so welcoming or you can't get involved as much as you would like.
Anyway up to you, but that's my two pennies worth.
Imurg
The Grinder Of Pars (Semi Crocked)
We are potentially going down the same road at Aylesbury Park.
With the threat of HS2 ploughing straight through the course there is a question as to how much investment the owners are going to make in the course until they know for sure, one way or the other. if the line is going to be built.
Understandable - if, in 5 or 10 years, a bloody great railway was coming though the middle of your business, you'd think twice about investing serious money. It may never happen, but the threat is still there and when they are weighing up the cost of any improvements it has to be a factor in their decision making.
We certainly have a few years at least but I doubt we are going to see any real investment, more along the lines of putting enough in to keep it going.
There are a couple of similar priced clubs around and a few more expensive but none are as convenient as APGC so in the long run will cost me more to play them.......
Let's hope HMGoverment knocks HS2 on the head.
As for the OP, Homer has it right. Put up with it or move on........
With the threat of HS2 ploughing straight through the course there is a question as to how much investment the owners are going to make in the course until they know for sure, one way or the other. if the line is going to be built.
Understandable - if, in 5 or 10 years, a bloody great railway was coming though the middle of your business, you'd think twice about investing serious money. It may never happen, but the threat is still there and when they are weighing up the cost of any improvements it has to be a factor in their decision making.
We certainly have a few years at least but I doubt we are going to see any real investment, more along the lines of putting enough in to keep it going.
There are a couple of similar priced clubs around and a few more expensive but none are as convenient as APGC so in the long run will cost me more to play them.......
Let's hope HMGoverment knocks HS2 on the head.
As for the OP, Homer has it right. Put up with it or move on........
swanny32
Journeyman Pro
It's certainly interesting to see everyone's views on the situation, and I completely understand where everyone is coming from.
It has never even crossed my mind to move somewhere else, I have made friends, enjoy the challenge the course gives me every time I step foot on the first tee, the pro is now a good friend and it's only a few minutes down the road which is ideal when you have a needy wife and two young kids.
The course is far from being terrible, some things that are done are done well, especially the greens, which take a bit of getting used to but once you have the pace of them then they are usually excellent. It's no secret that a new greenkeeper is needed, many of the members I have played with in the last year would agree, unfortunately it doesn't look as though we'll be getting one unless the owner takes his balls out of his tightly clamped purse and sacks the current one, but it would seem that they have become more friends than employee and employer.
I know the pro is always lobbying for change, he doesn't get it but I'll keep backing him up anyway that I can.
It has never even crossed my mind to move somewhere else, I have made friends, enjoy the challenge the course gives me every time I step foot on the first tee, the pro is now a good friend and it's only a few minutes down the road which is ideal when you have a needy wife and two young kids.
The course is far from being terrible, some things that are done are done well, especially the greens, which take a bit of getting used to but once you have the pace of them then they are usually excellent. It's no secret that a new greenkeeper is needed, many of the members I have played with in the last year would agree, unfortunately it doesn't look as though we'll be getting one unless the owner takes his balls out of his tightly clamped purse and sacks the current one, but it would seem that they have become more friends than employee and employer.
I know the pro is always lobbying for change, he doesn't get it but I'll keep backing him up anyway that I can.
