Theoretical question

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CrapHacker

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Imagine you're a nomad thinking of joining a club.

You have the chance to join a local club, and there are three options :

<u>Club 1</u>
Is 5 minutes away from home
Is a pay and play course, £20 a round, but has a decent members club attached.
The course is 6000 yards long par 70. It's well developed with plenty of mature trees, but not very tight.
It has a driving range attached - £2.50 for 50 balls and a practise putting green, but nothing else.
Membership would set you back £50 a month.
You think it's a nice course to play, but quite easy, and you'd expect to play to about 14 round there pretty easily.

<u>Club 2</u>
Is 30 minutes from home.
Is a private club that has P&P options at £30 a round for a non member.
Is 6400 yards long par 71. It's relatively new, so the trees aren't fully developed, leaving lots of wide open spaces for those wild drives.
It has pretty much perfect practise facilities, except the range costs £3 for 50 balls. It has 3 pitching holes, with bunkers, and two putting greens - all foc to members.
Membership is £62 a month.
The course has some easy holes and some tough ones. But it's very open, so the big dog comes out at every oportunity. You reckon you'll play to 16, or better, quite quickly, but might struggle to take that handicap to away courses.

<u>Club 3</u>
Is 45 minutes from home.
Is a good private members club. Very established. £40 a round to non members.
6400 yards long par 71. Very established course, plenty of mature trees tight to most fairways.
Very good practise facilities.
Membership is £75 a month.
It's a very tough course to play well, being so tight. Many holes don't encourage a driver off the tee. You'd have to play well to play off 18 round here, but you'd happily take that handicap to any away course.

Which club do you join, and why ?
 
Two questions: What are the members like & how easy would it be to get a game?

Assuming the answers were satisfactory for course 3, I'd go with that. Provided always that finances permitted.

I'd want to test myself on a decent track.
 
Two questions: What are the members like & how easy would it be to get a game?

Assuming the answers were satisfactory for course 3, I'd go with that. Provided always that finances permitted.

I'd want to test myself on a decent track.
Click to expand...

Assume all equally satisfactory from that viewpoint :cool:
 
I'd try to go with the better course. But practice facilities have to be taken into account as does travelling time if time is an issue.

I had a similar dilemma this time last year. I looked at everything and in the end it came down to the course. I rated each hole 1 to 5. 5 being hard, 1 being easy. They were fairly close until the last 4 holes. My current track won as it has 2 hard par 4's, a tricky par 3 and a "reachableish" par 5 in the last 4 - a tough finish. I think its helped my game.
 
Tricky this.
Option 2 is out as I like BIG trees and too old to wait for young trees to grow.
Option 1
5 minutes away
Option 3
45 mins each way =£8-£10 in fuel
Option 1
£600 membership
Option 23
£900 plus fuel
One game and one practice session per week = £1040 in fuel alone+ £900 membership...close on £2000
OR
Option 1 and use the £1400 saved on shiny new kit and the occassional green fee at option 3
 
pretty much same dilemma I had last year.

The closest course was 5 mins from my house and 10 mins from work. Well established and cheap to join. BUT it just got way too busy at the weekends. I've had 5-6 hour rounds there on Saturdays !!

Second was my favorite course, quite open, well established but quite challenging layout. But it was probably 30-40 mins from my home and work.

The course I ended up joining is new-ish in golf course terms I guess. Open but some long and challenging holes. Had the best practice facilities which were important to me. And I can get there from work in 10 mins.

I'm quite lucky there are a lot of courses in my area but my overriding priority was somewhere I could get to quickly from work during the summer so I can get a round in a couple of times during the week if I can get away early.
 
Club 1. You would get more golf,as you could easily play in the evenings. No excuses not to play. Club 3 is a long way for a quick few holes, or practise. At our course the 'locals' are playing, in the bar all the time, and get great value out of their membership.
 
Im in the same boat, as I have just re-joined my old club as it is across the road from my in-laws. As I work close by I can get there during week and play when I like, but have to travel weekends.
It works for me as they have a great crowd, I get my moneys worth, but the course is quite easy once you have played it a few times.
 
Tricky this.
Option 2 is out as I like BIG trees and too old to wait for young trees to grow.
Option 1
5 minutes away
Option 3
45 mins each way =£8-£10 in fuel
Option 1
£600 membership
Option 23
£900 plus fuel
One game and one practice session per week = £1040 in fuel alone+ £900 membership...close on £2000
OR
Option 1 and use the £1400 saved on shiny new kit and the occassional green fee at option 3
Click to expand...

Some theoretical people have fuel paid for for a company car, and then get taxed far too much for it.

However the tax is calculated on the value of the car, not the actual amount of personal mileage done.

Also the further courses MAY possibly be nearer where a theorectical someone may well spend either the majority of their working day, or may well be accessable on the way back from where that working day is spent, so a swift 9 holes after work may be on the cards.
 
This is a tough one. In my opinion, the most important thing to consider is distance. 45 minutes is too far for my liking, even 30 minutes is pushing it if you just want to nip down for an hours practice. However, public courses in the summer after work are very busy and the general understanding of the word "etiquette" declines rapidly (I speak from experience here being a member at a public course)

The course I play at isn't the closest to me but it is one of the better ones, the greens are always great and it has excellent practice facilities. We have a discounted scheme for membership so I don't have to fork out one lump sum for membership which is good for me at the moment. However, it is a public course and you have to accept all the things that come with it (next year I may make a move away)

So all in all I would say if money is an issue and you can put up with what comes with a public course, I'd go for Club 1 as I'd get more time to practice\play.

If I didn't want the public course issues, I go for Club 2.

Club 3 is too far away.
 
i'd go with option 1 every time.

this is the precise reason why i changed clubs this year.

previously, i had a 40 minute drive each way, subs are up to almost £600 and i didn't get time to use the excellent practice facilities easily enough as i live too far away just to nip up.

new club is less than 5 mins away, costs £50 less in subs and although the practice facilities aren't as good, it's a longer course and just as established as the old club. clubhouse isn't as nice, but that doesn't matter.

I'd say the members at both clubs are just as welcoming and friendly as each other and so far, it's not been a problem getting a tee time.
 
For me its option 1, as you will play more, you can always pay to play the others but being so close to your course is always a good thing (maybe not for your partner), a spare hour on a summer evening you will only just get to the tee on option 3.
 
Only you can decide, but personally, I'd positively hate driving 30-45mins to my course.

It makes me realise how incredibly lucky I am that my Course is a No.3, but 2mins from my door.
 
Clive,

Can I take a guess?

1. Wellshurst

2. Mid-Sussex

3. Copthorne

I would say course 1, not the best but from what you've said on here before, with money being tight, the least expensive.

Have you tried Hassocks yet? Just down the road from Mid-Sussex. 5700yds par 70 - not long but you have to be accurate. At £680, good value and I think there are deals on for new members.

It takes me 40 minutes but not a problem to me as I don't play evenings, apart from every other Tuesday night roll up during summer months.

Golfmmad. :)
 
Clive,

Can I take a guess?

1. Wellshurst

2. Mid-Sussex

3. Copthorne

I would say course 1, not the best but from what you've said on here before, with money being tight, the least expensive.

Have you tried Hassocks yet? Just down the road from Mid-Sussex. 5700yds par 70 - not long but you have to be accurate. At £680, good value and I think there are deals on for new members.

It takes me 40 minutes but not a problem to me as I don't play evenings, apart from every other Tuesday night roll up during summer months.

Golfmmad. :)
Click to expand...

Spot on :D

I've looked at the web site for Hassocks, but not got round to playing it yet.

What's the Silver Membership discount on green fees?

Do they do monthly direct debit payments ?

I'll have to try and find a customer in Hassocks to go and visit. ;)

Cheers

Clive
 
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