TROUBLE AT MILL !!bit long winded

[Simbo]

So you were quite happy to accept an invitation to join quickly because you knew the "right people" but now the rules have changed, you don't like them and "peasants" can join you aren't happy?? Double standards!
While I can see what you're trying to say you're going to get very little sympathy with your attitude. If you want to join a club and play with other snobs then that's your choice. It's this kind of attitude that gets golf a bad name IMO and stop a lot more people joining clubs than the witchhunt of slow play!

 

[SugarPenguin]

Hopefully this visual representation sums up the OP

Best post I have seen on here yet.

I understand the OP in the sense that you do need to keep traditions and rules are rules but plenty of people like a drink and a sing song. SO long as its not offending anybody its there club just as much as it is yours. Brawling doesnt really have any place though but thats just one of those things I assume. It will be a once in a bluemoon occurrence

 

[JustOne]

brought in a modern approach,that was put before the committee and narrowly got through

Your club could have stayed more 'exclusive' BUT IT CHOSE NOT TO by a committee elected by the people of the club - don't see what your problem is, go join another club if you don't like the way your elected committee is running yours.

Agree with the points about the barman serving 'drunks' and also with a point that you should simply ban the undesirables if they break the clubs rules. They did sign on the dotted line that they wouldn't cause any disturbances on the course or clubhouse, right?

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Just seems to me that the Club Steward (or whoever was in the bar) failed to keep a lit on their behaviour. All the rest of the stuff about individual's background and joining process is a barrel of red herrings to me.

We have taken on 80-90 new members in over the last year - we used to post application forms on a board for members to peruse- but thankfully I think we've stopped doing that. I take every member as I find him or her. I don't give a monkeys about their background. If anyone is not my type I might not seek out playing with him again - likewise he might not take to me - that's just fine.

As far as the financials - joining fees and subs plans etc - when I joined I was happy to pay the joniing fee and the membership payment requirements as they were back then. What they are now I really don't care - and I don't ask any of the new members about their's. We members vote a committee to make decisions for us on that front - and one of their prime objectives is to limit increases in my subs. How they do that is up to them and I don't really feel I need to be consulted. I need them top report on finances and membership status - any issues and the clubs strategy looking forward.

And I just get on with meeting new members and playing golf.

 

[Slab]

Is it just a typo in the opening post that means everyone of position within the golf club has their title highlighted in capital letters?

i.e MR CAPTAIN, CHAIRMAN, SECRETARY & LADY CAPTAIN...





Everyone of position that is except the person who introduced the changes to the membership process, who is described simply as ‘the new sec’!


Now if my name was Freud....

 

[Hobbit]

In over 40+yrs of golf as I've moved around the UK and abroad I've seen this sort of behaviour at every club I've been a member of, irrespective of how snotty golf or the club might be.

The simple answer is how a new member is introduced to the club, inc the club's rules. If there's a serious breach, chuck 'em out. One or two expulsions usually makes people sit up and take note.... for a while. But I'll guarantee it'll happen again. it always does where drink is available.

 

[ruff-driver]

 

[Region3]

I actually have some sympathy with the OP.

However much I disagree with the attitude and policies of whichever club it is, it had a membership that liked it that way and now their 'ways' have been turned upside down.

The club was obviously thriving, and until we hear more it doesn't seem to make any sense for them to want to change.
If the membership were happy being judged as outdated then that impression from the outside would help to preserve what they like so much about their club.

Unless the OP was in a minority of people who liked it the way it was?

 

[bluewolf]

I actually have some sympathy with the OP.

However much I disagree with the attitude and policies of whichever club it is, it had a membership that liked it that way and now their 'ways' have been turned upside down.

The club was obviously thriving, and until we hear more it doesn't seem to make any sense for them to want to change.
If the membership were happy being judged as outdated then that impression from the outside would help to preserve what they like so much about their club.

Unless the OP was in a minority of people who liked it the way it was?

The Club in question has always had a reputation as a "Very Traditional" Members Club. It hasn't changed for many many years, and didn't appear to be in a position to need to change. The Membership was always full and they managed to keep a joining fee in an area where most Members clubs were forced to drop theirs. They were also Cash Rich due to business dealings separate from normal revenue streams.

I know several people who moved to the Club and one of the main reasons was its maintenance of what we might call "old school values". That's not to say that they have discriminated against any group, but they have maintained fairly strict standards when others have "moved with the times."

I'm not sure why people felt there was a need to change really. The Club filled a niche market in an area that has numerous Member clubs. All the members I have spoken to were proud of the Club and especially its social scene. I suspect that there may be some regrets now and that talks will be underway to revert back to its original business model..

 

[shortstuff]

There have to be some standards at the club. But if it's too fuddy-duddy it will eventually fold because the pool of old boys is ever decreasing. At our place, the flag is often at half-mast because another one has past away.

 

[bobmac]

Sounds like it's all the new secretary's fault

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Sounds like it's all the new secretary's fault

Sounds like a new secretary with some foresight of trouble ahead unless the club changed it's ways a bit. Change from a traditional and widely accepted norm is never going to be popular. Seems just that the scenario described about the drunken behaviour was just not handled properly - probably as not had to deal with it before and possibly because acceptable clubhouse behaviour rules not set out clearly in advance.

 

[shewy]

Got to say in response to the OP that's what put me off joining a certain golf club near me, I went for the interview and actually was embarrassed by what they were asking.
They wanted to know my whole background and income and insisted I be accompanied for the first month. Now I know a few members there and tbh honest I earn easily double what they do and have been playing golf for 20+ years, it put me off no end and thankfully I joined a great club.
I grew up in Scotland playing quite a few courses and it's not supposed to be a snobbish game, it's supposed to be a game for the people regardless of your background, I've had some great rounds with guys who have not two pennies to rub together and some awful ones with guys who are above there station.
There may be a market for these clubs but I sincerely hope they are dwindling, you have to remember you voted for this so maybe it's just a transition period.
How do these guys behave on the course? is it just a bar problem.

 

[Sponge1980]

After reading this I'm glad I'm a member of the club I am. No interview, no dress code, £270 to join for a year and some of the nicest hard drinking loudmouths you could ever wish to meet.

 

[Liverbirdie]

. Brawling doesnt really have any place though but thats just one of those things I assume. It will be a once in a bluewolf occurrence

Fixed - No wonder they blackballed you, Dan.

 

[User20205]

It's up north... How posh can it be?

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

After reading this I'm glad I'm a member of the club I am. No interview, no dress code, £270 to join for a year and some of the nicest hard drinking loudmouths you could ever wish to meet.

You might think a wee bit different if you paid over £1000 to join and £1500 a year subs - and you paid that in expectation of continuation of what had become expected of the club - and then they changed the rules and the nature and feeling of the club changed beyond your recognition.

Easy enough to walk away from a club if you haven't invested a lot of your money in it. I may not totally agree with much of OPs thoughts - but I understand his sentiment.

 

[StrangelyBrown]

What do people get asked at an interview ?

I take it that there is more to it then "what school did you go to" and " what team do you support"

I'm glad that there was no interview when I joined. I look "alternative", so I assume that the blazer and tie brigade would judge books by covers

Ignoring the fact that I'm a reasonably well behaved and well adjusted person, I'm sure that a lot of clubs might not like "my type" in their membership.

Edit: - referring to the OP, some of the rudest, aggressive and most unpleasant people I know happen to be the ones that are well educated, have seemingly high paid jobs and look well presented.

 

[Hobbit]

You might think a wee bit different if you paid over £1000 to join and £1500 a year subs - and you paid that in expectation of continuation of what had become expected of the club - and then they changed the rules and the nature and feeling of the club changed beyond your recognition.

Easy enough to walk away from a club if you haven't invested a lot of your money in it. I may not totally agree with much of OPs thoughts - but I understand his sentiment.

OMG! I agree with SILH!!

You join a club with an expectation aligned with what you've seen and what you've heard. Hopefully the club will act along the lines of what is expected by the majority of its members. If a few loutish members aren't happy, they know where the door is.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

You might think a wee bit different if you paid over £1000 to join and £1500 a year subs - and you paid that in expectation of continuation of what had become expected of the club - and then they changed the rules and the nature and feeling of the club changed beyond your recognition.

Easy enough to walk away from a club if you haven't invested a lot of your money in it. I may not totally agree with much of OPs thoughts - but I understand his sentiment.

Doesn't excuse the attitude and generalisation of people displayed by the poster

I have paid the same sort of money and rules have changed in recent years to make it more welcoming and accepting of people

I'm sure the club in question changed its entry in line with its club rules and it appears the members voted in favour of the change

For me the main issue was the attitude towards people from the OP - it displayed all that's wrong with the game

Yes there will always be issues with people that can't behave but to align that to a certain type of people in regards money was disgraceful tbh