Visitors at your club

[Over par]

Hi, new to the forum.

I've been playing for about a year, got hooked on playing after some free beginner's lessons.

I usually play with friends on local council run courses or booking rounds via TeeOffTimes.

I'm currently not in a position to join a club, although hopefully will in the next year or so.

I was wondering what your thoughts were on visiting players at your club?
Do you like to see new faces around the club and people coming to play your course or are they just getting in the way of members and taking up valuable tee times?

 

[Hosel Fade]

Hi, new to the forum.

I've been playing for about a year, got hooked on playing after some free beginner's lessons.

I usually play with friends on local council run courses or booking rounds via TeeOffTimes.

I'm currently not in a position to join a club, although hopefully will in the next year or so.

I was wondering what your thoughts were on visiting players at your club?
Do you like to see new faces around the club and people coming to play your course or are they just getting in the way of members and taking up valuable tee times?

Generally like to visitors around the place so long as its not at peak times or visitors get on for cheaper with things like ToT than I can sign a guest on which happens a lot in the south east. That is backwards club management though and not the visitors fault at all (sadly some people can't make this distinction though).

Think very few people will actively dislike visitors at their club

 

[Tashyboy]

Would like to think that anyone never mind a newbie would be welcome at our place.
If you are going to play at any place, don't feel overawed at being there. You are paying good money for the club to provide you with a service. If you don't feel like you are welcome, stuff them and go elsewhere.

Welcome to the forum.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

99% of clubs need visitor fees to survive and the members know it. Unless you block the course and hold everyone up people will make you very welcome. Don't also sit under the impression that all members know each other. Most don't so they won't know if you are a member or visitor unless you ask a visitor style question.

 

[Hobbit]

Visitors welcome. Its chance to meet someone new. And a visitor is a temporary member. I spent 30 years at a club that is very welcoming to visitors, and 'grew up' with the attitude of go and talk to them, especially after the round. See if they enjoyed the course and ask if we could do anything better. I had the pleasure of arranging a visit back there recently and it was great to see that welcome is still there. A number of guys on the day commented on how welcoming the place was, with several saying they'd love to go back.

And at 4pm on a Sunday the bar was still bouncing... great atmosphere.

 

[Ndw7]

Visitors are always made to feel very welcome at my home course. We were all visitors at one point and I think a lot of members forget that sometimes!

Most clubs aren't in the position financially to be discriminating against visitors anyway so I wouldn't be too worried 😂

 

[louise_a]

No problem with visitors, they bring in extra revenue. As I often play on my own, I do sometimes join them for a round.

 

[mikejohnchapman]

Playing at a resort style course visitors are a way of life and come as part of the package.

Most are great and have a good time often playing after the members play so aren't any problem. Only issue occasionally is groups who are away for a weekend (male or female) and it can get a bit noisey on the course and in the clubhouse which can be a pain.

Club wouldn't exist without them though and it's good for the place to be busy - have walked into too many silent clubhouses and they are not very welcoming.

 

[Deleted member 15717]

I'm going to be controversial...I don't mind visitors in the main, however, if playing after most societies that play, it is obvious none of them care about the course. Pitch marks unrepaired, bunkers not raked etc

If you're going to visit a course, treat it with respect!

 

[brendy]

I have no problems with visitors at all, hell, they help keep our fees at a lower rate than potentially. I reckon the proshops could maybe do more to impress etiquette on them though. Give them a big welcome and make their day enjoyable but also make sure there is advice on divots, pitchmark and speed of play reminders, given to every visitor be it individual or society.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Providing the visitor is a competent golfer and will repair pitch marks, rake bunkers etc (not everyone does - including members sadly) I have no issue although we do have certain restrictions on when they can play, put in place so members, especially those playing at weekends can get out in prime time. Visitors (and societies) are important to most clubs aren't they and the revenue generated must have an impact on keeping subs down

 

[IanM]

Most places will have core times when they don't accept visitors, but outside that should be fine.... we are all visiting golfers at some time

 

[HawkeyeMS]

Visitors help keep fees down so they are a good thing for any club. Their access to the course has to be managed to ensure members are given priority at peak times.

 

[Robster59]

Visitors are welcome at our club, and we also like to think of them as future potential members.
If I'm at the course and see a visiting party in the club, I'll always walk over and ask them how they are, did they enjoy it, etc.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I can't think of any course that I have played at where I have been made unwelcome. Some may be indifferent but on many the members actually go out of their way to make you feel welcome. I think there is a pride in the thier club element and I like that. Honourable mentions on that front are for Knaresbrough, Cleveland and Pannal. Pannal could not have been nicer. First time the captain stopped putting up decorations for his big dinner dance that coming evening to talk to us as we were having a coffee before going out. The second time we joined up with a lovely old bloke and his future son in law on about the 12th. Charm personified, insisted on buying the first round, apologised that he had to leave and when we went to get another round he had put one in the pump for us. Smashing club, top people. Golf is a very sociable sport at its best.

 

[Tallyblade]

Generally like to visitors around the place so long as its not at peak times or visitors get on for cheaper with things like ToT than I can sign a guest on which happens a lot in the south east. That is backwards club management though and not the visitors fault at all (sadly some people can't make this distinction though).

Think very few people will actively dislike visitors at their club

+1 for this.

I personally wouldn't join a club that didn't welcome visitors but any visitors shouldn't get a better deal than paying members. My last club we're terrible for this, offered lots of cheap rounds via ToT (much cheaper than Guest rates) which got a lot of members backs up. Then had the cheek to try and nearly double our subs come renewal time - that was the final nail in the coffin for me.

 

[Garush34]

Nothing wrong with visitors for me. Always good to get money into the club, just as long as I can still get a game then I'm happy.

 

[GeeJay]

Visitors are welcome as long as they respect the club, other players and the course.

 

[Gentabout]

We were away last week at a golf training school (pm Sun, Mon, Tues & Wen). We decided that we would play 18 in the morning with lessons in the pm. To make sure we got round in time for our lessons we teed of at 8.30 and on both Tuesday and wednesday we were pushed and moaned at by members of the club. I had to politely explain to 2 chaps on Tuesday that our 4 ball was playing as fast as possible and we were being held up by a 4 ball in front (part of our group of guys so we were pushing them anyway) and that they were being held up by a 2 ball (club members) in front. It was pretty obvious they didnt like the fact we were using "their" course. We managed to complete our round in just over 4 hours so not exactly slow and I'm sure had the 2 ball not been there it would have been a little quicker. I didnt play the 18 on the Wednesday but the 4 four that did go out got moaned at by a group of ladies (inc the ladies captain) for being slow and not letting them play through, once again they had been keeping up with the group in front who had been held up but another group in front.

The course was great but I certainly felt that some of the members felt like we were invading there hallowed ground and shouldn't be there. I wonder how long they will survive if it was not for the guys paying 350 for 3 days training and accommodation during the week.

 

[Lump]

And at 4pm on a Sunday the bar was still bouncing... great atmosphere.

thats because they are all pi**heads.

Guests are needed and welcomed, but the times they are allowed to play should be restricted. (ours are after 10am Midweek and after 12pm weekends). I only say this as members should get tee priority, as they are paying for that privilege.