What is the Social Side of Your Club Like

[drew83]

This is my club at present. Its seems to only get a "turn" on a Satyurday afternoon. I regularly play on a Sat/Sun eve and both the car park and bar are empty. The social committee do try with random social events, however these seem to be a struggle to fill. With Golf clubs tending to be on the outskirts of town, the drink driving laws (especially in Scotland) have had a significant impact on an already struggling business.
Decisions however to cancel SkySports baffle me. Why would you remove the opportunity for members to gather in the bar to watch the finale of golf tourneys - especially the majors. It would not take much to promote e.g Pie beans & mash or haggis specials during The Open, Burger Specials during The Masters and respective deals on American/British/Scottish beers for US Open and PGA etc.
Such suggestions I have passed on...to no avail.

I guess unless you are a person of influence or know someone very well who is, they will just ignore such suggestions as it may deemed a "risky" step. Too far out the comfort zone perhaps?

 

[RollinThunder]

I guess unless you are a person of influence or know someone very well who is, they will just ignore such suggestions as it may deemed a "risky" step. Too far out the comfort zone perhaps?

They tend to like systems that please few, offend nobody. Rather than a system that pleases many, offends a few.

I can only use my experience in a working men's club to compare. For the last couple of decades, the WMC has been dying down, with less and less patrons, the folding of the darts, pool and snooker teams and so on. The smoking ban and drink driving laws were almost the final nail in the coffin, and it went into decay. Then last year, a new vice-president was voted in, who is absolutely mental. When he's on duty, he calls the bingo, and collects glasses, and the entire place is buzzing with laughter. Sunday afternoons have a better atmosphere than a town centre bar. Lots of new people are coming in, and the committee announced that this year has been the most profitable year for decades. Because of him, people are enjoying their nights out, coming back and attracting more people. It's been a truly remarkable change, which can no doubt be attributed to him. Places need a catalyst, otherwise they won't change.

 

[Aztecs27]

Rather than hijack the membership thread I thought I would start a new one on the social aspect of membership.

For me, the social side of my club is sorely lacking. That is not to say it does not exist, it is more to the point that it is not for me and is very reserved. The bar is full of small groups chatting amongst themselves quietly, no interaction and no banter. The social functions are pretty much all dinner dances playing old tunes and there is no TV so no attempts to get people in to watch the match or the Open.

That is a big down side to the clubs around me but that is just my opinion as it clearly suits many. I suppose that is partly due to the fact that I was brought up in the bussle of rugby clubs with families everywhere, joking and banter left right and centre and more lively evening functions. I appreciate that golf clubs will never be that but does your club provide what you are looking for socially or, as in my case, is the atmosphere and are the events geared towards the older members of the club who use it as their main social hub.

Belton Park has always been like that mate. Belton Woods is a lot more sociable, but the sacrifice is the average courses you have to play on.

Belton Park is probably the best course in the area, but the downside is there's zero social side - unless you're in one of the elite cliques.

 

[GB72]

Belton Park has always been like that mate. Belton Woods is a lot more sociable, but the sacrifice is the average courses you have to play on.

Belton Park is probably the best course in the area, but the downside is there's zero social side - unless you're in one of the elite cliques.

You have to love the Sunday 'Roll Up' that you have to be invited to join. Clearly not of high enough standing to get my invite yet.

 

[Smiffy]

The social side at Cooden is pretty good. Trip to Brighton dogs earlier in the year with a nice meal, quiz nights, Rod Stewart and Freddie Mercury tribute nights, bingo evenings that sort of thing.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

Very good, not that I'm all that good at attending!

The clubhouse is nearly always well attended, be it the old boys after their morning knock, the ladies coffee mornings or the lads after and/or before their rounds.
We have many social events - quizzes, race nights, dinners, discos, wine tastings, guest speakers etc
and with many ex pro-footballers in the club there is always plenty of noise in the bar.

 

[Aztecs27]

You have to love the Sunday 'Roll Up' that you have to be invited to join. Clearly not of high enough standing to get my invite yet.

FFS, they still do that?

Annoys me so much - I know people who have left the club because of the elitist attitude.

 

[gdunc79]

I think the social aspect and culture of the clubhouse will reflect the needs of the vast majority of the members. So inevitably you will mostly get the type of establishment that they feel comfortable in.

More like what suits the vast majority of the Committee........not the members.

Dinner dances and tribute nights at my club. No thanks. Most people just shake hands after the 18th and head to their car. Such a huge missed opportunity for additional revenue which is staring them in the face.

 

[gdunc79]

This is my club at present. Its seems to only get a "turn" on a Satyurday afternoon. I regularly play on a Sat/Sun eve and both the car park and bar are empty. The social committee do try with random social events, however these seem to be a struggle to fill. With Golf clubs tending to be on the outskirts of town, the drink driving laws (especially in Scotland) have had a significant impact on an already struggling business.
Decisions however to cancel SkySports baffle me. Why would you remove the opportunity for members to gather in the bar to watch the finale of golf tourneys - especially the majors. It would not take much to promote e.g Pie beans & mash or haggis specials during The Open, Burger Specials during The Masters and respective deals on American/British/Scottish beers for US Open and PGA etc.
Such suggestions I have passed on...to no avail.

Ha ha.....the Committee listening to good ideas submitted by the very people who keep the club afloat? We can dream!!

 

[GB72]

FFS, they still do that?

Annoys me so much - I know people who have left the club because of the elitist attitude.

Yes. Sadly not much else in the way of options. Stoke Rochford is almost totally car park golfing due to the location, Belton Woods is not great courses, expensive and 5 hour rounds due to hotel guests and Greetham Valley and Stapleford Park are too far away. It is the lesser of the evils round here unfortunately.

 

[full_throttle]

GB, get a notice on the board in the changing room and start your own roll up, I wouldn't be surprised if other members are in the same situation as you.

 

[Aztecs27]

Yes. Sadly not much else in the way of options. Stoke Rochford is almost totally car park golfing due to the location, Belton Woods is not great courses, expensive and 5 hour rounds due to hotel guests and Greetham Valley and Stapleford Park are too far away. It is the lesser of the evils round here unfortunately.

Sadly, you are 100% correct. I hope you can find a solution - there's loads of decent members at BP, it's just they're over shadowed by the elitist knobs.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

We are pretty so so. We have themed social games (nine holes and a meal) a few social events (quiz, bingo - standard fare). However we do have some good ones like a trip to the Tower of London and Ceremony of the Keys and dinner in the warden mess. Really interesting

 

[fripnchips]

We are pretty so so. We have themed social games (nine holes and a meal) a few social events (quiz, bingo - standard fare). However we do have some good ones like a trip to the Tower of London and Ceremony of the Keys and dinner in the warden mess. Really interesting

What are these? lol i miss so much

 

[HomerJSimpson]

What are these? lol i miss so much

Have you been shown the secret handshake? Usually takes place around June time. Plenty of posters up in the clubhouse before hand

 

[nickjdavis]

Due to being out in the country a decent taxi ride from the nearest decent density of population our club doesn't have any frequent evening non-golf activities...when the last golfer has gone the clubhouse shuts. Its certainly not the sort of place that you'd say to the wife..." lets take a drive out to the club for lunch".

However there are occasions when a "special event" is held and these can be variable in nature and the size of support.

We have an annual quiz night, we've held musical entertainment evenings.... Elvis, Take That, Abba (not the originals but tribute acts you understand), comedy nights, race nights etc. We recently had a "sports day" where we held typical school sports day races (sack, egg and spoon, various running, stuff involving carrying water) and had a BBQ.

We have an annual fishing competition on one of the lakes on the course for which the prize is a talking Billy Bass fish but the emphasis is on having a few beers and a bit of fun and all entry fees go towards the Captains Charity.

We once put on a Chinese evening/games evening/sleepover where one of the members who runs a takeaway used the club kitchens to cook a load of food, then we just had a merry booze up, watched some videos, played some darts, table tennis and snooker before crashing out on whatever flat surface was available in sleeping bags ready to play the club comp in the following morning. Again any financial contributions went to the Captains Charity.

We've got a seventies night coming up... should be interesting. Rules evenings are also good events to hold if your local county rules guru is an engaging personality who can bring life and fun to what otherwise might be a mundane subject.... we are lucky to have such a person and such evenings are surprisingly well attended.

We don't have something going on every month... sometimes as much as three or four months might pass between events as there is no fixed calendar... but what events are held are well publicized throughout the club.Unfortunately, as is so often the case, these events are largely supported by the same core group of people. We've not had an Annual Dinner Dance for about three years now simply because the numbers attending just don't make it financially viable.

The owners do well to break even on many of the events... but they continue to make the effort despite the relative lack of support. The folks who don't attend even the more mainstream sort of events don't ever offer up any suggestions as to what they'd like to see in the way of events.

At the end of the day though, the club is defined by the openness and relaxed friendly attitude of the staff, owners (who often spend their time behind the bar and working in the kitchen so get to hear directly all the gripes and moans) and membership... it may not be the best course in the area, it may not have the best practice facilities (though they're not half bad compared to many places), it may not have the best proshop....but the people who play there actually make the club what it is.