What one change would you make at your club?

[LincolnShep]

Have some drawn events!
Everyone plays in the same group with minimal variation.
It's boring and integrating new members who join on their own doesn't happen.

I wouldn't join a club that didn't have a majority of drawn events. I considered Sleaford GC but a visit to speak to the Pro put me off when I discovered that virtually all comps are "book a tee time and play with your mates". I asked what someone joining on their own was supposed to do and the vagueness of the answer did not inspire me confidence!

To answer the OP's question, at the club I've just left, I would increase the number of competitions, especially Oct-Feb when they virtually shut down. Seniors and Ladies sections have loads of comps but the Men don't. That's why it's now my ex club.

 

[Bdill93]

It would be the green keepers. For H&S reasons they don’t work much past 8:30 in the morning and very rarely work on the course when the course is open.

They are forever starting new projects that don’t get finished. Everything is done to a, just about good enough standard, when it wouldn’t be difficult to finish things to a very high standard.

The holes seem to only be moved once or twice a week at most.

I could go on.

A lot of this sounds familiar..

 

[Orikoru]

Difficult one. I do wish they could have saved our 14th hole without having to rebuild it. Due to issues with a neighbouring house and the local council wanting to protect the nearby road, what was formally a nice short par 4, with the option to try and drive the green or lay up before a ditch, has long since been destroyed and will become a mid-length downhill par 3 when it's finished. I really liked the original hole and it was the scene of my first ever eagle (didn't drive the green - pitched in from 70-odd yards). So I would bring back that hole if I could.

Alternatively, I would do something about the weekend teeing system. Majority of members are against tee-booking, and we have this three-tee start system. I've got used to it now so I don't hate it, but the annoying thing is you can only tee off before 9:15 or after midday. I would love to be able to tee off at half 10 or 11 ish but I can't!

Toss-up between those two if I could only change one.

 

[Mandofred]

Improved drainage and irrigation systems

That's what I'd go with here....but it would be beyond expensive to solve the problem.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

The things I’d want addressed are actually all in club‘s 5yr plan: so increasing size of tees; making our four par threes so they can be set up to be played 140, 165, 190, 215; resurfaced and clear definition of edges of paths/tracks from which relief is given; modernisation of clubhouse bar, dining and function areas.

Trying to think of anything not planned…

We have a very large range area. There has been some talk in the past of setting up a few short par 3s in it, for academy, beginners and practice. I’d like that. Maybe a few hours a couple of am/pms a week close range and switch it to the par 3s.

ETA. Actually the quick and simple thing - on our 2nd the 2nd shot is blind. We‘ve had a bell in the past to indicate green is clear but a neighbour complained - fair enough. But some form of signal to show green is clear would be good. Maybe we‘ve decided to NOT have one as our par 3 3rd hole can stack back, so delaying play of 2nd shot on the 2nd mitigates that. And so for that reason that probably won’t happen.

So the one thing would be raising the tee on our 7th (hole pictured in January’s Golf Monthly). It’s a lovely hole but from the back tee the carry across heather is long and it’s hard to see where your ball lands if misdirected or underhit. Raising the tee would enable us to see all the heather, plus as the ground drops away from the tee then back up to the green, raising the tee would enhance the feeling of playing into a ‘valley’, and I think that’s always nice.

 

[Voyager EMH]

I would change the dress code.

 

[sjw]

Yeah they're a bit long! Think our longest plays about 160!

Pah! Those are rookie numbers...

 

[Deleted member 25172]

I'd blow up our 16th, par 3, 200+ yards uphill, with dynamite.

 

[Oddsocks]

Two things for me:

1) improve the size of the white tees and take them out of play for non comp rounds, from 1st April to 30th October we are on white tees every round and they get hammered!!!! This is a mixture of size and over use.

2) as a downland course we have heavy rough and no reference point when missing fairways such as trees or shrubs. Putting coloured posts every 50 yards from 175-325 would give reference points and speed up pace of play massively, which is a huge issue.

 

[RichA]

I'd quite like to empty the builder's sharp sand out of our bunkers and replace it with the light fluffy stuff.

 

[Bratty]

Two things for me:

1) improve the size of the white tees and take them out of play for non comp rounds, from 1st April to 30th October we are on white tees every round and they get hammered!!!! This is a mixture of size and over use.

2) as a downland course we have heavy rough and no reference point when missing fairways such as trees or shrubs. Putting coloured posts every 50 yards from 175-325 would give reference points and speed up pace of play massively, which is a huge issue.

The other members at Farleigh list their one change as "banning Oddsocks from the course" apparently.

 

[Deleted member 15717]

Full irrigation system

Would solve a huge amount of issues. It would also raise the membership fee substantially, but would very much be worth it

 

[Bratty]

So many things spring to mind, but the main one for me would be redo every bunker on the course PROPERLY! They're a mixture of too much sand, too little sand, different kinds of sand, etc. Zero consistency.

 

[D-S]

Full irrigation system

Would solve a huge amount of issues. It would also raise the membership fee substantially, but would very much be worth it

If we have more summers like the 2 dry ones in the past 5 years, this will become more and more necessary (as will digging of reservoirs etc.). A lot of courses with sloping fairways became nigh on unplayable fof two months in the height of the season last year. Those with poor or insufficient irrigation on tees and green surrounds suffered for months.

 

[timd77]

Great thread!

I like the one about shortening the par 3s, all of ours are at least a 7 iron, sometimes a 5 or 6 iron off the whites with a bit of wind into. At the minute due to temp tees, one of them has been shorted and it’s now a pw or 9 iron, which is actually a really nice change.

If money was no object, I’d change the order in which the holes are played so that the first is near the practice ground. At the minute it’s a good 7-8 minute walk down a steep hill, and 10 mins back up the hill afterwards. Puts me off using it before a round. If we teed off on the 2nd it would be on the same level and much closer. This will never happen though because the cost to rebuild a clubhouse and car park down there would be millions!

 

[Deleted member 15717]

If we have more summers like the 2 dry ones in the past 5 years, this will become more and more necessary (as will digging of reservoirs etc.). A lot of courses with sloping fairways became nigh on unplayable fof two months in the height of the season last year. Those with poor or insufficient irrigation on tees and green surrounds suffered for months.

yup. Sadly, we sit on a site with 3 seperate SSSI ratings. In the past, committees have just pushed irrigation to the side saying it isn't possible....until a recent captain decided to do a deep dive and we are at the beginning of the process; although multiple separate approvals will be required from councils and agencies. Could easily add £3-400 for membership if it was installed as it is the main thing holding the course back.

 

[nickjdavis]

One single thing isnt enough, but, sticking to one...

Go back to all comps being drawn. Pre-covid this was how we did things and it was hugely successful. Covid forced folks to book times in a more regimented manner and we have never gone back to the old way.

 

[venger]

Proper signage on tee boxes, Yardage and rough layout of the hole would be nice

 

[Neilds]

This type of thread makes me wonder why some people keep up their memberships at their club - must make themselves really unhappy every time they have to play at such rubbish places

 

[Bdill93]

This type of thread makes me wonder why some people keep up their memberships at their club - must make themselves really unhappy every time they have to play at such rubbish places

I don't move for a lot of reasons but mainly cost!

There could be 100 reasons to leave a place but 1000 to stay!