What one change would you make at your club?

[KenL]

They contact organisers of swindles , play in empty spots ,enter matchplays , play in club matches - lots of ways to meet people and integrate

And we only need 3 drawn , the rest you can play with who you want - it’s what suits the members

People want to play with their friends, it’s a hobby for us all

Fair enough and that's good that people can integrate.
Is a swindle open to all? In Scotland I've never that term used at a club. Here, it's a sweep, usually a small affair and you need to invited to join.

 

[clubchamp98]

Our car park is woefully small.
if your not there by 10am your queuing until somebody leaves.
I just park outside now.

I can live with that so I would take those horrendous linings out of the bunkers.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Fair enough and that's good that people can integrate.
Is a swindle open to all? In Scotland I've never that term used at a club. Here, it's a sweep, usually a small affair and you need to invited to join.

As far as I’m aware most of the swindles are open to anyone to join , the one I help run on Saturdays certainly is

 

[clubchamp98]

As far as I’m aware most of the swindles are open to anyone to join , the one I help run on Saturdays certainly is

Yes ours to.

 

[KenL]

As far as I’m aware most of the swindles are open to anyone to join , the one I help run on Saturdays certainly is

Sounds like something that would be good at more clubs up here.

 

[DeanoMK]

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

This!

Leighton Buzzard's bunkers are FULL of stones. My wedges get ruined by them, hence why I'm very reluctant to put my new 54° in play.

 

[BiMGuy]

That is a joke. Proper weekend comps should be a draw. A single joining a club has little chance of integrating into the club. Open to cheating also.

Why does everyone need integrating into a club?

We only have a few drawn comps each year. I’ve had no problem whatsoever playing in groups with people I don’t know when I’ve had to. But I’m not interested in being indoctrinated into a club. I have a limited amount of time to play and I’d rather play with my mate and my lad when he’s available, not a load of randoms.

 

[Albo]

Why does everyone need integrating into a club?

We only have a few drawn comps each year. I’ve had no problem whatsoever playing in groups with people I don’t know when I’ve had to. But I’m not interested in being indoctrinated into a club. I have a limited amount of time to play and I’d rather play with my mate and my lad when he’s available, not a load of randoms.

While I am completely with you on this. There are a number of people who would value being integrated into a club. There must be ways clubs can offer that without foisting it on people

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Sounds like something that would be good at more clubs up here.

We don’t call them ‘swindles’, we simply call them exactly what they are - ‘roll ups’, because anyone can roll up to play in it - with a random draw for four ball groups. As it happens we are creatures of habit so our roll ups tend to each be filled by regulars to their roll up. New members are pointed to roll up to the Saturday mid-late am and/or Thursday mid-late am ones - often brought along and introduced to the rollup by our golf manager or one of the pros.

There are a couple of ‘gatherings’…closed groups with invite only to join when a space becomes available. I am very much not a fan of these and if I had my way I would discourage them - I certainly wouldn’t sanction any new ones.

 

[IanM]

Why does everyone need integrating into a club?

By integrating, I meant being able to get a game. Not turning up on a Saturday and all arrivals are already in four balls and you have to hang around for a gap. Then go home after an hour or two of waiting.

Didnt mean having a Tattoo of club crest on your forehead!

 

[BiMGuy]

By integrating, I meant being able to get a game. Not turning up on a Saturday and all arrivals are already in four balls and you have to hang around for a gap. Then go home after an hour or two of waiting.

Didnt mean having a Tattoo of club crest on your forehead!

A tattoo on the forehead is a bit extreme. It’s much easier just to brand the left buttock .

As with most things you appear to have a sensible opinion and grasp that not everyone wants the same experience from joining a golf club.

But, there are quite a few on here who don’t think like that, who are almost cult like in their devotion to their club, and believe everyone else must be too. They don’t see or accept other people want different things from golf club membership.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

That sounds a slog.
Think ours (back tees) are about 170 (downhill) 145, 202 and 150. Tough to par any of them.

The course as a whole is very good, hence why I'm there , but the par 3's are a weakness imo. They are a bit of a slog, I use driver on 2, 3 Wood on another and rescue on the remainder. No irons on any of them ☹. That can't be good.

 

[Orikoru]

Why does everyone need integrating into a club?

We only have a few drawn comps each year. I’ve had no problem whatsoever playing in groups with people I don’t know when I’ve had to. But I’m not interested in being indoctrinated into a club. I have a limited amount of time to play and I’d rather play with my mate and my lad when he’s available, not a load of randoms.

I think my club gets the balance about right with this. There are two roll-ups on Sat morning and one in the afternoon that you can join but there's no obligation to. Monthly medals and Stablefords you play in your own groups, the more major comps tend to be drawn. That's the way I like it as I get to play with other members on the big comp days, but with my mates most weeks.

 

[ExRabbit]

I’d love to see our place take the bold decision to shut occasionally when the weather warrants it.

The management are so Hell bent on being the only club for miles around to stay open during the wettest weather that the course is ridiculously overplayed - ironically by members of the clubs which close - and as a result we often enter spring with it in an horrific state.

It is currently the muddiest I have ever seen it. Combining the wet weather, the churning effect of trollies and way too much traffic, and the lack of growth during the drought last year, means the areas surrounding many greens will need weeks or longer to recover.

Sounds like my club!

USP of staying open to collect weekend green fees when other local clubs have closed, to the detriment of the members who pay for the course to be open for the rest of the year.

 

[Voyager EMH]

It is impossible for me to be integrated into my club.
You have to choose which clique suits you best.
After nearly 50 years, I'm still undecided, although I have ruled some out - and one has ruled me out.
So I still feel not integrated into a clique and therefore not integrated into the club.
I'm just viewed as that strange yet friendly bloke who plays with anybody, but won't join a clique like a normal person.

 

[Mandofred]

A tattoo on the forehead is a bit extreme. It’s much easier just to brand the left buttock .

As with most things you appear to have a sensible opinion and grasp that not everyone wants the same experience from joining a golf club.

But, there are quite a few on here who don’t think like that, who are almost cult like in their devotion to their club, and believe everyone else must be too. They don’t see or accept other people want different things from golf club membership.

That's the point to me......having options for as many views/and playing styles as possible....although I don't think there is a way to make everybody perfectly happy since there are some people who don't think that options other than the ones they want are acceptable. There is one view that there should be no rollups or organised/booked groups because it stops them from playing the way they want to (with their friends only) and when they want. Of course, there are lots of people who like rollups and like to play that way and mix with a number of people. I've always thought that there are ways to compromise to make both views as happy as possible.

These clique type groups I haven't seen at the 3 courses I've been a member at. Rollup groups have always been open to anybody where I have been and always been more than happy to have new members integrate (not like the Borg) into the club.....and if you didn't know people at the club (like me) it is a quick way to meet a lot of people and has really helped people like me get comfortable.

Some people only want to play with their friends.....only. Nothing wrong with that to me. Others like to meet up with a larger group of people (like rollups).....nothing wrong with that. I find that people in the rollups quite often play with their "better friends" outside of those rollups....so they kind of do both.

I am against comps that are not drawn though.....people who only play with their friends tend to let them by with slight rule breaks. If it's a comp, there is no room for the rules to be loosened to be nice to their friends. My current club does not have draws....hence I rarely play comps.

 

[HeftyHacker]

I wish my club would stop filling in bunkers and actually build some new ones and let the rough grow out a bit in places. Holes 5 to 8 are just basically a big field where you can spray it about with gay abandon with little or no punishment. Some well placed bunkers or pinched fairways would be welcome.

On the topic of integration, when I joined my club in 2020 I knew one other person there - and he didn't play comps.

We're on a full booking system so just put my name down wherever there were gaps in the tee sheet or spoke to the pro a bit and he suggested groups for me based on age etc. I've played with all manner of folk doing this and I can honestly say I've never met anyone I wouldn't want to play with again doing this. It's as good a way as any for meeting new playing partners.

Now there is a group of 4 of us that have become pretty good mates and often play in comps, opens and go for range nights together. We've even got trips away planned.

It's a Hollywood love story.

 

[evemccc]

That's the point to me......having options for as many views/and playing styles as possible....although I don't think there is a way to make everybody perfectly happy since there are some people who don't think that options other than the ones they want are acceptable. There is one view that there should be no rollups or organised/booked groups because it stops them from playing the way they want to (with their friends only) and when they want. Of course, there are lots of people who like rollups and like to play that way and mix with a number of people. I've always thought that there are ways to compromise to make both views as happy as possible.

These clique type groups I haven't seen at the 3 courses I've been a member at. Rollup groups have always been open to anybody where I have been and always been more than happy to have new members integrate (not like the Borg) into the club.....and if you didn't know people at the club (like me) it is a quick way to meet a lot of people and has really helped people like me get comfortable.

Some people only want to play with their friends.....only. Nothing wrong with that to me. Others like to meet up with a larger group of people (like rollups).....nothing wrong with that. I find that people in the rollups quite often play with their "better friends" outside of those rollups....so they kind of do both.

I am against comps that are not drawn though.....people who only play with their friends tend to let them by with slight rule breaks. If it's a comp, there is no room for the rules to be loosened to be nice to their friends. My current club does not have draws....hence I rarely play comps.

Good points

Another factor that is ‘fairer’ for having drawn comps is that if you play with your friends in comps, you are clearly used to their company and totally at ease — there could be a small level of unease / out of comfort zone, if you’re playing with people you don’t know in a comp, which is what club matches entail and pros deal with too. If it’s a ‘competition’ in in more than name only, it should have this element IMO

 

[Deleted member 31467]

Seems a lot of the issues mentioned come down to lack of money. Maybe all clubs should introduce joining fees

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Think it’s prob best to stop the accusations or hints about people cheating or being lax with the rules amongst friends- it’s poor form , if someone wants to cheat they will do it regardless of who they are playing with

Let’s also remember that for 99.9% of us we play golf for enjoyment , social activity and the odd bit of banter.

The Saturday medal for most is the chance for a game of golf as opposed to looking to fill up the mantelpiece