What things do you look for in a club?

[Khamelion]

As some of you know, I'm currently without club and after reading LTs post about what makes a good club I thought I'd post he question:-

- What do you look for when you are looking to join a club?

I'm not looking for tips or advice, I know what I like, but what things do you look for?

Travel distance from home
Annual Green Fee
course condition
club wealth

all/some of the above, anything else?

 

[Beezerk]

Existing members, how do they feel about the club, are there many @r$3holes.
Committee, are they progressive and forward thinking or stuck in the past.
Tee bookings, can you roll up or do you have to book a time, even for a friendly game.
How many societies generally visit the course every week/month.
Are there plenty of comps on.

 

[Coffey]

For me it is a combination of things.

In sort of priority order:

1. Condition of course (winter playability)
2. Design of course (does it suit my play style/will I get bored)
3. Distance from home (I like to practice in the evenings after work so it needs to be close enough to home)
4. Practice facilities (As above)
5. Competition schedule
6. Ability to get tee times (Especially on a Saturday)

Price obviously comes into it but I would rather pay more and get the facilities etc that I want as I know I will use them.

And finally, it needs to feel right, have the right type of members/staff etc. I do not want a club where I have to wear jacket and tie etc to go into the clubhouse.

The course I am now at has every single one of these, it is more expensive than others in the area though but we have two courses which I love.

 

[Khamelion]

Existing members, how do they feel about the club, are there many @r$3holes.

Yeah the friendliness of a club is important, there's nowt worse then walking across the car park and saying hello/morning/afternoon etc and have that person look away or put their head down rather than acknowledge you.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Very similar to your list

Annual fee
Distance from home
Quality of course, including the condition of it (I've been a member of a course with a great layout but the quality of greens was poor. I left)
Clubhouse, the feel of it, I want it friendly and inclusive. Any old fashioned dress codes and I'm out
Ability to get out when I want to, ie some clubs are a fight to get a tee time on comp day
Sufficient comps, a mixture of formats (for me that means not strokeplay / medal every comp)
The course needs to suit me. No point joining a club where the course is going to beat me up. I know my strengths and weaknesses so I would look for the club where I can enjoy playing there.
It has to have an online booking system

 

[patricks148]

For me it is a combination of things.

In sort of priority order:

1. Condition of course (winter playability)
2. Design of course (does it suit my play style/will I get bored)
3. Distance from home (I like to practice in the evenings after work so it needs to be close enough to home)
4. Practice facilities (As above)
5. Competition schedule
6. Ability to get tee times (Especially on a Saturday)

Price obviously comes into it but I would rather pay more and get the facilities etc that I want as I know I will use them.

And finally, it needs to feel right, have the right type of members/staff etc. I do not want a club where I have to wear jacket and tie etc to go into the clubhouse.

The course I am now at has every single one of these, it is more expensive than others in the area though but we have two courses which I love.

some good points here.

Also how inclusive and how easy it is to integrate and get reg playing partners, roll ups etc.

 

[Imurg]

Course first.
It has to be somewhere that I would be happy to play 2/3/4 times a week...we have some clubs around here - one that is a short par 5 away across the fields but it's possibly the most boring golf course ever built.

Location is important. I don't want to drive more than 30 mins/20 miles.

Cost

The rest is on similar levels but one good thing would be no prospect of a high speed train line splitting the course in 2...

 

[moogie]

Do you like the course, style, length, condition, enjoy playing it, and if it suits you

Distance from home

Access to course, tee times availability

Membership Cost / affordability

Facilities, clubhouse, aswell as practice

Fixtures/comps/diary, to suit your needs

 

[r0wly86]

I don't think I have a pecking order but definitely all of the below make up a picture of whether I'd join or not.


Cost - I live in SW London so memberships can be silly money
Distance - or more specific travel time, can take me a long time to travel short distances where I am.
Condition - I know I won't be SW London forever so can put up with not as good clubs for now, also seeing as the good clubs around me are the aforementioned silly money.
Social - Whether the club feels relaxed, has plenty of social comps and meet ups. Joining a club is more than just having a place to play golf

 

[shortgame]

Somewhere you still get goosebumps everytime you go, regardless of how many times you've played it

 

[Robster59]

When I joined my club, the main point in my mind was did I like the course? I tried a few in my area and when I played my current course the rain was coming sideways and I still liked it enough to want to join.
It was close (2.5 miles), rated as the best in the area and I could play anytime without booking.
Condition is obviously very important as is the clubhouse and the members.
In terms of the members, I've been lucky to find them all very welcoming and friendly so I've never felt intimidated about going there.
That was pretty much it.
Fee is not as critical as this is my only real hobby so I want to play where I'm comfortable.
I'm now at a club where I can't think of anywhere I'd rather play.

 

[Jamesbrown]

If I was looking for a new club. I’d be looking for a high standard scratch difficult course, qualifiers three times a week, online booking. Free draining, good practice facilities, massive coffees. Halfway houses selling grab n go and beer if it’s crap day. And not above 1500 a year or snotty.

Got most of that bar the high standard scratch.

 

[Orikoru]

I went for somewhere that was (a) cheap and (b) nearby. Course condition would be factor (c) but I'd only have not joined if it was unplayably bad.

 

[Pathetic Shark]

Somewhere you still get goosebumps everytime you go, regardless of how many times you've played it

I was going to add a comment here involving Mrs Shark .......