Which club to join????

[JT.]

So sat on an offer to join a cracking members club, Harry Colt design, fabulous track. Friendly club loads of roll ups and comps and I know I’ll fit in and meet a good bunch of golfing friends and acquaintances. The course is an open qualifying course and ranks in the top 100 in England.

However I’m also sat on an offer to join a club with 3 18s ranked in the top 100 in the uk. The facilities are 2nd to none. I know two members there so have immediate access to a ‘swindle’ which runs 4 times a week (although with limited tee slots and a ‘pecking order’ as to who gets a game if over subscribed), there are also a number of the usual club comps to join in with. I suspect it won’t have the same community of the other club and I may not make friendships so easily, but the club would be regarded as carrying more kudos and the 3 18s are awesome (holding men’s and ladies European tour events).

forgetting about the money (one is twice the price of the other with a significan joining fee) which do you think I should join???

yes I know first world problems and all that!

 

[fundy]

i would say welcome, but not sure you deserve it with those options lol!

which courses are they? far easier to have an opinion if forced to choose on a couple line description id choose option 1 but not much different to flipping a coin as all you are doing is painting the picture you want us to decide on of each the courses, youll get a far better view if you just name the clubs and let those who know both comment

ps option 2 sounds remarkably like woburn but struggle to think what option 1 is in a similar location!

 

[Wabinez]

Well, one will likely be Woburn...I can’t think of many other places that have 3x 18 hole courses that host/have hosted LET and ET events. My other thought was The Belfry, but no tour events!

the second track is a bit more difficult...

Note: wrote the above before fully reading Fundy’s post!

 

[Mel Smooth]

Join both.

Seriously, I'd join the club where I'd have more fun, so it sounds like the 1st option.

Kudos for where I played golf would even be a factor in my decision.

 

[JT.]

Join both.

Seriously, I'd join the club where I'd have more fun, so it sounds like the 1st option.

Kudos for where I played golf would even be a factor in my decision.

A fine point, although mentioning the kudos was more about the quality of the club (it is Woburn) rather than a reason for joining. My fault for trying to be mysterious I suspect!
Option 1 (which I will leave as mysterious at this time) is a traditional members club so run/organised in a very different way.
The dilemma comes because I never thought I would have to opportunity to join either club and the notion of turning down one of them just feels wrong! (I can’t afford or justify both ?)

 

[Wabinez]

Only other place I can think is a Colt design is Stoke Park....but its a bit further away!

 

[Deleted member 17920]

So sat on an offer to join a cracking members club, Harry Colt design, fabulous track. Friendly club loads of roll ups and comps and I know I’ll fit in and meet a good bunch of golfing friends and acquaintances. The course is an open qualifying course and ranks in the top 100 in England.

However I’m also sat on an offer to join a club with 3 18s ranked in the top 100 in the uk. The facilities are 2nd to none. I know two members there so have immediate access to a ‘swindle’ which runs 4 times a week (although with limited tee slots and a ‘pecking order’ as to who gets a game if over subscribed), there are also a number of the usual club comps to join in with. I suspect it won’t have the same community of the other club and I may not make friendships so easily, but the club would be regarded as carrying more kudos and the 3 18s are awesome (holding men’s and ladies European tour events).

forgetting about the money (one is twice the price of the other with a significan joining fee) which do you think I should join???

yes I know first world problems and all that!

I would be thinking.

Where I would get regular games and enjoy them.

Will I get golf all year round if I want to play through winter.

And is it easy to get a game when I want to play etc. If you can’t get a game because it’s oversubscribed then what will you do? Go and pay a green fee elsewhere. Not really what you want to be doing.

 

[Backache]

My inclination would be to go for the members club if it is decent.
Members are in control of their subs and are less likely to go up just because they can. You can also often just wander up and play a few holes for fun something I would suspect would be a bit difficult at Woburn even as a member.
I'd also wonder about joining a club where the swindle have limited space and their is a 'pecking order'. It sounds like a recipe for factionalism.

 

[JT.]

Only other place I can think is a Colt design is Stoke Park....but its a bit further away!

It’s not Stoke Park, I live north of Woburn so the commute down would be too much if nothing else...

 

[Crow]

Northamptonshire County?

If so I can see the dilemma, courses at Woburn are superior but I'd be put off by the more corporate feel, and I'm another who doesn't like the sound of a pecking order! So I'd probably go for County.

 

[JT.]

My inclination would be to go for the members club if it is decent.
Members are in control of their subs and are less likely to go up just because they can. You can also often just wander up and play a few holes for fun something I would suspect would be a bit difficult at Woburn even as a member.
I'd also wonder about joining a club where the swindle have limited space and their is a 'pecking order'. It sounds like a recipe for factionalism.

Yes that mirrors a some of my own thoughts (although during the week I’m led to believe you can still get out on Woburn and hop around for a few holes).......the golf courses at both clubs are so good I’m not sure I can make a bad choice! Although I mentioned the ‘pecking order’ in the swindle I can join at Woburn for precisely the point you have raised. Although I can’t help but think once I’ve played myself into the club I will identify other swindles to join....or even move up the pecking order!

I truly recognised what a privileged position I’m in having to make the choice......and certainly don’t expect any sympathy from anyone. It’s great to get other perspectives on this, please keep them coming ?

 

[JT.]

Northamptonshire County?

If so I can see the dilemma, courses at Woburn are superior but I'd be put off by the more corporate feel, and I'm another who doesn't like the sound of a pecking order! So I'd probably go for County.

Yes and very well summarised on the dilemma. Not sure I’d put any of the Woburn courses miles ahead of County......but there are 3 of them!

Although course wise I think County drains better than anything at Woburn and is therefore a better winter/wet course. County is certainly the friendlier and warmer feeling of the two also.

But there are some fabulous signature type holes spread across Woburn that would be great to test myself on week in week out.

Both courses have fantastic facilities and thriving junior programs (my 11 year old daughter is starting to play so this is important to me).

But most interestingly all the answers so far are pulling me towards County (my direction of travel before posting). I just can’t compute in my own mind that I’m being offered Woburn and thinking about saying ‘no thanks’......I think I was/am looking for people to tell me I’m bonkers for thinking that way.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Woburn every day of the week - County is a nice course but nice and it would bore after a while , played there a lot and have heard the membership isn’t the friendliest and witnessed that at a team open

And the course is not a touch on all three at Woburn

There are plenty of very good roll ups at Woburn

It’s not the most members driven course but it’s getting better

If money is not a stopper then it’s Woburn every day over County

 

[Mel Smooth]

A fine point, although mentioning the kudos was more about the quality of the club (it is Woburn) rather than a reason for joining. My fault for trying to be mysterious I suspect!
Option 1 (which I will leave as mysterious at this time) is a traditional members club so run/organised in a very different way.
The dilemma comes because I never thought I would have to opportunity to join either club and the notion of turning down one of them just feels wrong! (I can’t afford or justify both ?)

Yes, I suppose having the opportunity to play Woburn all the time would be great.

Where I used to play (Willow Valley - just off the M62 at Brighouse), we had 3 courses. The championship course was stunning, very difficult with some great holes. We then had access to a shorter 18 hole course and a 9 hole course, and although I didn't play these two much, having the variety of courses on offer was always a nice bonus, plus both were great for my lad who was starting out in the game. In addition, the members were all brilliant company, very few who you didn't enjoy 18 holes with when drawn against them.

Obviously the courses you are looking at are on a different level, but, we joined another club for a few months which we were thinking of moving to, but the lack of atmosphere in the clubhouse after a round was what put me off.
I guess it's a case of weighing up which club will give you the most enjoyment.

 

[Grant85]

I wouldn't worry too much about the quality of the courses, they will both be top notch and probably improve your game if you are playing a tough test of golf every week.

I'd definitely go for the one you will feel more part of the club and will have more in the way of long term, loyal members. I'd assume that is Northamptonshire County.

Woburn, I'd guess will have more of a commercial feel to it and be a more impersonal, although surely professional, experience.

 

[JT.]

Woburn every day of the week - County is a nice course but nice and it would bore after a while , played there a lot and have heard the membership isn’t the friendliest and witnessed that at a team open

And the course is not a touch on all three at Woburn

There are plenty of very good roll ups at Woburn

It’s not the most members driven course but it’s getting better

If money is not a stopper then it’s Woburn every day over County

If money was a major factor there would be no dilemma. Woburn is definitely a special place, I think it would take me a little longer to play myself in....but I think I’m a pretty social bloke so would expect to build a network given time and find a swindle without a ‘pecking order’ ??

I like county though and not sure it would bore me. Another factor is I play in 6 or 7 opens a year and a few of the Mizuno Pairs events so get a variety of nice courses in. I would probably have to wind that back a little if I go to Woburn given the costs involved with membership there.

Thank you for your thoughts, really useful in my deliberations.

 

[robinthehood]

It sounds like bragging is important , so I'd go for Woburn.

 

[JT.]

I wouldn't worry too much about the quality of the courses, they will both be top notch and probably improve your game if you are playing a tough test of golf every week.

I'd definitely go for the one you will feel more part of the club and will have more in the way of long term, loyal members. I'd assume that is Northamptonshire County.

Woburn, I'd guess will have more of a commercial feel to it and be a more impersonal, although surely professional, experience.

Yes agree in part with that; and if all 4 18s were separate clubs I would be 100% with you.

However, the main dilemma is Woburn gives me access to 3 of the 18s and County just 1 of them. They are all very nice 18s by anyone’s standards and I see myself settled in the area for the rest of my golfing life, therefore I see the choice as a long term commitment to either club. Whilst County would be a more immediately welcoming club I have no doubt over the longer term I’d build a network at Woburn too.

As I said in my first post, this is a real first world choice and pales into insignificance when you look at other stuff going on in the world!

 

[Backache]

The difference in money would probably allow you a few rounds on other good courses away from where you play .
I would imagine that cost of post round food and beverage is not cheap at Woburn either.

 

[JT.]

It sounds like bragging is important , so I'd go for Woburn.

It’s not, but if it was you’d be right.