Which club to join?

[Tashyboy]

My initial reaction is the nice course for a year or so and see how it goes. If it goes poorly. Join the other course.
For me it’s a choice between time and quality over time and lesser quality.
It is what I call a “happy problem”. He don’t lose out either way, it’s just one is better than the other. Not one is worse than the other.
Let us know what he chooses.

 

[Tashyboy]

On top of that, there is nothing to stop your pal having a few rounds at the nearer place, that way he gets the best of both worlds.

Out of interest, what is the cost of joking both places ish

 

[slicer79]

On top of that, there is nothing to stop your pal having a few rounds at the nearer place, that way he gets the best of both worlds.

Out of interest, what is the cost of joking both places ish

Around €3,000 including the joining fee

 

[sunshine]

Single, no kids, works as a teacher. This guy has loads of free time on his hands. I’d recommend the fancy club.

There’s quite a few people at my club who live in central London and commute an hour to the course. Only problem with that is you can’t pop to the club for an hour practice on the range, it needs to be a longer session to justify the travel time.

One drawback could be social side / competitions etc at resort venue which is focused on tourism.

 

[Tashyboy]

Around €3,000 including the joining fee

Flippin eck, mind you it won’t be long before there is a thread discussing the rise in course fees.

 

[kp17]

Normally I’d say go for the better course but an hour is a long drive for your home club.
Different maybe if he was in business that he could use the drives to make calls or something a bit more handy time wise but I think an hour just driving he will naturally not play as much.

 

[sjw]

An hour each way sod that for a laugh

 

[clubchamp98]

An hour each way sod that for a laugh

Yes my feeling.
That’s no road works / delays etc.
That would put me off just going for a quick knock.

 

[sunshine]

Flippin eck, mind you it won’t be long before there is a thread discussing the rise in course fees.

I know right! That’s so cheap. €3,000 is only £2,500, that’s so so cheap for 2 championship courses. And it includes the joining fee.

This price is such a bargain.

 

[slicer79]

I know right! That’s so cheap. €3,000 is only £2,500, that’s so so cheap for 2 championship courses. And it includes the joining fee.

This price is such a bargain.

Killarney is unbelievable for that money. The 3k includes joining fee and sub for your first year, yearly sub after that is around €1,300

In comparison Fota Island in Cork which has also hosted Irish Opens is a €15,000 joining fee plus yearly sub of just over €2,500

 

[sunshine]

Killarney is unbelievable for that money. The 3k includes joining fee and sub for your first year, yearly sub after that is around €1,300

In comparison Fota Island in Cork which has also hosted Irish Opens is a €15,000 joining fee plus yearly sub of just over €2,500

Incredible value.

Especially when visitors are playing €200 for one round.

 

[evemccc]

I would go with the opposite of most of the forum, it seems, and go for the much better course and the extra 50 mins driving as at the same price

if you’re wanting to play lots and lots of golf then obviously go for the closer course….but ‘I’ would prefer (and my circumstances are such) that I wouldn’t get to play golf more than once a week at the very most…And even when one wants to play often weather intervenes, so perhaps it’s perhaps much less than once a week in reality, and so the better course, better conditioned course would certainly be worth it

Better course may well have better reciprocals as well

If you’re one who likes - or is able to - play every day then obvs the closer one

 

[Neilds]

I would assess the club and not just the course. The course may be better but if the staff and members are a bit stuck up and not welcoming it might be a waste of money and travel. Have a few rounds at each club, see how welcome you are made and ask questions about joining groups, competition booking, etc to get a feel of the overall club. Just because a course has pristine greens and nice sand in the bunker doesn't always make it a better club.

 

[Wilson]

I’m also in process of deciding between 2 courses just been chatting to the Mrs about it and pretty certain what I’m going to do on similar thought process of ones further and more fancy ones local, well looked after but also more accessible so basically made my mind up today.

Your courses though:
The Irish open course: sounds amazing and I imagine is unbelievable to play, but that’s 2hr driving every time he wants to play, practice or attend a social event. Say he has an 8am tee time he’s up at 6 to leave at 630am latest to get there and still has to warm up , book in and get on the tee, time he’s finished he can’t have a proper social as he has to drive another hour home. IMO it’s just not sustainable as being enjoyable

7 Mins course: he can go as often as he wants on a whim as long as the weathers ok, that 8am tee time say he leaves home at 715, he’s there in minutes and still has time for everything and hasn’t rushed. Other members are likely to be local as well so could make some new mates locally, he can go to socials and have a beer as a cab journey that long isn’t costing much. If the weathers crappy he can be off the course home and dry with a warm brew in no time.

It’s a no brainer to me 7mins away every time.

Which ones are you considering, if you don't mind me asking?

 

[irip]

I would assess the club and not just the course. The course may be better but if the staff and members are a bit stuck up and not welcoming it might be a waste of money and travel. Have a few rounds at each club, see how welcome you are made and ask questions about joining groups, competition booking, etc to get a feel of the overall club. Just because a course has pristine greens and nice sand in the bunker doesn't always make it a better club.

I agree totally with this.
The problem is it is very hard to know if a certain club suits you until you try it by becoming a member.
I’m currently trying to decide which club to join and ideally would like to try one and leave after a year if it doesn’t suit my needs,the problem is the joining fee is fairly large and I wouldn’t be happy to pay that and leave after a year as I think it wouldn’t give me value for money.
If I enjoyed the club and was to spend 10+years there then the joining fee is not a problem

 

[Orikoru]

I agree totally with this.
The problem is it is very hard to know if a certain club suits you until you try it by becoming a member.
I’m currently trying to decide which club to join and ideally would like to try one and leave after a year if it doesn’t suit my needs,the problem is the joining fee is fairly large and I wouldn’t be happy to pay that and leave after a year as I think it wouldn’t give me value for money.
If I enjoyed the club and was to spend 10+years there then the joining fee is not a problem

Yeah that is a real difficulty. You almost want to spend a few days just sneaking into the clubhouse, sit in the corner and eavesdrop on everybody to try and pick up the vibe.

 

[irip]

Yeah that is a real difficulty. You almost want to spend a few days just sneaking into the clubhouse, sit in the corner and eavesdrop on everybody to try and pick up the vibe.

Yeah maybe that’s the plan.
If I get arrested for stalking I’m blaming you though.
When laying out around 5-6 grand for the first year I would be annoyed if I didn’t enjoy it though and left after a year.

 

[Lucifer MorningStar]

Yeah that is a real difficulty. You almost want to spend a few days just sneaking into the clubhouse, sit in the corner and eavesdrop on everybody to try and pick up the vibe.

Weirdly been a deciding factor well kind of in my decision making. One of the clubhouse just didn’t have the vibe. The other smaller older and just slightly friendlier people. Best part was I booked a green fee there on one of the days they have their roll up, rather than stoping me from playing during that time they invited me to join it and meet some members. So that’s what I did, met some great people and had a great morning.

 

[Lucifer MorningStar]

Which ones are you considering, if you don't mind me asking?

I’ll drop you a msg bud rather than taking over the thread.

 

[slicer79]

I would go with the opposite of most of the forum, it seems, and go for the much better course and the extra 50 mins driving as at the same price

if you’re wanting to play lots and lots of golf then obviously go for the closer course….but ‘I’ would prefer (and my circumstances are such) that I wouldn’t get to play golf more than once a week at the very most…And even when one wants to play often weather intervenes, so perhaps it’s perhaps much less than once a week in reality, and so the better course, better conditioned course would certainly be worth it

Better course may well have better reciprocals as well

If you’re one who likes - or is able to - play every day then obvs the closer one

This to me is one of the unbelievable extras that Killarney members get. They have "swap" days each year with other courses where basically the members swap their courses for a Saturday and play a singles competition.
Three of the courses they swap with are Ballybunion, Tralee and Waterville!! A green fee is €400 plus at each of them.