Will you resign your membership to be a nomad with an official handicap?

[Imurg]

No..because it will cost a bloody fortune to play the same amount of golf as I play now..
Take an arbitrary membership fee of 1200 quid
That's 23 quid a week.
If I'm only playing once a week where am I going to find a half decent green fee that won't mean rushing around to beat sunset for less than 25 quid?
And if I play twice a week I'm going to need a 2nd mortgage..
We're not over run with decent courses around here, plenty of reasonable but average courses and even they charge 40 a round.

 

[2blue]

Bandits in golf clubs can be monitored and regulated, non-members can't.

Absolutely..... but only if the Clubs running the Opens inform the Home Clubs of the results.

 

[fundy]

Bandits in golf clubs can be monitored and regulated, non-members can't.

thats why theres often threads moaning about people winning lots of opens off dodgy handicaps each summer on here

they could be monitored and regulated (as they can for non club members) but they arent in a large proportion of cases

 

[2blue]

thats why theres often threads moaning about people winning lots of opens off dodgy handicaps each summer on here

they could be monitored and regulated (as they can for non club members) but they arent in a large proportion of cases

This is very true.

 

[3offTheTee]

thats why theres often threads moaning about people winning lots of opens off dodgy handicaps each summer on here

they could be monitored and regulated (as they can for non club members) but they arent in a large proportion of cases

There was an Open @Kirkby Lonsdale Folf Club in Cumbria last weekend 4BBB winning score 59 points. They were not members @Kirkby Lonsdale 85% h/c, that is some shooting!

Sure somebody on here can better that!

 

[Mandofred]

I'm not interested in being a nomad, but I'm starting to think about switching clubs.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I'm not interested in being a nomad, but I'm starting to think about switching clubs.

Which one are you tempted by? I've played most around you so this type of decision is always interesting. I'm guessing first question for you is 'roll up?'

 

[Mandofred]

Which one are you tempted by? I've played most around you so this type of decision is always interesting. I'm guessing first question for you is 'roll up?'

I'm a really really boring person. I pretty well only play on my home course. I have not played on any of the other local courses, accept for a public course in Spofforth when I was working which was never in very good shape but decent enough during the summer. Only going by word of mouth (THAT'S never wrong)...Harrogate is supposed to be a bit too clique, and the course is a bit boring. Ripon, quite a few seem to like it, but it's close to a 30 minute drive....getting close to being too far. Pannal is probably the best course in the area...not sure of the membership fees. Rudding has issues with people getting bumped off the course to make way for hotel guests, cross that one off right now. Oakdale is supposed to be pretty boggy during the winter.....but I can walk there and back (1.8 miles? each way) if I had a locker. I would lean towards Oakdale for the convenience....it would cost a bit more than what I'm paying.....but I can literally walk there. I need to start pumping people for more info. Yeah.....roll-ups are important....but not the end-all. I'm also pretty seriously just thinking about packing it in for at least a while and finding something else to do. I have no idea if the roll-ups will go away at our course or not.....I can see both sides to the argument.....and I think sometime in the future when things get back more to "normal" times that there will be a big fight to decide. I don't want to get in the middle of that. But......if things just switched over permanently to a straight booking system like we currently have.....it's just too much of a pain for me. Oh well.....no idea what I'm going to do....but I have 3 months before I need to make a decision.

 

[Orikoru]

Having a handicap was hardly the only reason to be a club member was it? One of a number of reasons.

 

[Sweep]

I won’t. In a normal year golf club membership is about so much more than playing golf.
However, many will. A poll on here won’t provide an accurate analysis I am afraid. Most here are dedicated golfers.

 

[Diamond]

Probably more a question for golfers who don’t spend their spare time on golf forums.
People who see golf as a small cog will probably jump at the chance especially if they feel they are paying too much, want to reduce outgoings, struggle to get suitable tee times at their own course or have had enough of paying £100 per month during winter for their course to be closed or a mud bath.

 

[Deleted member 23344]

No. I enjoy being a club member, especially as my membership covers the gym and the pool. I also play for the club’s senior team against other clubs.

 

[Colonel Bogey]

There was an Open @Kirkby Lonsdale Folf Club in Cumbria last weekend 4BBB winning score 59 points. They were not members @Kirkby Lonsdale 85% h/c, that is some shooting!

Sure somebody on here can better that!

 

[2blue]

Not quite there..... but our first WHS, Club Winter B/Ball returned a winning score of 52pts from HI players 8.4 & 15.9............ Next nearest score was 47pts, we played well & managed 44pts

 

[HarrogateHacker]

I enjoy being a member of a club. I play a lot of my golf at weekends, and also love a few holes after work in the summer (which would be tricky as a nomad). I tend to spend impulsively also, so would hate to not have enough money at the end if the month because I’d brought something daft.

 

[PJ87]

I enjoy being a member of a club. I play a lot of my golf at weekends, and also love a few holes after work in the summer (which would be tricky as a nomad). I tend to spend impulsively also, so would hate to not have enough money at the end if the month because I’d brought something daft.

I echo this. Since joining my club I play a lot of 9 holes .. especially this time of year .. 18 if I can but with less free time. Less light. Around work etc 9 holes has been perfect to keep my golf bug satisfied

Wouldn't do that as a none member for sure

 

[IanM]

Guess what, there are a wide range of golfers, with a with a range of motivations and requirements from golf.

The survey would suggest that the "ability to get an official handicap" is not a pre-eminent reason for joining a club. Folk without the time and/or cash to get value from club membership will be interested in this scheme, some at the margin might even cease their membership and keep their handicap this way. I suspect a good proportion of these would have resigned anyway! Who knows?

We are not short of stories of "Umpteen Under Par" winning Club Opens, so this won't create a problem, but it might add to it. It might not, time will tell

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I echo this. Since joining my club I play a lot of 9 holes .. especially this time of year .. 18 if I can but with less free time. Less light. Around work etc 9 holes has been perfect to keep my golf bug satisfied

Wouldn't do that as a none member for sure

Spot on

Try and get weekend 18's in but once it is light until around 5.15 and beyond I'll be up there most nights either getting a few holes in or working on areas of my game. Access to the course anytime and to practice, even just to use it for a beer and a catch up is why I pay to be member

 

[PJ87]

Spot on

Try and get weekend 18's in but once it is light until around 5.15 and beyond I'll be up there most nights either getting a few holes in or working on areas of my game. Access to the course anytime and to practice, even just to use it for a beer and a catch up is why I pay to be member

Our club has a lovely par 3 course

I used to pay £200 a year to be a member

Now it's free due to my membership.. but never bother .. I'll play the main course a few instead

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Our club has a lovely par 3 course

I used to pay £200 a year to be a member

Now it's free due to my membership.. but never bother .. I'll play the main course a few instead

That seems strange to pay to use it and now it's free you don't. I get why you'd want 9 or 18 on the main course if you can get out (tee time or quiet time depending on how your club normally operates). If I had such a facility I'd definitely use it once a week in the summer to sharpen my approach shots to the greens