Would you be happy?

[bozza]

My home course which was a muni got sold to a private club across the road earlier on in the year as the private club was struggling with money, was on prime buliding land for houses and the council wanted rid of the muni course with all the council cuts coming in.

We are now a private club, playing on the old muni course, with a full membership of 750 members, a big lump sum of money to spend straight away on improvements, some of which is going on extending and improving the clubhouse as it needed doing, the course is already improving with little touches here and their and a lot more planned.

The only problem i have is it now can be a right chew on to get a tee time as it's so busy, we never really had much of a ladies,senior, junior section before but now we do and that means extra comps on a weekend and midweek and also a lot more team events.

During the week before you could pretty much turn up and get out within 30 mins but this summer you have had to book in advance and still then the course has been fully booked for most of the day.

I didn't enter the winter league this year as i work shifts and it was a shotgun start at 8am evey sunday which i didn't fancy as it's sometimes the only day i get a lie in, so was just going to play on a sunday with the old man and some other mates only to find out the earliest tee time on a sunday over winter on a Sunday is 2pm!

So was just wondering if anyone else has this problem and should i just be happy the club is making money and going in the right direction?

 

[anotherdouble]

Tough one. Me personally I would not be happy being restricted to certain tee times but I could understand those people being happy being a member of a now thriving club with money to spend on improvements.

 

[Scrindle]

Granted I have little experience with golf clubs generally having joined my first only 3 months ago, however, if I were paying fees for a service that I wasn't getting I wouldn't be happy and would likely move on (regardless of club direction or, indeed, wealth).

At the end of the day it's pointless being a member of a wealthy and improving golf club if you're not able to actually play in my humble opinion...

 

[bozza]

Granted I have little experience with golf clubs generally having joined my first only 3 months ago, however, if I were paying fees for a service that I wasn't getting I wouldn't be happy and would likely move on (regardless of club direction or, indeed, wealth).

At the end of the day it's pointless being a member of a wealthy and improving golf club if you're not able to actually play in my humble opinion...

It's not that i can't get on at all it's just that before you could pretty much turn up at anytime apart from weekends and get out on the course within 30 mins, now you are having to book in advance but even in summer during the week when me and the old man used to go out for a game after work you couldn't get out till nearly 7pm as they had team events.

 

[Odvan]

So the muni is still running (now a private club) and the private club transferred everyone over having sold up awaiting a lovely new build estate....

Your club now has 750 members and it won't be just you that's disgruntled and is owned by the previously, private club. Would it be too obvious for me to suggest that your now private club owners won't particularly care, will raise prices despite having benefited in the long run financially and will soon ensure that the membership numbers are akin to what they were when you were two separate entities?

Am I being a bit cynical, or have the council insisted that as part of the sale, membership numbers should be protected?

 

[Deleted member 17920]

I used to play stressholme quite a bit before Darlo matches so watched with a bit of interest when the council screwed the club over to Blackwell. I would personally give it a season to bed in then if it doesn't work out the other clubs in the area must be able to do you a deal.Are there many changes happening on the course?

 

[HomerJSimpson]

To be honest the fact that we never have booked tee times outside of comps at my place is a huge bonus. If there is a queue on the first you can usually get off the tenth and so never usually a problem playing. I'd hate to book a tee time every time especially if I wanted to get a game after work in the summer.

Tricky one if you like the course and have a number of good friends where you are now. I guess you need to balance that against the ease of accessibility on a regular basis

 

[dotty001]

To be honest the fact that we never have booked tee times outside of comps at my place is a huge bonus. If there is a queue on the first you can usually get off the tenth and so never usually a problem playing. I'd hate to book a tee time every time especially if I wanted to get a game after work in the summer.

Tricky one if you like the course and have a number of good friends where you are now. I guess you need to balance that against the ease of accessibility on a regular basis

Wot homer said! But if your not happy then you need to move on !! Sounds like I'm giving women advice!

 

[Imurg]

We had a similar thing at the begining of the year.
Another close-by course closed and virtually the whole Club joined my place.
It's made it much more difficult to just turn up and play at certain times and weekends are usually pretty busy until the afternoon. Booking has almost become essential.
It'll start to calm down a bit now as the Fair-Weather golfers retire for the Winter but it'll start up again in March/April....

Not much you can do except lump it or vote with your feet if a viable alternative is available.......

 

[williamalex1]

Won't be long before your fees are increased, and the member numbers will drop. best of luck.

 

[bozza]

I used to play stressholme quite a bit before Darlo matches so watched with a bit of interest when the council screwed the club over to Blackwell. I would personally give it a season to bed in then if it doesn't work out the other clubs in the area must be able to do you a deal.Are there many changes happening on the course?

Well I've got a free membership till April next year so I'll maybe give it another year after that then decide, the problem I have is in don't drive so I'm stuck to either Darlington GC which is quite a bit more money or Rockliffe which I can't afford unless I win the lottery!

Just some subtle improvements so far, rakes in bunkers, they now have golf buggies and the course in general is in better condition as they have more greenkeepers and more equipment.

 

[Deleted member 17920]

Well I've got a free membership till April next year so I'll maybe give it another year after that then decide, the problem I have is in don't drive so I'm stuck to either Darlington GC which is quite a bit more money or Rockliffe which I can't afford unless I win the lottery!

Just some subtle improvements so far, rakes in bunkers, they now have golf buggies and the course in general is in better condition as they have more greenkeepers and more equipment.

They honoured your free membership then. Hopefully it will work out for you. Shame you don't drive as you have a good choice. Wouldn't fancy the fees at rockcliffe but I bet its millionaires golf. How much extra is Darlington golf club?

 

[bozza]

Aye it's just over £2,000 a year at Rockliffe and it's more of a resort course than a golf club.

Think Darlington would be over £100 a year more and it's shut more in winter and you have to play off fairway mats in winter which I hate.

Stressholme/Blackwell has the potential to be a really decent course/club so it may be the price I have to pay for being a member of a popular course.

 

[Hobbit]

Stressholme's always been a decent layout, and if the injection of cash is improving it further it might be worth toughing it out to see if access improves... or maybe pass your driving test and come to a proper course.

 

[FairwayDodger]

On the other hand..... You had two struggling clubs and now one with a thriving and more diverse membership. Different culture perhaps but get stuck in and enjoy it!

 

[CMAC]

On the other hand..... You had two struggling clubs and now one with a thriving and more diverse membership. Different culture perhaps but get stuck in and enjoy it!

That's the best way to look at it:thup:

 

[bozza]

Stressholme's always been a decent layout, and if the injection of cash is improving it further it might be worth toughing it out to see if access improves... or maybe pass your driving test and come to a proper course.

Haha, me and links courses don't agree with eachother, I've yet to play one well!

Think I will stick it out for at least another year as it promises to be a good club if the money is spent right.