Hi All,

Again, as i do every year i am thinking of joining a golf club. I have delayed it in the previous few years as i was never sure of staying in the area.

I now know i am going to stay in the area (Brighton and Hove) and i am interested in three courses:

1) Mid Sussex Golf Club - Parkland, a good steady flat-ish course.

2) Hassocks Golf Club - Similar to above.

3) East Brighton Golf Club - Links/hill top course on the edge of the south downs. Tough track with plenty of wind.

Given i play a standard of golf between 23-28 handicap and i would like to improve, which would you recommend? Assuming all other things such as costs and friendliness of the clubs being equal.

Would i get bored after a while on the parkland courses? Would the links course be to tough for someone of my standard and end up being very frustrating?

Any insights on your own experience would be great.

Thanks

Scott

p.s. I did originally post this in courses, but thought it may be an interesting general topic.

Well, I currently play off 20 and am a member at a parkland/woodland course, and it keeps me challenged!!

There could be a danger of you getting frustrated by playing on a links course, or it could be the making of you as a golfer!!!

I've only ever played links courses on calm sunny days and have loved them, on a windy day I think i'd be destroyed! 

I'm sure others will give you a better answer though! 

Iv'e played all 3 of them and would put east Brighton top of the pile but as you said it can be a handfull when the wind blows.

Have you considered Pyecombe I would put it ahead of the others and I believe they are doing a deal on membership at the moment.

i am a member of both a parklands and a links both obviously totally different

at the links there is always a wind from light breeze to full gale so i can leave home in shirt sleeves and have to put a windproof on to go round

main benefit of my links is it is dead cheap £240/year and is never ever waterlogged so open all year round -no winter greens ever

parklands can become a bit muddy especially in winter

Scottie,

a) mid-sussex, played it once a few years ago in winter and found it muddy, however 2 playing partners played it last week and said it was in very good nick.

b) Hassocks, I think a handicap gained there would not necessarily reflect your true handicap as I feel this is an easy-ish course as courses go. A few nice holes and a few bland ones.

c) East Brighton, not played it for a few years but it is a tough track, I think a h/c gained here would hold up at most courses. Although, I did play against 2 East Brighton players with 7 and 12(?) h/c's the other week in a match at my club and thrashed them both, could've been an off day for them.

Depending on your location and finances, I would think of Pyecombe, West Hove and Singing Hills as well. You should find with Pyecombe & West Hove that you can play the course all year round as they are on the downs, I have played on temp greens twice in the last 3-4 years at WH. Singing Hills I believe still has a problem with being waterlogged in the winter. However, it is great the rest of the year and 3 x 9 holes to choose from. I have thought about joining SH but the extra 10 minute journey and loss of my joining fee keeps coming into the factor. 

Have you played any of these courses?

Thanks for your comments all. Inline with my general thinking.

Birdie Boy. I have played most of those tracks (except Pyecombe and Singing Hills).

Most notable was West Hove. Our group enjoyed the course (played twice in good and bad weather), but the staff and the members we encountered were the rudest and most uptight/old fashioned/anal lot we have ever encountered. Completely put us off the track. My usual playing group are good golfers (scratch to 16 handicap, i am the worst player) and we play all over the country. We are smartly dressed, know our golf ettiquette and play considerately, we were well behaved. However, the people at West Hove treated us so badly and looked down there noses at us so much, that we decided to spend our money elsewhere after both rounds.

This is a real shame as West Hove is my closet course. I will keep searching for a course as i want to join a course that can give me a fair, transferable handicap.

Thanks All.

Hi Scottie,

It is a shame that you were treated in this way and it is not the first time that I have heard this, I may have to mention it to the General Manager. I have been a member for 4-5 years and I have had one altercation which turned nasty with a fellow member which came close to fisticuffs and I ended up writing a letter of complaint about him and in return so did he and I ended up with a snotty letter from his mates on the committee, blaming me !

Apart from this, I have found the club to be pretty good, especially with my children who are also members. All of the pro's, assistants & staff go out of their way to say hello and chat with them at all times. I have also not had any problems with any other members.

I have spoken and played with some new members who want to play with golfers they have not met before from within the club and also try and get in a bit more socially and have found it difficult, so I know exactly what you are saying.

At the end of the day, I go up there, play/practice my golf, have a pint and then go home, so not really affected by any cliques etc. The course is in great nick, is playable all year round & 5 minutes from home, so I can put up with the odd tw*t and snotty past-captains.

BTW, I here that Hill Barn is looking good under new management, might be worth a poke up there!

Good luck in your search and if you ever want a mid-week game at WH at a cheap guest price, PM me.

Scottie Boy

Much as I love links golf I would NEVER recommend it for a high handicap player trying to build a repeating swing and improve!

I would thoroughly recommend Pyecombe but before you finalise your choice might I suggest you play The Dyke on the downs north of Brighton. A really sporting course, interesting and a good and fair test of golf!

From what I hear the Dyke is a very nice course but a bit snooty in the clubhouse. Two years ago, a friend played it on the hottest day of the year, he had shorts on and short white socks, he was told that he would have to buy long blue socks or he couldn't play!

Aside from that, I really do no need to play this course someday.

You'd be surprised how many clubs insist that if shorts are worn with short socks, those socks must be white:

1 2 3 4 5 (etc ad nauseam)

My wife understands this; I, as a fashionlexic, don't.

White socks with brown shorts and brown golf shoes - yuk!

Yes look for a parkland course at your level to learn your skills you can always play a couple of links and move to one later if you so desire. Just make sure the club you choose is not too cliquey and up its anus - get some local advice from people in pubs etc. I was lucky - I joined one that my mate George (a "call a spade a shovel" type builder) was a member of and believe me if they could put up with him then I wasn't going to have any trouble.

Threeputter

Do you mean to tell me that you and George are advovcates of Groucho Marx?

He famously said "I would never join any golf club that would have me as a member"

Thanks for the advice all. Think i will avoid Links courses for a while.

 Birdie Boy - Given that you are fairly local, can you recommend a good teaching pro in the area? Close to Hove would be ideal, but i am willing to travel for the right one.

Cheers

Scott

Scottie Boy

If you phoned the PGA at the Belfry on 01675 470333 they would give you a number of PGA qualified golf teachers in your area all of whom HAVE to be good to be given accreditation!