1 Over. wrote (see)

It is true that Blakes is Built on a former landfill site too though! 

Actually it was built on farmland, it only became a landfill site during it's constuction for landscaping purposes (not to mention to pay for the constuction of the course & clubhouse). I know this caused problems during the first year the course was open, with all sorts of things finding their way back to the surface, but I don't believe this is any longer a problem. In fact during the last year I've heard many favourable reports of the course and the greens are truely excellent.

Back to the subject of the thread. I feel the benefits of club membership vary widely accordingly to which club you join.

I was a member on & off of a club (very close to Blakes) for a number of years, but never made the effort to intergrate and ending up probally paying over £100 a round for midweek golf. I've since changed club and made the effort to play in some of the regular swindles and met a great crowd who have done their best to make me welcome. As a result I'm now playing more regularly than ever and getting much more enjoyment from golf.

Josh, I love a bit of Banter me!  

In fact only last week I tried to engage in a bit of banter with some fella at the Club but he got upset and buggered off after two holes! Saying he didn't like my attitude and something about me making him Nervous?   Moi? Never!

I don't know some people have very thin skin!  

If I ever play him again, I will be sure to keep very quiet like a church mouse and then maybe, If the Greens are up to his high standards he will show me his new Golfing Secret!  or maybe not?    

I found a load of his pink Tees all over the place on Thursday and Friday too?

walker377 wrote (see)

But hey, every course has its pros and cons.

Every course has its "pros" and "cons".

Yep, especially in Essex..............................

Started having a look again at the courses nearer to Fulham which i discounted previously.

I think i'm going to try to play the following courses in the next few months to assess whether they would be worth joining:

1) Wimbledon Common / London Scottish (best location, but having to wear red and no play after 2pm on Sundays has always put me off before)

2) Malden (very top end of my budget, but great location)

3) Leatherhead (still quite far to drive, but definately closer than Clandon and currently have suspended joining fees + intermediate membership)

4) Coombe Wood (Reasonable fees and very good location. Course looks on the short side though)

any comments on the above would be greatly appreciated.

I reckon the only good reason to join a club is:

1. The ability to get on and practice after work etc.

To be honest, I'm not renewing my membership next year. I'll be booking all my casual games online at teetimes.co.uk.

shakey wrote (see)

I reckon the only good reason to join a club is:

1. The ability to get on and practice after work etc.

To be honest, I'm not renewing my membership next year. I'll be booking all my casual games online at teetimes.co.uk.

another reason why i'm looking at the courses closer to home. I haven't been down to my club once after work, which really means i'm limiting myself to playing at weekends and spending money at ranges during the week.

Joe Lawman (finally online at home) wrote (see)

You blokes are missing the main benefit of membership in my view. Get stuck in, play the comps and make some good buddies. Can't put a price on that.

...ker-ching!   Spot on!  (assuming you join a course you like playing!) 

mike07 wrote (see)

Started having a look again at the courses nearer to Fulham which i discounted previously.

I think i'm going to try to play the following courses in the next few months to assess whether they would be worth joining:

1) Wimbledon Common / London Scottish (best location, but having to wear red and no play after 2pm on Sundays has always put me off before

You are having a laugh surely?  Wearing red puts you off joining a club?

Now is a good time to see the courses when they are less than perfect and see how they play in the winter.  If you are going to try the Common go on a Wednesday as there is always a members swindle on a Weds and you will see what the members are like there if you pop in for a drink afterwards.

Best of the options in my mind if you can get your head around wearing red that is.........

Mike, re your choices:

1. Never played there, but intend to pretty soon, as Coombe Wood has a reciprocal arrangement with them.

2. Son Ben is a member.  A longer course than ours, hence his reason for joining.  Has problems with certain holes during wet periods and course was at least partially closed for spells last winter.

3. Leatherhead - is it worth the drive?  Front 9 and back 9 quite different.  It has two holes with trees in the middle of the fariway, which I don't like.  Owners are often in dispute with each other and the club has been up for sale on a couple of occasions.  Not as well looked after as a few years ago.

4. Coombe Wood - Ben and I are members!  PM me if you intend to play there and we'll try to arrange to meet you.  Yes, the Course is short, but it is tight and will get you hitting the ball straight.  Most of the Par 3's are a real challenge.

Steve White (12.9) wrote (see)

Mike, re your choices:

1. Never played there, but intend to pretty soon, as Coombe Wood has a reciprocal arrangement with them.

??  Interested in this, asked our secreatary and he was not aware that Wimbledon Common had a reciprocal agreement with Coombe Wood??

Or have I got the wrong end of the stick and are you talking about London Scottish?

Sorry, thatwasn't clear, it is with London and Scottish.  If you are interested in a game at Coombe Wood, let me know...

Having read the preceding thread with interest I would like to have twopenorth worth.. Do the guys who cant get a game ever look on the notice boards?? do they never go into the bar and talk to people, do their clubs not have friendly matches with other clubs, do the their clubs not have a rabbit section?????  when talking to new members they talk about cliques and closed shops but when I ask them to play in some sort of match they make some excuse about not being good enough or having to wash their hair next are the guys who just play get change in the car park and leave never making the effort to integrate or support the club in any way.. then we have a new breed,  since joining fees were dropped or reduced the player who plays a  club one year then moves on to another etc etc.. their perogative of course but it dosent do much for loyalty. Lastly  we have the guys who just pay and play where they feel like it.. all have their own reasons but let me tell you now the way things are going with golf club finances there will be fewer and fewer clubs to play and it may, once again, become a passtime for the rich. Golf clubs need to have a solid base of members to keep healthy. I know club committees appear remote and indifferent and make some strange decisions but without fail, (in my experiance!) they do these things because they think it will be good for the club in the long run and not to get up the memberships nose (No I havnt been a committe member!) Golf is a great game, being a member is a passport to great fun both on and off the course But you have to make the effort..

Club near me got this offer on from now until the 31st march.Five months..........£110.no winter tees or greens full use of the range and short game area which are great.Free range balls as many times as you like any day every day all day.Just come in time for my winter work on "Slicefixers"  drills especially the 9.00 to 3.00 drill.We seem to be fortunate here in Scotland cant believe the cost of some memberships down south of the border.We have a true championship course here top 100 ,fees around £270  but waiting list will see me out.

Roman, Waiting lists, once so prevelent down here that you had to pay to get on them have virtually disappeared, a group of us from the forum are playing at Moor Allerton  tomorrow, once it was a snooty club which picked and chose who it would let in has dispensed witha joining fee and are giving away free Prov1s if you go as a party of 4..Close to there is a course called Moortown which held the Ryder Cup in 1926 must be strapped for cash the way the course and club house look.. after 5 years of trying we got into the seniors open there this year so things must be bad,,