Why You Shouldn't Give Up Your Golf Club Membership

I have heard a lot of people complaining about increased golf club subscriptions in recent weeks and have several friends who have actually opted to walk away from their clubs. We are living in a tough economic climate with rising costs everywhere we look - every time we fill up our cars or do our weekly shopping we see the evidence of this with our own eyes.

So I guess it is understandable that some men and women who are feeling the pinch have opted to leave their golf clubs. While I sympathise, and am deeply critical of clubs who bump up annual subscriptions without explanation, if you are considering giving up your membership I would urge you to think again.

There are all sorts of good reasons for joining a golf club - and staying there.

If you quit you will probably be leaving good friends behind, the people you play with on a regular basis. They are unlikely to want to play at another course with you.

It also goes without saying that if you are no longer a club member then any time you return to that course you will have to dig deep and pay a visitor’s green fee. As a nomadic golfer you quite clearly have the choice to play wherever you want but again every time you do so you will be expected to pay a green fee. And if you play the game on a regular basis I can guarantee that over the course of 12 months you will end up spending more than had you stayed put.

If you were a member for any length of time you will surely have experienced that sense of camaraderie that draws so many of us to the game of golf. You become familiar with the bar staff and the club professional and get used to being recognised and welcomed every time you turn up to play. You also become familiar with the course and learn how to play it to give you the best chance of scoring well.

If you are even a half-decent golfer you will have been in demand as a regular playing partner. That will be gone if you become a nomadic player.

(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography)

Writing as somebody who has recently returned to golf after injury and who decided that joining a golf club was a must, I have to tell you that I have no regrets. It has taken a while to settle in but I have actively set out to get involved in the club, joining a charity day committee for starters. And every time I turn up I make new friends.

It may well be that you have decided that you want to join another club. If so, will you have to pay a joining fee? Is there a waiting list? Does it truly represent better value for money than the course you just left? Will you be made to feel welcome? Is the course any better? Is it closer to where you live? Have you checked out the quality of the food? How expensive is the bar?

Most club members receive discount on food and drink - is it worth giving that up?

The social benefits of staying with your golf club means you meet and play golf with hundreds of fellow club members on the course, in the practice area, or in the clubhouse. Clubs often arrange social get-togethers for their members - a golf club with a lively social scene is a great place to be part of.

Then there are the competitive benefits. Matchplay, strokeplay, Stableford, greensomes, Texas Scramble, weekly medals. All clubs host a range of competitive golf for their members throughout the year and are what should get your juices flowing.

Your membership will give you unrestricted access to the facility, such as the practice areas and driving range, clubhouse, changing rooms and shower facilities.

If you opt to leave then you need to accept that, as a nomadic golfer, you are not going to have first refusal on tee-times. If you like playing early in the morning you can forget it if you are not a club member. There is no more scrambling around trying to find a tee-time first thing on a Saturday morning. One of the attractions of golf club membership is preferential access to the course at peak times such as weekend mornings.

If you are paying a green fee then, come what may, you will want to get your money’s worth by playing 18 holes. Sometimes you just don’t want to do that. One of the joys of membership is that you can walk in after nine holes and not feel that you have lost out financially - there is always next time.

Perhaps best of all, golf club membership offers you the best opportunity to improve your game, either by seeing the club pro or by playing with better golfers who will point you in the right direction.

But here’s possibly the worst thing of all - if you decide that the grass wasn’t greener after all and decide that you want to rejoin your original club, will you be able to do so? And will you have to pay a joining fee? You could end up kicking yourself.

Related Content

Could There Be Tough Times Ahead For Golf Club Memberships

Golfers Describe Concern at Rising Cost of Club Memberships

The Biggest Issues That You Want Golf Clubs to Address

Are Flexible Memberships The Future For Golf Clubs

Will You Be Renewing Your Golf Club Membership in 2024

Do Golf Club Memberships Offer Value For Money