Why People Don't Join Golf Clubs And Why They Should Reconsider

THERE are many reasons why people decide not to join a golf club. Ours is a sport that comes with many preconceived misconceptions. To be fair, some of them are valid but many are not.

In this article I am going to outline some of the reasons why I believe people opt out, while trying to persuade them that maybe they should think again.

The Cost

At the top of the list is surely the cost involved in joining a club for the first time and that, of course, is something that I fully understand.

Paying sums in excess of £1,000 for a year’s golf is a proper financial commitment but every club I know offers members the opportunity to spread the cost over 12 months.

And I would urge you to sit down and do the sums. If you were to play just once a week as a nomadic golfer and hand over a green fee of, say, £40 then you are going to be paying more than £2,000. If, like me, you play at least twice a week then my annual subscription of less than £800 is worthy of Aldi’s bargain aisle.

Remember, too, that if you join a club you are probably going to be given a card that entitles you to a members’ discount at the bar.

The more you play, the better value your annual sub is going to be.

Some clubs are now charging a joining fee. If your club of choice falls into that category all you have to do is shop around. Most clubs don’t have joining fees.

Fear Of The Unknown

Walking into a golf club where you do not know anybody can be an intimidating experience and there are some clubs around the country that are less than welcoming.

But if you do a bit of research and spend some time visiting courses before joining you will quickly get a feel for what is right for you.

And any golf club worth its salt will allocate a buddy to you when you join to show you the ropes and introduce you to other members.

You should also make sure that you play the course in different conditions before deciding whether to join. You are more likely to fit in if you are comfortable with the course.

Fitting In

I know what it’s like to join a club where you don’t know anybody. It happened to me earlier this year when I joined Dunston Hall Golf Club on the outskirts of Norwich.

Within 48 hours of joining, the seniors captain had been in touch to introduce himself and welcome me to the club.

And when I put my name down for my first competition I was drawn to play alongside him. Rather than being an intimidating experience, it turned out to be pure joy. He is a lovely man and when we had finished he introduced me to several players.

He also kept in touch with me to ensure that I had found golfers to play with on non-competition days. Any club worth its salt will do the same.

And guess what? I am now on the seniors committee and helped to organise the Captain’s Charity Day in September. There is a misconception that golf club committees consist of stuffed shirts who are full of their own sense of self-importance. I promise you that is not the case. And as a committee member you can make a difference - and people quickly know who you are.

Cliques

OK, so this one is a real issue. Turn up at any golf club on a Saturday and/or Sunday morning and you will see the same groups going out in fourballs every week.

It was one of the problems I faced this year so I decided to enter as many competitions as I could. I entered the singles knockout and the pairs knockout. I didn’t have a partner for the pairs so just put my name on the entry sheet and the club found me a partner.

I actually reached the final of the singles and although I lost (on the 18th green after missing a three-foot putt), I met some lovely golfers along the way. One of them has now become a regular playing partner, while another introduced me to his “Thursday group”. You just have to work at it.

Handicap

Perhaps you don’t have a handicap and are worried about making a fool of yourself. Have you seen the standard of golf played at most clubs?

I am a member of a senior section at which the vast majority of members have handicaps in excess of 20. It is a fairly tight, tree-lined course that can reduce even the very best of golfers to their knees.

There have been times this year when I have walked off the 18th green vowing: “Never again.” But there have also been times when I have walked off with a spring in my step, desperate to get back out there again.

At our club, new members are introduced to the rest of us, who are encouraged to make contact. Next week I will be accompanying such an individual, helping him to submit the first of his three cards as he tries to get a handicap. I have no clue as to the standard of play I can expect but I don’t care.

I am happy to extend the hand of friendship, introduce him to some other golfers and make him feel at home. And if it turns out that he is an absolute beginner then I will attempt to give him some tips.

The point being that there is nothing to fear if you are joining a club but don’t have yet have a handicap. There will always be fellow members ready to guide you around the course. And there WILL be golfers who play to a worse standard than you.

Boredom

I accept that a valid reason for not joining a course is that many people simply don’t want to keep playing the same venue. There are ways to mix this up too.

For starters, there are many different types of competition - medal, stableford, foursomes, greensomes, Texas scramble. Enter some foursomes competitions - trust me when I tell you that you will find yourself playing from parts of the course you have never visited before in foursomes play. On that par four where you always reach for the driver, why not hit a five iron instead. It will give you a different perspective on the same hole. And you will almost certainly be playing your second shot from the middle of the fairway.

And you may find that your club has some kind of reciprocal deal with other courses in the area, where you can play at a reduced rate. You can also get hold of a county card which will give you cheap golf at other courses in your area.

Related Articles

Why You Shouldn't Give Up Your Golf Club Membership

How to Turn Someone Into a Golf Club Member

How Do Golf Clubs Balance The Needs of Members And Visitors

How to Choose The Best Golf Club to Join