Priorities for joining a club

[sms316]

Recent discussions about Nudgee and Wantima have me curious. Rank the following in order of importance when deciding which club to join.

1. Cost
2. Location
3. Course design
4. Course condition
5. Staff
6. Members

[Jarro]

1. Cost
2. Location
4. Course Condition
6. Members
5. Staff
3. Course design

[solarman]

Same order as teh way you have listed although 3 and 4 could be either way round.

[timah!]

1
2
3
5
4
6

Although a semi-hot drinks car chick is a big plus too!

[sms316]

If this thread gets to page 2, it will be bloody hard to follow if people just put down numbers.

[bergsey]

1. Location - golf takes long enough, wouldn't want to have a significant travel time. Also reduces drop in opportunities
2. Course condition - i'm spoilt in that my home course is always in great nick
3. Members - need to have some young-ish members
4. Cost - important but you get what you pay for
5. Course design - still important, but would be happy playing a course nearby in great condition than a good design in average condition
6. Staff

[3oneday]

I play at my 2nd favourite course because I have about 10 to 15 guys I play regularly with who like beer.

The course is harder than I would like but I like beer.

[Captain Nemo]

2. Location
6. Members
1. Cost
4. Course condition
3. Course design
5. Staff

[WBennett]

I live on course - its a 2 minute walk to the first tee. So for me, my home club is based on location.

If the kids were older, I'd join Federal with TG, so location would drop down the list. As they are both under 4 and golf time aint what it used to be, location becomes a priority.

Gold Creek is now cheaper than the Lakes, but I would not want to be a member there.

2. Location
3. Course design
1. Cost
4. Course condition
5. Staff
6. Members

[Chris32]

1. Location - being in SA, there are a heap of courses located west of the city, and I live in the NE so there isn't much to choose from
2. Course Condition - Two tracks within 15 mins of me, one is average all year round, the other is in good condition most of the year water permitting
3. Cost - Get what you pay for, although I think the lack of choice in my area places a premium on the yearly subs. Other courses i consider better are the same/cheaper, but are a good 30min drive away
4. Course design - important long term from my point of view, as playing somewhere you dont like isn't fun at all
5. Staff - from what I have seen most courses change over their staff regularly enough for this not to be an issue
6. Members - Get along with most people and happy to play with anyone, so not a issue for me

[Dotty]

2. Location
6. Members
4. Course condition
3. Course design
5. Staff
1. Cost

[SeptemberSquall]

can I suggest (ability to get nominated) and (open membership in your preferred category) as being showstoppers ahead of everything else you've suggested?

[Russ]

1. Condition
2. Location
3. Design
4. Cost
5. Members
6. Staff

[IanO]

2. Location - needs to be close enough that I can get there for practice
4. Course condition - if it is not looked after then it just frustrates me too much to play there
1. Cost - I am not that worried by the cost but I would not be interested in paying $5K per year
3. Course design - It should be interesting and challenging, but most of all be 18 holes at least
6. Members - I have not been to a course yet where everybody is a dill, but there are always a couple
5. Staff - As above

I have 2 9 hole courses near me which are cheap as chips, have a great bunch of guys (and girls) as members and are in pretty fair condition. I was a member of one for a year but found that I got bored repeating the 9 holes on comp day. I went to a more expensive course that is further away to get 18 holes.

[TheTrueReview]

1. Cost - important. Despite all of the arguments, hate the sting of joining fees. They're a rort IMO.
2. Location - important. Must be close to home.
3. Course condition - having escaped from Logan City G.C., this is important.
4. Staff - important. Can't stand surly, rude or high maintenance pro shop staff.
5. Course design - Not so.
6. Members - Not so much. I go there to play golf & work on my handicap, not socialise. Meeting new play friends is a bonus but not generally thought about.

[markTHEblake]

1. Ownership structure (owned by itself)
2. Location (closer/closest)
3. Cost (whatever is affordable)
4. Course design (meh!)
5. Course condition (will be relevent to cost)
7. Staff (trivial, these will come and go)
7. Members (trivial, wankers are everywhere)

[LarryLong]

First three matter most to me

1. Location - reasonable distance, happy to drive past two courses to get to mine
2. Cost - I'm a tightarse
3. Design - You've got to play the thing over and over again. Don't want to be completely bored

4. Members - every club has them. I chose a club with fewer of them so that there would be a lower number of wankers in total.
5. Condition - excellent condition leaves you without excuses. It's over-rated
6. Staff - the presence of smoking hot cart girls could send this up the list, but that's not an option in my neck of the woods.

I would also add two more near the top:

- Ability to get on at your preferred timeslot (particularly at late notice on Friday afternoon)
- Pace of play. Like many, I've got a family at home and anything more than a 4 hour round starts eating into my post round socialising.

[Toolish]

1. Cost
2. Location
3. Course design
4. Course condition
5. Staff
6. Members

You got the order pretty right. Of course it depends on the differences in the different areas. If I had to travel an extra 10 minutes and pay an extra $50 a year for a far superior course I would do it.

I chose my course out of the 5 in the district because it is the cheapest and has the best layout. It is 25 mins drive compared to a couple that are 10 min drive but are dearer and aren't as good a design.

[WBennett]

- Pace of play. Like many, I've got a family at home and anything more than a 4 hour round starts eating into my post round socialising.

I budget 6 hours from leaving home to getting home. 20 minutes early, 2 beers on the 14th adn 15th, then 2 or 3 quick beers post round.

[LarryLong]

I budget 6 hours from leaving home to getting home. 20 minutes early, 2 beers on the 14th adn 15th, then 2 or 3 quick beers post round.

Similar here, although I'm usually 20 seconds early and I'm not capable of drinking mid-round because two stubbies is enough to start me giggling like a teenager on a hot day in the sun. 5 1/2 hours including 40mins travelling is about all I can squeeze in, so it's a round in the clubhouse and I'm off. Do clubs still have presentations after the comp these days? I've got no idea if mine does.

[matty]

1. Course condition - You've got to play it more often than anywhere else.
2. Course design - Gotta make you think.
3. Location - Within 30 - 40 mins if course was worth it.
4. Cost - Not too keen paying 5K+ to join one club but would spend a few K for a decent one.
5. Staff - As long as they're not rude or grumpy, who cares. They sell you drinks and take your comp fees.
6. Members - Not a concern. 95% are good people and fun to play with.

[mike]

1. Location

That's it.

[markTHEblake]

I wish i was blessed with choices of golf clubs like Mike has.

[BrisVegas]

1. Location

That's it.

+1

[Hawkers2008]

Location is the biggest driver for me. Design & condition are important but as time is tight for me there needs to be a veery significant difference for me to travel further.

To some extent cost is an all or nothing thing. As long as I can afford it and don't think I am getting ripped off I will pay the asking price.

[bluprint]

=1. Location and Course design : Must be within 30 mins drive and has to be a course I want to play week in week out - otherwise, why join.
3. Cost
4. Course condition : fluctuates with the seasons and el nina/nino
5. Staff
6. Members

[PeteyD]

Mangoes are important. Must have mangoes.

[matty]

Mangoes are important. Must have mangoes.

Mangoes while golfing =P~. Might have to reconsider where I join.

[davepuppies]

Cost
Location
Course condition
Course design
Staff
Members

[Carby650]

1. Cost
2. Location
3. Course condition
4. Staff
5. Members
6. Course design

When I look at the list it think it is the sum of all parts. Albeit the first three listed are givens I think and I would consider most private clubs would have items 2 and 3 bedded down reasonably well. Cost clearly is important.

I know when I moved to Bunbury 12 months ago I went up to both Bunbury GC and Capel GC.
Both are very good courses.
Both a local.
Both are in very good condition.
I didn't know the members at either club being new to town.
So in the end it came down to how I was treated by the staff when I rocked up there asking about membership. One club looked at me like I had two heads the other was most welcoming and most helpful. I joined that one.

cheers
Carby650

[sms316]

Mangoes are important. Must have mangoes.

Join Redcliffe. Big mango tree behind the 9th tee.

[PeteyD]

9 ... dogleg right at the northern end of the course?

[Eag's]

1. Cost
2. Location
3. Course condition
4. Staff
5. Members
6. Course design

[sms316]

9 ... dogleg right at the northern end of the course?

Downhill 400m+ par 4. Follows the hard dogleg right.

[PeteyD]

Ah I am miles off. I am thinking of 10. Stupid website has no course map.

[Jarro]

9 = index 1

[dean0820]

1. Cost
2. Location
3. Members
4. Course condition
5. Staff
6. Course design

[dean0820]

... it came down to how I was treated by the staff when I rocked up there asking about membership. One club looked at me like I had two heads the other was most welcoming and most helpful. I joined that one.


which was which?
i ask because i just joined bunbury.

[Grunt]

1.Cost
2.Location
3.Course condition
4.Staff
5.Members
6.Course design

Something else to be considered as a shift worker is number of competition rounds each week. I joined Bathurst as it gave me a lot of mid week options for comp rounds at reciprocal clubs here in Sydney.