Forum > General golf topics

Andrew Mclelland

After just taking up golf after 14 years out (Was 15 when last played) i joined golfshake and have recently took a platinum membership for one reason among many that it says that you get a recognised handicap certificate which is ideal if you visit members clubs, play in golf events, compititions etc. I just read a post about socitey golf and club golf and needing a congu handicap etc and was wondering what is the difference is and what you need to play on members courses and what if you were wanting to play in amatuer comps etc (Not that i am that good a golfer YET). Can anyone just clarify what differences are betwwen club and socitey and what your handicap card from golfshake can do for you and were it is recognised.

I know people will say to join a club, but i have recently went back to uni to study for a new career and use the money i earn from working to pay rent, bills etc.

Christopher Watmore

A CONGU (Council of National Golf Unions) Handicap is the recognised official Handicap for the UK. To obtain a CONGU handicap you must be member of a recognised and union affiliated Golf Club. To obtain a handicap you must submit three cards at the club you are a member of. Once you have a handicap this is recognised all over the world and allows you to play in most competitions providing you meet entry requirements.

A Society Handicap/Golfshake handicap is an unofficial handicap that most of the time isn't bound to the same rules and terms as a CONGU handicap. Therefore these handicaps are rarely recognised for Amateur or Open Competitions. They may be accepted at Golf Clubs when you turn up and fancy a quick game, but for Competitions they are null & void.

A Golfshake Handicap Card will allow you to play at most courses that require a proof of handicap. You just can't enter competitions with it.

Ray Lawlor

Thanks for that answer Christopher.

It's exactly the one I needed in the thread that I started, asking pretty must the same thing that Andrew has asked...

But for whatever reason the subject of my thread got changed.

Andrew, it looks like we are in the same boat. I caddyed for my dad for a few years in my late teens but only took the game up again last August.

I've decided to join a society first of all, compete in a few outtings, and see how it goes. I've already researched a few local clubs. One or two are quite affordable, others offer more in terms of social events etc. but are quite expensive. 

I think the plan is to eventualy join a club but I think I'll see how the society goes until I know that I've found the right club for me.

John Pettitt

Ray Lawlor

John Pettitt

It may not be a problem for you but it is just this attitude to the game in the past two decades that has completely split the golf community into, now, three different golfing communities.

Being a relative newcomer to the game then you will not be able to appreciate my comments.

Nevertherless I wish you well in achieving some level of success in this wonderful game.

David Preston

Congratulations Ray.

 I am sure you will enjoy being in a society. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. When you become more confident in your ability & maybe have a few coffers to spare by all means join a club. One thing i found when i was a member of a club is that after spending a reasonable some of money, i did not feel it was right to play other courses due to even more cost involved. I have to admit that playing the same holes every week sometimes became a little monotonous.  I beleive Johns membership allows him to play more than one course which is an excellent idea.  Unfortunately in Leicester that is not the case. Playing lots of different courses i find more fun, more challenging & if you get a good society probably a lifetime of friends. John you are one of the lucky ones having the choice, its sometimes hard when you have family & bills etc to get the best of both worlds, great if you can afford both though! i know that i will eventually re join a club, but certainly with so many other things in life to think about (i have 5 kids) then society golf gives me choice without the big cost.

John Pettitt

Interesting comments, David P which only backs up what I have often stated on this forum.

I too had a young family, lived in a council house, drove a lorry for the local council, ran a Morris Oxford, smoked and was a member of Clevedon Golf clb, all on wages of £12 per week in 1964.

My subscription at that times £12 per year, which was a full weeks wages, so I cannot for the life of me understand why everyone is stating that a golf membership is out of the question at  todays wages.

Five children is of course a big drain on ones finances, what with new clothes every five minutes, but playing regular golf paying green fees has got to be more expensive over a year than a membership somewhere.

I am indeed fortunate in that I can play 50 other courses for nothing but you have to remember tha these coure are all pay and play and as good as Crown golf is, they are only interested in money and no way can life at my club be even remotely compared with life at a proper members club.

If I were twenty years younger I would probably have joined the local private club, Reading golf club, but I am not the competitive animal I once was and treat golf these days as exercise and an opportunity to join like minded friends.

John Flood

Society golf is good fun but with most societies you meet up either every month etc so you are only meeting these new people on a sporadic basis.

When you join a golf club you can play as much as you want & meet new members all the time.

I also think that if you just starting out then it will be much easier to gain consistency & experience from playing the same course as you can compare rounds on a 'like for like' basis.

Sometimes the fear of the unknown is what stops newcomers to the game from joining a club as they think they will not fit in or there game is not good enough.

If your interested in joining a club then my advice would be to ring up the pro & ask to meet up & have a chat with them.

John.

Andrew Mclelland

As you say John "My subscription at that times £12 per year, which was a full weeks wages, so I cannot for the life of me understand why everyone is stating that a golf membership is out of the question at  todays wages."

I had a look at prices for clubs in my area, around the £600 mark. More than a weeks wage, a few at that. Todays wages are a lot lower than membership prices in comparison to when you were talking about.

I do play the municipal course in my area with a lesuire pass so i get a round for £1.60. The lesuire pass only cost me £12 because i am back at uni so it is not bad that way but to join a club is actually really expensive compared to what a lot of people earn.

Dave Knatt

I wonder if the problem is made worse by "cheap" courses?

I pay just £12.00 for a round of golf at my local muni - nothing special about the course, a little unloved, and the occasional walker with dog, but perfectly adequate for me and my mates.

Now, if I was playing once a week (perhaps more in the summer, maybe less in the winter) then that would cost me around £600.00.

But, I only play about 30 times a year - and then not all the time at the muni. So, I'm spending about £350.00 a year. Ok, so I may play more golf if (or when) I join a club, but the fact remains that at the moment I'd rather pay as I go (I don't even have a spare £350(!) - even if I could find membership that cheap!).

In my case, it would have to be a very attractive deal to entice me into paying a yearly membership.