Why More Golfers Should Play in Societies

There aren’t many better hobbies than playing golf; you get to spend hours in the sunshine, the social aspect is fantastic and it’s an excellent source of exercise. Whether you play by yourself, in a duo or even a four-ball, golf accommodates all groups.

Above the traditional four-ball, is the golf society. This group is typically made up of several members with one aim: play as much golf via as many different courses as possible. Sound like fun? It is.

There are evident reasons to join a golf society. You get to play an array of beautifully designed golf courses, it’s a great avenue for socialisation and building new relationships, a society can provide healthy competition without being too serious like a standard tournament, and you get to play even more golf – another bonus.

Joining a society is an interesting experience and it truly does feel like you are part of a mini tournament, as each group tees off after the last. If this sounds interesting to you, allow me to explore the concept of the golf society a little deeper.

Playing Different Courses

If you’re a member of a golf club, then you probably enjoy several benefits of belonging to one. Monthly membership is typically cheaper compared to paying green fees, so you’ll be saving money there. You might receive a discount on range tokens too.

While I’m sure we are all proud of the golf club that we belong to, sometimes, just sometimes, it’s refreshing not to play the same course consecutively. Course knowledge and game management are two useful skills, but when you play a new course, the former goes out the window – 18 holes of pure chaos.

By joining a golf society and being a member at a golf club, you’ll get the best of both worlds. You’ll get to experience different courses regularly, while retaining all of the benefits that club membership comes with.

For nomadic golfers, the same can’t be said. You guys already have the luxury of playing wherever the tide takes you and with so many golf courses in Britain, the choice is virtually limitless. However, you won’t be able to participate in a group of more than four.

One noticeable benefit for nomadic golfers to join a society, however, is that green fees are generally cheaper when booking with a large group, and a meal is served after the golf has concluded.

From a performance and improvement aspect, they can speed up development too. By joining a society, you will be playing different courses each time. By experiencing different courses – heathland, parkland, links – you’re going to become a better player and you’ll also understand what each type of course demands from you – it’s all a learning curve, right?

The same can be said for standard holes too. The more holes you play, the more you’ll experience different scenarios. By making mistakes, you learn from them. When you play your home club, you’ll know what club to select on most holes. The same cannot be said when you’re playing a course for the first time - go out, have fun, make mistakes and learn from them!

The Company

Golf is a sociable sport and it is one of the best for meeting new people and maintaining established relationships. Walking the golf course is an ideal method of catching up with friends and family – as opposed to football where you’re running frantically for the session.

Socialisation has always been a standout positive for the golfing community, but by becoming part of a society, you will expand your social circle tenfold. Moreover, through the relationships that you will build and nurture from the society, you’ll also have many options if you fancy a round on the weekend.

If you were to book a round of golf, the maximum would be four. Well, in a society, the capacity is greater. As aforementioned, it emulates a tournament environment, having groups tee off after one another and the excitement as your tee time approaches is undeniably moreish.

Another interesting point is that, with such a wide range of people, generations will mix. In the society that I play in, the youngest is 18 and the oldest is in his 70s. There aren’t many other sports where an 18-year-old can challenge a 70-year-old in a competitive environment!

Healthy Competition

If you’re a member of a club, then you’ll get to experience competitions. If you belong to the nomadic title, however, then you won’t. While the society does provide healthy competition, it’s a lot more fun. Winning isn’t the overall goal, playing well and enjoying your afternoon is where the importance lies.

While you can still play in competitions at club level, the society offers a more relaxed idea of competition. A lot of groups also put a few extra quid in for the player who cards the most 2s and longest from the tee.

Generally, it’s also a fantastic way to test yourself and see where your game is at. If you score well, you’ll likely be cut and then the next society day will provide an even tougher challenge. It’s important to remember, when playing a new course, it will be tough to play to your handicap unless you’ve had a scintillating round – remember course knowledge?

Ultimately, when we play golf, we are looking to enjoy ourselves. Have some fun, partake in exercise and even catch up with associates. However, the more serious you get about the sport, another element comes in to play – the handicap system.

This is the wonderful thing with golf as opposed to other sports, we always have a constant reminder of what our ability is. Improving that score is a surreal feeling, but it’s also pretty addictive.

In the long run, we want our handicap to be lowered as it’s an indication that we are playing golf to a better standard. The only way to improve your handicap is to play more golf, which brings us to our final point.

More Golf

If you’re an avid golfer, then I know you want to play more golf. I’m not sure there’s a single golfer on this planet that feels they play too much golf – I don’t even think it’s possible to play too much golf.

By playing more golf, you will improve. Scores will lower, your touch around the green will improve and your temperament for bad rounds will also ease – I can’t promise this one. But, overall, by playing more golf you will only get better at the sport.

We have loosely talked about the fitness benefits and they should not be overlooked either. You’re out on the golf course for anywhere between three to five hours, constantly walking. You’ll roughly walk 15,000 – 20,000 steps, which is double the daily recommendation.

You’ll burn calories through the swing too. Are you pushing or carrying your clubs? That’s additional calorie burning and strength building. Golf is often undermined for its health benefits, but it truly is an excellent source for keeping yourself fit and ready.

The appeal of the golf society is strong and I hope that I have convinced you to join one. Even if you don’t play in every event, you’ll get to experience new courses and meet an array of different people – which could be good for networking if you work in a certain industry.

They provide a source of healthy competition and by playing more, you’re going to improve. Above all, golf is a fun activity that was designed to be experienced with others, so why not give society golf a go?  

If you want to manage your Golf Society or Group online, then you can on Golfshake!