What it's like to visit golf clubs that don't welcome visitors

Golf has a reputation among those who don’t play the game for being an expensive and aloof sport. That certainly used to be the case but have things changed?

I am pretty certain that most of you will have visited golf clubs where you are not made to feel welcome. I know that I have.

And in this day and age, there is simply no excuse for it.

What Makes a Golf Club Unwelcoming to Visitors?

So what are the characteristics of an unfriendly golf club?

Let me tell you about a course in Suffolk that better remain nameless.

As a visitor, you arrive and follow the signs to the visitors’ car park. It is full of pot holes. That means that when it has been raining it is also full of huge puddles. You then walk towards the pro’s shop and have to walk across the members’ car park. And guess what? The members’ car park is perfect. No pot holes, no puddles, no mud.

You head into the shop to pay your fee. At this point you are still wearing your normal shoes. The pro looks down his nose at you and says: "Before you go out on the course I want to see you back in here wearing your golf shoes."

You complete your 18 holes and head for the bar, only to discover that you need a code to gain entry. So you head back to the shop, only to be informed that you can’t use the main bar and that if you want a drink and/or food then you need to use the spike bar.

So you make your excuses and leave, NEVER to return!

You Should Do Your Research Beforehand

Before you visit any golf club you should check out their website. If they want you then there will be a section specifically for visitors. If there isn’t then you should probably avoid it.

A dull-as-dishwater website will probably also indicate a club that is stuck in the dark ages and should be avoided.

And please do some research. Check out course reviews. I can guarantee that golfers who have been made to feel unwelcome will most definitely have gone online to make their feelings known. And if you have a bad experience, you should so the same thing.

Visitors Are Paying So Much Money

I have never been able to understand why clubhouse bars have one rate for members and another for visitors. Guests have already had to pay a green fee for the privilege of playing the course and then find they have to pay 10% more in the bar than the member standing next to them. This applies to both food and drink.

And then there is the thorny subject of green fees. I cannot quite believe how many utterly ordinary golf clubs charge visitors in excess of £100 for 18 holes. It’s like telling people they are not really welcome.

You know where I stand on joining fees. They are an abomination and my advice to you is if the club you want to join is asking you for an annual subscription and a joining fee then you should probably look for somewhere else to play.

The Welcome You Receive is Essential

Of course when it comes to judging a golf club, the welcome you receive in the pro’s shop and in the clubhouse will always tell you everything you need to know.

In my book, the treatment you get from the staff should be exactly the same as you would expect to receive if you were a member.

A good pro will make you feel welcome by asking if you have played the course before and will then talk you through the hazards. Sadly, all too many are only interested in taking your hard-earned money.

In my experience, things have improved but let’s not pretend that everything in the golfing garden is rosy - there is still a great deal of work to be done when it comes to making golfers feel welcome.