With the end of the golf season approaching, many of you may be considering your options for the future.
Do you stay with your golf club, do you join a new one, or are you a nomadic golfer looking for reasons to join a club?
If you are regular readers of my missives, you will already know that golf club membership is a no-brainer for me - and this year more than ever.
What Makes Being Part of a Golf Club Special
(Image Credit: Kevin Murray Golf Photography)
I was elected senior captain of Dunston Hall Golf Club for 2026. The highlight was my charity day, which we held recently.
The support I received was mind-boggling. Somebody provided 50+ raffle prizes, individual members sponsored holes and provided auction prizes. I also managed to get several corporate sponsors on board.
The British weather let us down. It rained all day but all 104 players who signed up for the day turned up bright and early. The atmosphere was fantastic.
Our club pro donated a £299 putter for the winner of our putting competition and the director of golf operations stood on the 14th tee all day for a beat the pro competition.
There was also a fabulous halfway house, with food provided by my incredible vice-captain and prepared by his wife and served by members of the ladies section.
When we finished playing, the food, which was excellent, was served without delay.
Another member acted as our auctioneer and at the end of it all we raised a record £12,000 for the East Anglian Children’s Hospices, which cares for terminally ill children.
Everybody was genuinely thrilled and I cannot thank the senior membership enough. This was a proper team effort.
I was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year and the support I received from the membership was completely overwhelming. I received countless messages, many from people I barely know.
The point of all of this is that none of it would have happened if I was not a golf club member.
Since joining around three years ago I have made a host of new friends, many of whom I now socialise with. I hate cliques and at Dunston there is no such thing.
Why You Should Be a Golf Club Member
(Image Credit: Kevin Murray Golf Photography)
There are so many good reasons for joining a club.
If you are a senior golfer with time on your hands it represents incredible value for money. If you play three times a week and your annual subscription is £1,000, just do the maths. You will also have somebody to play with because your fellow seniors are also retired.
I would also urge beginners to consider joining a golf club. You have a club pro at hand to give you lessons and hopefully there will be a driving range where you can practice what you have learnt. And the pro should also be able to hook you up with playing partners. Believe me, it is a complete fallacy that low handicappers do not want to play with beginners. Nothing gives me more pleasure than being able to pass on tips that might help my fellow golfers.
It should also be a no-brainer for young golfers. I know they have to perform a balancing act between family and work life, but trust me when I tell you that golf is a game for life. You will also make friends for life through this wonderful sport of ours.
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