Millionaires Golf

Recently I was lucky enough to visit one of England’s most exclusive golf clubs. A friend of mine is a green keeper there and it was an invite I couldn’t turn down.

The club is so exclusive that I had to sign a waiver to say that I wouldn’t name the club in the small feature they let me write.

As I was walking around, I just thought is this why people think golf is known by a few, as a high class sport?

The course was empty and I mean empty, not one player adorned the immaculate fairways.

The club only has about 500 members and there’s no way you can book a tee time. Half of the members don’t even live on these shores, the same as the owner who also has a sister course across the Atlantic. It really would be millionaires’ golf if you were to tee up and to do that, you’d have to be a millionaire.

Every round you are supported by a local caddie who dresses in the familiar white overalls you see walking the Augusta fairways during April. They are rated on four levels from one to four. One is a caddie who will guide you around the course with no bother at all. He or she will know every hump and holler surrounding every hole and four is a newly appointed caddie who has standard golf knowledge and is learning what the course has to offer for which you pay slightly less.

Even though I didn’t see it in action the course also has a chauffeur system which means your car is waiting for you as you leave the 18^th green as you finish you round.

It’s not been 100% confirmed and no-one would confirm it for me but the rumoured £250,000 deposit/membership scheme really means this exclusive club is out of this world. The secrecy of the whole places makes it more appealing. You can’t even access the club’s website as you have to have a secure login which is only available from the club’s secretary. According to a source at the club you would get your money back if you ever cancelled your lifelong membership.

It really is a special place with practice facilities that I’m sure wouldn’t look out of place on the PGA Tour. If anyone ever played here they could enjoy five-star dining in the club houses’ main restaurant whilst having your shoes polished. I kid you not.

It’s a world away from the enjoyable social game that I love to play. Don’t get me wrong I’d love to have a round at this exclusive place but for me, as it is for other people, golf is also about who you play with and your surroundings after and I don’t think I’d actually enjoy it. It’s great that we have such a place in the UK but it’s also a shame that the everyday golfers doesn’t get to enjoy the magnificence of the course which in a way, to me is pointless.

Lastly I asked if I could get a quote from someone at the club to explain the secrecy and why they only appeal to high rollers and celebrities to which I was told a firm no as I understand so do many journalists.  I was told that I was quite lucky to see the areas that others haven’t and to be told (bits) of information that they’re really not interested in releasing out to the World.

They respect their members and their secrecy and for this I respect them too.

Image Credit via Porto Bay Golf Tour: Flickr.com