Club membership: As the season gets into full swing, John O'Sullivan believes there are great deals to be had
"I sent the club a wire stating: please accept my resignation. I don't want to belong to any club that will accept me as a member."
- Groucho Marx
Location, location, location is a catchphrase beloved of estate agents and has spawned the odd television programme to boot but it is also fundamentally applicable to the financial considerations in joining a golf club in Ireland.
Quite apart from those golfers whose wallets or purses permit them to join clubs like Mount Juliet, the K Club, Druids Glen, the Old Head of Kinsale and others in that financial stratosphere, there is a significant outlay for those sourcing membership in the Dublin Metropolitan region and adjoining counties.
That's if you can get in. Many of the old, private clubs in the Dublin region are closed for membership and any influx is strictly rationed. In the survey below, the majority don't keep a waiting list per se, as it would be too cumbersome to keep those sort of numbers on file. It would require a separate office to cater for those applications alone.
There is, though, a practice in the metropolitan region of accepting applicants as pavilion members for a nominal fee. It allows them very limited access, principally in terms of a certain number of green fees and rationed access to the course. Thereafter there is a stepped progression when vacancies arise in five-day or six-day categories.
The entrance fee for many of the aforementioned brackets is a five-figure sum that ranges anywhere between 10,000-20,000 with the annual subscription over 1,000, a sum fleshed out with taxes, GUI fees and in most cases, food and bar vouchers that are redeemable on the club premises.
This scale of financial outlay is also evident in other cities, notably Cork and Limerick, while Connemara's big contingent of Dubliners holidaying during the summer ensures membership is oversubscribed, the cost aping those of the capital city. The entrance fees merely reflect the demand for places and there seems little shortage of golfers willing to part with the aforementioned numbers.
For those who are a little more constrained in terms of their budget, the commute to play may have to be longer but it's worth checking around as there is value out there. Many will be envious of those living in Westport, for example.
Westport Golf Club boasts a wonderful championship course - you can look at Croagh Patrick while playing - and is certainly among the best parkland layouts in the country. Owing to a small local community, the value is stellar in terms of their entrance fee of 1,000. There is no waiting list and there is even an annual subscription to encourage beginners of 200 for the first year. There is a sizeable Polish community in the town and four have already joined the club with the hope that more will follow.
Ballinrobe is another club who will welcome prospective members. A 40-minute drive from Galway, they are looking at that market. They are proactive in their quest, going into the local schools and offering youngsters the opportunity to play the sport. They are awaiting final confirmation from the Connacht Branch of the Golfing Union of Ireland, hoping they will set up their headquarters there, much as the GUI have done in Carton House.
Several clubs have waived entrance fees in the hope of attracting members while others like Portumna offer attractive family package deals.
One incontrovertible fact is the value and importance of encouraging youngsters who want to play the sport to join a club. Quite apart from the social aspect there is the fact that most clubs offer considerably diminished entrance fees to long-standing junior and juvenile members. Your offspring will probably thank you in later life.
Many of the clubs, including Castlerock, do more than just accept juvenile subscriptions, organising competitions and coaching and in the case of the Ulster club, hosting an inter-club competition with the 19th hole dedicated to chips and soft drinks.
There is definitely value out there it's just a question of finding it . . . or maybe living in the west of Ireland.
CONNACHT
ATHLONE
Are there vacancies for membership? No.
Cost of entrance fee and annual subscription? €2,240 and €560.
Waiting list? Applications are vetted on their merit. A prospective member must be proposed and seconded by an existing member. Vacancies arise through resignations and death and about 60 per cent of applicants would be taken in.
Policy on junior membership? Very proactive in encouraging the juniors (about 200) and organising competitions and tuition. Annual subscription is €25. Having parents in the club is not a prerequisite for acceptance.
CONNEMARA
Are there vacancies for membership? There are two categories: A (local, within 20 miles) which is still open and B (long distance), which is closed.
Cost of entrance fee and annual subscription? €10,000 and €520.
Waiting list? There is a review every year and applications (about 50 currently) are kept on file with vacancies filled from this list.
Policy on junior membership? Encouragement. There are 60 at present in the club and they receive lessons from the professional as well as having competitions organised during Easter and summer holidays.
WESTPORT
Are there vacancies for membership? Yes.
Cost of entrance fee and annual subscription? €1,000 and €555.
Waiting list? None. The club are actively trying to recruit new members.
Policy on junior membership? Given full status without the voting rights for an annual fee of €60. Can play in and win the Captain's prize.
PORTUMNA
Are there vacancies for membership? Yes.
Cost of entrance fee and annual subscription? €700 and €375.
Waiting list? None. The family membership offer of €540 for husband and wife plus the entrance fee and €5 per child thereafter is exceptional value.
Policy on junior membership? Actively encourage the youngsters with the annual sub for juniors (€95) and students (18-23, in full-time education) of €125.
BALLINROBE
Are there vacancies for membership? Yes.
Cost of entrance fee and annual subscription? €1,350 and €480
Waiting list? None. The club are involved in a marketing campaign to recruit new members.
Policy on junior membership? They go into local schools to encourage the children to take up the game. Have about 90 juniors from the age of 10 upwards. Five-day: €70. Seven-day: €100.
ULSTER
CASTLE HUME
Are there vacancies for membership? Yes.
Cost of entrance fee and annual subscription? Men: £200 + £505. Ladies: £100 + £425.
Waiting list? None. Happy to accept all inquiries.
Policy on Junior Membership? Welcomed. About 100 juniors. £67 per annum and for those without a handicap (ie beginners) £42. Lessons and tournaments organised.
CO CAVAN
Are there vacancies for membership? Yes.
Cost of entrance fee and annual subscription? No entrance fee and €710
Waiting list? None and the club have sent out fliers to try and generate interest in the locality. Distance membership available at €330.
Policy on junior membership? Very proactive in getting them on the course. Have a large playing membership in that category with Bill Noble heavily involved. Can play in Captain's prize but not win the main competition as they have a special category for themselves.
CASTLEROCK
Are there vacancies for membership? No, although they do review membership in April and fill any vacancies. Membership is capped.
Cost of entrance fee and annual subscription? £1,200 and £450.
Waiting list? Yes. Applications are kept of those interested in joining and the list would offer a reference point in filling vacancies.
Policy on junior membership? Probably one of the most proactive in terms of catering for the needs of young players. The have a junior scheme running that allows children as young as eight to start playing golf. Competitions every Wednesday, Junior Captain's prize, tuition. Host a competition that invites youngsters from surrounding clubs to compete. £90 per annum.
MOYOLA PARK
Are there vacancies for membership? Yes, although not actively recruiting.
Cost of entrance fee and annual subscription? £735 and £550
Waiting list? There isn't one but there would be very few vacancies in a given year.
Policy on junior membership? Juvenile: (16-18) £100. Junior: £76. About 100 including both categories. Competitions every Tuesday morning and lessons on a Saturday afternoon from the assistant professional.
ROSAPENNA
Are there vacancies for membership? Yes. Limited.
Cost of entrance fee and annual subscription? €1,000 and €600 to hotel (which owns the two golf courses) and €100 to the golf club.
Waiting list? No.
Policy on junior membership? Don't charge anything for juniors but they don't become a bone fide part of the golf club until they reach their 15th birthday. Can play with a member before that.
MUNSTER
TRALEE
Are there vacancies for membership? No.
Cost of entrance fee and annual subscription? €5,000 and €402.50. International Category: $20,000 entrance.
Waiting list? The management committee and men's and ladies' captains review applications if vacancies arise.
Policy on junior membership? Children of members are generally accommodated while the professional or assistant professional can recommend young golfers from outside that category of great potential; about four or five a year. Juniors: €120.50. Student: €136.50.
LIMERICK COUNTY
Are there vacancies for membership? Yes.
Cost of entrance fee and annual subscription? €4,000 and €890.
Waiting list? No. They are aggressively recruiting for members, particularly ladies.
Policy on junior membership? There is a threshold of about 125 and it's reviewed on an annual basis. Sons and daughters of members are given priority. They run the Young Masters golf programme overseen by Donal McSweeney. Juniors: €110.
CORK
Are there vacancies for membership? Yes.
Cost of entrance fee and annual subscription? €13,500 and €1,050.
Waiting list? They keep applications on file and they are in year two of a four-year programme centred on increasing the membership.
Policy on junior membership? Limited to 100 with an annual subscription of €160. Have a pre-junior programme that costs €50 per annum where youngsters can demonstrate their enthusiasm to become "full" junior members. The club like them to play.
DROMOLAND
Are there vacancies for membership? Yes.
Cost of entrance fee and annual subscription? €10,000 and €1,200.
Waiting list? No.
Policy on junior membership? Juniors (€200) and students (€600) must play a minimum of seven competitions per year. They have about 50 playing junior members and facilitate them with tuition and tournaments.
WEST WATERFORD
Are there vacancies for membership? Yes.
Cost of entrance fee and annual subscription? No entrance fee at present and €600.
Waiting list? No. They would like to recruit more local members.
Policy on junior membership? Initially dependent on having a mother/father/uncle/aunt in club but found that a bit restrictive. Now an aspiring junior member needs have no family in the club on the approval of the management committee and junior officer. They have 40 juniors. €85 if parents are members. €125 if not.
LEINSTER
WICKLOW
Are there vacancies for membership? Yes.
Cost of entrance fee and annual subscription? €9,000 (includes first year sub) and €775.
Waiting list? No, but it is strictly controlled with about 10 vacancies this year.
Policy on junior membership? There are about 150 juniors at an annual sub of €100.
BODENSTOWN
Are there vacancies for membership? Closed for ladies but open for men.
Cost of entrance fee and annual subscription? €4,000 and €780.
Waiting list? Ladies: yes. Men: no.
Policy on junior membership? Accepts juniors, boys and girls.
GOWRAN PARK
Are there vacancies for membership? Yes.
Cost of entrance fee and annual subscription? €3,175 and €785.
Waiting list? Membership was closed the year before last but has since re-opened. There would be about 20 vacancies of which a percentage has already been filled.
Policy on junior membership? Last year was the first intake of juniors and 38 were accepted. There are 16 on the waiting list and the golf club has just agreed to take them all in. Annual fee of €175 for youngsters that fall in the age category 12-21 and are in full-time education.
CO MEATH
Are there vacancies for membership? Yes.
Cost of entrance fee and annual subscription? €7,000 and €785 Waiting list? No but the intake is strictly regulated and there are very few places available.
Policy on junior membership? A mixture of locals without any club connections and sons and daughters are taken in with the annual subscription for juniors (10-18 years) fixed at €80.
ENNISCORTHY
Are there vacancies for membership? Yes and no. The club have adopted a new system whereby they take in new members from a waiting list every year with 30 making the cut this year. That is how they fill any vacancies that arise.
Cost of entrance fee and annual subscription? €3,000 and €540.
Waiting list? Yes. There are about 30 people on it at present but that number will increase during the year until the next intake.
Policy on junior membership? The intake is similar to the senior criteria. Every effort is made to facilitate members' offspring, while non-affiliated locals can also join. Junior: €48. Student: €98.
GREYSTONES
Are there vacancies for membership? No.
Cost of entrance fee and annual subscription? Full: €15,000 and €1,190. Five-day: €7,500 and €690.
Waiting list? The club operates a policy of pavilion membership (€545, including €200 bar vouchers), which is effectively a waiting list. Pavilion members are given eight free green fees and when they are used up can purchase green fees for 50 per cent of the going rate. When vacancies arise in full they are filled by five-day and when in five-day are filled by pavilion.
Policy on junior membership? There are 260 junior (€165) and student (€185) members. Children of members are facilitated, non-affiliated youngsters are also taken in.
DJOUCE
Are there vacancies for membership? Yes.
Cost of entrance fee and annual subscription? None and €800
Waiting list? No, they're open to all inquiries and have just done away with the entrance fee in favour of a flat rate for the annual subscription.
Policy on junior membership? They have three junior members and are currently looking at revamping the category and coming up with a pricing structure. They will take in new juniors.
CASTLE
Are there vacancies for membership? No.
Cost of entrance fee and annual subscription? Full: €13,500 and €1,180. Six-day: €9,050 and €786.
Waiting list? No. They invite applications up until the end of January and in the first week in March have an election to vote in new members. This year there were 248 applications for 17 vacancies in the full and six-day categories. Included in sundry other categories is pavilion (€790, 12 discounted green fees) from which the applicants for full and six-day would come.
Policy on junior membership? There are 120 juvenile (up to 18 years) members at €181 and juniors (up to 26) at €380. CLONTARF
Are there vacancies for membership? No.
Cost of entrance fee and annual subscription? Full: €12,500 and €1,070.
Five-Day: €8,125 and €642.
Waiting list? No. They adhere to the typical Dublin practice of having pavilion members and a stepping stone process through the ranks. Pavilion membership is €258 and that allows for six free green fees and a reduced golfing rate prior to 8.30 am.
Policy on junior membership? The club don't charge in the probationary first year period and provide lessons. The young golfer is then assessed on his general behaviour and interest before being invited to become a juvenile member (11-18). The annual subscription is €140.
HERMITAGE
Are there vacancies for membership? No.
Cost of entrance fee and annual subscription? Full: €12,000 and €350. Five-Day: €6,750 and €350.
Waiting list? It's more of an internal waiting list looking to progress through the ranks, although they would have about 10 applications from outside - they have to be referred by a member - who will, subject to fulfilling certain criteria, be introduced when vacancies arise.
Policy on junior membership? The club is in the throes of starting an academy for young golfers. For a nominal fee from this year they will be allowed in and provided they return four or five cards, demonstrating an interest in playing, they will then progress to junior status. The current junior fee is €600.
DONABATE
Are there vacancies for membership? Yes.
Cost of entrance fee and annual subscription? Full: €9,800 and €1,287.
Five-Day: €6,000 and €845.
Waiting list? No, but there are only a limited number of places available.
Policy on junior membership? The category is full at present having reached the cap figure of 120 young golfers. A waiting list is in operation. The cost per annum is €152.
DUN LAOGHAIRE
Are there vacancies for membership? No.
Cost of entrance fee and annual subscription? Full: €16,000 and €1,365.
Six-Day: €12,800 and €1,092.
Waiting list? Don't operate a waiting list. When vacancies arise, it's generally by word of mouth and people have about three weeks to get their applications in. Club took in 52 in the full category (December) and 52 in the six-day (February).
Policy on junior membership? Always open for girls, currently closed for boys. 292 juniors with annual subscriptions broken down from €96 (10-12 years) to the upper echelon in the age scale of students (18-25) at €520.
BRAY
Are there vacancies for membership? Yes.
Cost of entrance fee and annual subscription? Full: €15,000 and €1,083.
Five-Day: €9,000 and €650.
Waiting list? No but there is limited availability in the full member category. Those wishing to join as five-day have more scope.
Policy on junior membership? Vetting applications at present to this category, which will be closed and capped at 100. The annual sub is €135.
RATHFARNHAM
Are there vacancies for membership? No.
Cost of entrance fee and annual subscription? Full: €8,250 and €1,008.
Five-Day: €4,750 and €540.
Waiting list? No. Those interested in joining are asked to apply or re-apply on a yearly basis. Vacancies are filled thereafter.
Policy on junior membership? Take in offspring of members and youngsters from the locality. Currently 80 members in the juvenile category (12-18 years) at an annual sub of €100.
ROGANSTOWN
Are there vacancies for membership? Yes.
Cost of entrance fee and annual subscription? €20,000 (redeemable preference share) and €1,200 plus VAT.
Waiting list? No. There is an offer at present whereby you can pay €10,000 of the entrance fee now and €10,000 when your SSIA matures.
Policy on junior membership? Have to be sons or daughters of existing members.
Fee: €120.
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