New Golf Season - High Hopes?

[Golden Bear]

I hope it's not a sign of things to come but yesterday I was looking at a possible entry for a Seniors Greensomes Open at Goswick GC in Northumberland. The entry fee was £95!( £47.50 per head)

The prize fund was not great either so it's a case of nice course but on this occasion no thanks.

[BSEJVT]

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I hope it's not a sign of things to come but yesterday I was looking at a possible entry for a Seniors Greensomes Open at Goswick GC in Northumberland. The entry fee was £95!( £47.50 per head)

The prize fund was not great either so it's a case of nice course but on this occasion no thanks.

I think courses are finding every way they can to raise revenue just now, I fear that a lot more courses will go to the wall and that golf will be far pricier on those that remain through demand and supply.

There was strong evidence before Covid that more and more courses were struggling but the rigors of Covid isolation turned that on its head temporarily

Climate change and the fact that greenkeepers can no longer just dump whatever cheap chemical they wanted on courses to resolve a myriad of issues has made course maintenance far more intensive at a time where costs are driven up by a real shortage of folk wanting to get into the industry driving up wages.

It's the perfect storm and when those burgeoning members / waiting lists start to drop and income falls then the fertiliser will really hit the fan.

I have just joined Archerfield as for what it offers it's no longer as relatively expensive as it comparatively once was

By the time I give up Duddy and Craigielaw I will be about £20 PW worse off for infinitely better courses and facilities and experience and year round playability

I am pretty sure there will be growth potential in the underlying debenture over the next few years

[AugustaHibs]

Just received my welcome pack from lundin GC. Can’t wait to get started! The winter work they’re doing looks like it’s gonna take the course up a couple notches.

[greenlex]

1st time with a club in my hand today at Archerfield since 1st September. It really is a nice place to play your golf.

[Speedy]

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Played Dunblane for the first time yesterday. A few funky holes on it and a bit scruffy . Not surprising given the weather. Every par three tough.,
Didn’t score. Not content with just bogeys they had to be doubles. All 7 of them.

Really fun course. Agree on the par 3s. One of them I was about a foot from making the green from tee, rolled off the bank and ended up with about an 8 😂

[Gatecrasher]

I got my first ever Birdie yesterday, I felt like a real golfer for a minute. I still failed to break 100 though

[BSEJVT]

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I got my first ever Birdie yesterday, I felt like a real golfer for a minute. I still failed to break 100 though

Well done you

If you can do it once ........

The difference between golfers isn't so much improving their good shots, its closing the gap between their good and bad shots

[Smartie]

For a while I used to play with 3 goals - to break 90, to keep 7s off the card and to get a birdie.

Never managed to get all 3, would be a big ask now.

It’s that time of year when thoughts turn to golf again though. I’ll definitely not be able to play a lot but a wee bit more than recent years would be nice.

[BroxburnHibee]

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I got my first ever Birdie yesterday, I felt like a real golfer for a minute. I still failed to break 100 though

Small goals and it will come.

I had my best round of the winter last week. Scratch 76 net 63 no double bogeys and no 3 putts makes a massive difference

[greenlex]

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I got my first ever Birdie yesterday, I felt like a real golfer for a minute. I still failed to break 100 though

[Gatecrasher]

Thanks everyone, I just go out there to defeat myself and my best score. I'm trying to limit the bad shots and blow up holes, I just get myself in stupid situations some times

[Golden Bear]

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I got my first ever Birdie yesterday, I felt like a real golfer for a minute. I still failed to break 100 though

Well done, that's something else you can tick off.

Golf is a frustrating game to say the least , nobody has ever totally mastered it and nobody ever will.

You only need to look at the Professionals and see how their form can vary so much from day to day. It's a never ending challenge and that's what makes it the game it is.

In the meantime - ENJOY!

[FifeHibs]

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Just received my welcome pack from lundin GC. Can’t wait to get started! The winter work they’re doing looks like it’s gonna take the course up a couple notches.

is their still a waiting list at Lundin

[Itsnoteasy]

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I got my first ever Birdie yesterday, I felt like a real golfer for a minute. I still failed to break 100 though

I'm sure there's a stat that 90% of golfers fail to score 90 or less.

[Greenbeard]

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I hope it's not a sign of things to come but yesterday I was looking at a possible entry for a Seniors Greensomes Open at Goswick GC in Northumberland. The entry fee was £95!( £47.50 per head)

The prize fund was not great either so it's a case of nice course but on this occasion no thanks.

That is steep - but if there is a demand then you can't blame clubs for putting up their Open entry fees. Some popular Opens you need to be poised at the ready the very minute entries open in order to get booked before it fills up.
I started playing Seniors Opens just before Covid. At that time most were £10-15 entry fee, with the odd one at £20-25. The most cost effective way to play other courses. These days, however, it's rare to get one under £20 and the "bigger" courses are up to £35-40. Mind you it's usually still very good value when you compare with their standard visitor fees. What's also a pain is that more clubs seem to be switching to an online entry system which means you can only book one space at a time, meaning you can't book three spaces in order to play with your buddies. Maybe a consequence of some suspected jiggery pokery with scores?

[BroxburnHibee]

If you're looking for a decent open to enter then I'd recommend Paisley. Cracking golf course

[Greenbeard]

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If you're looking for a decent open to enter then I'd recommend Paisley. Cracking golf course

I always try to avoid going further west than Livingston and creeping into Weegieland. Dunbar and Kilspindie are two favourites. Played Crail last summer - first time in 35 years when I had a memorable round - but my much anticipated return round was totally spoilt by the incessant loud whine of engines from the nearby Raceway circuit. It was like playing the whole round with a plague of mosquitos right in your earhole. Maybe we were unlucky with the wind direction that day but I won't be going back.

[greenlex]

If my body holds up I’m planning on throwing myself at golf this season. Didn’t play as much as normal last year.

[Gatecrasher]

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Well done, that's something else you can tick off.

Golf is a frustrating game to say the least , nobody has ever totally mastered it and nobody ever will.

You only need to look at the Professionals and see how their form can vary so much from day to day. It's a never ending challenge and that's what makes it the game it is.

In the meantime - ENJOY!

Thanks, I vary from hole to hole a lot of the time and the smallest thing can make such a huge difference.

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I'm sure there's a stat that 90% of golfers fail to score 90 or less.

Found this

According to the National Golf Foundation, 55% of adult golfers can break 100. Only 29% of adult golfers report an average score of 90 to 99. This is much lower than the numbers provided by the USGA and is generally considered to be more accurate.

https://www.golfstorageguide.com/how...-70-80-90-100/

[Smartie]

Anyone played much yet this year?

How are the courses looking after the winter?

This is the time of year I start to think about getting back out again.

[Greenbeard]

Anyone played Kingsfield near Linlithgow? Heard today it is an excellent 9-holer with 6 greens staff! £30 for 18 holes on a weekday, £20 for Seniors. Not sure if these are winter rates but it sounds VG value.

[greenlex]

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Anyone played Kingsfield near Linlithgow? Heard today it is an excellent 9-holer with 6 greens staff! £30 for 18 holes on a weekday, £20 for Seniors. Not sure if these are winter rates but it sounds VG value.

Haven’t played it but it has some very good players playing their golf there so I would think it will be very decent.

I use the driving range there which has trackman bays and it has enhanced my golf game no end.

[Gatecrasher]

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Anyone played much yet this year?

How are the courses looking after the winter?

This is the time of year I start to think about getting back out again.

I have played a few times in West lothian, I think the courses are in much better condition than last year. I don't think this winter has been as bad.

[Smartie]

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Anyone played Kingsfield near Linlithgow? Heard today it is an excellent 9-holer with 6 greens staff! £30 for 18 holes on a weekday, £20 for Seniors. Not sure if these are winter rates but it sounds VG value.

I played it a few years ago. A couple of my mates became members there when it opened although one of them has since moved on.

Good course, well maintained. I think they made drainage a priority when building so they could keep it playing optimally as much of the year as possible.

Downsides - only 9 holes. When I played it, it still felt a bit like a new course, not sure how different it will feel now that it’s had time to mature. It didn’t have a clubhouse then and felt a bit like a 9 holer tagged onto the driving range so had the feel of a practice facility rather than a club - may bother some more than others.

The holes were good though. A couple of tricky, long par 3s iirc. Course was immaculate when I played. My mates who were members became active members of the club straight away and spoke highly of the other members, really liked being members there, liked the people. And as has been said above, the driving range facility is first class.

[Hibs90]

I dropped from 16 to 11 last season. Have put in a bit of work over winter to try get down to single figures. A +8.5 differential at Gullane today leaves me with one more sub +10 round to take me to single figures and my 2025 goal knocked out already. The next challenge will be to maintain and try and improve on that throughout the year. I have only played 3 times this year so was nice to get out and see some evidence of the work I've put in. Not sure playing with traditional blades is helping me to be honest and I might need to switch to something a bit more forgiving in the irons and today could have been even lower.

[patch1875]

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I have played a few times in West lothian, I think the courses are in much better condition than last year. I don't think this winter has been as bad.

I’m a member at Deer Park. Agree probably been in better nick this winter but DP has been closed a lot of the time due to weather or storm damage.

Playing Harburn tomorrow as we might switch there from Deer Park also I’m probably going to join Leven to get another option and better golf through the winter.

[patch1875]

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I dropped from 16 to 11 last season. Have put in a bit of work over winter to try get down to single figures. A +8.5 differential at Gullane today leaves me with one more sub +10 round to take me to single figures and my 2025 goal knocked out already. The next challenge will be to maintain and try and improve on that throughout the year. I have only played 3 times this year so was nice to get out and see some evidence of the work I've put in. Not sure playing with traditional blades is helping me to be honest and I might need to switch to something a bit more forgiving in the irons and today could have been even lower.

That’s really good going. Single digit is my aim currently 14 but slowly creeping down. I think a bit more distance on my drives will help, short game is fairly good but feel I struggle to get onto longer holes in 2. Going to have a driver fitting soon so will see what comes of that.

[greenlex]

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I’m a member at Deer Park. Agree probably been in better nick this winter but DP has been closed a lot of the time due to weather or storm damage.

Playing Harburn tomorrow as we might switch there from Deer Park also I’m probably going to join Leven to get another option and better golf through the winter.

Enjoy Harburn. My home club for the past 35 years. Don’t play over the winter as I hate mats so no idea what condition it’s in but over the summer the course has been in great nick the last 5 years or so. Best in 35 years.

[Carheenlea]

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I hope it's not a sign of things to come but yesterday I was looking at a possible entry for a Seniors Greensomes Open at Goswick GC in Northumberland. The entry fee was £95!( £47.50 per head)

The prize fund was not great either so it's a case of nice course but on this occasion no thanks.

For our annual Aberdeen weekend trip for 8 of us this year I’ve got us three rounds of golf and two nights hotel with breakfast for £185 pp

Hotel - Holiday Inn Express £76

Fri - green fee at Scotscraig on way up £58 (discount for 4B after 12 noon)

Sat - Peterhead Open £25

Sun - Montrose Open 4BBB Pairs on way home £25

Thankfully there is still good value to be had in Open competitions, and even the Scotscraig green fee is semi reasonable and makes for a very affordable weekend trip.

£185 wouldn’t get you 9 holes at some courses!

[greenlex]

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For our annual Aberdeen weekend trip for 8 of us this year I’ve got us three rounds of golf and two nights hotel with breakfast for £185 pp

Hotel - Holiday Inn Express £76

Fri - green fee at Scotscraig on way up £58 (discount for 4B after 12 noon)

Sat - Peterhead Open £25

Sun - Montrose Open 4BBB Pairs on way home £25

Thankfully there is still good value to be had in Open competitions, and even the Scotscraig green fee is semi reasonable and makes for a very affordable weekend trip.

£185 wouldn’t get you 9 holes at some courses!

I like Scotscraig. Good old fashioned course. Enjoy.