'Share Memberships'

Culchie

Looking at joining http://www.castledargan.com/golf.asp ...but is steep at €7500 ( I think so anyway)

Anyone else have share membership with any clubs...and what is your experience?

I had an option of taking a share in Knockanally in Enfield a few years ago, and have regretted it ever since....Head and heart says go for it .... Bank Balance says muhhhhaaawahhhh ...... advice very welcome.

delboy159

Have looked at this place myself - as a venue for my wedding.... Am calling in again this weekend to chat with them about it - anyway - back to the point.

What I saw of the course was stunning and €7,500 is not "that" pricey for such a quality course - but it is very middle of nowhere..

My better half is from Ballaghderren and their 9 hole course is €210 per annum all in. It's got poor drainage and the greens can be in bad nick at times and bunkers can be unattended for months, also you could be playing pick, clean and place in May it can be so soggy..

As a vistor to that area I would only fork out for the 9 hole as I can walk around at my leisure and practice - however - if I was living in the region and had a spare 7/8k I would throw it at that course - an equivalent in Dublin would be at least 25k buy in - if not hitting well into the 30k mark...

Would you be looking at this as a playing option on a weekly basis type of thing or as a long term investment that you would sell on without actually playing there that often?

Culchie

delboy159 wrote:

Have looked at this place myself - as a venue for my wedding.... Am calling in again this weekend to chat with them about it - anyway - back to the point.

What I saw of the course was stunning and €7,500 is not "that" pricey for such a quality course - but it is very middle of nowhere..

My better half is from Ballaghderren and their 9 hole course is €210 per annum all in. It's got poor drainage and the greens can be in bad nick at times and bunkers can be unattended for months, also you could be playing pick, clean and place in May it can be so soggy..

As a vistor to that area I would only fork out for the 9 hole as I can walk around at my leisure and practice - however - if I was living in the region and had a spare 7/8k I would throw it at that course - an equivalent in Dublin would be at least 25k buy in - if not hitting well into the 30k mark...

Would you be looking at this as a playing option on a weekly basis type of thing or as a long term investment that you would sell on without actually playing there that often?

I'll be building a house 3 miles away, so will be a playing member.

I bit the bullet this morning anyway, and signed up, so much for seeking advice:o .... I just said 'feck it, you only live once'.

I visited it last week, and as you say, it is simply stunning. Golf course opens September 1st.

GreenHorn

delboy159 wrote:

...for my wedding....

Still time to change your mind ye know... Your golf'll only suffer!

Another good man lost... so sad... If you have a decent Gap Wedge, will you sell it to me after you get married, you won't need it anymore?

delboy159

Greenhorn - Fortunatley my golf can't get any worse.
Funny you mention the Gap Wedge - she bought me a lovely NIKE one a month or two ago as a "present" (I love it) - is she in the know that I'll end up selling it in a year or so:eek: . A womans mind has many thoughts at once, were are meerly their pawns in the chess game of life;) ....

Culchie - congrats on signing up, it really does look like a stunning gem of a course - if a fellow Boardsie was looking for refuge from the inlaws in a few weeks I'd be glad to accept an invite to your "local" course;) ...

Culchie

delboy159 wrote:

Greenhorn - Fortunatley my golf can't get any worse.
Funny you mention the Gap Wedge - she bought me a lovely NIKE one a month or two ago as a "present" (I love it) - is she in the know that I'll end up selling it in a year or so:eek: . A womans mind has many thoughts at once, were are meerly their pawns in the chess game of life;) ....

Culchie - congrats on signing up, it really does look like a stunning gem of a course - if a fellow Boardsie was looking for refuge from the inlaws in a few weeks I'd be glad to accept an invite to your "local" course;) ...

No problem Delboy, I'm from Ballaghaderreen area myself, so I feel your pain:p

ChippingSodbury

Yo,
What's this about Castle Dargan being in the middle of nowhere???? Sligo is the centre of the universe!! I wish I was still living there. I am a member of Rosses Point. I think membership is "closed" at the moment: usually there's no problem if you know a few people there. I can't remember how much the signing on fee is but I'm sure it's nothing like €7500 (although it's not a share). It's around €620 a year and can't be touched for quality by anything in a 50 mile radius (but I'm biased!). Check it out at http://www.countysligogolfclub.ie
It's less than ten mins drive from Sligo town (you'd have to go through Sligo town to get to it from Castledargan)

Culchie

ChippingSodbury wrote:

Yo,
What's this about Castle Dargan being in the middle of nowhere???? Sligo is the centre of the universe!! I wish I was still living there. I am a member of Rosses Point. I think membership is "closed" at the moment: usually there's no problem if you know a few people there. I can't remember how much the signing on fee is but I'm sure it's nothing like €7500 (although it's not a share). It's around €620 a year and can't be touched for quality by anything in a 50 mile radius (but I'm biased!). Check it out at http://www.countysligogolfclub.ie
It's less than ten mins drive from Sligo town (you'd have to go through Sligo town to get to it from Castledargan)

The €7500 is the share value for first 50 shares. Limited to 500 shares, being released in tranches of 50.
They are €9000 now and AFAIK will be €11000 by the time the couse opens on September 1st.

After that ... I've no idea.

It's €795 per year then (compared to your €620) for playing membership. Although I think it's up on €1200 for playing membership if you are not a share holder.
Green Fees are to be approx €65-€75 per round

They are two seperate entitiies as such .... but obviously the better the golf club does, and the more demand for membership there is, then the better the share price will do.
I could 'lease out' the playing membership if I wished, subject to club approval.

P.S You are biased:p

css

The only problem I can see with share memberships, is the fact that they are usually privately owned golf clubs.

Wasn't Citywest originally a share membership course? Then the owner decided to cater exclusively for the corporate market, and gave each member their share's value back, and a kick on the arse out the door.. :mad:

I've heard of that happening on more than one course. But apart from that, why not. It sounds like cheap golf... For the Dublin region anyhow..

Culchie

Well Castledargan opened for limited play last Saturday, and I must say when I walked off the 18th, I realised I made a great decision.

The course is absolutely fabulous, brilliant natural design. Greens are devastatingly fast already.

Tough course though, quite long off the white tees.

If you miss the fairway and semi rough, and enter the long grass, your ball is history, not a hope of finding it, so you have to be quite accurate off the tee.

I'm a happy bunny, well worth taking the punt on it.:)

delboy159

Lucky b*astard...... It's not often I see a course and just think - yeah that looks like you could loose yourself in it for a few hours - almost like walking into another world....

I'm glad to hear it's playing aswell as it looks.