Grange Castle

bogmanfan

Anyone know what the story is with Grange Castle membership? Their website is down for ages now. Is it the same as Corballis, Elm Green etc? (small fee + reduced green fees)

killbillvol2

When I checked last year Grange Castle had a waiting list. You put your name down from 1st January and they're supposed to get back to you. They didin't get back to a friend of mine so I presume it's full.

copacetic

thats basically it, it was 350 when I was there, green fee reductions are limited though. only after 12 on sundays and midweek afair

however as above very much doubt membership is open now. they normally open it in march of the year and fill it from waiting list, then close it until the following march.

milltown

Probably a better chance of getting into Milltown golf club than Grange Castle. Members get first option to renew, obviously, then they work from a waiting list that opens in November/December to fill any vacancies, of which there tends to be very few.

But!

And this is what put me off. When I last enquired they were talking about needing to be nominated by an existing member and seconded by another. For one, I don't know any of the members. And secondly, how far up their own arse is that for a county council golf club?

It's five minutes from my house but, even if I could get in, there's so many reasons not to join it IMO.

copacetic

milltown wrote:

And this is what put me off. When I last enquired they were talking about needing to be nominated by an existing member and seconded by another. For one, I don't know any of the members. And secondly, how far up their own arse is that for a county council golf club?

It's five minutes from my house but, even if I could get in, there's so many reasons not to join it IMO.

I don't see why they shouldn't be entitled to have similar membership rules to any other club if they see fit? I believe they want to have more people join who actually play in the comps every week, rather than join, get their handicap and never play again. Hardly 'up their own arse'

what are the 'so many' other reasons not to join?

milltown

Difficulty in getting tee times.
Lack of facilities.
General ignorance of people playing to golfers being held up behind them.
I much preferred the maturity of the old layout to the new, wide open, holes.

I joined Elm Green last year. I just filled out a form and paid my money and I was a member. I rarely had a problem getting a tee time. Almost without fail, if the group in front was holding us up we were played through. We could have a bowl of soup and a cup of coffee or a beer. If I was there early enough I could hit a basket of balls on the range and practice chipping and putting before my game.

I've never played a competition yet, so my top priorities for club membership would be reasonable cost and the ability to go for a round when the mood takes me.

bogmanfan

Played there yesterday afternoon. The guy in the clubhouse said it's €360 a year, and you put your name down in December for January. He didn't say anything about a waiting list or needing to be proposed by a member. Course was in superb condition by the way, given the poxy weekend weather.

Oh, and membership seems to get you €10 off the green fee: €22 at weekends instead of €32 and €16 midweek.

copacetic

bogmanfan wrote:

Played there yesterday afternoon. The guy in the clubhouse said it's €360 a year, and you put your name down in December for January. He didn't say anything about a waiting list or needing to be proposed by a member. Course was in superb condition by the way, given the poxy weekend weather.

Oh, and membership seems to get you €10 off the green fee: €22 at weekends instead of €32 and €16 midweek.

would double check the green fees, when I was there the weekend reduction was only on Sundays from 12 on and not on saturdays at all..

copacetic

milltown wrote:

Difficulty in getting tee times.
Lack of facilities.
General ignorance of people playing to golfers being held up behind them.
I much preferred the maturity of the old layout to the new, wide open, holes.

I joined Elm Green last year. I just filled out a form and paid my money and I was a member. I rarely had a problem getting a tee time. Almost without fail, if the group in front was holding us up we were played through. We could have a bowl of soup and a cup of coffee or a beer. If I was there early enough I could hit a basket of balls on the range and practice chipping and putting before my game.

I've never played a competition yet, so my top priorities for club membership would be reasonable cost and the ability to go for a round when the mood takes me.

well I don't really see those as any reason myself. It's difficult to get tee times because it is a nice course and cheap. Personally I couldn't care less about off course facilities, I'm there for the golf. Have noticed no real difference in player behaviour than at elmgreen except that it can be a bit busier so more noticeable. I played at elmgreen a lot when I started out and played plenty of 5 hour rounds without ever being let through.

As for the new holes ad grange c being wide open? They are much tougher than the ones imo.

If you can hit the ball anyway straight off the tee elmgreen is a pitch and putt course. I like it for a laugh but all my best scores are at elmgreen by 4 or 5 shots, I'm practically off scratch there! Grange Castle is a little easy but is much closer to a proper course standard imo. However my priority would always be the standard of the course above all else. So I guess yours are a bit different..

milltown

copacetic wrote:

well I don't really see those as any reason myself.

Hence the "IMO" in my original post. My standard of golf is probably a long way short of yours if you're nearly a scratch player at Elm Green so, within reason, the standard of the course won't affect my enjoyment nearly as much as my own shortcomings. So for me, numerous other factors contribute to my enjoyment of the day.

I don't really consider it cheap either. A few guys pitching in on an open fairways card and we get gems like Rathcore for €20.

copacetic

milltown wrote:

Hence the "IMO" in my original post. My standard of golf is probably a long way short of yours if you're nearly a scratch player at Elm Green so, within reason, the standard of the course won't affect my enjoyment nearly as much as my own shortcomings. So for me, numerous other factors contribute to my enjoyment of the day.

I don't really consider it cheap either. A few guys pitching in on an open fairways card and we get gems like Rathcore for €20.

well I have the old imo all over the place too! my std isn't great, but somewhere like elmgreen really suits me, have had a couple of 73/74s there. although having said that have had 77 and a few 79s in grange c. Outside of the two of them have never broken 80!! So either one is definitely easier than most courses..

I'm stuck pretty much only playing weekends so I find the like of grange c great value at least in Dublin..