Moving to Ireland from UK

jimmies

Hi,

I'll be moving over North County Dublin (Donabate area probably) in 4 months or so and looking at the cost of membership over there compared to England (even in these current climates) is quite an eye opener.....even though it seems that prices have come down alot over there - it is still much more expensive than I thought it would be.

Anyway....my question is - is there a way a 'nomad' golfer in Ireland can gain a handicap and play in comps ? Over here there are plenty of website communities that play 'official' comps and just general meet-ups between friends.

Ideally I would like to become a member - as I like to practice a lot to push my game forward.......but until I have a job that can justify 1.5k - 2k this may have to wait........read - the wife won't let me!

Kace

The only way to get a handicap that allows you to play in formal GUI Competitions is to join a GUI Affiliated club.

If you want to do it inexpensively then some people join a very cheap club further down the country where the rates are about €200 per year. They then play their few rounds down there to obtain a GUI Handicap and get a GUI Membership Card.

This then allows you to play in Open Competitions all around the country - most notably around North County Dublin for very reasonable rates.

The full list of open competitions that you can play in then can be found here http://www.gui.ie/open_fixtures.asp

jimmies

thanks for the reply

that seems one good way around it - are there any dedicated practice facilities around that have practice holes (say around the 120 yard mark), chipping and putting greens as well as a driving range?

I have often thought that with the increase in nomadic golfers that a place like this would be attractive - as nomadic golfers still want to practice but not be committed to a large membership.

My club has a golf academy that costs £45 a month for the full use of two practice holes,chipping,bunker and putting greens and a 6 hole par 3 short course - and a 27 bay driving range (have to pay for balls of course) - also you get half an hours lesson with a pro a month

All the above is free if you are a member of the 'main' 18 hole course (rudding park)......which is only £800 a year and is very good indeed

f22

Join Corballis in Donabate for e350, gets you reduced greenfees and GUI membership. A tidy little links course with some great holes and fantastic greens.

jimmies

Isn't it quite a short course though......apart from that I agree it is very good value

f22

jimmies wrote: »

Isn't it quite a short course though......apart from that I agree it is very good value

It's pretty short but tricky in places. The 3rd hole is one of the best pa4s in the country in my opinion. No better value in Dublin for the money.

fergpie

slievenamon golf club in clonmel do distance membership for 160 euro. gui affialiated and everything. perfect for keeping a handicap and playing in competitions :cool:

JCDUB

fergpie wrote: »

slievenamon golf club in clonmel do distance membership for 160 euro. gui affialiated and everything. perfect for keeping a handicap and playing in competitions :cool:

Slievenamon have a bad reputation for accepting all applicants to earn money and allegedly giving out handicaps which do not reflect a golfers true ability.

This reputation is know in the golf community in Ireland, and as such I personally would stay away from there.

+1 to Corballis idea, especially as you'll be living in Donabate.

fergpie

JCDUB wrote: »

Slievenamon have a bad reputation for accepting all applicants to earn money and allegedly giving out handicaps which do not reflect a golfers true ability.

This reputation is know in the golf community in Ireland, and as such I personally would stay away from there.

+1 to Corballis idea, especially as you'll be living in Donabate.

did not know this. thanks for the info....

hurleronditch

JCDUB wrote: »

Slievenamon have a bad reputation for accepting all applicants to earn money and allegedly giving out handicaps which do not reflect a golfers true ability.

This reputation is know in the golf community in Ireland, and as such I personally would stay away from there.

+1 to Corballis idea, especially as you'll be living in Donabate.

So handicaps too high or too low?

I joined there with 2 of my mates, and we all played our scoring rounds together, with a mate who is already a member down there.

I had 3 rounds in the mid to high twenties over par, got given 18, and my mate had almost identical scores and got the same.

The third lad had two rounds in the mid twenties over, but had one round 17 over, he was given a handicap of 15. On that basis i dont see how they are so bad.

Yes i probably should have started from 24 but brendan down there is a decent fella and its a lot better for there reputation to play slightly too low.

It took me about a year to consistently play to my handicap, and at that while im regularly in my buffer i still have not been cut and still play off 18.

But every time i rock up to a club to play an open im welcomed with open arms by the lads in the pro shop, but im regularly faced with latent snobbery on the tee when people ask what club im from and have reguarly been called a bandit before people see me play.

Slievenamon is a crap course, run as a money making enterprise, but they provide a valuable service to people like me who love golf, particularly comeptitive golf, but cant afford exorbitant membership rates.

Sorry for hijacking your thread with my rant. I would recommend joining corballis, great little track but as far as i know you must pay green fees (reduced on full round rates) to play rounds, or else slievnamon or somewhere similar, and enjoy the brilliant open circuit around dublin.

jimmies

hurler....You haven't hijacked it....this is the sort of info I need. I too could not see a time for a while yet where by I could justify to the wife paying 2k a year for golf when we are just moving over there and taking into consideration the jobs market.

Corballis has a full 7 day rate too where by you can play as much as you want I believe.....it was just the length of the course that slightly puts me off......although it is great value and it may be my answer in the short term.

Does Corballis have a practice area?

stumpypeeps

Have a look at Ballinlough Castle Jimmies. Its a very tough test and any handicap you receive will be a fair indication of your standard. Tony is the guy to get in contact with. He's been a wonderful help to me and a seriously good bloke too.

I too wasn't in a position to pay large fee's to join a club but was desperate to get a handicap and start playing with some of my mates at opens.

Its closer than Slievnamon and is miles ahead of it in terms of the standard of course you'd be playing. With a bit of time I reckon Ballinlough will develop into a wonderful course.

hurleronditch

jimmies wrote: »

hurler....You haven't hijacked it....this is the sort of info I need. I too could not see a time for a while yet where by I could justify to the wife paying 2k a year for golf when we are just moving over there and taking into consideration the jobs market.

Corballis has a full 7 day rate too where by you can play as much as you want I believe.....it was just the length of the course that slightly puts me off......although it is great value and it may be my answer in the short term.

Does Corballis have a practice area?

Corballis doesnt have a practice area, bar a very small putting green in front of the pro shop. Dublin has plenty of practice facilities, with driving ranges dotted around the airport/swords area in particular.

If you wanted to spend a few more quid i would recommend Forrest Little, great course beautifully maintained, very friendly there, and they have excellent practice facilities (good putting green, short game area (full green which you can hit everything from 100 yards in, with good bunkers, range facilities there too). Not sure of price, i think the annual is around 1k, and id imagine its a buyers game for negotiating the hello money.

I would possibly recommend getting a handicap in somewhere like slievenamon or similar (theres a few up north aswell, ill find them and let you know), play a year using that handicap, play the open circuit, try your local courses, meet a few members here and there, and generally get a feel for the golf. Then decide if you are happy being a nomad, or else join whichever course you liked best.

I live in dublin city centre but im regularly looking for games in opens on weekends. When you get settled if thats your plan let me know and ill happily play a few rounds with you.

Kevinmarkham

stumpypeeps wrote: »

Have a look at Ballinlough Castle Jimmies. Its a very tough test and any handicap you receive will be a fair indication of your standard. Tony is the guy to get in contact with. He's been a wonderful help to me and a seriously good bloke too.

I too wasn't in a position to pay large fee's to join a club but was desperate to get a handicap and start playing with some of my mates at opens.

Its closer than Slievnamon and is miles ahead of it in terms of the standard of course you'd be playing. With a bit of time I reckon Ballinlough will develop into a wonderful course.

Agree whole-heartedly with stumpypeeps on this one: both his Ballinlough Castle course comments and those about Tony. It's probably a bit far out for you, but pay them a visit and see what you think: it has the potential to be magnificent.

Stumpy, what's the story with the clubhouse?

Corballis is a good call, as is Forrest Little

stumpypeeps

Kevinmarkham wrote: »

Stumpy, what's the story with the clubhouse?

The clubhouse is fine, changing rooms and food and refreshments available. I assume it hasn't changed since you were down there Kevin.

It may not be as far away as you think either, once the m6? is opened I'm sure it'd be 40 mins or so from the M50. Maybe less.

JCDUB

hurleronditch wrote: »

So handicaps too high or too low?

But every time i rock up to a club to play an open im welcomed with open arms by the lads in the pro shop, but im regularly faced with latent snobbery on the tee when people ask what club im from and have reguarly been called a bandit before people see me play.

Slievenamon is a crap course, run as a money making enterprise, but they provide a valuable service to people like me who love golf, particularly comeptitive golf, but cant afford exorbitant membership rates.

Sorry for hijacking your thread with my rant. I would recommend joining corballis, great little track but as far as i know you must pay green fees (reduced on full round rates) to play rounds, or else slievnamon or somewhere similar, and enjoy the brilliant open circuit around dublin.

The general feeling was too high hurler, as I think a few hit squads playing out of Slievenamon went to town on open fourballs and four man teams around the place, and hence created a reputation for Slievenamon which has been hard to shake off, judging from your comments on the first tee greetings.

In fairness it was a few years ago now and perhaps the handicap committee were just a bit easy on a few lads and ended up paying for it.

hurleronditch wrote: »

Corballis doesnt have a practice area, bar a very small putting green in front of the pro shop. Dublin has plenty of practice facilities, with driving ranges dotted around the airport/swords area in particular.

If you wanted to spend a few more quid i would recommend Forrest Little, great course beautifully maintained, very friendly there, and they have excellent practice facilities (good putting green, short game area (full green which you can hit everything from 100 yards in, with good bunkers, range facilities there too). Not sure of price, i think the annual is around 1k, and id imagine its a buyers game for negotiating the hello money.

Yeah plenty of practice facilities in North county Dublin, an abundance in fact, all clamouring for business, so prices are good too.

I'm a member of Forrest Little, and like you say we have all the facilities. Good putting green, very good chipping/short game area, and an ok long game practice area (too short for drivers, unless you're not a big hitter.)

Course is very good, a great test, magic greens in the summer, plays tough off the back stakes and very nice scenery with water, plenty of mature trees etc. to keep you interested.

Clubhouse facilities are good, food is reasonable, drink is always superb, delicious Guinness, and a full refurb of the locker rooms is on the cards I think.

As regards joining, it's €5k hello money, which includes your first years sub of €1366. So basically your joining fee is €3,600. This is payable over three years, which is very reasonable.

It's a lot of bang for your buck, especially when you consider it was €11k to join back in the good auld days.

jimmies

Forest little does look quite nice and I could probably swing 1.3k on membership with the wife.....but not 3.6k on an entrance fee.......she sees it like stamp duty.....money for nothing - I can see her point.

Her parents said I should move to their town (malahide) and join the club there......they didn't realise it had a 17K entrance fee plus well over 2k a year. I played this course just before Christmas and if I'm honest the practice area is not very good and the course was very average compared.....for the price they charge. I currently pay £830 for a far better course and practice facilities that make Malahide look very amateurish.....although the clubhouse is much better than mine

NapoleonInRags

jimmies wrote: »

Forest little does look quite nice and I could probably swing 1.3k on membership with the wife.....but not 3.6k on an entrance fee.......she sees it like stamp duty.....money for nothing - I can see her point.

Her parents said I should move to their town (malahide) and join the club there......they didn't realise it had a 17K entrance fee plus well over 2k a year. I played this course just before Christmas and if I'm honest the practice area is not very good and the course was very average compared.....for the price they charge. I currently pay £830 for a far better course and practice facilities that make Malahide look very amateurish.....although the clubhouse is much better than mine

If you're willing to pay €1300 per year I would definitely go for Roganstown - very nice course and only 15-20 minutes drive from Donabate