Newbridge Golf Club to Join ?

pistolpetes11

Well I am thinking of joining Newbridge Golf Club and was looking for peoples views and opinions on the place ,

I am currently a member of Blessington Lakes and the money is fairly close for Newbridge .

I had emailed The Curragh , but I needed to be proposed and then seconded then more than likely would of had to done a little dance and known the secret handshake and all of this before some type of elections to join ! I only wanted to play a bit of golf :pac:

Anyway , any views or opinions would be greatly appreciated .

DiegoWorst

I know nothing about Newbridge.

But just wanted to make comment on The Curragh, I know it has a healthy membership, but in this era I'd be surprized if you needed to be proposed and seconded. There are many long established golf clubs in the country, the kind that once had 3 and 5 year waiting lists, that now everlook the formalities of membership applications.
It is a super golf course, one of my favourites, I always make a point of playing in at least two of their opens every year.
If you're living close by, drop by on a Saturday, and get chatting to the guys in the Pro shop, I bet they'll give you good advice on how to post an application.

pistolpetes11

DiegoWorst wrote: »

I know nothing about Newbridge.

But just wanted to make comment on The Curragh, I know it has a healthy membership, but in this era I'd be surprized if you needed to be proposed and seconded. There are many long established golf clubs in the country, the kind that once had 3 and 5 year waiting lists, that now everlook the formalities of membership applications.
It is a super golf course, one of my favourites, I always make a point of playing in at least two of their opens every year.
If you're living close by, drop by on a Saturday, and get chatting to the guys in the Pro shop, I bet they'll give you good advice on how to post an application.

Cheers ,

I am actually just 5 mins down the road from the Curragh ,

But here is the content of the mail I received back form them :

Thank you for your enquiry.

Our election will take place at the beginning of March and the election
process is currently under way. You could still submit an application
but it would have to be done ASAP.

For this election we have a special offer where by an ordinary member
can nominate one person for election without paying an entrance fee.

Our current annual subscription is .€960. You will need an ordinary
member to nominate you (who may have joined at any stage) and a proposer
& seconder who must be at least five years ordinary members.

If you would like an application please forward your postal address and
I'll send one to you.

golfwallah

Hi Pete,
A chap I know told me about 2 weeks ago that he had joined the Curragh as they had dropped their "hello money" until next year.

Got no details but I would guess the club have put in the process you describe in case their current offer is over-subscribed.

Would be worth following DiegoWorst's advice, if you're really keen on availing of the chance to join without paying the old entrance fee.

mafc

Cill Dara is quite close to you, 9 hole course E650 including 50euro competition levy & 50euro bar levy. Worth looking at.

Anatom

pistolpetes11 wrote: »

Cheers ,

I am actually just 5 mins down the road from the Curragh ,

But here is the content of the mail I received back form them :

Thank you for your enquiry.

Our election will take place at the beginning of March and the election
process is currently under way. You could still submit an application
but it would have to be done ASAP.

For this election we have a special offer where by an ordinary member
can nominate one person for election without paying an entrance fee.

Our current annual subscription is .€960. You will need an ordinary
member to nominate you (who may have joined at any stage) and a proposer
& seconder who must be at least five years ordinary members.

If you would like an application please forward your postal address and
I'll send one to you.

Pistolpetes11, I'm a member in the Curragh.

I absolutely love it and would be more than happy to help you out if you're interested. I think I'm there long enough now to propose someone (you had to be a member for three years I think to be able to do so, but your email seems to suggest that's changed now...)

I know very little about Newbridge GC, but what I've heard hasn't been stellar. However, I do know one of the members there quite well and even he says its not a patch on the Curragh/Naas/Killeen or many other courses around the area.

Drop me a PM if you're interested...

L.O.F.T

pistolpetes11 wrote: »

Well I am thinking of joining Newbridge Golf Club and was looking for peoples views and opinions on the place

It's a good solid golf course with a good membership and a club that is involved in plenty of inter club comps. I play there every now and then during the summer in opens which are good value. It can be soft around the fairways but with the weather we have been having many places are the same. I know the owners spent alot of money redesigning and the club has a good buzz and friendly atmosphere. If it was me I'd spend a year at Newbridge and if you were not happy simply move on, I don't think you will though. The Curragh is a quality course but it's always jammed and I personally have never warmed to it the numerous times I have played it. Everyone is different and so are their expectations.

downthemiddle

Hi Pistolpetes. From what I can gather you are on the 150 euro membership in Blessington Lakes. If you are, you can upgrade to full membership for another 450 euro before the end of the month. This will give you full membership rights until March 2013. If you have any queries pm me.

dnjoyce

mafc wrote: »

Cill Dara is quite close to you, 9 hole course E650 including 50euro competition levy & 50euro bar levy. Worth looking at.

Not even in the same ball-park as the other courses mentioned in this thread imo.

leroythelegend

I was a member of Newbridge for about 9 years. I left last year and joined the curragh because they dropped the "hello" money, its closer to my house and I have more friends that are members in the curragh.
Newbridge in fairness has improved greatly over the past 9 -10 years and is probably a trickier course than the curragh with all the water and trees on it. The greens have improved but are not near the standard of the curragh.
In my opinion the curragh is a better course overall, but others would disagree. You would be made very welcome in Newbridge. Most people there are very decent hard working folk.
I think you might be too late for application to the curragh at this stage. As far as I know the closing date was early Feb. The proposing/seconding is part of the club constitution as far as I know and is just a formality.
My advice would be to join Newbridge for this year, play a few opens in the curragh during the year. If you think you would like to join the curragh make enquiries around mid january.
If you have any question feel free to ask.

newport2

pistolpetes11 wrote: »

Well I am thinking of joining Newbridge Golf Club and was looking for peoples views and opinions on the place ,

I am currently a member of Blessington Lakes and the money is fairly close for Newbridge .

I had emailed The Curragh , but I needed to be proposed and then seconded then more than likely would of had to done a little dance and known the secret handshake and all of this before some type of elections to join ! I only wanted to play a bit of golf :pac:

Anyway , any views or opinions would be greatly appreciated .

I've played at Newbridge a fair bit. I wouldn't rate it as good as the Curragh, but the guys there are sound. Always made feel welcome and good value for money there too.

The only downside I've encountered there is the drainage on the course, it's not the best and gets very muddy during wet spells.

pistolpetes11

Cheers for all the replies folks , Look like Il be too late for the curragh either way but will try it out over the year ,

More than likely will be giving Newbridge a chance this year .

newport2

pistolpetes11 wrote: »

Cheers for all the replies folks , Look like Il be too late for the curragh either way but will try it out over the year ,

More than likely will be giving Newbridge a chance this year .

Good luck! Applied for the Curragh myself in January, told I'll hear in early March. It's between there and Tulfarris for me

pistolpetes11

newport2 wrote: »

Good luck! Applied for the Curragh myself in January, told I'll hear in early March. It's between there and Tulfarris for me

Il be honest having to go through all the formalities to join a golf club is a bit off putting , you would think most clubs would be happy with the income ,

I understand standards have to be kept up , but I think that type of attitude should of went out with the Celtic Tiger,

My first choice for a club to join would have been Nass as it amongst my favorites, bit they wanted Hello money of €3200 on top of €850,

There was 4 of us looking to join , €3500 in cash to hand over and they would not budge on the hello money so we walked away.

I paid 500 K for my house , someone down the road paid 400K nothing I can do about it now , clubs should be adopting this policy , just because folks have paid out hello money in the past its not something many are willing to do now.

newport2

pistolpetes11 wrote: »

Il be honest having to go through all the formalities to join a golf club is a bit off putting , you would think most clubs would be happy with the income ,

I understand standards have to be kept up , but I think that type of attitude should of went out with the Celtic Tiger,

My first choice for a club to join would have been Nass as it amongst my favorites, bit they wanted Hello money of €3200 on top of €850,

There was 4 of us looking to join , €3500 in cash to hand over and they would not budge on the hello money so we walked away.

I paid 500 K for my house , someone down the road paid 400K nothing I can do about it now , clubs should be adopting this policy , just because folks have paid out hello money in the past its not something many are willing to do now.

True, I agree. No intention of jumping through any hoops for it either. I won't join unless the hello fees are wavered, which I was told will probably happen. I've never been a member anywhere with an upfront fee, I just see it as dead money.

The Celtic Tiger greed destroyed the concept of a joining fee, which was somewhat justified in the past. The whole idea of it was that if I was joining a club that you had been a member of for 10 years, then you had contributed money along the way to get the course to where it is now, so I had to make a contribution towards that in joining. In new clubs there was hence no joining fees. Then along came the Celtic Tiger and joining fees were based on how much people were willing to cough up to get into a club, irregardless of how old it was or whether it was just opening. Pure rip-off Republic stuff. Nothing to do with what something is worth, just how much could you get away with charging.

One silver lining in this recession is definitely the price of golf in Ireland now!

mafc

dnjoyce wrote: »

Not even in the same ball-park as the other courses mentioned in this thread imo.

Opinions differ !

However in comparison to annual subs mentioned it is good value

E600 For Blessington Lakes ? Curragh E960 ? Newbridge ?

PhilipMarlowe

My opinion of Cill Dara = sheep in the bunkers, sheep s*** on yer shoe and ugly conifers between the fairways that look out of place (instead of pine trees which are elsewhere in the neighbourhood).

pistolpetes11

mafc wrote: »

Opinions differ !

However in comparison to annual subs mentioned it is good value

E600 For Blessington Lakes ? Curragh E960 ? Newbridge ?

Newbridge is €699, I think Im too late for the Curragh , I emailed them back today and got no reply .

Played Newbridge about 3 years ago so i think that will be the destination for my hard earned money this year !

Thanks again everyone for there input.

Mat the trasher

pistolpetes11 wrote: »

Il be honest having to go through all the formalities to join a golf club is a bit off putting , you would think most clubs would be happy with the income ,

I understand standards have to be kept up , but I think that type of attitude should of went out with the Celtic Tiger,

My first choice for a club to join would have been Nass as it amongst my favorites, bit they wanted Hello money of €3200 on top of €850,

There was 4 of us looking to join , €3500 in cash to hand over and they would not budge on the hello money so we walked away.

I paid 500 K for my house , someone down the road paid 400K nothing I can do about it now , clubs should be adopting this policy , just because folks have paid out hello money in the past its not something many are willing to do now.

I believe Naas is just sub if brought in by an existing member at the moment, I was asked if I would like to join earlier in the year, just paying the yearly sub. Might have been a time limited offer though.

Bull85

Im thinkin of joinin newbridge too, my only reservation, from old threads on boards is the drainage on the course. Is this still the case or has it improved?