Killarney GC Open Days

Hoof Hearted2

Killarney GC Open days, €40 Killeen, €30 Mahonys point, usually 100+ players competing, prizes for top 3 only regardless of numbers, value for money or solely a money making exercise, what say ye?.

Cody OHare

Money making exercise for the club.
Good value for the participant (though people will always want it for 20 or less)
If neither of these was the case then the Open Days would stop pretty quickly

cjfitz

Killeen is def value for money. If Tralee or Ballybunion had €40 open days would you be complaining?

Hoof Hearted2

cjfitz wrote: »

Killeen is def value for money. If Tralee or Ballybunion had €40 open days would you be complaining?

Couple of points, first off Killarney(Killeen) isn't Tralee or BallyB so that's a mute point, secondly my gripe isn't the cost (although I note from KGC own website they have Killeen advertised as €45 , yet only charge €40), My gripe really is that only 3 places are paid regardless of numbers, e.g. you could have 50 playing or 120 and it's still only 3 prizes, in our own club comp we pay roughly 10% of the field and that's the same for our open comps.

cjfitz

My point regarding Tralee, Ballybunion and Killeen is that they are courses that locals don't get to play very often and that €40 is good value for courses that we are more than often priced out of it.

Hoof Hearted2 wrote: »

My gripe really is that only 3 places are paid regardless of numbers, e.g. you could have 50 playing or 120 and it's still only 3 prizes, in our own club comp we pay roughly 10% of the field and that's the same for our open comps.

Ok that's fair enough, just 62 played last Wednesday (11 visitors). 10% would be great for an open day for sure but I don't see that going on many places for open days. Most open days I play have top 3 and best gross.

Hoof Hearted2

cjfitz wrote: »

My point regarding Tralee, Ballybunion and Killeen is that they are courses that locals don't get to play very often and that €40 is good value for courses that we are more than often priced out of it.



Ok that's fair enough, just 62 played last Wednesday (11 visitors). 10% would be great for an open day for sure but I don't see that going on many places for open days. Most open days I play have top 3 and best gross.

I understand your point about Tralee and BallyB etc, but I thinks it's an archaic notion that has no basis in reality.
Tralee has a number of open days throughout the year and the cost last year was €35 and €40 this iirc, BallyB have about 3 or 4 each year on the Old course and last year it was €40 and €50 this year iirc, the Casheen has an open day every Wednesday, although it's a semi open, there is never an issue getting out and it's only €25 for visitors.


Interesting that the numbers seem to be dropping off!, so it seems now it's mostly supported by locals and they are happy to pay twice the price of their weekend members comps for the pleasure and also seem to be happy to have a vastly constricted prize structure.
FYI did you know, if 7 or more ladies play in the open comps, one of the 3 prizes is allocated to the ladies regardless of the their scores.

cjfitz

Hoof Hearted2 wrote: »

Interesting that the numbers seem to be dropping off!, so it seems now it's mostly supported by locals and they are happy to pay twice the price of their weekend members comps for the pleasure and also seem to be happy to have a vastly constricted prize structure.
FYI did you know, if 7 or more ladies play in the open comps, one of the 3 prizes is allocated to the ladies regardless of the their scores.

Personally I don't mind paying €10 midweek to play a competition tbh, Sunday's don't always suit me and often gives me a chance to play with friends that aren't members.

Regarding the prizes, I agree a few more wouldn't hurt but if I miss out on a prize, no matter where I play,I prefer to look to see where I left a few shots slide rather than thinking that if there was another prize I would have got it.

Killarney have had a tough few years and an awful winter so I think they are entitled to try to increase revenue. It's good to see members supporting it. I think it's better to have open days like that rather than having endless fundraisers that some clubs have, where members often feel obliged to play in.

You have your homework done, so it's up to you whether you play the open days or not.

Hoof Hearted2

cjfitz wrote: »

Personally I don't mind paying €10 midweek to play a competition tbh, Sunday's don't always suit me and often gives me a chance to play with friends that aren't members.

Regarding the prizes, I agree a few more wouldn't hurt but if I miss out on a prize, no matter where I play,I prefer to look to see where I left a few shots slide rather than thinking that if there was another prize I would have got it.

Killarney have had a tough few years and an awful winter so I think they are entitled to try to increase revenue. It's good to see members supporting it. I think it's better to have open days like that rather than having endless fundraisers that some clubs have, where members often feel obliged to play in.

You have your homework done, so it's up to you whether you play the open days or not.

Yes to be fair, I have done my homework, and look it's a given that the day is about the golf and enjoying playing with friends etc. first and foremost, but it's slightly disingenuous to have a prize structure such as the one in place, I did bring it to the attention of the manager Cormac last year and he agreed I had a point and promised to review it for this year, but alas nothing has changed.
Also I've been a long time supporter of KGC and will continue to be despite some shortcomings and I agree it's true Killarney has had a few difficult years, and deserves to enjoy the good times, but as often happens these open comps are seen as green fee generators as opposed to what they actually are i.e. open competitions, and if run properly they can be both, to be fair to KGC they are not the only club with this view and yet they have the opportunity to be pioneers on this front instead just following the flock.

Cody OHare

Can anyone advise what condition Kileen Course is in? I seem to remember it flooded extensively earlier in the year. Has it recovered yet?

cjfitz

Cody OHare wrote: »

Can anyone advise what condition Kileen Course is in? I seem to remember it flooded extensively earlier in the year. Has it recovered yet?

It is in super condition, played there last friday, it has fully recovered. However, they are micro-tining the greens today and have informed members that it will take about 10 days for them to recover.

Hoof Hearted2

Cody OHare wrote: »

Can anyone advise what condition Kileen Course is in? I seem to remember it flooded extensively earlier in the year. Has it recovered yet?

Played there Saturday and the course is great nick, if as said above the greens are been pencil tinned this week, I'd still play there as that will have little or no effect on the playability of the greens, I wouldn't however pay full whack, ask for a discount due to the maintenance work.

Cody OHare

tx for feedback. Bringing a group there in Sept.

Delighted to hear there was no permanent damage to the course. I expect it took a lot of work to repair damage.