Le Grande Club Ireland - anybody heard of?

Dayor Knight

Came across this today:

https://www.legrandclub.ie/membership/ .

Interesting concept, especially if already a member of one of the clubs listed down the country and looking for playing rights around Dublin (€999 for the right to play other courses)

Depends how often you can get out of course, but they're damn good courses....

Interesting. Any thoughts.....?

Btw, I'm not connected in any way to this, just intrigued (and tempted).

Beaulieu

Only saw an advert for this in current issue of Golf Digest Ireland. Interesting.

Kevinmarkham

It certainly fulfils all the requirements. I wrote the following for the current issue of Irish Golfer Magazine:

"There are several member clubs offering reciprocal playing rights at other courses, but Le Grand Club is something far more dynamic: for an annual membership fee (€2,399) you will have access to nine golf clubs (11 courses), including three Irish links and a course in Paris. The fee provides members with a home club – which you choose from the nine available – for GUI handicap and regular weekly competition purposes, and unlimited free golf at the other courses. Le Grand Club continues to expand with the goal of having 30 courses available to members. A number of dedicated member competitions will be introduced in 2017.

The nine golf clubs are: Connemara, Ceann Sibeal, Enniscrone, St. Anne’s, Powerscourt (x2), Headfort (x2), Le Prieure Golf & Country Club, in Paris, Bunclody, and Palmestown Stud.

There’s no doubt it is an intriguing opportunity for golfers who like the freedom of playing a wide variety of courses. The GUI handicap is also an enormous bonus.
Check out LeGrandClub.ie for more information."

d2ww

The thing is,with the exception of Powerscourt none of other courses charge anywhere near €2400/year? Headfort for example, is around €1100/year.

Dtoffee

I wonder how they make their money as some of the courses like Powerscourt are very close to the same price that Le Grand are charging. Why join Powerscout direct, when you can have this option ?

Are you free to play anytime on all courses or restricted to visitors times on courses outside the home club you choose ?

Sounds like a great idea, but I would expect you need a few mates joining if you intend playing all the courses.

charlieIRL

Dtoffee wrote: »

Are you free to play anytime on all courses or restricted to visitors times on courses outside the home club you choose ?

According to their website "Unlimited Free Golf, Any Day, Anytime, At All Our Courses"

Seve OB

Dtoffee wrote: »

Why join Powerscout direct, when you can have this option ?

Because Powerscourt is a cheaper option and you might not want to play the others.

It's only a good deal if you will play all (or at least some) of the courses. Can you play member comps in all the courses or just your home course? It is interesting though. I would however be wary of giving some dude in Castleknock my money and not knowing what happens to my playing rights if he goes bust!

Dayor Knight

Dtoffee wrote: »

I wonder how they make their money as some of the courses like Powerscourt are very close to the same price that Le Grand are charging. Why join Powerscout direct, when you can have this option ?

Are you free to play anytime on all courses or restricted to visitors times on courses outside the home club you choose ?

Sounds like a great idea, but I would expect you need a few mates joining if you intend playing all the courses.

Going on the info published, it's 20 games max per year in Powerscourt. All the others are unlimited. It appears to be 7 days a week availability except I'd imagine for members club competitions. You'd have your club comps and normal club benefits at your home club but presumably just playing rights at the others. Best if you had a few joining together alright.

Possibly most interesting if you're a member of one of the clubs down south or west but based in or near Dublin - play some great courses all year for €999 on top of your normal sub..... (that option is listed).

Having said all that, opens are available anyway, so its really depends on how often you think you can get out, and maybe how close you are to one or more of the courses.

Certainly an interesting addition to the range of golfing membership options out there now.... it's imaginative anyway, and the clubs involved must think it's worthwhile if they're buying in.... presumably hoping to generate some extra traffic.

Johnny P

It says that there's 15 courses on the website, not 11. Bunclody, Dingle, Connemara, Enniscrone, Galway Bay, Headfort Old & New, New Forest, Palmerstown, Powerscourt East & West, Slieve Russell and St. Annes, and the 2 in Paris. The blog entries also go on about adding more courses early this year. Will be interesting to see if they add more in Dublin.

I rang them about the Powerscourt 20 game limit and they said that that restriction was removed recently. It's seemingly unlimited games on all Irish Courses, any day, any time, except for members competitions times (but that depends on the club).

Interestingly enough they also told me to contact them directly if I was thinking of joining with a mate. It sounded like they might have been willing to do a deal. If anyone is interested to join as a group pm me here. We might be able to get a group discount.

Dayor Knight

Group discount would be interesting. Could be a great option for some..... worth considering. Would have to check it out a bit further though.

I wonder how it works between LeGrande and the clubs - a fixed fee per round, or a standard fee per LG member, or something else..... would have to know the model to understand the risk.....

golfer555

Just to be clear on this its €2,399 to join and €999 if you are already a member of an existing club of the 11? So the vast majority would pay the higher figure.

I wonder what it would be like trying to get a tee time in St Anne's at 8:30am on a Saturday morning? I doubt they'll offer those times, more likely you'll only get out till after 2pm.

Dayor Knight

golfer555 wrote: »

Just to be clear on this its €2,399 to join and €999 if you are already a member of an existing club of the 11? So the vast majority would pay the higher figure.

I wonder what it would be like trying to get a tee time in St Anne's at 8:30 am on a Saturday morning? I doubt they'll offer those times, more likely you'll only get out till after 2pm.

Sounds about right. If you were interested, it would be worth your while to ring around the clubs you might want to play at, and see what would actually be available. You're unlikely to get out during club member times, so it depends on what's left. Presumably any time you could normally get a green fee. We're juts guessing here though, you'd want to check it out to really evaluate it.

Dayor Knight

Johnny P wrote: »

It says that there's 15 courses on the website, not 11. Bunclody, Dingle, Connemara, Enniscrone, Galway Bay, Headfort Old & New, New Forest, Palmerstown, Powerscourt East & West, Slieve Russell and St. Annes, and the 2 in Paris. The blog entries also go on about adding more courses early this year. Will be interesting to see if they add more in Dublin.

I rang them about the Powerscourt 20 game limit and they said that that restriction was removed recently. It's seemingly unlimited games on all Irish Courses, any day, any time, except for members competitions times (but that depends on the club).

Interestingly enough they also told me to contact them directly if I was thinking of joining with a mate. It sounded like they might have been willing to do a deal. If anyone is interested to join as a group pm me here. We might be able to get a group discount.

Sent a pm on that. Interested in forming a group.

golfer555

Dayor Knight wrote: »

Sounds about right. If you were interested, it would be worth your while to ring around the clubs you might want to play at, and see what would actually be available. You're unlikely to get out during club member times, so it depends on what's left. Presumably any time you could normally get a green fee. We're juts guessing here though, you'd want to check it out to really evaluate it.

I'll call them when I get chance and confirm.

Johnny P

Anyone been in touch with them about their €499 limited membership?

Was thinking of trying it out in the summer. Just wondering if anyone has any info?

A New earth

Kevinmarkham wrote: »

It certainly fulfils all the requirements. I wrote the following for the current issue of Irish Golfer Magazine:

"There are several member clubs offering reciprocal playing rights at other courses, but Le Grand Club is something far more dynamic: for an annual membership fee (€2,399) you will have access to nine golf clubs (11 courses), including three Irish links and a course in Paris. The fee provides members with a home club – which you choose from the nine available – for GUI handicap and regular weekly competition purposes, and unlimited free golf at the other courses. Le Grand Club continues to expand with the goal of having 30 courses available to members. A number of dedicated member competitions will be introduced in 2017.

The nine golf clubs are: Connemara, Ceann Sibeal, Enniscrone, St. Anne’s, Powerscourt (x2), Headfort (x2), Le Prieure Golf & Country Club, in Paris, Bunclody, and Palmestown Stud.

There’s no doubt it is an intriguing opportunity for golfers who like the freedom of playing a wide variety of courses. The GUI handicap is also an enormous bonus.
Check out LeGrandClub.ie for more information."

Have the 9 Home Clubs changed recently? Powerscourt or the Paris Club not there now and New Forest and Slieve Russell added.

Johnny P

Seems like Galway Bay, New Forest and Slieve Russell were all added. I count 15 courses in total. Their course drop list changed a bit since last time I checked. Maybe they're making space to add more to the list..?

newindublin

Anyone joined this yet? The price seems to have dropped quite a bit to 650 a year (or 399 if you are a member of any of the courses). Also they have added The K Club (Smurfit).