Open Days - Good or bad

jtown

Quick one for people opinion.

Do they think there can be too many open days for a golf course? Is it bad for the course to have too many or does it out weight the income from them. Does it take away from the "full price for the course" and will people never paid the full price cause they know there is an open day every week.

Of course its good for the golfer but in the long term does it impact on the course and reputation.

Opinions please

backspin.

I wouldn't pay the full price if it is over €30 or €40. Without open days i just wouldn't play them. I play other courses generally through societies, open days and inter-club matchplay. I couldn't afford to pay 80 or 100 for a round of golf.

eoghan104

I don't think I have ever paid the "official" green fee for a course. Does anybody?

There is always wriggle room.

To answer the OP I do think there can be too many on some courses. Especially at weekends. Most clubs need the income from these though so it's a tough one.

CalamariFritti

Our weekly open comp is the best comp of them all. Nothing like a nice round of golf under comp conditions to end the week on a Friday evening. Then finish it off with a pint in the club house and the PGA comp on screen.
It used to be very very popular with visitors too until some committee decided to up the visitor fee by +40% within two years. Visitors still come but it definitely had a negative impact.

I also like the weekly open comps in other places. Fota had €40 or €50 with a burger all summer for the deer park course on Wednesdays. West Waterford I think €20 or €25 every Wednesday is a very good deal too. Same for Gowran on Thursdays. Love it. The only thing interfering with it is work, bummer.

Opens get a definite 'Good' from me.

FixdePitchmark

I've been on both sides of this argument.
There is a happy medium it seems.

At one point in our club there was an open and the visitors were paying less than 15 quid for a round of golf. It was a bit of a joke - as visitors were paying less to play golf at your club than you. They were taking up the full day and at the end of the day the wear and tear adds up.

With regard to reputation to club. With economy picking up and actual sponsors and corporate events and pro ams - I think it is the opposite and these are fantastic for the club profile. But this gets out of hand at a certain point too - for example I went to my club 4 Fridays in a row and couldn't get out at all.

At some point you can go too far and forget the primary objective of a private golf club. It is to make the club available to members as much as possible.

To get it all out on the table a couple of aspects that I don't like.

Clubs with no Open at all - why should a club with no Open be able to take part in an Open in your club.
Club with Senior opens - it is amateur handicapped golf - what on earth is senior all about, I don't get concept at all. Just make the Open an Open.

But overall an excellent thing - you meet other golfers - you play other clubs and learn something new. It is recognition that golf is a union and we respect other clubs and people who support golf in Ireland. I genuinely do think there is an altruistic aspect to it, and that is why clubs who don't do it at all, annoy me. It isn't just about not getting a cheap round of golf - genuinely.


The lady doth protest too much, methinks

dan_ep82

I think they're a good thing as long as times are marked off for members to get out aswell. Headfort done this.

I split my golf between Opens and my home course.

I see some places have member CSS and then visitor CSS, ST.Margrets i think, but not all places do this?

Some fee's for the days are the same as green fees, is the idea not to allow GUI members to experience other courses for less money because they have paid dues?

I'm with Fix on the Senior Opens.
A few local courses run these on my day off and I just don't get it. You get low and high hc's in the comps so why not include all golfers.

Yes my main reason is because I can't play but I think its a fair argument, I pay my fees aswell. I seen some courses have a lower green fee for senior open days compared to their "normal" open days aswell. It might sound silly and a small matter but it still feels like your getting mugged.

PARlance

jtown wrote: »

Quick one for people opinion.

Do they think there can be too many open days for a golf course? Is it bad for the course to have too many or does it out weight the income from them. Does it take away from the "full price for the course" and will people never paid the full price cause they know there is an open day every week.

Of course its good for the golfer but in the long term does it impact on the course and reputation.

Opinions please

Bit of an Open question
To visit a few points

Price: I think discount sites (teetimes.ie etc) played a much greater factor in lowering the bar. Opens were generally discounted, but not excessively so imo.

Too Many: I think one / week is the norm in a lot of places now. It has become a welcome additional revenue stream for many clubs. Not ideal for members but if it's a "needs must" scenario then I think most understand.

Too few: It shouldn't be forced but Clubs should tow the line with this new spirit of an open and have a few each year. The new spirit was driven by a need for additional revenue rather than so desire to become more inclusive so it's unrealistic to expect Clubs that are on a strong financial footing to open the floodgates. But if their members are benefiting from choice elsewhere, it would be nice to return the favour.

The biggest change that going from an annual open week to an open per week is that it allowed an new type of golf member. If you wish, you can now get a cheap membership (be it 5 day, country, specialised club) and spend most of your budget over various different clubs. It's a new type of golfer but I think most people prefer the advantages of having a real home eventually. Even if they continue to be nomadic, money is still being spent in the golfing community. So not a bad thing in my book.

Golf clubs are changing their approach which is great but I think they could have a few "real open" days each year were they invite non golfers etc in to sample the product in some way. The CGI are doing so with Clubs and seem to be focusing on getting female and youth participants ups. Any of that kind of work benefits everyone.

Paulzx

I have a slightly different slant on this. My club has a midweek singles open every week. It started a few years ago on a day when there was no club fixtures and was used by casual golf and societies.

The introduction of a singles open on this day has given me an option to play a singles competition in my own club that was not previously available. Personally i find this extremely convienant and can now get to play an extra comp if i wish or if I'm not available at the weekend i can still get a singles in midweek.

There are obviously financial benefits to the club and there is a good mixture of members and non members playing every week. Despite it being popular i have never had an issue getting a slot at a suitable time.

The club will still book societies on the same day and work the Open around it. Any member that wishes to play casual golf will still be allowed out.

Personally i think it has been an extremely positive addition to the weekly fixtures

Dtoffee

I think they are a great value and a good way of generating revenue for the club, bar and Pro shop plus very useful in attracting new members. Mid week is best in my opinion as you can invite a few friends and have a yoyo on it.;)

The only thing I would say against them is your course could suffer, a club running 2 or more opens mi-week plus members competitions needs careful maintenance and a good greenkeeping staff.

billy3sheets

I'm very in favour of regular weekly opens. 1 per course per week is probably enough.
I am a member of a club but love the opportunity to play another course for a reasonable price with nothing more complex than booking it online to do.
Most opens I've played have been in the company of members of that club often with their buddies from another club. They've always been welcoming and I never sensed any animosity towards being an outsider or because I was getting a golf bargain.

Seve OB

I think we probably all could agree there might be just to many golf courses in Ireland. Hence a lot of open days have sprung up over the last 10-15 years and courses have sturggled and closed.
A good club will in general keep it's weekends for members only. Midweek should have a few comps for members and even invitationals. But I don't think any club should have week in week out open comps.

Absolutely all clubs should have Opens, but not to many. Otherwise, why bother join a club? One a month is more than enough and I agree with Fix about the restrictions on age etc. That's just bull. Open is an Open and leave it at that.

All clubs should really have a big Open each year such as a Scratch Cup.

Fewer Opens would mean bad business oportunities for lots of clubs, and it would mean some clubs will go to the wall, but what it would also do would build stronger clubs out of what it left.