Hermitage Golf Club

jams100

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058305333/hermitage-golf-club

Get sorted in the end OP? Pretty sure Lucan has / had availability for new members but there is an entrance fee, not sure what it is but is less than Hermitage anyway

left_hander

Thanks for the help above folks, I didn't do anything in the end because since found out wife is pregnant. May wait another year unfortunately, or two possibly.

Seve OB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121560952#Comment_121560952

Did you catch the fella responsible yet?

left_hander

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121637146#Comment_121637146

God help him when I do. Best laid out plans and all that.....

pinkdoubleeagle

Just some information if you do consider joining Hermitage

Membership is open and the joining Fee is 9k. Subs are €1770 + bar tab and course levy so you are looking at close to 2,2k per annum

You will need a proposer and 2 seconders.

Mats are used on the fairways for the winter but you can place in the rough as an option if preferred

If you need any more info, Let me know

newindublin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121652658#Comment_121652658

@pinkdoubleeagle How does one get a proposer and 2 seconders? Is it meant to keep applications only to those who know members personally? I have only been a member where that might be on the application but it was waived or the office staff did an interview and said OK.

IrishOwl...

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121696822#Comment_121696822

I've never understood this either. I moved to Dublin 5 years ago. I was living in Oz, met a Dub and when we moved home, we settled in Dublin. Pretty much every course in and around where I live required a proposer along with a few seconders. I’m originally from the country and none of my wife’s friends golf, so I’d absolutely no connection to any club.

I was told by one club over the phone that if I joined as a Pavilion member for a few years, I should be eligible for full membership, depending on availability after maybe a year or 2. But then, my Pavilion membership got rejected as I’d no-one to ratify me from within the club! 🤷‍♀️

I really don’t understand what the whole point of that process is. Like does it exist is any other sport?  

blackbox

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121743729#Comment_121743729

Many clubs, especially the older ones, are members' clubs. I.e. they are actually owned by the members. Very different from GAA etc.

If you become a member, you have equal rights to all the other members, so if you turn out to be an obnoxious git, it is very difficult to get you out.

For this reason, members' clubs are very cautious about who they let in.

IrishOwl...

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121743813#Comment_121743813

I’d love to know what that’s like in reality. Are you trying to tell me there’s no “obnoxious gits” in any of these private clubs? 

ec18

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121743858#Comment_121743858

There probably is gits in all clubs, but having it to be recommended by people in good standing (I'm sure there's unspoken rules about recommendations) limits the risk of it happening

IrishOwl...

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121743899#Comment_121743899

I’m yet to be convinced by these processes. Having worked in the multinational corporate world for the past 20 years, we have these HR screening process to make sure every that comes through the door is assh**e free and fits within the culture!

These types of characters always seem to creep through the smallest cracks. 

left_hander

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121743729#Comment_121743729

I hear you too on this one! I enquired about a few clubs and was basically told not to waste my time applying if I knew nobody. That to get in I would have needed to start playing open comps in the clubs in the hope of coming across enough members through that. And even then, they'd probably know others wanting to get in so it was pure pot-luck and frankly unlikely. Plus when working Mon-Fri and I wasn't using annual leave to play open golf competitions in some sort of long shot!

I am having a similar battle in my head at the moment when I do try next year to join somewhere - do I want to be part of one of these clubs where you need to become a pavilion member and flute around a place for 2-3 years in the hope of eventually becoming a member? Not sure to be honest.

Now I will say and give credit where it is due - when I was actively considering Hermitage for this year I was told on the phone that as I didn't have a proposer/seconder I could potentially go and meet one of the committee members and go from there, I can't remember who the lady on the phone said. Possibly captain/vice-captain, not sure. Obviously its out of the question at the moment but it did sound like a bit of a "normality test" rather than anything else. Which is fair and understandable - I get that somebody in the club would want to meet you and scope you out before they let you in. And it definitely didn't sound as off-putting as what I was told in some other clubs.

I suppose, ultimately it is the old supply & demand situation. People are falling over themselves to get in to some golf clubs and they can set the rules accordingly. Not 100% sure I'd want to be part of such a culture though.

TrueDub

I joined a club this time last year. I didn't know anyone in the club well enough to ask them to propose/second me, but the office said that it wouldn't be a problem and it wasn't. Everything sailed through and I've been a member since.

There is a caveat about this - it's not a club owned by the members, so they're more focussed on new member recruitment that some others might be.

TrueDub

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121743960#Comment_121743960

If you're making sure everyone is asshole-free, it explains why so many of them are full of ****! 🤣

blackbox

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121743858#Comment_121743858

Of course there are - all the more reason not to want more of them!

IrishOwl...

Based on your description of the Hermitage, it seems that the standards set there should serve as the benchmark for similar situations.

I was in that boat when I lived in Australia, I just had to agree to play (I think it was 3 rounds) with a member and it was seamless after that. It would have been near impossible for me to join a club out there otherwise, because whatever chance I have a know a cousin of a friend in some club in Dublin. I’ve next to no chance of that happening in another country entirely. 

IrishOwl...

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121744161#Comment_121744161

Facts... 🤣🤣

Ottoman_1000

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121696822#Comment_121696822

Jasus, if I went to join a club and I was handed a form like that to fill out, I’d be gone like a shot.

The world is already full to the brim of entitled t**ts, the last thing I’d want to do is spend my Saturday and Sunday mornings with them! 

left_hander

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121744195#Comment_121744195

Yeah exactly and it sounded very fair and reasonable. But then, maybe when it came to the vote I wouldn't have a hope against somebody who was known to people in the club. But it didn't sound that way to be fair to the lady on the phone.

Yeah, it would make sense that a member (or even a few members) had to vet you first before letting you in the gap. 3-4 rounds x 4 hours = 12-16 hours to decide if you are a knobhead or not! If you can't decide over that length of time, then you are not a good judge of character - I reckon I'd know before we reached the first green!

IrishOwl...

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121744443#Comment_121744443

The majority of times, you would have an idea of those characters before you left the 1st tee box!

awec

I think some clubs that have the proposer / seconder concept will allow you to play a round with the captain / vice captain if you've nobody to sign the form. I guess it depends on how much demand there is.

Member owned clubs also likely have the waiting period where your application for membership is posted on a noticeboard for all members to see and they have a period of time to raise an objection.

blue note

I remember renting a room in my house. We showed it to something like 12 people and 11 wanted to take it. In the conversation with the other housemates on who to take we came up with such silly reasons to cross people off the list. The problem was that of the 11 who wanted it, 9 were perfectly normal, seemingly nice people. You need to decide who to say yes to somehow.

Lots of golf clubs have the same problem, in particular members clubs in dublin. They're full, they'll never get through a waiting list, they have to decide somehow how to admit new members. The proposer / seconder thing - maybe it makes it more likely that new members will integrate into the club. Maybe being a pavillion member first does the same. The added cost of being a pavillion member, then a five day before getting full membership pretty much guarantees that they're going to get committed long term members. And if they're a club with the luxury of being able to charge entrance fees and make people pay for lesser memberships before getting full membership, then why not do it?

It's great that golf is open to people now who can't afford / justify this process, but for some clubs it's not going anywhere.

left_hander

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121744978#Comment_121744978

If he's moaning in the pro-shop, you've a long 4 hours ahead! 😁

IrishOwl...

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121745424#Comment_121745424

I’ve been there. I remember waiting in line to check-in to play at an open competition once. The guy in front was causing blue murder because the practice range was closed (it clearly stated on their website and booking page that the range was closed for maintenance). Anyway, this guy refused to pay full rate because of this inconvenience. He eventually succumbed and forked out…

Unfortunately, that meant I’d to spend 18 holes listening to his rant. About how he was going to call his own club captain and inform him of what just happened at this club in question, like WTF is that going to do to help his plight?  I didn’t ask him where he’s a member, I probably should have, to make sure I never ran into him again!  

left_hander

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121745673#Comment_121745673

Oh dear. 18 holes of that, I'd have abandoned the ship after 9.

His home club were wondering how we ever let this bell end in. I wonder if he had a proposer and seconder 😂😂

We've all been there with people who you don't enjoy a round with but that sounds awful. It might be worth its own thread and could be a started post "What was the worst person you ever played a round with...."

IrishOwl...

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121745720#Comment_121745720

Id imagine it would be a popular topic!

I've actually been ok, a few quirky characters, that guy was by far the worst.

Close 2nd was a time I was playing in another open and my playing partner accosted me as we were finishing on the 9th. He was accusing me of being a bandit! I was playing off 7 at the time and was like 4 over through 9! I'm not sure what he was expecting....

He didnt bother join us for the back 9 then either. Like all you can do is laugh at a lad like that.

left_hander

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121745766#Comment_121745766

Make a thread. If you play in open comps I bet you come across every sort. I think this topic deserves its own thread! Make it happen!!!

bmay529

There are as*****s in every club and not only golf clubs. Sometimes an as*****s for one person can be a best mate for another. In other cases they are the playing partner of last resort, if at all. We all tend to gravitate towards like minded soles and so in most cases can avoid those we may not like. In any club, out of hundreds of members, there will usually be some you might prefer to avoid. In a members club, no matter the selection process there can be regrets that some slip through the process purely designed to introduce long term members that will integrate within the club and ideally contribute.

If you are interested in joining a club first find out if there are membership vacancies and then if there are ask if there is a process where someone who does not know any members can apply for membership. Very often if you dig deep enough you may well find an introduction through other sports or business contacts.

FazyLucker

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121748183#Comment_121748183

I agree. But its a problem unique to Dublin, in reality. And pretty much South Dublin because if you live north side and are willing to drive for 20 minutes, there are plenty of clubs ready to welcome you with open arms?

Like, bar the few inside the M50 (Grange, Killiney, Elm Park, Castle, Edmondstown, etc?) and a few a bit further south (Dun Laoghaire, Old Conna, Newlands) is it really as hard to get in to courses as people make out? I think it is only an issue where demand outstrips supply and there is plenty of cash in the area to pony up a big joining fee.

Maybe I'm wrong, I don't know.