Galway Bay Golf Club membership fees 2026

gary29428

Sad day for the many great members of Galway Bay GC....the Fitzgerald's (owners) have decided to double the annual sub in 2026 to €2600. A fee that in essence will probably wipe out the men's and women's clubs, bringing an end to Galway Bay GC as a club and also in terms of Interclub golf . The new T&C's look like something from North Korea, it's nothing more then an attempt by the owners who live locally to cut the membership to 100 or 200....making way for the coach loads of Americans they are expecting to stay in there new hotel and play golf. A far cry from when the club was on its knees and was kept going by the very members that now face exorbitant fee's and a dictatorship regime....

The Guru 123

Really hope this backfires on them. Disgraceful thing to do.

It’s a decent course but not amazing and it’s not a links so may not draw in the yanks at the rate they think they will.

gary29428

The owners are not golfers and they are listening to a new golf director who's come from clubs like Royal Liverpool and Yas links.

big_drive

Not familiar with golf in Galway, are there other decent options available to join other clubs?

That seems like a crazy jump in price in one increase

gary29428

Ah for sure, I'm not over there long but others are 10/20yrs in the place...just a shame.

I'll be moving on anyway..

big_drive

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124029751#Comment_124029751

Would members have paid a joining fee to become members?

gary29428

Not recently...resort was in Nama for a long time.

plumber77

Is there any other clubs in the area to join..I assume Galway Golf Club is probably full membership. Anywhere else an option

joebloggs32

The Yanks won't be queuing up. Apart from Adare and the K Club with their Ryder Cup credentials, it's practically links all the way for them.

coillcam

Seems like such a highly speculative punt from a business perspective. The DOG probably has a remit to make the place more exclusive or elite as suggested. Unless they're going to pump millions into course development I can't see it becoming a golfing destination.

Respectfully it's just that it's Galway Bay and it's not a links course with a big tradition. So I don't know where all the rich Americans will come from. Really sh1tty behaviour by the owners and terrible for the loyal local golfers.

gary29428

Was over there yesterday and place felt like somebody has died. As in all walks of life there are folk that can afford to pay and will but like the majority of golf clubs in Ireland the membership is made up of factory workers, teachers, shop workers etc etc…I wouldn't mind if it came from a corporation in Dublin or out abroad but the Fitzgerald's are local and they live local....they not to fond of the riff raff knocking about there new 5-star hotel me thinks…which says an awful lot about the kind of people they are....

big_drive

Obviously the decent thing to do would probably be make members aware of an increase well in advance, then maybe phase it in over a 3 year period or something. At least would allow people to make alternative arrangements. The problem now could be that other clubs in Galway up their sub as they know people will be looking to move to another club locally.

Pbbuster

greed is a terrible thing

Geuze

This is the hotel:

https://www.thehawthornhotel.ie/

Set against the stunning backdrop of Galway Bay, The Hawthorn by Galway Bay is proud to offer a championship golf experience that blends world-renowned natural beauty with masterful design and meticulous conditioning. With sweeping sea views across the Wild Atlantic Ocean, The Burren and Galway City, our course promises a golfing experience that will leave you with memories to last a lifetime.

Whether you’re here for a dedicated golf break or simply enjoying a casual round, the experience is open to both guests and members alike.

thewobbler

It’s an interesting gamble by those involved. Galway is many, many things. But it’s not a golf destination, nor is it close enough to any established golf destination to pair up.

is Galway Bay going to change this perception by simply raising their prices?

Beyond everything else… I hope not. For if it works, it’ll creep into Donegal.

And nobody needs that.

Pbbuster

The owners have no morals and won’t care, went broke in the last down turn, owed money everywhere and didn’t seem to care. There is already one fat cat local business man selling his assets to pay back the banks, watch this space, I’ve a feeling it won’t end well for them, Galway bay is not the K club! The yanks they are hoping to attract are having their own economic issues, my feeling is this won’t end well! Karma is a bitch

Gandalph

You would think they would dip the toes a bit and free up a few more tee times during the summer for internationals before going nuclear like that on membership. I struggle to see what sort of spill over traffic it will get from the Yanks/Scandinavians because it is out of the way of any of the main golf destinations hubs and not really worth travelling that far for…nothing majorly wrong with the course but not one that comes up too often in conversation either.

CowboyTed

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124029728#Comment_124029728

You are going to laugh, I was told that West of Ireland has more Golf courses(well used to) per captia than any where in the world… Galway would be very much like that.. They have Galway (Salthill), Athenry, Gort, Loughrea, Cregmore, Tuam all within about 30 min drive…

I think the reason people would be upset is because they are a golf team of particular pride (they love there course, it is represents Oranmore and that part of the city).. The members kept the place going during the crisis and they are getting ejected…

Personally I hope they fail, and fail gloriously, we don't want the precedence of ignoring local people when owning a golf course… Golf Courses take up a lot of land and are a large green space, but they can give back as well…

CowboyTed

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124029848#Comment_124029848

I was trying to find that out…

How much was the course to buy out of Nama?

I know the owner invested after that.

CowboyTed

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124030155#Comment_124030155

You basically said it there…

Galway isn't a place for pretentious and Golf reflects that… It is a working class sport in Galway, the sport you play while you talk about the other sports… A place where you try and grab the odd bit of former glory (where you had it from Football, Hurling, Rugby….

Glenlo are doing the same model over on the other side.. Personally I don't see where they are getting the players from but I do know that local golf courses were told that Yanks won't come near them unless they massively increase Green Fees. They associate cost with quality, which is funny because for a more casual player they would enjoy some of the local courses more that the more robust championship course…

BENDYBINN

does the new sub not reflect access to the new hotel and all the new facilities its going to provide?

CowboyTed

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124032530#Comment_124032530

Donegal has done it already but north of Galway they have GUI rates (i.e. phone them) and non GUI rates…

Golf Clubs don't like to fully advertise them as Yanks figure it out… I played St Patricks (Rosapenna) last year and was watching the match with a nice American and when the prices are online and they can see them, they complain…

If they don't see that bit (i.e. phone them in, many golf pros will say this to you) they are perfectly happy… They very much associate cost with quality…

South of Galway on the west coast no discounts on links golf, generally… I will point out that there is far less links land available below Galway than above it… And there is less and less coming available as building by the sea is coming more popular…

Galway Bay is not Links, but it plays into that Links like mantra. There are only 247 Links courses in the world.. Ireland has 58 of them… US has only 5 (Pebble Beach is not links)…

slave1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124033246#Comment_124033246

I don't wish them to fail, there will be staff etc and members who'll have no bother staying. This happens quite a bit, new owners/new view, it's a company to be ran for profit and members know this when they sign up. Is it nice, no but life can't be nice all the time.

I've no idea where has the most golf courses per capita but I would have imagined the Gulf Coast of Florida.

You included Cregmore in the list of courses, probably in the bottom two or three of courses I've played, dreadful place

REFLINE1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124033682#Comment_124033682

No different to The European club, the new owners have essentially kicked out all existing membership and will restart again, with new inflated fees, once remodel is complete.

slave1

As did Glasson a few years back, hiked membership to get rid of members

Appletart Upsetter

I have genuine sympathy for those members who won't be able to continue at Galway Bay. Hopefully, they find somewhere else that will welcome their loyalty.

I suppose from the owners perspective, if they reduce the number of members by 50% without any loss in revenue, they would look at that as a success?

More available tee times, less wear and tear on the course.

slave1

New five-star hotel to open in Galway with championship golf course and fab spa

skinny90

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124034097#Comment_124034097

In fairness it was expected to happen. Rumours started floating around a 5K joining fee. Last year they had a long enough waiting list for new members even though members numbers where around 450-500.
a lot of people left athenry after the storm damage and now athenry have a 600 quid joining fee

Pat734

In fairness the fee up to now wasn't in any way excessive and should have been more than it was. If they had been that bit dearer from the outset this new hike wouldn't have been seen as it "seemingly" is now by some people. The new hotel is welcome, it will certainly be an attractive pointer for new people coming on board. Members saying they're going to leave and join another club might need to swallow their pride and think about it. Where are they going to go, what fee will they pay, what facilities will they have? If you look at Salthill for example, what do members pay there, is there a waiting list, joining fee, etc, etc? The place is expensive. Ok, for some it might look like an above average increase, but in reality it's playing catch up. Complain by all means, but you either go somewhere else or pay up. New members will join, the ones that go won't really be missed and even though that sounds crude, it's the reality. I doubt the owners care too much, it's business and there's no sympathy in that trade. Complaining is all well and good lads and girls, that's all it is though and not everyone is. If it all goes belly up as a golf destination/club, there's a market for the inevitable building of quality houses that is Plan B. You can choose, you're In or, you're OUT. Very simple.

gary29428

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124033682#Comment_124033682

Lads the resort has increased the sub by 108%, to be fair that is unpresidented, yes, resorts have probably done this in the past but over maybe 3 or 5 years. I'd like to see evidence of such an increase. Glasson is now about 1200 to join, I would not entertaining examples from the top links courses such as the European club, Galway Bay is not the European Club to be fair…there is also history there where the members kept the lights on through some very tuf times. Members in there 70's who have been members all there lives and are now facing a 108% increase, whatever way you paint it, it's not right.

skinny90

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124034474#Comment_124034474

in fairness you sound like you work for the Connaught hospitality group.