Galway Bay Golf Club membership fees 2026

Barnaboy

Also sounds like someone who can well afford 2.5k plus annual sub. Real f you attitude. Hope the place crashes and burns. No time for the gentrification of our game in Ireland.

Golfgraffix

The Jameson Links did something similar a few years back. Fees went up by €1200 a year. (They will be close to €3600 this year)

I would say that in the intervening years the service and overall product has dramatically improved.

I think close to 180 members left but the numbers are are back up now.

I believe a joining fee is being introduced this year too.

It may not be all doom and gloom for Galway Bay members,

Pbbuster

well said

Pbbuster

😜 😜

gary29428

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

To put it into perspective, Carton House with 2 courses and world class practise facility is now cheaper then Galway Bay. Druids Glen with 2 courses is now cheaper then Galway Bay. These are 2 world famous resorts that have hosted Irish Opens…..You can't even hit a driver on the Galway Bay driving range.

With all due respect I think you are talking absolute rubbish and likely employed by the Connaught Group.

And just as you mentioned Salthill, they pay nothing remotly close to 2850 which is what Galway Bay are not asking.

Potumna is 700

Dromoland is 1850

Castlemartyr is 1550

Mount Juliet is 1950

blue note

Firstly - my condolences to the members. This absolutely sucks for them.

As golfgraffix mentioned above - Portmarnock links did this a few years back, I assume to reduce their member numbers. I assume to free up more spots on the timesheet for hotel guests and more lucrative green fees. In fairness, members are a huge problem for resort courses. If you're looking at going somewhere for a weekend and hoping to play two courses, it's hard to find someplace to play on a Sunday. Very few people want to hang around for the members to play their comp so that they can tee off in the afternoon and then hit the road in the evening. And if you can get some societies booking in for a couple of nights, you'll make back a lot of that lost revenue from members leaving.

But a big difference is that Galway Bay is a long way short of Adare Manor or Portmarnock Links. I hear it's very nice, but it would be silly to suggest it's like the other two. This is a bit of a gamble for them. They can always revert back to a member focused club though.

Ben Bailey

As far as I'm aware this proposed model is simply reverting to the original plan for Galway Bay, ie: a resort course. The only real security available to members of golf clubs is to join member owned clubs.

I've always enjoyed playing Galway Bay & would recommend it to visitors, but as others have posted it's a course that wouldn't impress the dentists of Minneapolis on tour so I think this venture will fail and the owners may backtrack.

MayoSalmon

Should be playing in a members owned club to begin with. Never understand lads being members of these resorts..soulless places at the best of times.

flugel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124037283#Comment_124037283

To be fair, it wasn't for many years. Under previous ownership, it was all about the members. Facilities were a couple rooms on the ground floor in the hotel that was basically abandoned. There was absolutely no air or graces about the place.

Plenty of people have been members before and during this time. They weren't at the time feeling unwelcomed in anyway shape or form

Plus, own experience is that it has always been a friendly club, never had issues joining anyone on time sheet etc

Obviously things have changed now, but current members did not sign up to what conditions are being offered for next year

Pbbuster

I can’t understand how this shower got the finance to do this, went belly up years ago, owed bank creditors millions. Still had their flag ugly cars and posh houses! As someone said to me about them before no morals! Sit back wait and have the last laugh! Not even employing Irish companies to car out the world!

Dexters Bow Tie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124035173#Comment_124035173

It's really crapping on the members from a height, but makes commercial sense. Assuming a rack rate of €250, for every member that's lost, the revenue is recouped in 2 fourballs. Its a no-brainer if you can get the footfall.

I don't agree with it, but I can see the logic behind it.

MayoSalmon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124043952#Comment_124043952

They will certianly get the footfall and will do bumper revenue around the Ryder Cup once they get the marketing right.

Galway gets more tourists than Kerry and Cork sure.

soverybored1878

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124032197#Comment_124032197

Notions.

Bocadilloo

1k for a 2 night stay, ahh I'll give it a miss...

rugmtb

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124033366#Comment_124033366

No and its put forward as an positive asset to membes when in fact the hotel will probably be full of slow Yanks taking up members tee times…. but the try to put it forward as positive for members.

SuperSparrow1500

I can't justify renewing at that price but what's the best local alternative, Cregmore or Athenry?

JVince

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124033249#Comment_124033249

Circa €60m investment in the hotel and clubhouse

JVince

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124034944#Comment_124034944

I absolutely hate this type of purile childish response.

It mostly comes from a certain type of person who has the inability to reply with a valid argument (of which there are many)

rickis tache

Past member here. It's a great club and I had had 5 fun years there. Great members and staff. Always got a lovely welcome even when I left. The course is good but I wouldn't call it great even though it was always in wonderful condition when I was there.

I really feel for the members who have done a great job with teams getting better year after year.

It's always been a club in residence and as such have very little say on what happens to course and what owners say about pricing, this was always something that was in the background brewing until it finally happened.

The connacht group don't need the membership if they get the business they expect and they'll definitely of done their homework on what to spend and what they expect in return. They're a successful business in Galway and are trying to create another level in their cv.

If I was still there i would be gutted to be priced out.

Hope the club manages to keep going and nothing more to be hitting what is a fun and welcoming group of members but money talks.

AGM this Sunday. Owners declined appearance before meeting.

skinny90

MOD EDIT

Attack the post and not the poster and with manners please

CowboyTed

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

Connacht has a course for every 13,900…

Florida has course for every 18,000 approx…

I know it is weird…

Florida has some poor courses too… Actually Florida with 23 million people has ony 1 course in top 100 worldwide courses (Seminole) and only 3 in the top 100 in US…

Ireland (Island) with 7.1 million have 6 courses… We have some very high standard courses especially if consider Links courses…

CowboyTed

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124047672#Comment_124047672

Athenry would be the main swap… Cregmore would be a big drop in standard of the course…

Other options would be Gort, Loughrea, Tuam….

Time wise from Oranmore there is very little difference between Athenry and Galway bay, couple of minutes..

Golfgraffix

would Bearna be an option for members looking to move ?

slave1

quite a wet course

soverybored1878

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124055150#Comment_124055150

Played there in summer once. Grand course but the midges, oh my god. Eaten alive.

h2005

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124055150#Comment_124055150

If travelling that far I'd keep going and look at Oughterard.

CowboyTed

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124062790#Comment_124062790

If you live on the west side of the city, Oughterard is a great option… The bypass of Moycullen has is as about 25-30 min drive from Salthill or Knocknacarra with little traffic delays…

On the East side (from Mervue) there is a lot of choices Athenry is obvious, 20min from East side of the city (plus traffic), Loughrea is 29 min, Cregmore 18 min, Gort 36min, Tuam 33min and …

Galway bay was 20min.

slave1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124062790#Comment_124062790

100%, much better course, that little turn of holes in the middle of the front 9 is fabulous on a nice day

FixdePitchmark

Just to be clear - are the current owners - the ones who ended up in Nama with the same place ?

skinny90

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124069608#Comment_124069608

no, it’s the Connaught group who bough it 2/3 years ago