Dublin Membership

They certainly won't be going down for the foreseeable. Any club with an entrance fee will be keeping it and those without might introduce them.

Totally agree with Eoghan, it’s not like 2008 when there was no money around. Also any club inside the M50 will be charging a premium and rightly so.

So I expect most clubs to bring them back in 2022 and I know a lot of clubs discussed it. I also expect membership fees to start rising again in 2022.

Happy Gilmore 2020 wrote: »

Many thanks for the heads up. Grange well out of my price range. Rathfarnham is currently 4k and Edmonstown is 5k .. which is the best?

I notice all of these clubs (and stackstown) require a proposer and seconder for membership to even be considered. I was told this was the case for Grange even for Pavillion membership. Is there any workaround for people who have no contacts in the club? Especially now in COVID times where you cannot go up to the club and meet people.

Happy Gilmore 2020 wrote: »

Many thanks for the response. Both are too pricey but if by some miracle the entrance fees go down I will consider. I know members in Stackstown and there is no entrance fees so that might be my only option for now at least.

Have you the option to look further away? Much better value in North Wicklow and North Dublin.

Happy Gilmore 2020 wrote: »

Many thanks for the response. Both are too pricey but if by some miracle the entrance fees go down I will consider. I know members in Stackstown and there is no entrance fees so that might be my only option for now at least.

Have you played Stackstown, it is not bad, great views of the city but a few very hilly holes especially the 15/16 if they play the holes down to the road. Not sure I would fancy it in the winter but very nice in the Summer.
Know a few people in Lisheen only about 15/20 min drive from Rathfarnham, can get good deals there and decent course. Only thing I have found playing there is it seems to be a bit of carpark golfclub, people play and go straight home. Depends on what you are looking for. Castleknock is about the same distance and good deals there. Grangecastle/Beech park/ citywest (don't really like that course) maybe other options.

Happy Gilmore 2020 wrote: »

Thanks to all for posting replies.im currently in Beechpark and can't complain but would love to join a course 5 mins away instead of 20... I'll just have to sit tight for now at least.. I'm lucky to have Beechpark:)

There are also 2 9 hole courses near the back entrance of Marley, one in the grounds of St Columbas Kilmashogue Golf Club and Ballinascorney Golf Club as well. I have never played either.

Happy Gilmore 2020 wrote: »

Thanks, you certainly know your stuff. Appreciate it.

Well living around there over 40 years and member of one of aforementioned courses 33 years. Good thing about the area is along with North county Dublin the best area for Golf courses in the city!!
If you do know anyone in Grange, Pavillion membership is decent access to back 6 holes/practise area at all the times, reduced green fees, good few comps on main course, biggest plus is you get a GUI. Also if you decide down the line to become a ordinary/full member what you pay as a pavillion will be taken off joining fee. A good few of my friends have done this.
If you are young they do very good deals for intermediates. Membership generally opens in Jan so if you know some members you need to get your skates on.

Luckycharm wrote: »

Not really unless you know Friends of friends, they had a couple of incidents where people got in and didn't really know anyone and caused a few problems.

Thanks, that’s completely fair enough but at least in the past you could pick up green fees and meet people in the clubhouse which can’t be done anymore.

I know in previous threads people say that gaining pavilion membership in Grange is the best path to Full but even that can’t be accessed without a proposer and seconder and as above this is now increasingly difficult to get and asking around in work circles is no longer an option either! I’ll be putting out an ad in the Irish Times by Christmas 😂

PhilOssophy wrote: »

I think any course outside the M50 suffers from the carpark golfclub mentality. It is a combination of people unable to get in anywhere inside the M50 (so they have to drive, i.e. no drinking after the round) and joining fees (which people might not be willing or able to cough up).

I haven't played Stackstown before but I've heard it is very hilly and a friend told me the fairway on some holes is 2ft wide! Agree re Citywest, it is a terrible course in my view and a complete bog in the winter.

Stackstown is relatively hilly in comparison to the other courses mentioned but if you are somewhat fit ie capable of walking any other course I don't think it is a big issue. The only holes I would consider a somewhat strenuous walk would be 14 and 16a. I have no idea what holes your friend could be thinking of with 2 foot fairways. All the fairways are pretty normal in size in my opinion

srfc d16 wrote: »

Stackstown is relatively hilly in comparison to the other courses mentioned but if you are somewhat fit ie capable of walking any other course I don't think it is a big issue. The only holes I would consider a somewhat strenuous walk would be 14 and 16a. I have no idea what holes your friend could be thinking of with 2 foot fairways. All the fairways are pretty normal in size in my opinion

9 and 18 are also straight up a hill, nearly every drive falls from left to right. I always heard it was very hilly but didn't find it too bad the first few times but the 15th/16th weren't open. Some of the best views of the city.

Happy Gilmore 2020 wrote: »

Any idea how much the Pavilion membership fees are?

billy3sheets wrote: »

Interested to know your reasoning here. If the driver for the additional membership demand in 2020 has been Covid-19 and it looks like an end is in sight, what do you see maintaining the demand going forward to 2022?

The driver for demand is about 250,000 people living within 10 miles of the course, that is the only reason it can maintain demand. It is the same for Elm Park, Milltown and Castle. To a lesser degree with some of the other courses mentioned. IF the same course was in a small town they wouldn't be able to demand those entrance fees or any entrance fees for that matter. If you come up from Junior the entrance fee is very little.

All Entrance fee money is set aside for investment in the course/infrastructure.

Luckycharm wrote: »

The driver for demand is about 250,000 people living within 10 miles of the course, that is the only reason it can maintain demand. It is the same for Elm Park, Milltown and Castle. To a lesser degree with some of the other courses mentioned. IF the same course was in a small town they wouldn't be able to demand those entrance fees or any entrance fees for that matter. If you come up from Junior the entrance fee is very little.

All Entrance fee money is set aside for investment in the course/infrastructure.

Thanks. I can see how demand would always be high around these clubs due to the population.

I thought @ollieboy was making a more generic statement about clubs reintroducing entrance fees though. Anecdotally, I heard the increase in demand was Covid-19 driven with people being out of work and unable to play sports but I'd have no evidence to back this up. If Covid-19 is abated by say March, how will this demand be sustained?

Happy Gilmore 2020 wrote: »

Thanks again, was told by a member today that there is strong interest in the pavilion membership and price has gone up...€1400 year 1 and €700 year two.. looking like I will be staying put for now at least.. cheers

It would want to be burning a hole in my pocket before I'd pay 1400 for a pavilion membership. I could never see myself being that desperate to get in to any club.