Independent Golfer Ireland

Nowhere in that question does it mention handicap. The handicap question is mentioned much later in the application form. It's ridiculous to think that I could be given the same handicap I had six years ago having not held a golf club since then.

That is not the application form.

The better Courses could start insisting on all players to hold gui cards.

Where does the €65 subscription go. Is most of it going to the clubs?

Normal gui fee is about €28.

It's paid to Golf Ireland. I think they believe it breaks even in year two. Will some funds be ring fenced and passed on to clubs via supports?

Your guess is as good as mine. There's capital investment in developing a new app/platform and on going running costs.

If you have 2,000 igolfers in the country you've taken in €130k in subscriptions. Think of costs… admin staff, handicap committee, some marketing and operations overheads. Software licencing and support on top.

I don't think there's a huge amount leftover to be distributed back to clubs. It's hardly a money printing exercise for Golf Ireland tbf.

Well said

Can’t believe people are stubbornly saying they’re doing it for the good of others who pay up in other clubs

It appears that not all clubs offer regular open competitions - mainly the ones that consider themselves "exclusive".

I think that the clubs that do should think twice about letting GI Members from those clubs enter their opens - they are as mean as the igolfers.

None of the exclusive clubs as you refer to have regular open competitions so that is a non issue.

Is there any way to check when your card number was last active. I stopped membership in I think 2022, could be 23 though, but this scheme would be perfect for me right now

I suppose the clubs that offer opens could get together and create a whitelist.

Have to admit to having mixed feelings on this. I'm in a small club and we just about keep our head above water, if 20 or 30 guys left to take advantage if this, it would really cause problems. I could really see that happening in many clubs. I think for a lot of club members around the country, if they seriously looked at their annual sub and divide it by the number of games they actually play, it could cause a lot of uncomfortable thoughts and something like this could push them over the edge. To me I think the club membership thing has a price, but many are now looking at their golf like a gym subscription where they want to pay for a service/facility and no longer want ownership of it. I think there's an argument that the club thing is slowly dying - certainly from what I see, lots of guys under 40 or 50 have no interest in that side of it, or say playing on teams or even what their handicap is, they just want a regular fourball with their 3 mates on Saturdays from April to September. Not saying that's right or wrong, just different from the past. I mean, bar links courses, its basically a 6/7 month season in Ireland - if the iGolfer tap only runs for these months and enough members have downgraded, it could cause real problems.

If Joe iGolfer can play in 20 opens during the course of his 6 month season, what incentive has he to fork out maybe double the cost of that to join a club ? Likewise if Jane club member only plays once a week in the summer, why would she continue to pay say €1,500 when iGolf would give her her 20 games for a fraction of that ? Obviously that's if there's a way round the time limit or if the time limit isn't or can't be policed.

Be interesting to see how it plays out in practice.

Looks like it’s play dumb but you’ll be getting a brand new Golf Ireland number and not using the one you’ve used before.

I feel pretty strongly about it as in against it. On the other hand I'm not sure how real the threat is after thinking about it for a little.

Someone who can play midweek - say a retired person - probably has no problem with a full membership in any case. They get their value no matter what. Cant see them being interested much in that.

And someone working, no or limited flexibility with part time or wfh or something - they really are mostly restricted to Saturday Sunday. If they have family commitments probably only one of those days even. Ideally without much travelling. So local Sunday club comp it is because opens at the weekend are pretty rare and there is the travelling bit. I cant really see them going for iGolf much either tbh.

Out of curiosity I looked up opens on Golf Ireland and if you wanted to play open comps the next couple of weekends there isnt much choice and you'll be travelling. Next weekend there is a 4ball in Dungarvan and singles in Nenagh. Weekend after that you've got Moyvalley and Donabate and a 4ball in Enniscorthy.
Its not nothing and there may be others not registered with GI but its not exactly a large offering and you might be on the road a long time too.