Adrian I understand, after all I live in HACKNEY!
From my Kitchen I look out across gardens at a delightful Georgian terrace (Deal) and from my front door, Vitoria Park and the tower blocks that litter the East End (Epping).
Clubs have to choose, take all or find people who will fit in with their own dreams and it’s my guess that the aging membership are thinking more of Et in Arcadio ego, rather than of attracting members from what they imagine Hackney to be. In return many Hackney residents are quite surprised when they find out where some of their fellow dog walkers live and that they’re not bad blokes really.
My point is that if there is a club culture that members want to see prevail they will have to go to extraordinary lengths to introduce new members in a way that the prevailing ethos survives. This will mean making great lengths to welcome new golfers. Individuals will be easier to assimilate than groups but will be more likely to stay IF THEY LIKE IT. It will mean attracting fewer golfers next year (as some prospective members will not be attracted to this club) but hopefully a steady stream over the years that help expand the club. Until recently the average club hasn’t had to seriously address the problem. Unfortunately the short term nature of committees that run the club mean that it will be hard to stick with this policy if a few influential members don’t like it. Most clubs wait until the joining fee and the waiting list have gone before they acknowledge they have a problem. By then the club is already a hodge podge of members without a strong ethos puling them together.
I should add, Epping is owned by a (more or less) benevolent despot! I think it’s a lot easier for this kind of new club, like yours, to adapt and attract a varied clientele than it is for the older established members club.
I’m always amused by the middle aged rebel, who earns a good living Monday to Friday in a suit and then at the weekend dons a leather jacket, too small to hide his paunch, and swears he’d never be seen dead in a “golf club”. This attitude can also be found in a significant no of pay and play guys. i.e. it’s not cool to tuck shirts in and why do I need to take off my baseball caps indoors. They’re not all t++++++’s and I’ve enjoyed palying with more than a few of them. Mind you, they wouldn’t last 5 mins in Hackney.
On principal I’m only prepared to agree with TEP on one thing, and it’s his big world theory of golf. Golf will survive but it will mostly not resemble the ‘average’ members club of yesteryear. Those clubs who do want to maintain there old traditions will be the ones who work hardest at it unless they are lucky enough to be in that small select group of clubs. But then you knew that already.
I’m also intrigued as to why Scottish clubs use a draw for competitions and English ones don’t? Sean what happens at Pennard?
How about Ireland.