M P-W - believe it's been wet all summer in Scotland, south east England has had hardly any rain since May but elsewhere in the country it's a different story.
David Tepper - good quesion. I cannot answer for Ireland as I've never been there, Scotland has 100s of golf courses but I guess no more than 50 draw a healthy percentage of their income from overseas visitors.
Societies, if we go back to the mid 80s the average members club in England would have had 2 or 3 societies a week consisting of 36 guys playing 36 with lunch. Bookings were made on the day for next year and it was a nice little earner! From the mid 80s more and more privately owned courses opened, with few members societies were their key to income, the status quo for the private clubs was ruined by marketing, offers, courting of organisers, etc. By and large the member clubs stuck their heads in the sand thinking they had a good product and the price was the price. So income tailed off.
Now habits are changing and 12 guys turn up wanting 18 holes with ham egg and chips and couple of pints and off home. Every area of the club has suffered; less greefees, no full lunches and heavy lunchtime sessions have left the bar.
To keep the standards members have expected and to pay for the clubhouse extensions built on the back of visitor income, fees have had to in many cases rocket.
Jim Hoak - England having the best courses? Maybe not, but I argue on diversity of the best quality golf. England has world top 100 inland courses , on one list 6 top 100 inland and 5 links, the same list has 6 links over Ireland and Ulster and 8 links and 1 inland course for Scotland.
Melvyn - a classic!