Wentworth Sold!

[Adam Lawrence]

The intention is that Wentworth is going US-style private. No corporate golf (which is huge there now), no visitors except guests of members.

[Rich Goodale]

It seems clear that not many of the new memberships will be sold to CP China members....

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/china-communist-partys-deadly-sins-gluttony-sex-golf-085608436.html

[Tim Gavrich]

I half jokingly tweeted that I wondered if the Chinese woul restore the East back to its original state.

Would cost less than 1% of the purchase price...... but unfortunately I'm pretty sure it won't happen

Frank--

Your tweet appears to have been prescient. Per the press release that Geoff Shackelford posted on his site, "[size=90%]The East Course will be restored to its original Harry Colt design.[/size]"

So it seems the West is beyond repair, but they're ostensibly going to preserve the East for architectural contrast's sake.

[Adam Lawrence]

I don't think it's a question of being beyond repair, but there being no desire to restore the West.

[David_Tepper]

http://www.geoffshackelford.com/homepage/2015/10/21/wentworth-will-be-undergoing-a-restoration-by-the-same-team.html

[David_Tepper]

Annual dues will double from 8,000 to 16,000 pounds. Ouch!

http://www.golfdigest.com/story/wentworth-club-home-of-the-european-tour-rising-membership-costs-by-six-figures

[Adrian_Stiff]

Seems a strange route for a 54 hole golf club to take. The model as was, was working and despite the cries of despair from the minor crowd, the new version of the Burmah Road was seen as better than before and much talked about.


The new model, I see £££ as problem 1 and problem 2 it's not even the best in Surrey. Super wealthy individuals need playing partners, they don't usually play with other SWIs. Most of this category will be content at their present club.


Will be interesting to see what pans out.

[Jon Wiggett]

Maybe if they can prove that the golf courses are not a viable business they will get permission to build on it instead. After all if China has banned party members from playing golf then surely owning courses might be frowned up on. Hopefully they might retain a par 3 course

[Adam Lawrence]

Seems a strange route for a 54 hole golf club to take. The model as was, was working and despite the cries of despair from the minor crowd, the new version of the Burmah Road was seen as better than before and much talked about.

The new model, I see £££ as problem 1 and problem 2 it's not even the best in Surrey. Super wealthy individuals need playing partners, they don't usually play with other SWIs. Most of this category will be content at their present club.

Will be interesting to see what pans out.

I think the objective is to fill the membership with non-British wealthy, Russian and Chinese especially. There are lots of wealthy eastern European and Far Easterners in London, it's not a bad pitch. Those guys don't typically have 'present clubs', in this country at least.

[Paul Gray]

Seems a strange route for a 54 hole golf club to take. The model as was, was working and despite the cries of despair from the minor crowd, the new version of the Burmah Road was seen as better than before and much talked about.

The new model, I see £££ as problem 1 and problem 2 it's not even the best in Surrey. Super wealthy individuals need playing partners, they don't usually play with other SWIs. Most of this category will be content at their present club.

Will be interesting to see what pans out.

I think the objective is to fill the membership with non-British wealthy, Russian and Chinese especially. There are lots of wealthy eastern European and Far Easterners in London, it's not a bad pitch. Those guys don't typically have 'present clubs', in this country at least.

And when the East Course gets restored and subsequently ranked above the West, there will be far less resistance to restoring the West. Ultimately then you get a package which is very marketable to super wealthy foreigners as it comes with more than a whiff of old English aristocratic class. It's TOC classicism with a big pinch of Rule Britannia thrown in. And despite what people might say, you CAN put a price on that. You CAN put a very high price on that in fact.

[Adam Lawrence]

I don't think so. I think the price comes from keeping the proles out. That's why Beaverbrook memberships are selling well at £125k a pop and really none of the old-line members clubs has anything resembling a large joining fee. Sunningdale, Georges, etc are posh but you're always liable to be waiting behind a group of visitors.

[Paul Gray]

I don't think so. I think the price comes from keeping the proles out. That's why Beaverbrook memberships are selling well at £125k a pop and really none of the old-line members clubs has anything resembling a large joining fee. Sunningdale, Georges, etc are posh but you're always liable to be waiting behind a group of visitors.

Exactly. Super rich members and very few visitors clogging up the course. It's really no different to what we had a century ago and what still exists in the American market. I'm just pleased I can still get that same deal for £1,200 a year! There's a lot to be said for being a member of a quality links which isn't quite good enough to attract international attraction.   

I joke but there's a serious point here: the price of quiet fairways increases exponentially with the PERCEIVED quality of a course. Wentworth has every chance of cashing in on that.

[Mark Chaplin]

A number of heavyweight Surrey clubs had more than two handfuls of membership enquiries from Wentworth members earlier in the week.

Adam RSG are very good at keeping visitors away from members and members do not turn up for a game at 11am on a Tuesday 4ball day. I bet Sunningdale is the same.

[Josh Stevens]

Does not bode well for their welcome elsewhere. I have heard stories that a few Aussie clubs have rejected requests to play from American visitors from top end clubs on the quite reasonable premise that those clubs would not afford the same courtesy to the Australian visitors.

What goes around comes around.

[Greg Gilson]

I have heard stories that a few Aussie clubs have rejected requests to play from American visitors from top end clubs on the quite reasonable premise that those clubs would not afford the same courtesy to the Australian visitors.


Hi Josh. Which clubs? Who told you the stories? Which American clubs? Only real reason I know of would be "member only" times or course maintenance or corporate booking etc. I would be stunned if an Aussie club turned away a US$ for the reason you suggest....

[Josh Stevens]

Its fourth hand I confess and so not something I will vouch for as I lack the evidence but I had this conversation with a committeeman of a top Sydney club where US$ are not an issue.

His argument was that all clubs in Australia threw open their doors to international visitors as a matter of courtesy.  One of his members had raised the hypothetical of what would happen if someone from say Pine Valley asked for a game, when it was clear the courtesy would not be returned.   Should they be told no?

Its a interesting theoretical point, but I suspect you are correct that in practice it probably never got to that point and probably never would.

[Greg Gilson]

Hi Josh, I agree with what you are saying now. (Apart from Ellerston & The Capital), pretty much every course in Australia is accessible  to unaccompanied non member play:
      -at certain times of the week
     - if you plan far enough in advance
     - subject to handicap restrictions in some cases
     -upon payment of the relevant Green Fee

That's pretty similar to the GB & I model but certainly not the case at your typical top shelf US private club. I know that probably irks some of the members at those Aussie clubs that think they are throwing open their doors, relatively. That said, I think most members at Royal Melbourne & Royal Sydney can find their way onto most anywhere these days (with a bit of help from the shop & office staff as well as fellow members with international memberships).

[Alan Ritchie]

As far as I'm aware neither the australian or royal sydney will let on unaccompanied non members at any time. I have previously enquired to no avail!

 not to worry though as NSW is more accommodating and seemingly far superior. and  barnbougle is only a short flight away!

[Greg Gilson]

Apologies to the DG for taking this off on a tangent....however....

Alan, Australian is fine (within reason!!!!) as long as you are from O/S or out of state:

Guests should be invited to play by a member of The Australian, unless they are from interstate or overseas, in which case they may be introduced by the General Manager. Manager introduced guests should be affiliated with a recognised golf club or association, and hold a current membership identification card or letter of introduction from that organisation.

You raise a good point about RSGC. I am reciprocal so I have always introduced guests through that affiliation, I guess. However, you correctly point out that you probably should not skip a round at NSWGC to play at RSGC ! That said, I think that, if they REAAAAAALLY wanted one,  an international guest would get a game at RSGC with a well worded, polite, flexible  letter to the GM.

[Josh Stevens]

However it works I am not sure my club will be falling over itself to accommodate some oligarchs from Wentworth.

However Wentworth was always seen as very tacky and nouveau riche by the Swinley and Sunningdale set so I don't think its will fall far from its current social standing.

[JJShanley]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/12198053/Golfers-declare-victory-in-Battle-of-Wentworth.html

[Jon Wiggett]

Interesting report. Just shows what financial clout many of these paper billionaires really have when they have to try and raise the purchase price from the membership. £135M should be small change but apparently not. To be honest, trying to find 900 people willing to pay £100K to (join) a club owned by an unpredictable organisation is a long fetch. Wonder how long before they are trying to off load it?

Jon

[Howard Riefs]

Wentworth golf club members face expulsion if they publicly criticize its owners



http://www.geoffshackelford.com/homepage/2017/6/15/wentworth-members-threatened-with-expulsion-for-criticism.html

[Jon Wiggett]

I wish the owner good luck trying to enforce that one. There has been a damning report on the new version of the West Course by 'Fine Golf'.

[Adrian_Stiff]

I wish the owner good luck trying to enforce that one. There has been a damning report on the new version of the West Course by 'Fine Golf'.

Most clubs have that rule now. Social media is a big player you have to have that in place to keep the trolls unarmed.