Northern Ireland Golf In March

[JMEvensky]

A friend will be in Dublin first week of March. He called Portmarnock and was given a tee time but RCD and Portrush said no--no unaccompanied guests before 1 May. Is this a new policy?

[Mike Worth]

These darn private clubs. I yell ya!

[John Handley]

No not new policy.  Many UK & Ireland clubs open up to visitors May-Sept.

[Richard Fisher]

Depends how you define 'new'. For over 25 years until COVID a friend and I had a March outing for 72 or 90 holes based around one of our premier UK venues, including Portrush, and we always used to try to get the 'shoulder rate' after the clocks had changed but still with the winter green fees. We never ever encountered a 'no visitors' policy - in fact the opposite. It was much easier to get on to Muirfield or RStG then than later in the year, and much cheaper too...I would be very sad if that option has disappeared.

[Thomas Dai]

Less courses offering lower winter ‘shoulder season’ greenfees at many places in RoI/NI these days (same in GB too). And some resort courses are closed Nov to end-Mar or mid-April, as some have been for a while.
Atb

[Mark Chaplin]

Royal Cinque Ports stopped twilight green fees due to complaints that the clubhouse wasn’t open late at night and there were no tee gift, etc.


I wouldn’t be surprised if golfers were complaining about less than perfect winter conditions.

[Niall C]

Royal Cinque Ports stopped twilight green fees due to complaints that the clubhouse wasn’t open late at night and there were no tee gift, etc.


I wouldn’t be surprised if golfers were complaining about less than perfect winter conditions.

Mark


You would know what has been said about Deal but I imagine that a lot of the visitors during the winter would be UK club members who know fine well how it all works. It just seems to me that the high end play and pay courses have set the tone which the top end clubs are happy to follow.


Like Richard, I think that a shame but they are free to do that. I just think it another example of how the golfing culture in this country is changing, and from my perspective not necessarily in a good way.


Niall 

[Sean_A]

Royal Cinque Ports stopped twilight green fees due to complaints that the clubhouse wasn’t open late at night and there were no tee gift, etc.

I wouldn’t be surprised if golfers were complaining about less than perfect winter conditions.

There is the issue of visitor expectation, ie not happy about winter works or forward tees. But to be honest, I don’t want my clubs to offer a winter rate unless it’s last minute or there are holes out of play etc.  Links need a rest and there really aren’t enough prime times for members in winter. Plus, where else are folks gonna play? It’s selfish, I know.

Ciao

[Adam Lawrence]

Royal Cinque Ports stopped twilight green fees due to complaints that the clubhouse wasn’t open late at night and there were no tee gift, etc.

I wouldn’t be surprised if golfers were complaining about less than perfect winter conditions.

There is the issue of visitor expectation, ie not happy about winter works or forward tees. But to be honest, I don’t want my clubs to offer a winter rate unless it’s last minute or there are holes out of play etc.  Links need a rest and there really aren’t enough prime times for members in winter. Plus, where else are folks gonna play? It’s selfish, I know.

Ciao

Is it selfish? I mean the first job of a members' club is to keep its members happy. If they're putting visitors ahead of members then there is a problem.

[Mark Chaplin]

Niall the issue in the winter is available hours and courses do need a rest. Unfortunately as the premier venues get more and more expensive, winter visits were the only way many local golfers could experience the big boys at a “reasonable” cost.


Another sad covid effect is pressure on artisan sections leading to some being closed down. The out of hours pre 8am and post 4pm artisan times are becoming peak hours in the world of working from home. I find this especially disappointing as again it takes the “working man” away from his local course.

[Sean_A]

Royal Cinque Ports stopped twilight green fees due to complaints that the clubhouse wasn’t open late at night and there were no tee gift, etc.

I wouldn’t be surprised if golfers were complaining about less than perfect winter conditions.

There is the issue of visitor expectation, ie not happy about winter works or forward tees. But to be honest, I don’t want my clubs to offer a winter rate unless it’s last minute or there are holes out of play etc.  Links need a rest and there really aren’t enough prime times for members in winter. Plus, where else are folks gonna play? It’s selfish, I know.

Ciao

Is it selfish? I mean the first job of a members' club is to keep its members happy. If they're putting visitors ahead of members then there is a problem.

From the PoV of myself playing many rounds on reduced winter fees, yes. But I always believed it was crazy for dry winter courses to reduce the rate when dry is at a premium.

Ciao

[Niall C]

Niall the issue in the winter is available hours and courses do need a rest. Unfortunately as the premier venues get more and more expensive, winter visits were the only way many local golfers could experience the big boys at a “reasonable” cost.


Another sad covid effect is pressure on artisan sections leading to some being closed down. The out of hours pre 8am and post 4pm artisan times are becoming peak hours in the world of working from home. I find this especially disappointing as again it takes the “working man” away from his local course.

Mark


I agree with all that but the fact that it is happening shows two things; firstly that members are playing more rounds, and secondly the clubs don't need the income. Like Sean and Richard, I've played a lot of winter golf as a visitor, even when a member at a links course, mainly because it was an affordable and low key way of seeing another course.


Niall