Edinburgh Golfer Looking for Club to Join!

Hi guys,

Was looking for a little advice on joining a golf club in Edinburgh...

I live in the North of Edinburgh. (Pilton)

I just started playing golf again in May 2011. First time in 18 years and I'm totally addicted...

I'm 47 and only work weekends so golf for me is mainly a Monday -Friday thing with the
exception of 14 days holidays a year which I intend to use for golf ofcourse!

Anyway, I got a "5 day Edinburgh Leisure Card" to play the various 6 courses you can with it
and it's been a great thing at only £27-50 a month during the summer months.

Anyway...

I joined Carrickvale Golf Club in September (God Knows Why) just to get into a club but regret
it now as I've hardly been able to play the course due to the weather in the past few months.

My intention was to get a national handicap so as to enter a few medals etc but due to the
weather I've mainly played Craigentinny and the Braids in the past 5/6 months as they have
held up better than Carricknowe.

Advice on Choosing a Club to Join...

A few questions I have:

Can anyone tell me of any Edinburgh based courses/clubs which have held up to the test of
the weather these past few rainy months?

Is it worth my while going for a 7 day membership as opposed to a 5 day when I will only be
able to play say upto 14 weekend days a year?

Would I get the chance to play medals through the week or are 99% at weekends?

Which clubs/courses offer the best oncourse practice facilities?

My Level of Play...

According to my Skycaddie SGX which I use to log all my complete rounds my handicap (CONGU)
is at 8.1 but that is probably down to me playing Craigentinny which is relatively short and easy.

I average about 12 over round the Braids.

Anyway guys if anyone has any input on a club to join I would really appreciate it.

PS. Happy New Year!

Greenseeker

You might find some help with your question on the thread below:

https://www.606v2.com/t20104-find-s_r-a-course-edinburgh-golfing-scene#773107

And Happy New Year to you too

It has been exceptionally wet, so you may find that Carrick Knowe isn't normally that wet.

A lot of clubs are now dispensing with midweek memberships, partly because of pending discrimination legislation which may be enacted sometime soon, and partly because they're struggling and need money. So that may colour your decision. Of the clubs I know, Turnhouse, Murrayfield, Ratho Park, Bruntsfield, Duddingstone and Barnton are the best ones in easy reach of Pilton. They are generally open in bad weather. What's your budget? Some of those are expensive.

Further afield are some courses that are in pretty good condition most of the year like Broomieknowe, Baberton and Dalmahoy, but they're quite expensive and would take a bit longer to get there. If time is a consideration, then you should take that into account.

@golfermartin

Thanks for the post link but I'd already checked that out and although it
contained some decent info it didn't contain all the information I was after.

@George1507

Are you saying i should avoid midweek memberships as they are just a way
of clubs topping up their fees?

I have played duddingston which although is on the other side of the city
I might consider it but it's a little on the pricey side with a £400 joining fee
and £910 a year.

My budget if paying cash is about £550, anymore and I'd be looking for
payment options like direct debit which I've seen available at a few
clubs/courses.

£70 a month is about my limit at this time.

I've considered Turnhouse but not yet played there... Any idea of the price
of membership there? I can't see any prices listed on the site.

I've yet to try Baberton but would consider it if the course is to my liking.

Practice facilities at the course are quite important to me hence why
public courses are not an option. They only seem to have a driving net
and a putting green available and they are usually of poor quality.

I checked out Prestonfield earlier today but have never played the course,
has anyone played "Prestonfield GC"? Does it have any practice facilities
for members?

Thanks for the feedback so far guys!

No, I'm not saying to avoid midweek memberships. What I'm saying is that you may find many clubs do not offer midweek memberships any longer because that membership category is closed. There may be midweek members who continue as that, but lots of courses are closing that category to new members.

I don't know what the subscription is at Turnhouse, but the practice facilities are very good. It's also a very sociable club, lots of happy members. I know they are recruiting, so it may be worth your while dropping in to see what they can offer.

If clubs don't offer credit facilities themselves, then you can always use a credit company like fairway credit. You pay a monthly amount, and the interest is reasonable. Most clubs offer this facility though, and everyone is accepted for credit.

Green seeker

At Braid Hills there are at least four clubs who use the braid hills number 1 course for comps. You should check which one has the most mid week action.

http://www.braids-united.co.uk/

http://www.harrisongolfclub.co.uk/

http://www.edinburghthistle.co.uk/

I cant remember any more but I think there is another one at least.

@ McLaren

As much as I like the braids especially on a nice day the course has
no practice facilities other than a driving net which is not what I'm
looking for. I know it's a couple of minutes from the driving range
but that means more time, money and inconvenience.

Thanks for the links though, I did check each out!

A couple of courses keep popping up in the posts I've read so far
and they are Turnhouse and Baberton...

I decided to visit both yesterday and am very glad i did.

I played all 18 holes at Baberton which was actually quite nice
considering the weather lately, I'll definitely play there again in the
nice weather but it lacks the practice facilities and there is work
being done very soon to relocate the main clubhouse so I dont'
think now is a good time to join there.

Turnhouse

I was very impressed by what I saw of Turnhouse GC and think
that will be the club for me. I'll be playing there sometime in the
next week with a view to joining.

The fees for joining Turnhouse by the way are:

£500 = Join fee (2 payments of £250 is an option)
£697 = Yearly subscription (Fairway Credit is an Option)

That information i had to get from the course manager so posted
it here for others to see.

Anyway guys thanks for your input on some potential courses to
join. I think I've found the one for me in Turnhouse.

Good luck then. I like Turnhouse, I've played there quite a few times over the years and it's always a pleasure. Convenient to leave your car there when you go on holiday too!

I'm surprised the fees at Turnhouse have gone up so much in the last couple of years. i'm sure when i checked it out a couple of years ago the subs were approx £550. Are they imposing a levy on clubhouse improvements or something?

Was none the wiser when asking about membership prices ban_bam so
ain't gotta clue about rise in subs. No doubt I'll find out more as a member
which will hopefully be very soon.

@George1507

You ain't really left your car there and went on holiday have you?

Blimey, Turnhouse is very reasonably priced for 'a city' club. Not too bad for access from the Pilton area too.

Just remember to duck when the planes come in Green Seeker.

Never mind when going on holiday, if I lived in Pilton I would be tempted to leave the car at the golf club.



So are you planning on keeping the Edinburgh leisure ticket and a club membership? Turnhouse seems a good option and somewhere I would consider if it was not on the other side of town from me.

It's just a 5 day golf season ticket i have, not a leisure card but will be
ditching it when I become a member of Turnhouse.

I'll make use of the membership perk by playing the discounted courses
which comes with the Turnhouse membership.

I can play Baberton, Kingsknowe, Merchants of Edinburgh or Prestonfield
at the guest rate of £10 when I feel boredom setting in.

Green Seeker wrote:

@George1507

You ain't really left your car there and went on holiday have you?

Err, no but I know someone who did. I left my car there once after being 'overserved' at the bar. I intended to pick it up the next day, but didn't manage it. I was in receipt of a polite call from the secretary the following day asking if I wanted it or should they just sell it for me.

I'm back to the drawing board looking for an Edinburgh Golf Club again. I
played turnhouse as I said I would prior to making my decision to join and
have to say I was a little dissappointed.

Upon my visit for a test round here's what I experienced...

Firstly: - I could not use my golf trolley as the course was very wet in places
but apparently it's quite a regular thing that players are requested to carry
there clubs around the course as opposed to using a trolley.

Now, I carry a lot of stuff in my bag which meant carrying my bag was not
really an option. I have a Motocaddy s3 with pro cart bag. I would have to
empty the contents to a bare minimum in order to play the course. Not of
to a great start I thought. Luckily the pro lent me his lightweight shoulder
bag for my test round.

Secondly: - As a member you cannot book times in advance as they use some
old method of queing up to play. A table where you place an old marked ball
which moves forward as players go out. Certainly no good to me as I need
specific time slots for my golf.

Time to get with the times golf clubs... the internet is here! Online booking
should be available at all private golf clubs as far as I am concerned.

Thirdly: - The course itself. Quite a few winter greens were in play but I didn't
mind that. What I did mind was the blind holes. I don't mind doglegs but holes
where you don't know where you are hitting too? I had no idea where to hit my
drives and as it was my first time on the course found it very frustrating. I
know... As a member I would soon get used to that!

The top half of the course was set on a hill with very little tree cover, virtually
no trees, no scenery, nothing. At this point I was saying £500 + £697 Subs for
this?

So that was my experience guys. I am being too harsh? Should I hang fire and
play it a 2nd time in nicer weather when I can play the course in it's glory or
should I look elsewhere as I know I'll be playing lots of golf in crappy wet
weather?

At the end of the day, the course was in very good condition considering the
very wet weather we have had lately. The practice facilities are 2nd to none!

But do the pros outweigh the cons? Hmmm

Would like to hear what you guys think?

GS, it sounds like you had a similar reaction to mine. i played the course in september 2 or 3 years ago and couldn't fault the condition of the course. i just didn't enjoy the layout, which is imaginative (but rubbish in my opinion ). i played duddingston the day after for the first time as well, and there is really no comparison between the two - duddingston feels like there is plenty room for the golf course to be laid out thoughtfully, whereas for me turnhouse feels a little cramped and this is reflected in the unusual nature of some holes. there are some extremely poor holes in my opinion (holes 1-3 are a terrible start, 10 sticks out as another poor un) and any attempt to wash over this with 'good course condition' are weak. duddingston is certainly not without its faults - course condition ironically being the main one - but personally i find it to be an enjoyable layout and test. it's one of the few courses i've played which i regularly use every club in the bag each round, and though it's 6500+yards, i have never felt its a course you need to blast driver off every tee as strategic placement of the ball is generally rewarded. the practice facilities are appropriate (exceeding turnhouse's in all but scale). despite living approx 10mins away from turnhouse even the 30min drive across town doesn't bring duddingston down for me. finally, location wise, duddingston is excellent. you are far more centrally located that turnhouse, but the course has a more secluded feel to it. the views of the 'modest rear end' of arthur seat also add to the feel of the place, as do the aged trees that surround and meander throughout the course - unfortunately many have suffered in the winds over the last couple of months, very sad to see trees with trunks the width of a toyota aygo so savagly torn apart.

GS

Given where you are located, have you thought about East Lothian rather than Edinburgh ?? For example are a couple of courses in Gifford [Gifford GC and Castle Park] which are pretty cheap to get in, very friendly and are probably as close to you [time wise] as some in Edinburgh.........

GWS - Yes, I have thought about that very much funny enough
but as for the time to get there... I very much doubt I could get
there and back in the same amount of time.

My cousin is a member of Longniddry and I was thinking of joining
there but, when the leith and portobello traffic is busy it takes
about 50 minutes to get there so I'd have to add about 1.5 hrs
for commuting to the course and back.

But I must admit, even though the time to get there and back is
a bit longer I have thought about joining Longniddry on more than
one occassion.

@ ban_bam

I'm glad to hear that I am not alone on the thoughts of the Turnhouse Course...
I played Duddingston about 4 months ago but unfortunately it was just after 2
weeks of horrendous wet weather and the greens were covered in sand to soak
up the excess water. Kind of ruined a great day as the course was fantastic!

Duddingston is one that I have considered but is a bit on the pricey side with
£910 subs and a £400 joining fee...

You say duddingston practice facilities exceed turnhouse's except in scale, can
you elaborate ban_bam?

Has anyone played Prestonfield?

Any good?

It is free to join at the moment with £710 subs which seems quite reasonable
considering where the course is situated, just 2 minutes from duddingston gc.

Prestonfield is very nice. I can't remember any practice facilities though.

I think it's admirable that you are taking so much time and effort to find the right club, but you haven't mentioned the most important thing about a golf club. If you don't think you'll get on with the majority of members, then don't join, because five or ten years down the line you'll regret your decision.

@ George1507

Thanks for the quick brief on Prestonfield GC.

As for getting on with members of the potential club...

How on earth do I work that one out prior to joining?

I personally am very easy going and get along with the majority of
people so I'd be very surprised if that would be an issue. I'm joining
a golf club to primarily get myself a national handicap and play in
some club medals/competitions.

I'll take on the socialising as and when i become a member of a club.

Ask the secretary or somebody at the club if they can fix you up with three guys of a similar age and handicap to you for a game.

If you get on with them then ask how they like the club and how easy it is to find people to play with and socialise. Have a beer when you finish and see what the people in the bar are like.

It's a big decision to get wrong. Lots of clubs have a 'playing in' requirement as part of the entry process, and that works as a two way thing - for you to find out about the club, as well as the club checking you out.

Thanks very much for the elaborated info on the other
side of being a member of a golf club. You have made
me think more about becoming a member at my cousins
course albeit further away...

I was already leaning in that direction and you're comment
has had an affect on that quite substancially.

gs, yep they've been strugging with the greens a little over the last couple of years. they were really badly hit by the ice 2 winters ago, and were disappointing throughout the following season. last year wasn't nearly as bad after the snow (no ice this time), and april / may the course was in excellent condition. they undertook 3 or 4 series of tining and top-dressing through last summer, so at points the greens were very disappointing, though hopefully we will see the benefit of that care in the coming year. i would say that the course is not generally maintained to what i would expect the condition of a £900+ a year club, but there are probably many factors behind that. note that included within the subs there is a large levy of about 100-150ish which is toward the clubhouse development.

onto the practice facilities:

turnhouse has a large field for practice and a large putting green i believe. plans for driving range bays too, which would probably mean pay to practice if they ever build them.

duddingston has two smaller ranges. one positioned near to the clubhouse and 1st hole, which is useful for a quick warm up - approx 250 yards long and 50 wide - enough for about 8 players to hit balls. there is also a secondary range in the middle of the course. this is triangular in shape, with the long edge allowing shots upto around 240 yards, and a shorter edge to the same target for shots upto about 150yards. many use this for practicing shorter shots - ie, getting the brolley out as a target for pitching etc. there is also a slightly raised green which i believe used to be one of the old holes, which is used for pitching inside 30yards, chipping and bunker practice. it is a really lovely spot to practice on a summer evening as the 6th, 7th and 8th holes play around each edge of the area. though far smaller in scale to turnhouses facilities this space feels like a 'place' as opposed to the clinical flat farm field under the flightpath at turnhouse. though the facilities get good use through the summer, its been a rare occurance for me to struggle to find a spot to practice my game. personally i make a lot of use of the short pitching and chipping green in the main practice area. there is also a putting and chipping green next to the clubhouse and a cursory practice net.

i'd second george's point. i joined with 3 guys i know and our group has grown rapidly to about 25 strong, with other new members who have found it difficult to join groups and also a few existing members who were on the periphery of other groups. i might have struggled to integrate myself as easily if i'd been joining on my own.

i've played prestonfield a couple of times in their opens, and enjoyed the course well enough. there aren't any daft holes, but the common complaint is that the middle section feels a little repetative. i found the last couple of holes a bit of a dissapointment too. i think there is a small practice facility between the 3rd and 16th fairways.

longniddry is a decent track. bit of a mix, some lovely holes and a few forgettable ones too. terriffic clubhouse and the last 50yards of the 18th offer a memorable finish.

Ban Ban
I'll second that re.Longniddry clubhouse.
In my time they had a great Pro -Am which was scratch foursomes.
I holed a 5 iron for a two in front of that clubhouse when playing in the Pro Am on one occassion, raised a nice cheer!.

Personally, I love Longniddry. That stretch of holes from about the 5th out through the pines is glorious.

If you know people there, then that would help. Some golf clubs seem to be increasingly dominated by 'groups' who don't want to integrate with others in the club and keep themselves to themselves. If you know someone there then you'll be able to find out how it works, and avoid the big cliquey clubs.

It's one thing that's changed for the worse in the last 10 years or so. Clubs don't stress inclusiveness and a spirit of camaraderie nearly enough.

Hi,

Been keeping an eye on this thread as i have played most courses at some point in the Edinburgh area but the other guys seemed to have you much pretty up to speed
Monktonhall seems to be missing from the chat though, i would rate it slightly above Duddy as one of the finest tracks in the edinburgh area, not sure about practice area, certainly dont think its Turnhouse standard but it'd be a similar price and the course itself is better

Super

Have you sorted out where you are playing in edinburgh yet?

Mac, Just going to stick with St.Andrews. Played TOC on saturday and enjoyed it more than I ever have. Not saying it's a "great" course or worthy of holding a major on every five years all of a sudden, but I had fun.

So you are givng up midweek golf? i thought you used to play 3/4 times a week in the past?

Yeah, I used to Mac, I just can't justify being a member of three clubs. Midweek golf is all about practice, So I just need to find an area where I can chip. Hopefully Carrick Knowe is quiet on summer evenings and I can just walk along the road and pitch up so to speak.

Super

I could be wrong but it might be possible to pay monthly for edinburgh leisure golf and not sign up for the whole year. I think you can pay around £30 a month from april to september. For £180 unlimited golf during the summer does make some sense.

Seems pretty reasonable at that Mac, I'll have to look into it and see if it's a go-er.

Green Seeker I was just about to suggest East Lothian and specifically Longniddry as an alternative to a city club. I should declare an interest I am a member at Longniddry, I joined 2 years ago after getting back in to golf and a couple of years playing at Craigentinny (was a member at Lochend who play there, a great wee club).

I didn't know anyone there when I joined, I just liked the course and the location. There's just something nice about playing on a links after working in the city all week. I have found the place to be very friendly and have never had a problem getting a game, the pro John Gray is excellent in that regard and makes sure everyone gets out. The only thing I would change would be to have some drawn comps but as I say I've never had a problem getting a game and have always been welcomed into the groups by the other members.

The downside would be that the practice facilities are very limited, a putting green and a practice fairway that is probably limited to a 6 iron at best. On the plus side it really is year round golf.

In terms of the travel time I find it takes me consistently between 20 and 25 mins from Leith Links so should only be another 10 mins at most from Pilton.

It's hard to beat it down there on a summer evening looking out over the Forth as you shank another Srixon in to the buckthorn.

@ Caito

Thanks very much for that information and funny enough craigentinny
is a very familiar haunt for me and my clubs. As estimated I thought
in the region of 45 minutes for me to get to Longniddry.

Looks like I might just have to settle for inferior practice areas from
what I have read so far anyways...

I've played Longniddry quite a few times this year and must admit have
been very impressed by the course's condition on the whole and love the
clubhouse which I find quite special. Makes for a perfect 19th.

So why did you leave lochend if it's such a nice wee club Caito? I've actually
considered that in the past few months too but was put off when the
clubhouse basically closed for the winter season. Seems to me that Edinburgh
Council give up on golf once september strikes.

Anyway Caito, thanks again for that added info and you never know we might
cross paths soon at Longniddry.

GS the only reason I left Lochend was because I wanted to play on a better track which Longniddry undoubtedly is. I thought about keeping my membership on at Lochend but couldn't really justify the £130 on top of my subs at Longniddry. I was sorry to leave as I only have good things to say about Lochend and the members there. I also think the Edinburgh council courses are generally pretty good Craigentinny is probably the weakest of the 18 holers but I always enjoyed a round there.

Hopefully see you down at Longniddry in the summer, I'll be the high handicapper getting foisted on your group.

I should probably add that my knowledge of Ed council courses is two and a bit years out of date. the council is totally broke now and the budget given to Ed leisure is under severe pressure so i wouldn't be surprised if the conditions had changed. It's not just the golf the council have given up on.

Dear Fellow Golfers...

Just to let you all know I have sent in my application to Longniddry
Golf Club... Slightly further away than I'd have liked but sometimes
a little sacrifice is necessary.

Thanks for everyone's input on this thread, it certainly helped me
make what I think will be a wise decision.

Alsie wrote:Hi,
Been keeping an eye on this thread as i have played most courses at some point in the Edinburgh area but the other guys seemed to have you much pretty up to speed
Monktonhall seems to be missing from the chat though, i would rate it slightly above Duddy as one of the finest tracks in the edinburgh area, not sure about practice area, certainly dont think its Turnhouse standard but it'd be a similar price and the course itself is better

Off for a game at Monktonhall this evening so finally got the chance to make my own judgement on that one! Duddy is top class right now so if you're right I'm looking forward to a pleasant round.

forgot to update this-
played monktonhall a couple of weeks ago for the first time. miles better than turnhouse yes, but strongly disagree that it's slightly above duddy  enjoyed the game, some nice holes. shot a level hcp 77 from the back tees, which was pleasing given it was a breezy testing night. i'd say it feels like there's next to no trouble off the tee (meaning you can grip and rip the driver more or less all of the par 4s and 5s), all the treachery surrounds the greens. not a fan of the bumpy hillocks around the greens on the flat section - a little unnatural to my eye. physically a little longer than duddy, though duddy feels longer to me, as you can't just hit driver off every tee you've got to plot your way round more carefully - meaning more often than not you hit a variety of longer irons into greens rather than wedges and 9s. would definitely go back for another helping though - as i say enjoyable and certainly one of the better courses i've played in edinburgh - but below duddy and mortonhall for me. lipped out for birdie on the last after hitting driver 2iron pin high to the back of the green. not a hole you'd like to need a 4 on to make your buffer!