I will never understand why so many golf clubs seem to be so reluctant to open their doors to anybody other than golfers. In truth, I sometimes get the sense that many of them are reluctant to open their doors to anybody!
On three occasions this year I have turned up for early-morning rounds only to find the clubhouse bar doors locked and the interior in darkness. I am talking about bowling up at 8am, by the way. In the summer!
I have sung the praises of my own golf club several times here but even it leaves me speechless at times.
Why do we drive miles for a meal and a drink at a country pub? Because most of them are quaint, many have thatched roofs and beams, friendly staff, great food, glorious beer gardens, often overlooking rivers, village greens or lakes. And they don’t cost the earth.
A clubhouse bar is a huge asset and, guess what, it usually occupies a beautiful setting. There will almost always be outdoor seating, with views over the course and the surrounding countryside.
If it is anything like my golf club, there will be lots of laughter. In other words, the perfect atmosphere.
But do you know ANYBODY who is a non-golfer who would ever consider saying to his or her partner: “Shall we pop down to the golf club for lunch/dinner?” I don’t.
It makes absolutely no sense.
Much of it probably comes down to perception – the thought that golf clubs are filled with snobs and people reading the Daily Telegraph while drinking gin and tonic. In 99% of cases, that is simply not the case.
During the winter, most clubhouses shut their doors at 4pm. Even during the summer, you will find most of them shutting up shop around 8pm. Why? No, really – why?
Why don’t golf clubs realise that they have a proper asset on their hands? They have the bar, they have the restaurant and they have the staff.
There was a time when golf-club food was sub-standard at best and inedible at worst. If my own experience is anything to go by, things have changed for the better. And in my home county of Norfolk, much of the food is of restaurant quality but does not cost as much. Clubs such as Sheringham and Yarmouth & Caister serve some of the best sea-food I have ever eaten.
However, it is almost like the majority of clubs don’t want to try to make any additional money.
Why don’t golf clubs follow the example of so many pubs and stage regular quiz nights? You don’t need to offer huge prizes to attract local quizzers. Just make it cheap and cheerful and maybe include a bite to eat in the cost of entry. Perhaps restrict it to teams of four.
Don’t laugh, but bingo remains hugely popular, with massive numbers of people taking part all over the country. The good news for golf clubs is that It costs next to nothing to set up and run – you just need some bingo balls and cards.
I know that some traditionalists and stuffed shirts will be choking into their G&Ts at the very thought, but have you ever attended a drag bingo night? They are great fun – and they attracted an enormous cross-section of the public, people that otherwise might never go anywhere near a golf club.
Clubhouses tend to be pretty big, the ideal venue for live music – and there are always local music acts looking for places to perform, and will not charge a fortune for the privilege of booking them.
And why not arrange regular discos and/or dinner dances? Most golf clubs hold annual charity or captain’s balls but little else. So why not scale it down a little and hold a monthly disco/dinner dance?
None of the above is rocket science. The staff are already in place, the facilities are there. We just need to persuade our golf clubs to make better use of them – and to ensure that they use all forms of social media to tell the local community what they have on offer.
Who knows? If they can get all of this right there is a genuine possibility that the extra funds raised could either lead to reduced annual subscriptions for club members or be used to invest in the course. Before you know where you are, you just might have created a must-visit venue that packs them in seven days a week.
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