Golf Ireland - the benefits

1. Pretty much mostly it’s handicap maintenance.
2. Access to play Open Competitions/Scratch Cups etc usually at a cheaper rate than green fees
3. Sometimes reduced green fee prices but generally only at high end courses

Benefits as the lads say above plus you can compete in interclub competitions. You'll find reduced green fees at quite a few courses of all price ranges. Note that lots of clubs don't post it online but when you call the proshop they may offer a reduced rate. Your club may also have reciprocal golf with another club - so free casual golf on another course although it's rare enough these days. Ultimately Golf Ireland is the same as FAI (via FIFA) or IRFU (via World Rugby), they are the country's union that administers the sport via the R&A.

If you don't want a handicap or club membership you can pay green fees as an unaffiliated golfer. Think of paying a tenner for 5 aside astro with mates.

The Independent Golfer scheme (through Golf Ireland) will also have some benefits in the subscription when it comes out. Unsure what that will be but you can google the Scotland/England scheme to get an idea. It will also let you keep a handicap without being a club member.

Yeah opens are a great way to play new courses for a reduced rate and the bonus of potentially nabbing a prize is even better.

You also get to practice as much as you want at the club and the unlimited casual golf is makes the membership "cheaper" the more you play.

No idea, the clubs are more than a bit pissed with GI as there's not been much information until recently. No confirmed launch date but if not by end of this season, you'll see it early 2025.

The clubs relying on distance members are the ones in danger, no idea what that number is tbh. Every other club will be fine.

I'm sure it's been considered but given the comms so far, I'd be doubtful if GI has engaged appropriately with the distance clubs.

For me, I can see the reasoning. Let people get handicaps, try increase GI membership, etc...

But 100% think there should be no access to Opens. You can input general play rounds and use the app, but you pay at full rack rates.

Otherwise just smells of having you cake...

If that's what happens there is little point in the scheme at all. A 3, 4 or 5 year ban on any existing club member migrating to the scheme would be more appropriate. 5 years with no Sunday comp or interclub competitions or Captain's Prize or Presidents Prize or Club Match Play or Club Cup and so on so forth would be a big sacrifice just to switch to a scheme like this.

Just crazy prices, I’m surprised the Americans aren’t waking up to how much higher they are being charged vrs Irish people.
I’ve played Portnoo many times as I’m from Donegal. Decent course but not worth 250.

I heard the same about Dooks.

Something along the lines of being a ‘Category 4’ golf course instead of Category 2 or 3… something along those lines when they’re all at conferences trying to sell packages in America.

If IG members were to get open rates at the same as GI club members though, I genuinely think it would break a lot of clubs.

Why spend about 1500 a year for membership (allowing for Sub, comp fees, bar credit, etc...) if you can go out and play opens for €20-30

It won't be as bad as you think. If you really want to play golf you're not going to give up membership. There's unlimited casual golf, practice facilities etc. Those who want the cheapest sub will always move around clubs anyway.

The person who only plays 10 rounds a year or who's circumstances change (work, travel, kids etc). They'll come and go. A small but not insignificant % of memberships are transient by nature for obvious reasons.

If this scheme was as bad as people make it out to be half of the clubs in England/Scotland would be covered in cobwebs. The numbers of golfers in Scotland on the scheme is about 2.5k iirc in 587 clubs. That's 4 golfers per club, are you going to lose 4 members and have 5 different golfers putting in green fees to recoup the loss? I'd wager yes.

If the apocalypse arrives and clubs bleed members for 2026, expect to see the independent golf sub multiply by 3 and green fees to double. Between all of our own clubs and Golf Ireland no one will allow it to kill the clubs.

Membership demographics will show the majority are in the 50+ age group. Independent golf is one of several streams to get more people playing the game. You won't get covid again (hopefully) giving a 1 off boost. If you don't attract more people to play, you won't have members and in turn, you won't have clubs while the game slowly bleeds away. Eventually becoming super elitist with few clubs remaining.

100% I would have been a member in my club years ago if I could have become an independent golfer to test the waters. I was hesitant to even hand over €350 for the intro scheme I joined with.