Online golf club provides handicaps for social golfers
It is no surprise to hear that many golfers just can’t afford to join a golf club. In the larger Australian cities, affordable, convenient golf club memberships can be hard to come by. Even if you have the cash, it is not always easy to justify the joining fees when you barely have time to clean your clubs, let alone play 18 holes of golf each week.
It becomes a Catch-22 situation when you consider the best way to measure your game against other golfers, a handicap. Until now, the only way you can get a certified handicap was to join a golf club. Finally Golf Australia have recognised the problem, and launched an online social golf club to cater for those golfers who aren’t members of golf clubs.
Crown Lager Social Golf Club is an online program and once members play three rounds of nine to 18 holes and enter their results, they’ll receive a Golf Australia Casual Handicap (calculated by Golf Australia’s official handicap software provider, GolfLink) to use in social competitions. This handicap is automatically updated when members enter more results.
Joining the Crown Lager Social Golf Club is $49.95 (plus transaction fee) for a 12 month membership and upon registering, members receive a Welcome Kit valued at more than $100 which includes Srixon merchandise, Drummond Golf vouchers, Crown Lager vouchers and more.
Crown Lager Social Golf Club members will also be invited to exclusive golf days at prestigious private courses including Huntingdale Golf Club (VIC), New South Wales Golf Club (NSW), Indooroopilly Golf Club (QLD), and Lake Karrinyup Country Club (WA).
Ultimately, they would love everyone to be a member of a golf club. It would bolster memberships, raise revenue at golf clubs and improve golf courses across Australia. But for now, it is a great option for golfers who simply can’t afford the time and money to be a member.
As someone who is tired of clubs dictating when I have to play in order for my round of golf to count towards my handicap, I’m considering joining myself.
Follow the Crown Lager Social Golf Club on Twitter @CLSGC and become a fan on Facebook (search for Crown Lager Social Golf Club).
This is probably a deal-breaker for some (from the Handicap Questions section):
“You will usually not be permitted to enter formal competitions at most golf clubs as the GA Casual Handicap is not an official GA handicap.”
You can get an official GA handicap for not much more depending on where you join.
Hmm, possibly. I’m guessing most social golfers haven’t played many comps in the past, and probably don’t care for the comps that much.
I’ve often wondered if most golfers just prefer to have a handicap to gauge their own game or to play against mates rather than in competitions.
The idea that the handicap can’t be used for competitions kills that for me. Great idea for those just wanting to play their mates for social comps, or if there are events organised where you can use your social handicap.
I love entering other club competitions as well as managing to play courses where you need to be a financial member of a golf club to get a look in. Hopefully very useful for some out there but I’ll keep my membership.
This is a great idea and certainly well overdue.
I have a lot of friends that aren’t members of clubs so this will help them out no end.