\tHave senior golfers earned the right to play more?<\/p>\n
\t![\"Senior](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Screenshot_2025-11-17_141001_fxpxkp.jpg\")
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\t(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography<\/a>)<\/p>\n \tIf you are 35 years of age, the chances are that you are paying the same annual subscription as somebody aged 67. It is obvious that the 67 year old is getting better value for money from his outlay than the 35 year old. But so what? Does it really matter. The 67 year old has worked hard all his life and has surely earned his or her extra time on the course.<\/p>\n \tIn my view, seniors have earned the right to play as much golf as they want. And don\u2019t forget that in most cases when they retire their monthly income will plummet.<\/p>\n \tI was particularly drawn to the part of Kieran’s article that covered senior golf and suggested that some do not feel they are getting value for money.\u00a0<\/p>\n \tThis may well be the case for some, especially those who do not play all year because they are physically unable to do so. Many golf clubs do not allow buggies during the winter months because of concerns about the damage they might cause to wet golf courses. And this means that many elderly golfers have little choice but to hang up their clubs until spring.<\/p>\n \tUnsurprisingly, some of these golfers believe they should be entitled to discounts or refunds. I think most of us are agreed that golf clubs need to be more adaptable to the needs of their members<\/a>. Let\u2019s see more clubs offering memberships that run from, say, March to the end of September. Many golf clubs have now realised the value of introducing special winter deals – they do this because they know that many of their members stay away during the winter – and they also know that there is a very good chance that those who take advantage of these winter deals may well go on to become full-time members. Precisely that has happened at my club, Dunston Hall Golf Club<\/a> on the outskirts of Norwich, where the vast majority who bought winter deals have now joined the club.<\/p>\n \tSenior golfers get a great deal at golf clubs<\/p>\n \tI believe that, in the main, senior golfers get a great deal. First and foremost, they can play as often as they want when the weather is in their favour.<\/p>\n \tLet\u2019s say you pay a subscription of \u00a31,000 per year and play just twice a week it means you are paying \u00a310 for your round of golf. If you pay \u00a31,000 and play three times a week the cost plummets to less than \u00a36.50. For 18 holes!<\/p>\n \tEven if you only average one round a week I still reckon that golf club membership equates to outstanding value for money.<\/p>\n \tOne of our respondents said: “I\u2019m 77 and play three times a week, but sometimes feel seniors aren\u2019t valued by the club committees.”<\/p>\n \tIf you are playing three times a week then you are getting your golf for next to nothing. And if the club committee does not value you then it might be time to get a seniors committee together to give you and others like you a voice. If you truly don\u2019t feel valued then it is within your powers to vote with your feet.<\/p>\n \tWhy are some senior golfers concerned?<\/p>\n \tGolf is an outdoor sport. We are at the mercy of the elements. One of you wrote: “The course gets very wet and muddy in winter and as I need a buggy I can’t play. The membership fee should reflect this but they only care about money!”<\/p>\n \tAs we have recorded before, this is an extremely difficult balancing act to get right. If such clubs decide to spend the money required to put this right, who is going to ultimately be paying the bill? Your members, of course! When all is said and done, most of us can probably live with our course being closed for a few days during the winter without feeling the need to demand a refund or reduction in our green fees.<\/p>\n \tAgain, I can only speak from personal experience but since January 1, 2025, there has only been one day that I wanted to play and was told that nine holes at my course were closed due to partial flooding. I can live with that. I simply headed to the driving range instead.<\/p>\n \tYes there are low-lying golf clubs dissected by rivers that know they are going to lose playing time during the winter. Those are clubs that need to be addressing their subscriptions – if they choose not to tackle the flooding then surely they have a duty to reduce fees for their members and to work out deals with other local clubs in the area that would see their members being offered special deals to ensure they can keep playing.<\/p>\n \tI was surprised to read the following comment in Kieran\u2019s article:<\/p>\n \t“Senior competitions are mostly strokeplay, played from the back tees – there are no seniors categories and no specific seniors competitions.”<\/p>\n \tMy golf club has a competition for our seniors every Tuesday. These normally attract around 60 golfers. We play a wide variety of formats – strokeplay, stableford, Texas scramble. You name it, we have tried it. And we NEVER force our seniors to play from the back tees. We have a seniors section that is thriving, with well in excess of 100 golfers.<\/p>\n \tSo, is there conflict between seniors and younger golfers? I sincerely hope not – and I have seen absolutely no evidence of it.<\/p>\n