Our region is renowned for its friendliness, but some people in golf clubs can really let us down, writes Northern Golfer editor Dean Bailey
There are many axes to grind here in the 19th Hole, but one which really gets me going is the way people behave in golf clubs and I’m back on the subject for this edition.
I want to shine the spotlight on those who cast misery on everyone around them while they are at their home club, particularly those who cast it on those who are visiting for the day.
Actions I never want to see in golf clubs again include, but are not limited to – complaining about a toddler on the putting green in a t-shirt, arguing that a specific area of the clubhouse being closed for a private event somehow infringes upon your rights, insisting that certain groups not sit in specific areas, obnoxiously complaining about guests slowing down service at the bar, arguing that a charity golf day for more than 100 people is not in the interest of the membership… I could go on.
I am always appalled when I hear these stories, and it amazes me that this kind of thing still goes on in 2026. What baffles me most is where these people get the idea that they must defend a golf club against all intruders – their word, not mine!
The idea that anyone visits a members’ golf club and experiences such appalling treatment infuriates me as I know 99% of the golfers in clubs are welcoming, friendly and want to share the experience with others.
Most golf clubs are great places to visit most of the time, and they embrace their local communities while welcoming custom from those who pop in for lunch, pay a green fee, or hire the facilities. All golf club members who go out of their way to offer a warm welcome and help those in a new environment should be thanked for doing so. Those positive experiences do golf’s image a great deal of good.
To those who recognise some of the stories I’ve included here, or recognise the type of person they portray, it’s time to change. The dark days of golf club members living behind a closed gate are long gone, and you need to come to terms with that.
All golfers like spending time at our golf clubs; we should welcome the chance to share it.
