Society Golf
Welcome to golf in Spain where the big difference is that golf societies have a big part to play in providing competitive and affordable golf.
Why is it then that many of the local golf societies are in turmoil and rife with internal fallouts and politics?
From my own experiences the arrival of new and better players within a society can cause problems of jealousy as the more established members of the society are forced out of the ‘winners enclosure’ and the league teams.
The very members that were once the backbone of the society than start to play an ‘agent provocateur’ role and the society ultimately implodes and then explodes.
However is there a more fundamental reason for such problems?
If you consider club golf back on the UK with approx 500 members you personally will probably only associate with 10-15 of these members on a regular basis.
These will be people with whom you are comfortable and whom you personally like and trust; hence you enjoy your golfing environment and often as a result play good golf.
On the other hand here on the Costa’s you join a society because a friend or neighbour can ‘get you in’ and because you need to find a way to play cheaper golf.
The typical golf society will have 16-28 members and it is highly unlikely that you will develop the same feelings of comfort and trust with more than perhaps 4 people in your society.
Invariably you will then be forced to play on a regular basis with people that you are not comfortable with as society secretaries rotate players to ensure that no ‘clicks’ are formed within the members.
The result is that because you are not in your ’comfort zone’ you are more easily distracted by outside influences and events, both on and off the golf course with resulting friction, squabbling, ill feeling and poor un-enjoyable golf.
Just press the pause button for a moment if you would!
Correct me if I am wrong but the majority of local golfers came here to the Costa’s for the climate and the more relaxed way of life.
Ask yourself is that what you are getting?
If the answer in NO then you should take corrective action now and either find a new society and play with likeminded people or find ways in which to keep away for society conflicts which prevent you from playing and enjoying good golf.