FULL MEMBER
Full Membership is open to men aged 18 and over [women members enjoy equal playing rights, but see notes below]. There are restrictions on junior or student categories until certain handicap and other criteria are met.
LCGC is a nine-hole course, which in itself introduces restrictions on the number of players that can be on the course at any one time - so as to mimimise delay for players coming round to play the second nine [most club competitions are played over 18 holes]
Weekend play is restricted, as far as Sunday is concerned, by a requirement that all play ceases at 1pm during the summer months [from 1st April to 30th September]. This is a relic of the 'Railway Age', when large numbers of Londoners used to descend on the Chart on a Sunday afternoon to get some serious fresh air. This situation may well change during the course of the current year, in which case all categories of membership and playing times available will be reviewed.
The course is shared with the Gresham Artisan Golf Club, who have tee priority at the weekends between certain times [after 12pm on Saturdays and before 8am on Sundays]
Most 7-day member [White-Tee] competitions take place on a Saturday morning, where the First Tee is reserved from 8am until 11.30pm for this purpose. Some competitions are specifically staged on a Sunday morning, to allow those members for whom Saturday is a normal working day to play competitive golf, which underpins the Handicapping System [CONGU] in use in the UK
All of these factors influence the 'mix' of players who can play at the weekend when competitions are being held. Hence there is an agreement between the Men's and Ladies' sections of the club, which reserves the course on a Thursday for the playing of RED TEE competitions [until 2.30pm] on the basis that Lady members do not attempt to use the course at times when WHITE TEE competitions are being held. The Club Diary and Noticeboard give details of all of these events well in advance.
Having said all of the above, there are frequently occasions, even in the height of summer, where members and their guests can go out later on a Saturday afternoon or Sunday morning and have the course virtually to themselves.
LADY MEMBER
Lady membership is open to women aged 18 and over. There are restrictions on junior or student categories until certain handicap and other criteria are met.
LCGC operates on the basis of equal opportunity, but has to restrict access to the course on certain days so that the Competition and Match calendars can be fulfilled [see notes on Full membership page]
The main day of the week for Ladies' golf is Thursday, although many of the Matches - especially the famous Pearson Cup games against other clubs can and do take place on other weekdays.
Most clubs have a specified Ladies' Day, and regional groups tend to adopt the same day so as to facilitate such matches, but events such as the Pearson means that matches often embrace clubs outside the immediate area, where a different day is the standard.
The Ladies Section plays an annual match against each of the other sections of the club. There are also a number of mixed competitions played each year, some when partners are drawn and others when mixed teams are entered. Many of these are amongst the longest-standing and coveted of the Club trophies, demonstrating that the Club has embraced the whole issue of equality for many years, despite the restrictions imposed by the nine holes and the Sunday p.m.closure.
5-DAY OR MIDWEEK MEMBER
LCGC has a thriving Midweek Section, with its own Competitions and Matches, mainly held on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings all year round.The section is popular with golfers who don’t want to, or cannot, play at the weekend, or just prefer their golf without the ‘cut and thrust’ of the main club competitions.Traditionally, players joined the club on a 5-day basis, often waiting for a vacancy for full membership to arise. At the present time, with vacancies available in all categories, it’s very much down to personal choice. Members occasionally move [both ways!] between Full and 5-Day membership, and requests to do so are always sympathetically considered.
TEMPORARY MEMBER
Introduced around 5 years ago, as a means of introduction to golf for would-be members, or for those who found themselves working in the local area for a period. Membership is for a 3-month period, with obvious restrictions on the number of these which may be taken out by an individual in the space of a 12-month period.
For more information, contact the Secretary/Manager
JUNIOR/STUDENT MEMBERSHIP
Contrary to popular belief, this is NOT exclusive to the sons and daughters of existing members!
The Junior Section seems to go in phases – one minute the Club is proud of the numbers and calibre of its Juniors – the next they have all moved on – further education/work or simply the lure of a different course which allows them to ‘muller’ a ball off the tee with a driver without spending the next 5 minutes looking for it in dense undergrowth!
The club is committed to the ongoing development of the Junior Section – we have some very exciting young talent – just not enough of it! - and has recently appointed a member of many years experience in the tutoring environment to take charge of this.
For further information, contact the Secretary/Manager or Dave Brunning directly on 01732 465518 or by email on davidabrunning@btinternet.com.
VETERANS
Not a membership category as such, but an amalgam of ‘Ancient and Modern’ members from Full and Midweek categories, who have an extensive list of matches against other clubs and their own competitions. Competition for places is often fierce as the matches take place on a weekday morning, invariably rounded-off with a superlative meal both home and away. Little wonder it’s so popular……