MEMBERSHIP at LCGC is very special. It is a small club – less than 100 Full members- as a result it’s more like an extended family than a Golf Club, and we treat it as such!
Everyone knows everyone else, and the many competitions and matches involving the different sections – the 5-day members, Ladies, the Gresham Golf Club [An Artisan Club which shares the Limpsfield Chart course] and the Juniors - ensures that the family atmosphere extends to every corner of the Club.
So if you are looking to join a club where you can not only play both competitive and casual golf, but also have a new focal point for your social life, this is the place for you!
As well as a full social-events calendar, there are organised golfing trips, fun competitions and plenty of other things to join in with – and you will be encouraged to do so right from the outset.
Oh, and the intimate bar and dining room ensure that you can’t sneak off into a corner in the hope of a quiet drink! And if you have any personal pride left after a round on the course, better leave it outside…the banter and repartee is rarely a respecter of this!
INCLUSIVENESS is the watchword – Members come from all walks of life, from peers of the realm and high-ranking military officialdom and OBEs down to those of more humble calling – whatever! An ability to ‘take it’ and ‘dish it out’ matters every bit as much as your golfing prowess!
Sunday lunchtime is the only time when jackets and Club ties are paraded o a regular basis - a tradition which most members are happy to continue - the rest of the time 'smart-casual' is the dress code adhered to.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
In recent years, the numbers of members belonging to Golf Clubs [specifically those affiliated to the English Golf Union] fell for the first time since the EGU was founded in 1924.
Does this mean that golf is losing its popularity? Far from it! – the number of golfers continues to rise at a huge rate – and puts on a real spurt after major televised events such as the Ryder Cup and Open Championships.
It’s just that, these days, there are many ways of enjoying the game without being a member of a Golf Club - Golf Societies and Pay’N’Play courses being the best examples. In fact, there are more people playing golf in these ways than there are members of golf clubs.
Part of this is down to genuine personal preference of wanting to play the game whenever and wherever the individual wishes. Part is also down to the image portrayed by clubs over the years.
The author has played golf in all its many forms over more years than he cares to think about – including around 20 years when he was not a member of a club. He will tell you that there is truly no substitute for the sense of belonging and ‘esprit de corps’ which comes from being a member of a Golf Club – especially one as special as Limpsfield Chart.
DON’T KNOCK IT UNTIL YOU’VE TRIED IT!
LCGC is affiliated to the EGU and the Surrey Golf Union