Frinton Golf Club on the Essex east coast has been on my list of golf courses to play since I was a kid. However, back then they would not have entertained a young interloper like me, but 35 years later due to an invitation via a mate's golf society, I stepped onto the first tee of this well-known course with great anticipation.
Now I'll start by saying this is a superbly maintained golf course! Beautiful fairways (albeit a bit bumpy in places - see below), well-manicured greens, and pleasing vistas of the beach huts and expansive skies above. Completely flat, this is an easy course to walk but not so easy to navigate - why do clubs not put up signage for the visiting golfer?
Not a true Links course, the course was built on marshland and despite its flat terrain, driving a buggy is like taking on the mogul fields of Switzerland for the afternoon, as such, I'd have rather walked.
The food in the clubhouse was good, and all the bar staff were pleasant and friendly but I somehow I left thinking, nice day, great course but I won't be rushing back.
Why? Well, I just didn't feel welcome...
The Pro shop was disinterested in my asking about the course, and even more disinterested in knowing about The Social Golfer, which with a good review could encourage more visitors to your club.
In addition, having to hire a buggy (my mate is a disabled golfer, so we have to) I was appalled at the £30 fee. On what planet are these people on? Surely there could be a concession for disability.
However, the most irritating thing is we left a rangefinder in the buggy by mistake.
When my pal called the club the next day and asked if it could be returned via post (all paid for of course), he was told no, you'll have to drive two hours round trip to come and get it.
Clearly, this club has been spoiled by its local members' loyalty but as we enter a second year of a 'Cost of Living' crisis, this golf club needs to move out of the 1920s and into the 2020s!
Date Sunday, 30, July 2023
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