What to Expect from a Golf Club Open Day

By How to Maintain Pace of Play on Busy Days
Comments 35
27 Jul 2026

Why Clubs Hold Open Days — and Why You Should Go

Joining a golf club can feel like a big step. There is the subscription to consider, the joining fee at many clubs, and the quiet worry that you will not know a soul or that the course will be beyond your game. An open day exists to take that guesswork out of the equation. For a few hours the gates are open to everyone, and the club is on its best behaviour. It is a chance to look around, ask the awkward questions and get a genuine feel for the place before any money changes hands.

In Kent this matters more than you might think. The county has an unusually wide spread of courses — chalk downland along the North Downs, heavier parkland through the Weald, and breezy coastal layouts around Thanet and Romney Marsh. Two clubs ten miles apart can play completely differently in February. An open day lets you judge whether a course genuinely suits your game, your budget and your free time.

What Usually Happens on the Day

Most open days follow a similar rhythm, though the details vary from club to club. Expect something along these lines:

Arrival and registration. You will be met near the clubhouse, given a name badge and often a printed running order for the day. Nobody will expect you to know anyone.
A welcome talk. Usually the club captain, secretary or general manager gives a short introduction covering membership categories, fees and what the club expects of new members.
A guided tour. Clubhouse, changing rooms, locker rooms, spike bar, dining room, professional's shop and practice facilities.
Time on the course. Either a few holes in a friendly fourball, a putting and chipping clinic, or a shortened loop of six or nine holes.
Refreshments and chat. Tea, coffee or something stronger, with members on hand to answer questions informally.

Days typically run for three to four hours. Some clubs hold them on a Saturday morning, others on a Sunday afternoon or a weekday evening in early summer when the light is long.

Touring the Clubhouse and Facilities

Do not treat the tour as a formality. The clubhouse tells you a great deal about how a club actually functions week to week. Look at whether the bar and lounge feel welcoming or formal, whether there is a separate area for casual dress, and whether the dining room is used regularly or only for functions.

Ask specifically about the things that affect everyday play: tee booking arrangements, how far in advance you can reserve a slot, whether there are regular roll-ups or swindles, and how busy the course gets on a Saturday morning. If you work full time, find out what twilight golf looks like in midsummer — in Kent you can comfortably tee off at half five and still finish.

Practice facilities deserve close attention. A decent driving range, a short-game area and a putting green make a real difference if you are trying to improve. If the club has a professional on site offering lessons, so much the better.

Meeting Members — and Asking the Right Questions

The members you meet on an open day are there because they want you to join, so use them. Ask what they like most about the club and, more revealingly, what they would change. Ask how easy it is to find a game if you turn up alone, and whether new members are paired up with existing ones during their first few months.

Questions worth having ready:

What are the full costs — subscription, joining fee, bar levy, locker and trolley storage?
Are there categories for flexible, country, junior or social membership?
How does the handicap system work for newcomers, and is there support for players returning after a long break?
What is the dress code, on the course and in the clubhouse?
How do competitions work, and is there a minimum standard to enter them?
What happens in winter, when greens may be temporary or trolleys banned?

Honest answers to those last two questions tell you more about a club than any brochure.

Trying the Course Itself

The golf is the point. Even a short loop of four or five holes will tell you whether the course suits your eye. Notice the turf — Kent downland drains beautifully and stays playable through wet winters, while clay-based parkland can get heavy underfoot. Notice the wind, which on coastal courses is a permanent factor rather than an occasional nuisance.

Pay attention to the pace of play and how members treat the course: divots replaced, pitch marks repaired, bunkers raked. That culture says a lot about a club's health. If you are offered the chance to play a full nine, take it, even if your swing feels rusty. Nobody is judging your score on an open day.

Making the Most of Your Visit

Turn up early, dress smartly but comfortably, and bring your clubs if the club has said there will be golf — most will have a few spare sets if you would rather travel light. Take notes on the way home, while the details are fresh, especially if you are visiting several clubs over a season.

Finally, do not feel pressured to sign anything on the day. A good club will happily invite you back for another round, offer a trial membership or put you in touch with a member who joined recently. Use the open day as the first step in a conversation, not a commitment. Kent has plenty of excellent clubs, and the right one will feel right within an hour of walking through the door.

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5 Comments

Robert Sonny says Jul 21, 2024 at 10:00am

I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system
Reply
- John Abraham says Jul 21, 2024 at 10:00am
  
  I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system
  Reply
  - Robert Sonnysays Jul 21, 2024 at 10:00am
    
    I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system
    Reply
Robert Sonny says Jul 21, 2024 at 10:00am

I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system
Reply

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