Canterbury Golf Club, located on the outskirts of the cathedral city in Kent, has relaunched its Second Club Membership, an innovative form of golf club membership that provides provide similar playing rights to the club’s full membership for just £360 a year.
The new membership category was originally introduced in February shortly before lockdown but with golf now firmly back on agenda and golf club memberships booming, Canterbury decided that now is an opportune time to give golfers a chance to join this firmly established club, founded in 1927, that is home to one of Harry Colt’s classic courses.
To be eligible for Second Club Membership, applicants must have full playing membership of another golf club and not have been a member of Canterbury for the previous two years.
Moreover the combined subscription of the home club and Second Club Membership will need to equate to at least the value of a 5-day membership at Canterbury. The management of the individual’s handicap will remain with the home club.
Canterbury Golf Club general manager, Roger Hyder, comments: “There was a great deal of interest when we launched our Second Club Membership but then the closure of golf clubs that came with lockdown put a bit of a damper on things to say the least. Hence we are relaunching this new category as we know that many golfers who are members of other clubs also want to be members of Canterbury without having to give up membership of their home club.
“And with golf participation booming, Second Club Membership will give golfers greater flexibility and option whilst at the same time not undermining our current membership programme. It will also allow golfers considering a change of clubs to ‘try before they buy’ so to speak and give incoming full members a feel for what a club like Canterbury offers before making a full commitment.”
Set on 160 acres of land once leased from the War Office but now owned by the club, Canterbury is considered to be one of the finest examples of Harry Colt design in England.
Though first laid out as a downland course, the gradual introduction of oaks and silver birches along the fairways have altered the nature of the layout that now has more of a parkland feel, though a little gorse and broom can be found on some holes. Set on undulating terrain, the par71, 6,272-yard layout (off the whites) provides a challenging round of golf with its mix of open par 5s, tight par 4s and challenging par 3s.
This progressive and friendly club is a hive of activity at the moment as it goes through an exciting period of change, improvement and innovation.
Aaron Galbraith, for example, was recently appointed as director of golf at the same time that the golf shop operation was brought in-house and a refit was carried out by Miller Brown, who have carried out similar work at Wentworth, Gleneagles and Trevose among others.
