How does Orchardleigh Golf Club's £1 for 12 months membership work?

Orchardleigh Golf Club in Somerset advertises a "12 Months Membership for £1" offer, which is a limited promotion with terms and conditions attached. Based on the club's own description, the £1 buys you full membership benefits for a year — including an official handicap and entry into club competitions — but you still pay each time you play, from £9 for 18 holes. It is not a year of unlimited free golf. If you play regularly and want to avoid a large upfront annual fee, this model is worth understanding before you commit.

What the £1 actually covers

The club frames the offer as an alternative to paying £1,200–£1,600 for a traditional annual membership. According to the site, the £1 membership gives you:

• Full membership benefits for 12 months
• The ability to maintain an official handicap
• Entry into club competitions and roll-ups
• Access to the club's food and drink facilities, open 7 days a week

What it does not do is make your golf free. The membership is paired with a "pay when you play" structure, so your green fee is charged separately on each round.

The pay-when-you-play model

This is the core of how the offer works in practice:

The headline "pay and play from £16" appears in the site's summary description, while the membership page quotes "from £9 for 18 holes." Treat the £9 figure as the member rate and £16 as the general public rate — but confirm current pricing directly, since these are promotional figures.

Who this suits — and who it doesn't

It likely suits you if:

• You play a few times a month rather than daily
• You want an official handicap and competition access without a four-figure outlay
• You'd rather spread cost across the year than pay a lump sum
• You're testing whether the club fits before committing to a full annual membership

It likely doesn't suit you if:

• You play several times a week — the per-round fees would add up, and the "frequent player" upfront option may work out cheaper
• You want unlimited golf included in one payment

The club explicitly notes the offer is limited and subject to terms and conditions, so the £1 rate and the £9 green fee are not guaranteed indefinitely.

What to check before signing up

1. Request the terms and conditions. The site marks the offer with "*Limited offer T's&C's apply" but does not publish the full terms on the page. Ask what the £1 covers, how long it lasts, and any exit conditions.
2. Confirm the current green fee. The £9 member rate and £16 pay-and-play rate are quoted figures; verify them for the season you're joining.
3. Ask about the frequent player discount. The club mentions paying upfront for up to 50% off full prices — get the exact numbers to compare against pay-as-you-go.
4. Download the free membership pack. The site offers this as the starting point for joining.

About the course itself

The club's credentials, as stated on its site: an 18-hole parkland course designed by Ryder Cup captain Brian Huggett, 6,824 yards, par 72 for men and 73 for ladies. It was named South West England Golf Club of the Year by Your Golfer Magazine and ranked 6th best course in Somerset in the Top 100 Courses listing. It's a family-run club about 8 miles from Bath, with a driving range, function rooms, buggies available, and societies welcome.

For a golfer weighing up whether the £1 membership is genuinely good value, the deciding factor is how often you'll play. Run your expected number of rounds against the £9 member green fee, add the £1, and compare that total to a conventional annual membership — then check the terms, because the promotional pricing is time-limited.