£1 Golf Membership

[Fypo]

Hi all,

Long time lurker, fist time posting!

Just seen this article on the main website. What are your thoughts?

https://www.golf-monthly.co.uk/news/somerset-golf-club-offers-new-1-membership-190547

 

[Ye Olde Boomer]

Doesn't sound like an awful idea to me--an opportunity to have a proper index without needing to afford a private club membership.

I couldn't afford a private club membership until I was done with mortgage payments and kids' university tuition*, but the local green fee courses had a co-operative handicap system set up for public course players. This deal sounds similar.

* and by then, I got the senior discount!

 

[Fypo]

Doesn't sound like an awful idea to me--an opportunity to have a proper index without needing to afford a private club membership.

I couldn't afford a private club membership until I was done with mortgage payments and kids' university tuition*, but the local green fee courses had a co-operative handicap system set up for public course players. This deal sounds similar.

* and by then, I got the senior discount!

I’m glad I’m not the only person that thinks this is a great idea.

I have never taken out a membership at a club, I love to play different courses and if I took a membership I feel it would make me travel less.

Never really been interested in competitions... until recently.

This type of membership would really work for me. My only worry is the possibility of a divide in the club, a ‘them and us’ situation between ‘full members’ and pay as you play members. How would it go down at your club if they introduced it?

 

[Ye Olde Boomer]

I’m glad I’m not the only person that thinks this is a great idea.

I have never taken out a membership at a club, I love to play different courses and if I took a membership I feel it would make me travel less.

Never really been interested in competitions... until recently.

This type of membership would really work for me. My only worry is the possibility of a divide in the club, a ‘them and us’ situation between ‘full members’ and pay as you play members. How would it go down at your club if they introduced it?

My club is NOT a traditional "member-owned" club anymore. It was in 1906, but in 1970, the original club house burned down and the course was damaged. At that time, it was purchased from the members by a private owner. Like many such properties including country clubs, hotels, restaurants, and night clubs, the venture exists so that "legitimate businessmen" can launder revenues derived from "other sources." Our esteemed proprietor can't be making a dime off this club, but I'm sure that he's reporting a handsome profit and actually paying taxes on this phantom income. However, it wouldn't be much because of the tax credit for maintaining "undeveloped or natural real estate" which a golf course is amazingly considered.

The result in all of this--and as I say, this is all a common arrangement in America--that the club "memberships" are really more like paid subscriptions. The members don't have committees that approve memberships or make club rules. (They do have committees that run the social events.)

They also didn't pay exorbitant equity initiation fees to join and they don't get surprise assessments when the club has unexpected expenses. This is the benefit of non-member owned clubs.
Management allows limited reciprocity with other courses that they own, and we members of our club get the same.

So my club, while beautiful maintained, isn't posh in its attitudes. (Well, the tennis members seem to think that they are. They don't even seem to play poker or gin in the clubhouse.) I am representative of many working class members, although many are senior retirees like myself.

 

[Imurg]

It's going to rattle the cage of the player who only plays on a Saturday morning but pays the £X a year to be a member.
If someone can pay a quid and then, say, £30 per round, plays 30 times a year at a £1k membership club then people are going to start doing the maths.
As you can play there for as little as 12 notes, £25 at weekends and membership is £880, the balance point is about 35 weekend rounds or 73 weekday rounds..
On the face of it, it's a good idea but it needs to not deter people from being full members....unless they get way more doing this than being full members, in which case they may get more income but you, potentially, lose the club structure and atmosphere as the place effectively becomes a pay and play course.
Going to be interesting to see how it pans out.

 

[duncan mackie]

Lets strip out the journalistic hype from the article first; the only revolutionary element here is the removal of the union fees for the first 25 members to sign up.
After that it's a membership basis that has been around for decades with clubs based on pay and play courses.
Nominal admin fee (in this case £1, which is certainly at the low end, but we aren't told the comp entry fees which at even another £1 over sweep would mount up in relative terms) + union fees + green fees.
To support my view I was a member on this basis for about 27 years until I retired and became a 7 days member elsewhere because it was cheaper per round and access was easier. From memory it was £10 joining fee and £10 per annum (which included union fees and covered the admin costs of the band of individuals who ran all the club matters, when I joined).
Such schemes exist all around the country, and are an excellent way for people to join in at all levels.

 

[Fypo]

It's going to rattle the cage of the player who only plays on a Saturday morning but pays the £X a year to be a member.
If someone can pay a quid and then, say, £30 per round, plays 30 times a year at a £1k membership club then people are going to start doing the maths.
As you can play there for as little as 12 notes, £25 at weekends and membership is £880, the balance point is about 35 weekend rounds or 73 weekday rounds..
On the face of it, it's a good idea but it needs to not deter people from being full members....unless they get way more doing this than being full members, in which case they may get more income but you, potentially, lose the club structure and atmosphere as the place effectively becomes a pay and play course.
Going to be interesting to see how it pans out.

The pricing would have to reflect the quality of the club for sure! Although I love the idea I’m not sure this club has the pricing structure perfect!

I would be very happy with a higher members fee ~£100 depending on the quality of the club then paying somewhere around their members friends green fee pricing.

I am also very conscious that although this structure would work for me, golf courses need to turn a profit to survive. If it was taken up widely I hope there would be more visitors from surrounding clubs.

The more I think about this, the more I realise maybe joining a society is more what I’m looking for here... more of a community feel with competition and playing many courses...

 

[Fypo]

Lets strip out the journalistic hype from the article first; the only revolutionary element here is the removal of the union fees for the first 25 members to sign up.
After that it's a membership basis that has been around for decades with clubs based on pay and play courses.
Nominal admin fee (in this case £1, which is certainly at the low end, but we aren't told the comp entry fees which at even another £1 over sweep would mount up in relative terms) + union fees + green fees.
To support my view I was a member on this basis for about 27 years until I retired and became a 7 days member elsewhere because it was cheaper per round and access was easier. From memory it was £10 joining fee and £10 per annum (which included union fees and covered the admin costs of the band of individuals who ran all the club matters, when I joined).
Such schemes exist all around the country, and are an excellent way for people to join in at all levels.

Unfortunately, I don’t know if any club local to me that do this...

This isn’t a cost issue for me, it’s more being able to join a club without so much commitment, I don’t want to feel guilty to myself if I play away more than home!

Some might say this is my commitment issue (Including the misses and most of my family... apparently being engaged for 5 years with still no wedding plans is a commitment issue...).

 

[jim8flog]

This is a really good course but it is a bit in the 'middle of nowhere'.

If anybody is thinking about it they should check the clubs website for full details.

£12 a round is off peak only but their peak time fees are very reasonable.

 

[Swango1980]

Our club has 3 grades of membership:

Full = £675 per year
Green Fee = £395 per year, £3 per weekend round, £2 per weekday round
Budget = £180 per year, £6 per weekend round, £4 per weekday round

The vast majority of members are on the Budget membership. Crucially, any membership grade gives you the exact same rights. You can play in competitions and handicap is maintained.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

I think yes, it's possibly enticing for new players who may not play that regularly, but would I want to be a 7 day or existing member here, no chance.

 

[howbow88]

Lets strip out the journalistic hype from the article first; the only revolutionary element here is the removal of the union fees for the first 25 members to sign up.
After that it's a membership basis that has been around for decades with clubs based on pay and play courses.
Nominal admin fee (in this case £1, which is certainly at the low end, but we aren't told the comp entry fees which at even another £1 over sweep would mount up in relative terms) + union fees + green fees.
To support my view I was a member on this basis for about 27 years until I retired and became a 7 days member elsewhere because it was cheaper per round and access was easier. From memory it was £10 joining fee and £10 per annum (which included union fees and covered the admin costs of the band of individuals who ran all the club matters, when I joined very few clubs like that).
Such schemes exist all around the country, and are an excellent way for people to join in at all levels.

Very few clubs offer this around my way - Sussex/Surrey border. Thankfully, my local club does offer something similar - £80 membership and then it's about £27 a round on Saturday mornings. Without that, I think the competition side of things would die out for us - there just isn't enough full members.

I think for clubs of our stature - underfunded public/pay and play courses - this option is the way to go, unless you offer cheap full membership deals. Ours is way overpriced in my opinion at nearly £1000, but that's the South East commuter belt for you The club *should* reduce the full membership in my opinion, but I don't think it will do that anytime soon and so the £80 membership is the way to go.

 

[duncan mackie]

I think yes, it's possibly enticing for new players who may not play that regularly, but would I want to be a 7 day or existing member here, no chance.

I think you need to consider the wider aspects of membership, at the range of courses.
7 day membership here is basically handicap + season ticket on whatever terms and conditions apply
Basic membership is handicap + what ever options exist in the terms and conditions from time to time.
There is a massive variation in what membership delivers across all types of club - individuals always have the option to consider whether it suits their needs!

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Very few clubs offer this around my way - Sussex/Surrey border. Thankfully, my local club does offer something similar - £80 membership and then it's about £27 a round on Saturday mornings. Without that, I think the competition side of things would die out for us - there just isn't enough full members.

I think for clubs of our stature - underfunded public/pay and play courses - this option is the way to go, unless you offer cheap full membership deals. Ours is way overpriced in my opinion at nearly £1000, but that's the South East commuter belt for you The club *should* reduce the full membership in my opinion, but I don't think it will do that anytime soon and so the £80 membership is the way to go.

A 7 day membership fee of £1000, is only a few pence over £20 a round if you played 48 times a year, so I don't see how "not worth it" when your willing to pay £27 plus your £80 could work out considerably more
For the record, I pay £1165 currently here in Kent. Money I get full value for, playing on average about 60 times a year minimum

 

[Deleted member 21258]

Our club has 3 grades of membership:

Full = £675 per year
Green Fee = £395 per year, £3 per weekend round, £2 per weekday round
Budget = £180 per year, £6 per weekend round, £4 per weekday round

The vast majority of members are on the Budget membership. Crucially, any membership grade gives you the exact same rights. You can play in competitions and handicap is maintained.

Interesting model, don't think I have seen anything quite along those lines before. Seems very cheap round rates on top of the budget setup, not surprised most are budget, as you have to play a lot of golf to even consider the full membership option.

Would be interested to hear how is the club doing on profitability ? or are they a club that are mainly based around the visitor green fees income model, that keeps them trading ?

 

[howbow88]

A 7 day membership fee of £1000, is only a few pence over £20 a round if you played 48 times a year, so I don't see how "not worth it" when your willing to pay £27 plus your £80 could work out considerably more
For the record, I pay £1165 currently here in Kent. Money I get full value for, playing on average about 60 times a year minimum

I don't play every weekend, probably about 20 or so. I also like having the option of playing other courses which when I was a full member, I didn't do as often.

So when its £27x20+£80=£620. I would consider £380 a fair saving.

 

[Swango1980]

Interesting model, don't think I have seen anything quite along those lines before. Seems very cheap round rates on top of the budget setup, not surprised most are budget, as you have to play a lot of golf to even consider the full membership option.

Would be interested to hear how is the club doing on profitability ? or are they a club that are mainly based around the visitor green fees income model, that keeps them trading ?

We're in the Lincolnshire area, which I think generally membership prices are very cheap compared to other areas. In the last year, 4 established clubs in Lincolnshire have sadly closed (Canwick, Sandilands, Immingham, Boston West) and a lot are struggling I believe (pretty common around Britain really).

Our club remain fairly healthy, with entrants to comps going up a little rather than down over last few years. We'll get a lot of members who never play in comps and not even interested in handicap, but play enough golf (maybe once every 1-2 weeks) to make the membership option financially viable rather than paying a full green fee every time. I guess it is a reasonable option for those that like to play in a lot of Opens and need to maintain a handicap relatively cheaply. But yes, you need to play a lot of golf to make the Full membership option cheaper. I may be one of the few that are on Full Membership. I do play a lot, but it's nice not to have to dig around for change every round I play. Also, in summer, I sometimes like to get out on the course during quiet times, and practice short game on a hole, of play 2-3 holes for practice. I'd be very reluctant to have to pay each time I do that.

Also, are membership starts at the beginning of August. There is usually a deal for new members, that if you join earlier in the year, your initial fee of £180 runs up to August AND the entire year thereafter, so it can be a very cheap option if you are looking to join then.

 

[louise_a]

The club in the OP is hardly a normal golf course, and as Duncan says it is the model of most pay and play courses, just at a gimmicky membership fee.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I know a lot of places that are now going along the cheap membership fee to join and then using a tiered system so you pay for example £500 per annum and get 50 credits to be used against the cost of a green fee each time you play £400 for less credits and so on. Some attach some sort of premium for using at weekends but ultimately it can be a way of getting people in, getting handicaps and the prospect of playing comps (if they'd like to) and also encourage those not looking to play every week/weekend to join as well. I think flexible memberships will become the norm in years to come at many clubs and I can the merits. Whether this is revolutionary other than the price I'm not so sure

 

[howbow88]

I know a lot of places that are now going along the cheap membership fee to join and then using a tiered system so you pay for example £500 per annum and get 50 credits to be used against the cost of a green fee each time you play £400 for less credits and so on. Some attach some sort of premium for using at weekends but ultimately it can be a way of getting people in, getting handicaps and the prospect of playing comps (if they'd like to) and also encourage those not looking to play every week/weekend to join as well. I think flexible memberships will become the norm in years to come at many clubs and I can the merits. Whether this is revolutionary other than the price I'm not so sure

A place I looked at had this credit deal thing, but a Saturday morning comp worked out to be about £70 or something absurd. Usually, you can play a weekend after 12.00 for about £25/30. It was a great value deal if you didn't care about playing comps or weekends though.