5 day tickets stopped

[CliveW]

Five day membership was introduced at most clubs to encourage play during weekdays because it was quiet and encouraged play. Now with furlough, courses are busy all through the week as well as weekends therefore there is no longer a need to have reduced rates for weekdays.

 

[sunshine]

5 day memberships should go.

That's a narrow point of view, not very commercial.

Golf clubs need to balance supply and demand, and use the tools available to them (e.g. pricing and membership categories) to maximise efficient use of the course.

 

[sunshine]

Lol. "Unfair and illegal".

I'm suspecting that this may be a wind-up post.

Unfair and illegal did make me giggle too

Quick look at his previous posts indicates it's probably not a wind up just someone who isn't aware of other people.

 

[Deleted member 3432]

Five day membership was introduced at most clubs to encourage play during weekdays because it was quiet and encouraged play. Now with furlough, courses are busy all through the week as well as weekends therefore there is no longer a need to have reduced rates for weekdays.

Even without having 5 day memberships my course is busier during the week than at weekends.

Most likely due to the age profile of members and healthy visitor numbers due to course quality and value.

Clubs will face different challanges, for example, despite our number of members being around 140 lower that 2005 we are capping it at its present level since we get a huge number of visitors that can put pressure on available tee times during the spring, summer and Autumn months.

Other clubs may have a lot of new members who are putting pressure on tee times and the challange clubs face is to keep everyone happy while ensuring the clubs finances are in a healthy position.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I think getting rid of five day membership is a narrow minded decision (imo). Ideal for a lot of the seniors and yes they do pay a reduced membership but they also play a lot of club matches so good for revenue in that respect. We have a large and very active seniors section with their own competitions and fixtures and they do as a general rule put a lot of money behind the bar in terms of food and drink. We are also seeing a growing number of younger members opting for 5 day, and are able to play with a lot of their mates they usually lay with at weekends and have retired, and pay less money to do so but are now finding they play enough golf AND are free to take the kids to football or whatever at weekends and so winning brownie points at home

 

[funkycoldmedina]

I think getting rid of five day membership is a narrow minded decision (imo). Ideal for a lot of the seniors and yes they do pay a reduced membership but they also play a lot of club matches so good for revenue in that respect. We have a large and very active seniors section with their own competitions and fixtures and they do as a general rule put a lot of money behind the bar in terms of food and drink. We are also seeing a growing number of younger members opting for 5 day, and are able to play with a lot of their mates they usually lay with at weekends and have retired, and pay less money to do so but are now finding they play enough golf AND are free to take the kids to football or whatever at weekends and so winning brownie points at home

Why not just have full membership and some kind of flexible? Full, play as much as you want when you want and flexible, tailor a package to suit you but at some stage it becomes more cost effective to go full. That then suits everyone at every age.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Why not just have full membership and some kind of flexible? Full, play as much as you want when you want and flexible, tailor a package to suit you but at some stage it becomes more cost effective to go full. That then suits everyone at every age.

Flexible membership is something we don't have and to a degree I think we're missing a trick. I guess as a traditional members club, we've been a little slow in getting up to speed with more modern membership options. Whether it has been considered or not I don't know

 

[Tashyboy]

So the OP starts by saying he has gone from 5 to 7 days and has to pay 20% extra. For days he will never be there. How’s that right.
The basic response has been but we only play Saturday and Sunday so why do we have to pay for 7 days.
When did two wrongs make a right?
if 7 day members have a gripe about having to pay for 5 non attendance days bring it up at your club. Am I to believe that 7 day members that work mon- Friday have never been for an evening knock or been to the range.
Golf was dying on its backside before Covid I am informed, courses are rammed midweek now Covid restrictions have been lifted which has coincided with dark nights yet some now suggest 5 day membership should be cancelled. Can anyone point me in the direction where they know for sure courses will be rammed next year or the year after.
If 7 day membership is a problem for Saturday and Sunday golfers. Mr Rosecotts suggestion may well be the way forward.

 

[Deleted member 16999]

Lots of people who play at weekends complain about getting a tee time due to amount of members at their Club, especially in Winter.

Now some are advocating 7 day membership only and binning the 5 day, surely for those who have both and struggle at weekends are risking even more pressure at weekends as the now 7 day member may wish to take full advantage of their now increased membership.

Those who have stated they only have 1 membership fee is that for Women, Juniors etc with no age initiatives?

 

[Tashyboy]

Lots of people who play at weekends complain about getting a tee time due to amount of members at their Club, especially in Winter.

Now some are advocating 7 day membership only and binning the 5 day, surely for those who have both and struggle at weekends are risking even more pressure at weekends as the now 7 day member may wish to take full advantage of their now increased membership.

Those who have stated they only have 1 membership fee is that for Women, Juniors etc with no age initiatives?

This 100%.?

 

[Sats]

Our club plays on a municipal course run by a Trust on behalf of the local council, we used to be able to have either a 5 day ticket or a seven day ticket, now without prior notice the 5 day ticket as been withdrawn and we can only buy a 7 day ticket, without them giving us any notice or reason.
As a senior I only play a couple of times midweek so I have had to stump up another 20 + % to play with our senior section,i find this very unprofessional and unfair.
Other then not to renew my membership can they be challenged on what they have done as being unfair and illegal or any other reasons?
Any advice would be most welcome
Thanks

I'm not a senior and can play mainly on the weekends. I have to pay a +20% for a 7 day membership. Should I ask for a 5 day that leaves out monday/tuesday?

 

[IanM]

I've always been a 7 day member but can only ever go there on a Saturday morning...

This is an old issue. Weekends used to be peak time. Now the retired folk fill up the week days.... but still want to play at 9am on a Saturday when the working folk show up for their only round of theweek!

Life is like that ?

 

[PJ87]

Maybe the title of the memberships should change from 7 day and 5 day to peak and off peak

Then people can't complain . If you want to play during the peak (weekends) you have to pay peak prices. If you want to play off peak you buy an off peak ticket

 

[Deleted member 3432]

Lots of people who play at weekends complain about getting a tee time due to amount of members at their Club, especially in Winter.

Now some are advocating 7 day membership only and binning the 5 day, surely for those who have both and struggle at weekends are risking even more pressure at weekends as the now 7 day member may wish to take full advantage of their now increased membership.

Those who have stated they only have 1 membership fee is that for Women, Juniors etc with no age initiatives?

Our full membership fee £550 men and women.
Below that are 3 bands of intermediate category ranging from ages 19-29 (£175-£375), no restrictions.
3 categories of junior member pricing. (£30-£80)
Overseas membership rate has been dropped, our overseas members pay full whack and no Country rate, again full whack.
Best off all is Past Playing Member at £20, if you want a season off etc pay the £20 and you can automatically rejoin the following year with no joining fee.

 

[nickjdavis]

if 7 day members have a gripe about having to pay for 5 non attendance days bring it up at your club. Am I to believe that 7 day members that work mon- Friday have never been for an evening knock or been to the range.
.

Dont have a grip about only being able to play 2 days out of 7 - its just a fact of life that working folks have to put up with.

But when folks complain bitterly about only being able to play 5 days out of 7 then sometimes its necessary to remind them that there are folks who pay for a 7 day membership in order that they can play on the only 2 days that are available to them.

 

[rapper]

I'm not a senior and can play mainly on the weekends. I have to pay a +20% for a 7 day membership. Should I ask for a 5 day that leaves out monday/tuesday?

Retirement will catch up with you workers we,ve been there done it and got the tee shirt do you cat 1/2/3 weekenders want your course clogging up with us slower OAP ?

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Much is going to be down to the market the club operates in. My club is fortunate to be able to charge a hefty annual sub for full membership as the area demographic can afford it (plus as a club and what we offer we also need to keep up with the Jones's in our neighbourhood). This means that we don't need 5-day memberships revenue.

Further, the nature of the work circumstances of many of the membership - especially in these times of much increased working from home - means that many more 7-day members are able to play during the week. And in truth with what we pay for full membership do we want weekday peak tee-times full of 5-day members when we get the opportunity to play during the week?

 

[IanM]

Should I ask for a 5 day that leaves out monday/tuesday?

...well, you can always ask!

 

[Orikoru]

If it's council run you'll just have to lump it. My club of the past four years is one that plays at a council course - they used to offer season tickets but this year they cancelled them altogether thanks to Covid - all you can do is book a time through Golf Now. A lot of people left the club as a result because they felt it was poor value to pay a green fee every time.