Annual subscription 2026

[WorldHandicapSystem]

Just to be clear - everything is a choice , right down to picking a membership

No one is forced to do anything

There are terms of your membership

Levy’s are part of those terms

Can never understand the issue people have with them

At most clubs they are very nominal - £50 maybe £100 , and 99% will spend that levy across their years membership

Please don’t equate what your club does a normal for most other clubs. I Han never paid a mandatory bar levy.

If the F&B can’t sustain itself without a levy or other subsidy from the members shouldn’t exist. It’s nothing more than subsidising it for a portion of the members.

 

[Arthur Wedge]

Please don’t equate what your club does a normal for most other clubs. I Han never paid a mandatory bar levy.

If the F&B can’t sustain itself without a levy or other subsidy from the members shouldn’t exist. It’s nothing more than subsidising it for a portion of the members.

Then what are you worried if you don’t pay a levy

Who says peoples clubs F&B can’t sustain without a levy

 

[rudebhoy]

I dont know how the club were daft enough to let it happen.
This happened at a club i was at about a decade ago, lad was working offshore, tried it on, secretary just told him it was his registered home address and if that was in Aberdeen then bring proof. Obviously couldn't.

There's a guy at our place, I played with him once, he told me he lives about 100 miles away (good 2 hour drive) but works up here. He plays at ours a couple of times a week, including every Saturday.

Never thought about it before, but I wonder if he is a county member. Wouldn't surprise me.

 

[WorldHandicapSystem]

Then what are you worried if you don’t pay a levy

Who says peoples clubs F&B can’t sustain without a levy

Why would they need one if they could?

 

[rudebhoy]

Please don’t equate what your club does a normal for most other clubs. I Han never paid a mandatory bar levy.

If the F&B can’t sustain itself without a levy or other subsidy from the members shouldn’t exist. It’s nothing more than subsidising it for a portion of the members.

You are only subsidising others if you choose not to spend what you have pre-paid via the levy.

That's a bit like someone who plays twice a week complaining that they are subsidising members who play 4 times a week.

 

[Arthur Wedge]

Why would they need one if they could?

A lot of clubs just have it there as a historical thing and just keep it going because the members haven’t voted it out and don’t mind it

 

[WorldHandicapSystem]

You are only subsidising others if you choose not to spend what you have pre-paid via the levy.

That's a bit like someone who plays twice a week complaining that they are subsidising members who play 4 times a week.

No it’s not. I am paying to play golf. Why should I be forced to spend money in the bar on food or drinks I can buy much cheaper elsewhere.

 

[Arthur Wedge]

No it’s not. I am paying to play golf. Why should I be forced to spend money in the bar on food or drinks I can buy much cheaper elsewhere.

Then buy cheaper elsewhere then

 

[rudebhoy]

No it’s not. I am paying to play golf. Why should I be forced to spend money in the bar on food or drinks I can buy much cheaper elsewhere.

No-one is forcing you to do anything. You choose to be a member of a club with a bar levy or you join a club that doesn't have one.

What are you going to complain about next, having to pay a competition entry fee just because you want to play golf on a Saturday?

 

[WorldHandicapSystem]

No-one is forcing you to do anything. You choose to be a member of a club with a bar levy or you join a club that doesn't have one.

What are you going to complain about next, having to pay a competition entry fee just because you want to play golf on a Saturday?

Yes if I was forced to join a competition just to play golf. Thankfully, I don’t.

 

[WorldHandicapSystem]

Then buy cheaper elsewhere then

I do.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

There's a guy at our place, I played with him once, he told me he lives about 100 miles away (good 2 hour drive) but works up here. He plays at ours a couple of times a week, including every Saturday.

Never thought about it before, but I wonder if he is a county member. Wouldn't surprise me.

This is where having a limit on the number of times you can play on this scheme makes sense. If you truly are a country member, then say 15 times is fine. If you are playing more than that, you probably should be a full member.

 

[Arthur Wedge]

I do.

So what’s the issue

Everyone has a choice

 

[sunshine]

Not sure where the issue is...usually these offers arent "pay a week early and you get a discount", in which case I could see where you are coming from, but rather its a case of pay 5-8 weeks early. In our case the deadline to accept the offer, which went out on Jan 4th, is Jan 22nd, with a normal renewal date of March 1st.

Its an offer from the club, you can either take it up or not. You can save £100 and the club gets some cashflow early doors. Sometimes these offers might appeal to "waverers" who might be on the fence regarding their upcoming renewal and might be waiting to see what other clubs prices might be.

If you are going to renew anyway its a no brainer...you are not likely to gain £100 in interest if you keep your money in your pocket until 1st March...so you may as well take advantage of the offer.

This is a no brainer for you.

But very poor budgeting from the club. A £100 discount to gets funds in 6 weeks early is terrible financial management.

 

[PNWokingham]

my old club had a reasonable levy that a few years back they reduced and then scrapped due to, i think, making the fee increases seem less as it was/is an expensive place that is now 5k per year. It is also well suppoerted socially so levy not really relevant to supporting the club.

New club is a members club and looks like there was no levy for current year.

I am fine clubs having a levy and actually think it is a good idea in order to support having catering and drinking facilities so would have no problem at circa 10% of subs was the norm levy per year as long as there was decent catering that you would be happy to take friends and family to

 

[sunshine]

I'm ok with a reasonable levy for catering.

The kitchen / bar isn't operating as a standalone operation, it's part of the club "package", so guaranteeing a minimum level of revenue through the year enables the chef / bar manager to plan what they are able to offer members. A members' club is not operating to make a profit, although ideally each component should break even, sometimes it's worth providing a service at a slight loss if it's in the overall interest of the membership. Maybe it's different if you're at a proprietary club or a resort course, I would feel stung paying hotel prices for a post round pint.

My club has doubled the levy this year to £300, payable quarterly, so it's not a big upfront hit. A couple of Sunday lunches with the family and it's all gone. Even if I skipped all the dinner events, I'll easily fritter away £6 a week over the course of the year, with competition entry fees, a coffee or sausage roll from the halfway hut, a round of drinks after a game, maybe the occasional bite to eat.

 

[Neilds]

I'm ok with a reasonable levy for catering.

The kitchen / bar isn't operating as a standalone operation, it's part of the club "package", so guaranteeing a minimum level of revenue through the year enables the chef / bar manager to plan what they are able to offer members. A members' club is not operating to make a profit, although ideally each component should break even, sometimes it's worth providing a service at a slight loss if it's in the overall interest of the membership. Maybe it's different if you're at a proprietary club or a resort course, I would feel stung paying hotel prices for a post round pint.

My club has doubled the levy this year to £300, payable quarterly, so it's not a big upfront hit. A couple of Sunday lunches with the family and it's all gone. Even if I skipped all the dinner events, I'll easily fritter away £6 a week over the course of the year, with competition entry fees, a coffee or sausage roll from the halfway hut, a round of drinks after a game, maybe the occasional bite to eat.

It should be if it wants to improve the facilities - or probably even stand still nowadays!

 

[JonnyGutteridge]

£2,486
£100 bar levy
£200 Capex levy
£20ish Surrey/England Golf fee

£2800ish all in this year.

 

[PaulMdj]

This is where having a limit on the number of times you can play on this scheme makes sense. If you truly are a country member, then say 15 times is fine. If you are playing more than that, you probably should be a full member.

Stop it! Stop it now.

 

[Mandofred]

A couple of years ago I was playing at one club and added one up North a bit.....I got a nice little 2nd club discount. People complained....that discount went bye-bye.