Are seniors leeches?

[AliB]

Anyone else see today's Telegraph? Apparently 'elderly players' who pay reduced fees are ..'ruining courses and annoying younger members who pay a lot more for membership.'
Sounds bonkers to me.
Seniors pay less only for off-peak membership, or that's how I understand it. A senior who wants to play full week + weekend has to pay full whack.
Any views from you young chaps or chapesses?
(The story is attributed to the 'Golf club Secretary Newsletter' I suspect this was just a no news day in Telegraph-land.)

AliB

 

[madandra]

At my 'old' course (I leave at the end of the year) the Olds only pay about half the cost of full members but have the same rights as all the full members.

Leeches? No.

Do I wish I was 30 years older to get cheap golf? NO !!!

Do I grudge them the wee perk of being older? Not a chance !!

 

[RGuk]

Odd.....can't quite grasp this one.
I'm not pro/anti anyone at my course. Some of our seniors play a lot, but at times like 10.00am on a Wednesday morning?!? They turn up for Weekend medals (and probably get on with it better than some of the slow "once-a-week" crowd). They are great for getting a game with on the odd day off, spend plenty in the bar and pro shop, bring an air of respectability (as they know how to behave) to the club and don't get in any-one's way....or do they?? Given that retired doesn't mean "passed it" as some folks golf 'till 80+ these days!! The only thing I will say is that maybe there should be two levels of membership, one with the odd "helpful" restriction (reduced) and one with none (with nearer full fees)??

Dave

 

[tpred]

Hi Ali.I just read the article on the front page.Old 'leeches' drive a wedge in golf clubs.

These older guys have probably played at the clubs a long time before we even took the game up.It looks to me like its the usual matter of money.There are quite a few senior citizens who play at my club and i have to say they are not the ones who cause the 5 hour rounds. Its normaly the usual morons out for a few beers and a laugh brigade.(HACKERS)

As for the green fees why shouldn't they get a reduced rate.I certainly wouldnt begrudge an O.A.P paying a reduced membership or whatever.

 

[Golfer2112]

Seniors rock !

Any discounts they may receive are fully deserved.

 

[USER1999]

Reduced fees should go with reduced access, only fair. A bit like post offices full of pensioners at lunch time, why can't they go before or after the busy time and not at the only time that working people can go.

Actually, my 'old' course has a problem with an ageing membership. This is not to do with access and hacking up the course, but to do with honorary mambership. It has been projected that within ten years, at the current rate of take up (and increased life span), and the current membership profile, that one third of the membership will pay no subs at all (up from about 5%). Honorary membership I think is over sixty five, with 20 years service.

This is unsustainable, as it is a members club, so the annual bill will have to then be split between the remaining paying members. Big hike in subs anyone?

This is not making the oldies popular, as they veto any rule change at the agm.

 

[Teetotal]

Was thinking about a similar thing the other day when I went for my bi-annual shop in town at the weekend. It was first thing on Saturday morning and the place was packed with OAP's. They don't work, they have all week to shop when the shops are empty so why choose to shop when it's heaving? My two decent local clubs are the same on a Saturday morning - can't get a tee time because of all the OAP's teeing off! Why???

 

[madandra]

Hold on lads !!! Let me ask you this one question:

After paying full fee's for 30 years (approx. £12k) to your golf club, would YOU accept either an Honorary membership or a seniors concession membership?

I am sure that to a man (and wumin in AliB's case) you would ALL say Thank you very much.

Perhaps asking the olds to play off ladies and junior tees would assist the green staff in preserving medal tee areas for comps. Also, resricting the use of electric buggies and standard trolleys when the courses are heavy and easily damaged would reduce foot fall on the course.

The older generation deserve the right to play golf 'shoulder to shoulder' with the rest of us.

Just because we can bend over and pick our ball out the hole without the use of a wee sucker cup on the end of the putter does not give us the devine right to push the GOLF WAR VETERANS onto the scrapheap.

GO GRANDPA !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


P.S. Caught a sight of MikeH on the telly this morning on the beeb news talking about this topic. I would like it noted for the records he was defending the olds too.

Well done Sir

 

[viscount17]

It's a question of proportion isn't it? If clubs become too top heavy with 'honorary members' who wish (sounds like demand in some cases) to continue playing at peak times then those clubs will inevitably fold as the paying members, whose only time to play this may be, seek pastures new. There is also nothing wrong with honorary memberships, but perhaps a bit of give and take in times of play is called for.

 

[madandra]

Each club can alter their individual constitution regarding the rights of senior golfers. This would have to be voted on at an AGM I think.

 

[USER1999]

Exactly, and with an ageing membership, who all want to pay less or nothing, it cannot be changed by vote, as they can veto any change.

Long term the club will go broke, when the people who are supporting the oldies leave to join a cheaper club.

On a similar subject, we have a lot of societies on Friday afternoons. The club promised to free up some fridays, because more and more members don't work on Friday pm. They freed up 4 over the year, and replaced them with members golf and supper nights.
The socs used to finish at about 4pm, and there was a fair number of members who used to follow on. Now, the golf and supper night lot play effectively a closed course, from 12 til 6, and then have supper. These are all the oldies who could play any day of the week, and include none of the usual friday crowd, so we are worse off than before.

yes, we could play in it, but the last time I did that we were 4 1/2 hours for 13 holes, and it was supposed to be a 'fun' competition, like a scramble. What is fun about a projected 6 hour round, playing scramble?

 

[AliB]

Yes, Mike H is not only on TV but also in the Telegraph who have really gone to town on it today with a whole page spread and contributions from all and sundry inc Tom Cox of 'Head of Sergio Garcia' fame.

glad to have you on our side, madandra, though yes the trolley issue can be a problem. Last winter trolleys were banned for a while on ours but allowed with a sick note (!!!)
(No comment, even I have principles!)


AliB

 

[GB72]

Even the Daily Mail have picked up on this story today. Considering the average demographic of their readership, I would expect to see a letters page crammed with outraged seniors tomorrow.

 

[par_par_par_treble]

Hmmmmmmn

I think it’s a difficult one

I don’t like people paying half my fees to play 4 times a week when I can only play once, but if that’s what we’ve all signed up to, then it needs to be upheld or democratically changed.

As for free membership for over 65s with a certain amount of service, surely this age should go up in line with life expectancy?? Potentially you could get more free years than paid ones…

I think the fairest way to go is to introduce 6 day membership for those not willing to pay the full fees. Again it needs to go down to the vote though. I wouldn’t like to feel that I’m subsidizing people, so would vote with my feet if it came to it.

 

[madandra]

AND ANOTHER THING FOR THE OLDIES .........



REPRINT ALL THE SCORE CARDS IN THE LAND USING LARGE BOLD PRINT

 

[USER1999]

There used to be a dear old girl in her late eighties at my last club who used to play at about 10 on a Saturday morning. She always used an electric trolley except when there was a trolley ban (which was 5 months of the year as drainage was poor) when she used a long strap, and dragged her bag behind her. No trolley exemptions there then.