fundy
Ryder Cup Winner
I will thank you, timetable not certain yet but definitely heading that way sometime soon!
Arn't joining fees making it harder for new members?
- Thread starter Sashisg
- Start date
I will thank you, timetable not certain yet but definitely heading that way sometime soon!
Hickory_Hacker
Q-School Graduate
Both my club's have joining fee's and long may they continue.
If anything I would up both the joining fee and year subs, quality over quantity :thup: But it's not my gig!
If anything I would up both the joining fee and year subs, quality over quantity :thup: But it's not my gig!
stevek1969
Money List Winner
Have one at mine that gets paid in instalments , i think if you pay it means you won't leave after a few years
There is quite a lot of capital investment in a typical golf club, so to some extent the joining fee is buying into that. However, not everybody has two or three thousand quid (or a lot more at certain clubs) to throw away, so clubs need to consider what overall effect this has on recruiting new members. Two extra members at £1500 each is worth the same as one joining fee, and may go on for many years.
All clubs should charge a joining fee, memberships and tee times sold on the cheap are damaging golf
Charging a joining fee gains commitment from the person who joined, to remain a member and also to use the facilities
Of course there is money in the bank, but people should perceive a joining fee as the norm IMO, golf is a special game, clubs need to present membership as a special commitment to the special game!
Golf courses are racing towards oblivion, obliterating commitment (Joining fees) offering massive discounts through 3rd party sites, introducing all sorts of gimmicks that detract from actual golf
GOLF does not need gimmicks, nor should it keep getting sold on the cheap, drives me crazy
Charging a joining fee gains commitment from the person who joined, to remain a member and also to use the facilities
Of course there is money in the bank, but people should perceive a joining fee as the norm IMO, golf is a special game, clubs need to present membership as a special commitment to the special game!
Golf courses are racing towards oblivion, obliterating commitment (Joining fees) offering massive discounts through 3rd party sites, introducing all sorts of gimmicks that detract from actual golf
GOLF does not need gimmicks, nor should it keep getting sold on the cheap, drives me crazy
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Slab
Occasional Tour Caddy
Is this really your view or just for forum banter?
Golf is a special game, but should never be exclusive based on the size of someone’s bank balance. (if golf membership ever became defined as ‘special’ based on someone’s ability to pay then its finished)
Providing there’s choice in the market place to enable anyone to play then clubs can target their preferred member, whether that’s the millionaires who hold memberships at clubs they don’t even play at from one year to the next or the lads with memberships on the municipal course, and everyone in-between, the market will sort itself out and the club & course should reflect the income but importantly neither model poses a threat to the others existence
I think it's the clubs in the very middle where the difference of opinion is greatest. The clubs that once had a waiting list/joining fee but cannot sustain it anymore and those that try from time to time to apply one but somehow the club just isn't worth the lofty station the owners/committee believe it is
Golf is special because it can be played by the guy off the shop-floor wearing t-shirt, trainers and cargo shorts who's on a £250 annual membership, the ball will still draw/fade/hook & slice the same as it does for the affluent player
Smiffy
Grand Slam Winner
If Cooden had had a joining fee, I don't think I'd be a member there now.
It's only because they dropped it that it became affordable to me.
It's still over £1,100.00 a year, which is plenty enough for me.
It's only because they dropped it that it became affordable to me.
It's still over £1,100.00 a year, which is plenty enough for me.
Hacker Khan
Yurt Dwelling, Yoghurt Knitter
I think your logic relies on the fact that every member of every club has the money and inclination to pay an additional joining fee. Yes I agree that may well increase commitment to some extent. But as a long term economic strategic I think it is extremely flawed in today's society.
Golf needs to continually innovate to make it relevant to society today whilst maintaining what is good about the sport. There also needs to be a good part of the game that is seen as cheap as that will make it more accessible. The danger is that if innovation is seen as gimmicks then the game will become more and more irrelevant to many and become more of a niche sport.
And I'd argue golf is not special if you do not play it. It is no more special than bowls is to a bowls player, or football to a Sunday league player. And to me in society today there is a great danger in all clubs thinking that it is special and that people will be willing to pay a premium to access the game and the club is doing the member the favour.
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G
guest100718
Guest
Joining a golf club isnt a status symbol.....Lots of people just want to play golf and have no desire to stump up a grand on top of subs or be interviewed and all that nonsense.
D
Deleted member 15344
Guest
We currently have a join fee - we also have a decent amount of people on the waiting list
We also offer a membership scheme for people who might be only in the area for a couple of years that doesn't include a joining fee
We also offer a membership scheme for people who might be only in the area for a couple of years that doesn't include a joining fee
MendieGK
Tour Winner
I think a joining fee is should only be relevant for clubs of high stature. I would have an issue joining any club with a joining fee personally. The reason i wont join Frilford is because they want £3k to join - theres a reason they have offers on all the time. People arent willing to pay it.
I dont really agree with the 'shows some commitment' angle, basically thats saying the club isnt doing enough to 'want' people to stay, so is 'making' them stay? just my opinion though.
With regards to 351s post, that view is the reason golf is in decline.
I dont really agree with the 'shows some commitment' angle, basically thats saying the club isnt doing enough to 'want' people to stay, so is 'making' them stay? just my opinion though.
With regards to 351s post, that view is the reason golf is in decline.
shewy
Journeyman Pro
Part of the snobbery of golf imo, clubs are struggling because they are stuck in the past, maybe if they had a modern type memberships with a bit more flexibility then they would attract more members and trade. We are not all retired and able to play 7 days a week, for those who work 5 days a week and have families I don't think old style memberships work or are worth it
I think once upon a time all clubs had a joining fee, Ive paid one at the last 3 clubs ive been a member of and most of the half decent clubs still have one up here.
We had a deal to try and get under 30's in, and they though that would bolster the comps as we have an older membership , which was no joining fee and half normal cost. Not a bit of it, none of the first intake played any comps, just used it as cheap golf and sign mates on. in fact half of them failed to join the next year, and i imagine very few will stay once the cheaper deal no longer applies to them.
people forget golf course are open 12 months and costs to run those clubs are also 12 months, so anyone that thinks they should pay for just summer golf has to realize they have to pay a premium for that.
We had a deal to try and get under 30's in, and they though that would bolster the comps as we have an older membership , which was no joining fee and half normal cost. Not a bit of it, none of the first intake played any comps, just used it as cheap golf and sign mates on. in fact half of them failed to join the next year, and i imagine very few will stay once the cheaper deal no longer applies to them.
people forget golf course are open 12 months and costs to run those clubs are also 12 months, so anyone that thinks they should pay for just summer golf has to realize they have to pay a premium for that.
shewy
Journeyman Pro
That's my issue with membership fees, my last club was closed nearly 6 months due to weather, why would you fork out knowing it's shut half the year.
Thats fair enough, but they still had to pay the staff, and other bills. If you want 6 month membership you have to pay a premium.
we have advertising spaces in the airport and as we are a tourist destination many of the advertisers only want to advertise during the summer months, if the person that sold the ads allowed that we would have all the spaces empty for 6 months and full the rest. so they charge more for 6 months summer contracts than the 12 month ones. result all the spaces are full 12 months.
D
Deleted member 16999
Guest
Simple supply and demand, if a club has a joining fee and people are willing to pay it, then fine.
Many clubs are struggling for members and adding a joining fee would be financial suicide.
But believing a joining fee is linked to a better course or better sort of person is daft and just old fashioned snobbery.
Up here in the NE quite a few of the courses had joining fees and now I'm not aware of any.
People are free to choose how they spend their money and good on them.
Some courses possibly wouldn't survive without the joining fee.
Many clubs are struggling for members and adding a joining fee would be financial suicide.
But believing a joining fee is linked to a better course or better sort of person is daft and just old fashioned snobbery.
Up here in the NE quite a few of the courses had joining fees and now I'm not aware of any.
People are free to choose how they spend their money and good on them.
Some courses possibly wouldn't survive without the joining fee.
ger147
Tour Winner
I joined my first club back in 2012 and paid a 4 figure joining fee. I didn't settle at that club so left at the end of that season regardless of the joining fee.
I've been at my current club which has no joining fee for the last 4 years but I'm not happy there so am looking around for somewhere else for next season and am most likely to end up back at the club I originally joined in 2012 as most of the things that put me off it in the first place have been changed.
Golf is my only hobby and the cost, joining fees etc. have no impact on my decisions on where to join or whether I'm going to move on or not. I just want to play golf on a nice golf course and be able to play lots of comps during the golfing season.
I've been at my current club which has no joining fee for the last 4 years but I'm not happy there so am looking around for somewhere else for next season and am most likely to end up back at the club I originally joined in 2012 as most of the things that put me off it in the first place have been changed.
Golf is my only hobby and the cost, joining fees etc. have no impact on my decisions on where to join or whether I'm going to move on or not. I just want to play golf on a nice golf course and be able to play lots of comps during the golfing season.
You are perfectly illustrating WHY there should be a joining fee
You have a bad year, people just piss off to the next club with no joining fee or become nomads and over time lost to the game
shewy
Journeyman Pro
Where's the logic in that? Would you pay for a football match and only get to watch the first half?
I was a member for a good few years but the product was simply not good enough.
I was a member for a good few years but the product was simply not good enough.
Where is the logic?
If you can leave one club and join another without any financial issue, why would you stick to one club?
People are lost to golf when they change jobs, have kids, get a house renovation etc
Right then you think SOD IT i will not pay my membership this year and pick up again next year or even join another club that is a bit cheaper, guess what, many would not rejoin and many would slip away from golf
The joining fee retains golfers and encourages a club atmosphere, it works
You have to balance exactly how many members are put off, v how many are retained and if the club can present itself as a desirable club to join (Which should obviously be the aim) then they should be aiming to charge a joining fee
If you can leave one club and join another without any financial issue, why would you stick to one club?
People are lost to golf when they change jobs, have kids, get a house renovation etc
Right then you think SOD IT i will not pay my membership this year and pick up again next year or even join another club that is a bit cheaper, guess what, many would not rejoin and many would slip away from golf
The joining fee retains golfers and encourages a club atmosphere, it works
You have to balance exactly how many members are put off, v how many are retained and if the club can present itself as a desirable club to join (Which should obviously be the aim) then they should be aiming to charge a joining fee
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