Club's compensation package for lockdown 3.

[Bunkermagnet]

I'd outlaid £77.50 each month in January, February and March. I was not looking to be reimbursed more than I'd paid. Just a fair offer of refund. To me it's not right that the refund is linked to another year's membership. My fees were paid in the 2020/21 season, when the course was closed.
If you booked a flight which was cancelled and you asked for your money back and the only offer was another flight a year later when you could not go, would you be happy with that?

So why put the "and maybe more" in brackets then? That just says you're wanting to profit out of the situation.
As I see it, you said you had the opportunity to not pay the last month but chose to in the hope of getting more back in return. If that ins't gambling on the situation I don't know what is.

 

[r0wly86]

Whilst it will to a degree depend on personal circumstances, given that England Golf reckoned the average annual subs in 2018 were £901, members on average are giving up a little over a month's fees to secure the future of their club if they let it slide. That doesn't seem a lot & I think most probably can afford it, although a large number probably don't want to afford it, which is something completely different.

You don't know what someone's financial circumstances are, you seem to be under the impression that if someone is paying membership then they must be doing okay and be able to afford it. It could be that they don't have a lot of money and the budget a lot in order to afford membership, for people like £100 per month on something they can't use is a lot

 

[jim8flog]

Why have some clubs given rebates for the first lockdown from the end of March 2020 - mid May 2020....yet it seems on here like many are refusing to for Lockdown 2 and 3 which is November, January, February and March?

.

A cynic would say it's because it was right before renewal time..hence the lockdown 1 rebate..

I would say that is partly true, we were offered it as an incentive to renew and for those that had renewed already but I think no club could have visualised another 4 months of lockdown after coming out of lockdown 1.

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

This is probably only partly true surely the governments Rates Reduction Scheme scheme comes in to play. We get a rate reduction even in normal years when the club is closed due to the weather.

Do you close your clubhouse when the course is closed?

 

[3offTheTee]

I really don't see it like that sorry. I never expected to get the money back in cash, but ultimately I've paid for 3 months for a service that could not be provided and had hoped as in Lockdown 1 there would be an option to be offered a pro shop voucher. Just disappointed that the only "winners" seem to be the members who are staying and the owner who is probably massively in profit - nearly all staff furloughed and still raking it in in membership direct debits.

Jus a quickie and Bering in mind hindsight never made a mistake!

You were paying £77.50 per month correct? How much was the voucher for last time? If you had cancelled the March payment you would not have been too far out with what you received last time apart from Jan and Feb’s payments. Is that correct?

 

[3offTheTee]

I really don't see it like that sorry. I never expected to get the money back in cash, but ultimately I've paid for 3 months for a service that could not be provided and had hoped as in Lockdown 1 there would be an option to be offered a pro shop voucher. Just disappointed that the only "winners" seem to be the members who are staying and the owner who is probably massively in profit - nearly all staff furloughed and still raking it in in membership direct debits.

So sorry to ask younbut seem to recall last year you were having problems with Golf Travel or somebody similar with court action possible. What was the outcome please?

 

[Blue in Munich]

You don't know what someone's financial circumstances are, you seem to be under the impression that if someone is paying membership then they must be doing okay and be able to afford it. It could be that they don't have a lot of money and the budget a lot in order to afford membership, for people like £100 per month on something they can't use is a lot

Given the cost of membership and the equipment it's hardly a stretch to consider that people who are members are reasonably okay financially is it? Yes for some it will be a lot but for an awful lot more it is a price they will be able to absorb.

 

[r0wly86]

Given the cost of membership and the equipment it's hardly a stretch to consider that people who are members are reasonably okay financially is it? Yes for some it will be a lot but for an awful lot more it is a price they will be able to absorb.

I for one, have recently changed career and am only paid the London Living Wage. My clubs were gift from my dad who had a windfall. I can budget to pay for a membership, though it means going without other things, I do this because I love golf, I am not well off but budget golf into my life. Paying several months worth of membership and getting nothing back would cause me and my family a lot of stress, that is several hundred pounds that could go into paying off the mortgage earlier or buying a new washing machine or something similar.

 

[Kennysarmy]

So sorry to ask younbut seem to recall last year you were having problems with Golf Travel or somebody similar with court action possible. What was the outcome please?

I created a social media WhatsApp group and between us we put pressure on the directors, they paid us back in full, eventually, although we had to remove all our negative feedback on trustpilot and any twitter posts or forum posts where we'd spoken negatively about their antics at the time. I believe months later golfers were still trying to get their refunds.

 

[3offTheTee]

I created a social media WhatsApp group and between us we put pressure on the directors, they paid us back in full, eventually, although we had to remove all our negative feedback on trustpilot and any twitter posts or forum posts where we'd spoken negatively about their antics at the time. I believe months later golfers were still trying to get their refunds.

Excellent news . Really pleased for you.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I created a social media WhatsApp group and between us we put pressure on the directors, they paid us back in full, eventually, although we had to remove all our negative feedback on trustpilot and any twitter posts or forum posts where we'd spoken negatively about their antics at the time. I believe months later golfers were still trying to get their refunds.

I had a trip planned for this April, actually last April but it was rolled over. I've had an email advising it can't go ahead and to click one of 3 options. It won't surprise you that a refund is not one of the 3. The behaviour of some travel firms has been less than open and impressive. I'm pleased you got your money back.

 

[r0wly86]

You would only pay it if you can afford it.

Once that money is paid, you won't be worse off financially if you can't play golf, that's really a totally separate issue. You'd be peed off, that's all.

If it purely comes down to money, we are actually better off not playing because we're not spending money on balls, food and drink. So whilst that might sound silly, it highlights that really it's not about the actual amount of money at all, it's about getting something we've paid for, 2 separate issues.

that's rubbish sorry.

Being able to afford something is not simply the bank balance before and after, but the transaction itself. i.e. I can afford golf membership as I get something out of it, therefore my budgeting is worth it. I go without certain things in order to play golf. If I can no longer play golf, then the membership is no longer affordable.

It's quite possible that you bought coffee from a high street place before lock down, but I doubt you are volunteering to send them £3 a day because you can afford it, because you are no longer getting anything for your money

That money that was going on golf membership could be spent somewhere I am actually getting something. I understand that for a lot here £100 per month for nothing is worth it in order for clubs to be okay, and I get that, if I were in a similar position then I would so the same. But for some people, myself included essentially throwing £100 a month in the bin is extremely stressful.

 

[Captainron]

@r0wly86 If you are paying £100 a month to be a member of a golf club and it’s impacting your standard of living then you need to re-evaluate your choices.

In my original point I was saying that as an example a one off payment of £100 is not going to change anyone’s life here. But a club giving every member that amount is indeed a big deal and could mean them folding.

 

[patricks148]

thinking about it a bit more, i'd be more inclined to want a rebate of some sort if i was at a Proprietary club than a members club, one is making money from what they charge you, or at least trying to. Members clubs its just to run the place not for profit

 

[Papas1982]

I for one, have recently changed career and am only paid the London Living Wage. My clubs were gift from my dad who had a windfall. I can budget to pay for a membership, though it means going without other things, I do this because I love golf, I am not well off but budget golf into my life. Paying several months worth of membership and getting nothing back would cause me and my family a lot of stress, that is several hundred pounds that could go into paying off the mortgage earlier or buying a new washing machine or something similar.

It only causes stress if you allow it too.

Members rounds at my place actually grew this year. You may well have had less months of golf, but how many rounds did you get in during the season?

Compare the average cost per round compared to greenfees and see if you still feel hard done by.

I've gotten £0 return for my membership, it cost me approx £18 per round. I'd say that's fair value.

 

[Captainron]

Perhaps if clubs waited until next year and rewarded those that stuck by them until they stabilised that would make more sense to those who want something back.

 

[Blue in Munich]

Another consideration here is that if a club decides to give back say £100 to each full member.

£100 is not a lot of money. You could do without it. It’s a night out or a meal with the wife and kids at a normal restaurant. No one here is going to die if they lose £100. It’s rock all really.

That club has 800 members and all of a sudden that’s £80k gone.

That’s a lot of money. That could be the difference between being there and not got some clubs.

Add on lost revenue from visitors, catering and the bar.

Stop being so short sighted.

I for one, have recently changed career and am only paid the London Living Wage. My clubs were gift from my dad who had a windfall. I can budget to pay for a membership, though it means going without other things, I do this because I love golf, I am not well off but budget golf into my life. Paying several months worth of membership and getting nothing back would cause me and my family a lot of stress, that is several hundred pounds that could go into paying off the mortgage earlier or buying a new washing machine or something similar.

The original quote, reproduced above, referred to a one off compensation payment of £100. Not £100 per month.

I understand that £100 per month for nothing would cause people issues, but as a one off £100, for the majority of club members, it would not be an issue and that's what the £100 post was about. Whilst it might be in your personal circumstances, I don't think that is representative of the average member which is what I was talking about. And all of us to some degree or another budget to afford golf.

 

[Pjwgov]

I think there is a big difference between some members clubs and some proprietary ones. Ours for example is a proprietary club charging nearly £1800. We have not yet received any information regarding rebates/ compensation for loss of golf which =approximately £600. As a business the directors take out a considerably large dividend when times are good, however this golfing year they have been unable to offer us what we pay for and I personally am expecting to be nearly fully repaid.

 

[Pjwgov]

Because this golfing year we have lost 4 months

 

[DanFST]

Really?

Was nobody furloughed and able to play 7 days a week for months on end?

How about those who were working less than normal and were able to play more?

Some people are conveniently ignoring the many, many extra games they played during the good weather, but are conveniently forgetting they wouldn't have played much anyway in winter.

It's all whataboutism, Many people haven't been furloughed. Senior section that play every day have missed a massive amount of rounds.

I still work 50 hours a week. My course only shuts for snow, it drains incredibly.

What's your point?