Comp fees going up?

[timd77]

We’ve just had an email from the club informing us that most comp entry fees are going up by £1 to £5 to specifically to generate more money for the club (currently the club takes £1).

It’s only a quid, but if you include a pint after each round (I play once a week in a comp), I’m spending £36 a month on top of the recently increased membership fee. £150 a month all in all.

Yes, comps aren’t compulsory, but it’s a huge reason why I’m a member of a club. I’m sure others are the same.

And again, the club haven’t consulted the membership on this. To me it seems counterintuitive because I’m guessing lots will feel the same and will vote with their feet, either by playing in fewer comps or not having a drink afterwards, I know I won’t be. And call me cynical but emailing this out on a bank holiday Monday and shortly after everyone has signed up for another year seems a little naughty.

What are the comp fees at your club?

Am I being unreasonable?

 

[NearHull]

We’ve increased our competition entry fees by the same £1 to £5 at the beginning of the year. We’ve had a little negative feedback but entry numbers are standing up.

 

[Billysboots]

We’ve paid £5 for competition entry for some time, this including 2’s.

I hear what you’re saying, but I don’t regard competition entry fees as any sort of levy - if I play well enough to place or get a 2 then I more than cover the cost, and may even cover several months of fees.

Not really an issue for me.

 

[bobmac]

We’ve just had an email from the club informing us that most comp entry fees are going up by £1 to £5 to specifically to generate more money for the club (currently the club takes £1).

It’s only a quid, but if you include a pint after each round (I play once a week in a comp), I’m spending £36 a month on top of the recently increased membership fee. £150 a month all in all.

Yes, comps aren’t compulsory, but it’s a huge reason why I’m a member of a club. I’m sure others are the same.

So the cost of playing in comps has gone up by £4 per month?

 

[Banchory Buddha]

Both my clubs the competition fees are £0.
There are optional sweep and twos, I'd be like you, being charged for a competition I'd be moving clubs the following year.

 

[JayB]

While not a major issue in my opinion, I agree the timing is a little bit off.

 

[Slab]

On one hand a 20% hike is a lot
On the other hand, if you dropped a pound coin on the busy high street how far would you chase after it doubled over and scrambling after it

 

[Billysboots]

Both my clubs the competition fees are £0.
There are optional sweep and twos, I'd be like you, being charged for a competition I'd be moving clubs the following year.

How do your club cover the cost of buying trophies, engraving and updating honours boards? Part of our entry fee goes towards covering those annual costs.

 

[Banchory Buddha]

How do your club cover the cost of buying trophies, engraving and updating honours boards? Part of our entry fee goes towards covering those annual costs.

It's just part of the annual expenses that are budgeted for, so hidden away in your membership fees. Neither club has replica trophies so that cost is no longer there.

 

[Bratty]

We've just increased from £5 to £7.50! The rate hadn't gone up for 15 years, but prize funds stayed similar. Proshop goods cost more as do trophies, so that's the club's argument for increasing. £1. 50 extra for prizes and £1 for trophies.
The fact that most people have said they're not bothered about a trophy, so can they just pay £6.50, is telling!

 

[doublebogey7]

We pay £4 entry fee and £1 two's. All two's money is returned as prizes, 20% of entry fees are retained for sundry competition expenses such trophy engraving, updating boards etc. Are you saying the club will now retain £2 just because they can. Seems to me they should not be asking competition entrents to subsidise other aspects of the club.

 

[timd77]

So the cost of playing in comps has gone up by £4 per month?

Yeh. Like I say, not a massive amount, but where does it end? I can understand the bar and food prices going up, and the membership fees going up, things are more expensive to run now, I get that. But why put the comp fees up? The cost of running a comp hasn’t increased? We’re already paying extra to cover staff cost increases. The email specifically says it’s to generate more money for the club. I don’t think
I’m alone in feeling this way, but as others have said, it’s probably not that big a deal to most.

In terms of the timing, as most would’ve done a couple of months ago, I worked out how much another year’s membership was going to be, factoring in comps and beer. My conclusion was that it was too much, but what are you gonna do, stop playing? It’s a stretch but I’ve got no choice. Since signing up again the bar prices (fair enough, suppliers put their prices up) and now the comp fees have gone up.

 

[chrisd]

Our competition entry is £7 but that includes £2 for the prize money sweep and £2 for the 2's sweep, both of which can be opted out of . My competition win a couple of weeks ago netted me £73.50 from the sweep, this suggests that some opt out as there were 105 players in the comp.

 

[Imurg]

£3 entry, £1 for the Sweep and £1 for the 2s - both optional.
I agree, it can get a bit expensive when you tot it all up.
My biggest issue with comps is that any winnings gets credited to your Pro shop account....then I end up buying things for the sake of buying just to use up credit.
Fully understand why they do it.....

 

[moogie]

£3 entry
( incl sweep )
£1 optional 2s

 

[Voyager EMH]

Ours is £4 and optional £1 for 2s sweep. Not heard about it going up this year.
All comp prizes and 2s winnings are pro-shop credit.
I like that - it gives the pro a good turnover and he can keep a well-stocked shop.
I do like those 2s sweeps. We have 5 par-3s. I have a 60% per round hit rate. Putting for dough!

 

[fenwayrich]

Fees £3 + £1 optional 2's. 100% of fees paid out in prizes, added to member's card for use in bar or shop. Competition expenses such as engraving and honours boards are normal club overheads.

 

[RichA]

Most of our comps are £1.
Big comps are £2. Scrambles, knockouts and pairs comps normally £5 per player.
Entry fees are paid to the club though, not the course, which is proprietary so totally separate to membership. We don't have a pro shop, so prizes are usually a cheap engraved glass and a sleeve of econoballs.
The low stakes golf might be why we don't have many WHS complainers.
Recent bar price increases have nearly caused a couple of riots though.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I think ours is £3 plus optional £1 for 2's, which I don't enter.

I get the point of the OP. Fees are a lot, plus x, plus y. When you add it up it becomes a fair chunk. You draw a line somewhere, even if it's only an extra £1.

 

[arnieboy]

Ours is £4 and optional £1 for 2s sweep. Not heard about it going up this year.
All comp prizes and 2s winnings are pro-shop credit.
I like that - it gives the pro a good turnover and he can keep a well-stocked shop.
I do like those 2s sweeps. We have 5 par-3s. I have a 60% per round hit rate. Putting for dough!

Same as us although we only have three par 3's.