Congu Handicap membership for £50

[Rory130911]

A course local to me has just started a FULL congu handicap only membership for £50

You can play in club comps (for a green fee and entry fee)

Qualify for your handicap

Transfer your congu handicap into the club

Play in other club open comps with your official club congu handicap.

This is an amazing innovation in club membership as far as I can see, because you can get an official handicap without spending £1000's on joining fees and annual memberships.

The course is:
North West National Golf Club and Driving Range. Mill Lane. Rainford. WA11 8LN. Main No: 01744 885808.

http://www.thenorthwestnational.co.uk/

email contact is: jamesmartinturner@yahoo.co.uk - the owner/manager

 

[GB72]

A course local to me has just started a FULL congu handicap only membership for £50

You can play in club comps (for a green fee and entry fee)

Qualify for your handicap

Transfer your congu handicap into the club

Play in other club open comps with your official club congu handicap.

This is an amazing innovation in club membership as far as I can see, because you can get an official handicap without spending £1000's on joining fees and annual memberships.

The course is:
North West National Golf Club and Driving Range. Mill Lane. Rainford. WA11 8LN. Main No: 01744 885808.

http://www.thenorthwestnational.co.uk/

email contact is: jamesmartinturner@yahoo.co.uk - the owner/manager

A good idea but it could backfire. It will depend on how many £50 payments and green fees you get in comparison to how many members you lose who pay the full amount but feel that they are now not playing enough golf and move to the new scheme.

 

[Alex1975]

This would be ideal for me but GB72 makes a good point. It will be interesting to see what the uptake from other courses is like.

 

[NWJocko]

This is how I operate and have done since I started where I am.

The course is proprietary and we are a club attached to it.

£60 a year joining fee that covers fees and handicap software licence.

You can then either by a season ticket for the course or pay as you go (up to a limit of the annual season ticket, after which it is free). Obviously pay the comp fee aswell.

Works really well for me as I can't get out enough at the moment to justify paying silly money (which most places are round here) for a membership.

 

[GuitarRich]

Ansty Golf Course in Coventry does similar - bit more expensive £120 I think - although they do a groupon for £29 occasionally, and you get a discount on the green fees too.

Pity the course isn't the best.

 

[GB72]

Thing is that you are swapping a fixed income (fees from a signed up member) to one that is variable depending on how much the person plays. May make more or less money that way but must make planning for expenditure difficult as you are never sure how much income each person paying the £50 will contribute

 

[Liverbirdie]

I believe that this course went bust a few years ago, a few months after the members had paid full suscriptions. When the new company took over, they had to pay again.

This is only what I have heard, dig a bit further, if you want. Maybe due to this, they have struggled to get people to commit again, so why they have other options.

Still, if it works for you, and you aren't stumping much in advance, may be ideal.

 

[Rory130911]

All good points.......

I think it will work out fine for them as they are running this AND a traditional membership side-by-side.

As it is a new club, they are trying to get new members in, who will at some point up-grade to the full membership deal, but seem happy for them to stay on the handicap only scheme and pay the green fees/comp entries when they like.

Its a great idea in these tough financial times.

 

[Scottjd1]

I dont always get why people want to play for next to nothing, keeping a course in good nick is very expensive and if no one pays annual subs how are they supposed to have a prgramme of ongoing maintenance?

Horses for courses I guess.....

 

[bladeplayer]

Its big over here , you can join places for €130-€150 & get full handicap , then just play opens everywhere. works well for alot of people .. i think you have to live outside a certain distance from the club to qualify tho , hence it doesnt include the local based membership

 

[SGC001]

I wish there was something like this local and in my county, I guess the scheme Flintoff advertises is similar.

I'm a litle suprised that someone indicated earleir you could pay the full amount or part and then green fees up until you reach that amount. I can understand it being capped, but would expect the cap to be slightly above what you would have to pay in 1 go or that becomes a rather pointless option.

A course near, but not in my county does something like this. You pay about £80 and £15 or so a round or you can buy a years golf for £80 plus a set fee for your green fees. people who are going to play reguarly anyway buy the set fee as it costs less, so you still get some regular players.

I believe golf developments plans sometimes like this kind of membership as an option to keep people in the game as a lot drop out at certain age groups and they feel this may boost rounds played by helping retention and keeping people involved. If it's like other sports they'll be getting some funding based on numbers and if this allows them to be counted may help their overall funding levels too.

 

[duncan mackie]

I don't understand what's new here?

This has been the norm on most council/municipal courses for decades - I had such a membership from the mid 70's until 2 years ago!

As others are raising there are more and more inovative membership basis being offered by clubs in an effort to match perceived demand - we have just introduced a category where you purchase a number of guest fees in advance and become a member with similar rights to many country membership schemes, effectively cashing in your vouchers as you choose to play (which may include competitions) and benefit from a handicap etc as well.

 

[papyt]

this course opened in a blaze of bad publicity, they wanted £50 a round for is not much better than a glorified muni,was supposed to have a luxury club house with spa ( never happened ) went bust owing money to builders and members who had paid,greens got vandalised (twice) the nevada bobs that was in the driving range ceased to trade then was bought out by a independent trader who only lasted a few months then that went bust,the driving range was sold to a local business man and his wife who are trying to get it working,you can play a round mid=week for £8,the top and bottom is don't waste your money as the course is terrible to play and you don't know how long it will be trading for.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

A course local to me has just started a FULL congu handicap only membership for £50

You can play in club comps (for a green fee and entry fee)

Qualify for your handicap

Transfer your congu handicap into the club

Play in other club open comps with your official club congu handicap.

This is an amazing innovation in club membership as far as I can see, because you can get an official handicap without spending £1000's on joining fees and annual memberships.

The course is:
North West National Golf Club and Driving Range. Mill Lane. Rainford. WA11 8LN. Main No: 01744 885808.

http://www.thenorthwestnational.co.uk/

email contact is: jamesmartinturner@yahoo.co.uk - the owner/manager

It's not really an innovation is it, most of the Muni's round here offer a similar deal, admittedly the upfront fee is more like £250 but that's just a result of the area.

 

[6inchcup]

i know i am new on here so don't know the etiquette of replying so forgive me if i'm out of order but does the original post not read like an advert or is it the way i am reading it.

 

[HughJars]

As one or two have already mentioned, this is just like joining any municipal course up and down thew country, nothing very innovative at all.

 

[Rooter]

2 courses near me do it, one is 35 quid plus a few odds and sods, and the other is 105 all in. Good idea for people that want competitive golf, but ont want the average 8-900 quid memberships....

 

[RGDave]

Hold on a mo'

I was doing this in the 1990s.

?

 

[Rory130911]

Just to answer a few things:

1) My original post is not an advert, I thought people might like to see how cheaply they could get a full congu handicap. I certainly won't get any profit out of mentioning it.

2) Muni membership used to be cheap, but around here the local muni costs £250pa plus green fees - so this is a lot cheaper.

3) The course concerned does seem to have had some problems, but it is now in fantastic order and the design will test any level of player.

Play well everyone!

 

[Scouser]

Looks like it may be struggling again though....I was there the other week and the cafe was closing and the shop has run in to problems again according to a member of staff!

Its a pity because it would be a decent place to play and practice if everything was finished including the half built clubhouse