Cost of Annual Membership at your Club

[doublebogey7]

My club is freezing fee's this year in the hope that this will help in retaining members through a difficult economic period. It has been able to do this partly through increased membership through the Covid period and partly through prudent financial management. If this does not help in retaining memebers I fear a significant increase in fee's next year.

 

[peld]

We had our letters this weekend and was quite shocked they are freezing the annual fee.

 

[Beezerk]

Well after some last minute discussions I ended up changing my mind and joined The Hobson in Gateshead with Mr Moogie and Mr Kraxx of this very parish.
Only 10 minutes from my house with great practice facilities and superb greens, I wouldn’t say it’s a harder test than my old course (off the tee) but it’s much much easier on the knees. Played yesterday in a decent wind, took a smidge over 3 hours, old course would have been over 4 hours

 

[Junior]

Our clubhouse is a bit of an old beast. Just re-doing the bathrooms...but I imagine taking care of big older buildings is a real ££££ pit.

Nice, where is that?

Both my clubs have increased by 10%. I'm dropping the old (more expensive) one which is a shame as that's where I started playing 15 or so years ago.

 

[NearHull]

Nice, where is that?

Both my clubs have increased by 10%. I'm dropping the old (more expensive) one which is a shame as that's where I started playing 15 or so years ago.

It’s Oakdale, Harrogate. A very nice course.

 

[Backache]

Have just joined a new club only using the stud bar.

A breeding ground for new golfers?

 

[federalexpress]

My club is going for an 18.7% increase this year then 4% over CPI for the following 3 years. It feels less like dealing with costs, more about changing the proposition of the club and probably accepting (maybe even encouraging) a churn of current members to be replaced by those waiting.

This has to get a 2/3 majority from the membership. On the face of it, you'd imagine it failing given it is such an aggressive increase but I'm not so sure. Strikes me as a big risk though. Unless they turn it into something pretty special quickly, I can foresee problems in 2-3 years.

 

[KenL]

My club is going for an 18.7% increase this year then 4% over CPI for the following 3 years. It feels less like dealing with costs, more about changing the proposition of the club and probably accepting (maybe even encouraging) a churn of current members to be replaced by those waiting.

This has to get a 2/3 majority from the membership. On the face of it, you'd imagine it failing given it is such an aggressive increase but I'm not so sure. Strikes me as a big risk though. Unless they turn it into something pretty special quickly, I can foresee problems in 2-3 years.

Ouch!

 

[Buckles01]

3% increase across the board. Full 7 day membership up by £26ish annually. Extremely pleasantly surprised.

 

[doublebogey7]

Just got my invoice, as suggested earlier, not a penny more than last year, happy days.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

My club is going for an 18.7% increase this year then 4% over CPI for the following 3 years. It feels less like dealing with costs, more about changing the proposition of the club and probably accepting (maybe even encouraging) a churn of current members to be replaced by those waiting.

This has to get a 2/3 majority from the membership. On the face of it, you'd imagine it failing given it is such an aggressive increase but I'm not so sure. Strikes me as a big risk though. Unless they turn it into something pretty special quickly, I can foresee problems in 2-3 years.

Depends upon your starting point and the location and nature of the area and membership. A 20% increase in subs from, say, £500 to £600 will for many members of a golf club be perfectly acceptable and affordable. Mine has gone up about £120, but % wise it is (just) a tad over a third of your 18.7%.

 

[Robster59]

Our has risen by 6% this year. That takes the Ordinairy membership to £1,286. That was passed by the members.
The problem is the cost of running a club is going up dramatically. Energy, rates, fuel, fertiliser, etc.

 

[Shooter McPowick]

9% well over £2k now

 

[federalexpress]

Depends upon your starting point and the location and nature of the area and membership. A 20% increase in subs from, say, £500 to £600 will for many members of a golf club be perfectly acceptable and affordable. Mine has gone up about £120, but % wise it is (just) a tad over a third of your 18.7%.

Gloucestershire, and it is going up by just under £250. There are two us us paying, so £500. If it was the only thing going up above income inflation, it might be affordable, but it isn't. While I have some sympathy for rising costs, that is thus true for all of us and we have to find a way to mitigate, not just carry on doing the same things yet that seems to be their intention. It seems the vast majority of other clubs are managing to strike a more reasonable balance, reading some of the feedback on here.

Hard to call if it will go through or not. In addition to the headline increase there is also another small increase on top which actually takes my rate up over 20%.Personally I think they are pushing it and it may not get voted through, especially as they are trying to do big uplifts over inflation for a further 3 years. It looks to me they are trying to price it out of reach of at least some of the current membership.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Gloucestershire, and it is going up by just under £250. There are two us us paying, so £500. If it was the only thing going up above income inflation, it might be affordable, but it isn't. While I have some sympathy for rising costs, that is thus true for all of us and we have to find a way to mitigate, not just carry on doing the same things yet that seems to be their intention. It seems the vast majority of other clubs are managing to strike a more reasonable balance, reading some of the feedback on here.

Hard to call if it will go through or not. In addition to the headline increase there is also another small increase on top which actually takes my rate up over 20%.Personally I think they are pushing it and it may not get voted through, especially as they are trying to do big uplifts over inflation for a further 3 years. It looks to me they are trying to price it out of reach of at least some of the current membership.

Unfortunately cost of living and energy pressures are no respecter of location in the UK., or indeed club subs. Every club has to cover them and it comes down to whether you burn up any surplus you have; cut back on club expenditure across the board (staff, projects etc), or ask members to stump up. Most clubs will do a combination of all three if they can, but many may not be in a position to do so.

 

[Mandofred]

Something I heard earlier this week that I didn't know......our club hasn't raised fees in 4 years.

I don't know if this has been posted....something to think about anyway.
https://www.nationalclubgolfer.com/news/golf-club-membership-numbers-decline-2023/

 

[federalexpress]

Unfortunately cost of living and energy pressures are no respecter of location in the UK., or indeed club subs. Every club has to cover them and it comes down to whether you burn up any surplus you have; cut back on club expenditure across the board (staff, projects etc), or ask members to stump up. Most clubs will do a combination of all three if they can, but many may not be in a position to do so.

In my opinion we have plenty of scope to reduce everyday expenditure. Because members clubs are run by non paid 'amateurs', you tend to get a rinse and repeat mentality and certainly it is much harder to implement cost efficiencies than it is just to change little or nothing, and get members to stump up. But the latter is easier to oversee.

It's a useful insight as to what other clubs are currently doing. Mine is an outlier.

 

[D-S]

In my opinion we have plenty of scope to reduce everyday expenditure. Because members clubs are run by non paid 'amateurs', you tend to get a rinse and repeat mentality and certainly it is much harder to implement cost efficiencies than it is just to change little or nothing, and get members to stump up. But the latter is easier to oversee.

It's a useful insight as to what other clubs are currently doing. Mine is an outlier.

Could you advise which club you are a member of?

 

[IanM]

Because members clubs are run by non paid 'amateurs', you tend to get a rinse and repeat mentality and certainly it is much harder to implement cost efficiencies than it is .

Ours certainly isn't. Finances are really well run. But I'm sure some align with your example! I've certainly seen a few !

 

[federalexpress]

Could you advise which club you are a member of?

Minchinhampton