Cost of Annual Membership at your Club

[federalexpress]

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

That probably sounded harsher than I meant. When I say amateur, I mean they are unpaid. There is a salaried golf manager but the decisions are taken by the members on the board. It's not a full time role. I imagine they want what's best for the club but on the other hand, running a very tight ship in hard financial circumstances for no money in your spare time is probably not all that motivating. Hence the attraction of the easy way out, to have plenty of members' money.

 

[ExRabbit]

6% increase for us. But we've mostly had increases higher than inflation for several years, so a big hike might have had consequences.

 

[D-S]

Minchinhampton

I know quite a few people at Minch and I seem to remember that subs increases need to be voted through at an AGM. I was told that in the past few years Seniors have voted down anything but the smallest increase and this has hampered development there. Maybe this is now the reaction to that, you certainly get good value for money at the current levels.

 

[federalexpress]

I know quite a few people at Minch and I seem to remember that subs increases need to be voted through at an AGM. I was told that in the past few years Seniors have voted down anything but the smallest increase and this has hampered development there. Maybe this is now the reaction to that, you certainly get good value for money at the current levels.

Increases in line with inflation require no vote and I think that is fair enough. As far as I can recall, those increases have happened every year except I think around Covid when for one year, fees were kept the same.

I'm not sure what development has been hampered. If anything the club has been too prone to spend large amounts of money, especially on the clubhouse which in the current environment, has become something of a white elephant. It is possible that this large spend might be coming home to roost right now, too much spent too quickly, leaving too little in reserves. But that is not what we are being told.

 

[D-S]

Increases in line with inflation require no vote and I think that is fair enough. As far as I can recall, those increases have happened every year except I think around Covid when for one year, fees were kept the same.

I'm not sure what development has been hampered. If anything the club has been too prone to spend large amounts of money, especially on the clubhouse which in the current environment, has become something of a white elephant. It is possible that this large spend might be coming home to roost right now, too much spent too quickly, leaving too little in reserves. But that is not what we are being told.

OK - interesting to see if the membership agree to the increase then, seems pretty unlikely?

 

[federalexpress]

OK - interesting to see if the membership agree to the increase then, seems pretty unlikely?

Hard to call. We are in a pretty wealthy area and I think most members are reasonably well heeled. As a members club, it's not like a privately owned place where you'd get concern that the owners are just trying to make a killing. And of course many members are pretty apathetic, won't even vote one way or another. In the end, I guess it will come down to whether people trust the board with this substantial extra money, to spend wisely and make real improvements especially to the course or whether we just end up paying a lot more for the same.

My own view is that they have been a bit too aggressive for the first year. Something a little over inflation might be understandable but 8-10% over? And I'm even less persuaded by another 3 years of 4% over inflation. Who knows how things will be in a year or two. Energy prices, a key drive of this, may well have gone back to where they were. Moreover basic economics tells you that these levels of golf inflation are simply not sustainable and there will be a correction. If nothing else, given the hospitality sector is on the cusp of collapse, you're not likely to find it so hard to get staff!

I'm not sure what our board will do if they lose the vote, which is a possibility, if not necessarily probable. There's no fall back plan, no wiggle room, it appears to be , if I can use the term, sh*t or bust. Presumably they might resign en masse if it's not carried.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Increases in line with inflation require no vote and I think that is fair enough. As far as I can recall, those increases have happened every year except I think around Covid when for one year, fees were kept the same.

I'm not sure what development has been hampered. If anything the club has been too prone to spend large amounts of money, especially on the clubhouse which in the current environment, has become something of a white elephant. It is possible that this large spend might be coming home to roost right now, too much spent too quickly, leaving too little in reserves. But that is not what we are being told.

I‘ve played in the Tom Long Open a couple of times and you do have two splendid courses and an impressive (and large) clubhouse - the increased upkeep and maintenance costs of your estate could be significant.

But in truth surely it’s the ££s increase that matters more than the %. Mine are going up £120, what does does your 18.7% actually mean in £s. I can’t buy apples with %s, I need £s for that, and so it was real money that mattered when I was considering affordability of our increase.

 

[D-S]

Considering that Minchinhampton has the largest membership of any club in England and the 18.7% increase represents a £250 per adult member, then the proposed £s increase in subscription revenue is absolutely huge. I would expect a significant list of project improvements for such an amount.

 

[BrianM]

Debating or not to re-join Fraserburgh, I'm only here half the year and its hard to justify with the cost of living at the moment.
I'm a member at Inverness and Fortrose for the winter as well.
I'm debating asking for a deal off the radar so to speak as I'm in a pretty unique situation, has anyone ever done this.....

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Debating or not to re-join Fraserburgh, I'm only here half the year and its hard to justify with the cost of living at the moment.
I'm a member at Inverness and Fortrose for the winter as well.
I'm debating asking for a deal off the radar so to speak as I'm in a pretty unique situation, has anyone ever done this.....

My club will consider bending/flexing our membership rules if individual circumstances merit consideration…. But the circumstances have to be significant plus the club has to see some merit or benefit to the club in us doing so. It is therefore a rare thing.

 

[JonnyGutteridge]

Just paid up my £1245 which is my final year of my intermediate subs (age 26-29)

£2200 next year for full blown grown up membership

 

[D-S]

Considering that Minchinhampton has the largest membership of any club in England and the 18.7% increase represents a £250 per adult member, then the proposed £s increase in subscription revenue is absolutely huge. I would expect a significant list of project improvements for such an amount.

The increase in subs income cash terms, having just checked, would be somewhere close to £500k in total for the first year in total, (over £200k above inflation of 10%) plus around £110k above inflation for the next 3 years - I would like to think there are a lot of projects behind this.

 

[BrianM]

My club will consider bending/flexing our membership rules if individual circumstances merit consideration…. But the circumstances have to be significant plus the club has to see some merit or benefit to the club in us doing so. It is therefore a rare thing.

I cant see how the club can lose to be fair, I only normally play the 9 holer before or after work as I do 12 hour shifts.
I'll ask the question though.

 

[doublebogey7]

I‘ve played in the Tom Long Open a couple of times and you do have two splendid courses and an impressive (and large) clubhouse - the increased upkeep and maintenance costs of your estate could be significant.

But in truth surely it’s the ££s increase that matters more than the %. Mine are going up £120, what does does your 18.7% actually mean in £s. I can’t buy apples with %s, I need £s for that, and so it was real money that mattered when I was considering affordability of our increase.

Disagree, a lot depends on any increase in income. In most industries pay raised across that sector are a percentage of current income. So someone earning top wages will be getting significantly more that some one at the bottom of the income scale. Never the less any increase in their living costs will be equally affordable if they are increasing as a percentage of current costs. If cost increases are equal in the pounds then the person at the top of the income scale is more able to afford it than one at the bottom.

 

[federalexpress]

The increase in subs income cash terms, having just checked, would be somewhere close to £500k in total for the first year in total, (over £200k above inflation of 10%) plus around £110k above inflation for the next 3 years - I would like to think there are a lot of projects behind this.

Not sure it's quite that much. We have a little over 1200 members so I make that a little over £300k and roughly £130k over inflation. We do have other member categories, like social member, but they are way, way lower than the full member rate.

I'm aware there are some essential renewal projects that are needed, not least on irrigation but nothing I'm aware of that would significantly improve the course quality. What seems to be mainly driving it is an assumption of a massive increase in energy costs. It's a very big club house to heat. Of course whether those costs will remain elevated in the future is moot. At present, it seems very possible they will revert closer to pre war levels.

 

[federalexpress]

I‘ve played in the Tom Long Open a couple of times and you do have two splendid courses and an impressive (and large) clubhouse - the increased upkeep and maintenance costs of your estate could be significant.

But in truth surely it’s the ££s increase that matters more than the %. Mine are going up £120, what does does your 18.7% actually mean in £s. I can’t buy apples with %s, I need £s for that, and so it was real money that mattered when I was considering affordability of our increase.

Yes they're nice courses, among the better in the county and as you say the clubhouse is very large. To be honest, in this say and age, excessively so.

My increase is around £250 but there are two of us so that is £500. Obviously in isolation, I can afford £500. But not so much if everyone and everything else demands 10% plus more cash, given my income as it stands is not rising by that or even close. I have a reasonably comfortable lifestyle but the maths here is unalterable. To afford that, especially over the longer term with 3 more years of over inflation rises, other things have to be cut out or reduced. Or to put it another way, golf will take up a markedly higher share of our income and unless it is absolutely unavoidable, that is not something I welcome. Is it avoidable? Well that is the question we are faced with answering. It looks like pretty much every other club on here is finding a way for the moment.

 

[KenL]

BoE is predicting inflation rate to be much reduced (4%) by the end of the year.

 

[IanM]

Minchinhampton now has a reciprocal arrangement with Newport. If Minch has overspent on clubhouse development, come over to Newport to see one that's underspent!!

I think we've got a group playing there in a couple of weeks. I used to live in Cricklade, so played there regularly.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Disagree, a lot depends on any increase in income. In most industries pay raised across that sector are a percentage of current income. So someone earning top wages will be getting significantly more that some one at the bottom of the income scale. Never the less any increase in their living costs will be equally affordable if they are increasing as a percentage of current costs. If cost increases are equal in the pounds then the person at the top of the income scale is more able to afford it than one at the bottom.

All I’m really saying is the obvious, that a 5% increase of £100 for one buys the same as £100 resulting from 20% increase for the other. It’s £100 out of the disposable incomes of both individuals, and it’s whether or not the individuals can afford the additional £100 outlay.

In the Minch case it’s £250 by the sound of it, and that’s a lot.

 

[D-S]

Not sure it's quite that much. We have a little over 1200 members so I make that a little over £300k and roughly £130k over inflation. We do have other member categories, like social member, but they are way, way lower than the full member rate.

I'm aware there are some essential renewal projects that are needed, not least on irrigation but nothing I'm aware of that would significantly improve the course quality. What seems to be mainly driving it is an assumption of a massive increase in energy costs. It's a very big club house to heat. Of course whether those costs will remain elevated in the future is moot. At present, it seems very possible they will revert closer to pre war levels.

Total adult membership at Minch is 1954, split 1660 men, 294 women. Not sure of the split of Old vs. New.