Course closed due to weather......refunds or not?

[HomerJSimpson]

I feel for the OP and the members but I wouldn't be offering a refund. You pay your money and take your chance. Some winters are drier than others and you can usually play the whole year round and other years it's wet like this year or there is snow. I think the management have been reasonable in offering the breakfast, vouchers and no rise in subs although that to me doesn't necessarily sound like a good idea from a business perspective. If revenue needs to be raised, subs are usually the first thing to go up and so if cash is needed it'll cause a lot of unhappiness if fees do get increased after promising not to

 

[patricks148]

wonder if they would still be asking for a refund if there was snow covering the course for 3 months?

 

[Russ_D]

If a person is a member then I can understand why they wont refund, at the end of the day a membership is not just to play golf, it's the whole social aspect as well., however I can see it still being annoying to have to pay what can be be a substantial amount each month and not be able to play.

Wouldn't it be down to the clubs discretion to offer a rebate or maybe some form of conpensation in the event of a prolonged course closure (such as some complimentary bar credit) as a goodwill gesture?

If it's a case of a non member who has paid a green fee and the course is closed thats another story.

 

[Swango1980]

Would the mentality be the same if you paid the annual subscription in one go? In other words, if you paid £1200 a year would the golfer be as likely to ask for a refund compared to a golfer who paid £100 per month?

I can see that the second golfer can maybe look at it as "I paid £100 this month, and was unable to play at all", whereas the first golfer may think "I paid £1200 this year, and I'll play loads over the summer, and I don't really enjoy playing over the winter anyway).

It's like owning Sky Sports. I bet some people pay for it only to watch the football, not interested in any other Sports. Do they ask for a refund in July because there is no football on, through no fault of their own?

 

[PJ87]

Would the mentality be the same if you paid the annual subscription in one go? In other words, if you paid £1200 a year would the golfer be as likely to ask for a refund compared to a golfer who paid £100 per month?

I can see that the second golfer can maybe look at it as "I paid £100 this month, and was unable to play at all", whereas the first golfer may think "I paid £1200 this year, and I'll play loads over the summer, and I don't really enjoy playing over the winter anyway).

It's like owning Sky Sports. I bet some people pay for it only to watch the football, not interested in any other Sports. Do they ask for a refund in July because there is no football on, through no fault of their own?

Terrible example as most people like this call up and sky offer it free for summer

 

[GB72]

It is an interesting question and the comparison to a gym membership, I think, is a valid one in that I pay to use a gym as much or as little as I like in the same way that I pay to use a golf course. If my gym was shut for 2 months, it would not matter that I could, if I wanted, use it more for the rest of the year because I still missed out on 2 months of use. If you are limited to how much you can use any facility per week though time, physical ability or any other reason then no amount of improved access later in the year is going to make up for losing out on your ability to use the facilities at this time of year.

That said, my attitude would vary dependent on they type of club I was a member at. If it was a hotel course where I felt I was paying to use the facilities more than be a member of a club then I would feel aggrieved. If it were a private members club where there is seen to be benefit to being a member on top of using the facilities then I would feel less hard done by.

Then again, there is a PR element to all of this. I will use myself as an example. Our club has been on a reduced course for over about 2 months now and the weather before that that led to this situation seriously curtailed use of the course before that so, all in all, I have played 27 holes since the beginning of October. That is not the club's fault and, as I said, there is some of the course open albeit that you have to queue for over an hour at weekends to tee off then play on a slow and busy course. That is something that I do not have the time or inclination to do and so part of the lack of golf is down to my decision. This is not the fault of the club, the greenkeepers or anyone else, it is just one of those things and I am not apportioning blame. That said, it is making me assess the value of my membership if I lost what will, in all likelihood, be a quarter of the year without playing. This will have a serious influence on whether I decide to renew next year or just sign up to the local 9 hole course to maintain a handicap then get signed in for the of round over summer. If the club made a gesture and said that they would reduce the fees for the first couple of months of next year, it would be a favourable influence on my decision. No need or expectation on the club to do it but it would put some positive spin on a situation that is currently frustrating members.

 

[Trapdraw]

Clubs charge what they charge to cover running costs for the year, if they then start offering refunds or reduced fees as a way of keeping members happy they would be soon out of business.
It just happens to have been a wet winter, if people are not happy with the course being closed for extended periods go find somewhere which is open more often.

 

[Sats]

I think that is good recompense the course cannot recover then you'll only end up suffering come spring- easy for me to say as my course has only be shut for one day this winter. However, I know come the more sunnier months I'll be living at the course so it's a bit of give and take in my opinion.

 

[patricks148]

how many clubs are charging a monthly fee??? i would imagine its a monthy DD for a years subs, if you stop paying the credit company would still want its money

 

[Doon frae Troon]

When folk used to ask me for discounts in the winter I used to laugh and say that we should charge more as twice the damage is done to the course during winter play.
Quite a convincing argument.

One course I used to manage was a brilliant winter course and was generally mobbed Dec to March.
The club used to heavily discount green fees during this time, when I pointed out their folly they agreed to let me increase the 'winter fees' to the standard 'summer fee'.
Lots of complaints but we were still just as busy.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

how many clubs are charging a monthly fee??? i would imagine its a monthy DD for a years subs, if you stop paying the credit company would still want its money

South Ayrshire Council charge a monthly fee for their eight courses.
Brave move made a couple of years ago but seems to be working OK.
Locals drop off a bit in the winter but they then pick up the business from the wetter/clay Glasgow golf course members.

 

[patricks148]

South Ayrshire Council charge a monthly fee for their eight courses.
Brave move made a couple of years ago but seems to be working OK.
Locals drop off a bit in the winter but they then pick up the business from the wetter/clay Glasgow golf course members.

yes, but thats a ticket for some council courses.

how many actual golf clubs are there chargeing a monthly fee?

 

[PJ87]

yes, but thats a ticket for some council courses.

how many actual golf clubs are there chargeing a monthly fee?

I wonder if clubs will start offering a 10 month membership... Say £100 or £200 cheaper

 

[patricks148]

I wonder if clubs will start offering a 10 month membership... Say £100 or £200 cheaper

why cheaper though, you are still getting the prime summer months if anything it should be dearer

 

[PJ87]

why cheaper though, you are still getting the prime summer months if anything it should be dearer

Gets people interested

I know my mate always says membership is zero value to him because he wouldnt play in winter

Save £200 I bet more people would be like ooo that's good

I'd like a summer membership then a winter membership at a good draining course ?

 

[patricks148]

Gets people interested

I know my mate always says membership is zero value to him because he wouldnt play in winter

Save £200 I bet more people would be like ooo that's good

I'd like a summer membership then a winter membership at a good draining course ?

what about when everyone switches to the 10 month option?

or better still just have 6 month membership just the summer months, cheaper still

 

[PJ87]

what about when everyone switches to the 10 month option?

or better still just have 6 month membership just the summer months, cheaper still

All the staff can have the winter off lol

And then everyone who has 10 months releases they miss golf and has to pay green fees

 

[patricks148]

All the staff can have the winter off lol

And then everyone who has 10 months releases they miss golf and has to pay green fees

without pay... under Boris's new era that will be fine

 

[Imurg]

why cheaper though, you are still getting the prime summer months if anything it should be dearer

I'm sure I recently saw an ad for a golf club with the fees attached.
7 day was around 1200, 5 day about 750 and they had a 9 month membership for something like 1000
Cant for the life of me remember where though....

 

[FuzzyDuck]

No refunds at my course but they are reducing the 7 day membership fee next year in the hope of getting new members to join.