Dispute with Golf Club

[Silverfox66]

Hi there,

just wondering if anyone has any advice, my golf club has decided to shut 6 /18 holes from Sept to March while they do upgrades and still expect member to pay full subscriptions. Can they do that?

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Hi there,

just wondering if anyone has any advice, my golf club has decided to shut 6 /18 holes from Sept to March while they do upgrades and still expect member to pay full subscriptions. Can they do that?

What sort of club is it ?

Is it a members club where members run it via committee then something like would need to go via an EGM and can be challenged by members

If it’s a proprietary club then the owner can do what he likes I suspect and members just suck it up

 

[Neilds]

On the flip side, will you be willing to pay more next year on the better course? I would say that hole closures for maintenance are part and parcel of being a member of a golf course.

 

[Duckster]

Is this club in the north west of England per chance?

 

[IanM]

Post #3 has the answer.

You said, "has decided," did they really suddenly announce this with no notice?

When you say, "maintenance," what is happening? For a complete closure of some holes for six months, it can't be routine maintenance.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

We are going to have major disruption to three holes this winter, but we are keeping the holes open and in play as best we can with temp tees and greens as required. As a result of the work the course challenge will be the better for it, and the work should significantly reduce the likelihood in future of the holes being closed for periods due to flooding. So I for one am happy to put up with the disruption.

Six holes are a lot to be completely out of play, but maybe best to take the hit all in one go rather than have it spread over a couple or three years.

 

[Duckster]

My club has 6 holes shut. Due to work on 3 of them (major earth moving, bunkers, tees and tree removal) there simply isn’t a way to safely move people around the other 3 holes in that area of the course due to machinery, workers etc… however they are using this time to do drainage & irrigation work on the other 3 holes as well. It’s the 4th year of a 6 year renovation, doing 3 holes per year, which has been voted on by the members.
I suspect that the OP may also be a member at my gaff

 

[IanM]

I guess those previously complaining about poor drainage/irrigation are also the noisiest complainers about the work to put it right?

 

[Bratty]

I thought this was going to be another new driver thread!
Work obviously needs to be done and while I understand the OP's point re fees, the course should be the better for it, and as long as they keep the rates the same next year, I wouldn't have a problem with this.
As LiverpoolPhil says, if it's a proprietary club, there's not a grwt deal, if anything, you can do.

 

[Val]

Hi there,

just wondering if anyone has any advice, my golf club has decided to shut 6 /18 holes from Sept to March while they do upgrades and still expect member to pay full subscriptions. Can they do that?

Yes they can and why wouldn't they if it means fundamental improvements to your course for your members? Our club do this every year to improve greens, bunkers, drainage etc.

Fees are the fees, you pay your fees not just to play the course but for upkeep and maintenence, that's what being a member is. If this is not for you then join a pay and play course.

Just my opinion of course.

 

[Val]

My club has 6 holes shut. Due to work on 3 of them (major earth moving, bunkers, tees and tree removal) there simply isn’t a way to safely move people around the other 3 holes in that area of the course due to machinery, workers etc… however they are using this time to do drainage & irrigation work on the other 3 holes as well. It’s the 4th year of a 6 year renovation, doing 3 holes per year, which has been voted on by the members.
I suspect that the OP may also be a member at my gaff

What club/course is this?

 

[Bunkermagnet]

My club has recently had 2 greens moved and other works done. They had us temps for those 2 for the year it took. You won’t hear a member complaining about the new greens and other works.
I would ask how much golf will you all be able to play, during what is the worst part of the year. I would suggest they have chosen the right time to max out what they want to alter, and better that than drip feed the works over 2 or 3 years.
Would you expect your club to reimburse you if the course was water logged or snowed under?

 

[Duckster]

What club/course is this?

Pleasington, near Blackburn.
There’s a fair few pictures on Twitter and Facebook of the works going on. Several hundred tons of earth moving on the 6th hole alone.
6, 10 & 11 are being done this winter, but it means no access to 7, 8 & 9 either.
The main earth move is done, but still lots of works going on and allowing the turf to get laid and settle in.
So far we’ve had 1-3, 7-9, 12, 16 & 18 through the renovation process and the changes to those is brilliant. Takes everything up a couple of notches.
The next two winters should only see 3 holes out each time.

 

[Deleted member 29109]

We are about to embark on a major overhaul of our bunkers, and a few other bits. This will take 2 years. The front 9 will be done next year, the back 9 the following year.

There will be major disruption, holes closed and temp greens whilst the work is being done.

BUT. The result will be a significant improvement on the course as it stands.

Should we get a subs discount while the work goes on? Not in my opinion. There is half a million pounds worth of work to be done. Cutting fees isn’t going to help.

 

[chellie]

Pleasington, near Blackburn.
There’s a fair few pictures on Twitter and Facebook of the works going on. Several hundred tons of earth moving on the 6th hole alone.
6, 10 & 11 are being done this winter, but it means no access to 7, 8 & 9 either.
The main earth move is done, but still lots of works going on and allowing the turf to get laid and settle in.
So far we’ve had 1-3, 7-9, 12, 16 & 18 through the renovation process and the changes to those is brilliant. Takes everything up a couple of notches.
The next two winters should only see 3 holes out each time.

Looks fabulous from what I've seen. Need to play it again.

 

[Swango1980]

There is a hint of irony that when a golf club decides to do major works for the benefit of the club, and thus high expenses attached to this, some members want to pay LESS money

 

[ntommo]

I would love it if our club had the money to do this amount of work on the course. Sometimes you just need to realise how lucky you are.

 

[IanM]

There is a hint of irony that when a golf club decides to do major works for the benefit of the club, and thus high expenses attached to this, some members want to pay LESS money

That's also a function of the Member Owned v Proprietary conversation. If the OP referred to Pleasington, it is member owned, there's a major programme of work that the club would have voted on and they'll all benefit in the future.

So, not sure where the term "dispute" came from? Of course, I've made several assumptions in this note

 

[Banchory Buddha]

Got to agree with the others. It's winter, course is apparently getting major upgrades, when else or what else would you expect them to do?

 

[rulefan]

Hi there,

just wondering if anyone has any advice, my golf club has decided to shut 6 /18 holes from Sept to March while they do upgrades and still expect member to pay full subscriptions. Can they do that?

Were Members involved in the decision spend this sort of money? Many clubs' Articles or constitution require General Meetings for large expenditure.