Does Your Club.....

[ADB]

..make the best use of the facilities it has to offer?

I often wonder whether golf clubs make best use of the facilities they have in order for them to maximise income on spaces that would otherwise lay empty. Most golf clubhouses have bars, function spaces, restaurants, plenty of car parking......

Does your Club actively sell these spaces or:

a) the requirements of the members are enough to utilise the facilities adequately?
b) the members oppose too much 'outside' income coming into the club watering down their Club experience?
c) the Club does not have the commercial knowledge to maximise the spaces?
d) the Club does not need the money!
e) .................anything else?

Just curious to see if Clubs are changing with the current economic climate where you are?

 

[USER1999]

We used to have wedding receptions there, but now it is only for members close familly weddings. I think too many non members clogging the place up definitely reduced the membership experience.

Not just that, but it is primarilly a golf club. The car park is just about big enough for the golfers cars, without filling it up with people coming for Sunday lunch, wedding receptions, conferences, what ever.

To me, they should be looking at ways of reducing the costs to suit the membership they have, rather than looking at diluting the membership experience with taking on extra functions the members don't want. I joined a golf club, not a pub / function room / night club / car park.

I played at RickGs place last year, and was told we couldn't use the bar, as there was a wedding on. They brought us a beer outside, but even the patio area was clogged with wedding guests. I would find this annoying if it happened on a regular basis. At least we have 3 bar areas, one of which is always closed to non members.

 

[Whee]

'D' for my club. It's owned by Royals, so the money isn't required.

A lot of the space at the club house is wasted, or massively under used. There is a huge locker room/shower facility, hardly ever see anyone in there (not that i'd enjoy seeing golfers in the shower, but you get my point). There's a room that is used as a function room, I think it's held one or two in the 2 and 1/2 years i've been a member.

They're putting in a new two-tier 'American Express' driving range on the wasteland that runs parallel to the long second hole, that's a good use of space and funds, to an extent. Our first hole is a dog leg left par 4 - with out of bounds running up the right hand side. Guess where they're putting the new short game practise area? The current short game area is a little on the small side, but at least there's not such a huge risk of being clouted by a wayward drive.

There's a shed load of other facilities at the club apparently. Swimming pools etc, horse riding - never seen any of it, never heard of anybody making use of it.

 

[DaveM]

We used to have wedding receptions there, but now it is only for members close familly weddings. I think too many non members clogging the place up definitely reduced the membership experience.

Not just that, but it is primarilly a golf club. The car park is just about big enough for the golfers cars, without filling it up with people coming for Sunday lunch, wedding receptions, conferences, what ever.

To me, they should be looking at ways of reducing the costs to suit the membership they have, rather than looking at diluting the membership experience with taking on extra functions the members don't want. I joined a golf club, not a pub / function room / night club / car park.

I played at RickGs place last year, and was told we couldn't use the bar, as there was a wedding on. They brought us a beer outside, but even the patio area was clogged with wedding guests. I would find this annoying if it happened on a regular basis. At least we have 3 bar areas, one of which is always closed to non members.

Flipping heck, I'm agreeing with Murph, Again.

 

[DCB]

Whilst always welcome, extra income cannot be put before the needs of the members. In the case Murph recounts, I'd be more than a little miffed if that was happening at my club. what would you do on a cold wet day ?

The other thing that has to be a taken into account is the License that the Club needs to hold to have more open events. It's not an insignificant cost to take the License up to that which allows events anf funcyions for 'non members'

In the past I've used my own Club for business meetings, a far better rate than hiring a meeting room at a hotel but the Club still gets to boost it's coffers during the day when things can be quieter. A win - win situation.

 

[DannyOT]

It always fascinates me when looking at the websites of golf clubs around here that they all have a function room available. I know very few people who would think of the idea of holding an event at a golf club, let alone considering actually doing it. I can only presume they do it on the off chance that someone takes them up on the offer.

I have no idea on the overheads that most golf courses face but I agree that they should try and receive as much of their income through golf related activities as possible.

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

I think your question is aimed more towards public and proprietary clubs and not so much private members clubs. Similar to Murph, we have the odd private function but it tends to be for members' families. I know a lot of proprietary clubs have weddings etc and it can be a bit of pain when you get loads of kids running around unsupervised near the 18th green when you are trying to play.

 

[ADB]

I take Murph's point that members should have priority and the example he gave would give rise to plenty of complaint I shouldn't wonder. I suppose on reflection my point was driving toward whether given general decline in memberships, golf clubs simply cannot afford to sit by and wait for the odd members birthday party/anniversary dinner (which no doubt will be favourable rates anyway and probably just break even for the club - minus bar sales) to make the best use of their facilities.

Murph, I don't agree that cutting costs would enhance the membership experience if I have interpreted your point correctly, rather it starts a slippery slide to declining standards.

DCB - the business meeting is perfect in terms of impact on the members - wonder how many clubs encourage this?

Whee - those excesses are no surprise and I guess many facilities were designed with, perhaps, one event per year in mind. Still, if you've got the cash, get it built!

 

[Whee]

Whee - those excesses are no surprise and I guess many facilities were designed with, perhaps, one event per year in mind. Still, if you've got the cash, get it built!

That's definitely the attitude they take mate. They're trying to make it more of an exclusive country club, comparing themselves to the big courses in Dubai and Abu Dhabi - not a chance.

 

[USER1999]

Murph, I don't agree that cutting costs would enhance the membership experience if I have interpreted your point correctly, rather it starts a slippery slide to declining standards.

Cutting costs need not impact on the membership experience though. We have cut down about 100 trees this winter, strimmed out weeds and nettles from the woods over the entire expanse of the golf course (total waste of time, they have grown back instantly the sun came out), dug out about 20 bunkers and re-turfed them, re-laid the grass on 5 tees, re-turfed some areas under trees (where the grass has never, and will never grow), etc. The list is endless.

Did any of this stuff really need to be done? It all costs money, and if times were tight, none of it was that urgent it could not be left for a year or two, possibly never. I bet most clubs are the same.

 

[MadAdey]

Cutting costs need not impact on the membership experience though. We have cut down about 100 trees this winter, strimmed out weeds and nettles from the woods over the entire expanse of the golf course (total waste of time, they have grown back instantly the sun came out), dug out about 20 bunkers and re-turfed them, re-laid the grass on 5 tees, re-turfed some areas under trees (where the grass has never, and will never grow), etc. The list is endless.

Did any of this stuff really need to be done? It all costs money, and if times were tight, none of it was that urgent it could not be left for a year or two, possibly never. I bet most clubs are the same.

That is a very good point Murph. Do too many clubs waste money on doing things that just do not need doing? I would prefer my club not to do those things, if it meant they would have to start opening the club up to anyone who wants to use it to pay for it.

 

[ADB]

Cutting costs need not impact on the membership experience though. We have cut down about 100 trees this winter, strimmed out weeds and nettles from the woods over the entire expanse of the golf course (total waste of time, they have grown back instantly the sun came out), dug out about 20 bunkers and re-turfed them, re-laid the grass on 5 tees, re-turfed some areas under trees (where the grass has never, and will never grow), etc. The list is endless.

Did any of this stuff really need to be done? It all costs money, and if times were tight, none of it was that urgent it could not be left for a year or two, possibly never. I bet most clubs are the same.

That sounds a bit like creating work for the greenstaff to keep them busy, although I am sure if the members saw no work taking place they would be quick to moan and even vote with their feet if general standards were not maintained - downward spiral.

 

[USER1999]

That sounds a bit like creating work for the greenstaff to keep them busy, although I am sure if the members saw no work taking place they would be quick to moan and even vote with their feet if general standards were not maintained - downward spiral.

Most golfers I know would be happy if the rough was trimmed to a sensible length, the greens cut, the fairways cut, the bunkers raked, and the leaves blown away. General stuff you would expect to be done, at any time of year. Turfing under trees is insane.

They have also scarified and re-seeded where paths end. Why? There is a reason the grass here always wears away.
If they wanted something to do, and had spare grass seed, scarify the rough around the greens, and seed, so that the rough is less patchy, and the bald spots disappear.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Our club has started doing a carvery on a Sunday which is proving a hit and getting a lot of people in. Doesn't really impact the bar area where the golfers congregate and so I'm all for getting as much revenue in as they can. I can see where Murph is going and to be honest tend to agree with him. At the moment the balance at my place is probably about right but there is an underlying feeling we don't know how to sell ourselves anyway

 

[connor]

our club is attached to the hotel. The clubhouse is sometimes used for evening doo of the wedding reception after the hotel during the day. Mine in 11 weeks lol
I dont think they are strapped for cash as its one of the more prestigous hotels in cornwall and at 130sheets a night per person i wouldnt say they are strapped for cash.
The clubhouse is a fair size car park is fine although come midday at weekends it is full but mainly due the course is always busy which is never a bad thing. Subs are the most exspensive in the area but at £575 i cant really grumble. The staff are always polite and friendly always sir yes sir when i joined now im called by my name which i prefer.
Also in the Hotel grounds there is a small 9 hole approach course which as members we can use for free and just walk over for a knock when ever we want. Our driving range is down near the 17th its a massive area with a short game bit bunkers and a 300yrd+ range. Only downside to it is in the winter your open to the elements but guess cant have the best of both worlds

 

[swanny32]

It seems like every other week our place is packed to the rafters with wedding guests, the owner does some fantastic deals on Wedding receptions which attract a lot of people, unfortunately for us golfers it means we are banished to the garden and we'll be lucky to get a seat out there. Drives me nuts but the guy is running a business.

 

[connor]

do what i do and play at 9am that way you avoid all wedding parties and most societies etc.. the bar is always fairly quiet so you can grab a beer and a bite to easy quickly and easily