Fed up with my club so I'm moving on!

[Monty_Brown]

Really sad to hear that Kenilworth may be at risk. Played some good matches there when I was a junior at Stratford. The West Midlands has had it rough over the years considering the M40 ploughs through it as well. I suppose these things have to go somewhere but it's sad all the same.

 

[Chippy Minton]

haha! yeh it has gone downhill big time!

I have a couple of friends at work who are pained members at Drayton. I hear about it most Mondays! their frustrations he echo your initial comments. There have been a couple of secretaries come and go in quick succession. He is a looking at moving with afew mates and has been approaching other local clubs.....and they are greeting them with open arms.

People will be more selective than ever before in this economic climate when deciding where to renew their membership. The smart clubs realise that there are still over supply in terms of clubs in the UK, and reducing demand in terms of the number of fee paying members to keep the clubs afloat. There will be more and more clubs closing their doors in the next year as they struggle to maintain financial viability.

The smart clubs are improving their customer service and actively looking keep their existing members happy and putting some compelling deals together to steal members from other local clubs.

The not so smart clubs will continue to stumble along.....not realising that people don't want to have to complain and gripe to get things done....By the time they realise they need to change, it will be too late. Game over.

Seems like Drayton is the latter.

Bing a member at your club should be an enjoyable experience!!

 

[thecraw]

The club I referred to in my post have just announced another capital levy on their dwindling membership for 2012!

Please go under, how I'll laugh.

 

[Phil2511]

Glad you voiced your feelings to them. It might, make them sit up and take notice!

Similarly, at my course, for reasons of staff shortages and machinery so they say, the rough was left to grow just off the fairways. Resulting in plenty of lost balls and not to mention, "Slow play"!

Word has it that the ladies threatened to leave en bloc if they didn't cut it back to normal.

They're still there and the rough is back to normal....................

Good luck at the new course - will expect a review very soon!

Our place went the exact same way but it was after 18 guys left to another club that they cut a small amount of it back though nowhere near what makes it fair for players.

It is a pay and play and being run badly by the management. They had a Xmas day today and put on poor offers on season cards to entice new people and offered current members an extra 4 months for another £200 when annual fee is £725 so really only saving £30 for those 4 months.
We as members discussed it and worked out they are trying to get us to sign new contracts where we are tied to the centre for the next 16 months.
Initially we are in contract for 12 months and if we leave during that period we must continue to pay Fairway/Premium credit. But after the initial 12 months we only need give 1 months notice we are leaving.
This new poor offer is merely a ploy to have all the members out of 12 month contracts to sign up new ones and guarantee them we will be there for next 16 months due to the amount of people having left and lack of societies and visitors returning to play.
After seeing the condition of the course today I would guess it will be terrible come spring/summer and lack of funds will further deteriorate it to a point where more will leave.
If things do not improve I will be doing as the OP and moving clubs myself.

 

[Karl102]

Well done for biting the bullet and going! Hopefully the club will take note and initiate a few changes. High legh park in Knutsford in Cheahire was in a similar situation and it has just been bought and they are trying to improve things.
Nobody ever wants to see a golf club in trouble, but sometimes they have to help themselves by initiating changes, even if it does upset the minority few that you mention!

 

[Chippy Minton]

Thanks for info, Drayton is not too far form me and was planning on playing it to see how it was, with a possible view to joining in future. Had only been to their range to date, maybe now I won't bother.

Is Oxford GC the one that has a couple of holes near the Churchill hospital, if so I've walked around there and from what I saw it looked v nice.

Good luck!

...what, I will say is that the pro running the driving range and the staff in the pro shop are friendly and efficient. I was impressed with this setup. The range is popular and the shop is well stocked and competitive. Shame that the other bits of the club are not as well run. I assume that there are different people running the rest of the club as the driving range and shop are an example of how things should be run. last time I played it, the course was generally in good shape.

 

[Dodger]

I sometimes wonder how clubs ever get out of their rut due to the systems under which they are run. The established members elect a few of their own to be captain and run the committee. The officers then run the club in a way that suits the established members. It must be very hard for a newer member with new ideas to make any changes.

It isn't just new members Greg....don't even get me started!!

 

[MadAdey]

I think do have to be careful now. So many good clubs are dropping the joining fee to try and fill up their membership as they no longer have the luxury of a 3 year waiting list like most of the good clubs had 5 years ago. I have moaned before on this site about club committees and how too many are running it like their own personal club. Fortunately at my club the committee do seem to do a good job and the course is in great condition even for this time of the year, very rarely use temporary greens. I think the course chairman being a + handicapper and county player, who is also the EGU manager of Handicaps and SSS does help. Anyone in my area of the country should join there as the course is great and so are the majority of members.

 

[wrighty1874]

Local feeling is that it won't happen. A heeluva lot of money for 36 mins saved on journey. If it does go ahead ,we would lose 9 holes,but plans are in place in anticipation apparently.

Really sad to hear that Kenilworth may be at risk. Played some good matches there when I was a junior at Stratford. The West Midlands has had it rough over the years considering the M40 ploughs through it as well. I suppose these things have to go somewhere but it's sad all the same.