Flexible membership schemes

[JezzE]

Afternoon all,
Just looking for a bit of forum opinion ref the flexible membership schemes that a number of clubs are turning to. My question is, should more clubs be considering these as golfers' demands/needs vary from the traditional 'full fee, play whenever you want' model, or should they be standing firm and sticking to the traditional model regardless?

 

[Alex1975]

Whatever brings the most money through the door but still respects the current members.

 

[PNWokingham]

I think more will have to adopt these sort of ideas to stand out and attract a shrinking overall market. One that has done well on this basis is The Players Club near Bristol. Goodwood also offer something similar. There are no clubs near here and I think there is a growing need for it!

 

[The19thHole]

Personally I think there should be more done by clubs to encourage ‘Pay and play’ memberships schemes. I would happily pay to be a club member if I could afford the fees, but my income doesn’t allow it with the current financial world we live in.

I do find some clubs to a bit stuffy and pompous if truth be told on these matters.

 

[ADB]

The idea really appeals to me as a young family, intense Mon-Fri job leaves weekends pretty busy with family stuff.

Having been a memnber in my single days, I really miss competitve golf, but simply cannot commit to shelling out the £1000 plus on becoming a member down here.

I enjoy playing different courses but miss having a 'home' with good practice facilities to pop down for half an hour for example.

I know many other who are 'nomads' in my position but would seriously consider a credit-based membership system. Seems to makes sense for those that are infrequent, but dedicated golfers.

 

[grumpyjock]

It would all depend upon the financial details, here at Willow Valley we have a half price scheme where you pay for membership and then pay halfprice for every round you play. The more you play the more it costs but you still have membership of a club with all the advantages that this brings.

 

[Garesfield ACE]

Is this called flexible value.

My club does May-October deal play 6 days per week less Saturday after 3pm.....for £150.

 

[HickoryShaft]

A bunch of guys on shift work at my place formed a society that is open to all commers in the business and they negotiated a fantastic corporate rate at a local course. It works out about £275 a year on the basis of 25 memberships being bought in one go.

Weekend play limited to afternoons, no competition entry allowed but full access all week. Doesn't work for me (although I was tempted) but it suits these guys down to the ground and they are out nearly every day when they are off. They also spend a lot in the bar and food area (mainly bar me thinks) and they must take a fair few visitors along who pay normal rates so its good for the club they are at also. They also run their own comps on days when there are a few around so they don't really miss out on anything other than medals.

I think clubs need to be inventive with these things to draw in the right people.

 

[coolhand]

Spot on.

I'd love to have a home course, enter the occasional competition and make gold friends. But I cannot justify what is the equivalent of £100+ per round for the privilege.

Flexible membership schemes are the key for clubs to survive. It also keeps them honest; they need to work for their income rather than just milk the members.

 

[DCB]

C'mon then Jezz, sell it to me

As a fully paid up Ordinary member of a club, paying full annual subs I can play any time of the year if the course is open. What is the incentive for me to continue paying full subs, if 'seasonal members' can play for a much reduced rate for the busy 'golf season' months of the year ?


Fine if there is an annual membership fee and then a reduced greenfee for rounds actually played.

A membership for just the main part of the season just doesn't seem fair to the ordinary members

 

[pokerjoke]

In these hard times i believe all clubs are looking to diverse,if they dont move with the times they are asking for trouble.Peoples lives are changing,so clubs have to change too.Flexible memberships are a great way of keeping,and attracting new members.

 

[matt01]

I think that clubs should look at this but must do there home work see if any other club do it and works i thing some club would rush for a quick fix as in money and not look at the bigger picture and may even forget there full members

 

[RGDave]

Whatever brings the most money through the door but still respects the current members.

+1.

 

[sev112]

our club has introdcued a vareity of modified memberships.
I switched from "full" membership to Associate; this gives exactlyt the same rights as full 7 day; cost is circa £250 instead of circa £925, but i have to pay £10 a round mid week and £15 at weekends. To my calculations i shoudl just work out better off.

The one i (personally_ dont like is the Under 28yrs old for £250. I think that's ageist and given that the average member around here is an IT guru they can afford a full membership more than me - moan moan old man here

 

[rikkitikk]

our club has introdcued a vareity of modified memberships.
I switched from "full" membership to Associate; this gives exactlyt the same rights as full 7 day; cost is circa £250

Which club is that out of interest as I am looking for flexible membership.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Our club has offered existing members who are struggling a chance to become associate members. No voting right but retain their club membership, can play 12 times a year and enter the monthly medals and stablefords but not the main board events. Not sure of the annual cost but I play with a guy who lost his job and was paying nursing home costs for his mum and it was ideal for him. As a long standing member it meant he could still play and keep a handicap and if he wants more than 12 rounds it just costs him members guest rate green fees

 

[oakey22]

at ours it is as follows
7 day golf paid in full - £490.00
7 day + daily green fee - £340.00 + £7.00
Weekday paid in full - £385.00
Weekday + daily green fee - £275.00 + £7.00
Junior paid in full* - £85.00
Student and Colts paid in full - £115.00
Fees quoted above are valid from 1st Jan 2011

I play mostly in the week but at the weekends every 2 weeks or so. I have the full membership as i go at least twice a week. some weeks 3 or 4 and i'm still a hacker, lol

 

[JezzE]

C'mon then Jezz, sell it to me

As a fully paid up Ordinary member of a club, paying full annual subs I can play any time of the year if the course is open. What is the incentive for me to continue paying full subs, if 'seasonal members' can play for a much reduced rate for the busy 'golf season' months of the year ?


Fine if there is an annual membership fee and then a reduced greenfee for rounds actually played.

A membership for just the main part of the season just doesn't seem fair to the ordinary members

DCB,
Not sure many clubs are going down the seasonal route as far as I'm aware, as I think that would be a hard sell to existing members as you rightly say. I'm talking about more flexible schemes where you effectively get a limited number of rounds for your money though the exact number will vary according to the time of day or week you play. It's quite relevant to me as my old club has just introduced such a scheme which has paved the way to me rejoining.

The cold facts are that at £1150 the club was going to get none of my money because for various reasons I simply couldn't justify that outlay for the amount of golf I'm likely to play there at the moment.

But for £495 - the cost of the new flexible scheme - I can justify it as that will give me somewhere in the region of 20 rounds, comfortably enough at the moment for the amount of club golf I'm likely to play this year. Add in the inevitable bar spend throughout the year, and I am at least 'back in the fold' as far as the club is concerned and putting some money their way - I certainly wouldn't be at the full membership price for the foreseeable future

I appreciate for others the freedom to play when and as often as they like is hugely appealing, but for me, right now, that's not the case and the flexible scheme hits the mark.

I suspect there is also a regional thing at work here, with membership fees in certain parts of the country not eye-watering enough yet to make people stop and think - but for many in the south-east, four figures plus is the norm for a full membership

 

[HRC99]

I just don't think it would particularly work from a financial point of view.

Many clubs would see an initial drop in their income as the "fair weather" brigade switched their membership from full to flexible so they were only paying for the summer months.

The advantage of full year memberships is that it enables the club to plan/budget for the full year with only a relatively small percentage of variance for net increases/decreases in membership.

Flexible memberships would lead to much greater peaks and troughs in income and would require very strong financial management, ongoing marketing and considerable reserves to ride out any lengthy troughs.

For larger commercial operations, this may well be feasible but, for small clubs, it would be a huge challenge with potentially catastrophic consequences if it went wrong.

 

[DCB]

Thought this was a hypothetical question Jezz. Didn't realise you were in this predicament.

We've introduced 'young adult' memberships and varied the cost through three age ranges up to 29 I think. Other than that the limited numberof rounds per year hasn't really taken off yet. This year, my whole membership costs for myself, wife and daughter as a junior are only a little more than you're being charged.

Glad I'm living up here