Golf Club Joining Fees - Crippling Diversity

[weewullie]

Golf appears to be withdrawing from its egalitarian era and reverting to a game for the privilieged.
it seems that way over here, in any case.

Things go in cycles. It may revert once again in the future.

I don't agree. My subs this year are £2k and if I play 3 times a week it works out about £13 a round. Many clubs are much less a year than mine.

 

[banjofred]

I don't agree. My subs this year are £2k and if I play 3 times a week it works out about £13 a round. Many clubs are much less a year than mine.

And if you play every day of the year, it will still be the same £2k. If you play 3 times total....it will still be £2k. You (and I) can afford it, some can't. In most cases, golf isn't a cheap hobby.

 

[Albo]

I don't agree. My subs this year are £2k and if I play 3 times a week it works out about £13 a round. Many clubs are much less a year than mine.

I don’t get why you break down the cost per round. The he problem is the £2k and if someone can afford that each year. Or £1500 or £1k or £500 etc
The number of rounds doesn’t matter.
If my disposable income after I’ve met the spending I need each month is £100, that means I have £1200 a year to spend, if the membership is £1500 it doesn’t matter a jot if I play once at £28 a round or 7 times a week at £4 a round it’s not affordable

 

[Kaz]

Paying a JF over 10 years! Heard of clubs allowing a couple of years before.
What happens if you don't stay, do they expect you to pay the balance of the JF?

No need to pay the balance if you leave. They've changed it now - pay over 5 years for new members.

 

[IanM]

I don’t get why you break down the cost per round.

The price tells you if you can afford it.

The number of rounds tells you if you're getting value from it! That's why.

 

[Albo]

The price tells you if you can afford it.

The number of rounds tells you if you're getting value from it! That's why.

Yes, but the discussion was about affordability, not value for money?!

 

[Bunkermagnet]

I don’t get why you break down the cost per round. The he problem is the £2k and if someone can afford that each year. Or £1500 or £1k or £500 etc
The number of rounds doesn’t matter.
If my disposable income after I’ve met the spending I need each month is £100, that means I have £1200 a year to spend, if the membership is £1500 it doesn’t matter a jot if I play once at £28 a round or 7 times a week at £4 a round it’s not affordable

Thats is what "living within your means" is all about. We can't have everything we want, just because we want it or think we deserve it. If we can't afford something, we don't buy it. I accept thats old fashioned thinking but perhaps more should think that way

 

[weewullie]

Yes, but the discussion was about affordability, not value for money?!

People find the money for 20 fags a day or 2 pints after work or a football season ticket. The issue is people find the money for their hobbies or vices. Based on the above golf is no less affordable.

 

[Albo]

People find the money for 20 fags a day or 2 pints after work or a football season ticket. The issue is people find the money for their hobbies or vices. Based on the above golf is no less affordable.

No argument here on that point.
If you have the money it’s absolutely affordable, playing more makes it better value for money too. And out of the above, it’s a much healthier alternative too

 

[Albo]

Thats is what "living within your means" is all about. We can't have everything we want, just because we want it or think we deserve it. If we can't afford something, we don't buy it. I accept thats old fashioned thinking but perhaps more should think that way

I’m not sure it’s old fashioned, but it’s certainly wise

 

[clubchamp98]

I like that viewpoint, comparing to your Sky subscription and then it doesn’t make golf look that expensive!

No it makes Sky look expensive.

 

[Jigger]

Yeh, that’s crazy. My last club (the Staffordshire) had the same open ended policy and closed last year, one of the reasons given was people cancelling their membership. Just seems madness. You sign up for a year, you stay the year. Same with phone contracts, many gyms, car insurance, mortgages etc.

The joining fee thing depends how much. I’d love to join enville but they’re 2 grand to pay on top of £1700 a year membership. Fair enough, they get the numbers in and they’re probably aiming for the more affluent people, but it’s a shame for those of us who live locally but can’t afford/justify the joining fee.

Yeah some are outrageous. There’s a club up here that used to charge £500 but you could pay over 3 years

 

[SocketRocket]

I didn't say it was the sole reason, but everything has a accumulative effect, but then I suspect you know that but just want to argue a point

Pot Kettle 🙂

 

[JayB]

What difference does it matter whether we pay for a gym membership, sky subscription, smoke 20 a day, drink a few pints after work or any other comparison brought up in this discussion make?

Last time I checked, none of the above charged a joining fee.

To me, this just confirms my own personal stance on joining fee's, I don't care how much it is, I wouldn't pay extra just for the privilege of spending money with any business.

 

[Ye Olde Boomer]

I don't agree. My subs this year are £2k and if I play 3 times a week it works out about £13 a round. Many clubs are much less a year than mine.

I sincerely hope that you rather than I turn out to be right.
It's too good a game for lots of people not to enjoy.

 

[banjofred]

What difference does it matter whether we pay for a gym membership, sky subscription, smoke 20 a day, drink a few pints after work or any other comparison brought up in this discussion make?

Last time I checked, none of the above charged a joining fee.

To me, this just confirms my own personal stance on joining fee's, I don't care how much it is, I wouldn't pay extra just for the privilege of spending money with any business.

Well....actually.....I just paid a gym membership joining fee in December (and not thrilled about it)....I'm considering signing up to Sky from Virgin, I believe they will charge me to get things going.

 

[J55TTC]

Supply and demand…

If clubs have a good quality course ie top 100, there is always someone who will pay the joining fee. There’s people queued up to pay it actually.

You get what you pay for.

 

[doublebogey7]

What difference does it matter whether we pay for a gym membership, sky subscription, smoke 20 a day, drink a few pints after work or any other comparison brought up in this discussion make?

Last time I checked, none of the above charged a joining fee.

To me, this just confirms my own personal stance on joining fee's, I don't care how much it is, I wouldn't pay extra just for the privilege of spending money with any business.

Have you tried to get a mortgage recently. Lots of businesses charge fees to join, they avoid the term joining fee & you are showing exactly why they do that.

 

[banjofred]

Joining fees= greed

 

[Albo]

Have you tried to get a mortgage recently. Lots of businesses charge fees to join, they avoid the term joining fee & you are showing exactly why they do that.

Mortgages are somewhat different though, it’s not a choice thing with a mortgage, you have to have one, well many people do, which makes it a bit of a cornered market. Nobody needs a golf membership