Golf Club Joining Fees - Crippling Diversity

[Mandofred]

Think the Virgin/Sky charge is a set up fee, as in they need to pay a person to come to your house and plumb in the new kit. And that cost will be a handful of ££.
Joining a golf club, they need to do a bit of admin, and the cost of a bag tag / fixture card, for £100s?

You mean.....doing their job?

 

[Deleted member 31467]

Joining fees= greed

Yes if it's a proprietary club but no if it's a members club.

 

[TheDiablo]

Our joining fee is £3k. We’ve got over 100 on the waiting list who all know the fees upfront.

In the last 5 years, we’ve had a major course redesign largely funded by joining fees. New/moved bunkers on 16 holes, new back tees built on 12 holes, major tree removal, heather regeneration, green drainage improvements and so on.

Joining fees will continue to be a major part of how we improve and provide a better course for members and guests.

If I had to move, I’d probably only look at private members clubs with a joining fee for this very reason. It is my ‘investment’ in the course and my annual subs are my right to play it annually.

Joining fees are very common in all aspects of leisure, especially if you want a good ‘product’

 

[sunshine]

Our joining fee is £3k. We’ve got over 100 on the waiting list who all know the fees upfront.

In the last 5 years, we’ve had a major course redesign largely funded by joining fees. New/moved bunkers on 16 holes, new back tees built on 12 holes, major tree removal, heather regeneration, green drainage improvements and so on.

Joining fees will continue to be a major part of how we improve and provide a better course for members and guests.

If I had to move, I’d probably only look at private members clubs with a joining fee for this very reason

Joining fees are very common in all aspects of leisure, especially if you want a good ‘product’

sounds like an impressive refurbishment, must have cost several million quid, but surely worth it to maintain the quality of the course. That’s a hell of a lot of joining fees to fund that!

 

[Banchory Buddha]

Yes but not for the reason you suggest

oh dear

 

[Banchory Buddha]

So that's why fertiliser and energy is so expensive. Give me a break

Good grief.

 

[Banchory Buddha]

. One of my clubs has budgeted for a multi-tens of thousands loss this year, the other despite also having a healthy balance sheet has still put up fees, because costs for everything has gone through the roof.

I appreciate there's a forum rule about no politics, however when someone is moaning about costs going up, pointing out WHY those costs have gone up is NOT politics, it's reality. How was I meant to phrase this now edited post?

*due to a political thing that happened that you seem to have forgotten and I can't mention your costs have gone up* - that it?

 

[Albo]

You mean.....doing their job?

Yep they are doing their job. And they need to be paid for doing their job, surely

 

[The Lion]

Crippling diversity ?
ours is £1300 joining fee .
but only for men over 30yrs old.
everyone else pays nothing.

it’s a very sore subject when discussed in the clubhouse.

I note we’re in the same city! Out of interest, which club are you at?

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Joining fees= greed

As in…the members of a members club are acting greedily by agreeing to their club charging a joining fee when conditions are right in order to keep their own membership subs down in a time when cost of living pressures are impacting everyone? (albeit that almost by definition, members of any club must have some financial wriggle room).

Greed? I don’t think so.

Restricting diversity? Well if my club had charitable status and benefitted financially as a result…then maybe…like private schools, we’d look at what we could more do on that front.

 

[Jason.H]

I used to pay over £1k + joining fee in 2001 now I pay £650 with no joining fee, both full 7 day membership albeit different clubs within 1 hour drive.
From my experience there is affordable golf to be had.
I think some people see it as unfair because they want to be part of that fancy/ exclusive club.

 

[sunshine]

I think some people see it as unfair because they want to be part of that fancy/ exclusive club.

And there is the real reason for this thread

 

[doublebogey7]

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

Plenty of people go through life without a mortgage. There was no joining fee for my first two mortgages and has far as a remember didn't exist back then.

 

[IanM]

And there is the real reason for this thread

Golf is massively diverse as a sport. There's very cheap golf to be had and, there is some hugely expensive golf to be had too. (Regional caveat applies!)

Locally, we've got Caerleon and The 2010 within a mile of each other

The cost of Ferrari's isn't ever muted as an entry barrier for driving.

If courses get their pricing very wrong, they fold.

 

[Albo]

Plenty of people go through life without a mortgage. There was no joining fee for my first two mortgages and has far as a remember didn't exist back then.

I’m sure there are more people world wide who go without mortgages than with, however, in the UK I’d wager more people who have golf membership have or had a mortgage.
Every mortgage I’ve had has had an arrangement fee or some sort, well most as far as I remember. These arrangement fees are just another way for the mortgage lender to make more money.

 

[Deleted member 25172]

I appreciate there's a forum rule about no politics, however when someone is moaning about costs going up, pointing out WHY those costs have gone up is NOT politics, it's reality. How was I meant to phrase this now edited post?

*due to a political thing that happened that you seem to have forgotten and I can't mention your costs have gone up* - that it?

Ah, that explains why electricity in large parts of Sweden today costs about 90p per kWh. That that "thing" has such consequences even for my home country. Astonishing when you think about it. Good that we now have the facts laid out. Thanks!

 

[Radbourne2010]

That's interesting, what do you mean by "political?" There must be some economic motivation for it, or why do it? Trying to add a bit of brand snobbery? Aligning with clubs in the area? Managing demand? Reducing churn? It must have some economic foundation or why do it?

If the joining fee has been doubled, is there currently a waiting list and full membership? If not, seems a dangerous route to go down. (Unless doubling it, means £25 to £50!! )

You’ve hit it on the head Ian Doubling means an extra £1,600! So, to join now costs £1,600 + £3,200 Joining Fee.
We have a large bank balance, so the only thing that’s changed is from seeking 40/50 new members 5 years ago, we now have 70 on the Waiting List. I’m astonished at the short-sightedness of Management Committees & Finance officers getting away with this extortion.
So much for trying to get guys from poorer backgrounds into the game. Oh, they can go to Top Golf with all the other plebs, I guess Give up with this sport

 

[D-S]

You’ve hit it on the head Ian Doubling means an extra £1,600! So, to join now costs £1,600 + £3,200 Joining Fee.
We have a large bank balance, so the only thing that’s changed is from seeking 40/50 new members 5 years ago, we now have 70 on the Waiting List. I’m astonished at the short-sightedness of Management Committees & Finance officers getting away with this extortion.
So much for trying to get guys from poorer backgrounds into the game. Oh, they can go to Top Golf with all the other plebs, I guess Give up with this sport

Is this a members club or a proprietary one?

 

[Radbourne2010]

Is this a members club or a proprietary one?

Private Members Club. However, the land is rented.

 

[doublebogey7]

I’m sure there are more people world wide who go without mortgages than with, however, in the UK I’d wager more people who have golf membership have or had a mortgage.
Every mortgage I’ve had has had an arrangement fee or some sort, well most as far as I remember. These arrangement fees are just another way for the mortgage lender to make more money.

So no different to golf's clubs having joining fees then. I understand why you may choose not to pay a JF, actually I never have and doubt I will now pending a lottery win, but I find it difficult to understand how you can be against them as a matter of principle.