Golf Club Joining Fees - Crippling Diversity

[Deleted member 31467]

Exactly what I said. But to keep it simple for you.

More money does not automatically = better conditions/facilities.

OK if you say so but in my experience all the private clubs I have played that have bigger revenue streams are generally moving forward compared to those with less income.

 

[BiMGuy]

It’s clear that many people don’t want diversity at their golf club.
They want to be surrounded by other people who look the same and share the same views.

It’s why we still need to be nominated for membership, have joining interviews and ridiculous dress codes. Joining fees can be dressed up as being for the benefit of the club, which financially they can be. But, they are also there to keep certain people out.

 

[Radbourne2010]

So what are they going to do with all the extra money? They can’t just let the bank balance grow and grow, the money will have to be spent on the club and therefore be a benefit to the members both old and new.

We’re nearly a million to the good already. How much do they need in the bank? This is why I’ve highlighted the hike in fees as profiteering rather than a requirement.

 

[Deleted member 31467]

We’re nearly a million to the good already. How much do they need in the bank? This is why I’ve highlighted the hike in fees as profiteering rather than a requirement.

Do you have any major projects scheduled?

 

[Albo]

Interesting. Not sure how you equate extra revenue to the club as 'minimal benefit' to members but each to their own.

Surely that depends on the amount of extra revenue, versus what the club already takes in no?

 

[Deleted member 15344]

So that’s almost a full membership churn to get to 700k

Sorry I’m not sure what you mean ?

 

[Deleted member 31467]

Surely that depends on the amount of extra revenue, versus what the club already takes in no?

No, any extra revenue is of benefit to a club.

 

[Albo]

Sorry I’m not sure what you mean ?

To get 700k in joining fees you need 600ish people at 1150 to have joined.
I was just commenting that was pretty much your full membership numbers since COVID. A high turn around relatively speaking.

It’s brilliant that your course can generate that revenue to put back into to course! That shows what joining fees and a high turnover of members can do

 

[Albo]

No, any extra revenue is of benefit to a club.

It is, and I didn’t say it wasn’t, I said minimal benefit. Which I’ve pointed out twice, so will assume you’re trying to get a rise out of me. Whatever floats your boat

 

[Deleted member 31467]

It is, and I didn’t say it wasn’t, I said minimal benefit. Which I’ve pointed out twice, so will assume you’re trying to get a rise out of me. Whatever floats your boat

The key word is benefit. Whether it is major or minimal is irrelevant, it is still a benefit. If you want to be pedantic and start arguing down to the last infinite detail then crack on but I'm not discussing this any further with you. You have made your position clear, you are not interested in being a 'club member' just purely someone that turns up, plays and goes home without looking at the bigger overall picture. We clearly have different ideas on club membership.

I'm out.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

To get 700k in joining fees you need 600ish people at 1150 to have joined.
I was just commenting that was pretty much your full membership numbers since COVID. A high turn around relatively speaking.

It’s brilliant that your course can generate that revenue to put back into to course! That shows what joining fees and a high turnover of members can do

We don’t have a “high turnover” as such , we lost 5 members this year , and over the last 4 years have prob gained around 60 new members overall

The joining fees were just one avenues of funding that helped us improve the course

We were full before Covid as well

we have a waiting list of over 100

Having a full membership will always been a main level of income plus all the funds that brings over the bar and kitchen etc

 

[Albo]

We don’t have a “high turnover” as such , we lost 5 members this year , and over the last 4 years have prob gained around 60 new members overall

The joining fees were just one avenues of funding that helped us improve the course

We were full before Covid as well

we have a waiting list of over 100

Having a full membership will always been a main level of income plus all the funds that brings over the bar and kitchen etc

Ah, apologies, I’ve not read your original post correctly.
Still it’s brilliant that the club can generate that level of income for reinvestment, and do!!

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Ah, apologies, I’ve not read your original post correctly.
Still it’s brilliant that the club can generate that level of income for reinvestment, and do!!

Most private members clubs work that way

It’s not there to make a profit , it’s there to provide a service for its members

There is also many ways to get into the club to ensure it’s not just about allowing the rich and stopping the poor etc

 

[Banchory Buddha]

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!

That'll be Sweden that's not in the EU? Why not quote France?

 

[Deleted member 25172]

That'll be Sweden that's not in the EU? Why not quote France?

Is that another country than the Sweden which is currently holding the presidency for the European ministerial council, and who's been in the EU since 1995?

 

[evemccc]

Is that another country than the Sweden which is currently holding the presidency for the European ministerial council, and who's been in the EU since 1995?

Correct. Sweden in the EU, doesn’t have the Euro..

Anyway, someone seems v determined to bring his politics and his BDS (Brexit-Derangement-Syndrome) into threads that are quite unrelated and despite clearly understood Forum guidelines

 

[Jaco]

Wanted some opinions on the vexed subject of raising Membership subscriptions & Joining Fees.
Since the pandemic golf clubs have seen an exponential rise in playing numbers within UK, mostly from women & younger persons not normally attracted to the game, in addition to those wishing to play a new hobby or simply keep fit & socialise within a friendly environment.

I have had notification from several golfing friends around the country as to their clubs raising Membership Fee, Visitor playing fees, Guest fees & most strikingly of all Joining Fees. The latter was always seen as a barrier to certain sections of society whereby clubs where operating a form of financial apartheid. This was slowly being worn away over the past 15 years due to a dramatic fall in playing numbers & Full Member status at clubs around the UK.

My club has recently decided to double the Joining Fee & raise Subs by 10%, alongside raising Members Guest rates by 75%. The view of many at our club is this is being imposed at a time of deep financial worry for many, in the middle of a cost of living crisis & worse of all at a time the R&A alongside the home Unions are trying desperately to sell the game to those from lower social & financial backgrounds. In short, it is opportunism & short sighted of clubs to be imposing these increases at this time.

Just wanted some opinions from the experienced golfers on this Forum.

I posted about my dislike of joining fees a while back (imho, simply profiteering), and was taken aback by the backlash. Apparently they’re very popular, with people who are already members presumably.
I think increasing annual fees is unavoidable with inflation and energy prices as they are, but it does make the decision to join and/or renew a bigger one.
I didn’t join my local club because they reintroduced a joining fee, after many years without one, and I’ve found I quite like playing a few different courses rather than one, on a pay-as-you-go basis.
I think the covid dividend will diminish fairly rapidly and clubs will go back to pre-pandemic levels of membership interest.

 

[Radbourne2010]

It’s really not that simple. I’ve seen staggering sums of money wasted by people running golf clubs.

Hmm, how did that model work before Covid?

Joining fee = more revenue for club = better condition/facilities = better for members.

It's not difficult really.

Hmm, how did that model work before Covid?

 

[IanM]

I think courses that had them, stopped them, and then brought them back are in an awkward place. (If member owned club) But removing them a few years back may have been a necessity.

Proprietary clubs are commercial entries that do as they please, as a customer you take it or leave it. Different gravy!

Rising prices will put pressure on the "covid dividend" (as you called it) but no sign of it abating yet....(where I play)

It's very hard talking about club membership as a single entity as they are all very different beings in different locations.

 

[BiMGuy]

Hmm, how did that model work before Covid?

Hmm, how did that model work before Covid?

What?