Golf Club Meetings

[upsidedown]

This is roughly where we are. Just under £1000 and I have always said if membership hit £1000 then that is too much for how often I play

Yes, when we were setting the fees I pointed out that there a lot of deals out there now that you can play half decent courses on the weekend which I'm sure some members will go to now rather than stay.

 

[Wolf]

I'd be interested to know how on-the-course presence will be policed with those differing memberships.

Absolutely no idea how they plan to police it because our club you don't have to book tee times for any social rounds, we don't have different bag tags or any identifying features that enable to know the difference, we don't have a starter and our 1st tee is nowhere near the clubhouse or pro shop, the 10th tee is hidden as well and there is no course marshalls. There simply isn't a way of policing it.

7 day members won't grass them up because there's no way of knowing unless you know the person individually and their membership type.

 

[virtuocity]

That is key. Knowing when you stop getting value for money.

I was £1350 this year but I get golf 365, I work shifts and get great use out of the course at the quieter times. I use the practice facilities and also use the showers if I'm going straight to work after.

Two rounds a week and practicing now and again and you’ve got yourself a good deal at a great course.

Play once a week or keen to play opens every fortnight then I’d think about moving.

At the moment I average a round a week so I’m playing at a more modern cost.

I agree with you- it’s about value for money, rather than overall cost

 

[Chico84]

We have an Open Forum annually a month or so before our AGM, sort of defuses any burning issues pre-AGM

Last year our Treasurer presented the preliminary year end accounts, informing us of a potential shortfall on budget of £20k........hardly a murmur in the room

We spent the next 45 minutes discussing members in the clubhouse with mud on their shoes!!!!

It just shows the mentality of golf clubs, and peoples priorities

It’s fine, those guys will be happy as there won’t be any mud in the clubhouse if it isn’t open in a few years time.

This sort of mentality is one thing preventing me from joining a club instead of just being a visitor at loads of different places.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

This is roughly where we are. Just under £1000 and I have always said if membership hit £1000 then that is too much for how often I play

With my locker fee (which is invaluable to store my clubs to let me go straight out after work) we are now close to £2,000 and a £90 increase. Very little has been said in terms of justification but strangely not too many rumblings of discontent either. I think now we're into renewal season it'll be interesting to see how many vote with their feet. It is getting close to that mark where I need to consider the options but some things (in my mind) like no booked tee times outside of comps, ok practice facilities, really good greens in the summer (and have been really good in between the crap weather) and a bunch of really good blokes to play with make that decision hard

 

[robinthehood]

With my locker fee (which is invaluable to store my clubs to let me go straight out after work) we are now close to £2,000 and a £90 increase. Very little has been said in terms of justification but strangely not too many rumblings of discontent either. I think now we're into renewal season it'll be interesting to see how many vote with their feet. It is getting close to that mark where I need to consider the options but some things (in my mind) like no booked tee times outside of comps, ok practice facilities, really good greens in the summer (and have been really good in between the crap weather) and a bunch of really good blokes to play with make that decision hard

2 grand ??

 

[Lord Tyrion]

2 grand ??

That's life down south ?. Thank heavens I live up here ?

 

[Slab]

2 grand ??

But it has 'ok' practice facilities & sometimes the greens are good

 

[Jacko_G]

But it has 'ok' practice facilities & sometimes the greens are good

Not sure why some are having a go, if that is what he is prepared to pay and he feels that he's getting value what concern is it of others?

We are entitled to spend money how we see fit and within budget surely without others judging??

 

[Slab]

Not sure why some are having a go, if that is what he is prepared to pay and he feels that he's getting value what concern is it of others?

We are entitled to spend money how we see fit and within budget surely without others judging??

Of course its his money to spend, but surely there's more for 2k than the way its worded (if I'm judging anything its only his description)

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

2 grand ??

yup...if you want to be a member of a decent members club.

 

[dronfield]

Two rounds a week and practicing now and again and you’ve got yourself a good deal at a great course.

Play once a week or keen to play opens every fortnight then I’d think about moving.

At the moment I average a round a week so I’m playing at a more modern cost.

I agree with you- it’s about value for money, rather than overall cost

Our club fees are £1100pa and last year i played 58 rounds there - my thoughts are that some of the time i played because i felt i ought to (to justify the membership cost), rather than because i wanted to.
This year i have decided to do the latter and only play when keen to. Will then evaluate at end of year whether i got value for money.
My gut feeling is that i will cancel my membership and join another local course - Bondhay are a privately owned quasi muni that do various membership options, including £455 for 24 rounds anytime or £315 for 24 rounds but after 1pm weekends.
if i take the £315 option and play 8 round elsewhere via GolfNow, i will have 32 rounds for circa £500.
The course is 25 mins away compared to current one being 10, and other disadvantages are the need to book rounds, and course being busy on a Sat/Sun afternoon.
Somethings such as convenience, practice facilities, round times etc are hard to put a monetary value on, but an annual saving of £600 is very attractive.

 

[GB72]

I am looking at a similar scheme. Stoke Rochford doing a scheme that will get me about 30 rounds for £500. Reckon I played less than that last year when you take into account weather or other commitments

 

[Siolag]

With my locker fee (which is invaluable to store my clubs to let me go straight out after work) we are now close to £2,000 and a £90 increase. Very little has been said in terms of justification but strangely not too many rumblings of discontent either. I think now we're into renewal season it'll be interesting to see how many vote with their feet. It is getting close to that mark where I need to consider the options but some things (in my mind) like no booked tee times outside of comps, ok practice facilities, really good greens in the summer (and have been really good in between the crap weather) and a bunch of really good blokes to play with make that decision hard

A girl I used to go out with went to school in that area and took me there for a reunion day, St Georges. Its a lovely area, doesn't surprise me thats what it costs.

 

[Imurg]

I'm looking at north of 1600 for the year plus bar levy (which I'm not counting as I'll have spent it inside 2 months)
But I'm reckoning on playing 80-90 rounds or more so my cost per round drops to around 15 quid if I factor in fuel saving from travelling 10 minutes rather than 25
And there is nowhere close, that I would want to play regularly, to here that I could play for 15 quid
For me it's a no-brainer and decent value for money bearing in mind its virtually always open.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I'm looking at north of 1600 for the year plus bar levy (which I'm not counting as I'll have spent it inside 2 months)
But I'm reckoning on playing 80-90 rounds or more so my cost per round drops to around 15 quid if I factor in fuel saving from travelling 10 minutes rather than 25
And there is nowhere close, that I would want to play regularly, to here that I could play for 15 quid
For me it's a no-brainer and decent value for money bearing in mind its virtually always open.

This. When you work out the cost per round given I'll be up there pretty much everyday from next week working on my game and playing a few holes and then throughout the summer then at the moment its still worth the cash. It's still on a par (in fact cheaper) than the local "rivals" The greens are excellent but have had their hollow tining so not as good as they could be and it's been hard to do too much with them in all the wet weather. I am certain by April they'll be as quick and true as ever. Practice facilities are ok but better to hit off grass than a range mat and I can work on all my short game so does what I need it to without being all singing

 

[trevor]

Seem to have gone off topic a bit but I joined my club 1st March last year at £900 all in, I’ve played 128 games according to BRS so £7.00 per game.

 

[jpjeffery]

Went to my first ever one last night and that was an eye opener. So much venom let loose by some members and plenty of school yard bickering. OK it was a touchy subject (another reasonably large increase in subscriptions) but still it was not what I would call a civilised debate. Furthermore, the slow and outdated procedures to get a vote through were just mind numbing. There must be an easier system than this to get decisions made whilst having input from the club. It was a one issue meeting and it still went on for over 3 hours.

What sort of meeting was it? AGM? EGM? Regular (e.g. monthly) committee meeting?

 

[GB72]

What sort of meeting was it? AGM? EGM? Regular (e.g. monthly) committee meeting?

Special General Meeting as it was agreed to have a one topic meeting at the AGM just to discuss budget and subscription costs

 

[Ye Olde Boomer]

Exactly, and the type of decisions and balancing act a club has to manage.

It's bloody expensive to run a golf club these days. Anywhere from 6 to 20 staff - wages, sick pay, NI, pension contributions. Food hygiene certificates. Data protection licences. Computers, software, printers. Health and safety. Maintenance, plumbing, light bulbs, etc etc.

And that's before you've done anything to improve the course or clubhouse.

Member owned clubs are particularly tough to manage. I'm not in one of those.
Our club, which has been around since 1906, is now a laundromat for revenues the owner derives form "other" sources.
If it comes close to breaking even, it does its job.
If it loses too much money, it will become houselots regardless of its history.