Golf club memberships questions from a upcoming golfer

[Blueband]

New to the golf scene and curious on the typical rates for members compared to visitors gree fees. I know all clubs may be different however if any of you guys can share some of your experiences with your own membership, I would greatly appreciate it. If anyone is also from the Manchester area and has any recommendations for clubs or advice. I would greatly appreciate that too. Thanks

 

[Backache]

Can't do links on my phone but there was a poll earlier this year with the most common cost being just under£1000 and the next most common just over, I would guess the average is around £1000 give or take but forumites may belong to slightly cheaper clubs.
There is a big disparity in costs depending on where you are.
I don't live in or near Manchester but in most areas if you are close to a major metropolitan area fees are significantly higher than if you are in a rural location.

 

[fat80b]

It depends on how you think about comparing the costs. If you purely want to compare the green fee cost to the annual membership cost, then in most cases you'll find it tricky to "break even" on the membership cost. I think I'm at 50+ rounds this year so far, and am probably just at the point where I am at the golfnow per round cost. (My membership is £1050). I don't think I could possibly play more (as I have a job etc) than I have managed this year and I am just about breaking even.

My personal experience though is that the "value" of a golf membership is much much more than the cost per round.

i.e. Getting regular playing partners / a handicap / playing in competitions / swindles etc as well as just nipping to the course for ~6 holes on a summer evening etc is where it is at. And the value gained here is huge. My recomendation would be to choose a membership based on the friendliness of the club and the opportunities that gives rather than the "cost per round".

 

[jim8flog]

The break even point where I play (visitors fees v membership) is just 16 rounds.

One other major point is that visitors cannot play on our 18 hole course before 9.30 am and on a Saturday except as guest of a member. There are probably quite a few clubs with this sort of a rule.

I have never regretted taking out membership as soon as I could.

 

[Orikoru]

As above - when I started looking at club membership I did all the sums of say, 50 green fees in a year against the cost of the membership, but I don't think it's helpful to think of it that way. You risk becoming a slave to the membership, and dragging yourself down there even when you're not up for it, to 'get your money's worth'. There are plenty of intangible benefits to factor in, such as the social aspect when you get to know other members, entering competitions, having a handicap maintained for you, being able to pop down for 9 holes or 6 holes for some practice on a weekday evening. And so on and so forth. As long as you are using the course weekly it will usually be pretty decent value.

 

[Backache]

It depends on how you think about comparing the costs. If you purely want to compare the green fee cost to the annual membership cost, then in most cases you'll find it tricky to "break even" on the membership cost. I think I'm at 50+ rounds this year so far, and am probably just at the point where I am at the golfnow per round cost. (My membership is £1050). I don't think I could possibly play more (as I have a job etc) than I have managed this year and I am just about breaking even.

My personal experience though is that the "value" of a golf membership is much much more than the cost per round.

i.e. Getting regular playing partners / a handicap / playing in competitions / swindles etc as well as just nipping to the course for ~6 holes on a summer evening etc is where it is at. And the value gained here is huge. My recomendation would be to choose a membership based on the friendliness of the club and the opportunities that gives rather than the "cost per round".

I agree with a lot of this but I'm not sure how many clubs you could get a reduced golf now rate on a regular basis.
Ours doesn't do any and the break even point between green fees and membership is less than twenty rounds
However as you rightly point out there are a lot of other benefits but many depend on individual circumstances.

 

[VVega]

Membership rate = 18x Visitor rate

 

[Crumplezone]

I have never had any interest in joining a club. I have no interest in the social side or playing golf with people I don't know, no interest in comps or having an official handicap. I generally book tee times on Golf Now or the club's web site and enjoy playing lots of different courses at an annual cost of far less than any membership. Works for me and I know I'm not the only one.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

New to the golf scene and curious on the typical rates for members compared to visitors for gree fees. I know all clubs may be different however if any of you guys can share some of your experiences with your own membership, I would greatly appreciate it. If anyone is also from the Manchester area and has any recommendations for clubs or advice. I would greatly appreciate that too. Thanks

Just checking. Are you thinking that members of a club pay a green fee to play in addition to their annual subscriptions? And so comparing members green fee vs visitors green fee?

Most members clubs do not require a green fee per round if the member has full membership. However many clubs also have various categories/levels of membership at reduced membership subs but that require members to pay per round at rates according to their membership level.

 

[Oddsocks]

My personal experience though is that the "value" of a golf membership is much much more than the cost per round.

i.e. Getting regular playing partners / a handicap / playing in competitions / swindles etc as well as just nipping to the course for ~6 holes on a summer evening etc is where it is at. And the value gained here is huge. My recomendation would be to choose a membership based on the friendliness of the club and the opportunities that gives rather than the "cost per round".

This

If it’s solely regarding cheap golf then a playmoregolf style membership may be better but courses are far more limited as will the quality.

 

[Oddsocks]

I have never had any interest in joining a club. I have no interest in the social side or playing golf with people I don't know, no interest in comps or having an official handicap. I generally book tee times on Golf Now or the club's web site and enjoy playing lots of different courses at an annual cost of far less than any membership. Works for me and I know I'm not the only one.

Aka a nomad. Lots do this and take equal enjoyment from the game. I suppose it depends what the OP is after.

Cheap golf with no financial commitment which in the current climate is totally understandable, or to be a member and the benefits that go with.

 

[Voyager EMH]

I have never had any interest in joining a club. I have no interest in the social side or playing golf with people I don't know, no interest in comps or having an official handicap. I generally book tee times on Golf Now or the club's web site and enjoy playing lots of different courses at an annual cost of far less than any membership. Works for me and I know I'm not the only one.

If someone who plays at least one 18 hole round of golf in a year is "a golfer", then the majority of golfers in the UK are not members of a golf club.
I hope someone is going to disagree with that statement.

It might be worth looking at "Play More Golf" membership £375. A few courses to choose from in the Manchester area.
Gets you an official handicap and more of an insight as to what full membership might be like.

Flexible & Affordable Golf Memberships Nearby Manchester - PlayMoreGolf

Find your nearest club. A choice of over 260 clubs. Welcome to the flexible golf membership that lets you play your way. Whether you play just at one golf club or on a multitude of our partner courses, this affordable golf membership gives you the flexibility to do so! With your flexible golf...

www.playmore.golf

 

[Backache]

You would have to find green fees significantly less than £10 to be at my per round cost of golf membership possibly not much more than £5.

 

[Bratty]

My place is 23 rounds of golf a year as a visitor before you pay more than membership. As I play at least once a week there these days, I'm very happy with this.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

When looking at this you also have to balance whether you can play at the times you would want to if you are not a member of a club. It isn't quite like for like.

 

[PJ87]

It depends on how you think about comparing the costs. If you purely want to compare the green fee cost to the annual membership cost, then in most cases you'll find it tricky to "break even" on the membership cost. I think I'm at 50+ rounds this year so far, and am probably just at the point where I am at the golfnow per round cost. (My membership is £1050). I don't think I could possibly play more (as I have a job etc) than I have managed this year and I am just about breaking even.

My personal experience though is that the "value" of a golf membership is much much more than the cost per round.

i.e. Getting regular playing partners / a handicap / playing in competitions / swindles etc as well as just nipping to the course for ~6 holes on a summer evening etc is where it is at. And the value gained here is huge. My recomendation would be to choose a membership based on the friendliness of the club and the opportunities that gives rather than the "cost per round".

Whilst having a membership saves me a fair bit (£120 a month for 5 days but green fee Monday to Friday is like £65 so twice a month is easily to get money's worth) I agree with all you posted

I have regular groups on every day but Monday. However have a playing partner who can play Monday's aswell

Got me a handicap and in the midweek swindle to challenge myself rather than just playing for fun all the time

Also because I've got such good value for money I've played different formats like matches , scrambles , or just even 9 holes because I'm not worried about getting my "money's worth"

 

[KenL]

About 6 full visitor fees.

To the OP, remember to include a joining fee that many clubs have.

 

[Ye Olde Boomer]

New to the golf scene and curious on the typical rates for members compared to visitors for gree fees. I know all clubs may be different however if any of you guys can share some of your experiences with your own membership, I would greatly appreciate it. If anyone is also from the Manchester area and has any recommendations for clubs or advice. I would greatly appreciate that too. Thanks

I live reasonably close to Manchester---New Hampshire.
I don't see a "typical."
There's too big a variance from venue to venue,
and the TYPES of membership offered vary as well

My personal experience in joining a private club particularly
is stay away from the "member owned" ones.

 

[Parsaregood]

I live reasonably close to Manchester---New Hampshire.
I don't see a "typical."
There's too big a variance from venue to venue,
and the TYPES of membership offered vary as well

My personal experience in joining a private club particularly
is stay away from the "member owned" ones.

How affordable is a membership at a decent course in the US ? I’m aware that lots of country clubs are very very expensive in comparison to what you would pay for a membership here in the uk.

 

[Ye Olde Boomer]

How affordable is a membership at a decent course in the US ? I’m aware that lots of country clubs are very very expensive in comparison to what you would pay for a membership here in the uk.

Usually, if you have to ask, you can't afford it.
Private club golf is not an egalitarian game in America.

As for a more informative answer, I'd have to make the same Google Search that you can.

I was the beneficiary of a special circumstance.
Otherwise, it would be unlikely that I could belong to a nice club.

First, my membership offers full access to all the amenities of our club EXCEPT weekend golf.
I have a senior membership with only weekday golf included in the dues.
I have to pay for myself as my own guest if I play on Saturday or Sunday or an American national holiday like Memorial Day, Labor Day, or 4th of July..

Second, mine is not a member owned club.
I didn't have to make a huge initial equity initiation fee as would have been the case with that kind of club.
Those initial initiations can exceed six figures.

Finally, as a laundromat for revenues accrued elsewhere through other "endeavors,"
my club doesn't actually have to make money for its "colorful" owner.
It just has to look profitable to the tax authorities.

I'm often critical of my own country, but this setup is America at her best.