Golf clubs low on membership

Dando said:
my local 18 holer is Shooters Hill and they have done away with the joining fee but I still cant really justify the annual fee of £1300 when I have a love/hate relationship with golf plus I prefer to join the forums motley crew on their meets.

for me, I would love a weekend membership but I know that's not possible.
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How is Shooters Hill these days used to play against them in club matches as a junior always a good match
 
Parsaregood said:
I think in an interview situation you would have to say something pretty bad or express something not in the clubs interest to be rejected. I think there is a need for interviews and if people don't want to attend a 15 minute interview they really can't be very serious about joining
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Even with my very informal and relaxed club I had a meeting with the club secretary, but as I said, it was a formality and not a hoop to jump through. I was happy about it, because I wanted to meet someone and be told about the club itself and how everything works with regards to entering comps and so on. It actually benefitted me.
 
Orikoru said:
Even with my very informal and relaxed club I had a meeting with the club secretary, but as I said, it was a formality and not a hoop to jump through. I was happy about it, because I wanted to meet someone and be told about the club itself and how everything works with regards to entering comps and so on. It actually benefitted me.
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Well I think that's how most clubs see it, nobody should want to join a club where nobody bothers to meet you to tell you about the club, show you around etc also the clubs have a duty to their existing members to make sure people who join are respectful of the clubs values
 
Orikoru said:
Even with my very informal and relaxed club I had a meeting with the club secretary, but as I said, it was a formality and not a hoop to jump through. I was happy about it, because I wanted to meet someone and be told about the club itself and how everything works with regards to entering comps and so on. It actually benefitted me.
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Our "interviews" are carried out by the incumbant vice captain, and is in reality a talk through of how the club works and such. A benefit to the prospetive new member.:)
 
When I started playing again, all of the clubs round the Southside of Glasgow still appear to have joining fees and the usual introductory letters that were required.

One or two didn't have a joining fee, but I think it is clear that those are ones that maybe are in poorer states of health and / or have a brisker turnover of members.

I think most are in a reasonable position but it is a fragile eco-system and as far as I can see all are doing something to get new people in their club.

It does seem the cost of golf in Glasgow is expensive (basically £1,000 pa) and I struggle to see how it is so much dearer than in smaller towns and cities with similar properties and climates. I think it is mainly a case of the clubs in and around Glasgow having had a big population base, and back in the day when clubs were full there was a case to creep the prices higher and higher. Now that clubs are not in as good a state, they have become used to the fees that the 400 or so members pay and operate accordingly.
 
Wolf said:
How is Shooters Hill these days used to play against them in club matches as a junior always a good match
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no idea mate. I've lived within 5 miles of the place all my life and never stepped foot on it.
a few guys I played football with joined there after Broke Hill shut and they all said its a great course but its gets waterlogged in places
 
Grant85 said:
When I started playing again, all of the clubs round the Southside of Glasgow still appear to have joining fees and the usual introductory letters that were required.

One or two didn't have a joining fee, but I think it is clear that those are ones that maybe are in poorer states of health and / or have a brisker turnover of members.

I think most are in a reasonable position but it is a fragile eco-system and as far as I can see all are doing something to get new people in their club.

It does seem the cost of golf in Glasgow is expensive (basically £1,000 pa) and I struggle to see how it is so much dearer than in smaller towns and cities. I think it is mainly a case of the clubs in and around Glasgow having had a big population base, and back in the day when clubs were full there was a case to creep the prices higher and higher. Now that clubs are not in as good a state, they have become used to the fees that the 400 or so members pay and operate accordingly.
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As far as I'm aware most Glasgow clubs still do very well for members, my own club still has a joining fee but I'd say 70% don't. If you don't know any members it's easy enough to get the captain and vice captain to propose you if they are doing the interview. Fees are about 200-300 more expensive in SW Scotland generally to what you'd find more north in the central belt and eastwards going towards Edinburgh, if they really were struggling though the fees would come down
 
Parsaregood said:
Well I think that's how most clubs see it, nobody should want to join a club where nobody bothers to meet you to tell you about the club, show you around etc also the clubs have a duty to their existing members to make sure people who join are respectful of the clubs values
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Yep agree 100%
Golf is fairly incestuous, if someone gets a reputation locally there are always people at other clubs who know someone who knows someone etc so an interview is a quick check to make sure you are accepting the 'right sort' (joke!)
 
Parsaregood said:
As far as I'm aware most Glasgow clubs still do very well for members, my own club still has a joining fee but I'd say 70% don't. If you don't know any members it's easy enough to get the captain and vice captain to propose you if they are doing the interview. Fees are about 200-300 more expensive in SW Scotland generally to what you'd find more north in the central belt and eastwards going towards Edinburgh, if they really were struggling though the fees would come down
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I think they probably are doing ok. Certainly around the Southside and East Renfrewshire, but there's not exactly anyone building a new clubhouse or turning folk away - and like I said, I believe Whitecraigs is the only one that genuinely has limited spaces for new full members.

But like I said, it can all change within a few years.
 
Likewise Paisley GC is probably the only one in Renfrewshire with limited spaces.

Its a fantastic club. Well run, great condition and superb staff.

You could probably walk into any other club in the area with a pocket of cash and join instantly.
 
Grant85 said:
I think they probably are doing ok. Certainly around the Southside and East Renfrewshire, but there's not exactly anyone building a new clubhouse or turning folk away - and like I said, I believe Whitecraigs is the only one that genuinely has limited spaces for new full members.

But like I said, it can all change within a few years.
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I'm a member of whitecraigs, not really sure on membership availability. We have just submitted plans for a clubhouse extension for a lounge and simulator area
 
IanM said:
We're full :)

But a cold snap usually makes a few spaces! :oops:
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AAH, that takes me back to over 30 years ago, going up to the club when I was on the waiting list hoping to see the flag at 1/2 mast, ticking down the years until I might be able to join as a restricted 5 day member, happy days :giggle:
 
Dando said:
my local 18 holer is Shooters Hill and they have done away with the joining fee but I still cant really justify the annual fee of £1300 when I have a love/hate relationship with golf plus I prefer to join the forums motley crew on their meets.

for me, I would love a weekend membership but I know that's not possible.
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I’ve just joined Eltham Warren, mainly because how close it is to me, but also as they have a bit more flexibility with membership options. It may only be a 9 hole course, but has two sets off tees and is not the easiest of courses and has been I great condition this year.

Interestingly the club I left had a weekend membership option but had too many restrictions to go with it. How much would you be prepared to pay for weekend membership?
 
Parsaregood said:
I'm a member of whitecraigs, not really sure on membership availability. We have just submitted plans for a clubhouse extension for a lounge and simulator area
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Certainly my impression that that is the club with the most healthy membership numbers in the area.

Good luck with the plans.
 
My old club had a big push for membership at the time another local club closed, this resulted in a full membership and too many people wanted to play at the same time, so you could turn up at 7:30 on a Saturday and there would be 10 groups already on the first tee. So sometimes an increased subscription could be better than a full membership.
 
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