Golf clubs low on membership

[PhilTheFragger]

Full weekend green fee for a local resident is £20 according to the council website Phil, so £1100 per year for one round week or £1200 for as much as you can play elsewhere... no brainer for me.

Yup, but it might depend on cash flow, obviously if only playing a couple of times a month, then it’s a different kettle of fish, but for a regular player, it’s a no brainer 👍

 

[anotherdouble]

Yup, but it might depend on cash flow, obviously if only playing a couple of times a month, then it’s a different kettle of fish, but for a regular player, it’s a no brainer 👍

Even with cash flow Phil a lot of clubs do direct debits or even use the likes of fairway credit (other credit firms are available). I know you pay a tad more but for the extra golf you can get you will be quids in

 

[Deleted member 3432]

Fair enough, but presume you have to pay a green fee each time you play.

How much is this and how often do you play?

Coz if it’s £15 a pop and you play twice a week , that’s £1500 plus £100 over a year.

If it’s £20 a pop and you play once a week that’s still £1100 with the fee.

Just askin

Always amazes me just how much people have to pay even for 'cheap' golf in some parts of the country.

As much as I enjoy the game there is no way I play enough to justify a membership of 1K or above.

 

[Norrin Radd]

my fees this year will be around £1300 [june] but i can pay it with a DD monthly so it dosent incur a huge sum to find once a year.
im sure most places do this now as a full lump in one go is not really a goer for most im sure.

 

[Imurg]

my fees this year will be around £1300 [june] but i can pay it with a DD monthly so it dosent incur a huge sum to find once a year.
im sure most places do this now as a full lump in one go is not really a goer for most im sure.

It is if you've been stashing the cash for a while..

 

[Norrin Radd]

It is if you've been stashing the cash for a while..

if i stash cash her indoors has got a nose for where it is stashed and as if by magic she has new shoes and matching handbag.

 

[Imurg]

if i stash cash her indoors has got a nose for where it is stashed and as if by magic she has new shoes and matching handbag.

You need a plan

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Fair enough some of these clubs are successful, but at some point their ageing membership will not be able to sustain their club on their terms. And while they are entitled to run their own affairs, they are harmful to the image of the game.

Look at Muirfield, they were broadly of the view that they could continue as a Gentlemen's club until the R&A stated they would be off the Open Rota. At that point the finances were going to change considerably for them, as well as no doubt the prestige of hosting the Open and they got over the hurdle at the 2nd time of asking. I'm sure it is still as elitist as ever (which is just as great a crime as being sexist) and while they are entitled to run their club how they want, it doesn't mean they are entitled to host the Open there and for a week in July, have the golfing focus on a stuffy Gentleman's club who are pretty much exclusively open to white upper class males.

I personally would like to see some minimum thresholds for clubs on the Open rota. In terms of a minimum number of tee times each week for visitors (at a sensible rate) and access to membership for all residents who live in the area of the club, obviously subject to a cap.

Why do you think there are just old people there ?

These private members ( exclusive) clubs will continue to have their appeal - the course will attract people and members and that won’t change , even through recessions and slumps these courses still stay strong

Why should these clubs be subjected to thresholds and caps ? They are doing really well as clubs so why do they need to change ?

 

[woofers]

But they don’t want to just play it at St Andrews!

You can get on all of them for a sensible rate anyway already too.

2019 Visitor Fees:
Royal Liverpool £200
Royal Lytham £200
Royal Birkdale £235
Royal St Georges £225
Royal Troon £250
Carnoustie £210
Muirfield £250
Turnberry £200
Royal Portrush £220
St Andrews £190

 

[Homer]

2019 Visitor Fees:
Royal Liverpool £200
Royal Lytham £200
Royal Birkdale £235
Royal St Georges £225
Royal Troon £250
Carnoustie £210
Muirfield £250
Turnberry £200
Royal Portrush £220
St Andrews £190

Don’t see any problem with any of them - also lower rates in shoulder periods and winter. RStG is only £125 and they do a great group rate with lunch.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

2019 Visitor Fees:
Royal Liverpool £200
Royal Lytham £200
Royal Birkdale £235
Royal St Georges £225
Royal Troon £250
Carnoustie £210
Muirfield £250
Turnberry £200
Royal Portrush £220
St Andrews £190

Played a few of them but never played the full fee , always ways to play the best courses at a good rate but even then as with club membership costs - all down to how you can justify the cost to yourself , if you can afford it then you will pay what’s needed if you want to play the top courses

 

[Oddsocks]

When will clubs realise that there needs to be a membership package for people who can only get out once a week , normally on a weekend!

When clubs Taylor a package to suit this golfer then they will see a HUGE increase in memberships and a large reduction in nomads

 

[Deleted member 15344]

When will clubs realise that there needs to be a membership package for people who can only get out once a week , normally on a weekend!

When clubs Taylor a package to suit this golfer then they will see a HUGE increase in memberships and a large reduction in nomads

Never going to happen because they would lose a dramatic amount of funds - it’s the busiest prime time of the week , if you offer weekend only membership then I suspect 60/70% of people would take it up - just think of all that money lost. It’s not a workable financial model to have weekend only membership

 

[Oddsocks]

Never going to happen because they would lose a dramatic amount of funds - it’s the busiest prime time of the week , if you offer weekend only membership then I suspect 60/70% of people would take it up - just think of all that money lost. It’s not a workable financial model to have weekend only membership

There should at least be a reduction in weekend only, similar to that of a 5 day member.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

There should at least be a reduction in weekend only, similar to that of a 5 day member.

Why ? It’s the prime time membership the course is normally rammed , no greenkeeprs working , main comps etc - it’s the main time for everyone to play. A club isn’t going to financially hamper themselves

 

[Jacko_G]

Unusually I'm firmly in the same camp as LP. Clubs would lose a fortune in membership fees as everyone migrated to a weekend only membership.

Turkeys voting for Christmas springs to mind.

If you can only golf one day a week I would question the value and what I get out of a membership and see if a nomad status playing when and where I want would be more beneficial to my lifestyle.

 

[Oddsocks]

Unusually I'm firmly in the same camp as LP. Clubs would lose a fortune in membership fees as everyone migrated to a weekend only membership.

Turkeys voting for Christmas springs to mind.

If you can only golf one day a week I would question the value and what I get out of a membership and see if a nomad status playing when and where I want would be more beneficial to my lifestyle.

I’m in a catch 22. I love the people I play with in our roll up but the fact remains that once a week golf is the best I will see for at least a year and what has been the last two years.

This is what brings me to my previous statement: is my club better off losing a once a week golfer at £1300 a year because nomad is better for them or retaining a 700/800 weekend only golfer?

It’s a chicken and eggs situation and I know for a fact we have lost members in the past who are in the same boat

 

[KenL]

Fair enough some of these clubs are successful, but at some point their ageing membership will not be able to sustain their club on their terms. And while they are entitled to run their own affairs, they are harmful to the image of the game.

Look at Muirfield, they were broadly of the view that they could continue as a Gentlemen's club until the R&A stated they would be off the Open Rota. At that point the finances were going to change considerably for them, as well as no doubt the prestige of hosting the Open and they got over the hurdle at the 2nd time of asking. I'm sure it is still as elitist as ever (which is just as great a crime as being sexist) and while they are entitled to run their club how they want, it doesn't mean they are entitled to host the Open there and for a week in July, have the golfing focus on a stuffy Gentleman's club who are pretty much exclusively open to white upper class males.

I personally would like to see some minimum thresholds for clubs on the Open rota. In terms of a minimum number of tee times each week for visitors (at a sensible rate) and access to membership for all residents who live in the area of the club, obviously subject to a cap.

I have heard you need something like 25 letters of support for Muirfield.

 

[ger147]

I’m in a catch 22. I love the people I play with in our roll up but the fact remains that once a week golf is the best I will see for at least a year and what has been the last two years.

This is what brings me to my previous statement: is my club better off losing a once a week golfer at £1300 a year because nomad is better for them or retaining a 700/800 weekend only golfer?

It’s a chicken and eggs situation and I know for a fact we have lost members in the past who are in the same boat

They are better losing a once a week golfer at £1,300 per year than having the vast majority of their membership flip to a weekend only membership at £7/800 per year. The club would be making a loss for every 2 members that switched to save 1 once a week guy, would be absolute madness for the club to do so.

 

[Jacko_G]

I have heard you need something like 25 letters of support for Muirfield.

Good, guess I better trim 10 of my supporters back then, don't want to appear overly keen!