Green Fees compared with membership.

[ManinBlack]

Green fees compare with membership.

There's been quite an interesting thread about the cost of paying green fees v being a member. Please do an exercise as follows:

Calculate, using the average Summer / Winter green fee, without playing with a member, how many rounds the standard men's membership fee represents. I bet there are widely divergent results.

 

[Blue in Munich]

Re: Green fees compare with membership.

About 25 weekend rounds, or 35 midweek rounds. On what I reckon I play a year green fees would cost me £4,600 a year, about £3,000 more than my subs.

 

[Break90]

Not an exact science as there are different rates for weekday/weekend/morning/afternoon as well as summer/winter, ranging from 25 to 75, but taking 50 as the average visitor fee, the annual 7 day membership fee (joining fee notwithstanding) equates to between 23 and 24 rounds.

 

[Nosevi]

Re: Green fees compare with membership.

For me it's not just a case of calculating if I would save a few quid a year by not being a member and simply pay green fees instead. I spend time on the putting green, pitching area, practice bunker - being a member allows me unlimited use of those and that has an effect on my game. I also got a pretty good deal on a new full set of clubs, a deal I may not have got if I wasn't a member and didn't know the pro well. I get the social side of the club as well, I've got to know people I perhaps wouldn't have met if I wasn't a member......

For me it's a no brainer - being a member of a good club is better than not being a member. Yes, it might be slightly cheaper not being a member (wouldn't for me as I play at least 4 times a week) but I don't think it could ever be argued to be better.

 

[Jack_bfc]

Apologies, I answered the poll without reading the post!

Just worked if out and it's more like 25 not 45!!!!!!

 

[Blue in Munich]

About 25 at weekends or 35 midweek. I make it I would pay about £4,600 a year in green fees if I played as much as I do as a member, which would cost me £3,000 more than membership does.

 

[daymond]

Re: Green fees compare with membership.

I dealt with the poll first. As I read it it seemed to mean how many rounds do you play per annum.

Therefore delete the 'over 45' that I entered!!!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Re: Green fees compare with membership.

Membership fees are c£1600 and taking the adult weekemd rate it's still going to need 35 rounds to get close. However as eloquently put elsewhere, for me it's not just about the cost saved vs green fees it's about the convenience, competitive golf, practice facilities and the damn good laugh in the 19th which as a visitor you don't get

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Based it on the weekend rate and its' on the cusp of +35

 

[ManinBlack]

I meant to say, use the average summer / winter weekend rate

 

[Deleted member 18588]

Approx 25 but as I play around 120 rounds I seem to be well in profit.

 

[Toad]

15 rounds bang on for me to recoup my fees, considering I play 3 games a week during the season and once a week in the winter it is great value.
As a members guest would take 50 rounds to equal a full members fees.

 

[delc]

Since I retired from work, I play on average about 4 full rounds of golf a week. Although I am now a member of a rather expensive club that charges £1700 per year membership fees, that works out at just over £8 per round. Before I retired I was a member at a pay and play course that charged £100 for membership and £15 - £18 per round, depending on day of the week and time. However I only played about 2 rounds per week, so that would work out at £1660 per year even at the cheaper rate. So it was definitely worth changing to a members club when I retired.

 

[backwoodsman]

Another one who polled before reading. I put 45+ . The correct calculation is that full annual membership costs the same as approx 38 green fees. Subs are due in January so I'm in "credit" by the end of June.

 

[Smiffy]

This is where my "flexible" membership scores for me.
I do not get enough free time to play as regularly as I once did. I get every Wednesday off, but work every Saturday and 1 in 3 Sundays. My wife works Mon-Fri so playing on a Wednesday isn't really an issue, but she would get a bit miffed if I played every free Sunday as well, so my plans are to play the odd Sunday competition every now and then.
I pay £495 for my "membership" and for that I get 420 credits in my account (each credit is worth £) with the £75.00 balance going towards golf union membership, insurance and a nominal £30.00 bar tab.
I can add further credits to my account if I need to "top up" and my unused credits (up to a maximum of 50) can be carried over to the following year.
I pay differing amounts of credits, depending on when I play.
It's 30 credits at the week-end or to play in a board competition irrespective of the teeing off time.
26 credits to play mid-week morning and 22 credits to play after 1pm during the week. After 4 it drops to 20 credits.
The way I look at it is if I wasn't a "member" it it would cost me at least £21.00 to play midweek with a member or £26.00 at week-ends. If I just turned up to play without a member that rockets to £50.00 midweek and £60.00 at week-ends.
Enough to prevent me from playing.
At the moment, it isn't worth me becoming a full member. I wouldn't benefit.
The other nice thing about being a flexible member is that if the weather is bad and the course is closed, I'm not sitting at home seething that I had forked out £90.00 that month and only been able to play once or twice.
My credits sit in the "bank" until I want to use them!

 

[Lord Tyrion]

This is something I will be looking at for next year. My club does a pay and play option, £150 + £10 per round, £20 per comp. I suspect for most full members this is a cheaper option but as it was new last year the number of takers then was low. Next year it will be more, me possibly being one of them as I don't play the 35+ rounds required to break even.

 

[palindromicbob]

Reading some of the responses then it would seem the poll is pretty much invalid. Personally I wouldn't bother joining if I could play more than 40 rounds based on average green fee.

 

[la_lucha]

It does seem that the poll results are incorrect. Maybe most misunderstood the question?

 

[IanG]

At 2015 prices, Summer rate at weekend is £100, Winter rate is £70 average is £85. Subs are £605 so just over 7 rounds. I love our mid-week visitors while I'm at work

 

[Lump]

Just a shade under 19 rounds @£35 a round and current £650 green fees for intermediate membership