Val
Ryder Cup Winner
I'm a member of 2 and both have discounts for over 60's (over 65 at my home club).
It's not uncommon and it's a far bigger problem for cash flow than having an intermediate catagory .
Intermediate Fees
- Thread starter Crazyface
- Start date
I'm a member of 2 and both have discounts for over 60's (over 65 at my home club).
It's not uncommon and it's a far bigger problem for cash flow than having an intermediate catagory .
Hacker Khan
Yurt Dwelling, Yoghurt Knitter
Does it matter as long as new people are playing the game? If you can't afford your subs then don't pay them. If you can then pay them and don't worry what others are paying.
Most of the clubs i know only give a senior discount if you have been a member for 25 years or more, reward for paying full fee's all that time.
Hosel Fade
Tour Rookie
The reason for myself leaving RA was purely the intermediate price jump between the 400 and 800 figure being too steep for myself. The arrangements with smaller steps more frequently are far more sensible in my opinion. When full fees should start applying and what level intermediate fees should be set at is a different matter entirely.
Crazyface
Tour Winner
What about those at the age of say 35, divorced with two children to support, and maybe a new family started with a new partner, and a new mortgage to boot. No reduction for those people. There are loads and loads of categories that could be dreamed up that would / should be entitled to reduced fees but you make your choices in life. Once in a job and earning money you should be paying full fees.
D
Deleted member 15344
Guest
Will it depend on the job ? The location ? How much distance the person has to travel - we can all dream up loads of different people that we could say need smaller fees
Or how about we all just concentrate on what we as an individual pay and see if we can afford the fees that are required to join the club we want - if it's too expensive then look elsewhere - why do you care what anyone else pays , surely it's just about what you pay yourself.
Intermediate fees have helped a lot of golf clubs all over the country - they have enabled younger people to join members golf clubs and they are the people that will be the future of the sport within our clubs
Understand 30% of clubs around the country have seen a membership increase over the past 12 months - initiatives like intermediate fees are one of the reasons why golf clubs are showing improving membership fees
SwingsitlikeHogan
Major Champion
^^^This
Gosh - those of us fortunate enough to be able to afford to pay the subs for golf club membership (and I view myself as fortunate in that respect rather than deserving) should be grateful that we are in a position to do so - and rejoice in that rather than worry about what someone else is paying for the same pleasure - and be happy that the club is able to afford to be able to offer intermediate fees to attract younger members. Blimey a golf club would be a miserable place if it's membership was all 50+
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MarkE
Challenge Tour Pro
This is a problem for me. It's not a case of affordability, but fairness. No particular age range should get preferential treatment (bar under 18's). One fee for everyone. I would'nt join a course that operated on those lines.
Crazyface
Tour Winner
THIS !
Val
Ryder Cup Winner
Unfortunately you'll find this as a business model would put many clubs under.
There isn't a one rule fits all clubs but on the whole where there is intermediate catagory in clubs it works and it works well.
Bottom line, if you can afford your membership then stop worrying. If you think it's unfair then join somewhere else.
CheltenhamHacker
Journeyman Pro
Is it fair that 7 day members have to pay for 5 days they likely won't be able to use?
Val
Ryder Cup Winner
You didn't answer my question on age and the assumption on your posts is that you've either just left this catagory or just missed it as your club introduced it. You appear to have a real sense of bitterness on the subject.
Val
Ryder Cup Winner
Or those who have issues with circulation in the cold can't play for 5 or 6 months
SwingsitlikeHogan
Major Champion
^^^This - complaining about 'fairness' is just a symptom of today's society when many seem to begrudge others something that they themselves cannot get.
MarkE
Challenge Tour Pro
You think fairness is a symptom of today's society? I would have thought it applied to any society in any time period. I don't begrudge anyone anything they work for. What's wrong with everyone paying the same, it works for everything else.
Val
Ryder Cup Winner
I take it you read and ignored everything in this thread?
Is it fair when I sit on an airplane that I may have paid more or less than someone stating beside me? Do they plan to change that?
Hacker Khan
Yurt Dwelling, Yoghurt Knitter
Since when has access to golf been fair? You play a game that has more perceived/actual barriers to participation based on wealth and gender, yet you say youngsters paying bit less is unfair. The same youngsters the game and clubs needs to survive in the future.
Perspective needed I think.
Perspective needed I think.
D
Deleted member 18588
Guest
As many have previously said it is a simple question.
If you can afford your own fees and feel it is value for money what is the problem with what others pay?
I first joined a club in 1972 at the age of 23, just married and mortgaged, no intermediate fees in those days so I paid the same as those older members with established successful careers and much more disposable income than myself.
For 42 years I paid full subs (34 of those years were to my current Club) and saw the introduction of Intermediate Fees and reductions for those over 65 with at least 30 years membership.
I welcomed both initiatives as a means of encouraging younger members to remain or join and recognising the contribution that longstanding members had made to the Club. This despite the fact that both meant I probably had to pay a bit more.
If I could not have afforded it I would have had to forego my membership but I really do not think the cost of these "subsidies" made a vast difference to my fees.
A proposal for flat rate subs was presented at our AGM two years ago and was soundly defeated by those present who, by the way, were representative of all categories of members.
But for those that are not happy you can always make such a proposal at your own clubs.
If you can afford your own fees and feel it is value for money what is the problem with what others pay?
I first joined a club in 1972 at the age of 23, just married and mortgaged, no intermediate fees in those days so I paid the same as those older members with established successful careers and much more disposable income than myself.
For 42 years I paid full subs (34 of those years were to my current Club) and saw the introduction of Intermediate Fees and reductions for those over 65 with at least 30 years membership.
I welcomed both initiatives as a means of encouraging younger members to remain or join and recognising the contribution that longstanding members had made to the Club. This despite the fact that both meant I probably had to pay a bit more.
If I could not have afforded it I would have had to forego my membership but I really do not think the cost of these "subsidies" made a vast difference to my fees.
A proposal for flat rate subs was presented at our AGM two years ago and was soundly defeated by those present who, by the way, were representative of all categories of members.
But for those that are not happy you can always make such a proposal at your own clubs.
MarkE
Challenge Tour Pro
I choose to ignore some of the drivel in this thread like any other. You have a choice whether to take that seat or not, just as I have a choice whether or not I join a particular club. I would'nt join a club offering different membership rates based on age. You are of course free to do whatever you want, i'm not trying to change anyone else's view, just giving mine. That is still allowed is'nt it?
I can understand that and totally agree with the final sentence that when intermediate fees should stop is a different topic. It's a shame you found the step up too much but your new home isn't too shabby
We are getting close to full membership but most of those don't fit into the intermediate bracket, and in truth the number of members we have between 18 and 35 remains relatively small in the overall demographic so I disagree that the intermediate fees are having a substantial influence over members joining at this time
This would be my preferential starting point. When I was a member at Wimbledon Common in the 80's there was none of these intermediate fees and once you reached 18 you were expected to pay the full membership fees. It was the same elsewhere and at that time if you didn't, you simply didn't become a member of a golf club
This is very true. It is now a common business model, one which wasn't there for me as an eighteen year old. It clearly does help bridge that gap.
If clubs are to have these intermediate fees, and it seems they are here to stay, I simply fail to see how these should be allowed to go all the way to 35. I just simply feel this is far too high. It's a personal view, one that others clearly don't share. It won't change, although I am in the process of drafting a letter to the committee asking for a rationale and a conclusive breakdown of how many new members it has afforded over the last three years, and how many members have left once they have to pay the full rate to see if there is any evidence that it is really working as a carrot to join and then remain
