Joining fees creeping back ?

BigPhil14

New member
Joined
Jan 1, 2021
Messages
29
Visit site
Nearly every club that I have looked at in SE London has a joining fee, varying from £1,000 to £4,000. Some are to be paid fully up front, some paid over the first year. I have rarely seen ones that can be paid over longer periods, or got close enough to joining to see what happens if you decide to leave whilst still paying off the joining fee. I understand why clubs do it, it just becomes a major deterrent for a lot of people (which is maybe what they want!).

In my instance, I would love to join a club, but at the moment I don't know how long I will end up living in the area (even moving 5 miles away can mean an hours drive in traffic!), so paying £1-4k to join a club is a tough position if you can't guarantee you will live in the area for a least 5 years. I personally would much rather clubs charged a higher annual fee for the first 5 years or so to essentially cover a joining fee, than ask for everything up front or in the first year. I guess this is why clubs typically have an older, more geographically settled, membership demographic.
 

Blue in Munich

Crocked Professional Yeti Impersonator
Joined
Jan 12, 2013
Messages
14,090
Location
Worcester Park
Visit site
Nearly every club that I have looked at in SE London has a joining fee, varying from £1,000 to £4,000. Some are to be paid fully up front, some paid over the first year. I have rarely seen ones that can be paid over longer periods, or got close enough to joining to see what happens if you decide to leave whilst still paying off the joining fee. I understand why clubs do it, it just becomes a major deterrent for a lot of people (which is maybe what they want!).

In my instance, I would love to join a club, but at the moment I don't know how long I will end up living in the area (even moving 5 miles away can mean an hours drive in traffic!), so paying £1-4k to join a club is a tough position if you can't guarantee you will live in the area for a least 5 years. I personally would much rather clubs charged a higher annual fee for the first 5 years or so to essentially cover a joining fee, than ask for everything up front or in the first year. I guess this is why clubs typically have an older, more geographically settled, membership demographic.

Ours is on the border of SE & SW London, has a joining fee in the middle of your quoted range and apparently we have 112 on the waiting list. :eek:

Ours is not deter people but to encourage a settled membership.
 

Slab

Occasional Tour Caddy
Joined
Nov 20, 2011
Messages
10,772
Location
Port Louis
Visit site
No idea but do golf clubs hold a unique position in being able to charge a joining fee ?

Do you/would you pay a joining fee to be a member at a tennis club, gym, photography club or any other type of club/activity
 

HeftyHacker

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 14, 2020
Messages
1,534
Visit site
No idea but do golf clubs hold a unique position in being able to charge a joining fee ?

Do you/would you pay a joining fee to be a member at a tennis club, gym, photography club or any other type of club/activity

Many of the posher gyms have a joining fee to be fair... not in the region of golf club fees though.
 

Robster59

Tour Rookie
Joined
Aug 7, 2015
Messages
5,162
Location
Jackton
www.eastrengolfclub.co.uk
A joining fee at a member's club gives you a stake in that club. I paid when I joined my club, and it still retains one now. We have a waiting list, but still charged a joining fee when we didn't. It isn't as large as it used to be, and could be paid over a few years. A club near to us ditched the joining fee to get new members in, which they did, but they then jumped onto the next best deal the following year. At our club, the joining fee is invested back into the course. It is extra income over and above the annual membership which can be used to do additional work.
 

spongebob59

Journeyman Pro
Joined
Jul 13, 2012
Messages
6,387
Location
Kent
Visit site
Many of the posher gyms have a joining fee to be fair... not in the region of golf club fees though.

I be!I've they call it an admin fee, which reminds me that as well as the joining fee I'd also have to pay an admin fee to process the membership, think it's £40.
 

Crazyface

Tour Winner
Joined
Feb 27, 2010
Messages
7,023
Location
Cheshire
Visit site
Just a thought, but will the younger people on lower fees be expected to pay a joining fee? This will sort of go against the reasons for letting them have this ridiculous lower rate anyway.
 

Crazyface

Tour Winner
Joined
Feb 27, 2010
Messages
7,023
Location
Cheshire
Visit site
My club has a waiting list, for the first time ever. No sign of them introducing a joining fee.....yet. I have noticed some other local courses have though.
 

BiMGuy

LIV Bot, (But Not As Big As Mel) ?
Joined
Oct 9, 2020
Messages
6,381
Visit site
A joining fee at a member's club gives you a stake in that club. I paid when I joined my club, and it still retains one now. We have a waiting list, but still charged a joining fee when we didn't. It isn't as large as it used to be, and could be paid over a few years. A club near to us ditched the joining fee to get new members in, which they did, but they then jumped onto the next best deal the following year. At our club, the joining fee is invested back into the course. It is extra income over and above the annual membership which can be used to do additional work.

How many new members do you get each year to allow any significant investment into the course from their joining fee?

And if you are buying a stake in the club. Are you allowed to sell that stake if you leave?
 

Robster59

Tour Rookie
Joined
Aug 7, 2015
Messages
5,162
Location
Jackton
www.eastrengolfclub.co.uk
How many new members do you get each year to allow any significant investment into the course from their joining fee?
I'm not sure off the top of my head, I'd have to check the accounts. But even a few thousand pounds can contribute to course improvements.

And if you are buying a stake in the club. Are you allowed to sell that stake if you leave?
No, because if you lose, that's your decision. I do know that when a local club member's club closed a few years ago, the remaining members got a share of what was left after the creditors had been paid.
 

spongebob59

Journeyman Pro
Joined
Jul 13, 2012
Messages
6,387
Location
Kent
Visit site
When I paid the joining fee @ Dartford GC, I was told I was buying shares in the club, but never figured out what happened to these when I left ?
 

Slab

Occasional Tour Caddy
Joined
Nov 20, 2011
Messages
10,772
Location
Port Louis
Visit site
A joining fee at a member's club gives you a stake in that club. I paid when I joined my club, and it still retains one now. We have a waiting list, but still charged a joining fee when we didn't. It isn't as large as it used to be, and could be paid over a few years. A club near to us ditched the joining fee to get new members in, which they did, but they then jumped onto the next best deal the following year. At our club, the joining fee is invested back into the course. It is extra income over and above the annual membership which can be used to do additional work.

Asking because i truly don't know, but in a practical sense, what does a 'stake' allow you to do V's members club without joining fee. I'm not even a member at a club
(maybe I'm reading it wrong though, do you mean stake as in an anchor etc to help keep you as a members) :unsure:
 

HeftyHacker

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 14, 2020
Messages
1,534
Visit site
Just a thought, but will the younger people on lower fees be expected to pay a joining fee? This will sort of go against the reasons for letting them have this ridiculous lower rate anyway.

I'd imagine that clubs with a significant joining fee wouldn't offer discounted memberships anyway.

SAOL is the same joining fee regardless of membership type I believe, they have 5 day and 7 day but no discounted memberships (in the mens section).
 

SwingsitlikeHogan

Major Champion
Joined
Jul 24, 2012
Messages
32,219
Visit site
I'm not sure off the top of my head, I'd have to check the accounts. But even a few thousand pounds can contribute to course improvements.


No, because if you lose, that's your decision. I do know that when a local club member's club closed a few years ago, the remaining members got a share of what was left after the creditors had been paid.
I always feel a little sad when mention is made of the demise of Eastwood…as played there so many times and enjoyed it.

On joining fees, well I have put a lot of money into my club over the last 20yrs, and much of that has gone into improving the course - albeit gradually, to the point that we now have a course capable of hosting tournaments of reasonable standard.

But if we want to make the next step in quality and challenge, including upgrading the clubhouse as that has been secondary to the course, then we need to make further significant investment over a short period. I think it reasonable that we ask new joiners to make a significant contribution to this required investment through the joining fee, they will benefit if they stay, and if they don’t then for as long as they are members they get the benefit of many years of member investment in the course.

And with a waiting list of over 100 and a market for our product I think we are OK. The waiting list itself present us with a problem. How do we keep those on the list happy, and happy to wait. Plus we have strong junior and adult academies…for whom offer of membership is expected once they have been on the academy for the duration (2yrs). Juniors are no problem and we have an Intermediate adult membership category with limited playing rights, but for many adult academy members full membership is the expectation. With 100+ on the waiting list taht is difficult, but something that we must manage, and are trying to do so by setting up separate tracks into membership for waiting list and academy members.

The risk to the club from the waiting list and academy is complacency from us being in a good position financially and members numbers at the moment, but I think we are aware of that.
 
Last edited:

Ser Shankalot

Active member
Joined
Jul 22, 2020
Messages
124
Location
London
Visit site
I'm not sure off the top of my head, I'd have to check the accounts. But even a few thousand pounds can contribute to course improvements.


No, because if you lose, that's your decision. I do know that when a local club member's club closed a few years ago, the remaining members got a share of what was left after the creditors had been paid.

When Wimbledon Park was sold to the neighbouring tennis club, it was reported that existing members got £85k each from the sale. Don't know if and what size their joining fees were prior to sale.
 

HomerJSimpson

Hall of Famer
Joined
Aug 6, 2007
Messages
70,406
Location
Bracknell - Berkshire
Visit site

IanM

Journeyman Pro
Joined
May 18, 2009
Messages
12,193
Location
Monmouthshire, UK via Guildford!
www.newportgolfclub.org.uk
When that news about Wimbledon broke, I brought up the (hypothetical) discussion in the club bar... So, if a developer wanted to buy our course for housing, at what price would you agree to sell?

Some foamed at the mouth and said "never!!!" and, "over my dead body!" etc Others were far more easily bought! (and for not a lot of money either!)

Of course, if we abandoned joining fees and had some members who were not effectively shareholders, they'd have no vote and no dividend. Not that this would ever be an issue.. ;)
 

sunshine

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 17, 2018
Messages
5,046
Visit site
A joining fee isn't an investment in the financial sense, unless this is actually a bond or debenture. It's more of an emotional investment.

For private members clubs, the members own the club, and it is run as a not for profit organisation. So cash windfalls are either invested in the club or returned to the members. If the club is dissolved the proceeds are shared out to the members (e.g. Wimbledon Park).

A posh gym typically isn't owned by the members. Like a proprietary golf club, it is owned by a company or individual. Cash windfalls are just bonus revenue and more profit for the owner.
 

sunshine

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 17, 2018
Messages
5,046
Visit site
When that news about Wimbledon broke, I brought up the (hypothetical) discussion in the club bar... So, if a developer wanted to buy our course for housing, at what price would you agree to sell?

Some foamed at the mouth and said "never!!!" and, "over my dead body!" etc Others were far more easily bought! (and for not a lot of money either!)

Of course, if we abandoned joining fees and had some members who were not effectively shareholders, they'd have no vote and no dividend. Not that this would ever be an issue.. ;)

But surely all full members have an equal vote, whether they paid a joining fee or not?
 
Top