williamalex1
Money List Winner
Is he selling his pings then
joining fees
- Thread starter williamalex1
- Start date
SocketRocket
Ryder Cup Winner
You never answered my question. It was not a 'Rant' I am interested why you have such an agist attitude and wondered if you took the same attitude to your parents.
Regarding the suggestion that Seniors are somehow sponging on clubs I believe this is untrue and a biased opinion. My club does not subsidise Seniors but gives substantial discounts to members from 21 to 30 years of age, I guess you are also against this. The Seniors make up around 60% of the club and are the main revenue stream and I believe this to be the case in most clubs.
I would agree that Seniors should pay the normal membership rate, thats fair enough but remember you will be a senior one day, if you make it, and will probably not be happy about some ageist bigot decrying you as a codger and a sponger on the club you have supported for so long.
richart
Major Champion
I assume as people live longer now, Clubs will have on average more Senior members as a percentage of membership.( Same as the average age of the population, and more pensioners) I can't see how Clubs will survive if they charge Seniors less. Never quite understood why they should pay less, play more, and not necessarily be the poorest members in the first case.
SocketRocket
Ryder Cup Winner
Generally speaking I dont believe they do pay less. Intermediate members 21 - 30 normally get a discount though.
T
thecraw
Guest
Let me go through your post. Show me where I have been ageist please. If your referring to the word codger then I suggest you get a dictionary and look up the word.
I'm also delighted to hear that your home club takes a sensible view on seniors rates. Up here a lot of clubs such as Valentino's offer a discount as loyalty for staying with a club 30 years. I find this business model incredible and fraught with danger. The population is getting older and people are living longer. I can't understand why if you chose to be a member at a club for X amount of time why you should be rewarded. Your already being rewarded by being a member and getting to use the facilities which you pay for.
Again based on the model up here, not your club which I know nothing about, some clubs are being fleeced and passing on the short fall in revenue to ordinary members. I find this totally unacceptable and more ageist than calling someone a name which is not ageist!!!!
As per a previous post I also don't understand, sorry I dismiss the argument that these people have kept the club going for the last 30 or 40 years when you were in nappies. I'll also keep the club going by paying my fees when they are no longer with us so its swings and roundabouts. I certainly do not expect to get reduced fees when I hit 65 or have been with the club X amount of years. Again as per earlier on in this thread I don't get 50% discount in Tesco for 30 years loyal shopping!
Finally, also as per an earlier post I know why clubs offer discount to 18-30 year olds. Its to do with recent studies by clubs which show that this is the age group that they are most likely to lose through further education, jump up to full fees from junior membership, marriage, house buying etc. Its an attempt to keep them. I agree in an intermediate bracket for people coming from junior membership into full adult membership as it can be a huge jump in price.
I do think it should be capped at 25 and not 30 though. It should also operate on a sliding scale with fees increasing slightly year on year.
People can call me what they like, its water off a ducks back mate, however I would also be careful about branding someone and "ageist" and a "bigot" on a public forum.
As per my dad, the affectionate term for him is the "old duffer".
Doon frae Troon
Ryder Cup Winner
Most discounts for senior golfers relate to many years membership.
When younger members see a gaggle of seniors playing they generally make the wrong assumption that they are all paying reduced fees whilst in reality the majority are full paying members.
There is generally financial benefit to the club having a group of players using the course at off peak times, catering , pro etc. Reduced fee members should be restricted at peak times.
Many retired folk are now the most affluent in our society.
When younger members see a gaggle of seniors playing they generally make the wrong assumption that they are all paying reduced fees whilst in reality the majority are full paying members.
There is generally financial benefit to the club having a group of players using the course at off peak times, catering , pro etc. Reduced fee members should be restricted at peak times.
Many retired folk are now the most affluent in our society.
Hacker Khan
Yurt Dwelling, Yoghurt Knitter
What about offering discounts for cash on membership fees? Is that OK?
Val
Ryder Cup Winner
My club and many wont take actual pound notes due to security of having that amount of cash in the clubhouse, they will let you pay by debit or credit card but add the card fees on. Cheapest option is cheque.
moogie
Tour Winner
How, in this day and age, of equality, are clubs being allowed to offer such huge discounts to seniors.....??
I thought a club had to prove there was a "shortfall" in a certain category, or age bracket, to justify any type of discounts, or incentives.....??
As has been said by others, these clubs are playing a dangerous game, with the clubs current finances, as well as the future existence of the club itself
My previous club, gave seniors & ladies 5 years of notice, that their membership fees would catch up with the full paying member fees at the club, and that it HAD TO, otherwise the club was only going in 1 direction...........down the pan......!!!
My current club, (I believe) has 1 fee only, they don't advertise any others, except for upto 21yr olds, where a discount is applied, and this I am more than happy with
Offering 30-50 per cent discounts to anybody, is complete madness, irrespective of loyalty
I thought a club had to prove there was a "shortfall" in a certain category, or age bracket, to justify any type of discounts, or incentives.....??
As has been said by others, these clubs are playing a dangerous game, with the clubs current finances, as well as the future existence of the club itself
My previous club, gave seniors & ladies 5 years of notice, that their membership fees would catch up with the full paying member fees at the club, and that it HAD TO, otherwise the club was only going in 1 direction...........down the pan......!!!
My current club, (I believe) has 1 fee only, they don't advertise any others, except for upto 21yr olds, where a discount is applied, and this I am more than happy with
Offering 30-50 per cent discounts to anybody, is complete madness, irrespective of loyalty
Hacker Khan
Yurt Dwelling, Yoghurt Knitter
I think the words golf and equality are often not good bedfellows.
bigslice
Tour Winner
oooh it gets better, some clubs still have if youve been a member for say 40 years straight, you then get FREE golf for the rest of your life
SwingsitlikeHogan
Major Champion
+1 agree on this
SwingsitlikeHogan
Major Champion
Absolutely 0% reduction for Seniors in our place - all 7 dayers (inc Ladies) other than those in the youth transition scheme pay the same. 5 day membership is 75% of 7 day.
The other side of the Joining Fee coin is that by requiring a joining fee the club is making an up front commitment to the new member.
You are paying a lot of money up front. We will give you a good and enjoyable membership experience from the word go. So to this end new members are personally introduced to various long standing members and roll-up groups by the secretary. The secretary organises for the new member to play in club comps if he/she wants etc. So as a new member you should and need never feel an outsider - a newbie. And to be honest I think that that that is the case. I am still pleasantly surprised when a bloke I don't know sits down and immediately starts chatting to others around us, swapping banter etc as if they've known each other for years - and I find out he only joined two weeks previous.
SwingsitlikeHogan
Major Champion
I think that in some circumstances it may be appropriate for clubs to give seniors a reduction (we don't) - but even then the club has to be pragmatic as it has to survive on it's income and membership income is most of that. However if the club is very much a 'community' club, and the seniors section is very active (and puts a lot of money over the bar and food counter etc) then I think a case can be made. Further in community clubs an active senior section might also arrange 'non-club' activities on club premises. These all help.
But 50% reduction if you have been a member for 25yrs etc.? That'd be say from 30-55 - so in some clubs means having been a member from end of 'transition' to entering 'seniority'. There is some logic in that I guess - but 50% reduction? And I can't still but think 25 yrs subs = 25 yrs full membership golf. When I renew my membership do I expect to receive a letter thanking me for renewing? Well no - not really. Who is thanking me? As I part own the club I'd be thanking myself for being a member
Hacker Khan
Yurt Dwelling, Yoghurt Knitter
Without wishing to be too Anne Robinson, or is it Matt Allwright nowadays, shouldn't any club or organisation what wants to keep people be kind of giving them a good experience from the word go anyway. I freely admit I am not versed in the ways of golf club membership, but you should not have to pay an additional fee to get that, surely?.
User20205
Money List Winner
if a club can command a joining fee then it will, if it can't it won't. The quality of the course/club will dictate that.
I believe there could be a correlation between a joining fee and a quality club experience, simplistically speaking those that have a joining fee have a more stable membership, and in most cases the members get a say in how the club is run.
I'm no great fan of joining fees as a concept, but have paid one so I can't slate them. I was happy to part with the cash as I thought I was getting value.
Akie
Head Pro
I don't see the issue regarding discounts for seniors or for players under 30. I'm currently looking at clubs around Manchester and they all have different policies on subscription prices for these age brackets so some clubs obviously want to improve their membership in these age ranges by offering reduced membership whilst others don't, stick with the clubs that don't if you feel strongly against this issue. Although to be fair I'm biased as I'm 27 and looking for a club that may offer reduced membership fees to someone my age but if I stay a member after I pass 30 and start paying full rates then it's to that clubs benefit.
dm2583
Hacker
I fall in to a similar age bracket to you and when I joined my club last year on reduced fee's, I was told after the age of 30, I'd have to repay over a period of time, the amount of discount I had received in my 20's. Is that not how the reduced rate for 'younger' members system works?
SwingsitlikeHogan
Major Champion
Likewise. If my membership experience had turned out to be rubbish I'd probably have cut my losses and left. But it hasn't and I haven't. Ten years on and my club membership, not just playing golf, is an important part of my life.
And I'll add that on a daily basis I am grateful that I can be a member of an excellent golf club.
SocketRocket
Ryder Cup Winner
Your post is a cop out, you have shown on a number of occasions your disrespect to older people. You may refer to your father in those terms but would you be happy with strangers using similar. I would guess not.
