Joining fees

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

What's the general feeling at your place with more Green Fees and Societies ? I know there is a massive ground swell of opinion against using both of those to supplement income at our place, we have no tee booking, so you can turn up pretty much any time and walk onto the course, a feature many members feel will be a thing of the past if we fill the course with GF's and Societies.

We are bringing in a tee booking for off-peak times only. I'm OK with this as long is it is on a trial basis. There is some resistance I think to bringing in much more in the way of societies and green fees but some increase would be acceptable I think. There are plenty of times of a weekend I have been 'lord of all I survey' being the only member in sight - and that on a nice day as well. My own feeling is that we will definitely lose our main USP (as a trad members club) if we go too much down the route of 'seeking the corporate pound'. I do not want us to go that route and many I speak with are in agreement,

 

[Deleted member 18588]

That would only apply if a credit facility was being offered. If the annual fee was split into regular DD payments then all the club would have to do is basically issue a letter or email with the details of the amounts and payment intervals along with the DD mandate and a copy of the DD Guarentee.

But if the Club does not offer a credit facility and charge interest it and those members paying their fees in one lump are losing out.

Also the Club would have no protection from those who choose to leave mid-term leaving outstanding balances.

Back to the original problem of clubs trying to balance income and expenditure.

 

[SAPCOR1]

But if the Club does not offer a credit facility and charge interest it and those members paying their fees in one lump are losing out.

Also the Club would have no protection from those who choose to leave mid-term leaving outstanding balances.

Back to the original problem of clubs trying to balance income and expenditure.

Depends on how you look at it. Regular monthly cash flow or large lumps once a year. Additionally if they stop paying they stop playing which also applies to those on credit agreements.

 

[Ista]

I'm a relatively new golfer having retaken up the game again 4 years ago ( I'm in my 40s & previously hadn't played for 20 yrs). After 4 years of playing pay as you play courses & trying to improve on the local driving range I'm now contemplating golf club membership for the first time however there is no way on gods earth I would pay a joining fee to join a golf club based purely on principle.

Joining fees are charged by clubs where market rates allow ie supply & demand & I won't bite in those circumstances even if I could comfortably afford the deal. It's all about perceived value balanced against cost and principle & joining fees are a big blocker for me regardless of any debate.

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

I'm a relatively new golfer having retaken up the game again 4 years ago ( I'm in my 40s & previously hadn't played for 20 yrs). After 4 years of playing pay as you play courses & trying to improve on the local driving range I'm now contemplating golf club membership for the first time however there is no way on gods earth I would pay a joining fee to join a golf club based purely on principle.

Joining fees are charged by clubs where market rates allow ie supply & demand & I won't bite in those circumstances even if I could comfortably afford the deal. It's all about perceived value balanced against cost and principle & joining fees are a big blocker for me regardless of any debate.

Fair comment, it's entirely your choice.

If you have 2 clubs both charging £1000 a year subs but one has a £2000 joining fee, what do you think they do with that extra money? Maybe invest it in the conditioning of the course and facilities?

I guess what I'm saying is you get what you pay for (with private clubs, not proprietry clubs run to line someone's pockets).

 

[Deleted member 18588]

Depends on how you look at it. Regular monthly cash flow or large lumps once a year. Additionally if they stop paying they stop playing which also applies to those on credit agreements.

But with Fairway/Premium Credit the Club receives the member's entire subscription up front so if a member leaves mid-term the Club has already received the subscription in full.

If that member chooses to not fulfil his monthly commitment it is the credit company who will pursue them for the outstanding balance so no risk or loss to theClub.

 

[SAPCOR1]

But with Fairway/Premium Credit the Club receives the member's entire subscription up front so if a member leaves mid-term the Club has already received the subscription in full.

If that member chooses to not fulfil his monthly commitment it is the credit company who will pursue them for the outstanding balance so no risk or loss to theClub.

Personally I wouldn't take out a credit agreement to play golf and if it was such a good scheme it would be more universal. Most golfers I know pay monthly via DD and a few pay all their subs in one go

 

[Snelly]

Whole thing is a bit of a non-argument IMHO.

If a club levies a joining fee and has a waiting list, then people are obviously willing to pay it. If a club has vacancies on a permanent basis, then obviously the subs alone are enough of a deterrent and a JF isn't going to help attract people. You simply compare what you're paying in to what you expect in return - and decide if the sum add up for you. It's sod all to do with being "outdated", "anachronistic", "snobbish" or whatever. It's just one sort of business model - which will work for some and not for others.

We have a JF which is twice the annual subs. And given that our subs are high, the JF is somewhat higher than anything mentioned in the thread so far. But I was willing to pay it. And so, it seems, are the folks on the waiting list. And it all gets invested in the club and the course.

Great post. A perfect summary of the discussion. Elitism is a red herring. We can't all drive rolls-royces.

 

[guest100718]

Great post. A perfect summary of the discussion. Elitism is a red herring. We can't all drive rolls-royces.

You think? I know a local club where the senior members voted to for go their Membership discount rather then remove the joining fee.

 

[patricks148]

The Joining fee is fine for clubs that have the demand.

Take inverness for instance, there are 3 clubs in the town one has a 7 year waiting list and a joining fee the other 2 don't. You could also join other courses within a 20 min drive and not pay a joining fee.

Club 1 has the demand and can command the JF no problem.

 

[bluewolf]

I'm a relatively new golfer having retaken up the game again 4 years ago ( I'm in my 40s & previously hadn't played for 20 yrs). After 4 years of playing pay as you play courses & trying to improve on the local driving range I'm now contemplating golf club membership for the first time however there is no way on gods earth I would pay a joining fee to join a golf club based purely on principle.

Joining fees are charged by clubs where market rates allow ie supply & demand & I won't bite in those circumstances even if I could comfortably afford the deal. It's all about perceived value balanced against cost and principle & joining fees are a big blocker for me regardless of any debate.

To be honest, I'm not sure there are too many clubs charging joining fees around you (and me) anyway. Ashton still has a £1k JF (and has a relatively full membership), but I find that a bit baffling. Wigan GC has dropped it, and WGC was one of the most difficult clubs to join in the area not so long ago.. Houghwood has massively reduced it and has offered other perks instead.. Gathurst has dropped it (it might be £1 as a token payment)..

Which clubs are you looking at?

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

The Joining fee is fine for clubs that have the demand.

Take inverness for instance, there are 3 clubs in the town one has a 7 year waiting list and a joining fee the other 2 don't. You could also join other courses within a 20 min drive and not pay a joining fee.

Club 1 has the demand and can command the JF no problem.

Which one has the waiting list - Culcabock? Nice track I thought when I played it 30yrs back - expect it's really matured nice since then

 

[patricks148]

Which one has the waiting list - Culcabock? Nice track I thought when I played it 30yrs back - expect it's really matured nice since then

yep, Inverness GC. I think the list opens every seven years so you could be longer to get in.

I was a member for a year, but it gets very wet at time with the burn running right though the middle and that transmits to the holes along the edge of that. Very busy at time so not somewhere you can just rock up and play, unlike Nairn.

the Main downside for me was it too as long to get to as Nairn does from my House and its less than a couple of miles away, especially on a summer afternoon and at Rush hour. traffic in Snekie is a joke at times.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

...traffic in Snekie is a joke at times.

Reminds me of a very old 78 rpm record my mum has - The Inversneckie Fire Brigade sung by Harry Gordon

 

[patricks148]

Reminds me of a very old 78 rpm record my mum has - The Inversneckie Fire Brigade sung by Harry Gordon

Don't know that one, is it Like "Inversneckie its the Business" check that out on Youtube

 

[drewster]

Our club is running a "special" £150 joining fee down from £450 i believe which IS a bit "special" in my opinion . We're a decent club with a pretty good course but from what i've seen in my 2 years up here i don't think we stand out as any better than any other members clubs. There's a relatively high saturation of clubs in our little region all battling for new members and personally i think we should be more attractive to newcomers. I do believe, other Lincs contributors may tell me otherwise, that apart from Woodhall we are one of the only clubs to charge a joining fee.

 

[macca64]

No sign of ours stopping, waiting list about to get even longer as the club want to reduce the membership, to many apparently, never seen it that busy to be honest !

 

[ScienceBoy]

There's a relatively high saturation of clubs in our little region all battling for new members

A few I guess but you have to drive pretty far, I remember a 30 minutes drive being pretty normal to get anywhere in Lincs... Back in the 90s the little village was pretty remote feeling!

GGC is decent, Scunthorpe has a couple. Immingham is decent but a bit too quirky for my likes.

I love Grimsby Golf Club, cracking course, cracking club and a fantastic 18th!

 

[drewster]

A few I guess but you have to drive pretty far, I remember a 30 minutes drive being pretty normal to get anywhere in Lincs... Back in the 90s the little village was pretty remote feeling!

GGC is decent, Scunthorpe has a couple. Immingham is decent but a bit too quirky for my likes.

I love Grimsby Golf Club, cracking course, cracking club and a fantastic 18th!

Ashby Decoy, Holme Hall, Grimsby, Immingham, Cleethorpes, Normanby, Market Rasen, Elsham, Waltham Windmill and Laceby Manor are all within a 20 minute drive and that's not forgetting the great courses just over the bridge. Something will give somewhere eventually and the progressive, proactive ones will prevail in my opinion of course.

 

[Hacker Khan]

Ashby Decoy, Holme Hall, Grimsby, Immingham, Cleethorpes, Normanby, Market Rasen, Elsham, Waltham Windmill and Laceby Manor are all within a 20 minute drive and that's not forgetting the great courses just over the bridge. Something will give somewhere eventually and the progressive, proactive ones will prevail in my opinion of course.

Both my grand parents lived in Immingham a stones throw away from the course and I spent many a happy summer in Immingham when I was growing up. I also had my first ever lesson at Immingham taken by my granddad. Never played the course though and grandparents are long dead, but reading this has made me all nostalgic so I may well see if I can play there.