Joining Fees

[virtuocity]

Never paid one so looking for advice.

Most clubs allow you to pay these over 3 years.

What if you leave after the first year, do you have to pay the balance?

 

[Break90]

not sure mine was payable up front (equal to one year subs) so double bubble in year one.

 

[Lanark_Golfer]

I am paying mine over 5 years at my current club. I would assume that if I left before 5 years I would still need to pay the balance of the fee.

Pretty sure you could just stop paying but that would burn bridges with the club and wouldn't want that attached to my name. Could also be passed on to surrounding courses and then struggles to join another club.

I'd make sure I was pretty certain to be staying before deciding to spread the payments, other benefit I thought of was if joining fees are subsequently cancelled, you may then not need to keep paying, but then again they may say that was already agreed and payment is still required.

 

[Rumpokid]

Never paid one so looking for advice.

Most clubs allow you to pay these over 3 years.

What if you leave after the first year, do you have to pay the balance?

Lot of clubs are doing away with this. (joining fee). However if it is your only route, most clubs will allow tiered payments over time...Not big on joining fees..Times have changed.

 

[FairwayDodger]

I was looking at joining a new club that had a hefty joining fee which could be split over ten years. I asked this exact question and was told that the balance of the joining fee would not be payable if I left within ten years.

However, I decided it was far too much even if it could be spread out so didn't join.

Ask them.....

 

[ger147]

Never paid one so looking for advice.

Most clubs allow you to pay these over 3 years.

What if you leave after the first year, do you have to pay the balance?

I had to when I did exactly that i.e. left after 1 year while paying up a joining fee.

 

[daveyc2k2]

Our club allowed the joining fee to be paid over 1 year which I did. However I would assume that if we were to leave within that time the full balance of the joining fee would be payable.

 

[virtuocity]

I'm really put off by joining fees. I have access to a lot of really nice courses within a 25 minute drive and affording the subs isn't an issue- paying 100% (or even more in some cases) of the subs again just annoys me.

There's a number of courses I've played or looked at and would definitely consider joining, but there's a difference between being a visitor and a member- I might not like it after half a season but feel obliged to stick around for 3 years, or lose out financially.

 

[FairwayDodger]

I'm really put off by joining fees. I have access to a lot of really nice courses within a 25 minute drive and affording the subs isn't an issue- paying 100% (or even more in some cases) of the subs again just annoys me.

There's a number of courses I've played or looked at and would definitely consider joining, but there's a difference between being a visitor and a member- I might not like it after half a season but feel obliged to stick around for 3 years, or lose out financially.

Me too, I had decided to join that club but when it came to it I just couldn't stomach the joining fee.

 

[Hobbit]

After being a member of 11 clubs down the years, the phenomena of no joining fee is new to me. If its a club I fancied joining, its just part of the cost and subsequent years are cheaper.

 

[Farneyman]

For some clubs it worth the extra

 

[chillicon]

For some clubs it worth the extra

I think this is right.

Where I play, everyone else at the club paid one, so why shouldn't I have to. They would probably all ask for theirs back if they stopped it. Fortunately we have never had a problem maintaining the full membership.

 

[CMAC]

I've never liked joining fees for any clubs- but if you want to join a certain club and they have a fee then sobeit. Usually it's worth it as you normally get what you pay for

 

[needmoreclub]

Like has been said before me big fella, I'm sure you could just walk away, and the club couldn't chase you for it unless you'd signed a contract. We've attempted to pursue guys for unpaid subs recently but all we could do was notify clubs nearby of this and ask for their assistance. It's just down to a personal choice if you're comfy walking away without paying the full amount.

 

[guest100718]

I personally wouldn't pay a joining fee.

 

[Lanark_Golfer]

I personally wouldn't pay a joining fee.

That's fair enough, I'd rather not either but the course I joined is the best in the area IMO, certainly value for money wise 12 months golf instead of 7-8 if lucky in parklands ones. If i didn't pay the joining fee, I'd be cutting off my nose to spite my face.

 

[NWJocko]

That's fair enough, I'd rather not either but the course I joined is the best in the area IMO, certainly value for money wise 12 months golf instead of 7-8 if lucky in parklands ones. If i didn't pay the joining fee, I'd be cutting off my nose to spite my face.

Same as me, when I moved house there are 2 really good clubs within 10 minutes drive and they both charge a joining fee. I want to join, I pay, simples.

 

[Farneyman]

That's fair enough, I'd rather not either but the course I joined is the best in the area IMO, certainly value for money wise 12 months golf instead of 7-8 if lucky in parklands ones. If i didn't pay the joining fee, I'd be cutting off my nose to spite my face.

My views exactly. Could have joined a few others in the area cheaper but wanted to play 12 months of the year.

 

[mcbroon]

I think this is right.

Where I play, everyone else at the club paid one, so why shouldn't I have to. They would probably all ask for theirs back if they stopped it. Fortunately we have never had a problem maintaining the full membership.

Our club did away with joining fees last year and, as I was part way through paying it over 5 years, I didn't have to pay any more of it. I didn't ask for what I'd already paid to be returned and there was no rush among the membership to ask for their fees back.

My view of joining fees is that they're a bit of a racket. However, its not like you get charged one without knowing about it. I could have joined a club 20 mins away that had no joining fees but it's a poorer course and further away, so I paid up to join at my place in the full knowledge that I was paying a good bit more than I could have.

As to the OP - ask them the question. It seems like the answer will form part of your decision to join, so it's fair enough to ask up front.

 

[Alan P Mills]

Never paid one so looking for advice.

Most clubs allow you to pay these over 3 years.

What if you leave after the first year, do you have to pay the balance?

At my club yes.