Leaving my club.....

[road2ruin]

Our membership year runs up until the end of April and I’ve been in two minds about what to do next year. For the last 2 years having a young family has meant getting out at the weekends is harder and although I’ve always managed to persuade myself to rejoin.

I’d already decided that, should I rejoin, I’d be doing it on their flexible membership option which is a greatly reduced fee for a max of 30 rounds. This would suit me and I’d get less grief from domestic management.

Anyway, went up to the clib today and ran into the general manager, we got chatting and I mentioned that I’d likely rejoin however it’d be on the reduced membership due to time etc. Imagine my surprise to find that they’re scrapping that level of membership so there are now only 3 options:

Full 7 Day
5 Day
Senior

I found it strange that with most clubs making the effort to make membership more accessible ours has decided to go the other way. I guess it makes my decision easier but a shame they’re now less flexible.

 

[Hosel Fade]

Just tell them "well there goes xyz quid for next year"

There are plenty of clubs in Surrey that have flexible arrangements. Plenty of decent courses cheap on ToT regularly like Bletchingly, Reigate Hill, Chipstead that I go to frequently amongst others

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Tough for courses. My place offered a 5 day membership last year and a chunk of seniors piled in and the club took a hit. Did more join than they lost between 5 and 7 day fees? I don't know.

Flexible membership is hugely attractive to golfers but can affect the club financially as they have fewer full members. Maybe the OP's club did the maths and decided it didn't add up for them.

 

[jim8flog]

Our club has slowly been trying to phase out 5 day by increasing the 5 day fee year on year by a higher percentage than full membership.

We still offer a flexi pay scheme for occasional golfers.

 

[TreeSeeker]

For me its about there being appropriate membership options, and if it didn't feel cost effective for me to be staying there i'd be moving on. Perhaps its one worth pushing to find out why, and get in there proactively before the renewal date incase there is scope to actually keep the reduced play membership.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Our membership year runs up until the end of April and I’ve been in two minds about what to do next year. For the last 2 years having a young family has meant getting out at the weekends is harder and although I’ve always managed to persuade myself to rejoin.

I’d already decided that, should I rejoin, I’d be doing it on their flexible membership option which is a greatly reduced fee for a max of 30 rounds. This would suit me and I’d get less grief from domestic management.

Anyway, went up to the clib today and ran into the general manager, we got chatting and I mentioned that I’d likely rejoin however it’d be on the reduced membership due to time etc. Imagine my surprise to find that they’re scrapping that level of membership so there are now only 3 options:

Full 7 Day
5 Day
Senior

I found it strange that with most clubs making the effort to make membership more accessible ours has decided to go the other way. I guess it makes my decision easier but a shame they’re now less flexible.

It seems a strange decision and it'll be interesting to see how it affects membership and how many leave/join. Good for you by the sound of it though

 

[Wayman]

I’m not rejoining my current club
Due to starting a new job on Monday coming. Saturday mornings are part of the rota
At my current club everyone plays on a morning so if I joined I would be playing after work on a Saturday afternoon by myself.
Got two clubs in mind. Don’t know what I’m doing yet

 

[Grant85]

It’s pretty bad.

Obviously they felt felt too many members were making the switch but they were not getting enough new people involved.

Clubs really have to get creative. For example, why not offer a parent membership whereby players with young families can get a membership with x no. of rounds a year for a reduced fee as well as junior membership for their kids.

Would stop dozens dropping their fees en masses as it would only apply to a smaller number of people.

 

[SaintHacker]

I've decided not to renew my membership this year. I'm also starting a new job next week which will involve a lot of weekend work, and until I get settled in to the rota I don't know how much time I'll have to play so I'm going nomad for a year, and then decide whether to rejoin the following year or try somewhere different.

 

[Slab]

It’s pretty bad.

Obviously they felt felt too many members were making the switch but they were not getting enough new people involved.

Clubs really have to get creative. For example, why not offer a parent membership whereby players with young families can get a membership with x no. of rounds a year for a reduced fee as well as junior membership for their kids.

Would stop dozens dropping their fees en masses as it would only apply to a smaller number of people.

Think this hits it
There's loads of offers they could make but doesn't mean its necessarily good for the club

Also I'm guessing that when planning any offer, places like resort courses might have better access to a proper marketing strategy while member clubs are at the mercy of the committee and its experience (be that good or bad)

 

[pinberry]

It’s pretty bad.

Obviously they felt felt too many members were making the switch but they were not getting enough new people involved.

Clubs really have to get creative. For example, why not offer a parent membership whereby players with young families can get a membership with x no. of rounds a year for a reduced fee as well as junior membership for their kids.

Would stop dozens dropping their fees en masses as it would only apply to a smaller number of people.

Easier said than done. The club does not want to cannibalise its own revenue stream. I reckon that a good majority of members does not break even on the cost of an annual membership. For example, my club is £1800 and a green fee is £50 (although next to impossible to play on weekends as a non-member). To break even on the membership cost I need to play 36 rounds a year. Currently, given young family, I play at most 20/25 full rounds a year.

So you can see how offering discounted rates might be a very risky proposition. Personally, I pay the full membership because I value the benefits of being a member. Playing the odd few holes in the evenings, practice facilities, fellow members etc.

One idea I like from this thread is the option for new parents. Today, dads are helping a lot more with the family and the first few years with a new baby usually mean little golf. Having a discounted membership with say 20 rounds would help retain a member, who surely will rejoin on a full basis after a few years!

 

[duncan mackie]

Easier said than done. The club does not want to cannibalise its own revenue stream. I reckon that a good majority of members does not break even on the cost of an annual membership. For example, my club is £1800 and a green fee is £50 (although next to impossible to play on weekends as a non-member). To break even on the membership cost I need to play 36 rounds a year. Currently, given young family, I play at most 20/25 full rounds a year.

So you can see how offering discounted rates might be a very risky proposition. Personally, I pay the full membership because I value the benefits of being a member. Playing the odd few holes in the evenings, practice facilities, fellow members etc.

One idea I like from this thread is the option for new parents. Today, dads are helping a lot more with the family and the first few years with a new baby usually mean little golf. Having a discounted membership with say 20 rounds would help retain a member, who surely will rejoin on a full basis after a few years!

Yes to your main premise, but the last one would be even better all round if they introduced free membership for all children under the age of 16/18/full time education for 7 day members of over x years standing. That would give you a reason to stay now and something to do with the kids that included golf for you for many years as well as introducing the little darlings to a great sport that they may, in time, return to themselves after the usual sabbatical for girls/boys and everything else that can last between 5 and 40 years!

 

[Khamelion]

My old club bases it's yearly income on 7 day membership fees and roughly having 600 paying member across all their membership schemes, but with members leaving and having more 5 day members than 7 day members they decided to scrap the 5 day scheme. In the annual renewal letter they said there would be no more 5 day members this year, current members on that scheme could renew but it would be scrapped in 2019.

I guess they are hoping more people become 7day members, but I think they will lose more money through 5day member leaving come next year than they will gain through new 7day memberships and it will be a vicious downward spiral as they'll have to increase the 7day membership green fee which in turn will likely put people off renewing or joining.

 

[Curls]

OP - That sucks. Are they really in a position to turn people away?!

Wayman - Same at my club but I prefer playing the afternoons, quieter, get round in 3ish as a two ball, it just takes acquiring a few new buddies who you can text and ask if they're going out. You're going to be doing the same at a new club anyway.

Pinberry - You're right, but the point should be made that you are paying for much more than just a number of rounds. Membership of a club is the benefit, somewhere you can go and be around like-minding folks, play in the various knock-outs (not to mind board comps and medals). These are the things paying 20 green fees do not get you and to my mind far outweigh the fact that I like many are probably "under" for the year in terms of rounds played.

Khamelion - I'm guessing they wouldn't change if the system was working. Your post has just made me think of something I've never thought of and actually think it might be a goer - what about weekend-only memberships? Does anyone know if these exist? If the 5 dayers can't be bothered on the weekend and there's a decent number who ONLY play the weekend, why not? Weekend membership with the ability to pay a green fee for midweek play - I know I'd be in for that. I almost never get to my club aside from the weekends.

I guess that comes back to what was said earlier - get creative or get in trouble!

 

[Khamelion]

Curls - Part of the reason there was a 5 at membership was that it was a majority of seniors who took up that option. 5 days members can't play in the weekend competitions and with Saturday having normally over 200 members playing in the competition, I guess the seniors weren't that bothered.

Having a weekend membership would be an idea, but would you be allowed to play in the club competitions? Most clubs only let the 7day members play in the club competitions, well those where you get your name on the wall or win a trophy and like my old club with the Saturday competition having over 200 members playing regularly, a weekend member wouldn't be able to get a tee time until after 15:00hrs on a Saturday.

A weekend membership might work for some clubs to generate extra income, but I fear most will think that the effort of admin to make it happen would far out way the potential income it would generate.

 

[Curls]

Curls - Part of the reason there was a 5 at membership was that it was a majority of seniors who took up that option. 5 days members can't play in the weekend competitions and with Saturday having normally over 200 members playing in the competition, I guess the seniors weren't that bothered.

Having a weekend membership would be an idea, but would you be allowed to play in the club competitions? Most clubs only let the 7day members play in the club competitions, well those where you get your name on the wall or win a trophy and like my old club with the Saturday competition having over 200 members playing regularly, a weekend member wouldn't be able to get a tee time until after 15:00hrs on a Saturday.

A weekend membership might work for some clubs to generate extra income, but I fear most will think that the effort of admin to make it happen would far out way the potential income it would generate.

Thanks chap yes I'm aware it is mainly seniors who would take that option, same at my club, but my proposal is to have full membership (play in all comps) but you can't play midweek unless you pay extra. I'm not saying this should be ridiculously less expensive than 7 day membership, perhaps it isn't practical. I know if it were available at my club I'd take it up. I live and work a good distance from it so only ever go for weekends - and at that - comps. Like I said above, being part of the membership with all that entails is important to me. At the moment that means paying for far fewer rounds than I play in terms of green fees, and only 2 days of every 7. Does that mean I'm not happy to pay it? At the moment no, but if this was an option like I say, I'd have their arms off.

 

[patricks148]

Thanks chap yes I'm aware it is mainly seniors who would take that option, same at my club, but my proposal is to have full membership (play in all comps) but you can't play midweek unless you pay extra. I'm not saying this should be ridiculously less expensive than 7 day membership, perhaps it isn't practical. I know if it were available at my club I'd take it up. I live and work a good distance from it so only ever go for weekends - and at that - comps. Like I said above, being part of the membership with all that entails is important to me. At the moment that means paying for far fewer rounds than I play in terms of green fees, and only 2 days of every 7. Does that mean I'm not happy to pay it? At the moment no, but if this was an option like I say, I'd have their arms off.

so you would offer weekend membership at less cost than 7 day??

 

[Curls]

so you would offer weekend membership at less cost than 7 day??

Of course, but not at such a huge discount that anyone who enjoys a casual evening knock after work would switch. It'd just be for those who live/work prohibitively far from the course and so don't avail of the facilities mid week. It's just something that came to mind earlier, I'm just sounding it out, like I say might be unworkable

 

[patricks148]

Of course, but not at such a huge discount that anyone who enjoys a casual evening knock after work would switch. It'd just be for those who live/work prohibitively far from the course and so don't avail of the facilities mid week. It's just something that came to mind earlier, I'm just sounding it out, like I say might be unworkable

TBH that would be pretty insane. You would just end up with a load of your 7 day members switching to weekend membership and the club loses revenue.

I think the whole idea of 7 day membership for working guys is, you get weekend golf and the weekdays are free to all intense and purpose.

 

[Curls]

TBH that would be pretty insane. You would just end up with a load of your 7 day members switching to weekend membership and the club loses revenue.

I think the whole idea of 7 day membership for working guys is, you get weekend golf and the weekdays are free to all intense and purpose.

Insane? Bit strong. Like I say it's not massively discounted and what about all the guys from other clubs who would leave their club for yours?