Membership cost increase

[Crazyface]

We have a few of our group who have already applied to join "the dark side" a rival club in the town who's prices are higher than ours. But have a new head go who is driving changes and it's being noticed. It's not always about money when people leave. I left over two giant ponds on the back nine that were caused by blocked drains. The GK did nowt and blamed it on other things. Loads left so they cleaned the drains and amazingly the ponds disappeared and haven't come back, hence my return. But the thing is they do the bare minimum. And two are brothers. So are matey and don't push each other. It all VERY laid back rather than driving forward. price increase rumoured to be over 10% so this might drive more away and we are a small membership now.

 

[Doh]

We will have a 7.5% increase this year which is the maximum it can increase without calling an extraordinary meeting.

 

[Barking_Mad]

We don't renew until 1st May so no info yet on any increases. Last year 7 day was £1,175 with 5 Day £325 less at £850. A very fair difference I'd say & several £100's below the local competitors. As a proprietary Club, they very much want to sell Society Tee-times on Sat & Sun pm's as there's not much available at the Private Clubs in N Leeds on those days. As a member, I've never had problems getting tee times as we get several weeks preference over the Public though the course does handle an enormous traffic load compared to other local courses.

Yeah it seems to be popular among the nomad golfers. I know it was for me before I joined fairly nearby.

 

[howbow88]

2023 increase was 14% and this year was 10%.

Expensive increase over the last two years.

I don't know if my maths is correct, but that's a 25.4% increase over two years. Ouch.

 

[Voyager EMH]

I don't know if my maths is correct, but that's a 25.4% increase over two years. Ouch.

Yes, your arithmetic is correct.
The two increases are equivalent to 11.98% each year for the two years.

 

[nickjdavis]

Well, our 36% increase isn't deterring folk from joining us ....we have 20 more members than we did on December 26th.

We also have...

Two new driving nets near the first tee.
A totally renovated bunker on the third green, reshaped, with stacked turf faces.
A new bunker on the sixth, with repair work ongoing to two old bunkers that were previously removed and badly filled in.
Work commencing on two bunkers on the first (reshaping, new stacked turf faces)
Bunkers on several other holes being re-edged.
Lots of other work planned.

I' happy to have committed another year to the club and paid the extra, given that I can see real tangible changes and improvements happening to the course. We will see on April 1st (renewal date for those who chose not to take up the "early renewal offer") how many folks think the hike in prices is too much for them. There arent many places that will do cheaper golf. The image below shows prices at clubs in the region.

The Red X to the right of Ipswich is where I live, the red numbers in the center of the screen are the prices at my current club (joining fee in brackets), the black numbers are the costs at other clubs in the area that are either "in-catchment" for where I live, or are potential competition for the club i am at.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Well, our 36% increase isn't deterring folk from joining us ....we have 20 more members than we did on December 26th.

We also have...

Two new driving nets near the first tee.
A totally renovated bunker on the third green, reshaped, with stacked turf faces.
A new bunker on the sixth, with repair work ongoing to two old bunkers that were previously removed and badly filled in.
Work commencing on two bunkers on the first (reshaping, new stacked turf faces)
Bunkers on several other holes being re-edged.
Lots of other work planned.

I' happy to have committed another year to the club and paid the extra, given that I can see real tangible changes and improvements happening to the course. We will see on April 1st (renewal date for those who chose not to take up the "early renewal offer") how many folks think the hike in prices is too much for them. There arent many places that will do cheaper golf. The image below shows prices at clubs in the region.

The Red X to the right of Ipswich is where I live, the red numbers in the center of the screen are the prices at my current club (joining fee in brackets), the black numbers are the costs at other clubs in the area that are either "in-catchment" for where I live, or are potential competition for the club i am at.



View attachment 51695

I’m guessing the one closest at £1500 is Purdis Heath ? Great course - would it be worth the extra £200 ? Always enjoy playing Purdis - very much underrated

 

[Bdill93]

Well, our 36% increase isn't deterring folk from joining us ....we have 20 more members than we did on December 26th.

We also have...

Two new driving nets near the first tee.
A totally renovated bunker on the third green, reshaped, with stacked turf faces.
A new bunker on the sixth, with repair work ongoing to two old bunkers that were previously removed and badly filled in.
Work commencing on two bunkers on the first (reshaping, new stacked turf faces)
Bunkers on several other holes being re-edged.
Lots of other work planned.

I' happy to have committed another year to the club and paid the extra, given that I can see real tangible changes and improvements happening to the course. We will see on April 1st (renewal date for those who chose not to take up the "early renewal offer") how many folks think the hike in prices is too much for them. There arent many places that will do cheaper golf. The image below shows prices at clubs in the region.

The Red X to the right of Ipswich is where I live, the red numbers in the center of the screen are the prices at my current club (joining fee in brackets), the black numbers are the costs at other clubs in the area that are either "in-catchment" for where I live, or are potential competition for the club i am at.



View attachment 51695

Im just curious how long that commute is to play golf at present?

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Im just curious how long that commute is to play golf at present?

I think the travelling distance is a big consideration for many. I know there have been threads on here about this before and for me there are lots of courses in the 20-40 minute distance that are significantly better (North Hants and Farnham prime examples) but my club is convenient especially straight from work in the summer (and so having a locker another consideration). There aren't many locally (East Berks an exception) that I could get to by commute from Reading and so location is a big factor. Given our rise was smaller than expected and the investment going in its a no brainer

 

[Bdill93]

I think the travelling distance is a big consideration for many. I know there have been threads on here about this before and for me there are lots of courses in the 20-40 minute distance that are significantly better (North Hants and Farnham prime examples) but my club is convenient especially straight from work in the summer (and so having a locker another consideration). There aren't many locally (East Berks an exception) that I could get to by commute from Reading and so location is a big factor. Given our rise was smaller than expected and the investment going in its a no brainer

Hey so long as the commute works for the player then it doesn't matter! Just kind of curious as there's lots of options that look closer to home for him at similar prices.

Farnhams beautiful, loved that course when we played it last year! Flag sticks are dodgy though!

 

[nickjdavis]

I’m guessing the one closest at £1500 is Purdis Heath ? Great course - would it be worth the extra £200 ? Always enjoy playing Purdis - very much underrated

Absolutely Yes....Purdis is well worth the extra....dont know when you last played it but they've done a huge amount of work in recent years removing trees and managing the heather in an attempt to get the course back to what it was like in the 1930's. The changes hopefully improve airflow around the course benefiting fairways as well as opening up some excellent views around the course.

Only issue is there is something like a 2 year waiting list to get in. I was a probationary member back in 2010 for 6 months when I'd had enough of my current club and left...when the time came to commit fully to Purdis and pay the joining fee my wife had started making noises about moving house so i decided not to take up membership. 14 years later we are still in the same house!!!

 

[nickjdavis]

Im just curious how long that commute is to play golf at present?

Its 15 miles and takes 20-25 mins to drive.

However....when i used to actually got to work down the A12....the course location was absolutely perfect for me to detour on my way home and have 18 holes after work.

This balance was absolutely perfect for me....but even without the "work commute advantage", the 20 odd minute drive to the course from home has never been an issue for me.

 

[Bdill93]

Its 15 miles and takes 20-25 mins to drive.

Ahh that's not too bad then! Just looks quite far on that map!

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Absolutely Yes....Purdis is well worth the extra....dont know when you last played it but they've done a huge amount of work in recent years removing trees and managing the heather in an attempt to get the course back to what it was like in the 1930's. The changes hopefully improve airflow around the course benefiting fairways as well as opening up some excellent views around the course.

Only issue is there is something like a 2 year waiting list to get in. I was a probationary member back in 2010 for 6 months when I'd had enough of my current club and left...when the time came to commit fully to Purdis and pay the joining fee my wife had started making noises about moving house so i decided not to take up membership. 14 years later we are still in the same house!!!

Yeah play it at least 2/3 times a year , good friend from old RAF Days is a member there , just gets better each year

Shame it’s a while for you to get on

Always maintain that if you put the course in Surrey it’s a GM top 100 course easily - as good as plenty of the heathland courses in the list

 

[nickjdavis]

Ahh that's not too bad then! Just looks quite far on that map!

Yeah...the course to the left at £1415 is Stoke by Nayland...its another 6 miles but 15 extra minutes due to the country roads....just about do-able but at the stretch of what i would want. Going in the opposite direction the £800-900 course (top right) is Ufford Pk at 9 miles and just over 20 minutes. Felixstowe Ferry (to the rgiht)..12 miles and 20-25 minutes. Stowmarket (top) is 18 miles/35 minutes away.

Hey so long as the commute works for the player then it doesn't matter! Just kind of curious as there's lots of options that look closer to home for him at similar prices.

Yes there are other courses closer that are cheaper....but as ever there are always trade-offs.

Hintlesham (£1130) just west of Ipswich...played it a few times but its a largely uninspiring course, quite open with wide fairways...never came off the course with a desire to play it again any time soon.

Rushmere (£935) about the closest to my home....a decent enough course without any wow factor (was the original home of ipswich GC before they moved in 1928 to Purdis Heath) but is "common land" and is absolutely full of dog walkers criss crossing fairways...also tales of folks picnicing on the course, miscreant kids putting balls in holes on a blind par 3 (thats if they're not nicking them!)...its OK but given up until this year my course was only £915 a year, there wasnt any incentive to really consider Rushmere as an option.

To the north we have Fynn Valley (£1045)...I've never played it but a lot of the lads i play with dont like it.

The to the northeast we have Seckford (£935), it's a sub 5000yd course with 7 par 3's (nothing wrong with that...great iron practice!!)...if my club had sold the land that was planned late last year and gone to a nine hole course I would probably have joined Seckford on a flexible points based scheme whilst I looked for a more permanent home.

Then further out we have Ufford PK...again a decent enough course without being particularly inspiring and plays well in the winter. Has a great 2 tiered range which I use a lot...but again, considering what our prices were, there was nothing to previously tempt me away.

Finally in this direction we have Woodbridge (£1260). I'd guess that if you asked most players in the region as to which course they would prefer between this and Ipswich (Purdis), the split wouldn't be any bigger than 55/45 in either direction. Personally I prefer Ipswich...a couple of the Woodbridge holes are a bit "samey" and the par 3's dont have as much variety in length (4 of them, three of which are 180yds plus)...but its fair to say that Woodbridge has a lot going for it and is one of the two best courses in Suffolk (folks at Aldeburgh might like to argue that point!!).

Finally to the South East is Felixstowe Ferry....I've played FF a few times (but not for several years now) and always quite enjoyed it...but I'd always overlooked it as a possible option for some reason....possibly I just thought it was further way than it really was...its only recently that our local recycling centre has been closed due to refurbishment, that I've been driving to use the centre in Felixstowe and found it a relatively straightforward journey.

Whilst the place I play at is short at 5844yds, it is quite narrow, quite undulating in places, very rarely do two holes run next to each other for any length of time (1st and 18th excepted) and you can rarely see more than one other hole from any position on the course, its wonderfully picturesque and a total escape from any sort of "urban life". Factor in the friendships made over 20 years at the place and there really does need to be a compelling reason to want to move. Notwithstanding the "threat" to change the layout to a nine hole course, the main reason for leaving would have been the noticeable deterioration in course condition over the last three or four years, but the new management have come in with a different mindset, communicated their plans and already on-course changes that can only be beneficial are beginning to be implemented.

 

[PNWokingham]

My soon to be ex 2nd membership has stuck up 7 day fees to £2200 (over 20%) and my category of Flexible 100 has gone and the new flex scheme is £1000 (£550 last year). For that you get 10 games peak or 12 games off peak - so £100 a round or circa low £80s off peak. Up from off peak circa £37 last year. Hence not happy at all with well over a 100% increase and won't renew and will lose the £870 of credits still there (unless i use any) and the £500 joining fee from 2 years ago for a membership that suited but is now affectively discontinued! Hence the 2 year experiment was not financially very nice!

 

[chico]

My soon to be ex 2nd membership has stuck up 7 day fees to £2200 (over 20%) and my category of Flexible 100 has gone and the new flex scheme is £1000 (£550 last year). For that you get 10 games peak or 12 games off peak - so £100 a round or circa low £80s off peak. Up from off peak circa £37 last year. Hence not happy at all with well over a 100% increase and won't renew and will lose the £870 of credits still there (unless i use any) and the £500 joining fee from 2 years ago for a membership that suited but is now affectively discontinued! Hence the 2 year experiment was not financially very nice!

That's horrendous, was it a members club or proprietary? I think you could argue to get your credits back as they've discontinued the membership you joined under.

 

[JonnyGutteridge]

Last year: £1243.50
This year: £2386.50

Gone from intermediate to full member (turned 30 last summer)

It’ll be £5.8k for any new members this year 1.5x membership fee to join…

 

[The Lion]

Last year: £1243.50
This year: £2386.50

Gone from intermediate to full member (turned 30 last summer)

It’ll be £5.8k for any new members this year 1.5x membership fee to join…

Wow, that’s loads. Which club are you at d’you mind me asking?

 

[JonnyGutteridge]

Wow, that’s loads. Which club are you at d’you mind me asking?

Hindhead!