Membership cost increase

[timd77]

Still cheap

To you maybe.

 

[Viewer]

To you maybe.

What else can you do for less than £30 a week?

 

[timd77]

What else can you do for less than £30 a week?

Ok mate

 

[Oddsocks]

Just had our proposed subs through.

For reference, mine is the club who messed up the spending this year, meaning we all had to pay a £100 levy a few months ago.

Increasing from £1200 to £1475, 23%! Shocked to say the least. I expected an increase to maybe £1350, but this much will unfortunately mean I have to consider whether it’s value for money and whether I can justify it. Agm next Thursday should be interesting, I don’t know how this works, can the members vote against the increase?

Interestingly, the nearby club we seem to get compared to quite a lot, (and actually at the egm regarding the levy, our treasurer said our fee needs to be in line with theirs) have also announced their fees. They’ve gone up from £1470 to £1499.

Couple of questions.

1) how does this align with others in the area quality wise?
A) is there lower value courses that are potentially lower fees to join?
B) is it this cost but the best in the area? (Is drainage/facilities/layout)

2) if you don’t feel you get the value (ie once a week min) what are your second options?

It’s becoming apparent in my area that one jumps up and the rest follow, one adds a joining fee so the rest follow, one increases their joining fee so they all follow. Quite scary really.

 

[Shooter McPowick]

Just had our proposed subs through.

For reference, mine is the club who messed up the spending this year, meaning we all had to pay a £100 levy a few months ago.

Increasing from £1200 to £1475, 23%! Shocked to say the least. I expected an increase to maybe £1350, but this much will unfortunately mean I have to consider whether it’s value for money and whether I can justify it. Agm next Thursday should be interesting, I don’t know how this works, can the members vote against the increase?

Interestingly, the nearby club we seem to get compared to quite a lot, (and actually at the egm regarding the levy, our treasurer said our fee needs to be in line with theirs) have also announced their fees. They’ve gone up from £1470 to £1499.

It’s a sign of the times I’m afraid and I feel your pain. We were in a similar position, ours have shot up in the last 2 years to align with similar clubs, as we were a fair bit cheaper.

If you can see continued investment in the club and course, and the course is being looked after pretty well, then I find it hard to argue. If prices are going up and things are slipping, then it’s probably time to start looking around.

The main problem is utilities in my understanding, these have risen exponentially in the last year or so - we’ve seen it in our own properties.

 

[AussieKB]

I am so lucky here in West Aussie, I am a member of two clubs which cost me about 500 quid a year total, we also do not have the problem of course closures due to weather.

When I lived in Sussex, Suffolk and Hampshire, I can never remember the courses being closed as much as what they are now, can fully understand people trying to justify being a member of a club.

Praying for good weather for my visit at the end of April.

 

[D-S]

Like it or not golf clubs have faced high inflation on their main costs over the past two years. Wages need to go up at least as much as the minimum/living wage to maintain differentials for those being paid above it. Utilities have jumped massively as we all know, some clubs might have been partly shielded last year but they will all have faced the full increase this winter and on in to this year. Machinery has been increasing way above inflation as have course requirements such as fertiliser and pesticides.
Some clubs didn’t need to pass these rises on last year as membership numbers are typically higher than pre COVID but these things eventually catch up. Members clubs don’t normally have massive reserves and don’t have profit margins that could be reduced and normally were spending almost all of their income and had little fat to trim. Any COVID dividends have been either used to mitigate last years cost increases or reinvested into infrastructure.
It looks as if 15% over 2 years has been a typical increase, the biggest challenge is if the membership boom is over and numbers return to pre COVID levels accelerated by many not perceiving membership as good value after such a wet winter. Then clubs might need to increase above inflation next year which would be the start of a vicious circle for some clubs.

 

[timd77]

Couple of questions.

1) how does this align with others in the area quality wise?
A) is there lower value courses that are potentially lower fees to join?
B) is it this cost but the best in the area? (Is drainage/facilities/layout)

2) if you don’t feel you get the value (ie once a week min) what are your second options?

It’s becoming apparent in my area that one jumps up and the rest follow, one adds a joining fee so the rest follow, one increases their joining fee so they all follow. Quite scary

I’d say it’s a tier 2 club, ie, there are a couple of worse quality clubs in the area that I wouldn’t consider, around £1000. Similar clubs to Kidderminster range from £1000 to £1500. However, enville is the closest club to me and is currently less than £1800. Enville being a tier 1 club, 2 top courses, open year round, hosts big tournaments, has previously been an open qualifier course. However, it does have a 2k joining fee and a long waiting list.

We’ve been down to 10-13 holes since Christmas, can’t help the weather of course but drainage is an issue. The bunkers are awful, they’re gradually improving them (using money from land they sold off I might add, no cost to the club). It’s an ok course and clubhouse, nothing special I’d say. The main draw for me is the members, as I’m in with a good group and would be reluctant to leave for that reason. But £1475 (plus union and bar levy) is a lot of money.

Other options are bewdley, which is around £1000 a year, meant to be year round golf. However, it’s shorter and also apparently very busy which makes for long rounds. It may well be an option for a year to see how I get on. There’s also another club which is around £1000, it was taken over a couple of years ago and they’ve supposedly spent a lot of money on it, but if used to be all temp greens for most of the winter.

 

[Genu9]

Still cheap

Cheap is relative to individual circumstances and can't be generalised.

 

[Bdill93]

I’d say it’s a tier 2 club, ie, there are a couple of worse quality clubs in the area that I wouldn’t consider, around £1000. Similar clubs to Kidderminster range from £1000 to £1500. However, enville is the closest club to me and is currently less than £1800. Enville being a tier 1 club, 2 top courses, open year round, hosts big tournaments, has previously been an open qualifier course. However, it does have a 2k joining fee and a long waiting list.

We’ve been down to 10-13 holes since Christmas, can’t help the weather of course but drainage is an issue. The bunkers are awful, they’re gradually improving them (using money from land they sold off I might add, no cost to the club). It’s an ok course and clubhouse, nothing special I’d say. The main draw for me is the members, as I’m in with a good group and would be reluctant to leave for that reason. But £1475 (plus union and bar levy) is a lot of money.

Other options are bewdley, which is around £1000 a year, meant to be year round golf. However, it’s shorter and also apparently very busy which makes for long rounds. It may well be an option for a year to see how I get on. There’s also another club which is around £1000, it was taken over a couple of years ago and they’ve supposedly spent a lot of money on it, but if used to be all temp greens for most of the winter.

You're really not far from me, Id say the going rate in Worcestershire is about £1400 for a tier 2 - the best club in Worcester was £1353 last year and id expect that to rise this year.

Only one course there, no real range but an extended approach practice area and the usual putting green, bunker and nets.

Join a tier 5 like mine and its a few hundred quid to play in a bog - great fun!

 

[timd77]

You're really not far from me, Id say the going rate in Worcestershire is about £1400 for a tier 2 - the best club in Worcester was £1353 last year and id expect that to rise this year.

Only one course there, no real range but an extended approach practice area and the usual putting green, bunker and nets.

Join a tier 5 like mine and its a few hundred quid to play in a bog - great fun!

I live closer to staffs than worcs, similar courses staffs way are 1000-1200 at the minute. My old club at south staffs used to seem expensive when I was there (left a few years ago when it went over £1000), but at £1400 it’s cheaper than kiddie and much nicer/better facilities.

Still a lot of money however you look at it. When I first joined a club 6 years ago, it was £800, which was easy to justify. Now nearly double that.

Not saying I won’t pay it or definitely leaving, but there comes a point where enough is enough. 23% rise this year, what will it be next year?

 

[Bdill93]

I live closer to staffs than worcs, similar courses staffs way are 1000-1200 at the minute. My old club at south staffs used to seem expensive when I was there (left a few years ago when it went over £1000), but at £1400 it’s cheaper than kiddie and much nicer/better facilities.

Still a lot of money however you look at it. When I first joined a club 6 years ago, it was £800, which was easy to justify. Now nearly double that.

Not saying I won’t pay it or definitely leaving, but there comes a point where enough is enough. 23% rise this year, what will it be next year?

I'm am with you mate! That's a serious rise and strongly makes you question the value. You can play plenty of golf via green fees over a year and not cross the 1k mark. Everything in life is going up, but large percentages, other than our wages!

 

[GB72]

I live closer to staffs than worcs, similar courses staffs way are 1000-1200 at the minute. My old club at south staffs used to seem expensive when I was there (left a few years ago when it went over £1000), but at £1400 it’s cheaper than kiddie and much nicer/better facilities.

Still a lot of money however you look at it. When I first joined a club 6 years ago, it was £800, which was easy to justify. Now nearly double that.

Not saying I won’t pay it or definitely leaving, but there comes a point where enough is enough. 23% rise this year, what will it be next year?

I hit that point. When I started out in Lincolnshire an annual membership around there was £650.00. Always said I would stop if that hit £1000 as I only played once a week most weeks but had to pay the full 7 day membership. If I was lucky I played twice a week. Now deduct from that all the weekends when I had family plans or holiday and that value looks worse. Then I was on garden leave for a month in October and due to the weather never played once and, in fact, there was very little golf between then and late February due to rain so, again, that through no fault of the club is a quarter of the year gone. Then there are weekends when the weather it bad during the rest of the year. Not able just to play another day and so another week paid for with no golf.

It got to a stage where I was basically forcing myself to play even if I did not feel like it just to squeeze the value of of the membership.

Also bear in mind that I am not a 'club man'. I do not spend time in the bar or go to social functions etc, it is not really me and certainly not something my wife enjoyed so no value there.

Got to the stage where it was clear that, whilst I could afford my membership, I could not justify it and so I quit. OK, there were other factors as well (plenty on here are happy to say if you do no like things about a club, you can always leave, and I did).

 

[timd77]

I hit that point. When I started out in Lincolnshire an annual membership around there was £650.00. Always said I would stop if that hit £1000 as I only played once a week most weeks but had to pay the full 7 day membership. If I was lucky I played twice a week. Now deduct from that all the weekends when I had family plans or holiday and that value looks worse. Then I was on garden leave for a month in October and due to the weather never played once and, in fact, there was very little golf between then and late February due to rain so, again, that through no fault of the club is a quarter of the year gone. Then there are weekends when the weather it bad during the rest of the year. Not able just to play another day and so another week paid for with no golf.

It got to a stage where I was basically forcing myself to play even if I did not feel like it just to squeeze the value of of the membership.

Also bear in mind that I am not a 'club man'. I do not spend time in the bar or go to social functions etc, it is not really me and certainly not something my wife enjoyed so no value there.

Got to the stage where it was clear that, whilst I could afford my membership, I could not justify it and so I quit. OK, there were other factors as well (plenty on here are happy to say if you do no like things about a club, you can always leave, and I did).

Yep, this is it. I can afford it, but can I justify it? Can I justify paying approx £500 a year more than the club down the road which might not be as challenging or might take a bit longer to play, but it’s £500 cheaper?

I had the same dilemma with my car when I started working from home permanently. Had a nice fairly new car sat on the drive most of the week doing nothing, costing approx £350-400 a month all told. Or should I get rid and drive round in an old car I could buy for cash and so my outgoings are probably less than £100 a month? I could afford the nice car but I went with the old car option.

 

[nickjdavis]

Just been informed that changing room lockers are going up in price.

To be honest...I cant actually remember when I last paid my annual locker fee....probably over 8 years ago and it would have been around £70. ("Reading between the lines" of what our Secretary told me in the phone call I've just received, it appears that the club hasn't actually been charging folks with lockers for some time anyway....and here's me thinking I might be a bit "special" )

New price is £120

Given that all I do is store a carry bag, some old shafts and a few bits and pieces in my locker, at that price, I'm going to relinquish it. I have plenty of space in any one of three sheds in the garden, for the storage of miscellaneous golf gear.

 

[Springveldt]

I hit that point. When I started out in Lincolnshire an annual membership around there was £650.00. Always said I would stop if that hit £1000 as I only played once a week most weeks but had to pay the full 7 day membership. If I was lucky I played twice a week. Now deduct from that all the weekends when I had family plans or holiday and that value looks worse. Then I was on garden leave for a month in October and due to the weather never played once and, in fact, there was very little golf between then and late February due to rain so, again, that through no fault of the club is a quarter of the year gone. Then there are weekends when the weather it bad during the rest of the year. Not able just to play another day and so another week paid for with no golf.

It got to a stage where I was basically forcing myself to play even if I did not feel like it just to squeeze the value of of the membership.

Also bear in mind that I am not a 'club man'. I do not spend time in the bar or go to social functions etc, it is not really me and certainly not something my wife enjoyed so no value there.

Got to the stage where it was clear that, whilst I could afford my membership, I could not justify it and so I quit. OK, there were other factors as well (plenty on here are happy to say if you do no like things about a club, you can always leave, and I did).

I've just checked Golf England and I've submitted 26 scores from my course this season (first one 26th April, last being 8th October). I did play from the start of April so probably 3 social rounds there and since 8th October I think I've played 2 social rounds (both times on a load of temp greens), so maybe 31 rounds in total. Membership last season was £845 all in, so approx £27 a round. Visitor green fees are £35 I think so it was getting close to the having to justify the price to myself. It went up to £895 for next season so instead I took out an 18 month membership at a local links course in October for £1000 which has been open a fair bit more than the parkland course and on main greens too. I've managed to play a decent amount over the winter compared to a lot of people so I feel like the new membership was entirely justified. The missus didn't though when she found out I'd taken out a second membership.

I loved playing at the parkland course but just felt that nearly £900 for 6 months of golf just wasn't worth it.

 

[chellie]

Just been informed that changing room lockers are going up in price.

To be honest...I cant actually remember when I last paid my annual locker fee....probably over 8 years ago and it would have been around £70. ("Reading between the lines" of what our Secretary told me in the phone call I've just received, it appears that the club hasn't actually been charging folks with lockers for some time anyway....and here's me thinking I might be a bit "special" )

New price is £120

Given that all I do is store a carry bag, some old shafts and a few bits and pieces in my locker, at that price, I'm going to relinquish it. I have plenty of space in any one of three sheds in the garden, for the storage of miscellaneous golf gear.

Is that for the year

 

[Genu9]

Is that for the year

We have Lockers & Trolley store so possibly a double whammy. Me, I've got a portable Bag & Trolley store, it's called MeBoot.

 

[nickjdavis]

Is that for the year

Yes. (That's for a tall locker that you can fit a cart bag in, hang some clothes, shelf for shoes.....dont know what the price is for a small locker).

We do not have any other storage facilities for members equipment such as a trolley store.

 

[SteveW86]

Just had it through for my current club, they’ve put it up to £695 for the year.