Membership cost increase

[IanM]

Yep. 60%
Proprietary club. Will be interesting to see how this plays out. Green fees also gone from too cheap , to too expensive!

 

[Banchory Buddha]

Yep. 60%
Proprietary club. Will be interesting to see how this plays out. Green fees also gone from too cheap , to too expensive!

They are off their heids. No way will that work. My away club is literally on my doorstep and currently under £700, if it suddenyl popped to over a grand, even with the location I'd be off. Big shock coming there

 

[doublebogey7]

Yep. 60%
Proprietary club. Will be interesting to see how this plays out. Green fees also gone from too cheap , to too expensive!

It sounds to me like they are attempting to become an entirely pay & play course by stealth. whether it will work or not though will I guess depend on location and the level of competetion for that model.

 

[Captain_Black.]

Golf has grown massively since Covid
I think now it will start to struggle big time
Especially the family man who works 9 - 5 during the week.
Not sure how many will part with up to £2000 for summer evening & weekend golf.

 

[Bdill93]

Yep. 60%
Proprietary club. Will be interesting to see how this plays out. Green fees also gone from too cheap , to too expensive!

I mean how thick can the owners be?! How does the new cost compare with the nearest few courses?

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Ours is going up 12% - £130 quid a year more , works out at around £2.50 a week ? and we would still be one of the cheapest in the area

 

[IanM]

It sounds to me like they are attempting to become an entirely pay & play course by stealth. whether it will work or not though will I guess depend on location and the level of competition for that model.

I mean how thick can the owners be?! How does the new cost compare with the nearest few courses?

On edge of a small town, not masses of clubs within 10-15 miles... it is 20 miles or so from its nearest city... (which may or may not have a cathedral and a rugby team! )

Will let you know what happens.

 

[hovis]

[/QUOTE[/QUOTE]

Golf has grown massively since Covid
I think now it will start to struggle big time
Especially the family man who works 9 - 5 during the week.
Not sure how many will part with up to £2000 for summer evening & weekend golf.

The decline has already stated. Almost all the clubs in my area "boasting" a waiting list have been posting on fb recently offering membership. I remember saying the the secretary "be careful how you treat people on the way up because you'll meet them again on the way back down"

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Golf has grown massively since Covid
I think now it will start to struggle big time
Especially the family man who works 9 - 5 during the week.
Not sure how many will part with up to £2000 for summer evening & weekend golf.

Will depend on the product - many clubs have waiting lists at the moment , I suspect half the people prob have them on multiple clubs , but if the product is good and value for someone’s money then the golf club will continue to thrive.

I suspect on the whole most clubs will be fully aware of the issues

There will of course be the odd mainly proprietary club who will have milked their cow dry and May suffer

 

[Jason.H]

I’ve met a few people this year who are members at more than one club.

 

[Ruggy]

Golf has grown massively since Covid
I think now it will start to struggle big time
Especially the family man who works 9 - 5 during the week.
Not sure how many will part with up to £2000 for summer evening & weekend golf.

This!!!

For basic comparison my main sport is hockey (don't shoot me!) I pay £100 membership and £10 a game (22 game league season). For this I get training sessions, all that is needed with games (pitch hire, lighting, umpires), mileage payments if taking others and a hot meal after games...

I can't justify paying so much for a golf membership as well with a young family as well. I'll keep going with twilight rates whilst I can....

 

[Deleted member 15344]

This!!!

For basic comparison my main sport is hockey (don't shoot me!) I pay £100 membership and £10 a game (22 game league season). For this I get training sessions, all that is needed with games (pitch hire, lighting, umpires), mileage payments if taking others and a hot meal after games...

I can't justify paying so much for a golf membership as well with a young family as well. I'll keep going with twilight rates whilst I can....

I played hockey for years

It’s very hard to make comparisons across different sports due to the multiple differences in the funding required to make the sports work

As an example - how much staff costs is there at you hockey club ? How much does the astro maintenance cost or is it part of a school who look after it ?

It’s the same with football , cricket etc

The running costs of a golf club are hugely different but it’s understandable that some will justify to pay for membership if they don’t feel they will get value for their money

 

[Captainron]

This!!!

For basic comparison my main sport is hockey (don't shoot me!) I pay £100 membership and £10 a game (22 game league season). For this I get training sessions, all that is needed with games (pitch hire, lighting, umpires), mileage payments if taking others and a hot meal after games...

I can't justify paying so much for a golf membership as well with a young family as well. I'll keep going with twilight rates whilst I can....

Hockey is nuts expensive now. £100 membership and £15 a match for me. Plus I have the 15 and 13 year old in the senior team with me. £7.50 each per game for them plus £50 membership.

Run up on the old Club Buzz like a casino jackpot!

But Like Phil says. Running a hockey club costs peanuts next to a golf club.

 

[Ruggy]

I played hockey for years

It’s very hard to make comparisons across different sports due to the multiple differences in the funding required to make the sports work

As an example - how much staff costs is there at you hockey club ? How much does the astro maintenance cost or is it part of a school who look after it ?

It’s the same with football , cricket etc

The running costs of a golf club are hugely different but it’s understandable that some will justify to pay for membership if they don’t feel they will get value for their money

I did try to clarify with a "simple" comparison

I guess the point I am trying to make is that in competitive market across all sports, Golf is at risk of pricing itself out of the market.

 

[IanM]

This!!! For basic comparison my main sport is hockey (don't shoot me!) I pay £100 membership and £10 a game (22 game league season). For this I get training sessions, all that is needed with games (pitch hire, lighting, umpires), mileage payments if taking others and a hot meal after games...

I can't justify paying so much for a golf membership as well with a young family as well. I'll keep going with twilight rates whilst I can....

Divide the running costs of anything by the number of members and there's your subs! (plus or minus other income/nature of club i.e. Proprietary or Members') As Phil said, there associated operating costs are very different.

I am now also panicking at the thought of @Captainron at large, brandishing a hockey stick!!

 

[Imurg]

It's going to hit the 20/30s age group i think..It's going to be harder to justify the cost with everything else going up too.
Because it's not just the subs....it's the equipment, the bar, the fiver for the sweep etc etc...
Times are tough and a relatively large expense - compared to other activities - some families will have a decision to make.
Those who are members at 2 or 3 clubs may have a think as well..
We're capped at inflation +1% so, hopefully, the powers that be get a handle on inflation before March.

 

[GB72]

It's going to hit the 20/30s age group i think..It's going to be harder to justify the cost with everything else going up too.
Because it's not just the subs....it's the equipment, the bar, the fiver for the sweep etc etc...
Times are tough and a relatively large expense - compared to other activities - some families will have a decision to make.
Those who are members at 2 or 3 clubs may have a think as well..
We're capped at inflation +1% so, hopefully, the powers that be get a handle on inflation before March.

I think this was coming anyway. Covid gave golf an inflated ego regarding its position in the world. It was the only sport that people could play, you could only get on courses with a membership, people were furloughed or working from home, some actually had more disposable income and less to spend it on, it was the perfect storm for getting people onto golf courses. Now, people are back playing football, rugby, cricket etc, golf courses are back open to pay and play guests so membership is not needed, people are back at work and many are back commuting, pubs, restaurants and other social options are back open and vying for a slice of people's income and I suspect that quite a few clubs did little to capitalise on that new found popularity and so, now times are getting tighter, here comes the crash.

 

[Imurg]

I think this was coming anyway. Covid gave golf an inflated ego regarding its position in the world. It was the only sport that people could play, you could only get on courses with a membership, people were furloughed or working from home, some actually had more disposable income and less to spend it on, it was the perfect storm for getting people onto golf courses. Now, people are back playing football, rugby, cricket etc, golf courses are back open to pay and play guests so membership is not needed, people are back at work and many are back commuting, pubs, restaurants and other social options are back open and vying for a slice of people's income and I suspect that quite a few clubs did little to capitalise on that new found popularity and so, now times are getting tighter, here comes the crash.

I think you're right..
If clubs expected yhe boom to continue they could be in for a shock.

 

[GB72]

Despite the difference in running costs, I think the earlier comparison is a fair one in that to the average person the running costs are largely irrelevant and what they look at is the cost to them. Yes, the running costs are far less but to the average punter, they can get coaching, facilities and matches in other sports for far less than the cost of playing golf and if they are gong to commit time to a sport then that comes into it.

 

[GB72]

I think you're right..
If clubs expected yhe boom to continue they could be in for a shock.

I think that even the most one eyed of golf fans must have been able to see that the boom was going to be at best short lived and the real challenge was going to be stopping membership falling off a cliff when it ended.