Membership cost increase

[FuzzyDuck]

My course is barely playable from November to March, if they attempt to put up the fees next time round I might look elsewhere.

 

[badgergm]

We chase people if they owe us anything. Or if they owe a finance company I imagine they'd chase them up.

We threatened one fella that if he didn't pay up he'd never be allowed back, including county matches or open qualifying.

Freeze their handicap, and refuse any requests to transfer from any new club, stating the reason.

 

[NearHull]

Freeze their handicap, and refuse any requests to transfer from any new club, stating the reason.

We had a couple of non payers this year, despite many verbal requests they refused to pay their monthly sums. They then were sent letters that reiterated that they had agreed to an annual membership sum, payed in instalments. They paid up , bar one. We then sent him a letter that we were prepared to go down the County Court Judgement route and withdrew his handicap. He then paid ( some weeks later) , and we reinstated his handicap but left the note explaining why it was temporarily withdrawn on his record for future clubs to see.

i believe the reasons of non payment were not affordability issues but rather ‘a point of principle’.

 

[rudebhoy]

If you resign from the club, you'll get the rest of the year full month's repaid. You are at liberty to resign in October, to avoid the winter, but don't expect there to be a vacancy and if there is, you will be billed for another joining fee!

We have vacancies and no joining fee. However if I seriously doubt I could leave in October, get half my subs back, then rejoin in April.

If that was allowed, half the membership would be doing it!

 

[nickjdavis]

A few things...

1) Pricing as low as we have been we become "victim" to "flighty" members who want cheap golf for a year and then bugger off elsewhere when a better deal is available. The joining fee will lessen that effect.
2) Some folks look at our pricing and think...hell why are they so cheap, must be a "substandard" course (especially when they see it is a relatively short course) and overlook it (a bit like some Scottish courses having to up their green fees to attract American visitors). Prior to the increase we were the 5th cheapest club in the area (that I would consider are, either potential competitors in terms of proximity to our club, or are viable options based on where i live)...following the increase we will be the 6th most expensive (doesnt fundamentally make the course better but might affect folks thinking)
3) Yep...over the last three or four years, what with covid, energy prices, rising inflation yada yada yada then finances have been stretched and you can certainly see this reflected in the course and other areas of the club. Hopefully with increased revenues there can be more investment back into the course.

New management has basically got a different mindset to the old - we can only support them and see if the changes lead to noticeable differences where it matters.

Will be keeping an eye on membership numbers in coming weeks...will be interesting to see how the pricing changes affect membership levels....typically....pre-covid we typically had around 450 men and 20-30 women. In 2020/21 we increased to around 620 men and 50 women which, had it continued would have simply put an unsustainable demand on the course. We dropped back to more normal levels in the last two years as those folk have gone back to playing their other previously banned activities/sports (we managed to pick up a huge batch of cricketers in the summer of 2020!!).... looking at the EG website we are currently at 430 men and 47 ladies....there has been quite a bit of disquiet with proposals to sell some of the course for property development and converting to a 9 hole course...but that is now all in the past....i'm sure some will have already committed to moving elsewhere when their current membership expires at the end of March.

Well...early days yet but we have already had a couple of permanent properly built practice nets built by the first tee. A load of car park signage has gone in for club officials (yes its window dressing but it's cheap to do and adds a little bit of "something"...not to mention I've now got a parking space as an ex-Captain!! ). Even simple stuff such as replacing old fly blown pictures of the course under construction that have lurked in the corridors for 30 years with new updated good photography of various holes all helps.

Several hundred (I imagine) tonnes of earth has appeared in recent weeks and there is some re-contouring going on around the 18th (not convinced it is necessary myself) and no doubt some will be earmarked for new tees that are planned and the filling in of a couple of bunkers. One bunker on the third is currently being totally renovated and there are immediate plans to build a new bunker on the 6th...and use the removed earth to properly refinish 3 bunkers on the same hole that were removed a few years ago. This work may already have started but I didn't walk out that far on my visit yesterday.

Additionally talks are being held to replace our current website, competition, membership, and bar/shop management software with a new supplier.

As for the membership...the club have been pushing the new membership in local golfing media and it appears we have 14 more members than we did at the end of the year. I know we have picked up a number of members from one of our competitors after they annunced significant price rises at their course. Will be interesting to see what happens after March 31st when our annual renewals are due...that is when the disgruntled voices within the club will have the chance to vote with their feet.

For the first time in maybe 4 years I actually feel positive about the potential future for the club.

 

[jim8flog]

Just heard today that one of our local courses is increasing fees by 33%.
They do not own the land and the ground rent has nearly doubled.

 

[D-S]

Just heard today that one of our local courses is increasing fees by 33%.
They do not own the land and the ground rent has nearly doubled.

Which course?

 

[Captain_Black.]

the 5 day membership at the Bristol for £500 less is becoming increasingly tempting. Although, I don't know what that would be like to play at. Wife is nagging me to move to St Pierre where she plays.

I've played the Bristol a fair few times, admitted Spring through to Autumn & I always enjoy playing there.
It used to get very boggy in winter (so I was told) but I know they have spent lots on drainage.

I've been very disappointed with the condition of my own course last summer, the winter has been horrendous & left it pretty much unplayable.
I was thinking joining The Bristol on their flexi (points) membership.
It looks pretty good value on paper.

 

[D-S]

I've played the Bristol a fair few times, admitted Spring through to Autumn & I always enjoy playing there.
It used to get very boggy in winter (so I was told) but I know they have spent lots on drainage.

I've been very disappointed with the condition of my own course last summer, the winter has been horrendous & left it pretty much unplayable.
I was thinking joining The Bristol on their flexi (points) membership.
It looks pretty good value on paper.

Given the topology of the footprint of the Bristol, I am not sure you could ever put in enough drainage to make it a playable winter course.

 

[Captain_Black.]

To be fair, because of the soil make up around the Bristol area, I don't know of many courses that are that playable in Winter, especially like the one we're having now.

Maybe Stockwood (not a nice course imo) or Kingsdown nr Bath are the only 2 I can think of with good drainage.

Further afield, maybe WSM or Burnham & Berrow, but that's £££.

 

[rystaman]

I just had our email through today, an increase of 6% while "The club is keen to keep any increase of subscription prices to an absolute minimum".

Doubly shite for me as I jump up in the intermediate membership categories so it's looking like a £320 rise for the year... Going to be a tight one.

It's hard when the course conditions aren't the best across the year and took 4 months to replace the netting on one of the 2 practice nets (which are essentially like hitting off concrete anyway).

 

[Genu9]

I just had our email through today, an increase of 6% while "The club is keen to keep any increase of subscription prices to an absolute minimum".

Doubly shite for me as I jump up in the intermediate membership categories so it's looking like a £320 rise for the year... Going to be a tight one.

It's hard when the course conditions aren't the best across the year and took 4 months to replace the netting on one of the 2 practice nets (which are essentially like hitting off concrete anyway).

Our increase this year is £25 on the main membership categories. Over the last 3 years we have transitioned from using a percentage increase to an equal amount for all players. Been painful for 5 day and special rate members but needed to be done. Carrying on with a percentage increase was just increasing the differential disproportionately between 5 and 7 day members. Now it stays the same, which is fairer.

 

[Albo]

Our increase this year is £25 on the main membership categories. Over the last 3 years we have transitioned from using a percentage increase to an equal amount for all players. Been painful for 5 day and special rate members but needed to be done. Carrying on with a percentage increase was just increasing the differential disproportionately between 5 and 7 day members. Now it stays the same, which is fairer.

Genuine question, is it fairer?
They can only play 5 7ths of the time, so surely they should pay 5 7ths of the price? That would sound fairer to me.
If subs are £700 for 7 day, the a 5 day pays £500 (I’ve just used easy to calculate numbers), if over time subs doubled for 7 day up to £1400, a 5 day membership would be £1200 which doesn’t feel fair to me at all.
Or doubled again in over time would be £2800 and £2600.
I’m not invested or care either way, just wondering why that’s fairer.

 

[Crazyface]

I just had our email through today, an increase of 6% while "The club is keen to keep any increase of subscription prices to an absolute minimum".

Doubly shite for me as I jump up in the intermediate membership categories so it's looking like a £320 rise for the year... Going to be a tight one.

It's hard when the course conditions aren't the best across the year and took 4 months to replace the netting on one of the 2 practice nets (which are essentially like hitting off concrete anyway).

A good reason not to have intermediate membership prices.

 

[Crazyface]

Genuine question, is it fairer?
They can only play 5 7ths of the time, so surely they should pay 5 7ths of the price? That would sound fairer to me.
If subs are £700 for 7 day, the a 5 day pays £500 (I’ve just used easy to calculate numbers), if over time subs doubled for 7 day up to £1400, a 5 day membership would be £1200 which doesn’t feel fair to me at all.
Or doubled again in over time would be £2800 and £2600.
I’m not invested or care either way, just wondering why that’s fairer.

Er no. My dumped the five day membership years ago. Those that CAN play on just 5 days get to play more than those poor working people who are forced to pay 7 day memberships and can only really play one day a week.

 

[clubchamp98]

Genuine question, is it fairer?
They can only play 5 7ths of the time, so surely they should pay 5 7ths of the price? That would sound fairer to me.
If subs are £700 for 7 day, the a 5 day pays £500 (I’ve just used easy to calculate numbers), if over time subs doubled for 7 day up to £1400, a 5 day membership would be £1200 which doesn’t feel fair to me at all.
Or doubled again in over time would be £2800 and £2600.
I’m not invested or care either way, just wondering why that’s fairer.

Most 5 day members are not working ! pensioners etc! So can play 5 times a week ( not all by the way.)

Most 7 day members are working so can only play weekends ( not all ) especially in winter!

This is just like it is at my club.

There isn’t a lot of difference at my club £150 I think between 5&7 day.

 

[Genu9]

Genuine question, is it fairer?
They can only play 5 7ths of the time, so surely they should pay 5 7ths of the price? That would sound fairer to me.
If subs are £700 for 7 day, the a 5 day pays £500 (I’ve just used easy to calculate numbers), if over time subs doubled for 7 day up to £1400, a 5 day membership would be £1200 which doesn’t feel fair to me at all.
Or doubled again in over time would be £2800 and £2600.
I’m not invested or care either way, just wondering why that’s fairer.

We had to establish a fair differential at a point in time, in our case we arrived at £145, and maintain that by using a monetary increase. We also had to consider that the majority of 7 day members can only play 2 days a week because of work, (sorry I had to use that 'four' letter word). I get to play about 140-160 times a year for my 5 day membership. Someone who works might get to play 70-80 if they're lucky.

So it is an overall balance and there are always going to be winner and losers.

 

[Albo]

That’s for the replies, interesting to see what other think

 

[jim8flog]

Which course?

I believe it is Sherborne

 

[rystaman]

A good reason not to have intermediate membership prices.

Well, it's intermediate based on age not playing time. If you charged everyone over 18 a full 7 day price then you'd have very few 18-29 members (apart from those with parents support).