Membership cost increase

[Deleted member 35504]

Is that not a little simplistic?

Not really.
He said he had the cash do it, then in the next sentence said he couldn't afford it at the price, so it's either one or the other.

If you choose not to pay it due to other options that's not really the same as not being able to afford it. Most of us could probably "afford" it, but could we "justify" it? Not sure I could justify it.

 

[rulefan]

£1025 for full adult membership (+5% v 2023)

27 holes, driving range and extensive short game area.
Even at £1025, there are still cheaper options in the area but my club offers the best value in terms of overall package.

Very good value for Malton. Good course.

 

[Mandofred]

No good practice area is what I'm going to miss with the new course. I really like a little area that I can work on the wedges....

 

[fenwayrich]

Update on this, the agm has been postponed without reason until 28th March, the day before Easter weekend, and with renewals due on 1st April I’m not sure how they’ll have time to get the paperwork sent out once/if the proposed fee is voted in, get the responses back, fees paid and everything processed in time foe 1st April.

Is it normal for the agm to be so close to the end of the year?

Seems fishy to me. Speaking to a few members at the weekend, they’re in a big group and roughly 25% are leaving. Scale that up for the whole membership…

Maybe the club have got wind and are having a rethink.

Just read an article where your club are threatening to sue a long standing member who is leaving when the renewal comes up and has refused to pay the £100 levy. Sounds like a proper mess!

 

[timd77]

Just read an article where your club are threatening to sue a long standing member who is leaving when the renewal comes up and has refused to pay the £100 levy. Sounds like a proper mess!

Yep, that was the hot topic in the WhatsApp groups yesterday!

I really don’t see the logic. Yes the levy was voted in, those who didn’t pay had their membership withdrawn, sounds like this chap made the decision to just accept that and not play any golf jan-April. It doesn’t make sense to me to chase him and threaten court action for £100. Particularly because the course has been on 10-13 holes since the start of the year, doesn’t make good reading.

Add to this the fact they’re introducing a £300 joining fee (to be voted on at the agm), I wonder whether the board actually want to attract new members!

 

[Springveldt]

Yep, that was the hot topic in the WhatsApp groups yesterday!

I really don’t see the logic. Yes the levy was voted in, those who didn’t pay had their membership withdrawn, sounds like this chap made the decision to just accept that and not play any golf jan-April. It doesn’t make sense to me to chase him and threaten court action for £100. Particularly because the course has been on 10-13 holes since the start of the year, doesn’t make good reading.

Add to this the fact they’re introducing a £300 joining fee (to be voted on at the agm), I wonder whether the board actually want to attract new members!

Seems very short sighted to be chasing a guy for £100, especially when the course will have been shut loads since it was introduced and it was introduced near the end of the year.

 

[timd77]

Seems very short sighted to be chasing a guy for £100, especially when the course will have been shut loads since it was introduced and it was introduced near the end of the year.

Yep. There’s more than just this chap who haven’t paid it and just left, which will be their argument, if you let one off they’ll all want letting off. But if they’ve paid their subs for the year and choose to leave anyway, I’d be leaving it at that if I were the club.

It’s a very split club at the moment, those who are very disgruntled and completely disagree with the levy and the 23% fee increase. And there are others who are happy to pay whatever it costs to play golf. I’m in the middle, dead against it but if it gets approved I’ll have to pay it as there aren’t really any other options.

My concern, which I’ve submitted as a question for the agm, is that the £300 joining fee (and now this bad press) will discourage new members. Add to that the fact that an estimated 25% are leaving (rough maths based on people I’ve spoken to), is the fee increase worth it? Will those who are staying end up having to pay another levy because not enough have rejoined to cover the running costs?

 

[JayB]

is that the £300 joining fee (and now this bad press) will discourage new members.

Add the fact that the club have history in forcing members to either pay additional fees or lose the playing rights you've already played for, I'd be amazed if anyone wants to join.

 

[IanM]

What course is this?

 

[timd77]

What course is this?

Kidderminster.

The offending article:

Club threatens golfer with court over unpaid fee

A PENSIONER is teed off at a "heavy-handed" letter from a golf club banning him over a levy row.

www.kidderminstershuttle.co.uk

 

[nickjdavis]

Try being on the Fylde Coast!

I used to live on the Fylde coast....just wasnt interested in golf at the time.

 

[nickjdavis]

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.

So I've continued to monitor membership numbers since our 30% price increase was announced back in December...

With a week to go before the deadline for annual renewals, our current membership is 458 men and 49 ladies.....so the new pricing certainly hasn't put off golfers joining the club. It will be interesting to see in a week or so's time when the membership database is cleared up and those members who have decided not to renew are removed.

 

[Imurg]

Ffor the first time in a very long time we don't have a waiting list.....

 

[Bdill93]

Kidderminster.

The offending article:

Club threatens golfer with court over unpaid fee

A PENSIONER is teed off at a "heavy-handed" letter from a golf club banning him over a levy row.

www.kidderminstershuttle.co.uk

Interesting, there's not that many clubs around us that even charge a joining fee.. wonder where £300 was plucked from too, very strange amount?

79 year old member whos been around the club for 40+ years being treated like that is a disgrace though...

 

[federalexpress]

Not really.
He said he had the cash do it, then in the next sentence said he couldn't afford it at the price, so it's either one or the other.

If you choose not to pay it due to other options that's not really the same as not being able to afford it. Most of us could probably "afford" it, but could we "justify" it? Not sure I could justify it.

That is pretty much my intended meaning but I think your version is better than mine. I think that's what he meant, he couldn't justify it.

 

[D-S]

Interesting, there's not that many clubs around us that even charge a joining fee.. wonder where £300 was plucked from too, very strange amount?

79 year old member whos been around the club for 40+ years being treated like that is a disgrace though...

Any club that imposes a mid year levy and bans those not paying it has either got severe, insurmountable financial problems that can’t be solved in another way or is very thick. Any levy I have ever seen or heard about is voted on before a project has started and is only applied at least at the next renewal date or even at the one after. Mid year is asking for trouble and rightly so.

 

[D-S]

At least as a members club, they are currently required to put this to a vote and so have provided some detailed cost and capex breakdowns, which I know some other clubs don't, so it may well get approved on that basis. But more worrying they are seeking to change this and want to have the right to add up to 4% over CPI for perpetuity, without requiring member approval. That is for me, much more controversial. We do at least get to vote on that change and it would need a very large majority for it to be carried. I can see that as less likely.

This is Minch isn’t it? Didn’t they propose the 4% above inflation for the next few years last year and it got voted down? Are there any major projects linked to this 25% odd increase over 2 years? - I haven’t seen any significant work going on there when playing it a few times last year as well as being up there a couple of weeks ago. This just seems particularly high given that most clubs have been at about 15% or so over the past two years.

 

[Deleted member 35504]

That is pretty much my intended meaning but I think your version is better than mine. I think that's what he meant, he couldn't justify it.

Sorry.
Bit of an irrelevant back and forth in all truth

 

[Genu9]

Any club that imposes a mid year levy and bans those not paying it has either got severe, insurmountable financial problems that can’t be solved in another way or is very thick. Any levy I have ever seen or heard about is voted on before a project has started and is only applied at least at the next renewal date or even at the one after. Mid year is asking for trouble and rightly so.

I think you're right, they must have serious cash flow problems. Having paid his membership fee he must be entitled to get what he's paid for. As you point out the levy should come into effect at the next renewal. Scary Committee.

 

[Springveldt]

Any club that imposes a mid year levy and bans those not paying it has either got severe, insurmountable financial problems that can’t be solved in another way or is very thick. Any levy I have ever seen or heard about is voted on before a project has started and is only applied at least at the next renewal date or even at the one after. Mid year is asking for trouble and rightly so.

I think it’s scandalous. You agree to a set amount for a year and then halfway through the year they say “give me more money or your membership will be cancelled” and they think that’s ok yet are now threatening to take someone to court who didn’t pay this new fee? Are they extracting the urine?