Membership fees, are they hurting clubs?

[Hobbit]

Are joining fees hurting clubs? Would a business do something that hurts them financially?

I wonder what the current rate of inflation is for clubs? We know what the average rate is as it is published every month but what the average person buys and what a golf club might buy are very different. I know from buying fertiliser for 2 bowling greens that the price of some fertilisers has doubled in the last 2 years. What would high inflationary rises to club fees do to membership levels? Maybe having joining fees helps to offset what might be the high rises in subs, giving clubs the opportunity to stagger the inflationary rises needed?

I very much doubt joining fees are hurting clubs.

 

[Deleted member 23270]

I think a lot of people would benefit by having a chat with the treasurer or manager at their club to get a better idea of the costs involved in running it.

 

[Hobbit]

I think a lot of people would benefit by having a chat with the treasurer or manager at their club to get a better idea of the costs involved in running it.

I wonder how many members read the minutes from the committee meetings? No doubt they include the treasurer’s report. The decision to have joining fees, and the current financial challenges being faced should be documented in those minutes.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

…hurting clubs…? Not if there is a full membership and healthy waiting list (I believe that we have closed ours)

I don’t have any difficulty justifying a JF….it is simply asking new joiners to pay a consideration ‘in arrears’ towards all the money existing members have paid over the years they’ve been members and that have made the course and club the attractive proposition that it is today. The JF then reduces the pressure for membership subs increases to fund future developments, and that is to the benefit of all members.

That said…if I was joining a new club and a significant JF was required I might ask (more out of interest than a deciding factor) about where it goes and future planned developments.

 

[IanM]

Chat to the Manager??
Read committee minutes?

7 day infractions for being sensible! Surely you should just rant!

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I wonder how many members read the minutes from the committee meetings? No doubt they include the treasurer’s report. The decision to have joining fees, and the current financial challenges being faced should be documented in those minutes.

The minutes of the Ladies Committee meeting are always more interesting and often more insightful into what’s going on in the club…

 

[Slab]

The thread topic made me google joining fees and I came across one UK club that has a fee of just over a grand for its joining fee, they will let you pay it up over 2 years if you cant manage the payment in a oner… however if paying up the JF increases to a smidge over 2 grand!

I guess they really don't want you paying it up over 2 years

 

[Oddsocks]

The minutes of the Ladies Committee meeting are always more interesting and often more insightful into what’s going on in the club…

Based on the two committee meetings i sat on, the priority was how hot the hot chocolates were.

 

[Oddsocks]

The thread topic made me google joining fees and I came across one UK club that has a fee of just over a grand for its joining fee, they will let you pay it up over 2 years if you cant manage the payment in a oner… however if paying up the JF increases to a smidge over 2 grand!

I guess they really don't want you paying it up over 2 years

1000-1500 seems the new basic in south east London

 

[GB72]

Certainly at one of my old clubs, there was a well established group of members (the great and the good of the club) who wanted to increase the membership costs as much as possible. Sadly as they were from a generation of golfers who remember clubs in the 70s and 8os and the prestige associated with golf club membership, they wanted to increase the 'exclusivity' of the club by pricing out certain sections of the community. I would not be surprised if some would happily double the cost and half the membership to get back the exclusive 'I am a member of the club' feeling that they used to have.

 

[JayB]

2 joining fees? I’m intrigued as I struggle to see the rational for that.
Care to share the club website for some further reading?

Like Imurg mentioned earlier, it's technically a joining fee dressed up as a loyalty scheme, you just pay over so many years then as soon as the numbers started to increase during the pandemic they applied a joining fee on top.

Another gripe I have with joining fees is it's not always fairly applied, for instance I'm aware of a club only charging a joining fee to 7 day members, these are the people who already pay the highest membership costs and potentially play the least amount of golf.

 

[GB72]

Like Imurg mentioned earlier, it's technically a joining fee dressed up as a loyalty scheme, you just pay over so many years then as soon as the numbers started to increase during the pandemic they applied a joining fee on top.

Another gripe I have with joining fees is it's not always fairly applied, for instance I'm aware of a club only charging a joining fee to 7 day members, these are the people who already pay the highest membership costs and potentially play the least amount of golf.

This is something I very much disagree with.

If they basic premise of a members club is that you are all 'owners' who split the costs then I am of the opinion that everyone should pay exactly the same (with maybe some exception for juniors under the age of 16). I would support there being no discounts, no differing levels of membership just everyone paying an annual flat fee that is the same no matter what.

 

[jim8flog]

We still have a waiting list but we are still relatively cheap at around £1k for full membership.

One of the biggest things I have noticed is the rise in green fees for visitors. Our group used to have 2 away days a year we now have just one. Some clubs in this area seem to have nearly doubled their green fees.

 

[jim8flog]

I think a lot of people would benefit by having a chat with the treasurer or manager at their club to get a better idea of the costs involved in running it.

All that takes is reading the annual accounts.

we are not currently franchising bar and catering.

Prior to our last franchise it could be seen from the accounts that the bar made absolutely no profit because the difference between sales and cost of sales was being swallowed up by bar staff costs.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

This is something I very much disagree with.

If they basic premise of a members club is that you are all 'owners' who split the costs then I am of the opinion that everyone should pay exactly the same (with maybe some exception for juniors under the age of 16). I would support there being no discounts, no differing levels of membership just everyone paying an annual flat fee that is the same no matter what.

…unless the membership is happy for there to be exceptions for certain memberships - continuing and new.

If the membership is not happy with the existing arrangement in respect of variable subs and JFs then it can vote on getting rid of them or have them modified. In a members club the members have the final say in most, if not all, matters. If any member is not happy with the expressed will of the membership on any matter they can either put up with it or leave.

 

[IanM]

Home club is proposing to reduce the age related discounts this year. I expect it won't go down well with those impacted.

It worked well as an incentive for getting in the under 35s.... all of who work and probably are lucky to average one round a week. The wealthier retired lot playing 4 or more rounds a week think they are getting a bad deal!

 

[GB72]

…unless the membership is happy for there to be exceptions for certain memberships - continuing and new.

If the membership is not happy with the existing arrangement in respect of variable subs and JFs then it can vote on getting rid of them or have them modified. In a members club the members have the final say in most, if not all, matters. If any member is not happy with the expressed will of the membership on any matter they can either put up with it or leave.

Except that the comment is my opinion and my opinion is that when the premise of a club is that everyone is an equal owner and equally invested then everyone should pay the same.

Believe it or not I know how members clubs work and, as you say, I had 2 options and I chose the later.

 

[GB72]

Home club is proposing to reduce the age related discounts this year. I expect it won't go down well with those impacted.

It worked well as an incentive for getting in the under 35s.... all of who work and probably are lucky to average one round a week. The wealthier retired lot playing 4 or more rounds a week think they are getting a bad deal!

To my mind though, that situation does not change when you hit 35 and, in fact, work responsibilities and family commitments get greater

 

[Slab]

…unless the membership is happy for there to be exceptions for certain memberships - continuing and new.

If the membership is not happy with the existing arrangement in respect of variable subs and JFs then it can vote on getting rid of them or have them modified. In a members club the members have the final say in most, if not all, matters. If any member is not happy with the expressed will of the membership on any matter they can either put up with it or leave.

That's possibly the best and equally worst thing that can be said about a members club

 

[sunshine]

The top three clubs in my area all have substantial joining fees.

They all have substantial waiting lists too.

Interesting. What’s the area and what are the clubs?