Membership Rebate

[chrisd]

We've been told that there will be no rebate as the club wants to carry out an expensive upgrade the drainage. Given we've lost a lot of golf this year and last year to rain, I'm not too miffed, except that a fair few members didnt rejoin when the first lockdown came and only rejoined mid summer thus having the advantage of not paying for that lockdown period.

 

[HarrogateHacker]

No rebate at our club but the analysis I’ve seen (which holds true for me) is that everybody played much more golf last year than the previous years even with the lockdowns - so everybody got plenty of golf. The club are also investing a lot into the course through lockdown, am happy they keep my money as long as I get back to a v nice looking course

 

[Hammertoe]

I left my old club last month and joined a new one ( Clandeboye, 2 course heathland set up), old club offered very little going forward and new club already looking to waive fees for Jan, Feb, March next year as well as a few events etc to thank the membership.

Where did you move from to go to Clandeboye Brendy? They have a great set up there with the 2 courses and the range. I'm a member of Kirkistown and we lost quite a few members to Clandeboye a few years ago, I did hear it was very busy though as the members of Mahee island had all joined too? Hope you enjoy it and maybe we can meet for a game sometime?

 

[Captainron]

I am 100% on the side of not getting any form of rebate for the lockdown.

The clubs have to survive. If losing a couple of months of golf (when the weather has been so bad you wouldn’t have played anyway) to allow that to happen is well worth it.

Most of you will play more than enough to justify it in your minds I’ve the spring and summer

 

[dai3015]

No refund for us, but most members are on Budget membership, where they pay £200 annually, then £6 a round at weekend, £4 a round midweek. So, the fact we are closed means they get their refund every time they cannot play a round.

Very difficult for club though. Although there was an influx of members last year, the club still relies on both those member green fees as well as non-member green fees, and it also requires income from the bar/restaurant (which is open to the public) which has pretty much either been closed during lockdown, or people reluctant to use it outside of lockdown. So, tough times.

I really like that model - for someone who finds it difficult to play as much as I used to (work & more importantly, family) that approach sounds like a really useful way forward. Club gets a guaranteed amount and I then pay more depending on how much I play. I like it. Appreciate, it might suit everyone or every club

 

[mister v]

we had an email telling us that there was a £30 increase for new members but Current full members, who rejoined on 1 April 2020:
No increase in subscription for the 2021/22 year
£15 credit to member bar card
1 member’s guest voucher
1 drinks flask
Im happy to pay my membership if it keeps the club going, the situation is what it is and i'd like a course to come back to when were through to the other side.........grass grows whether we play or not!

 

[clubchamp98]

I really like that model - for someone who finds it difficult to play as much as I used to (work & more importantly, family) that approach sounds like a really useful way forward. Club gets a guaranteed amount and I then pay more depending on how much I play. I like it. Appreciate, it might suit everyone or every club

My mate has a good deal for him anyway.
After 4pm weekdays and anytime weekends, pays 2/3rds full fees.
He works 9/5 so it suits him.
But club have told him they are not doing this deal anymore.
He’s thinking of not joining now and just being a nomad.
Seems a strange decision.

 

[spongebob59]

There's a couple of clubs who offered a twilight membership round here. think it was play after 4 week days and after 2 weekends.

Makes sense to me as the clubs tend to quieter this time and it attracts member who are happy to play these time and gets customers into the bar in the evenings.

 

[clubchamp98]

Surely everyone who works 9-5 Mon to Friday can only play after 5pm weekdays and any time at the weekend...
To charge 2/3 the fees for that is crazy, no wonder they're stopping it.

Yes that’s exactly what I said.
But why offer it in the first place.
There must have been a logic to it.
Maybe limited numbers like 5 day membership.

 

[Mandofred]

I've been a bit irritated with what has ended up happening at our club. After the first lockdown they said we could have a months subs back or just roll it over onto the next year( the option I was going to take). Well...that has changed. I've recently tried to get that months money back and now can't....I can understand a bit, 2 more lockdowns aren't what they were planning on. My complaint is that I don't mind paying for the full year early like I did, but there are a LOT of people.... who because of the freaky timing of the first lockdown (a week before the subs were due)....did not pay at all for those first two months until things opened back up. If they would also have had to pay full subs, fair enough.....all in it together at that point. Basically, I donated £160? to the club that a lot of people didn't have to. Now they have bumped the prices for next year up by 5.5% (fair enough, they might need the money and everybody will have to do it) and are giving credits at the club, something like £195 for 7 day, £185 for 6 day etc etc. They are trying real hard to talk people out of taking those credits. Why offer them if they don't really want you to take them? Quite a few people have evidently told the club they can just keep their credit money.....I'm planning on taking mine since I already donated (unwillingly) for this year. I might be blowing things up worse than they really are, but there isn't much info coming out informing us of what is going on.

It's not about having to pay the full subs....it's about only some people having to pay the whole yearly subs.

 

[clubchamp98]

I've been a bit irritated with what has ended up happening at our club. After the first lockdown they said we could have a months subs back or just roll it over onto the next year( the option I was going to take). Well...that has changed. I've recently tried to get that months money back and now can't....I can understand a bit, 2 more lockdowns aren't what they were planning on. My complaint is that I don't mind paying for the full year early like I did, but there are a LOT of people.... who because of the freaky timing of the first lockdown (a week before the subs were due)....did not pay at all for those first two months until things opened back up. If they would also have had to pay full subs, fair enough.....all in it together at that point. Basically, I donated £160? to the club that a lot of people didn't have to. Now they have bumped the prices for next year up by 5.5% (fair enough, they might need the money and everybody will have to do it) and are giving credits at the club, something like £195 for 7 day, £185 for 6 day etc etc. They are trying real hard to talk people out of taking those credits. Why offer them if they don't really want you to take them? Quite a few people have evidently told the club they can just keep their credit money.....I'm planning on taking mine since I already donated (unwillingly) for this year. I might be blowing things up worse than they really are, but there isn't much info coming out informing us of what is going on.

It's not about having to pay the full subs....it's about only some people having to pay the whole yearly subs.

Agree that’s just not right.
They should refund you what the others didn’t pay.
Or just make them pay their fees.

 

[brendy]

Welcome! I am sure you will love it here

Yea I play there at least once most years just bit the bullet and left Bangor as its committee are doing it no favours currently and the course condition is deteriorating, in my opinion.

 

[brendy]

Where did you move from to go to Clandeboye Brendy? They have a great set up there with the 2 courses and the range. I'm a member of Kirkistown and we lost quite a few members to Clandeboye a few years ago, I did hear it was very busy though as the members of Mahee island had all joined too? Hope you enjoy it and maybe we can meet for a game sometime?

Left Bangor after 14 years or so, well, membership expires end of March really, I sent in my resignation letter in and got my handicap moved to CGC. Mahee Island guys went to Blackwood I believe? I'm sure we can all get a game at some point
The 2 courses at CGC, I've played both this winter and couldn't fault the condition of neither course, the practice facilities are being extended/added to as well as the flodlit practice area and a great view from the clubhouse. I can't wait to get some Q golf in again this year.

 

[Canary Kid]

As in the previous lockdown, our subs +10% will be credited to our bar card. What with most of the previous lockdown credit already on there, a return in early March will see me with £350 on my card. We only have the bar ... no pro shop to spend it in. The club says that it is aware of the problem and is working on how credit might be used in other ways, although only for a proportion, as a wholesale withdrawal by everyone would bankrupt the club! I will probably leave it there and have drinks and lunches for the rest of the year (covid willing, of course).

 

[sunshine]

My mate has a good deal for him anyway.
After 4pm weekdays and anytime weekends, pays 2/3rds full fees.
He works 9/5 so it suits him.
But club have told him they are not doing this deal anymore.
He’s thinking of not joining now and just being a nomad.
Seems a strange decision.

What a great deal! I'd love that (and so would many people). Commercially it seems odd for a club to offer this.

 

[sunshine]

No rebate at our club but the analysis I’ve seen (which holds true for me) is that everybody played much more golf last year than the previous years even with the lockdowns - so everybody got plenty of golf. The club are also investing a lot into the course through lockdown, am happy they keep my money as long as I get back to a v nice looking course

I'm getting the same messaging from my club. In fact it is the justification for a fee increase in 2021: the expectation is we all all be working from home and playing more, and income from societies and visitors will be well down.

 

[chellie]

I'm getting the same messaging from my club. In fact it is the justification for a fee increase in 2021: the expectation is we all all be working from home and playing more, and income from societies and visitors will be well down.

Not everyone works from home though. Myself and HID are unable to.

 

[Coffey]

Where did you move from to go to Clandeboye Brendy? They have a great set up there with the 2 courses and the range. I'm a member of Kirkistown and we lost quite a few members to Clandeboye a few years ago, I did hear it was very busy though as the members of Mahee island had all joined too? Hope you enjoy it and maybe we can meet for a game sometime?

As Brendy says, the Mahee ones went to blackwood and it is now known as Blackwood and Mahee golf club or something along those lines.

Clandeboye doesn't have a range apart from the practice field down the road but we are in the process of adding a 230 yard range but it will be bring your own balls and no drivers. There has been talk about adding a netted range with the ability to hire skytrak but plans put on hold until covid passes over and see where we are.

 

[Coffey]

Yea I play there at least once most years just bit the bullet and left Bangor as its committee are doing it no favours currently and the course condition is deteriorating, in my opinion.

I do think it is worth the extra cost. It is a great club and the courses are fantastic. I have heard about the goings ons at Bangor and it does seem like there is some unrest. We have managed to pick up quite a few members from other clubs recently and we had a waiting list for a while but it seems since the renewals came out there has been a drop (understandably I guess with the current situation) but I assume this will pick up again.

A lot of work has also being going on over the lockdown so the courses should be brilliant when we return!

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Not everyone works from home though. Myself and HID are unable to.

Do you think us non home workers could get a discount?