Money grabbing and useless

[Bermuda]

Sick and tired of trying to join Golf Clubs, a couple have been great but turned out to be 30 miles away and the journey was just too far, two would take my money in Tier 2 but have padlocked the Clubhouses and can't tell me when they will be open, another is shut due to being water logged and one is threatening me with PAY NOW because guess what, next month we are for the first time ever introducing a joining fee..... IT IS ALL RATHER TIRESOME AND HAS LEFT ME FEELING A BIT DESPONDANT

 

[hovis]

This will be interesting!!!!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Sick and tired of trying to join Golf Clubs, a couple have been great but turned out to be 30 miles away and the journey was just too far, two would take my money in Tier 2 but have padlocked the Clubhouses and can't tell me when they will be open, another is shut due to being water logged and one is threatening me with PAY NOW because guess what, next month we are for the first time ever introducing a joining fee..... IT IS ALL RATHER TIRESOME AND HAS LEFT ME FEELING A BIT DESPONDANT

Where abouts are you. Not being funny but surely you would have known how far away two clubs would have been before you travelled 30 miles to them. Again, we're in tier 2 and have no clubbouse facilities including kitchen and bar open. Yes it is a pain but we're out playing golf. Of course they can't tell you when they'll open as it's up to the government and their tier scheme. That doesn't make them bad clubs and I think you're being grossly unfair

My home course is a little wet especially on the back nine but still open but again there has been a decent amount of rain of late so while it is annoying to play of damp lies it is part of winter golf. I would be surprised if a course is shut so I agree that one may be worth a miss. As for introducing a fee and giving you a chance to pay now, it is perhaps a little sneaky but also perhaps good manners giving you a chance to pay at the lower rate. As clubs struggle I can see a few introducing joining fees as a way of getting some extra income. I think it'll be a short sighted policy if they do but I don't think it'll stop them

 

[Bermuda]

Where abouts are you. Not being funny but surely you would have known how far away two clubs would have been before you travelled 30 miles to them. Again, we're in tier 2 and have no clubbouse facilities including kitchen and bar open. Yes it is a pain but we're out playing golf. Of course they can't tell you when they'll open as it's up to the government and their tier scheme. That doesn't make them bad clubs and I think you're being grossly unfair

My home course is a little wet especially on the back nine but still open but again there has been a decent amount of rain of late so while it is annoying to play of damp lies it is part of winter golf. I would be surprised if a course is shut so I agree that one may be worth a miss. As for introducing a fee and giving you a chance to pay now, it is perhaps a little sneaky but also perhaps good manners giving you a chance to pay at the lower rate. As clubs struggle I can see a few introducing joining fees as a way of getting some extra income. I think it'll be a short sighted policy if they do but I don't think it'll stop them

That's a balanced reply and you make some good points

 

[HomerJSimpson]

That's a balanced reply and you make some good points

Sorry. That is not a sentence normally associated with me on here. The forum stalwarts will be foaming at the mouth. Off for a lie down in a dark room

 

[jim8flog]

There are a great many clubs in tier 2 (as well as those in tier 3) none will be able to tell you when the clubhouse is open until after 16th December.

 

[KenL]

A lot of clubs have a lot of new members who joined after lockdown 1.
Clubs may well try and hold onto people but introducing a joining fee.
Make sure you pick a club you want to join and not just one that is offering a deal.

 

[jim8flog]

We have one local course that gets shut or only a few holes are open for may a time during the past few years and most winters has carry only rules.

 

[Bermuda]

I stand by money grabbing, I regret the word useless, the 30 mile journey is of course my choice, I was having a vent, but people would be amazed that when clubs want between £1750 and £1200 PA for full membership how hard it is to progress a simple thing like joining a poxy golf club. I have a plan however so onwards and upwards

 

[Canary_Yellow]

I stand by money grabbing, I regret the word useless, the 30 mile journey is of course my choice, I was having a vent, but people would be amazed that when clubs want between £1750 and £1200 PA for full membership how hard it is to progress a simple thing like joining a poxy golf club. I have a plan however so onwards and upwards

Which club do you have as first choice now? I presume seaford was one of those you concluded to be too far?

 

[Bermuda]

Which club do you have as first choice now? I presume seaford was one of those you concluded to be too far?

I shot off to Seaford, all good but it was a long drive but am thinking of country membership

 

[PhilTheFragger]

By definition “country membership” will mean an even longer journey

Are you sure you know what you are looking for as you seem a bit contradictory

 

[Orikoru]

I had a meeting with a new golf club last week. They have an age band that makes it just about affordable for me - and because their year runs May to April, they did a deal for us so it's cheaper still for the Jan to April period. No joining fee. He even said we can play for free in December if we want. And it's only down the road from me, 10 mins drive or less. Couldn't have been simpler.

 

[Slab]

I’d be surprised if everyone couldn’t offer up an example of a golf club ‘money grabbing’, they’re not that different to other businesses. We’ll all have examples of getting a deal on xyz and equally examples of getting less value than one hoped for (even if its just the pro-shop prices!)

Some of the deals over the last few months post-lockdown have been great but that doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten the annual price increases & full price apparel etc pre-covid… golf clubs will grab your money (just like any other business)

I don't blame them, but to try to defend them is ludicrous

 

[Deleted member 18588]

I’d be surprised if everyone couldn’t offer up an example of a golf club ‘money grabbing’, they’re not that different to other businesses. We’ll all have examples of getting a deal on xyz and equally examples of getting less value than one hoped for (even if its just the pro-shop prices!)

Some of the deals over the last few months post-lockdown have been great but that doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten the annual price increases & full price apparel etc pre-covid… golf clubs will grab your money (just like any other business)

I don't blame them, but to try to defend them is ludicrous

But Members' Clubs are not businesses as such.

Their financial objective is to cover costs and generate a small reserve each year other than when there may be a specific project.

Unlikely, therefore, that they will be "money grabbing".

The same might not be said about Proprietary Clubs, which, in my opinion, are not Clubs but golf courses with facilities.

 

[Slab]

But Members' Clubs are not businesses as such.

Their financial objective is to cover costs and generate a small reserve each year other than when there may be a specific project.

Unlikely, therefore, that they will be "money grabbing".

The same might not be said about Proprietary Clubs, which, in my opinion, are not Clubs but golf courses with facilities.

If you prefer you could exclude members clubs from having that tag in relations to membership fees (although the OP didn't say that it was just 'members' clubs they were enquiring at) but even many members clubs have more than a few 'pricey goods' for sale in the pro shop at prices that might appear to be money grabbing

(but even a members club better hope it runs its facilities such as F&B & pro-shop like businesses)


edit; btw i'm not criticising golf clubs for money grabbing, every business does it, its accepted. All I'm saying is they cant be excluded and held aloft as some kind of commercial exception

 

[Deleted member 18588]

If you prefer you could exclude members clubs from having that tag in relations to membership fees (although the OP didn't say that it was just 'members' clubs they were enquiring at) but even many members clubs have more than a few 'pricey goods' for sale in the pro shop at prices that might appear to be money grabbing

(but even a members club better hope it runs its facilities such as F&B & pro-shop like businesses)


edit; btw i'm not criticising golf clubs for money grabbing, every business does it, its accepted. All I'm saying is they cant be excluded and held aloft as some kind of commercial exception

The majority of pro-shops at Members' Clubs are independent of the Club and, therefore, pricing structure is the responsibility of the pro's rather than the Club.

 

[Slab]

The majority of pro-shops at Members' Clubs are independent of the Club and, therefore, pricing structure is the responsibility of the pro's rather than the Club.

Think we're drilling too far down to split out what 'door' has a business behind it and what is simply a feature of membership, they're all part of the 'club'

 

[SammmeBee]

But Members' Clubs are not businesses as such.

Their financial objective is to cover costs and generate a small reserve each year other than when there may be a specific project.

Unlikely, therefore, that they will be "money grabbing".

The same might not be said about Proprietary Clubs, which, in my opinion, are not Clubs but golf courses with facilities.

Standard Committee/Golf Club Member understanding.....need to run as a business whatever....hence why golf clubs continually get themselves in a mess.

 

[Deleted member 18588]

Standard Committee/Golf Club Member understanding.....need to run as a business whatever....hence why golf clubs continually get themselves in a mess.

Yet the vast majority of clubs that are closing down are Proprietary Clubs.

In my experience Members Clubs are often better run than their Proprietary counterparts as they have a clearer understanding of "the product".

This is, of course, subject to them placing the day to day management in the hands of full time professional staff.

At my Club we employ a Manager who, in turn has an assistant, a Course Manager overseeing five other greenkeepers, Bar Manager and staff, catering is a franchised operation and we retain a Professional.

Seems to work at least as well as any Proprietary set up in the area.

And we are financially healthy.