Pro rata membership

[Neilds]

One of our group is moving away in the near future (about 5/6 months time) and he approached the club to see if he could have some sort of reduced membership similar to what would be on offer if you joined part way through the year. This was refused and he was told it was either full membership or none. The reasons given were that similar schemes had been abused in the past and it also made budgeting difficult if people left just before winter claiming they had an injury/illness/work etc then ‘rejoined’ in the spring.
What do other clubs do in these situations? Is there a policy laid down or is it case by case?

 

[doublebogey7]

I don't know what would happen and my club though guess it would be on a case by case basis. It is a difficult one for clubs, though I think some accommodation beyond the full or non should be met. I can though understand why they would not offer a pro rata rate or to refund players midway through a season.

 

[Backsticks]

No pro rata with us, and dont think I have ever heard of it. I dont see why any club would offer it. Simply too messy. Either you are in for the year or out.

 

[Oddsocks]

At my previous club I rejoined pending a knee op, they agreed pro rata based on paying three months in advance instead of the monthly direct debit.

 

[clubchamp98]

How far is he moving?
we do a country membership if you live a certain distance away.
not sure what it is though.

 

[Mel Smooth]

Is the member still going to play at the club on an infrequent basis, or will the move be the end of playing opportunities?
I pay mine on direct debit and can cancel anytime. If I was going to come back for an occasional game I could just get a member to sign me in.

 

[Neilds]

No country membership at our club and wouldn’t help anyway as he wants to play whilst he is still local so wouldn’t be eligible if there was such a membership option.
The move would end his time at our club, will be too far to travel to get any use of his membership. We have a credit option to pay monthly but that just spreads the annual cost over 12 months and he would still have to pay the full amount when he left. There is no monthly membership option which was what he was hoping for

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

The year we went travelling for just over 4 months Feb-June I don’t recall asking the question. If I did the answer was have been sorry but no. I didn’t expect a refund for two months of the year to end March, and accepted that my choice of going travelling shouldn’t reduce the clubs income for the year to come. In the event the weather in Jan was poor and I hardly played, and didn’t play again until mid-Jun…

An extended period of a disabling (temporary) illness is another matter and I believe that the club considers requests on a case-by-case basis.

We don’t advertise country membership, we might do it for existing members moving away…to other side of the country - though I doubt it.

I could pay my subs by monthly DD, but that is just a year subs payment mechanism. If I were to cancel my DD at any point I would have to pay the balance of months full subs pro rata.

 

[fenwayrich]

A couple of our long standing members are moving away to be nearer their family. The move is delayed. Our subscriptions start 1st April so the club has agreed to them paying just for the months they are still with us. I don’t see any problem with this sort of approach as long as the circumstances are clear.

 

[backwoodsman]

I was planning on moving home this year - far enough that continued membership wouldn't be practical. So I asked the question. Was told ' no problem. Just keep paying the monthly debit till you go'. Which I thought was good. Moreover, they said that when I did finally go, if by then I'd paid enough to cover country membership, they'd convert membership to country for the rest of the year. Or if I'd not paid enough, then let me know the cost of doing so. However, I don't think it's an official policy - think it's a case by case thing. And in any case, the move isnt now happening for the moment so its a moot point.

 

[Backsticks]

The typical members club is not a pay per play model. It costs X to maintain a course, and that X must be paid by members regardless of the number of rounds, or which months in the year they play. And course and facilities must be maintained for the 12 months whatever, simply to have the club available whenever a member does want to use it.

We have many member who really only play Apr-Sep, but there is no way you could allow them a pro rata. It would be self defeating - you would just have to increase the sub for everyone to ensure the same total income. Asking for a pro rata 6 months, whatever the reason for not availing of the facility is effectively asking all the other members to pay your sub for 6 months. Not fair imo.

Thats why its not a thing, and the refusal is the expected and reasonable answer.

 

[backwoodsman]

The typical members club is not a pay per play model. It costs X to maintain a course, and that X must be paid by members regardless of the number of rounds, or which months in the year they play. And course and facilities must be maintained for the 12 months whatever, simply to have the club available whenever a member does want to use it.
We have many member who really only play Apr-Sep, but there is no way you could allow them a pro rata. It would be self defeating you would just have to increase the sub for everyone to ensure the same total income. Asking for a pro rata 6 months, whatever the reason for not availing of the facility is effectively asking all the other member to pay your sub for 6 months. Not fair imo.

I think you're talking apples & pears. There's difference between those who simply want to pick & choose when they want to play, and members who are going to have to stop playing permanently. Of course it's entirely down to the club how they handle it - in my case I'd have accepted it if they said no.

But it doesnt seem unreasonable to me for a club to allow a long standing member who's leaving, to pay for only that portion of the year they were present - especially when they can fill the space pro-rata from the waiting list with no financial loss to the club.

 

[Orikoru]

My club has a 'lifestyle' membership. Basically you pay less than half of what a full membership costs, and it just gives you credits which you use up each time you play, so you get X number of rounds out of it, depending what day you use them. Costs more credits for weekend rounds, as per green fees. I don't think you can enter major/board comps though, just the monthly medals and Stablefords.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

One of our group is moving away in the near future (about 5/6 months time) and he approached the club to see if he could have some sort of reduced membership similar to what would be on offer if you joined part way through the year. This was refused and he was told it was either full membership or none. The reasons given were that similar schemes had been abused in the past and it also made budgeting difficult if people left just before winter claiming they had an injury/illness/work etc then ‘rejoined’ in the spring.
What do other clubs do in these situations? Is there a policy laid down or is it case by case?

Think the only way a membership like that can work is if using some sort of points system

Member buys points and then can use them anytime they wish

There will be some clubs that will have a monthly membership but got to be hard to budget for that.

 

[Neilds]

Think the only way a membership like that can work is if using some sort of points system

Member buys points and then can use them anytime they wish

There will be some clubs that will have a monthly membership but got to be hard to budget for that.

There is the Playmore golf scheme where you have reduced membership cost and use points to play (more points at peak times) but they don't use that at our club.
Ease of budgeting was one of the main reasons given for not allowing 'part year' members

 

[Alan Clifford]

Early one in the life of my club, they gave me a pro rata. But now the membership waiting list has a waiting list, I wouldn't even ask. Why would they take a reduced membership fee when they could sell a full one?

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Thinking about this further. Given we have a significant waiting list I’m thinking the club might be willing to have me pay pro rata for a few months golf as they‘d be able to take someone from the waiting list, get their subs pro rata for rest of year, PLUS they‘d be able to get the newbie’s joining fee.

 

[Alan Clifford]

Thinking about this further. Given we have a significant waiting list I’m thinking the club might be willing to have me pay pro rata for a few months golf as they‘d be able to take someone from the waiting list, get their subs pro rata for rest of year, PLUS they‘d be able to get the newbie’s joining fee.

Plus only 40 % discount for you for 6 months and 40 % discount for the newbie for 6 months

 

[peld]

We have a monthly direct debit option, though we get a 10% discount paying up front in one
If people do join in summer and play for 6 months, if they want to rejoin with X amount of months, they need to pay a joining fee to rejoin

 

[Neilds]

We have a monthly direct debit option, though we get a 10% discount paying up front in one
If people do join in summer and play for 6 months, if they want to rejoin with X amount of months, they need to pay a joining fee to rejoin

Is this monthly membership or just spreading the cost throughout the year?