Pro-Rata year 1 membership rates?

[shun_naka]

Have you ever heard of clubs who have a membership year not offering pro rata rates for the first?

I've just recently moved and really like the look of my local club (plus its only club within a decent distance). Their membership year is Nov-Nov. Spoke to the receptionist yesterday and she said because there is talk of extending this membership year past November due to lost time as a result of covid, they aren't offering any pro-rata memberships until its resolved (and it wont be until Sept).

Surely this canny be right? I'm going to suggest that I pay pro-rata until November and my own membership could then either be terminated, or i'd need to pay the additional pro-rata monthly rates should it extend.

In between a rock and a hard place as if i wait until sept to find out if it being extended the best part of the season will be over, and if i pay for it now i'll be paying a years membership for only 6months.

 

[LincolnShep]

When we're in the second half of the membership year, my club normally offers 17/16/15 etc. months for the price of 12. Not sure about the first half of the year - the owner is usually up for a bit of haggling!

 

[Deleted member 21258]

When I have joined a club, always been pro rata apart from one club.

That club instead made me wait to join until the beginning of the subscription year before I was allowed to join. That was on top of the waiting list wait, so I had been on a waiting list, also I had played my round with committee members, been interviewed, not been blackballed(yeah they do pull the balls out, never believed that to happen, gave me a chuckle !) etc all prior to the final few months wait.(not sure if that was their normal procedure or just happened to be the timing that I joined but it didn't bother me)

Tough choices with the virus situations, not that what you say above makes completes sense to me. Sure if you speak to the manager or secretary, they will be able to help you out or explain it in better detail.

 

[patricks148]

The problem often is as a members club any changes to membership fee;s has to be agreed by the members which would usually mean the AGM. i know it sounds silly but thats the way the club is set up, not much you can do. ours is the same you join now its the full fee

 

[sunshine]

That club instead made me wait to join until the beginning of the subscription year before I was allowed to join. That was on top of the waiting list wait,

I do understand this. The club was obviously full (waiting list!), so they had to wait until the end of the subscription year, when members leave, before taking any new people in.

 

[TreeSeeker]

My club pro ratas, in fact i think i just got a month free given the timing of the next renewals... you suggestion seems sensible, and cant see why they wouldnt take it, i mean the alternate feels like you'd just be waiting otherwise..?

 

[GB72]

I guess it all depends on the financial position of the club. If they need more members then the call would be to accept your membership now up until November. That said, if they waited until September and, for example, awarded extended membership by 3 months, they would only receive the same amount as they would have lost 3 month's fees whilst making the decision. Even if they took the payment until November and then extended the membership with everyone else at no cost, you are looking at December, January, February when the club may be glad to have someone in spending money at the quiet time.

I can also see another issue. Tee times are not easy to get at the moment so a nomad golfer could sign up now for only 5 months, get the summer of golf when tee times are hard to come by and disappear off in the winter when things return to normal. If the club is booking out all of the tee times at the moment then it may not be good business to accept more members who are only there for a guaranteed 5 months and restrict the access to the course for those who have paid for both a bad winter and a covid closure.

 

[Robster59]

Our club has done pro-rata but our membership starts in March so any membership would be pro-rata'd to the end of February. I'm not sure if they are operating it at the moment but I would agree that demand for membership has generally increased due to the lack of spaces for nomad golfers.
I would agree with the comment by GB72 that some people could just take a membership for the summer and leave, but that's also a consequence of their membership period.
To be honest, I don't know why more clubs don't offer a 12 month rolling membership. If you join a gym for example then your membership starts 12 months from the date of joining.

 

[SGC001]

Its a difficult time and if as one example the clubs current members are struggling to get a game it could be understood.

Nov to nov presents an issue i'd expect them to value the months of summer more with that set up under normal circumstances and so a pro rata rate been based on that and not giving the summer away too cheaply.

 

[ColinM]

I had never come across a golf club not offering pro rata fees in year....not until recently that is. The golf club I’m currently at will be folding in the next few months. So my golfing partner and I have been checking out other clubs. This particular course is one of the best in the county and was in great shape when we tried it out. We were about to sign up and my friend asked what the pro rated amount would be for starting in August (subscription year starts June). Secretary said for this year alone all new members pay full fees irrespective of when they join! So we pay about an extra £180 over the person who joined in June. God forbid if you joined next March. Turns out the Board decided to do this as a way of placating current members who wanted refunds in lockdown and were told no, so the Board said no ‘special deals’ will be given to new members! Never heard pro rating being called a special deal before! Unsurprisingly we declined to join. Out of principle I couldn’t join a club whose Board is happy to charge people for a service they never had. Anyone else come across something like this?

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I had never come across a golf club not offering pro rata fees in year....not until recently that is. The golf club I’m currently at will be folding in the next few months. So my golfing partner and I have been checking out other clubs. This particular course is one of the best in the county and was in great shape when we tried it out. We were about to sign up and my friend asked what the pro rated amount would be for starting in August (subscription year starts June). Secretary said for this year alone all new members pay full fees irrespective of when they join! So we pay about an extra £180 over the person who joined in June. God forbid if you joined next March. Turns out the Board decided to do this as a way of placating current members who wanted refunds in lockdown and were told no, so the Board said no ‘special deals’ will be given to new members! Never heard pro rating being called a special deal before! Unsurprisingly we declined to join. Out of principle I couldn’t join a club whose Board is happy to charge people for a service they never had. Anyone else come across something like this?

I can see the logic to a degree but as you point out if you are paying much later in the year and paying 12 months fee for say 4 months golf I can't see the club getting too many members to join, certainly until the new membership year

 

[Bunkermagnet]

We do pro-rata, but our year goes 1st of July to end of June. This years fees have been held the same as last years because of the lockdown. That seems a fair deal for all.

 

[ColinM]

The members lost nearly 2 months of golf that they paid for in June 2019.

True. Although club can offer future rebates/discounts for current members at their club, but they won’t do that for new members.

 

[KenL]

That's so prehistoric...

A section of the committee, if not the GM on his own, should have authority to make simple decisions on things like pro-rata, especially in fast changing situations.

Not at a club that it is close to being full.

 

[SammmeBee]

I had never come across a golf club not offering pro rata fees in year....not until recently that is. The golf club I’m currently at will be folding in the next few months. So my golfing partner and I have been checking out other clubs. This particular course is one of the best in the county and was in great shape when we tried it out. We were about to sign up and my friend asked what the pro rated amount would be for starting in August (subscription year starts June). Secretary said for this year alone all new members pay full fees irrespective of when they join! So we pay about an extra £180 over the person who joined in June. God forbid if you joined next March. Turns out the Board decided to do this as a way of placating current members who wanted refunds in lockdown and were told no, so the Board said no ‘special deals’ will be given to new members! Never heard pro rating being called a special deal before! Unsurprisingly we declined to join. Out of principle I couldn’t join a club whose Board is happy to charge people for a service they never had. Anyone else come across something like this?

Do you not pay the same money as they paid back in June? Not more......

 

[ColinM]

Do you not pay the same money as they paid back in June? Not more......

Yes the same amount, just not a full year to play or enjoy the facilities. For example a golfer might have paid £1000 for a full year back in June, whilst a potential new member will be asked to pay the same to join in January for 6 months use. Of course the argument is current members were denied similar when we all had two months of no golf during lockdown. At the end of the day people can choose to say no thanks like me, or pay the one off additional fee....or just hold off applying to join until next June onwards. Personally I couldn't accept that extra charge....but that's me.

 

[patricks148]

Not at a club that it is close to being full.

is full, we have a 2 year waiting list

 

[patricks148]

I had never come across a golf club not offering pro rata fees in year....not until recently that is. The golf club I’m currently at will be folding in the next few months. So my golfing partner and I have been checking out other clubs. This particular course is one of the best in the county and was in great shape when we tried it out. We were about to sign up and my friend asked what the pro rated amount would be for starting in August (subscription year starts June). Secretary said for this year alone all new members pay full fees irrespective of when they join! So we pay about an extra £180 over the person who joined in June. God forbid if you joined next March. Turns out the Board decided to do this as a way of placating current members who wanted refunds in lockdown and were told no, so the Board said no ‘special deals’ will be given to new members! Never heard pro rating being called a special deal before! Unsurprisingly we declined to join. Out of principle I couldn’t join a club whose Board is happy to charge people for a service they never had. Anyone else come across something like this?

so you would happily miss out on "one of the best courses" for the sake of 2 month?

 

[ColinM]

so you would happily miss out on "one of the best courses" for the sake of 2 month?

Yes. As I said it's the principle, not the money. Where do you draw the line? Would I join if it was 4 months? What about 6 months? I guess we all have to make a decision based on what we are comfortable with. What would you do?

 

[Robster59]

Yes. As I said it's the principle, not the money. Where do you draw the line? Would I join if it was 4 months? What about 6 months? I guess we all have to make a decision based on what we are comfortable with. What would you do?

In that instance, I would understand what the club are doing and join if I really wanted to play the course rather than miss out. There's a fine line between principle and cutting off your nose to spite your face.