Question for Pay & Play Members

[Lord Tyrion]

I'm looking at moving clubs next year and the place I would move to offers full membership at £600 and pay and play at £250 plus £10 a round. I'm not sure I play 35 times a year so the sensible option would be to go pay and play. Two questions for those on pay and play now.

1/ Do you feel part of the club on this type of scheme or do you feel slightly on the outside?

2/ Do you sometimes not play because you only fancy 9 holes and you begrudge paying £10 for that. Daft psychological thing but I would be really annoyed with myself if that chewed me up next year. It may also be something my wife raises as there will be peak playing times, summer obviously, where I could be paying £10 after £10 in a short space of time.

Ideally I will go full membership but finances come into the equation.

Comments please.

 

[Fyldewhite]

Ours is a private members club attached to a Municipal pay and play course. We pay £110 membership but stipulate that all club members have to have an annual season ticket for the course (various prices). I've no idea why, it's just one of those "it's always been that way" rules. I'm thinking of putting together a proposal for the AGM to abolish this rule. After all, why do we (the club) care how our members finance their golf?

Can't really comment on your situation except to say that the ability to "play a few holes" has for me always figured quite highly on the advantages of joining a club. Would be interested in any replies though as (if adopted) the rule change could theoretically change the nature of the club a lot.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I play far more 9 holes in an evening than 18 on a Saturday morning. I would be annoyed if paying each time I wanted a quick nine started putting me off. That is an aspect I am interested in hearing from people who do this now.

 

[Slab]

Assuming there's no kids going without their Ready-Brek then I wouldn't ever worry about spending a tenner on golf (even if you go over 35 rounds)

Just think of all the tenners 'wasted' each month on frivolous things like a bucket of chicken, daily starbucks, couple of pints, cinema ticket with a dog, packet of fags, daily paper etc etc etc

Pay & play will let you to pick and choose when to spend the tenner and avoid the crap weather months etc so there will be times where it might be 2 a week and none for a month maybe in Feb!

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

I'm looking at moving clubs next year and the place I would move to offers full membership at £600 and pay and play at £250 plus £10 a round. I'm not sure I play 35 times a year so the sensible option would be to go pay and play. Two questions for those on pay and play now.

1/ Do you feel part of the club on this type of scheme or do you feel slightly on the outside?

2/ Do you sometimes not play because you only fancy 9 holes and you begrudge paying £10 for that. Daft psychological thing but I would be really annoyed with myself if that chewed me up next year. It may also be something my wife raises as there will be peak playing times, summer obviously, where I could be paying £10 after £10 in a short space of time.

Ideally I will go full membership but finances come into the equation.

Comments please.

I've not been in your situation before but I guess the answer to your wife is for you to work out your total expenditure over the year (inc 9 hole rounds) and see if there is any saving. If not, stick with full membership.

ps.....I dream of £600 subs!!

 

[Deleted member 21258]

Before I joined a club on a membership basis I found that it put me off playing when I was pay and play, especially perhaps for an evening game on my own and/or if I had to telephone to ensure it was okay to play.

However do you not have the option of trying it out and if you find it affects the amount you play etc, you could upgrade to full membership at that stage for the difference?

PS our club offers a 9 hole membership for less money, perhaps look at this if you normally only play 9 holes, my wife had this last year at our club?

 

[ADB]

I had a similar membership this year, £200 down and pay a reduced green fee (more than £10!) when i played. The previous year i was a full member. It meant i could retain a handicap and play in medals & stablefords (no board comps or knock outs). It really suited me this year as i played so infrequently due to a house renovation and family commitment, but i must admit that whereas when i was a full member i might squeeze in a few holes in an evening I didnt do this as i would feel i wasnt getting good value for money. It does change your approach to getting out for social games and I must admit I have drifted away from feeling part of the club.

For the sums you are talking about I would definitely remain a full member.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

No 9 hole membership unfortunately. No upgrade mid term either. Can't blame the club there as otherwise everyone would go on that option.

I do appreciate that fees up here are very good compared to elsewhere in the country.

 

[moogie]

Lord T

I did exactly the same thing this year.
After the last 2yrs of barely playing, injury, plus losing interest because of injury, barely played 15-16 games in each of the 2 previous membership calendar years, at a cost of £600 and then £610

Rejoined my old club on a flexi membership.
£150 per year plus £10 per round, midweek or weekends.
£7 per round started in October
Plus allowed £5 for 9 holes
No brainer for the golf I've played last few years
Would have to play 50 rounds per year to be worse off in ££ terms.
Got handicap, full tee booking rights, play comps, just can't win a board comp, which I'm not in the least bit fussed about.
Play for fun and handicap up or down, not interested in anything else
I've probably played 20 times max since rejoining, so my choice option has been vindicated

 

[louise_a]

If you class the main season as the 6 months April through to September, playing once a week will cost £260 add in the £250 and that's £510 in total. so for an extra £90 you can play as much as you like. Unless you play a lot less than once a week I would go for full membership is I were you.

 

[duncan mackie]

The question of being part of the club will depend on the individual club - varies a lot from the experiences and discussions I've been involved in. However, you are right that this is an issue that you need to understand in your situation.
The financial side is tougher, and there is a flip side in the relationship element to becoming a full member - you will start heading off to play to justify your membership costs! This will, of course, put a different pressure on home life. So the equation isn't as straightforward as it might otherwise appear - sometimes ending up paying a little more by the end of the year than the annual cost can have been worthwhile!
As always, the really really key factors remain -
1. Is there any difference in course access rights? Theory and practice.
2. How do the various categories differ, if at all, in terms of competitions and matches (if of interest to you). For all of the importance of easy access roll ups, spindles etc the real core of most clubs can be found in the competition fields and match players.
Finally, are there restrictions on moving from one cat to another at the end of the year? If so try the one that you can move from first!

 

[duncan mackie]

Ours is a private members club attached to a Municipal pay and play course. We pay £110 membership but stipulate that all club members have to have an annual season ticket for the course (various prices). I've no idea why, it's just one of those "it's always been that way" rules. I'm thinking of putting together a proposal for the AGM to abolish this rule. After all, why do we (the club) care how our members finance their golf?

You may well find that it came about as part of the agreement with the council to set up a club based on their course.

 

[richy]

I'm looking at moving clubs next year and the place I would move to offers full membership at £600 and pay and play at £250 plus £10 a round. I'm not sure I play 35 times a year so the sensible option would be to go pay and play. Two questions for those on pay and play now.

1/ Do you feel part of the club on this type of scheme or do you feel slightly on the outside?

2/ Do you sometimes not play because you only fancy 9 holes and you begrudge paying £10 for that. Daft psychological thing but I would be really annoyed with myself if that chewed me up next year. It may also be something my wife raises as there will be peak playing times, summer obviously, where I could be paying £10 after £10 in a short space of time.

Ideally I will go full membership but finances come into the equation.

Comments please.

Which club you thinking of joining?

 

[IanM]

My wife is a member of a club which operates very similar scheme.. £250 then 10 pounds to play.

She likes that pattern as she doesn't play every week in the winter, especially if the weather is poor. She pays her £10 on her debit card and over the year she can isolate all these tenners on her account and see the total cost of her golf - if it gets close to the full price she's think about changing, She has played midweek during the season too.

Everything else in terms of comps and membership is the same, so its purely a cost thing!

Maybe if money is tight, work out what you want to spend over a year or month.... and do what fits

 

[moogie]

Which club you thinking of joining?

I'd take a guess at it being Burgham Park.....??

 

[Sats]

I'm looking at moving clubs next year and the place I would move to offers full membership at £600 and pay and play at £250 plus £10 a round. I'm not sure I play 35 times a year so the sensible option would be to go pay and play. Two questions for those on pay and play now.

1/ Do you feel part of the club on this type of scheme or do you feel slightly on the outside?

2/ Do you sometimes not play because you only fancy 9 holes and you begrudge paying £10 for that. Daft psychological thing but I would be really annoyed with myself if that chewed me up next year. It may also be something my wife raises as there will be peak playing times, summer obviously, where I could be paying £10 after £10 in a short space of time.

Ideally I will go full membership but finances come into the equation.

Comments please.

I'm a nomadic golfer, just mainly due to not being able to play enough. I do begrudge chucking a £10 for a cheeky nine, but then that's the sacrifice.

I have a £99 a year membership - I still pay green fees, albeit at a discounted rate (20%), retain a handicap and get to participate in comps. I think if you can find a club that does this kind of flexi membership you might be onto a winner, plus you also don't feel done travelling and trying other courses.

 

[Fyldewhite]

You may well find that it came about as part of the agreement with the council to set up a club based on their course.

Yes, I think that may have been the case as the club has existed alongside the course since 1925. The course operation was tendered to a management company though about 6 years ago and I doubt very much if any such arrangement was written into that deal......even if it was ever formally written anywhere other than the clubs rules.

 

[Dasit]

damn that is cheap. I get half price membership for being in my 20s and it is still more than your full membership.

I would try to negotiate a 9 hole or twilight rate, say £5 or £6 then I think you should go flexible if they allow.

I too would feel begrudged to pay full price but only actually use half the service (9 holes when paid for 18)

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Assuming it's £10 as a flat fee and there isn't premium prices for Saturday morning etc then work out how many rounds you'll play including nine hole rounds and see what the sums are. If you get on a roll with your form, we get a good summer etc I wonder how cheaper it'll work out. Also, will they charge extra to enter competitions, assuming you will to keep an active handicap

 

[SXRORY]

I do a flexible membership.
Do I feel part of the club? I play with a mate when I play so it doesn't not really bother us. Everyone has been friendly when playing on my own and I have joined others and had fun. We do plan to play in some monthly comps to keep the handicap going. Would I feel comfortable lifting the club championship as a flexible......hmmmmmm don't know lol
??
2. golf is is a privilege for me and I have to grab the opps with both hands with a young family. I try and play 18 when I go out. My place discount at twilight.
Playing twice a month will work out apx £30 a round. As a nomad I was paying this with the travel and did not have a handicap, could not play in comps and had no decent tee times.
I am playing at one of the best courses in the area. And can now do all of the above.

I'm happy