Reduced Membership Deals

[Slab]

With zero disrespect, how do members clubs decide on the membership categories that best suit the club financially?

Clearly many clubs will have members with more than sufficient business acumen and hopefully some find there way to decision making posts but is your 'trade' typically used for suitability for committee and what do clubs do when such individuals are not available ?

 

[Bdill93]

If you take a look at the cars they pull up in and the golf gear they walk around with its blatantly obvious they shouldn't be paying £300 less than a full member

What a class response

My car is expensive to run as well as buy though so I do need the subsidy in my golf membership to offset it..

Honda Jazz's are far cheaper!

 

[Orikoru]

What a class response

My car is expensive to run as well as buy though so I do need the subsidy in my golf membership to offset it..

Honda Jazz's are far cheaper!

That's me told, I'm obviously stealing a membership when I turn up in my 2011 Fiesta.

 

[sjw]

If you take a look at the cars they pull up in and the golf gear they walk around with its blatantly obvious they shouldn't be paying £300 less than a full member

Green is not your colour darling

 

[Golfloveruk]

Means testing membership dues by the perceived value of the car you drive to golf. Great idea!!

All of the Range Rovers and Porsches at my place are driven by the retired. They should therefore pay the most. Makes sense.

Mine is a company car, so technically not mine, do I get a discount? Or I could take my daughter’s car which was only a few £k.

Or, we could have a look at where everyone lives and decide dues based on the value of their house on Zoopla.

 

[Bdill93]

Means testing membership dues by the perceived value of the car you drive to golf. Great idea!!

All of the Range Rovers and Porsches at my place are driven by the retired. They should therefore pay the most. Makes sense.

Mine is a company car, so technically not mine, do I get a discount? Or I could take my daughter’s car which was only a few £k.

Or, we could have a look at where everyone lives and decide dues based on the value of their house on Zoopla.

Ill do you one better - you pay more relative to how your house has increased in value since purchase date...

 

[ntommo]

What a class response

My car is expensive to run as well as buy though so I do need the subsidy in my golf membership to offset it..

Honda Jazz's are far cheaper!

That's just the way it is up in deep dark West Cumbria, its an extra fiver a week up to £600 for year round golf so not a bad deal really

 

[IanM]

Maybe it's time for a car code as well as a dress code?

 

[Crazyface]

I have to ask the question, why do you stay there as a member? Are there not other, better run, clubs in the area you could join? If there are group of you, just do a mass exodus to another club. Our club works damned hard to keep the membership informed and listen to the members and know the value of full membership. 15% is astonishingly low.
We are now in the downslide of the membership surge caused by Covid. This is where, I believe, we will see more clubs going bust as they had not put in plans for the obvious reduction in members as people leave to do other things.

I left few years ago, I was comp sec at the time. But the place I went to were playing silly people over the use of white tees (long story) so I went back as the reason I left had been sorted and the lads I played with were all still there. Problem is, and this backs up what I'm whining on about, a load (10) left this year and went to the dark side (a club close by). This has meant that one of my reasons for returning is no longer a reason for staying. I still love the place and the remaining people there, and if things could be changed I'm sure we could get more people signed up. The greenkeepers got a roasting at the meeting. They are doing whatever they want.

 

[Crazyface]

That's me told, I'm obviously stealing a membership when I turn up in my 2011 Fiesta.

Well I'm in a 2009 Mazda, because I'm subsidizing the other categories!

 

[Oddsocks]

At a few clubs around me, there are still some age related discounts but aside from that, they have gone to a flat rate full 7 day membership for everyone irrespective of age or gender. Everyone pays the same and has the same full access rights. Seems fair to me especially when you would get 5 day members being signed in as member guests at weekends for a reduced fee when the weather was nice etc.

100%

Full fee for full rights, no sex or age related discrimination rubbish either.

Discounted categories should have restrictions imposed. Later tee times etc etc.

 

[Arthur Wedge]

100%

Full fee for full rights, no sex or age related discrimination rubbish either.

It’s been proven that reduced rates has encouraged more to the sport

If clubs don’t offer reduced rates then they will struggle to fill the membership and then those “full rights” fees will start to increase

A lot of work has gone in to attract younger people to the sport reduce rates and then stepped increases has worked

 

[KenL]

I’m all for reduced fees for students and young adults up to about 25.
But to offer a discount up to 40 is a joke.
I would leave a club like that if i had an option. I wonder how many do?

 

[Arthur Wedge]

I’m all for reduced fees for students and young adults up to about 25.
But to offer a discount up to 40 is a joke.
I would leave a club like that if i had an option. I wonder how many do?

Why would you leave a club because of discounts others get ? Surely all you should care about is if the money you pay you feel you are getting value

 

[KenL]

Why would you leave a club because of discounts others get ? Surely all you should care about is if the money you pay you feel you are getting value

Only clubs in difficulty would offer a discount to a 39 year old. I doubt anyone is getting value there.

 

[Arthur Wedge]

Only clubs in difficulty would offer a discount to a 39 year old. I doubt anyone is getting value there.

We aren’t in difficulty

We have a huge waiting list , our average age has been reduced

 

[KenL]

We aren’t in difficulty

We have a huge waiting list , our average age has been reduced

Why throw away cash? People who are keen (and likely to stay) will pay if it is vfm.

Edit… Is your huge waiting list selective depending on age? Is there a joining fee? If not, why not?

 

[Arthur Wedge]

Why throw away cash? People who are keen (and likely to stay) will pay if it is vfm.

Edit… Is your huge waiting list selective depending on age? Is there a joining fee? If not, why not?

We aren’t throwing away cash - we have a very healthy membership

And the waiting list isn’t selective and yes there is a joining fee

 

[KenL]

We aren’t throwing away cash - we have a very healthy membership

And the waiting list isn’t selective and yes there is a joining fee

If people are queueing up to join, then the club is throwing away cash if people approaching middle age get a discount.
Either that or they are fleecing the over 40s.

 

[PJ87]

If people are queueing up to join, then the club is throwing away cash if people approaching middle age get a discount.
Either that or they are fleecing the over 40s.

It's not throwing cash away. It's smart investment in future members

People under 40 for various reasons aren't as represented at clubs as members

I'm 37 and there are a handful of us under 40

We charge full rate for what it's worth

However the reasons for people my age not going are things like time, money and other interests.. normally people play football at weekends until mid 30s then take up golf when that ends

But if clubs tap them up early with cheaper membership they are more likely to go for it

It's an investment that sees good returns in member retention

On the flip side nobody bats an eyelid when we give pensioners discounts. In the main these are guys who have more disposable income and can use the course every day as they are retired so get a great deal for less money. Yet we don't think twice about discounting their memberships