Sad Returning Golfer - 12 months+ waiting list, £2.7k Joining Fee

[Lostgolfer]

Hi all,

Feeling quite sad today. I moved house during covid and had to give up my old membership at a lovely course as was several hours from my new location.

My new house is in a nice area, 5 minutes walk from a club which I had my eye on joining. I don't drive so it was a perfect fit.


Now I have found out they have a massive waiting list, even with a £2.7k joining fee. The subs are almost £2k a year on top, I live in Surrey so I know it is a better than average income area, but I was surprised.



Feeling bit glum now, what are people's predictions for the future, is this golfing boom here to stay?

 

[Bdill93]

Hi all,

Feeling quite sad today. I moved house during covid and had to give up my old membership at a lovely course as was several hours from my new location.

My new house is in a nice area, 5 minutes walk from a club which I had my eye on joining. I don't drive so it was a perfect fit.


Now I have found out they have a massive waiting list, even with a £2.7k joining fee. The subs are almost £2k a year on top, I live in Surrey so I know it is a better than average income area, but I was surprised.



Feeling bit glum now, what are people's predictions for the future, is this golfing boom here to stay?

Jesus... I know its an affluent area of the country but thats STEEP pricing. Honestly I am part of the golfing boom squad, I came to golf last year to fill an Aston Villa home and away STH void and I dont plan on leaving golf now. Its brilliant.

I think next year there may be a dip, once everything is back to normal and people have more options for their weekends again, but 2021 - no chance!

 

[IanM]

I left Surrey many years ago and golf is more affordable out "west!" (although not many decent jobs to be had locally!) I used to be mad-keen to return "home." Not when I go visiting, I am glad to leave - too busy

Where are you...there will be alternatives!

Booms / Slumps of any kind tend to be cyclical .... don't despair!

 

[Orikoru]

People obviously pay it, but I just can't see the value at that price. I've recently joined a proper subscription club for the first time (old club was pay as you play), and my subs work out around a hundred a month on average. If you think about how many times you play in a month and it works out 25 or 20 quid per round, then that's good, hence I'm happy to pay it as I'd only need to play once a week and feel like I'm getting good value.

If that club is 4700 total for the first year, I'd feel like I had to play 3 times a week!

 

[Deleted member 1147]

People obviously pay it, but I just can't see the value at that price. I've recently joined a proper subscription club for the first time (old club was pay as you play), and my subs work out around a hundred a month on average. If you think about how many times you play in a month and it works out 25 or 20 quid per round, then that's good, hence I'm happy to pay it as I'd only need to play once a week and feel like I'm getting good value.

If that club is 4700 total for the first year, I'd feel like I had to play 3 times a week!

You shouldn’t see the £2700 as the first year’s cost. It’s for your lifetime as a member there.

 

[Bdill93]

People obviously pay it, but I just can't see the value at that price. I've recently joined a proper subscription club for the first time (old club was pay as you play), and my subs work out around a hundred a month on average. If you think about how many times you play in a month and it works out 25 or 20 quid per round, then that's good, hence I'm happy to pay it as I'd only need to play once a week and feel like I'm getting good value.

If that club is 4700 total for the first year, I'd feel like I had to play 3 times a week!

Using your metric - mine costs me a WHOPPING £3.12 a round. I do play 5/6 days a week on average though (9 holes midweek, 18 weekend)

 

[Orikoru]

You shouldn’t see the £2700 as the first year’s cost. It’s for your lifetime as a member there.

Oh so they let you spread that cost over your lifetime as a member do they?

 

[Orikoru]

Using your metric - mine costs me a WHOPPING £3.12 a round. I do play 5/6 days a week on average though (9 holes midweek, 18 weekend)

For someone like myself who isn't absolutely flush with cash, I have to do the maths. If a membership worked out a lot more than £25-30 a round it just wouldn't be viable.

 

[Lostgolfer]

Oh so they let you spread that cost over your lifetime as a member do they?

They want it up front.

Think there is an option to split over the first couple years, for a further fee on top. People must have a lot of money in these parts.

 

[Orikoru]

They want it up front.

Think there is an option to split over the first couple years, for a further fee on top. People must have a lot of money in these parts.

Yeah, sorry, I was taking the mick, haha. My point being you have to pay it, so you have to factor it into that first year's cost.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

Oh so they let you spread that cost over your lifetime as a member do they?

The point of a joining fee is to make you want to stay, rather than just jump from club to club.
So if you are going to calculate your cost per round, you should split the joining fee over the time you are a member of the club.
It’s simple a simple matching principle.
But perhaps not simple enough for you!

 

[Bdill93]

For someone like myself who isn't absolutely flush with cash, I have to do the maths. If a membership worked out a lot more than £25-30 a round it just wouldn't be viable.

Hey mate, I play at a club that costs me £33 a month (used to be 27) - Im with you there! Also - leaves me with the cash to pay any green fees if I fancy a change of scenery, and its 4 minutes from my house. Stupid to go anywhere else!

 

[Curls]

Man that is tough. How much are green fees there? Don’t want to be a gloom merchant but we could well be facing another recession when the dust settles. Could be that in a year or two the list and fees are reduced anyway. Not much consolation now. But if you only play once a week for example you could play a load of nice courses as a visitor in the meantime

 

[Kennysarmy]

Just WOW.
Feel for you mate, that would severely piss me off

 

[Orikoru]

The point of a joining fee is to make you want to stay, rather than just jump from club to club.
So if you are going to calculate your cost per round, you should split the joining fee over the time you are a member of the club.
It’s simple a simple matching principle.
But perhaps not simple enough for you!

Must be lovely to have enough money to justify it that way. But the fact is it's a cost that has to be paid in the first year, so most of us would have to factor this in. All you're doing is justifying the cost in your mind, that doesn't make it any cheaper.

 

[Lostgolfer]

Man that is tough. How much are green fees there? Don’t want to be a gloom merchant but we could well be facing another recession when the dust settles. Could be that in a year or two the list and fees are reduced anyway. Not much consolation now. But if you only play once a week for example you could play a load of nice courses as a visitor in the meantime

They are not letting non members play at the moment unfortunately.

Part of joining a club was meeting new people, hopefully like minded. Is tough moving into a new area, especially during covid.

 

[Canary_Yellow]

The point of a joining fee is to make you want to stay, rather than just jump from club to club.
So if you are going to calculate your cost per round, you should split the joining fee over the time you are a member of the club.
It’s simple a simple matching principle.
But perhaps not simple enough for you!

Surely it's to make money for the club because there is sufficient demand for membership that they can? As a subsidiary benefit it might put people off that would consider chopping and changing clubs, if the club wishes to put those people off, but fundamentally I can't see it's anything other than a money making exercise.

For a lot of people, life isn't rigid enough to be able to say for certain how long they will be a member, so it has to be looked at as an upfront cost.

 

[sunshine]

Now I have found out they have a massive waiting list, even with a £2.7k joining fee. The subs are almost £2k a year on top, I live in Surrey so I know it is a better than average income area, but I was surprised.

Almost £2k a year subs is just average for home counties. It's the cost of golf, there are both cheaper and dearer options and it is what it is.

I have to say I'm not really a fan of joining fees. It is effectively money for nothing, and just acts as a pair of handcuffs to keep you at the club. I understand the commercial rationale for a joining fee (my club has a big joining fee and a waiting list for 2023), I just don't think it is the right way to retain members... a club should earn loyalty through providing a great product.

 

[Kennysarmy]

Almost £2k a year subs is just average for home counties. It's the cost of golf, there are both cheaper and dearer options and it is what it is.

I have to say I'm not really a fan of joining fees. It is effectively money for nothing, and just acts as a pair of handcuffs to keep you at the club. I understand the commercial rationale for a joining fee (my club has a big joining fee and a waiting list for 2023), I just don't think it is the right way to retain members... a club should earn loyalty through providing a great product.

It keeps the riff raff out - that's how I see it.

 

[JayB]

Now I have found out they have a massive waiting list, even with a £2.7k joining fee. The subs are almost £2k a year on top

Nearly £5k in the first year and a waiting list, me personally, assuming no medical or legal reasons for not driving I'd invest in driving lessons and a cheapish run around, you'll have so many more options of clubs to join, or even just play occasionally as a guest/visitor.