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

[howbow88]

The point of a joining fee is to make you want to stay, rather than just jump from club to club.

That is a major issue for me. What happens if I get injured and can't play golf any more? What happens if my financial circumstances change and I cannot afford to play golf any more? What happens if I move home, far away from the club I have joined? What happens if the club goes bankrupt? What happens if things goes bad at the club, and it turns into a rubbish course?

What happens if I have the audacity to want to join elsewhere?

Looking at it as a long-term investment is fine if you absolutely know that none of the above will happen. Otherwise, it seems a bit like a trap to me.

 

[orangepip]

New Zealand is a lovely course but very much marches to the beat of its own drummer; preferred lies all year round, no handicaps to name but two. Personally I thoroughly enjoy it when I go and rather like the fact that it is comfortable being different, but it may not be what everyone looks for in a club. West Byfleet is a far more traditional club and a very nice place.

I’d love to play it especially with it being so close but suspect membership is going to be tricky if you need to be invited. I asked Worplesdon and you need to be recommended by six(!!) members of good standing.

 

[FELL75]

I am in West Byfleet. New Zealand is a few minutes walk away but have not considered it.

Pyrford, Hoebridge and Foxhills will have to be my next considerations.

I live near Woking, between Woking GC and NZ/West byfleet. couldn't get in there and Hoebridge as a muni is always heaving. Ended up joining Ascot as only 20 minute drive away and membership fees much more manageable. Perhaps look at chobham, not my cup of tea but worth a look. Feel free to drop me a DM if you want to.

 

[TheDiablo]

Woking is an interesting area for golf. Loads to choose from but actually not all that much choice in terms of accessible, traditional members clubs

Top tier traditional member - 3Ws, all very expensive with long waiting lists even if you somehow manage to get in. West Hill the easiest I believe, nigh on impossible at the others unless you're very very good and Woking will likely bump you up the queue (but its a 2ball course)

Ultra Exclusive - New Zealand, Queenwood, Wisley - not going to happen

Country Club - Foxhills, Burhill - decent courses but way overpriced and not massively interested in traditional club feel. Very much Country Club set up

Muni/Pay and Play type courses - Silvermere, Hoebridge, Pyrford, Sutton Green. The latter being the only one that has a decent balance towards members, nice course layout but gets v wet

Traditional Clubs - West Byfleet and Chobham. In my opinion night and day between the two in terms of the quality of the course and year round playability. Chobham is instantly forgettable and a mudbath after any rain at all.

This means there is actually a fairly large number of golfers in the area that look for a club like West Byfleet - a good course with traditional golf club atmosphere that is accessible to almost anyone. But that has meant subscriptions and joining fees way above what you would get if you planted the course elsewhere in the country. What I would say is that there is a constant drive to improve the course using the funds received from joining fees and there's a large waiting list (was full pre-Covid) so the club must be doing a number of things right.

The other option is to look 20 minutes afield - the likes of Guildford, Ashford Manor, Clandon Regis, Royal Ascot, Puttenham which are all OK courses (step down from WB) at more traditional style clubs. I've no idea of the status of these clubs today but none had waiting lists or joining fees 2 years ago when a friend was looking

Once we're allowed guests I'm happy to sign you in at WB if you want someone to take you around (although appreciate that doesnt really help your predicament!)

 

[orangepip]

Woking is an interesting area for golf. Loads to choose from but actually not all that much choice in terms of accessible, traditional members clubs

Top tier traditional member - 3Ws, all very expensive with long waiting lists even if you somehow manage to get in. West Hill the easiest I believe, nigh on impossible at the others unless you're very very good and Woking will likely bump you up the queue (but its a 2ball course)

Ultra Exclusive - New Zealand, Queenwood, Wisley - not going to happen

Country Club - Foxhills, Burhill - decent courses but way overpriced and not massively interested in traditional club feel. Very much Country Club set up

Muni/Pay and Play type courses - Silvermere, Hoebridge, Pyrford, Sutton Green. The latter being the only one that has a decent balance towards members, nice course layout but gets v wet

Traditional Clubs - West Byfleet and Chobham. In my opinion night and day between the two in terms of the quality of the course and year round playability. Chobham is instantly forgettable and a mudbath after any rain at all.

This means there is actually a fairly large number of golfers in the area that look for a club like West Byfleet - a good course with traditional golf club atmosphere that is accessible to almost anyone. But that has meant subscriptions and joining fees way above what you would get if you planted the course elsewhere in the country. What I would say is that there is a constant drive to improve the course using the funds received from joining fees and there's a large waiting list (was full pre-Covid) so the club must be doing a number of things right.

The other option is to look 20 minutes afield - the likes of Guildford, Ashford Manor, Clandon Regis, Royal Ascot, Puttenham which are all OK courses (step down from WB) at more traditional style clubs. I've no idea of the status of these clubs today but none had waiting lists or joining fees 2 years ago when a friend was looking

Once we're allowed guests I'm happy to sign you in at WB if you want someone to take you around (although appreciate that doesnt really help your predicament!)

i might well end up taking you up on that. Distance (time really) becomes a factor as like a lot of people I don’t have a lot of it due to family and work so proximity is pretty key. You’ve summed the situation up nicely though. Effingham is high up my list but suffers from a full membership as well.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

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

Erm...... so only the drug barons, moneylenders, dodgy landlords and nightclub owners can afford to join.

 

[Humpy]

I agree with BDill93 in that I think this year will be a busy one for all golf courses/clubs but when people can start to do what they were doing pre pandemic then demand will slow. Golf clubs/courses are just taking advantage of the situation by increasing fees and/or introducing joining fees. In short, it's supply and demand.

In addition, a boom in any sport usually coincides with the country or the top stars of a country doing well which increases interest. Can't really say that is the case with UK golf/golfers at the moment!

 

[sunshine]

The club were fantastic due to covid

They paused all the gym only members until it reopened

Every month golf was closed our direct debit was frozen so I didn't pay much (just over half)

The third 9 is being built

July last year we went from 14 holes to full 18 (our membership increases in July - July)

So now a full year of 18 holes

And 9 holes being built aswell

So improvements plus treated well in covid

Going from 14 holes to 18 is a pretty good justification for the increase in fees! (as well as the other things)

 

[sunshine]

With a private members club, at least the joining fee is going into the club, so your "investment" is going to be spent on things that you will benefit from as a member.

With a proprietary club, the joining fee is just extra profit going into the owner's pocket. I would expect the budget is based on recurring revenue ie subscriptions, societies etc, and joining fee income is a bonus.

 

[Mandofred]

I'm feeling lucky after reading these.......I got a bit of discount at my old club for the lockdown disruption (£941 for this year.....up to £1100 if I hadn't taken it) and....I joined another nearby club for £595 as a 2nd club where I am now playing most of the time. I consider it all to be a good deal.

 

[PJ87]

Going from 14 holes to 18 is a pretty good justification for the increase in fees! (as well as the other things)

Well they raised from £62.50 to £83 when we went to 18 fully ..

Hopefully it's not a Trend to continue, it sounds like this increase is going to be due to what the club lost with covid . Everyone knows how good they were to us so I doubt will be many unhappy with the outcome

£100 a month is still reasonable for what we get (includes gym)

 

[Mandofred]

Well they raised from £62.50 to £83 when we went to 18 fully ..

Hopefully it's not a Trend to continue, it sounds like this increase is going to be due to what the club lost with covid . Everyone knows how good they were to us so I doubt will be many unhappy with the outcome

£100 a month is still reasonable for what we get (includes gym)

Dang....if that covers my golf and the gym is decent at all.....great deal.

 

[PJ87]

Dang....if that covers my golf and the gym is decent at all.....great deal.

Now I'm double jabbed I'm going to start going back to the gym aswell .. well now it's open

I wonder if long term they will split the membership so you can opt out of gym membership but it works well

Has a range with a par 3 course attached (which you get for free) only issue is it's a good distance away .. not walkable the way it's laid out .. I used to play the par 3 constantly .. it was £198 for a year but once I joined full course and it's free to use I ironically haven't bothered

 

[Humpy]

I wonder if the boom is tailing off already. Our course has a lot of unused tee-times during the week and I also heard that another course which is usually rammed with casual golfers was practically empty yesterday.

Suspect people are either back at work or shopping!

 

[GB72]

I wonder if the boom is tailing off already. Our course has a lot of unused tee-times during the week and I also heard that another course which is usually rammed with casual golfers was practically empty yesterday.

Suspect people are either back at work or shopping!

It will be interesting. I guess quite a number joined up last summer when golf was one of the view activities that you could leave the house for. Once those memberships are up and there are all manner of other activities open, as well as the option of Nomad golf being more viable again as the year goes on, it will be interesting to see how many join up for another year.

 

[clubchamp98]

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

Ours is £1200 JF but spread over 3 years.
£1400 GF so not cheap but they want members to stay.
But 2.7k that’s a lot but with a waiting list they are getting it.

 

[clubchamp98]

I wonder if the boom is tailing off already. Our course has a lot of unused tee-times during the week and I also heard that another course which is usually rammed with casual golfers was practically empty yesterday.

Suspect people are either back at work or shopping!

Yes noticed our tee sheet was full but when I got there the place was deserted.

 

[4LEX]

New Zealand is a lovely course but very much marches to the beat of its own drummer; preferred lies all year round, no handicaps to name but two. Personally I thoroughly enjoy it when I go and rather like the fact that it is comfortable being different, but it may not be what everyone looks for in a club. West Byfleet is a far more traditional club and a very nice place.

It's a great club. Don't join unless you like playing from the thickest heather in the country though