Subscriptions for membership 2023.

[upsidedown]

With all the talk of a recession and energy prices through the roof how much would your subs have to go up by for you not to rejoin next year ?
Would a rise in line with inflation be ok or would that be a step too far , with interest rates rising as well if you've a mortgage .
For me can't see how clubs can't afford to raise sub levels so inflation would be ok but would have to look at holidays and how many Opens I played in to offset the rise.

 

[BrianM]

To me it’s my hobby and I’ll spend what I spend, I’ll be a member of 3 clubs due to work life and home life and that will continue ?

 

[D-S]

I think ‘golf club inflation’ is really high. The price of machinery has rocketed with 25-30% increases being the norm and chemicals have increased by similar levels. They also need to pay their staff correctly and there is a shortage of bar and catering staff as well as recruiting green staff is not easy.
All in all for services to remain as they are at least inflationary increases are required. The good news is that membership remains strong but if that starts dropping off then it’s the start of a vicious circle.

 

[Oddsocks]

We’re just about to exit casc and have issued notification of a increase for 2023. Ours is currently rumoured to be around 13%, approx £1800 p/a up from £1595 p/a and we’ve also introduced a £750 JF as we have a waiting list.

This raises a couple of issues.

1) this will put us near on par with better members courses in the area so people will leave (i myself have 1 foot out the door already)

2) the JF is to improve member retention, the issue is the old guard and their attitude towards newer blood so fix that problem and the problem goes. Also others in the area have either no JF or a minimal £250 so our joining fee alone will scare off new members and that waiting list will disappear.

I think everyone is expecting a increase, it’s just whether it stays in line with others as to the outcome.

 

[Mel Smooth]

Mines £92 a month, membership runs June to June, so I need not worry for almost a year, by which time, I'll have died of hypothermia in the winter, due to price of gas.

Sorted.

 

[Crazyface]

Dunno. There are bits I don't like about where I play but it's has a points system that allows the wife to join and play for about five months. I'm on a five day membership but if there's big increase I'll ask to drop back to the points system again then play at other places with the money saved.

 

[IanM]

The butler will have to hand back his Maserati if it gets any worse.

 

[Dando]

The butler will have to hand back his Maserati if it gets any worse.

Can’t blame him if that’s all your letting him drive

 

[hovis]

Ours has gone up 10%. We where notified via a very blunt email. Like Oddsocks said, it's put itself in the firing line of better clubs. Unfortunately my current club have an inflated sence of self worth (they genuinely thinks it's the best course in Staffordshire). Think they're up for a shock.

 

[jim8flog]

The minimum rise for us is the level of inflation, it is in our rules.

I have no idea of what my maximum would be before I gave up simply because golf represents such a huge part of my life.

One thing I would say is that buying new equipment has very much become a thing of the past for me. Last time I bought a Vokey wedge it was £70 what are they now £170?

 

[Yorkhacker]

Our subs cannot go up by more than 5% without agreement from 75% of the membership, which they won't get. So it will be 5% which is fine by me, but plenty will not be happy. It won't really matter if people leave, as we have a waiting list, and new members pay a joining fee.

 

[Oddsocks]

Ours has gone up 10%. We where notified via a very blunt email. Like Oddsocks said, it's put itself in the firing line of better clubs. Unfortunately my current club have an inflated sence of self worth (they genuinely thinks it's the best course in Staffordshire). Think they're up for a shock.

I don’t begrudge our cost as we are the cheapest in the area to a degree, but we still allow to many green fees at weekend peak times which others surrounding do not.

To pay 1800 for this I’d rather pay 1950 (assuming the same increase) fir a surrounding members club.

Can’t want to get out of Greater London, golf is ridiculously expensive even for a mediocre course.

 

[Oddsocks]

Our subs cannot go up by more than 5% without agreement from 75% of the membership, which they won't get. So it will be 5% which is fine by me, but plenty will not be happy. It won't really matter if people leave, as we have a waiting list, and new members pay a joining fee.

I think you’d be surprised how many on your waiting list are also on others, if they get greedy with the JF that could impact decisions.

 

[Yorkhacker]

I think you’d be surprised how many on your waiting list are also on others, if they get greedy with the JF that could impact decisions.

Possibly, but I don't think there are any other clubs in this area with waiting lists.

 

[Oddsocks]

Possibly, but I don't think there are any other clubs in this area with waiting lists.

I’m aware of a club that very recently got smug with some of its members and commented that “ they have a waiting list of people to join the club “ etc etc etc.

After a 20% walk out it turns out most had joined other clubs and not updated them and subsequently there is now no waiting list

 

[chrisd]

The minimum rise for us is the level of inflation, it is in our rules.

I have no idea of what my maximum would be before I gave up simply because golf represents such a huge part of my life.

One thing I would say is that buying new equipment has very much become a thing of the past for me. Last time I bought a Vokey wedge it was £70 what are they now £170?

I lost a vokey wedge recently that cost me about £70 and still was in good condition, same as you , I'm not willing to pay £170 , I'll make do with a wedge someone sold me for £10

 

[upsidedown]

I think ‘golf club inflation’ is really high. The price of machinery has rocketed with 25-30% increases being the norm and chemicals have increased by similar levels. They also need to pay their staff correctly and there is a shortage of bar and catering staff as well as recruiting green staff is not easy.
All in all for services to remain as they are at least inflationary increases are required. The good news is that membership remains strong but if that starts dropping off then it’s the start of a vicious circle.

We're embarking on a very thorough overhaul of our machinery as some of it was over 20 years old, been a big investment going for "lease to own" ( cant get the machines but thats another story). New course manager was able to buy all his ferts and chems at the beginning of the season so have offset some of the rising costs. Green staff had a good raise this year and mebership is good, worry is if we had say 50 decide it's too expensive that would leave a big hole in our budgets.

Ours has gone up 10%. We where notified via a very blunt email. Like Oddsocks said, it's put itself in the firing line of better clubs. Unfortunately my current club have an inflated sence of self worth (they genuinely thinks it's the best course in Staffordshire). Think they're up for a shock.

Any clues as to where that is ? We're just over the border in Shropshire

Our subs cannot go up by more than 5% without agreement from 75% of the membership, which they won't get. So it will be 5% which is fine by me, but plenty will not be happy. It won't really matter if people leave, as we have a waiting list, and new members pay a joining fee.

Not happy at the 5% rise or not happy as think it should be higher ?

 

[Yorkhacker]

Not happy at the 5% rise or not happy as think it should be higher ?

They will think 5% is too much as it will be the 3rd year in a row it has gone up this much. Personally I would be comfortable with 10%, but not enough people feel the same to get it passed, as was proved at the agm in 2020.

 

[upsidedown]

They will think 5% is too much as it will be the 3rd year in a row it has gone up this much. Personally I would be comfortable with 10%, but not enough people feel the same to get it passed, as was proved at the agm in 2020.

Is that because they want cheaper golf or feel the club isn't spending the subs wisely do you think ?
It's a tough equation to balance at times

 

[Lord Tyrion]

They will think 5% is too much as it will be the 3rd year in a row it has gone up this much. Personally I would be comfortable with 10%, but not enough people feel the same to get it passed, as was proved at the agm in 2020.

It's pretty visible in all of the news outlets that costs for everything have gone up, fuel, energy, chemicals, etc. Staff wages will need to increase, any golf club not advertising for staff right now?

A 5% increase only might send your club backwards in terms of finances and course conditions. Saying that, a 10% increase is a huge pill to swallow. I'm not sure I could justify 10%. Tough times for club finances and committees

Up the green fees, protect the members ?‍