Twilight special a kick in the teeth to members

[mister v]

We like many on here had to renew our golf fees by the 31st march..... just in time for the Covid-19 lock down. Now i like 85% of our club did this knowing its for the good of the club and its required to keep it running during the lockdown.
no sooner are we open for 2 balls do they send out emails on facebook / twitter / local paper advertising twilight deals to visiting golfers.
I realise they need to re-coup lost revenue but its a kick in the teeth to members who are having a hard enough time getting Tee times as it is without having to get bumped for nomads on a cheap deals

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

Is your club private or proprietary?

 

[mister v]

Is your club private or proprietary?

Private club mate

 

[IanM]

Private club mate

...well a few folk would have bet on the other one!

 

[USER1999]

Thing is, it's easy to make a judgement based on little knowledge. My club have started taking members guests (different fish, but bear with me). I am against it, as booking times are mobbed.
But someone on the board, who knows far more about the finances than me, thinks we need the fees.
If we do need the fees to stay afloat, there is no point in being a fully paid up member of a club that goes bust.

Or, they are greedy gits. Take your choice, but my view is someone is doing unpopular stuff to stay afloat in hard times.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I'm starting to see, via FB feeds, more clubs in the NE opening up to visitors generally, both members clubs and proprietary clubs. I think they are jumping in very early, they really should be giving their members priority for a little longer, until June 1st at least imo.

 

[GB72]

I would not mind too much if the club was communicating their reasoning. If, for example, the club emailed the membership and said that they had to recoup some of the losses, this is now a peak time to sell of some tee spots at a premium price as people are desperate to play and not many places are taking guests and that would help ease the burden then I would be fine with that. If they were not communicating and selling the tee slots off cheap then I would be more concerned.

I guess, as with paying subs when you cannot play golf, if your attitude is that whatever is best for the club and keeps the club going should be done then making some money when tee slots are hard to come buy would be a sensible approach.

 

[IanM]

Thing is, it's easy to make a judgement based on little knowledge. My club have started taking members guests (different fish, but bear with me). I am against it, as booking times are mobbed.
But someone on the board, who knows far more about the finances than me, thinks we need the fees.
If we do need the fees to stay afloat, there is no point in being a fully paid up member of a club that goes bust.

Or, they are greedy gits. Take your choice, but my view is someone is doing unpopular stuff to stay afloat in hard times.

Precisely - that's why they should be communicating with the membership to say, "we're doing this because...... "

 

[Orikoru]

So you're not in favour of your club trying to make back lost revenue in order to keep functioning?

 

[mister v]

This is a case of greedy gittery , we had the big email telling us to pay up (our fees are £1k) for the good of the club, and as others have mentioned its a struggle to get a tee time anyway, and im restricted as i cant get to play until after 5pm as were back to work, and now we'll be competing against non members......
I appreciate its a business, i've got one myself but customer loyalty is gained by offering good service to your customers, not pissing them off.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

So you're not in favour of your club trying to make back lost revenue in order to keep functioning?

As Ian mentions, is that the case? Is it being communicated to the members?

Look at it another way. For 2 months members have paid money to their club for a service they have not received. Clubs had members money. Visitors did not pay a penny over during that time, they did not commit to keep that club open. All members are asking for is a few weeks where they get free reign on the course as payback for those lost two months. Most courses are pretty full, especially as only two balls are allowed, and so if visitors are getting slots then they may be doing so at the expense of the member who paid their money for two months and got nothing for it. We know visitors are an essential part of golf club life but in the immediate lifting of restrictions I think members are due a bit of payback. If they don't get that the clubs may see some movement come next years renewal time.

 

[mister v]

So you're not in favour of your club trying to make back lost revenue in order to keep functioning?

Hi Orikoru. yes i am in favour of making back revenue, im a business owner myself and its been a struggle in these past couple of months. but i personally would have carried on with guests allowed to play with a member which i think is one of the perks of being a member being allowed to bring a guest to your club. and i would have introduced deals in a few months time not straight away...... all thats achieved is a) good news for the nomads in our area who havent had to fork out on a membership fee and b) annoying the members who have forked out £1k and are now struggling to get a time that suits.
I guess in my opinion it was too early

 

[mister v]

As Ian mentions, is that the case? Is it being communicated to the members?

Look at it another way. For 2 months members have paid money to their club for a service they have not received. Clubs had members money. Visitors did not pay a penny over during that time, they did not commit to keep that club open. All members are asking for is a few weeks where they get free reign on the course as payback for those lost two months. Most courses are pretty full, especially as only two balls are allowed, and so if visitors are getting slots then they may be doing so at the expense of the member who paid their money for two months and got nothing for it. We know visitors are an essential part of golf club life but in the immediate lifting of restrictions I think members are due a bit of payback. If they don't get that the clubs may see some movement come next years renewal time.

Very well put Lord Tyrion. and as always in our club it was just posted up on twitter, no discusion with the membership

 

[garyinderry]

Its the 2ball rule putting the squeeze on clubs.


3 balls here in ireland working well. The tee times go quickly but if you log on you can get a time within half an hour of your choice with little bother.

 

[mister v]

the 2 ball thing has been good at our club, 10 min intervals makes for a very pleasant round of golf, our tee times do get booked up quickly during the day but you can normally get one in the evening , but we've had these twilight deals before and at caused a problem then, i just fear its going to be worse now the tee times are far more limited

 

[Sports_Fanatic]

Our club has just allowed member guests from mid-afternoon and visitors for the twilight rounds. I expect (not sure) that they've seen those are quieter on the bookings so releasing them so that revenue can be brought in and potentially still attract new members. After all, if you leave it too late guests are unlikely to sign up as we get closer to winter. I'd also expect they'll see tee times being easier to get hold of (I haven't had an issue but then I play late) as more return to work or get through the initial excitement of golf being back.

We've had our membership year extended so whilst money did support them when closed I'm still getting the same back and under normal circumstances I'd expect visitors to be able to play.

I've also just booked an evening tee time at another course for next week as two visitors (closer to a mate's place) and didn't have any qualms about booking it. Maybe it helps the clubs with revenue to get someone back off furlough, particularly if they're only being paid 80%.

I appreciate clubs are run for the purpose of the members, but a bit with the thread on opening them up during lockdown, I think people are often naturally quite self-centred so only want to do what's in our interest rather than wider for either club, visitors or staff when in these times we could probably think wider.

 

[chellie]

If it's stopping members being able to book times then yes it is taking the pee. Also, how cheap is cheap. Are they massively reducing the normal rate?

 

[Bunkermagnet]

We aren't allowing visitors or members guests, and rightly so right now. It's hard enoough trying to get a tee time in the current framework, so why should members have to compete with non members for those valueable tee times?.
Fee renewal time is the end of June, and last year it was £1165. I think that gives members the right to say no to non members right now.

 

[GB72]

It is a prime time to recoup cash. About now people will pay full green fees and maybe more to get a round of golf as a visitor, simple matter of supply and demand. If courses open up to 3 balls or more in a couple of weeks time and more courses open up to taking guests, pay and players will be back looking for deals and cheap rounds and not paying the full price. If that is the reasoning then it actually would make sense from a financial point of view to sell off tee times now and maybe even advise members that there will be a few weeks of members only in a month or so when the price that can be demanded for a green fee is far lower.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Personally I'd see it as a kick in th eteeth to the members who have paid up front and waited for a chance to play and ow possibly prevented to grab some green fee cash. If the club is that desperate it doesn't bode well financially and if it loses members as a result, especially those paying by DD and would therefore simply cancel (and would the club then be bothered to chase the outstanding balance if they were the T&C's) then that is going to exacerbate the problem