Weekend Membership

[r0wly86]

Seen a few courses off it.

Membership for Saturday and Sundays, reduced green fees if you want to play Mon-Fri pretty much the opposite of a 5 day membership.

I think this should become the norm for golf clubs. For those people with 9-5 jobs and a commute, plus a family, weekends are pretty much the only time we can play. Yet most clubs only offer a full 7 day membership for us, so we are paying the highest rates and probably play the least amount of golf.

What are people's thoughts on weekend memberhsips

 

[fundy]

how much discount do you expect from a 7 day membership price for weekend membership?

will the club be financially viable if it offers this to most of its membership?

 

[r0wly86]

how much discount do you expect from a 7 day membership price for weekend membership?

will the club be financially viable if it offers this to most of its membership?

It was around £200-300 off a £1000 membership from the clubs I saw.

It would reduce income from 7 day members who would switch, but it could easily attract new members who can't justify full membership when they can only okay 2/7ths of the week

 

[Crazyface]

Good idea I think

 

[ger147]

It was around £200-300 off a £1000 membership from the clubs I saw.

It would reduce income from 7 day members who would switch, but it could easily attract new members who can't justify full membership when they can only okay 2/7ths of the week

So more members competing for the same premium weekend tee time slots?

Not sure you could offset the discount with more people as pointless having a weekend only membership if you can't get a tee time.

 

[r0wly86]

So more members competing for the same premium weekend tee time slots?

Not sure you could offset the discount with more people as pointless having a weekend only membership if you can't get a tee time.

I am sure it is workable, as I have seen clubs do it.

The question is why would I pay £2k for a club around here, if I am lucky I can play once a week, on a Sunday due to work, plus maybe a few rounds during the year when I on holiday. That would work at nearly £40 a round. No way am I paying that, I can be nomad much cheaper, play a variety of courses and now get a handicap.

If they reduced it to £1200 that drops it £23 per round, that is something that I may be able to do

 

[Deleted member 23270]

Why not just go for one of those points memberships where you buy a certain number then top up as required?

 

[moogie]

Financial suicide I'd say

 

[Papas1982]

I am sure it is workable, as I have seen clubs do it.

The question is why would I pay £2k for a club around here, if I am lucky I can play once a week, on a Sunday due to work, plus maybe a few rounds during the year when I on holiday. That would work at nearly £40 a round. No way am I paying that, I can be nomad much cheaper, play a variety of courses and now get a handicap.

If they reduced it to £1200 that drops it £23 per round, that is something that I may be able to do

Imo clubs that offer that, are clubs desperate for members.
if you had a membership of just 400 full time and half dropped to that rate. The club would need to recoup £160,000. That would mean selling an additional 133 of your new category.

So now there are 1/3 more members competing for weekend tees. not sure that’s gonna make good sense?

 

[IanM]

This depends on the demographics of the club and when peak times are.

I would have benefitted from it greatly over the past 10 years as with working away, I only played once a week, on a Saturday. I only played during the week if on leave. The retired old boys seemed to play 4 or 5 days out of 7... and were much in evidence on a Saturday morning too! But funding the transition would be a headache.

Our club doesn't offer 5 day membership, so I wouldn't expect to see this... and we full, and have a waiting list - so no change on the horizon anytime soon

 

[Foxholer]

Imo clubs that offer that, are clubs desperate for members.
if you had a membership of just 400 full time and half dropped to that rate. The club would need to recoup £160,000. That would mean selling an additional 133 of your new category.

So now there are 1/3 more members competing for weekend tees. not sure that’s gonna make good sense?

While I agree with those numbers at clubs where membership is full, they won't be the ones who would be offering those deals - at least, not initially! It will only be those clubs who are not filling weekend slots that would be considering such an offer! It's not really any different to how a club decides how, when and how much to charge, visitors/guests.

 

[phils226]

Imo clubs that offer that, are clubs desperate for members.
if you had a membership of just 400 full time and half dropped to that rate. The club would need to recoup £160,000. That would mean selling an additional 133 of your new category.

So now there are 1/3 more members competing for weekend tees. not sure that’s gonna make good sense?

Agree fully with this - Its an economic 'argument' not a moral one on who benefits most. Attracting more weekend players is not viable for many clubs beacuse of the competion for tee times. There may b potential though to reduce the 5 day membership particularl if this frees up tee times at the weekend. Another interesting issue - certainly at my Club is that the clamour for weekend play is really between 8-11.30. It's pretty easy to get a later tee time so maybe there's case to sell a lower costed 7 day membership but only include pm play at the weekend?

 

[r0wly86]

Why not just go for one of those points memberships where you buy a certain number then top up as required?

I have looked at them, if you wanted to play weekly at the weekend it would end up more expensive than full membership

 

[ger147]

I am sure it is workable, as I have seen clubs do it.

The question is why would I pay £2k for a club around here, if I am lucky I can play once a week, on a Sunday due to work, plus maybe a few rounds during the year when I on holiday. That would work at nearly £40 a round. No way am I paying that, I can be nomad much cheaper, play a variety of courses and now get a handicap.

If they reduced it to £1200 that drops it £23 per round, that is something that I may be able to do

As mentioned by others, the only clubs offering such deals would be short of members. I can't see any club with a full membership offering any such arrangement as they would lose a fortune that could not be recouped.

In your own situation, if a full 7 day membership doesn't suit then you are probably just as well continuing with your nomad arrangement unless one of the clubs in your area is looking for members and offers such a deal, but they will remain an exception rather than the rule.

 

[jim8flog]

In winter where I play there are not enough tee times on a Saturday for all those that want to play. I do not see ours wanting to offer it.

 

[SammmeBee]

I have looked at them, if you wanted to play weekly at the weekend it would end up more expensive than full membership

Welcome to the real world……

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Hmmm...before you'd know it the weekenders would be looking for restrictions to be imposed on the number of weekend rounds that 7-dayers could play = resentment, anger and a divided membership = toxic for a members club.

 

[patricks148]

Just pie in the sky, this cheaper golf at weekends is a non started for most clubs who are already full most weekends, any club that offer this are struggling for members and is just devaluation of the product which is club golf.

 

[GB72]

It is the very reason that I gave up my membership, just no value for someone who works long hours and is only free at weekends and, even then, wants some family time at the weekend as well. It will never happen round my way, clubs could not afford the lost revenue. At least the clubs in my area got rid of the 5 dday membership so as everyone pays the same and there is not the added dagger of people paying the most to play once at the weekend and also subsidising those who could play every day, Monday to Friday.

Always has been the way that, for some reason, the value in golf is always there for the retired.

 

[r0wly86]

It is the very reason that I gave up my membership, just no value for someone who works long hours and is only free at weekends and, even then, wants some family time at the weekend as well. It will never happen round my way, clubs could not afford the lost revenue. At least the clubs in my area got rid of the 5 dday membership so as everyone pays the same and there is not the added dagger of people paying the most to play once at the weekend and also subsidising those who could play every day, Monday to Friday.

Always has been the way that, for some reason, the value in golf is always there for the retired.

This is the problem, and could have a massive impact on golf in the future. If people in their 30-40s with young families and jobs can't justify golf membership they may stop playing altogether. Then the younger people will be the same position once they hit that age bracket. They are almost relying on people becoming members once they have a bit more time, but some people may give up the game