What does the credit crunch mean for your golf.

[madandra]

With the financial uncertainty in the country at the moment I was wondering what effect the credit crunch is having on you and your golf.

I am in no-mans land at the moment as I am not too sure whether to join another club until I find out what their financial situation is as there have been rumours flying about regarding their ability to survive. I am not going to fork out £500 for them to call in the receivers in January and kiss my hard earned good bye. I guess this is the down side of being a member of a private club owned by a limited company.

Also with costs rising I find it a false economy when clubs open their doors to extra members when their existing membership find it impossible to get a tee off time on a Saturday. This only leads to increased traffic and decreased levels of maintenance.


I could take a year out and just play on the local muni or play when invited.

What does 2009 hold for YOU ?????

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I'm fortunate in that I have everything I need golfing equipment wise so there will be no internet splurges for the foreseeable future. The down side is HID is being made redundant in December and my £1300 fees are due in March. Not sure if I can afford to pay depending on HID and the job situation. Will have to make a decision nearer the time

 

[Parmo]

With the financial uncertainty in the country at the moment I was wondering what effect the credit crunch is having on you and your golf.

The usual fuel & food bills have gone up by about 10% but thats about it, I am finding the media are creating a worse situation than what actual is happening. I feel for the people who lived on credit and its those who are suffering the worst, but remembering back and my parents living and working on 40% income tax in the '80s its easy times.

It hasnt really affected my golf, I just bought some new irons with cash, I play the usual once a week. I understand though that clubs that where already running in debt before the sub prime market collopse are the ones going under, but with many clubs members builders, plumbers and the likes it will always hit them. Some are dropping the joining fee's others not, it seems daft that some clubs just don't have limits on member numbers.

 

[thomas1981]

Looking at joining my first club soon but got to say not sure due to the security of my job as i'm in the house building business.
But, that said if made redundant gives me plenty of time to get some practice. hehe!

 

[RGuk]

I'm half expecting my club to go under....
Still, the upside is I could join somewhere else (since everywhere but mine have scrapped the joining fee).
I have all my kit, I'm paid (green fee) until next Sep, so I can play for nowt and just need to fill the car with fuel and afford a supply of balls and gloves.
I might consider stashing away £40 per month into mr porkies bank so of it all goes base over apex, I'll have my subs for next year.

 

[toyboy54]

Madandra where are you A member?Is it not a bit unusual to be in a privately owned club..by being a member does this not give you some shares in the club(or am I being niave?)
Truth to tell I don't how my club are doing or are going to do!
They do seem to have good people in charge tho'.
Don't know what the numbers will be 09,or the fees,but if I'm okay then I'll make it 4 in a row!
Have'nt spoke about this to my golfing partners about this but(weather permitting)will do this weekend!
We come from a pretty diverse job and earning range!
Some local gov.(pretty insulated??)shipyard,sales,engineering,lawyers etc,,
Must ask the guys!!

 

[madandra]

I am a member at a club in Motherwell that is owned by a family that let us play. There are suggestions that they have cash flow problems and I am wondering if they are waiting to get the annual subscriptions so they can bu66er off with a pension.

 

[toyboy54]

Sorry to butt in again,but Parmo makes a great point about the media.......they should butt out and give us some good news ,feel good stories,for a change!
I do a lot of exhibition work in my line and people were coming on to our stand at harrogate and NEC and almost all were saying that the media(all sorts)were getting people depressed and down and should be talking the U.K. up!!
Agree entirely!!!!!!!
I don't want to go work trying to sell and talking to suicidal retailers and trying to talk them out of topping themselves!!(Could volunteer for Samaritans,I suppose)

 

[big_russ]

I am looking to join my first club in the new year and it is just a matter of choosing the right one.
I am in what is considered a pretty secure job and dont need to travel too much to and from work.
Small house and a small mortgage and no credit cards etc, so apart from the fuel and food price increases i feel we are in a decent position that will not affect my ability to finance my golf. HID does not bother what i spend as long as she knows about it.(Don't you just love an understanding wife)

 

[toyboy54]

Madandra ....sounds like Colville park???

 

[happyhacker]

Good post!

I've just upgraded irons and joined a new club. So until March next year I have two clubs (doubt this will continue beyond March) and new club had a deal on for my age bracket so I'm all paid up until January 2010.

Have to say though, only reason I joined new club at this time is my annual entitlement for club subscriptions had come up. So rather than use it to pay for gym upfront again, I've paid the golf upfront and now pay gym monthly. Figured best to get my employer to pay the more expensive one before it all goes tits up! (I work in financial sector, its like a ticking timebomb at minute)

I count myself lucky that should the worst come to the worst, the wife to be's job would tide us over with a bit of belt tightening, ie no new clubs

If you do decide to become a nomad Madandra you are welcome anytime for a game at either the Falkirk Tryst or Muckhart GC.

 

[USER1999]

Societies were down this year which leaves us a bit short, but in general we are in ok shape and looking ok for the future. We are a members club, but on ground leased from the council. The club has sufficient members to continue, assuming that most (all) the members are in a position to rejoin come January.

Having lived through a recession before, with all the worries of redundancy, my thoughts are with those going through difficult times. At these times, golf can easily take a back seat compared with paying the mortgage.

 

[brendy]

I think we will be ok also, rumours were abound this past couple of years regarding the course being sold for housing development but I cant see it happening.
Our 10 year plan is looking quite realistic and will be attending our AGM to see how this year has went, I cant see it being great due to the weather but there still seems to have been an awful lot of societies through the gates. A course up the road from us is currently up for sale due to tax reasons apparently.

 

[John_Findlay]

I might not renew my subscription in April if things don't turn around. I've already tried to suspend my membership unsuccessfully this year to give myself a bit of breathing space. Not a good time to be in property developing.

Might take a year out from membership and just pay and play. The only downside would be losing my handicap, which is a small price to pay to keep the pennies in order.

 

[madandra]

Toyboy it is DL

 

[billyg]

For me:

Less casual pub time- i.e Monday - Thursday ad hoc sessions

Less meat based meals

Less/ no takeaways

Sticking to 60mph on a long drive- even with my thirsty (if old) 4be4 it makes quite a big difference.

Switching all the switches off in the house when not in use (want to scare yourself? - buy one of those gadgets that measure a devices electricity use - you'll never boil a whole kettle of water again I promise- typically 3 Kw @ 12.8 amps)

Getting used to being comfortable at 18 degrees in the flat rather than 21*

... in other words all the things I should be doing anyway that the credit crunch has acted as a wake up call on. Even if I suddenly win the lottery I can't see myself going back to more profligate ways. It's becoming a useful and positive exercise to see what I can do without while keeping the ship afloat.

I'm not having to make any A , B or C decisions yet just a bit less of all and enjoying them all the more for it oddly enough. I feel very sorry for people who were legitimately up to the limit before the crunch who are having to change their lifestyles profoundly in order to accomodate rising costs.......unless they were property speculators in which case I have nothing but contempt for them, their avarice and hope they're left with nothing but the shirts on their backs when it's all finished.

for my golf:

No change planned. Would rather give up drinking and going out to provide for my 3.5 hours on the baize than put the sticks away. At a push, on current figures, they should balance out if push comes to shove

There are many things worth compromising on in life but golf is not one of them while I have a choice and a small if flexible amount of disposable income to hand. ive always been scared of credit and don't have any debts. If my income didn't meet my costs I might have to think again about golf as there won't be much fat left on the bone if basics keep increasing in price. For the moment I'm grateful for small mercies.

bill

 

[GB72]

I was an early victim of the credit crunch as was made redundant in June (residential conveyancing not a good area to be in at the moment). The fact that I had paid up my membership for the year was a bit of a saviour as meant I could keep myself busy for most of the day without spending any money. Since then have found a new job which I am happy in and just hope that this company can hold out through the worst of it. OK, I am having to move house as job is a bit of a commute but could not be fussy in the current climate. I will be looking to sign up to a club again once I have sold and moved but will certainly be looking out for deals as there must be plenty around.

As for golf gear, I am not planning much, if any, spend on new kit this year. OK, if the economy picks up and things start to look a bit more secure then I may have a little splurge when the discounts start appearing but until then the card is staying in the wallett.

 

[Herbie]

The media are covering their backs on this one, in the future there will still be a huge debt to repay and it may be your children suffering this tax burden.

I dont think many people will feel any real problem initially on this subject rapid wealth over recent yrs makes it easier to absorb the extra expence, but in the next couple of years there may be a different story.

I dont think many golf courses will fall by the wayside, they have become too popular, if anything there arent enough courses for the demand in some areas. If a club goes under in todays climate it wont be its viability but its poor management.

 

[Tommo21]

I’m not sure what’s going to happen at both clubs I’m a member at. Ones a muni, a well run one at that. The other is private and I know they’ve cut the joining fee already which is understandable but annoying as I paid the full whack last year. I’ll find out in a few weeks what the subs are for the private one and with luck the muni will stay around the same. Before all this most clubs, in my area anyway, were beginning to struggle for members and I would imagine 2009 is going to be make or break for some clubs. With luck the government will cut interest rates quite soon, they have to, and we'll see the housing market move from its present state of constipation.

I dont know about you guys, but what really annoys me is the OPEC countries deciding to cut oil output because the price of crude has dropped. What a fookin shame, it’s dropped to july levels……..wars start for things like this.

John F, don’t worry your wee cotton socks there. You’re more than welcome for a game at the Royal, as many times as you like……….If you can put up with me.

 

[billyg]

I dont know about you guys, but what really annoys me is the OPEC countries deciding to cut oil output because the price of crude has dropped. What a fookin shame, it’s dropped to july levels……..wars start for things like this.

agreed.

2 months ago Brown was screaming at them to increase production to create the price we have now (forced along by everyone tightening their belts reducing demand).

if they cut production to inflate the cost of a barrel were looking at another oil crisis and a war starts to look cheap both fiscally and politically.

Isn't OPEC a price fixing club? isn't price fixing illegal?

Anyway, they're going to end up pricing themselves out of the global market as non- OPEC marginal sources become increasingly and relatively cheap.

Were simply not willing to return to paying £1.25 a litre (which i'm sure is their aim) and carry on consuming at the same level under the current climate.

Think the OPEC nations are about to find out that the demand for their product is far more elastic than they think it is- again.

Take about killing the goose etc.