What has your club done for YOU?

[Blue in Munich]

Hi all, in recent light of all the poor weather, and the upcoming membership renewals, has your club offered you any special incentives to rejoin?

What's it done for me? Given me a course that's barely closed compared with others in the area despite the weather. Given me a home from home. Given me somewhere that Mrs. BiM is happy to go for meals and socials. Given me a place I'm proud & happy to bring visitors to (I think that point might have cost another forumer a few quid after his last visit ). Given me a clubhouse where I can look round and see that I could occasionally play this game half decently.

It's special in itself; I don't need any further incentives to rejoin.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

This year it's been rain, past years it has been snow. Bad weather in winter is nothing new and if it's a shock to anyone that courses have been closed in February then they need to have a look at themselves. We live in Britain, we have to take the ebbs and flows of weather.

In direct answer to the question, nothing, but I don't expect them to do anything either.

 

[patricks148]

yes they let me play golf when evey i want

 

[carldudley]

Ditto half the responses - a course that has never been closed when i've wanted to play, plenty of members so i never go out alone, good bar and good social.

We are lacking in warm up area - we have a practice green but could really do with having somewhere to swing a club a few times before teeing off - just a net will do. The other side have nets, a space on one of the holes to hit a few and a nice fancy simulator.

Only complaint I could possibly have. But for £750 (30-35 yrs) for a London/Surrey club, I won't be complaining

 

[stirry]

if you joined up before 31st January you got a £50 discount . Was go to join anyway so was a nice added bonus.

 

[Deleted member 21258]

Not aware of anything offered.

 

[Deleted member 23344]

My course has been closed a lot during the wet weather, but so have several others around here. My club has a great gym that I use and a driving range too ... and a good bar. Added to which, everyone is really friendly. Not thinking of going anywhere else anytime soon.

 

[2blue]

As last year... a £25 discount for paying membership early.
Have suffered some restrictions eg. buggies & trolleys on paths only, or carry.... but otherwise open on full greens & tees, though some of the latter are winter ones.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I got an Emailed reminder yesterday...does that count?

In previous years the club has given away 4ball vouchers for the first so many who paid in full before end February - but nothing of that sort this year that I spotted.

Nothing in respect of weather as we have not been closed that many days. Not had a full 18 holes that many times - partly due to the major winter work programme that's been undertaken- but not closed.

 

[Grant85]

Hi all, in recent light of all the poor weather, and the upcoming membership renewals, has your club offered you any special incentives to rejoin?

Personally very happy that my club does plenty to keep things open when possible as well as get on with winter projects (of which there are plenty).

I'm a little concerned that we are going to have a late start to the season due to upgrading a whole green complex and two tee boxes that they might have hoped to have gotten on further with, had the weather been kinder. Certainly there are no comps this month and probably full course won't be open until 1st week in April (at a guess).

However I'd rather they did that and we had the prospect of a better / upgraded course come the 'proper season'.

But I think if the clubs were offering big incentives to rejoin I'd be pretty worried that things weren't going well and we were on a shoe string. In my view, once a golf course hits 'shoe string' level, it's very unlikely to come back from that. Like any commercial enterprise, you have to invest in the product and give people reasons for coming as opposed to just hoping the existing circle of people stay.

 

[Tashyboy]

Our club has sent out a survey asking us to fill it in. I have. Some of it needs to be said. That said, the course has not been closed one day over the winter. There was a breakdown of how the club makes its money, and reading between the lines it is doing well with well over 700 members with 120 of them being women.
The club has said that it is not doing an early payment of membership deal next year so I will be keeping a careful eye on the membership prices. It has put up comp fees to £4 a round plus £1 for 2’s. So £5 for a nine hole comp which we have every week during the summer ain’t gonna happen. Plus all the winnings have to be spent in the club shop which bogs a fair few off.
The club has no reason to “ compensate” members through the winter months As we have been able to get on.

 

[Beedee]

We've been given a voucher for a free drink in the bar, and another for a free buggy at some point during the year. Very good of them I say. The course has been closed/restricted for most of the winter, but it's certainly not been the club's fault. We're on the outskirts of Tewkesbury, which is right between the Severn and the Avon. Got to expect a bit of water.

 

[GB72]

I agree with everything that people have said about it not being the club's fault, courses closing in Winter etc. That said, I am not totally dismissive of the original post.

On here we have a group of dedicated golfers and so the original question to them is irrelevant. They look to what the club offers overall and in the long term and are looking at a golfing home. Not everyone is like that. There are hundreds of members who play maybe once a week, twice occasionally, some weeks not at all who are, quite rightly, questioning the value of their membership. Yes, courses close over Winter but a prolonged period of bad weather (with rain at weekends, I have not played much since October) people who do not play very often will look at having lost, in some cases, a quarter of their golfing year and take that into account when looking at this year's membership costs. That will make some think twice, look at other options or look at going nomad. The club may not be able to do anything about the weather but they can try and put a more positive spin on things to try and influence that financial decision that is coming up. Not suggesting fee reductions or anything so dramatic but a couple of free 4 ball vouchers, a drink and a sandwich, really just anything to show that they care.

At my club, we have had quite the opposite. An increase in competition costs, a 5% increase in fees (that had to be argued down from over 8% at the SGM) plus making the monthly payments over 10 months rather than 12. What that results in is people looking at additional cost at a time when they have not played much golf or played on a composite course with fairway greens and you have a negative PR position.

Those people who pay the full membership but do not play all that often I suspect make up a reasonable percentage of the membership and, if nothing else, help keep everyone's costs down.

 

[Siolag]

In respect of the last few weeks where the course has been shut due to the weather? Nothing.

However, the finishing touches are getting done to a £250k practice area refurbishment for which the member levy was only £60. Over summer this will be open and I’ll be using it 2-3 times a week. I’ll also play medals and be out on the course on weekday evenings. All in all, whilst I’m frustrated at the lack of golf over the last month, I’m very happy with the overall proposition. And it seems people agree as we have a waiting list now too.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Plus all the winnings have to be spent in the club shop which bogs a fair few off..

We use to be like that but you can only buy so much stuff with the club logo on. The last pro had next to nothing without the badge on and sadly it looks like the new guy is going down the same road but we do have the option these days to choose to take the winnings on your shop account or move it to the bar account

 

[Tashyboy]

We use to be like that but you can only buy so much stuff with the club logo on. The last pro had next to nothing without the badge on and sadly it looks like the new guy is going down the same road but we do have the option these days to choose to take the winnings on your shop account or move it to the bar account

Now your off me blocked list ?our problem is Homer is that the pro invested in the shop and driving range. Part of that was the winnings have to be spent in his shop. Which I get that but then the clubhouse says it should be taking me more. But you cannot spend your winnings in there. It is a bone of contention to a lot of members. Ave started that in the survey.
without boring you Homer. 5 day is £650. Plus 2 comps at £10 a week. Thats £1k, Chuck in 60 miles a week travel. ? guess what.
Sherwood is a mile and a half from me. It’s getting close to playing there for the same cost with less mileage.

 

[Imurg]

Our Pro has made the decision to go with all club crested products as he feels it the only way he'll sell much.
He will price match but struggles to compete with the big chains and online shops - he just cant make a living from it.
So he stocks crested shirts, tops and waterproofs, balls, gloves and headcovers, ball markers, pitch mark repairs etc etc
And he seems to sell quite a bit of it.
The club bought 40 shirts to give to the new members at 35 quid apiece and we'll all probably buy some more.

 

[Papas1982]

What's it done for me? Given me a course that's barely closed compared with others in the area despite the weather. Given me a home from home. Given me somewhere that Mrs. BiM is happy to go for meals and socials. Given me a place I'm proud & happy to bring visitors to (I think that point might have cost another forumer a few quid after his last visit ). Given me a clubhouse where I can look round and see that I could occasionally play this game half decently.

It's special in itself; I don't need any further incentives to rejoin.

Very true, but I’ve played played more rounds in the last 2 weeks (Since joining) than I had since December.

 

[Blue in Munich]

Very true, but I’ve played played more rounds in the last 2 weeks (Since joining) than I had since December.

I'll get down to join you at some point.

 

[Papas1982]

I'll get down to join you at some point.

You‘re welcome anytime