What is a golf club?

[MetalMickie]

What is a Golf Club?

May seem like a silly question but there is a reason.

To me a Golf Club has always been what is termed as a Members' Club i.e. not only the control of handicaps & comps etc; but also control of all assets & capital items such as course & clubhouse resting in the hands of the members usually through a committee/council.

Alternatively there would be Proprietors' Clubs where members have playing rights etc; but none of the decision making (at least over major issues) and none of the responsibility.

But (to quote Tony Blair!) is there a Third Way.

I know that some of you have been involved in Golf Club Management so may have some ideas and others may just have experience of different set ups.

Your input would be appreciated.

 

[Andy808]

There is a 4th option.

The sticky thing I lash at a ball 80 odd times a round.

 

[Fish]

There is a 4th option.

The sticky thing I lash at a ball 80 odd times a round.

80!

 

[Fader]

80!

He's not including the Number of putts

 

[Doon frae Troon]

The club I ran for 15 years from 1983 was probably the busiest municipal in the UK.
I made sure that there was always a good working relationship between the Council, club members and casual green fee players.
It was a very difficult balancing act but somehow I got it to work.
At one point the club had over 1.200 members with around 250 single figure players. In my time we had five England International players and two went on to win British and English titles.
The club is still going strong and producing young international golfers. The facility does not feel like a 'Municipal' course.
The success we enjoyed was mainly due to the fact hat there was only one club affiliated to the course.
Many Municipal courses have umpteen clubs and the power of the 'club' structure is weakened. For example the Belleisle golf courses in Ayr have over a dozen clubs using the Council's courses.

Propriety course are a bit naughty as they push the 'club' aspect when joining.
Bottom line is that the owners can do what they like. If a more profitable option is available they will take it every time.

I would recommend new players join a Municipal based club first to get the feel of club membership then move on if they want something more private and inclusive members club. I would warn folk off joining propriety clubs until the economy picks up.

 

[Scadge]

Re: What is a Golf Club?

There are only so many sources of funds between members, private company, debt and council / associations so these will dictate the permutations.

In the US from what I can gather even the members clubs often differentiate between equity (ownership) members where the people often pay what we would consider huge joining fees as a debenture ($30000 - $100000 is not uncommon) and these folks have full voting rights and non-equity (playing) members who don't get the same input in the way the club is run.

This is simply a variation on the proprietary club but in this case the proprietors are members and so will tend to run in the best interests of the club (with surpluses reinvested or held for future need rather than trousered for personal gain).

 

[duncan mackie]

Re: What is a Golf Club?

There are only so many sources of funds between members, private company, debt and council / associations so these will dictate the permutations.

In the US from what I can gather even the members clubs often differentiate between equity (ownership) members where the people often pay what we would consider huge joining fees as a debenture ($30000 - $100000 is not uncommon) and these folks have full voting rights and non-equity (playing) members who don't get the same input in the way the club is run.

This is simply a variation on the proprietary club but in this case the proprietors are members and so will tend to run in the best interests of the club (with surpluses reinvested or held for future need rather than trousered for personal gain).

This, and more, exist as options in the UK too, and things have been known to change over time as well!

Changing demographic elements have continued to drive a number of membership options but at the end of the day you are either buying playing rights or equity (in something) with joining fees now generally forming part of the former ; whilst 50 yards ago they represented more of the latter (due to club structures).

Also, as many found, equity doesn't always have the rights or value you think it should - but that's another thing!

 

[cookelad]

Propriety course are a bit naughty as they push the 'club' aspect when joining.
Bottom line is that the owners can do what they like. If a more profitable option is available they will take it every time.

Got to agree with that - Just left a propriety club in Cheshire that was basically a society golf course with 200 members - the members could do what they wanted before 11 after that 5 and 6+ hour rounds are guaranteed!