What is the most you would spend on membership per year?

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Genuine Q
Do you think the course and facilities are worth 2k or is it simply due to supply & demand (location)

If I could get the local course to me at 2k a year all in I'd bite their hand off for it, but I don't actually think its worth that much
Even if I were to sub-lease someone else's (debenture) membership if they don't currently use it, it would cost more than that as it still requires a discounted green fee to be paid per round
Beautiful course, interesting design, great staff, top facilities, good F&B... but ouch its pricey

I'm just a few miles down the road from Homer...and I guess I'm of his view. For a decent members club with etc as Homer listed then in Surrey/Hants borders area it's what we have to pay, currently £1700/year.

But I have all from a golf club that I could wish for (others might want more than golf facilities - but not me), and good quality across the board, plus a club that doesn't rest on it's laurels - as it can't - we have to continually improve our offering (mostly the course) as we are situated in part of the world that has the money and so the demand - but we are in a competitive market as there are very many excellent members clubs around. So yes. I'd pay up to £2k then maybe start thinking about VFM. But even then I doubt that I'd opt out of the being a member of a local members club.

 

[davidy233]

Just for comparison a full season ticket for St Andrews Links (seven courses including the Old Course) for a resident of the town is £240.

 

[Canary Kid]

I’m paying £960 pa for five day membership that covers golf, pool and gym. Would probably pay up to £1,500 if a course warranted it. I like playing other courses too, and so those costs need to be added, so I wouldn’t want annual membership to be too expensive.

 

[Kaizer_Soze]

Very lucky where I live, have over 40 courses to choose from within a 20 odd mile radius, currently play at the closest course to my house which is £560 per year and accepts monthly DD. I could play several courses for half the price within 10 miles but they are not really up to much. There are a few that charge more and have joining fee's but I wouldn't consider them. I think if my current membership fee jumped up to 650 then I'd seriously consider somewhere else.

 

[timd77]

Last year I joined a course for around £800 for 7 day and included unlimited use of its sister course. Sounded great but come winter both courses were closed/temps/9 holes only for the vast majority of the time, so to me it was a waste of £800.

I’m now at a course which costs £1175, it’s supposedly playable all year round even though it’s parkland (closed 1 day last winter apparently) and is very well run, loads of competitions, friendly members (in the main, see slow play thread! ?), a challenging and well looked after course and it’s member run so it feels like a proper club. I pay monthly and so it’s just under £100 a month. If it goes over that I’d have to decide whether it’s worth it. Money’s tight at the moment and if the economy does go into recession, that will only get worse. I’d be gutted to leave.

 

[Imurg]

I pay 1700+
That's about my limit although if the subs do go up I will keep paying..
I could pay as little as 8-900 but that's for courses on the clay that suffer when it's wet
Being on chalk we pretty much only close for snow and we don't get much of that here
As a result we get 12 moths play for 12 months money and that alone is worth it.

 

[IanM]

I'd divide how many times I'd play over the year by the sub, and take a step back and see if that feels worth it.

The current £1000 a year is fine over the year. Newport is top of the going rate in South Wales for a members' club.

I'd happily pay more for better if I made regular use of it.

 

[patricks148]

Just for comparison a full season ticket for St Andrews Links (seven courses including the Old Course) for a resident of the town is £240.

that isn't a true reflection though is it you still have to join one of the clubs on top of that??

 

[Orikoru]

PS, @Orikoru ours is £1100 age 31-34.

Yeah I have seen that, and I would have been keen but I've just turned 34 now already, so it would be one year at that price and then a jump to £1670 which I'm less keen on. I'm leaning towards Grims Dyke because theirs is 1180 and that's up to age 39 so I get a fair few years at that price. Also my mate has a couple of family connections there so he said he might try and pull some strings, ha.

 

[patricks148]

I'm a member at two clubs, a links for £850 and a local parkland is £550. but my links membership has doubled in the last 10 years, it was prob too cheap to start with, but its now the most expensive in the area by some way, once its over £1000 i might look at it, which won't be far away. but i can play when ever i like have a locker, free range (which i seldom use) and a 9 hole. since we were allowed 4 balls i have hardly played my local, but Nairn at the moment at least 4 times a week , so works out a £5 per game, which is pretty good

would i pay more, def if the course was good and you could play as often as you like.

 

[sunshine]

Yeah I have seen that, and I would have been keen but I've just turned 34 now already, so it would be one year at that price and then a jump to £1670 which I'm less keen on. I'm leaning towards Grims Dyke because theirs is 1180 and that's up to age 39 so I get a fair few years at that price. Also my mate has a couple of family connections there so he said he might try and pull some strings, ha.

The beauty of Haste Hill £90 membership is that it is pay and play, which suits you if you play infrequently or like to play lots of different courses.

Moving to a private course, you pay the subscription whether you play or not, so you will feel that you have to play there as much as possible to get your money's worth. I play fewer courses now, because when I play a different course I am paying a green fee PLUS the opportunity cost of not playing my course (where I have already paid to play). It's a double whammy.

So I would suggest that you think carefully about what course to join, because you are going to be playing there all the time. I've never played Grims Dyke because I've never heard any positive comments about it... sounds a bit grim (terrible pun sorry).

It will be worth spending a few hundred quid more to join somewhere that has a course which you really enjoy playing all through the year. Finding that balance between quality v budget is something only you can decide, but there are plenty of options in your area. Joining the cheapest club could turn out to be a false economy.

 

[Papas1982]

I'm a member at two clubs, a links for £850 and a local parkland is £550. but my links membership has doubled in the last 10 years, it was prob too cheap to start with, but its now the most expensive in the area by some way, once its over £1000 i might look at it, which won't be far away. but i can play when ever i like have a locker, free range (which i seldom use) and a 9 hole. since we were allowed 4 balls i have hardly played my local, but Nairn at the moment at least 4 times a week , so works out a £5 per game, which is pretty good

would i pay more, def if the course was good and you could play as often as you like.

Tbf if you round price goes up to £5.88 that is pretty extortionate ??

 

[sunshine]

I was ready to pull the trigger on joining Sandy Lodge at the beginning of the year at £1800 a year, or more realistically £150 per month which I could grudgingly justify. The year-round course, practice facilities and free range-balls there are a massive bonus if you practice a lot like I do (need to ?).
It's not just the annual subs though, it comes with an £1800 joining fee and approx £350 compulsory buying in (debenture? ) so in the end I just couldn't justify that on the basis I might only be in the area for a couple of years.

The normal rate where I am now is £1700 per year (before Covid discount), but being single and with golf as my "thing" I now know that I'd go to £150 a month.

PS, @Orikoru ours is £1100 age 31-34.

I'm surprised you didn't have to pay a joining fee at Northwood.

I've been trying to tell my mate who lives near there to join Sandy Lodge, because it's a year round course. The free range outside the clubhouse is a great bonus. But he can't get comfortable with the joining fee.

 

[Papas1982]

The beauty of Haste Hill £90 membership is that it is pay and play, which suits you if you play infrequently or like to play lots of different courses.

Moving to a private course, you pay the subscription whether you play or not, so you will feel that you have to play there as much as possible to get your money's worth. I play fewer courses now, because when I play a different course I am paying a green fee PLUS the opportunity cost of not playing my course (where I have already paid to play). It's a double whammy.

So I would suggest that you think carefully about what course to join, because you are going to be playing there all the time. I've never played Grims Dyke because I've never heard any positive comments about it... sounds a bit grim (terrible pun sorry).

It will be worth spending a few hundred quid more to join somewhere that has a course which you really enjoy playing all through the year. Finding that balance between quality v budget is something only you can decide, but there are plenty of options in your area. Joining the cheapest club could turn out to be a false economy.

This all day long. Last year my membership was £700 and it cost me £35 a round.

This year its £1300. I've been there since March, had covid stop me playing there and yet if I didn't play another round til next march it woukd have cost me £29 a round.

 

[davidy233]

that isn't a true reflection though is it you still have to join one of the clubs on top of that??

Don't think residents of the town have to be club members - North East Fife residents do to have full ticket - I'm £380 for my Ashludie 7 day links ticket at Monifieth

 

[patricks148]

Don't think residents of the town have to be club members - North East Fife residents do to have full ticket - I'm £380 for my Ashludie 7 day links ticket at Monifieth

how much is the Medal now?

i had a mate that liked in one of the Big Jut Magnet houses in Dundee i worked with in the city, he was a member at Lundin and there and seem to remember is wasn't that cheap?

mind you he might be close to getting in Carnoustie by now, must be coming up to 20 years on the waiting list

 

[Deleted member 25172]

I'm paying £1200 or so, which will go up to £1480 once I reach 40. Well, subs will probably have gone up by then, but that's what it looks like now at least.

Living in London and without a car, I don't really have much choice than to pay this kind of price if I want to be a member somewhere. I simply cannot think of myself not being a member of a golf club as golf is about so much more than just 18 holes of trying to whack a ball in a hole, so unless I simply can't afford it, I will pay.

 

[davidy233]

how much is the Medal now?

i had a mate that liked in one of the Big Jut Magnet houses in Dundee i worked with in the city, he was a member at Lundin and there and seem to remember is wasn't that cheap?

mind you he might be close to getting in Carnoustie by now, must be coming up to 20 years on the waiting list

Full links ticket (seven days for Medal and Ashludie) is £480 - plus you have to be a member of a club - my missus is a member of Grange and Broughty which is £140 - Monifieth is slightly more. You can get 7 days 'Ludie and 5 days Medal for £430 which doesn't require a club membership.

Back in the 80s if you lived in Carnoustie you jumped any waiting list - they also used to do a queue up overnight for a limited amount of links season tickets, I can remember a workmate who lived in Dundee doing it.

 

[patricks148]

Full links ticket (seven days for Medal and Ashludie) is £480 - plus you have to be a member of a club - my missus is a member of Grange and Broughty which is £140 - Monifieth is slightly more. You can get 7 days 'Ludie and 5 days Medal for £430 which doesn't require a club membership.

Back in the 80s if you lived in Carnoustie you jumped any waiting list - they also used to do a queue up overnight for a limited amount of links season tickets, I can remember a workmate who lived in Dundee doing it.

i think that the case still if you live in the town you get pref, our new CEO ran the links at Carnoustie, he was telling me its still a waiting list as i had a mate who thought he could get country membership there and fly up from London to Dundee to play once a week

 

[Springveldt]

Don't think residents of the town have to be club members - North East Fife residents do to have full ticket - I'm £380 for my Ashludie 7 day links ticket at Monifieth

Is that the short one? Had a weekend a couple of year ago up there, we played the longer course on the Saturday and the shorter one on the Sunday. I found out that weekend that I can play golf drunk better than I can with a hangover.