What's everyones thoughts at this new membership category?

[Dodger]

For golfers who no longer wish to renew their golf club subscription or who are not members of a golf club, Melville Golf Centre, Edinburgh has introduced a new category of membership for 2012 called Melville Golf Centre Three Medal Membership.
Handicaps are administered by Melville Golf Centre Golf Club handicap committees.

Visit ​

http://www.melvillegolf.co.uk/

for more information.


I kinda like it,good thinking by the club....the only thing that would worry me is how many full members who continue paying full whack despite playing like 10 times a year may take it up.....what's your thoughts?​

 

[DelB]

Same thing happended at Swanston. Full membership was £570 or thereabouts and 'Limited Play' membership was circa £250 and allowed you a 20 round ticket. They've had to restrict the 'Limited Play' criteria more and more as folk were jumping out of full membership to cut costs.

 

[birdieman]

Good idea imo Dodger, great to see flexibility like this. I am in the position where that kind of deal would appeal, I'd like to keep a handicap but play lots of other courses. I cant play enough to justify a full club membership.

Took a drive past your place on Sunday looking for Goswick beach, ended up at a dead end farm road so turned round and went to Scremerston instead, where did I go wrong? Looks like a very good track,was well jel of those playing!

 

[Dodger]

Same thing happended at Swanston. Full membership was £570 or thereabouts and 'Limited Play' membership was circa £250 and allowed you a 20 round ticket. They've had to restrict the 'Limited Play' criteria more and more as folk were jumping out of full membership to cut costs.

No wonder at that price!!

£250 plus an amount each time you peg it us but not £250 for 20 rounds.....that would bankrupt my club!!

 

[Dodger]

Good idea imo Dodger, great to see flexibility like this. I am in the position where that kind of deal would appeal, I'd like to keep a handicap but play lots of other courses.

Took a drive past your place on Sunday looking for Goswick beach, ended up at a dead end farm road so turned round and went to Scremerston instead, where did I go wrong? Looks like a very good track,was well jel of those playing!

You should have parked in the Car Park at the clubhouse and taken the 2 minute walk down the track that runs from outside the Pro Shop (on the bend) down the side of 18 and across the front of 17th green!

Best beach in the area as long as you don't stand on a bomb.:mmm:

 

[granters]

As someone who's in exactly this situation i think it's a great idea. I love competitive golf but can't currently get a handicap as i'm on a temp membership with my club. I tend to play all over the place, but play just as much as when i've been a full member anywhere. My problem is that i can't enter things like the Volvo pairs, opens etc etc which i would love to do. With time restraints due to work, baby on the way, financial pressures etc it's not worth my while joining a club "full time" for now and to be honest i quite like playing when and where i can, and not being tied down. This offer would encourage me to pay the green fee for that course anyway.

Good on that club i say, excellent forward thinking

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Royal Ascot has introduced a deal for existing members struggling to find the cash for membership (a fair whack seem to have been made redundant in the last 18 months). Basically for a significantly reduced membership fee, they can play 12 times per year as a members guest green fee rate but can still play in medals and stablefors, but not honours board events. This lets them maintain a qualifying handicap and play regular competitions. Its quite a forward thinking move for our club and has let a lot of guys who have been members for many years to stay at the club during tricky times and enjoy some competitive golf. On the downside they have lost voting rights too but for me that would be a small price to pay.

On the plus side a lot have not got employment again and so will be in a position to get back to full membership wuith no hidden re-joining gees or clauses.

 

[Tommo21]

Good idea imo Dodger, great to see flexibility like this. I am in the position where that kind of deal would appeal, I'd like to keep a handicap but play lots of other courses. I cant play enough to justify a full club membership.

Took a drive past your place on Sunday looking for Goswick beach, ended up at a dead end farm road so turned round and went to Scremerston instead, where did I go wrong? Looks like a very good track,was well jel of those playing!

You went wrong going to Scremeston, that for sure. The farm road was prob right, sounds like you took the wrong turn after the A1 turn off.............did you turn off the A1 at the Goswick sign.

 

[Bash]

I can understand why the club are doing it: It's worth a punt by them to see if anyone wants to pay the 100 quid to keep a handicap card. After all, it's not costing the club anything. You only get three entries into medals included, which if a punter turned up to play the course three times as pay and play, would cost them only 60 quid or 75 quid, depending on whether on a weekday or weekend.
In my experience, the members who only play 10 times a year don't enter that many comps anyway. (As for the members only playing 10 times a year, they could play as pay and play for only 200 quid. This new scheme would cost them 240 quid.
Also, if someone was concerned about keeping an 'honest' handicap, they would surely want to play more than the minimum three qualifying rounds a year.
As I say, I can't blame the club for giving it a go, but I can't see many people going for it

 

[Hobbit]

If a club can't fill its membership catagory, or the 80-90%, they budget for they are left with a few choices. Reduce the spend on the club/course, or increase the bubs, or try and become creative with the types of membership catagories.

Providing they limit the number of spaces available in the new catagory they shouldn't lose too many full members to that catagory.

Managed properly it should benefit everyone but its a juggling act in these present trying times.

 

[birdieman]

Tommo, I did get to the golf club carpark,didn't see any sign for the beach, guessed it was through the course but with 2 wee kids and the dog and lots of players out I didn't want to go through the course. Drove up to Scremerston beach after that,some big surf and good offshore wind, watched a few decent surfers out there - cold as brass monkeys though (used to dabble in surfing but only in hot countries!)

 

[mouth]

quite a good idea IMO. I can't justify a full membership on either a cost or time basis, but if something came up with a handicap and x rounds per year it'd be ideal for someone like me. i mostly play with either my best mate and his business partners or my brother who are all members at the same track. some of the courses do whats called 'associate membership' which is along similar lines and limited to 2 or 3 years. it's a good way of getting struggling members to commit or to get newer members through the door. +1 for a forward thinking committee. now if only my mates' club could think something like this up.

 

[Mungoscorner]

I know of several Municipal courses local to me that have a similar set up.You pay a membership fee (usually about £70-£100) this entitles you to play at a reduced green fee and includes an official handicap,and a full diary of competitions.
Not seen anything similar at my local private course's,but most are now offering pay and play memberships,which they would never have dreamed of in the past.

 

[Naybrains]

Took a drive past your place on Sunday looking for Goswick beach, ended up at a dead end farm road so turned round and went to Scremerston instead, where did I go wrong? Looks like a very good track,was well jel of those playing!

Take it you were looking for the beach at Cheswick, it's a cracking Nudist beach. Last time I was down there me and a Mrs Naybrains candidate stumbled across a couple shegging!!
Think you've probably ended up down dodgers neck of the woods at the dogging car park :lol:


Oh yeah back to the job in hand. Not a bad idea, worth a try.
Not sure what else you can try, you've got the staggered scale for different age category's and you've got the winter/summer membership options sorted. You've probably got the free junior golf too, Next thing your gonna be giving subs away at this rate . It's a toughy trying to attract new members, I don't envy you.