With the proliferation of golf deals like 2 fore 1 it is becoming more attractive for 'casual' golfers to pay and play rather than join a club. As a result, although there are more golfers than ever, some clubs are struggling to fill memberships. What are you views.

Maybe but they (casual golfers) can't join in the fun of the club competitions.

I would think that the main problem with clubs not filling their memberships is the amount of golf courses that sprung up in the early 90's.

I think that golf clubs represent terrific value. I pay something like £600 a year for an 18 hole course that also has a 9 hole par 33 course that is very good for practicing on. Just over £10 a week and I play 4-5 times a week whenever I want and can also enter the many club competitions. What is a tenner these days ? Hardly a round of drinks down here on the south coast ;-)

Competition has returned to the market...clubs that do not offer "a poor product" or "over charge" do not fill their memberships.

I would definitely join a club if I didn't live in London. The day I manage to move elsewhere will be the day I apply for membership of the local club. Londoners definitely suffer form this - does anyone have any suggestion for cheap golf in the London area (south west preferably)?

Golf's still an expensive sport as far as I see it.

I personally would like to be a member of a golf club. The problem is the first year subs (joining fee plus 1st year fee) of £1000 - £1650 in my area (Nottingham).

I believe that a yearly figure of approx £400 seems fair to cover your membership and green fees at a club, anymore is only going to be recouped by a member playing so often as to worry his wife/family. The joining fee also should also be scrapped, no-one has yet managed to come up with a good explanation for what this sum of money actually covers? Looks from the outside like a simple method of revenue earning and through its existence adding a level of 'prestige' to a golf club maybe?

I would be interested to hear other peoples thoughts on this?

Do any clubs offer a low usage membership. Something like a discount card that you get stamped each time you visit?

Plenty of clubs offer 5-day membership - much cheaper, allowing unlimited play monday to friday, and usually some discount at the weekend. Others also offer a country membership, which is for people living more than a certain distance from the club, so they expect them not to play more than a few times a year.

I have found like Stuart the price of joining a club near London is oppressive. Not only the joining fee but then the annual subscription. Also a few clubs I have made enquires to insist on new members becoming 5 day members before they can have a 7 day membership. If you have a 9-5 job this isn't practicle. Or they allow you a 1/3rd discount on green fees.

I'm not to bothered about competitive play, have have enough trouble competing with myself, my swing and the course to try and get an ego boost beating someone else. I like to socialise, have a chat and shoot the best score I can without having to worry about stableford points, etc. The only point I can see for joining a club is to have somewhere to play regulary and get an handicap. I can do that at any other golfclub and through people like the EGU.

As for problems of 2 fore 1 letting in riff raff, this is the 21st century and if the clubs want to stay alive they have to be competative and try and fill any empty timeslots. It's like saying that the January Sales spoil the quality of the things you buy.

The more people can access this wonderful game and appreciate it without being looked down on by existing players the better. I think it's great that since the Ryder Cup there are more people on the driving range, on the municple courses, taking lessons trying to learn how to play.

So let golf become cheaper. It's not about money it's about the game.

I dont think the cost of joining a club is too pricey!I pay £750 year and can play as often as I wish.When you consider the cost of green fees at other clubs,I dont think its too bad a deal.The thing that does make the game expensive is the "over inflated" cost of equipment.Everybody wants to have the best gear and when manufacturers keep hiking up the prices people will be unaible to buy equipment and try out the game.

The point of memebrship fees is to cover the running costs of the clubs. We all demand courses is better condition with watering systems and opern all the years round. To provide this requires more expenditure. It is always a pay off between higher fees and trying to attract income in other ways such as societies and green fees. If people aren't joining clubs then these will close or be taken over by businesses who will run them for profit. I would agree that the 'joining fee' has become prohibative especially to the thirtysomethings who are moving over from other more physical sports as they get older. I think the problem is that committe members tend to take the view that they paid entrance fees so everybody else should too. How do we encourage more people to join clubs rather than pay and play.

My club offers a standard full membership and a "pay and play" option where they pay a reduced annual membership fee and then pay a fixed amount every time they play a round. This is handy for those who can't afford the lump sum or don't play often enough to justify the full cost.

MMM !!
I reflect on age old "some play every day & unfair get more fer fees" but own a $10000 Yammi golf cart! & a question of keepng out raff riff ! (cos we upside down)

Noms shud be sinking fund for major works

Few club here cater to 'upper crust' Judges & the like may also require your nomination @ birth: acountant verify financial status: take $10,000 debentures: a membership $20-$30,000 (resellable):operate no cash no sub totla operating costs bill members for the lot annually

Others bill yu $50/60 month bar/restuarent
A/C to drink it eat it or leave it (no fags)
& some designed to require ride on cart use but must hire not allowed use your own cart

Certainly not reely raff dependant !

But move of a cashed up from city r/estate boom used to nom couple thou I consider my club tooo cheap

Its $200 nom (should be $500) subs $285 for 7 days+$4 game G/fee: $500 for 7 days with prepaid annual g/fees: 50 buck less to play all but Sat

But now added 50 bucks extra to use your own cart but only allows two to a group !

But many play once week & still grizzle

donk

Thinking ! thinking ! wot is nomination fee purpose & reely fer ? has anyone reely put it to the test ???????

Retired Majors do not play golf ? Not enuf turnover in membership ? barrier to ensure yu had cash ? challenge to reely wanting to join ? sinking fund fer nu works ? pay off m/gage ? shout directors or the bar ?

Or a premiuum on new members to recoup cost of developing the facility as it is now so why grumble ???

donk

The area close to where I live has seen a new type of member in this new compettive market. He joins one club, stays for a year or 2 and then moves onto another.
He can do this because there is no joining fee in many of the Cheshire/North Wales courses. Many of these clubs are business's run for profit who ruthlessly attract new members.

Whilst this is great for the individual it is not great for the club or it's members who stay put. After all the club must have a medium to long term financial plan for expensive outlays. This migrant membership makes that plan difficult to manage.

That is a big reason the joining fee has a place. It encourages the new member to show loyalty and stay at the club. A necessary evil maybe, but it does have a logical reason to exist.

Pengwyn - was it worth bumping a 5 year old thread?

Starting a new one would get a better response

It was nice to see Donk's face again .... though sadly I fear he may be no longer with us.

I think most clubs still have waiting lists but disagree clubs are losing people because of pay and play. If people pay and play that much surely its more economical for them to join a club

There's a pay and play close to me. As municipals go it's a good 'un.
However, short of sounding like a snob, it does attract every spectrum of the community from straight laced gentlemen to the groups of chavs.

For this the course does suffer - some huge divots are evident along with general course abuse.

I could have chosen to play the munis but opted to join a club.

Why?

I like the feeling of belonging to a club. I also like the thought that I can play a few holes or as many holes as I like after work without paying full green fees every time.
I like the general etiquette found on a club course which isn't always evident on a muni. I also like to play on a well kept and well looked after course.

Snobbery? Possibly, but I don't think so. Club members tend to take some pride in their club and course.

Yes, too cheap, should be more expensive to discourage the underclasses.

I'd be happy to join a golf club but for two things:

1) Snobbishness. I want to play golf, I don't want to be caught up in a world where people have nothing better to worry about than (for instance) whether other people are wearing denim. NB This doesn't mean I don't care about etiquette, sportsmanship and care for the course - they are a given.

2) Joining Fees. Supermarkets don't charge you an extra £50 the first time you shop there, why should a golf club charge you £500 (or much more)? Any golf club which has this barrier to entry and can't fill its membership list deserves to struggle.

^^ It's working then :)