Has your golf club suffered with membership opening up and looking for more societies

Trampas

With a lot of golf clubs trying to get more members in has your golf club suffered as a result or even trying to get societies in?

Things like getting your name on the timesheet early so you can continue getting that tee time you always like.

Time to complete a round has gone from 3.45 to 4.30 due to more people playing.

Course is suffering from more traffic.

Tee times at weekends less with more societies on the course.

amywise9

My family have been members of the same club for yonks. And over the past two years we have seen members joining on an annual basis for €1200, no joining fee.
I suppose the clubs need the cash to keep going. But, to be honest like we used to play Tuesdays at 10.30am. The last few months we have noticed our tee times are reduced and you get societies or visitors permitted to play during our traditional tee times.
The same applies to the men. My Dad used to play every Saturday at 9.30am. Over the past year he and his two friends have lost their slot.
Also, these people joining on an annual basis have the same rights as traditional members.
Not meaning to be snobbish but I was having lunch in the clubhouse with my mother and some friends a few weeks back and there were some of the annual members or 'blow ins' as we call them sitting near us. Their bad language left a lot to be desired.
But I think most clubs are suffering financially in the economic downturn and have, therefore, turned to 'pay as you play' memberships.

k.p.h

Trampas wrote: »

With a lot of golf clubs trying to get more members in has your golf club suffered as a result or even trying to get societies in?

Things like getting your name on the timesheet early so you can continue getting that tee time you always like.

Time to complete a round has gone from 3.45 to 4.30 due to more people playing.

Course is suffering from more traffic.

Tee times at weekends less with more societies on the course.

I read the charter and it says I am not allowed to reply to this post as I would like to so I will refrain from commenting. I will also refrain from commenting on the second post.

Sandwlch

Golf clubs in Ireland are in a state of transition. There is less money being spent on the game by fewer golfers. Many clubs, and club members have yet to recognise this reality. Most clubs are competing with each other for dwindling resources as if in that way they can maintain the club standards they became used to over the last 10 years. Some will go out of business, and the standards of facilities in most of the survivors will decrease. But competing for new members or society business just does not create more demand, it simply gives the illusion to some that 'we are doing something about it'. Welcome back to the real Ireland.

dixiefly

amywise9 wrote: »

My family have been members of the same club for yonks. And over the past two years we have seen members joining on an annual basis for €1200, no joining fee.
I suppose the clubs need the cash to keep going. But, to be honest like we used to play Tuesdays at 10.30am. The last few months we have noticed our tee times are reduced and you get societies or visitors permitted to play during our traditional tee times.
The same applies to the men. My Dad used to play every Saturday at 9.30am. Over the past year he and his two friends have lost their slot.
Also, these people joining on an annual basis have the same rights as traditional members.
Not meaning to be snobbish but I was having lunch in the clubhouse with my mother and some friends a few weeks back and there were some of the annual members or 'blow ins' as we call them sitting near us. Their bad language left a lot to be desired.
But I think most clubs are suffering financially in the economic downturn and have, therefore, turned to 'pay as you play' memberships.

Do you not realise that the country is in severe recession and that golf clubs have been hit badly through losing members, societies and are struggling to pay their way. Most clubs are delighted to get new members.

You are having trouble getting out on Tuesdays at 10:30am? I really doubt that. Are you a full member of your club by the way?

Regarding your Dad, does he manage to get out close to his required time? Is it really affecting him that much?

I am very surprised that the issues you raised are annoying you....they are pretty trivial in my mind ( and I am a full member of my club).

dixiefly

Trampas wrote: »

With a lot of golf clubs trying to get more members in has your golf club suffered as a result or even trying to get societies in?

Things like getting your name on the timesheet early so you can continue getting that tee time you always like.

Time to complete a round has gone from 3.45 to 4.30 due to more people playing.

Course is suffering from more traffic.

Tee times at weekends less with more societies on the course.

Would you prefer your club treasurer etc to put a bag over his head and ignore the economic realities facing the club and keep going with the old membership policy until it's too late?

Regarding the time slot I would say to you - Deal With It...i.e. figure out a way to get a time close to your required slot and think of something more important to get upset about!

redzerdrog

amywise9 wrote: »

My family have been members of the same club for yonks. And over the past two years we have seen members joining on an annual basis for €1200, no joining fee.
I suppose the clubs need the cash to keep going. But, to be honest like we used to play Tuesdays at 10.30am. The last few months we have noticed our tee times are reduced and you get societies or visitors permitted to play during our traditional tee times.
The same applies to the men. My Dad used to play every Saturday at 9.30am. Over the past year he and his two friends have lost their slot.
Also, these people joining on an annual basis have the same rights as traditional members.
Not meaning to be snobbish but I was having lunch in the clubhouse with my mother and some friends a few weeks back and there were some of the annual members or 'blow ins' as we call them sitting near us. Their bad language left a lot to be desired.
But I think most clubs are suffering financially in the economic downturn and have, therefore, turned to 'pay as you play' memberships.

You seriously come across as a stuck up spoilt brat tbh

hades

redzerdrog wrote: »

You seriously come across as a stuck up spoilt brat tbh

Thats a bit harsh.

A question was asked, an answer/opinion was given detailing their own experiences of what they encountered directly related to the question.

Trampas

k.p.h wrote: »

I read the charter and it says I am not allowed to reply to this post as I would like to so I will refrain from commenting. I will also refrain from commenting on the second post.

How did you reply but you said you can't

dixiefly wrote: »

Would you prefer your club treasurer etc to put a bag over his head and ignore the economic realities facing the club and keep going with the old membership policy until it's too late?

Regarding the time slot I would say to you - Deal With It...i.e. figure out a way to get a time close to your required slot and think of something more important to get upset about!

But you can be a bit shortsighted at times. Just cause you pull in a few extra grand this year might mean less the following year as people leave the club due to many members and eating up members time on weekends due to societies.

I remember one weekend over 3 hours on Saturday was gone because of societies and it wasn't a small comp either.

I think clubs can go to crazy with trying to get in as much money as possible without looking at the long term effect it can happen.

People on here are leaving clubs going to other clubs because of clubs trying to have to many members and societies and not worried about consequences that it may thrown up

BigChap1759

In fairness calling new members "blow-ins" doesn't come across particularly well....

Zardoz

Good thread this.
I thought long and hard about renewing my membership this year and I am still unsure if it was worth it.

My local club seems to have sold its soul to the devil over the last few years .
While the membership levels have dropped the amount of free space on the timesheets has dropped dramatically.
Not too many societies but alot of classics and open days.

March and April were a disaster ,it was almost impossible to get out any weekday evening ,the timesheet was fully booked often until 90 minutes before sunset.
Weekends are hit and miss but weekdays are still too busy for my liking.
Today the timesheet is booked until 7.15,tomorrow is the same,Thursday is a classic until 6.50 and Friday is a classic all day until 6.55
Once the evenings get shorter the situation will worsen and be like March/April again.

I like to get out after work for a few holes but its becoming very difficult as
a)Timesheet is booked or
b)I am stuck behind alot of beginners

The club has a 7 day timeshhet now which in some ways is a good thing but in others is bad.
I see the same names clogging up busy times and alot of them dont turn up .
I'd prefer to have no bookings after 5pm,just a free for all.

I know a good few friends of mine didnt join this year as they were frustrated at not being able to just turn up on a summers evening and get out due to the timesheet being full.

I know clubs must bring in extra revenue but it must be balanced and you dont bite the hand that feeds you .
1200 euro a year is alot of money to pay and for that I realistically expect that I should be able to play golf any evening I wish.

Flanders536

Im commenting as I would be classed as a blow in I joined Dunmore East Golf Club aprox 7 weeks ago, I joined as I found that I played in Dunmore maybe twice a week and it was working out way more expensive being a non-member that joining

Now if the players in Dunmore had the same mind set as a few on this thread, I doubt I would have joined, you make me feel like I should not join any club because the prices are lower due to the recission.

This is not our fault! we did not ask the club to lower their prices, they did that them selves as to keep their doors open. Would you rather they close up and you have to find another club to join, then your the blow in.

The clubs do what they must to make sure they stay open and that they keep the coarse in good nick.
So the biggest concerns are that tee time sheets are filling up, well then here are some options.

1: Book your tee time in advance like all the others are doing!
2: If there are biginers on teh coarse you should be polite and advise them of coarse rules(allows faster players to pass)

You think that as a member you should be able to pop along when ever and play a game. While in some respects yes that can happen, butif someone else books a tee time ahead you do not have the right to get annoyed cause you didnt.

Save all the arguments, Book your own tee time in advance, your club will be able to put the money from new members and socitys back into the grounds and can only make the coarse a better place to play

hades

I don't think anyone is blaming new members availing of some of the great offers. I'm one of those aswell. I think the issue at hand is that, clubs are more focused on short term gain. I think for my club, there was a limit put on the amount of folks who could get the cheaper membership, and i know for other clubs they also limited it, to say the first 100 applicants.

As regards the time sheet filling up, only one thing for it, get your name down. Simple as that. I started entering the club competitions a few months back, and i learned the hard way of not planning in advance. I'm always booked in now, a week or so in advance, and nearly always get, in or around the times i'd like.

#aside
One thing that does really annoy me, is societies or groups disrespecting the course. You see lads going into the bar with golf shoes on, dragging muck and grass all over the place. Or leaving a bunker without raking it. I'm a member of a society aswell, i love it and we try out different courses as much as we can, but we always hear of horror stories in the clubs we visit, on top of seeing it in person on our own course.