Waterville Golf Links club - Country Membership

1916

It todays IT, maybe they should consult Boards.ie for less costly options..

Non-resident members initiate legal action against top golf club

NON-RESIDENT OR so-called “country members”of the prestigious Waterville Golf Links club, in south Kerry, have begun legal proceedings against the American owners of the club over a rise in fees to almost double the rate for locals.

Some 120 – or one-third of all members – are non-resident, living outside a local radius for most of the year.

Waterville is one of the most popular links courses worldwide and is listed as one of the top 100 golf courses in the world.

The non-residents members are mostly people with holiday homes in the area and they have now been asked to pay fees of €1,100, a hike of around 60 per cent.

The new licence agreement was introduced two years ago by the American conglomerate which runs the club in what the non-resident members believe is a drive for greater exclusivity and at attracting more international non-resident members.

“We had no input. We always paid 20 per cent more than locals, but this is too big a gap. The fees have gone through the roof in the past two years,” one member said.

A High Court challenge has now begun by a newly formed group of non-resident members who believe they are being treated unfairly.

“Country members of clubs of similar stature all pay substantially less than €1,100,” the member said.

Most have paid the new fees “under protest”, he said.

Waterville has regularly attracted some of the top professional players, including Tiger Woods, Mark O’Meara and the late Payne Stewart.

With the club approaching its 120th anniversary, it plans to increase numbers of non-resident memberships, according to the club’s own website.

“Access to the championship links of the world will be increasingly difficult in the years to come. For example, we envision member and guest play at Waterville will replace visitor rounds as our membership grows.

“Some say the last great links has already been built. Likewise, actual links membership is truly a rare treasure. Your opportunity to join an exclusive group of friends and to be a member of one of these prized links courses is here now,” it says.

Club management locally declined to comment when contacted.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/0613/1224298811035.html

Anatom

A truly wonderful golf course. Breathtaking views and an incredible golfing challenge. I try to play it once a year.

It's just a pity it's so expensive and looks like it's getting more so....

murphdogg11

I can't see that they have a case when the course is privately owned. Also, €1,100 isn't big money for a club which is that standard of Waterville. Fota e.g. is €2,100 p.a.

Jul3s

murphdogg11 wrote: »

I can't see that they have a case when the course is privately owned. Also, €1,100 isn't big money for a club which is that standard of Waterville. Fota e.g. is €2,100 p.a.

Yea but Fota wouldn't get anywhere near like the number of visitors Watervile gets, i.e less income from green fees so they have to charge more.
Subs in Kerry are far below rates elsewhere and the 3 most popular courses with the tourists i.e Tralee, Ballybunion and Waterville have the cheapest subs (around €400) in the country, because they get the bulk of their income from green fees.
I hope the non-resident members are succesful, but I doubt it because like you said they are dealing with a private company.

Johnmc367

Out of interest how much is the green fee in Waterville? They keep it very quiet, can't find it anywhere online.

MisterAnarchy

Last time I played it,it was 120 euro .
Could be even more now.

Johnmc367

120 isn't bad, especially considering Ballybunion is 180.

Doc Daneeka

murphdogg11 wrote: »

I can't see that they have a case when the course is privately owned. Also, €1,100 isn't big money for a club which is that standard of Waterville. Fota e.g. is €2,100 p.a.

May not be a lot now but when it's been hiked by 60% in a year or two would you not worry where it is going to end up? International members are not likely to be bothered whether the fee is €10,000 or €20,000 a year considering for them the decision to takeout membership will be anything but financial (how many rounds a year can they play?!) but this isn't necessarily the case for the country members.

XPOT4

Johnmc367 wrote: »

Out of interest how much is the green fee in Waterville? They keep it very quiet, can't find it anywhere online.

its €74 now for gui card holders