Payment of membership fees at different times of the year

waterfordal

Hi All,

I recently joined a golf club where the subscription fee is €1,000 per year. When I received the bill I was told that I would have to pay the same amount again in January for the 2012 sub.

To me this doesn't really make sense - I think a yearly membership sub should last you one year.

Can anyone tell me if this is normal practice?

Kace

100% normal. Clubs tend to run from January to December. I hope they didn't charge you full subscription if you just joined now ?

You should have been charged 1/2 the annual sub to get you to Jan - then you pay the full sub for 2012 in Jan.

PRAF

Yes, sounds like sharp practice to say the least. In my club you can elect to pay by monthly direct debit. There is reduced pricing for anyone wishing to join mid year. I'm sure a quiet word in the treasurers ear (or the captain) will lead to some sort of compromise for you. Best of luck

waterfordal

Thanks for the replies.

Luckily I haven't actually paid the fee yet. Will be getting in touch with them tomorrow to see if I can pay a smaller amount since there is only a few months left in the year. But from the quick conversation I had with a receptionist the other day, I won't hold out too much hope.

charlieIRL

waterfordal wrote: »

Thanks for the replies.

Luckily I haven't actually paid the fee yet. Will be getting in touch with them tomorrow to see if I can pay a smaller amount since there is only a few months left in the year. But from the quick conversation I had with a receptionist the other day, I won't hold out too much hope.

i'd look elsewhere then. i know a lot of clubs will take the annual sub, divide it by 12 and then multiply it by the amount of months left in their calendar year (not all clubs are jan to dec)

Aesop

Just tell them if they don't, you won't be joining this year. No point if you are being charged €1000 for 4 months of golf. Personally I wouldn't see the point in joining this time of year anyway. Weather in Nov and Dec usually isn't up to much and the evenings are short. Even if they do reduce it to €330 how much golf will you play between now and Xmas?

Clubs really do need to cop themselves on. The tiger is dead and he ain't coming back.

charlieIRL

Aesop wrote: »

Just tell them if they don't, you won't be joining this year. No point if you are being charged €1000 for 4 months of golf. Personally I wouldn't see the point in joining this time of year anyway. Weather in Nov and Dec usually isn't up to much and the evenings are short. Even if they do reduce it to €330 how much golf will you play between now and Xmas?

Clubs really do need to cop themselves on. The tiger is dead and he ain't coming back.

my club has a deal on at the moment (must put it in the proper thread too) that if you join now its for 16 months - until mar 2013 for €550 which includes GUI. Our year runs from march to february.

PRAF

charlieIRL wrote: »

i'd look elsewhere then. i know a lot of clubs will take the annual sub, divide it by 12 and then multiply it by the amount of months left in their calendar year (not all clubs are jan to dec)

Agree 100% with charlieIRL here, just tell them you will take your business elsewhere unless they compromise.

It's a buyers market right now. Clubs should be bending over backwards to attract new members. Ill health and the old grim reaper must take 5-10 members off most clubs every year. The recession and natural churn with people giving up the game or moving clubs must take another 30-40. How do clubs expect to replace these people??

The era of 'hello money' and paying for the full year when there are only 4 months left should be well and truly over. Only the likes of Druids glen, Carton House etc should be able to get away with this - wait a minute they've all got rid of their joining fees

moycullen14

PRAF wrote: »

Agree 100% with charlieIRL here, just tell them you will take your business elsewhere unless they compromise.

It's a buyers market right now. Clubs should be bending over backwards to attract new members. Ill health and the old grim reaper must take 5-10 members off most clubs every year. The recession and natural churn with people giving up the game or moving clubs must take another 30-40. How do clubs expect to replace these people??

The era of 'hello money' and paying for the full year when there are only 4 months left should be well and truly over. Only the likes of Druids glen, Carton House etc should be able to get away with this - wait a minute they've all got rid of their joining fees

+1
Also given reduction in spending in bar/restaurants/societies/green fees, every golf club in the country must be running on less revenue now - and will be for the forseeable future. I am intrigued as to how clubs are going to cope with this. You can only cut so much before facilities - and particularly the course - start to suffer. Anyone know of any innovative schemes clubs are using to raise revenue? Debt funding a current account deficit isn't really a goer, is it?

waterfordal

Spoke to the club manager today. She told me that the club does not take account of the time of year that a person joins and that I would still have to pay €1k now and the same again in Jaunary.

Needless to say I'll be looking elsewhere. It's a pity because I was looking forward to joining the club. Oh well

Aesop

That is absolutely insane? Club that doesn't want money from potential new members looking to join towards the later end of the year. Club just doesn't need the money (or members)? Care to name the club?

charlieIRL

fair play to you for walking away. There is no need for an attitude like that.

waterfordal

I won't name the club since they were perfectly nice to deal with and simply explained that this is the way they've always done things. Like you said Aesop, they just must not need the money/members.

0161allin

That is just Mental, she should be taking the hand of you for a couple of hundred quid for the next 4 Months and realising she prob get a 1k of you then in January, it just does not make sense.. I really think some clubs really need to the there head out of there on *****. If i owned the club she'd be handed her P45...

PRAF

I can't believe they wouldn't give you a discount! I doubt that they are overflowing with members and don't need the money, I suspect they are just one of hundreds of clubs that are run by committee. It's very difficult in practice for some clubs to make any kind of practical decisions.

Most businesses would look at this as a no brainer. Member would have joined, would pay 1k per year for maybe 10-20 years (20k+, plus bar / food, pluse comps etc.). Seems like a good deal, give the guy a 500 euro discount and get 20k+ in return.

Unfortunatley most clubs would make it much more complicated. Typical arguments at committee level might be:
- "What about all the guys who paid an entrance fee?"
- "What about the few guys who joined in April / May / June and paid full whack?"
- "Why can't we talk about real golf stuff - the rough on the 7th is too long, the white post on the 13th needs painting, what are we going to do about member X who was rude to member Y etc."