Will you rejoin your club for next year

swededmonkey

My club have been quite fair so far. The renewal date for subs has been extended from 1st January to 1st March and won't expire until 28th Feb next year. That's as good as I can expect. Just hope there aren't any further delays. I don't know how much longer they can go without asking for payment

Ollieboy

Out of my group of friends I don’t know anyone not renewing this year and one friend actually rejoined after leaving two years ago.

I know renewals are 20% up already on other years and the deadline isn’t till the end of February.

We also have a waitlist for the first time in about 15 years and nearby clubs brought back entrance fees this month.

blue note

You'll have a few things that clubs will balance off against each other with regard to their prices. If the demand for membership is up they'll think about getting more revenue in from it. Possibly from getting rid of incentive offers, reintroducing an entrance fee or just increasing their membership. In particular members clubs will not want to raise membership if they can avoid it. And they'll want to reward members for sticking with them. And if they can they'd like to compensate members for months they could not play.

They'll also look at keeping members long term, so they'll want to keep them happy. And they can expect members to drift off when things open back up, so they should factor in a drop off in member numbers too.

Then you'll have clubs who will need to look at cashflow to keep going, or building up reserves again. So they might look at capitalising on the increased demand while they can. Then they'll have to look at what other clubs are doing too.

And that's just looking at membership. Green fees could be the biggest source of income for some clubs.

I'd say we will see some volatility in prices over the next couple of years. Lots of variables at play. In the same club you could see them raise some of their prices and cut others.

And the world has changed too. People will move clubs much more freely than they did previously. Either looking for value or even just a change of scenery.

GreeBo

blue note wrote: »

And the world has changed too. People will move clubs much more freely than they did previously. Either looking for value or even just a change of scenery.

I think thats been the case for a decade now, basically since the celtic tiger stubbed his toe. Once joining fees disappeared the nomadic member was born.

blue note

I think it's wider than golf too. Back in the day you'd be in the one golf club, one bank, one job. You might stick with the one garage up change your car each time, one travel agent for your holidays.

Now, people shop around for the best deal in everything. It would be strange if golf didn't change.

Green Peter

blue note wrote: »

I think it's wider than golf too. Back in the day you'd be in the one golf club, one bank, one job. You might stick with the one garage up change your car each time, one travel agent for your holidays.

Now, people shop around for the best deal in everything. It would be strange if golf didn't change.

Even the one woman!

blue note

Green Peter wrote: »

Even the one woman!

Lots of things have changed, but the hours in the day haven't. I already have lists of jobs to do from having one wife. If someone wants to have two relationships going, they have my sympathies!

idle

Just made my 36th and final joining fee monthly payment. Pot committed

Luckycharm

GreeBo wrote: »

Yeah true!
Interestingly we have one of the longest waiting lists for new members that we have had in years, time to bring the entry fee back up!
I suspect many locals who typically played in courses outside the 5k are now looking closer to home. (there would be lots of locals in Carton or Wicklow etc)

They did increase it, you obviously weren't on the AGM :P

GreeBo

Luckycharm wrote: »

They did increase it, you obviously weren't on the AGM :P

Probably nearly up to half what we paid! :rolleyes:

Luckycharm

GreeBo wrote: »

Probably nearly up to half what we paid! :rolleyes:

Considering you came through the Junior ranks like me thankfully wasn't full whack. Now €15k

GreeBo

Luckycharm wrote: »

Considering you came through the Junior ranks like me thankfully wasn't full whack. Now €15k

Thats a 2K bump right? Not massively significant, considering what the neighbours charge.

Seve OB

swededmonkey wrote: »

My club have been quite fair so far. The renewal date for subs has been extended from 1st January to 1st March and won't expire until 28th Feb next year. That's as good as I can expect. Just hope there aren't any further delays. I don't know how much longer they can go without asking for payment

That’s very fair

Seve OB

Luckycharm wrote: »

Considering you came through the Junior ranks like me thankfully wasn't full whack. Now €15k

What kind of discount did you get by coming though the junior ranks?
I think I paid 2k joining fee when I graduated and had a year as an associate before becoming a full member. I think the regular joining fee back then may have been in excess of €15k, so it was a big discount.

Green Peter

Is there a bit of back clapping going on here?

Luckycharm

Seve OB wrote: »

What kind of discount did you get by coming though the junior ranks?
I think I paid 2k joining fee when I graduated and had a year as an associate before becoming a full member. I think the regular joining fee back then may have been in excess of €15k, so it was a big discount.

I think I paid 3 times the subs while the joining fee was 10 times the subs. I became a full member at 26 basically once you started working they were looking for you to become a full member, Now you stay as an intermediate till your early 30s. They had a huge problem of very few Juniors going on to be become full members, I remember something like only 2 juniors became full members over 2 years.

I was lucky though as my dad paid my years sub when I went to OZ, I hadn't even thought about it as I only really played a little bit in the summer as played rugby all year. Very glad he did now since I retired and would have really have regretted leaving but as you know yourself it isn't one your priorities when young.

bailey99

What club?

billy3sheets

I just coughed up for another year.

fred funk }{

Paid my full sub in full in December. We got a few months free last year but not sure what gonna happen this year but I won't be looking for anything back anyway.

Glebee

Need to be paid in full by end of March, paying it over a few installments to get it paid before then.

TitianGerm

Got the renewal for my membership the other day. I'm on an U-35 membership and its €700 per year. The club are giving me €50 bar voucher and two free green fees.

Full members (€1000 membership) are getting €100 bar voucher and four free green fees.

It's a nice gesture from the club and is appreciated but I'm not sure if I'll rejoin. I didn't play once last year with work, exams and lockdown and it's going to be the exact same this year I'd guess.

tyivpc5qjx0f2b

TitianGerm wrote: »

Got the renewal for my membership the other day. I'm on an U-35 membership and its €700 per year. The club are giving me €50 bar voucher and two free green fees.

Full members (€1000 membership) are getting €100 bar voucher and four free green fees.

It's a nice gesture from the club and is appreciated but I'm not sure if I'll rejoin. I didn't play once last year with work, exams and lockdown and it's going to be the exact same this year I'd guess.

I’m considering not rejoining my club either. I was considering it last year anyway as there is a club closer to me which would suit me better.

In light of the current situation and what is likely to be limitations around comps/guests, I’m not sure that I can justify paying given my long term intentions.

Similar gesture in my place which is appreciated but if you’re not committed for the foreseeable future then it’s not really something I’d feel guilty or anything about

bestleftfull3

I signed up in May 2020 to a club doing a special deal of 799 (24-29 age bracket) until Dec 21. Great value I paid €320 in May 2020 with the remainder to be paid by end of March. To be honest with restrictions last year + added county restrictions and living outside the particular county the course is in I only played a handful of times. I really can't justify paying the remainder for this year (already two months of the year gone) and generally December is a write off weather wise anyway. I think the club are offering 4 free green fees if paid up by 21st March which is not a bad offer but I still don't think its enough given the year we have ahead.

Sharing the below, I was a member of a golf course in Melbourne in 2019, still have friends playing there, they were in lockdown too albeit not as long as us. Here is an example of what clubs there are doing for their members, giving them options. Are there any examples of this here?

Bill Ponderosa

I haven't heard anything about subscriptions from my club. I guess they were hoping to have golf back open by March.

Tommo 76

Is the membership year based on the calendar year (or for example March to March, November to November etc.) in your clubs? This may also be a factor if people rejoin.

ForeRight

Paid my subs the other day

Kingswood Rover

Tommo 76 wrote: »

Is the membership year based on the calendar year (or for example March to March, November to November etc.) in your clubs? This may also be a factor if people rejoin.

Our Club, the Blessed nine,is Feb 28th to March 1st so we are in the best of a bad position as effectively missing Jan and Feb is last seasons U BOAT. Looking back on the weekens so far this year i reckon there would only have been 2 or 3 where you might have enjoyed a few holes. Today would have been a no go.

Arnold54321

Today the weather is horrendous and has been for the majority of weekends in January & February. Courses will be saturated tomorrow when the weather breaks. In truth we’ve missed very little, of course this will change in March when temperatures pick up with longer daylight hours.

finglashoop

Arnold54321 wrote: »

Today the weather is horrendous and has been for the majority of weekends in January & February. Courses will be saturated tomorrow when the weather breaks. In truth we’ve missed very little, of course this will change in March when temperatures pick up with longer daylight hours.

ill play in any weather so in truth i ive missed every day the course would potentially have been open weatherwise.

Soundshkin

I was joined to my club as a junior for a number of years and paid a joining fee and subs this year as am now at the age of full membership. Paid the joining fee in one go instead of staggering over a number of years so membership was a lump sum this year but absolutely still worth it in my mind even if we do have to wait a bit longer to get out and play, not many feelings beat getting out for 9 holes after work in good weather.

If I didn't stay as a member I think I'd spend the year kicking myself at all the times I could be out on the course as I wouldn't pay a green fee to play 9 holes.

Bgiraffe

First time poster (long time lurker) so hello to all.

Been a golf club member for last 30 years or so but had to leave my club last September. Just wasn't getting the use of the membership with kids and work. Covid situation obviously didn't help.

My golf had got progressively worse for lack of practice and sapped the enjoyment from it to be honest. Gonna try to join somewhere closer after restrictions and jump into more lessons etc. When you're a 'lifer' with golf it always drags you back in!

Macker1

Not certain at this moment in time. I do need an outlet and Golf used to be it but since beginning of 2020. The Covid Pandemic caused havoc and even when the game came back out of lockdown I didn't get to play that often. Working all year (which I count myself lucky to be in that position) I only played 10 times which being honest finally killed my enthusiasm for the game. No sign of a return yet and membership runs Jan-Dec..... Haven't received my letter yet ??? but my membership which is €1050 is normally commenced paying in Jan.
Still very busy working away and with shift work my weekends are already cut by 50%. Really hard to justify paying as I really do need to see value in the return. I paid in full for 2020 but 2021 is making me question the point of handing over even more cash for very little prospect of a return. Even with the benefit of having received the Vaccine I still can't get out until the restrictions are relaxed.

Frustrated to hell with the whole situation.

tayto lover

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