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Complete rip off

BigJim13

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Sorry :D
It was the ripping us for three months.
The new passes overlap the ones we have by three months which means I have to buy a pass next year that will technically only cover 9 months Im not covered for already (jan - mar) but the price is still the same. Just one way to short us because the guys at the courses said there was no reason for them to change the membership dates, and the woman in question made it clear it was 'financial' in nature...then she shut up real quick as if she'd said too much or something.
:)
Ok-is there a board to bring this issue to or has it been decided?
 
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William Tipton

William Tipton

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Why did you? Why didn't you join there before now?
Didnt know about it until recently when I saw their website.
One thing about that course is....no sand. No water....no trees.
Its flat, no personality whatsoever....tiny postage stamp greens too.
Its ok for someone who doesnt care about improving because you can hit a ball in any direction and find it. Its not really overly challenging. I mean, I suck and still broke 90 without really trying.
The guys I play with love it because they suck worse than I do :D
 
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William Tipton

William Tipton

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Ok-is there a board to bring this issue to or has it been decided?
Yeah....they finally decided last week. The posted the numbers yesterday. Thankfully enough of us got heard by the other pros who kept the whole thing under some control.

You have to understand that the ENTIRE motivation for the price increase was this one woman who told me flat out that she doesnt like members on her course on weekend mornings. We walk in and sign in and get to golf and she gets to ring out a big ZERO on a receipt for us to give to the starter instead of $45 or so.
I talked to her two or three times and she is REALLY bent over the memberships to begin with.
I think she'd sink the entire boat to get her way even if it cost the city losing a couple courses.
She is not like by any of the other pros or workers at any of the other courses and even a few of the workers at her course have called her a b#$tch a few times.
 

9ir0n

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i am with you on the being ripped off for 3 months.. do you not have a card or membership stating that you can play for those months this yr because you already paid.. as for the price 1100 bucks to play multiple courses is a good deal.. and any club i have belonged to the rates usually are raised every yr... just curious you mention pro's at these course.. do you and your buddies buy your balls and clubs shirts ect from any of the pro shops, in order to help support the clubs...i understand a wee bit where the womam comes from about weekend mornings for reg memmbers and yes i agree with you that waiting till noon or so is an option... what i think i am seeing here is that you enjoy a number of courses and get you moneys worth, but that by moving to a single club you are now only playing one course and maybe prefer the option of playing more.. if it was me i would get a group together who feel as you do , approach someone above this woman in a mannerly polite way and try and work out your problem..also i can understand you and your working on a budget for golf, but the gold course has more expenses each yr.. seed fertilizer labor all goes up.. the pro's and workers want raises each yr just as you would in your job.. sooooooooo,, sad fact of life they are going to go after more money..
 

limpalong

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The issue of wheter or not a specific membership cost is "a good deal" is completely relative to the area and competition within that region.

The issue of having the 3-month overlap is something that should be accomodated by... if need be... a visit with the City Council. Most municipalities are required by law to allow a limited public input at legislative meetings. If you get no relief from the "lady in charge", go to the City Council directly. Also, e-mails from a number of disenchanted members to City Councilmen go a long ways. If they think it's a "hot button" that could cost them votes, they will at least take it into consideration.

The issue of cost escalation is relative to the spending of the course. Our course has taken marginal increases in annual memberships over the past few years. Those are expected as costs of operation increase. Fuel, fertilizer, labor... all have increased. Currently, however, there is trouble. Existing Board has let our Superintendent of 18 years go and our Pro of 29 years go. Then, they have cut the salaries of every other course employee up to 5%. The Board has told the employees that if they don't like it, go elsewhere. Thinking, now, is that anyone who remains employed more than 2 to 3 years will want too much money. And, they can find college students or barroom drunks to work for minimum wage and mow grass. However, they want to raise membership dues signficantly to pay for a clubhouse remodel that will include a sports bar.

Course management, just like governmental departments and corporate leadership can change with the wind. Ride it out. If you must go elsewhere for a couple of years... and will be joined by enough to effect a hardship on the current managment... go for it. Then, if a management change takes place, consider your options.
 

TrickyPutt

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Thats a typical decision pattern. Funny how its replicated relative to the economy of the cities which is also common across the USA.
How much does it cost to rebuild a pro knowledge base from scratch? The decision patterns from non golfers are predictably horrid.
 

eclark53520

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I don't get how they're 'screwing' you. Don't sign the new agreement, you still get your 3 months on the old agreement. They might even pro-rate the new membership since you'll be three months deep into it once you do sign it.

It's not like they're changing the agreement in the middle...you have a choice. Play golf elsewhere if you don't like it.


So....whats the problem again? (admittedly, I didn't read the whole thread...)
 

TEA Time

Grumpy Gilmore
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So....whats the problem again? (admittedly, I didn't read the whole thread...)
That's the problem. :p

Good luck, William. It appears that the worst-case scenario is you'll have to drive 5 more minutes to play golf every day. Not a very bad worst-case in my opinion.
 
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William Tipton

William Tipton

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i am with you on the being ripped off for 3 months.. do you not have a card or membership stating that you can play for those months this yr because you already paid.. as for the price 1100 bucks to play multiple courses is a good deal.. and any club i have belonged to the rates usually are raised every yr... just curious you mention pro's at these course.. do you and your buddies buy your balls and clubs shirts ect from any of the pro shops, in order to help support the clubs...i understand a wee bit where the womam comes from about weekend mornings for reg memmbers and yes i agree with you that waiting till noon or so is an option... what i think i am seeing here is that you enjoy a number of courses and get you moneys worth, but that by moving to a single club you are now only playing one course and maybe prefer the option of playing more.. if it was me i would get a group together who feel as you do , approach someone above this woman in a mannerly polite way and try and work out your problem..also i can understand you and your working on a budget for golf, but the gold course has more expenses each yr.. seed fertilizer labor all goes up.. the pro's and workers want raises each yr just as you would in your job.. sooooooooo,, sad fact of life they are going to go after more money..
Yeah, I can play on my current pass for jan-march...but the new pass I'll buy when mine expires will then only be good until the January....9 months.....but still paying full price. I'll get my moneys worth out of it, so Im not concerned about that, but there are guys who dont have the luxury of being able to play like I do who Im sure will barely break even...and likely just wont buy the membership at all.

Volunteers can play for free at any of the courses too...just like the membership...but they are limited to not playing early on weekends, which is where the idea came from. Why not just give the same restriction to the membership if its causing a problem.

I do understand this womans view, but the reality is she doesnt have any choice. She is a city worker and has to follow the rules. The course doesnt belong to her....it belongs to the city. She really needs to just get over herself and run things the way the city has decided they are going to be run.

Thing is here that I get to talk to a lot of members because we end up playing together every week. They wont pay any more for a membership than they are now, and certainly not any more than elsewhere. So there is no more money to be made by raising the price...only losing paying customers. If 'unlimited' play is too much, just make it 'limited' and keep the price the same. Give us vouchers or something for so many rounds or keep track of it on the computers they have so we can only play so many rounds a week.

She really seems to think that theyre going to raise the price and just get that much more money but it isnt going to happen that way. She'll raise the price 10% and then lose 15-20% of the membership who can drive 60 more seconds over to Thornapple and pay less than they have been.

COL increases I understand. So everything goes up 3% across the board. Fine. But not 10-20% like this lady is apparently wanting. Which makes me think what she made me think herself...that she'd rather just not deal with memberships at all on her course.
 
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William Tipton

William Tipton

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That's the problem. :p

Good luck, William. It appears that the worst-case scenario is you'll have to drive 5 more minutes to play golf every day. Not a very bad worst-case in my opinion.
Its more that Ive just gotten to know everyone at the city course I play at most. Its also nice that if one course is closed or delayed because of working on something...or just busy...I can call up another course and get on anyway most days.


I don't get how they're 'screwing' you. Don't sign the new agreement, you still get your 3 months on the old agreement. They might even pro-rate the new membership since you'll be three months deep into it once you do sign it.

It's not like they're changing the agreement in the middle...you have a choice. Play golf elsewhere if you don't like it.


So....whats the problem again? (admittedly, I didn't read the whole thread...)
Its the changing of the dates of the membership...so that while paying FULL 12 month price next year Im only getting 9 months....or Im shortchanging my current membership by 3 months by buying next years membership in January.
Am I the only one here who sees a problem with that...especially when she fully admitted it was done for 'financial' reasons? :)
 

eclark53520

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Its the changing of the dates of the membership...so that while paying FULL 12 month price next year Im only getting 9 months....or Im shortchanging my current membership by 3 months by buying next years membership in January.
Am I the only one here who sees a problem with that...especially when she fully admitted it was done for 'financial' reasons? :)

The reasons why they're changing the rules for their golf course is irrelevant. It could be that they like golden horses, doens't matter.

So they won't prorate the price of the membership if you buy the membership late in the year? If not, that's a poor decision on their part, but if they do, you're not out any money, or any golf. Wait till your current membership expires, then buy the pro-rated new membership.

It's not rocket surgery.
 

eclark53520

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The principle of it all? Prices go up, contracts(especially yearly ones) change...it's part of life...

It's like complaining about the price of gas going up...nobody forces you to buy gas...so....quit whining about your choice to buy gas.
 

eclark53520

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I just feel like arguing...

But seriously...this is an odd thing to be pissed off about. It sucks...but what are you going to do? Sue them?
 

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