Membership problems

[GolfDash]

I live up here in the northeast (Mass) and know for a fact that many clubs around here are struggling to get new members. Even some of the more established clubs are looking to get "new blood" especially younger members. Older members are not playing as much and attrition is weeding out others. I don't really recall this being an issue in the past and I am not exactly sure now. I am sure the time committment to play, the lack of family activities at many clubs and of course the expense are possible barriers. This now becomes a marketing challenge for clubs and they are more often than not ill prepared. Curious if you are finding this to be true in your geographic area.

doug

 

[SiberianDVM]

The club I play at most, Forest Hills, says they have a waiting list, with a $1700 initiation fee and $75/month.

I don't have the money, so it's a moot point.

 

[The master]

Hmm well in my area there are two main clubs that don't really offer many membership vacancies, but they rest would, and prices are usually £500 a year with double the first year as a joining fee.

Where I play Bangor golf club you can't really get in as a 7day member but they offer 5&6 day memberships, but I pay £120 a year it's a steal compared to the men who pay £800 and I get so much more out of it. Hahaha!

 

[Pa Jayhawk]

The Nicklaus course down the street here in the Poconos has waived their initiation fees to try and drum up business. We thought about joining, and played the course to see what it was like, but decided it wasn't worth the yearly cost. Immediately after that, the course in our developement starting sending out sheets to the homeowners offering the first year at 1/2 price. I called, explained what the other course was doing and asked if they were waving the initiation fee. They said no, so we indicated if they would we would join, but it was cheaper to just pay and play otherwise.

I would probably never join as it is cheaper to just pay at the time, however they are putting up 800 houses on the back of the development and it will eventually be private. I also indicated that with all the houses going up on the course, which is a mountain course, I would never pay initiation fees in the sense that I may not like the course in a few years. Personally, in this area, with about 15-20 courses being within 15 miles, it is rediculous for a course to think they can charge initiation fees like they do and get enough members to go fully private in a couple years. They've been indicating that for at least the 3 years we've been here and they really haven't gained any members.

 

[Bravo]

I live in Birmingham AL USA - city of approximately 1M people.

If you went back 20-25 years ago, there were 1-2 decent public access courses in the area. All the others were just horrible. At the same time, there were about 6 good private courses.

During the past 25 years, two things have occurred in parallel in this metro area:

1) The number of private clubs with good quality courses has doubled to about 12. At the same time, these private clubs have spent millions re-designing the courses to make them longer while installing bentgrass greens. (At my place, we did a major "makeover" in 1989 and another one in 2000 - totalling about $2M).

2) There has been an explosion in public access facilities. Most North Americans are aware of the Robert Trent Jones Trail (RTJ), which has three excellent championship courses here in Birmingham alone - among dozens across the state. Interestingly there are other public courses in the metro area that are actually rated higher than the RTJ courses. So if this is any indication, we have a ton of golf choices here for anyone. There is even a municipal course designed by Bob Cupp who does "carte blanche" private courses all over the continent. You can play this Bob Cupp course for the princely sum of $55 or buy an Annual Membership from the city for approximately $1000 and get unlimited play.

So how has this affected the private clubs?

Of the 12 good private clubs - two are old (by US standards - young by British standards). These are approximately 100 years old, making them among the oldest golf clubs in the U.S. Getting into these clubs is very difficult - not because of snobbery but because they have four generations of ancestors/family members from the original founders - all of whom want to join. So from a mathematical standpoint, there is just not enough room even for all of the family members -much less those people who had no ancestors who were members.

The other 10 clubs are having a tough time attracting members. Initiation rates have been flat for years while dues have climbed due to inflation. Initiation fees at these clubs run from $500 to $50,000 - depending upon facilities. My monthly dues are $385 for that, I get nothing except free greens fees, usage of the health club, swimming pools and tennis courts.

At this point, I would be stunned if another private club was built in our metro area in the next ten years...there is just too much quality public access golf out there. As an Alabama resident, I can show my Drivers License and buy an Annual Discount Card at the RTJ facilities for $35. This enables me to play any/all RTJ courses in the state for $35 - $45 including cart. Or I could buy an Annual Unlimited Pass for $1300 and play any/all courses at any time for free, anywhere in the state.

There is just so much golf out there that I think frankly we are a bit overbuilt in much of the US.

 

[mont86]

Bravo you have a good point about courses' being over built. My hometown in central ND of 1800 residents built a new18 hole course abandoning the old 9 hole, They used alot of city money which almost incited a riot, but I know it is hard for them to keep a 18 hole course going.

 

[Pa Jayhawk]

Bravo you have a good point about coarses' being over built. My hometown in central ND of 1800 residents built a new18 hole coarse abandoning the old 9 hole, They used alot of city money which almost incited a riot, but I know it is hard for them to keep a 18 hole coarse going.

As mentioned earlier, in this area, there are about 15-20 courses within 15 miles.

But as a non-member you gotta love it. My old area would be $60-80 for a weekend round. In this area, it is about $30-50 for top notch golf.

 

[mont86]

As mentioned earlier, in this area, there are about 15-20 courses within 15 miles.

But as a non-member you gotta love it. My old area would be $60-80 for a weekend round. In this area, it is about $30-50 for top notch golf.

After reading what some of the guys pay, I appreciate where I live.
Some of the 9 hole courses will let you play 18 holes for the price of 9.

 

[obagain]

Bravo,
Have you ever played CC of birmingham? Both courses are really nice and Ben Freeman has been there forever.
The new courses are at a bad disadvantage, they have to pay the bills so they charge more and have a hard time offering incentives.
At a lot of the courses you can talk them into giving you a great deal like 6 months 1/2 price dues or waiving the initiation fees.

 

[Pa Jayhawk]

After reading what some of the guys pay, I appreciate where I live.
Some of the 9 hole coarses will let you play 18 holes for the price of 9.

The local radio station up here runs a deal every Tuesday between Memorial Day and Labor Day at a different course each week that is around a $ a hole. Some cheaper, and the Top courses a little more, but $24 is the highest they have charged, and that is for top dollar courses. This includes the cart. It spans about a 25 mile radius, so it is a great way to try new courses.

Then when you go, alot of the courses then give you coupon to play at the same rate again at a later time. Almost every course up here is on the golf card as well. During the summer, I probably spend $80-90 a week for 3 rounds of golf, cart included. There are some that cost a little more per round, which I will play on occasion.

Another thing I am beginning to see are book that you can buy for a set # of rounds. We buy one at a course we frequently play that gives you 12 rounds for $360. You can use them all in one day for 12 people or use them over the course of several years (no expiration date). The normal round is about $45, and for my wife and I, it seemed like a good idea. Kind of like a "Mini" Membership.

 

[Bravo]

Bravo,
Have you ever played CC of birmingham? Both courses are really nice and Ben Freeman has been there forever.
The new courses are at a bad disadvantage, they have to pay the bills so they charge more and have a hard time offering incentives.
At a lot of the courses you can talk them into giving you a great deal like 6 months 1/2 price dues or waiving the initiation fees.

Yes I have played there quite a few times. I think the West course is great...designed by Donald Ross and redone by Pete Dye. When I shoot my handicap there - I am pleased. Ben Freeman retired this week and he was replaced by an assistant...an article in the paper said they had only four Golf Directors in the past 80 years!

Yes I think there are a lot of incentives being offered out there to get members to join old/new clubs or they are just limping along somehow. I played at Tuscaloosa CC three months ago. This was a pretty good track along the Black Warrior river downtown that was originally opened in 1925. The community has long since grown away from the club and it is now located in a less-than-desirable area. It is kind of sad to see these large grand homes that are kind of shabby, while the club stands there in the midst of it all, trying to stay alive. They are practically begging for new members. You can be a member there for less than an Annual Membership at Ol Colony, which is a great municipal facility designed by Jerry Pate across the river...and so it goes...