Membership

Mav's Queenwood thread got a bit hijacked, but a decent debate was forming around the subject of membership decline and joining fees seemingly being a north south divide. It also seems that the average annual subscription is £650 and membership is in decline year on year for the past 5-years. On average each club is losing 60 members each year. I found this piece which I've cut a pasted :-

Joining fee, no joining fee, joining fee, no joining fee…

If a golf club is facing a membership renewal crisis, one reaction has been to abandon the joining fee in order to tempt new recruits. Whilst this could well be an option in your area, based on your competition, it is still something that requires careful thought.

Although it is lazy to rely on a hefty joining fee to keep members on board (something many clubs have been guilty of in the past), there is no doubt it does engender more loyalty and commitment to a club. Clubs that have removed the joining fee have found that their renewal rate can plummet and that the following year people vote with their feet – often to the club down the road which also has no joining fee. That just creates massive churn, a less stable membership base and even more of a financial headache down the line.

However, the thought of an annual subscription plus several hundred pounds joining fee on top can be off putting to people. The secret is to get creative, remove the psychological barrier but not abandon it entirely. One successful trick is to waive or reduce the joining fee for members introduced by members through a member referral programme. Or waive the joining fee for one month only – and be prepared to stick to it. Or limit it to the first 20 people through the door. If family members join together, give them a hefty discount on the fees. One other popular option is to spread the joining fee over a number of years – no more than three.

Sit down, come up with a few options and you can use a mix with your membership recruitment strategy at various times throughout the year rather than simply dropping it completely.

To renew or not renew, that is the question

One question I am often asked is when is the best time to get members to renew their golf club membership. Once again, many clubs are stuck in the cycle of renewal between November and April. While April is not too bad – at least they can see the season stretching out before them, I would have to say that January is the worst time of all.

They have probably gone two or three months without playing; the weather is still poor with temporary greens the norm. They are still paying for Christmas so money is tight – and they get a bill for £700 plus through the door. No wonder they start to question whether its value for money.

Once again, changing your renewal cycle does take some planning and effort but it may well be worth it. The best time is when the playing season is busy, but not nearing the end – they should be using their membership and are less likely to question whether its value for money.

Another piece from the golf union: http://www.englishgolfunion.org/page.aspx?sitesectionid=330&sitesectiontitle=retaining+members

Also does paying by direct debit make it easier for members to walk?