Surely there’s a better way?

Subscription time came around and Steve Carroll saw his bank account take a big hit. So he asks whether golf clubs will need to change how they ask us for money

The membership subs have been paid. The bank account is depressingly lighter. Pay in one go? I’ll tell you, I’m not a fan.

After nearly two decades of paying my fees monthly by direct debit, I’m finding forking out a big lump all at once is a bit of a shock.

Yes, before you start, I’ve been diligently saving from each pay packet. But it still feels like I’m being shaken down by the ankles when the moths finally come out of the wallet.

It always feels to me like many of us are being hit over the head with a baseball bat in the way some clubs ask us to pay our fees.

I know there are schemes that allow flexible payment. They’re usually administered by third parties and come with added interest. So you’re paying more for the convenience of spreading.

It’s basically taking out a loan. If I wanted to do that, it’s what I’d do – and I could probably get a better deal than the 6% that’s commonly floated. But couldn’t we just come up with a better pay to pay?

For a start, big bills give anyone wavering too easy an excuse to pack in. I barely noticed the monthly payments going out before. It was just another bill – one of many on the bank statement.

I certainly noticed, though, when north of a grand just disappeared. If I’m ever looking for a quick way to move on, it will be simple to say, ‘it’s too much of a hit, I’ll pass thanks’.

And even as the sport basks in the aura of growing participation, why would you want to give any member a ready-made reason to bail?

Maybe it’s not possible. Maybe it’s a hassle. I understand clubs would prefer to have their money up front. Maybe there are administration charges that mean direct debit is not a great option.

But I have read that clubs can offer in-house facilities for members without requiring Financial Conduct Authority authorisation.

There are also clubs that are thinking about their pricing models and are finding new ways for their membership to stump up.

I’ve previously written about Harrogate-based club Oakdale and their structure that involves a £700 payment, a ‘green fee’ of £5 each time a member plays, and a cap at £1,200. It’s allows members to spread the load, and also means what they pay is more proportionate to the amount they play.

The club almost certainly took a calculated risk in removing their traditional payment ways – albeit, I’m sure, after a lot of research. It was, though, still a risk.

I understand why golf clubs can be largely risk averse. They want to know how much income they’re going to receive by a fixed date so they can plan their budgets, their expenditure, and their investments.

No matter how watertight a membership agreement is, there will always be members in a direct debit system that simply cancel their payments and effectively challenge a club to take action so they fulfil their promises. How many are prepared to spend the time, effort, and possibly money, to do that?

But the world is changing, so is the golf market, and I believe there will need to be more flexibility, more innovation, and more progress in the options that are given to golfers about how they pay their subscriptions.

Look at the rest of our lives. Everything is set up for simplicity. We pay through our phones, through our apps, and with the click of a card. I barely use cash anymore. I regularly spread bigger purchases over interest free payments and, if you think about it, the whole purpose of paying is for it to be as convenient and straightforward as possible.

I reckon sending your customers the yearly big bill, and essentially saying to them, ‘pay this in full, pay it with some substantial interest attached, or off you go’ is not a sustainable model.

It’s not fit for purpose now – however it may suit the club and a current generation of members. Will the next set of golfers, brought up on direct debits and convenience, really want to engage with that?

I’m not sure. And if they don’t, then golf – as always – will end up once more being dragged kicking and screaming into a new era.

From the Clubhouse podcast on golf club membership fees and value

Steve Carroll and Tom Irwin talk pricing, structure, and fees on the From the Clubhouse podcast, in association with TaylorMade. To listen, click on the player below, or on your preferred podcast platform.

More on golf club membership fees

What do you think? Are lump sum payments still the way forward for those clubs that do it, or should they look to get into modernise and make it easier for members? Let me know your thoughts on golf club membership fees with a tweet.