Members Discipline - Cash?

Strange title yes, but had a decent discussion yesterday with a bloke who was peed off with his club. We all know that golf clubs are just about all chasing membership. In fact all competing with each other to attract new blood and cash. I have no problem with this, but I suspect that club discipline may be affected by this.

Most club members are now using the club 'swipe card' to purchase stuff from the pro shop, bar and food. The bloke I spoke to yesterday said, that his club had a clique of rowdy young yobs, who would have been sorted out in days gone by, but recently behavior in some clubs has gone backwards. One committee member stated that things have changed, because the club owners and pro, now see how much each member spends inside the club, and apparently these individuals spend a lot in the bar each week, therefore the club are loath to do much.

I know for a fact that this would not have happened a couple of years ago, and indeed this particular club may be a one-off, but I suspect there's more to this. has anyone else experienced anything like this. I appreciate that there are still some clubs with waiting lists, but few and far between nowadays. My own club are having to continually enforce discipline on some members, for either dress code or behavior and a couple have been barred. We do however have a good membership and it's still increasing.

Doc,
I would have thought that the amount spent by non-conforming (shall we say?) members needs to be offset by money spent elsewhere by disaffected members. If that can't be quantified, I'd've thought they're stuck with their "yobs".
Without knowing any more details, I'd say the club is on a slippery slope; what do they do when their drinking crowd go somewhere else if they've allowed their previously loyal members to be royally peed off?

Something worth considering as well is how much revenue are they bringing in? Is it subsidising prices on the course or are we talking relative small change?

Have you noticed a deterioration in the numbers of other members in the clubhouse?

I think its a very good topic and it will be interesting to see if its widespread.

As someone who cannot stand the sort who drink at the weekend as if that is the only thing worth doing in life, I would be saddened if the binge drinking mob migrated to my club. In the long term a golf club cannot expect to survive as a real golf club if decisions are made based on the amount spent in the bar. As time becomes more constrained for families and people who play golf the clubs would be better suited creating a community spirit and not that of a friday night in weatherspoons.

What I would like to know from anyone ever involved with the running of a golf club is where the major expenses and revenues of the club come from?

last night I was speaking to our club president about this, just to get his views on the subject. He said our club had seen an influx of rowdy drinkers use the clubhouse of late. They had decided that prices were cheaper than in the local pubs, so took use of the facility. The swearing and general tone of the place declined, especially for lady members. They took a decision to sort it in full knowledge that bar sales would be affected in the short term, but also said that it was difficult to quantify how many visitors had gone elsewhere, and how much revenue was lost. Also he mentioned that he knew for a fact that plenty of members didn't play our course as much as they did, and for the reasons stated. Lost revenue is difficult to quantify, but he said that if we didn't tackle the issue, we would have lost a lot of goodwill

The combat shorts brigade is no longer there, and the clubhouse is a better environment because of rules now being adhered to. I did qualify this post by stating that we are in a position which shows increased membership, year on year. I do however suspect that some clubs will see a deterioration of clubhouse rules, due to chasing the quick buck if they're not careful.

You see this much more in the Bowling Clubs. Some in my area have just become cheap drinking dens and not pleasant places. The bowling green is more or less a secondary element.

At the golf club it is all a question of balance. Embracing change but still keeping standards, a difficult task that I spent 30 years of my life doing.

Doon the Water wrote:You see this much more in the Bowling Clubs. Some in my area have just become cheap drinking dens and not pleasant places. The bowling green is more or less a secondary element.

At the golf club it is all a question of balance. Embracing change but still keeping standards, a difficult task that I spent 30 years of my life doing.

big changes at one of your courses (troon muni) with private investment in the clubhouse. i am sure the new lease holders will have the sam issues as i am convinced that because it is a muni it will be marketed as more than just somewhere to go for a post round pint ?


regarding the "combat short brigade" surely the dirty bar is the place for these guys but i realise not all clubs have one

The Council up here, both Labour and Tory, have neglected thier courses for well over 50 years.
Bellisle, probably on of Braids best courses, does not even have automatic greens watering. The hotel is boarded up and they have just opened a new 'exciting' catering operation. Or~ to you and me a portocabin.

Such a shame as they are truly special.[ the courses not the portacabins]