Club Fees and Standing Order Information for 2020
HOUGHTON LE SPRING GOLF CLUB
RATIONALE FOR RAISING FEES .
The committee would like to share with members the rationale regarding the revised fees for season 2020.
The committee have spent a great deal of time discussing the issue and the decision has not been taken lightly. We have carefully considered the estimated expenditure for 2020 and the income required to meet that expenditure
We are also looking to make cost savings wherever we can but these alone would not cover the predicted expenditure. The fee increase is the first necessary measure of many which will be needed to put the club back on a sound footing with a positive future.
We have attempted in recent years to keep increases in fees to a bare minimum however with great reluctance and after much deliberation the committee felt they had no other option than to increase the fees by the stated amount.
Previous membership incentive schemes have in reality added to the problem of cash flow the following year and the committee while continuing with the practice for this year hope to be able to dispense with it next year in order to help secure the long term future of the club.
Almost all clubs in County Durham and nationally are losing members year on year but are faced with rising costs for wages and upkeep of the course and clubhouse. We continually monitor fees at neighbouring clubs and are confident that we are very competitive and offer a very good product and value for money. Unfortunately we can only compare our fees related to 2019 at this stage.
At this point it is probably worth reminding members that ourclub offers members the opportunity to pay fees interest free in 6 instalments beginning on 10th October. Members wishing to pay over 12 months can use the Fairway Credit Scheme.
This might also be an appropriate time to reflect on our club and committee. We are a member’s club. The current 13 members of the committee are volunteers who do their very best to run the club to the best of their ability during their free time, freely given. There has been a co-opted place on the committee available for the past 8 months. They are golfers who play on the course and for the vast majority, pay fees. They would like to play on a well maintained course and have value for the fees they pay. In fact they are just ordinary members other than that they choose to give of their time to attempt to run the club on behalf of the members.
Please support your club during these challenging times and be aware that the club will not respond to negative comments on social media but members of the committee will be very happy to address member’s concerns face to face, through letters and emails. We will continue to be transparent in all club matters.
As ever, working on your behalf.
The committee.