MEMBERSHIP 2018 | 2019
As part of our membership renewal process, a full review has been completed. We have seen a continued growth of the 9 hole women’s and 35-45 men which signals that those wanting to play golf want different options to those of past years and, as a Club, we need to respond to those demands.
Whilst we remain committed to our traditional 18 hole full playing and weekday membership we need to ensure our membership offering:
- retains and attracts new members
- is affordable and equitable across genders (categories, playing times, subscriptions, entrance fees)
- is flexible - meets the changing lifestyle requirements
- fosters a strong and vibrant RGC
CATEGORY CHANGES
Effective 1st October 2018 the following categories will be introduced:
Women’s Weekday – a women’s weekday membership will be introduced (as the men currently have) and this will bring the categories into line. At the same time the men’s 6 day category will be closed.
Men’s 9 hole - Many men are already opting to play 9 holes but booking in the 18 hole slots. To make better use of course availability and for equity we have introduced this new category. With the introduction of 9 hole memberships, tighter controls need to be introduced to ensure 9 hole rounds are only booked in 9 hole times and this will increase the number of tee times for Members.
Flexi - We will also introduce a new flexi membership for those who want to remain Club Members but expect to play infrequently. This membership offers a limited number of rounds (9 or 18 hole) with the right to buy more rounds at a reduced green fee rate. This should suit our current Limited and 35-45 Members and others wanting this kind of option and will also be a good introduction membership for time constrained golfers.
The introduction of the new categories will, in many cases, replace some of the many existing categories. The Club constitution provides for most membership categories and will need to be updated in the future. But, in the meantime, the Board has closed some categories and merged others to try and simplify a very complex list. But, again, most Members will not be affected by this. For those Members affected, we will be contacting you directly to outline your options.
The movement of memberships numbers will be closely monitored. It is expected that some Members will opt for the new category options, but most Members will not be affected by the change. A further membership category review will be made once the trends are known.
Summary – Category Changes effective 1st October 2018
|
Gender
|
Category
|
Change
|
Suggested category option
|
|
Men | Women
|
35-45
|
Closed
|
Flexi
|
|
Limited
|
Closed
|
|
Twilight
|
Closed
|
|
Veteran
|
Closed
|
9 hole
|
|
Men
|
6 Day
|
Closed
|
Full playing or weekday
|
|
9 Hole
|
New category
|
|
Women
|
Weekday
|
New category
|
|
Weekend
|
closed
|
Full playing
|
PLAYING TIMES
In conjunction with the above membership changes, we are also reviewing playing times and the tee booking system with the objective of making more time slots available to all categories to ensure equitable access. Depending upon competitions, seasonality and demand the start sheets will likely become more flexible, and it is planned to introduce more 9 hole time slots on most days, including mornings and afternoons. The time for making bookings will likely be extended but the number of bookings in the system at any one time may be restricted. Further work is currently being completed in this area, and we will introduce any changes on a trial basis.
MEMBER’S DISCOUNT – INDEX 90
As part of our review we have been considering the discount that some Members receive on their subscription. It is currently a calculation based on a Member’s age and their length of membership, if it totals ‘90’ then a 15% deduction is applied. This coming year the Index 90 discount is projected to be a cost of $85-90k to RGC. Rather than look to remove or reduce the ‘value’ to our long-standing Members, it will be applied differently. Effective 1st October 2018, the equivalent 15% discount amount will be credited to a Member’s card account upon payment of their subscription. As a result, the ‘net’ cost of this discount is effectively halved for the Club while for the Member it is still the same value. An analysis of the spend patterns of I90 members shows that they spend more than this amount in a year.
ENTRANCE FEE
Historically, the entrance fee has been varying amounts for men and women. Moving forward, the entrance fee into the Club will be equalised as per below with a three-year term option. For those Members currently on a 10-year payment plan we will be contacting them and advising of an option to reduce the principle sum based on a shorter payment term.
SUBSCRIPTION FEES 2018/2019
Historically, we have applied a percentage adjustment to subscriptions. For the next financial year, we have taken a holistic approach and reviewed the adjustments based on course availability for each category, gender equity and usage patterns. The result of which some categories have seen a greater than normal increase. The subscriptions below also include the relevant levies (finance, development, golf association fees, hole-in-one, match).
SUMMARY - ENTRANCE | SUBSCRIPTIONS FEES 2018 /2019 (effective 1st October 2018)
|
Category
|
Entrance Fee
|
Sub
Fee
|
Playing rights
|
|
Full Playing
|
$2,000
|
$2,950
|
Full playing - 7 days/week
|
|
Weekday
|
$2,000
|
$2,500
|
Full playing - Monday - Friday
|
|
9 Hole
|
$1,000
|
$1,500
|
9 Hole - 7 days/week
|
|
Flexi
|
$1,000
|
$1.000
|
12 rounds during open tee times
(excluding Saturday and Members reserved times)
Additional rounds can be purchased
|
|
Intermediate - Age 21 -24
|
$1,000
|
$1,000
|
Full playing – 7 days/week
|
|
Intermediate - Age 25 -29
|
$1,500
|
$1,750
|
|
Intermediate - Age 30 -35
|
$2,000
|
$2,250
|
|
Junior - Age under 12
|
Nil
|
$500
|
Saturday mornings plus open tee times
|
|
Junior - Age 13 – 20
|
$500
|
$500
|
The Club is obviously totally dependent on Members for its future viability and we need to have a membership offer that meets the needs of current and future Members. The trends in the golfing world are for more flexibility and a more social offering and we want Remuera to be the leader in this changing time. A continual review of membership patterns is essential and will be a key objective for your Board and management in the coming seasons.
Chris Davies
General Manager
on behalf of the Board of Management
Remuera Golf Club
Date: 6 August 2018