Shame on Parkstone and Broadstone golf clubs

Kentuniversity

Hi all,

My brother lives in Dorset and is looking to join a golf club.

He has sent an em to load of clubs with regards their joining fees.

He has received responses from Knighton Heath, Dudsbury, Canford Magna and Bulbury Woods Golf Clubs, who have all confirmed that they do not have any joining fees.

He has not been given the courtesy of a response from Paktone or Broadstone and has chased them for a response over the last few days without any luck.

For info, the Broadstone GC website advises of limited availability for members and also of a £1000 joining fee. He has suggested to B/stone that both of these are errors on their website because their competitors (K/Heath, Dudsbury, etc. and North Foreland in Kent, which is far superior to their club) do not require a joining fee and are after more members. He has not received a response. For info, North Foreland has been a regular fixture for the Final Qualifying for the British Open at Royal St Georges when it has been hosted their for the last 30 years.

If they can't compete with the other clubs, that is fine as he will take his custom elsewhere.

My advice is to not join these clubs if they can't compete or act with coutesy by providing a response to a simple email.

Takeaway_Addict

Right, so a company has high demand and low supply and can charge a joining fee yet they should be shamed?

Kentuniversity

Takeaway_Addict wrote: »

Right, so a company has high demand and low supply and can charge a joining fee yet they should be shamed?

Absolutely when they can't compete with their local golf clubs that don't charge any joining fee.

I don't think that their business model will last much longer when they realise it is costing them money lol !!

powerful_Rogue

I'm not surprised they haven't responded if has emailed them critiscising their joining fee. Its probably a way of saying you not the sort of person we want as a member.

Considering they have both been going for over 100 years and both ranked within the top 120 golf courses in the UK, I think their business model does appear to be working.

peachyprice

Perhaps if he has to ask about joining fees he is not the sort of person they would want joining their club. That's not a dig at your brother, but we have a club like that here.

wallbash

He has suggested to B/stone that both of these are errors on their website

Their web site, their golf club , so their rules.

Don't like the rules , play elsewhere.

Ps will try to play 18 when I get down that way.

Takeaway_Addict

Kentuniversity wrote: »

Absolutely when they can't compete with their local golf clubs that don't charge any joining fee.

I don't think that their business model will last much longer when they realise it is costing them money lol !!

How do you know its costing them money? They may work on a finite number of spaces (thus finite amount of money) and they are at this level and they maybe very happy keeping their course how they wish to.

Takeaway_Addict

The more I think about it the luckier the golf courses got not having your brother playing there....did he really expect a good response telling them they had made a mistake lol!

wallbash

AS we have a few golfers on line, living in Hertfordshire I have noticed that although we have had a VERY VERY expensive club recently opened near us, we have lost three nice friendly ones in the past few years. The demand for golf courses / memberships seem to have peaked, this is confirmed with the amount of introductory offers and the failure ( which is nice) of the annual fee to rise. In real terms golf is getting cheaper.

Supply and demand, I can get to nine courses ( all very good) within a very short drive.

wallbash

http://www.centurionclub.co.uk/

This club is very near me ( could walk there)
More likely to score a hole in one than ever play there...... but I can dream

No joining fee !! but you have to buy shares in the place.

hollydays

It seems to be a complaint over nothing.