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  1. #1
    Axis 1 Maximus user Order of Merit winner
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    Default Private club visitor rounds

    Can anyone who is a member of a private club share, if they know, the percentage of visitors games vs member games etc?

    Or club recently reported 32% or so of the rounds played are from visitor's. 11,000 rounds in 9 months. That's during covid too.

    Our club is attached to a hotel and this accounted for 1/2 the visitor rounds.

    I thought the numbers seemed high for a private club even with hotel attached. Some members have expressed that they can't book in due to a lot of visitors playing.

    Seems it's a weird setup as a lot of that $$ doesn't go back to the course.

    Interested to hear other clubs percentages, OR thoughts on the numbers.

    Cheers

  2. #2
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    Newcastle probably averages around 20-30% of total rounds as non-member rounds..
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  3. #3
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    I can't answer your question Matt, but I can wonder at the views of your members.

    I would have thought Magenta's business model is based on large numbers of visitors paying top dollar to pay a top class course. Otherwise, why would you market yourself as a resort with a golf course.

    I obviously don't know how your club membership structure works, and what the link is between the club and the hotel, but the visitor fees should subsidise the fees of the members. Therefore, you want lots of visitors paying money that would otherwise come out of the member wallet.

    Is Magenta really so busy that members can't get a game?
    "There are 50 things to remember in the golf swing. Trouble is that I can only remember 49 of them" - Bob Hope.

  4. #4
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    Default

    Lol, **** all at ours I’d say!
    Unless you count corporate days?

  5. #5
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    Same for us, we recently had our first invitation day in over 12 months.

    Before that visitors were only allowed for social play on certain weekdays and that only happened late last year or early this year.

    Too much competition for tee times from members.

  6. #6
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    Default

    Matt, your story i have heard often from members of privately owned golf course run for profit, of which there are about 10 local ones here.

    The fact is members, green fee players and hotel guests are all customers of these courses and none are more important than the other aside from the $$$ signs, and a business strategy to increase one or the other, same as any business. and as you probably already know its more profitable to treat the long standing customers like crap to win the business of a once off visit every time ... they shouldnt but they do so it seems.

    As it turns out given our golf culture in australia is that we are mostly used to members owned clubs (incorporated associations) where the Members are 1st, we tend to forget that when we pay a membership of a golf course business and the dont realise that "but we are members" will fall on deaf ears.

    All you can do is suck it up or walk. You gotta take the good with the bad.

    There's definitely a few golf courses here on GC that the members are suffering from stockholm syndrome for sure, i have no idea why they remain full
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  7. #7
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    32% should leave plenty of times for members, provided the club are keeping regular comp times for members / members guests ie: Wed, Sat.

    In regards to the $ not making it back to club / course, that is a separate issue, that should be addressed to GM and board.

    Newcastle has slightly lower non-member patronage that most recognise is necessary for keeping subs down. It is definitely a balancing act (member satisfaction, course condition, income)
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  8. #8
    Axis 1 Maximus user Order of Merit winner
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    To answer a few Q's, there is a management agreement that a very small amount of the $$ from visitor's goes to the club itself and the rest to the investors / owners etc.

    It seems the agreement, as you point out MTB, is obviously geared towards making profit. They carry the risk so they get the rewards.

    What's starting to get on members nerves, including me, is the increase in membership (700+ now) was supposed to drive down visitor spots as the demand for member spots (comps are only on 3 X a week) increase.

    I was curious to see what the rough numbers were of other clubs to see the tough bench mark.

    MTB, unfortunately not too many clubs on the coast in the same category. Kooindah Waters is the next best, and it's becoming a big option due to more comp days. However it doesn't handle the water as well.

  9. #9
    Axis 1 Maximus user Order of Merit winner
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    I should also point out that a lot of members are retired and live on site. They have raised that their tee times for social golf are being heavily impacted with visitor spots.

    Also of note our entire back 9 Sunday comp spots are reserved for visitors. Sunday never books out, I can handle that, but it's the only 2 tee start day and cross overs become a mess.

  10. #10
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    Default

    We've recently increased our membership slightly and are looking to reduce the number of GF players as a consequence. I think we're currently at about 10%.


 

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