As I write this article from my office in Oxfordshire, the rain has finally stopped and I have seen blue sky…
For the first time in 47 days, I’ve yet to see a drop of rain. That’s not an exaggeration either, as even the Met Office confirmed that rainfall has been recorded somewhere in the UK every single day since the very beginning of January.
Rain in the UK has caused significant flooding and hundreds of courses have been forced to close due to the weather
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Like everything, there’s two sides to the coin. On the one hand, yes, I should be entitled to a refund given that I’ve not had the full 365 days of the course being available.
On the other hand, the reason for the course not being open is down to an ‘Act of God.’ The golf club can’t control the weather, and that is the key reason as to why the course remains open or whether it has to shut.
Quite the quandary, then. Some would argue they’re paying for the services of the golf course all-year round, but this is unlikely to happen, given the course being shut is out of the control of those who run it.
What Should Golf Clubs Do If The Course Is Shut?
So, do I think golf clubs should provide refunds for the course being shut? The long and short of it is no, not for me.
Yes, the golf course is closed, but if they start handing out refunds for the club not being open then it could well lead to scenarios where members are searching for any reason to get more money back.
The whole point of a membership is that it goes towards the running cost of the club. This includes course maintenance and staff wages, to name a few.
If clubs were to refund members during the period of the course being shut during winter, then chances are they could struggle to maintain their condition in the peak months of summer, due to having to scale back their costs.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
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