Course closed. Again. That was Saturday. Same Sunday and Monday. Tuesday on temporary greens (just awful). Holes 3 and 4 out of action for irrigation work on Wednesday and Thursday. Friday… heavy rain. Course closed.
Does that sound familiar? In many parts of the UK right now, this is a typical kind of week. It’s Mother Nature – what can you do? Nothing. If you want to play golf, your only option is to go to the driving range.
There’s nothing your golf club can do about the weather, and course maintenance work is crucial, with the winter months usually presenting the best opportunity to get certain projects completed.
Even so, club members can sometimes feel a bit shortchanged during this time of the year when, try as they might, they just can’t get out and play their course.
It’s something that becomes particularly galling when, come December or early January, an email from the club with the subject line ‘Subs Renewal’ hits the inbox. (not a good time).
Even if your golf club has taken the decision not to increase your subscription fees for the upcoming year (lucky you), the fact remains that the weather for the next few weeks looks particularly grim.
Some members will view this as money down the drain; others will take a more pragmatic view – that the number of rounds played will be balanced out over the course of the year.
Again, what can you golf club do about it? To open the course when it’s wet or frosty underfoot risks causing long-lasting damage. So, the answer is nothing.
Or is it?
Perhaps golf clubs can do more for their members in the winter months. If the course has to be closed on a regular basis, perhaps it’s not unreasonable for members to expect something in return for monthly direct debit.
The question is, what? Would £50 credit on the bar card soften the blow a little?
Nice idea – a few ‘free’ lunches. However, for a club with 500 members, for example, that’s a £25,000 spend for the club, money it needs to keep paying the many bills over the winter, because no one freezes those (excuse the pun).
One of the best ways to keep members happy is to open up the club more for social events: quiz nights, bring a guest evenings, wine tasting, various dinners, live sport and entertainment.
Course closures are…
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