Re-designing Golf Membership categories for success
At Lonsdale Links, we decided to re-designed our membership categories in October 2020 in the lead up to opening the new course and clubhouse. The new category introduced was aptly named Access Membership, which included 4 x 18 hole rounds at a $299 price point (green fees were $80 at this point). Our target market was active young professionals who see themselves as time-poor as a result of work and family committments.
The response to this new flexible, lifestyle membership option
It’s fair to say that the market responded with enthusiasm to this category. We gathered nearly 200 new membership sign-ups in the first year.
For continued improvement, we also surveyed the group to find out their thoughts about this new category. The feedback included:
Positive association with the category. This resulted from feelings that they saw themselves as a Member of the Club even though they could not commit to traditional 7-day membership and it’s respective joining fees
They also commented that the addition of more game inclusions would be beneficial
How the Access Membership evolved
A subsequent action following the survey answers was to increase the membership fee to $450 and include 6 x 18 hole rounds (green fees now $85).
We forecast the loss of Access Members as a result of this price rise but in fact, the opposite came true. The category now neared 300. In two years, we are close to the point of reviewing when to cap this category and implementing a waitlist.
We further iterated the Access category in 2022 with a small fee increase - $515 (green fees now at $95).
We also effectively added to this category a pay for use benefit. After members use their six rounds, there is an option to pay a reduced midweek or weekend green fee. Effectively the Access Membership has become a “Build your own Membership.”
Other benefits include – no nomination fee and being able to cancel/renew their membership at any time.
The need to offer flexible golf memberships to reflect changing golf landscape
Healthy Clubs with capacity or near capacity membership lists are in a position to levy new members with growing nomination fees.
It will be interesting to see how trends will shift in this area as the need for flexibility from time-poor, younger generations, drive demand.
For the near future, I believe there will always be a collection of top class Clubs in Australia that this model works for. Full commitment with nomination fee and unlimited access.
The question remains, “is there room for both models to work at a Club side-by-side?” I think the answer is yes, and this is certainly the model that we are employing at Lonsdale Links.
Positive revenue outcomes from offering an affordable membership categories or waitlist options
A nice bonus for the Club is that we are now seeing Access Members upgrading into 7 and 6 day traditional memberships. We have also had conversations with many more that are planning to upgrade in the near future when their schedules permit. This is now one of our important pipelines for new members to join the Club.
Clubs with waiting lists should be looking at how best they can engage their waiting lists while they wait! Keeping your waitlist engaged will help ensure a healthy pipeline of new Members coming to your Club.
Options could be:
Pick your slowest day/time on course and allow access at this time
Access to practice facilities
Access to clubhouse hospitality
Running a quarterly 9 or 18 hole event for waitlist candidates
Or any combination of the above.
What has been a success story at your Club with regards to membership categories?