Why I don’t have a membership anywhere

Variety over member privileges

I almost bought one this year, I really did. I found out (in my final year of post-secondary, by the way) that one of the local courses I play often has a student rate membership for around $600 per year, and I was very tempted.

A few things kept me from doing it, though.

First, playing that particular course isn’t that expensive (which is one of the main reasons I play it all the time), so at $600 I’d have to play it 15 times this season to break even over playing it at the regular rate. While I might, in fact, end up doing that, it’s no guarantee, as I like to play a variety of courses and I think a membership would keep me going to that particular one rather than branching out when I have the opportunity.

I’d find myself thinking, “But I’ve already basically pre-paid to play here, so why would I pay to go somewhere else?”

Variety is the spice of golfing life, after all. Do you think the Tour players would be content playing the same course week in and week out, even if it was the best course in the world?

The other reason I didn’t get the membership is that it could actually cost me less money to just take advantage of the random deals I find on rounds at various courses, as well as make the season more spontaneous and interesting.

The course at which I was going to buy the pass, in fact, has frequent enough two-for-one green fees and limited time discounts available on their Facebook page, for example, that the 15 times I would have to golf regularly would probably become closer to 30 if I stuck to those deals, and I can grab those types of similar sales and offers from other places, too.

And remember, that’s the student membership rate I’m putting the value test up against. The regular adult membership at this course is almost three times the amount of the student pass.

I’m interested to hear what you have to say on the matter, though. Do you buy a yearly membership somewhere? What’s your reasoning?

I just can’t see the value in it, for myself, but that may be because in order for it to be worth it financially, I’d have to get out far more often than I currently do, and in order to do that, I’d have to quit my job, and if I quit my job, I couldn’t afford to golf at all.