The problem I see with the RC model is thus: An overseas golfer could easily join four established & respected high quality clubs for £1500pa (total not each) add a £3000 business class flight and 5 nights a year in quality golfers accommodation say £1200. That's £5700pa for a top end quality golf vacation playing and having access for guests to 4 great clubs. After 15 years you have spend less than the initiation for one fine (but without pedigree) club and would still need to fund flights and accommodation for the one club.
Can someone explain how RC can compete with that logic?
Hi Mark,
I feel like I may be throwing myself to the lions here so here goes....cant be arsed with a debate on this...I do it everyday at work!! So please let it be since I have bothered to take the time to type the below.
It seems that you have inadvertently wandered into my terrain. As I make part of my living from attracting people to RC I would find it a little odd that in essence, you have called me out, unless as previously stated you were completely unaware. I am not offended so please take this below as FYI and why I, as a local, think RC has a place in modern Scottish golf. This is not meant to start an OT debate.
It is not for me to argue the toss about why people should join Renaissance on here, I am here purely to have a bit of banter about courses I like and if people chat about RC then obviously I will chirp up.
Firstly, I would imagine that you have no idea how much our annual fees are from the numbers you are quoting or what our guest fees are (£35 for you info- probably cheaper than 99% of golf courses that are 1% as good as ours), or how our club operates.
I would argue that I have grown up in the most affordable place to play golf (measured against quality) in the world. North Berwick for £40 a year as a kid and only £500 a year now, and St. Andrews for 4 years of Uni at £99-£140 a year while I was there is hard to beat. Believe me- I get affordable Scottish golf and how a good club membership works. Perhaps you are from the same background but it irks me when people say that clubs like RC just dont get the Scottish model. They do get it- the world has decended upon Scotland!!
In terms of overseas members at North Berwick- 5 years waiting IF someone will propose and second you with other letters of support. Gullane’s is the same, as are many of the other quality courses in East Lothian. Luffness? Muirfield? Good luck with that.
And if you are a member of those courses how easy is it to book a time? I struggled to get a time for next Saturday at NB booking on the Saturday just past- let alone in the summer time! If you can get a time? 4.5 hours behind Chuck, Flip, Hank et al over for a golf vacation. No problem with that as it subsidizes my membership.
A club like RC and LLGC does have a place in Scotland now we have such a large travelling golfer contingent. It means you never struggle for a tee time, can play at your own pace, get great customer service off the course, have very nice accommodation that is lacking for a certain level of clientele and have a wonderfully maintained course for 12 months of the year. Yes that comes at a price otherwise everyone would want to do it. Just like buying a nice car, watch or house- you pay for what you get.
Using RC as a base we can get our members times at every golf club in East Lothian. 20+ courses within 20 minutes drive of the front door. Each one for less than the price of some club guest fee back in the US….seems to me that joining a club like RC gives you not only one membership on an excellent, and quiet golf course, but also easy access to many others, without having to wait years on a waiting list!!! Then there is the people you meet while you are here...then again, I suppose you may say I would say all of that
Back to the thread! We have had no news yet as no decision has been made- still all press speculation.
Cheers,
S