To be honest, they should sell discounted greenfees, but not some bureaucratic nightmare and call it membership. Being a member at a club means something more than not paying a greenfee. First and foremost it means the freedom to walk about and do as you wish in "your" club. It means "owning" the experience - being one of the people making it for others. As a member I donate time to the club, as a guest I just play and say thank you and leave.
I am sympathetic to a club making offers to generate additional income. Reduce your greenfee ridiculously in off-peak times. Pair up guests with members in peak times. Whatever it takes, but don't devalue membership by selling a cheaper version without the spirit of membership.
Ulrich
I consider your logic flawed.
A club like Conwy (and Cavendish for that matter) relies to a large extent on visitor play during the main season. It is in the prime holiday area for millions of people from Greater Manchester and Merseyside. The summer green fee is £50 per round and it is in the club's interest to keep it that level - or to increase it if at all possible. Discounting green fees is a sure way to financial disaster as the perceived value of a round of golf at that course drops to the discounted level.
Most visitors to UK clubs go as part of a society or an organised event - not as casual green fee payers. Block bookings of 20 or more visitors obviously get a better deal than Joe Bloggs and his mate rocking up at the Pro's shop. Society visitors tend to judge the value of their experience in relation to the saving they are making on the normal green fee. Another reason for keeping green fees at a high level. It is all about the perception of value and not demeaning the perceived value of a round of golf at one's course.
For my £430 per year I am a member at Conwy and can play the course as often as I like. I am welcome to join other members in their regular "roll-up" games and I can sign in visitors at members' guest rates. The only constraints are that I cannot play in Saturday competitions and I have no vote at general meetings. I have no interest in either.
In the last ten years I have played Conwy once - as a guest of Mark Rowlinson a few years ago. Conwy has therefore earned around £20 from me in ten years - £2 per year. This year they will earn £430 from me at no extra cost to the club. They are not losing appreciable green fee income from me because it is unlikely that I would pay a green fee more than once or twice in the next ten years.
The arrangement therefore, is good for me in that I now have a choice of club to visit through the week with a guaranteed game and convivial company when I get there. It is also good for Conwy in that they have my £430 in exchange for a plastic membership card costing maybe a quid. They have several hundred second club members like me so the numbers add up immensely.
In an ironic twist Cavendish today has 18 holes open - 3 on temporary greens due to very wet conditions.
Links course Conwy is waterlogged and closed completely!