Text: John Botha. Article from the December 2011 issue of Compleat Golfer Magazine.
Critical to the success of any golf club is its number of members and the amount of visitor rounds. The relationship between price charged and perceived value will make or break a club, as more are discovering during these tough economic times.
One of the great conundrums in the golf industry is: what is a round of golf actually worth? The basic laws governing supply and demand would suggest that the market will decide, and if golfers feel that they have been ripped off, they will simply never return to the club that over-promised and under-delivered. This applies equally to private, members-only facilities, semi-private clubs or pay-and-play/municipal courses.
When evaluating golf clubs for our 5-Star Golf Experience Awards, proudly brought to you by Mercedes-Benz, there are seven distinct areas where the price/value relationships are assessed – greenfees, golf shop, caddies/golf carts, practice facilities, halfway house, general food and bar.
It is not unusual for clubs to discount greenfees only to lure golfers to their facility so they might spend money on food and beverage, while others have dropped entrance fees in order to boost membership numbers and still others have opened their membership to anyone who has access to a computer, and without even meeting their new ‘members’ they are happy to take their money, issue a handicap card, and life goes on.
We have often stressed that golfers have become more discerning, and the days of players accepting second-best at first-rate prices are long gone.
The low membership retention rates experienced by many clubs would suggest that as competition for golfers’ spend has heated up, only the best are doing good business while others are in trouble. Where does this leave the clubs that aspire to be special, and to offer a truly five-star experience?
If we begin with greenfees, it is not surprising to find that clubs that are forced to compete against each other keep their greenfees in the same ball park. There can be no doubt that the clubs in the greater Johannesburg area offer the best value for money.
When one considers that at Royal Johannesburg & Kensington, for instance, a visiting affiliated golfer can play during the week for less than R300, this represents excellent value for money.
Even a tourist that is not a member of a South African club can play for under R500 – considering the quality of both courses this is definitely a bargain. Of course there has to be a catch and, as at Royal Johannesburg & Kensington, or the other great classic parkland course, Glendower (where greenfees are similar), it is not always easy to get on the course, and booking well in advance is advised.
The same can be said for Durban Country Club, long one of South Africa’s premier clubs, with a superb golf course that can be played for a mere R350 any day of the week.
Indeed, the value for money at most clubs in KwaZulu-Natal is as good or even better than clubs on the Highveld, and for a winter getaway, when the weather is pleasantly mild, there are few better places. Southbroom, for example, one of the most popular golf clubs in the country, charges an affiliated member only R230 any day of the week, and for an experience of this quality, this is a giveaway.
“We consider any golfer who is a member anywhere in the world – be it Berlin Country Club or the Wanderers – to be affiliated, and they all pay the same,” says Southbroom’s director of golf Derek James.
Golfers are generally happy to pay a little more for a really special experience – where the course is in exceptional condition and all the bells and whistles are supplied.
At a top-ranked club, one expects a well-maintained practice range with balls that are in good condition, quality fare on offer at the halfway house, and if levels of service are up to scratch, even hotel prices for food and beverage are acceptable.
Interestingly, a particularly sensitive issue seems to be bar prices. This is where the resort courses fare worse than traditional clubs, and the likes of Fancourt and Sun City, although offering a great golfing experience, do leave some visitors with the feeling that they have been over-charged for a few beers.
What the management of 19th holes should realise is that if drinks are served swiftly by friendly staff, and a few bar snacks are thrown in, golfers are less likely to feel as though they are being taken to the cleaners.
One of the mysteries is how certain clubs in the Cape feel as though they can charge well above the odds for golf during the high season, and then when they are quiet in the winter months (when nobody wants to play anyway), they then drop the fees and frantically offer ‘specials’. Tourists may fall for this, but local travellers from up-country take exception to paying double the amount for the pleasure of playing a course half as good as many in Johannesburg or Pretoria.
“… Golfers have become more discerning, and the days players accepting second-best at first-rate prices are long gone.”
Leopard Creek has established the well-deserved reputation as one of the finest golf experiences in the land, and for a magnificent location, beautifully conditioned golf course and truly first-world service, it hardly comes better. A round of golf will not come cheap – as a guest of a member during the week, the greenfee is R750 and R850 on the weekend. For a visitor that stays at an approved lodge or hotel, the fee jumps to R1 850 – which includes a welcome drink, your halfway meal and a golf cart. The man who runs this impressive operation, Derek Murdoch, tells us that never has a visitor ever complained about being overcharged. “In fact, our bar prices are lower than one might expect in a hotel, and I’m happy to say that our visitors feel that they receive value for money.”
And that is the point. A five-star experience is not about skimping and seeking out bargains. Most golfers will feel that they deserve a treat occasionally, and Leopard Creek is one of those experiences – quite unique and worth every cent.
As our judges have found throughout South Africa, the single biggest challenge is to maintain consistent levels of service, and quite often clubs manage to please their clientele one day, yet let others down a day later.
Finally, value for money in pro shops is generally found to be very good – of course at certain resorts the price of branded goods may be a little higher than at traditional clubs, but generally prices compare favourably across the board.
It is worth mentioning that at top traditional clubs where a PGA pro is in attendance, surprised if deals on hard or software are comparable to those one might find at discount stores.
Not every club can aspire to be a 5-Star Experience, and some just fall short. But there can be no doubt that a small section of clubs have remained doggedly determined to keep standards as high as possible, and in the face of difficult economic times, these clubs have reaped the rewards – there is still a large contingent of golfers that are prepared to pay a little more to be treated as a VIP for a day, without feeling that they are being charged too much for the privilege.
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