Negoitating for Membership Fees or Entrance Fees?

[foxhole88]

I am considering joining a Private Country Club. It has one of the nicer and demanding courses in the area and I would love to be a member there and play this course all the time.

The entrance fee is $4,000 and the yearly fee is $6500. The price is a little steep, especially the yearly fee. The club is not at capacity. I am guessing they are about 100+ members shy, so I don't know if they are hurting for members or not.

My question is, have you ever heard of being able to negotiate the price of yearly fees or initiation fees at an upscale club? With the current economy, I don't know if they would be willing to do this...For example, they have cheaper memberships, like a Jr membership, etc. based on ages and while I am too old to qualify for one of these cheaper memberships, do you think a club would be willing to offer that membership as a discount (i know they wouldn't promote it - but if someone were to ask for it, would they possibly go for it?)

I have heard of places negotiating terms, (when money would be due) but not the actual money. There are other cheaper places I could join that would be better for me financially, but this place is close to work and the course is awesome, so I know I wouldnt get bored of it.

[Colinb913]

I managed to get my membership down a little bit. I say go for it, and whats the worse they can say?

[c. lassiter]

do you think a club would be willing to offer that membership as a discount (i know they wouldn't promote it - but if someone were to ask for it, would they possibly go for it?)

How do you think all existing member would react if they found out a new guy got a "discount"?

[iacas]

How do you think all existing member would react if they found out a new guy got a "discount"?

It happens all the time though. There are membership drives, etc. Lots of clubs will waive or cut the initiation fee if they need to get members to join, etc.

Besides, if they DON'T get dues-paying members in, then their rates go up, so they're "getting a discount" too just by getting more members.

[Colinb913]

How do you think all existing member would react if they found out a new guy got a "discount"?

I doubt the club would openly discuss how much each member paid/pays. I know mine wouldn't. So how would the existing members find out, unless you or the club let it out?

[PooN]

I have a client (a very honest guy) that got a reduced price at a local course a last season... he said it was pretty simple. I will try this for next season in November.

[NCSU_MSE]

You should definitely ask. I know a lot of clubs in my area are waiving initiation fees (although the really ritzy clubs still charge a fortune).

[CG031]

It happens all the time though. There are membership drives, etc. Lots of clubs will waive or cut the initiation fee if they need to get members to join, etc.

Exactly. I see nothing wrong with trying to get them down a bit, especially with how the economy has been the past 3 years.

[clubchamp]

I got the $5,000 initiation fee waved and I just asked once. It never hurts to try...

[GaijinGolfer]

I wasnt aware that fees were negotiable. If it really is a nice club, chances are they will laugh at you when you try to haggle with them and kindly show you the door.
It never hurts to try though, the worst they can say is, "no".

[Dave H]

I consider pretty much anything negotiable. It comes down to asking yourself if it's worth it to go through with the negotiation. For a lot of things in life it isn't. This sounds worth it to me.

[Joeyvee]

I would try. Gently. Say something like my wife doesn't think the initiation fee is fair and she says we'll sign for 2 or 4 years if you can waiev it. Thats 40% off right there.

[NI4NI]

I would try. Gently. Say something like my wife doesn't think the initiation fee is fair and she says we'll sign for 2 or 4 years if you can waiev it. Thats 40% off right there.

I wouldn't commit to multi-years, or otherwise bend the truth to have the fee waived. They could always take you up on that, and write it into the contract / application.

Waiving or reducing initiation fees happen all the time - three co-workers did this at three different private courses this year alone. "No" is the worst they can say - go for it...

[David in FL]

Many private clubs (including mine right now) are waiving and reducing fees. In my experience, initiation fees are often waived or significantly reduced just for the asking. Clubs are looking for the ongoing revenues and understand that additional active members are what drives those revenues.

Ask, unless the club is at capacity you have a very good chance at a reduction in one, the other, or both.

[zeg]

I don't have direct experience, but I can't imagine anything worse than "no." Ask politely, and if they state that they categorically do not offer such discounts, I wouldn't press it. There's no harm in asking, and I'd bet they'd rather get someone in the door for the yearly fee than the one time charge. After all, it's not like it actually costs them $4k to add a member, that's just to keep you from joining and leaving. If they're having trouble keeping their membership full, every person they turn away costs them revenue each month.

[KDub]

Let me ask you a question, if you found out John Doe was paying less dues for the same membership as you, what do you think you would say to the country club? I already know your answer. Most private clubs will not negotiate membership fees because there would be an up roar within the club if one guy paid this much and another guy paid that much for the same apple to apple membership. At my club that information is open to all members, I would be pissed if I found out John Doe was paying less than me for the same membership.

Now there is exception to that rule because there are different rates for different age groups, but again that is all public information. Now if there is a guy on the junior rate membership and other members find out he is over the age, you can count on them speaking out about it. What is fair is fair.

I doubt the club would openly discuss how much each member paid/pays. I know mine wouldn't. So how would the existing members find out, unless you or the club let it out?

[VinoGolfer]

Now, keep in mind my neck of the woods has certain sectors that have been harder hit than most of the country (like real estate and development and tourism) but I have been looking into memberships recently. We have some notable places here and the first place I looked, I made an offhand comment that the initiation fee and monthly equals a new custom built home with city/mountain views. The initiation was dropped to a pittance and the monthly down by 30%. Makes me think there are deals out there.

[plugged]

I too got my initiation fee waived. You almost certainly will not get your annual fee reduced. This is their operating revenue.