# Mature student golf membership fees



## Aidan100 (1 Sep 2010)

Hi
I am a 30+ year old full time student, and have recently inquired about student membership of my local course. I have been told that student membership only applies to students under 23 years old. Does anyone know if this goes against my consumer rights?


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## niceoneted (1 Sep 2010)

I have done a number of part time university courses by night and use my student card in a lot of situations - after all I am paying hugh fees, last course 10k.
I have never once encountered a problem using my student card. I have heard that some only accept full time students - which you are. I am late 30's BTW. 
I would certainly question it again at the golf club. Have you been a full paying member up to now? If there is a considerable amount in the difference on price I would fight it if I were you.


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## TreeTiger (1 Sep 2010)

I'm in a golf club, and here is my attempt at explaining the situation from my limited understanding of the complex membership rules:-

Clubs will usually have full membership and 5 day membership for adults.  5 day members cannot normally play at weekends, but there will be a few weekend competitions organised over the year that they can play in.  Obviously 5 day membership is cheaper, and usually new members join under this category, progressing to full membership after a period of time.

Associate members is a closed category - it used to be the only available category for women in many clubs.  When clubs opened up full membership to women it was considered unfair to force ladies who had been long-standing members of a club to have to pay full membership, so for women who didn't want to take up full membership (and having to pay the entrance fee involved), they were left as lady associates.

Junior members are usually taken on from about age 12 - 13 at a lot less than the full annual membership fee.  They will usually be offered specialised group lessons during holiday times at little (or even no) cost.  Their playing times on the course will be quite restricted and there will be a limited number of competitions open to them.

It is understood that when Juniors reach 18 they are rarely going to be in a position to pay for full membership fees - and often an expensive entrance fee - but the club doesn't want to lose them as a member.  So the intermediate (student) category is the mechanism to deal with this.  The fee is increased slightly but the playing rights increase hugely, in many clubs to practically the same level as a full member.

After the intermediate member has finished their further education it is expected they would apply for 5 day or full membership, and clubs would normally set a cap on the latest age (in the OPs case it's obviously 23) intermediate membership can be held until.

All that said, golf is an expensive sport, and if the OP isn't sure it's for life, then it might be worth taking a cheap membership in one of the many clubs outside city areas, and then playing in the local club on a green fee basis.


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## Leo (2 Sep 2010)

Aidan100 said:


> Hi
> I am a 30+ year old full time student, and have recently inquired about student membership of my local course. I have been told that student membership only applies to students under 23 years old. Does anyone know if this goes against my consumer rights?


 
They are entitled to place whatever restrictions they like on discounted membership.


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## dereko1969 (2 Sep 2010)

niceoneted said:


> after all I am paying hugh fees, last course 10k.


 
who's hugh? and what university does he own?


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## joanmul (2 Sep 2010)

dereko1969 said:


> who's hugh? and what university does he own?



Don't be smart. 

Leo: Is it worth a try to show your local course some documentation to support your claim to being a full time student? In my course there were a few students who held on to their transition membership for a lot longer than appeared to be justified - however there may have been some mitigating factors. In this day and age when the golf clubs are crying out for members it is a bit surprising you have been turned away.


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## Leo (3 Sep 2010)

That's probably worth a shot Joanmul. As you say, I'm sure many golf clubs are feeling the pinch at the moment. They may also have some people chancing their arm trying to avail of lower cost memberships, so any proof you can show them might help.


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## dereko1969 (3 Sep 2010)

joanmul said:


> Don't be smart.


 
I was trying to bring a bit of levity to the query, obviously wasted on you.

You're also not a mod, so please don't tell me what I can or can't post.

If you had bothered reading the posts properly you would see that Leo is not the OP and that he (Leo) has already pointed out that private clubs can basically do what they like with regard to their membership rules - even to the extent of refusing women as full members as in Portmarnock.

To the OP, ask to see their written rules on what constitutes a student member, if it does have an age limit then it would seem you're out of luck, but you could always ask for an exception to be made at a higher level.


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## Complainer (15 Sep 2010)

Leo said:


> They are entitled to place whatever restrictions they like on discounted membership.


Not necessarily - the general provisions of the Equal Status Acts prevent any service provider from discriminating on grounds of age (and nine other grounds). 

OP - It might well be worth contacting the Equality Authority. I'm sure they'd be delighted to have another go at the golf clubs.


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