Mid 2023: membership, subs and guest fee update

During the TAGS Committee meeting on 17th July, which was primarily to plan the weekend away, we reviewed the current situation regarding society membership, subscriptions, competition entry fees and guest fees.

It appears that not all of the proposals that we’d agreed at the AGM for 2022, had been implemented as documented in Post AGM 2022 green fees and subs update.

This post attempts to clarify the situation and includes updates made since the July competition.

New / returning players – Member or Guest?

1. Several new players have been allowed to enter the monthly competitions having paid a competition entry fee of £10.
2. These players are: Dan Barnett, Adam Verne, Gav Ross, Kev Kelly, Matt Robson and Mark Pickering.
3. Other new players have not been allowed to enter the monthly competitions, until they’ve submitted 3 cards from society events. They were charged a guest fee of £5.
4. These players are: Jay Stouse, Mark Compton, Ricky Louca, Jim Eckworth and Steve Cullen.
5. Players returning after a Sabbatical are allowed to enter the competition: Bobby Whitcombe.
6. Returning players who were Guests not Members will have to submit 3 cards: Zak Farrier.

Recent website changes

Background

When it comes to knowing what to charge a player for a competition we need to know the player’s status.

• For monthly Saturday competitions, Members must pay their subs, and any backsubs.
• Most other membership types should be treated as a guest of some form.
• Guests with a TAGS handicap are entitled to enter the competition on payment of an entry fee.
• Other guests are not entitled to win the competition, but can win NTPs.

TAGS handicap vs bona-fide handicap

TAGS handicaps are based on at least 3 individual stableford rounds, played recently with the society. Your TAGS handicap may be adjusted after each competition. For the full details of how handicap adjustments are applied see Andy Banting.

In early 2023, to encourage new members, we allowed players to enter competitions if they had a Bona-fide handicap, being one or more of:

• WHS handicap
• TAGS handicap, based on at least 3 individual stableford rounds played recently with the society
• Handicap confirmed by another society

After much deliberation the committee has chosen to revisit the definition of a bona-fide handicap. From now on we’re reverting to the pre-2023 position; in order to enter the monthly Saturday competition you need a TAGS handicap.

Requirement

• Introduce a membership status of Competitive Guest.
• Display information regarding a player’s membership status on the Player list for future events.
• This will be used by the committee when the player is paying for the competition.

The definition of a Competitive Guest is

A guest player at The Anchor Golf Society’s events who is allowed to enter competitions on payment of a competition entry fee.

Competitive Guests are those who have a TAGS handicap, based on at least 3 individual stableford rounds played with the society, in recent months.

Note: All players should always play off the lower of their TAGS or WHS handicap.

Display a player’s membership status

Notes:

• The capital (G) indicates that the guest is entitled to pay the competition entry fee.
• Lower case (g) means the guest is NOT entitled to pay the competition entry fee.
• The last two displays should not happen.
• For (G)(g) the player should either an Ex-member or a Guest.
• For (S) the player should decide on whether or not to return as a Member, or become an Ex-member.
• New players, who were accepted immediately as members, but who have not played 3 comps, and have decided to not become members after all, and therefore intend to play as guests in future events, will be marked as Competitive Guests.
• Ex-members, and those marked as Sabbatical, are deemed as Competitive Guests.

Summary of new players in 2023

In the past a player was required to play 3 events before becoming a member. In the table below I’ve documented the choices available for each new player.

• Any new player who applies to become a Member after 3 games will be due subscriptions for every month where a competition is played on the last Saturday.
• Alternatively the player can decide to become a Competitive Guest, paying the competition entry fee, rather than monthly subscriptions.

Obviously, we would prefer new players to become Members rather than Competitive Guests.