NOT SO LONG AGO, it wasn’t that unusual to be placed on a waiting list to join a tennis club or gym – and once you got in, you had to pay a hefty annual fee and, frequently, a joining fee as well. But with the economy still mired in recession, and many companies no longer offering employees contributions towards such benefits, clubs have experienced significant declines in membership, with some, such as Total Fitness, closing altogether.
This means that if you have some cash to spare, now might be the time to become a club member.
Alternatively, if you’re looking to save money, pay-as-you-go options might be the way to go.
For golfers, the downturn has brought some welcome relief. While the control by receivers of many of the country’s top courses, such as The Heritage in Co Laois, and the Darren Clarke-designed Moy Valley in Co Kildare, is creating an unfair playing field, it is putting severe downward pressure on prices.
Receivers are keeping these clubs open to keep cashflow going, and have slashed prices to bring in the punters – which means that financially viable clubs have had to follow suit.
One welcome aspect of the new environment is that joining fees have largely been consigned to the past.
Where once five-figure sums were regularly charged just to join a club – Druid’s Glen for example charged €45,000, while Dromoland Castle in Co Clare had plans for a €25,000 fee – only the very elite clubs can now manage to impose such a charge.
And green fees and annual subs have also been slashed. At Tulfarris in Co Wicklow, you can join for €1,000, while Moy Valley is now charging €850, and Castleknock Golf Club in west Dublin is €1,750.
Moreover, green fees have fallen from their heady heights back at the time when the Ryder Cup came to Ireland. Indeed, where once you might have had to fork out upwards of €300 to play at the K Club, now you can get a deal for €80 a head for a four-ball.
And it’s a similar story across the sporting spectrum.
Some time ago, Mount Pleasant Lawn Tennis Club in Ranelagh, south Dublin would have operated a waiting list for membership, but now, according to club manager Dee Delaney, membership is “wide open”.
“Membership levels are steady,” says Delaney adding that it has incentivised new members by dropping the annual €150 entrance fee. It now charges €485 a year for tennis, €470 for badminton and €460 for squash.
In the gym sector, joining fees have also been cut. West Wood Health Club for example, which has locations in Dublin in Clontarf, Leopardstown and Sandymount, still has a joining fee for new members of €499, but it frequently offers deals whereby this can be significantly reduced.
At David Lloyd Riverview in Clonskeagh, the days of an €800-€1,200 joining fee are now gone, and instead it has been replaced by a €35 charge.
In Cork, Source Health and Fitness at the Silversprings Hotel has also dropped its entrance fee of €150, and is running a special offer of €595 a year for full membership, or €395 for off-peak.
However, in Dublin, the collapse of the Total Fitness chain last year has led to decreased competition in the sector, so monthly subs have held up.
West Wood, for example, charges €75 month for use of its facilities, while Riverview charges about €124 a month for peak times.
Another welcome aspect of today’s sports and fitness market is that clubs are doing as much as they can to facilitate new members.
If, for example, you are interested in joining Mount Pleasant, you can now “try before you buy” and are welcome to have a game of tennis or attend a tournament or social event before signing up.
At West Wood you can apply for a free day pass to try out the club’s facilities, while free daily passes are also available at ALSAA near Dublin airport.
Riverview now offers the option of a three-month membership for about €150 a month so you don’t have to fork out all your cash for a 12-month membership which, despite your best intentions, you might use for one week only.
For keener rates, gym bunnies could also consider Ben Dunne Gyms, with options from just €125 a year, as well as special offers of 15 months’ membership for the price of 12 months. The expanding chain of gyms is set to open its newest branch in the Beacon Shopping Centre in Sandyford in south Dublin in September, with a special introductory rate of €180 a year.
If you’re a big yoga fan, it can pay to look out for a place that offers multi-passes. Yoga Dublin, for example, which has locations in Dundrum and Ranelagh in south Dublin, has an introductory offer of unlimited yoga and pilates for a month at €59, while Hot Yoga on the Malahide Road in north Dublin has an unlimited rate of €50 a month. Considering individual classes can cost as much as €18 each, it can pay off over the course of a month.
Alternatively, you could eschew the fancy yoga studio and opt instead for an adult education course. At Killester College of Further Education, for example, a 10-week yoga course costs €75 – or €7.50 per session.
And if you’re not stuck on joining a particular club, but are happy to chop and change fitness options, joining a group purchasing site such as Livingsocial.com or Citydeal.com might be the way to go.
Recent deals available on the sites have included 10 fitness classes with Body Mechanix Ireland for just €20 instead of €100; a kitesurfing session in Skerries for €39, instead of €99; and a round of golf and lunch for two for just €55 at Glen of the Downs in Co Wicklow.
It can also be worthwhile to sign up to a club’s Twitter or Facebook pages to find out about the best deals. Tulfarris Golf Club, for example, frequently offers €15 green fees through its Twitter account.
While some public sports facilities can rightly have a bad reputation, newer ones are often top-class and they usually offer the option of paying as you go. This can work out a lot cheaper for the casual user.
At Meadowbrook in Dundrum, south Dublin, for example, a swim costs €5.50, or a spinning class – and if you’ve ever tried one you’ll understand why it makes sense to pay as you go – costs the same amount. At Swan Leisure in Rathmines it’s €6 a swim, or €7 if you want to also use the gym. Or you could try out the 50-metre pool at the National Aquatic Centre in Blanchardstown for between €7.50 and €13.50, depending on the time you go.
Finally, if fitness is a priority but dragging yourself out each evening is too much of a struggle, you could consider renting your own gym equipment. That way you can exercise in the comfort of your own home, your favourite soap or match on the box – and you don’t have the discomfort of looking at either all the toned gym bodies or your neighbour’s sweaty patches.
Toneathome.ie has a range of equipment available for hire, and will deliver all around the country. An exercise bike costs from €8.50 a week, or a treadmill from €18.50 a week, based on a four-week hire.
At David Lloyd Riverview in Donnybrook, the days of an €800-€1,200 joining fee are now gone, and instead it has been replaced by a €35 charge
