The Competition Purse

Members have been using the BRS online booking system for a full year now and it has proved to be very successful. Following a decision by the Managing Committee, it has been decided to implement an additional part of the BRS system. This is called the ‘Competition Purse’ and it is a new way to pay for competition entry fees, and sweeps.

The system operates by marking a member’s competition purse for payment when a member enters the competition timesheet. As we conduct the Friday evening draw the first tranche of entries will be done by a system administrator; the system administrator will not be able to enter the name of a member that does not have a positive balance in their purse account. Subsequently, if a member is booking a time for themselves and another member then the other member must also be in credit at the time of booking, otherwise the booking for the additional member will not be made. Charges are only applied to a member’s competition purse after the competition is completed. If a member withdraws from the competition up to the closing time of 6PM on the day before the competition will result in no fee being deducted. If a member withdraws from a competition after the 6PM cut off and the course remains officially the competition fee and sweep will still be deducted once the competition has been completed.

While all of this is very straightforward in terms of operation there may be some teething troubles. Hopefully most have been anticipated and others will be addressed quickly should they arise.

The key advantages to us as a club are as follows:

It’s easy to use
It will be convenient
It should reduce the number of “no shows” at competitions
There will be reduced cash reconciliations and cash handling for the Professional and office
It saves time at competition check in. As members, we will no longer need to have cash in hand to play a
A full account history for members to check their balances and transaction history is available.
The credit charge rates that the club currently pays on all BRS transactions will be reduced by 0.9%.

The system is now available to members and the Competition Purse came into operation when the timesheet opened for the Club competition due to be held on 6^th June. Members are able to access their Purse immediate to register and open their account balance. It will be the responsibility of each member to ensure that there are sufficient funds in their account to avoid being unable to book into a competition.

A summary of the key features of the Middlesbrough GC’s system will include:-

A member’s Competition Purse must be in credit to allow a member to book a round of golf in competitions with a competition fee where the purse applies i.e. Saturday club competitions.
Cancellations up to 6PM on the day before a competition will mean no fee will be charged to the members
Cancellations after the 6PM deadline or no shows on the day will result in members being charged the full competition fees. (Appeals in genuine circumstances will be considered by the Competitions Committee).
The opening balance that a member has to lodge to their account immediately before the start of the system is £20.
The minimum top up after that is £10. Amounts up to £50 may be topped
Members can update their Purse Accounts on line or in the office.

Answers to any questions you may have in relation to the new system are set out on the attached FAQ’s sheet including details of how to top up your account on line. If you still have queries please contact the office or email: menscomp@middlesbroughgolfclub.co.uk.

What is the timeframe for the Competition Purse at Middlesbrough Golf Club?

The Men’s section are initially introducing the purse system for all club competitions opening for booking from 22^nd May. Members will be able to access their Purse to open their accounts immediately. The minimum amount to open the account is £20.

I only play casual golf outside of competition times. How will the competition purse affect me?

The competition purse will not affect you in any way. You will be able to book your casual golf on-line or with the Professional as normal.

Can I top up my account balance using my debit card or credit cards?

Yes. Debit card and credit card payments are supported by the new system.

Other than on-line, is there a way for me to top up my Competition Purse account?

You can call or visit the main office to simply top up your account using cash or debit card/credit cards.

I don’t have a debit/credit card so how can I top up my Competition Purse?

You will be able to use cash to top up your account in the office.

How do I top up my Competition Purse on-line?

All you do is log into the booking system as normal and click on the ‘Top Up’ button. Then select the amount you wish to top up and follow the instructions to enter your credit card details. Your purse will be updated immediately. See screen views at end of document for more details.

How much can I top up each time?

You will be able to top up between £20, £30 and £50 on-line. You will also be able to top up between these amounts in the office.

My playing partner does not have a credit card. Can I top up his account online?

No. You can only top up your own Competition Purse on-line.

If I am having difficulty topping up my account what should I do?

If any member is having any issues in topping up their account they should feel free to contact the staff in the office for assistance.

How do I know how much credit I have in my competition purse account?

When you log into the on-line booking page you will see your purse balance on the top of the screen alongside the “Top up“ button. You can also view a history of all your transactions.

Once I have topped up my competition purse, how do I book into a competition?

You will book into a competition in exactly the same way as now. This will normally be managed through the Friday evening draw and then individual members booking. The only difference is that the booking will be rejected if there are insufficient funds in your purse to cover the entry fee.

How will I pay my competition entry fee?

To enter a club competition you will enter your name on Friday Draw sheet or if later the BRS timesheet (as is currently the case). This will mark your account to be debited with the appropriate charges. The charges will only be deducted from your account once the competition has been marked as completed by the competition administrator. The competition monies will then be transferred from your account to the Club account.

What if I don’t want to enter the “Two’s”?

To make administration easier the Purse fees will assume all players will pay Entry Fee, Sweep and “Two’s”. Anyone wishing not to be included in the “Two’s” can declare this before the Saturday of the competition in which case the “Two’s” element will be credited back to the members account.

Will I be able to book myself into a club Saturday competition online if I do not have credit in my Competition Purse?

No. The booking system will automatically reject your booking if you (or someone on your behalf) try to book into a club Saturday or Sunday competition when you have insufficient funds to cover the entry fee. You will however get a message warning you of this and inviting you to top up your account on-line. When you have topped up, you can then make your booking. Sufficient funds includes those needed to cover any existing competition commitments as well as the competition currently being booked. In most cases for any particular Friday booking this would mean £4 for tomorrow’s competition and £4 for the current competition being on the following Saturday.

Will the Professional be able to book me into a Saturday competition if I do not have credit in my competition purse?

No. The booking system will automatically reject the booking if the Professional tries to book you into a club competition when you have insufficient funds to cover the entry fee.

Will I be able to book my playing partners into a competition if they do not have sufficient funds in their competition purse accounts?

No. Competitions will be set up to charge the members that are playing so each individual must have sufficient funds to cover the entry fee otherwise the booking will reject the partner that does not have sufficient funds in their account.

If I forget to book online and arrive at the Club to play in a competition can I enter a club weekend competition?

The Professional will be able to enter you in the competition (subject to a slot being available) provided you have credit in your competition purse. If there are insufficient funds in your account you can top up there and then.

While general club honours board singles and pairs knockout competition fees still be deducted from my Gold card?

Yes. At this stage there is no plan to use purse for knock out competitions.

What if I put my name down for a Saturday competition and something comes up that means I can’t play?

These competitions close at 6PM on the day before the competition. If you cancel before that time you will not be charged for the competition entry fee and sweep. Anyone who cancels after that will be charged. That said, the fees may be reimbursed to a member who cannot play due to exceptional circumstances at the discretion of the Competitions Committee.

What happens if I make a booking and forget to play?

Members who make a booking and do not cancel before the closing time will have their account debited when the competition is completed.

Is the entry fee deducted from my account at the time of booking?

No. While you must have funds in your account to make the booking, the entry fee will only be deducted after the competition has been completed. This allows time for members who are unable to play to cancel without being charged and then refunded (subject to the closing time as previously outlined)

Can I cancel my booking and make another booking for the same competition before the closing time without being charged.

You can make as many amendments as you wish before the closing time and you will only be marked for payment once.

How do I know the entry fee and the closing time/cut off period by which I should cancel for each competition?

This information will be displayed on the BRS online booking page for each competition.

If a competition is cancelled do I get my money back?

Monies are only transferred from your competition purse account once a competition has been completed. If a competition is cancelled then no money will be taken from your account.

What is the position of the competition purse monies for a member?

The purse monies remain the property of the member. The relevant monies are deducted and transferred to the club only after the completion of a competition. The purse monies are carried forward into a new year.

How do I enter the “Two’s “?

The “two’s” fee will be taken from the BRS Purse.

If you have any additional queries please feel free to contact the office or to email: menscomp@middlesbroughgolfclub.co.uk.

To carry out these steps it is necessary to log on through the clubs website and not via the APP.

Have your credit or debit card handy as you will need it to complete the process.

From the front page hit the MEMBER TEE BOOKINGS button to go to member log in as shown (left).

At this point you will need to log in using your User Name (which is your club number) and your password and then click log in. If you have forgotten your password or club number please use the appropriate link at the bottom of the window and follow the instructions that will appear.

Alternatively, If you have forgotten your User Number you can text your full name to 07518761812 to receive a reminder.

When you hit LOGIN you will see the page below.

On the Left Hand side you will see Competition Purse. Click on the text.

You will now see a screen similar to the one below where you can see your Current Purse Balance, View Transactions and Top up your account.

For the intial Top Up the Competition Purse Balance will show Zero £’s.

CLICK the Top Up Button

Click the Top Up button and you will be presented with the screen below.

Select the amount with which you wish to top up your account and press the Top Up button.

You will be presented with a new screen and will need to scroll to the bottom to find the Payment Information section below. From here fill in the details requested and click Pay to complete the transaction.