Thanks Fabio & Rob for your moral support (in your case immoral support Rob!!) & interpretted indignation. I will e-mail both of you with further details, names & quotations from the various conversations I had on this matter.
The "Clubs" concerned are the Puerto Plata & Playa Grande Golf clubs. I have been playing at Playa Dorada for some 8 years now, initially as a employee of USC Dominicana (I worked with them for 3 months) then later as a guest/friend of some members. Some 4 years ago I had a GHIN (official handicap number) but as a couple of playing members gave the impression that they would prefer to play without me in the group & I was not too worried about playing on "Club Members" days, I went my own way & played with the people I was inviting down from all over the world (via this communication point - DR1!!).
Because of the business I was brining into the Playa Dorada course, I was allowed to play at greatly reduced rates for 3 years, but when the new administration took over & I was unable to supply my "Official GHIN" or membership details one day, I was pulled off the course & told I had to pay FULL TOURIST rates to play. Hence, I started enquiries as to costs for joining the club as a member.
Firstly, I was told I had to pay US $2,000 & 'IN FULL' with no terms being available (i.e. not able to be spread over 3 or 4 months). The US $2,000 had to be paid WITH the application form. On checking with certain friends who are members, plus discussions with course administrators & some of the caddies I used there, I was told the DOMINICAN Citizens only paid RD $18,000, & this I got verified by having a friend enquire as to how much it would cost him (a Dominican businessman) to join. This enquiry was made some 2 weeks ago & confirmed as being RD $18,000.
So, I decided that I would apply for membership, go down with my completed form & be ready to pay over the RD $18,000 when my application was to be presented to the club committee. That is when the girl in the Puerto Plata Golf Club office told me the joining fee was US $2,000 for 'Extranerjeros'. I mentioned my Residencia, the fact that I had lived here for 11 years, the business I had been bringing into the golf club with tourists I had met on this board etc., & that I knew the cost for Dominicans was RD $18,000. I quoted the element of the law (Article 13 of the Civil Code) that you had mentioned Fabio, so why wasn't I a 'Dominican' with Residencia, Cedula, who had lived here for 11 years etc? allowed the same rates as a local Dominican? only to be told that THAT was the joining fee for Extranerjeros & I would have to pay it!
A bit upset & VERY dissappointed, I went to see the new administrator (a VERY nice man called Sn. Ventura) who seemed to recognise my plight & called the club President on the 'phone. A meeting was arranged for the following day 1.00 pm for the 3 of us to sit & discuss things, but the President didn't show!! Sn Ventura was visibly upset that the President hadn't shown & kept appologising by saying he would show soon & he (Sn. Ventura) would pull him over for a discussion. I waited until 1.45 pm & used the time to talk with other club members (it was club day!) who all confirmed that US $2,000 was the price I would have to pay. The ONLY allowance they would make was for me to put my application in with a letter to the committee, asking for time to pay the US $2,000, say over a 3 or 4 month period. This would then be discussed (& hopefully agreed) by the committee they said, as they were a COMMITTEE, not just ONE man making the decision!!
Due to their negative comments & emphatic "there is NO way you can get round this", I left the club without seeing the President. I have NOT progressed it any further as I have no desire to join a club that dicriminates against foreigners to such an extent! 20 - 25% more than locals .... Okay, I can put up with that - BUT almost 400% more?? No way Jose!!!
Using this as the base, I will e-mail you both with further details of names, plus some specific comments made etc. I do not want to cause any ill feeling at the club - all I want to do is go down to play with my friends from DR1 & Canada whenever they come into town!! If I can not join the Puerto Plata Golf Club at the correct rates for locals (I AM a local!!), then I will join FedoGolf (application is in & I am awaiting a representative to call, but that has been a week already!!) - I just won't be able to take out a caddy as well (FedoGolf rates include cart & caddy is NOT a pre-requisite), which will be a pity for my caddy friends as they won't be getting my tips!!
It should be pointed out here, that I have NOT spoken to any members of the Playa Grande committee, I have only received feedback from Caddies & people who say they know the system down there! It is supposedly exactly the same as Playa Dorada - just a bit more expensive!!! I would consider Playa Grande as an option because that will allow me to play at Playa Dorada at the same rates as local members, & Golf cart is NOT compulsory so I could take the caddies out!!
HB, Fabio & Rob, .... E-Mail to follow - Grahame.
