How membership works

What age do we need to be to qualify as "Seniors", and do we both need to be keen golfers to apply for Membership?

As a guide we see Senior Golfers as being 50+, with no upper limit. Membership is certainly appropriate for couples where both play golf, but is equally appropriate where only one is a golfer.

Senior golfers understand the sense of community they share with fellow golfers worldwide, their commitment to fair play and the willingness to abide by the etiquette required, both on and off the course.

Golf is an ageless sport, but if our Members have a specific age target for their proposed exchange partners, that is easily nominated in their Member listing or search parameters. It is another subject that needs to be openly discussed.

Similarly if Members have any special needs regarding access within the home, perhaps steps are a problem, or support railings are needed in the bathroom, all these issues need to be communicated. But you are part of a Membership of similar age and with common interests.

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Other than our principal residence, do we have other vacation property exchange options on what we can list for potential exchange, or hope to exchange for?

At this stage the only vacation property exchange option specifically not permitted is a rental house. Senior Golf Exchange facilitates exchange arrangements where no money changes hands. We ask our Members to report any attempt to introduce a rental arrangement into a vacation property exchange.

However, Member's second homes or vacation homes are welcome, provided they are nominated as not being the Member's principal residence. We particularly encourage Members who may offer a second or vacation home to ensure at least the basic necessities are provided on the arrival of their exchange partners.

Non-simultaneous Home Exchanges, utilising the weeks your second or vacation home is scheduled to be unoccupied, is a very creative means of "banking" return exchanges to more than satisfy your future travel wishes.

Very successful vacation property exchanges have been done involving an apartment and a traditional house, and many exchange partners are looking for something a little different, so Motor Homes, House Boats, Yachts or farm houses may appeal to a city dweller.

All that is required is total honesty and transparency in the description of what is being offered, and lots of photos will help.

If your residence is a leased apartment, you will need to verify you are permitted to make it available to non-paying guests on an exchange arrangement.

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What if we're attracted by the notion of finding compatible exchange partners among fellow Senior Golfers, but we really don't want to play golf on our holiday?

As with most situations, it is as simple as declaring your requirements, and wishes, and communicating openly with potential exchange partners.

Our philosophy is that the most mutually rewarding exchanges will extend way beyond golf. We encourage Members to declare their other interests, whether that's wining and dining, art and theatre, other sports, hobbies and crafts, visiting cultural areas. The more your potential exchange partners know of your other interests, the more help they can be in recommending "must see" and "must do" experiences.

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Can I get my pets and garden looked after by my Home Exchange partners?

This is another area where open communication and complete honesty will ensure a mutually enjoyable exchange.

There are several directions to explore these issues.

In a Home Exchange situation if you are asked to feed pets or attend to the watering of some special plants, you may be perfectly happy to do so. But if not, say so, and nominate your wishes in this regard within your Members Listing.

But before asking your Exchange Partners to take care of these chores, please remember to be reasonable. Your guests may want to explore their new surroundings via an overnight stay elsewhere, don't burden them with responsibilities that might limit their holiday enjoyment.

When it comes to mowing lawns or vacuuming the swimming pool, if it needs to be done in your absence, why not arrange for a professional service to take care of it. Please remember to tell your guests the details of the arrangements you've made so that there are no unexpected surprises.

In the case of a Hospitality Exchange, make sure the situation with Pets is fully discussed.

You may be happy for your two cats to have the run of your house, but guests with allergies will have a different perspective. Even if you know your Doberman is all bark and no bite, that may not be sufficient to make your guests totally comfortable. Talk these issues through.

On the other hand if you need exchange partners with the knowledge to care for a couple of horses, stipulate that in your Member Listing; you may well find exchange partners who love horses as much as you do.

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How can I minimise the chances of any of my personal property being broken or stolen?

The answer again is partly contained in the selection of our target market and partly by common sense and communication.

Because you are exchanging with fellow Members of similar age and outlook, and usually without the risks associated with children, the chances of breakages are minimal. But they may occur, just like they do when you are at home.

So lock away any particularly valuable, or irreplaceable items. See our tips on Preparing your home. If you don't wish to travel with your most valuable jewellery, use your home safe or off-site secure storage.

Make sure your Home Exchange Agreement (pdf) stipulates the responsibilities for payment for breakages and insurance deductibles for more significant losses.

This topic is very frequently raised by first time exchangers and has been the subject of many international surveys among experienced exchangers, and several blogs which concentrate on the home exchange industry.

It continues to amaze everyone involved that in an industry which is reported to initiate 100,000+ exchanges per annum, there has never been a reported incident of theft or deliberate damage.

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What arrangements do I make regarding Insurance Policies for House and Contents, and any Motor Vehicle we may choose to exchange?

Firstly, regarding House and Contents insurance, most insurance providers support the idea of home exchange because they know an occupied home is better protected against loss than one that is left unoccupied.

Notify your insurance provider that you will have non-paying guests and the period of their stay, and of your absence if it extends beyond the exchange period. Verify your insurance position regarding Personal Injury of your exchange guests while staying in your home.

The situation with motor vehicles may be more complicated, but starts with advising your insurance provider. See our comments on Motor Vehicle Exchange (pdf) for more details, but you will need to stipulate allowable age of drivers, maximum distance to be travelled, limitations such as off-road travel, and a nil alcohol requirement for the nominated driver. There may be a time limit for the cover being extended to your exchange partners. Be sure to check this out.

Make sure you document your agreements on insurance deductibles, payment for minor damage, traffic infringement fines and whether you both start with a full tank of fuel.

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With a Home Exchange arrangement, how do we collect the keys, and initially find our way around the home?

Experience over many years of home exchanges suggests there are many advantages if both exchange partners nominate a "Welcome Committee". This can be a neighbour, friend or family member who will meet the exchange partners at your home at the nominated arrival time, hand over the keys and see that your guests are settled in. This same person may agree to call back in a couple of days to check if they have any problems (which is further comfort to you as the home owner that everything is as it should be).

If you are unable to arrange a Welcome Committee, there are several alternatives to make the keys available, from mailing them beforehand (along with security alarm codes if needed), to the old standby of nominating a hiding place, even under the mat.

Without the involvement of a Welcome Committee, it is more important to have a comprehensive Concierge Journal (pdf), particularly the On Arrival section.

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What is the Privacy Policy of Senior Golf Exchange?

For our complete Privacy Policy, click here.

The main commitments of our Privacy Policy are:-
- your contact details will never be made available to anyone, not even to fellow Members.
- email contact, via Senior Golf Exchange, will only ever be initiated by a fellow Member who has agreed to the conditions of our Member Etiquette and the Club Constitution.

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How do I receive help to improve the appeal of my Member Listing and my handling of enquiries from potential exchange partners?

As a Member of Senior Golf Exchange you have unlimited access to the following documents that contain tips and assistance on every aspect of Home Exchange and Hospitality Exchange.

  • Concierge Journal
  • Home Exchange Agreement
  • Motor Vehicle Exchange Agreement
  • Preparing Your Home

It is the responsibility of our Member Services Team to be continually reviewing Member Listings and to proactively offer our support to increase the appeal of Member Listings. Our attention will be drawn to Member Listings which receive high levels of initial enquiries without the expected rate of successful exchanges being finalised.

In addition, you are entitled to receive email support from our Member Services Director and others in our Member Services Team. Click Contact Us with your specific enquiry.

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How does the Senior Golf Exchange Member Referral Program work?

Because our Members know best the type of fellow Golfers who will benefit from Membership of Senior Golf Exchange, our growth in Member numbers will rely heavily on our Member Referral Program.

Our Foundation and Full Members receive a three month extension to their Membership for every New Member they refer. On payment of their Joining Fee, the New Member will nominate which existing Member was most responsible for their decision to apply for Membership.

Life Members receive their selection from a range of golf-related gifts for new Members they refer.

The Member Referral Program is initiated via our Tell A Golfing Friend feature.

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How does the Senior Golf Exchange Affiliate Program work?

Our Affiliate Program is designed to financially recognise the assistance we receive from other commercial operations which also service the Senior Golfers market, in attracting new Members.
For further information on the details of our Affiliate Program, please contact our CEO here.

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Does Senior Golf Exchange have plans to accommodate languages other than English?

Yes. To successfully establish our operating procedures we have initially restricted our site to English, wherever our Members may live in the world. As soon as we achieve our required operating efficiencies in English, we will be introducing translation services and the conversion of our site to the languages of other golf-playing nations.

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What are the costs to become a Member of Senior Golf Exchange?

Full details are listed at Membership Categories, Fees and Entitlements.

1. Full Membership
Joining Fee US$99
Annual Subscription US$99

Entitlements
- Unlimited search enquiries to all Member listings
- Assistance to create your own listing to maximise its appeal to potential exchange partners - your fellow Members.
- Access to your own Personal Locker to facilitate these functions

  • submit your unique "Wish List" of exchanges you are seeking
  • receive email notification of recent Member offers matching your Wish List
  • maintain your file of outstanding exchange offers to Members
  • send multiple exchange enquiries simultaneously
  • display current status of all Member referrals generated by you

- Access to Member Services assistance
- Unlimited exchanges with no additional charges

2. Life Member
One time Fee (including Joining Fee) US$499

Entitlements
- Unlimited search enquiries to all Member listings
- Assistance to create your own listing to maximise its appeal to potential exchange partners - your fellow Members.
- Access to your own Personal Locker to facilitate these functions

  • submit your unique "Wish List" of exchanges you are seeking
  • receive email notification of recent Member offers matching your Wish List
  • maintain your file of outstanding exchange offers to Members
  • send multiple exchange enquiries simultaneously
  • display current status of all Member referrals generated by you

- Access to Member Services assistance
- Unlimited exchanges with no additional charges
- Participation in Life Members' Referral Awards Program

3. Foundation Member
Joining Fee US$99
Annual Subscription - nil for the first two years

Entitlements
- Unlimited search enquiries to all Member listings
- Assistance to create your own listing to maximise its appeal to potential exchange partners - your fellow Members.
- Access to your own Personal Locker to facilitate these functions

  • submit your unique "Wish List" of exchanges you are seeking
  • receive email notification of recent Member offers matching your Wish List
  • maintain your file of outstanding exchange offers to Members
  • send multiple exchange enquiries simultaneously
  • display current status of all Member referrals generated by you

- Access to Member Services assistance
- Unlimited exchanges with no additional charges

Foundation Member availability
To ensure we achieve the optimum geographic spread among our Foundation Members, these Memberships will be limited to the following availability:-
United States of America 100
Europe and UK 100
Australia, New Zealand and Pacific 100
Asia 100
International 100

Foundation Membership will be strictly allocated on the processing of payment of Joining Fee.

There are no additional charges, no matter how many exchanges you enjoy.

Rental arrangements, where Members are required to pay for their accommodation, are specifically excluded from our site.

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What security arrangements are in place to protect Members who use the Senior Golf Exchange internet site?

Security of PayPal: PayPal transactions also use a 128 bit SSL Secure Site Certificate. Visit PayPal for more information.
Security of access to Member Listing: access to your personal information is accessed only by your personal login (your email address and password). Your password is stored in an encrypted fashion so that even if someone were to access our user database they would be unable to view it.

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How long can I house swap for?

The quick answer is anything from an overnight stay locally, up to several months internationally, where the exchange partners almost exchange lives - accommodation, vehicles, friends, favourite restaurants, regular Sunday four for golf.

The fastest growing sector within the home exchange industry is the long weekend house swap within comfortable driving distance.

Experienced exchangers recommend you clearly indicate that you are "Open to Offers" within your Member Listing. Once you go through the process of preparing for your first exchange, such things as completing your Concierge Journal and clarifying your Insurance position, it becomes easier and quicker to finalise an exchange. If you are prepared for "last minute" offers, either Home Exchange or Hospitality Exchange, a whole new world of golf travel experiences will open up to you.

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What are your recommendations for maximising the appeal of my Member Listing?

We have prepared comprehensive recommendations and quite specific help on the topic of improving the appeal of your Member Listing, and therefore the likelihood of arranging mutually enjoyable golfing holiday exchanges. Click here.

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If we wish to travel with another couple, is it possible to find exchange partners happy to accommodate the four of us?

Home Exchange and Hospitality Exchange work fine for singles, couples, groups of four, six or eight. Whatever number! The only non-negotiable requirement of Member Etiquette is to clearly nominate the size of your travelling party in your Member Listing. No undeclared, surprise additions to the numbers to be accommodated without gaining specific approval from your exchange partners.

All aspects of all exchanges are negotiable between the exchange partners. There is no requirement for like-for-like. In a home exchange, one partner may be perfectly happy to have four people stay in their home while they, as a couple, enjoy your home. Just like length of stay, or variations in home value or "tourist appeal" - it's all negotiable via open communication and total transparency of the proposal from both sides.

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