Urbandale Gun Club-Increased Prices?

Price increase? Anybody hear that Urbandale is raising there prices to $6.00 a round? It was already high at $5.50 a round.
Do they think that's the way to increase business or something?
Cardinal Center is $5.00 a round and they are top notch.

At $6 a round they better clean the place up, get rid of all of the trash out back, set proper targets, leave the kids at the babysitters, clean your gun when your done and act like they care about their shooters.
This club won't last long if things don't change.

TP

 

I agree with what you said. Can't leave the kids at the babysitters because they are living there.

 

Yep, living in the basement and the half-renovated semi trailer out back.

What a pig pen.

The county health department would find that very interesting.

 

I wonder if the real owners know?

 

That is double what I pay.

 

Their target audience seems to be the casual shooter. Not the real serious shooter.
If the price of gas stays low, shooters will travel the extra mile to go to the better clubs in the area.
If gas goes up, they many get serious shooters that live close-by.

 

There are many other clubs in NE Ohio with prices at $4 or less per round.

$6 is just ridiculous.

Then to offer $125 so-called membership to get to a $4 round? Do the math. You'd have to shoot 63 rounds to get a return. Most casual shooters don't shoot that much a year.

The other area clubs should thank the owners of Urbandale since their lost clients are surely showing up elsewhere.

 

Come out to Tucson AZ. as a non member you can pay $9.00 a round for practice at that club. That is not much above what is paid all over here in the wesrern states. Have any of you complainers aver run a gun club? Or any business for a profit? How many target do you think you would have to put in the air just to pay the heat and elecric bills? Roger C.

 

You have to see the club to understand Roger. I'd pay $9 if the birds were right, the angles were right, the place was clean and the people were not living in the clubhouse.

 

Roger, you are right a for-profit operation has a different set of issues than those of a non-profit. Most of the other clubs in NE Ohio are non-profit. Most of the labor is done by members pro bono. That being said, the conditions, both in terms of shooting and the facilities themselves, leave a lot to be desired. There is the rub. If you are going to pay a high cost vs other opportunities then you should expect a better experience for the added cost. Urbandale needs major work. The people running it do not have the money to do this.

 

I have not shot at Urbandale for over 25 years. It was at on time a very nice place to shoot. I can remember goint to a sunday shoot and having up to 100 shooters sign up. They probably need the added revenues to make improvements. Roger C.

 

Those days are long gone. The reasons are a combination of condition of the club plus the changed attitude of the reg. shooter.
The improvements necessary cannot be financed with revenue alone. The conditions have deteriorated to the point that only tear down and replace is required.
A major infusion of capital is needed.
The place has been living on borrowed time for almost 20 yrs.

 

My mother always told us kids during our adolescence: "Water and soap are cheap; be clean and pickup after yourself." To have a neat and clean facility, it just takes constant attention.

We pay $6 here, which is kinda high, but target prices as others have risen as well. I did both the state Articles of Incorporation and the 501(c)(3) for us at the Rapid City trap Club, so almost all our work is donated. We do pay for a league secretary out of the charges to shoot leagues. We get from 19-30 teams and the charge is $12.50 for 50 targets (singles and handicap), plus a first time extra charge of $10 per person for the trophies, etc.

One area that really grabs me is that, because of a past president, a/his CPA firm does our monthly books for around $450 a month. He writes check for trap help, and whatever. I have always felt this was an insider deal and totally unnecessary. We have talented shooters who always did this as part of their volunteerism. Even my CPA for my business only charges me about half that, so am kinda curious why this is allowed to continue. I am but just a member (life), so my concerns are just that.

League shooting pays the bills, whereas ATA probably only sees a break-even. A major mistake being made is we no longer do a monthly newsletter, nor do we report shooting scores to the local newspaper. This, I feel, is an area where we could keep the public informed and generate shooting interest. We used to have an "inside" with the newpaper who would print almost 100% of what we gave them, but this no longer the case. BAD DEAL!

After the five of us bought the club out of bankruptcy, we worked it for several years. We decided that either we married the club, or saw an inevitable family divorce down the road, we ended up selling it back to the membership at a loss. It was refreshing to see members stepping to-the-plate to work and we ended up with quite a few retirees committed to keeping it running.

The entire facility, 105 acres, is entirely paid for now and that says a lot about the membership here. Now if they'd just get "professional" on setting targets and make league shooting reflect ATA shooting rules, they'd have it up to snuff. We have new professionally installed (donated) lighting (we paid for the lights at wholesale). All voice releases and good shape Pat's.

We put in a new central air system, but do need a new and bigger clubhouse, etc., and that will probably happen with donated money and labor some day.

In conclusion, I guess with all the national anti-gun attention out there, we just don't need to shoot ourselves in the foot with a dying club. Particularly when we see it happening and know that it could be turned around. I guess with folks actually living there, it seems that it would be easier to get it cleaned up as you are right there on the spot.

 

Whiz you are right about cleaning. But the trap houses, machines, and pads are going to require more than a mop, soap and elbow grease to fix.

 

Cleaning thing up and a new coat of paint is a good start. It kinda enhances a personal "feeling good" character trait in doing the right thing, and just maybe it could spill over to other good deeds. Fingers crossed.

 

Whiz, I hear ya. That feeling is quickly lost when you are standing in water when shooting from the 27 yd. line.

 

I hear you. Id probably not be standing in water to shoot... not even standing on a pallet.

 

It is a shame what has evidently happened to the Urbandale club. It was a nice facility when the Cone family owned it. Do you mean the building should be razed and a new one built? Who owns it now? Roger C.

 

It needs work. Guys don't care about bathroom conditions, but women do. They need to drill a water well. The kitchen is a disaster.
The people running it are not the true owners as well as I can figure. The mortgage is still in the previous owners name.

 

Well it's not as bad as AA in Nelson yet ,as far as $6.00 rounds that's not that bad as AA has been that for years . Johnny and Candice have improved it some they put new traps in the sheet fields and some better lighting. I do believe their trying more so than the last bunch that came through there . That being said whiz said it like my grandmother did ,poor doesn't mean filthy cleaning is all about ambition. I will put up with a lot of sh1t if the targets are good and they have made the targets better on my side (skeet) . Give them a chance there young people. If I had any advice for them it would be put the kids to work so they don't have to pay for all the help , throw them Gdamn cigars out and listen to their patrons. I like to shoot their league just to show my support for it can't be easy for them . Do you know they drive an hour from their house to that place , that might be why they stay there some. I know what your saying and understand but remember when these places go they never comeback . Just my .02 $

As far as the pads and side walks and trap houses they inherited that stuff the whole place has been neglected long before them . If you want to see a place that has been run down by one family just go to AA then you could complain about conditions.

 

Word on the street is they lost their house. This is it, they don't stay there some, they stay there period.

 

I'd volunteer there, but easy for me to say this as I am 1,000+ miles away.

Maybe some shooter should step in to keep it running.

Yes, it's easy for me to suggest this, but think about it.

It's a win-win if so.

Whiz

 

I didn't know they lost there house ,that make me feel bad for them . I haven't shoot there in months there usually closed in winter . I truly believe whiz as the only answer for that club but I don't see it happening ,sell to members i.e. 5013c . It a money pit to bad it will probably go into history books just like Cleveland Winchester did .

 

Winchester closing was a corp. decision done by the parent Olin Corp.

 

Yes it was but it's still history ,gone for good

 

NBD what got deleted,I'm missing something here

 

I wouldn't take it personal if a post gets deleted. I have had some deleted, by others, and never thought much about it.

The biggest thing to remember about cyber-chat is, I always know what I am thinking, while others may not.

"very mean spirited and nasty comments" about the thread topic have a different posting life than, "very mean spirited and nasty comments" about the people posting on a thread.

Feel free to start a thread about "deleted posts", or anything else, this thread is "Urbandale Gun Club-Increased Prices?" .....

 

I attempted to shoot at this club in the early 70s one Sunday morn., but couldn't find a place to park.
Place was jam packed. Never got to shoot.
I was visiting a friend of mine that recently moved to the Mentor, Oh. area and thought I would shoot a hundred.
Sad to hear of the clubs problems. Sounds like the clubs on life support or going the way of others.


Regards.....Gerald

 

Gerald, In the 70's and 80's that was a common sized crowd at that club. It was managed by Bob Crispin at that time. Roger C.