Berkshire Golf Club

I play golf. Terribly!! I am also handicap. I have played golf, under ADA handicapped rules, from Florida & Arizona too California. We joined Great Life Fitness, Berkshire location, Topeka, a few weeks ago. Before joining, I asked the golf person & membership individual about the rules of playing golf handicapped. I was answered, with assurance, that playing Great Life's Courses would be in such the same rules as playing other courses around the country, handicapped.When I called for my first "T" time, I guess the rules changed. I was told: no carts are allowed on the fairways. Only 90 degree rule. No carts allowed upon the " T" boxes. Carts cannot go within 30' of the greens. Everything that goes against other courses I have played according to handicapped rules. If Great Life feels obfuscating is appropriate to get new memberships, other problems must be brewing. DO NOT join any of the Great Life facilities, in any capacity. Guess what? I just got off the phone with another golf course, Lake Shawnee, where I have played before, that my handicapp assurances are taken care of!

I would have given no stars if that were possible. Horrible customer service. No AC in one facility. If you want out of your membership, you must have sent it in writing by February 28, even if you find out, in March, that they are closed...except for golf....so the contract is valid...even if you don't golf, or own clubs.

It's not so much that I have to pay an additional $5 on top of my family membership so that my live-in family member who has been on my plan since I joined 8 years ago can walk around your track for 30 minutes. It's not even that you won't allow me to change to a single plan after you removed her from my family plan. I understand contracts. What makes me mad is that when I signed that contract there was a private hot tub for women as well as a steam sauna and a dry sauna. NONE of which is working or as far as I can tell will be working anytime in the near future. Not so #greatlifegolf.The first time I found the hot tub to be non functioning I asked the man behind the desk WHEN it would be repaired he snapped, "Never" and he told me I could go across town to another one of their other facilities that had one..... but it was closing in 15 minutes..... so there was that.

This place has awful customer service. The staff accuses members of violations of the rules, but then does not inform them of the "infraction" until months later when there is no way to prove a case either way. The people there threatened me with an account suspension if I did not pay a fine.

My husband and I been members of Great Life Golf & Fitness for a very long time - over 7 years. We recently contacted the gym to cancel our membership, since we moved to MO and will not have access to their facilities. I have never been more disappointed in a company, than I was in the response we received from Great Life. I want to share their response, because I have recommended Great Life to so many friends and I want anyone who signed up from our referral to have this information. I also want anyone who is considering a Great Life membership to have this information. This is "need to know" information, as the laws in KS do not protect consumers (at all) regarding gym contracts. When you sign a contract with Great Life, the fine print states that you have to cancel by Feb. 28 of each year or your contract renews without any acknowledgment from you. So if you forget to cancel by 2/28 - you are legally obligated to the membership for the next year starting April 1st. It doesn't matter if you are hurt or injured and can't use your membership. It doesn't matter if you move out of state. Also please note: The contract says you have to give written notice which has to be give to the offices in Ozawkie. I would strongly recommend that you send a certified letter, because if they don't acknowledge your request to cancel - it is your word against theirs. We were not aware that we would be moving on 2/28, when the deadline for termination rolled around. In my wildest dreams, I never realized that Great Life would give us any issue with cancelling after we had paid them for 7 years without missing a payment or being a late on a payment. We were valued patrons, so they told us. Apparently they love their membership fees way more than they ever cared about their members. Every other gym we have belonged to has let people out of the contract if they moved to a location where it wouldn't be feasible to access the facilities. It would be completely different if we had the membership for a couple months and just wanted to cancel. We don't live within 100 miles of any Great Life facilities. Another interesting piece of information on Great Life - to raise prices on gym members, Great Life only has to send a postcard via USPS stating the price increase. If you don't receive that postcard and decide to cancel when your rate actually goes up on 4/1 - you are screwed and can't cancel. So if you are signing up for a gym membership, I would strongly encourage you to know that there is literally no laws that look out for gym members and companies like Great Life will absolutely capitalize on this. Great Life will allow us to buy out the remainder of our contract by paying 70% of the remaining payments or we can find someone to take over our membership. Why in the heck would I try to pawn this situation off on my friends? I wouldn't. I would rather pony up and pay the 70% of the contract than screw my friends over. Maybe if Great Life understood that, they would retain more customers the good old fashioned way!

We have been members of the YMCA north for almost 10 years. Recently Great Life purchased it and we continued on with their family membership. Two of my kids age 9 and 7 are soccer players with a month between seasons. During that time My husband takes the kids to the YMCA to run on the treadmill or they love running around the track. They have to do something to stay in shape or they will never make it up and down the fields during the games. Yesterday My husband took the kids into the Great Play branch (formerly YMCA North) he was told the kids were not allowed on the track or treadmills until they are 14 because they had to save the equipment for people. My kids aren't people?!?!? We aren't supposed to promote a healthy life for our kids until they are 14?!? Why did I pay you for a family membership if you clearly do not support kids health. Thanks for ruining the North Topeka children's community Great Life!

Went in a 7:01 pm tonight, entry door to the facility said 6 am - 8 pm winter hours. Unpleasant, grumpy front desk person acted offended that I was coming in for a sauna and shower 59 minutes to close. At 7:31, angry grumpy troll turns off the sauna and starts putting chemicals all over the sauna. Knocks over my drink, onto my phone in a fit of Karen rage. Worst customer service experience ever. My face is burning from the chemical exposure at 160 degrees.

Great gym, well maintained equipment and plenty of it for the most part. Really can't beat the price compared to most other gyms. Several accessible locations in Topeka.

This place is a total rip off unless you have a large family. There is no need to make kids sign a year contract when they are a student. That means they pay the same as a single adult that works. My kid learned a good lesson about how crooked contracts work and her little part time job that used to give her a little spending money is now already spent to pay her monthly gym bill she only used 3 times in 8 months because she hated the place from the beginning. At 15 years old, she should have been offered a refund if she was not satisfied with the place. Welcome to adulthood. I would not recommend Great Life for students and encourage them to use Midco pool or the free parks and school gyms. Completely dissatisfied with the customer service.

Reading the other comments. Yes, it seems not up to par to cancel by February 28th or else be stuck with a year of membership dues. I say those who feel they have been done wrong by this corporation file with the Attorney General and the Better Business Bureau. They got over a year out of me even though I wanted to cancel soon after signing up. Good luck everyone. Shop around. Better places to golf and better places for fitness.