Paul (as I knew you), I also think you are making excellent progress with your newly created club. I've taken the full blown "unguided" tour...and I'm impressed with how much you've done in such a short time. I love my CC...and you couldn't ever get me to want to leave it...but I like what I see in your CC...thus far.
Regarding premium entry fees for CC tourneys. IMHO folks do not join CCs to earn credits in the CC offered tourneys. They join for the social aspects of the game...to be able to play frequently with friends they "TRUST" to socialize...to understand points of view from people all over the world. CC members must respect each other, be willing to help (or take advice).
Recognition (Player of the Month, Match Play Champ, Blitz King, Major Tourney Winner, CC vs. CC "Selected" Team Members, etc...) is what the CC owner should offer as "reward" incentives. You can play for credits all you want...out on WGT. When you get "Play for Credits" within a CC, I think that only leads to greed by the winners who then always want to be the winners...it now becomes "all about me". It should be all about "us", the full CC membership. My friends "win" should be as much appreciated by me as by him/her. I can honestly say...I feel better when my friend does well, as opposed to when I do well. That to me is a healthy / positive atmosphere that each CC owner should strive for.
Good winners should invite and seek out all opposition that comes their way...regardless of any monetary/credit gain at the end. If the CC owner or a Tourney "sponsor" would like to offer a "credit incentive" then that is great...however, charging members "green fee" credits to enter a tourney is not what CC participation should be all about.
I do enter most of my CC's premium tourney events (that I am eligible to enter), not so much to win credits, but to help contribute to the pool of credits that will be won by several high finishers. I look at it this way...it's my duty as a CC member to enter these premium tourneys. In my CC (as you know), the for credit entry fee "premium tourneys" are the lowest participation tourneys. By far the highest participation tourneys are the free ones with no rewards to the winners or high place finishers. And what really gets the most CC membership participation are the social "Alt Stk" team formation play. Why...because it is the social commraderie that you feel from these team play type events that makes you feel good...not the reward at the end. That proves to me...CC members want social aspects of a CC environment and not the reward incentives offered from high placement in a tourney.
Again all above is just my opinion. Good luck to you and your club. Jimbo