Golf boom 2020–20??

[clubchamp98]

I’m guessing golf is the same as everything else these days - it’s becoming more expensive, if other prices come down then so will golf prices.

The “boom” will be ok providing courses keep on moving forward to ensure they keep their members happy and interested in the sport

Many clubs have grown stronger over the last 2 years and if the right plans are in place will continue to grow

Golf as a participation sport will continue to be strong

Yes I agree I think golf is probably unique that you can play until you die no matter your age.
It’s this age thing that golf hoovers up older sports people when they finish whatever sport they played.
That’s why most are a bit older but if you get into golf at a young age the benefits are for life imo.

 

[jmcp]

Golf course subscriptions haven’t just risen because of demand, they have also risen and will continue to rise fast due to several factors including costs of materials like fertiliser, sand, seed which have almost doubled in the last couple of years, costs of machinery ie fairway mowers, greens mower etc.. they have also gone up sharply and then there are the rise in gas, electric and fuel, there are also fewer Greens professionals in the industry now which means salaries are rising faster than pre covid so this all means that subscriptions have to rise substantially just for a club to stand still, never mind trying to improve.

Cheers, John

 

[Crow]

Never mind the green fees, I'd like to see the price of a Driver re-set to where it should be, somewhere around the £150-£180 mark.

Buy second hand, there's nothing to gain from a Fancy-Dan unhit driver compared to a used one.

 

[Oddsocks]

As harsh as it sounds Im more worried about the effect on our old membership sector. Weekly I get an email that they are sorry to advise another of the old guard who’s been with the club since the war has passed away. I’m not joking when I say these updates are more regular that course updates, comp results and general emails combined.

fortunately the club has a young waiting list which should bring full paying 7 days members as reduced membership and 5’dayer’s take on the next chapter of their life.

 

[Mel Smooth]

Buy second hand, there's nothing to gain from a Fancy-Dan unhit driver compared to a used one.

I generally do, no way I'd part wuth the kind of cash that the leading brands are expecting for their clubs these days.

 

[The Lion]

Right most links courses would have a WL I would imagine.
But the flip side is a freezing cold February morning with the wind whipping your face isn’t much fun either.
Horses for courses .

WL?

On parklands, they really aren’t very good in the Merseyside area. They’re also rather boggy in winter, too soft even come autumn. Plus many holes (or the whole course!) are closed after significant rain.

In my view we have just about the worst golfing offering of any major city in Britain. The links are mostly a complete rip-off, with extortionate joining fees (up to £4/5k!) way above almost all other cities. And the parklands are very forgettable sadly.

 

[clubchamp98]

WL?

On parklands, they really aren’t very good in the Merseyside area. They’re also rather boggy in winter, too soft even come autumn. Plus many holes (or the whole course!) are closed after significant rain.

In my view we have just about the worst golfing offering of any major city in Britain. The links are mostly a complete rip-off, with extortionate joining fees (up to £4/5k!) way above almost all other cities. And the parklands are very forgettable sadly.

Waiting Lists.
Agree mostly but our is on sandstone so pretty good all year.

 

[Robster59]

I think membership will decline, maybe not dramatically, but given the current economic situation, some people will simply not be able to afford the membership. Clubs must not get lackadaisical. They need to put money back into the club and course to keep as many members as possible. Covid saved a lot of clubs, but the membership demographic has changed and clubs have to evolve to reflect this.

 

[Backsticks]

Buy second hand, there's nothing to gain from a Fancy-Dan unhit driver compared to a used one.

Even new drivers have a price half life of about 2 years. A three year old premium driver where you have to pay a pro to play it, or a 2 year old one just as good but where you are not also contributing to a pros income, can be had for those prices. For no loss of club performance.
They only have the elevated price in the first couple of years because some people are willing to pay a significant fashion premium.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I think membership will decline, maybe not dramatically, but given the current economic situation, some people will simply not be able to afford the membership. Clubs must not get lackadaisical. They need to put money back into the club and course to keep as many members as possible. Covid saved a lot of clubs, but the membership demographic has changed and clubs have to evolve to reflect this.

Agree 100%. Our course very occasionally suffers from serious runoff flooding from adjacent fields and that can put four holes out of play for maybe a few days.. Now that isn't good for existing or prospective membership. We can't stop the rain or the runoff and it seems to be happening more often, but instead this coming winter we are doing significant remodelling of the area that suffers most. The remodelling is to manage flooding when it happens to channel and contain/hold water in a way that will enable us to keep all 18 holes fully in play. Added benefit is that we can at the same time improve the challenge and visual look of three holes. In addition we are building a new tee for a par 3 and extending some others, and looking at clubhouse redevelopment considering what the evolving demographic of golfers want from a clubhouse (worthy of a separate thread methinks).

Given what the subs are it is important that members see continual improvement to the overall product we offer, despite already having an excellent product to offer and a long WL we cannot rest on our laurels.

 

[howbow88]

I think membership will decline, maybe not dramatically, but given the current economic situation, some people will simply not be able to afford the membership. Clubs must not get lackadaisical. They need to put money back into the club and course to keep as many members as possible. Covid saved a lot of clubs, but the membership demographic has changed and clubs have to evolve to reflect this.

Completely agree, but this is golf in the UK we're talking about. I would put it about 10-20 years behind the real world.

 

[evemccc]

I think membership will decline, maybe not dramatically, but given the current economic situation, some people will simply not be able to afford the membership. Clubs must not get lackadaisical. They need to put money back into the club and course to keep as many members as possible. Covid saved a lot of clubs, but the membership demographic has changed and clubs have to evolve to reflect this.

Which is why I’m so glad my course/club is a private members club, not a proprietary

Comms. is excellent about what is being done and is planning to be done

 

[The Lion]

Waiting Lists.
Agree mostly but our is on sandstone so pretty good all year.

Interesting. Which course are you at? I’m keen to meet new players for games locally, and at my club in Llandudno of course!

 

[Robster59]

Which is why I’m so glad my course/club is a private members club, not a proprietary

Comms. is excellent about what is being done and is planning to be done

I'd have to agree. Ours is also a member's club and we get a weekly newsletter with all the latest updates. And the funds are put back into the club.

 

[clubchamp98]

Interesting. Which course are you at? I’m keen to meet new players for games locally, and at my club in Llandudno of course!

Grange Park in St Helens.

 

[AddisonRoad]

I actually think golf will experience another "boom" next year. The F1 show on Netflix converted many people into motorsports fans (I'm not one of them), and many of the races have seen a surge in people attending. I think the same will ring true when the PGA releases its new show on Netflix at the start of 2023.

 

[Oddsocks]

I actually think golf will experience another "boom" next year. The F1 show on Netflix converted many people into motorsports fans (I'm not one of them), and many of the races have seen a surge in people attending. I think the same will ring true when the PGA releases its new show on Netflix at the start of 2023.

Couldn’t agree more, and let’s not forget the new participants encourage by the Liv tour that should bring future growth.

 

[r0wly86]

I actually think golf will experience another "boom" next year. The F1 show on Netflix converted many people into motorsports fans (I'm not one of them), and many of the races have seen a surge in people attending. I think the same will ring true when the PGA releases its new show on Netflix at the start of 2023.

it would really depend on how the economy is doing. Golf is a relatively expensive hobby, membership, new gear presuming they don't have it already, could run into many hundreds or even thousands of pounds. If people have very little spare cash left I doubt they would be taking up a new expensive hobby because of a show on netflix or LIV

 

[evemccc]

I’m curious about the Netflix PGA series - expect they will have to ignore totally any mention of LIV amongst the players / caddies / star’s ‘teams’ shown in the series

And it’s clearly been a huge and constant story in 2022

 

[Bobthesock]

it would really depend on how the economy is doing. Golf is a relatively expensive hobby, membership, new gear presuming they don't have it already, could run into many hundreds or even thousands of pounds. If people have very little spare cash left I doubt they would be taking up a new expensive hobby because of a show on netflix or LIV

Wouldn't say it's all that expensive. You could get everything you needed, clubs, shoes, clothes for less than 100 quid easily. When a pint of beer or a coffee is the best part of a fiver I don't think golf is too bad.