West Lancs

[Deleted member 21258]

Just because golf clubs are struggling to retain members, does it mean golf is struggling?? Or, are many golfers now chopping and changing clubs because they are bored of the same course? I know a lot now who hold their handicap at munis and 9 holers so that they can just play opens.

So, is golf club membership struggling,? Or, is golf struggling?

I looked at many sets of accounts and I think golf is struggling with a lot of courses making year on year losses and this is applicable to private member courses as much as pay/play courses I looked at(many factors like costs have increased a lot due to legislation/equipment/staffing costs//pension costs/materials/clubhouse costs and also a drop in memberships makes income dependant on weather conditions).

It also appears a lot of courses are making loses on clubhouse activities.

 

[Val]

3K joining fee. Bloody hell no wonder the game is struggling.

West Lancs isn't, as the joining fee would suggest

 

[Tashyboy]

I’m not sure that’s definitive proof - did you ask them why they think it’s steuggling ? It’s a bit of a wide open question without quantifying it

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/amp.ti...-golf-participation-numbers-139856?source=dam

The amount of people playing golf is a steady number since the recession which was a big reason for a big drop a good numbers of years ago

There is prob more nomad members than before and some clubs will be struggling and some will be booming - the ones struggling will be clubs that don’t have a course/club which can attract members

So golf as a sport isn’t struggling - people are still playing the sport and the numbers playing are at a level that you would expect for a minority sport - some clubs will be struggling but that’s because the brutal truth is they aren’t good enough and it’s a result of a boom years back that created hundreds of pop up pay and play courses which are now closing

To be honest Phil, if they ever show my 15 minutes of fame ( which is nearer 15 seconds of infamous), my answer kinda went against the question.
Our place is not struggling, but it is very proactive. It has been to skools, has roll ups for adults,elderly, kids. Etc etc. When you have a club like that, does it goes against a national trend. I honestly don't know.
PS, soz for going off topic. OP

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Golf is struggling. That is a proven fact by falling memberships throughout the land.

As has already been stated, your West Lancs, Royal Toons etc etc will always have a demand for membership as they attract the rich and the status golfer who will pay that sort of money to become a member. If I had the money I'd have no hesitation paying £3k+ a year for top golf but I can't.

Golf clubs are not dropping joining fees, offering 15 months golf for the price of 12, opening up to more reciprocal deals, offering discounts to certain age groups for nothing. They are doing it to survive. They are doing it to attract more members. Likewise they are now operating 9 hole medals etc to try and attract these people who see golf as a whole day, 5+ hour day etc and don't feel they can fit that into their lifestyle.

Good points. The level of golf courses closing in the last few years show that many simply were not viable business concerns. Granted you can argue that some may simply have been poorly managed into history, but I know of at least one, that is in an affluent area, that is struggling financially. They have a core membership, but these aren't big enough to cover costs as many simply look for the best offer that year and then move on. I think in the tighter economic climate we've had, forking out for annual fees (plus an initial joining fee for some), or paying a reasonably large DD each month is not viable. If courses are still in good condition and the atmosphere pleasant then most will opt to be nomadic.