The golf industry is now in a ‘precarious position’

The body that runs amateur golf in England has warned that the golf industry is now in a ‘precarious position’ after a huge survey into clubs’ finances revealed that club membership continues to be in sharp decline.

England Golf, which has carried out its biennial poll, completed by SPORTS MARKETING SURVEYS, of 709 English golf clubs, has warned that golf clubs are still responding too slowly to the pressures they face, after a year in which several permanently closed down.

The 2014 Golf Club Membership Questionnaire finds that that the average golf club has 499 members, and the vast majority of these are white and adult male (77 percent) and more than half aged over 55. Less than a quarter are aged under 35 and women account for only 15 percent of membership. Girls make up just one percent of golf club members. The huge percentage discrepancy between male and female golf club members has remained almost identical since England Golf first started researching it in 2002.

Some of the new statistics are particularly worrying for the industry. Even after more than a decade of enormous drops in memberships, the average English golf club still lost 85 members in the last two years (although recruited 77 new ones). The research found that nearly half of all clubs fail to carry out an exit survey and a quarter fail to record contact they make with visitors.

In terms of key trends over the last decade, England Golf found that clubs have been failing to implement changes in most areas, although since 2002 the percentage of clubs with waiting lists has dropped from just under 30 to 10, the percentage of clubs with membership vacancies has risen from 90 to 95, the percentage that charge adults a joining fee has dropped from just under 80 to well under 40 and since 2010 the percentage of clubs that offer a flexible membership category has risen from a little over five to 26.

The average English golf club’s adult subscription is £845 for men and £848 for women; £121 for boys and £118 for girls. Clubs have an average of 24 volunteers, most of whom serve on the club committee. Most volunteers are male and are aged over 55.

A spokesman for England Golf said: “Constrictions in financial circumstances and to the amount of time available for recreation, the widespread availability of discounted tee times and the desire to play a range of courses rather than one course regularly are potential influences on this decline.

“Golf clubs continue to be dominated by men either approaching late middle age or already embracing retirement.

Whilst such golfers must be accommodated and enticed by clubs, forming as they do, the single key demographic for clubs, it is essential that managers be careful to ensure that they are also offering competitive packages and appropriate offers for younger men and particularly for women and juniors.

“To survive and thrive in this climate, clubs must review their membership structure. Club memberships are in a precarious position, with a combination of fewer players taking up the game and a greater number of golfers reverting to independent, unaffiliated, play. which they offer as part of the golf membership experience.”

To reverse the trend the report recommends attracting new members by breaking down barriers and creating a welcoming club environment. It advises that lowering subscriptions is less likely to attract new members than providing additional benefits or hosting induction days, offering structured coaching or working with county golf partnerships.

It points out that potential members are often deterred by long-winded, non-transparent joining systems and by the joining fee.

The report adds that clubs should retain existing members by ensuring the year-round quality and value of the course and the club environment, which must be attractive to golfers of all generations. It suggests flexible membership packages are arguably the most powerful way of attracting and retaining members: 34 percent of clubs which offer these increased their membership in the last two years. Intermediate and student membership are influential in retaining members in their 20s and 30s.

And the report states that clubs should encourage junior members by making it easy to join.

“Offering junior tuition and the services of a junior organiser will appeal to youngsters and their parents. A positive experience of junior golf will encourage players to continue their membership into adulthood,” it states.

Many clubs would also be interested in help to retain existing members, to develop links with schools and the community and to help with marketing and communications. “Clubs had many suggestions for ways in which England Golf could help to grow the game, notably by improving golf’s visibility in the media, by greater communication with clubs and by fostering greater communication between clubs. There was also much support for simplifying the handicap system, providing greater transparency on how golfers’ affiliation fees are spent, for focusing more on the average club member than on elite players and for promoting the game more clearly to women and juniors,” added the report.