Here’s three trends from the last month that should be of interest to anyone working in the UK golf industry

From venues investing in revenue streams in addition to golf to clubs battling coastal erosion, it’s been a month in which challenges have been highlighted.

More clubs are battling coastal erosion

As Royal Portrush Golf Club, which will host the Open next year, completes its £165,000 scheme to strengthen the defences protecting part of the Dunluce links, another historic venue has said coastal erosion is threatening its existence.

Alnmouth Village Golf Club, the oldest nine-hole links course in England, says it is now just a metre away from losing its fifth tee green.

Its local community will help the venue repair the groynes that act as existing sea defences which, hopefully, will allow sand to build back up and form a defensive barrier against the sea.

Clubs are protecting their futures via additional revenue streams

For many golf clubs, the now-slowing growth in golf participation since the start of this decade has not been enough to give them the stability they need.

For example, Eden Golf Club in Cumbria is set to build 100 lodges “enveloped by beautiful woodlands, ponds, a lake and wildlife with unrivalled views across the landscape”.

Anglesey Golf Club in Wales, meanwhile, is to site 44 containers at its venue as part of the diversification of its business to secure its future.

“The club has existed for 110 years but it is struggling,” said a spokesman. “The handful of members can’t afford large membership fees, and the building needs repairs. Unless we diversify, the golf club may not be here this time next year. This would be a big loss to our community. The only way to save the club is to diversify.”

Another golf club to build padel courts

This has been a major trend in the last few years. Padel is a similar sport to tennis, played on an enclosed court in which the ball can be knocked against walls with stringless bats. There are now more than 400 courts in the UK, a more than eightfold increase in the last five years.

Recently we’ve reported on several golf clubs, such as Royal Norwich, South Buckinghamshire, St Ives (Hunts), Golf It!, Teign Valley, Trevose, Worldham, Hartford, Farrington Park and The Notleys, which have either installed padel courts or announced an intention to.

Now The Mount Golf and Country Club, formerly known as Perton Golf Club, in Staffordshire is to build two tennis padel courts as part of a major refurbishment project.

“The club’s current success is mostly due to its adventure golf course due to a decline in membership since Covid and a lack of modern facilities to entice younger members of the community,” its owner has stated.