Green fee income hit record high in 2024

A review of more than 200 golf clubs in the UK and Ireland has found that visitor income hit a record high in 2024.

This comes as England Golf has revealed that more than 10 million rounds were played last year for the first time since the WHS was launched.

Business growth agency The Revenue Club details that the average club generated £170,462 in casual green fee income over the course of the year, an 11 percent increase on the previous 12 months, after surveying 202 UK and Irish golf courses comprising private members clubs, proprietary owned venues, and multi-course operators.

Despite the very wet start to the year, and challenging conditions for golf course operators, the level of demand over the peak season increased to record highs, and after a relatively strong final quarter, this was the best year ever for green fee revenue, eclipsing the previous best in 2020 by eight percent.

Green fee income at the average golf course was made up of 68 percent online revenue, which was the main driver of the growth with a 15 percent year-on-year uplift to £112,065, while offline revenue still grew, but at a slower pace of five percent to £58,397.

Chris Knight, director of The Revenue Club, said: “The uplift in green fee prices has been one of the key growth drivers throughout the year with a four percent rise to £28.04 per person for the whole year. This is slightly above the inflation rate and has resulted from many golf course operators passing on increased operating costs to the customer, and a general acceptance of higher prices for many consumers.

“Demand appears to have remained the same, with the number of golfers visiting golf course booking engines averaging 15,615 users over the course of the year. Those that were browsing were more likely to go on and make a booking as the conversion rate increased to 10 percent for the year, illustrating the continued transition to online sales as the main form of green fee revenue.”

Rob Corcoran, co-director at The Revenue Club, added: “2025 promises to get off to an excellent start if weather conditions do not hinder progress. The first two months of the winter season have delivered a 32 percent uplift on last November and December owing to the extremely wet weather in the latter part of 2023, so there is the likelihood that courses will be well ahead at the start of the summer.

“The level of demand in the high season shows that appetite from visitors remains high, and with a considered approach to both pricing and marketing, UK and Irish golf courses will continue to prosper from significant growth in this area.”