Slievenamon Golf Club in Ireland has announced it will close down next month, citing inflation and Golf Ireland’s Independent Golfer scheme as key reasons why.
Its directors have written to members to say that running the golf club is no longer viable, the golf course will be put up for sale as agricultural land and memberships will be honoured until the end of March 2025. However, they still intend to develop the on-site adventure centre further. A post on social media states that the course will remain open until March 31, 2025 and afterwards as a public golf course and for distance members.
Directors Brian Powell and Mary Hand of BPM Core Investments bought the property in 2018 but incurred yearly losses in those seven years despite their significant investment. This is largely due to inflationary pressures during that time.
The club has 1,253 registered Golf Ireland members but the club has relied heavily on low-cost distance membership over the years.
Despite trebling their distance membership numbers, the letter to members stated that Golf Ireland’s decision to introduce the Independent Golfer scheme, which gave non-members of golf clubs official handicaps, has presented an ‘intolerable existential threat’ to the club, meaning they can no longer rely on distance membership as a long term revenue source.
Despite BPM investing significantly in course design, staff and equipment, the company has been unable to grow their local membership and have instead endured a steady decline in that category since 2018.
New members were offered to join on a special introductory membership fee of €370 in year one and €420 in year two which included a Golf Ireland affiliation fee and insurance with the first year of membership valid until March 2026.
Slievenamon has also taken legal action against Golf Ireland over its affiliation fee charging mechanisms. The club is also privately owned, meaning it is ineligible for Sport Ireland or Golf Ireland grants that have proven to be crucial for other rural golf clubs.
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