Inflation has put 433 golf clubs at risk of closure
By Alistair Dunsmuir
A whitepaper written by some leading names in the UK golf industry has concluded that one in six British golf clubs face potential closure due to rising costs in recent years.
The paper ‘Securing the Future of Golf: From Challenge to Opportunity’, written by Custodian Golf, a new company led by Phil Grice, Philip Atkinson, Chris Leeming, and Alasdair Rae, states that there is ‘urgent need for revolution in the industry’, as rising maintenance, insurance and operational costs threaten the closure of 433 clubs in Great Britain without immediate intervention. This is despite the participation boom that many golf clubs have experienced in the last four years.
Phil Grice, the former chairman of the Golf Club Managers’ Association and general manager of Royal Norwich Golf Club, comments: “We are thrilled to officially launch this revolutionary whitepaper that’s been 18 months in the making. The need for change is urgent.”
The whitepaper also finds that rounds booked by electronic booking systems have increased by 90 percent since 2019; there is approximately one course for every 10,000 people in Scotland and one course for every 30,000 people in England and Wales; 346 British golf clubs have 50 or more other golf clubs within a 30-minute drive time (off-peak); and 85 percent of members are male, and only 15 percent are female, and just one percent of members are women aged 20 to 50.
Custodian Golf says it aims to work with golf clubs across England to support them in transitioning to lasting success.
“We are dedicated to revolutionising the golf industry at a time when it is needed the most,” adds Grice. “Our vision is to create sustainable, inclusive and engaging golf facilities that adapt to the evolving needs of today’s golfers. By leveraging comprehensive data and our collective experience, we aim to grow the game and ensure that golf courses remain vibrant and accessible for future generations.”
By Alistair Dunsmuir
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I hear generalisations about rising costs – what’s new in that scenario? – but I don’t hear anything in the way of hard numbers that could make the case for ‘rising costs’ stand up to scrutiny.
So, could you provide specific examples by naming courses and with reference to hard data i.e. club accounts, profit and loss accounts etc?
Accepting there is a generational change in what golfers want from membership. I feel the point not being recognised by most is that the clubs at risk are non-profit making and don’t have the financial capacity to implement the sweeping modernisation of their facilities being suggested even if the members wanted them to. They can’t keep up with the inflationary pressures as the article says. Therefore current members would have to pay more to provide the funding but as they are mostly 65+ they are unlikely to see the benefit to them. But first they have to balance the books.
Clubs selling out to investors to improve facilities and then sell on for a profit is likely to increase or clubs will just shut leaving only the most basic and low cost volunteer operated clubs and the high end member clubs.
Big changes are needed I think anyone who has given up their membership in the last few years will agree. It’s unfortunate but doesn’t surprise me though. A lot of clubs still seem to be living in the past and the huge member growth that the covid boom gave them.
Agree big changes are needed within the sport. The game is absolutely brilliant, the courses are great, but many clubs need to be run better and the culture within the sport from the top down needs to change. Would love to see more females and juniors playing but from what I’ve seen many clubs still aren’t setup and run in a way that will attract them.
Excellent paper! Relevant!
Very sad news about this whitepaper highlighting that one in six British golf clubs may face potential closure due to rising costs is a wake-up call for the industry. It’s clear that traditional models are under pressure, and now is the time for golf clubs to embrace change. By incorporating new technology, such as indoor simulators paired with attended bars, clubs can create additional revenue streams and enhance member experiences. Furthermore, introducing more competitions across all ages and handicaps could increase engagement and attract a broader audience. The future of golf lies in innovation and adaptability.
Owning a golf course in Sweden I see how the attitude of golfers has changed during the past 10 years.
It seems quite apparent golfers demand much more but are not always willing to pay for it.
Our price structure has changed slightly one of our benefits is, if you are a member at Vallentuna Golf Club you can play for free at 20
Other golf courses , naturally with certain restrictions, and the 20 other clubs members can play free at Vallentuna.
We might lose a greenfee income however the spin off effect is brilliant.
The question is what is one willing to pay for playing golf.
Many golfers in Sweden don’t seem to mind pay 130 Euros and upwards when they are on holiday in Spain or Portugal, however not even close when they are in Sweden.
You make some interesting points which are all too frequently paralleled in the UK. Many club members complain about the prices of club catering and I have actually seen two members order a pot of tea for one but with 2 cups and just over half a cup of tea each. Now that is tight. Club caterers need to be supported, they have inflationary pressures too and a good caterer makes the visitor experience more rewarding.
The pricing structure of many green fees is also interesting with many of the top rated courses increasing their green fees to ridiculous levels. Why? Because the first thing that visiting American golfers seem to look at when rating a course is the price to play it. Some courses charge approaching £400 just to play 18 holes during the summer months.
There are many wonderful golf courses with different challenges throughout the world and each should be taken on its own merits and challenges. Your reciprocal arrangement with 20 other clubs is something that we also have in place with my own club and it works really well.
Innovation and ideas. It always worked through history and look at case studies. What kind of golf club you want ? Family orientated? Old facilities with old rules? Non flexible policies,clubs suffering non maintenance cause they don’t generate membership, where is your value? Food? Course?
Every scenario, region and place is different but the inactivity and the passive of certain clubs will put them in a dangerous position. Young people are different as well. New generation coming see the golf club different.
Agree – the challenge is the golf club expereince has not evolved to include women. The wolems golf experience is created & delivered by wen within the constraints imposed upon them by the club committees and management teams, whose focus is on making sure the mens games is not negatively impacted by women on the course.
Men question why women get tee times allocated for them to play, if a man spits an unused tee time when women are meant to use them all, they are in the phone to the pro shop to ask for the women to have less tee times next week or for them to be removed so that more men can use them.
In many clubs women create a rich experience which has an annual diary of events with varied golf experiences for golfers at different stages if their game. Women like playing golf with women, they also enjoy mixed golf. Just like men like playing with men and they too create their own experience.
With women in clubs focused on protecting their experience it is difficult to have an open mindset to look beyond the members that are there and with such constraints imposed by clubs it means that when mew women join, the oathways to include them are not there or easily created.
Hi Julie,
Perhaps you should visit a club that embraces women’s golf, which puts out 3 or 4 women’s teams to play other clubs and currently has a woman as golf club captain. The same club also encourages juniors and has a burgeoning junior section with many competitions and some very keen golfers amongst them, of both sex.
The biggest problem for women’s golf is the fact that the biggest proportion have families between the age of 30 and 45/50 . If a woman has played up to the age of 30 she might continue or might come back when children are older. It’s a problem that will never go away. Many clubs still have restricted access, Men playing on a Saturday and women on a weekday, this will only ever appeal to women who have had a family and or retired.
A lot of courses need to close. There are way too many
Great work Phil, ahead of the game as usual ️ I just hope the golf clubs in question can open their eyes and take heed of your advice Golf club management is a very bespoke business and needs experts like Phil and his team to lead them to a sustainable future ! It won’t be easy I assure you,so hold on tight and go on the ride ️
This is an absolutely shocking article: only 1 percent of UK golf club members are women aged 20-50???? Women’s golf club memberships may have an existential crisis here. We have many women play at The Golf Groove in that age bracket and many don’t want to be golf club members: they simply want to play golf freely and will pay and play.