78% of active golfers ‘unsatisfied’ with their home course

A new survey of golfers in the UK and Ireland has found only 22 percent of regular golfers are satisfied with the year-round condition of their home golf course.

Bunkers and tee areas were by some distance the top two areas that golfers cited as requiring improvement, although satisfaction with the state of greens was far higher, and this, the data finds, is comfortably the number one priority for golfers.

The research, by Carr Golf, reveals a significant commercial challenge for golf club managers and owners: keeping up with golfers’ expectations for consistently high-level playing experiences.

The survey highlights the increasing importance of course conditions for customer satisfaction, particularly as golf participation has surged dramatically over the past four years.

An overwhelming 90 percent of respondents identified the golf course as the most critical aspect of their golf club experience. However, the survey exposes a gap between golfers’ expectations of course conditioning compared with what they experience, with most clubs falling short on average.

Respondents highlighted bunkers (68 percent), tees (60 percent) and fairways (42 percent) as areas that require the most improvement.

As part of the snapshot survey, Carr Golf also assessed which characteristics of the golf course are most important to golfers.

Participants, the majority of whom play golf at least once a week, identified smooth-running greens (93 percent), visual appeal (67 percent) and level tees (62 percent) as their top priorities.

The survey results reflected feedback trends from management teams at the 22 venues where Carr Golf oversees course maintenance operations.

Managing director Ed Pettit said: “These findings confirm the high levels of post-Covid customer expectations reported by course managers. It also underscores the fundamental role of the golf course experience in member satisfaction.

“Golf course businesses must prioritise their most prized asset to mitigate potential threats and achieve long-term stability. However, prolonged inflation, ever-more stringent regulations, labour shortages and unpredictable weather make it increasingly difficult to maintain the same level of conditioning year-on-year.”

Carr Golf says it equips maintenance teams with a results-driven roadmap to enhance course performance, presentation and sustainability. This collaborative approach is based on year-round maintenance and agronomic plans set against 12 key performance indicators (KPIs).

Clients receive monthly KPI, labour, equipment, and treatment reports via their IT system. This in-depth reporting ensures ongoing stakeholder communication and empowers greenkeepers to make data-backed decisions and continuously improve course conditions.

In a previous, unrelated survey, 88 percent of members of venues partnered with Carr Golf said they were ‘very satisfied’ with course standards.