60 golf clubs in England and Wales have closed this decade – mostly sold to housing developers

Sixty golf clubs in England and Wales closed down from March 2020 to March 2025, according to new data, despite this period coinciding with a boom in golf participation.

Research based on the government’s Valuation Office Agency data shows that the number of golf venues fell from 1,870 to 1,810, according to The Times. 

“The figures point to a sport under mounting strain, where the underlying economics of land ownership rather than participation levels are increasingly driving decisions,” reports the paper.

Despite soaring participation, rising maintenance, insurance and staffing costs, combined with fluctuating membership, have put pressure on venues to sell to housing developers, which in turn are finding golf courses increasingly attractive at a time of acute demand. 

Nick Ball, a managing associate at TWM Solicitors, which conducted the analysis, said that investors viewed many sites as “ripe for redevelopment”, sometimes retaining golf within a broader leisure offer but in other cases replacing it altogether with housing.

“This type of redevelopment is highly capital-intensive, which is why new funding is typically coming in from private equity or overseas investors or leisure operators.

“It’s similar to the trend that has already taken place with football clubs, where revenue is increased by adding other facilities like gyms, hospitality and accommodation, or redevelopment for residential usage.”

Numerous golf clubs, including Ifield, Dalmuir and Dunton Hill have closed in recent months so they can be converted into housing estates, suggesting the pace of change is increasing.

This comes as consultancy Custodian Golf estimates that about one in five – approximately 433 clubs – are financially vulnerable. Without access to capital for investment or redevelopment, many face closure or sale.

TWM Solicitors believe the 60 closures recorded over the past five years are also likely to represent only the early stages of a broader restructuring.

“Mergers and acquisitions activity in the sector is likely to continue. Investors increasingly see these sites as ripe for redevelopment,” Ball said.