Could (And Should) Golf Clubs Be Doing More For Their Members Over Winter?

Course closed. Again. That was Saturday. Same Sunday and Monday. Tuesday on temporary greens (just awful). Holes 3 and 4 out of action for irrigation work on Wednesday and Thursday. Friday… heavy rain. Course closed.

Does that sound familiar? In many parts of the UK right now, this is a typical kind of week. It’s Mother Nature - what can you do? Nothing. If you want to play golf, your only option is to go to the driving range.

There’s nothing your golf club can do about the weather, and course maintenance work is crucial, with the winter months usually presenting the best opportunity to get certain projects completed.

Even so, club members can sometimes feel a bit shortchanged during this time of the year when, try as they might, they just can’t get out and play their course.

It’s something that becomes particularly galling when, come December or early January, an email from the club with the subject line ‘Subs Renewal’ hits the inbox. (not a good time).

Even if your golf club has taken the decision not to increase your subscription fees for the upcoming year (lucky you), the fact remains that the weather for the next few weeks looks particularly grim.

Some members will view this as money down the drain; others will take a more pragmatic view - that the number of rounds played will be balanced out over the course of the year.

Again, what can you golf club do about it? To open the course when it’s wet or frosty underfoot risks causing long-lasting damage. So, the answer is nothing.

Or is it?

Perhaps golf clubs can do more for their members in the winter months. If the course has to be closed on a regular basis, perhaps it’s not unreasonable for members to expect something in return for monthly direct debit.

The question is, what? Would £50 credit on the bar card soften the blow a little?

Nice idea - a few 'free' lunches. However, for a club with 500 members, for example, that’s a £25,000 spend for the club, money it needs to keep paying the many bills over the winter, because no one freezes those (excuse the pun).

One of the best ways to keep members happy is to open up the club more for social events: quiz nights, bring a guest evenings, wine tasting, various dinners, live sport and entertainment.

The reality, however, is that not all members support these kinds of events, even if they benefit the club; for some members, it’s all about the golf - that’s why they fork out a chunky sum of money every month.

Which brings us back to the question, can/should golf clubs be doing more for its members during the winter? Or, put another way, how can golf clubs help members get their golf fix at a time of the year when the course will often be out of action?

Ideas welcome. Please share in the comments box below. Perhaps your club has found an answer to keeping those disgruntled members happy for 12 months of the year.

This isn’t an attack on members who moan about wasting money on golf club membership and not getting value for money; this is about suggesting ways in which membership can be improved, because, let’s face it, it’s crucial golfers continue to become members for the health of the game.

At the risk of upsetting club professionals, what do they do when the course shuts? Yes, there’s paperwork to catch up on and many club pros will continue to give lessons inside, but could they be utilised by the club more during particularly wet periods?

How about an open-for-all group lesson on the range for members (FOC of course)? A ‘Thanks for supporting the club and staying patient these last few weeks’ kind of ‘gift’.

The clubs pros reading this will be shaking their heads furiously. ‘I have a mortgage to pay!’ A one-hour coaching session for the members is something that the club could subsidise, and it would stand more chance of getting approved by the committee than £25,000 bar credit.

Maybe some clubs would benefit from investing in their off course facilities. We’ve reported many times on the surge in popularity of indoor golf. Are golf clubs losing out to driving range facilities and indoor golf venues?

The best indoor golf simulators don’t come cheap, of course, but they could be a very worthwhile investment: we’re talking indoor winter golf leagues, nearest the pin and long drive challenges, member comps at world-famous courses like St Andrews and Pebble Beach.

Okay, so it’s not the same as getting outside for 18 holes, but it’s still golf - and it gets very addictive, just like the outdoor sport we love in spring/summer sunshine.

The point is, there probably are some ways that some golf clubs can improve their membership packages for members over the winter.

Anyway, roll on spring.