Diary Of A Secret Club Golfer: It's Still A Rich Man's Game... Something Needs To Change Before Members Can't Afford It Anymore

There has been a lot of good done over recent years to make the game of golf more accessible, and the participation numbers since Covid prove the sport is in a healthy place. But is all as it seems?

I can’t speak for anyone else, but as a club golfer of over two decades my view is that golf remains a game for the wealthy. I am a single figure golfer and like to play once per week if I can, which only just gives me value from my constantly rising membership.

My fees this year exceed £1,800, which is a remarkable £150+ per month. If the golf course is closed, like it has been over the last few weeks, or the weather is simply not playing ball, that’s an awful lot of money to send away each month on top of increasing bills, food and other expenses.

If I do play once per week, that equates to somewhere around the £37.50 mark per round, which I think is quite acceptable. I am tempted each and every year to jack in my membership and become a pay-and-play golfer, but the sad fact is that £37.50 does not get you much in terms of public access green fees.

Mid-tier courses in my area now cost £80+, including one that I played for a £45 twilight rate pre-Covid now charging £180 at weekends.

A public course is also likely not going to be in as good condition as my private one and will probably be slower. Plus, you risk getting paired with other golfers who are able to add themselves onto your tee time.

This has happened to me multiple times and they have always turned out to be nice people, but it does still induce some pre-round anxiety about having to share five hours with someone you’ve never met before.

My solution would be some kind of credit system for golf club memberships across the board.

I am aware they exist all over the place, but not at my 100+ year old club, which maintains a large membership of wealthy retirees and sometimes feels like it is 20 years behind the modern world.

Today’s young professionals who love their golf, play to a good level and enjoy the benefits of being a member of a nice course are being squeezed very hard.

I am an intermediate member and full membership is looming faster than I would hope. It is currently priced at almost £2,300, and I would imagine it will continue to rise with inflation by the time I get to the age.

I believe I will find it difficult to justify paying well over £2,000 for a golf membership once I reach the age of full fees, and that’ll be the time I start looking elsewhere.

Paying £200 per month to play golf in today’s world is far too much money for someone who has a mortgage, other outgoings and a busy life, especially when I have barely played in December and January.

A credit system would allow for more control instead of the fees automatically going out every month, even when you have a two-week holiday booked or are facing some harsh winter months ahead where the course is closed or you just wish to stay in the warm indoors.

Still a rich man's game

I say the game is still a rich ‘man’s’ game and I think that is probably right.

Yes, the women’s game has grown hugely since Covid and it has been great to see. But my club probably has less than five female members under the age of 40 and any young women golfers who are only just starting to enjoy the game are faced with joining fees in the thousands.

I’ve seen this with someone I know, who began playing in Covid and enjoys the game, but not enough to spend £2,000 on a joining and then another £150 every month. Their only other option is to go to the driving range or pay high public green fee prices.

I like playing tennis, badminton, pool, going to the gym and other activities, but if they cost £2,000 to join a club and then another £150 per month, I would likely never do them ever again in my life - there's plenty of other things to do for far less.

The only people who will pay this kind of money are the ones supremely passionate about their hobby, and not all new golfers can justify that kind of money when they still find the game extremely difficult and frustrating.

Academy memberships are the way to go for these type of players, where you get some lessons and access to the course in the afternoons to casually play nine holes and hone your skills, but that is not something on offer at my club and they’re probably not as common as you think.

While I believe clubs are being greedy with their green fees to visitors - as they’re now full and simply don’t need the money or hassle of having visitors - I do sympathise with the costs they must be facing.

From staff, energy, sand and fertilisers to equipment and everything else, I am sure it is difficult to balance the books. But I am not sure rising costs for members and visitors is the way to go, as ultimately eventually people will just be turned away.

My prediction is that the golf boom in the UK has peaked and numbers will begin dropping over the coming years, both from people leaving who can no longer justify their spend and the older generation passing away.

More affordable credit schemes and perhaps other innovative ways of getting people to spend their money and bring in revenue from the pro shop or the F&B department could be the key to mid-term success.

For now, I remain a passionate club golfer who loves their course and tries to play as much as possible, but I am fearful of future costs.