'Golf Needs To Be A Lot More Accessible Because It's Getting Back To What It Was In The Early 2000s: Rich, Old, White Dudes' - Mel Reid On Rising Golf Club Membership Costs

As a female golfer working in the golf industry, I find myself repeatedly using one word when discussing the women’s game: ‘disconnect’. When it comes to interest and participation, I certainly don’t want to downplay the momentum we are seeing.

For example, England Golf reported that in 2025, female players submitted over 151,000 additional scores - a 14% increase - and so far this year, nearly 1,000 new female golfers have subscribed to its iGolf platform.

Since launching five years ago, iGolf has proven to be a genuine gateway, transitioning nearly 30,000 players into full club memberships, of which 1,698 are female. The pipeline is clearly there, but still many clubs miss the mark when guiding new players through the transition from beginner to member.

The pathway remains predictable: a short course of lessons, an academy membership, and then a sudden expectation to conform. The moment newbie golfers make the transition to full membership, the set-in-its-ways reality of club life hits.

I’ve heard long-standing members at my golf club commenting that the new, younger members are not "part of the ladies’ section," meaning they aren't out there playing every Tuesday morning. But they aren't opting out to be difficult; they simply can't play then due to work and family commitments, choosing instead to tee off at a time that actually suits their lives.

This shouldn’t be a point of concern or criticism. Instead, clubs should be asking a much more constructive question: how are we adapting to accommodate and welcome this new generation of members in order to keep them?

Recently, someone at my club remarked to me, "You haven't put many cards in lately." It was a casual comment, but it made me step back and reflect on how my own attitude towards golf, and the way I want to play the game, has shifted. Does it really matter? I’m not trying to protect my handicap, and I’m certainly no bandit, I just want to enjoy the game on my own terms. For me, that means having the freedom to submit a card as and when I feel like it, rather than feeling any pressure to do so.

We need to move away from a one-size-fits-all approach. Clubs should be creating a welcoming space where women can enjoy the sport and play it in a way that fits their busy lives, rather than constantly feeling judged by outdated standards of what a real golfer should be.

Coupled with this cultural mismatch, the lack of flexibility creates a serious value-for-money issue as membership costs continue to rise. When I renewed my membership last month, I had to justify the expense yet again. Like many people juggling a busy life, I simply don't use the facility as much as I should.

If clubs are going to demand higher fees, they have to deliver genuine value in return, which means offering flexible tee times, modern clubhouse environments, and diverse playing formats that actually fit the lives of modern, paying members.

Interestingly, when I interviewed US-based former tour player turned broadcaster Mel Reid earlier this year, she was quick to bring up the soaring cost of club fees.

"The problem that I have with golf now is that while we are making really good progress, it has become so expensive in the US," Reid says, noting she saw this shift firsthand at her former club in Jacksonville, Florida.

"It was really young when I first got there in 2020, but now it’s almost like we are weaning out the 25-to-40-year-olds with families because they just can't afford it. Golf needs to be a lot more accessible because it's getting stupid again, getting back to what it was in the early 2000s: rich, old, white dudes."

It is a trend we cannot afford to see get out of control in the UK. If traditional golf clubs don’t wake up to the financial and lifestyle realities of modern players, they will end up pricing themselves right back into the past. Only by fixing this disconnect can we connect the game to a more positive, inclusive future.