Diary Of A Secret Club Golfer: I'm Questioning Whether To Renew My Membership Due To The Obscene Lack Of Value

Following the boom in interest and participation in our sport as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, there were plenty of well-constructed lines being spouted about using this platform as an opportunity to 'grow the game' and make it 'more inclusive'.

While the notion is one I certainly welcome, considering golf is not as welcoming to all as it perhaps thinks it is, there are things that make me question whether things have actually improved in the past five years or so.

I would argue, based on my experience as a golf club member, that things have actually become less inclusive - and one reason for that is the exponentially increasing membership fees at golf clubs around the world.

Ultimately, those who aren't able to keep pace financially are being priced out of the sport - which is a terrible look for a game that has suggested (in certain factions) an intention to shake the elitist reputation of being a rich man's game.

I know my membership fee will rise again this year, so I did a little maths to work out whether any value remains in paying it...

Rising Fees Are Obscene

Before 2020, the majority of reported membership fees in the UK were less than £1,000 per year. In 2024, this statistic had completely flipped to suggest the majority of clubs now charged more than that sum in annual fees... and the majority will rise again!

In the US, a similar picture has been seen with annual dues now reaching between $5000 and $10,000 in some clubs - a figure which has grown substantially since the pre-Covid 19 period.

When you add in the increasing initiation fees, it's clear that golf is becoming less and less affordable - which should ring alarm bells for those driving this agenda.

While it's widely accepted that golf club costs have also risen in that time, the cynic in me can't ignore the possibility that a boom in interest has been exploited for financial gain at the expense of long-serving loyal club members.

In the case of my membership, any value has been totally obliterated.

I realise that my opinion may not align with your own thoughts on this issue, but I am fairly confident this issue will resonate with a number of club golfers. Either way, there is a comments box at the bottom of this page. Let me know what you think!

Do Nomadic Golfers Get A Better Deal?

Perhaps the worst aspect of this is that the rise offers little choice, other than the option to resign membership if you can't afford it or aren't prepared to fork out the inordinate sums of cash for another year.

If I played around once per week on average, I would be paying upwards of $50 (£38) per round as a club member - which is roughly in line with the average green fee at golf courses in both the US and the UK.

As a club member, my question is... what extra value do I get over a nomadic golfer? The answer, unfortunately, is not a lot.

I actually don't get chance to play every week, so my average cost per round is more likely to be between $65 and $90 (£50-£70) - which makes the realisation that I am not getting value for money even more stark.

I could play a varied mix of tracks, while completely avoiding the tediousness of club politics, and all I would miss is the opportunity to enter club competitions (that I have to pay extra for) and the chance to get priority tee time bookings (which are always full anyway).

With the worrying divide between low- and high-handicap golfers around the World Handicap System, where many believe that bloated handicaps make it difficult to win competitions, the value in this 'benefit' is also pretty questionable.

I'll be honest in saying that I am not sure what the solution is.

I am not in the business of mapping out the financial future of golf clubs to succeed while also being inclusive, but surely the morality of forever increasing prices has to be factored into decision making.

The fact that I, a dedicated and long-serving club member who loves the game, am questioning whether or not to renew my membership based on the obscene lack of value is a problem.

I am almost certain I am not alone in that opinion, so drop me a line in the comments box below and let me know what you think about financial landscape of club membership.