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.
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?
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