We can all agree that golf is in a pretty healthy place. The vast majority of you who responded to our recent membership survey would certainly seem to agree.
Of course there are areas where improvements can be made. In an ideal world, I am sure we would all like to see more younger golfers taking up the game and joining golf clubs. But please, let’s not become obsessed with the age profile of our sport.
There is a huge focus on senior golfers, with many over-55s seeming to believe that they don’t get a fair crack of the whip. The bottom line is that senior golfers are still the lifeblood of most golf clubs in the UK. They are the ones who play the most golf on our courses, who spend the most time at our courses and the most time in the clubhouse afterwards.
My colleague Kieran Clark recently wrote a thought-provoking article on the state of the game. He asked the question: is there conflict between seniors and younger golfers?
Have senior golfers earned the right to play more?
(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography)
If you are 35 years of age, the chances are that you are paying the same annual subscription as somebody aged 67. It is obvious that the 67 year old is getting better value for money from his outlay than the 35 year old. But so what? Does it really matter. The 67 year old has worked hard all his life and has surely earned his or her extra time on the course.
In my view, seniors have earned the right to play as much golf as they want. And don’t forget that in most cases when they retire their monthly income will plummet.
I was particularly drawn to the part of Kieran’s article that covered senior golf and suggested that some do not feel they are getting value for money.
This may well be the case for some, especially those who do not play all year because they are physically unable to do so. Many golf clubs do not allow buggies during the winter months because of concerns about the damage they might cause to wet golf courses. And this means that many elderly golfers have little choice but to hang up their clubs until spring.
Unsurprisingly, some of these golfers believe they should be entitled to discounts or refunds. I think most of us are agreed that golf clubs need to be more adaptable to the needs of their members. Let’s see more clubs offering memberships that run from, say, March to the end of September. Many golf clubs have now realised the value of introducing special winter deals – they do this because they know that many of their members stay away during the winter – and they also know that there is a very good chance that those who take advantage of these winter deals may well go on to become full-time members. Precisely that has happened at my club, Dunston Hall Golf Club on the outskirts of Norwich, where the vast majority who bought winter deals have now joined the club.
Senior golfers get a great deal at golf clubs
I believe that, in the main, senior golfers get a great deal. First and foremost, they can play as often as they want when the weather is in their favour.
Let’s say you pay a subscription of £1,000 per year and play just twice a week it means you are paying £10 for your round of golf. If you pay £1,000 and play three times a week the cost plummets to less than £6.50. For 18 holes!
Even if you only average one round a week I still reckon that golf club membership equates to outstanding value for money.
One of our respondents said: “I’m 77 and play three times a week, but sometimes feel seniors aren’t valued by the club committees.”
If you are playing three times a week then you are getting your golf for next to nothing. And if the club committee does not value you then it might be time to get a seniors committee together to give you and others like you a voice. If you truly don’t feel valued then it is within your powers to vote with your feet.
Why are some senior golfers concerned?
Golf is an outdoor sport. We are at the mercy of the elements. One of you wrote: “The course gets very wet and muddy in winter and as I need a buggy I can’t play. The membership fee should reflect this but they only care about money!”
As we have recorded before, this is an extremely difficult balancing act to get right. If such clubs decide to spend the money required to put this right, who is going to ultimately be paying the bill? Your members, of course! When all is said and done, most of us can probably live with our course being closed for a few days during the winter without feeling the need to demand a refund or reduction in our green fees.
Again, I can only speak from personal experience but since January 1, 2025, there has only been one day that I wanted to play and was told that nine holes at my course were closed due to partial flooding. I can live with that. I simply headed to the driving range instead.
Yes there are low-lying golf clubs dissected by rivers that know they are going to lose playing time during the winter. Those are clubs that need to be addressing their subscriptions – if they choose not to tackle the flooding then surely they have a duty to reduce fees for their members and to work out deals with other local clubs in the area that would see their members being offered special deals to ensure they can keep playing.
I was surprised to read the following comment in Kieran’s article:
“Senior competitions are mostly strokeplay, played from the back tees – there are no seniors categories and no specific seniors competitions.”
My golf club has a competition for our seniors every Tuesday. These normally attract around 60 golfers. We play a wide variety of formats – strokeplay, stableford, Texas scramble. You name it, we have tried it. And we NEVER force our seniors to play from the back tees. We have a seniors section that is thriving, with well in excess of 100 golfers.
So, is there conflict between seniors and younger golfers? I sincerely hope not – and I have seen absolutely no evidence of it.
Derek Clements is a seasoned sports journalist and regular Golfshake contributor, specialising in tour coverage, opinion pieces, and feature writing. With a long career in national newspapers and golf media, he has reported on the game across Europe, the United States and Australia. A passionate golfer, he has played and reviewed numerous renowned courses, with personal favourites including Pebble Beach, Kingsbarns, Aldeburgh, Old Thorns and the K Club. His love of the game informs his thoughtful commentary on both professional golf and the wider golfing community.
