After the overwhelming response to our original piece on why golfers might not renew their club memberships in 2026, we’ve gone a step further. Drawing on fresh Golfshake survey data and the many comments golfers shared with us, this article explores why most players still plan to renew, why a significant minority remain unsure, and what clubs might do to keep more members onside.
In one of our most read articles of the year, we explored why some golfers may choose not to renew their membership in 2026 and the reaction was overwhelming. The comments, emails and social posts that followed made it clear that golfers are wrestling with the value of membership like never before.
We’re all operating in a very different economic landscape. Costs are rising everywhere and the “no-brainer” decisions of the past now need a lot more thought. Golf is no exception. For some, a club membership remains non-negotiable; for others, it’s drifting into the “can I really justify this?”.
What Our 2025 Survey Revealed
To understand where things stand now, over 2,500 golfers took part in a Golfshake survey in October 2025, giving us a snapshot of the health of club membership. Among those who told us they are currently club members:
77.9% plan to renew 18.3% are undecided 3.8% do not plan to renew
So, nearly 4 in 5 intend to stay, a positive sign but almost 1 in 5 are on the fence, and a smaller (but important) group are already looking at the exit.
Breaking this down by age (under 45, 45-64, 65+):
73%, 78% and 79% planned to renew 20%, 17% and 18.6% were undecided 6.5%, 4.9% and 2.5% didn’t plan to renew
Our audience does lean older, but a clear pattern still emerges. Older golfers appear more likely to stay loyal and committed to their clubs, while younger golfers are a little less certain about their long-term membership.
By handicap (under 10, 10-20, 20+), there was surprisingly little difference:
78.9%, 80.8% and 79% planned to renew 18.6%, 14.2% and 17% were undecided 2.5%, 4.9% and 3.1% didn’t plan to renew
Again, our data is strongest in the 10-20 handicap range, but one thing stands out. Lower handicap golfers are slightly less likely to leave, which fits with the idea that more committed, competitive players still see strong value in year-round membership.
Taken together, these results offer a reasonably positive picture for most clubs and broadly mirror similar surveys we’ve run in recent years. But they also reveal a significant “maybe” group, “the undecided golfers”, and this is where our original article and the subsequent feedback really bite.
Revisiting the Five Pressure Points
In Why Golfers Won’t Renew Their Club Memberships in 2026, we suggested that a growing number of golfers might walk away because the value equation no longer stacks up, driven by five key factors:
Rising costs: Subscriptions have risen in line with clubs’ own spiralling costs, but for golfers who don’t play every week, the numbers simply don’t work. Flexible or pay-as-you-play models can look more attractive. Tee time access: Busy, working golfers with families struggle to secure peak tee times. When you can’t play when you’re actually free, a full membership feels like poor value. Not playing year-round: Many golfers are effectively “summer only” players buying a 12-month product. If clubs are inflexible, those golfers will look elsewhere. Desire for variety: Some don’t want to see the same 18 holes every week. Societies, trips and casual golf give more variety for the same or less cost. Age, injury & life stage: Health issues, moving up to more expensive categories, or the pressures of work and family life can make membership impractical even when the love for the game is still there.
Our survey doesn’t contradict those points – if anything, it helps quantify the risk. The undecided 18% are exactly the golfers most exposed to those five pressures.
What Golfers Told Us – Frustration and Reality
The comments we received after the original article show just how conflicted people feel.
Costs & value: Golfers talked about £1,300–£1,700 subs, joining fees, and visitor rates of £60-£200 a round. Twilight rates have crept up to where a standard green fee used to be. Non-members feel priced out; some members say they simply can’t justify the spend anymore. But clubs’ costs are real too: Others were quick to point out that clubs aren’t always profiteering. Rising minimum wages, fertilisers, fungicides and six-figure machinery are a reality. For many facilities, any surplus is modest and reinvested. Regional differences: We heard from golfers paying under £300 a year at smaller clubs and others facing more than £1,700 at courses that are waterlogged all winter. The perception of fairness varies wildly from region to region. Experience & culture: Beyond money, a lot of frustration came down to how clubs are run – too many competitions, no-shows, poor behaviour, litter, questionable spending and a sense that visitors are sometimes prioritised over members. For some, the social side and identity of membership still mean everything; for others, these issues are enough to consider leaving their club or even the game altogether. A Delicate Balance
Put simply, golfers are standing on a knife-edge. Our survey shows that most members still plan to renew, but a meaningful number are hesitating and their reasons line up closely with the themes we’ve seen in both the original article and the comments.
The challenge and opportunity for clubs is to recognise this:
Listen to the undecided: They’re not anti-club; they’re questioning value, flexibility and experience. Small changes in booking policies, communication, competitions and pricing structures could keep many of them on board. Be transparent about costs: When golfers understand where their money goes; machinery, staff, maintenance. Many are more willing to support fair increases. Protect the community: For a lot of golfers, membership is about belonging as much as it is about golf. Clubs that nurture that feeling are far more likely to keep people through tougher times.
For golfers, there’s also a recognition that if we want good courses, welcoming clubhouses and somewhere to call “our” club, those places need our support. The tension between rising personal costs and the desire to sustain the game we love isn’t going away but honest conversations, data like this, and a willingness to adapt can help both sides find a way through 2026 and beyond.
Where Do We Go From Here?
If there’s one thing this data and feedback make clear, it’s that most golfers want club membership to work for them, and for the places they play. The question is how we bridge the gap between rising costs, changing lifestyles and the traditions that make club golf special.
For golfers, that might mean:
Being honest with your club about what’s working and what isn’t, especially if you’re in that “undecided” group. Getting involved in committees, forums or surveys rather than voting with your feet in silence. Recognising the genuine costs of running a course and supporting fair, transparent changes where you can.
For clubs, it’s a chance to:
Listen closely to members on tee time access, flexibility, competitions and culture – the things that tip them from loyal to leaving. Communicate clearly where the money goes and why – from staff to machinery to course improvements. Explore more flexible options that keep people in the club family, even if their circumstances change.
Golf club membership is still the heartbeat of the game. If golfers and clubs can meet in the middle with openness, flexibility and a shared desire to protect what we all value – then 2026 could be a year of adjustment and progress, rather than simply more of the same debate about whether membership still justifies the cost.
