The Herald’s first Scottish Golf Survey has uncovered some surprising findings, with custodians of the country’s courses sharing their views on finances, governance, the challenges they face and the opportunities that lie ahead.
More than 90 captains, club secretaries and managers representing 116 courses throughout the country took part in the survey, accounting for 1,880 holes of golf. Their facilities range from small rural clubs through to some of the biggest names in the game.
The received wisdom is golf, and golf clubs in particular, were in a general state of decline before the pandemic with a 20% reduction in membership levels during the 20 years prior. Then along came the “Covid bounce” when golf was among the first activities allowed during the lockdown period, rekindling the game’s popularity and reviving financial fortunes.
Our survey shows, while this has undoubtedly been the case for some, the broader situation is not as clearcut as that narrative suggests.
Some report they were managing well up to 2020 but have since been undone by the inflationary surge of the cost-of-living crisis, which has outweighed any gain in membership numbers. Others that were previously struggling are, unsurprisingly, continuing to have a tough time.
Those with waiting lists and larger memberships have tended to fare better throughout, but there is a sprinkling of high-profile facilities and clubs in wellheeled areas who say their finances are not as strong as many outsiders might have guessed.
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Today’s big read in Business HQ Monthly delves into the numbers. We also speak to the secretary of a small community club about the challenges it is up against and what has been done to try and overcome those difficulties.
It marks the start of a three-day series that will be followed tomorrow by the findings from the survey on clubs’ opinions of governing body Scottish Golf, and the potential financial impact of implementing a “one player, one fee” system in the collection of affiliation payments to Scottish Golf.
OpenPlay, the flexible subscription for non-club members to obtain an official handicap, comes under the microscope on Saturday and we also speak to some clubs that are working together to improve their financial fortunes.
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Buoyed by unseasonably warm and sunny weather, there was a boom this past spring in the number of people playing golf across the country. Christopher Spencer, who heads up the Scottish arm of the Club Management Association of Europe, believes this could translate into a boost for the entire sector in 2025.
“More and more people are out playing golf because the weather has been great, which is fabulous for golf clubs because hopefully they will then use the facilities as well, rather than just turning up to play golf,” he said.
“So let’s hope we have a really good summer – not too dry, we could do with a little rain to encourage growth – but fingers crossed it will be a really good year all around.”
