Is Golf Still an Elitist Sport

There is a perception among many non-golfers that our sport is elitist, that it favours wealthy, well-connected individuals.

They believe that annual subscriptions are sky-high, that equipment is ludicrously expensive, that the game is riddled with snobbery and that it is "not for the likes of us".

I have been playing this sport long enough to have experienced the reality of this - golf clubs that have immaculate members’ car parks and mud heaps for visitors, clubs with scarcely-credible dress codes, eye-watering green fees, rude clubhouse staff, members who look down their noses at anybody who earns less than £100,000 a year, discrimination against both women and juniors, waiting lists, huge joining fees. Oh, and the dreaded interview for would-be members.

Back in the day I was a junior member of a golf club on the outskirts of Glasgow. My mother was only allowed in the main clubhouse bar if she was with my father. All women who played at the club faced penal restrictions as to when they could play, and after their rounds had to share the spike bar with the sweaty juniors. And nobody batted an eyelid.

Let’s not pretend that all is perfect even now. Muirfield was dropped from The Open rota because it refused to allow women members. It was only brought back on when it agreed to change that policy. And it is not so long ago that Augusta National, home of The Masters, finally moved into the 21st century by allowing women to enter its hallowed corridors.

Many clubs continue to treat women dreadfully, like they are second-class citizens. In 2024, this is totally unacceptable. Not that it was ever acceptable.

There are still clubs that insist on formal attire in the clubhouse, demand knee-length socks in sweltering summer weather and ban collarless shorts. In this day and age that is patently ridiculous.

(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography)

Turnberry recently announced that it is increasing its peak green fee to £1,000. For a round of golf! If that isn’t elitist, I have no idea what is. It means that for 99.9% of the population it is a golf course they will never be able to play. It is an extreme example but there are many, many golf clubs that price out the rank-and-file golfer. 

As a journalist and golf writer I have been incredibly privileged to have played many of the world’s finest golf courses and I am here to tell you that none of them are worth £1,000 for a round - or even half of that sum. It is almost as if the top courses simply don’t want "real" people to be able to enjoy what they have to offer.

We have all walked into clubhouses where we are made to feel unwelcome by staff and members alike.

I recently played a course in Norfolk that shall remain nameless. Suffice to say that the daily green fee is in excess of £100. Before we started our round the club pro encouraged us to pop into the shop when we were finished to tell him what we thought. What he actually meant was that he wanted us to return and tell him how wonderful his course was. 

The reality is that although the views were stunning, there was a lack of signage around the course, which made it a struggle to find each tee. And there was no sand in the bunkers. It was like playing out of hard-set, rock-hard concrete. 

"So, how was your round sir?"

Well, he did ask, so I replied: "Great views, some lovely holes but you don’t need me to tell you how poor your bunkers are."

His expression changed and I was greeted with a look of incredulity: "It’s a links course. What do you expect?"

"I expect some sand in the bunkers."

"The wind blows it away."

We then headed to the clubhouse for a drink and a bite to eat and were pursued by a member who had overheard my conversation with the pro. And he was not happy that we had dared to criticise the condition of the bunkers. Maybe I am wrong, but if you spend £100+ to play 18 holes, would you not also expect to find some sand in the bunkers?

But let’s not get carried away with the idea that whole sport is like this. In England alone there are more than 1,800 golf courses and I have no fear in saying that the vast majority of these are friendly and welcoming. And affordable.

The end of the pandemic saw a boom in golf participation numbers and while it is true that some clubs tried to cash in by increasing annual subscriptions and introducing joining fees, most were simply happy to welcome new members. In fact, it could be argued that the increased number of players actually contributed to annual subs and green fees being pegged back.

While it is true that the latest shiny new golf equipment can be expensive - very expensive - you don’t have to spend £500 on a driver that probably won’t help your game. A quick internet search will show you that it is possible to pick up some incredible bargains on the equipment front. And there is no reason not to consider purchasing second-hand clubs, which can be picked up for a song.

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