Why Golfers Gave Up Their Club Memberships in 2024

Golf club membership is a subject that divides opinion. Most of us who are club members are committed to the courses we play at. We may not always be 100% satisfied with our course, we may complain about subscriptions and the course condition, but we remain loyal.

Our recent membership survey drew responses from more than 3,000 Golfshake subscribers, including more than 600 who are either not club members or have decided to give up their memberships.

There are lots of reasons why golfers walk away.

• We found that 13% of non-members had tried to join a club in 2024, which is the same as last year;
• 19% of non-members plan to join in the next 12 months, which is a slight increase on 2023;  
• And 13% cancelled their memberships this year, largely due to cost, weather and playability of the course and injuries.

Overall, it would seem that club golf remains in a pretty healthy state. It can only be a good thing that almost one in five of our respondents who are not club members have plans to change that.

Why Golfers Gave Up Their Membership

(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography)

So why do you give up membership? Here are a few of your responses:

"My course was closed for much of the past two winters - paying for 12 month membership does not represent value for money."

This is a challenge that has been faced by countless golf clubs the length and breadth of the UK. We have seen a LOT of rain and courses which have rivers running through them have faced all sorts of issues. Building flood defences is a massively expensive undertaking and, quite frankly, is an expense that is beyond many clubs without going to their members and increasing their annual subscriptions by disproportionate amounts. 

We know that annual fees are something that drive many of you away from the game, so this is a really difficult balancing act. Do you accept that your course may be closed for weeks at a time or do you move elsewhere? My own golf club in Norfolk has spent vast sums of money on drainage improvements and was closed just once this year. The reality for most of us, however, is that climate change is going to mean that this is a problem that is not going to go away.

"No flexible memberships available."

Increasing numbers of clubs around the country are finally starting to address this one. Many clubs now offer cheap winter membership but clearly there are no guarantees with the weather. It seems pretty obvious that more clubs also need to be thinking about offering summer memberships. Just because we have always only been offered only a 12-month option does not mean it is right. We know that many of you simply don’t want to play golf during the winter.

"Club was trying to ramp up members joining, to become more profitable and have a bigger business, this led to more players, and then it was difficult for members to get tee times. Four ball-only policy and eight minute gaps led to long rounds. So I decided to cancel and look elsewhere. Shame but once you are a member, you would prefer the club to be quieter."

"Cost is far too expensive and I struggled to get a tee time making the whole concept pointless, too many members and not enough availability to play."

"Lack of control over membership numbers since increase in golf popularity post Covid. This has meant courses becoming crowded with slow play spoiling the game regardless of day or time, especially in short winter days. Lack of value for money for annual sub."

From conversations I have had, I know that many golfers share these concerns. And here is the problem - if you restrict the size of your membership it seems inevitable that you will be asking those individuals to pay annual fees that will simply be too expensive for many. Similarly, if you are a member at a resort course, you will find yourself competing for tee times with hotel guests. It can be pretty frustrating but without those hotel guests a) your subscription would have to increase, and b) your course may have to close.

"No longer value for money. Increasing membership fees."

So here’s the thing - what is "value for money"? If you play once a week it is something very different to the golfer who, like myself, plays two or three times a week. My subscription equates to less than £10 per round. In my book, that is superb value for money, especially when you throw in the friendships that are made and the opportunities to play in senior competitions and team matches against other clubs in the area. 

"I was just not playing enough on my home course to justify the cost. I've only suspended my membership over the winter as I'll review the situation in the spring."

It is encouraging to know that there are courses that allow people to suspend their memberships. Let’s see more of this please.

What Stopped Golfers Joining a Club in 2024

So why didn’t you join a club this year?

"Cannot justify the cost when working full time - it makes more sense to find deals at weekends and twilight rates on a variety of courses."

Balancing a full-time job with family life and golf is tricky. And, quite frankly, many golfers are turned off by the thought of a five-hour round at the weekend, something most of us have experienced. Twllight deals are a terrific option - and there are plenty of them.

"The lack of transparency of pricing."

This one puzzles me. When you apply to join a golf club they should be able to tell you EXACTLY how much it is going to cost you, whether it be for five- or seven-day membership. If you are thinking of joining a club it is also worth asking how difficult it is to get the tee-times you want. The best people to speak to about this are club members.

"There was a long waiting list plus a large joining fee."

I have made my feelings on joining fees clear. I believe that there is no justifiable reason for this. It is a subject that has reared its ugly head again since the end of the pandemic when huge numbers of people decided to either return to the game or start playing for the first time. Sadly, some clubs saw it as an opportunity to cash in. There is not much you can do about a waiting list - they exist because courses do not want too many players fighting for tee-times.

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