Golf clubs face crisis from lack of interest

Matthew Knowles, The Sunday Times, 10 August 2003

Scotland, the country credited with the birth of golf, is facing a crisis in the game with interest dwindling and income from golf tourism dropping by 30% across the country.

Some clubs have lost nearly half their income and 37% have seen waiting lists drop from eight years down to just one. Half of Scotland’s 586 membership-based clubs now have no waiting list at all.

Golf officials blame the changing lifestyles of potential members for the drop. Jo Storrar, of the Scottish Golf Union, said: “You tend to see more and more car-park golfers who change their shoes in the back of their cars, play a round of golf and then go straight home.

“People are not prepared to sign up for a year at golf club. They would rather play for four months during the summer and rest over the winter. It is a worrying decline.

“Everyone is much busier these days and so many people don’t have time to regularly commit to a four-hour round of golf. Driving ranges are also hugely popular as they attract people who want to hit a ball but can only spare half an hour.”

More than 80 new golf courses have been built in Scotland over the past 10 years but memberships have barely risen.

Of the 250,000 golf club members in Scotland, 28% are older than 55. Only 17% of members are younger than 24 and 90% are male.

Golf tourism has been hit by a decline in visitors, particularly Americans, to Scotland because of the foot and mouth outbreak and the September 11 atrocities, Bookings through golf tour operators in 2002 were down 15% on 2001 and it is predicted that the war on Iraq will hit bookings this year.

Golf clubs rely heavily on the income from visitors, with some rural clubs generating 50-60% of their income from green fees.

Hamish Grey, secretary of the Scottish Golf Union said: “Golfing visitor numbers are almost certainly still below the levels of five or six years ago. This downward spiral is worrying. Bookings have been significantly hit by events this year.

“This downturn in golf visitors, particularly from the States, will hit Scotland hard. It will certainly hit the better-known links courses very hard.

“These courses have green fees which have increased beyond the rate of inflation, fuelled by demand from the US. The prices are not set for the domestic market, resulting in loss of important revenue for these clubs. However, the impact on the best-known courses will also filter down to all courses who rely on visitors to supplement their club income.”

The Scottish executive has taken action in an attempt to encourage younger players to try the sport.

In February, Jack McConnell, the first minister, and the Scottish golfer Colin Montgomerie launched Clubgolf, a £500,000-a-year scheme aimed to give every child in Scotland a chance to experience the sport by 2009.

Clubgolf, a partnership between the Scottish Golf Union, the Scottish Ladies’ Golfing Association and sport-scotland, is based on junior golf programmes around the world, including those in New Zealand, Australia, America and Sweden.