The new golfing landscape
While we are all waiting for the ‘new normal’ to identify itself, one thing we can be sure about is that working from home and a different way of life have led to a boom for golf. Waiting lists for membership are widely reported for the first time in decades, green fees are up and definitely punching above their weight in many places and access to the course for non-members has become more restricted than in pre-covid days.
The positive elements of this sound great for the game that we love, but is there a downside for golfers that counterbalances this vertiginous climb? One general concern is that it is still early days and no one really knows how many of these new members will remain as such. Many may well have joined during the various lockdowns as this was the only way to get a game. Where there is no or very little joining fee, they have effectively paid an annual green fee. This will sort itself out, but my greater concern is that it has become increasingly difficult for those who love playing new courses to do so. Far fewer tee times are available and rising green fees have made plenty of courses less accessible.
Will this have a knock-on effect as it creates a barrier to entry for new golfers? And will golf prove to be too expensive for those who love to experience new courses? We have had booms before. In the 1980s, hundreds of new courses were built, many of which are no longer with us. No one knows how this will pan out, but I very much hope that all clubs will be circumspect and make sure they don’t alienate a vital market and the potential members of tomorrow.