{"id":257989,"date":"2022-10-25T13:44:32","date_gmt":"2022-10-25T13:44:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/golftoday.co.uk\/?p=257989"},"modified":"2022-10-25T14:25:06","modified_gmt":"2022-10-25T14:25:06","slug":"golf-at-a-crossroads-safeguard-courses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/golftoday.co.uk\/golf-at-a-crossroads-safeguard-courses\/","title":{"rendered":"Golf at a crossroads"},"content":{"rendered":"

With renewal rates dropping by 10%, PlayMoreGolf Chief Executive Alastair Sinclair<\/strong> calls on clubs to do things differently to safeguard their long-term future as change of post-pandemic habits and cost-of-living crisis take their toll on the sport.<\/em><\/p>\n

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\"Golf<\/p>\n

The world of golf is facing major challenges at the moment \u2013 at both ends of the sport\u2019s spectrum.<\/p>\n

The healthy rivalry among the game\u2019s elite players has descended into a damaging war of words over the summer with breakaway LIV Golf\u2019s so-called rebels at loggerheads with PGA loyalists.<\/p>\n

It has created a rift between the top professionals that seems set to widen as both camps brace themselves for a long, drawn-out battle for supremacy.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s certainly fascinating to watch from the sidelines and only time will tell as to the damage that it does to the game we all love.<\/p>\n

But what should be of more pressing concern for members of the golf community at large - at a grassroots level - is the future health of our clubs as post-pandemic changes take root and the cost-of-living crisis bites.<\/p>\n

We know that there was a significant boom post-lockdown that saw membership numbers soaring but now there is evidence that the pendulum is swinging the other way.<\/p>\n

From what we\u2019re hearing, it appears that people are returning to pre-Covid activities and the cost-of-living crisis is affecting how they spend their disposable income.<\/p>\n

There is more capacity to play on our golf courses, especially midweek, and the feedback we\u2019re getting from clubs suggests they are concerned about renewals, echoing the sentiments of many observers.<\/p>\n

\u2018The gentleman\u2019s game is in dire need of a makeover,\u201d said a headline that accompanied business columnist Matthew Gwyther\u2019s assessment of the golf industry.<\/p>\n

\u2018Fears linger about its underlying strength\u2019, he wrote in the wake of aCovid-related bounce to 737,000 members last year that followed a dip from 882,000 in 2004 to 647,000 in 2021.<\/p>\n

In a nutshell, he warned that if we do nothing, we can\u2019t expect to get the same results that we've seen during that boom and I couldn\u2019t agree more.<\/p>\n

But that begs the big question: what should we be doing to ensure long-term viability of our golf courses\u201d<\/p>\n

It just shows how fast life comes at you because our industry underwent a lot of development in the 90s when lots of farmers and diversified away from pure agriculture and turned land into golf courses.<\/p>\n

Now clubs should consider learning lessons from the farming industry by diversifying its offering by creating new cash-flows.<\/p>\n

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— PlayMoreGolf (@PlayMore_Golf) October 25, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n