Article on Supply/Demand for Scottish/European Golf Courses

[David_Tepper]

The Press & Journal (Aberdeen) has an interesting on a study that has been done regarding the supply/demand of golf courses in Scotland and elsewhere in Europe.

Here is a link:

www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/544541

[Tim Nugent]

David, thanks.  Perhaps you should forward it to the WSJ.

[Andrew Mitchell]

There is certainly a shortage of demand for membership in my area of the country.  Too many clubs chasing too few golfers wanting to be members.  The proliferation of pay as you play courses, plus clubs offering discounted green fees through various 2 for 1 schemes, has given rise to this issue.  The days of waiting lists for membership (save for the elite clubs) seem long gone.

[Mark Chaplin]

Andrew - You are quite right that the traditional model of a members club is under stress. Lots of golfers do not want to be tied down to playing at just one club and groupings of "membership" pay and plays can satisfy the desire to play at different courses.

Member clubs were left behind when society golf changed from 40-50 people playing 36 with meals to smaller groups wanting 18 and lunch, etc. Now they are in danger of losing out in filling the club with members if the same "play it traditional" attitudes continue.

The average guy playing once a week for a £1000 a year pays £20 a round. Modern working practises mean the odds are stacked against him staying at the same job in the same town allowing him to belong to the same club for 50 years. Therefore he isn't likely to reap the benefit in 30 years time of playing his club 4/5 times a week in retirement. That's how the "parasite" arguments with senior golfers start out.   

Charge £500 and £10 a round and mr working guy is happy but those who play the most end up paying the most, that should be fair but with ageing memberships no committee at a private club would ever get such a model voted in.

[Ville Nurmi]

You can find the actual report from KPMG from here:
http://www.golfbenchmark.com/index.thtml/

regards,
Ville

[Andrew Mitchell]

Thanks for the link Ville.  I have downloaded a copy of the report.

We lost over 20 members at the end of last year, most of whom have not been replaced.  We are currently considering various initiatives to boost membership so hopefully the report will give me some new ideas.