Our numbers are pretty static we seem to lose 150-200 members a year and gain 150-200 members. VFM is always the most important thing to the consumer I think most club's are now aware of this, some seem to have gone the wrong way and created an imbalance ignoring that the cheapest way to play golf is as a member, which is the paramount rule in a successfull golf club. Only half your members love the club the other half see it as a ticket, if they find a cheaper route to play they will do it. Internet transparency will do those clubs no good long term.
I said a few years ago and was rebucked by Tom Doak that it was some of the better courses likely to suffer. There are a couple of GB & I top 100 courses that might go under, where the location is not kind.
I think golf is on a decline but we still have the golden card; Playing golf = Better Health = Live longer.
I would say a lot more people would play golf if it equaled living 5 years longer by playing golf once a week. The 4 hours of walking, thinking, competitiveness are all positives according to doctors.
Golf clubs are often too focused on junior recruitment rather than over 40 recruitment. I am not against juniors and was one once, but the trouble with juniors are the distractions of life between 16-35.