It's a troubled time for golf in many ways, but in terms of those actually playing the sport it may actually be in great health according to a new report on golf club finances.
An end of year report from business growth agency The Revenue Club discovered that visitor green fees from over 200 clubs surveyed generated an average of £170,000 in income.
That represents an 11% increase from 2023 figures and shows that the golf clubs who provided data were getting plenty of casual visiting golfers playing and earning a tidy sum in the process.
The data comes from "a combination of 202 UK and Irish golf courses comprising private members clubs, proprietary owned venues, and multi-course operators" according to the report.
In fact, the report noted that in the summer of 2024 "the level of demand over the peak season increased to record highs" which led to it being "the best year ever for green fee revenue".
Another interesting note was that the majority of the income from visiting golfers was taken online, with more web-based booking systems available for golfers to arrange tee times as non-members.
Green fee income at the average golf course was "made up of 68% online revenue which was the main driver of the growth with a 15% YOY uplift to £112,065, while offline revenue still grew, but at a slower pace of 5% to £58,397," read the report.
“The uplift in green fee prices has been one of the key growth drivers throughout the year with a 4% rise to £28.04 per person for the whole year," said Revenue Club director Chris Knight.
"This is slightly above the inflation rate and has resulted from many golf course operators passing on increased operating costs to the customer, and a general acceptance of higher prices for many consumers."
Figures show that while the number of users browsing online booking platforms was actually pretty similar, a higher percentage of those were going ahead and securing tee times.
This has maintained what Knight says is "the continued transition to online sales as the main form of green fee revenue".
And the good news for golf clubs is that 2025 could be even better.
“2025 promises to get off to an excellent start if weather conditions do not hinder progress," said Revenue Club co-director Rob Corcoran.
"The level of demand in the high season shows that appetite from visitors remains high, and with a considered approach to both pricing and marketing, UK and Irish golf courses will continue to prosper from significant growth in this area.”
