The Questions

1– What are the biggest challenges facing golf clubs?

2– Have you initiated any co-operation (equipment, personnel) with nearby clubs?

3– Has your club experienced any further fall-off/or stabilisation in membership for 2011 (please indicate percentage)?

4– What promotions have your club put in place to attract new members/retain existing members?

The Answers

Ashbourne Golf Club, Co Meath

1 – Membership erosion.

2 – No.

3 – 21 per cent.

4 – We’ve reduced the joining fee.

Athlone Golf Club

1 – Falling Membership and Ageing members.

2 – No, but currently being considered.

3 – Yes 10 per cent fall off.

4 – New Categories introduced – Beginners, Distance Members incentive.

Balbriggan Golf Club, Co Dublin

1 – Our biggest challenge is our reduction in membership.

2 – No, we have not made arrangements with other clubs in our area.

3 – We have a fall off of approximately five per cent in membership.

4 – We have reduced our entrance fee for new members. Joined with Premium Credit UK to facilitate easy payment regarding subs.

Balcarrick Golf Club, Co Dublin

1 – Maintaining membership numbers and keeping costs down.

2 – Currently being considered.

3 – Hoping to maintain status quo from 2010.

4 – We have abolished the entrance fee and reduced the annual sub for members.

Bellewstown Golf Club, Co Meath

1 – Unfair VAT rates on membership between member/owner clubs. Debt burdens.

2 – No.

3 – No. 15 per cent drop.

4 – Cut price further 20 per cent to €690, introduced associate membership €270.

Blainroe Golf Club, Co Wicklow

1 – For a lot of clubs it will be repaying debt on clubhouses etc. Not the case for us, luckily. We have spent nearly €3m in the last ten years but it was all financed by cash and entrance fees. Our borrowings would be very small at this stage. Retaining members who have used the club irregularly is a major concern and attracting under 40s is another challenge, especially in ladies golf.

2 – We have reciprocal arrangements on co-operation with nine other clubs for member facilities. We have no formal arrangements in place at present.

3 – The fall off has been less than 2010.

4 – Reduced entrance fees (from €14,500 down to €4,000) and initiatives aimed at recruiting those under 30. We also have no entrance fee for over 65s, which has been very popular.

Bodenstown Golf Club, Co Kildare

1 – Maintaining membership and attracting new members.

2 – No.

3 – Lost 15 per cent of members from 2011 membership but have managed to take on 13 per cent new members.

4 – Reduced annual fee, no joining fee, advertised in three local/regional newspapers.

Castle Dargan Golf Club, Co Sligo

1 – Generating green fees & increase in members database.

2 – Yes.

3 – Membership starts in April.

4 – Add value to membership (loyalty card, deal with other golf clubs, new membership categories) Offer a payment plan.

Castlerock Golf Club, Co Derry

1 – a) Downturn in Global Economy has resulted in reduced numbers of overseas visitors;. b) Despite the recession membership numbers have been maintained; however more members are approaching “Senior” category with a reduced annual subscription;.c) More competition from local clubs offering reduced green fees and meal deals.

2 – Equipment has been “borrowed” in the past from RPGC, especially if running a National Championship or tournament. We host the GUI Cups and Shields in September and hope to avail of this agreement once again.

3 – No change, 19 full males resigned, 19 full males joined. Two lady members resigned and two lady members joined. Therefore very stable. 20 juvenile and junior boys have also joined this year.

4 – We do not have vacancies for full male new members; this category is “capped” at 575. The club still retains a joining fee for lady and gent categories. This year the junior/juvenile rates were reduced by 25%.

Connemara Championship Links, Co Galway

1 – Maintaining membership and attracting new members and green fee customers.

2 – No.

3 – Down approximately three per cent.

4 – No increase in membership subscriptions for the last three years and entrance fee greatly reduced.

Cushendall Golf Club

1 – Loss of members; aging membership.

2 – “As with a member” agreement for green fees with nearest neighbour.

3 – Early indications suggest a five per cent fall off.

4 – Minimal rise in annual subs. No signing on fees.

Doneraile Golf Club, Co Cork

1 – Try to maintain cash flow and member numbers.

2 – N/A.

3 – Yes, 15 per cent.

4 – Dropped fees from €1,200 to €500 all in.

Dunmurry Springs Golf Club, Co Kildare

1 – Maintaining the standard of facility and service whilst revenue is dropping.

2 – No, we have tried to but every time an agreement falls apart.

3 – 2010: no change in membership numbers; 2011: 14 per cent fall in membership.

4 – Reduced joining fee.

East Clare Golf Club, Co Clare

1 – A drop off in membership. Clubs are not being helped by the number of clubs offering “handicaps for sale”.

2 – No. At the local level, it is everyone for themselves.

3 – Too early to say but indications are we could be down by at least 10 per cent

4 – No entrance fee and a level of options on how to pay subs.

The European Club, Co Wicklow

1 – Membership fall-off everywhere acerbated by the increased competition for relatively small pool of leisure hours amongst sports people from Aviva and Croke Park. When a € is in the stadium it cannot be on the fairways and the stadia have to promote events like blazes to meet their own bills . . . so this one isn’t going away, even after a recession.

2 – No.

3 – Stabilising significantly but still falling a bit.

4 – No promotion. Awaiting the next tee!!!!!!

Fintona Golf Club, Co Tyrone

1 – Retaining membership and maintaining financial stability.

2 – We borrow and hire some specialist equipment from nearby clubs and other sporting organisations.

3 – The full membership for 2011 is as yet unknown, but indications are the membership will remain stable.

4 – (1) We have a special introductory entry fee for established and novice golfers. Both are given full GUI handicaps when they are confirmed or on submission of three cards. They enjoy full membership status; (2) Annual membership fee unchanged for the past eight years and this year introduced a reduced fee for members aged 70+ with 20 years membership; (3) Range of easy payment options that allow members commence payments from October of the previous year.

Galway Golf Club

1 – Continue to reduce costs, making golf to our members more affordable.

2 – No.

3 – Had some vacancies at the end of 2010 and had no problem in filling same.

4 – Up to now we don’t have any problem in retaining our numbers, in fact, we want to reduce our membership.

Highfield Golf Club, Co Kildare

1 – Renewal of members has become both challenging and very price sensitive. People who may have for years renewed and perhaps not played very much are now just cutting it out. There is stiff competition for golfers amongst all clubs. Some clubs that had waiting lists and substantial entrance fees are now open for members for just the price of the annual sub. Unemployment has had a huge influence on golf membership, people now have the time but not the resources to justify the subscription when money is tight. Others find the allure of high profile, Nama/receivership/liquidator-run courses a bargain to join or to play and pay green fees more attractive.

2 – We have not exchanged machinery or personnel with others but have considered contra arrangements with other courses with the IGCOA (Irish Golf Course Owners Association) and are in discussion with this.

3 – Our year runs April to April so we do not know the full extent of members not renewing. We do expect another fall similar to last year with 15 per cent-20 per cent leaving/not renewing.

4 – Promotion of membership/societies. We have reduced the annual sub to €595 and offered existing members an offer to bring in a friend for only €200 extra (€795 for two)!

Laytown Bettystown Golf Club, Co Meath

1 – Maintaining membership numbers; reduction in sponsorship; reduction in bar sales.

2 – Not to any great extent.

3 – Other than the usual annual fall-off due to sick/injury leave and a slight increase in overseas members, due mainly to members having to go abroad looking for employment, our membership is pretty stable.

4 – We offered five-day membership for €500 to the first 50 applicants, with an added incentive that when progressing to full membership the initial payment of €500 is subtracted from the entry fee. This was a very successful programme and we now have a substantial waiting list.

Mount Temple Golf Country Club, Co Westmeath

1 – Competing against the Nama golf industry and those in receivership with their unfair trading in green fees and services. Decrease in number of golfers both at home and visitors from Britain and further afield.

2 – We have a group of eight golf courses and 10 hotels called Golf in the Heart of Ireland, which is for promotional purposes.

3 – Due to the conservative style on which our club is run with no large banking debts and reduction in running costs we have been lucky to hold our own with regard to memberships for 2011.

4 – We reduced our membership rates for 2011. The club received approval for the National Quality and Standards framework by Fáilte Ireland which enables large promotional exposure with Fáilte Ireland , and also a substantial website of the golf course with up-to-date promotions displayed to attract numbers.

Narin Portnoo Golf Club, Co Donegal

1 – Most clubs have implemented cost-cutting measures over the past couple of years. The income side has to be addressed.

2 – Yes. Specialist machinery being obtained from neighbouring club.

3 – Approx four per cent fall off. Narin Portnoo is keenly priced at €486 for full membership.

4 – Free fourball for each member. Free video lesson days with our PGA professional Connor Mallon.

Navan Golf Club, Co Meath

1 – Supermarket prices.

2 – No.

3 – 20 per cent to date.

4 – Easy payment Plans, five-day members, annual membership.

Nenagh Golf Club, Co Tipperary

1 – (a) Loss of members due to economic conditions with no corresponding drop in costs; (b) Coping with sporadic nature of green fee market due to number of open competitions; (c) Meeting fixed cost commitments during the extreme weather conditions experienced in recent winters.

2 – No, but will be examined.

3 – Too early to tell. We hope we will not have a similar experience to 2010 when subscription income fell by €60k.

4 – (a) Entrance levy removed; (b) Subscriptions accepted by instalments; (c) Free green fee vouchers for early payment of subscription and option to purchase unlimited reduced green fee vouchers for visitors playing with member.

Newbridge Golf Club, Co Kildare

1 – Loss of members and revenue. Reduction of membership charges to unsustainable levels is a possibility where clubs do not have a strong budgeting regime.

2 – No. It is not an option for Newbridge.

3 – The loss for 2011 is 90, or 27 per cent, roughly the same as 2010. Approx 50 of those have joined other clubs in the area.

4 – A monthly payment system. Free green fee vouchers.

Powerscourt Golf Club, Co Wicklow

1 – Maintaining the existing membership, cutting costs and still providing a high standard and trying to compete with clubs in financial difficulties and damaging the golf product by selling below cost.

2 – No.

3 – Powerscourt’s membership set up does not allow for “leave of absence” like member-owned clubs, but does allow an existing member to lease his or her membership to a third party by approval of the board of directors. As a result we have experienced no drop off in membership and have this year attracted 64 new people (replacing 64 of last year’s).

4 – Our membership has been recruited from ads in The Irish Times but a bigger percentage would be from existing members recommending Powerscourt. We have not increased our annual subscription for the last three years and have always offered a five per cent reduction for early payment, but for 2011 we increased that to 10 per cent. Also remember that included in our subscription is VAT at 13.5 per cent, which is not imposed on member-owned clubs, another area that needs to be looked into. We also have an agreement Carton House where members of both clubs can use each other’s courses Sunday-Thursday for a nominal green fee.

Skerries Golf Club, Co Dublin

1 – Retaining existing members and attracting new members.

2 – No co-operation measures yet initiated.

3 – Fall off of approximately 10 per cent.

4 – New initiatives being formulated.

Slievenamon Golf Club, Co Tipperary

1 – A fall-off in membership.

2 – No.

3 – A big turnover in members, with some of our distance members joining clubs nearer home who have reduced their entry fees etc. We have gained members from some of the larger clubs because, due to the recession, players cannot afford the high fees and want to hold on to their handicaps.

4 – We advertise on the back of till receipts in the larger supermarket chains and offer a €20 discount for distance members with the receipt and give €100 off to new local members who join.