Golf faces an important year to stop declining memberships

Golf memberships suffered a steep decline in England in 2019, while the rest of Europe was also widely affected, according to a report. KPMG discovered that up to 10,500 people have given up their memberships across England over the last year – which is a more than worrying trend for the sport.

Now more than ever it needs its stars to come to the fore to ensure that the game continues to appeal to all ages and not just those with deep pockets and time on their hands during weekdays. The average price of a membership in the United Kingdom is around £900, which is not a terrible value if you’re able to play 10 times a month.

Green fees range from upwards of £20 on good courses therefore if you’re playing a number of times a month, it perhaps is a worthwhile investment. However, it’s one thing to pay if you’re an adult with your own money. Bringing the next generation of juniors into the game is the lifeblood of the sport. Junior memberships range from £50 and more depending on your location. It’s not the cheapest hobby to have, especially when there are the extras of clubs and clothing to account for.

There have been efforts made to increase the numbers of young people participating in the sport, with the Golf Foundation providing £2m to provide an influx of players. There have been differing views whether numbers are declining or not. However, even if the figures are steady enough there’s no reason why they cannot rise to increase the pool of golf talent.

Given that it is a Ryder Cup year golf will enjoy a great deal of publicity in September, while the four majors are on the horizon. A win for a British player at The Masters would be huge for the home nations to capture the imagination of the public as it did when Danny Willett claimed the Green Jacket in 2016. Rory McIlroy is the leading contender in the golf betting odds on this occasion as he aims to put his demons at Augusta behind him to complete the career Grand Slam.

He would be a very popular winner. Golf needs a young player with charisma to take the place of Tiger Woods. Everyone associated with the sport was delighted to see Woods win The Masters last season, although it may have been his last great effort at a major. At the peak of his powers, McIlroy has the talent and the personality to match Woods’ brilliance. Jordan Spieth, Dustin Johnson and Justin Thomas are extremely talented golfers, but do not quite have the pull to be global superstars.

Tommy Fleetwood engaged European supporters in the last Ryder Cup with his fun-loving attitude on the course as well as his success with Francesco Molinari. Golf needs more personalities in his ilk to engage younger players to emulate his feats on the course, especially in the days of social media.

It’s a big year for the sport and there is a responsibility for everyone involved to increase its popularity and affordability for all ages and not just a select few with ample funds and time at their disposal.