Fairway Credit – making golf more accessible

Alistair Dunsmuir
By Alistair Dunsmuir September 24, 2019 04:58

The golf industry over the last 25 years has changed considerably and Fairway Credit has been able to help clubs, managers and golfers realise their dreams by reducing administration, offering market-leading finance products, providing lump sum payments to allow for investment in the club and predominantly, allowing golfers the freedom to enjoy the membership of their choice without breaking the bank.

Fairway Credit has been at the forefront of all technological and regulatory changes on how the industry offers memberships to golfers. We move with the times, embracing change to make the lives of golf club managers and golfers easier, allowing clubs to invest and grow, becoming more accessible, whilst future proofing their business.

Where does the future of golf club membership lie?

Golf in its current guise has been played for over half a millennium. With the first written record of golf being played at the now ‘home of golf’, St Andrews, in 1552.

Golf has come a long way since those early days. Over the last 25 years since Fairway Credit entered the golf industry as one of only a handful of companies willing to help fund golfers’ annual fees, there has been a huge change in those who want to play golf, how they want to pay for the privilege of playing and how clubs are trying to be more commercial.

Fairway Credit has seen clubs invest heavily in their junior and training programmes, trying to find that next superstar to win a championship, whilst keeping their membership books full of budding juniors who’ll become fully-fledged members.

The introduction of flexible memberships, points-driven schemes, multi club membership / alliances and the development of resort style clubs, like Royal Norwich, are all great examples of the changing face of golf club membership. Fairway Credit has kept abreast of these changes and supported all these developments.

So, what does the future hold? Should all clubs start to add new facilities, look for partnerships with local businesses to build an experience-driven centre, add restaurants, become a wedding venue or carry on as they are? Whatever the industry decides, Fairway Credit will work hard to maintain a relevant proposition to support those objectives.

So, can golf compete with other pastimes?

Of course, it can. However, there isn’t a silver bullet that can miraculously give you more members or stop potential members from cycling and start hitting the fairway instead. There is a solution that could help make your club more ACCESSIBLE to all different kinds of people.

Clubs need to ask themselves questions such as: Where do you see yourself in five years? What changes can you make to be more accessible to a new type of member? How do you entice families, corporate memberships and / or more society days?

These changes could be as little as, changing your membership types, introducing family-friendly days, building corporate memberships offers; any of these and a whole lot more can help to keep the revenue coming in and help you further plan for the future. Having the ability to offer potential members an easy alternative way of paying can help boost numbers allowing them to have multiple hobbies and pastimes as they are able to spread the costs.

One way some golf clubs are securing their futures is by investing in revenue streams in addition to golf, such as their restuarants, as Tewkesbury Park has done here. A proven way to raise finances for this is via membership fees. Fairway Credit has over 25 years’ experience providing clubs with their membership fees in full in one hit, whilst offering their members a monthly repayment option

How could clubs invest in their future?

To grow a business, golf club, pretty much everything in life, you need to invest. Cash is king.

We have over 25 years’ experience providing clubs with their membership fees in full at the beginning of the season, whilst offering their members a monthly repayment option. This solution helps clubs make those investments early in the season rather than waiting for cash to come into the club ‘on the drip’ through their in-house finance option. This can aid budgeting and bringing forward some of those critical investments.

Next steps…

For more information on how Fairway Credit could help your club to realise its dreams call us on: 0344 736 9818 so we can help you and your members.

 

Alistair Dunsmuir
By Alistair Dunsmuir September 24, 2019 04:58
Write a comment

No Comments

No Comments Yet!

Let me tell You a sad story ! There are no comments yet, but You can be first one to comment this article.

Write a comment
View comments

Write a comment

<

Join Our Mailing List


Read the latest issues

Advertise With Us

For editorial enquiries in the magazine or online, contact:

Alistair.Dunsmuir@hdidmedia.com


For advertising enquiries in the magazine or online, contact:

georgina.hirst@hdidmedia.com