New membership categories aim to cater for more golfers
A number of golf clubs are introducing new membership categories to cater for a wider range of golfers and a change in social landscape.
With the working landscape of the UK enduring its biggest change in decades, certain golf clubs are adapting their membership categories to cater for a wider range of golfers.
The Golf Business recently reported that the Office for National Statistics had revealed the number of people working from home had grown by more than ten times over the past three months, rising from an average of 1.7 million to nearly 20 million.
This change has caused many people to adapt their working routine and schedule, which has seen golf memberships in the UK rise significantly and made some golf clubs introduce new membership categories to cater to these new flexible members.
"Flexible working arrangements are set to become much more common after the coronavirus pandemic, particularly for those living in and around London, with workers looking for pleasant spaces to work, meet and entertain clients,” said a spokesman for the Foxhills Collection, which operates both Foxhills Golf Club and Farleigh Golf Club in the south of England, where new flexible membership packages have been introduced to attract new members.
“Both Foxhills and Farleigh golf clubs are offering flexible corporate membership packages that are perfect for remote working for those looking to swap the boardroom for the golf course in a time where outdoor, socially distanced meetings are the safest alternative to online video calls,” he added.
Nairn Dunbar Golf Club in Scotland has created a new 'Lifestyle' membership category, that allows golfers to play from 10am midweek and from 2pm at the weekends during summer months and from 11am all-week round during the winter.
Kieran Maclean, club manager at Nairn Dunbar Golf Club, said: “Lifestyle membership is an excellent alternative membership option that has been created for golfers who want a lot of the benefits of being a full member of the golf club, but whose busy lives mean that they are unable to play enough golf to justify a traditional full membership subscription.
“Those giving up traditional golf club membership tend to say that they simply don’t play often enough to justify the cost of membership, and this particularly applies to the 25 to 40 age group.
“The introduction of this membership will encourage the less frequent player to become a member of the club and, in addition, encourage a current member who may be considering giving up their membership to remain. We also believe it will be attractive to past members who considered the number of times they played did not justify a full membership.”
Many other clubs across the UK are offering new and flexible packages that allow golfers to balance their work life and time on the golf course, at a more affordable price than the average membership.
