I have just received the accounts for my Golf Club and they made a loss for the year ending 31/10/09. Although it was only £8000, it was the first for many many years. Another local Club have shown a loss of £180,000. Our Visiting numbers were down 13%.

On Monday I went with my daughter to Wrexham and on the way back we passed the site of the old West Bowling GC which is now an Industrial Estate.

Today I have watched the news about Portsmouth Football Club and was worried by what some of the supporters were saying.

Are we expecting too much from our Sporting Clubs?

Those of us who are Members of Clubs would be the first to complain about massive rises in our Fees, but are these rises coming?

Norwich City (24500), Leeds Utd (24000) and even Southampton (20000) are League One Football Clubs with a higher average home attendance than Portsmouth, only Wigan have a lower average in the Premiere League.

I know that our Golf Clubs don't deal in the millions that our Football Clubs do, but will we start to see Golf Clubs closing due to financial problems or will the members be asked to pay excessively higher fees to keep them afloat? 

Add to this the awful weather we are having, so no Golf and no visitors to some Clubs. What is in store for Golf Clubs now?

TheLyth

 I think it's a problem and despite certain economists stating the recession is over I don't bwelieve a word and there'll be a lot more casualties on the way.

 I think the elite clubs will always be ok but I don't see those clubs as clubs for playing golf, they are v exclusive and are more about social standing with people to match. I think it is a testing time for golf clubs and expect the the middle to lower ranking clubs will take the hit. I know that my current club and former club have 'reorganised' the pro staff (in both cases meaning a reduction in staff and thus costs) and in an effort to increase income MoorAllerton now subscribe to Tee off times direct where you can play for £16. Five years ago youu'd be lucky to get on for the full £58.

  I hope that clubs can hang on. I don't think that they can hike up the fees as people will leave so it does depend on the relationship with the bank. 

all clubs need to get their finances in order and implement plans for further significant reduction in revenues every year for the next 2 years at least.  Those clubs that are losing money need to tighten their belts and make dramatic changes in reducing overheads while trying to maintain satisfactory playing conditions.  There has been plenty of warning this was going to happen so clubs have no excuses on getting deeper into debt.  Planned future Investment in clubs need to be addressed and appropriate decisions made.  Clubs will require longer to get out of this financial mess than  it takes to get in it.

As for BANKS.  Only a fool would trust a bank in this present climate.

As for football clubs, i have no pity for them, football is all about making mountains of money and investment in clubs is done by people who clearly do not have a clue.  Who in their right mind would invest millions of £'s in any business that relies on good fortune and spoilt little brats who are not even bright enough to know the laws of the game they actually play.