Why Did Your Golf Membership Fee Increase in 2025

In our first survey article we provided data around the positivie feelings within the golf industry this year focused on the high numbers of golfers planning to renew and continue their golf club membership or those looking to join golf clubs.

But how does golf club membership stack up and how valued do golfers feel in 2025?

For 2025, it should come as little surprise to anybody that 87% of our respondents told us that their golf club membership fees have increased this year. What was far less predictable was that 11% of you are seeing no increase and, incredibly, 2% of you reported that your fees have been cut. Hold the front page!

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At a time of financial uncertainty for many of us, the size of the increase would have been a matter of some concern.

So how did it break down? 

• 48% of you saw the cost increase by 0-5%
• 32% saw fees rise by 6-10%
• 7% saw the cost increase by a whopping 10%+.  

This data is fairly similar to 2023 when we completed a similar survey.

What may come as a surprise two years later is that 31% of those seeing an increase did not get an explanation from their golf club. The figure was 30% in 2023.

This is something that I do not understand. Clubs who take their members for granted are playing a dangerous game because we all choices and this include the ability to move elsewhere.

I pay my fees on a monthly basis. In 2024 I paid £69 a month - that has increased to £72 a month. To be perfectly honest, it is an increase I probably would not have noticed. So did my golf club contact me to tell me there would be an increase, and did it explain why that rise was happening? Yes it did.

We have seen two new tees being constructed during the winter months as well as the construction of a new path. The club told us all about its plans for the year ahead, outlined the exact increases and told us precisely when they would be coming into effect and why. That is the way to do things.

On the other hand, I have a friend who is a member of another local club. His annual fee has just increased again - since 2023 it has risen by around £250 a year without a word of explanation. I would be voting with my feet but he loves his course. Nobody will ever convince me that this approach is the right one - members should be told why their fees are rising.

In general, the main factors for increasing membership fees are exactly as you would expect:  

• Increasing in operating costs; energy and utilities, course maintenance (sand, seed, fertiliser), machinery and equipment costs, repairs and upkeep of course and clubhouse;
• Rising staff costs: changes to minimum wage; taxation and NI increases and general salary increases related to inflation.
• Course and facility investment; course improvement, clubhouse refurbishments, practice area upgrade
• Financial planning and budget management; ensuring long-term sustainability

While most golfers will welcome the above particularly around improving their golf club and investing for the future, there were some mixed feelings around the lack of transparency, fairness with some subscription packages, getting value for money from membership and overall poor communication.    

Several of you believe that the price hikes were disproportionate, especially for long-standing members or those with limited use of facilities. There also seems to be a perception that certain types of memberships (seniors, juniors or off-peak) might be bearing the brunt of the increases, leading to perceived unfairness across member groups. Again, I can only speak from personal experience and from drawing on conversations with fellow members and with golfers I speak to from other clubs. As a senior golfer who could play every day of the week if I chose to do so, my membership represents incredible value for money. And the club does pretty well out of me and my fellow seniors because we ALWAYS spend money in the clubhouse after our round. I also feel that I belong to a golf club that listens to its members.

Not everybody feels the same way.

In terms of value for money the number dropped to 66% from 71% last time with those stating that their golf club membership offered value for money. A worrying 17% of you believe that you do not get value for money, up a fraction from 2023. Surprisingly, 17% of you were unsure when it comes to value for money - up from 10% two years ago.

Finally, further data insight from this survey showed marginal declines in waiting lists and joining fees. Obviously, our data can be impacted by multiple aspects in terms of geographic location, age demographic, club membership type but overall just 26% of respondents stated that their golf club compared to 28% previously.  

However, 38% still have a joining fee. I do not understand how, in this day and age, joining fees can still possibly be justified. Golf is expensive enough without asking potential member to dig deep twice when joining a golf club.

Let us know what you think by posting on our social channels and look out very soon for the further analysis from our 2025 golf club membership survey.

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