Golf courses are making more money from green fees than ever before

We may love the courses that we are most familiar with and be entirely contented to simply play the club that we're a member of, but there are few more enjoyable things if you're golfer than exploring more widely and experiencing a variety of different layouts.

Typically, if you're a visitor, accessing another venue for a round will require you to first part with a green fee, which has long been an invaluable source of income for golf clubs, but the importance of this financial stream has become even more heightened in recent years, even if a substantial number of golfers believe they are too expensive.

Golf club members will frequently bemoan that booking the tee times they desire is challenging, or that the place is crowded by visiting groups and parties, but when you see the money that can be generated by green fees, it's little wonder why visitors are embraced so warmly.

Record Visitor Income at Golf Courses

The Revenue Club, who work alongside a considerable number of venues throughout the UK & Ireland, has revealed that 2025 was an unprecedented year for visitor revenues at courses, with the average income taken in from visitors (across the clubs they are partnered with) totalling a staggering £315,000.

Putting that into context, this was an increase of 85% on visitor revenue earned in 2024 (up from £170,000, but what made that possible? Reflecting on the past 12 months, the peak season in much of these islands was dry and mild, extending that period and encouraging even more golfers to book rounds and get out playing.

The fact that total rounds during the year grew by 13% to 36,107 on average supports that assertion. 

What is The Future of Green Fees at Golf Clubs?

When you last booked a visitor round at a golf course, did you first head online? That's becoming an increasingly dominant channel for clubs, who are taking in an average of £126,000 from online booking systems, a dramatic surge on the £98,000 that was earned in 2024. 

That now means over a third of visitor income has been generated online - and that trend is only going one way.

Society groups and member guest bookings also remain essential income pathways for golf clubs.

We've recently asked about peak times at golf courses and when the best window to book a round would potentially be. The Revenue Club has offered an answer as "60% of online bookings were made for weekday play, with peak booking times coming between 11am-3pm."

Balancing the needs of members and visitors is an equation for all golfing venues, no matter their size and reputation, to solve, but when you see the opportunities that are possible with the right marketing and direction behind them, it's clear to see why that source of income is being coveted more than ever before.