5.50pm 2nd May 2023 – Management Topics
BRS Golf, golf’s leading provider of tee time management booking technology, and GolfNow, the world’s biggest tee time marketplace, have reported a strong start to 2023 for both member play and visitor play in the UK & Ireland. However, the golf software company has also reported that membership numbers are starting to decline.
Together, BRS Golf and GolfNow provide tee time booking solutions to 1,500 golf clubs across England, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, making it one of the largest and most reliable sources of participation data for golf in the British Isles.
Member participation (Jan 1 – March 31, 2023)
Member Rounds by Country
Over the course of the pandemic, the golf industry witnessed a boom in membership at levels never before seen. During 2022 these numbers flattened out and the focus for many clubs was on retention of their member base, as opposed to the high levels of acquisition of the previous two years.
Now BRS Golf can report that in Q1 2023 registered member numbers at golf clubs in the UK & Ireland have started to decline. With the cost of living and energy soaring over the last 12 months, many predicted that spring membership renewals would see some attrition, and Q1 data confirms this theory. However, it will likely be July 2023 before we are able to measure the full impact of the cost of living on membership numbers as most renewals take place in April.
The following numbers are based on those clubs who were live and transacting in December 22, and do not include any new clubs signed up to BRS Golf over Q1 2023. Based on this sample set of clubs the total registered members number has dropped by 6,000 over the course of January-March 2023.
Visitor numbers continue to increase
In Q1, GolfNow generated over £2 million in green fee revenue for its course partners. This represents a 21 per cent increase YOY, thanks in large part to a very dry February which inspired more visitor play and lead to almost 10,000 new bookers in Q1. In total 1,404 golf clubs sold rounds through GolfNow during January-March 2023 and average basket value per booking was up five per cent YOY to £55.20.
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