6 days ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Results are in from The Herald Scottish Golf Survey
Some surprising findings have been uncovered in the first-ever Herald Scottish Golf Survey, with custodians of the country's courses sharing their views on finances, governance, the challenges they face and the opportunities that lie ahead.
More than 90 captains, club secretaries and managers representing 116 courses throughout the country took part in the survey, accounting for 1,880 holes of golf. Their facilities range from small rural clubs through to some of the biggest names in the game.
The received wisdom is golf, and golf clubs in particular, were in a general state of decline before the pandemic with a 20% reduction in membership levels during the 20 years prior. Then along came the 'Covid bounce' when golf was among the first activities allowed during the lockdown period, rekindling the game's popularity and reviving the financial fortunes of its clubs and facilities.
Our survey shows that while this has undoubtedly been the case for some, the broader situation is not as clearcut as that narrative suggests.
Tomorrow's big read in Business HQ Monthly delves into the numbers with plenty of graphics for a quick reference guide. We also speak to the secretary of a small community club about the challenges it is up against and what has been done to try and overcome those difficulties.
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It marks the start of a three-day series that will be followed on Friday by the survey findings on clubs' opinions of governing body Scottish Golf, and the potential financial impact of implementing a 'one player, one fee' system in the collection of affiliation payments to Scottish Golf.
OpenPlay, the flexible subscription for non-club members to obtain an official handicap, comes under the microscope on Saturday and we also speak to some clubs that are working together to improve their financial fortunes.
