Credit crunch hits Scots golf clubs

By Phil Goodlad
BBC Good Morning Scotland

Golfers have played the Dollar golf course for 120 years

"For 120 years people have played this course. I've played it, my father before me, now my son and the young people of the village."

For David Barrowman, Dollar Golf Club is more than just a sporting facility. It's part of the fabric of his village, a focal point in his community.

But perhaps not for much longer. The long hand of recession is looming large.

"Last year we had around 125 full paying members. This season we've lost 25 owing to them not renewing their subscription.

"That's a loss of around £15,000 and this club simply can't afford that. We're not the only one. I know of a few more in a similar position," he said.

It's a picture seen across the country.

A quarter of a million of us are members at Scotland's 580-plus golf clubs, paying on average £450 for the privilege.

This season has seen a 3% drop in players carrying club cards. It might not sound a lot, but it's hitting smaller clubs hard.

The challenge for us is to get more people into the game. We're doing that so hopefully we'll see the spare capacity at our clubs filling up Andy Salmon SGU

The Scottish Golf Union is their governing body and it shares their concern.

"Will some clubs go to the wall? Possibly," said Andy Salmon, development manager with the SGU.

"The challenge for us is to get more people into the game. We're doing that so hopefully we'll see the spare capacity at our clubs filling up."

Getting the game into schools is seen as key to this, with 70% of P5 pupils now being introduced to the fairways and greens of Scotland.

The hope is that this will attract them to local golf clubs.

But keeping them there is down to the clubs and the SGU feels they have to be more flexible in their membership approach.

Waiting lists

"The important thing to recognise for clubs is what the customer wants," added Mr Salmon.

"Clubs for the last 30 years have had long waiting lists so haven't needed to treat their members as customers.

"That's changed now so clubs need to think much more like businesses."

In all this, surely a couple of questions stand out. Firstly, does Scotland have too many golf clubs?

Generations of golf fans have played at the club

We'll find out during this financial downturn. Simple supply and demand economics will give us the answer.

The other question is one of cost. Is an average of £450 a year too much to join a club?

To non-golfers it looks like it. But then those who regularly play the sport simply point out the cost of a football season ticket. Which offers the most value for money?

Major fundraising efforts are now under way at our closure-threatened clubs.

Dollar is leading the way, with an eagle and birdie challenge next month is just one approach to plugging the club's cash shortfall.

David Barrowman is pulling it all together in a bid to save 120 years of history.

"We're going to try and keep the club open," he said.

"This recession is proving a big blow just now but it will pass and hopefully we'll be stronger for it."

As the golfing world's focus falls on Scotland, with the Open taking place at Turnberry this week, Dollar is not the only club which is holding on to that hope.