Attracting a New Audience to Your Golf Club

How to Entice Different Golfers to your Golf Club

Golf in the UK continues to enjoy healthy participation — memberships are strong, tee sheets are busy, and many clubs are thriving. But even in good times, it’s worth asking an important question:

Are you doing enough to attract the next generation of golfers?

As lifestyles evolve and time becomes more precious, a growing number of golfers are looking for something different — a more flexible way to belong. Understanding this new audience is key to protecting your future success.

How Are Flexible Golfers Different to Your Typical Member?

Flexible golfers are not your traditional weekend regulars. In fact, they play the game very differently.

• When they play: Data shows that almost 80% of flexible members play at off-peak times, often after 1pm. They’re not competing for the busiest Saturday morning slots — they’re filling the quieter parts of your week.
• How often they play: Many play less frequently due to work and family commitments, but they still want to be part of a club environment.
• Why they play: For flexible golfers, golf is a passion that has to fit around life — not the other way around.

This group includes busy professionals, parents, and lapsed members returning to the game. On average, the flexible golfer is 48 years old, often juggling work and family. They love golf, but their schedules mean a full membership doesn’t always make sense.

Why Are Golfers Choosing Flexible Membership?

It’s not that these golfers don’t want to be full members — they simply can’t justify it right now.

• Time: Between work, children, and other commitments, they don’t have the freedom to play enough to get full value from a traditional membership.
• Price: The cost of full membership can feel daunting when they’re unsure how much they’ll play.
• Commitment: Some golfers worry they’ll “waste” a full membership if life gets in the way.

That’s why flexible membership is so powerful — it gives these golfers a way to belong without over committing. It provides the freedom, choice, and value they need to keep golf part of their lives.

Circumstances Change — And So Do Golfers

What’s particularly interesting is how flexible members evolve over time.

Many clubs using flexible membership platforms find that once players rediscover their love for the game and their circumstances change — whether that’s children growing up, work easing off, or simply playing more — they upgrade to full membership.

Flexible membership doesn’t replace your traditional model; it feeds it. It creates a pathway for golfers to grow within your club.

How to Attract These Golfers — What’s the Hook?

If you want to grow your membership base, this new audience is your biggest opportunity. But how do you attract them?

1. Lead with flexibility – Emphasise that golfers can play when they want, without the pressure of having to play every week.
2. Highlight the value – Make it clear that points-based systems ensure they only pay for what they use — great for those unsure how much time they’ll have.
3. Show it’s about belonging – These golfers want connection as much as convenience. A flexible membership still makes them part of the club community.
4. Protect your full members – With points matrices and time-based rules, your flexible golfers will naturally play off-peak — keeping peak times reserved for your full members.

Are Flexible Golfers Really That Different?

Yes — and that’s a good thing. They’re not here to compete with your traditional members. They complement them.

While your full members fill the weekends and prime slots, your flexible members make better use of the rest of the week — helping you increase utilisation, secondary spend, and overall club activity.

By attracting this group, you’re not discounting your value. You’re simply giving modern golfers a membership that fits the way they live today.

Attracting New Audience to be Interested in Membership

If you’re thinking about how to attract a new audience to your golf club, flexible membership is one of the smartest, lowest-risk ways to do it.

It appeals to a generation of golfers who love the game but need it to fit around real life. It brings in new faces, new energy, and new revenue — all without disrupting your existing full membership base.

In short: Full membership is your crown jewel. Flexible membership is the pathway that protects it.