Retention is rarely lost at renewal. It is usually lost in the quiet months before it. We’ve worked in golf club environments where the course was excellent, yet churn was stubborn. The issue was not always price. It was often communication. Members did not feel connected, noticed, or guided. Good communication fixes that. It keeps members engaged, informed, and confident in their decision to stay. This matters even more when you run a flexible membership category, because flexible members can drift faster.
Most resignations follow a pattern. A member plays less, stops booking ahead, and stops entering competitions. Then they stop thinking like a member and start thinking like a visitor. If no one reaches out, the story writes itself. They assume the club will not miss them. At that point, renewal becomes a simple decision. “Not this year.” Communication is a retention tool. It is not just admin.
Many clubs only communicate when the renewal letter is due. For some members, that is too late. They have already decided. The best retention work starts early, and three months is a strong rule of thumb. It gives you time to rebuild connection and it gives members time to plan. A simple cadence works well: a friendly update 90 days out, a value reminder 60 days out, a clear renewal message 30 days out, and a final nudge in the last week. Keep it short, make it useful, and include a clear next step.
Members do not all communicate the same way. Some reply to email and others ignore it. Some respond to WhatsApp in minutes, while others prefer a quick phone call. Relying on one channel creates blind spots and avoidable churn. A modern retention approach uses a mix: email for detail and links, text or WhatsApp for simple prompts, calls for high-value or high-risk members, and web chat for fast questions. This is not about spamming members. It is about meeting them where they are.
Generic updates get skipped. Members are busy and filter fast. Useful messages get read because they answer questions before they are asked. Strong examples include course updates that affect play, upcoming events, competition dates, coaching and practice opportunities, winter rules, and opening hours. Tie messages to real behaviour. If midweek is quiet, promote midweek golf. If evenings are available, highlight them. If competitions are the glue, make them easy to enter.
Flexible members are often time-poor. They play around work and family. That means they can disappear for weeks, not through dissatisfaction, but through life. Ongoing communication brings them back. It turns a low-frequency member into a repeat customer. At PlayMoreGolf, retention is not a single email. It is a membership journey, with helpful nudges and reminders, plus messages that support engagement. This includes texts, WhatsApps, emails, and calls when needed. The goal is simple. Keep members active, because active members renew more often.
Many clubs treat sales and renewals as separate. Members notice the gap. If the joining experience is helpful, renewal should match it. If sales calls are personal, renewal should be personal too. This is where an end-to-end approach helps. Sales closes the join and service protects the relationship. A member should feel guided from day one. They should know who to contact and feel the club cares.
Retention communication should be tracked. Not obsessively, but consistently. Look at open rates, click rates, replies, renewal timelines, and members who stop playing. Use that insight to improve messaging and test small changes. One tweak to timing or channel can prevent a resignation.
Communication helps retain golf members because it keeps the relationship alive. Start early, use multiple channels, and keep it useful. Treat renewals as a journey, not a deadline. If you do that consistently, membership retention becomes stronger and more predictable.