“We want another 50 members next year.”
It sounds like a clear target. But does it mean recruiting 50 golfers, or finishing the year with 50 more members after replacing those who leave?
That distinction can leave a golf club well short of its membership budget, even when the team delivers the recruitment target it was given.
As clubs across the UK and Ireland plan for 2027, the starting point should be a calculation that separates existing members, expected departures and genuine growth.
The Met Office provisionally recorded summer 2026 as the UK’s warmest on record, with dry conditions across many areas. Local experiences varied, so clubs should examine their own rounds, course conditions and member feedback before carrying summer performance into next year’s forecast.
The wider outlook also warrants caution. In its September monetary policy update, the Bank of England highlighted how conflict in the Middle East was contributing to higher, volatile energy prices. For golf clubs, this creates a planning risk around operating costs and the money households have available for leisure.
With winter approaching, shorter days also reduce playing opportunities. Members who struggled to use their subscription over summer may be questioning renewal, while prospective joiners may need more time to commit.
None of this means assuming demand will fall. It means testing that demand before budgeting for it.
As we explored in our guide to planning your golf club’s 2027 membership revenue, recruitment targets need to account for the members you expect to lose.
Use this calculation:
Gross joiners required = target closing membership + forecast resignations − opening membership.
Consider this illustrative example:
| Membership measure | Number |
|---|---|
| Forecast opening membership for 2027 | 500 |
| Target membership at the end of 2027 | 550 |
| Forecast resignations during 2027 | 70 |
| New joiners required | 120 |
The club wants to grow by 50 members, but needs to recruit 120.
Recruiting just 50 would leave it with 480 members after the forecast departures.
Start with the expected opening position for January, including changes still anticipated before December ends. Then forecast departures using previous renewal results, known resignations and conversations with members.
Keep the reporting period consistent. A departure already reflected in opening membership must not be deducted again.
A higher membership total does not automatically deliver the income your budget requires.
Model renewals, resignations and category movements separately. A member moving from seven-day to five-day membership remains a member, but their subscription changes. A flexible member upgrading to full membership increases income without adding another person to the club.
Then model the categories your new joiners are likely to choose.
For illustration, 60 joiners generating £1,200 each in annual membership income and 60 generating £400 each would produce £96,000: an average of £800 per new member. Budgeting for all 120 at £1,200 would overstate that income by £48,000.
These are example figures, not recommended prices. Use your club’s actual income retained after relevant deductions, rather than assuming every pound paid by a golfer reaches the club.
Also separate annual membership value from income falling within the 2027 budget. Joining dates, subscription arrangements and instalments affect revenue timing and cash receipts differently.
Once you know the joiner target, calculate the enquiries needed to support it.
Required enquiries = new joiner target ÷ enquiry-to-join conversion rate.
At an illustrative conversion rate of 25%, recruiting 120 members requires 480 enquiries.
At 20%, it requires 600.
Use your own historic results, ideally split by category and source. Referrals, website enquiries and paid advertising may convert differently. Measure a consistent group of enquiries through to their outcome, allowing for the time golfers take to decide.
Then phase the target around your actual joining patterns. An annual average of 40 enquiries a month does not mean winter and spring will contribute equally.
If enquiries are arriving but too few golfers join, investigate the follow-up process before increasing advertising spend. Our article on the work required after launching a flexible membership category explains how clear communication, enquiry ownership and ongoing follow-up support recruitment.
A club can have space for more members overall while having little availability at the times those golfers want to play.
Review demand by day, time and season, allowing for competitions, visitors, maintenance and winter daylight.
If Saturday mornings are already difficult to book, recruiting more golfers who only want Saturday mornings could undermine the experience for existing members.
Where quieter windows exist, a clearly structured flexible membership category can help attract occasional golfers whose playing habits suit that availability. Appropriate points pricing and booking rules can support this approach while preserving the value of full membership.
The recruitment target should specify both the categories you want to grow and the capacity available to serve them.
Agree an acquisition budget covering advertising, creative work, systems and staff time. Set an affordable cost per new member against the income and contribution each category can generate.
Assign one person responsibility for the overall target, with clear ownership of enquiry follow-up.
Review enquiries and outstanding follow-ups weekly. Report monthly on joiners, resignations, category movements, conversion, acquisition cost and income against the phased budget.
If performance slips, this makes it easier to identify whether the problem is enquiry volume, follow-up, category mix or delayed joining decisions.
Use the Membership Revenue Planning Workbook to test your proposed target against different assumptions for resignations, category mix, conversion and joining dates.
Would the plan still work if more members left, fewer enquiries converted or recruitment arrived later than expected?
Where your review identifies suitable capacity for occasional golfers, speak to PlayMoreGolf about the role a flexible membership category could play.
Before approving “50 more members”, make sure everyone understands how many golfers the club must actually recruit, what income they need to generate and who will deliver the plan.
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